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<DATE>2009-11-17</DATE>
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<NAME>Simon Charles</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed</ITEM>
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<IDG S="marc" R="OX" ID="A27530">
<STC T="W">B2056</STC>
<BIBNO T="oclc">9682111</BIBNO>
<VID>43997</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P><HI REND="blackletterType">The be&s;t Fence again&s;t Popery:</HI> OR,
A VINDICATION OF THE Power of the KING IN <HI REND="blackletterType">Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Affairs.</HI></P>
<P>Being an ANSWER to the PAPISTS Objections again&s;t the <HI>Oath
of Supremacy.</HI></P>
<P>To which is added, Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI>'s Admoni|tion,
declaring the Sen&s;e of the &s;aid Oath, and King <HI>James</HI>'s Vindication
of the Oath of Allegiance.</P>
<P><HI>By a Learned Divine.</HI></P>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>J. Robin&s;on</HI> in St.
<HI>Paul</HI>'s Church-Yard, and <HI>S. Crouch</HI> in <HI>Cornhill.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="introduction">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>THE LAWFULNES OF THE Oath of Supremacy, &amp;c.</HEAD>
<P>_THE Supremacy of the Kings of <HI>England</HI> be|ing eclip&s;ed
by the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> in both parts of it, the State thought fit to
enjoin a Provi&s;ion of equal exten&s;ion. In relation to the <HI>Civil
Rights</HI> of the Crown, is the Oath of <HI>Allegiance;</HI> and again&s;t the
Encroachments upon the <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical,</HI> this of the
<HI>Supremacy,</HI> which being fir&s;t enjoined, containeth in a manner both.
This Oath hath given the Papi&s;ts &s;uch a Blow, as they could not but
&s;trike again, and have poured out a Flood of Arguments and Ab&s;urdities
again&s;t &s;ubmitting to it, which hath been a long time &s;cattered, and
&s;tick in the Minds of divers of his Maje&s;ty's Loyal Subjects; who, tho
otherwi&s;e well affected, yet by rea|&s;on of &s;ome Doubts and Tenderne&s;s,
are at a &s;tand to this day, and &s;cruple the taking of this Oath: For
who&s;e &s;atis|faction, and clearing the Lawfulne&s;s of this Supremacy, is
the en&s;uing Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="1" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<HEAD>CHAP. I.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&sect;.1. The Oath it &s;elf, as now enjoined. &sect;.2. The
Occa&s;ion of this Oath. &sect;.3. Various Forms of it, and Alterations about
it. &sect;.4. Interpretations given of it in our Laws, and Writers of Note.
&sect;.5. The Nature of our A&s;&s;ent and Stipulation.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<DIV2 TYPE="section">
<HEAD>The Oath of <HI>Supremacy.</HI></HEAD>
<Q><HI REND="blackletterType">I <HI>A.B.</HI> do utterly te&s;tify and
declare in my Con&s;ci|ence, that the King's Highne&s;s is the only Su|preme
Governor of this Realm, and of all other his Highne&s;s's Dominions and
Countries, as well in all Spiritual or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Things or Cau&s;es,
as Tem|poral: And that no Foreign Prince, Per&s;on, Prelate, State, or
Potentate, hath, or ought to have any Iu|risdiction, Power, Superiority,
Preeminence, or Authority Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Spiritual, within this Realm.
And therefore I do utterly renounce and for&s;ake all Foreign Iurisdictions,
Powers, Superiorities, and Authorities, and do promi&s;e, that from henceforth
I &s;hall bear Faith and true Allegiance to the King's Highne&s;s, his Heirs
and lawful Succe&s;&s;ors; and to my power &s;hall as&s;i&s;t and defend all
Iurisdictions, Pri|vileges, Preeminences, and Authorities, granted or belonging
to the King's Highne&s;s, his Heirs and Suc|ce&s;&s;ors, as united and annexed
to the Imperial Crown of this Realm.</HI></Q>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<PB N="3" REF="3">
<P>&sect;2. For many Years there hath been a Conte&s;t about
Juri&s;|diction and Supremacy in <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Matters, between
the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> and the Kings of <HI>England;</HI> who hath got
ground herein, according as our Princes were found more weak, nece&s;&s;itous,
or devoted to his Holine&s;s. <HI>Rome</HI> was not built in a Day. By
<HI>William</HI> the Conqueror, <HI>Legates</HI> from the Pope, to hear and
determine Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Cau&s;es, were admitted. <HI>Henry</HI> the
Fir&s;t, after much Conte&s;t, yields to the Pope the Patrona|ges and Donations
of Bi&s;hopricks, and all other Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Benefices; it being decreed
at <HI>Rome,</HI> that no Lay-Per&s;on &s;hould give any Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Charge. King <HI>Stephen</HI> grants, that <HI>Appeals</HI> be made to the
Court of <HI>Rome.</HI> In <HI>Henry</HI> the Second's Days, the Pope gets the
Clergy, and Spiritual Per&s;ons, exempted from Secular Powers. The Bi&s;hop of
<HI>Rome</HI> is now over all Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es, even
in the&s;e Dominions, Su|preme Head. And having upon the matter made Conque&s;t
over more than half the Kingdom, in the Times of King <HI>John,</HI> and
<HI>Henry</HI> the Third, &s;ets on for the whole, and obtains of King
<HI>John</HI> an ab&s;olute Surrender of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Ireland</HI>
unto his Holi|ne&s;s, which were granted back again by him to the King, to hold
of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> in Fee-farm and Va&s;&s;alage. Being now
ab&s;olute and immediate Lord over all, be endeavours to convert the Profits of
both Kingdoms to his own U&s;e; &s;o that <HI>Prince</HI> and <HI>People</HI>
were hereby reduced to very great Poverty and Servitude.</P>
<P>Such Ruine being brought upon both Kingdoms by this De|vice and
Engine, (the Claim and Exerci&s;e of Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Ju|ri&s;diction over
Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es by a Foreign Power) the Nation was awakened, both
<HI>King, Lords,</HI> and <HI>Commons,</HI> yea, the <HI>Spiritual Lords</HI>
them&s;elves, to join with more Vigor again&s;t this Foreign U&s;urpation. To
this purpo&s;e &s;evere Laws were made, in the Time of <HI>Edw.</HI> 1&s;t, 2d,
3d. <HI>Richard</HI> the 2d, and <HI>Hen.</HI> the 4th. Notwith&s;tanding
the&s;e Laws, (and &s;ome formerly, as the Con&s;titutions of
<HI>Clarendon</HI> by <HI>Hen.</HI> 2.) partly by Sufferance, and partly by
Negligence, the whole Nation being Catholick, and held under a devotional
Slavery, there was no thorow or &s;ucce&s;sful Conte&s;t again&s;t the&s;e
Oppre&s;&s;ions. They remained unto, and were complained of in <HI>Henry</HI>
the Eighth's Days; as of <HI>Appeals to</HI> Rome <HI>in Cau&s;es of Matrimony,
Divorce, Tithes,</HI> &amp;c. <PB N="4" REF="4"> <HI>to the great Inquietation,
Vexation and Trouble, Co&s;ts and Charges of the King's Highne&s;s, and many of
his Subjects.</HI> 24 Hen. 8. cap. 12. In a further Complaint, <HI>Anno</HI>
25, cap. 21. it is de|clared, how that <HI>the Subjects of this Realm have been
greatly de|cay'd and impoveri&s;hed by intolerable Exactions of great Sums of
Money, claimed, and taken out of this Realm by the Bi&s;hop of</HI> Rome,
<HI>as well in Pen&s;ions, Cen&s;es, Peter-Pence, Procurations, Provi&s;ions,
Delegacies, Re&s;cripts in Cau&s;es of Contention and Appeals, as al&s;o for
Di&s;pen&s;ations, Licen&s;es, Faculties,</HI> &amp;c. who a&s;&s;umed a Power
to di&s;pen&s;e with all humane <HI>Laws, &V;&s;es, and Cu&s;toms of all
Realms.</HI> And many the like Complaints were made to King <HI>Henry,</HI> by
his Parliament, at &s;everal times, as it appears in the Statutes of that Age:
In which Statutes, as in that of the 24th of <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. <HI>c.</HI> 12.
&amp; 25. <HI>c.</HI> 21. 26. <HI>c.</HI> 1, 3. <HI>Anno</HI> 28. <HI>c.</HI>
1, 7, 10, 16, and 35 <HI>c.</HI> 1. you have the whole Fabrick of Romi&s;h
U&s;urpation laid level, and all Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power reduced with|in his
Maje&s;ty's Dominions, and placed in the Arch Bi&s;hop, and other
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons under him, by firm and &s;evere Laws.</P>
<P>This being done, the King is petitioned by his Lords and
Commons, <HI>That for further Corroboration of tho&s;e Acts, and utterly to
exclude the long u&s;urped Power, Authority, and Ju|ri&s;diction of the
Bi&s;hop of</HI> Rome, <HI>that an OATH, containing the Sub&s;tance and Effect
of tho&s;e Statutes, be limited and tendred to his Subjects.</HI></P>
<P>This Parcel of Sacred Wor&s;hip (an Oath) is indulged to Mankind
in Civil Affairs. Such is the Fal&s;ene&s;s, Unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s, and
Uncertainty of Men, as that human Societies could hardly &s;ub&s;i&s;t without
it. The Lord, to repair our Credit, hath formed Mens Hearts generally to a
great and apparent Religion, and Reverence of this Ordinance. The Heathens
them&s;elves termed it <HI>Sacramentum,</HI> as if the mo&s;t eminent or only
Thing Sacred, and religiou&s;ly to be ob&s;erved. It is &s;o effectual a Means
to e&s;tabli&s;h a Reformation, as <HI>Men will be kept firm by Oaths,</HI>
(&s;aith one<NOTE PLACE="marg">Liv. Hi&s;t.</NOTE>) <HI>tho there were neither
Laws nor Magi&s;trates.</HI> We are expo&s;ed to more Variety and Changes from
<HI>&V;n&s;teadine&s;s in the Mind,</HI> than from any thing that is
<HI>without us.</HI> Fix the Con&s;ci|ence, and you fix the Man, whatever Evil
he is thereby expo&s;ed to. There is nothing generally more effectual to fix
the Con|&s;cience than an Oath: If I have &s;worn, and invocated the Name of
God in an Engagement, it will be an <HI>End of all Strife,</HI> and 
<PB N="5" REF="4"> di&s;pute with my &s;elf, as well as with others,
<HI>Heb.</HI> 6.16. Our Coun|&s;els and Re&s;olutions are in common
apprehen&s;ion become immu|table, when <HI>confirmed by an Oath,</HI> ver. 17.
<HI>Who&s;oever</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Mo&s;es</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Numb.
30.3.</NOTE>) <HI>&s;weareth an Oath, and bindeth his Soul by a Bond.</HI> It
is the Bond of the Soul, we have given Security for our Faithfulne&s;s from
Heaven. For removing the Romi&s;h Yoke, which lay &s;o heavy upon Prince and
People, Means hath been u&s;ed again and again, almo&s;t in each King's Reign,
for near Four Hundred Years, but to no great effect. Go&s;pel-Light dawning
about us, and the binding of our Souls by an Oath, hath been the fixing of this
great Work, and the be&s;t Fence again&s;t Popery that ever was &s;et up. I
have &s;poken the more fully of the <HI>Occa&s;ion,</HI> and this
<HI>Means</HI> (our Oath), that we may not judg the taking of it to be a
<HI>ta|king the Name of God in vain;</HI> for as long as this Nation is in
dan|ger of Popi&s;h Tyranny in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters, &s;o long is this
Oath of ab&s;olute u&s;e and advantage, as the be&s;t Security between Man and
Man for Union again&s;t it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.3. A Parliament being called in 22 <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. the
King was recognized by the Clergy of that Convocation, <HI>Supreme Head of the
Church;</HI> the Expre&s;&s;ion or Form hereof debated, agreed upon, and
&s;ub&s;cribed by each Per&s;on there, was this: <HI>Cujus (Eccle&s;iae
Anglicanae) &s;ingularem Protectorem, unicum &amp; &s;upremum Dominum, &amp;
(quantum per Chri&s;ti leges licet) &s;upremum Caput, ip&s;ius Maje|&s;tatem
recogno&s;cimus.</HI> This Title was afterwards confirmed by divers Acts of
Parliament, and two Oaths formed to this pur|po&s;e in one Parliament,
<HI>viz.</HI> 28 <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. the one more brief, ha|ving with it the
Succe&s;&s;ion of the Crown, in <HI>cap.</HI> 7. the other more full and large,
and to this purpo&s;e only, <HI>cap.</HI> 10. Some Years after, <HI>viz.</HI>
in <HI>An.</HI> 35 <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. a Revive of both the&s;e Oaths was made by
the Parliament, and with &s;ome Alterations reduced into one: The Rea&s;ons
there are given why this was done; and it was re&s;olved, <HI>Tho&s;e Oaths
&s;hall not therefore be admini&s;tred, and this Oath to &s;tand in force and
place of the two Oaths.</HI> Which Oath began thus:</P>
<Q><HI REND="blackletterType">I <HI>A.B.</HI> having now the Vail of
Darkne&s;s of the u&s;urped Power of the See and Bi&s;hops of <HI>Rome</HI>
clearly taken away from mine Eyes, do utterly te&s;tify,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI></HI></Q>
<P><PB N="6" REF="5">This Oath remained the &s;ame the re&s;t of
his Reign, and all <HI>Edward</HI> the Sixth's time. Queen <HI>Elizabeth,</HI>
in the fir&s;t Year of her Reign, made the&s;e Alterations: 1. That
Expre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Su|preme Head,</HI> &amp;c. went hardly down by &s;ome,
as taking too much from the Pope; and as giving too much to any Secular Prince,
by others. Tho <HI>Henry</HI> the 8th, by his Letter written to the Clergy of
<HI>York</HI>-Province,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Anno</HI> 1533.</NOTE> well
defends it; yet Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> by her Parliament<NOTE PLACE="marg">1
<HI>Eliz.</HI> 2.</NOTE> changed that Expre&s;&s;ion. <HI>The Oath was
alte|red</HI> (to u&s;e Secretary <HI>Wal&s;ingham</HI>'s Words<NOTE PLACE="marg">In his Letter to <HI>Critoy,</HI> Sec. of <HI>France</HI></NOTE>)
<HI>into a more grateful Form, the hardne&s;s of the Name, and the Appellation
of</HI> Supreme Head <HI>being removed.</HI> 2. This Oath by that 35 of
<HI>Hen</HI> 8. might be tendered to any Subject at the King's plea&s;ure,
<HI>cap.</HI> 1. By the Statute 1 <HI>Eliz.</HI> 8. the urging of it was
limited to certain Per&s;ons, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">mployed in Publick Tru&s;t. 3. The Penalty for refu&s;ing it, at
fir&s;t was no le&s;s than High-Trea&s;on: By the Statute 1 <HI>Eliz.</HI> the
Puni&s;hment for Refu&s;al is only a Di&s;enablement to take any Promotion, or
exerci&s;e any Publick Charge, yet with this <HI>Pro|vi&s;o,</HI> if afterwards
during Life there were a &s;ubmitting to take this Oath, the Per&s;on might be
re&s;tored to his Office or Charge. But by the Parliament in 5 <HI>Eliz.</HI>
the Puni&s;hment (whi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">h as yet
&s;tands) is greater: The fir&s;t Refu&s;al of the Oath brings the Per|&s;on
within a <HI>Praemunire;</HI> and if tendred a &s;econd time, after the &s;pace
of three Months, and again refu&s;ed by the &s;ame Per&s;on, it is
High-Trea&s;on. This Severity in the Puni&s;hment, is recom|pen&s;ed with a
more gentle and indulgent Interpretation of the Oath, as will appear in the
following <HI>Section.</HI></P>
<P>As we are not to &s;wear ra&s;hly, &s;o our Laws do not give
Oaths ra&s;hly, but with great care and tenderne&s;s, weighing and
con&s;i|dering both the Matter, Per&s;ons, Penalties, and the Sea&s;on or
Occa&s;ion, being not willing their Laws, or Puni&s;hments for breaking of
them, be a Snare, or at any time more grievous to the Subject than the
Nece&s;&s;ity of State requires.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.4. The true Scope and Sence of this Oath may be gathered
from the Laws and Statutes &s;ince e&s;tabli&s;hed, and &s;ome Light al&s;o
from other Writers of Note.</P>
<P>Queen <HI>Eliz.</HI> within a little time after this Oath was
reduced to the Form wherein now it &s;tands, in an <HI>Admonition</HI> annexed
to the <HI>Injunctions,</HI> declareth the Sence and Interpretation of it, as
followeth.</P>
<Q><PB N="7" REF="5"> 
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Admoni|tion annexed to the Queen's
Injunctions.</NOTE><HI>THe Queen's Maje&s;ty being informed, that in certain
Places of this Realm, &s;undry of her Native Sub|jects being called to
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Mini&s;try in the Church, be, by &s;ini&s;ter
Per&s;ua&s;ion, and perver&s;e Con&s;truction, in|duced to find &s;ome
&s;cruple in the Form of an Oath, which by an Act of the la&s;t Parliament is
pre&s;cribed to be requi|red of divers Per&s;ons, for the Recognition of their
Alle|giance to her Maje&s;ty, which certainly neither was ever</HI> meant,
<HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ne by any</HI> equity of Words,
<HI>or</HI> good Sence, <HI>can be thereof gathered; would that all her Loving
Subjects &s;hould under&s;tand, that nothing was, is, or &s;hall be meant or
intended by the &s;ame Oath, to have any other Duty, Al|legiance, or Bond
required by the &s;ame Oath, than was ac|knowledged to be due to the mo&s;t
noble Kings of famous me|mory, King</HI> Henry <HI>the Eighth, her Maje&s;ty's
Father, or King</HI> Edward <HI>the Sixth, her Maje&s;ty's Brother.</HI></P> 
<P><HI>And further, her Maje&s;ty forbiddeth all manner her
Subjects to give ear or credit to &s;uch perver&s;e and malicious Per&s;ons,
which mo&s;t &s;ini&s;terly and maliciou&s;ly labour to noti|fy to her Loving
Subjects, how by the Words of the &s;aid Oath it may be collected, the Kings or
Queens of this Realm, Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ors of the Crown, may challenge</HI>
Authori|ty and Power of Mini&s;try <HI>of Divine Offices in the Church; wherein
her &s;aid Subjects be much abu&s;ed by &s;uch evil di&s;|po&s;ed Per&s;ons:
For certainly her Maje&s;ty neither doth, ne ever will challenge any other
Authority, than that was challenged, and lately u&s;ed by the &s;aid noble
Kings of fa|mous memory, King</HI> Henry <HI>the Eighth, and King</HI> Ed|ward
<HI>the Sixth, which is, and was of ancient time</HI> due to the Imperial Crown
of this Realm: <HI>That is, under God, to have the Sovereignty and Rule ever
all manner of Per&s;ons</HI> born within the&s;e her Realms, <HI>Dominions, and
Countries, of what E&s;tate, either Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Tempo|ral &s;oever
they be, &s;o as no other Foreign Power &s;hall, or <PB N="8" REF="6"> ought to
have any Superiority over them. And if any Per&s;on, that hath conceived any
other Sence of the Form of the &s;aid Oath, &s;hall accept the &s;ame Oath with
this Inter|pretation, Sence, or Meaning, her Maje&s;ty is well plea&s;ed to
accept every &s;uch in that behalf, as her good and obedient Subjects, and
&s;hall acquit them of all manner Penalties con|tained in the &s;aid Act,
again&s;t &s;uch as &s;hall peremptorily or ob&s;tinately refu&s;e to take the
&s;ame Oath.</HI></P></Q>
<P>In the fifth Year of her Reign, there is by Act of Parliament, a
Confirmation of this Sence, by way of <HI>Provi&s;o,</HI> in the&s;e Words:</P>
<Q><NOTE PLACE="marg">The <HI>Provi&s;o</HI> in the Statute of 5
<HI>Eliz. cap.</HI> 1.</NOTE><HI REND="blackletterType">Provided al&s;o, That the
Oath expre&s;&s;ed in the &s;aid Act, made in the &s;aid fir&s;t Year, &s;hall
be taken and ex|pounded in &s;uch Form as is &s;et forth in an Admonition
annexed to the Queen's Maje&s;ty's Injunctions, pub|li&s;hed in the fir&s;t
Year of her Maje&s;ties Reign: That is to &s;ay, to confe&s;s and acknowledg in
her Maje&s;ty, her Heirs and Succe&s;&s;ors, none other Authority than that was
challenged, and lately u&s;ed by the Noble King <HI>Henry</HI> the Eighth, and
King <HI>Edward</HI> the Sixth, as in the &s;aid Admonition more plainly may
appear.</HI></Q>
<P>There may be a Doubt made about this Interpretation, as whether
it be not incon&s;i&s;tent with the Words of the Oath, it &s;eems to be rather
a material Change of them, than an Inter|pretation. In the Oath it is, <HI>All
Spiritual or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Things or Cau&s;es;</HI> in the Interpretation
it is, <HI>All manner of Per&s;ons, of what E&s;tate, either Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
or Temporal, &s;oever they be.</HI> The Oath &s;eems to &s;peak of one thing,
and the Interpretation of another; the one of Cau&s;es, and the other of
Per&s;ons.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ad leges, per &s;e requiritur pote&s;tas in
per|&s;inam, &s;ecun|dario <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">res
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"></HI> Suarez. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"> lib.</HI> 1. <HI>cap.</HI>
8.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> There is no oppo&s;ition or Incon&s;i&s;tency
between the&s;e two, <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> and <HI>Cau&s;es.</HI> The principal
Object of a Law is a Per&s;on, and a Per&s;on with re&s;pect to his Actions, a
Per&s;on mo|rally con&s;idered; for a Per&s;on phy&s;ical, that is, in his
Being on|ly, and Nature as Man, without moving, or acting any thing 
<PB N="9" REF="6"> good or evil, is not the Object of a Law: nor Actions of any
kind or &s;ort what&s;oever, as Actions, and in that general Con|&s;ideration,
do come under a Law, but as they re&s;pect Per&s;ons, and are &s;ome way or
other the Actions of rea&s;onable Creatures: Tho a Law be made to puni&s;h the 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 21.29.</NOTE><HI>Ox which goreth a Man
that he dieth,</HI> yet it is with re&s;pect to Man, to let him know how much
God is provoked by &s;hedding Man's Blood, as <HI>Gen.</HI> 9.5. 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 9.9,10.</NOTE><HI>Doth God care for
Oxen?</HI> Doth God in his Law re&s;pect the Bea&s;t for it &s;elf? is it not
that Man may be in&s;tructed and re&s;tained? <HI>Ver&s;e</HI> 10. <HI>He
&s;aith it altogether for our &s;akes.</HI> The mentioning of
Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Cau&s;es therefore doth imply Per&s;ons, and Per&s;ons of
the &s;ame Denomination, to whom &s;uch Actions are peculiar, that is,
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons.</P>
<P N="2">2. And that this latter is an Interpretation of the
former, will thus appear: The Oath, in giving a Supremacy in all Spi|ritual or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Cau&s;es, might &s;eem to imply Spiritual Things to be the
immediate and proper Object of the Magi|&s;trates Power, and &s;piritual
Per&s;ons, only for this, becau&s;e they had to do in &s;piritual Matters; and
to infer thence, that the Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate hath Power in &s;piritual
Admini&s;trations, as the Word and Sacraments, after the &s;ame manner as hath
the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, who have Power in the&s;e Things, as the principal
and immediate Object of their Function: Which this Form af Expre&s;&s;ion in
the Admonition doth clearly take away, 1. In a&s;&s;erting, that <HI>by the
Words of the &s;aid Oath, Kings or Queens of this Realm may not challenge
Authority and Power of Mini&s;try of Divine Offices in the Church.</HI> 2. The
mentioning Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons, and not Spiritual or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Cau&s;es at all, implieth, that the Per&s;ons of Bi&s;hops,
Presbyters, and &s;uch like, are primarily and immediately the Object of this
Supreme Power, and the Laws made by it, upon another Con&s;ideration than as
Bi&s;hops, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> namely, as being <HI>born within the&s;e her
Ma|je&s;ty's Realms and Dominions, and &s;uch Per&s;ons, of what E&s;tate,
either Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Temporal, &s;oever they be, She hath the
Sove|reignty and Rule over them.</HI></P>
<P>Spiritual and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Things are mentioned in the
Oath upon a twofold Account: 1. Becau&s;e the Civil Magi&s;trate's Power and
Juri&s;diction really extends it &s;elf to the Duties of both Tables, and hath
to do with Matters and Cau&s;es, as well as Per&s;ons, that are &s;piritual,
(as hereafter we &s;hall &s;hew) <PB N="10" REF="7"> but, 2. Principally, that
a Calling or Employment in Church-Affairs, (what&s;oever hath been formerly
judged and practi&s;ed) doth no more exempt a Per&s;on and his Actings, (that
is a Sub|ject to the Queen upon any other account) from her Secular Power, than
doth a Temporal Calling or Employment in any worldly Affairs.</P>
<P>There is &s;omething of Explication further, in the Articles of
Religion, concluded in the Year 1562. The 37th Article is this:</P>
<Q> 
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The 37th Ar|ticle profe&s;&s;ed in the Church
of <HI>England.</HI></NOTE><HI>The Queen's Maje&s;ty hath the chief Power in
her Realm of</HI> England, <HI>and other her Dominions, unto whom the chief
Government of all E&s;tates of this Realm, whether they be Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
or Civil, in all Cau&s;es doth appertain, and is not, nor ought to be &s;ubject
to any Foreign Juri&s;diction.</HI></P> 
<P><HI>Where we attribute to the Queen's Maje&s;ty the chief
Go|vernment, by which Titles we under&s;tand the Minds of &s;ome &s;landerous
Folks to be offended, we give not to our Prince the ministring either of God's
Word, or of the Sacraments: The which thing the Injunctions al&s;o, lately
&s;et forth by</HI> Elizabeth <HI>our Queen, do most plainly testify: But that
only Prerogative, which we &s;ee to have been given always to all Godly Princes
in Holy Scriptures, by God him&s;elf; that is, that they &s;hould rule all
E&s;tates and De|grees committed to their Charge by God, whether they be
Eccle&s;iastical or Temporal, and restrain with the Civil Sword the Stubborn,
and Evil-doers.</HI></P> 
<P><HI>The Bi&s;hop of</HI> Rome <HI>hath no Juri&s;diction in this
Realm of</HI> England.</P></Q>
<P>It is mentioned in the <HI>Admonition,</HI> that the Queen's
Eccle&s;i|a&s;tical Power is <HI>the &s;ame that was challenged and u&s;ed
by</HI> Henry <HI>the Eighth,</HI> &amp;c. Which is &s;uppo&s;ed by &s;ome, to
be the &s;ame that was in the Pope, the <HI>Per&s;on</HI> only, and not the
<HI>Power</HI> chan|ged; &s;o that our Princes are but Secular Popes. This
Objection <PB N="11" REF="7"> was &s;trengthned by the Subtilty of
<HI>Gardiner</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Whom <HI>Calvin</HI> terms <HI>Impo&s;tor
ille,</HI> in Am. 7.13.</NOTE> abroad; and at home, by a Sermon preached at
<HI>Paul</HI>'s-Cro&s;s, in the Year 1588, by Dr. <HI>Bancroft,</HI> who calls
Queen <HI>Elizabeth</HI> a <HI>petty Pope,</HI> and tells us, her
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Authority is the &s;ame which the Pope had formerly. This
37th Article removes the Scruple &s;uffici|ently: 1. In a&s;&s;erting the
Authority given to her Maje&s;ty to be no other but what <HI>we &s;ee to have
been given to all Godly Princes in holy Scriptures,</HI> &amp;c. And for what
Power <HI>Henry</HI> the Eighth challenged,<NOTE PLACE="marg">26 <HI>Henry</HI>
8. <HI>cap.</HI> 1.</NOTE> it was no new Juri&s;diction wre&s;ted from the
Pope, but a Power or Prerogative <HI>ju&s;tly and rightfully</HI> belonging to
him, claimed and exerci&s;ed by his Predece&s;&s;ors &s;ome hundreds of Years
before his Time, being anciently annexed to the Crown. 2. In the latter part of
the Article it is al&s;o evident: For tho a Power in &s;piritual Cau&s;es be
given to a Secular Prince, yet it is not a <HI>&s;piritual Power,</HI> and
&s;uch a Juri&s;diction as the Pope claims, but &s;uch a Power only, and in
&s;uch a way as is put forth and exerci&s;ed in ordinary Civil Affairs; and the
&s;ame, in re&s;pect both to Eccle&s;ia&s;tical and Temporal Per&s;ons, namely,
a <HI>re&s;training with the Civil Sword the Stubborn and Evil-doers.</HI> So
to re&s;train or coerce, is an Authority or Juri&s;diction peculiar to Civil
Magi&s;trates, and by Chri&s;t him&s;elf denied to the highe&s;t
<HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Powers. Ye know</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 20,25,26.</NOTE>) <HI>the Princes of the Gentiles exerci&s;e
Dominion over them; and they that are great, exer|ci&s;e Authority upon them:
but it &s;hall not be &s;o among you,</HI> you Apo&s;tles; and threatens the
U&s;e of the Sword in &s;uch <HI>Per&s;ons, Mat.</HI> 26.52.</P>
<P>King <HI>James</HI> &s;peaking of the Oath of Supremacy; 
<Q REND="inline">'In that Oath (&s;aith he) is contained
<HI>only</HI> the King's ab&s;olute Power over all Per&s;ons, as well Civil as
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, excluding all Foreign Powers and Potentates to be Judges
within his Do|minions.'</Q> In his <HI>Apol. pag.</HI> 76. And more fully
afterwards, <HI>pag.</HI> 164. 
<Q REND="inline">'It implies (&s;aith he) a Power to command
Obe|dience to be given to the Word of God, by reforming Religion according to
his pre&s;cribed Will, by a&s;&s;i&s;ting the &s;piritual Power by his temporal
Sword, by Reformation of Corruption, by procuring due Obedience to the Church,
by judging and cutting off all frivolous Que&s;tions and Schi&s;ms, as
<HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> did; and finally, by making a <HI>Decorum</HI> to be
ob&s;erved in all indifferent Things, for that purpo&s;e, which is the only
Intent of our Oath of Supremacy.'</Q></P>
<P><PB N="12" REF="8">My Lord <HI>Coke,</HI> out of 1^o
<HI>Eliz.</HI> and in the Words of the Statute gives this Interpretation: 
<Q REND="inline">'There is (&s;aith he) no Juri&s;diction by this
Act affixed to the Crown, but was of Right, or ought to be by the ancient Laws
of this Realm, parcel of his Juri&s;diction, and which lawfully had been, or
might be exerci&s;ed within the Realm. The End of which Ju|ri&s;diction, and of
all the Proceedings thereupon, is, that all Things might be in Cau&s;es
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical to the plea&s;ure of Almighty God, Increa&s;e of Vertue, and
the Con&s;ervation of the Peace and Unity of the Realm, as by divers places of
the Act appears. And therefore by that Act, no pretended Juri&s;|diction
exerci&s;ed within this Realm, being ungodly, or re|pugnant to the ancient Law
of the Crown, was, or could be re&s;tored to the Crown, according to the
ancient Right and Law of the &s;ame.' <HI>Coke, de Jure Eccle&s;ia&s;tico,
fol.</HI> 8.</Q></P>
<P>Bi&s;hop <HI>Bil&s;on,</HI> a great Searcher into the Doctrine
of the Su|premacy of Kings, gives this as the Sence of the Oath. 
<Q REND="inline">'The Oath (&s;aith he) expre&s;&s;eth not Kings
Duty to God, but ours to them: As they mu&s;t be obeyed, when they join with
Truth; &s;o mu&s;t they be endured, when they fall into Error. Which Side
&s;oever they take, either Obedience to their Wills, or Submi&s;&s;ion to their
Swords, is their due by God's Law, and that is all which our Oath
exacteth.'</Q> And in a few Lines fol|lowing, he interprets what is meant by
Supremacy. 
<Q REND="inline">'We do not (&s;aith he) give Princes Power to do
what they li&s;t, in the Matters appertaining to God, and his Service. Indeed
we &s;ay, the Pope may not depo&s;e them, nor pull the Crown off their Heads.
In this only Sence we defend them to be Su|preme, that is, not at liberty to do
what they li&s;t, without regard of Truth or Right, but without Superior on
Earth.'</Q></P>
<P>Dr. <HI>Morton</HI> again&s;t the Pope's Supremacy, out of an
Epi&s;tle of <HI>Leo</HI> to the Emperor, &s;peaking thus: <HI>You mu&s;t not
be igno|rant, that your Princely Power is given unto you, not only in worldly
Regiment, but al&s;o &s;piritual, for the Pre&s;ervation of the Church.</HI> 
<Q REND="inline">'As if he had &s;aid, not only in Ca&s;es
Temporal, but al&s;o in Spiritual, &s;o far as it belongeth to the outward
Pre&s;ervation, not to the per&s;onal Admini&s;tration of them. And this is the
Sub&s;tance of our Engli&s;h Oath: and further, neither do our Kings of
<HI>England</HI> challenge, nor Subjects conde&s;cend unto.'</Q> <HI>pag.</HI>
26.</P>
<P><PB N="13" REF="8">Mr. <HI>Ma&s;on</HI> in his <HI>Vindiciae
Eccle&s;iae Angliae,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Lib.</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI>
5.</NOTE> &s;peaking of <HI>Calvin</HI>'s being offended, <HI>verum &s;i
intellexi&s;&s;et nihil aliud &s;ibi volui&s;&s;e hunc Titulum,</HI> &amp;c. 
<Q REND="inline">'<HI>Calvin</HI> would never have di&s;allowed
this Oath, if he had under&s;tood by the Title of &s;upream Governour in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Things, that nothing el&s;e had been claimed, but an
exclu&s;ion of Popi&s;h Tyranny, and a lawful Power in the King over his
Subjects; which &s;tands not in coyning new Articles of Faith or Forms of
Religion, &s;uch as were <HI>Jerobo|am's Calves;</HI> but in defending and
propagating that Faith and Religion of which God in the Scripture is the
undoubted Author. In this &s;ence and <HI>no other</HI> that ever we have heard
of, is the Title of Supream Governour given to, and accepted by the
King.'</Q></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.5. This Oath hath matters contained in it, (as you may
perceive) that are not of one nature and kind; the A&s;&s;ent and Stipulation
required of us, in re&s;pect to the &s;everal parts of it, is likewi&s;e
various and different: As our Creed according to the different nature of the
Articles, is believed by the different Acts of Faith. To what is contained in
the former part of the Oath in the&s;e Words; <HI REND="blackletterType">I do
utterly te&s;tify and declare in my Con&s;cience, that the <HI>King's</HI>
Highne&s;s is the only Supream Governour of this Realm, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HI>
Herein is required a true, re|al and cordial A&s;&s;ent to, and Profe&s;&s;ion
of what is mentioned; as al&s;o to give this Te&s;timony with &s;uch Sincerity
of Heart as in the Pre&s;ence of God. To &s;wear po&s;itively to any
dogma|tical A&s;&s;ertion, is not required; it would be taking the Name of God
in vain: for if it be a certain and undoubted Truth in it &s;elf and to others;
as are Principles in Rea&s;on and Articles of Faith; an Oath is vain, for it
<HI>ends no Strife.</HI> 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 9.</NOTE>2. If doubtful, and a que&s;tion
whether true or not, though &s;uch an Oath puts it out of que&s;tion that I
believe &s;o; yet not that it is a Truth. My Belief though ever &s;o much
evidenced and confirmed, doth not make a doubtful matter it &s;elf more
credible; nor is one Man's believing an A&s;&s;ertion any ju&s;t ground for
another Man to believe the &s;ame; &s;uch an Oath is therefore in vain, it's
not a fit <HI>medium</HI> to end &s;uch a Controver&s;y. 2. It is further
&s;aid, <HI REND="blackletterType">I do utterly renounce and for&s;ake all Forreign
Iurisdictions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HI> This requires not only the Sincerity of my
Per&s;wa&s;ion and Profe&s;&s;ion again&s;t the Title and Claim of all foraign
Powers; <PB N="14" REF="9"> but upon Oath to for&s;ake, that is to abjure (we
abjure when we &s;wear to quit and for&s;ake.) To for&s;ake a Power or
Juri&s;|diction, is to refu&s;e, and not to receive, &s;ubmit, or yield
Obedi|ence to any Commands given by it, or make any Appeals or Complaints to
it. 3. That which followeth, and wherein the main of this Engagement lieth, is
in the&s;e Words, <HI REND="blackletterType">I do promi&s;e that from henceforth I
&s;hall bear Faith, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and to my Power &s;hall a&s;&s;i&s;t all
Iuri&s;dictions, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HI> Herein is required a
<HI>Promi&s;&s;a|ry</HI> Oath, &s;wearing Allegiance to the King, (as a Loyal
Sub|ject) to &s;ubmit to his Laws, as al&s;o if there be occa&s;ion; to my
Power to a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend him, and all Juri&s;dictions and Priviledges
belonging to him. Though my Per&s;wa&s;ion be ever &s;o right, my Re&s;olution
ever &s;o &s;incere, at the taking of this Oath; that's not all is required. In
an <HI>A&s;&s;ertory</HI> Oath, if there be Truth and a right Frame of Heart in
time I &s;wear, and give my Te&s;timony, it &s;ufficeth: But a
<HI>Promi&s;&s;ory</HI> Oath is not di&s;charged by this, that I &s;incerely
intend what I &s;ay and pro|mi&s;e, for I engage to Action, and for the time to
come; I mu&s;t not only promi&s;e, but (if it be lawful and po&s;&s;ible) I
mu&s;t act and do accordingly, <HI>Numb.</HI> 30.2. <HI>If a Man &s;wear an
Oath to bind his Soul with a Bond, he &s;hall do according to all that
proceed|eth out of his Mouth.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="2" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. II.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>What is meant by Per&s;ons and things Spiritual or
Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical; in the proper, as al&s;o in the vulgar u&s;e of the&s;e
Terms.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>IF this Expre&s;&s;ion <HI>Spiritual,</HI> be interpreted by the
Contradi|&s;tinct Member, <HI>Temporal,</HI> it &s;eems to direct us, to
under|&s;tand &s;uch matters as concern <HI>Eternity,</HI> for that is the true
Op|po&s;ite to what is <HI>temporal:</HI> 2 Cor. 4.18. <HI>The things that are
&s;een are temporal, and the things that are not &s;een, are eternal:</HI> now
in &s;trictne&s;s of Speech <HI>carnal,</HI> not <HI>temporal,</HI> is the
oppo&s;ite Member <HI>to &s;piritual; I could not &s;peak unto you
as</HI> &s;piritual <HI>Men, but as to</HI> carnal; 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.1. and 1
<HI>Cor.</HI> 9. <HI>If we have &s;own unto you</HI> &s;pi|ritual 
<PB N="15" REF="9"> <HI>things, is it a great matter if we reap your</HI>
carnal <HI>things?</HI> But this is too narrow and &s;trict a Sen&s;e. There
are matters <HI>vulgarly</HI> termed Spiritual or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, being
&s;uch in Name and Title only, having nothing of a &s;piritual Nature in them.
Such a Di&s;tinction of &s;piritual things you have in a Letter writ|ten by
<HI>Henry</HI> the 8th to his Clergy, of the Province of <HI>York,</HI> in the
Year 1533, who were offended at his Title of being <HI>Su|pream Head of the
Church:</HI> 
<Q REND="inline">'Men (&s;aith he) being here them|&s;elves earthly
and temporal, cannot be Head and Governour to things eternal, nor yet
&s;piritual; taking this word Spiritual not as in the common Speech
<HI>abu&s;ed</HI> but as it &s;ignifies <HI>indeed.</HI>'</Q> By &s;piritual
things as abu&s;ed in common Speech, he means what is given to all &s;uch
Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es as belong to the Spiritual Court, and are termed by
<HI>Civilians, cau&s;ae vel res conten|tio&s;ae vel judiciales,</HI> matters of
conte&s;t, <HI>inter partes, actorem &amp; re|um,</HI> and come to be
determined by Sentence of the Judg in tho&s;e Courts. By tho&s;e things that
are <HI>indeed</HI> &s;piritual, is meant <HI>res extra judiciales,</HI> or
<HI>non contentio&s;ae;</HI> that is, &s;uch things as are determined not in a
Judicial, or <HI>Court</HI>-way of Tryal, by Witne&s;&s;es, Oaths,
Interpleadings, Sentences, and the like; but in a more deliberate and
&s;ynodical way, having the Word of God for Witne&s;s and Judg; both in
re&s;pect of what we do, and what we may do in things of this Nature.
<HI>Cau&s;es Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical</HI> (&s;aith Dr. <HI>Field</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Field <HI>of the Church</HI> p. 680.</NOTE>) <HI>are of two
&s;orts; for &s;ome are originally and naturally &s;uch, and &s;ome only in
that they are referred to the Cognizance of Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons, as
the probat of the Te&s;taments, Matrimony,</HI> &amp;c. Tho&s;e Spiritual
Courts being continued; and the &s;ame <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> tried in them as
before, when this Juri&s;diction was u&s;urped; the matters that were then, are
&s;till vulgarly re|puted Spiritual.</P>
<P>Emperors receiving the Chri&s;tian Faith, honoured the learned and
godly Bi&s;hops antiently with &s;ome Juri&s;diction, in the ca&s;es of Tythes,
Matrimony, Wills and the like; which are termed Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or
Spiritual; not from their own Nature, but from the <HI>Quality</HI> of the
Per&s;ons who were made Judges of them. They being <HI>&s;piritual Men;</HI>
the Cau&s;es come to be called <HI>&s;piritual Cau&s;es</HI> (after their Names
and Quality) that were &s;et over them. The&s;e Cau&s;es growing and
increa&s;ing in after|times, according as &s;piritual Per&s;ons were able by
the Popes a&s;&s;i&s;tance, to rifle from Princes; the managing of them
re|quire <PB N="16" REF="10"> more hands, than tho&s;e to whom fir&s;t
committed, namely the Bi&s;hops, and &s;uch as were in holy Orders, they
therefore took in for A&s;&s;i&s;tants, a great number of others, as
<HI>Archdeacons, Chan|cellors, Comm&s;&s;iaries, Officials, &amp;c.</HI> and
the&s;e are denominated Spiritual from tho&s;e <HI>Cau&s;es,</HI> and their
<HI>a&s;&s;i&s;tance</HI> of Bi&s;hops in the managing of them: and their
Courts, Spiritual Courts.</P>
<P>There are <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> that are truly &s;piritual, <HI>The
&s;piritual Man</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Paul</HI>) judgeth all things, 1
<HI>Cor.</HI> 2.14. and <HI>Gal.</HI> 6.1. <HI>Ye that are &s;piritual,</HI>
&amp;c. That is, &s;uch as have Grace and Holine&s;s. He al&s;o that hath
&s;piritual Gifts, and in a Go&s;pel-Office or Calling, is a &s;piritual
Per&s;on, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 14.37. <HI>a Man of God,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.17.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1
Pet. 2.5.</NOTE> And there are <HI>Matters</HI> or <HI>Cau&s;es</HI> that are
truly &s;piritual; as <HI>the Law is &s;piritual,</HI> Rom. 7. The Go&s;pel and
preaching of it, is <HI>a &s;owing of &s;piritual things;</HI> 1 Cor. 9. the
Wor&s;hip and Ser|vice of God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12. <HI>and</HI>
14.12.</NOTE> and all Gifts and Ordinances of Chri&s;t, are &s;piri|tual. Yea
what&s;oever things natural, or moral, that are helps to the Per&s;ons
wor&s;hipping; and by which the Wor|&s;hip it &s;elf becomes more orderly and
to Edification, and in the defect whereof <HI>the Name of God is taken in
vain,</HI> and Ordinances of Chri&s;t become le&s;s acceptable and effectual:
the&s;e Things and Circum&s;tances, in &s;ome &s;ence may be termed Spiritual
or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical. Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es of each &s;ort, whether
<HI>vul|garly</HI> or <HI>properly,</HI> termed Spiritual or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, are &s;ome way or other under the Magi&s;trates
Government.</P>
<P>The former of the&s;e, tho&s;e &s;piritual Per&s;ons and Courts,
and Cau&s;es appertaining to them in the fir&s;t framing of this Oath, were
principally (if not only) intended and aimed at, as appeareth in the Statutes
before mentioned. And indeed the greate&s;t Contention between the Pope and our
Princes in all time hath been about Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters of that nature;
being then judged of greate&s;t prejudice in re&s;pect both to the
<HI>Honour</HI> and <HI>Wealth</HI> of this Nation. For, tho&s;e matters more
truly &s;piritual, and nearly relating to God and his Service (the Ignorance of
the times was &s;uch) his Impo&s;itions, both in Do|ctrine and Wor&s;hip
(though very &s;inful, un&s;ound, and &s;uper|&s;titious) were generally
received by Prince and People in this Nation, without re&s;i&s;ting or
complaining.</P>
<P>There can be no que&s;tion but the&s;e matters being indeed
temporal, properly belong to the Secular Powers. For, for the &s;pace of three
hundred Years, this Di&s;tinction was not <PB N="17" REF="10"> known (&s;aith
Sir <HI>John Davis</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sir <HI>J. D.</HI> in his Reports,
the Ca&s;e of <HI>Premunire.</HI></NOTE>) or heard of in the Chri&s;tian World;
the Cau&s;es of <HI>Te&s;taments, Matrimony,</HI> &amp;c. termed
Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical or Spiritual were meerly Civil, and determined by the Civil
Laws of the Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P>And for Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es Spiritual or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical,
that are properly and <HI>indeed</HI> &s;uch, as fir&s;t-Table-Duties, which
con|tain matters of Faith and Holine&s;s, and what conduceth to the eternal
Wellfare of Mens Souls; an Intere&s;t and Duty there is in the Civil
Magi&s;trate <HI>more &s;uo,</HI> to give Commands, and exerci&s;e lawful
Juri&s;diction about things of that nature. And for Per&s;ons, there is no Man
for his Graces &s;o &s;piritual, or in re&s;pect of his Gifts and Office &s;o
eminent; but he is under the Govern|ment of the Civil Powers in the Place where
he lives, as much in all re&s;pects as any other Subject.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="3" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CHAP. III.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>1. Of Power, its ri&s;e and original. 2. Two &s;orts of Power in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Spiritual Things. 3. Their Agree|ment, and, 4. Difference
of the one from the other.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.1. THere is a difference between <HI>Potentia</HI> and
<HI>Pote&s;tas Po|tentia,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">,
<HI>Strength, Force, Robu&s;tne&s;s.</HI> Such a Power is found not only in
Men, particular Per&s;ons, as <HI>Samp&s;on, Goliah,</HI> &amp;c. but in other
inferior Creatures. <HI>Pote&s;tas</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">, <HI>Juri&s;diction,
Authority,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 40.18.</NOTE> this is peculiar to
rational Creatures, and as they are a Commonalty and in Society one with
ano|ther. Though Force and Strength as in &s;ingular Per&s;ons be &s;ufficient
for publick Actions, yet without Authority, we act not lawfully; and having
Authority, if we have not Power and Strength &s;ufficient, we cannot act
effectually, therefore joyned together in a King. <HI>Dan.</HI> 2.37.</P>
<P>All Men by Nature are equal; yet, in the fir&s;t forming of Man,
a Capacity is found in him, with &s;ome remote Di&s;po&s;i|tion to rule and
obey; as, 1. A Sociablene&s;s, <HI>let us make Man in our Image; &V;s</HI> and
<HI>Our,</HI> a Trinity in One his Creator: Hence in each Man's Con&s;titution,
a Propen&s;ion and natural bent to <PB N="18" REF="11"> Union. This God
him&s;elf ob&s;erves, <HI>It is not good for Man to be alone:</HI> the Woman is
created, not only for a Companion, but that Men and Women might increa&s;e and
be multiplied. 2. Mul|titudes of Men if not reduced into Subordination and
Order, having lo&s;t their original Righteou&s;ne&s;s, will be a greater Evil
than if each were alone by him&s;elf. One Man will exalt him&s;elf over others,
and according to that <HI>bruti&s;h Force</HI> and Strength wherein he
excelleth, rob, oppre&s;s, murther and pil|lage others. 3. Hence a
nece&s;&s;ity of <HI>Republicks</HI> and Common|weals, that &s;ome Rules and
Laws may be provided not only for Direction, but for Correction if need be. 4.
Such Laws im|ply Authority, and a <HI>Supremacy</HI> al&s;o in it; for &s;uch
Authority or Juri&s;diction only is Legi&s;lative.</P>
<P>Man con&s;i&s;ts of Soul and Body. This Principle of Civility or
Sociablene&s;s (whence Authority hath its Original and Ri&s;e) is placed
primarily in the Soul. Society and Republicks are for the <HI>moral</HI> Good
of Mens Souls therefore, and not to ac|commodate the Body only. The Powers
al&s;o that are, being <HI>ordained of God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom.
13.</NOTE> who is <HI>the Father of Spirits,</HI> ought to be ma|naged and
directed to Matters wherein our Souls and Spirits are concerned. The Good and
Evil for which the&s;e <HI>Powers</HI> are <HI>ordained</HI> is not limited to
the Body or outward Man.</P>
<P>The Power of Parents and Ma&s;ters in the Family, it is civil,
not &s;acred, yet ordained for the bringing up Children and Ser|vants <HI>in
the Nurture of the Lord.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s; 6.4.</NOTE></P>
<P>There being a new Creation in and through the Lord Je&s;us
Chri&s;t: The&s;e Per&s;ons created of God, <HI>partake of a Divine
Na|ture,</HI> and thence the like Propen&s;ion to Union and a holy
Fellow|&s;hip with tho&s;e whom Chri&s;t hath redeemed out of the World.
Therefore a &s;pecial Provi&s;ion is made by the Lord Je&s;us for &s;uch, to
joyn together in particular Societies or Churches, Him&s;elf being appointed by
his Father to be their King and Law-giver, who hath left them Rules and Laws
for managing the Affairs of the&s;e &s;piritual Corporations or
<HI>Brotherhoods</HI> (as the Scripture terms them); Power al&s;o and Authority
for putting the&s;e Laws in execution is given unto Churches. So that there is
a twofold Power or Authority, to be exerci&s;ed in Cau&s;es, and over
Per|&s;ons Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Spiritual, the one placed in the Princes, the
other in the Churches of Chri&s;t.</P>
<LIST>
<PB N="19" REF="11">
<ITEM>1. <HI>The difference betwixt the&s;e two
Powers.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM> 2. <HI>The Nece&s;&s;ity if the Civil Power in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tial Matters, not|with&s;tanding Church-Power.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.2. What is common to both, and wherein each of the&s;e
Powers differ from the other, &s;hall briefly be &s;hewed.</P>
<P N="1">1. They are <HI>Powers,</HI> both a Subordination or
Policy in the Church as well as in the Common-weal, and an
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">, or Juri&s;diction exerci&s;ed in
each. You read of Authority or Juri&s;|diction not only in Civil
A&s;&s;emblies, as <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. <HI>John</HI> 19.11. but al&s;o in
Churches, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.8. and 13.10. the word is
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> in both places.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are both from God, and the Ordinance of God, and
ought to be &s;ubmitted to <HI>for Con&s;cience &s;ake,</HI> and are for
En|couragement to tho&s;e that are Good, and for Wrath upon him that doth Evil;
and he that re&s;i&s;teth this Power in either, <HI>re&s;i&s;ts the Ordinance
of God,</HI> and they that re&s;i&s;t receive to them&s;elves Damnation (as the
Apo&s;tle &s;peaks) as well in re&s;pect to the one as the other. And both
being from God, they are al&s;o both Powers <HI>under God,</HI> that is, under
his De&s;ignment and Limits, as al&s;o his Direction and Guidance; for his
Glory, as the ultimate; and the good of Mankind, as the penultimate end of
both.</P>
<P N="3">3. This Power of Princes is termed &s;piritual,
<HI>Ratione objecti,</HI> becau&s;e it hath to do with Spiritual Per&s;ons and
Cau&s;es. In &s;uch like a &s;en&s;e and manner of Speech (if it had the
&s;tamp of vulgar U&s;e) the Church-Power, may be termed Civil or Temporal;
becau&s;e all &s;orts of Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es without Difference are under
the Power of it. That as the &s;ecular Power is <HI>Cu&s;tos utriu&s;&abque;
Tabulae,</HI> matters of Holine&s;s (and what's oppo&s;ite to it, Bla&s;phemy,
Here&s;y, Perjury, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>) as well as Righteou&s;ne&s;s; &s;o
Church-Power is <HI>Cu&s;tos utriusque Tabulae,</HI> Righteou&s;ne&s;s and
&s;econd-Table-Duties, and what is oppo&s;ite, as Rebellion, Sedi|tion, Lying,
Stealing; if any Man that is <HI>called a Brother, be a Fornicator, or a
Drunkard, or an Extortioner,</HI> &amp;c. In all the&s;e and &s;uch Ca&s;es the
Church-Power is applied in an Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, or Spiritual way; as in a
Civil and Secular way the Magi&s;trate deals with what are Duties of the
fir&s;t Table.</P>
<P>The Powers do mutually further each other, and &s;o ordained by
God, (from whom they are both originally) as they &s;weetly <PB N="20" REF="12"> comply and agree (being kept in their ju&s;t Bounds) each with other;
as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron, David</HI> and <HI>Nathan, Zerubbabel</HI>
the Son <HI>Shealtiel,</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> the Son of <HI>Jo&s;edech.
Jungamus Gladios,</HI> &s;aid the Emperor to his Bi&s;hop, let us joyn our
Forces and purge the Land of Wickedne&s;s. And our Senators in Par|liament,
&s;peak thus of the&s;e; <HI>Both Authorities and Juri&s;dictions joyn
together, and the one helps the other.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Stat. 20.
<HI>Hen</HI> 8. <HI>c.</HI> 12.</NOTE></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;.3. Their Differences are in the&s;e Particulars.</P>
<P N="1">1. Though both have (in their re&s;pective way) to do with
both Tables, yet the Civil Magi&s;trates Work lyeth mo&s;t over Per&s;ons with
re&s;pect to the Duties of the &s;econd Table; as in matters of
<HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> and Righteou&s;ne&s;s; in the managing where|of, the very
being of a Common-wealth principally con&s;i&s;ts; its wel-being, only as he
hath to do in Spiritual or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Cau&s;es. So the Church-Power is
chiefly and principally exer|ci&s;ed in the ordering of Per&s;ons, with
re&s;pect to the fir&s;t-Ta|ble-Duties, and which appertains to <HI>Piety:</HI>
Wherein is the Being and con&s;tant Employment of Churches. The other, that is,
matters of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, Ju&s;tice, Sobriety, and the like, are
occa&s;ionally only and <HI>in ordine ad &s;piritualia,</HI> under Church-Power
and Cen&s;ures.</P>
<P N="2">2. The Power of Churches is not only &s;piritual
<HI>Ratione objecti,</HI> becau&s;e its over &s;piritual Per&s;ons and
Cau&s;es; but <HI>ex natura rei,</HI> a &s;piritual Power having Spirituality,
and its Denomination from more intrin&s;ick Con&s;iderations, as the Matter,
Form, Sub|ject, Rule, End, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and not from the Object only, as
that other Power; which though it be in &s;piritual things, yet it is not
properly &s;piritual Power, the Sword which it bears is not <HI>the Sword of
the Spirit,</HI> Ephe&s;. 6. <HI>which is the Word of God,</HI> and this Word
is eternal, not temporal, <HI>it endureth for ever,</HI> the Power and
Soveraignty of it is from Chri&s;t; 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">v. 1.16.</NOTE><HI>out of his Mouth went a &s;harp two-edged
Sword:</HI> his Sword and Power being &s;pi|ritual, it <HI>pierceth,</HI> runs
deep, <HI>Heb.</HI> 4. even <HI>betwixt the Soul and the Spirit;</HI> there
comes no &s;uch Sword or Law from Civil Au|thority: that Power in its
greate&s;t Efficacy, reacheth not the Inner-Man, though to be &s;ubmitted unto
for Con&s;cience &s;ake. Indeed this Power is over &s;piritual Per&s;ons, but
not immediately and directly over their &s;piritual part: By the&s;e Powers we
are given up to a Pri&s;on, to Bani&s;hment, to Death, <PB N="21" REF="12"> but
not to Satan. It is not for cruciating the Souls, and per|plexing the
Con&s;ciences of Men, as is Church-Power, where there is Cau&s;e.</P>
<P N="3">3. That of Secular Magi&s;trates, even in Spiritual
Affairs, and having to do primarily with the outward Man, is more
Autho|ritative; it is <HI>Juri&s;dictio propri&egrave; dicta, Legi&s;lative,
Coercive,</HI> and in all re&s;pects the &s;ame as in Civil Matters, what he
doth in his own Name. And truly <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">,
Church-Power, is not properly Juri&s;diction or Authority, as in the Church,
but as in Chri&s;t, the Head of the Church; as &s;eated in the Church, or
<HI>Caetus fidelium,</HI> it is only
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">, <HI>Mini&s;terium,</HI> not
<HI>Domini|um,</HI> and acts all in the Name or Authority of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. They differ in Exten&s;ion, in re&s;pect to both
Per&s;ons and Cau&s;es. 1. Church-Power is limited to a particular
Congre|gation, as Family-Power to tho&s;e of our own Hou&s;hold: But this other
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power, &s;eated in the &s;ame Per&s;on or Per&s;ons, extends
it &s;elf throughout a whole Kingdom, yea, &s;ometimes to more than one. But in
&s;ome one Province or Kingdom, you read in Scripture of many Churches. This
co|meth to pa&s;s from another Difference between the&s;e Powers: The Manage of
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Affairs, as in Civil Magi&s;trates, may be delegated to
other hands, by way of Commi&s;&s;ion or De|putation; they may ordain under
them &s;ubordinate Thrones, and inferior Powers, acting in their Names, which
is Lordly, and full of Honour and State: But Churches may not do &s;o, by
delegation of Power, Repre&s;entatives, or any other Method or Way, to
&s;tretch forth the Wing of their Authority (like that of the Civil) over all
the Churches of a Nation, or over more Congregations than one, or a greater
than ordinarily par|take of all other Ordinances together, is not at all
&s;uitable to a Church-Condition, which is Mini&s;terial, not Lordly. So Mr.
<HI>Brad&s;haw,</HI> as the Opinion of the Nonconformi&s;ts: 
<Q REND="inline">'We confine and bound all Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Power within the Limits only of one particular Congregation, holding, that the
greate&s;t Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power ought not to &s;tretch beyond the &s;ame:
And that it is an arrogating of Princely Supremacy, for any Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Per&s;on or Per&s;ons what&s;oever, to take upon them|&s;elves
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction over many Churches, much more over whole
Kingdoms, and Provinces of Churches.'</Q></P>
<P><PB N="22" REF="13">Dr. <HI>Bil&s;on</HI> &s;peaks much to this
purpo&s;e: 
<Q REND="inline">'Tho (&s;aith he<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of Supremacy,
<HI>pag.</HI> 238.</NOTE>) Bi&s;hops may be called Governors in re&s;pect of
the Soul, yet only Princes be Governors of Realms. Pa&s;tors have Flocks, and
Bi&s;hops have Dioce&s;&s;es; Realms, Dominions, and Coun|tries none have, but
Princes and Magi&s;trates. And &s;o the Stile, <HI>Governor of this Realm,</HI>
belongeth only to the Prince, and not to the Prie&s;t, and importeth a Publick
and Princely Re|giment. The Common-Wealth (&s;aith Mr. <HI>Baxter</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Holy Com|mon-wealth, <HI>pag.</HI> 220.</NOTE>) contain|eth all
the People in a whole Nation, or more, as united in one Sovereign: But
particular Churches have no general Eccle&s;i|a&s;tical Officers, in whom a
Nation mu&s;t unite as one Church, but are as &s;everal Corporations in one
Kingdom, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>'</Q> <HI>We &s;ee</HI> (&s;aith Sir <HI>Fr.
Bacon</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Con&s;iderati|ons about Church-Af|fairs.</NOTE>)
<HI>in all Laws in the World, Offices of Confidence and Skill cannot be
exerci&s;ed by Delegation, all &s;uch Tru&s;t is</HI> per&s;o|nal <HI>and
inherent, and may not be tran&s;ported and delegated, as that of Kings, which
for the mo&s;t part is hereditary, and rather an Office of Intere&s;t than
Confidence.</HI> 2. In re&s;pect to Cau&s;es, the Church-Power extends its
Cen&s;ures to no Cau&s;es, but &s;uch as the other may, as to Popery, Here&s;y,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> But in many Ca&s;es the Civil Magi&s;trate extends his Care
and Authority, where Church-Power meddles not: As to Jews and Pagans, and
&s;uch as are not Members of the Church; &s;ome things may be done by the
Magi&s;trate even for the&s;e, being Members of his Common-Wealth, that may
conduce to their &s;piritual Good. The Church-Power is limited, as 1
<HI>Cor.</HI> 5.12. So likewi&s;e whether the Crime committed be private or
publick, Matter of Scandal, or not, or the Per&s;on penitent, or otherwi&s;e,
the&s;e Powers are at liberty to puni&s;h or pardon alike, and as they &s;hall
judg it ex|pedient, to be &s;evere or merciful accordingly. They may form or
reform the Laws and Statutes by which they govern; ma|king the &s;ame Fault
Trea&s;on in one Age, that in the next not &s;o much as Impri&s;onment.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Eliz. cap</HI> 1. with 35 <HI>Hen</HI> 8.</NOTE> But
Church-Power is limited, the &s;ame Crime, the &s;ame Puni&s;hment ever, not
being in the Power of this Republick to vary in their Proce&s;s, in re&s;pect
of le&s;&s;er or greater Cen&s;ures, if the Crime be the &s;ame.</P>
<P N="5">5. In their Con&s;titution or Tenure: <HI>Licet omnis
Pote&s;tas</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Carbo</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Carbo</HI> de
Leg. lib. 2. cap. 8.</NOTE>) <HI>tum Eccle&s;ia&s;tica tum Civilis, &s;it
&agrave; Deo, tamen non codem modo; nam politica licet univer&s;e &s;it jure
Divino, in particulari e&s;t jure Gentium, Eccle&s;ia&s;tica omni modo e&s;t
jure divino, &amp; &agrave; Deo.</HI> Government in general is of Divine Right,
but whether in this <PB N="23" REF="13"> or that particular Form, as in one, or
a few repre&s;enting the re&s;t, this is humane, and hath its Original from
Man. That Power which is termed an <HI>Ordinance of God,</HI> in <HI>Rom.</HI>
13. is called an <HI>Ordinance of Man,</HI> in 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. Church-Power
and Government being &s;piritual, hath all particulars for &s;ub&s;tance, both
in re&s;pect of Per&s;ons and Admini&s;trations, for matter and manner
appointed by Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and in all Nations to be the &s;ame. Civil
Power, even in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters, in many things for &s;ub&s;tance, is
left to the Prudence of the State in which it is exerci&s;ed; and in the Forms
of it various, according to the manner of the Nation. As for In&s;tance;
In&s;pection into Religious A&s;&s;emblies, vi&s;iting and ob&s;erving their
Demeanour, receiving Complaints by rea&s;on of Wrongs, Di&s;orders,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI> The&s;e things may be done by the Civil Magi&s;trate, in his
own Per&s;on, or by Per&s;ons authorized from him; the&s;e Per&s;ons may be
many, or but one in a Divi&s;ion, the&s;e Divi&s;ions of larger or le&s;s
Compa&s;s. And for the manner of Procedure, it's various, as
Eccle&s;i|a&s;tical Courts differ in their manner of Proce&s;s from Civil, or
of a Method or Way of handling Cau&s;es different from each, be
e&s;ta|bli&s;hed by Law, it is equally warrantable. There are particular
Directions left by Chri&s;t, according to which the Officers (and Per&s;ons
more e&s;pecially entru&s;ted with this Power) are de|&s;igned to, and
inve&s;ted in their Places and Charge, as <HI>Election, Ordination,</HI>
&amp;c. with Fa&s;ting and Prayer. The other Powers are &s;etled upon, and
claimed in &s;uch ways, as the re&s;pective Law of Nations de&s;ign, as by
Birth, Lot, Victory, Donation, or the like, as well as Election; in&s;omuch as
a Woman or Child may have a rightful Claim to this Supreme Tru&s;t, and the
Management of it, by them&s;elves or others, as &s;hall be appointed.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="4" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="24" REF="14">
<HEAD>CHAP. IV.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>&sect;.1. Of the Nece&s;&s;ity and &V;&s;efulne&s;s of a
Juri&s;diction over Per&s;ons, and in Cau&s;es Eccle&s;iastical, be&s;ides what
is in Churches. &sect;.2. This Power is placed in Kings, and &s;uch as are the
Supreme Governors in a Common-Wealth.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;1. FOr the <HI>&s;econd,</HI> we &s;hall &s;hew how
nece&s;&s;ary and u&s;e|ful <HI>Civil Power</HI> is, even in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
or Spiritual Matters, notwith&s;tanding the other. It is not to be denied, that
Souls were converted, and Churches e&s;tabli&s;hed, and kept up, when there was
no A&s;&s;i&s;tance, but rather Oppo&s;ition, from the Princes of the Earth, as
in the Apo&s;tolick and Primitive Times. The Benefit we have now by Chri&s;tian
Mgi&s;trates, was then more abundantly &s;upplied, (the Infancy of
Chri&s;tianity requiring more) by the Miracles wrought, and the con&s;tant
Direction and Care of Apo&s;tolick and extraordinary Per&s;ons, who were gifted
by <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> for that purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>All the ordinary Helps that now we have, by external and more
&s;en&s;ual or carnal Means, contributing any thing to the&s;e great Works, is
only a pious and <HI>Chri&s;tian Magi&s;tracy,</HI> where a Nation is
ble&s;&s;ed with it. The Benefit hereof is much in a &s;pi|ritual re&s;pect,
both to the <HI>World,</HI> as likewi&s;e to the <HI>Church.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. It is (tho remote) a great Help to bring Men out of
their natural Condition, unto Life and Salvation. We are exhor|ted to <HI>pray
for Kings, and &s;uch as are in Authority,</HI> 1 Tim. 2. The rea&s;on, v. 4.
<HI>For God will have all Men to be &s;aved, and to come to the knowledg of the
Truth.</HI> As the Knowledg of the Truth is a means to bring a Soul into a
&s;aving State; &s;o is the Magi&s;trate (being enlightned him&s;elf) a great
Means to bring us to the knowledg of the Truth. Tho&s;e Men were in a great
Di&s;tance from God, in a Rage again&s;t <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> and Religion,
<HI>P&s;al.</HI> 2.1. they did combine again&s;t the &s;trict Ways of the
Go&s;pel; the&s;e poor Heathens being, notwith&s;tanding, given to
<HI>Chri&s;t</HI> by Election, <HI>v.</HI> 8. <HI>David</HI> u&s;eth a twofold
Method for reducing them: The fir&s;t is, <PB N="25" REF="14"> a repre&s;enting
their wretched and mi&s;erable Condition, while in this State of Enmity,
<HI>ver.</HI> 9. Then, 2. deals with their Prin|ces and Rulers, to be forthwith
in&s;tructed, and &s;erve the Lord, <HI>i.e.</HI> as Kings and Magi&s;trates,
in their publick Capacity. But mu&s;t not the People be in&s;tructed al&s;o?
Such Magi&s;trates will &s;peedi|ly provide and take care for their People,
that they may be brought to the knowledg of the Truth; and therefore it needs
not to be mentioned.</P>
<P>The Magi&s;tratical Power conduceth to this Work divers ways, 1.
By &s;etting up and protecting a Go&s;pel-Mini&s;try. He only can &s;ub&s;erve
Providence, by &s;ending, or giving way to others to &s;end forth fit
Per&s;ons, and enforce a Maintenance for their Encou|ragement in this Wor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> By &s;uch a Wo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">d of Providence (it is
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"> we come to <HI>hear,</HI> and by
hearing we believe, <HI>Rom.</HI> 10.17. He can urge his People to come to the
Means, and outwardly conform to the &s;ame, and &s;o bring them to the Knowledg
of the Truth, the very Knowledg whereof, tho not &s;aving, is a means at
lea&s;t to re&s;train our inbred Corruption, and to work preparatively to
Conver&s;ion, bringing Men into a Condition <HI>not far from the Kingdom of
Heaven,</HI> as Chri&s;t &s;peaks.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2.20.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. The Civil Magi&s;trate hath Power to puni&s;h and
reward, and &s;o to work upon the Pa&s;&s;ions of <HI>Fear, De&s;ire,
Hope,</HI> &amp;c. Man, even in his Natural E&s;tate, hath free Will in Moral
Actions, if it be excited and drawn forth. The Pa&s;&s;ions are &s;o &s;eated
betwixt the Will and Sen&s;es, that outward and &s;en&s;ual Objects work
ef|fectually upon it: the Motions of the Will, in this our State of Corruption,
depending more upon the vi&s;ions of what is &s;en&s;u|al, than what is a
rational Good or Evil. The mo&s;t comman|ding and &s;tirring Pa&s;&s;ion, and
with mo&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">fe and vigour, in a
natural Man, is Self, or Self-Love; it is the fir&s;t Principle u&s;u|ally that
God excites in us towards Conver&s;ion, as in the Para|ble of the Prodigal, and
divers other Scriptures. Sickne&s;s, Po|verty, and the like Occurrence of
Providences, (Puni&s;hments for Sin being &s;anctified by the Lord, work much
upon us; &s;o Mi|&s;eries inflicted upon the more ob&s;tinate, from
Magi&s;trates (in Ju&s;tice for evil-doing) have the &s;ame Operation: and by
rea&s;on hereof, gro&s;s Corruptions are kept in and re&s;trained, whereby the
Habits of Sin decrea&s;e, and become le&s;s rank in the Soul. 
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hominem et&s;i timore poenae fugiat
pecca|tum, paulatim affectum &amp; animum ad illud amittere, &amp; &egrave;
contrario concipere odi|um <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">tus,
ideo&abque; etiam vitare pecca|tum.</HI> A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">iag. <HI>de Leg.</HI> Di&s;p. 13. &sect;.9.</NOTE> It is
a <HI>hedging our Way with Thorns,</HI> as the Prophet &s;peaks.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 2.6.</NOTE></P>
<P><PB N="26" REF="15">A great part of the World lies without the
Pale of the <HI>Church,</HI> and the &s;everity of its Judicature reacheth them
not. This Power is exerci&s;ed only on Church-Members; 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.12,13.</NOTE>we have nothing to do to
<HI>judg them that are without,</HI> tho they be <HI>Fornicators, or Cove|tous,
or Idolaters, or Drunkards, or Extortioners;</HI> Churches, in re&s;pect of
Cen&s;ures and Puni&s;hment, leave them to God by the Magi&s;trate, or the like
Providential way to judg them, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 13.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Impedimenta removendo;</HI> he removes corrupt
Teachers, that &s;lay Mens Souls, by crying Peace, prophe&s;ying of Wine,
<HI>&amp;c.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mich. 2.11.</NOTE> indulging Sinners in
their Security; and &s;uch as by Errors and fal&s;e Doctrine poy&s;on Mens
Souls, to their eternal perdition; by re&s;taining Stage-Plays, not permitting
Brothel-Hou&s;es, and the like Fomenters of Sin.</P>
<P>Now there is no means or provi&s;ion &s;o certain, and generally
effectual to &s;end out Preachers, to urge and con&s;train Men to hear, and for
all the&s;e purpo&s;es, as this, when the Magi&s;trate, according to his
Tru&s;t and Duty, puts forth his Authority in the&s;e Matters; or that will
&s;o univer&s;ally, as an external means, &s;tir that Principle of Self-love in
all Men, to the &s;eeking after what is good, and the &s;hunning of what is
evil. A <HI>Coercive</HI> Power of this Nature is placed in no other hand but
his. Mini&s;ters may preach and per&s;uade, but mu&s;t be <HI>no
Strikers,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3.3. Mat. 20.</NOTE> may not
ex|ternally afflict and con&s;train; <HI>Peter</HI> may not u&s;e his Sword in
Chri&s;t's Quarrel. God only, and the Civil Magi&s;trate, further our
Happine&s;s, by making us mi&s;erable.</P>
<P><HI>Paul,</HI> who had as much Power as any Man of that Order,
yet his Weapons were only &s;piritual; and tho an Apo&s;tle, yet could not do
&s;o much as the meane&s;t Civil Magi&s;trate in &s;uch a Coercive way: for
their Weapons will, whether Men incline or not, have an operation, and
con&s;tant effect, le&s;s or more, to whom&s;oever applied. This Power
therefore of the Civil Magi|&s;trate cannot well be wanted; or if it be, there
is no ordinary means to be had for a &s;upply in the room of it. <HI>When there
was no King in</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>every Man did what was right in his own
Eyes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 17.6.</NOTE> followed the Ways his Lu&s;ts
led him to. Suppo&s;e there be good Coun&s;el and In&s;truction, yet to many
Per&s;ons it &s;ignifieth little; for &s;ome Men are not corrigible by Words,
<HI>Prov.</HI> 29.19. The <HI>Fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> that is <HI>bound up in our
Hearts, mu&s;t by Correction be driven far from us.</HI> Prov. 22.15.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="27" REF="15">4. I &s;hall conclude, adding in the
la&s;t place, the <HI>Prai&s;e of Well-doing.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom.
13.</NOTE> The Countenance and Encouragement of the Ma|gi&s;trate to tho&s;e
that preach, and tho&s;e that obey the Go&s;pel of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,
renders it even to a carnal Heart de&s;ira|ble. The Lord gives this honour to a
poor <HI>Servant,</HI> faithful in his place, that he <HI>adorns the
Go&s;pel,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Tit. 2.10.</NOTE> and renders it more
acceptable and effectual. So likewi&s;e the <HI>Conver&s;ation of a Wife,</HI>
that tho&s;e <HI>who obey not the Word,</HI> are <HI>without the Word</HI> won
by &s;uch a Conver|&s;ation;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3.1.</NOTE> that is, won
to the Love of the Word, and the liking of tho&s;e Ways that are according to
the Word. Much greater is that Honour and Ornament which comes to the Go&s;pel,
when the Magi&s;trate, not only by his Conver&s;ation, and per&s;onal Example,
but by his Laws and Authority, &s;ets him&s;elf to en|courage all he can, the
Preachers and Profe&s;&s;ors thereof, bearing them up again&s;t De&s;pi&s;ers
and Scoffers.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>To the Church.</HI></NOTE>2. In re&s;pect
to the Church, and &s;uch as are effectually call'd out of the World; God hath
promi&s;ed, and in the Scripture much comforted his People in this, that they
&s;hall have great be|nefit by the Civil Magi&s;trates that are over them: as
<HI>I&s;a.</HI> 32.2. &amp; <HI>chap.</HI> 49.23. &amp; <HI>chap.</HI> 60.16.
The&s;e Promi&s;es relate to Go&s;pel-times. And tho&s;e Places, <HI>Numb.</HI>
27.16. and 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. are equi|valent to Promi&s;es: a <HI>Prayer</HI>
is as it were a <HI>Promi&s;e</HI> rever&s;ed; what is &s;poken by the Lord in
a Promi&s;e, being returned, is the &s;trength and confidence of a Prayer.
Encouragements al&s;o to obey Precepts, imply Promi&s;es; &s;o that of
<HI>Rom.</HI> 13. and 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. our Subjection is required upon this
con&s;ideration, that Kings are for <HI>the prai&s;e of them that do well,</HI>
Rom. 13. <HI>ordained of God to thee</HI> (to the Church, and to every Saint)
<HI>for good.</HI> The Lord in this doth not only promi&s;e, but as it were
undertake for the Magi&s;trate, that he &s;hall be &s;uch an one, as tho&s;e
that are pious and righteous, tho&s;e that do well, need not dread or fear to
be under him. A good Magi&s;trate is a Ble&s;&s;ing, and matter of joy and
rejoycing to the People of God, <HI>Prov.</HI> 29.2. <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 10.17.
a great Fruit and Evidence of his Love to them, 1 <HI>King.</HI> 10.9. and 2
<HI>Chron.</HI> 2.11. <HI>Becau&s;e the Lord hath loved his People, he hath
made thee King over them;</HI> it is &s;o &s;poken of <HI>Solomon.</HI></P>
<P>The Benefit and Good to the Churches and Saints from the Civil
Magi&s;trate, may more particularly be judged of in the&s;e
Con&s;iderations.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="28" REF="16">1. Kings and Princes are an Ordinance
of God, or <HI>Medium</HI> by which, in a more &s;pecial and peculiar way, he
communicates his Power, Wi&s;dom and Ju&s;tice for the governing of all
Socie|ties of Men. 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 3.28. <HI>All</HI> I&s;rael <HI>feared the
King, for they &s;aw that the Wi&s;dom of God was in him, to do Judgment.</HI>
So the Power and Ju&s;tice, and the like Attributes of God become vi&s;ible in
this Ordinance of God. See <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 8.2. <HI>Numb.</HI> 27.20.
<HI>Prov.</HI> 16.10. and 21.1. It is brought as an Argument to Magi|&s;trates
again&s;t Partiality and Bribery; 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.7. <HI>There is no
Iniquity with the Lord our God, nor re&s;pects of Per&s;one, nor taking of
Gifts.</HI> What is, or is not in God, &s;hould be, or not be found in him that
is a Magi&s;trate. They are therefore termed <HI>Gods,</HI> be|cau&s;e a
vi&s;ible Repre&s;entation of God's Attributes, is, or ought to be in their
Governing. And as Chri&s;t is &s;aid to be pre&s;ent with tho&s;e Officers in
the Church which he hath appointed, be|cau&s;e there is a &s;pecial Virtue and
Efficacy of Chri&s;t manife&s;t in their Mini&s;try: So in this great Ordinance
of a Magi&s;trate, there is &s;aid to be a &s;pecial <HI>Pre&s;ence</HI> of God
with him, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.6. From the like Manife&s;tation of God, in his
Wi&s;dom, Power, Goodne&s;s, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> for the Welfare of Societies.</P>
<P>There is &s;uch a Harmony and Neighbourhood between the outward
and inward Man, that what works upon the one, af|fects the other. When
therefore the Mini&s;try by Chri&s;t's pre|&s;ence works upon a Man's Soul, the
Man is of a better Behaviour outwardly, and to Civil Relations: So al&s;o being
brought in|to to outward Subjection and <HI>Conformity,</HI> (by Magi&s;tracy)
the Mind and &s;piritual part is much the more fitted for <HI>Chri&s;tian
Communion.</HI> Moral Vertues, yea, Civilities are much pre&s;&s;ed upon
Church-Members every where in the Epi&s;tl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">, as to be <HI>kind, courteous, humble, &s;ubmi&s;s,
&s;elf-denying.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 16.</NOTE> <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI>
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">pends a whole Chapter in Greetings
and Salutes. Men and Women that are <HI>moro&s;e, &s;elfi&s;h, &s;tiff,
opinionative, ill-bred,</HI> &s;uch for the mo&s;t part are burthen&s;om in
all, and as much in the&s;e &s;piritual Societies as in any other.</P>
<P N="2">2. For Protection, Church-Power neither judgeth or
re&s;train|eth <HI>them that are without;</HI> it is no Fence nor Security
again&s;t the World. The only Hedg about this Vineyard, under God, is the Sword
of the Civil Magi&s;trate. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">nts and
Churches, being called and &s;eparated out of the
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">ld, are hated by the World, and
&s;uch a Seed of Enmity in them again&s;t the Members of <PB N="29" REF="16">
Chri&s;t; as if there were no higher Power to re&s;train, being the far greater
number, they would utterly root us out.</P>
<P>The <HI>Church</HI> for Weakne&s;s and Helple&s;ne&s;s is
re&s;embled by a <HI>Nur&s;e-Child,</HI> or Infant, which needs the Care of
tho&s;e who have more Strength. 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 9.16.</NOTE>This religious Care and
Tenderne&s;s, is, or ought to be in the Magi&s;trate, who is termed a
<HI>Nur&s;e.</HI> The Prophet in this Promi&s;e hath an Eye to Go&s;pel-Times,
and Churches, called together among&s;t the Gentiles. In an Age when there
would be no Prophets or Apo&s;tles, or <HI>Signs, or Wonders, or mighty
Deeds</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12.12.</NOTE> wrought in the behalf of the
Church, as was in the Jewi&s;h Oeconomy, and fir&s;t Age of Chri&s;tians. It's
promi&s;ed that Kings and Princes (either by a common or &s;aving Change)
&s;hall become nur&s;ing Fathers, nouri&s;hing and protecting Chri&s;t's feeble
Orphant the Church. 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 10.6,9.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg">1
Kings 4.29.</NOTE> And where the Magi&s;trate is &s;uch, we ought to pray that
all may be &s;uch; we have the Liberty under them (notwith&s;tanding the
World's Enmity) to lead a <HI>quiet</HI> and <HI>peaceable</HI> Life, and this
not only in <HI>Hone&s;ty,</HI> but in all <HI>Godline&s;s.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 4.2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE></P>
<P N="3">3. The Judgments of God, Sword of the Magi&s;trate, and
the like external Admini&s;trations are helpful to the be&s;t of Men, who are
liable, while a Body of Sin, to as foul external Acts of Sin, as the wor&s;t of
Men. The &s;piritual part in us by the&s;e means, helps it &s;elf much (in an
hour of Temptation e&s;pecially) again&s;t the Fle&s;h, over-ballancing the
Plea&s;ures of Sin, from rhat Shame and Grief Sin brings with it; &s;o that
<HI>Self-love,</HI> or a higher Principle is hereby &s;trengthened to avert us.
Servile Fear (evil only in defect) is good and u&s;eful to the be&s;t of us,
while in a mixed Condition and not perfect in our Love to God. <HI>Joh</HI> was
eminently <HI>godly</HI> and <HI>righteous,</HI> yet in both much furthered
from the Con&s;ideration of Wrath and Judgment. <HI>If I have &s;een</HI>
(&s;aith he<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 31.19,21, <HI>with</HI> 23.</NOTE>) <HI>any
peri&s;h for want of Cloathing; If I have lift up my Hand again&s;t the
Fatherle&s;s,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>ver.</HI> 23. <HI>For</HI> De&s;truction
<HI>from God was a Terror to me.</HI> The Magi&s;trates Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Power had the like effect to re&s;train <HI>Impiety</HI> in him, as
<HI>ver&s;.</HI> 26, 27, 28. <HI>If I behold the Sun, and my Heart hath been
&s;ecretly enticed, or my Mouth haue ki&s;&s;ed my Hand: this were an Iniquity
to be puni&s;hed by the Judg</HI> The Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> though
<HI>con&s;trained by Love,</HI> ver&s;. 14. Such was his Affection to Chri&s;t,
yet moved al&s;o to Duty from the Con&s;ideration of <HI>Judgment</HI> and
<HI>Terror,</HI> 2 Cor. 10.11.</P>
<P><PB N="30" REF="17">If it be thus with the be&s;t of the Saints,
much more will Churches &s;tand in need of &s;uch an external Help again&s;t
Cor|ruptions: There being not only a mixture of Fle&s;h and Spirit, in tho&s;e
that are Members <HI>indeed;</HI> but a mixture with them of Hypocrites, and
&s;uch as are Members only <HI>in &s;hew.</HI></P>
<P>We find in the Churches planted by the Apo&s;tles, a u&s;e not
only of Spiritual Cen&s;ures,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5.</NOTE> but al&s;o
outward and bodily Afflic|tions, <HI>Sickne&s;s, Weakne&s;s,</HI> &amp;c.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11.</NOTE> for Church-Mi&s;carriages; and it's &s;aid to be
<HI>for the Salvation of their Souls,</HI> Chap. 5. ver. 5. with <HI>Chap.</HI>
11. <HI>ver.</HI> 32. So that Severity of the Lord on <HI>Ananias</HI> and
<HI>Saphira,</HI> was for a Church-Fault, and it's &s;aid <HI>Ver&s;.</HI> 11.
<HI>Great Fear came upon all the Church.</HI> It was an eminent Church, before
whom <HI>Paul</HI> &s;hakes the Magi&s;trate's Sword, and tells them, if they
do that which is evil, they have cau&s;e to be afraid, <HI>for he beareth not
the Sword in vain.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom 13.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>Afflictions</HI> that are from a more immediate Hand of God,
either in an ordinary or an extraordinary way, tho&s;e al&s;o that the Lord
cha&s;ti&s;eth us with by the Hand of the Magi&s;trate, I difference not, each
being to the &s;ame purpo&s;e, and as an external Di&s;cipline. For where there
are no Magi&s;trates, or negligent ones, God in a providential way, and more
immedi|ately judgeth and afflicts Evil-doers; even as where Church-Di&s;cipline
is wanting or neglected, God him&s;elf <HI>excommunicates</HI> as it were, and
gives Men up to Terror and Angui&s;h of Soul, for their evil Deeds.</P>
<P>If we &s;hould draw in here In&s;tances from the Jewi&s;h
Church, and how the Lord di&s;ciplined them by the Civil Magi&s;trate, and
afflicting the outward Man, there can be nothing more evident than this, an
undoubted U&s;efulne&s;s of &s;uch Di&s;pen&s;ati|ons, even to the Churches of
Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>And although it &s;hould not be a good rea&s;oning, to argue
from what Power the Princes of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> exerci&s;ed in re&s;pect of
its <HI>Extent</HI> in Particulars; 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 3 14.</NOTE> many of them being
<HI>Prophets</HI> as well as Princes; yet the Benefit and U&s;efulne&s;s of
&s;uch Power may be the &s;ame unto <HI>us</HI> as unto <HI>them,</HI> both in
re&s;pect of Terror to <HI>Evil-Doers,</HI> and Prai&s;e to them that <HI>do
well.</HI> Though an Argument from <HI>Circumci&s;ion</HI> applied to Infants,
will not weigh with &s;ome, becau&s;e they deny <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> to be a
Sacrament of that Nature: Yet this cannot be denied by them, that if an
<HI>Infant</HI> be capable of Benefit by an Ordinance it under&s;tands not; 
<PB N="31" REF="17"> Infants may as lawfully in that re&s;pect be
<HI>bapti&s;ed</HI> while In|fants, as they were then <HI>circumci&s;ed.</HI>
The Arguments brought from Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power exerci&s;ed by
Magi&s;trates in the Jewi&s;h Government, will argue at lea&s;t that there is a
<HI>Capacity</HI> in Men <HI>now</HI> to receive Benefit and Good thereby (even
in &s;piritual Matters) as they did then; which is all that is aimed at.</P>
<P N="4">4. As it is the Duty of each Per&s;on, &s;o of Churches
<HI>to walk wi&s;ely towards them that are without,</HI> that their
<HI>Order</HI> may be looked upon, not only with <HI>Rejoycing</HI> by
Neighbour-Churches, but &s;uch as may appear <HI>amiable</HI> and
<HI>comely</HI> in the Eyes of all Men.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col 2.</NOTE> There
are many things common to all Societies, which Nature and civil Cu&s;toms
in&s;truct us in, and are e&s;pecially to be heeded by Churches. For as the
things <HI>Moral</HI> and <HI>Lovely</HI> in the Eyes of Men, being neglected
by <HI>Profe&s;&s;ors,</HI> the Go&s;pel will &s;uffer, &s;o much more if by
<HI>Churches.</HI> The outward <HI>Beauty</HI> of the&s;e Chri&s;tian
A&s;&s;emblies, con&s;i&s;ts very much in what is requi|&s;ite and comely in
all human Societies; as Unity, Love, Peace, brotherly Forbearance, <HI>&amp;c.
Let all things,</HI> &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2.</NOTE>
<HI>be done without murmuring or di&s;puting. Paul</HI> charged the Church of
<HI>Corinth</HI> with this, that there were <HI>Debates, Envyings, Wrath,
Strifes, Back-bitings, Whi&s;perings, Swellings, Tumults,</HI> and the like
among&s;t them.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12.20.</NOTE> There may be Wrongs and
Op|pre&s;&s;ions in Churches, as in other A&s;&s;emblies. Innocent Per|&s;ons
impeached and cen&s;ured as <HI>Schi&s;matiks, Seditious,</HI> and Di&s;turbers
of the Peace; and no Remedy but from the Civil Magi&s;trate. <HI>Paul</HI>
appeals from the Church to <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> a Secular Prince, expecting from
him, though a Heathen, more <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> then from his Brethren, being
Parties, and in their own Cau&s;e. For where Parties are Judges, the Sentence
is pa&s;&s;ed before the Cau&s;e is heard. As a Church may be
<HI>offended;</HI> &s;o they may, and oft-times do <HI>give Offence</HI> as
well as &s;ingle Per&s;ons.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 10 32.</NOTE> It's part of
a Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate's Care, and as a <HI>Magi&s;trate,</HI> to puni&s;h
open Offenderrs, whether &s;ingle Per&s;ons or A&s;&s;emblies. And the Truth
is, if &s;uch A&s;&s;emblies, that is, Churches, be not under the Magi&s;trates
Juri&s;diction, they are under none, and will be at a lo&s;s in re&s;pect of
all tho&s;e Advantages before mentioned.</P>
<P>The <HI>&V;&s;efulne&s;s</HI> of this Power being declared &s;o
fully, it will not be difficult to evince the <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of it,
that is, to the well-being of Churches. For what&s;oever thing is u&s;eful in
Spirituall <PB N="32" REF="18"> Affairs, is in the &s;ame degree nece&s;&s;ary.
<HI>I argue thus:</HI></P>
<P>If the <HI>Ruling</HI> and <HI>Coercive</HI> Power in a Church
extends it &s;elf no further than its own Members; if one particular Church
cannot <HI>&s;u&s;pend, excommunicate,</HI> or exerci&s;e any the like
Juri&s;|diction over another; it will then follow, vvhat&s;oever benefit or
advantage Churches, or their Members, are &s;uppo&s;ed to have and reap, by
being under any <HI>external</HI> Ruling Power here on Earth; this may, and
ought to be expected from the Ma|gi&s;trates Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power and no
other: His being the only Power that is of &s;uch an Exten&s;ion and Compa&s;s,
as to be over all Per&s;ons and Societies within his Dominion,</P>
<P>For the further <HI>Explication</HI> and <HI>Confirming</HI>
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">f what is a&s;&s;erted, I &s;hall
lay down &s;ome Con&s;iderati<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">, and
then an&s;wer Objecti|ons. Purpo&s;ely enlarging upon this Argument, as te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ding much to a di&s;tinct
under&s;tanding of Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction, both as it is in
<HI>Church</HI> and <HI>Magi&s;trate.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Con&s;iderations are the&s;e.</HI></P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Con&s;id.</HI></NOTE>There is no
Power or Authority either in Church or Magi|&s;trate that doth
<HI>directly</HI> and <HI>immediately</HI> compel or enforce the <HI>Soul.</HI>
Pains, Penalties, Re&s;traints, bodily Puni&s;hments; or what comes nearer, and
is more &s;piritual, as Admonition, Su&s;pen&s;ion, Excommunication, or the
like. When Per&s;ons in any of the&s;e ways are judged and cen&s;ured, by the
Church or Magi&s;trate, or both; it hath its Fruit and effect in re&s;pect of
Morals, only in a more remote and <HI>circular</HI> way, as by work|ing upon
the Judgment and Affections; for there is no created Power can reach the Soul,
to put upon it any <HI>immediate</HI> Force or Re&s;traint, further than by
applying &s;uch means (di&s;cove|red by the Scripture or Light of Rea&s;on) as
are apt and &s;utable to &s;et the Soul and Con&s;cience of a Man, to work upon
it &s;elf.</P>
<P>We term it <HI>Coercive,</HI> in difference from what is only
<HI>directive</HI> and <HI>per&s;wa&s;ive;</HI> for according as the Lord hath
appointed means to this or that end, accordingly he works, and &s;o we ought to
judg and &s;peak. Now be&s;ides means appointed for <HI>In&s;truction</HI> and
<HI>Per&s;wa&s;ion,</HI> God al&s;o hath added <HI>Di&s;cipline;</HI> a means
mo|rally coercive, which hath Pain and Shame, it's a Puni&s;hment
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word">, <HI>and for the De&s;truction of
the Fle&s;h,</HI> therefore a means morally <HI>Compul&s;ive,</HI> and more
than meerly per&s;wa&s;ive, the <HI>Rod <PB N="33" REF="18"> and Reproof</HI>
is more than a &s;ingle Reproof,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4 21. Prov.
29.15.</NOTE> it is a <HI>Correction</HI> which is <HI>compul&s;ive; a
Servant will not be corrected with Words.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov.
29.19.</NOTE> To make <HI>all</HI> but <HI>directive,</HI> is to confound the
<HI>Keys.</HI> The Reverend Author &s;hould not judg or &s;peak of an Ordinnce
according to the <HI>Reception</HI> of a carnal Heart, but according to what is
<HI>de|&s;igned</HI> by the Lord, as his ordinary Drift and Scope in &s;uch an
Appointment.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. B. <HI>in his fir&s;t Di&s;pute,</HI> p.
6.</NOTE> There is the Word <HI>read,</HI> Go&s;pel <HI>preached,</HI> and
vi&s;ible <HI>Seals;</HI> we are to judg a greater and more effectual
Exhi|bition of Chri&s;t in the one, than in the other, yet all alike to a
carnal and unbelieving Soul.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Con&s;id.</HI></NOTE>2. There
are two great and Catholick <HI>Bodies,</HI> or Kingdoms, <HI>immediately</HI>
and <HI>invi&s;ibly</HI> governed by the Lord and his Chri&s;t: The
<HI>World</HI> and the <HI>Church,</HI> made up each of le&s;&s;er
Corpora|tions, as <HI>Cities, Families,</HI> particular <HI>Churches,</HI>
&amp;c. I &s;ay, <HI>invi|bly</HI> and <HI>immediately:</HI> for, as God is
invi&s;ible, &s;o what he acts immediately, he acts invi&s;ibly. As the Church
is di&s;tingui&s;hed into vi&s;ible and invi&s;ible, &s;o is the Power by which
it is gover|ned. <HI>Invi&s;ible</HI> as in a &s;ecret and my&s;terious way,
and immedi|ately from the Lord: And thus are all Kingdoms, Nations, Tongues and
Languages united as in one, even the great bulk of Mankind; as al&s;o the
Catholick Church, that great Body of Saints, they are all thus governed by the
Lord, and by the Lord alone, and not by Man. <HI>Vi&s;ible,</HI> as where
the&s;e great Bodies of Men and Chri&s;tians, come to be cantoned, parcelled,
and formed into Political Bodies, governed by Men, in an <HI>external</HI> and
<HI>vi&s;ible</HI> way.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Whit. <HI>Tract</HI> 3. <HI>c.</HI>
6. p. 181.</NOTE></P>
<P>The&s;e vi&s;ible Bodies are either greater and
<HI>containing,</HI> as Empires, Kingdoms, Provinces, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Or
tho&s;e that are le&s;s, and <HI>contained,</HI> as Cities, Colledges,
Pari&s;hes, Families, and the like, whether they be Civil or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical. The&s;e le&s;&s;er, though they have the Compleatne&s;s of
a <HI>Body</HI> or Corporation, each in its kind, and &s;ufficient Power to
govern it <HI>&s;elf;</HI> yet not to govern one <HI>another.</HI> A Church
hath not Authority to go|vern a Church, nor a Family, or the chief in it to
govern a Neighbour-Family. The Light in the lea&s;t <HI>Star</HI> is
&s;ufficient for it &s;elf, but not to rule the Day or the Night, as the
<HI>Sun</HI> and <HI>Moon.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e <HI>le&s;&s;er</HI> Bodies are therefore &s;o compo&s;ed
in their &s;eve|ral Regiments; that many of them together, may lie in the
Bo&s;om of a greater Corporation; and it will be for their bet|ter 
<PB N="34" REF="19"> and more comfortable &s;ub&s;i&s;ting and Government.</P>
<P>There is no <HI>external Coercive,</HI> or ruling Power that
falls in, and fills up the &s;pace betwixt tho&s;e great and Catholick Bodies
the <HI>World</HI> and <HI>the Church,</HI> and tho&s;e le&s;&s;er and lowe&s;t
Regiments and Societies, but what is, or ought to be expected by or from the
Civil Magi&s;trate, who is to be acknowledged of his Sub|jects, whether
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical or Civil <HI>under</HI> God to be <HI>over</HI> all.</P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. <HI>Con&s;id.</HI></NOTE>3. The&s;e
le&s;&s;er Societies therefore ordinarily are found under a twofold Regiment or
Di&s;cipline. The one intrin&s;ecal and <HI>peculiar,</HI> which in Families is
received from the Light of <HI>Na|ture,</HI> and from the Light of
<HI>In&s;titution</HI> in Churches. The other more <HI>General</HI> and
<HI>Common:</HI> And the&s;e le&s;&s;er Bodies come under it by rea&s;on of
their <HI>Situation,</HI> being within the Confines of &s;uch a Republick, they
are under the Juri&s;diction of the Princes thereof. <HI>Each Prince,</HI>
&s;aith <HI>Ma&s;on,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>De Epi&s;c.</HI> lib. 3. c.
5.</NOTE> hath Power <HI>in &s;ub|ditos &s;uos ac proinde in Eccle&s;iam modo
&s;ubditi &s;unt Eccle&s;iae.</HI> If &s;ituated where there is no formed
Common-wealth, King, or Supream Power over them they are as a Free-State, each
Fa|mily, City, and Church, immediately under God and Chri&s;t, and no other
Power but what it hath in it &s;elf; which being a Power not derived from the
Magi&s;trate, but peculiar to a Fami|ly or Church, remains in them, though no
Magi&s;trate. Such was the Family and Church-&s;tate in the time of the
<HI>Patriarchs</HI> for two thou&s;and Years.</P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Con&s;id.</HI> 4.</NOTE>As it is a
Happine&s;s to a People that live in Empires and Kingdoms, that the&s;e are
parcels of that World which hath the righteous God to govern it, who is <HI>the
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Kings 19.15.</NOTE>
So is it likewi&s;e to the&s;e le&s;&s;er Bodies, a Fami|ly, or a Church, that
they are &s;ituated under the Wing of a Chri&s;tian, and well-governed
Common-wealth. Where their Governours may be under &s;ome Government, and in
Wrongs and Di&s;orders, they may have the Benefit of a Magi&s;trate's
Au|thority to appeal unto.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="5" TYPE="chapter">
<PB N="35" REF="19">
<HEAD>CHAP. V.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>1. The fir&s;t Objection an&s;wered. 2. The Government of a
particular Church, hath Affinity with that of le&s;&s;er Bodies, more than with
the Government of Empires and Kingdoms. Object.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<P>&sect;1. IT may be objected, that Churches are &s;piritual
Corpo|rations, and of a more peculiar Con&s;ideration, in re|&s;pect of their
Government; and therefore not to be reckoned with Civil, at lea&s;t not with
Families, or &s;uch mean and low Societies.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> Policy or Government in it &s;elf, and all the
&s;orts of it, is from the Light of Nature, and common Rea&s;on. And this is
generally &s;uppo&s;ed by all; that tho the Subject Matter, or Per&s;ons
governed, be of different kinds; yet the Law and Forms of Government may be the
&s;ame where &s;o appointed by Chri&s;t. And I rather in&s;i&s;t on &s;uch a
way of Di&s;cour&s;e and Rea|&s;oning, as mo&s;t &s;uitable to the Subject I am
upon, but e&s;pecially becau&s;e Subordination of Churches to Churches is
argued from the Light of Nature, and in this very Ca&s;e, termed by our
Bre|thren a Divine Topick. Now if we may argue and guide our &s;elves in
Church-Affairs by the Light that &s;hineth forth (from the natural Wi&s;dom and
Prudence of Man) in the Government and managing of Kingdoms; there is as much a
<HI>Jus Divinum,</HI> and ground of rea&s;oning from the Light that appears in
the pru|dent Con&s;titution and Government of any other civil Society.</P>
<P>I have mentioned in the Con&s;iderations, <HI>Cities,
Families,</HI> and tho&s;e le&s;&s;er, and <HI>contained</HI> (as I term them)
Societies or Cor|porations with particulars Churches: Becau&s;e I humbly
con|ceive the Policy and Government of each (tho in other things different) to
be more proportionable, and of greater Similitude in many things, then between
particular Churches, and tho&s;e grea|ter, and <HI>containing</HI> Bodies,
Kingdoms, Empires, or the like. Churches thus humbly con&s;tituted and
governed, are mo&s;t con|&s;i&s;tent with Civil Magi&s;tracy, of what Form
&s;oever the Com|mon-wealth &s;hall be.</P>
<P><HI>In Confirmation of this Agreement or Similitude, I &s;hall
take for the mo&s;t part the Conce&s;&s;ions of the learned of each
Per&s;wa&s;ion. The In|&s;tances or Particulars are the&s;e.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<PB N="36" REF="20">
<P>&sect;.2. 1. Families tho contained under the National
Govern|ment where they are &s;inuated, yet are intru&s;ted with a ruling and
governing Power compleat and &s;ufficient each in and for it &s;elf; &s;o are
particular Churches.</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>They are intru&s;ted with a Government each for it
&s;elf.</HI></P>
<P>It is not <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> (&s;aith Mr.
<HI>Perkins</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Perk. <HI>on</HI> Rev. 2.20.</NOTE>) <HI>for
a Church to have the preaching of the Word, but Church-Government. This
Church</HI> (&s;peaking of <HI>Thyatira</HI>) <HI>is blamed becau&s;e &s;he did
not u&s;e the Au|thority God had given her.</HI> There is given to the
Mini&s;ters of each particular Congregation, according to Epi&s;copal
Ordinati|on e&s;tabli&s;hed by our Law, not only a Power to preach, <HI>&amp;c.
[Take Authority to preach the Word of God]</HI> but they are made
<HI>Rectors,</HI> Governours in tho&s;e particular Churches, and it's &s;aid to
them, <HI>[Who&s;e Sins thou do&s;t remit, they are remitted; and who&s;e Sins
thou do&s;t retain, they are retained]</HI> by which Words the Keys of
Di&s;cipline are given them; &s;ee <HI>Bil&s;on</HI> Perpet. Govern.
<HI>p.</HI> 213. 
<Q REND="inline">'By Order of the Church of <HI>England</HI>
(&s;aith Bi&s;hop <HI>&V;&s;her</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Reduct. of
E|pi&s;c.</HI> p. 2.</NOTE>) all <HI>Presbyters</HI> are charged to
<HI>admini&s;ter the Doctrine and Sacraments, and the Di&s;cipline of Chri&s;t
as the Lord hath commanded, and as this Realm hath received the &s;ame.</HI>
And that they might the bet|ter under&s;tand what the Lord hath commanded
therein, the Exhortation of St. <HI>Paul</HI> to the Elders of the Church of
<HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> is appointed to be read unto them at the time of their
Ordi|nation: <HI>Take heed to your &s;elves, and to all the Flock among whom
the Holy Gho&s;t hath made you Over&s;eers, to</HI> 
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"> <HI>&s;o taken in</HI> Mat. 2.6. <HI>and</HI> Rev.
12.5. <HI>and</HI> 19.15.</NOTE><HI>rule the Congregati|on of God, which he
hath purcha&s;ed with his Blood.</HI>'</Q></P>
<P> 
<Q REND="inline">'Mr. <HI>Hooker</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho.
Eccl. Pol.</HI> lib. 3. Sect. 1.</NOTE> tells us that for Pre&s;ervation of
Chri&s;tianity there is not any thing more needful than that &s;uch as are of
the vi|&s;ible Church have mutual Fellow&s;hip and Society one with a|nother.
In which Con&s;ideration the Catholick Church is divi|ded into a number of
di&s;tinct Societies, every of which is termed a Church within it &s;elf, not
an A&s;&s;embly, but a Society,&mdash;A Church (as we are now to under&s;tand
it) is a Society, that is, a number of Men belonging to &s;ome
Chri&s;tian-Fellow&s;hip, the Place and Limits whereof are certain, having
communion in the publick Exerci&s;e of &s;uch Duties as are mentioned,
<HI>Acts</HI> 2.47. As tho&s;e of the My&s;tical Church by their inward Graces
differ from all others which are not of the Body, and tho&s;e that are of the
vi&s;ible Body of the Church, have the Notes of external Profe&s;&s;ion. Even
&s;o the&s;e &s;everal Societies, or Churches, have <PB N="37" REF="20">
<HI>Properties</HI> belonging to them, as they are publick Chri&s;tian
Societies. And of &s;uch Properties, it may not be denied that one of the very
<HI>chiefe&s;t</HI> is <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Policy.</HI> We u&s;e the name of
Policy rather than Government, becau&s;e Church-Policy containeth both
Government, and al&s;o what&s;oever be&s;ides be|longeth to the ordering of the
publick Affairs of the Church of God.'</Q> In which words he a&s;&s;erts not
each particular Church to have Government in it &s;elf; but this Government as
a Property, or Propriety, by which it's di&s;tingui&s;hed from the
<HI>My&s;tical,</HI> as al&s;o the <HI>Catholick</HI> vi&s;ible Church. So that
he doth not, as &s;ome of late, make the Catholick vi&s;ible Church the fir&s;t
Subject of the Keys; but each particular Society, or Church, &s;uppo&s;ing that
great Body of Chri&s;tians to be only and imme|diately under the Spiritual
Government of Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>Compleat and &s;ufficient.</HI></P>
<P>It is not to be under&s;tood of &s;uch a perfection, as may not
with much advantage receive help both from the Power of the Magi&s;trate, as I
have &s;hewed before, as al&s;o from the Coun&s;el and Advice of other
Churches: But I mean an e&s;&s;ential Com|pleatne&s;s or Sufficiency, not being
deficient in any material re|qui&s;ite for Government. This that learned Author
expre&s;&s;eth in tho&s;e la&s;t Words: '<HI>We u&s;e the Word</HI> Policy,
(&s;aith he) <HI>rather than Government, becau&s;e Church-Policy containeth
both Govern|ment, and al&s;o whatever be&s;ides belongeth to the ordering of
the Af|fairs of the Church of God. Every particular Church,</HI> (&s;aith Mr.
<HI>Cart|wright</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Again&s;t <HI>Whit|gift,</HI> lib 3,
pag, 147.</NOTE>) <HI>having an Elder&s;hip, is a Catholick Church of Chri&s;t,
under whom Pa&s;tors, Doctors, and Elders are the mini&s;terial and immediate
Governors.</HI> In which Words he intimateth a Compleatne&s;s in each
particular Church for Government and Privileges, as much as if the Catholick
vi&s;ible Church were Organical, and a gover|ning Church. 
<Q REND="inline">'The Power of Juri&s;diction (&s;aith one<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rutherf,</HI> Due Right
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 word"> Pre&s;|byt. <HI>pag.</HI>
307.</NOTE>) is as perfect and compleat in one &s;ingle Congregation, as in a
Pro|vincial, as in a National, yea, as in the Catholick vi&s;ible Body.'</Q>
<HI>All Things are yours,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul</HI> to a particular Church, 2
<HI>Cor.</HI> 3. To this purpo&s;e Mr. <HI>Parker:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Parker's <HI>Polit. lib</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 13.</NOTE> <HI>Sicut
non pars,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>As a particular Church is not a maimed or half, but
a whole and perfect Body; &s;o it is po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the whole and
entire Church-Government, and not with a part only.</HI></P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">2d <HI>In&s;tance<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"></HI></NOTE>This <HI>Oeconomick</HI> and Dome&s;tick
Power is intrin&s;ick and e&s;&s;en|tial to a Family, and is a Power derived
immediatly from the <PB N="38" REF="21"> Lord, by the Light of Nature, and hath
not its original from any Power on Earth, Families being much more ancient than
Common-Wealths: So Government or Di&s;cipline is intrin&s;ick and in&s;eparable
from the very E&s;&s;ence of a Church, received im|mediately from Chri&s;t, and
not the Grant or Con&s;titution of any Secular Prince or State. <HI>Churches
are endued</HI> (&s;aith Dr. <HI>Jackson</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jackson</HI> of the Church, <HI>cap.</HI> 8. &sect;5.</NOTE>)
<HI>with a Judicature immediately derived from</HI> Chri&s;t, <HI>and
independent upon any Earthly Power, or any Power what&s;oever on Earth, whether
Spiritual or Temporal.</HI> Bi&s;hop <HI>Bil&s;on</HI> expre&s;&s;eth it
thus:<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Bil&s;on</HI> of Su|prem p. 171.</NOTE> <HI>The
Things compri&s;ed in the Church, and by God him&s;elf commanded to the
Church,</HI> (the&s;e Things are &s;pecified in <HI>pag.</HI> 227. to be the
<HI>Word, Sacraments,</HI> and <HI>&V;&s;e of the Keys,</HI> or
<HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power,</HI> and <HI>Cure of Souls</HI>) <HI>are
&s;ubject to no mortal Creature, Pope, nor Prince.</HI> And tho&s;e of another
Per&s;ua&s;ion, are to the &s;ame pur|po&s;e. 
<Q REND="inline">'The Church (&s;aith Mr.
<HI>Rutherford</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Peaceable Plea,</HI> p 300.</NOTE>)
hath the Keys from Chri&s;t, equally <HI>independent</HI> upon any mortal Man,
in Di&s;cipline as in Doctrine. A Power and Right to Di&s;cipline, &s;aith the
&s;ame Author,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Due Right of Presbyt <HI>cap.</HI> 9.
&sect;.9.</NOTE> is a Property e&s;&s;ential to a Church, and is not removed
from it, till God remove the Candle&s;tick, and the Church cea&s;e to be a
vi&s;ible Church.'</Q> <HI>Pote&s;tas ip&s;a de jure,</HI> &amp;c.
<HI>Power</HI> (&s;aith Dr. <HI>Ames</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ca&s;.
con.</HI> lib 4. cap. 24. p. 4.</NOTE>) <HI>is &s;o much the Right of a Church,
as it cannot be &s;eparated, becau&s;e nece&s;&s;ary, and immediatly floweth
even from the E&s;&s;ence of each true Church.</HI> There are Authorities enow
to be produced from the Writings of the Learned, for the con|firmation of this
particular. All grant there is a Government <HI>jure divino,</HI> (I &s;peak
not of this or that Form) and by the ap|pointment of Je&s;us Chri&s;t. It is
denied by none but <HI>Era&s;tus,</HI> and tho&s;e that follow him, who may as
well deny Praying, Preaching, or Sacraments <HI>jure divino</HI> It is as
expre&s;ly ordained, that Di&s;cipline be exerci&s;ed in the Name of Chri&s;t,
as to preach, pray, or baptize in his Name. There are certainly <HI>Things of
God,</HI> that are not the <HI>Things of Cae&s;ar:</HI> And if tho&s;e Things
up|on which Chri&s;t hath put his Name, be not peculiarly his, I know not where
we &s;hall find the Joint. As we &s;ay, there were Fami|lies, &s;o particular
Churches, before any Commonwealths were, and Chri&s;tian Churches and
Di&s;cipline exerci&s;ed, many Years be|fore any Emperors or Kings were
Chri&s;tian: And therefore as Families have many Privileges &s;o peculiar, and
by the Law of Nature &s;o much theirs, as are never touched or infringed by the
Supreme Power of any Nation: So likewi&s;e it is with Churches, 
<PB N="39" REF="21"> they have very many Privileges &s;o evidently theirs, from
the Law of Chri&s;t, and their &s;piritual Con&s;titution, as Chri&s;tian
Magi|&s;trates will do their utmo&s;t to pre&s;erve and cheri&s;h, and not in
the lea&s;t infringe. It is a part of <HI>Magna Charta:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 <HI>Hen.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 1.</NOTE> <HI>Conce&s;&s;imus
Deo, &amp; hac pre&s;enti Charta confirmavimas, pro nobis &amp; Heredibus
no&s;tris in perpetuum, qu&ograve;d Eccle&s;ia Anglicana libera &s;it, &amp;
habeat omnia jura &s;ua integra, &amp; Libertates &s;uas illae&s;as.</HI> And
it is menti|oned in the Oath our Kings take at their Coronation, that <HI>He
&s;hall keep and maintain the lawful Rights and Liberties of the Holy
Church.</HI></P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg">3d <HI>In&s;tance.</HI></NOTE>A third
Particular, or In&s;tance of what we have &s;uppo&s;ed in the former
<HI>Con&s;iderations,</HI> is this: The le&s;&s;er <HI>Corporations, Cities,
Families,</HI> and the like, have not Authority or Juri&s;diction one over
another. It is the &s;ame with <HI>Churches,</HI> each having the Fountain and
Original of their own Power (as before is &s;hewed) immediatly proceeding from
Chri&s;t in them&s;elves, and not el&s;e|where, or one from another; cannot by
any Art or Device of Man be made to ri&s;e up above it &s;elf, as it doth, if
one Church exerci&s;eth a Power or Juri&s;diction over another. There is no
Invention of Man, that by contriving Pipes, or any other Arti|fice, can make
Water freely and naturally run higher than the Spring-Head. Tho that
Juri&s;diction which hath its ri&s;e in a particular Church, be pumped up into
a <HI>Cla&s;&s;is</HI> or Synod, it is but the &s;ame it was before.
<HI>Synods,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Parker</HI> out of <HI>Chamier,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Polit lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI> 13 &sect;9.</NOTE> <HI>nullam
habeant Authoritatem,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>They have no Authority but what is
derived from particular Churches.</HI> So <HI>Voetius.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Di&s;p de Polit. Eccle&s;.</HI> p 5.</NOTE></P>
<P>There &s;eems to be a great Empha&s;is in tho&s;e Particles of
Pro|priety, <HI>Children obey your Parents,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;.
6.1.</NOTE> &s;o to Servants: And &s;peaking of the Relation of Husbands and
Wives, by which is &s;et forth our Obedience to Chri&s;t and his Officers, it
is more appropriate, <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5.24. <HI>As the Church is &s;ubject to
Chri&s;t, &s;o let the Wives be to their own Husbands;</HI> it is,
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">, <HI>propriis viris,</HI> not
only <HI>theirs, but their own Husbands.</HI> It is &s;aid, 1 <HI>Tim.</HI>
3.4. <HI>One that ruleth well his own Hou&s;e,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">. So of Mini&s;ters, <HI>Know them
that labour among you,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">,
<HI>and are over you in the Lord,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 5.12. and in <HI>Heb.</HI>
13.17. it is <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">, <HI>Duces
ve&s;tri,</HI> your Captains, Officers in Churches, being as exactly limited,
as in an Army. There is no Power in a Superior to command, where no Obligation
upon the Inferior to obey. And therefore the Lord &s;eems by the&s;e
Expre&s;&s;ions, <PB N="40" REF="22"> to limit both Church and Family-Power
within their own Walls.</P>
<P>This is the Judgment of the Learned of each Per&s;ua&s;ion.
Bi&s;hop <HI>Davenant. Nota e&s;t Juri&s;con&s;ultorum regula, &amp;c.</HI> It
is a 
<Q REND="inline">'known Rule of Lawyers, A Sentence given by him
that is not his Judg, is void in Law. But particular Churches are not the
Judges of private Per&s;ons that are of other Churches, how much le&s;s then
over the Churches them&s;elves; &s;uch Sentences were to be &s;lighted and
contemned, as of a Judg that pre&s;umeth to make Laws out of the bounds of his
own Juri&s;diction.'</Q> <HI>Nec pote&s;t, nec debet</HI> (&s;aith the &s;ame
Author el&s;ewhere<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>De judice cont.</HI> cap. 16. p.
90</NOTE>) <HI>particularis una Eccle&s;ia judiciaria authoritate aliam &s;ibi
non &s;ubjectam a Catholi|ca ab&s;cindere, quaelibet enim Eccle&s;ia filios
&s;uos ad con&s;en&s;ionem in Doctrina public&ecirc; &s;tabilita cen&s;uris
adigit. Sed fratres Eccle&s;iarum externarum monet pro officio charitatis, non
punit pro imperio pote&s;tatis.</HI> Dr. <HI>Field,</HI> as a common
Re&s;olution of Divines, tells us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of the <HI>Church</HI> lib
5.</NOTE> <HI>That if a Bi&s;hop ventures to do any Act of Juri&s;diction out
of his own Dioce&s;s,</HI> (that is, his particular Church, &s;o <HI>cap.</HI>
30.) <HI>as to excommunicate or ab&s;olve, or the like, all &s;uch Acts are
utterly void, and of no force.</HI> The &s;ame thing, &s;aith Dr.
<HI>Crakanthorp, cont. Spal. cap.</HI> 28. <HI>pag.</HI> 177. 
<Q REND="inline">'Every Congregation (&s;ay our Brethren<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jus divinum Regim.</HI> p. 230.</NOTE>) hath equal Power one
as much as another, according to the trite and known Axiom, <HI>Par in parem
non habet imperium,</HI> An Equal hath no Power over an Equal.'</Q>
<HI>Eccle&s;iae in&s;titutae parochiales integrae &s;unt, inter &s;e
collaterales, &amp; pote&s;tate Eccle&s;ia&s;tica aequales,</HI> &s;aith
<HI>Voetius.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Di&s;p. de Polit. Eccle&s;.</HI> p.
3.</NOTE> Which you may Engli&s;h out of the Engli&s;h Puritani&s;m thus: 
<Q REND="inline">'Particular Churches are in all Matters equal,
and are entru&s;ted by Chri&s;t with the &s;ame Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power and
Au|thority.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cap. 2. &sect;.3.</NOTE>'</Q> <HI>Jewel,
Reynolds, Whitaker,</HI> and mo&s;t of our Divines, again&s;t the Papi&s;ts,
are large in their Di&s;putes for a parity of Churches, and Mr. <HI>Parker</HI>
hath written a whole Chapter <HI>de pari|tate Eccle&s;iarum.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De Polit lib <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters"> cap.
21.</NOTE> Some make a particular Church to be of larger Exten&s;ion, as a
Dioce&s;s, a Province, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but that altereth not the State of the
Que&s;tion.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="digression">
<PB N="41" REF="22">
<HEAD>A DIGRESSION.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>1. Of Independenti&s;m, Name and Thing. 2. Its con&s;i|&s;tency
with the Kings Supremacy.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P>THis State of a particular Church, namely, their equality in
re&s;pect of Juri&s;diction or coercive Power one over another, was wont to be
expre&s;&s;ed by INDEPEN|DENCY, which though now it be a term of Reproach, yet
formerly made u&s;e of by good Authors, as very fit and &s;igni|ficant, to
&s;et forth this Priviledge of each particular Church compleat and intire:
namely, their not Dependency or Subjecti|on, to the Juri&s;diction of another
Church, as their Head and Su|perior.</P>
<P>Dr. <HI>Jackson</HI> in his learned Treati&s;e of the
<HI>Church,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cap.</HI> 15. <HI>Cap.</HI> 119.</NOTE>
u&s;eth this term frequently, 
<Q REND="inline">"Unity (&s;aith he in one place) of Di&s;cipline,
or of INDEPENDENT Judicature, is e&s;&s;ential and nece&s;&s;ary to the Church,
as vi&s;ible. Hence there be as many di&s;tinct vi|&s;ible Churches, as there
be INDEPENDENT Judicatures Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tick."</Q> Dr. <HI>Sibbs</HI>
thus,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Go&s;pel-anoint|ings,</HI> pag. 94.</NOTE> 
<Q REND="inline">"Particular vi&s;ible Churches are now God's
Tabernacle. The Church of the Jews was a Na|tional Church, but now God hath
erected particular Taber|nacles. Every particular Church under one Pa&s;tor is
the Church of God, a &s;everal Church INDEPENDENT. The Church of
<HI>England</HI> (&s;aith the &s;ame Author) is called a particular Church from
other Nations, becau&s;e it is under a Government Civil, which is not dependent
on any other Foreign Prince."</Q> <HI>Each Church,</HI> &s;aith
<HI>Voetius,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">De&s;p. Ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">ap. lib. 3. &sect;.3.
c. 4.</NOTE> <HI>as it hath its proper Form of an Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical Body or
Society, &s;o its endued with its proper Government and Juri&s;diction; which
it exerci&s;eth DEPENDENTLY upon Chri&s;t, his Word and Spirit, but
INDEPENDENTLY in re&s;pect of all other Churches.</HI> Mr. <HI>Bates,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Treati&s;e prin|ted Anno 1613.</NOTE> 
<Q REND="inline">"One Company of Men a&s;&s;embled, hath no
Authority to impo&s;e things upon many Churches. 1. None now have Apo&s;tolick
Authority. 2. Each Congrega|tion is a Body INDEPENDENT of any
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power. There is no Ordinance of God for this, (&s;aith Mr.
<HI>Banes</HI>) that Churches within a circuit &s;hould be tyed to a certain
Head-Church for Government, <HI>pag.</HI> 8. and <HI>pag.</HI> 13. We affirm
that <PB N="42" REF="23"> no &s;uch Head-Church was ordained either vertually,
or actual|ly, but that all Churches were &s;ingle Congregations, equal,
INDEPENDENT each of other in regard of Subjection."</Q> <HI>Every true
Church</HI> (&s;aith one<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Collection of &s;undry matters,
An|no 1601.</NOTE>) <HI>now is an INDEPENDENT Con|gregation;</HI> and in
another place, <HI>The Congregational Body Politick &s;piritually INDEPENDENT,
is Chri&s;t's Divine Ordinance in the Go&s;pel.</HI> 
<Q REND="inline">"One ordinary Congregation of Chri&s;tians, is a
&s;piri|tual Body Politick INDEPENDENT. That is, it hath the Right and Power of
&s;piritual Admini&s;tration and Government in it &s;elf, and over it &s;elf,
by the common and free con&s;ent of the People, INDEPENDENTLY and immediately
under Chri&s;t."<NOTE PLACE="marg">Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, p. Anno
1601.</NOTE></Q></P>
<P>This was the Opinion generally of N. Conformi&s;ts, as is
ob|&s;erved by one of them&s;elves in the Name of the re&s;t, as al&s;o by
<HI>B. Downam,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sermon at <HI>Lambeth,</HI> p. 5.</NOTE> 
<Q REND="inline">"They (that is the N. C.) &s;ay, that every
Pari&s;h by Right, hath &s;ufficient Authority within it &s;elf, immediate|ly
derived from Chri&s;t, for the Government of it &s;elf in all Cau&s;es
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical. To the Pari&s;hional Presbytery con&s;i&s;ting of their
Pari&s;h-Bi&s;hop and his Elders, they do a&s;cribe that &s;uf|ficient,
immediate, and independent Authority for Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Government for
every proper vi&s;ible Church."</Q></P>
<P>That <HI>Independency</HI> of Churches was a&s;&s;erted (by
tho&s;e learned men of a former Age) in relation only to a &s;uperior
Church-power properly <HI>&s;piritual,</HI> and &s;uch as is claimed <HI>jure
divino;</HI> and not in relation to that Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power which is in,
or exerci|&s;ed from, the Civil Magi&s;trate. Some of them have thus
de&s;cri|bed a particular Church; It's <HI>a Body Politick &s;piritually
indepen|dent,</HI> or <HI>independent</HI> in relation to a
<HI>&s;piritual</HI> Superiority: which is expre&s;&s;ed fully, by him that
wrote <HI>Church-Government with the Peoples con&s;ent,</HI> pag. 115. 
<Q REND="inline">"Though we affirm the Church-Government is
<HI>independent,</HI> and immediately derived from Chri&s;t; yet we affirm
al&s;o, that the Civil Magi&s;trate is even therein (that is, in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters) Supreme Governor civilly. And though nothing may be
impo&s;ed on the Chri&s;tian Churches again&s;t their Will, by any
<HI>&s;piritual</HI> Authority (for &s;o only we intend) yet we affirm withall,
that the Civil Ma|gi&s;trate may impo&s;e on them &s;piritual Matters, by Civil
Power, yea, whether they like or di&s;like, if it be good in his Eyes, that is,
if he judge it within his Commi&s;&s;ion from God."</Q></P>
<P><PB N="43" REF="23">And &s;uch an <HI>Independency</HI> hath been
pleaded for al&s;o, and ar|gued by them to be much more <HI>con&s;i&s;tent</HI>
with His Maje&s;ties Su|premacy, than a DEPENDENCY or <HI>Subordination</HI> of
Chur|ches, to any &s;piritual Power. And it was their profe&s;&s;ed Judg|ments,
That no External Power ought to be exerci&s;ed in &s;piri|tual Matters, any
where (within that &s;pace betwixt a particular Congregation in&s;tituted by
Chri&s;t, and the Catholick Vi&s;ible Church) by any per&s;on but the Civil
Magi&s;trate, or by his Ap|pointment.</P>
<P>Take their own Words. <HI>They that make claim</HI> Jure Di|vino,
<HI>of Power and Juri&s;diction to meddle with other Churches, than that one
Congregation of which they are Members, do u&s;urp upon the Supremacy of the
Civil Magi&s;trate, who alone hath, and ought to have a power of Juri&s;diction
over the &s;everal Congregations in his Do|minions,</HI> &amp;c. A
Prote&s;tation of the King's Supremacy made and publi&s;hed in <HI>Anno</HI>
1605. &sect;.27. and in &sect;.28. 
<Q REND="inline">"The King him|&s;elf is to be General Over&s;eer
of all the Churches within his Dominions, and ought to employ under him, fit
per&s;ons to over&s;ee the Churches in their &s;everal Divi&s;ions,
<HI>vi&s;iting</HI> them, and puni&s;hing what&s;oever is ami&s;s in any of
them."</Q></P>
<P>Mr. <HI>Brad&s;hew</HI> in the <HI>&V;nrea&s;onablene&s;s of
Separation,</HI> again&s;t <HI>John&s;on,</HI> writes thus: <HI>It's their
principal Honour</HI> (&s;peaking of Archbi&s;hops and Bi&s;hops) <HI>to be
Commi&s;&s;ioners and Vi&s;itors in Cau|&s;es Eccle&s;ia&s;tical under the
King, over the Pa&s;tors and Churches of Provinces and Dioce&s;&s;es.</HI> In
his An&s;wer to <HI>John&s;on's fir&s;t Rea&s;on:</HI> And in his An&s;wer to
his <HI>&s;econd.</HI> He que&s;tions him thus: 
<Q REND="inline">1. "Whether the Supreme Magi&s;trate hath not
Power to over&s;ee and govern all the &s;everal Churches within his Dominion,
yea, whether he be not bound &s;o to do. 2. Whether for his further help and
a&s;&s;i&s;tance herein, he may not make choice of grave, learned, and reverent
men, to a&s;&s;i&s;t him in the &s;ame Govern|ment. 3 Whether by vertue of his
Power the&s;e per&s;ons thus called, to a&s;&s;i&s;t the Supreme Magi&s;trate,
may not lawfully try the Gifts of Mini&s;ters within his Dominions, convent
them be|fore them, examine how they have behaved them&s;elves in their places,
and puni&s;h the blame-worthy."</Q></P>
<P>In a Petition al&s;o to King <HI>James</HI> for
<HI>Tolleration,</HI> 
<Q REND="inline">"That your Highne&s;s would afford us, and
a&s;&s;ign to us &s;ome per&s;ons qua|lified with Wi&s;dom, Learning and
Vertue, to be under your <PB N="44" REF="24"> Highne&s;s our Over&s;eers, for
our more peaceable orderly and dutiful carriage of our &s;elves, both in our
wor&s;hiping God, and in all other our Affairs, at your plea&s;ure. To whom
with all Readine&s;s and Subjection we are willing to be accomptable and
an&s;werable, always."</Q></P>
<P>The opinions of learned men about Church Matters (Go|vernment
e&s;pecially) were collected together, in a Treati&s;e which was put into
<HI>Latin</HI> by Dr. <HI>Ames,</HI> and in an Epi&s;tle of his pre|fixed,
avouched by him (who was a man much &s;tudied in tho&s;e Controver&s;ies) to be
the Judgment of <HI>Cartwright, Fenner, Fulk, Whitaker, Rainolds, Perkins,
Brightman,</HI> and tho&s;e that were more Ancient: As <HI>Wichliff, Tyndal,
Regers, Bradford, Gilby, Fox, Moore, Dearing, Noel, Greenham, Dogmata
i&s;ta,</HI> &amp;c. The&s;e Tenents (&s;aith he) were either their Principles,
or &s;o conjunct with them, as not to be denied, theirs. <HI>Chri&s;t
Je&s;us</HI> (&s;aith the Author) <HI>hath not &s;ubjected any Church or
Congregation of his to any other Superior Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction,
than unto that which is within it &s;elf&mdash;the Civil Magi&s;trate alone
upon Earth, hath power to puni&s;h a whole Church or Congregation,</HI> Cap. 2.
&sect;.3. and more fully in &sect;.12. 
<Q REND="inline">"They hold and believe (&s;aith he) that the
<HI>Equality</HI> in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction and Authority, of
Churches and Church Mini&s;ters, is no more derogatory and re|pugnant to the
State and Glory of a Monarch, than the parity or equality of
<HI>School-ma&s;ters</HI> of &s;everal Schools, or <HI>Ma&s;ters</HI> of
&s;everal <HI>Families.</HI> Yea, they hold the clean contrary, that
<HI>In|equality</HI> of Churches and Church Officers in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Juris|diction and Authority, was that principally that advanced Antichri&s;t
unto his Throne, and brought the Kings and Princes of the Earth unto &s;uch
va&s;&s;alage under him. And that the Civil Authority, and Glory of Secular
Princes and States, hath over decayed and withered, the more that
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Officers of the Church, have been advanced and &s;et up in
Authority beyond the limits and confines, that Chri&s;t in his Word hath
pre&s;cribed unto them."</Q> And in Cap. 6. &sect;.6. They are &s;aid to
<HI>deny a principal part of the Kings Supremacy,</HI> that hold any
Juris|diction or Offices over Churches <HI>jure divine, and not by the will and
plea&s;ure of the King and Civil States of the Realm.</HI></P>
<P>And from what is &s;aid, cap. 5. &sect;.12. It is evident that
this way is as little prejudicial to the Subjects Liberty: For its ex|pre&s;ly
there &s;aid, <HI>If any Member of a Congregation being under a 
<PB N="45" REF="24"> crime, &s;hall of him&s;elf for&s;ake Communion with the
Church, that then the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Officers, have no authority, or
juri&s;diction over him, but only the Civil Magi&s;trate, Parents, or
Ma&s;ters,</HI> &amp;c. So that as per&s;ons are free (otherwi&s;e than from
con&s;cience of duty) to <HI>joyn</HI> with the&s;e A&s;&s;emblies, &s;o al&s;o
to <HI>leave</HI> them, remaining al|ways under the Magi&s;trates
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical power and care.</P>
<P>I have made this Digre&s;&s;ion, not only for the matters &s;ake,
which is very &s;utable to our pre&s;ent Subject, but al&s;o to vindi|cate the
<HI>Congregational</HI> way. 1. That it is not &s;uch a <HI>Novelty</HI> as is
pretended. This of the <HI>equality</HI> of Churches, and thence and
<HI>In|dependency</HI> (from which we are reproachfully &s;urnamed) &s;eems to
be the wor&s;t of our Tenents: Yet it appears to be no other, but what the
reverend and learned of a former age have a&s;&s;er|ted. Nor do I know any
other of their opinions or practices, but may as ea&s;ily be remon&s;trated, to
be the a&s;&s;ertions of tho&s;e holy men. Nor &s;econdly, incon&s;i&s;tent
with civil Magi&s;tracy, or with their Power in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Affairs. And
as a further Te&s;ti|mony hereof, they take the Oaths both of
<HI>Allegeance</HI> and <HI>Supre|macy.</HI> Profe&s;&s;edly a&s;&s;ent al&s;o
to 
<Q REND="inline">"All the Articles of Religion which concern only
the Confe&s;&s;ion of the true Chri&s;tian Faith, and the Doctrin of the
Sacraments, compri&s;ed in a Book enti|tuled, <HI>Articles whereupon it was
agreed by the Arch-bi&s;hops and Bi&s;hops of both Provinces, and the whole
Clergy in the Convocation Anno</HI> 1562. <HI>for the avoiding of diver&s;ity
of Opinions, and for the e&s;tabli&s;hing of con&s;ent touching true
Religion,</HI>"</Q> as is required by Stat. 13 <HI>Eliz.</HI> cap. 12. And do
humbly hope, living peaceably under his Maje&s;ties Government, they &s;hall
obtain their &s;hare in that Indulgence his Maje&s;ty graciou&s;ly purpo&s;ed
to &s;hew to &s;uch per&s;ons, as through want of full &s;atisfaction, differ
in &s;maller matters from the pre&s;ent E&s;tabli&s;hment.</P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg">4 <HI>In&s;tance.</HI></NOTE>A fourth
Particular, which ari&s;eth from the former, is this. Families being not
&s;ubordinate one to another, they cannot a&s;&s;ociate or unite into any large
or great Body; and therefore do, and may more conveniently retain their
Government (though it be <HI>peculiar</HI> and <HI>di&s;tinct</HI>) in any
Common-wealth, of what form &s;oever, without prejudice to the Peace and
Welfare of it. So is it with Churches, their State and Government (as it is
appoin|ted by Chri&s;t) is &s;uch, as is con&s;i&s;tent with, and no prejudice
unto any civil Powers under whom they are &s;ituated. And that 
<PB N="46" REF="25"> upon this account principally: Having no
<HI>Dependency</HI> in Re&s;pect of Power or Juri&s;diction one on another,
they cannot in their own Sphere enlarge them&s;elves by Subordinations, to a
political Body of any &s;uch Exten&s;ion and Greatne&s;s, as may render their
Obedience or Compliance more doubtful or uncertain. It is matter of Jealou&s;ie
with Princes and States, when there is in their Dominions a Body, large and
exten&s;ive, firmly joyned and compact in it &s;elf, of an intere&s;t peculiar
and not holding of them. Particular Churches are of a &s;mall compa&s;s,
&s;ometimes compre|hended in <HI>One,</HI> ordinarily but of a few Families. So
that in this re&s;pect, though their Intere&s;t and Government be peculiar,
they may retain it, and for &s;ub&s;tance the &s;ame (as Families do)
throughout the World. Which will further appear in the fol|lowing
Con&s;iderations.</P>
<P N="1">1. It is granted on all hands, That the Lord hath limited
his Church to a Government which is perpetual, and for &s;ub&s;tance to be the
&s;ame in all places. As al&s;o that the Nations, from their Civil Government
variou&s;ly, and as they judge mo&s;t prudent.</P>
<P N="2">2. Since the <HI>Wall of partition</HI> by Chri&s;ts Death
was broken down: The Go&s;pel and Chri&s;tian Churches were by Chri&s;ts
commi&s;&s;ion to be planted in all parts of the World. It &s;tands therefore
with common rea&s;on, that the Church Government Chri&s;t hath left us, is of
that Nature, as without any &s;ub&s;tan|tial Alteration may comply with, and
not be prejudicial to, any Civil Government.</P>
<P N="3">3. If particular Churches by Union become one body, for
ex|tention as large as the Civil State, There will hardly be a due and
peaceable accord, and each enjoy its priviledge and Liberties without prejudice
to the other; unle&s;s the&s;e two great bodies be moulded and formed one with
re&s;pect unto the other. The policy therefore of the <HI>Nation</HI> and the
National <HI>Church</HI> of the Jewes, were both re&s;pectively formed by the
Lord him&s;elf.</P>
<P N="4">4. Hence this opinion of <HI>States-men,</HI> that there is
no form of Church Government left by Chri&s;t, or his Apo&s;tles; but to be
moulded by the wi&s;dom and di&s;cretion of Chri&s;tian Magi|&s;trates, as
<HI>may be&s;t &s;ute and joynt in</HI> with the Civil Government. And of
<HI>others</HI> the contrary, 
<Q REND="inline">"The Commonwealth (&s;aith one) mu&s;t be made to
agree with the Church, and the Government, thereof with her Government: for as
the <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> is before the <PB N="47" REF="25"> <HI>Hangings,</HI>
therefore the Hangings which came after, mu&s;t be framed to the Hou&s;e which
was before: &s;o the Church being before there was any <HI>Commonwealth,</HI>
and the Commonwealth coming after, mu&s;t be fa&s;hioned and made &s;uitable to
the Church: We need none of the&s;e extreams."</Q> The middle way is this, Let
not the Churches claim to be National or Provin|cial <HI>Jure divino,</HI> but
leave &s;uch di&s;po&s;ements to the civil Magi|&s;trate, and be numbred with
tho&s;e le&s;&s;er Societies, Families, Cities, Colledges, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> For
the&s;e do retain in them&s;elves much the &s;ame form of Government and
Freedom therein throughout the World.</P>
<P N="5">5. It is not &s;o much a different Form of Government: For
in each Republick there are contained le&s;&s;er Societies of all Forms; but
their <HI>Extention</HI> and <HI>Potency</HI> in numerou&s;ne&s;s of Per&s;ons,
by which they are made up. Nor from this Principallity, but the na|ture of
their <HI>&V;nion</HI> and <HI>Incorporation</HI> begets the Jealou&s;ies. If
parti|cular Churches become <HI>Dioce&s;an, Provincial,</HI> or
<HI>National</HI> by Union from the Law, or Direction of the Civil
Magi&s;trate, for the better exerci&s;e of that Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Juri&s;diction, the Lord hath intru&s;ted him with, and <HI>conveniency</HI> of
&s;uch per&s;ons as he &s;hall appoint to in|&s;pect the Churches; in &s;uch a
ca&s;e the Greatne&s;s of <HI>Churches</HI> can|not be di&s;turbent to the
Civil Government, being &s;o directly un|der its cognizance. <HI>The
Common-wealth</HI> (&s;aith one<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Holy Common-wealth,</HI>
R. B. <HI>p.</HI> 2.220.</NOTE>) <HI>containeth all the people in a whole
Nation or more, united in one Soveraign, but parti|cular Churches (di&s;tinct
from the univer&s;al united in Chri&s;t) have no general Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Officers, in whom a Nation mu&s;t</HI> Unite <HI>as one Church.</HI> How then
become they to be termed a National Church? An&s;. <HI>As &s;everal
Corporations in one Kingdom, or as &s;o many Schools that have a peculiar form
of Government, but &s;uch only as is under</HI> (and united in) <HI>the
Magi&s;trates Government in its kind.</HI> If this &s;hould be claimed as the
Law or Priviledge of each Family, that the Governors, be it the Father, or
Husband, or Ma&s;ter, are thereby inve&s;ted by Nature with the &s;ame Power,
in re&s;pect to all Families in a Nation; and by &s;everal Corre&s;pondencies
and Subordinations rai&s;e, and <HI>&V;nite</HI> them&s;elves at la&s;t into a
general A&s;&s;embly or Repre&s;entative. And by Vertue of that
<HI>Enconomical</HI> Authority give Laws to the whole Nation, though not as
their <HI>Subjects;</HI> yet to the &s;ame per&s;ons under another notion, that
is, as <HI>Wives, Children, Servants.</HI> There is no well Governed State
could entertain &s;uch a &s;preading intere&s;t as this, without great 
<PB N="48" REF="26"> doubtfulne&s;s, le&s;t their Authority and Supremacy,
&s;hould hereby be much Ecclip&s;ed.</P>
<P N="6">6. But a particular Church con&s;i&s;ting only of a few
per&s;ons in it &s;elf, and independent on others; is nece&s;&s;itated to
depend, under God, upon the Magi&s;trate for protection. Which if they &s;hould
not obtain, but be oppo&s;ed and per&s;ecuted; yet have no ability to
re&s;i&s;t, being as a Family &s;ingle and alone, not able to defend it &s;elf
or mole&s;t others. Nor if they were able, is it lawful for a Church to compel
by the <HI>Sword,</HI> more than the Magi&s;trate may by <HI>the Keyes,</HI> or
what is peculiar to the &s;acred Function.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Chron.</HI>
26. <HI>Matth.</HI> 16.19. with 24,25.</NOTE> <HI>&V;zza</HI> erred in the
latter, and <HI>Peter</HI> in the former. The primitive rule and practice was
this, being <HI>per&s;ecuted in one City</HI> to <HI>fly into
another,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Matth.</HI> 10.23.</NOTE> and <HI>pray</HI>
that <HI>their flight may not be in the Winter.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Matth.</HI> 24.20.</NOTE> No nor do we judg that the&s;e
&s;piritual weapons (the Keyes or Cen&s;ures) may lawfully by a Church, or any
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical A&s;&s;embly be threatned, or drawn forth again&s;t a whole
Nation, and the chief Governors thereof, to urge or compel, e&s;pecially in
State concernment (as the <HI>Pope</HI> and &s;ome <HI>others</HI> have done)
though it be truly <HI>in ordine ad &s;piritualia.</HI></P>
<P N="5"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The</HI> 5.
<HI>In&s;tance.</HI></NOTE>The fifth <HI>In&s;tance</HI> or <HI>particular</HI>
is this. A Family of all Corpo|rations or Societies, is the lowe&s;t &s;pecies
or kind, it's <HI>Con&s;ociatio &s;implex &amp; prima,</HI> and hath the
lea&s;t of pomp or &s;tate in the Go|vernment of it. Cottages are built low,
Palaces with many &s;tories one above another. Tho&s;e great and exten&s;ive
Bodies <HI>Empires</HI> and <HI>Kingdoms,</HI> repre&s;ent in their
<HI>Government</HI> more ade|quatly the <HI>my&s;tical</HI> Church, in
re&s;pect to Je&s;us Chri&s;t who is their <HI>King</HI> and <HI>Lawgiver,</HI>
who&s;e Kingdom is with <HI>Power and Glory,</HI> a Power that is truly
Imperial and Princely, having Officers un|der him (his Kingdom reaching to the
utmo&s;t ends of the Earth) who <HI>in his name</HI> command reward, and
puni&s;h. But <HI>Par|ticular</HI> Churches as Governed by his Mini&s;ters,
have their por|portion rather with the meane&s;t and lowe&s;t Societies of
men.</P>
<P>The Scripture &s;eems to point at more than a &s;imilitude and
likene&s;s betwixt a Family and Church, in the managing of af|fairs; I mean in
the general, and what is it not determined by expre&s;s In&s;titution.
<HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaking to <HI>Timothy</HI> about Church affairs, mentioneth
their expertne&s;s in Governing a <HI>Family,</HI> as a good preparative or
qualification for <HI>Church</HI> admini&s;trations. And this is not only
<HI>Negatively, if a man know not how to rule his own hou&s;e, how
&s;hall he take care over the Church of God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1
<HI>Tim.</HI> 3.5.</NOTE> But af|firmatively, <PB N="49" REF="26"> <HI>The&s;e
things I writ, that thou maye&s;t know how thou oughte&s;t to behave thy &s;elf
in the hou&s;e of God, which is the Church of the living God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>ver&s;.</HI> 15.</NOTE> The &s;ence is full in tho&s;e words,
<HI>the Church of the living God,</HI> yet it is added <HI>the hou&s;e of
God,</HI> purpo&s;ed as it were to carry the Eye back to what was written,
<HI>ver.</HI> 5. which &s;heweth that there is a great <HI>affinity</HI>
betwixt our Hou&s;es and the Hou&s;hold of God. <HI>In a Fathers Governing his
Children</HI> (&s;aith one) <HI>there is a lively re&s;emblance of &s;uch
Duties of Government, which he is to di&s;pence towards the Church. There is
nothing enjoyned, the Mini&s;ter as a Father of Children, which belongeth not
to him as he is a &s;piritual Father of the Children of God.</HI></P>
<P>On the other hand, it may be ob&s;erved, this que&s;tion being
a|mong&s;t the Apo&s;tles, who or <HI>which of us &s;hall be the greate&s;t in
the Kingdom of Heaven?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Matth.</HI> 18.1.</NOTE> upon
&s;uppo&s;ition (the Church being ter|med a <HI>Kingdom</HI>) there would be
places of State, and higher dignity in it, as are in the Kingdoms of the World.
Chri&s;t An|&s;wers: There &s;hall be no &s;uch thing, no primacy in one
Apo&s;tle over another, no, <HI>the greate&s;t of you &s;hall be the
lea&s;t,</HI> and the <HI>fir&s;t &s;hall be the la&s;t,</HI> Though a
Jurisdiction and power truly <HI>Imperial,</HI> ab&s;olute, and equal to any of
the <HI>Kings of the Gentiles,</HI> belongs to me, and I exerci&s;e it in
tho&s;e &s;piritual admini&s;trations, yet no &s;uch dignity may be a&s;&s;umed
by you, <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">. <HI>Luke</HI> 22.25.</P>
<P N="1">1. When the Scripture &s;peaks of a particular Church under
the notion of a <HI>Family</HI> or Hou&s;hold, Government or <HI>Ruling</HI> is
mentioned as that wherein the &s;imilitude or proportion is mo&s;t
per&s;picuous and clear, as hath been &s;hewed: But &s;peaking here of a Church
under this expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>a Kingdom,</HI> how purpo&s;ely are we cautioned
again&s;t an imitation in Rule and Authority?</P>
<P N="2">2. We may further ob&s;erve that Ambition after greatne&s;s
in tho&s;e that manage the&s;e <HI>great things,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 8.12.</NOTE> is an infirmity almo&s;t
un|avoidable.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.4.</NOTE> For if 1. Such
per&s;ons, the holie&s;t men on the earth, they who had <HI>for&s;aken all to
follow</HI> Chri&s;t. 2. And the&s;e &s;o often relap&s;e into this folly after
they had been reduced from it by Chri&s;t. 3. And at &s;uch times, immediatly
after Chri&s;t had minded them of his Death, and that <HI>one</HI> of them
&s;hould <HI>be|tray him,</HI> when al&s;o they had newly been at the Communion
with him: What great cau&s;e is there that every man be very jealous of his own
heart?<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Matth.</HI> 20.19,20.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke</HI> 22.21,24. &amp; 19. with 24.</NOTE></P>
<P N="3">3. It is not unevident al&s;o from the Di&s;ciples often
Di&s;putes about their greatne&s;s; that mo&s;t of our controver&s;ies and
con|tentions <PB N="50" REF="27"> about Church-Government, if traced home, will
be found to ari&s;e from hence, namely: The having our Eye fixed &s;o much upon
the <HI>lofty</HI> &s;tate of a <HI>Kingdom</HI> as our pattern in &s;uch
ma|nagements, rather than that familiar and <HI>humble</HI> way of a
<HI>Fa|mily.</HI> For indeed this was the only breach and conte&s;t that we
read of, among&s;t tho&s;e holy Men, the Di&s;ciples of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="4">4. And where &s;uch differences are, a Reconcilement will be
found more difficult, becau&s;e where the mind is bent on worldly greatne&s;s,
we are very dull and &s;low in under&s;tanding what&s;oever &s;hall be &s;poken
(though from Chri&s;t him&s;elf) that &s;eems to cro&s;s tho&s;e thoughts; as
appears al&s;o in that &s;tory, <HI>Mark</HI> 9.32.</P>
<P>A Parent or Ma&s;ter would not ea&s;ily have been tempted into
&s;uch an Error, or make this que&s;tion, who or which of us &s;hall be the
greate&s;t? that is, have a paternal power over other Pa|rents and their
Families, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> And had the Di&s;ciples looked up|on
<HI>Mini&s;terial</HI> power under &s;o low and humble a notion as what is
<HI>Economical, James</HI> and <HI>John</HI> would never have thought it
con|gruous, that they &s;hould have an Apo&s;tolical power over the other
Apo&s;tles, <HI>Hoc Papatum fefellit,</HI> &amp;c. (&s;aith <HI>Cartw.</HI>)
<HI>This deceived the Papacy, which governs throughout after the form of
worldly</HI> 
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Plurimorum con&s;en&s;u Eccle|&s;ia.
&agrave; repub. formam illam magna parte mutuata e&s;t Fili&s;ac.</HI></NOTE>
<HI>Em|pires. The Pope he is as the Emperor him&s;elf, the Cardinals as his
Deligates or Repre&s;entative, the Arch-Bi&s;hops as the Governors of
Provinces,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Hence</HI> John <HI>calls the Church of</HI> Rome,
<HI>the Image of the Bea&s;t, the Vizard of the</HI> Roman <HI>Empire.</HI></P>
<P>For further confirmation of this fifth particular or In&s;tance,
let it be con&s;idered, how &s;eldom and &s;paringly a particular Church in the
N. T. is termed a <HI>Kingdom.</HI> Although 1. Its Go|vernment be derived as a
Branch of Chri&s;ts <HI>Kingly</HI> Office. 2. Church Ordinances are the mo&s;t
effectual means by which he exerci&s;eth his &s;piritual <HI>Soveraignty</HI>
in each mans &s;oul. 3. His <HI>My&s;tical Kingdom</HI> on earth, thus by
parcels, comes to be whol|ly under an external &s;piritual regiment, and 4. His
Church when National was managed in the <HI>Glory</HI> and <HI>State</HI> of a
King|dom. Yet notwith&s;tanding all the&s;e leading occa&s;ions, how
&s;paringly, and not without &s;pecial Caution is a particular Church thus
termed? Whereas not only the <HI>Society,</HI> but the Govern|ment, Officers,
Ordinances, Cen&s;ures, and other Church matters, are univer&s;ally and
frequently delivered unto us by Chri&s;t and his Apo&s;tles, in terms apt to
mind us of this low and humble policy. To give &s;ome In&s;tances thereof.</P>
<P N="1"><PB N="51" REF="27">1. A particular Church or the Society it
&s;elf, is repre&s;ented unto us as the <HI>Hou&s;e of the living God,</HI> 1
Tim. 3. <HI>His Hou&s;hold,</HI> Matth. 24, 45. over which he hath &s;et
<HI>Rulers</HI> (therefore to be under&s;tood of a particular Church, for the
univer&s;al is imme|diately under the rule of Chri&s;t.) A
<HI>Brotherhood,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.17. and the Members of it <HI>Brethren</HI> and
<HI>Si&s;ters</HI> (as the Pa&s;tors <HI>Fa|thers</HI>) 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 7.15.
<HI>Jam.</HI> 2.15. 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 5.2. and it is given as a title of Dignity,
1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.11. <HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4.21. <HI>Rom.</HI> 16.1,23. 1
<HI>Pet.</HI> 5.12. yea to the <HI>Poor</HI> as well as to the <HI>Rich,</HI>
and to tho&s;e of <HI>low</HI> as <HI>high</HI> degree, <HI>Jam.</HI> 1.9.</P>
<P N="2">2. Church Ordinances as 1. By <HI>teaching</HI> and
admoni&s;hing the <HI>Word</HI> is &s;aid to <HI>dwell among&s;t them</HI> in
all Wi&s;dom <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Col.</HI> 3.16.</NOTE> compared with <HI>Matth.</HI> 24.45.
The <HI>faithful and wi&s;e Ruler</HI> of Chri&s;ts Hou&s;hold <HI>is to give
them meat in due &s;ea&s;on.</HI> It is a de&s;crip|tion of a Pa&s;tors duty,
who is hereby admoni&s;hed to <HI>feed with knowledge,</HI> and to be much in
it, that the Family may be <HI>richly</HI> and plentifully, and not
&s;paringly, niggardly fed. The <HI>Word dwelling,</HI> is the Hou&s;hold Bread
or Food, which by the <HI>Stewards</HI> or Mini&s;ters is to be <HI>rightly
divided,</HI> 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.15. and re&s;pectively di&s;pen&s;ed as
<HI>milk to the Babes</HI> in the Family, and <HI>&s;trong meat</HI> to others,
<HI>Heb.</HI> 5.13,14. 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.2. 2. The <HI>Sacrament</HI> an
Or|dinance peculiar to this Society, it's repre&s;ented unto us as the
<HI>Supper of the Lord,</HI> a Spiritual repa&s;t of <HI>Bread</HI> and
<HI>Wine.</HI> It came in the place of a Family Ordinance the
<HI>Pa&s;&s;over,</HI> and &s;o termed: Churches being now become Gods Family,
and the Lords <HI>Supper</HI> their <HI>Fea&s;t,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor</HI> 5.8. but
mo&s;t to our purpo&s;e, are &s;uch expre&s;&s;ions as &s;et forth the
Governours and Di&s;cipline appointed to a particular Church.</P>
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Officers</HI> are as the <HI>Stewards and
Servants</HI> in this Hou&s;|hold, and &s;o termed not in relation to
<HI>Chri&s;t</HI> only, who is the <HI>Lord,</HI> but to the <HI>Church</HI>
his Family.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.5.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 16.1.</NOTE> Chri&s;t abates of the over-high
expectations of his Di&s;ciples, by telling them that tho&s;e who are the
chiefe&s;t among&s;t them, ought to be even as <HI>Ser|vants</HI> in the
Hou&s;e, that attend at the Table, <HI>Luke</HI> 22.26,27. There were tho&s;e
in <HI>Corinth</HI> rai&s;ed much above their level (whom <HI>Paul</HI>
per&s;onates in him&s;elf and <HI>Apollo</HI> and <HI>Cephas</HI>) even equal
with Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.12,13. with 4.6.</NOTE> as
having the Fountain of their excellency in them|&s;elves, and communicated unto
others of their own (as great Princes and <HI>Benefactors</HI>) like
Chri&s;t:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.7, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> this
being Lordly and Princely, <HI>Paul</HI> tells them, they <HI>raigned like
Kings.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>ver.</HI> 8.</NOTE> To reduce from 
<PB N="52" REF="28"> this exorbitant height to a ju&s;t ballance, <HI>Paul</HI>
&s;ets down the rate they may value them&s;elves, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.1. <HI>Let
a man &s;o account of us, as of the Mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t, Stewards of the
My&s;teries of God.</HI></P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and <HI>Cen&s;ures,</HI> the
<HI>Keyes</HI> that open and &s;hut; this expre&s;&s;ion hath its reference to
a Hou&s;e or City mo&s;t properly. And in the fir&s;t place, particularly the
Cen&s;ure of <HI>Excommuni|cation,</HI> which is as the <HI>purging out of the
old leaven,</HI> 1 Cor. 5.7,13. this was done by a careful and diligent
&s;earch into every corner of the hou&s;e. So the Excommunicate per&s;on, like
<HI>Cain,</HI> is ca&s;t out of the Family, and droven from <HI>the pre&s;ence
of God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 12.</NOTE> With &s;uch a one
<HI>not to eat,</HI> is all one with holding him as a <HI>Hea|then and
Publican.</HI> This Cen&s;ure is temed a <HI>Rod,</HI>
<GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">, as the Correction of our
Children is termed <GAP DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 span">,
Di&s;cipline,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eph.</HI> 6.9.</NOTE> &s;ee <HI>Beza.</HI>
The Apo&s;tles being Spiritual Parents,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Cor.</HI>
12.14.</NOTE> <HI>threaten</HI> the <HI>Rod,</HI> that is to cen&s;ure in a
Di&s;cipline way, <HI>cap.</HI> 13. 1. <HI>In the mouth of two or three
Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> &amp;c. compared with <HI>Matth.</HI> 18. And then
<HI>ver&s;.</HI> 2. <HI>If I come again I will not &s;pare,</HI> which is the
&s;ame with 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 4.21. <HI>Shall I come with a</HI> Rod?</P>
<P N="6"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>The</HI> 6
<HI>In&s;tance.</HI></NOTE>The &s;ixth <HI>In&s;tance:</HI> As the Government
of a Family is low and humble, &s;o it is carried on in the mo&s;t familiar and
affectionate way; there is an intimacy, and daily conver&s;e with our
Gover|nours. <HI>In&s;truction</HI> and <HI>Correction</HI> are much &s;weetned
from that Fa|therly care and Affection, we have experienced in <HI>other</HI>
dealings. It is thus with Churches; though the Power there exerci&s;ed, be
&s;ome way coercive, yet brotherly, and &s;ubmitted unto with much Reverence,
being admini&s;tred by tho&s;e we love, honour, and de|pend upon, as Spiritual
Fathers. <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power</HI> (&s;aith our Brethren of
<HI>Scotland</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Prop. to the Gen. A&s;&s;em.</HI>
1647.</NOTE>) <HI>is indeed furni&s;hed with Authority, yet that Authority is
rather the Fatherly, than the Kingly Authority.</HI></P>
<P>We have &s;aid that neither the cen&s;ures of the Church, nor of
civil Magi&s;trate, <HI>morally</HI> work upon us further than we work upon our
&s;elves. Yet there is this difference, the weapons of the one being carnal,
affect the &s;en&s;es, and by them the mind coming in upon it more &s;uddenly
and &s;trongly. <HI>Sen&s;e</HI> and Appetite have now a broad, ready, and more
direct way to the Soul than <HI>Rea&s;on.</HI> But Church-cen&s;ures touch us
not, or very little in any Bodily concernment. So that nothing comes in upon us
any way, but what we our &s;elves are willing to let in. It is a great
advantage therefore, and much to our Edification, that the per&s;ons who deal
with us in &s;uch <PB N="53" REF="28"> a way, be fir&s;t let into us, that is,
much in our affections and good opinion, and having entertained the per&s;ons,
their mini&s;tration will the ea&s;ier be let in with them, and &s;o we come to
be <HI>taken by Craft,</HI> as it were, (as the Apo&s;tle expre&s;&s;eth it) 2
<HI>Cor.</HI> 16. that is, we are induced by a &s;weet and attractive Bait, to
take our &s;elves. The Per&s;ons therefore that are over us in the Lord, being
&s;uch as we intimately know, and daily conver&s;e with, &s;uch as our &s;elves
have cho&s;en to be our &s;piritual Fathers, &s;uch al&s;o as we have
experienced their goodne&s;s and tenderne&s;s in other
Go&s;pel-Admini&s;trations: we more ea&s;ily &s;ubject to their Rebukes and
Cen&s;ures, as coming from the &s;ame Affection. The Ruling power in a Family,
is you know by tho&s;e that are intimately known, and greatly oblige, as
Parents who daily care and provide for us for pre&s;ent and to come, and
therefore though they correct us, yea, &s;ometimes in <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> yet
<HI>we give them reverence,</HI> Hebr. 12.9. Cen&s;ures in Churches, or
Church-Cha&s;ti&s;ements, <HI>are</HI> therefore or <HI>ought</HI> to be from
tho&s;e that in&s;truct and give us our portion in &s;piritual Comforts: the
Rulers of Chri&s;t's Hou&s;hold gives them <HI>their meat in due
&s;ea&s;on.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24.45.</NOTE> <HI>We exhorted and
comforted,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;&s;.
2.11.</NOTE>) <HI>and charged every one of them, as a Father doth his
Chil|dren. Paul</HI> can <HI>charge</HI> them, and with greater
Authority, even in their own hearts who have had experience, how in a Fatherly
way, he <HI>Exhorts, Comforts,</HI> and <HI>Travels</HI> as it were <HI>in
Birth with them.</HI> The <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> urgeth Obedience and
Submi&s;&s;ion upon &s;uch a Con&s;ideration; <HI>Obey them that have Rule over
you, and &s;ubmit your &s;elves; for they watch for your Souls, as they that
mu&s;t give an ac|count.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hebr. 13.7.</NOTE> That is,
there is an intimate and affectionate relation be|tween them and you, being
&s;uch, as Fa&s;t, and Pray, and Mourn, and Rejoyce, yea, Eat and Drink with
you daily at the &s;ame Table of the Lord, and are intru&s;ted with the Care of
your Souls from the hand of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>This cannot be where the Pa&s;toral or Mini&s;terial Work is
divi|ded, and the <HI>Keys</HI> of the Church hung apart. Tho&s;e that
in|&s;truct us not, nay, are <HI>Strangers</HI> to us, <HI>Rule over us;</HI>
Rebukes and Cha&s;ti&s;ements in this &s;piritual way, are from tho&s;e who&s;e
Faces we never &s;aw, or know &s;o much as by name. It's true, we may argue
thus, They are &s;trangers, expect no favour therefore, or mercy from them, if
you offend: this procures Obedience indeed, but it is in a &s;ervile way. The
mind of Chri&s;t is, that as our Submi&s;&s;ion to him&s;elf, &s;o to his
Mini&s;ters (who even in Cen&s;ures <PB N="54" REF="29"> act in his Name) be
affectionate, filial, and drawn by the cords of love.</P>
<P><HI>Thus have I gone through with the</HI> In&s;tances
<HI>promi&s;ed, with what brevity the nature of the matter would permit. By
which it is not in|tended to parallel the&s;e</HI> Societies <HI>in re&s;pect
to the intrin&s;ick Form of Government</HI> peculiar to each: <HI>(for that, in
a Church is from the In&s;titution of Chri&s;t, rather than the light of
Nature) but the more</HI> general <HI>&s;tate and habitude of
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Government as Churches &s;tand di&s;po&s;ed to the Civil
Magi&s;trate, or one to another, and what the light of Nature and common
Rea&s;on contribute hereunto, being &s;o much in&s;i&s;ted upon. What hath been
&s;aid, I hope tends to</HI> Union <HI>and Ac|commodation. Tho&s;e that
hold</HI> any <HI>&s;piritual Government</HI> Jure Divino, <HI>and by the
appointment of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, do not deny it to a particular Church: And
tho&s;e that hold</HI> none, <HI>yet are at a</HI> le&s;&s;er <HI>di&s;tance
from &s;uch who claim &s;o</HI> little.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 N="6" TYPE="chapter">
<HEAD>CAP. VI.</HEAD>
<ARGUMENT>
<P>A &s;econd Objection. Of the Juri&s;diction over Particular
Churches in Synods, Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Courts, &amp;c. &sect;.1. as exerci&s;ed
with us. &sect;.2. and in other places.</P>
</ARGUMENT>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> 2. THere are <HI>Synods, Con&s;i&s;tories,
Colloquies,</HI> and other Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Courts, which exerci&s;e an
Authority in &s;piritual matters over Churches: Therefore that of the
Magi|&s;trate before mentioned, is not &s;o nece&s;&s;ary.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;w.</HI> It is humbly denied, and a&s;&s;erted, That
the&s;e greater A&s;&s;emblies, a Synod, Cla&s;&s;is, Coloquie, and the like,
either have no &s;uch coactive Juri&s;diction, as we mentioned, or are
dependent upon the Civil Magi&s;trate for it. This we &s;hall &s;hew, by
declaring more fully what Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power is exerci&s;ed by Synods, or
&s;uch Courts. 1. <HI>In this Kingdom.</HI> 2. <HI>In other Reformed
Churches.</HI></P>
<P><HI>The Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Courts in this Kingdom are of two
&s;orts:</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. There are, we know, Spiritual Courts, (&s;o termed)
&s;uch as the <HI>Prerogative,</HI> the <HI>Arches,</HI> Court of
<HI>Faculties,</HI> the <HI>Archdeacons</HI> and <HI>Commi&s;&s;aries</HI>
Courts: The&s;e claim only from the Civil Powers, as was &s;hewed before.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pag. 45,46.</NOTE> In the Statute of 37 <HI>Hen.</HI> 8.
<HI>c.</HI> 17. it is declared, <HI>That the Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops,
Archdeacons, and other Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Per&s;ons, have no manner of
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction, but by, from, and under the King's Royal
Maje&s;ty.</HI> By the Statute al&s;o <PB N="55" REF="29"> of 1 <HI>Edw.</HI>
6. <HI>c.</HI> 2. <HI>All Courts Eccle&s;ia&s;tical within the Realms of</HI>
England <HI>and</HI> Ireland, <HI>ought to be kept by no other Power or
Authority either Foreign or within the Realm, but by the Authority of His
mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty.</HI> And it was further Enacted, <HI>That all their
Proce&s;s &s;hall i&s;&s;ue out under the King's Seal, and His Name and Style,
&amp;c.</HI> but &s;ince repealed. Dr. <HI>Co&s;ens,</HI> in his learned
Defence of them, and their Proceedings, a&s;&s;erts thus: <HI>They are</HI>
(&s;aith he) <HI>warranted by the Statute and Canon Law of this Nation;</HI>
profe&s;&s;ing al&s;o, that there were Rea&s;on enough again&s;t tho&s;e
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Proceedings, <HI>if they were not claimed from the Crown,
but from &s;ome other Authority immediately, as the Popi&s;h Clergy did theirs
from, by the means and direction of the Pope.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Apol. Part
1. Cap. 1.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. Our <HI>Convocation</HI> or <HI>General Synod,</HI> which
makes Laws and Canons about matters that are more &s;piritual. This is an
ancient Court, and hath formerly been in <HI>it &s;elf</HI> of great Authority
in Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tical Regulations; it's not &s;o now, but <HI>dependent</HI>
upon the Civil Magi&s;trate, for what&s;oever Juri&s;diction or Coercive Power
there exerci&s;ed, which will appear in the&s;e Particulars.</P>
<P N="1">1. There are no <HI>Laws</HI> or <HI>Canons</HI> made by the
Bi&s;hops, and others of the Clergy in the Convocation, that oblige under any
Penalty, without the Stipulation and A&s;&s;ent of the Civil Magi|&s;trate, be
it either in matters of Faith or Di&s;cipline. The 39 Ar|ticles and Canons
about them, concluded upon by the Synod in <HI>Anno</HI> 1562. engaged no man
under any Penalty in our Law to believe, profe&s;s, or &s;ub&s;cribe, until
they had an A&s;&s;ent or E&s;tabli&s;h|ment by the Civil Powers. Nor can they
proceed again&s;t any Crime, as <HI>Here&s;ie, Apo&s;ta&s;ie,</HI> or gro&s;s
Enormity in Doctrine, but what our Laws declare to be &s;uch.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nihil habet vim legis pri|u&s;quam Regius a&s;&s;en&s;us
fuerit adhibitus, iis quae Synodus decernanda cen&s;uerit.</HI> Co|&s;ins
<HI>Polit. Ta.</HI> 1. <HI>a.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>And for matters of <HI>Di&s;cipline</HI> and <HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI>
it appears by the Letters Patent, Copies whereof are annexed to the Canons
pub|li&s;hed in <HI>Anno</HI> 1603, and 1640. That 1. All power to <HI>meet,
con|fer, treat, debate, and agree upon any matter for common good, is from
&s;uch Licence,</HI> Power and Authority <HI>as is</HI> granted <HI>to the
Archbi&s;hops, Bi&s;hops, Chancellors, and other Members of the
Convocation</HI> from His Maje&s;ty <HI>of His &s;pecial Grace, and by virtue
of His Prerogative Royal and Supreme Authority in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Cau&s;es.</HI> And 2. the <HI>Synod</HI> having treated of, concluded and
agreed upon <HI>Canons, Orders,</HI> &amp;c. To the end and purpo&s;e by His
Maje&s;ty limited and pre&s;cribed unto them, they are to offer and pre&s;ent
the &s;ame to His Maje&s;ty in writing: <HI>He, upon mature con&s;ideration
taken thereupon,</HI> may al|low, <PB N="54" REF="30"> 
<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Licence to the Convoc. in Anno 1640.</NOTE>
approve, confirm, and ratifie, <HI>or otherwi&s;e</HI> di&s;allow, anihilate,
<HI>and make void &s;uch, and &s;o many of the &s;aid Canons, Orders,</HI>
&amp;c. <HI>as he &s;hall think fit, requi&s;ite, or convenient.</HI> And
<HI>none of tho&s;e Canons,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;hall be of any</HI> force,
<HI>effect, or validity</HI> in Law, <HI>but only &s;uch, and &s;o many of
them, and after &s;uch time as His Maje&s;ty by His Let|ters Patents &s;hall
approve and confirm the &s;ame.</HI></P>
<P>The Civil Magi&s;trate may &s;u&s;pend for what time he &s;hall
plea&s;e, yea, wholly deprive any Bi&s;hop or Bi&s;hops from their Office and
Place in this <HI>Synod,</HI> who are the chiefe&s;t Members thereof. He may
Commi&s;&s;ionate al&s;o by Writ<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Cook In&s;tit.
pag.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 74.</NOTE>, what other Per&s;ons He &s;hall plea&s;e
to &s;it in Convocation with them. And if occa&s;ion be, He may likewi&s;e
wholly con&s;titute another <HI>Synod,</HI> and nominate each particular
Per&s;on of what Quality and of what Number of His Natives as He &s;hall
plea&s;e, and give them like Authority in Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical matters. So was
that Synod of the 32. appointed (by <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. and afterwards by
<HI>Edw.</HI> 6.) to do the work of a Synod, and pre&s;ent a Body of
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Canons for Confirmation by the Magi&s;trate.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Field, <HI>Of the Church.</HI> Lib. 5. cap. 53.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Princeps pote&s;t a&s;&s;ignare, no|minare, &amp;
au|thoritatem da|re quandocun&abque; &amp; quamdiu ip&s;i placuerit huju&s;modi
in|digenis &s;ubdi|tis quos ido|neos cen&s;uerit,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>Dr.</HI>
Co&s;in <HI>de Pol. Tab.</HI> 1. <HI>a.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P N="3">3. The&s;e Laws, &s;aith<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>De Ju.
Ec. pag.</HI> 9.</NOTE> <HI>Cook,</HI> are termed <HI>Regiae Leges
Eccle&s;i|&s;ia&s;ticae,</HI> and another <HI>&s;uch Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Laws as
now are in force, are called</HI> the King's Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Laws, <HI>for
that now all Juri&s;diction, whether it be Temporal or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, is
the Kings.</HI> And if there be any thing difficult or doubtful in the&s;e
Laws, the Interpretati|on is ultimately to be given in the Civil Judicatures.
So <HI>Cook</HI>'s <HI>In&s;tit. pag.</HI> 4. <HI>cap.</HI> 74. To the King
al&s;o is the la&s;t Appeal to be made, and <HI>Delegates</HI> appointed by
Him, give final Determination in Controver&s;ies, after adjudged by tho&s;e
Laws and Canons in any, yea, the highe&s;t of tho&s;e Eccle&s;ia&s;tical
Courts. <HI>&V;ltima Ap|pellatio &s;it ad Principem &amp; non extra
Regnum,</HI> &s;aith Dr. <HI>Co&s;en,</HI> and tells us it is a Juri&s;diction
<HI>Coronae Regiae de Jure debita.</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Dr.
<HI>Ridley</HI>'s view. <HI>pag.</HI> 110.</NOTE><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">25
<HI>Hen.</HI> 8. <HI>c.</HI> 19.</NOTE><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">15
<HI>Hen.</HI> 8. <HI>c.</HI> 21.</NOTE></P>
<P N="4">4. The King's Maje&s;ty may <HI>di&s;pen&s;e</HI> with any
of tho&s;e <HI>Canons</HI> or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Laws, indulge the Omi&s;&s;ion
of what is enjoined by them, make void the Crime, and remove the Penalty
incurred by breach of them, yea, and give Faculty to do or practi&s;e
other|wi&s;e, any Synodical E&s;tabli&s;hment or long u&s;age to the contrary
notwith&s;tanding, in what <HI>offends not the Holy Scripture and Laws of
God.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. The King may exempt Per&s;ons and Societies from the
Juri&s;|diction of the <HI>Ordinary</HI> or <HI>Bi&s;hop,</HI> or any el&s;e
who are to execute the&s;e Canons. This my Lord <HI>Coke</HI> a&s;&s;erts,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>De Jure Eccle&s;.</HI></NOTE> and as a Prerogative 
<PB N="57" REF="30"> annexed to the Crown. He gives many In&s;tances of &s;uch
<HI>Di&s;pen|&s;ations</HI> in &s;everal Kings Reigns, both ancient, and of
later times. For doubtle&s;s what Power He grants, and is exerci&s;ed under
Him, may be re-a&s;&s;umed by Him. And Priviledge, even whole Pari&s;hes if he
plea&s;e, from <HI>Epi&s;copal</HI> or <HI>Synodical</HI> Juri&s;diction, and
&s;uch Pari&s;hes are &s;aid to be <HI>Regiae Maje&s;tati immediate
&s;ubditae:</HI> Mocket, <HI>de Eccle&s;ia&s;tica Ang. Pol. pag.</HI> 294. And
many Pari&s;hes to this day, &s;tand thus exempted, by the favour and grant of
Princes formerly. The <HI>Dutch</HI> and <HI>French</HI> Churches in &s;everal
Parts of this Kingdom, by Patent from <HI>Edw.</HI> 6. were exempted from the
then E&s;tabli&s;hment, and exerci&s;ed a <HI>Di&s;cipline;</HI> and Forms of
<HI>Wor&s;hip,</HI> according to their own Per&s;wa&s;ion, our Synod and
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Courts having, by vertue of this Exemption, nothing to do
with their Mini&s;ters or Churches; which Priviledge hath been confirmed to
them by our Kings that Reigned &s;ince, and are enjoined to this day, His
Maje&s;ty that now is, by His Prerogative in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters,
notwith&s;tanding the pre&s;ent Form of Wor&s;hip and Ceremonies, Graciou&s;ly
indulged Tender Con&s;cien|ces a <HI>Forbearance</HI> in what they were not
&s;atisfied, and to practi&s;e otherwi&s;e, <HI>Declaration of</HI> October,
1660.</P>
<P N="6">6. There is no matter or thing appertaining to Religion, or
fir&s;t Table-Duties, or &s;o intimate and properly &s;piritual, which a Synod
or Convocation hath Cogni&s;ance of, and may make Laws and Canons about: But
the like things have been e&s;tabli&s;hed by the Civil Powers (more than
&s;ometimes for Advice) without it, as will abundantly appear in the many
Statutes and Laws of former and later Times, as again&s;t <HI>Swearing,
Perjury, Sabbath-breaking,</HI> &amp;c. That one in&s;tance, the <HI>Liturgy,
and ordering Bi&s;hops, Prie&s;ts and Deacons,</HI> the many Rubricks in each
of tho&s;e Books, are &s;o many Canons and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Con&s;titutions,
in&s;omuch as &s;ome have termed the Parliaments of <HI>England</HI> Synods, or
Re|pre&s;entatives of the Church of <HI>England;</HI> ob&s;erving al&s;o, that
in the King's Writ, by which a Parliament is called, there is expre&s;ly
committed unto them the Con&s;iderations of what concerneth the <HI>Church</HI>
as the <HI>Kingdom</HI> of <HI>England.</HI></P>
<P>There hath been al&s;o <HI>Injunctions, Declarations,
Adverti&s;ements, Proclamations,</HI> and the like Edicts publi&s;hed in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Mat|ters, <PB N="58" REF="31"> from time to time by our
Princes, without calling or advi&s;ing with a Synod: And Obedience hath been
required unto tho&s;e <HI>Precepts,</HI> by the Ordinary in each Dioce&s;s, as
well as to the <HI>Canons</HI> and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Laws made by Synods.</P>
<P>The Dependency therefore of Synods and Convocations upon the Civil
Magi&s;trate, according to the Con&s;titution and Practice here in
<HI>England,</HI> is very great and apparent: For, 
<LIST>
<ITEM>I. They can make no Canon, or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Law,
without the Civil Magi&s;trate, but he can and may without them.</ITEM>
<ITEM>II. None of their Laws, though ever &s;o Ancient, but may
be revoked by a Parliament; but the Rubricks, or Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical Laws
e&s;tabli&s;hed by it, may not be medled with by the Convocation.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>His Maje&s;ties Licence to the Convocation,</HI> May 12.
1640.</NOTE></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>I &s;hall conclude with B. <HI>Bil&s;on,</HI> who &s;eems to
&s;tate the Nature and Occa&s;ion of Synods, as they are in this Kingdom, very
fully, and indeed much as they ought to be where&s;oever they are called; his
words are the&s;e:</P>
<P> 
<Q REND="inline"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>D.</HI> Bil&s;. <HI>Per.
Gov. cap.</HI> 16. <HI>p.</HI> 383.</NOTE>"With us no Synods may a&s;&s;emble
without the Prince's War|rant, as well to meet as to con&s;ult of any matter
touching the &s;tate of this Realm: And why? They be no Court
<HI>&s;eparate</HI> from the Prince, nor <HI>&s;uperior</HI> to the Prince, but
&s;ubjected in all things to the Prince, and appointed by the Laws of God and
man, in Truth and Godline&s;s, to <HI>a&s;&s;i&s;t</HI> and <HI>direct</HI> the
Prince when and where they &s;hall be called to a&s;&s;emble; otherwi&s;e they
have no power of them&s;elves to make <HI>Decrees,</HI> when there is a
Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate, neither may they challenge the judicial hearing or
ending of Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Controver&s;ies <HI>without</HI> or again&s;t the
Prince's liking."</Q></P>
<P>It appears evidently hereby, that in the Judgment of the Learned
Author, Synods, in their Nature and U&s;e, are not for <HI>Rule</HI> and
<HI>Government,</HI> where there is a Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate; or otherwi&s;e
than as A&s;&s;i&s;tants only to coun&s;el and advi&s;e Him.</P>
<P><PB N="59" REF="31">THe Synods in <HI>other Reformed Churches</HI>
claim a <HI>coercive</HI> Juris|diction, from an <HI>intrin&s;ick</HI> right
received immediatly from Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel.
There being no expre&s;s Scriptures to uphold this A&s;&s;ertion, and the light
of Nature and common rea&s;on being &s;uppo&s;ed &s;ufficient to create a
<HI>jus divinum.</HI> The Authors of this per&s;wa&s;ion argue thus.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Di&s;cip. of</HI> Scot. <HI>lib.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 11. <HI>al&s;o Act. of
G. A&s;&s;emb. before the Confe&s;. of Faith.</HI></NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jus divinum regiminis, cap.</HI> 3.</NOTE></P>
<P> 
<Q REND="inline">"In all Kingdoms and Republicks, if wrong be done
by in|ferior Courts, we may have right by appealing to a Court &s;u|perior in
Authority; there ought therefore to be &s;uch an order in Churches, that is, a
Cla&s;&s;is, Synod, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> That there may be regular Appeals in like
Ca&s;es. And further they argue, if it be not &s;o, when whole Churches or
their Con&s;i&s;tories tran&s;|gre&s;s, there is no ordinary Remedy. The
Provi&s;ion Chri&s;t hath made for Government in his Church will be found
de|fective: For though there be a Remedy for particular per&s;ons; yet for a
Church offending, there is none, if there be not a &s;uperior Church or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Power to appeal unto."<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jus D. regim.
cap.</HI> 1.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>A&s;&s;embly Di|&s;pute p.</HI>
114.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"> Rutherf. <HI>peace|able Plea, cap.</HI>
15.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg"> <HI>A&s;&s;ertion of the Gover. of</HI> Scot.
<HI>by</HI> G. Gille&s;pie. <HI>part</HI> 2. <HI>cap.</HI> 4</NOTE></Q></P>
<P>Leaving wholly what they pretend from Scriptures: I &s;hall
exa|mine this only their Rea&s;oning from common light, it being more
&s;uitable to our pre&s;ent &s;ubject; and in the general &s;ay.</P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 1.</NOTE>1. In the
My&s;teries of the Go&s;pel (from which by their own conce&s;&s;ions,
Church-communion and Di&s;cipline is not to be ex|cluded any more than
Preaching or the Sacraments) It is very un&s;afe to make the dim Eye of
Rea&s;on our Guide. Of what ad|vantage &s;uch &s;uppo&s;itions have been, in
producing <HI>Arminiani&s;m, Sociniani&s;m, Platoni&s;m,</HI> &amp;c. but
e&s;pecially of the many gro&s;s Er|rors and loath&s;om Super&s;titions in
Popi&s;h Wor&s;hip: we cannot be ignorant.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 2.</NOTE>2. An Appeal
(as under&s;tood in this di&s;pute, and ordinarily by <HI>Civilians</HI>) is
<HI>a provocation to a &s;uperior Tribunal, upon the error or wrong done by an
Inferior.</HI> Such an Appeal is not e&s;&s;ential to Go|vernment, unle&s;s we
can &s;uppo&s;e a <HI>progre&s;&s;us in infinitum:</HI> Nor is there a defect
in that Government where it cannot be had. Some Societies are 1. So
<HI>low</HI> and little in compa&s;s, as they need not &s;uch Appeals. A Family
is a compleat Society or Corporati|on, though there be not a Superior in the
&s;ame kind, that is, an Economical power to appeal unto; &s;o may a Church be,
though not a Superior in a <HI>&s;eries,</HI> properly Spiritual or
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical. 2. Others &s;o <HI>High.</HI> If there be an Error or Wrong
done in or by a general A&s;&s;embly or National Synod, (&s;uppo&s;ed in the
ex|erci&s;e <PB N="60" REF="32"> of power of greate&s;t perfection) we have no
remedy, no Superior to appeal unto; therefore they term their Church or General
A&s;&s;embly an <HI>Independent.</HI> If it be &s;aid, as it is by &s;ome, we
may appeal from it to an <HI>Oecumenical</HI> Councel. <HI>An&s;w.</HI> The&s;e
great Councels have erred, and may, and what then is the Reme|dy, or further
Provi&s;ion? To what Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Tribunal Supe|rior can we appeal from
them?<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Argued by the Commi&s;&s;ioners of</HI> Scotland,
Anno 41. <HI>p.</HI> 1, 2, 9. <HI>Al&s;o their De|claration a|gain&s;t a
Cro&s;s Petition.</HI> P. 10.</NOTE></P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;w.</HI> 3</NOTE>To an&s;wer more
particularly: This Rea&s;oning being grounded upon a Similitude betwixt the
Mini&s;terial Government of Chri&s;t, and the Political Government of Kingdoms,
we &s;ay there is not <HI>Par ratio,</HI> and therefore no ju&s;t
con&s;equence. The Di&s;parity will appear in divers Particulars.</P>
<P N="1"><NOTE PLACE="marg">I. <HI>Di&s;parity.</HI></NOTE>In their
Natures, as <HI>Civil</HI> and <HI>Religious</HI> A&s;&s;emblies. In this the
Difference is &s;o great as <HI>Councels, Schoolmen,</HI> and
<HI>Ca&s;ui&s;ts,</HI> who all grant Appeals in Civil Affairs: yet in
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Matters the ordinary u&s;e of them is &s;o con&s;tantly and
generally denied, as it is an Axiom, &s;aith One, <HI>That in Religious
Cau&s;es, the Voice of Ap|pealing is not to be heard or mentioned.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Videtur axio|ma communiter acceptum inter probos Religio|&s;os
Appellatio|nis vocem au|diendam non e&s;&s;e,</HI> Suar. <HI>de virt. Tom.</HI>
4. <HI>pag.</HI> 99.</NOTE> And in the &s;ame Chapter he gives us the Rea&s;ons
of it in the&s;e words: <HI>Si in ordinariis cor|rectionibus quae juxta
di&s;ciplinam religio&s;am fiunt, locum haberet Ap|pellatio &agrave; Priore ad
Provincialem, &amp; &agrave; Provinciali ad Generalem; magna &s;equeretur
perturbatio, &amp; di&s;ciplina religio&s;a &s;ine dubio corrue|ret,</HI>
&amp;c. 
<Q REND="inline">"In ordinary Cen&s;ures, and &s;uch as are
according to a Religious Di&s;cipline, if Appeals &s;hould be made from the
Prior to the Provincial, and from the Provincial to the General, it would breed
a great Di&s;turbance, and be doubtle&s;s the Ruine of Religious Di&s;cipline:
For, 1. Inferiour Governours would quickly be de&s;pi&s;ed, and have little
Reverence or Fear. 2. By &s;uch a dilatory way, opportunity will be given by
Friends, or under-hand working, to prevent any Religious Di&s;cipline. It is
therefore expedient for the good of Religion, that there be a more &s;imple way
of procedure in the&s;e &s;piritual Corrections, and that it be without any
kind of Appellation:"</Q> Thus far <HI>Suarez.</HI> And others of them al&s;o
tell us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Soto <HI>de Ju&s;t. lib.</HI> 54. 6.
<HI>art.</HI></NOTE> That in a <HI>voluntary</HI> and <HI>brotherly
Society,</HI> it's more comely and honourable to end Offences and Differences
in a private and peaceable way, among&s;t them|&s;elves, and within the
Society, than by clamorous Appeals, to make Matters more publick. It &s;hould
not be of little weight al&s;o with us, the Tenderne&s;s of Chri&s;t, if it be
con&s;idered, and how he would not have Breaches and Offences among&s;t
Brethren <PB N="61" REF="32"> to be made more publick, or carried further than
is nece&s;&s;ary. And by any thing we find in the Text, there is no
Nece&s;&s;ity we &s;hould carry Matters for Cen&s;ure, out of the Church where
the Offence is; if there were, doubtle&s;s Chri&s;t would have given us
direction as well for the managing of Appeals FROM a Church, as IN a Church,
<HI>Mat.</HI> 18.15,16,17. where each &s;tep and cir|cum&s;tance, in the
progre&s;s from a le&s;&s;er to a greater Authority, is de&s;cribed.</P>
<P N="2"><NOTE PLACE="marg">II. <HI>Di&s;parity.</HI></NOTE>From the
different condition of <HI>Puni&s;hments</HI> in re&s;pect to Re|lief, if
unju&s;tly inflicted. Church-Cen&s;ures have little operation on us, further
than our own Con&s;cience and the Spirit of Chri&s;t make them effectual, by
working them in upon us: But if inflict|ed where no ju&s;t Cau&s;e, and
<HI>Clave errante,</HI> the Spirit of Chri&s;t will not convince us of Sin, or
let in Satan's Terrors, nor any &s;uch impre&s;&s;ions of Grief or Shame as
much to afflict us being inno|cent. How little hath the <HI>Pope's Bulls,</HI>
or &s;uch Thundrings from <HI>Rome,</HI> been valued or e&s;teemed; or
Excommunications &s;ent out of our <HI>Spiritual Courts,</HI> when we know it
is but for a <HI>Four-penny</HI> Offence? In Civil Affairs it is much
otherwi&s;e: For, be the Sen|tence <HI>ju&s;t</HI> or <HI>unju&s;t,</HI> the
Execution of it is equally <HI>grievous,</HI> and a puni&s;hment, be it in
re&s;pect of Life, Liberty, or E&s;tate; and there is no way either to avoid or
mitigate &s;uch wrongs, but by Appeals: The nece&s;&s;ity of &s;uch Appeals
therefore is very great, but in re&s;pect to Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Cen&s;ures,
little or nothing at all.</P>
<P N="3"><NOTE PLACE="marg">III. <HI>Di&s;parity.</HI></NOTE>The
ordinary <HI>end</HI> and <HI>u&s;e</HI> of Appeals, is either, 1. For Re|lief
of Per&s;ons &s;uffering: Or, 2. That corrupt Judges be cen&s;u|red, and
unju&s;t Sentences re&s;cinded. Per&s;ons come to be relieved, when by Appeals
to Higher Powers there is a better under&s;tand|ing, either 1. in the Rule and
Law; or, 2. a more righteous judg|ment in matters of Fact. There are none of
the&s;e Ends or U&s;es of an Appeal &s;o accompli&s;hable in an
Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Proce&s;s, as in a Civil.</P>
<P N="1">1. If the <HI>Rule</HI> be ob&s;cure, a right
under&s;tanding of it may <HI>in|fallibly</HI> be had by appealing in
<HI>Civil</HI> Affairs; the Supreme Court is here on Earth, that made the Rule
or Law; what's determi|ned by a Parliament, or &s;uch Per&s;ons as are
intru&s;ted by it to this purpo&s;e, is to us unque&s;tionable.</P>
<P>But it's otherwi&s;e in <HI>Church</HI> Affairs, our Law-giver is
in Hea|ven, and cannot in &s;uch a foren&s;ical way be appealed unto, nor hath
he left any Vicar or Vi&s;ible Judge under him, of greater Authori|ty, 
<PB N="62" REF="33"> in re&s;pect of Infallibility, than a particular Church,
<HI>which is the ground and pillar of truth.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim.
3.15.</NOTE> The <HI>Papi&s;ts,</HI> &s;ome of them in great and weighty
matters (not otherwi&s;e) that are &s;piritual, yield Appeals; but it's upon
this Suppo&s;ition, that the Cau&s;e, at la&s;t, will be brought to a Tribunal
that is Infallible, <HI>Licitum e&s;t</HI> (&s;aith P. de Aragon<NOTE PLACE="marg">Aragon, <HI>in</HI> 2. 2. <HI>q.</HI> 69. <HI>a.</HI> 3.
<HI>D.Th.</HI></NOTE>) <HI>in re grave cuique cau&s;am &s;uam defferre ad
&s;edem Apo&s;tolicam; quando vel ex imperitia, vel ex Pa&s;&s;ione inferiorum
judi|cum qui</HI> homines <HI>&s;unt ac</HI> decipi <HI>po&s;&s;unt, injuriam
patitur:</HI> The Pope cannot be deceived, he is more than a Man.</P>
<P N="2">2. Matters of Fact, by rea&s;on of Appeals, come to be
&s;enten|ced at a great di&s;tance from the place where the Crime and Of|fence
lieth, which in Worldly Concernments may with more Righteou&s;ne&s;s be done,
than in what is Spiritual, and of Church Cognizance.</P>
<P N="1">1. Tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions come under a Civil Judgment, as
materially con&s;idered, and according to the gro&s;s Act, but brought to the
Church, not as <HI>Sins</HI> &s;imple, but as <HI>Scandals</HI> and Offences,
which is a Con&s;ideration not &s;o obvious, but requires good judgment in the
<HI>Witne&s;&s;es,</HI> as well as in the Judges. The <HI>Ob&s;tinacy</HI>
al&s;o, or <HI>Penitency</HI> of the Per&s;on offending, accordingly as
Te&s;timony &s;hall be given of either, is a more difficult matter to make out,
than either the <HI>Sin</HI> it &s;elf, or the <HI>Scandal.</HI> Repentance,
Godly Sor|row, or the contrary, is the principal thing to be regarded in
Church-proce&s;s. Repentance, I &s;ay, in truth and &s;incerity, &s;o far as we
can judge in (a &s;eeing and not blind) charity. It is not only the
Pa&s;&s;ion, Sorrow, or Shame, but <HI>Godly Sorrow,</HI> which is more
&s;piritual, and deeper in the heart, and requireth much and particular
knowledge of the Per&s;on, and his temper, and &s;uch as cannot be attained at
a di&s;tance, but by frequent and familiar Con|ver&s;e. To &s;it in the Stool
of Repentance, &s;tand in a White Sheet, or do <HI>Penance,</HI> (as it's
termed) the&s;e are (as <HI>the fruits of the fle&s;h</HI>)
<HI>manife&s;t,</HI> and judged of at the greate&s;t di&s;tance, it's not &s;o
deep, as we need much <HI>under&s;tanding</HI> to <HI>draw it out.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 20.5.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. The Cen&s;ure, whether binding or loo&s;ing, is to be
executed always by the particular Church where the Offender is a Member;
tho&s;e per&s;ons, above all others, are to have a particular knowledge of his
Crime and true Repentance; they are <HI>to forgive, and con|firm their
love,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 2.7.</NOTE> or otherwi&s;e, to
<HI>withdraw</HI> from him. <HI>If THY Brother offend thee, let him be unto
THEE an Heathen,</HI> &amp;c.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 18.15,17</NOTE> The
<HI>Execution</HI> of the Cen&s;ure being by each Brother of that Church, 
<PB N="63" REF="33"> it is nece&s;&s;ary the <HI>Examination</HI> of the matter
be before them. Spi|ritual Duties are not to be performed upon an
<HI>implicit</HI> Faith. What knowledge, but by remote here&s;ay, can a Church
in the <HI>Orchades</HI> have of a mans repentance or ob&s;tinacy, the ultimate
tryal and cognizance whereof, is taken by a Synod at <HI>Edenhurgh.</HI> Civil
cen&s;ures are for Satisfaction of the whole Nation, and not the Pari&s;h or
Borough only where the crime was committed: but in a Church-cen&s;ure, the
particular A&s;&s;embly being only, and no other Congregation, or per&s;on
morally <HI>leavened,</HI> and charged with the offence, are principally, and
in the fir&s;t place con|cerned, to have &s;atisfaction of the repentance and
&s;ubmi&s;&s;ion of the per&s;on offending: For by this means only their
<HI>Lump</HI> or Church, becomes again <HI>unleavened.</HI></P>
<P N="4"><NOTE PLACE="marg">4 <HI>Di&s;parity.</HI></NOTE>4. The
other <HI>End</HI> (before mentioned) and <HI>&V;&s;e</HI> of Appeals is, that
our <HI>Judges</HI> and their <HI>Sentence</HI> be cen&s;ured and judged by
&s;u|perior Tribunals. To which proceeding, the Judges in Civil Judicatures are
liable; but there is not the like Subordination in Churches for the&s;e
Rea&s;ons.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;naequa&abque; res per qua&s;cun&abque; res
na&s;citur per ea&s;dem di&s;&s;ol|vitur.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P N="1">1. All the Power and Authority placed in their Inferior
Courts, is no other but the influx of the &s;upream Civil Powers, to whom we
always make our la&s;t Appeal, and therefore proper to them, to
<HI>&s;u&s;pend</HI> Actings, nay utterly to <HI>de&s;troy</HI> in part or in
whole, what Jurisdiction is derived from them, as appears in the Con&s;titution
of all Kingdoms: But it is not &s;o here a particular Church. The Court we are
to Appeal from, hath not its Being or Jurisdiction, from a Cla&s;&s;is or
Synod; 
<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>Eccle&s;ia Pa|rochialis e&s;t
Ec|cle&s;ia vera e&s;|&s;entialiter &amp; integraliter ab&s;&abque; ulla
cor|re&s;pondentia vel Synodo Voet. de Syn. pag.</HI> 13.</NOTE> the&s;e rather
derive their Power from it, being <HI>Repre&s;entatives</HI> only, as our
Brethren have formerly written. Particular Churches, they term <HI>Eccle&s;iae
primae,</HI> and Sy|nods <HI>Eccle&s;iae ortae.</HI> Again, if Synods (as they
grant) exerci&s;e over Churches a Power only <HI>cumulative,</HI> not
<HI>de&s;tructive:</HI> How can they Excommunicate a Church, &s;eeing
Excommunication ren|ders a Society as <HI>Heathens</HI> and <HI>Publicans,</HI>
which is to unchurch them, as Mr. <HI>Rutherford</HI> rightly affirms.<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Parker <HI>de Po|lit. Eccle&s;. lib.</HI> 3. <HI>cap.</HI>
13.</NOTE><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>It is an autho|ritative un|churching of
an ob&s;tinate Church we plead for.</HI> Ruth. <HI>peaceable Plea, cap.</HI>
15. <HI>p.</HI> 223, <HI>and p.</HI> 222. <HI>Ex|communication is an
authori|tative un|churching.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. Although whole Churches may be puni&s;hed for male
Admi|ni&s;tration by the <HI>Civil</HI> Magi&s;trate, yet may not an
<HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> Power meerly &s;uch, do the like, for to de&s;troy
or &s;ave whole So|cieties, for the Evil of a major part, or a few per&s;ons,
is the pre|rogative of the Lord him&s;elf, which he communicates al&s;o in
&s;ome ca&s;es to Civil Magi&s;trates, his <HI>Deputies,</HI> but in no ca&s;e
to Churches; it being an Authority high and Princely, and not at 
<PB N="64" REF="34"> all &s;utable to &s;uch as have only a Mini&s;try, and not
a Dominion. Bi&s;hop <HI>Davenant</HI> tells us,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Brotherly Com|munion, c.</HI> 9. <HI>p.</HI> 102.</NOTE> That
<HI>a Cen&s;ure is not to be drawn on the whole Body of the Church; for as the
Laws forbid to Excommunicate a Society or Corporation, becau&s;e it may happen,
that tho&s;e that are in|nocent may be intangled in the cen&s;ure: So Right and
Religion forbids to exclude whole Churches from the Communion of the Faithful,
be|cau&s;e this cannot be done without an injury and contempt to many that be
innocent.</HI> What ever formerly of this &s;ame unchurching power in Synods
hath been a&s;&s;erted, yet &s;ince upon further debate we are told; this
&s;ame <HI>Excommunicating of whole Churches is a thing not known in the</HI>
Presbyterian <HI>Government, and not the Churches, but particular per&s;ons in
the Churches are cen&s;ured.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>A&s;&s;emb. di&s;putes
pag.</HI> 180.</NOTE> But how can we &s;ay &s;ingle per&s;ons only are to be
cen&s;ured, and not the whole Church? Whenas we know the <HI>contending
parties</HI> of what con|dition &s;oever, are both equally liable to the
<HI>Cen&s;ure of the Judge.</HI> Now when matters are brought by Appeal to a
&s;uperior Court, the Court Appealed from, is a Party; and in this re&s;pect
upon no higher terms than the <HI>pars appellans,</HI> though a &s;ingle
per&s;on.</P>
<P>But grant it be &s;o, and that the object of a Cen&s;ure from a
Synod be only particular members. Then, 1. Churches cannot have &s;uch a remedy
as in Civil States; for Appeals of this Nature are not to be made to any, but
per&s;ons inve&s;ted with &s;uch a power, as may &s;u&s;pend, or make void in
part, or in whole, the power of that Court by whom the wrong hath been done and
Appealed from, as hath been &s;hewed.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Excommunica|tio
ejus&abque; de|nunciatio po&s;t appellationem legitimam la|tam, e&s;t
nulla.</HI> Nardus <HI>p.</HI> 53. <HI>col.</HI> 2.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. If there be no Power in a Synod, of &s;uch a proportion
&s;u|perior to a Church, as to cen&s;ure it by Excommunication or
Su&s;pen&s;ion at lea&s;t: Then will the Members of this Church, by admitting
&s;uch Appeals, be nece&s;&s;arily under a twofold Juris|diction not
&s;ubordinate, which tends to the greate&s;t confu&s;ion imaginable: For if the
Synod and the Church in their Light and Apprehen&s;ions vary about the
condition of an Offender, one of them may in Con&s;cience be bound to ju&s;tify
whom the other con|demns.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is no <HI>&s;upply</HI> of a &s;uppo&s;ed
<HI>Defect,</HI> or Addition of what was not before, for if their &s;uperior
powers Excommuni|cate particular Members only and not the whole Church: This is
nothing more than each particular Church hath power to do. And it is as much an
Ordinance of Chri&s;t, where two or three, <PB N="65" REF="34"> that is a
le&s;&s;er number are gathered together, as where a greater; a Cen&s;ure by the
Church at <HI>Keneria,</HI> is as much a Cen&s;ure, as if by <HI>Corinth.</HI>
If a Quarter Se&s;&s;ions Execute a man, its as much a Judicial deal, as if
judged by the A&s;&s;ize, <HI>Kings-Bench</HI> or Par|liament. The rea&s;on is
obvious, its the Law that judges him, not this or that Judicature: So it is the
Law and appointment of Chri&s;t that Excommunicates, not this or that
Presbytery, greater or le&s;s, and this Law is the &s;ame to all.</P>
<P>We come now to the other part of the Argument, drawn from the
light of Nature, <HI>If Appeals be not, there will be a defect in Chri&s;t's
Government; Per&s;ons are left without remedy, for wrongs done by whole
Churches.</HI></P>
<P>I an&s;wer with <HI>Suarez</HI> in the &s;ame ca&s;e,
<HI>Argumentum e&s;t</HI> (&s;aith he<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>De virtute</HI>
Tom. 4. <HI>p.</HI> 99.</NOTE>) <HI>ab &s;pecie ad genus negativum, defen&s;io
e&s;t genus &amp; latius patet quam appellatio. Pote&s;t enim ad &s;uperiorem
recurrere per &s;implicem quaerelam vel per modum &s;upplicationis, &amp;c.
quod e&s;t &s;ufficens remedi|um diver&s;um appellatione &amp; multo magis
decens religio&s;um &s;tatum.</HI> 
<Q REND="inline">"It is an Argument from the <HI>Species</HI> to
the <HI>Genus,</HI> there are other ways of defence. We may have recour&s;e to
a Superior by &s;imple <HI>Complaint,</HI> or by way of <HI>Supplication;</HI>
which is a &s;ufficient re|medy, and divers from an <HI>Appellation,</HI> and
much more becom|ing the &s;tate of Religion; thus that Author. More
particular|ly, we therefore An&s;wer."</Q></P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>There may be a &s;ufficient defence or remedy, though
not by Appeals.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM> 2. <HI>There may be Appeals, though not in &s;uch a
way.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P N="1">1. For the fir&s;t, this Addre&s;s or <HI>Recur&s;us</HI> to
others Superior or equal, is not for the putting forth any Act of
Juri&s;diction or Com|pul&s;ion: Such per&s;ons interpo&s;e by way of Intreaty,
Per&s;wa&s;ion, Pleading the Cau&s;e of the wronged, Reproving, Threatning, or
in &s;uch way, as a &s;ingle Pa&s;tor may deal with any of his people. Thus
<HI>Paul</HI> often, in a difference between <HI>Philemon</HI> and
<HI>One&s;imus, Philem.</HI> ver&s;. 10. <HI>I be&s;eech thee for</HI>
One&s;imus, <HI>Phil.</HI> 4.2,3. <HI>I be&s;eech</HI> Evo|dias <HI>and</HI>
Syntiche: It was upon &s;ome breach in the Church, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.10.
<HI>Now I be&s;eech you Brethren that there be no Divi&s;ion.</HI> This
inter|po&s;ition of the Apo&s;tle with the <HI>Corinths,</HI> was upon the
de&s;ire of the <HI>Hou&s;e of Cloe</HI> ver. 11. There may al&s;o be more
earne&s;t <HI>Pleadings, Rea&s;onings, Rebukes;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 2.2.</NOTE> yea openly, and before others. The
Apo&s;tles were equal in Authority, yet <HI>Paul</HI> did not only Rea&s;on and
Plead with <HI>Peter,</HI> but Rebuke and Reprove him publickly, and before
o|thers.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 2.11,14.</NOTE> <PB N="66" REF="35">
And in his dealing with <HI>Barnabas, Pauls</HI> &s;pirit did ri&s;e
high|er, and yet no Power or Juri&s;diction exerci&s;ed, or might be by one
Apo&s;tle over another.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Act.</HI> 15.39.</NOTE></P>
<P>If Synods be applyed unto, only for Coun&s;el and advice in
diffe|rences and difficult ca&s;es, it is a <HI>provi&s;ion</HI> not to be
de&s;pi&s;ed. Scrip|ture-light in an in&s;truction or reproof is cogent, by
what hand &s;o|ever admini&s;tred, but more e&s;pecially when in the way of an
Or|dinance or Appointment of Chri&s;t. As are Pa&s;tors, and Synods, though
intru&s;ted with a <HI>Declarative</HI> Authority only.</P>
<P>Let it be con&s;ider'd how the greate&s;t reformation made in the
H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">s and Lives of men and women, is
ordinarily by the applica|ti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">
<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1 letter">f the Word of God in the Ordinance
of Preaching; which is the in&s;truction, Reproofs, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> of a
&s;ingle Mini&s;ter, who hath not power to Excommunicate &s;uch as de&s;pi&s;e
his Doctrine. <HI>Faith comes by Hearing,</HI> not by Di&s;cipline. Until they
be judged, believers they <HI>are without.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1
<HI>Cor.</HI> 5.</NOTE> If this means, or &s;uch a Doctrinal Application by a
&s;ingle Mini&s;ter, be &s;ufficient to make &s;uch Reformation upon &s;ingle
per&s;ons, and tho&s;e that as yet own not Chri&s;t, or have Con&s;cience of an
Ordinance, why &s;hould we not expect the like fruit where many Mini&s;ters are
Synodically gathered for the Reformation of whole Churches, (per&s;ons
profe&s;&s;ing to under&s;tand and reve|rence &s;o &s;olemn an Ordinance of
Chri&s;t) though there be no co|ercive Power intru&s;ted with it, to enforce
Submi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P N="2">2. There <HI>may be Appeals, though not in the &s;ame
Series,</HI> but to a Tribunal extrin&s;ecal, and not meerly Spiritual: as when
we appeal to the Civil Magi&s;trate, or &s;uch as are appointed by him over
Eccle|&s;ia&s;tical matters. For 1. if <HI>the King in his Laws, and the Church
in their Synodical Canons, command and forbid one and the &s;ame things,</HI>
as is a&s;&s;erted. And 2. if the per&s;ons commanded &s;tand as much in a
Civil Relation to their Prince, being Subjects, as they do in a &s;pi|ritual
Relation to the Church, as Members. Doubtle&s;s the Chri|&s;tian Magi&s;trate
having a Supremacy in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical matters as in Civil, and
(e&s;pecially) being a&s;&s;i&s;ted by the <HI>Councel</HI> and <HI>Advice</HI>
of Synods, is a &s;ufficient and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="OXF" EXTENT="1+ letters">ectual means to reform the mi&s;car|riages of particular Churches,
if appealed unto.<NOTE PLACE="marg"> <HI>Receptum e&s;t in Gallia ab
Ec|cle&s;ia&s;ticis po&s;&s;e provocari ad ad carias &s;u|premas
Parlia|mentorum</HI> P. Gr. Tholo&s;. <HI>l.</HI> 50. <HI>c.</HI> 2.
&sect;.36.</NOTE><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruther. <HI>Due Right cap.</HI> 6.
&sect;.5. <HI>pag.</HI> 396.</NOTE></P>
<P>The truth is, though Churches were threatned, or &s;truck with the
highe&s;t cen&s;ures (being meerly Spiritual) and from a National Synod the
highe&s;t Throne: Were it not from fore&s;ight, that if &s;uch Di&s;cipline be
de&s;pi&s;ed, the Magi&s;trates Sword, by &s;ome Cor|poral <PB N="67" REF="35">
puni&s;hment will &s;econd it, there would be little fear or dread of tho&s;e
Synodical cen&s;ures. And if &s;o, as it is apparent to the mo&s;t in a
National or Provincial Church as ordinarily con&s;ti|&s;tituted, it is no
otherwi&s;e. Common Rea&s;on will direct us ra|ther to go <HI>immediatly</HI>
by <HI>Appeals</HI> to the Civil Magi&s;trate, or his Delegates, than in &s;uch
a compa&s;s, as to drive the cau&s;e from a Con&s;i&s;tory to a Cla&s;&s;is,
from thence to a Provincial Synod, and after that to a National A&s;&s;embly;
and when all this is done, there is little to any purpo&s;e done, if not
&s;econded by a <HI>&s;ecular arm.</HI> Hence our learned Brethren formerly
admitted no other Appeals of this nature, but to the Civil Magi&s;trate, as we
have fully &s;hewed in the former <HI>Digre&s;&s;ion:</HI> To which we add what
is by that Au|thor further &s;aid.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cap.</HI> 2.</NOTE> 
<Q REND="inline">"If the Brethren or Officers in a Church be
per|ver&s;e, and will not hearken to Rea&s;on, they (that are wrong|ed) are to
crave the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of the Civil Magi&s;trate, who alone hath Power, and
who ought by the Civil Sword and Authority, procure to all Members of the
Church, Governors or others, freedom from all manife&s;t injuries and
wrongs."</Q> The manner how the Civil Magi&s;trate is to proceed in
Church-cau&s;es, is there al&s;o de&s;cribed to us in the words following; 
<Q REND="inline">"Though the Civil Magi&s;trate cannot ab&s;olve
the Excommunicate per&s;on, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> or take away this power from the
Church, yet when they or any of them &s;hall apparently abu&s;e the &s;ame, he
is bound by the Law of God, and by virtue of his Office grounded upon the
&s;ame, to puni&s;h them &s;everely for it, and to force them by Civil Mulcts
to rectify, <HI>&amp;c.</HI>"</Q></P>
<P>THus I have done with that fir&s;t Con&s;ideration, upon the
ac|count whereof the <HI>&V;&s;efulne&s;s</HI> and <HI>Nece&s;&s;ity</HI> of
the Civil Ma|gi&s;trates Eccle&s;ia&s;tical power is affirmed: Which is, in
re&s;pect to the well-being of <HI>Churches.</HI> There is another
con&s;ideration re|maining now likewi&s;e to be pro&s;ecuted, &s;hewing the
like nece&s;&s;ity of this Power, in re&s;pect and relation to the well-being
of the <HI>Commonwealth.</HI> The <HI>Knowledge</HI> and true
<HI>Wor&s;hip</HI> of God, and the means hereof the <HI>word</HI> of God, is a
national gift. <HI>He hath given his Law to</HI> Jacob&mdash;<HI>he hath not
dealt &s;o with other Nations.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI>
147.</NOTE> It was true then, for <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had this priviledge as a
peculiar; but now it is other|wi&s;e. And where the Lord is &s;o bountiful to a
Nation, thus to give the means of Life and Salvation, it is a
<HI>Depo&s;itum</HI> Governors mu&s;t account for. The whole Nation becomes
peaceable, pro&s;perous <PB N="68" REF="36"> or otherwi&s;e, according as the
matters of God and his Wor&s;hip, are more or le&s;s Religiou&s;ly attended by
the Governors and People thereof. This Con&s;ideration is urged by Bi&s;hop
<HI>Davenant</HI> to this purpo&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Daven. de ju|du
cont. ca.</HI> 36. <HI>p.</HI> 91.</NOTE> <HI>Regis pote&s;tas judiciaria &s;e
extendit ad ea omnia &s;ancienda quae rem publicam florentem con&s;ervant
at&abque; ad ea tollenda,</HI> &amp;c. 
<Q REND="inline">"The Kings Legi&s;lative power extends to the
e&s;tabli&s;hming of what&s;o|ever may pre&s;erve a Commonwealth in a
flouri&s;hing State, and the taking away of all &s;uch things as may prejudice
or ruine it. But the Religious Wor&s;hip of God is granted of all, even of the
very Heathens; as of concernment to the well-being of the Republick, and the
neglect of it to the ever&s;ion of it."</Q> The care|ful and orderly management
of Religious affairs, being a &s;pecial means and way to make the Republick
pro&s;perous, the care where|of lieth upon the Magi&s;trate: It is
nece&s;&s;ary that he both judge of, and put forth his Authority, in the
procuring and pre&s;erving &s;uch a means or conducement, the further
pro&s;ecution of this &s;econd Argument, together with other particulars,
requi&s;ite to the re&s;ol|ving this <HI>Ca&s;e,</HI> I &s;hall leave to a
&s;econd <HI>Part</HI> of this Di&s;cour&s;e, in which, after the clearing and
vindicating the former part of the Oath as lawfully to be taken: The two great
doubts ari&s;ing from the latter part of it, &s;hall more largely be
in&s;i&s;ted upon. The words are the&s;e: <HI>I &s;hall to my Power
A&s;&s;i&s;t and Defend all Juri&s;dictions&mdash;belonging to the Kings
Highne&s;s&mdash;or united to the Crown,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The <HI>Doubts</HI> hereupon are,</P>
<P N="1">1. The Juri&s;diction, Priviledges, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> granted
and united to the Imperial Crown, are unknown unto us, and &s;ome of them
Con|troverted: How can we <HI>&s;wear in judgment?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jer.</HI> 4.2.</NOTE> An&s;w. Though there be not a di&s;tinct
knowledge in re&s;pect of each particular, yet an Oath may be taken in
Judgment, and how.</P>
<P N="2">2. There are &s;ome <HI>Juri&s;dictions, Priviledges,</HI>
&amp;c. in Spiritual matters granted and united to the Crown, the lawfulne&s;s
where|of are &s;crupled; and we may po&s;&s;ibly believe they do not
<HI>belong</HI> to the <HI>Civil</HI> Magi&s;trate, How can we &s;wear to
a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend him in &s;uch, and <HI>Swear in Righteou&s;ne&s;s?
An&s;w.</HI> In a Federacy, or Allegiance, to a&s;&s;i&s;t and defend another,
again&s;t a common Enemy, if the things be ju&s;t and lawful in <HI>His</HI>
opinion, though doubted of, or thought otherwi&s;e in <HI>ours:</HI> It is no
unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s in us to give a&s;&s;i&s;tance according to our Oath.
The&s;e Re&s;o|lutions and A&s;&s;ertions I doubt not, will be made evident, in
what is to follow, and be the other part of this Di&s;cour&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="postscript">
<PB REF="36">
<HEAD>POSTSCRIPT.</HEAD>
<P>King <HI>James</HI> in his Apology for the Oath of
<HI>Allegiance,</HI> Pag. 46, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> thus argues with Cardinal
<HI>Bellarmin,</HI> viz.</P>
<P>AS the Oath of Supremacy was devi&s;ed for putting a Diffe|rence
between Papi&s;ts, and them of our Profe&s;&s;ion; &s;o was this Oath [of
Allegiance] which <HI>Bellarmine</HI> would &s;eem to impugn, ordained for
making the Difference between the ci|vily obedient Papi&s;ts, and the
perver&s;e Di&s;ciples of the Powder-Trea&s;on. In King <HI>Henry</HI> the
Eight's time was the Oath of Su|premacy fir&s;t made; by him were <HI>Thomas
Moor</HI> and <HI>Roffen&s;is</HI> put to death, partly for refu&s;ing it. From
his time till now, have all the Princes of this Land, profe&s;&s;ing this
Religion, &s;ucce&s;&s;ive|ly in effect, maintained the &s;ame: and in that
Oath only is con|tained the King's Ab&s;olute Power to be Judg over all
Per&s;ons, as well Civil as Eccle&s;ia&s;tical; excluding all Foreign Powers
and Potentates to be Judges within his Dominions: Whereas this la&s;t made Oath
containeth no &s;uch matter, only medling with the Civil Obedience of Subjects
to their Soveraign in meer Tem|poral Cau&s;es. And that the Inju&s;tice as well
as the Error of <HI>Bel|larmin</HI>'s gro&s;s mi&s;taking in this Point, may
yet be more clearly di&s;covered; I have al&s;o thought good to in&s;ert here
immediat|ly after the Oath of Supremacy, the contrary Conclu&s;ions to all the
Points and Articles, whereof this other late Oath doth con&s;i&s;t; whereby it
may appear what unrea&s;onable and rebel|lious Points he would drive my
Subjects unto, by refu&s;ing the whole Body, or that Oath, as it is conceived.
For he that &s;hall refu&s;e to take this Oath, mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity hold
all or &s;ome of the&s;e Propo&s;itions following.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. That I King <HI>James</HI> am not the lawful King of this
King|dom, and of all other my Dominions.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 2. That the Pope by his own Authority may depo&s;e me: If
not by his own Authority, yet by &s;ome other Authority of the Church, or of
the See of <HI>Rome.</HI> If not by &s;ome other Au|thority of the Church and
Sea of <HI>Rome,</HI> yet by other means with others help he may depo&s;e
me.</ITEM>
<ITEM> <PB REF="37">3. That the Pope may di&s;po&s;e of my Kingdoms
and Domi|nions. 4. That the Pope may give Authority to &s;ome Foreign Prince to
invade my Dominions.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 5. That the Pope may di&s;charge my Subjects of their
Obe|dience and Allegiance to me.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 6. That the Pope may give Licence to one or more of my
Subjects to bear Arms again&s;t me.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 7. That the Pope may give leave to my Subjects to offer
Vi|olence to my Per&s;on, or to my Government, or to &s;ome of my
Subjects.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 8. That if the Pope &s;hall by Sentence excommunicate or
de|po&s;e me, my Subjects are not to bear Faith and Allegiance to me.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 9. If the Pope &s;hall by Sentence excommunicate or depo&s;e
me, my Subjects are not bound to defend with all their power my Per&s;on and
Crown.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 10. If the Pope &s;hall give out any Sentence of
Excommuni|cation, or Deprivation again&s;t me, my Subjects by rea&s;on of that
Sentence, are not bound to reveal all Con&s;piracies and Trea&s;ons again&s;t
me, which &s;hall come to their hearing or knowledg.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 11. That it is not heretical and dete&s;table to hold that
Princes being excommunicated by the Pope, may be either de|po&s;ed or killed by
their Subjects, or any other.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 12. That the Pope hath Power to ab&s;olve my Subjects from
this Oath, or from &s;ome part thereof.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 13. That this Oath is not admini&s;tred to my Subjects, by a
full and lawful Authority.</ITEM>
<ITEM> 14. That this Oath is to be taken with Equivocation, men|tal
Eva&s;ion, or &s;ecret Re&s;ervation; and not with the Heart and good Will
&s;incerely, in the Faith of a Chri&s;tian Man.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="37">
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
