The Divine Right of Church Government and Excommunication

Quest. 18.

IN this Chapter Erastus disputeth against a Treatise written in the German Tongue, in which he acknowledgeth, there is more learning and truth then in the other writings. All the opinions that Erastus ascribeth to this Author, (justly or unjustly, I know not, but Erastus his faith may be justly suspected) I cannot defend.

Ans. The agreement is but poor by your own relation: But 1. Let Erastus answer, what if the Christian Magistrate as Ahab be a dog, and sell himself to do wickedly: What if he understand not the Doctrine of the Gospel? Magistrates as Magistrates by virtue of the throne, or place, are not privileged to be Orthodox and holy. Let one Julian once a Christian, yet turning a sow, an enemy to the Gospel be witness, if we descend to the Justices, and to Master Constables; it may be we find even of those dogs and swine in their conversation, though their place be a power, lawful, and ordained of God; We think (saith Erastus) the custom of the Church should be observed: What? by the custom of the Church only, by no precept or command of Christ should the holy things of God, the pearls of the Gospel be denied to dogs and swine contrary to Christ's command, Mat. 7? 2. Erastus must exclude the Magistrate out of the lists of his disputation in six books, and say, If the Christian Magistrate be ignorant and scandalous, and yet desire to use the Sacraments right, and profess he will learn to know God, and to believe soundly, and walk holily, Yet the Sacraments are not to be denied to him. Tell Erastus, in sincerity who should debar the Magistrate? For in all your six books, you by these words, de illis solis, &c. profess that you plead not that he should be admitted to the Sacraments; who shall exclude him? not he himself; for his credits sake he shall desire to come to the Sacraments, as many for gain and loaves follow Christ, John. 6. will they not follow him also to be seen of men, as the Pharisees prayed in the streets? 2. Let Erastus say, when our Savior said, Give not holy things to dogs? Did he mean to accept the persons of Kings and Judges, and profess, though Kings and Judges be dogs and swine▪ yet deny not holy things to them? 3. Hath Christ appointed no way in the New Testament, as he did in the Old, to debar unclean men from our Passover? Or shall there be no Government, no charge in the Ministers of the New Testament to keep the holy things of God from pollution? If Master Justice be an incestnous man, a drunkard, a dog, shall he not be cast out of the midst of the Church? Uzziah though a King, yet for bodily leprosy was separated from the people of God, and men of high places, though dogs and swine shall be admitted to all the holy things of God under the New Testament?

2. Erastus will have all admitted who desire to use the Sacraments right; As touching all externals, of which only the Church doth judge: But, 1. Where did we assert that the Church judgeth of internalls? and that they may debar men from the Sacraments, for only heart-unbelief known to God only? This must lie on Erastus, as a calumny, while he make it good from our writings and Doctrine, that we thus teach, exclude those that are visibly scandalous and profane, and we are satisfied. 2. He that brings his offering to the Altar, and hath done a known offense to his brother, (for it is a sinful and visible scandal, which scandalizeth one brother) He useth not the holy things of God right, even as touching externals; He that comes to the Lord's supper desiring, and asking the ordinance of righteousness (as Isaiah speaketh) and promiseth amendment; and yet is openly ignorant and not sound in the faith, he useth not aright the Sacraments even in externals, of which only the Church judgeth rightly: as he that in the same day cometh to the temple to worship (now the very personal presence of a Jew in the Temple which was a Type of Jesus Christ, was a worship and a holy thing of God, whereas our presence in the place of meeting for worship is no such thing) when he hath killed his son to Moloch, profaned the Temple, and the name of God, even in externals; for the Priests of old who were to put differences between the clean and the unclean, no more were to judge the inward thoughts and heart-dispositions of men known to God only, then we can now judge them in the New Testament, 1 Chro. 29. 17. 1 King. 8. 39. 1 Chro. 28. 9. Prov. 15. 11. Hence, that is an ignorant speech of Erastus, Quistatuit malus esse, non prodibit in ecclesiae faciem, ut se poenuere prioris vite testetur, ac meliorem promittat. That man shall never come before the face of the Church, to testify that he repenteth of his former wicked life, and promise amendment, who purposeth to be wicked: Will not men purpose not to be reconciled to their brethren, and suffer many suns to go down in their wrath and malice, who come and bring their offering to the Altar; why did then Christ forbid offering at the Altar, without being reconciled to an offended brother? Mat. 5. might not the offending brother offer his gift? and were not the Priests to except his offering? He could say all that Erastus requireth: I acknowledge I have offended my brother, I promise to crave him pardon, and I desire to offer according to the Law. Then the Priest was obliged to believe he dealt sincerely, and lay his gift upon the Altar, though he should not obey the command of Christ, and go and leave his gift at the Altar, and not offer while he were first reconciled to his brother; and the like I say of one that hath killed his brother, and cometh with hot blood to the Table of the Lord, and goeth not to the Widow and Orphans, whose Husband and Father he had killed▪ to be reconciled: Surely the man that should thus offer, should not come to offer, nor to eat at the Lord's table rightly; even in regard of externals, which the Church may judge: for he should omit this external, Be first reconciled to the Widow, and then offer, and eat as Christ commanded. 3. It is against Scripture and experience, that a man that hath a purpose to kill his Father, and in the highest point of treason to invade King David's throne, as Absalom did, to say he will not profess to pay his vows at Hebron. And might not Judas by his very eating the Passover, profess he believed in the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, and that he would serve Christ, and yet purpose in his heart to sell his Master Christ for 30▪ pieces of silver; They seem to be little acquainted with the mystery of the hypocrisy naturally in men, who put in print such a position: The Author against whom Erastus writeth saith, We have reason to rejoice, if we find any such, who will not profess faith and repentance, though they be Hypocrites; and therefore there is need of Excommunication, and his meaning is, that there is need of Excommunication always, and therefore there will be many who profess Repentance in words, whose life and conversation belie their Repentance; and Erastus cannot deny this, if he know what it is • o have a form of godliness, and deny the power, which form many have who are to be debarred from the Sacraments, and to be Excommunicated, in regard they are lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high minded, &c. 2 Tim. 3. 1, 2, &c. and such they are in the eyes of men, otherwise Paul would not forbid to withdraw from such.

Ans. 1. The Author I think would never yield, but the Sacraments ought to be denied to those who ask for them, and desire to use them aright, if they be otherwise Truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, traitors, for those have, and may have a form of godliness, and ask the Sacraments and desire to use them aright; I mean they may say they desire to use them aright, for of their inward desire, God only can judge, who knoweth the heart; yet the Author cannot, he will not say, that such are to be admitted to the Lord's Supper, all tha • Erastus goeth on i • , That the Church is obliged to believe that those do repent, and use the Sacraments aright, who say in word of mouth, they do so, and therefore are to be admitted to the Sacraments, though they come but an hour before out of the Bordell house, and have hands and sword hot and smoking with innocent blood. Now Dogs, and Swine, C • in; Judas, known to be scandalous, may give fair words, and cry, Lord, Lord, and profess all this, as is clear, Isa. 58. 2. Mat. 7. 21, 22. Rom. 16. 18: Mat. 23. 13▪ 14, 23, &c. 2. Exclusion from the Sacraments is a Testimony of Excommunication, but not testimonium proprium quarto modo, for some that are not excommunicated, are to be debarred from the Sacraments as the thing it self will force us to acknowledge; should any come with his sword hot in blood, from killing his father and Pastor to the Lord's Table, I hope the Church knowing this would not admit him to the Sacrament, and yet he is not yet excommunicated, and I hope they would not presently in the same moment that they debarred him from the Lord's Supper, excommunicate him. There must be some time required to pray for him, to rebuke, convince, and lay open his sin before he be excommunicated, which moved me to think that there was necessity of express Scripture to prove Excommunication; but that abstention (as Divines calleth it) or suspension from the Lord's Supper, may well be sufficiently proved by Analogy, by consequent and by the nature of the holy things of God, and Pearls that are not to be given to the profane. 3. A visible scandal is a sufficient ground of the lesser excommunication, or debarring from the Lord's Supper, and so we put a Testimony of one banished from the holy things of God on him who hath committed a scandalous offense, which is a sufficient ground thereof, though the offender be not formally excommunicated. This Author saith, without the consent of the Church, no man, though contumacious, should be excommunicated; What this is against us, or for Erastus, I see not, we say the same.

He saith, The Magistrate may choose some of the congregation to Excommunicate; which if he say, I consent not to him, and see no warrant for it in Scripture: But I rather believe his sense to be, That the godly Magistrate may command the Church to Excommunicate and punish them, if they be negligent in this. But hence it followeth not, that the Magistrate may Excommunicate them, as Erastus inferreth, no more then of old; it followeth, King Uzziah might command the Priests to burn incense to the Lord, and punish them; if in this they should neglect their duty: Ergo, King Uzziah might lawfully in his own person burn incense to the Lord: Erastus himself will deny this consequence.

Erastus saith, It is evident this Author meaneth, That God commanded not a Presbytery to be, but that it is necessary for orders cause. But I had rather that he had proved it from the Authors words: And so I deny it, while Erastus bring his own words to prove it: I believe he fancies many things of this worthy Author, as that he subjects not the Magistrate to the Presbytery: And why? Because he saith, None ought to be Excommunicated without the consent of the Magistrate. Truly it is a weak reason; for if the Magistrate be a godly man, and a Member of the Church, it is necessary that his positive consent be had, that he may in light and faith use the sword against him, as against other evil doers. But I give him no negative voice, nor any authoritative or Ecclesiastically judicial voice in Excommunication, which can be due to him as a Magistrate: So the Author doth not at all disagree from us; Erastus is mistasten.

Ans. God hath Excommunicated Drunkards and Hypocrites, who are not known openly to be such to the Church, and therefore the Church cannot debar such from the Sacraments, and so we grant all, That it is one thing to be Excommunicated of the Church, and another to be Excommunicated of God. 2. He asketh, where hath God commanded to debar such from the Sacraments being circumcised and baptized? I Answer then, If they be uncircumcised and unbaptised, God will have the Church to debar them. But let Erastus show any Scripture for their exclusion, but such as warranteth us to exclude the openly scandalous, though circumcised and baptized. 3. What warrant hath the Church or Magistrate, if Erastus so will, to debar all the uncircumcised and • nbaptised from the Sacraments; Job, the Eunuch, are not Excommunicated of God▪ Ergo, if the Lord's non-Excommunication be our rule, we cannot Excommunicate all the uncircumcised and baptized as such. 4. Erastus addeth, They cannot be excluded from the Sacraments, Presertim s • p • nitentiam vitae anteactae prae se • erant, especially if they profess repentance. But this presertim▪ especially, seemeth to infer, though they profess no repentance, but be dogs and swine, they ought not to be debarred from the Seal▪ Is this piety, or rather profanity? But only he would say, they are far less to be debarred if they profess repentance. But we know, to profess repentance in Erastus his way, is to say by word of mouth, they repent: Now this saying so, may consist with being openly dogs and swine. Hence we see the contradicent of Erastus his saying, to wit, that the most openly scandalous are not to be excluded from the Sacraments, especially if they say they repent, that is, especially if they lie and dissemble before the Sun, yea, though they mock God and repent no • . I should think their saying they repent, when their flagitious and impure conversation doth bely their profession, maketh them so much rather worthy to be debarred, being both dogs and Hypocrites▪ So far I am from Erastus his presertim, especially if they profess that they repent.

Ans. But the word denieth absolutely remission of sins to dogs and swine, so long as they repent not; and that so much the more, that they say they repent, and their life belies their words, and testifies to their face, and before the Sun, that they are pla • stered Hypocrites, Ergo, the Sacraments should be denied to them.

Ans. But if he be visibly no Member of the invisible Church, but in the eyes of the Church visibly a dog or a swine, neither ought the external symbols, that are even externally the holy things of God to be given to him: for otherwise, this Argument shall conclude, if one be baptized, and a member of the Church, though a dog, yet the pearls of the Gospel are to be cast to such a dog, which Erastus himself denieth: And so this Argument hurteth Erastus as much as us.

That this Author saith, God commanded those that transgressed his holy Law with an high hand, and presumptuously to be killed, lest they should live and profane his holy things; I defend not: But sure Erastus erreth, who will have all such to be killed by the Magistrate under the New Testament, because they were killed in the Old: Then are we to stone the men that gathereth sticks on the Lord's day; the child that is stubborn to his Parents, the Virgins, daughters of Ministers that committeth fornication are to be put to death. Why, but then the whole judicial Law of God shall oblige us Christians as Carolosladius and others teach? I humbly concieve that the putting of some to death in the Old Testament, as it was a punishment to them, so was it a mysterious teaching of us, how God hated such and such sins, and mysteries of that kind are gone with other shadows. But we read not (saith Erastus) where Christ hath changed those Laws in the New Testament. It is true, Christ hath not said in particular, I abolish the debarring of the leper seven days, and he that is thus and thus unclean shall be separated till the evening; nor hath he said particularly of every carnal Ordinance and judicial Law, it is abolished. But we conceive, the whole bulk of the judicial Law, as judicial, and as it concerned the Republic of the Jews only, is abolished, though the moral equity of all those be not abolished; also some punishments were meetly Symbolical, to teach the detestation of such a vice, as the boring with an A • le the ear of him that loved his Master, and desired still to serve him, and the making of him his perpetual servant. I should think the punishing with death the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath was such; and in all these, the punishing of a sin against the Moral Law by the Magistrate, is Moral and perpetual; but the punishing of every sin against the Moral Law, tali modo, so and so, with death, with spitting on the face: I much doubt if these punishments in particular, and in their positive determination to the people of the Jews, be moral and perpetual: As he that would marry a captive woman of another Religion, is to cause her first pare her nails, and wash herself, and give her a month, or less time to lament the death of her Parents, which was a Judicial, not a Ceremonial Law; that this should be perpetual, because Christ in particular hath not abolished it, to me seems most unjust; for as Paul saith, He that is Circumcised becomes debtor to the whole Law, sure to all the Ceremonies of Moses his Law: So I Argue, à pari, from the like, He that will keep one judciciall Law, because judicial and given by Moses, becometh debtor to keep the whole judicial Law, under pain of God's eternal wrath.

We do not teach that men are to be Excommunicated, for whatever scandalous sins deserve death at the hand of the Magistrate, whether they openly repent or not; if any give evident signification of their repentance for murder, they are not to be Excommunicated, for the end of Excommunication, being once obtained, which is the visible and known repentance, and saving of the offenders soul, the mean is not to be used, which is Excommunication. But if any commit murder, whether he repent or repent not, the Lord hath made no exception of regenerate or not regenerate, of men repenting or not repenting, he should die by the sword of the Magistrate, Gen. 9. 9. It is true, some are to be Excommunicated for the very atrocity of the sin, it being parricide; but that is, because he giveth no positive signs of repentance to the Church, which is contumacy added to his parricide.

Ans. That which is denied, is not concluded a fault in Logic; for only scandals as scandals to the Church, and so known to the Church are to be censured with Excommunication.

Ans. Let Erastus argue here, and we shall see his logic; Those that commit parricides, sorceries, and do trample the holy things of God under feet, whom yet the Magistrate dare not punish, because of their power and greatness▪ those are not to be debarred from the Sacraments. But there be many scandalous persons in the Church, such as Joab, whom the Magistrate dare not punish, for their greatness; Ergo,

Ans. The Major is manifestly false, and a begging of the question: For Erastus saith, pag. 207. He thinketh such ought not to be admitted to the Sacraments who will trample on the Sacraments and profane them. For though the Magistrate dare not punish them, which is his sinful neglect, if they be dogs and swine (as often they are) and bloody men, such as Joab, they ought not; yea, they never were by any Law of God, admitted to the Temple and Sacraments, what they did, de facto, or the Priests permitted, is not the question. It was David's sin that he took not away the head of bloody Joab when he killed Abner and Amasa. 2. How doth Erastus prove that David neglected to punish the incest of Absalom (his sinful neglect in not punishing his murder I yield) for Absalom was never in David's power to punish after he committed that incest; possibly he neglected to punish his own Concubines, that is but a conjecture. It is as like Absalom forced the Concubines to that incest as any other thing. 3. For that Psal. 14. There is none that doth good; it is spoken of the natural corruption of all mankind, who therefore cannot be justified by the works of the Law, as Paul expoundeth it, Rom. 3. 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 21. and not of scandals punishable by the Magistrates; and where this corruption did break out, in bloods within the Church, it ought to have been punished, both by the Magistrate and Church: so it is an argument yet, a facto ad jus, and a great inconsequence. 4. I ask for what cause doth the Spirit of God rebuke killing of the Children to Molech, and coming that same day to the Temple? Because it was a sin and particularly a profaning of the Sanctuary, which was one special holy thing to God, Ezek. 23. 38, 39. Ier. 7. 8▪ 9, 10, 11. It was no sin to come to the Temple: Sure it was commanded of God in his Law, as Erastus yieldeth. What was the sin then? to come with their hands full of blood, and of the unnatural blood of their own Children was the sin; and yet if they had repented, to come after they had killed their Children, was no sin, nor any profaning of the Sanctuary of God. Then all their sin was, that being Morally unclean, they came to the Sanctuary; Ergo, God forbade such bloody men to come to his Sanctuary; because God forbiddeth all sin in his perfect Law; Ergo, those that deserved to die by the hand of the Magistrate for open murder, deserved for that open murder to be debarred from the holy things of God, what ever Erastus say on the contrary.

Ans. We find no distinction made by Christ, Matth. 18▪ and therefore we make none; He that offendeth his brother, (Christ maketh no exceptions of light or small offenses) if he cannot be gained by admonitions, and be contumacious against the Church, he is reputed as a heathen and a publican; and this is our warrant. 2. Let Erastus answer this contradiction according to his own way. Everyone who is Ceremonially clean should come to the Temple. Some who are Ceremonially clean, (to wit, who the same day have slain their sons to Molech) should not come into the Temple. The affirmative is holden as a truth by Erastus. The negative is the word of the Lord, Ezech. 23. 38, 39. 3. It is no contradiction which Erastus proposeth: For everyone who is Ceremonially clean, should not keep the Passover, except also he be Morally clean: For he that discerneth not the Lord's body, should not eat; and the Lamb was no less Sacramentally the Lord's body, then the Bread and Wine is his body, so the former is false, in rei veritate. The latter, to wit, Everyone Ceremonially clean should not keep the Passover, to Erastus is false: Now of two propositions contradicent, both cannot be false, Erastus may know this is bad Logic.

Ans. If the Prophets rebuked the profaning of the Sacraments, then they also forbade profane men to use the Sacraments, could the Prophets rebuke anything but sin? Ergo, they forbade the sin which they rebuked: Ergo, they forbade the man that had murdered his son to Molech, to come to the Sanctuary while he repented, for they could not rebuke but what they forbad. 2. If the bloody man's coming to the Sanctuary in that case, was nothing more acceptable to God, then the offering of a dog to God; then as the offering of a dog to God, was both forbidden to the people and to the Priest, so was the people and Priest both accused for the bloody man's coming into the Temple, the one should sin in coming, the other in admitting him to come. 3. The Priests are expressly accused for this, Ezek. 22, 25, 26. and 44. 23, 24. Hag. 2. 11, 12, 13. 4. Those were not only sins in foro Dei, before God, for so when they were secret, they were sins before God, but when openly known, as Jer. 7. 9, 10, &c. Ezek. 23. 38, 39. they were the Priests sins: The bloody are forbidden to come to the Sanctuary; what then? were not the Porters whose calling it was to hold out the unclean, to debar all whom the Lord forbade to come? Certainly, they excluded to their knowledge all whom God excluded, else how had they the charge to keep the doors of the Lord's House? and the Priests are not only rebuked for not instructing the people, but for erring in governing, Ier. 5. 31. they are not Prophets, but Priests and Governors both Ecclesiastical and civil, that the Prophet complaineth of, who did rule with rigor & cruelty over the people, beside that they feed not the flock but themselves, Ezek. 34. 1, 2, 3, &c. Ier. 23. 1, 2, 3, 4. and 10. 21. and 22. 22. and 50. 6. Micah 2. 11. Hos. 4. 18. Micah 7. 3.

Ans. 1. Erastus taketh ever for confessed, without any probation, that it is rectus usus, the right use of the holy things of God, that men with bloody hands use them, which is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 : a most false principle, for he that killeth his children to Molech, and that same day cometh into the Sanctuary of God, is so far from the right using of the holy things of God, that the Lord saith expressly, his coming in in that condition to the Sanctuary is, (saith the Lord,) the profaning of my Sanctuary, Ezek. 23. 39. is this rectus usus Ceremoniarum? the right use of the holy things of God? It is not: 1. It is a forbidden use of holy things, Isa. 1. 13. Mat. 7. 6. Mat. 5. 23. 2. It is a rebuked use of holy things, Ier. 7. 9, 10, 11. Isa. 66. 3. 3. It is a profaning of holy things, Ezek. 23. 38, 39. 4. It is such a use as bringeth damnation to the party that useth it, 1 Cor. 11. 27, 29. and it is all these quoad externa, in external things. 2. Erastus could yield they be debarred, but by the Magistrate, not by Imaginary Presbyters. But all his Arguments, (as I show before) do prove they should be debarred, à recto usu, from the right use of holy things by no man, no more then they should be debarred from giving of alms, or reading the word, this is Erastus his own Argument; I pray you may the Magistrate, or any on earth by any authority inhibit a Malefactor, or a Murderer, who ought to die by the Magistrate, to read the Word, to give alms, to pray for mercy to God, because he hath killed a man? 3. If heretics, apostates, open idolaters are to be debarred, by whom shall they be debarred: Erastus, pag. 207. thinketh they ought not to be admitted to the Sacraments, who shall debar them? The Magistrate, (saith he) But the Magistrate himself is the apostate, the heretic, the idolater. 2. He that may debar from the seals, may admit to the seals; he that may do both, Ex Officio, is the formal dispenser of the seals by office, that the Magistrate is not: He that may put out, or take in into the house by supreme power, is the Lord of the house: He who by office may admit some to the Table, and debar other some, is the Steward. But the Magistrate is neither the lord of the Church, nor the steward of the house, by office. We do not hold this consequence; the Lord commanded ill doers to be killed; Ergo, He ordained in that same commandment, that they be Excommunicated? Nor do we say all those who were to be Excommunicated, were to be killed, as Erastus saith: Nor that Excommunication in the New Testament succeedeth in place of killing in the Old Testament; we see no light of Scripture going before us in these.

Ans. The Sword is no intrinsical mean of the saving of any man's soul: It is true, the godly Magistrate may procure a godly life; but as a cause removens impedimentum, removing idolatry, heresy, wolves and false teachers from the flock, and commanding under the pain of the Sword, that Pastors do their duty. But Christ ascending on high, gave Pastors and Teachers to gather a Church; but not Magistrates armed with the Sword.

Ans. 1. Erastus here extolleth the Sword of the Magistrate, as a more effectual mean to salvation, then exhortations or the Gospel: But I read that Pastors are the Ministers by whom we believe, and that they are workers with God, and fellow-builders; and Fathers to convert, edify to salvation, and beget men over again to Christ, 1 Cor. 3. 5, 9. 1 Cor. 2. 4, 15. Ambassadors of God, 2 Cor. 5. 20. Friends of the Bridgroome, 2 Cor. 11. 2. John. 3. 29. Angels, Rev. 2. 1. But I never read any such thing of the Magistrate, and that the Gospel is the power of God to salvation, Rom. 1. 16. The arm of the Lord, Isaiah 53. 1. Sharper then a two edged sword, lively and mighty in operation, Heb. 4. 12. You never read any such thing of the Sword of the Magistrate, the rest are before answered.

Ans. Put it in form thus; Those who may be changed and translated from darkness to light in a moment, and say, that they repent, are to be admitted to the Lord's supper: I assume, But dogs and swine, and doggish and furious persecutors▪ who are to be debarred from the Sacraments: As Erastus saith, pag. 207. may be changed in a moment, and say they repent; Ergo, those are to be admitted to the Sacraments, who are not to be admitted to the Sacraments▪ let Erastus prove the Major proposition. 2. We find no such sudden change in the Publican, Zacchaeus, or the repenting woman, as Erastus seemeth to insinuate. 3. Christ who knoweth the heart, and can change men in a moment, can at first welcome persons suddenly converted; Ergo, Must the stewards and dispensers of the mysteries upon a (may be) or a (may not be) reach the pearls of the Gospel to dogs and swine, whom they see to be such? It is a wide consequence, He that bringeth his gift to the Alter, may in a moment be changed; Ergo, He should not leave his gift at the Altar, and go and first be reconciled to his brother; He is presently without more ado to offer his gift, his heart is straighted in a moment, if we believe Erastus. But the rather of this; that the man is in a moment changed: He is to be debarred, least his scandalous approaching to use the holy things of God, make the work of conversion suspicious to others. 4. This argument presupposeth that unvisible conversion, giveth a man right in foro Ecclesi • in the Churches court, to the seals of the Covenant, and so there should be no need of external profession at all, which is absurd.

Ans. The Idolater that maketh defection, and the apostate were once Members of the Church; what hath made them now no Members? Who should judge them, and cast them out? the Magistrate? I answer, there is no Christian Magistrate: If the Church must do it, here truly, is all granted by Erastus, that he hath disputed against in six books, even this very Excommunication. But if there be a Christian Magistrate; what Scripture is there to warrant that he should cast out a Member out of Christ's body? Here is an Excommunication without precept, promise, or practice in the word; we read that the Church of Corinth congregated together, hath a command to judge, and cast out a scandalous Member, 1 Cor. 5. 4, 5, 11, 12, 13. out from amongst the midst of them: Let Erastus say as much from the New Testament, for his Magistratical casting ou • . 2. What reason is there by Erastus his way, for casting out an idolater, and a man that defendeth his own wickedness? 1. May not God convert those suddenly; as he did the thief on the cross, and Saul? Ergo, They should not be cast out. 2. The Magistrate cannot more cut off those from being Members of Christ's body; then he can remove their faith and internal communion with Christ. Now for this cause Erastus saith, the Church cannot Excommunicate, pag. 1. 2 Thess. 3. and 4. 3. Christ and the Apostles did neither cast out Judas, nor Scribes, Pharisees, or Publicans out of the Church, though they were worse then idolaters. 4. No helps of salvation are to be denied even to idolaters, and to men that defend their own wickedness, but their remaining in the Church amongst the godly, is a help of their salvation; and God inviteth them to repentance, and the staying in the Church; And the Sacraments are to Erastus means of repentance, and this casting out must be to save them: for no power is given of God to the Magistrate or Church for destruction, but for edification▪ Now to put them out of the Church, that they may be saved, is as Erastus conceiteth, to cast a lascivious Virgin out of the company of chaste Matr • ns, to the end she may preserve her chastity: I speak here all in the language of Erastus, who useth all those against casting any out of the Church, by Presbyters; but they stand with equal strength, against his casting out of idolaters and apostates out of the Church, and so do the rest of his Arguments: Therefore this conclusion of Erastus is a granting us the whole cause; after in six books, he hath pleaded none should be Excommunicated, he falleth on Bellarmine's Tutissimum igitur, &c. when he had written six books against justification by faith▪

Lastly, why should idolaters, apostates, and obstinately wicked men be excluded from the dispute of Excommunication and suspension from the Sacraments: for he knoweth that Beza, and Protestant Divines do make these the special, though not the whole subject of the dispute: Now Erastus concluding his six books, doth hereby profess he hath never faithfully stated the question, when he excludes those from the subjectum questionis, who especially heareth not the Church, and ought to be Excommunicated. Thus have I given an account, as I could, of the wit of Erastus, against the freedom of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus.

QUEST. XIX.

V VEE know that Erastus who is Refuted by Beza, Vtenbogard, whom Ant▪ Walens Learnedly Refuteth, Maccovius opposed by the Universities and Divines of Holland, Vedelius Answered by Gu. Apolonius and others; and the Belgic Arminians in their Petition to the States, and Hu. Grotins against Sibrandus Lubert. Divers Episcopal Writers in England do hold, That the Guides of the Church do all in their Ministry by the Authority of the Christian Magistrate: I believe the contrary: And 1. We exclude not the Magistrate who is a keeper of both Tables of the Law, from a care of matters of Religion. 2. We deny not to him a power to examine Heresies and false Doctrine: 1. In order to bodily punishment with the sword: 2. With a judgment not Antecedent, but Subsequent to the judgment of the Church, where the Church is constituted. 3. With such a judgment as concerneth his practice, lest he should in a blind way, and upon trust, execute his office in punishing Heretics, whether they be sentenced by the Church according unto, or contrary to the word of God as Papists dream. 3. We deny not, but the Prince may command the Pastor to Preach, and the Synod and Presbytery to use the keys of Christ's Kingdom according to the Rules of the Word: But this is but a Civil subjection, though the object be spiritual: But the Question is not▪ 1. Whether the Christian Magistrate have a care of both Tables of the Law. 2. Whether he as a blind servant is to execute the will of the Church, in punishing such as they discern to be Heretics; we pray the Lord to give him eyes and wisdom in his Administration. 3. Nor thirdly, Whether he may use his coercive power against false Teachers, that belongs to the controversy concerning Liberty of Conscience. 4. The Question is not, Whether the Magistrate have any power of jurisdiction in the Court of Conscience, they grant that belongeth to the Preaching of the Word: But the Question is, touching the power in the external Court of Censures. 5. The Question is not, Whether the power of exercising Discipline be from the Magistrate, I mean in a free and peaceable manner, with freedom from violence of men: we grant that power, and by proportion also, that exercise of Discipline is from him: But whether the intrinsical power be not immediately from Christ given to the Church; this we teach, as the power of saying peacably from danger of Pirates and Robbers is from the King; but the Art of Navigation is not from the King. But the Question is, whether the Magistrate by virtue of his office, as a Magistrate, hath Supreme power to Govern the Church, and immediately as a little Monarch under Christ above Pastors, Teachers, and the Church of God, to Judge and determine what is true Doctrine, what Heresy, to censure and remove from Church-Communion the Seals and Churchoffices, all scandalous persons, and that if Pastors, or Doctors, or the Church, Teach or dispense censures, they do it not with any immediate subjection to Christ, but in the Name and Authority of the Magistrate, having power from the Magistrate as his servants and delegates?

To this we answer negatively, denying any such power to the Magistrate, and do hold, that the Church, and Christ's courts and Assemblies of Pastors, Doctors, and Elders, hath this power only and immediately from Jesus Christ, without subordination in their office, to King, Parliament, or any Magistrate on earth by these Arguments. 1. Because in the Old Testament, the Lord distinguished two courts, Deut. 17. 8. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, 10. Thou shalt come unto the Priests, the Levites, and unto the Judge that shall be in those days, and inquire, and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment. And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place (which the Lord shall choose) shall show thee, &c. There be here two Courts clearly, one court of Priests and Levites that were Judges; another of the Judge: Now the King by virtue of his Kingly office, might not usurp the Priests office. 1. Uzziah was smitten with Leprosy for so doing. 2. It is evident in Moses his writing, that Aaron and his sons the Priests and Levites were separated for the service of the Tabernacle, to teach the people, to carry the Ark, to sacrifice, to judge the Leper, and to judge between the clean and the unclean, to put out of the campe, out of the congregation the unclean, and to admit the clean, Lev. 1. 7, 9, 12, &c. and 5. 8. and 7. 7. and 13. 3, 4, &c. 23. Numb. 5. 8. &c. and 18. 4, 5. 2 Chron. 29. 11. You hath the Lord chosen to stand before him, 1 Sam. 21. 1, 2. Lev. 21. 1. Josh. 3. 8. 1 Kin. 8. 3. 1 Chron. 8. 9. 2 Chron. 5. 7. and 7. 6. and 8. 14. Zeph. 3. 4. Hag. 2. 11, 12. Mal. 2. 7, Deut. 10, 9. and 21. 5. Num. 1. 29. Deut. 10. 8, 18. Numb. 1. 50. and 3. 9, 12, 41. and 8. 10. Psal. 122. 5. In Jerusalem there were set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David, Mat. 22. 21. Christ commanded to give to Caesar the things that are Caesars: and he in his own person refused to usurp Caesars place, Luke 12. 14. Man, who made me a Judge? and interdicted his Apostles thereof, Luke 22, 24, 25, 26. and yet appointed for them a Judicature of another kind, Mat. 18. 15. Mat. 16. 19. John. 20. 21. 1 Tim. 5. 17. Heb. 13. 17. 1 Cor. 5. and if any should deny that the Civil Magistrate had another Court in which he judged, the Scriptures will refute him. 3. It is evident that Jehoshaphat did not institute, but restore those two courts, 2 Chron. 19. 11. And behold Amariah the chief Priest is over you in all matters of the Lord, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the Kings matters; never any Erastian could satisfy either themselves or others, to show us what were those two courts, so distinguished by their two sundry Rulers. Amariah and Zebadiah, the one a Priest, the other a Magistrate. 2. By the different formal objects, the matters of the Lord, the matters of the King, and confounded they must be; if the King and Ruler be a judge in the matters of God, except God make him both a civil judge and a Prophet, as were Moses and Samuel, which yet were differenced when the God of order established his Church in Canaan. The Church convenes for a Church business, Josh. 18. 1. to set up the Tabernacle, but for a civil business, to make war, the State conveneth, Josh. 22. 12. 15. 16. Judge. 21. 12. and Ier. 26. 8. there is the Church judicature discerning that Jeremiah was a false Teacher, and they first judge the cause, and v. 16. The Civil Judicature discerneth the contrary, and under Zorababel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, they endured different judicatures; Jesus Christ was arraigned before Caiaphas the High Priest for pretended blasphemy, before Pilate the civil judge for treason, but Caiaphas was to determine only by Law, in questione juris whether it was blasphemy which Christ had spoken, but he had no power by God's Law to lead Witnesses or condemn Christ. Nor is it true, that the Priests had their government only about Ceremonialls, for they were to judge of Moral uncleanness also, which even then debarred men from the holy things of God, as is clear, Hag. 2. 12. Ezek. 44. 9. 10, 23, 24. and if any say that the Magistrate amongst the Jews did judge of Ecclesiastical things, and reformed Religion: We answer extraordinarily, the Magistrate might prophecy, and did prophecy, as did Samuel, David, Solomon: Why do not Erastians bring those examples to prove that Kings, Provasts, Justices, may now preach the Word, and administer the Sacraments, which yet is unlawful to them by grant of Adversaries, for the examples of the Kings amongst the Jews, is as strong for preaching, as for governing; and because Prophets did judge the people of old, yet no Protestant Divine will say, that now Pastors may also usurp the civil Sword.

Now least any should object the case is not alike in the Jewish and Christian Church, surely the King of the Church hath no less separated such men as Paul and Barnabas for the Ministry now, then at that time, Rom. 1. 1, 2. Act. 2. And sent laborers to his vineyard, Luk. 10. 2. Matth. 20. 2. & 9. 37, 38. And Ambassadors to Preach in his Name, 2 Cor. 5. 20. Ministers of Christ, and Stewarts of the mysteries of God, 1 Cor. 4. 1. Men sent of God, whose feet are pleasant for their good News, as were the Prophets of old, who were not only gifted to preach, but instructed with Divine Authority, as is clear Rom. 10. 14. 15. Isa. 52. 7. & 40. 9. Nahum 1. 15. Yea, and men that feeds the flock, not only by Preaching, but also Govern the Church, so that they must take heed, that Ravening Wolves creep not into the Church, who shall not spare the flock, Act. 20. 28. 29. Men who must be obeyed because they watch for our souls, Heb. 13. 17. And can govern the Church, as well as they are apt to teach, 1 Tim. 3. 5. 2. Men that labor amongst us, and are over us in the Lord, 1 Thes. 5. 12. And men who are to call to the work other faithful men that are able to teach others, 2 Tim. 2. 2. Such as are separated from the affairs of this life, such as Magistrates are not, 1 Cor. 6. 3. such as Rule well, 1 Tim. 5. 17. and are not to receive accusations, but under witnesses, and are to lay hands suddenly on no man, not to call them to the holy Ministry till they be sufficiently tried, 1 Tim. 5. 19, 20, 22. all which import teaching and governing. Now if all these directions be given to Timothy and other Pastors till the end of the world; then must all these directions be principally written to the Magistrate as the Magistrate; and these Epistles to Timothy agree principally to the Christian Magistrate, and to Pastors and Doctors at the by, as they be delegates and substitutes of the Magistrates; and that, by office, the Emperor of Rome was to lay hands suddenly on no man, and commit the Gospel to faithful men who could teach others, and was not to receive an accusation against an Elder; and certainly, if the Magistrate call to office those that are over us in the Lord, and if those who watch for our souls, especially, be but the curates and delegates of the King and Parliament, then the King and Parliament behooved in a more eminent manner to watch for our souls; for directions and commandments of God in this kind, are more principally given to the Master, Lord, and chief Governor of the house of God, (if the Magistrate be such) then to the servants & delegates▪ But where is there any such directions given to the Emperor, King, or Christian Magistrate, by any shadow of ground in the Word? It is not much to say, The Magistrate was an heathen & an enemy at this time, and therefore those could not be written to him. For 1. No force can strain these two Epistles to Timothy, and the other to Titus, which contain a form of Church-policy to any Christian Magistrate; for then the qualification of the King, if he be the supreme Governor of the Church should far rather have been expressed, then the qualification of a Bishop and a Deacon, which is nowhere hinted at. 2. All these directions, notwithstanding this, do and must actu primo, agree to the Mag • strate: for his office who is chief governor, & what he should be is described in the Word. 3. When Christ ascended on high, he gave, as a fruit of his ascension, sufficient means for his intended end, The perfecting of the Saints, the gathering of his Body the Church, and the edifying thereof, even till we all meet in the Unity of the Spirit, and the knowledge of the son of God unto a perfect man, Eph. 4. Now neither in that place, nor in any other place, did Christ give a Magistrate for the edifying his Body the Church; but only those that are but his Delegates, Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers, i • the Magistrate be the only Governor of the Church, and he who sendeth into the Vineyard those who edify the Body; the King should have been first in this Role, as the only supreme gatherer, edifier and builder of the Church: It cannot be said, The Ruling Elder then, because he is omitted here, should not be the gift of Christ, given to Edifi • the Church; and by this it must be denied, that the King the Nurse father of the Church who is to take care that the Children be fed with the sincere milk of the Word, is given of God to edf • ie the Church, because he is not name • here.

Ans. Our Divines, as Calvin, Beza, Marlorate, do strongly gather from this place, that because the Pope pretended to be the Catholic edifier of the Church, is not here in this Text, nor in any other scripture, that therefore he is not the head of the Church; and the King, being pretended to be the only eminent gatherer of the Church, and Supreme Governor in all Causes, Civil and Ecclesiastical, he should especially have been set down here, he being a mixed person, and more then half a Church-officer in the mind of the Adversary: And there was no color of reason, why the supreme and only Head, and principal Governor of the Church, should be omitted, at least the Magistrate should be in some other Scripture as the only Church Governor; seeing the Adversaries make Pastors, Doctors, Elders, and Deacons, only the Delegates and Servants of the Magistrate. 1. As God calleth the King to govern the people, by the free election of the people; so if the Magistrate be called of God to teach and govern the Church, this calling of his should be in the Scripture, as his calling to the Throne or Bench is, Deut. 17. 14. 15, &c. & 1. 15, 16. Rom. 13. Tit. 3. 1, 2. But in neither the Old nor the New Testament find we any Prince or Ruler separated for the holy things of God, to be ` Priest, Apostle, Pastor, Prophet, Teacher by virtue of his office, as if he were a mixed person (as the Adversarie say.) No David is called to Sacrifice, no Constantine to preach and Administrate the Sacraments by virtue of the Magistrates place. 2. If any Reply, that the Christian Magistrate is a means ordained for that spiritual end, the gathering and edifying the Church, in regard the keepeth not only the second Table of the Law, and so promoteth not only the Temporal good of the State in promoting mercy and Justice only, but also in procuring spiritual good to the people in preserving the first Table of the Law. I Answer, That the Christian Magistrate doth both; but 1. Not directly by being the intrinsical means, in actibus elicitis, in elicit and intrinsical acts, promoting edification in both Tables of the Law, of which the Scripture speaketh, Eph. 4 11. but a far other way: 1. In imperated and commanded acts extrinsically, as he doth command with the sword for Peaces cause in all calling • , in sailing, trading, painting, &c. promoting it by carnal means by the sword, which belongeth not to the officers of Christ's Kingdom. 2. Not necessarily, as the Pastors and Elders, without which Christ hath no external visible Kingdom on earth, whereas he hath had, & often hath a complete flourishing external visible Kingdom without Magistrates: yea, where Magistrates have been open enemies to the Gospel. 3. Not directly the Magistrate doth this, but in so far as he admitteth (as Triglandius saith) the Church of Christ within his State, which he may, and often doth refuse to do, and yet be a complete Magistrate; and therefore the Magistrate may two ways procure the spiritual good of the Church: 1. By procuring that the Nurses give good and wholesome milk to the Church, 2. Permodum removent is prohibens, which is also a cause, for he may save the flock from great temptations, when by his sword he driveth away the Wolves from the flock▪ But not any of these bringeth the Magistrate within the lis • of the number of these intrinsical, 2. Necessary, 3. Spiritual gifts, which Christ ascending on high, gave for the Edifying of his Body the Church.

Two powers so different as spiritual and temporal: 2. As powers carnal of this world, and spiritual not of this world: And 3. Both immediately subject, the one to God the creator, the other to Christ the Redeemer and Head of the Church, and so co-ordinate, and supreme both of them in their own kind, cannot be so subordinate, as the temporal should be the supreme in the same kind, the spiritual the inferior and subordinate. But these two powers are so different, as spiritual and temporal, carnal of this world, spiritual not of this world, the one subject as supreme immediately to God creator, the other supreme immediately subject to God the redeemer; Ergo, Those powers of Governing are not so subordinate as the Temporal should be supreme, the spiritual subordinate to it.

The Major is undeniable, for it involveth a contradiction that two supreme co-ordinate powers should be two, not Supreame, but subornidate powers: The same way I prove the Assumption. 1. The Magistrates power is supreme from God, Rom. 13. 1. The Powers that are be of God, Prov. 8. By me Kings reign, for no Ecclesiastical power, nor any power on earth, interveenes between God the Creator, and the power of the civil Magistrates; But God who giveth being to a society of men, hoc ipso, because they are a society of reasonable men, hath given to them a power immediately from▪ himself, to design such and such to be their Rulers: Shew us any higher power above the Magistrates, but God the creator making the civil power. Never man dreamt that the Spiritual power of the Church doth interveen as an instrumental cause of the politick power. 2. By order of nature, a politick power is first: men are first men in natural and politick society, ere they be in a supernatural policy, or a Church; and Christ did not make a spiritual power by the intervention of a civil power. 2. The power of the two Kingdoms are distinguished by Christ, John 18. 36. Jesus answered, my Kingdom is not of this World, (then the power thereof is not of this World,) if my Kingdom were of this World, then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews. The one power is coactive by the Sword, the other free, voluntary by the Word. Erastus had no reason to infer thence that Christ's Kingdom is only internal and invisible, not external and visible, because Christ opposeth his Kingdom to a fighting Kingdom, using the sword to defend him from the Jews, that he should not be taken and crucified, as is clear in the words, but he opposeth not his Kingdom to an external visible Kingdom, for his Church visible consisting of visible Officers is his Kingdom, Eph. 4. 11, 12. 1 Cor. 12. 13 &c. The Word of the Kingdom is audible, and it is visibly professed, and Ministers are visibly and externally called to the holy Ministry, by the laying on of the hands of the Elders and voices of the People; but he opposeth his Kingdom to a Kingdom fighting with the Sword, and using the coactive power of the sword to save him from being apprehended and crucified by the Jews: Now this is the Magistrates Kingdom, for he beareth not the sword in vain, Rom. 13. 4. and so Christ evidently proveth in these words, that the power that beareth the sword, which is the very essence of the Magistrates office as a Magistrate, is not a part of his Kingdom, for his Kingdom is of another World, and Spiritual; but the Magistrates power is of this World, and useth worldly weapons, as the sword. Then it is evident that the Magistrate as the Magistrate, 1. Is not subordinate to Christ as Mediator and head of the Church. 2. That when it was said, All power in heaven and earth is given to the Mediator Christ: The sense cannot be, the power of the sword was given to him as Mediator, to be a judge and a Ruler on earth, which he refused, Luke 12. 13, 14. (though as God he hath the power of the sword.) 3. That the supreme Magistrate as Magistrate is not the only Deputy, Delegate, and Vicar of Christ as Mediator; for if Christ as Mediator have a substitute and Deputy, such as the Magistrate as the Magistrate, who beareth his bloody sword to cut off the enemies of the Church, and to fight for Christ: then 1. Christ's Kingdom surely should be of this World. 2. By the same reason, since as Mediator he is Priest, and a High Priest to offer a sacrifice to God, as all Priests must do that are proper Priests Heb. 8. 3. c. 9. 7. c. 10. 14. c. 10. 1, 2, 3. &c. there must be Priests under Christ properly so called, to offer some bloody sacrifice satisfactory for sin, which is blasphemy to say, I mean proper Priests; for otherwise in a figurative and borrowed sense, all beleeevers are Priests to offer themselves to God, Rom. 12. 1. Revel. 1. 5. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. but not the Deputies of the High Priest Jesus Christ, and by the same reason he must have Prophets under him that are Vicars and Deputies, which is unpossible for Christ as Prophet and great Prophet, is essentially Lawgiver, and the Author of Cannonick Scripture, and he who really by a supernatural power teacheth the heart, but so he hath no Deputies, nor any Ministers or Prophets, nor any under Law-givers, or under Prophets, which by an action or any active power communicated to them, can as under Lawgivers devise any part of Law or Gospel or any other part of Cannonick Scripture, or have any active influence supernatural to make a new heart: Hence all our Divines say, Christ as Mediator and King of the Church hath no Deputies, neither King, nor High Priest, nor Pope, nor Saint. 4. It must follow, that the Magistrate who as Magistrate beareth the Sword, is not the head officer of the Church under the Mediator; for as Magistrate he must act with the sword, upon the Church as the Church, and the Ministers of the Gospel as they are such; whereas when the Magistrate doth act as Magistrate on the Ministers with the sword, he doth it on them as men erring and sinning: But only so he procureth as a Magistrate the spiritual good of the Church as the Church, indirectly and by the sword, in driving away Heretics and wolves from the flock.

That Church which is the pattern and rule to all the Churches unto the end of the world, in those things that belongeth to a Church, as a Christian Church, must be our rule and pattern in Government: But in the Apostolic Church of Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Thessalonica, Corinth, Galatia, Philippi, Colossae, the seven Churches of Asia, planted and framed up as perfect Christian Churches, by the Apostles, the Magistrate was not the only supreme Governor of Churches; nor did the Apostles, Elders and Teachers in those Churches, nor the Church, act, preach, dispence the Sacraments, rule, govern as servants, under, and through, and from the Authority of the Magistrate or King, as his Vicars, deputies, and servants; But by immediate Authority from Jesus Christ placed in them without the intervening mediation of Magistrates; Ergo, that Church should be the pattern of our Church, though the adversaries deny the proposition, to wit, that the Apostolic Churches as Apostolic, should be our pattern in all things in regard that the Magistrates were then heathens & enemies to the Church and Gospel, and so de facto, actually, and by accident could not be the supreme officers and Governors of the Church; yet now, when we have Christian Magistrates, that are nursefathers to the Church, and believers professing the Gospel, such as David, Solomon, Josiah, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, and other godly Princes of Israel and Judah were, and therefore that the Church, as it is a General, both to the Jewish and Christian Church, should be our pattern in Government; yet we have (though I say, they deny this Major) a great advantage of the adversaries in these. 1. We have the first Christian Church to be our pattern, and the New Jerusalem that came down from Heaven, from God, Revel. 21. 10. The mother of us all, Gal. 4. 26. Which is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, Ephe. 2. 20. to be our rule and pattern, and all that was prophesied, though not completely in all the degrees of the Church of the Apostles, was then fulfilled, as touching the essence of a Church. 2. Yet here the Magistrate was no chief officer. 3. The adversaries must prove Moses, David, Solomon, and those godly Kings, as Kings and Magistrates, and virtute officij, were supreme rulers and Church-officers, and so that Constantine, and all the godly Princes and Emperors, were, by virtue of their office, as Magistrates, all such Prophets, as were Moses, David, Solomon: for certainly, they as Prophets wrote Scripture, had the form and structure of the Temple revealed to them of God, received Laws from God for the Priests: if our Kings as Magistrates now can do the like, we shall then say something to their Headship over the Church. 4. And if they reformed Religion in the time of the defection of the Priests, when they were holy and zealous, and walked with God, and did right in the sight of the Lord like unto David, such as Jehoshaphaet, Josiah, when the Priests were corrupt: we shall grant the like to Parliaments made up of Josiah's and Ezechiahs; when the Assembly of Divines are corrupt, Heterodox, and all the Pastors have corrupted their ways. 5. Civil punishing of Church-men when they are Heretical and scandalous, we heartily yield to Magistrates. But that Magistrates as such should Excommunicate and admit such to the Sacrament, and reject other such, and rebuke, or, that the Magistrate as the Magistrate, did of old judge between the clean and the unclean, cast out from the congregation and camp, and receive in, and so govern the Church, is altogether unwarranttable. Now the adversaries, as Erastus, grant that Idolaters, Apostates, and extremely profane men, are to be cast out of the Christian society, and not to be suffered there; and also that Dogs, and Swine, and Apostates, & persecut • rs, are neither to be admitted to hear the Word, nor partake of the Sacraments: So also Mr. Prynne, if Magistrates must cast them out of the Church by virtue of their office, and judge as Magistrates who are profane, and who truly fear God, and who are dogs and Apostates, who not, surely then Magistrates as Magistrates must discern between the clean and the unclean, as Priest▪ of old, and must separate the precious from the vile, as the Prophets did of old, and so were the mouth of God, and must stand before the Lord, le • . 15. 19. Then must Magistrates as Magistrates be Pastors called in the Pulpit as well as in the Throne, and the Bench, and that by virtue of their calling, which neither Erastus, nor the reverend Mr. Prynne will own. Now if the Elders of the Church with the consent of the people, must cast such out of the Church, and from communion in the holy things of God, here is in express terms the very Ecclesiastical Excommunication which Mr. Prynne denieth to be an Ordinance of God, and yet it must be commanded by Jesus Christ in these words, Mat. 7. 6. Give not holy things unto dogs, and therefore keep not in Church communion the profane, and (by the way) Mr. Prynne to me yieldeth the cause, and granteth that Excommunication and suspension from the Sacraments, do both fall under this precept of Christ, Mat. 7. That which falleth under a command of Christ, to me is a Divine Ordinance. 2. He saith also, reasoning against are suspension from the Sacraments, Obstinate scandalous sinners make no conscience at all of receiving the Sacrament, and voluntarily suspend themselves there-from, in case they be freely admitted to other Ordinances, it being only the total Exclusion from the Church, and all Christian society (not any bare suspension from the Sacrament,) which worketh both shame and remorse in excommunicate persons, as Paul resolveth 1 Thes. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 5. 13. compared with 1 Cor. 1. to v. 10. 3. This is, in terminis, excommunication proved from divers places of Scripture, for it is a total Exclusion from the Church, and all Christian society, working shame and remorse as Paul resolveth: We seek no more, Paul's resolution to us is a Divine right. Those words of that Learned and Reverend man have (give me leave by the way to say, for I hope worthier then I am, do answer fully all he hath said in this subject) all that we crave. For 1. obstinate men will voluntarily suspend themselves from the Sacrament: Ergo, the Church should not suspend them only, but also Excommunicate them; I grant all, if they be obstinate, they are to be not only suspended, but also excommunicated; Ergo, they are not solie and only to be suspended, Pro hac vice, for this time; it followeth no ways, all that this Reverend Lawyer saith against sole suspension from the Sacrament of an obstinate offender, is nothing against us; if he be obstinate, he is not only to be suspended from the Sacrament, but also if he go on in refusing to hear the admonitions of brethren, and of the Church, he is to be excommunicated; Ergo, he is not first, hac vice, to be suspended from a confirming Ordinance given to those only who are supposed to have the life of faith, and can only eat and drink spiritually and by faith the body and blood of Christ; It followeth not. I think Mr. Prynne would not have Heretics and Apostates suddenly and at the first totally (as he saith) excluded from the Church, and all Christian society, sure we owe some gentleness and patience even to them, If God peradventure may give them Repentance to scape out of the snare of the Devil, 2 Tim. 2. 24. 25, 26. yet if an Heretic and Apostate that same day that the Lord's Supper were to be celebrated should deny the Resurrection, and Jesus Christ to be God blessed forever, and not equal with the Father, nor consubstantial with him, and withal should that same day have offered his child to Molech, and yet profess his desire to come to the Lord's Supper, professing he had tried and examined himself, and his desire to come to eat and drink with Jesus Christ the great Prophet of his Church; Would not Mr. Prynne think he should not be admitted to the Lord's Supper, and yet that he should not totally be excluded from the Church, and all communion from the Church and holy things of God? I should think if he cannot be presently excommunicated, yet he should not be admitted to the Sacrament, for sure he cannot but be in a doggish and swinish disposition in one degree or other: And my reason is, he is as Erastus saith, non recte institutus, not rightly instructed, but heterodoxe, and so cannot try and examine himself, while he be better principled in the faith: so a suspension for a time from the Lord's supper, and ex natura rei, without total exclusion from the Church and all Christian society, were as necessary, (whether the Magistrate or Church suspend, I dispute not now) as a degree of punishment, or a preventing of eating of damnation is necessary hi • & nunc: O, but saith Master Prinne, Christ knew that Judas was worse than an heretic, and yet he denied not to admit him to the Supper; Ergo, though we knew such a one, the Sacrament being a converting Ordinance, it followeth not that we should debar him from the Sacrament.

Ans. Whether Judas did eat the Supper of the Lord, or not, I think nothing of the matter; only Master Prinne hath duram provinciam, and a very hard task to prove it from Scripture, If I were to examine his book, I should deny his consequences from the Evangelists, for not any of them can prove that Judas did communicate at the last Supper. But, 1. Christ's example in this being an act of Christ, as God, permitting the greatest hypocrisy on earth, is no rule to the Church to give the Lord's Supper to Iuddasses; First, Judas was visibly and infallibly to Christ, a man who deserved to be totally excluded out of the Church and all Christian society, and to Christ a known traitor, a Devil, an hypocrite; Ergo, as Christ did not exclude him out of the Church; neither should the Saints now exclude from their society; nor should the Christian Magistrate (as Erastus and Master Prinne thinketh) exclude Judases and known traitors, and known Devils, and known children of the Devil out of the Church; this is to Erastus and Master Prinne both absurd. 2. Christ did eat and drink with Judas knowing him to be all these; Ergo, we may eat and drink with known traitors also, the contrary is a truth, 1 Cor. 5. 9, 10. 11. 2 Thess. 3, 14, 15, Rom. 16. 17. evident enough. 3. Christ preached the Gospel to those that he knew sinned against the Holy Ghost, to the Pharisees who persecuted Christ to death and others, Math. 12. 31, 32, 33, 34. John. 15. 22, 23, 24, 25. John. 7. 28, 29. John. 12. 35, 36, 37, 38. John. 10. 31, 32. John. 11. 47, 48. and this is by the exposition of Erastus l. 3. c. 3. pag. 307. 308. and Master Prinne his vindication, pag. 38, 39. To give holy things to dogs: so Mr. Prinne saith, that by dogs and swine, are meant only such infidels and heathen, who refuse to embrace and believe the Gospel, or harbor or entertain the preachers of it, (of which the text is principally intended) as well as the Sacraments, or of such open contemners, persecutors of the Gospel and Ministers, who run upon and tear the preachers thereof, trampling the pearls of the Gospel, and the tenderers of them under their feet, as the Text resolves in terminis, Mat. 7. 6. Mat. 10, 14, 15. Luk. 9▪ 5. Act. 13. 46. or open Apostates. 2. Pet. 1. 2, 21, 22, &c: hence by this we may give the pearls of the Gospel to such dogs as the Pharisees, for to them Christ tendered the pearl of the Gospel. 4. Christ might have hindered, being God equal with the Father, the Pharisees and Jews to malice him; Ergo, he being above the Laws that he gives to us, doth not in this example warrant us to cast the pearls of the Gospel to such as we know to be Judases, Pharisees, and malicious haters and heart-murderers of Christ. 2. There is not the like reason of preaching the word, and dispensing the seals, 1. Because the word is a converting ordinance out of question, and preached to heathen and to the non-converted, though they refuse to embrace and believe the Gospel, and refuse to entertain the preachers of it: as is clear, Act. 19. 22, 23, 24, 25. Tit. 1. 10, 11, 12, 13. 2 Tim. 3. 25, 26, 27. The Texts that Master Prinne alledgeth, that the Gospel should not be preached to heathen who refuse to embrace and believe the Gospel, to wit, Mat. 10. 14, 15. Luk. 9. 5. Act. 13. 46. are to no purpose, for Mat. 10. Luk. 9. is but a Temporary Commandment, given for a time, that the Disciples should depart from those houses of Judea (there is nothing of the heathen; But by the contrary the Apostles are forbidden to go to Samaritans or Gentiles at all, Mat. 10. 5, 6.) who would not receive the peace of God in the Gospel, which precept the Apostles in the story of the Acts, did not observe; but preached the Gospel to many heathen who refused to embrace and believe the Gospel: As Act. 16. and 17. and 19. 2. The place, Act. 13. 15. is meant of the blaspheming Jews, to whom Paul preached long after they persecuted and stoned the Prophets, and had killed the Lord of life, Act▪ 2. and 4. and 8. and 9. Mat. 23. 37, 38. 3. Those places, are to better color of purpose brought by Arminians, and Socinians to prove, that the Gospel is preached to people for their good entertainment thereof, and denied to others for their unworthiness, and because they will not welcome it; So the Arminians in the conference at Hague, pag. 87, 88, 89. God sendeth the Gospel not according to his absolute will, sed ob alias causas in homine latent • s, for secret causes in man. Arminius against Perkins. p. 199. The will of God in sending the Gospel, hath causes in the will of man according to that, habenti dabitur: So Corvinus ad Wallachros, p. 44. Socinus Comment. in 1. Epist. John. c. 4. p. 307. saith the same: and Mr. Prynne is pleased in the same sense to cite them, I conceive imprudently, for I believe that Reverend and learned man doth hate those impious Sects, the Enemies of the grace of God; but truly if this be a rule to Pastors to spread the Gospel, that they are to offer and give the pearl of the preached Gospel to those that willingly receive it, and harbor the preachers, and presently to depart and preach no more the word of the Kingdom to those who refuse it, as the places Mat. 10. 14. & Luke 9. 5. carry that sense, because they are Heathens who refuse to embrace and believe the Gospel, and harbor the Preachers, as (the worthy Divine saith,) conceiving that to be a casting of Pearls to Dogs and Swine; I see not how the Preachers & spreaders of the Gospel to the Heathen, are to believe that God out of mere grace, & the good pleasure of his will, without respect to good or bad deserving, sendeth the Gospel to some, and denieth it to others. 3. Though the Sacrament of the Supper be a converting Ordinance in this sense, that it corroborateth faith and conversion, where it was once, and so applieth the Promises to one who before believed, yet it is not a converting ordinance, that is to be administered to one dead in sins and trespasses, as the word is, for then at the first Sermon that ever is preached to a Heathen, if he should say, though for base & worldly ends known to the Church that he desired to have the Sacraments, we are obliged to believe that he sincerely desireth these Seals, and instantly at the same sermon to baptize him, & administer the other Seal of the Lord's Supper to him; for how can we deny converting Ordinances to those who desire them? say our adversaries. 4. An ordinance that cannot be dispensed to a Heathen, remaining a Heathen, and to an unconverted man known to be an unconverted man, is not an Ordinance that ought to be dispensed, as the ordinance of the Word, and as the first converting ordinance, to so many as we may safely dispense the Word unto, and if it be first a converting ordinance, as the preaching of the Word is; then it is to be dispensed to all those to whom we are to preach the Word. But Erastus and Mr. Prynne grant, we may preach the Word to Heathen remaining Heathen, and if they deny it, (as they yield it) the Apostles did preach the Gospel to the Heathen remaining Heathen, but they never admitted, nor can we admit to the Lord's Supper Heathen remaining Heathen, nor could the Jews upon the same ground, admit to the Passover the uncircumcised: now then the preaching of the Word to some cannot make the Church and preachers guilty of casting pearls to Swine, and of partaking of their si • , whose hearing is not mixed with faith; and yet if the Church and Ministers should admit to the Sacraments Heathen remaiing Heathen, they should prostitute holy things to Dogs, and be guilty of an Heathen man's eating of his own damnation; Hence this Assertion of Mr. Prynne must be a great mistake, That Ministers may as well refuse to preach the Word to such unexcommunicated, gross, impenitent, scandalous Christians, whom they would suspend from the Sacrament, for fear of partaking with them in their sin, as to administer the Sacrament to them, because (saith he,) unprofitable hearing is as damning a sin, as unworthy receiving of the Sacrament: 1. Because there is and may be discovered to be in the congregation, persons as unworthy as Heathen, such as Simon Magus, yea, latent Judases, Parricides, who are in the visible Church while God discover their hypocrisy; but we may lawfully preach the Word to men as uncapable of the Word as Heathen, and as unworthy; as Christ and the Apostles did, who did not contravene that, Cast not Pearls to Swine, yet we cannot give the Sacraments to men known to be as scandalous, uncapable, and unworthy as Heathen; but we must prostitute holy things to Dogs, and partake of their sin; for this is non causa pro causa, that Mr. Prynne bringeth, to say we may as well refuse to preach the Gospel to scandalous impenitents, as to administer the Sacrament, without partaking of the sins of either, because unprofitable hearing is as damning a sin, as unworthy receiving the Supper; This Because is no cause: it is true, they are both damnable sins, but how proveth he that Preachers partake equally of both▪ I can show him a clear difference which demonstrateth the weakness of this connection. 1. Vnprofitable hearing of the Gospel in a Heathen is as damning a sin, as hypocritical receiving of the Sacrament is a sin, they are not equalia peccata, but sure they are • que peccata; but I may preach the Gospel to a Heathen, and not partake of his sin of unprofitable hearing, for I may be commanded to preach to a Heathen remaining a Heathen, as Paul preached to Felix, to the scoffing Athenians, to the persecuting Jews, and giving obedience to the command of God, freeth me from partaking of his unprofitable hearing; But I cannot administer the Lord's Supper to an Heathen remaining a Heathen, without sharing in his sin; and suppose a Heathen remaining a Heathen would crowd in to the Lord's Table, as of old many Heathen feigned themselves to be Jews, desiring to serve the time, 1 Sam. 14. 21. yet I should partake of the Heathens unworthy receiving, if knowing him to be a Heathen serving the time, and crouding in amongst the people of God, I should administer the Lord's Supper, because I have no command of God to administer the Lord's Supper to a Heathen man, nor could Paul administer the Sacrament to the scoffing Athenians, or to Felix, without taking part with them in their profaning of the Lord's Table. 2. The necessity of preaching the Word, it being simply necessary to the first conversion of a sinner, putteth Pastors in a case that they may, and ought to preach the Gospel to Heathen, and to thousands known to be unconverted without any participation of their unprofitable hearing, and the non-necessity of the Lord's Supper, or the Seal of the Covenant, and the nourishing of their souls to life eternal, who visibly and to the knowledge of those who are dispensers of the Sacrament, profane, and abominably wicked, putteth those same dispensers in a condition of being compartners with them in the profaning of the holy things of God, if they dispence the bread to those that are knowingly dead in sins, so the Gospel may be taught in Catechism to Children, Deut. 6. 6, 7. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Exod. 12. 26, 27. Gen. 18. 19. Prov. 22. 6. because there is a necessity they be saved by hearing, Rom. 10. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 23. but there is no necessity, but a command on the contrary, that the Lord's Supper be dispensed to no children, nor to any that cannot examine themselves, and they may be saved without the Sacrament, but not ordinarily without the Word; nor were it enough to forwarne Apostates, and persecutors, and Hypocriticall heathen, and children, that if they eat unworthily they eat their own damnation, as Mr. Prynne saith, and yet reach the Sacrament to those, for the dispensers then should • ast Pearls to some Dogs and Swine contrary to Mat. 5. 6. and they should be free of the guilt in polluting of holy things, if they should give them a watch-word, say they were about to profane the holy things of God, before they committed such wickedness. Nor do we as Mr. Prynne saith, nor know we, or the Scriptures any such distinction, as sealing externally to the senses of any receiving the Lord's Supper, lawfully divided, (sinfully it may be divided, but there is no Law for sin, no print, no authority of men for it,) from the internal sealing, nor heard we ever of two sorts of conversion, one external from Paganism to the external profession of the faith, wrought extraordinarily by Miracles without the Word, and ordinarily by Baptism in Infants▪ and another internal from formal profession, to an inward embracing of Christ and his merits. 1. Because the Stewards and Ambassadors of Christ, may notdare to play with the Sacraments as children do with nuts, to seal to men's senses and fancies Christ and spiritual nourishment in him, and part in his body broken and blood shed, in those who visibly have nothing of faith to their discerning, and of the life of Christ, but only senses and fancy, such as all visibly and notoriously scandalous walking after the flesh, all Herericks, Apostates, known and unwashen Hypocrites have, and no more. 2. All heathen and unbaptized have senses, and are capable of external washing, and external and Sacramental eating, as well as others are, but are they capable of the Seals, because they have bodies to be washed, and teeth and stomach to eat Sacramentally? And have Ministers warrant enough to dispense the Sacraments to all that have senses? But they must be within the visible Church also, ere they be capable of Sacraments, Mr. Prynne will say; but I ask by what warrant Mr. Prynne alledgeth that the Supper of the Lord is a converting ordinance as well as the Word, and that Pastors may without sin dispense the Sacraments to those to whom they preach the Word, but they may preach the Word to Heathen remaining Heathen; Ergo, may they dispense the Lord's Supper to Heathen remaining Heathen? What more absurd? yet, remaining Heathen, they are as capable of Mr. Prynne his sense-sealing, and sense-converting Sacraments, as any sound believer. 3. A sealing to the senses cannot be divided from the inward sealing by the Spirit; neither in the intention of God, for the external sealing without the internal is Hypocrisy, and God cannot intend Hypocrisy, nor can this division be in regard of the nature of the Sacrament, for it doth seal to us our spiritual nourishment in Christ, except we sinfully separate the one from the other, and sin is no ordinance of God. 4. What word of Christ hath Mr. Prynne for extraordinary conversion of men by Miracles without the Word? He must conceive with Arminians and Socinians, that many are converted that never heard of that precious name of Jesus, without which there is no salvation, Act. 4. 11. or of a faith in Christ, as Moses Amyraut dreameth, without the knowledge of Christ, and may write books de salute Ethnicorum, for this external conversion doth lead of its own nature to internal conversion and salvation: This may make us fancy somewhat of the salvation of Aristotle, Seneca, Cicero, Aristides, Scipio, Regulus, without the Law or Gospel, this way of extraordinarily saving men by Miracles without the Gospel, is the doctrine of Arminians and Socinians; so say the Arminians at the Synod of Dort▪ pag. 334, 335. Those whom God hath deprived of the Gospel, he hath not precisely rejected them from a communion of the benefits of the Gospel. Adolphus Venator. adver. Dracenos p. 84. saith, The heathen are saved without the Gospel, if they •• n but pray, Ens Entium miserere mei, Socinus praelec. Thelo. c. 3. telleth us of an inspired word that saveth us, called verbum interius. You may please Schoolmen thus, such as Granadus Contr. 8. de grat. tract. 6. disp. 1. numb. 43. did. Ruiz. de Predesti. se. 8. numb. 7. Alexand. Alens. 8. p. q. 69. memb. 5. art. 3. De bonis Philosophis sic credo, &c. Roa. lib. 1. De Provident. quest. 7. n. 50. Vega lib. 13. in Trident. cap. 12. Enriquez Tom. 2. De ultimo fine, c. 14. num. 6. quod lib. 8. quest. 5. Vasquez 1. par. disp. 97. and c. 5. Soto lib. 1. de nat. & grat. c. 18. ad. 2. Francis. Sonnius in demonstrate. Tract. 12. de consiliis c. 8. Camerarius lib. 1. de grat. c. 8. & lib. 7. c. 8. who do all of them send all the good Philosophers and white Morallists to heaven by Miracles, inspirations, extraordinary works of providence, and that without any rumour of Christ and the Gospel; famous Papists to their own shame, yield that Divine faith cannot be produced by Miracles. Andradius saith often they may be false. Maldonatus saith, That no necessary argument of faith can be drawn from Miracles. Gregorius de Valen. saith, Miracles give us no infallible certainty of Doctrine. Bellarmine saith, Miracles cannot convince the mind. Durand giveth a sure reason why miracles cannot produce faith; Because (saith he) suppose it were known of itself, that this miracle of the raising e. g. of Lazarus were true, yet it is not known by itself, that it testifieth that this is a true Doctrine which he preacheth who worketh the miracle. Mr. Prynne then hath put the salvation of those who never heard the Gospel upon extraordinary Pillars, when he bottometh them on miracles without the word, which are extraordinary rotten Pillars.

5. The Lord's Supper, of which we now dispute, is not the mean of our first conversion, from formal profession, to inward embracing the Gospel: For the word must go before, and not simply the external letter of the word; but the word first believed and received by the efficacions working of the holy Ghost: And so the word is indeed the first converting Ordinance; and so the Lord's Supper is given to one who already believes, and the Sacrament concurreth as a mean to make good, corroborate, and increase the conversion which was before. Mr. Prynne might have spared his pains in proving, That the Lord's Supper is a converting Ordinance, because it applieth Christ • o u • : we grant it to be a converting, and quickening, and lively applicatory Ordinance: But how? He may know that what ever Ordinance addeth a new degree of Faith of conversion, of saving application of Christ and the Promises, must be a converting Ordinance: But it is so converting, that it is a confirming Ordinance, and necessarily it presupposeth Faith and conversion already wrought by the word; it is not a first-converting Ordinance, such as is the word; but as nourishing or accretion is a sort of vital generation in the body of a growing child, so as Physicians make nutrition in children to be Aggeneration, or, Congeneration, or a vital generation with, or in the body, and it presupposeth the first generation, by which life is given to the child; now nourishing doth not give life, things void of life are not capable of nourishing; therefore nourishing is the continuing of life, and as it were prorogated and continued generation: so here, Sacramental eating by faith, is a spiritual feeding and nourishing of the soul on the crucified Lord's body broken, & his blood shed, it is not the act of our first conversion: Regeneration is sealed in Baptism, and Christ given as sealing and confirming Regeneration; but the Lord's Supper is that which exhibiteth Christ to us as food, and sealeth our spiritual growing and coalition in Christ: I say not this, as if the Church could give the Supper of the Lord to none but such as are inwardly and really Regenerated, but to show that the Church taketh such as are externally called, to be internally called when they dispense this Supper to them; & that they are nearer Christ then those that hear the Gospel (which Heathen may do) ere they can be admitted to the Supper. And this Erast. everywhere, and Mr. Prynne, in terminis teach when they say, That those that are recte instituti, rightly instructed, who earnestly desire the Lord's Supper, profess sincere Repentance, and promise amendment, are only to be admitted to the Sacrament, and those only excluded who are convicted to be gross and scandalous, and obstinate offenders. Whence it is clear they profess Repentance, and to the Church they are converts, who are to be admitted to the Supper before they come to the Lord's Supper: Now this must be done by the word Preached, and received by faith in profession; Ergo, this Supper in the Church-way, cannot be dreamt to be a mean of their first conversion, far less in foro Dei, in God's court, can men first receive the Lord's Supper having never heard the word, and then be converted in foro Dei, really and inwardly, by receiving the Lord's Supper; then might the Sacrament, before and without the word, be given, if it be a converting Ordinance belonging to all to whom the word belongeth: For Mr. Prynne saith, It can be denied to none within the visible Church. And what reason, if it be no less the first converting Ordinance, but that it may be administered to those that never heard the word, and are Members of the visible Church? And by this Mr. Prynne cannot deny, but the Lord's Supper should be dispensed to infants and children, who cannot try themselves, nor yet discern the Lord's Body: Yea, those that are convicted of obstinacy in scandalous sins, are Members of the Church; for how could they be judged, convicted and sentenced, if they be not within? 1 Cor. 5. 12. Ergo, their being Members of the Church, is not enough to admit them to the Lord's Supper, except they be to the Church otherwise qualified and fitted for it. And this doth clearly evidence, That the word of the Kingdom may, & ought to be Preached to many within the Church, that they may be converted to whom the Supper is not to be dispensed, that they may be converted, which is enough for our point to exclude promiscuous admission of all to the Supper; and to prove some other qualification must be requisite, in those that come to the Supper before the Ministers, (without violation of the holy things of God, and being guilty of not distributing aright) can administer the Supper to them▪ and this is another visible qualification then is requisite in those that hear the word: For Erastus and Mr. Prynne require, That all that come to the Supper be rightly instructed. 2. That they promise amendment of life: But they cannot say, none are to be admitted to hear the word, while they be qualified thus; you exclude the ignorant from the Sacrament, do you exclude the ignorant from hearing the word? Farther, I desire to be resolved, why Erastus and his require any qualification at all in the one, more then in the other, according to their way: For suppose persons Baptized be only negatively blameless, and not visibly scandalous; yet Erastus and Mr. Prynne cannot deny the Supper to such. Suppose they know not whether they be as ignorant of God as Indians, and suppose they promise no amendment, and do positively profess no repentance at all: 1. Ministers can deny no converting Ordinances to persons, because ignorant; for if the Supper of the Lord be a converting Ordinance, it shall convert men from their ignorance; and an Indian ignorant of Christ, ought to be Baptized, to the end, that Baptism may convert him from his ignorance. Now I think our Brethren cannot say this, and therefore they must yield, that Ministers dare not admit all within the Church to the Seals, except they would be guilty of their sin, in eating to themselves damnation; and yet they dare not debar the ignorant within the Church from hearing the word, and so are no way compartners with them in the sin of unprofitable hearing. 2. Mr. Prynne may here see some ignorants debarred from the Lord's Supper; yet I hope he would not be so rigid as to Excommunicate all ignorants, because ignorant: the most rigid Novatians would condemn that: and here is sole suspension without Excommunication, which Mr. Prynne saith is not to be found in all the word of God.

I wondered much when I read those words of the learned and reverend Master Prynne: That God, who bestoweth no Ordinances on men in vain, must intend in instituting the Supper, that visible moral unregenerate Christians, may be converted thereby, as well as real Saints be confirmed: to which I reply: 1. Neither word nor Sacraments, nor anything on the part of the Almighty can be intended in vain, though the end of the Ordinance be not obtained, I should have expected some such divinity from the pen of Arminians and Socinians, who make God to intend the salvation of all, and everyone in both the promises of the Gospel, precepts and Sacraments, and yet he falleth from this end: so you may read, in Arminius Anti-Perkins, pag. 60. that God is disappointed in his end, in both Law and Gospel, and God shooting beside his mark misseth the salvation of many, say the Remonstrants at the Synod of Dort, pag. 216. and in their confession, c. 7. sect. 3. and because Socinus thought it hard thus to take from God wise intentions; he did no less then blasphemously deprive him of his omniscience: So Socians contra puccium, c. 10. and in prelectionib. Theolog. c. 11. made all things that are contingently to come, uncertain to God: But if you speak of intentio operis, non operantis, that the Supper, in its nature, is ordained (this may rather be your meaning) that moral men like Cicero, and Seneca, and Judas, and the like, (for all are alike in regard of the nature of the ordinances, and of that which is the genuine intention not of God, but of this Sacrament) then you speak not of the supper as divided from the word, but as the word going before the Sacrament hath converted the man, and the Sacrament following doth add to and confirm in grace. So, Sir, you depart from the question, for we grant that the Sermon going before in the same day of the celebration of the Supper, may, and doth convert; and thus if an Indian hear a Sermon, to which the celebration of the Supper is annexed, if he be converted by that Sermon (as you teach the heart in those, is only known to God, the Church is not to judge) he may forthwith, ere he be baptized, come at the same time to the Lord's supper, which were much precipitation, little speed, and so the word formally converteth, not the Sacrament; But if you mean that the Sacrament formally, as the Sacrament is of its nature a mean of converting a moral Seneca, you mistake the nature of the seal, very far, God never intended that food as food should give life to the dead, the Supper as the Supper is spiritual food, and presupposeth the eater hath life, and how gate he life but by the word of God? 2. Doth the Sacrament as the Sacrament humble or speak one word of the Law? doth the Sacrament say anything here, but Christ died for thee, O Seneca, and there is a pledge of his love in dying for thee; and the like it speaketh to Judas, as Master Prinne thinketh, and can this convert a moral man never yet humbled for sin? But I have gone thus out of the way in this purpose, I return and desire pardon for this digression, not (I hope) fruitless at this time.

If the Magistrate be the chief Church-officer, how is it that the Church was without Christian Magistrates in the Apostles time? then is there no exact pattern of a Christian Church, what it should be, de jure? hath Christ in the New Testament not molded the Church, the second temple in all the dimensions of it, as Moses, David, Solomon, did by immediate inspiration show us the measure of the first Tabernacle, Sanctuary, and Temple? finally should Caesar, suppose he had been a Christian, have received imposition of hands from the Elders, a • his deputies the Ministers do? and be over the Church in the Lord as King? and receive accusations against Elders, ordain Elders in every Church, put out and cast out the unworthy? only for the iniquity of the time, Ministers were forced to do these? Erastus and his have not one word of Scripture for this, or were the keys of the Kingdom of heaven given to Caesar? and because Caesar was without the Church, therefore Peter received them, Matth. 16. while Caesar should be converted, what Scripture have we for this? for to rule the Church as the Magistrate doth, is an act of the Magistrate performed by power of the sword: Whether the Magistrate do rule in his own person, or by his deputies and servants; Ergo, the Apostles governing the Church meddled with the sword, which Christ forbade, Luk. 22. 25, 26. Rom. 13. 4. Luk. 12. 13, 14. and all the Pastors and teachers now in the exercise of discipline do usurp the sword; Yea, if they be the deputies of the Magistrate in dispensing word and Sacraments, they must use the Magistrates sword as Ministers of the Gospel; for what servants do in the name of the supreme swordbearer, that the swordbearer must principally do by the servants, so Ministers by this use both swords.

5. That the Magistrate cannot be the chief officer of the Church is thus proved, he who is subject himself to hear the Church, and to submit to those that watcheth for his soul, and to be put out from amongst the midst of the Church; if he be scandalous, is not the principal Governor and head of the Church to command all: But all Christians, and so the Christian Magistrate is such, for if God accept not the persons of men, those places, Matth. 18. If he hear not the Church, &c. Heb. 13. 17. and 1 Cor. 5. 1, 2, 4, 12, 13. must tie the Christian Magistrate, except God have excepted him; but God hath nowhere excepted the Magistrate, But as David had Gad, Nathan and other See • s; so the Magistrates now have some to watch for their souls. The proposition is proved, because if the Magistrate be supreme to command Elders as Elders, both in Doctrine and discipline, and in all Ecclesiastical censures, then the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot be under the Elders and Ministers as such, for that involveth a contradiction; that Pastors as Pastors should watch over the souls of Magistrates that they err not, and oppress not in judgment, and that the Magistrate as Magistrate should be over the souls of Pastors to watch for them in the same kind; if any object that the Pastors as Pastors have souls, and therefore they must have some to watch for their souls; and therefore can neither be supreme, nor excepted in those places, Mat. 18. Heb. 13. 1 Cor. 5. It is answered by granting all of this or this single Pastor, but not of the whole company; for when they err, we know not a whole community over them, but those of the Catholic visible Church; and if they err, the Kings of the earth here may command them to do their duty under pain of bodily censure, and punish them: But none are above them to watch for their souls, that we know; but they by office, watch both for their own souls, and for the souls of others, even as the King governeth himself and the people both politically.

6. Whatever power in matters of Christ's Kingdom or the Government thereof, the Magistrate hath, that must be given of Christ, who only can appoint Elders and officers over his own house, but nowhere in Scripture find we any such power given to the Magistrate; Ergo, we are to believe he hath not any such power. The proposition is true, because Christ being a perfect Lawgiver and King, doth give Laws for his own house, as particularly as Moses did for every several pin in the Lord's Tabernacle, and David and Solomon for the Temple: the assumption I prove; because the Government of Christ's house is spiritual, as the weapons of their warfare are not carnal, 2 Cor. 8. 5. and it is in binding and loosing, forgiving and retaining sins, by the power of the keys of the Kingdom of God given to the Church, and to such as are sent, as the Father sent his Son Christ, Matth. 18. 18. & 16. 19. John. 20. 21, 22, &c. But Magistrates as Magistrates do punish sins with the sword, Rom. 13. 4. but not forgive sins, nor bind and loose in earth or heaven, nor exercise any spiritual power, nor deal with the consciences of men, no more then they cure the diseases of the body, though indirectly and externally they take care that there be Physicians who can cure diseases.

The power of governing the Church is the supreme power under Christ, which can say to the Magistrates power, We must obey God, rather then men: But no such supreme power agreeth to the Magistrate as Magistrate: For Ministers as Ambassadors of Christ, can and may preach, bind and loose, Rebuke, Excommunicate against the will of the Magistrate, though he command the contrary, as Prophets have rebuked Kings, Jer. 1. 18. & 22. 1, 2. 2 Sam. 12. 7, 8, 9. 1 King. 21. 18, 19. Mark 6. 17, 18. The Magistrate as the Magistrate can do none of these: nor hath he power to command the Ministers of Christ by way of privation; but only by way of accumulation he may command them to do their dury, and to preach the Gospel soundly, and forbid and punish the preaching of false Doctrine the same way.

Whatever power Christ hath given to his Church, that the Christian Magistrate, when he becomes Christian, cannot take from the Church: But Christ gave to the Churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth, to the seven Churches of Asia, &c. a full power to dispense the word and Sacraments, to govern the Churches, to censure Wolves and false Teachers, who draw Disciples after them, in Synods to condemn perverters of Souls, and refute their Doctrine, to put out incestuous persons, to Excommunicate such as will not hear the Church, and a power to reject a Heretic after twice admonition, and to rule well the Church, as they should rule their own house, and to rule well, and to labor in the Word and Doctrine, &c. when they had no Magistrates at all to rule and govern them as a Church. Now if the Church be a perfect visible body, society, house, city, and Kingdom of Jesus Christ, in esse & operari, in being and all Church-operations; then the Magistrate, when he cometh to be Christian, to help and nourish the Church, as a father he cannot take away and pull the keys out of the hands of the stewards, and throw the rod, authority, power to rule, govern, bind, loose, convene in Christ's courts and Assemblies from the Church, and enthrall the Church: This evidenceth how falsely some say, That the Church as the Church is without a Magistrate, as an Army without a Commander or Leader, a Ship without a Pilot, a body without a head. When the Church in the Apostles times wanting a Magistrate, was a perfect spiritual body, gathered, edified, attaining to the unity of faith, Eph. 4. 11, 12, &c. 1 Cor. 12. 28. Rom. 12. 4, 5, &c. Builded upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, Eph. 2. 20. Feed by their own Pastors, Act. 20. 28. Sufficiently secured by Jesus Christ from Wolves, 29. 30. Golden Candlesticks perfect and entire, Christ walking in the midst of them and praised and commended of Christ, Rev. 1. 20. & 2. 1, 2, 3. ver. 8, 9, 10. cap. 3. 8, 9, 10. Coming behind in no gift, 1 Cor. 1. 7. In Covenant with God, casting out the incestuous, 1 Cor. 5. Separated from Idols, 2 Cor. 6. 16, 17, 18. Espoused to one husband Christ, 2 Cor. 11. 2. Established in the faith, and increasing in number daily, Act. 16. 5. Yea, the Churches had rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified, walking in the • ear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the holy Ghost, and were multiplied, Act. 9. 31. Now if the Christian Magistrate be their only Head and chief Feeder, and all Elders but his servants, Edifying à & sub Magistratu, from and under the Magistrate: How were they edified, and the complete house of God, the house wanting a head, and the Church of the living God, without the chief feeder and shepherd the Magistrate, when all this time the Lord set spiritual Pastors and watchmen over them? It is true, it might be some defect, that they wanted a Christian Magistrate, who was their Nurse-father and keeper, and avenger of both Tables of the Law: But this defect was 1. A defect of the Church, as men who may be injured, and do violence one to another as men, if they want one who beareth the sword to be avenged on evil doers: But it is no defect of the Church as the Church. 2. There might be some defect in the Church as a Church, in this regard, that without the Magistrate his accumulative power, the edification of the Church extrinsically might be slower, Church Laws less vigorous extrinsically without the sword, and evil doers might infest the Church more; but there should be no privation or intrinsical defect, or want in the Church, either of an officer, or integral part of the Church, because they wanted the Magistrate. 3. When the first three hundredth year, the Churches wanted Christian Magistrates▪ afterward Constantine convocated the Council of Nice against Arius, yet professing that he was Episcopus, without. After him the Empire being divided into three, Constantine, Constantius, and Constance, the second adhered to Arius & oppressed the godly. Constance and Constantine lived not long: Though Jovianus, Theodosius, elder & younger, Gratianus, Martianus, were favorers of the Church, yet most of the Northern Kings were persecutors. In the sixth hundredth year, they began to be obstinate favorers of Heresy. In the West Antichristianism, in the East Mahumetisme rose; for the most part the Church wanted godly Magistrates, and always hath wanted.

Whatever power or means of life Christ hath given to his Church or pastors for the edifying of their souls, either in Doctrine or Discipline; by these is the holy Ghost efficacious on the hearts and conscience of the people of God, as immediately given by Jesus Christ, without the mediation or intervention of any other means. But Christ hath given power and means of life to preach the word, to admonish, rebuke, Excommunicate to the Church and Pastors, by which the holy Ghost worketh efficaciously on the hearts of the people of God, which God hath given immediately to the Church and Pastors, especially in the Apostolic Church, when there were no Magistrates; and the holy Ghost is no ways efficacious in the hearts of the children of God, by the Laws, Statutes, and sword of the Magistrate; Ergo, God hath given to his Church and Pastors, & not to the Magistrate, power and means of life, in which the holy Ghost is effectual, and that immediately and not to the Magistrate. Or thus: Whoever is the supreme officer and head of the Church, having under him all Church-officers as his servants, by such God is effectual in the consciences of men: But Pastors, Teachers, Elders are such, and no ways the Magistrate: Ergo,

The Proposition is thus made good by the word of reconciliation, and the rod of the Lord's power in the hands of men: The holy Ghost worketh efficaciously in men: Now the question will only be, to whom this word of reconciliation is committed, and the rod of God; the Scripture saith to the Ministers, never to the Magistrate, 2 Cor. 5. 18. And hath committed to us the word of Reconciliation▪ ver. 20. Now then we are Ambassadors for Christ, 2 Cor. 10. 8. Though I should boast somewhat more of our Authority which the Lord hath given us for edification, 2 Cor. 2. 13. If I come again I will not spare, 1 Cor. 4. 21. What will ye? Shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love? 1 Tim. 5. 17. Act. 20. 28. 29. 30. 1 Cor. 5. 12. Do not you judge them that are within? Matth. 16. 19, & 18. 18. John. 20. 21, 22. This word is nowhere committed to the Magistaate, nor is the holy Ghost efficacious by the Laws and sword of the Magistrate to convert souls; we know not Magistrates to be Ministers by whom we believe, but Ministers only, 1 Cor. 3. ver. 5. Nor is the sword a kindly and intrinsical mean of conversion. This Argument may be further confirmed by all the notable differences that the Scripture holdeth forth to be between the Magistrate and the Ministers and Church: As 1. The Church judgeth only those that are within the Church, 1 Cor. 5. 11, 12. The heathen Magistrate may • udge both those that are within and without the Church, and every soul is under his power, Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3. Tit. 3. 1, 2. 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2, 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14, 15. Matth. 22. 21. And by these same Scriptures, the Christian Magistrate being a lawful Magistrate, having under him both believers▪ and heathen, may and ought to judge both; Ergo, the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot judge those that are within, by the word as the Church doth, but only in some common coactive way, by the sword, to compel them to do their duty. 3. The Magistrates Kingdom is of this world, and he may fight with his sword to defend his own subjects, and his subjects may fight for him: But the Church and Kingdom of Christ, are not of this world, nor can the Church as the Church, and the Ministers thereof fight or use the sword, as is clear, Joh. 18. 36. Rom. 13. 4. The Magistrate beareth not the Sword in vain: but he beareth the sword in vain over the consciences of men, or to judge those that are within; for the Church judgeth those that are within, with no such weapon as the bloody Sword; There is neither sword nor dagger, nor any weapon of War required in the Church of Ephesus, their censuring of grievous Wolves or false Teachers, Act. 20. 28, &c. Nor in the Apostles and Elders determining truth against perverters of souls, Act. 15. 21, 22, &c. and 16. 4. Nor in the Church of Thyatira, their not suffering Jezebel to teach, Rev. 2. 20. Nor in Pergamos, their not suffering those that held the Doctrine of Balaam, Rev. 2. 14. Erastus l. 4. c. 6. p. 285. saith, The Church can kill no man with the Sword. There was no sword ever dreamt of in rejecting an heretic after the first and second admonition, Tit. 1. 10. Let our Adversaries show what influence the Magistrates sword hath here: yea, (say they) The Magistrate may banish the heretic ou • of the Church. True.

Ans. Not out of the Church as the Church, but out from amongst his subjects as his subjects, whom he is to defend in peace and godliness. 2. It is evident Titus had no power of the sword, but was an Evangelist: Paul wrote not to Titus to banish the heretic, the rejecting here is a spiritual censure performed by previous admonitions. 3. What can the Magistrate as the Magistrate do to this? 4. The Magistrate is a Lord, and hath by God's appointment a Lordly dominion over those that are under him; the Minister is only a Minister, a Servant, a Preco, or Herald, and hath dominion in the Church, Luk. 22. 24, &c. Now those over whom the Magistrate hath a civil dominion as a Magistrate, over those he may exercise that Lordly dominion of the sword: But the Magistrate as the Magistrate, may use no Lordly dominion of the sword over the Church as the Church, to Preach, Exhort, Rebuke, Admonish, Excommunicate, to judge those that are within, as the Church may do, 1 Cor. 5. 12. Ergo, the Magistrate as the Magistrate, cannot be the supreme and highest Church officer, having under him Church officers, as his servants and deputies to Preach and censure as, à & sub, under and from him, because as a Magistrate he carrieth not that which hath any power over the conscience, that is, he carrieth no • the word of the spirit, as a Magistrate, but the sword bodily to punish evil doers. 5. He who by office is chief overseer and watchman in the Church, he must by office keep his own vineyard, and not be put to keep the vineyard of others, Cant. 1. 6. He must watch for the souls of those, whom by office he keepeth as one that must give an accompt, Heb. 13. 17. He must as a special watchman by his office, Take heed to grievous Wolves not sparing the Flock, speaking perverse things, Act. 20. 29. And, as a watchman he must blow the Trumpet, and give early and seasonable warning to the people of the sword, Ezek. 34. 1, &c. Yea, he must watch for the souls of ministers and teachers, and by office, rebuke, admonish, censure, and punish them, and by office judge of their Doctrine and Discipline, and is over the people in the Lord, and to admonish them, as 1 Thes. 5. And worthy of Honor for well Ruling, 1 Tim. 5. 17. But these the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot do. 1. He keepeth another vineyard of the Civil state, he is not Pastor to the Church as the Church, over which the Holy Ghost hath set him, Act. 20. 28. 1 Peter 5. 1, 2, 3. he is not to give an accompt for the soul • , and for the souls of Pastors by his office, he may as a Christian be his brothers keeper, to teach, admonish, Col. 3. 15. and exhort, Heb. 3. 13. he is not by office to blow the trumpet, as Ezekiel was, Ezek. 33. 7, 8. Ezek. 3. 17, 18, 19, 20. he is not over the people in the Lord to admonish them as a Magistrate, as a Magistrate he only is either to praise and reward well doing, or take vengeance on evil doing, Rom. 13. 4. nor doth Paul think Nero, 1 Tim. 5. 17. worthy of double honor, all those are proper to Church-officers, the proposition is necessary; because if the Magistrate be the eminent and supreme watchman over the Pastors, as his under deputies and servants, then must the Magistrate more eminently keep the vineyard, and watch for the souls, both of Pastors and people, feed the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath set him, be over the people in the Lord, be worthy of double honor, as one that ruleth well, and is worthy of double honor; and that by office: Now 1. The word never warranted him in the Old Testament, to sacrifice, to burn incense to Minister before the Lord, to carry the ark: But God separated the Priests and Levites for this only; and was it such a sin for Uzziah to burn incense; and for Uzziah to touch the Ark, and for any to bear the Ark but the Levites? and are not these things written for our instruction? are we all now to bear the Ark? and are we all to dispense the word and Sacraments? When Paul will not have women to teach in the Church, and when God hath no less in the New Testament separated some by the laying on of hands, and appointed a Ministry in the New Testament then he did in the Old? 2. Where hath God in Old or New Testament set down, that all those qualifications, in an eminent manner, and as principally due to the Magistrate, as he hath described the qualification of the officers of the New Testament in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus, and the Ephesians, Ch. 4. v. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. 1 Tim. 2. 1 Cor. 12. Rom. 12. 3. Did Christ put upon Church-officers in the New Testament, all the proper titles, privileges and peculiar Characters of their calling, as they are the deputies of Claudius, Tiberius, and Nero; so they had been Christian Princes? this the adversaries must prove, and must all the Epistles of Paul to the Churches of Christ, and of James and Peter, John and Jude, which concern Church-officers be written: First and principally to the heathen Emperors, as they be Church Magistrates, and Churchofficers jure, though they be in very deed enemies of the Gospel, de facto? It must put Erastus and all his to pains to prove, that Magistrates as Magistrates were separated in the Old Testament to sacrifice, to burn incense, to bear the Ark of the Lord, and Priests and Levites, and Prophets, were only the under servants and instruments of Kings, and the like they must do in the New Testament: But this is carefully to be observed; that the adversaries, though they speak of Government, and some yield, as Master Prynne doth, that there is such a thing as Excommunication, especially, 1 Cor. 5. yet the truth is, they deny all Church-government: for I desire to know, why they give to Ministers of the Gospel a power to try who are heretics, apostates, and unworthy partakers of the holy things of God; Yea, such as may ordain Ministers, and reject heretics after admonitions; if Jesus Christ hath given this power of Government beside preaching the word, I ask, quo jure, by what Scripture, if by no warrant of Christ: then it is unjustly given to them, and the Apostles and Teachers then had no right to it; if there be a right, that by office Pastors should know what is soundness in the faith, and integrity of conversation; and so who are to be called to the Ministry, who not, who are to be excluded totally from the Church, as Erastus and Master Prynne say, who not; Then what warrant hath the Magistrate to limit the Ministers of the Gospel in this Government, such as it is, more then in dispensing the word and Sacraments? Surely except the Magistrate put his hand to the Ark without warrant in the one, he cannot in the other. They answer, the Magistrate may limit the Pastors in preaching, no l • sse then governing, because he may command the Pastor to preach this and this, and if he preach not sound Doctrine, he may punish him; but I answer, this is no limitting of Pastors in preaching; Because this the Pastors may in the name and authority of God, exhort the Magistrate to execute righteous judgment, Ier. 22. and if he crush the poor and needy, and turn a tyrant, an heretic and an apostate; the Pastors may not only denounce wrath from the Lord against them, but also judge them dogs and swine, and not dispense to them the pearls of the Gospel, yet this is not the Pastor limiting the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth limit the Pastor, as his Ambassador and Deputy, though the Magistrate take care that Physicians, Painters, Shoemakers, Professors in Academies and Universities do their duty in their calling, and punish them, if they therein do amiss, yet he limiteth not the painter to draw this way, not this way, nor hath he a negative voice in acts of Art, as he pretendeth a negative voice in Church-discipline. 2. Nor can the Pastor so command the Magistrate in the name of God, to execute justice, as if he become a tyrant, an heretic, an apostate, he will not only remove him from the Throne, and the Bench, but he will set himself down in the place of the erring Magistrate, and judge righteous judgment for him, or in his place: for Erastus saith that the Magistrate may dispence word and Sacraments (if he had time and leisure) as lawfully as the Pastor; and I have in another place observed, that many so make the King head of the Church (and the like must be said of the little heads of inferior Magistrates, as of the great head) as he is a mixed person, partly Civil, partly Ecclesiastical and sacred, that is, by office, Ruler and Pope. 3. The Magistrate doth limit the Pastors only in positives, and in punishing and inflicting Church censures, as they command to censure scandalous persons in such and such scandals, but in no other scandals more heinous; yet in all the challenges moved by Magistrates against Pastors, The Magistrate never made any challenge against Pastors or Synod, for their sinful omissions and want of zeal in not censuring drunkards, adulterers, heretics, court parasites, who enjoy many benefices, and leave the flock, and I give instance, in the disputes of the Divines of England making the King the head of the Church; court-divines accused never the Pastors that they exceeded their limits in not censuring corrupt Prelates, non-residents, pluralists, idle and unpreaching Pastors, or idolshepherds. 4. In the contests of Holland, when the Synod of Frizland gave in a declinature to the Senate, justifying the deposition of Poppi • an unsound and scandalous Minister, in all contests with Arminians there, the controversy was ever for positives, that the Church condemned and censured heretics, never that the Church had been slack in the matter of discipline. 5. In Scotland in Master Blackes declinature, and when the Ministers condemned to death and then banished, such as the godly and zealous servants of Christ, Master John Welch, Master John Forbes, and others appealed to the assemblies of the Church, for their standing for the liberties of the Church and Kingdom of Christ. King James did never quarrel with them, Thus you have not done in your Ministry, and Assemblies, you have not excommunicated the Marquess of Huntly a bloody man; but it was for positives, Thus and thus you have done against the mind and Majesty of the King and Authority. Now corrupt Pastors need as much to be limited in wicked omissions, as is clear: You are dumb dogs and bark not, Isai. 56. 10. And the diseased ye have not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, &c. Ezech. 34. 4. as in exorbitances, in their positive zeal; And this saith, that Magistrates intend to intrude upon Christ's liberties, in this plea, rather then indeed to procure that the house of God may be built and edified, or the liberty of the subject vindicated. And therefore the godly ought the rather to stand for the freedom of the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus, which owe not this tribute to earthly Princes; since Christ only is King, and reigneth in his own Church.

Quest. 20.

FOr the clearing of the question, I humbly offer these considerations to the Reader.

1. There is subordination of the power, and a subordination of the person endued with the power, here to be considered.

2. So is there a supremacy of power, and a supremacy of the person.

3. There is a four fold judgment here considerable; 1. The first is apprehensive (apprehensivum) and common to both Magistrate, Christian, Pastor, and all which must be given to all to whom we can ascribe conscience. 2. (Discretivum) the knowledge of discretion, the connatural guide and principle of every man's belief and obedience. 3. (Definiti • um) of those that are in Authority, and do command in the Lord. 4. Peremptorium et infallibile, the supreme judgment of the King of the Church, who cannot err. The first is common to all, Rom. 15. The second proper to Christians, and is a judgment of faith, 1 Thess. 5. 2. 1 John. 4. 1. and it must be built on the first. The third is the Authoritative judgment of the Church, Act. 15. 28. Mat. 18. 17. and of judges, and it must be swayed by the second, both in the commander and the commanded. The fourth is Jesus Christ's only, Rom. 14. 4. 1 Cor. 4. 5.

4. It is one thing, that the power of the Ministers be subject to the Magistrate as the Magistrate, and another thing that the persons of the Ministers should be subject: Not any office at all in their power, seems to me to be subordinate to either Magistrate or Minister; because all Lawfull power, and Lawfull and profitable offices, and Arts, in abstracto are from God, some of them immediately; As the the gift of prophesying, healing, speaking with tongues, working of miracles, and the offices of Apostle, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher, Ephe. 4. 11. those be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , gif • s and graces above Nature, that God without the intervening of human reason, hath devised for a supernatural end, the edifying of his body the Church; men's will and reason may interveen in the designation of persons to some of those offices, as that John, Thomas, qualified as 1 Tim. 3. be Pastors, or teachers. But if we speak of the power of the Ministry, in abstracto, without connotation of the persons in concerto, then the power, or the office it self is not subordinate to the Ministers of the Gospel as Ministers; far less to the Magistrate as the Magistrate, because it dependeth upon none on earth, Minister or Magistrate; but the only good pleasure of him, who when he ascended to heaven, gave gifts unto men, that there is such an office as Minister, Pastor or teacher; And the Church cannot create a new office of a Prelate; because of its nature it tendeth to a supernatural end, the governing of Christ's body, in a way to life eternal, purchased by Christ: Now the question in this sense, whether the power of the Ministry be subordinate to the Magistrate in its constitution, it is alike in its subordination to Magistrate and Minister; certain it is subordinate to neither. Other lawful and profitable offices and Arts are from God, mediately, possibly by the intervening acts of rational nature, though Magistracy be from God, Rom. 13. 1. yet it would seem, God by the natural reason of men, might devise and constitute the very office of Magistracy in abstracto, and the Art of sailing, painting, &c. yet is there no subjection of power to power here, by way of dominion: Hence the question must be of the subordination of the power, quoad exercitium, whether Ministers in the exercising of their Ministerial calling be subordinate to the Magistrate as the Magistrate?

5. Dist. A judge is one thing, and a just judge another thing, so here are we to distinguish between a Magistrate, and a Christian Magistrate. As 1. a husband is one thing, and a Christian husband another thing, a Captain is one thing, and a Christian, and a believing Centurion or Captain, such as Cornelius, Acts 10. is another; a Physician is one thing, and a gracious Physician is another thing; sure a heathen Husband hath the same jus Maritale, the same Husband power in regard of Marriage union, that a Christian and believing Husband hath. 2. A Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate may be one and the same Magistrate, with one and the same Magistratical power, as being first heathen Magistrate, as Sergius Paulus, Act. 13. 7, 12. and there after converted to the faith. Paulus was no less a civil Deputy, when Heathen then when Christian, and not more a Deputy as touching the essence of a Magistrate, when a Christian believer, then he was before when a Heathen; yet to be a Magistrate, and to be a believing Magistrate, are two different things, even as Christianity is a noble ornament, and a gracious accident, and to be a Magistrate, is as it were the Subject, even as a man, and the accidents of the man, are two different things.

6. There be two things here considerable in the Magistrates office. 1. There is his jus and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Magistratical power, or the authority official, the power of office to bear the sword. 2. There is aptitudo, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a special heavenly grace of well governing; this is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a gift or grace of God, to use that power for Christ. These two make one Christian husband, one Christian captain, Physician, Master, in relation to to the wife, soldiers, sick, servants: Now the Magistrate heathen as Magistrate, even Nero, when the Church of God is in his court and dominions, hath the same jus, the same Authority and Officiall power, to be a keeper of both Tables of the Law, and to defend the Gospel, and to command the Preachers and Synods to fulfill their charge, and to see that the officers do their duty, and to punish dumb dogs, Idolaters, excommunicated persons, to drive away with the sword false Teachers from the flock, he hath I say the same Magistratical power, while he is a Heathe • , and when he is converted to the Christian faith, and he is equally head of men that profess Christ, when Heathenish as when Christian; but in neither States, is he the Head of the body the Church, and you give not to Caesar the things that are Caesars, if you make converted Nero, because a Magistrate, now the head of the Church, and deny non-converted and heathenish Nero to be the Head of the Church; for he is a Magistrate with complete power of the Sword, in the one case, as in the other, that he neither doth, nor can use the sword for the Church, it is from Nero his state of infidelity that he is in as a man, and not the fault of his office, for when Paul saith, the Husband is the head of the Wife; doth he mean a Christian husband only, and exclude all heathen Husbands? No, for then the wife were not to be subject to the Husband, if a Heathen and an unbeliever, which is against Paul's mind, 1 Cor. 7. and the Law of Nature. But the converted Magistrate, who was before a heathen Magistrate, hath a new aptitude, facul • y and grace to keep both Tables of the Law, and to govern in a civil way, and indirectly the affairs of Christ's Kingdom: Hence the adversaries clearly contradict themselves by confounding those two, a Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate, one while they give supreme power over the Church to the Magistrate as the Magistrate, sometime to the Magistrate as Christian. So Vtenbogard in his book De officio, & authoritate supremi Magistratus Christiani in rebus Ecclesiasticis p. 7. and p. 8. hoc addo, ut intelligatur Magistratum, cum religionē Christianam amplectitur, non acquirere novam authoritatem, sed quod eam authoritatem, quam ante etiam in rebus religi • nis & • ultus divini, habebat authoritatē,—recte utitur: If the Magistrate when he becometh a Christian, acquireth no new authority as a Magistrate, but only useth well his old Authority, in matters of Religion and of God's worship, which he had before, while he was Heathen, as he saith, then the Heathen Magistrate as a Magistrate hath a supreme power in Church matters, and yet in the same place he draweth the state of the question to a Christian Magistrate. De solo Christiano Magistratu acturus. The Arminians in their Apology, fol. 297. (as saith their Declaration) speak only of the Christian Magistrate, and yet page 298. potestati enim supremae, sive Architectonicae, qua potestas suprema est, jus hoc ut competat, ratio ordinis, sive boni Regiminis, natura sua postulat,—si Magistratui qua tali jus hoo competit, • rgo multo magis competit Magistratui Christiano. Sure, if the Magistrate, in general▪ and as the Magistrate, have a supreme Authority in the Government of the Church, such as the Adversaries contend for, then the Christian Magistrate far more must be Head of the Church, and so the Magistrate as the Magistrate must be supreme Governor, and judge in all Ecclesiastical causes, and in these same causes, he must not be Judge as a Magistrate, but as a Christian.

Nor can they make a Christian Magistrate, à medium per participationem utriusque extremi, a middle between a Magistrate and a Christian. 1. For where is there such an office in either Church or state? for so a Christian Magistrate as a Christian Magistrate should be Ens per aggregationem, a thing composed of Magistracy and Christianity, as a Christian Physician, a Christian Painter; and then the question should be, whether judgeth he as a Magistrate, or as a Christian? as we may ask whether a Christian painter painteth as a painter or as a Christian: not as a Christian, for then all Christians should be Painters; and a result of both should neither be a Magistrate nor a Christian, but middle between both, which fighteth with reason and sense. Some say, The power of the Magistrate in a Christian Magistrate who knoweth the doctrine of the Gospel, and hath help of the counsel and light of godly Pastors and Teachers, is perfecter then in Heathen Magistrates, and therefore this power as not Christian or heathenish, governs men as men, but as Christian, it governeth them as Christian m • n. But the learned and worthy professor Jac. Triglandius saith this is said without probation, for (saith he) men as Christians are members of the Church, and so are not governed but in an Ecclesiastical way▪ and where hath the Lord commanded the Christian Magistrate to govern the sheep of Christ, as the sheep of Christ? Then (say I) 1. The magistrate must govern the Church as the Church, and so rule over the conscience of men in relation to eternal happiness, by promising to them temporal rewards, and by compelling them by the sword, to be carried toward eternal beatitude; for to rule the Church as the Church, is to direct and lead them by spiritual means, Word, Sacraments and Discipline, to heaven, which the magistrate as a magistrate cannot do by the sword; and what he doth as a Christian▪ that he must do in a spiritual way, not with a secular arm and power as magistrate; and the two powers of a magistrate and of a Christian, cannot coalescere, grow together in one office which is made up of both, as of two parts, being in nature and spece different, no more then of a Horse and a Lyon you can make a third living creature. It is true, by Grace and Christianity, the power of the magistrate is perfected, and an excellent luster added to it, but not one degree of Magistratical power is added to it, by which the magistrate doth rule men as Christians, and as a Church: For as the office of a magistrate doth not promote the man one step nearer to saving Grace; so Christianity maketh not the Heathen magistrate more a magistrate, nor giveth him a new sword over the Church as the Church, which he had not before; nor doth it take any magistraticall power from him, no more then a heathen Husband, Master, Physician, being converted to Christ, is more a husband, more a master or Physician, then he was before: The former power is only spiritualized, and graciously facilitated in its acts, but not one whit augmented in its entitative degrees of power over the wife, the soldiers, the servants, the sick. Triglandius excellently: The Christian magistrate converted, is sanctified, but he acq • ireth no new right over the Church: So meat is sanctified by the Word and Prayer, but it is not more meat, nor doth more nourish, because sanctified.

7. Distinct. The exercise of the Ministerial power in dispensing Word, Sacraments, Discipline, falleth under a fourfold consideration, which, because it cleareth a necessary point, I desire may be carefully observed by the Reader: 1. The simple exercise of that power is considered sine modo, without any qualification, good or evil, Orthodox, or Heterodox, as the Christian Magistrate procureth by his care, that there should be a Ministry to dispense Word, Sacraments, and Disciplin • ▪ 2. The second Consideration of this exercise, is, The exercise of power soundly and painfully, in the fear of the Lord, the Magistrate exhorting them thereunto for conscience. 3. The third Consideration is the exercise of the same, in a corrupt and wicked way and manner, either negligently or wickedly, or for evil ends. 4. The fourth Consideration is the free and peaceable exercise of this power without bodily violence.

Hence I entreat the Reader to carry along in his • ye, 1. The simple exercise of the Ministerial power. 2. The just and godly, sound and laudable exercise. 3. The wicked and corrupt exercise, or the abuse thereof. 4. The peaceable exercise.

Hence, our 1. Assertion: The Magistrate as the Magistrate is to procure that there be Preachers and Church-officers to dispense Word, Sacraments, and Discipline: For 1. his end is, That people under him may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in godliness and honesty, 1 Tim. 2. 2. And the Magistrate attaineth his end as a Magistrate, if there be simple exercise of Religion in the quiet and peaceable way, that may consist with the subjects indemnity, and immunity, from rapine, injuries, and violence. 2. The difference between the Magistrates and other callings, is, that the Magistrate was to take care of old, That there were Levites who bare the Ark, and, Priests who should burn incense before the Lord, and Sacrifice; and yet it was unlawful for the Magistrate to bear the Ark on his own shoulders, or in his own person to burn incense or sacrifice; so the Physicians hinder that diseases rage amongst the subjects, and the Magistrates do also hinder that they should rage: But the Physians hinder them by curing diseases, and the Magistrate hinders them not by curing diseases; for then he should as a Magistrate also be a Physician, but by procuring that there should be Physicians in the Common-wealth. The Magistrate hindereth ignorance, and losing Ships by Tempests, not by professing and teaching Sciences and Arts in Academies in his own person, nor by steering Ships, and guiding them himself to their Ports, for so a magistrate as a magistrate should be a Schoolm • ster, a professor of Arts and Sciences in the Universities, and a Pilot or Shipmaster, which were a confounding of all callings; but by procuring that there should be Universities and Professors of Arts and Sciences, and by providing honorable stipends and wages for them, and procuring that in the Commonwealth there should be Sailers who are skilled in Shipping: and so doth the magistrate by his office take care, that the Word, Sacraments and Discipline, be dispensed. 3. But the magistrate as the magistrate doth no • command sincere, hearty, zealous, and affectionate dispensing of Word, Sacraments a • d Discipline: But only the dispensing of those without the qualification of the spiritual, or sincere exercise of the power; Because, 1. The Magistrate cannot command that as a magistrate, which he cannot judge of, whether the thing commanded be consonant to his command, or not: But the magistrate as the magistrate cannot judge of the spirituallity, sincerity, zealousnesse, affectionateness of that obedience, which the Church yieldeth to his command: for if the Pastors dispense word and Sacraments, and bind and loose by the keys following the rules of the word, the magistrate cannot judge the heart or intention, whether they do those with conscience to God, and reverence and subjection of spirit to his holy Law, nor can the manner of doing be proved by witnesses to the magistrate. 2. The Magistrate as Magistrate doth not command what he doth not praise or reward, for well doing is the object of the Magistrates praising and rewarding power, Rom. 13. 3. But as a Magistrate he doth not praise and reward the qualification, or spirituality, or sincerity of Pastors dispensing of word and seals; if they feed the flock, the Magistrate is to take care they be rewarded with wages, no • can the Magistrate as the magistrate withhold praise or wages from laborers in the vineyard, because they preach Christ out of envy, as some did Phil. 1. 15. or because they feed not the lambs out of a love to Christ, as they ought to do, John. 21. 15, 16, 17. it is true, magistrates as godly men, may love and commend sincerity in faithful laborers, and hate the contrary; but this they do as Christian men, not as magistrates, not by their office, and authoritatively. 3. Magistrates command that as magistrates, the not doing of which they can a • magistrates punish with the sword, for the object of their vindicative and revenging power is ill doing, Rom. 13. 4. But if Pastors feed the flock and rule them, the magistrate cannot use the sword against the feeders, for that they want sincerity, love, cheerfulness in the manner of doing these things, for the sword of the magistrate doth only reach men for their external facts, not for opinions in the mind, not for crooked intentions, not for hollow-heartedness, hypocrisy, infidelity in the manner, or inward principles of the actions.

II. Asser. when magistrates command Churchmen to do their duty, and to feed the flock, sincerely, and in the fear of the Lord, they do it not as magistrates; but as touching the manner, they may exhort them to do their duty sincerely, cordially, and zealously as godly men; hence that charge that King Jehoshaphat gave to the Priests and Levites, 2 Chron. 19. 9. This shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully, and with a perfect heart, is a mixed command, as touching the judging of the people in all causes and controversies that should come before them; the King as King commanded them to do this: But for the manner of the doing of it, that they should do it faithfully in the fear of the Lord, and with a perfect heart; this he commanded them not as a King, but exhorted them to it, as a godly & religious man: for 1. any godly man might have said this, and the King might have punished the Levites and Priests, if they had not judged the causes according to the Law. But though they had not judged in the fear of the Lord, and with a perfect heart; yet could not the King as King have punished them therefore, nor can any say, that the spiritual exhortation of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. 29. to the Priests and Levites, came from him as King, but as from a graced and religious man; as King he might command them to Sanctify themselves legally, for so they were to do by office; and he might use the sword against them, if they failed in that; and as King he may command all external duties, not only to Church-men, but to all others; only he cannot punish them for failings in the spiritual manner of doing external duties▪ 2▪ A spiritual and Christian exhortation ex conditione operis, and intrinsically, hath influence on the conscience to turn the soul to God. But nothing that the magistrate can do as a magistrate, hath such an influence on the conscience, all that he doth as a magistrate and directly, is toward the outward man, by rewards and punishments; if the magistrate remove false teachers and wolves, which would devour the flock, and if that work upon the conscience, it is indirectly and by accident, for, quoad actus imperatos, he can command that the Gospel, which hath a kindly and intrinsical power to work upon the conscience, be preached; if the magistrate convince the conscience of a murderer, that he hath failed against the Law of God, he doth not that as a magistrate, but as a godly and religious man▪ he may convince him as a magistrate, that he hath failed against the Laws of the State, and bands of human society, and external peace, and scarce that, for ignorantia juris nemime •• excusat.

Ans. We never denied but the Magistrate commandeth both the exercise of Church power simply, and the man • er and such qualifications as are external and obvious to the knowledge of the Magistrate, such as blasphemous and false Doctrine is; But we deny that as a Magistrate he doth command those things that ar • internal and invisible, that is, the spirituallity of the actions; he can exhort and stir men up to the spirituallity and sincerity of doing as a godly and Christian man.

Ans. 1. I deny the connection of the Antecedent; for Elders may command as Elders, more then the not doing of which they can censure, which the Magistrate cannot do; for Elders have committed to them the word of reconciliation, as the Ambassadors of Christ. Now the word hath an immediate influence on the conscience, on the thoughts and intents of the heart, 2 Cor. 5. 18, 19, 20. 1 Cor. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Ps. 19. 7. Heb. 4. 12, 13. And therefore their Ministry hath action on the thoughts; yet can they not in the external court of the Church, censure the thoughts, as not being able to see them, but the Gospel which they preach can arraign the conscience and thoughts▪ 2 Cor. 10. 4, 5. But the Magistrate carrieth not such a message, and therefore his Magistratical command can reach no farther then his temporal praise and reward, and his sword; and that is commensurable and of equal latitude with those.

Ans. It is true, the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth care for the supernatural good of subjects, and the duties of Religion, and the first table, but how? intrinsically and as a magistrate, that is, that men worship God according to his word: But, 1. The magistrate as such hath nothing to do with the spirit, nor can he command the sincerity of the worship; his care is that there be a divine worship, that is, materially and externally right and consonant, externally to the rules of the word; and for this cause learned divines make the external man the object of the magistrates office; but not the external man as doing the duties of the second table only, but also as serving God in the duties of the first table: for which cause I said Augustine meant the same, when he said, that Kings serve God as men and as Kings. 2. Magistrates as magistrates are to extend their power for Christ; that is, that not only there be Justice and Peace amongst men, but also that there be Religion in the land, yea, that the Gospel be preached; so all our Divines make the King to be custos • t vindex utriusque tabule: Yea, I think he is a keeper and preserver of the Gospel also, and is to command men to serve Christ, and profess the Gospel, and to punish the blaspheming of Jesus Christ: and this is royal and magistraticall service that the King as King performeth to God, and to Jesus Christ the mediator, ex conditione operis, in regard that good which he procureth as King, materially and externally, is consonant to the supernatural Law of the Gospel, but it is not magistraticall service to Christ ex intention operantis.

Ans. There is a twofold goodness here to be considered, one of the magistrate as a magistrate, another as a good and Christian magistrate. The former is an official goodness, or a magistraticall prudence, justice, and goodness; this is required of all magistrates as such, to judge the people: so the acts of an heathen magistrate done according to common natural equity, by Nebuchadnezzar, Pilate, Caesar, Felix, Festus, are to be acknowledged as acts of a Lawfull Magistrate, valide and no less essentially Magistratical, then if performed by King David; and of this goodness the Scriptures speak not as essential to a Magistrate as a Magistrate: But there is another goodness required of Magistrates as they are Members of the Jewish Church, and as they are Christians, and of these the Scripture speaketh; and so Magistrates not as Magistrates, but as good and Christian, are to be such as fear God, hate covetousness, respect not the face and favor of men; so its denied that the fear of God, hating of covteousnesse, are essential ingredients of Kings as Kings: For Kings as Kings intend justice, peace, godliness, materially considered, both ex conditione operis, and operantium. But for justice and righteous judgment in a spiritual and an Evangelic way, that belongeth not to the essence of a Magistrate nec ex conditione seu ex intention operis, nec ex conditione operantis: The Holy Ghost requireth it of judges, as they would approve themselves as truly Holy and Religious, and would be accepted of God, and in this sense Kings as Kings do not serve God, nor the mediator Christ, nor yet as men; only they serve God and the mediator Christ as Christian Kings, or as Christian men rather.

III. According to that third member of our seventh Distinction; The unjust and evil exercise of the Ministerial power, is obnoxious to the magistrate as the magistrate, thus, in that he beareth the sword against all evil doers, Ro. 13. 1. The magistrate as the magistrate doth only command well doing, in order to praise and a good name, or temporal reward amongst men, Rom. 13. 3. Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the power, 1 Tim. 5. 17. Matth. 10. 10. Nor can the magistrate as the magistrate promise, or command the Elders to feed the Flock, with the promise of the reward that Peter promiseth, 1 Pet. 5. 4. to wit, That when the chief shepherd shall appear; they shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away. The magistrate as a Preacher (if he be one, as David and Solomon were both) or as a godly religious Christian man, may hold forth such a promise, but not as a Magistrate, and upon the same ground the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot forbid careless, unsound preaching, and rigorous and tyrannical ruling or rather domineering over the Flock, under the pain of death eternal: for he can but kill the body, and hath but the carnal and temporal sword, Rom. 13. 4. and so he can inhibit ill doing only in order to temporary punishment, and though the duty of the former be spiritual, and the sin of the latter also, yet the external man is capable only of the Magistrates promises and threatenings, as they respect evil or good temporary; so that it is a wonder to me, that M. Prynne or any learned man can say that magistrates can make Laws to bind the conscience, sure it is ill divinity. 2. If there never had been sin, there should have been no government but of Fathers and Husbands, there should have been no magistraticall dominion, not any magistraticall allurement to well-doing by temporal rewards, not any terrifying from evil doing, from fear of the sword, death, stripes, or bands, and God governed the Apostolic Church, and they attained the Crown and supernatural end of life eternal, without the accessory hire of a a temporary reward from the magistrate, and the subsidy of his sword; Ergo, it is evident that the magistrate is neither an essential, nor an integral part of the visible Church as the visible Church, enjoying all the Ordinances of God, Word, Sacraments, Discipline, Censures, Rebukes, Admonition, Excommunication, Prayers, Mutuall edification, in as great perfection, as is happily attainable in this life without, yea, against the will of the civil magistrate: Though it be a great encouragement to have the King a Nurse-father; yet hath not Christ counted it simply necessary to his visible Church enjoying all the Ordinances of God to the full. 3. If the magistrate do only command the teachers and Pastors to preach and determine synodically, in order to a temporal reward, and forbid them to abuse their ministerial power in order to temporary punishment, by the temporary sword; then surely the Pastors and Teachers are not subjected to them in conscience, after any Ecclesiastical way, for the power of commanding in magistrates as magistrates must be commensurable to the power of punishing the transgressors of the command; if the one be in order to a temporary good, the other cannot but be in order to an eternal ill; if ministers command in the name of Christ, in order to an eternal reward, they cannot threaten the transgressors in order to a temporary punishment, but it must be in order to an eternal punishment: so that it is most clear, that the magistrate though he be in some sense a little God, and invested with the authority and Majesty of God, in that he commandeth and threateneth upon proposal of temporary reward, and temporary good, the very same duties that God enjoineth, and forbiddeth the same evils of sin that God forbiddeth; yet he holdeth not these out to the soul and conscience of the subjects, as the Ambassador of Jesus Christ, upon condition of eternal life, if they obey, and of eternal death, if they disobey; but he holdeth out to the external man these that are materially divine commandments & divine inhibitions, but in another consideration▪ but formally only they are the mandates of the Magistrates in order to temporary reward and temporary punishment. Then the Ministers as Ministers in preaching and Synods, forbid adultery, incest, murder; but they propose them to those that are within the visible Church; And that, 1. to their consciences, 2. Under the pain of eternal wrath. 3. As the Ambassadors of Christ craving spiritual subjection of conscience, and divine faith to those charges: But Magistrates as Magistrates hold forth in their Law-abstinence from those same sins of adultery, incest, murder; But, 1. Not to the consciences of their subjects, but to the outer man as Members of the common-wealth. 2. Not under the pain of eternal wrath and condemnation, before the judge of quick and dead: Magistrates as Magistrates have neither calling, office, place nor power to threaten or inflict eternal punishment; if Magistrates do persuade the equity of abstinence from adultery, incest, murder, in their Statutes, or Acts of Parliament, from the word of God, from the sixth and seventh command of the Decalogue, from the judgment and eternal punishment that followeth these sins, they so persuade not as Magistrates, but as Divines, and as godly and Christian men; yet my sense is not that the Magistrate can Lawfully command obedience in matters of Religion not understood or known by the subjects, that were to exact blind obedience; but my meaning is, that the Magistrate as the Magistrate holdeth not forth his commandments to teach and inform the conscience, as Pastors do, but he presupposeth that his mandates are known to be agreeable to the word of God, and proposeth them to the subjects to be obeyed. 3. Magistrates as Magistrates hold forth in their Law, abstinence from these sins, not as the Ambassadors of Christ, craving subjection of co • science and divine faith to those charges, but only external obedience: for though Ministers as Ministers crave faith and subjection of conscience to all commandments and inhibitions, as in Christ's stead, 2 Co. 5. 19 20. yet the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not crave either faith or subjection of conscience, nor is he in Christ's stead, to lay divine bands on the conscience, to submit the soul and conscience to believe and abstain, he is the dep •• y of God as the God of Order, and as the Creator, and founder, and another of human societies, and of Peace, to exact external obedience, and to lay bands on your hands, not to shed innoceat blood, and on your body not to defile it with adultery, or incest, nor to violate the ch • st •• y of your brother; hence it is evident, that the adversaries are far our▪ who would have Ministers who do hold forth commands, that layeth hold on the conscience and craveth faith and soul-submission under the pain of eternal wrath, to do and act as the deputies and Vicars of those who have nothing to do with the conscience, and have neither office nor authority to crave soul submission, or to threaten or inflict any punishment, but such as is circum • cribed within the limits of time, and which the body of clay is capable of; yea, when the Magistrate punisheth spiritual sins, heresy, idolatry, he punisheth them only with temporary punishment.

Ans. It cannot be denied, but that which is spoken by way of Doctrine by an Ambassador, speaking the word in public, and that which is spoken in private, although the • ame words, are very different: for a private man in private to slander the Prince may be treason, he hath no place, nor calling to speak of the Prince, but a Pastor hath a calling as the watchman of the Lord of hosts to rebuke▪ Herod for incest, and in a constitute Church, the Church is to try whether John the Baptist preached treason or not. 2. If it be a slander of the Prince and treason indeed, the Prophet who preached it, is first subject to the Prophets, who are to condemn and censure him, and then the magistrate is to inflict bodily punishment on him for it; but the Church should labor to gain the slanderers soul, before the civil judge take away his life.

IV. Assert. The Magistrate de jure is obliged not only to permit, but also to procure the free exercise of the ministry in dispensing Word, Sacraments, and Discipline, and owe his accumulative power, to convene Synods, to add his sanction to the lawful and necessary constitutions and ordination of worthy, and to the Deposition of unworthy officers in the Church. 1. Because he is a Nurse-father in the Church, Isa. 49 23. 2. And by office, as a Public father, to procure the good of the souls of the subjects in his coactive way, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, 1 Tim. 2. 2. 3. He is not only to permit, but also positively to procure all peace, in the exercise of all lawful and profitable trades and Arts; Ergo, far more that glory may dwell in the Land, and that the Peace thereof may be as a River, Isa. 48. 18. by the presence of Christ walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks.

V. Assertion. When the Magistrate commandeth painful and sound administration in preaching and governing, with provision of the praising and rewarding of well doing, he doth not subordinate to himself the Ministry in its exercise. 1. Because this promise is accumulative, and of a temporal reward, for the Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot promise that which Peter promiseth; that 1. 1▪ Pet. 5. 4. When the chief shepherd shall appear, they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, he may as a Christian promise that, but for a temporal reward for men, no man for being faithful in the house of God, hath that inseparably annexed to his labors, by a literal promise in Scripture, and therefore it is only accumulative. 2. Right and sound preaching and governing in God's house, cannot from this be said to be subjected to the Magistrate as a Magistrate, in regard that this is an accidental hire, and an external and accessory good, which the Church as the Church, and the most faithful Prophets, Apostles, and Pastors have wanted, and yet have attained the end of a Church as a Church visible, nor is this a promise made to the Church as the Church or the Ministers thereof as such, for the Apostolic church that was most poor, had neither thing, nor name, nor promise, but by the contrary, the Kings and Rulers did conspire against the Kingdom of the son of God.

VI. Assertion. Though the Magistrate may both threaten to inflict, and actually inflict the ill of temporal punishment on Ministers, if they be either idle or unsound in their administration; yet thence can only be concluded that the male administration of the ministry is subjected to the Magistrate as such, but not the Ministry it self, or the exercise thereof. 1. The male administration of any office is accidental to the office. 2. This subjecteth the erring person, not the teaching Minister to the civil Magistrate. Nor doth this make the Ministers in the exercise of their office, properly subordinate to the Ministers, but only so far as the spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets.

VII. Assertion. There is a twofold subordination of the exercise of Male administration of Ministers; one civil, another Ecclesiastical: These two differ, so as the former must be subordinate to the Magistrate who is to inflict bodily punishment, but the latter is only subject to the Church. The Judicial determination according to the Word of God, for the informing of the conscience and gaining to the truth the erring Ministers, is proper to the College of Ministers; and in this if the college of Ministers err, they are also punishable, and the Magistrate is to command them to judge and determine, de novo, over again: The Magistrate in a constitute church is to determine civilly, and sentence, and civilly punish the Ministers that either are dumb dogs, and will not bark, or that perverts the souls of people with false doctrine, and where the Church is constituted, it is presumed that the Priests, whose lips should preserve knowledge, have determined in an Ecclesiastical way, the very same which the Judge civilly is to determine, not because the Church hath so determined, but because he judgeth in his conscience it to be according to the Word of God.

VIII. Assertion. The Ministers are in no sort the Ambassadors or servants of the Magistrate, but of Jesus Christ, and immediately in their ministerial acts subordinate to the King of Kings. 1. They declare the truth in the Name of Christ, their master and Lord, not in the name of the Magistrate, as the Arminians make the steps of the subordination. 1. The Word of God. 2. The Magistrate carrying God's sword. 3. The Preachers of the Gospel; for then the Preachers should hear the word of the Magistrate first, and have the mind of Christ spoken and revealed to them immediately from the magistrate, but mediately only by the mediation of the Magistrate, the mind of Christ. 2. There should be in every Christian Kingdom, where there is a King, a civil Pope, having directly both the Swords, not with the distinction of Jesuits, of dixectly and directly, and as they say, the Pope hath the temporal sword, indirectly and in ordine ad spiritualia, in order to spiritual things, and and how many inferior Magistrates, so many civil Popes, only they shall not be infallible. Arminians say that this collection is from envy, Because we (say they) deny a headship and supremacy of power of Governement, to your Pastors and Elders in all your Parishes, which maketh the Church a Monster with many heads; therefore you put this, for envy upon the Magistrate, who yet hath the word of God above him, which the Pope hath not, who setteth himself above the Word of God.

Ans. 1. If we give a supremacy royal, and princely to the Ministers, which they call Archi • ectonica, as the adversaries do to the Magistrate; multitudes of Popes behooved to be in the Church; but we make them mere Heralds, Trumpeters, and Messengers to relate the will of God, void of all royal power, and having neither earthly majesty, power, nor Sword. 2. It is not our Argument, that in which they conceive we repose, to wit, that we think the adversaries resolve all ultimate, and last which concerneth the government of the Church, in the will of the Magistrate, as on an infallible rule, we grant they teach that the Word of God is to rule the Magistrate in the matters of the first Table, and justice and equity in the things of the second Table, but they say this in words only, but the Magistrate as Magistrate may mould out of his high dominion what Church government he will, and this by consequent resolveth all in the Magistrates will; and that they teach, that when the Magistrate doth command against the Word of God, then it is better to obey God then men. And 2. This we infer as an absurdity that they cannot shun that there is such a new officer, a new Church head, a creature most like a Pope in every Christian Kingdom brought in the Church, who is above Bishops, Pastors, Doctors, who by office must carry the mind of God to Pastor and people, who hath the keys of the House to make and unmake, call and send, recall and exantorate ministers as his Servants and Heralds. 3. Look what power the Magistrate as a Magistrate hath in civil affairs, the same hath he in dispensing Word, Sacraments, admitting to, or rejecting from the Sacraments, calling of ministers, excommunicating by this way, and so by office, he is no less essentially a Pastor to watch for the soul, then he is a civil Judge. 4. How doth this confound the two Kingdoms? the Kingdom that is of this world, and fighteth with the Sword; and the Kingdom that is not of this world, and fighteth not with the Sword? if the magistrate as the magistrate and armed with the sword, be the supreme Head over both, and as he beareth the Sword have a carnal dominion over the Church as the Church? 5. If God have made the subordination of ministers as ministers, and servants of the magistrate as a magistrate, then the visible Church hath no ordinary right, to Ordinances, Word, Sacraments, discipline, but by the magistrate; and all that the Churches did in the Apostles times, or the first three hundred years after Christ, being contrary to the magistrates will, must be either seditious, or then it was by no rule of the Gospel, but by an extraordinary dispensation; and we shall have no warrant for any dispensing of the Word, and of Seals, or Government from the Apostolic Church, because all that must have been beside the rule and extraordinary. 6. From this pretended subordination, as the supreme magistrate may do all that the inferior magistrate may do, because the King is eminently all that the inferior Magistrate is, and something more; so may he dispense the Word and Sacraments, in regard that the King is by the same official power over the Church as the Church, in sacris, in all matters of Religion, as in civil things, and containeth in him, in a high and eminent manner, all that the Church and Pastors can do, as they are such, and because the King hath the same power, in all Arts and Trades, then by his Royal power he might (if he had time and leisure) build houses, because of his royal Eminency over all Trades, he might sit at the helm of any ship, and steer and rule it, he might paint Images, he might plow the ground, because he hath the like Royal power over masons, Sailors, Painters, Husband-men, carpenters, and the like, as he hath over the common-wealth, and the Church; we must then say that God hath called the King to all these to be a minister, a mason, a Sailor, a Painter, and if he had leisure, he hath God's calling to be a Preacher, a Sailor, as to be a King, yea, and that as King he is all these: Now the Apostle clearly distinguisheth between him who exhorteth and teacheth in the Church, Rom. 12. and him who is the Minister of God, and beareth not the sword in vain, Rom. 13. and clearly insinuateth a distinction of calling, so that God never called one man to all callings, as it is 1 Cor. 7. 17. But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called everyone, so let him walk, ver. 20. Let everyone abide in the same calling wherein he was called: And it is clear, if the King be a Head in the body▪ 1 Cor. 12. then he is not the feet, though he have need of the feet, for then the eye should be both eye and ear, and hand, and therefore the King cannot be all. Pareus in Rom. 13. saith, the King cannot do some things ob defectum juris ex Dei limitatione, He cannot preach. Ans. Ergo, Preaching belongeth by Divine right to another, and its not subordinate to him, jure Divino. 2. Saith Pareus, he wanteth law to use the wi •• of another man as his own. Ans. Then the right of Husband and Wife is not subordinate to the King, so as he may use the right of a Husband, because it is against the seventh Commandment, nor can he invade the right of Pastors to dispense Word and Sacraments, it being against the second Commandment, he not being called thereunto. 3. Other things (saith he) he cannot do for want of skill, as to teach in a College, and others he cannot do, because they are fordid, as to sew shoes. Ans. If God have not called the Prince to these, it is not only sordid, but unlawful for him to thrust his sickle in another man's field, for God must call to a lawful calling, else men use a lawful thing unlawfully, so it is sordid and unlawful for him to judge those, and the like. Erastus I know roundly granteth that the King or any Magistrate may lawfully dispence the Word and Sacraments, nothing hindereth him, but want of time, which is a better Answer then others give, who hold the same principles with Erastus, and that the King hath the same Royal power in things civil and Ecclesiastic, except the adversary flee to our distinction of power and persons, and of things civil and sacred, they shall never expede themselves. But the King (say they) is not capable of 1. The power of Order, he cannot be a Pastor, or a Doctor. 2. He cannot as King be capable of internal power of jurisdiction, he cannot preach, he cannot dispense the Sacraments, but he is (say they) capable of external power of jurisdiction, to govern the Church, excommunicate, to debar Apostates and Heretics from the Sacraments, to create Prelates, Primates, Metropolitans, and such cattle, to call and ordain, make and unmake Ministers, to make all Canons and Ecclesiastical Laws, and appoint religious Ceremonies, as holy Surplice, crossing, oil and spittle in Baptism, to create holy days, to command men to kneel to bread, and to order all the external worship of God, and beside the Word, to order many little and smaller things in the borders of worship external, such as is some little Idolatry, and Superstition: And (for ought I know) by their way, who hold there is no certain form of Government of God's House in the Scripture, some harmless and innocent golden Calves, as lawful as religious symbolical Ceremonies. This power is no more due to the Magistrate as the Magistrate, then to dispense the Sacraments, as I have said before: Nor do the Arminians much honor the Magistrate, who walking in the steps of Erastus do hold, that the Magistrate having power of public places, Preachers are obliged not to preach in public places, if the Magistrate forbid them, but they may preach in private places. But 1. These same Arminians hold that Pastors are to preach whatever in their conscience seems to be the truth of God; a principle of those who are for toleration of all Religions; though Judaism & Turkism, a way (I am persuaded) most abominable, and which the Lord of his Church will crush, when he shall bring down other Antichristiā untruths to the ground; Now it seems to the conscience of Papists and many Heretical teachers, that they are obliged to preach Turkism, & Judaism in the Temple, and in public, & that distinction is false & vain, as it is in very deed contrary to the truth of God, to preach what they think the truth of God, & to preach it in public or private, or in any place is indifferent as touching the place. 2. The Lord hath no more given to Magistrates power of places, or actions religious in places, then he hath given to them power of truths: Ergo, they must be obliged in conscience, rejecting a •• i • and sapless distinction, to preach in public places: for as that juditio • s and learned professor Iac. Triglandius saith, The place is accident all to the worship, and changeth not the nature of it; and truly as that learned professor saith, it is a poor honor that they put on the Magistrate, to limit all his power to places and stipends. 3. The Apostles knew not this distinction, for they not only preached truth, the Scribes and Pharisees forbidding them; but in public places, and at all occasions, and daily in the Temple, and in every house, they c •• sed not to teach and preach Jesus Christ, Act. 6. 2, 4. & 4. 1. 20. & 5. 20, 21. The Magistrate being Antichristian forbiddeth not preaching of saving truths, because of the place, be it private or public▪ but he forbiddeth them, because they are saving, and if Jesus Christ have called a man to preach in public, in the house tops, the Magistrate hath no power from God to silence him in public more then in private; the Magistrate forbiddeth that any teach false Doctrine, not for the place, but because it is injurious and hurtful to human societies that men should be principled in a false Religion, and cannot but disturb the public peace.

IX. Asser. The Christian magistrate must here come under a threefold consideration. 1. As the Object of that high office is merely and purely civil, and positive relating only to a civil end of Peace: as in importing, or exporting of goods, of wool, wax, moneys for the good of the common-wealth, the crying up or crying down of the value of coined Gold or Silver, the making of Laws merely civil; as not to carry Armor in the night in such a City: So in War, Commanders, Captains and Colonels are Magistrates to order the Battle, lay stratagems, the way of besieging Towns, of fortifying Castles, of issuing out mandates for the Navy; The Parliaments power in disposing of Fouling, Fishing, Hunting, Eating of Flesh, or not eating at such a time: all these▪ as the Word of God doth not particularly warrant the one side more then the other, are merely civil and positive▪ It is sure the Magistrate hath a supremacy, and an independency above the Church or Ministers of the Gospel in all these; and as these prescinde from all Morality of the first and second Table, I hold that neither the power nor person of the Magistrate is subordinate to the Church and Church-assemblies, and Ministers of the Gospel should 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and exceed the limits and bounds of their calling, if they should meddle with these; as the Church should exceed their bounds, if they should make Canons touching the way of sailing, painting, tilling the earth according to such and such principles of Art, for these are without the sphere of the Churches activity; in this consideration that learned and grave Divine Doctor Andrew Rivet in Decalo in c. 5. saith well, pag. 204. That as we believe a man well skilled in his own Art, so that his judgment is a supreme rule; so the supreme authority of the Magistrate to us in things positive, is a rule; for indeed it cannot be denied but there be Arcana Imperi • secrets of State that are not to be communicated to Pastors or to any, in which the Rulers have a supremacy. The Magistrate falleth under a second consideration, as he giveth out Laws just or unjust, and executeth judgment in the morning, or suffereth the eyes of the poor, the widow and Orphan to fail for went of justice; and in these he is not subject to the Church and Pastors so, but only as if he sin in making Laws, the Pastors may humbly supplicate that he would recall those unjust Laws, and judge over again righteous judgment, and this exhorting of the Pastors is a subjecting of the Magistrate to the Pastors quoad actus imperatos; so have General assemblies in the Church of Scotland humbly supplicated the King and Parliament to retreat Laws made against the liberties of the Church, in savor of Antichristian Prelates and Ceremonies; but quoad actus elicitos: The Church and Pastors themselves cannot usurp the throne, and give out civil Laws that are righteous, and judge righteously: for the poor in the place of King, Parliament and Judges; for in this also the judges are supreme and independent, and subject only to God the Creator, as his Vicars and Deputies in God's universal Kingdom of power called