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<DATE>2013-12-09</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>A DISCOURSE ABOUT CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN A NEW PLANTATION Who&s;e <HI>DESIGN</HI> is RELIGION.</P>
<P><HI>Written many Years &s;ince,</HI> By that Reverend and Worthy Mini&s;ter of the GOSPEL, JOHN COTTON B.D.</P>
<P>And now Publi&s;hed by &s;ome UNDERTAKERS of a New Plantation, for General Direction and Information.</P>
<P><HI>CAMBRIDGE:</HI> Printed by <HI>Samuel Green</HI> and <HI>Marmaduke John&s;on.</HI> MDCLXIII.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="discourse">
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<PB N="3" REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>A DISCOURSE ABOUT CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN A NEW PLANTATION:</HI> Where all, or the mo&s;t con&s;iderable part of free Planters profe&s;s their de|&s;ire and purpo&s;e of enjoying, &amp; &s;ecuring to them&s;elves and their Po|&s;terity, the pure and peaceable enjoyment of the Ordinances of Chri&s;t in Church-fellow&s;hip with his People, and have liberty to ca&s;t them&s;elves into that Mould or Form of a Common-wealth, which &s;hall appear to be be&s;t for them. Tending to prove the Ex|pediency and Nece&s;&s;ity in that ca&s;e of intrusting free Burge&s;ses which are members of Churches gathered amongst them according to Chri&s;t, with the power of Chu&s;ing from among them&s;elves Ma|gi&s;trates, and men to whom the Managing of all Publick Civil Affairs of Importance is to be committed. And to vindicate the &s;ame from an Imputation of an &V;nder-Power upon the Churches of Chri&s;t, which hath been ca&s;t upon it through a Mi&s;take of the true &s;tate of the Que&s;tion.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Reverend Sir,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THe <HI>Sparrow</HI> being now gone, and one dayes re&s;pite from publick Labours on the Lords-day falling to me in cour&s;e, I have &s;ought out your Writing, and have re|viewed it, and finde (as I formerly expre&s;&s;ed to your &s;elf) that the Que&s;tion is mi&s;-&s;tated by you; and that the Arguments which you produce to prove that wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ch is not de|nied, are (in reference to this Que&s;tion) &s;pent in vain, as arrows are when they fall wide of the Marks they &s;hould bit, though they &s;trike in a White which the Archer is not called to &s;hoot at.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="3">
<P>The terms wherein you &s;tate the Que&s;tion, are the&s;e:
<Q>Whether the Right and Power of Chu&s;ing Civil Magi&s;trates be|longs unto the Church of Chri&s;t?</Q></P>
<P>To omit all critical Inquiries, in your thus &s;tating the Que&s;tion, I utterly di&s;like two things.</P>
<P N="1">1. That you &s;peak of <HI>Civil Magi&s;trates indefinitely, and without limitat on;</HI> under wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ch notion, all Magi&s;trates in the world are in|cluded, <HI>Turks,</HI> and <HI>Indians,</HI> and <HI>Idolaters,</HI> as well as <HI>Chri&s;tians.</HI> Now no man, I think, holdeth or imagineth, that a Church of Chri&s;t hath power and right to chu&s;e all Civil Magi&s;trates through|out the World: For,</P>
<P N="1">1 In &s;ome Countreys there is no Church of Chri&s;t, all the in|habitants being Heathen men and Idolaters; and among&s;t tho&s;e who are called <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> the number of the Churches of Chri&s;t will be found to be &s;o &s;mall, and the Members of them &s;o f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">w and mean, that it is impo&s;&s;ible that the Right and Power of choo&s;ing Civil Magi&s;trates in all places, &s;hould belong to the Churches of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Nor have the Churches countenance of State in all Coun|treys, but are under Re&s;traint and Per&s;ecution in &s;ome; as the <HI>Jews</HI> in <HI>Aegypt</HI> under <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> and in the Captivity in <HI>Babylon,</HI> and the <HI>Chri&s;tian Churches</HI> 300 years after Chri&s;t per&s;ecuted by <HI>Ro|man Emperours:</HI> and in the&s;e dayes tho&s;e Reformed Churches <HI>&s;ub cruce</HI> in <HI>Antwerp,</HI> and other Popi&s;h Countreys.</P>
<P N="3">3. In &s;ome Countreys the Churches are indeed under the Pro|tection of Magi&s;trates, as Forreigners, permitted quietly to &s;it down under their Wings: but neither are the Members capable of Mag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tracy there; nor have they power of Voting in the choice of Magi&s;trates: Such was that Church of Strangers gathered in <HI>Lon|don</HI> by <HI>Johannes Al<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> with allowance of State under the Broad Seal of <HI>England</HI> in <HI>Edw.</HI> 6. Such are the <HI>Dutch</HI> and <HI>French Chur|ches</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> and other Churches in the <HI>Netherlands</HI> at this day.</P>
<P N="4">4. In &s;ome Countreys &s;undry Nations are &s;o mingled, that they have &s;everally an equal Right unto &s;everal parts of the Countrey, and therefore though they live in the &s;ame general Countrey, yet they are governed by different Laws, and have &s;everal Magi&s;trates
<PB N="5" REF="3"> cho&s;en by them&s;elves &s;everally, neither of them being capable of Ma|gi&s;tracy in the others parts, nor having Right and Power of chu&s;ing Civil Magi&s;trates there. Thus were the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> joyned with the <HI>Canaanites,</HI> that were left in <HI>Canaan</HI> un&s;ubdued: and thus are the <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> planted in the&s;e parts of <HI>America,</HI> where &s;undry Nations of <HI>Indians</HI> dwell near them, and are Proprietaries of the places which they inhabit. Now be that &s;hould affirm, that the Churches of Chri&s;t, as &s;uch, have Right and Power of choo&s;ing Civ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l Magi&s;trates in &s;uch places, &s;eemeth to me more to need Phy|&s;ick then Arguments, to recover him from his Errour.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd thing that I di&s;like in your &s;tating the Que&s;tion, is, in that you make the <HI>Churches of Chri&s;t to be the &s;ubject of this Right and Power of ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;ing Civil Magi&s;trates.</HI> For 1. The Church &s;o con&s;idered is a Spiritual Political Body, con&s;i&s;ting of divers Mem|bers Male and Female, Bond and Free; &s;undry of which are not capable of Magi&s;tracy, nor of Voting in the choice of Magi&s;trates, ina&s;much as none have that Right and Power but free Burge&s;&s;es, among whom Women and Servants are not reckoned, though they may be, and are Church-members. 2. The Members of the Churches of Chri&s;t are con&s;iderable under a twofold re&s;pect an|&s;werable to the twofold man, which is in all the Members of the Church whil&s;t they are in this world, <HI>the inward &amp; the outward man.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Cor. 4.16.</NOTE> Whereunto the onely wi&s;e God hath fitted and appointed two &s;orts of Admini&s;trations, <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> and <HI>Civil.</HI> Hence they are ca|pable of a twofold Relation, and of Action and Power &s;utable to them both; <HI>viz. Civil</HI> and <HI>Spiritual,</HI> and accordingly mu&s;t be ex|erci&s;ed about both in their &s;ea&s;ons, without confounding tho&s;e two different &s;tates, or de&s;troying either of them, while&s;t what they tran&s;act in civil Affairs, is done by virtue of their civil Relation, their Church-&s;tate onely fitting them to do it according to God.</P>
<P>Now that the &s;tate of the Que&s;tion may appear, I think it &s;ea|&s;onable and nece&s;&s;ary to premi&s;e a few Di&s;tinctions, to prevent all mi&s;takes, if it may be.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Di&s;tinct."> Fir&s;t then, let us di&s;tingui&s;h between the two Admini&s;trations or Polities, <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> and <HI>Civil,</HI> which men commonly call <HI>the Church,</HI> and <HI>Common-wealth.</HI> I incline rather to them who &s;peak|ing of a <HI>Chri&s;tian Communion,</HI> make the Communion to be the
<PB N="6" REF="4"> <HI>Genu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> and the State E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">cle&s;ia&s;tical and Civil to be the <HI>Species</HI> of it. For in a Ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;tian Communion there are the&s;e different Admini|&s;trations or Pol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ties or State, Eccle&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tical &amp; Civil: Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Admi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t ations, are a <HI>Divine Order appointed to Believers for holy com|m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nion of holy things:</HI> Civil Admini&s;trations, are <HI>An Humane Order appointed by God to men for Civil Fellow&s;hip of humane things.</HI> Thus <HI>Junius</HI> defineth them; and maketh 1. Order <HI>the Genus of them both.</HI> 2. God <HI>the Efficient and Author of them both.</HI> 3. Gods Glory <HI>the la&s;t End of them both.</HI> 4. Man <HI>the common Subject of both.</HI> And &s;o they agree very well in the <HI>General Nature, Efficient, End</HI> and <HI>Sub|ject;</HI> yet with difference in all. For,</P>
<P N="1">1. Though both agree in this, that there is Order in their Ad|mini&s;trations, yet with this diffe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ence, that the Guides in the Church have not a De&s;potical, but Oeconomical Power onely,<NOTE N="(a)" PLACE="marg">John 1.23. Matth 3.11. 1 Cor. 3.5, 21. 2 Cor. 1.1.24. &amp; 4.5. &amp; 5.20. 1 Pet. 5.1. Matth. 28.18.</NOTE> being <HI>not Lords ove<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;ts heritage, but &s;tewards and mini&s;ters of Chri&s;t and of the Church;</HI> the Dominion and Law-giving Power being re&s;er|ved to <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> alone, as <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he onely Head of the Church.</HI> But in the other State he hath given Lordly Power, Authority and Dominion unto men<NOTE N="(b)" PLACE="marg">Luke 22.25. John 17.10. 1 Pet. 2.13.</NOTE>.</P>
<P N="2">2. Though both agree in this, that <HI>Man is the common Subject of them b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">th,</HI> yet with this difference, Man by Nature being a Rea|&s;onable and Sociable Creature, capable of Civil Order, is or may be the Subject of Civil Power and State: But Man by Grace called out <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">f the world to fellow&s;hip with Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and with his People, is the onely Subject of Church-power; yet &s;o, as the Out|ward man of Church-members is &s;ubject to the Civil Power in common with other men, while&s;t their Inward man is the &s;ubject of Spiritual Order and Admini&s;trations.</P>
<P N="3">3. Though they both agree in this, that <HI>God is the Efficient and Author of them both, and that by Chri&s;t,</HI> yet not <HI>eadem ratione.</HI> For, God as the Creator and Governour of the world, is the Author of Civil Order and Admini&s;trations: But God as in Covenant with his People in Chri&s;t, is the Author of Church-Admini&s;trations. So likewi&s;e Chri&s;t, as the E&s;&s;ential Word and Wi&s;dome of God crea|ting and governing the World is the Efficient and Fountain of Civil Order &amp; Admini&s;trations<NOTE N="(c)" PLACE="marg">Joh. 1.1, 3, 10 Col 1.17. Heb. 1.2, 3. Prov 8.15.</NOTE>: But as Mediator of the New Cove|nant, &amp; Head of the Church<NOTE N="(d)" PLACE="marg">Eph. 1.22 &amp; 5.23. &amp; 4.8, 11.</NOTE>, he e&s;tabli&s;heth Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Order.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="7" REF="4">4. Though they both agree in this, that they have <HI>the &s;ame la&s;t End,</HI> viz. <HI>The Glory of God,</HI> yet they differ in their next Ends; for the next End of Civil Order and Admini&s;trations, is <HI>The Pre&s;ervation of Humane Societies in outward Honour, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">u&s;tice and Peace:</HI> But the next Ends of Church Order and Admini&s;trations, are <HI>The Conver|&s;ion, Edification, and Salvation of Souls, Pardon of Sin, Power again&s;t Sin, Peace with God.</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P N="5">5. Hence ari&s;eth another Difference about the <HI>Objects</HI> of the&s;e different States: for though both agree in this, that they have the <HI>common Welfa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI> for their aime and &s;cope; yet the things about which the Civil Power is primarily conver&s;ant, are <HI>Bodies,</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.4. or <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>the things of this life,</HI> as <HI>Goods, Lands, Honour, the Liberties and Peace of the outward man.</HI> The things whereabout the Church Power is exerci&s;ed, are <GAP DESC="foreign">,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 5.1.</NOTE> <HI>The things of God,</HI> as <HI>the Souls and Con&s;ciences of men, the Doctrine and Wor&s;hip of God, the Communion of the Saints.</HI> Hence al&s;o 1. They have different Laws: 2. Different Officers: 3. Diffe|rent Power, whereby to reduce men to Order, according to their different Objects and Ends. Now that a ju&s;t harmony may be kept between the&s;e two different Orders and Admini&s;trations, two Ex|tremes mu&s;t be avoided: 1. That they be not confounded, either by giving the Spiritual Power, which is proper to the Church, into the hand of the Civil Magi&s;trate, as <HI>Era&s;tus</HI> would have done in the matter of Excommunication. If any Magi&s;trate &s;hould pre&s;ume to thru&s;t him&s;elf by his Authority or otherwi&s;e, into a Work which properly belongs to a Church-Officer, let him remember what be|fell <HI>Saul</HI> and <HI>&V;zziah</HI> for &s;o doing: or 2. By giving Civil Power to Church-Officers, who are called to attend onely to Spiritual mat|ters, and <HI>the things of God,</HI> and therefore may not be di&s;tracted from them by Secular intanglements. I &s;ay, Church-Officers, not Church-members; for they (not being limited as the Officers are by God) are capable of two different imployments, &s;uting with two d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">fferent <HI>Men</HI> in them, in different re&s;pects, as hath been &s;aid: and as they may lawfully be imployed about things of this life; &s;o they are of all men fitte&s;t, being &s;anctified and dedicated to God to carry on all worldly and civil bu&s;ine&s;s to Gods ends, as we &s;hall declare
<PB N="8" REF="5"> in due time. But concerning Church-Officers. I am able with Gods help to prove, that the devolving of Civil Power upon Pa&s;tors of Churches, (upon how &s;pecious pretences &s;oever it began) gave that Ri&s;e to the <HI>Man of Sin,</HI> which at la&s;t &s;et his feet on the necks of the Princes of the Earth, yea, of the Emperours of the World. It was your mi&s;take, when you too confidently affirmed, That <HI>the limiting of the Right and Power of choo&s;ing Civil Officers unto free Bur|ge&s;&s;es that are Members of Churches, brought that Tyranny into the Romi&s;h Church, which all the Churches of Chri&s;t complain of.</HI> It would well have become you to have better dige&s;ted your own thoughts, before &s;uch words had pa&s;&s;ed through your lips; for you will never be able to produce any good Author that will confirm what you &s;ay. The truth is quite contrary; for that I may in&s;tance in <HI>R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">e</HI> it &s;elf: Had Churches been rightly managed, when the mo&s;t con&s;iderable part in that City embraced the Chri&s;tian Faith, in the cea&s;ing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">f the <HI>Ten Per&s;ecutions,</HI> that onely &s;uch as had been fit for the State, had been admitted into Church-fellow&s;hip, that they alone had had power, out of them&s;elves to have cho&s;en Ma|g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;trates, &s;uch Magi&s;trates would not have been cho&s;en, as would have given their Power to the Pope; nor would tho&s;e Churches have &s;uffered their Pa&s;tors to become Worldly Princes and Rulers, as the Pope and his Cardinals are; nor would they have given up the Power of the Church from the Church into the Officers hands, but would have called upon them to <HI>fulfill their Mini&s;try which they had r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ceived of the Lord;</HI> and if need were, would by the power of Chri&s;t have compelled them &s;o to do: And then where had the Popes Supremacy been which is made up of the Spoils of the Eccle&s;ia&s;tical and Civil State? but had by the cour&s;e which now we plead for, been prevented.</P>
<P N="2">2. The &s;econd Extreme to be avoided, is, That the&s;e two dif|ferent Orders and States, <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical</HI> and <HI>Civil,</HI> be not &s;et in op|po&s;ition as contraries that one &s;hould de&s;troy the other, but as co|ordinate States, in the &s;ame place reaching forth help mutually each to other, for the welfare of both, according to God: So that both Officers and Members of Churches be &s;ubject, in re&s;pect of the outward man, to the Civil Power of tho&s;e who bear Rule in the Civil State according to God, and teach others &s;o to do: And that
<PB REF="5">
<PB REF="6">
<PB N="9" REF="6"> the Civil Magi&s;trates and Officers, in regard of the inward man &s;ubject them&s;elves Spiritually to the power of Chr &s;t in Church-Ordinances, and by their Civil Power pre&s;erve the &s;ame in out|ward Peace and Purity; and this will be&s;t be attained, when the Pa&s;tor may &s;ay to the Magi&s;trate, as <HI>Gregory Na<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ianz<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n</HI> wrote to the Magi&s;trate of <HI>N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">zianzum, Scio te ovem mei gregis e&s;&s;e &s;acri gregis &s;acram<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">:</HI> I know thou art a &s;heep of my Flock a holy &s;heep of a holy Flock. Again, <HI>Cum Ch<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;to imperas, cum C<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">i&s;to etiam admini&s;tras, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b eo e&s;t tibi gladius, ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d narium &agrave; te pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters"> qui dedit con&s;ervetur;</HI> that is, Thou rule&s;t with Chri&s;t, and admin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;t to Chri&s;t; thou ha&s;t the Sword from him: let this gift which thou ha&s;t received from him, be kept pure for him. And when the Civil Magi&s;trate in his Church-&s;tate, an&s;wereth <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> his de&s;cription of a good Emperour: <HI>Ip&s;e Imperator bonus in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ra Eccle&s;iam, non &s;u|pra Eccle&s;iam e&s;t:</HI> A good Magi&s;trate is within the Church, not above it. La&s;tly, when according to <HI>Junius</HI> his de&s;cription of the Power of the Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trate in Church-matters, he accounts it his duty to embrace in Fellow&s;hip with the whole Church, <HI>ut verum Chri&s;ti &amp; Eccle&s;iae membrum</HI> the Laws given by God in the Church, and the means &s;anctified by him to nouri&s;h the inward man, and to protect and defend the &s;ame: <HI>[Tanquam Magi&s;tratus &agrave; Deo Ordina|tus]</HI> for, &s;aith he, <HI>As he is a Chri&s;tian,</HI> he is <HI>&s;ancta ovis de &s;ancto Chri&s;ti grege, (i. e.</HI> A holy &s;heep of Chri&s;t's holy flock. But as a Magi&s;trate he is <HI>[Cu&s;tos Ordinis vindex&abque; publici;]</HI> that is, <HI>A pre&s;erver of publick order.</HI> Such were (be&s;ides the good Kings of <HI>Judah) Con&s;tantine, Theodo&s;ius,</HI> &amp;c. in &s;ome mea&s;ure, though very defective. So much &s;hall &s;erve to have been &s;poken concerning the fir&s;t Di|&s;tinction.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Di&s;tinct."> The &s;econd <HI>Di&s;tinction</HI> to be premi&s;ed for clearing the true &s;tate of the Que&s;tion, is <HI>[Inter Remp. con&s;titutam &amp; con&s;tituendam]</HI> Be|tween a Common-wealth already &s;etled, and a Common-wealth yet to be &s;etled, and wherein men are free to chu&s;e what Form they &s;hall judge be&s;t. For I conceive, when <HI>Paul</HI> exhorted the <HI>Romans</HI> to <HI>be &s;ubject to the higher Powers,</HI> who at that time were Heathen men, and Per&s;ecutors, he con&s;idered that Civil State as &s;etled, and &s;uted his Advice accordingly. But if he had been to Direct them about laying the Foundation of a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, he
<PB N="10" REF="7"> would not have advi&s;ed them to chu&s;e &s;uch Governours as were on<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the Church, but would have &s;eriously forewarned them of the danger whereunto the Church would have been expo&s;ed thereby, and that unavoidably. And that this may not be thought a &s;light and uncertain conjecture, let us con&s;ider what advice he gave in like ca&s;es: Ye know, that writing to per&s;ons already Married he exhort|eth <HI>the believing wife to live with the unbelieving husband;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7.13.</NOTE> yet the &s;ame Apo&s;tle directeth the &s;ame Church, in ca&s;e they were free to make their own choice, to avoid &s;uch matches: <HI>Be not unequally yoked</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>with Infidels;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 6.14, 15.</NOTE> <HI>for what fellow&s;hip hath righteou&s;ne&s;s with un|righteou&s;nes? and what part hath the believer with the infidel?</HI> In like manner,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 2.18.</NOTE> when <HI>Peter</HI> exhorted Chri&s;tian <HI>Servants to be &s;ubject to their Ma&s;ters with all fear, not onely to the good and gentle, but al&s;o to the froward,</HI> he did accommodate his in&s;truction to their pre&s;ent con|dition. But had he been to direct them in another &s;tate being free, to chu&s;e what might be be&s;t for them&s;elves, he would have expre&s;|&s;ed him&s;elf otherwi&s;e, as may appear by this. The &s;ame Spirit that in&s;pired <HI>Peter</HI> thus to advi&s;e in this ca&s;e, guided <HI>Paul</HI> further in a dif|ferent ca&s;e:<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 7.21.</NOTE> <HI>Art thou called being a &s;ervant,</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>care not for it<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> but if thou mai&s;t be free, u&s;e it rather.</HI> And that if he had written to a company of Believers in a New Plantation, where the Founda|tions of the Church and Civil State, and the communion of both, was to be laid for many Generations to come, he would have advi&s;ed them to take the &s;ame cour&s;e which we plead for, may appear by his reproving the Church in <HI>Corinth,</HI> for carrying <HI>their differences before Heathen Magi&s;traies to be judged by them,</HI> though he pre&s;s them to be <HI>&s;ubject to their power:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6.1.</NOTE> Had the unbelieving Magi&s;trates cited them to appear before their Judgement-&s;eats, he taught them both by Precept and by his Example to &s;ubmit. But when they were at li|berty to compo&s;e civil Differences among them&s;elves, and yet they would voluntarily, and of their own accord, chu&s;e to bring their ca&s;es before tho&s;e that were without the Church, this he blameth in them; and that &s;o farre, as he demandeth why <HI>they do not rather &s;uffer wrong</HI> then take &s;uch a cour&s;e? plainly intimating, that men that profe&s;s the fear of God if they be free to make choice of their Civil Judges, (as in this New Plantation we are) they &s;hould rather chu&s;e &s;uch as are Members of the Church for that purpo&s;e,
<PB N="11" REF="7"> then others that are not in that e&s;tate. The &s;ame Rule holdeth by proportion in all things of like nature: for <HI>Parium par e&s;t ratio.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Di&s;tinct."> The third <HI>Di&s;tinction</HI> to be premi&s;ed for clearing the truth in this Point, is <HI>between free Burge&s;&s;es and free Inhabitants in a Civil State.</HI> Concerning whom there mu&s;t be had a different con&s;ideration. This difference of People living under the &s;ame Civil Juri&s;diction, is held and ob&s;erved in all Countreys, as well Heathen as others, as may at large be proved, if it were needful, out of the Hi&s;tories of all Nations and Times; and the Experience of our Times, as well in our own Native Countrey, as in other places, confirmeth it. In all which, many are Inhabitants that are not Citizens, that are never likely to be numbred among <GAP DESC="foreign">, or Rulers: An|&s;werably it is in the ca&s;e now in que&s;tion. So that when we urge, that Magi&s;trates be cho&s;en out of free Burge&s;&s;es, and by them, and that tho&s;e free Burge&s;&s;es be cho&s;en out of &s;uch as are Members of the&s;e Churches, we do not thereby go about to exclude tho&s;e that are not in Church-Order, from any Civil Right or Liberty that is due unto them as Inhabitants and Planters, as if none &s;hould have Lots in due proportion with other men, nor the benefit of Ju&s;tice under the Government where they live, but onely Church-members; (for this were indeed to have the Common-wealth &s;wallowed up of the Church) but &s;eeing there ever will be difference between the World and the Church in the &s;ame place, and that both men of the world are allowed of God the u&s;e and enjoyment of the help of Civil Government, for their quiet and comfortable &s;ub&s;i&s;tence in the world: and Church-members (though called out of the world into fellow&s;hip with Chri&s;t, yet) living in the world, having many worldly nece&s;&s;ities and bu&s;ine&s;&s;es in common with men of the world that live among them, &s;tand in need of the civil Power to right them again&s;t civil injuries, and to protect them in their right, and outward orderly u&s;e of their Spirituals, again&s;t tho&s;e that are apt to be injurious to them in the one, or in the other re&s;pect; which be|ing without, are not under the Churches Power; and yet living within the Verge of the &s;ame Civil Juri&s;diction, are under the Civil Power of the Magi&s;trates. Hence it is, that we plead for this Or|der to be &s;et in Civil Affairs, that &s;uch a cour&s;e may be taken as may be&s;t &s;ecure to our &s;elves and our po&s;terities the faithful managing of
<PB N="12" REF="8"> Civil Government for the <HI>common welfare</HI> of all, as well in the Church as without; which will then mo&s;t certainly be effected, when the pub|lick Tru&s;t and Power of the&s;e matters is committed to &s;uch men as are mo&s;t approved according to God; and the&s;e are Church-mem|bers<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">By <HI>Church-Members</HI> in all this Di&s;cour&s;e, is meant &s;uch as are in full Com|munion.</NOTE>, as &s;hall afterward, God a&s;&s;i&s;ting, be proved.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Di&s;tinct."> The fourth <HI>Di&s;tinction</HI> to be premi&s;ed for clearing the truth, and to prevent mi&s;takes in this Que&s;tion, &s;hall be <HI>between the Actions of Church-members.</HI> For &s;ome actions are done <HI>by them all joyntly as a Spiritual Body,</HI> in reference to Spiritual ends; and &s;ome actions are done onely <HI>by &s;ome of the Body,</HI> in reference to Civil ends. Actions of the fir&s;t &s;ort, are &s;aid to be done <HI>by the Church of Chri&s;t, as a Church of Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;uch are <HI>Admi&s;&s;ion of members, and Excommunication of them according to Chri&s;t's order,</HI> and other actions of that kinde; but the&s;e fall not under our Que&s;tion, which is wholly about <HI>the tran&s;action of Civil Affairs:</HI> &s;o that your whole Di&s;pute wanteth a good ground, and your labour about it might well have been &s;pared. Actions of the &s;econd &s;ort, are of a larger extent, and reach to bu&s;ine&s;&s;es of a <HI>Civil Nature,</HI> &s;uch as that <HI>Civil Judgement</HI> whereof <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaketh, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6. <GAP DESC="foreign">, in <HI>matters that concern this life,</HI> as <HI>the Lives, Goods,</HI> (and which is dearer to them then both) <HI>the Reputations of men, and their outward Liberty and Peace.</HI> Concerning which, Members fitly cho&s;en out of the Church, and made free Burge&s;&s;es, are fitter to judge and determine according to God, then other men, and that for weighty Rea&s;ons; &s;ome whereof are rendred by <HI>Paul</HI> in that Cha|pter, whereunto others may be added, when we &s;hall argue that Point, the Lord helping us.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Distinct."> The fifth <HI>D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tinction</HI> to be premi&s;ed for the clearing of the truth in this Point, is <HI>between Places, where all, or the mo&s;t con&s;iderable part of fir&s;t and free Planters, profe&s;s their de&s;ire and purpo&s;e of entring into Church-fellow&s;hip according to Chri&s;t, and of enjoyning in that State all the Ordinances in purity and peace, and of &s;ecuring the &s;ame unto their po&s;terity, &s;o farre as men are able;</HI> and <HI>tho&s;e Places where all or the mo&s;t con&s;iderable part of the fir&s;t and free Pl<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nters are otherwi&s;e minded, and profe&s;s the contrary.</HI> Our Que&s;tion is of the fir&s;t &s;ort, not of the &s;e|cond. As for tho&s;e of the &s;econd &s;ort, if the <HI>major,</HI> or more con&s;i|derable part among them, will be like Heathen men, without &s;uch Church-fellow&s;hip, as is according to Chri&s;t in all things, a Heathen
<PB N="13" REF="8"> man, or meer civil worldly Polititian, will be good enough to be their Magi&s;trate; or if they de&s;ire to &s;et up <HI>Idolatry and Super&s;tition,</HI> an I|dolatrous and &s;uper&s;titious Governor in the Civil State will be&s;t &s;ute their ends; and &s;o they may be &s;aid to their ju&s;t reproof and &s;hame, <HI>Like Prie&s;t, like People;</HI> and <HI>Like Prince, like People.</HI> Thus &s;ometimes the Lord hath &s;poken again&s;t a licentius people concerning their pro|phets, <HI>He that will prophecy of wine and &s;trong drink,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah 2.11.</NOTE> <HI>he &s;hall be the pro|phet to this people.</HI> He that &s;ometimes giveth &s;uch <HI>Guides in the Church</HI> to a people in <HI>his indignation,</HI> doth al&s;o &s;ometimes give <HI>Magi&s;trates &amp; Rulers</HI> to a people <HI>in the Civil State</HI> in <HI>his wrath,</HI> when men are <HI>for|&s;aken of him,</HI> and <HI>given up more to affect</HI> outward fancy and <HI>vanity,</HI> then <HI>Gods Order:</HI> as when the <HI>people of I&s;rael &s;ought a King,</HI> without re&s;pect to the <HI>right Tribe,</HI> from whence by Gods order they ought to expect one, <HI>He gave them a King in his anger,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 13.12.</NOTE> <HI>and took him away in his wrath.</HI> In &s;uch ca&s;e, what &s;hall the people of God do that live in &s;uch a place? &s;urely if God give them liberty and ability, they &s;hould attend to the voice of God, which hath &s;aid in a like ca&s;e to his peo|ple, <HI>Ari&s;e and depart, this is not your re&s;t;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Micah 2.10.</NOTE> and follow <HI>the &s;teps of Chri&s;ts flock</HI> to any place, <HI>where he cau&s;eth his flock to feed,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cantic. 1.6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>and lye down</HI> under a comfortable &s;hadow <HI>at noon:</HI> As in <HI>Jeroboam</HI>'s time, the <HI>Levites left their &s;uburbs, and came to Judah and Jeru&s;alem, and after them of all the Tribes of I&s;rael, &s;uch as &s;et their hearts to &s;eek the Lord God of I&s;rael, and &s;trengthned the Kingdome of Judah,</HI> where Gods Ordinances both concerning Civil Government and Religious Wor&s;hip were better ob&s;erved. But if Divine Providence doth nece&s;&s;itate their &s;tay and abode in &s;uch places, they are to <HI>pray for tho&s;e in Authority,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2.<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> that they may become &s;uch, as <HI>under whom they may live a quiet and peaceable life, in all godline&s;s and hone&s;ty;</HI> and to be <HI>&s;ubject to their Power,</HI> even in tho&s;e things wherein they may not obey their Com|mands, nor &s;eek their help, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.1, 2. till God &s;hall give them liberty from that Yoke, either by removing them to tho&s;e places where fitter Magi&s;trates bear Rule in Civil matters, or by giving them opportunity of Chu&s;ing more &s;utable ones from among them|&s;elves.</P>
<P>So much &s;hall &s;erve to have been &s;poken to the <HI>Distinctions,</HI> which having thus premi&s;ed, we now proceed to declare the true &s;tate of the Que&s;tion: which is as followeth.</P>
<Q><PB N="14" REF="9"><NOTE PLACE="marg">The true &s;tate of the Que&s;tion.</NOTE><HI>Q.</HI> Whether a new Plantation, where all or the mo&s;t con&s;iderable part of free Planters profe&s;s their purpo&s;e and de&s;ire of &s;ecuring to them&s;elves and to their po&s;terity, the pure and peaceable enjoyment of Chri&s;t's Ordinances; Whether, I &s;ay, &s;uch Planters are bound in laying the Foundations of Church and Civil State, to take order, that all the free Burge&s;&s;es be &s;uch as are in fellow&s;hip of the Church or Churches which are, or may be gathered according to Chri&s;t; and that tho&s;e free Burge&s;&s;es have the only power of chu&s;ing from among them&s;elves Civil Magi&s;trates, and men to be intru&s;ted with tran&s;acting all publick Af|fairs of Importance, according to the rules and directions of Scripture?</Q>
<P>I hold the Affirmative part of this Que&s;tion upon this ground, that this cour&s;e will mo&s;t conduce to the good of both States; and by con&s;equence to the <HI>common w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lfare of all,</HI> whereunto all men are bound principally to attend in laying the <HI>Foundation of a Common-wealth,</HI> le&s;t Po&s;terity rue the fir&s;t Mi&s;carriages, when it will be too late to redre&s;s them. They that are skilful in Architecture ob&s;erve, <HI>that the breaking or yielding of a &s;tone in the groundwork of a Building but the breadth of the back of a knife, will make a cleft of more then half a foot in the Fabrick aloft: So important</HI> (&s;aith mine Author) <HI>are fundamental Errours.</HI> The Lord awaken us to look to it in time, and &s;end us his Light and Truth to lead us into the &s;afe&s;t wayes in the&s;e beginnings.</P>
<P>The Que&s;tion being thus &s;tated, I now proceed with Gods help to prove the Affirmative part: and thus I argue, to prove that <HI>the Form of Government which is de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion is the be&s;t, and by con&s;equence, that men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Planta|tions they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h it in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Argum."> Theocratie, <HI>or to make the Lord God our Governour</HI><NOTE N="(a)" PLACE="marg">Deut. 33.29. I&s;ai. 33.22. Judg. 8.23.</NOTE>, <HI>is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;h. The Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion is</HI> Theocratie, <HI>or that wherein we make the Lord God our Governour; Therefore that Form of Government which is de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h.</HI> The Propo&s;ition is clear of it &s;elf. The A&s;&s;umption I prove thus:</P>
<P><HI>That Form of Government where</HI> 1. <HI>The people that have the power of
<PB N="15" REF="9"> chu&s;ing their Governors are in Covenant with God</HI><NOTE N="(b)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 19.5. De<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t. 1 13, 14.</NOTE> 2. <HI>Wherein the men cho&s;en by them are godly men, and f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tled with a spirit of Government</HI><NOTE N="(c)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 18.21. Deut. 1.13.</NOTE>: 3. <HI>In which the Laws they rule by are the Laws of God</HI><NOTE N="(d)" PLACE="marg">Numb. 11.24.25. I&s;a. 33.22.</NOTE>: 4. <HI>Wherein Laws are executed, Inheritances allotted, and civil differences are compo&s;ed, according to Gods appointment</HI><NOTE N="(e)" PLACE="marg">Num 35.29. &amp; 6.27. &amp; 2.3. 1 Cor. 6.1, 2.</NOTE>: 5. <HI>In which men of God are con&s;ulted with in all hard ca&s;es, and in matters of Religion</HI><NOTE N="(f)" PLACE="marg">Deut. 17.8. <HI>to</HI> 11. &amp; 19.16, 17. 2 Cor. 10.4. <HI>to</HI> 11</NOTE>, is the Form which was received and e&s;tabli&s;hed among the people of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> whil'&s;t the Lord God was their Governour, as the places of Scripture alledged &s;hew; and is the very &s;ame with that which plead for, as will ap|pear to him t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">at &s;hall examine the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion. The Conclu&s;ion follows nece&s;&s;arily.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Argum."> <HI>That form of Government which giveth unto Chri&s;t his due prehemi|nence, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h. The Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is that which giveth unto Chri&s;t his due preheminence. There|fore the Form of Government which is de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to establi&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>The Propo&s;ition is proved out of two places of Scripture, <HI>Col.</HI> 1.15. <HI>to</HI> 19. with <HI>Eph.</HI> 1.21, 22. From which Texts it doth appear, that it is a prehemince due to Chri&s;t, that all things, and all Governments in the world, &s;hould &s;erve to Chri&s;ts ends, for the welfare of the Church whereof he is the Head. For 1. In relation to God, he hath this by Right of Primogeniture, as he is <HI>the first-born, and &s;o Heir of all things, higher then the Kings of the earth.</HI> 2. In relation to the World it is &s;aid, <HI>All things were made by him, and for him, and do con|&s;ist in him,</HI> and therefore it is a preheminence due to him that they all &s;erve him. 3. In relation to the Church, it is &s;aid, <HI>He hath made all things &s;ubject under his feet, and hath given him over all things to be Head of the Church, that in all things he might have the preheminence.</HI> And indeed that he upholdeth the Creatures, and the Order that is in them, it is for his Churches &s;ake; when that is once compleat, the world &s;hall &s;oon be at an end. And if you reade the &s;tories of the great Monarchies that have been, and judge of them by Scripture-light, you will finde they &s;tood or fell, according as God purpo&s;ed
<PB N="16" REF="10"> to make u&s;e of them about &s;ome &s;ervice to be done about his Church. So that the onely con&s;iderable part for which the world &s;tandeth at this day, is the Church: and therefore it is a Preheminence due to Chri&s;t, that his Head&s;hip over the Church &s;hould be exalted and ac|knowledged, and &s;erved by all. In which re&s;pect al&s;o the Title of <HI>The first-born</HI> is given to the Members of the Church, and they are called <HI>The fir&s;t-fruits of his Creatures,</HI> to &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">w both their prehemi|nence above others, and that they are fitte&s;t to &s;erve to Gods ends.</P>
<P>The A&s;&s;umption <HI>(That the Form of Government de&s;cribed in the tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> stating of the Question, doth give unto Christ his due preheminence)</HI> will ea&s;ily be granted by tho&s;e that &s;hall con&s;ider what Civil Magi|&s;trates and Rulers in the Common wealth tho&s;e are, who are fitte&s;t to &s;erve to Chri&s;t's ends for the good and welfare of his Church; which will be evident from two places of Scripture: Fir&s;t, in <HI>P&s;a.</HI> 2.10, 11, 12. you have a de&s;cription of tho&s;e that are fitted to order Civil Affairs in their Magi&s;tracy to Chri&s;t's ends; they are &s;uch as are not onely wi&s;e and learned in matters of Religion but al&s;o do reduce their knowledge into practi&s;e: they <HI>Wor&s;hip the Lord in fear&punc;</HI> and not only &s;o, but <HI>Ki&s;s the So<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> which was a &s;olemn &amp; outward <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">|fe&s;&s;ion of love</HI><NOTE N="(a)" PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5.14.</NOTE>, and <HI>of Subjection</HI><NOTE N="(b)" PLACE="marg">Gen. 41.40. 1 Sam. 10.1.</NOTE>, and <HI>of Religions Wor&s;hip</HI><NOTE N="(c)" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 13.2.</NOTE>, and &s;o fitly &s;erveth to expre&s;s their joyning them&s;elves to the Church of Chri&s;t. Secondly, in <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 49.23. it is promi&s;ed to the Church, that <HI>Kings and Queens &s;hall be their nur&s;ing-fathers and nur&s;ing-mothers,</HI> and therefore it is added, <HI>They &s;hall wor&s;hip with their faces to the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet;</HI> which is a proverbial expre&s;&s;ion of their voluntary humbling of them&s;elves to Chri&s;t in his Ordinances, (taken from the manner of the <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> in declaring their Subjection to their Emperour<NOTE N="(d)" PLACE="marg"><HI>Val. Max.</HI> lib. 7. chap. 3.</NOTE>, which the Apo&s;tle calls <HI>a voluntary &s;ubmi&s;|&s;ion to the Go&s;pel</HI><NOTE N="(e)" PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 9.13.</NOTE>, which is the &s;pirit of the Members of the Chur|ches of Chri&s;t. And for this Rea&s;on it is, that the Lord, when he moulded a Communion among his own People, wherein all Civil Admini&s;trations &s;hould &s;erve to holy ends, be de&s;cribed the men to whom that Tru&s;t &s;hould be committed, by certain Properties, which al&s;o qualified them for fellow&s;hip in Church-Ordinances, as <HI>Men of ability and power over their own affections</HI><NOTE N="(f)" PLACE="marg">Exod. 18.21 Deut. 1.13.</NOTE>; &s;econdly, <HI>fearing God, Truly Religious, Men of Courage, hating Covetou&s;ne&s;s, men of Wi&s;dom, men of understanding,</HI> and <HI>men known</HI> or approved of <HI>among the people
<PB REF="10">
<PB REF="11">
<PB N="17" REF="11"> of God,</HI> &amp; <HI>cho&s;en by the Lord from among their Brethren,</HI> &amp; not a &s;tran|ger, which is no Brother: the mo&s;t of which concurre to de&s;cribe Church-members in a Church rightly gathered and ordered, who are al&s;o in re&s;pect of their union with Chri&s;t, and fellow&s;hip toge|ther, called <HI>Brethren</HI> frequently in the New Te&s;tament, wherein the equity of that Rule is e&s;tabli&s;hed to us. <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> Object. <HI>Chri&s;t will have his due Preheminence, though the Civil Rulers oppo&s;e him, and per|&s;ecute the Churches, as in</HI> Rome: <HI>Therefore it is not nece&s;&s;ary that this cour&s;e be taken in Civil Affairs to e&s;tabli&s;h Chri&s;ts Preheminence. <MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> An&s;.</HI> The Que&s;tion is of a Chri&s;tian Commonwealth that &s;hould wil|lingly &s;ubject them&s;elves to Chri&s;t, not of a Heathen State that &s;hall perforce be &s;ubdued unto Chri&s;t. It is concerning what Gods people being free &s;hould chu&s;e, not what his enemies are compell'd unto.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Argum."> <HI>That Form of Government wherein the be&s;t provi&s;ion is made for the good both of the Church and of the Civil State, is the be&s;t Form of Go|vernment in a Chri&s;tian Communion, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h. The Form of Govern|ment de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is that wherein the best provi&s;ion is made for the good both of the Church and Civil State. There|fore the Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">&s;tion, is the best Form of Government in a Christian Communion, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to establi&s;h.</HI> The Propo&s;ition (if need be) may be confirm|ed from the end of all Civil Government &amp; Admini&s;trations which is <HI>the publick and common Good,</HI> whether Natural, as in <HI>the pre&s;ervation of Life and Safety;</HI> or Moral, as <HI>Ju&s;tice and Hone&s;ty in Humane Socie|ties;</HI> or Civil, as <HI>Peace, Liberty of Commerce;</HI> or Spiritual as <HI>to pro|tect the Church in Spiritual, though outward, Order and Administra|tions in peace &amp; purity.</HI> And this la&s;t is principally to be attended unto, and therefore &s;uch as are intru&s;ted with this care, are called <HI>The Mi|ni&s;ters of God,</HI> to note the principal end whereunto they &s;erve, <HI>viz.</HI> The things wherein God is mo&s;t directly and immediately honour|ed, which is in promoting man's Spiritual good, &s;o farre as they are enabled by their Civil Power.</P>
<P>The A&s;&s;umption <HI>(That the Form of Government in the Common-wealth which we plead for, is that wherein the best provi&s;ion is made for the good both of the Church and of the Civil State)</HI> may appear by the
<PB N="18" REF="12"> ble&s;&s;ing of God which u&s;ually is upon the Communion, where the &s;ecuring of the Spiritual good of men, in the peace and purity of Gods Ordinances, is principally attended unto by all &s;orts as may be proved by the &s;tate of thin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s in the Communion of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> whil'&s;t the &s;ervice of the Lord was with due care attended to <HI>all the dayes of Jo|&s;hua,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 24.31.</NOTE> <HI>and all the dayes of the Elders that over-lived J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;hua, which had known all the works of the Lord which he had done for I&s;rael.</HI> Many more places of Scripture might be alledged; but I will onely note <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 72. wherein all-&s;orts of good are a&s;&s;ured to the Common-wealth, wherein <HI>the fear of God,</HI> that is Matters of Religion are &s;o regarded, as the pre&s;ervation thereof to after-ages is duely provided for: which how can it be done, if the cour&s;e de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion be neglected by tho&s;e that are free to ca&s;t the Common-wealth into what Mould they plea&s;e?</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Junius Eccle&s;.</HI> lib. 3. chap. 5.</NOTE>This <HI>Junius,</HI> a Learned and Godly man, and much exerci&s;ed in State Affairs, as appears by the Story of his Life, &s;aw clearly; and therefore &s;peaking of the Con&s;ent and Harmony of the Church and Civil State, in the concurrence of their &s;everal Admini&s;trations to the welfare of a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, he expre&s;&s;eth it by the <HI>conjunction of the Soul and Body in a Man;</HI> and concludeth, that <HI>Nothing will be of &s;o much avail to the welfare of civil Administrations, as will the be&s;t Admini&s;trations of the Church giving attendance to the holy and just Communion of Saints,</HI> (ut ad parentem officiorum omni|um) <HI>as to the Parent of all Duties:</HI> and, that <HI>Nothing will &s;o &s;ecure and strengthen Church-Admini&s;trations, as that &s;ecurity</HI> (quam prae|bitura e&s;t ju&s;ta pii Magi&s;tratus atque fidelis <GAP DESC="foreign">) <HI>which the ju&s;t Admini&s;trations of a godly and faithful Magi&s;trate will afford.</HI> Now <HI>Pii &amp; Fideles, Men that are godly and faithful,</HI> are &s;uch as are de&s;cribed in our &s;tating of the Que&s;tion. And having thus &s;aid, he breaks out into an affectionate Admiration of the Happine&s;s of a Communion &s;o ordered: <HI>Ecquid ob&s;ecro futurum e&s;t, &s;i optima Eccle|&s;ia, cum Republic&acirc; optima coal &s;cat? O beatum populum, in quo uno ore, &amp; uno animo, utra&abque; admini&s;tratio, ad &s;anctam communionem cum ci|vili Societate continendam, &amp; augendam con&s;piraverit! Non minuit il|lam haec admini&s;tratio, &s;ed altera alteram &s;tantem, confirmat, labantem, &s;tatumina<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, collap&s;am erigit.</HI> Which I thus Engli&s;h: <HI>What I pray may be expected in future times, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">f the be&s;t Church and the be&s;t Common-wealth
<PB N="19" REF="12"> grow up together? Oh ble&s;&s;ed people, among whom each Admini&s;tration &s;hall con&s;pire with one mouth, and one minde, to conjoyn and advance the Communion of Saints with the Civil Society! One of the&s;e Admini&s;tra|tions will not detract from the other, but each will confirm the other if it &s;tand, and &s;tay it if it be falling, and rai&s;e it up if it be faln down.</HI> And a little after he thus concludeth, <HI>Magi&s;tratum cui credita e&s;t civi|lis admini&s;tratio non in Eccle&s;ia &s;olum, &s;ed etiam ex Eccle&s;ia e&s;&s;e affirma|mus; We affirm, that the Magistrate to whom the Civil Admini&s;tra|tion is committed, is or ought to be not onely in the Church, but al&s;o taken out of the Church.</HI> Thus <HI>Junius</HI> thought, and taught, and publi&s;hed to the world. And indeed what is more equal, then that he who by Office is to be a <HI>Mini&s;ter of God,</HI> &s;hould be cho&s;en by and out of tho&s;e who are by open Profe&s;&s;ion in the Church-e&s;tate, the Servants of the Lord and have more helps to know his Minde, and deep en|gagements to &s;eek his Ends, and ob&s;erve his Will, then other men? But if any be otherwi&s;e minded, let them &s;hew &s;ome other cour&s;e, wherein the publick good may be promoted according to God, with a&s;&s;urance of a ble&s;&s;ing by virtue of the Promi&s;es.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Argum."> The fourth Argument &s;hall be taken out of 1 <HI>Cor</HI> 6. <HI>ver.</HI> 1, <HI>to</HI> 8. Whence I thus argue: <HI>That Form of Government wherein the power of Civil Admini&s;trations is denied unto unbelievers, and committed to the Saints, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabl &s;h. The Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is that wherein the power of Civil Admini&s;trations is de|nied to unbelievers, and committed to the Saints. Therefore the Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Communion, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h.</HI> The Pro|po&s;ition is evident from the Scripture alledged. For the thing which <HI>Paul</HI> blameth in them, is not, that living under unbelieving Magi|&s;trates, they &s;ubmitted to their Civil Judicature when they were cited to appear before their Judgement-&s;eats; but this he reproveth, that when they were free to chu&s;e other Judges, (as in voluntary re|ferences they were) they would out of choice be judged under the unju&s;t, and not under Saints. His Arguments again&s;t this are many and weighty. 1. From the danger of thus exalting unbelievers,
<PB N="20" REF="13"> and aba&s;ing the Saints, in the&s;e words, <HI>Dare any of you having a mat|ter again&s;t another, be judged under the unju&s;t, and not under the Saints?</HI> 2. From the quality of unbelieving Judges, whom he calleth <HI>unju&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e they are de&s;titute of the righteou&s;ne&s;s that is by Faith, and which is the Fountain of all true Moral Ju&s;tice; and becau&s;e they were ill-affected to Chri&s;tians, and to the Church of Chri&s;t, and apt to vex them injuriou&s;ly, if they had any bu&s;ine&s;s before them; and becau&s;e though &s;ome men out of Chri&s;t may be found civilly hone&s;t, and morally ju&s;t, as were al&s;o &s;ome Heathen men, yet you can have no a&s;&s;urance of their ju&s;tice, &s;eeing this is the genius and nature of all men out of Chri&s;t to be unrighteous. 3. From the property of Church-members, whom he calls <HI>Saints,</HI> that is, men con&s;ecrated to God and to his ends in all things; for &s;o they are in their Church-e&s;tate, and by virtue of their Covenant are bound &s;o to be: when as others are (or at lea&s;t are not manife&s;ted to be otherwi&s;e according to Gods order) worldly-minded, or &s;elf-&s;eekers, <HI>minding their own things, and not the things of Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> The 4^t^h Argument is <HI>&agrave; majori,</HI> for he &s;aith, <HI>The Saints &s;hall judge the world,</HI> and blames their igno|rance that que&s;tion it: <HI>Know ye not that the Saints &s;hall judge the world?</HI> and thence inferreth, that they &s;hould much more have judge|ment <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>in matters that concern this life,</HI> &s;uch are Humane Contracts, mens Goods, and Lives, and outward Liberties. The 5^t Argument is from the Wi&s;dom wherewith the Church of God is furni&s;hed for all Civil bu&s;ine&s;&s;es: <HI>Is there not a wi&s;e man among you?</HI> as if he &s;hould &s;ay, It cannot be that more wi&s;dome &s;hould be for tran&s;acting of bu&s;ine&s;&s;es according to God in men that are out of the Church, then in tho&s;e that are in the Church? how&s;oever much worldly wi&s;dome is &s;ometimes given to men of the world, yet not &s;ufficient to reach Gods ends, that is the Priviledge of Saints, they onely are <HI>wi&s;e as Serpents,</HI> the other men may be as <HI>&s;ubtile as Foxes.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 8.15.</NOTE> And &s;eeing it is by Chri&s;t that <HI>Kings reign, and Princes decree ju&s;tice,</HI> how can it be &s;uppo&s;ed that Chri&s;t, who is the Head of the Church, will furni&s;h others with a Spirit of Wi&s;dome and Govern|ment in Civil Matters, and deny it to the Church, Members of his own Body, whom he alone &s;anctifieth to his ends?</P>
<P>The A&s;&s;umption <HI>(That the Form of Government in the Common-wealth which we plead for, is that wherein the power of civil Admini|&s;trations
<PB N="21" REF="13"> is denied to unbelievers, and committed to the Saints)</HI> is evident of it &s;elf. For whom doth the Apo&s;tle call <HI>Saints</HI> there, but Mem|bers of the Church? when he had &s;aid before, they <HI>were &s;anctified in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, Saints by calling.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1.2.</NOTE> Hence it is that he &s;peaks of men e&s;teemed in the Church, <HI>v.</HI> 4. and of man that can judge between <HI>Brethren, v.</HI> 5. which is a Title given to Church-members ordinarily in the New Te&s;tament.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> If it be objected, <HI>He speaketh there of Church-members, in oppo&s;i|tion to Infidels which per&s;ecuted the truth, not in oppo&s;ition to men that may f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ar God, and be accounted Believers, though they be not in Church-fellow&s;hip.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> I An&s;wer, The fear of God, and Faith of tho&s;e men, may be ju&s;tly doubted, who&s;e &s;etled abode is in a place where Churches are gather'd and order'd according to Chri&s;t, and yet are not after a conveni|ent time joyned to them: For if in tho&s;e times and places where the Name of Chri&s;t was a Reproach, men were no &s;ooner converted, then they were <HI>added to the Church,</HI> and their being added to the Church, was made an evidence of their conver&s;ion; what may we think of tho&s;e men, who living in times and places where the Or|dinances of the Go&s;pel may be enjoyed in purity, with peace in Church-fellow&s;hip, do yet live without the Church? 2. Though there be &s;undry degrees of di&s;tance from the Church, to be found among men that are out of Church fellow&s;hip, as the Heathen are further off then moral Chri&s;tians, yet the &s;ame Spirit of unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s and enmity again&s;t Chri&s;t, worketh and bears rule in an uncon|verted Chri&s;tian, as doth in an unbaptized Heathen: He is un&s;ancti|fied as the other is, and &s;o un&s;utable to Gods ends in civil Admini|&s;trations; and therefore it will not be &s;afe, nor according to the Rule, that where a Church is gathered according to Chri&s;t, the Members &s;hould be neglected, and &s;uch men intru&s;ted with mana|ging the Publick Affairs, as are not in fellow&s;hip with them.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Argum."> The fifth Argument may be taken from the Nature and Power of Church-Order, which when it is managed according to Chri&s;t's appointment; affordeth be&s;t &s;ecurity to a Chri&s;tian State, for the faithful di&s;charge of any Tru&s;t that &s;hall be committed to tho&s;e that are under it. Whence I thus argue: <HI>That Form of Government where|in the power of chu&s;ing from among them&s;elves, men to be intru&s;ted with
<PB N="22" REF="14"> managing all publick Affairs of Importance, is committed to them who are furni&s;hed with the be&s;t helps for &s;ecuring to a Chri&s;tian State the faith|full di&s;charge of &s;uch a Tru&s;t, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri|&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h. The Form of Government de|&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion is &s;uch. The efore the Form of Government de&s;cribed in the true &s;tating of the Que&s;tion, is the be&s;t Form of Government in a Chri&s;tian Common-wealth, and which men that are free to chu&s;e (as in new Plantations they are) ought to e&s;tabli&s;h.</HI> The Propo&s;ition is undeniable.</P>
<P>The A&s;&s;umption <HI>(That the Form of Government which we plead for, is that wherein the power of chu&s;ing men to be intru&s;ted with ma|naging of all publick Affairs of Importance, is committed to them who are furni&s;hed with the be&s;t helps for &s;ecuring to a Chri&s;tian State the faithful di&s;charge of &s;uch a Tru&s;t)</HI> may be confirmed, by &s;hewing what the&s;e Helps are; <HI>viz.</HI> 1. That the Members of the Church are <HI>Saints by calling,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1.2. John 15.19. Heb. 12.23. James 1.18. I&s;ai. 11.1, 2. Luke 1.75. P&s;al. 50.5. Deut. 26.17, 18.</NOTE> i. e. men <HI>&s;eparated from the world, and the pollutions thereof,</HI> out of which <HI>they are called, and dedicated to God,</HI> as the <HI>fir&s;t-born,</HI> and the <HI>fir&s;t-fruits</HI> were; and they are qualified, by <HI>the spirit of wi&s;dome and under&s;tanding, the spirit of coun&s;el and &s;trength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord,</HI> in &s;ome mea&s;ure through fel|low&s;hip with Chri&s;t, to &s;erve God and men <HI>in holine&s;s and righteou&s;|ne&s;s all the dayes of their lives.</HI> 2. That the&s;e <HI>Saints by calling</HI> being in Church-Order according to Chri&s;t's appointment, are in Cove|nant with God, and one with another, whereby they are mo&s;t &s;trict|ly bound to do faithfully, what&s;oever they do to God or men. 3. That by virtue of this Order, they are bound to mutual helpful|ne&s;s, in Watching over one another, In&s;tructing, Admoni&s;hing, and Exhorting one another, to prevent &s;in, or to recover &s;uch as are faln, or to encourage one another, and &s;trengthen them in well-doing.</P>
<P>Thus are they bound in a threefold Cable unto all Faithfulne&s;s <HI>in all things to God and Man.</HI> The like a&s;&s;urance cannot be had in any other way, if this cour&s;e be neglected.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Argum."> The &s;ixth Argument, with which I will conclude, (that I may not weary you with Reading, as I have wearied my &s;elf with Writing) &s;hall be taken from <HI>The Danger of devolving this Power upon tho&s;e that are not in Church-Order.</HI> From whence the Apo&s;tle would
<PB N="23" REF="14"> have men to be affrighted.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6.1.</NOTE> <HI>Dare any of you having bu&s;ine&s;s again&s;t another, be judged under the unju&s;t, and not under the Saints?</HI> The Danger therefore that is to be feared in reference to the <HI>Chrrch,</HI> is, The di&s;turbance of the Churches Peace, when Power &s;hall be put into their hands, who being of worldly &s;pirits, hate the Saints and their Communion; and being of the <HI>&s;eed of the Serpent,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 15.18. Gen. 3.15. Zech. 3.1. Revel. 12.7.</NOTE> <HI>are at enmity again&s;t the &s;eed of the Woman;</HI> and being Satans in&s;truments, who is the <HI>God of this World,</HI> are re&s;i&s;ting and fighting again&s;t Chri&s;t his Kingdome and Government in the Church. 2. Adde hereunto, The Danger of corrupting Church-Order, either by compelling them to receive into fellow&s;hip un&s;utable ones, or by impo&s;ing upon them Ordinances of men and worldly Rudiments;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Col. 2.22, 23.</NOTE> or by e&s;tabli&s;h|ing Idolatrous Wor&s;hip; or by &s;trengthning Hereticks in &s;ubvert|ing the common Faith, as tho&s;e <HI>Arrian Emperours,</HI> and Idolatrous Kings and States have done, of which we reade &s;o many in&s;tances.</P>
<P>Secondly, the Danger to be feared in reference to the Civil State, is, 1. The rai&s;ing of Factions to the di&s;turbance of Publick Peace, whil'&s;t &s;ome Magi&s;trates out of the Church, watch their &s;ea&s;ons to &s;trengthen them&s;elves again&s;t tho&s;e that are in the Church, till they have wrought them out of Office and Power in the Civil State: and in the mean time, what other can be expected from &s;uch unequal mixture in State,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 2.42, 43.</NOTE> but that they &s;hould be as <HI>the toes of the fe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t</HI> of <HI>Ne|buchadnezzar</HI>'s <HI>image,</HI> which <HI>were part of iron, and part of clay,</HI> they &s;hould be partly broken, and partly &s;trong, and not comfortably joyn one with another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay. The &s;econd Danger to the Civil State, will be, A perverting of <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> by Magi&s;trates of worldly &s;pirits, through Bribery, re&s;pect of per&s;ons, unacquaintance with the Law of God, and injuriou&s;ne&s;s to the &s;er|vants of God. But I mu&s;t break off, le&s;t I grow too tedious. How ea&s;ily might I adde the Con&s;ent of all Nations to this Truth in &s;ome proportion, who generally practi&s;e accordingly? In our Native Countrey, none are intru&s;ted with managing of Publick Affairs, but <HI>Members of the Church of England,</HI> (as they call them.) In <HI>Holland,</HI> when the <HI>Arminian</HI> Party had many Burgoma&s;ters on their &s;ide, <HI>Grave Maurice</HI> came into divers of their Cities with Troops of Souldiers, by Order from the <HI>States Generall,</HI> and put tho&s;e <HI>Armi|nian</HI> Magi&s;trates out of Office, and cau&s;ed them to chu&s;e onely
<PB N="24" REF="15"> &s;uch as were of the <HI>Dutch Churches.</HI> And in <HI>Roterdam</HI> (and I think it is &s;o in other Towns) the <HI>Vrent&s;cap</HI> (who are all of them of the <HI>Dutch Church,</HI> and free Burgers) do out of their own company chu&s;e the Burgoma&s;ter, and other Magi&s;trates and Officers. In all Popi&s;h Countreys and Plantations, they ob&s;erve it &s;trictly, to in|tru&s;t none with the managing of Publick Civil Affairs, but &s;uch as are <HI>Catholicks</HI> (as they &s;peak) and of the <HI>Roman Church.</HI> Yea, in <HI>Turky</HI> it &s;elf, they are careful that none but a man devoted to <HI>Ma|homet</HI> bear publick Office. Yea, the&s;e very <HI>Indians</HI> that Wor&s;hip the Devil, will not be under the Government of any <HI>Sagamores,</HI> but &s;uch as joyn with them in Ob&s;ervance of their <HI>Pawawes</HI> and <HI>Idolatries:</HI> That it &s;eems to be a Principle imprinted in the mindes and hearts of all men in the equity of it, <HI>That &s;uch a Form of Go|vernment as best &s;erveth to Establi&s;h their Religion, &s;hould by the con|&s;ent of all be Establi&s;hed in the Civil State.</HI></P>
<P>Other things I might adde, but I hope enough hath been &s;aid for Defence and Confirmation of what I have affirmed touching this matter. If you remain un&s;atisfied, I &s;hall de&s;ire that you will pla|cidly, and lovingly, and impartially weigh the Grounds of my judgement, and communicate yours, if any remain again&s;t it, in writing. For though much writing be weari&s;ome unto me, yet I finde it the &s;afer way for me. Now the God of Peace and Truth lead us into all wayes of Peace and Truth, to the Prai&s;e of his Grace through <HI>the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who is <HI>the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To whom be in all things the Preheminence, and Glory, and Prai&s;e.</HI> Amen.</P>
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<P><HI>ERRATA.</HI> Page 8. line 17. <HI>for</HI> the State <HI>read</HI> that e&s;tate. <HI>Ibid. for</HI> that <HI>read</HI> and. p. 11. l. 27. <HI>read</HI> and having.</P>
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