Church Concord, Question 5
Q. 5. What is the Magistrates Power and Duty about Religion, and the Churches and Ministers of Christ?
Answ. I shall say more as to their Power, than as to their Duty, because I know not how it will be endured; or how that counsel will be taken or followed, which is not desired. It more concerneth us to consider of our own duty to them.
1. All the forcing Power about matters Ecclesiastical, (whether by corporal Penalties or forced Mulcts) belongeth only to the Magistrate: (Besides what Parents and Masters may do). And if any Pastors use it, it must be as Magistrates, receiving it from the Soveraign. And the Sword is so unseemly in a Pastors hand, and so ill taken by the people, and so adverse to the persuasive Loving Government which he must exercise, and hath ever been of such unhappy effects to the World; that it were to be wished that Princes would keep their Sword from the Clergy to themselves, and commit it to such Officers, as have not so much other work to do, and are not so likely to abuse it.
2. If any Pastors will declare that Princes are bound to punish men, meerly as Excommunicated by them, without any tryal of the Cause before themselves or Officers; and will Excommunicate Magistrates for not Imprisoning, Banishing or Burning, or otherwise afflicting those whom the Clergy have Excommunicated, or judged to be so used; Much more if any will teach and declare that Excommunicate Kings are no Kings, (yea, though a Foreigner that hath no Power over them Excommunicate them); or that they may be kill'd as Tyrants; or that the Pope or any other, have Power to depose them, and dispose of their Dominions (see the Council at Lateran under Innocent 3d. Can. 3. and the Council at Rome under Gregor. 7.) If such be Subjects, they are injurious to the Civil Power; If they are Foreigners, they are open declared Enemies.
3. The Office and Power of Kings and other Magistrates is from God; and their lawful Commands are to be obeyed for Conscience sake; and not to avoid their Punishments only.
4. Their Office is to promote Obedience to God and to his Laws, by making Subordinate Laws of their own, and to be a terrour to Evil-doers, and a Praise and Encouragement to them that do well.
5. The Clergy as well as others must be subject to Kings and Magistrates: Nor is it tolerable Doctrine which would exempt their Persons or Estates, except it be by the King's consent.
6. Princes must not only promote natural Obedience to the true God, but also the special Faith and Obedience of the Gospel, by means which are suitable thereunto.
7. Princes may make Laws, forbidding the Publication of all pernicious Damning Doctrines, and the Practice of Idolatry, and of all great and notable Crimes against the Law of God, and may Correct the Offenders by convenient Penalties, with Prudence and Moderation.
8. If heretical, covetous, or lazy Pastors, corrupt God's Word and Worship notoriously, or neglect their certain Duty, to the betraying or endangering of the Flocks, or are persons uncapable of the Office; the Magistrate may drive them on to their Duties, and (moderately and prudently) punish them for their negligence and unfaithfulness; and may forbid the uncapable to exercise that Office.
9. Such Circumstances of Worship, and Orders of Assemblies (before instanced) as are fit for Common Determination and Agreement in all the Churches; being such whose Determination is not proper to the Pastors Office, may (on moderate terms, and by religious advice) be determined of by Magistrates; And all their lawful Determinations must be obeyed.
10. There needeth not the device of Popes or Patriarchs, to call Councils, or to keep Peace among the Pastors of the Church: For the Magistrate must do it, as a great part of the work of his Office. Every Soveraign may call such Pastors unto Councils as are his Subjects: And several Princes by agreement may call their respective Subjects together when there is Cause; And proper Universal Councils (as is shewed) are things which never were known, nor are not to be expected: And it must be a very extraordinary necessity, which must warrant the Pastors of several Kingdoms, to hold Councils together, when they are forbidden by their Kings: Princes also may correct Church-Tyrants and Usurpers, and Destroyers of Faith, or Piety or Peace: They ought to restrain such Pastors as would raise Seditions or Rebellions, or Persecutions of the Innocent, or that pretend Religion for the open and obstinate revilings of their Brethren, and are proved to be unquiet Firebrands to kindle Dissentions, and destroy Mens Love to one another, or arbitrarily to oppress the Flocks.
11. When any question, Who must be Iudge, in cases of Heresie, Infidelity or Idolatry as divulged or practised, the true answer is obvious and easie. 1. In regard of publick Ecclesiastical judgment, and the Sentence of Excommunication or Absolution, the Pastors of the Church are the proper Judges, by virtue of the power of the Keys. 2. In regard of publick civil judgment in order to corporal forcible punishment or impunity (as there is just cause) the Magistrate is the only publick Judge. 3. In regard of that private judgment of discerning, by which every rational person must know his own Duty, both to God and Man, and discern when and how far to obey Man, without disobeying God, every such rational person is a Iudge; that is, a Discerner of what he ought to do. And Christ always the final Judge.
12. Yet may not the Magistrate invade the Pastoral Office it self; nor Ordain or D…grade Minister…, (in that Spiritual Sense as it is committed to Church-Guides;) nor Administer the Sacraments, nor exercise the proper power of the Church Keys, which Christ committed to Church Officers, by such Excommunications or Absolutions as are proper to that power; nor may they hinder the …astors from the due performance of their Office, in matter or manner: Nor forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel, or publick worshipping of God, by all or any of his Ministers: But are bound to promote it with studious diligence, as Patrons of the Church.
13. But if they should forbid us the necessary Preaching of God's Word, or necessary assembling for God's publick Worship, (as we must not account, those seasons and circumstances necessary which are unnecessary, so that which is necessary indeed, we must not desert, till we are disabled to perform it; seeing it is greater Sacrilege, if we alienate a person consecrated to God in so sacred an Office, than if we should alienate conseorated Goods or Lands; which are not so nearly related to a holy use. And seeing we took not up our calling upon meer tryal for a time▪ And seeing it is more Cruelty in us, to see Thousands perish in ignorance and ungodliness, while we deny them our necessary help, than to shut up the Bowels of our Compassion to them, who are in corporal distress: And seeing Christ's threefold charge to Peter, doth teach us, also, as we love him to feed his Lambs. And all that are truly called to the Ministry, may say of their duty as Paul of his Apostolical Works, [Necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me, if I Preach not the Gospel] Joh. 21. 15, 16, 17, 18. 1 Cor. 9. 16. But there is no absolute necessity of our Liberties, Maintenance, Ease or Lives. And those that are indeed the Servants of God, and fear his Judgment, and look for their Reward and Felicity from him, must (with Dan. ch. 6. and the Apostles Act. 4. 18, 19. & 5. 29.) hear God and obey him before men: Luk. 12. 4. and fear hell fire more than death, as Christ commandeth; and love mens Salvation and Christ's Kingdom better than our lives: Luk▪ 14. 26. 33. 1 Ioh. 3. 16.
Yet must we take heed that we over-value not our own labours, and that we pretend not a necessity of them when there is none: And that we invade not the publick Temples or Maintenance, which are at the Magistrates disposal: And that we be not too querulous under our own sufferings, to make the Rulers odious to the People; nor any way stir up Sedition under pretence of saving Souls; nor carry on any carnal interest and work of our own, under the name of the work and interest of Christ. And as to the places, seasons, numbers, and other circumstances of our Ministerial Duties, they must be fitted to the Churches good, which is their end, and varied according to the variety of Cases; and we must not expect that all men and in all cases do observe the same which some must do.
14. But where we may not actively obey, we must either fly to another City, Mat. 10. 23. or patiently suffer, and not resist, Rom. 13. 3. 5. Matth. 5. 10, 11, 12. We must not revile when we are reviled, nor curse (no not in our hearts) the Rulers of our people, nor secretly or openly dishonour them; Because their honour is more necessary to the common good than our vindication is: 1. Pet. 2. 23. Act. 23. 5. Eccl. 10. 20. Much less may we raise any Seditions or Rebellions▪ or revenge or defend our selves by Wars against them, or against their truly authorized Officers: The Christian Religion being so far from justifying any disloyalty, that it most strongly obligeth us to honour our Superiours, upon the highest accoun…; and to give place to wrath and evil, Rom. 12. 17. 19. 21. and to pray for Kings and all in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable▪life, in all godliness and honesty. And though among Christians as some tha… bear that Name are vicious and sensual; so some are t…rbulent and seditious; and some that are better may be ens…ared by the Differences of Statesmen and Lawyers; and it hath ever been Satan's grand design to raise jealousies against Christianity and Godliness in the Rulers of the Earth, and to make them believe, that the most serious and godly Christians are the worst and most dangerous Subjects; yet the very Nature and Laws of Christianity, do make it most evident that the best and the entirest Christians, and the most Godly and Heavenly Men, must needs be the most loyal faithful Subjects; and he that is truest to God, will (so far as he understandeth) be truest both to King and Kingdom: And as our Obedience to the fifth Commandment is part of our Religion, so the promoting of all due Obedience unto our Governours, and the preventing of all Rebellions and Disloyalty, must be part of the work of all true Pastors, in their publick Teaching and their private converse.
15. All Christian Magistrates must know that their Subjects are, I. Approveable. II. Tolerable. III. Intollerable: specially as Teachers.
I. The Approveable they must encourage and maintain. II. The Tolerable they must Tolerate. III. The Intollerable they must Suppress. But if they mis-judge, God will judge them for it.
16. It is not credible that all the Patrons in England are such men, as God hath entrusted to choose Pastors for all mens Souls, and as will choose such as all are bound to commit the Pastoral conduct of their Souls to: And that Bishops will institute no others; nor yet impose any thing, which a good Christian may think sinful: Nor yet that all Christians are bound to venture their Souls on the conduct of any that Patrons choose, or on the practice of all that is imposed. Therefore Pastors of their own choosing should be Licensed to tolerated Churches.
1. Subscribing the Essentials of Christianity. 2. Living under Laws of Peace and Loyalty. 3. Paying their Parish Dues.
17. They whose Labours do more good, than their Mistakes and Faults do hurt, should be corrected only by such moderate Penalties as hinder them not from their Ministerial Work.
18. When all's done, Good Rulers will do good, and promote Truth▪ Piety and Peace, and suppress the intolerable, and restrain the envious proud tyrannical Clergy. And Bad Rulers will judge the best Men to be the worst, and take them for intolerable, and serve Satan by labouring to disable or destroy them. The God of Love and Peace, make Rulers, Teachers, and People to be Men of Love and Peace; or make us long for that World where all are such in full Perfection, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, Church Concord (1691)