Of National Churches, Chapter 6
Chap. VI. Who muſt be the Lay-Members of National Churches.
§ 1. INfidels and Heathens may be free Members of a Kingdom as a Kingdom, and in a Kingdom as Chriſtians may be tolerated when they cannot be cured; And may be uſed as Inferior Officers in ſuch ſecular affairs as they are capable of. But a Chriſtian Kingdom and Church as ſuch, conſiſteth of no Deniſons, Burgeſſes or men free and empowered in matters of Religion, but only ſuch as are Baptized or openly profeſſed Chriſtians (and their Children) and are not proved to have nullified that profeſſion by Hereſie or ſuch ſin as rendreth their profeſſion incredible and invalid. And all theſe Baptized Viſible Chriſtians muſt be taken for ſuch Members.
§ 2. Where the Eſſentials of Chriſtianity are Viſibly Profeſſed there may be a great difference of Members in Gifts and Soundneſs. Some may be Eminently Laudable and Uſeful, and ſome may be ſo Faulty as are fit for Rebuke and Puniſhment, and yet all Members.
§ 3. The Priviledges of ſome that are not Disfranchiſed or Excommunicate, may yet be ſuſpended while they are under trial. For as nothing but Capital Crimes or Excommunication for Impenitence after due Admonition doth cut them off, ſo while they have rendered this juſtly queſtionable, juſt Legal Tryal muſt needs ſuſpend their queſtioned right, till Judgment decide it, whether they be impenitent or not, or their Crime be Capital.
§ 4. In the Jewiſh State, many hainous Sins were to be puniſhed with Death. As Murder, Blaſphemy, Worſhiping Falſe Gods, drawing men from the true God, Curſing Parents, Willful, and Obſtinate Gluttony, and Drunkenneſs, and Debauchery after Parents Patient endeavours to reform them, Adultery, Inceſt, Sodomy, ſome Perjuries. And dead men can be no Church Members on Earth: Therefore this Death for Sin was an Excommunication and more. Therefore they that Plead that any ſuch ſhould be tolerated becauſe the Jews were often ſuch and not Excommunicated, is to plead the example of Criminals againſt the expreſs Letter of the Law, and argue à facto prohibito contra legem prohibentem. And whether Mr. Galaſpi and others have proved any more than Church-Suſpenſion againſt any but thoſe that were to be put to Death, I leave the Reader to conſider.
§ 5. It is a Controverſie, whether the Church be in the Common Wealth (or Kingdom) or the Common Wealth in the Church: And the former is by moſt aſſerted.
Anſ. 1. Under Infidel or Heathen Kings that are out of the Church themſelves, the Church is in the Common Wealth. 2. And under Chriſtian Kings or other Soveraigns, the Particular Churches are in the Common Wealth as parts in the whole. 3. And as the Common Wealth is taken ſo largely as to comprehend Pagans in Inferior Magiſtracy (as in the days of the firſt Chriſtian Emperors; there the Church is in the Common Wealth.
But take the Common Wealth as meerly and truly Chriſtian, and it is the ſame thing with the National Church, and one is not in the other, being but two Names for one thing.
§ 6. The appropriating the Name of the Church to the Clergy as diſtinct from the Laity, is the Plot or Part of Popiſh Tyranny and Fallacy: Implying falſly that the National Church muſt be ſpecified and unified by a Prieſtly Head, Monarchical or Ariſtocratical; and that a King is not a perſon ſacred enough to be the Supream Head in his own National Church; Nor the people Holy enough to be its Materials: As if Lords, Commons, Citizens and other Lay Chriſtians were no parts of the Church, when Great Magiſtrates are Nobler parts than a multitude of Ignorant Vicious Curates and Prieſts.
§ 7. From this Cheat they have claimed the ſole Power as of Divine Right, of making Canons that ſhall be obliging Laws, and of being the ſole determiners of Religious Caſes. Too many Presbyterians, and Independants are for this Clergy claim, calling only the Miniſters work, the exerciſe of Chriſts Kingly Office. But the Frenchified Prelatiſts much more.
§ 8. Hence is the common ſence and abuſe of the diſtinction of Civil and Eccleſiaſtical Government; intimating that Kings are not to Govern the Church, not meddle beyond Civil and Secular concerns. But of this before.
§ 9. The power of the Sword or force, belongeth only to the Magiſtrate to be uſed by him as Judge and not as the Clergies Lictor or Executioner, the Biſhops and Clergy have no forcing Sword power unleſs the King give it them: for which moſtly they are unmeet having proper work enough of their own: Tho ſome caſes may be excepted.