The Remains of John Corbet, Section 3
§ 3. The Church is a Society diſtinct from the Commonwealth.
IT hath been well noted, That there can be no greater Evidence of real diſtinction, than actual ſeparation. And the Church and Commonwealth are ſeparate; whereſoever there is a Chriſtian Church in a Commonwealth, that is not Chriſtian, indeed in that Caſe the Chriſtians taken perſonally, are members, not ſevered from the Commonwealth, but parts of it; but the Spiritual Society, which they make, is no part of it, but really ſevered from it.
When a Commonwealth becomes Chriſtian, the Church is not to be looked upon as ſwallowed up in the Commonwealth, but they remain diſtinct Societies, notwithſtanding the intimate conjunction that is between them; and they differ in their kind and formal ſtate from each other. The foundation upon which the Commonwealth reſts, and its conſtitutive parts formally taken, are of another nature than the foundation on which the Church reſts, and its conſtitutive parts formally taken. The former is immediately founded in humane Laws, and Compacts, and Eſſentially made up of ſeveral orders and ranks of men diverſly indued with temporal qualifications, powers and liberties, joyned by Civil Bands, and Subordinate one to another; but the latter is immediately founded in Divine Laws, not only natural, but poſitive; and Eſſentially made up of ſeveral orders and ranks of men, ſpiritually diſtinguiſhed, and indued with ſpiritual qualifications, Powers and Liberties, joyned by Spiritual Bands, and Subordinate one to another. Hereupon none become Members of the Church, merely as Members of the Commonwealth; and none become Cives or Members of the Commonwealth, merely as Members of the Church; and they that are deprived of the Rights of the Commonwealth, may ſtill injoy the Priviledges of the Church; and they that are deprived of the Priviledges of the Church, may ſtill injoy the Rights of the Commonwealth.
Indeed a Chriſtian Commonwealth, ultimately intends thoſe high and excellent ends, which the Church doth nextly and immediately, viz. The Glory of God, and the Eternal happineſs of men; and procures the ſame in its own way, as the Church doth in its way. And the Magiſtrates and Officers of a Commonwealth muſt proceed by the Rules of Chriſtianity in their Civil Adminiſtrations, as well as the Miniſters of the Church in their Sacred Adminiſtrations; and they are the Servants of Chriſt the Mediator, not only as Chriſtians, but as Magiſtrates. And Chriſtianity doth influence its profeſſors, conſidered as Members of the Commonwealth, as well as of the Church.
In theſe reſpects, ſuch a Commonwealth hath attained a more excellent State, and exiſts in a more perfect mode, than other Commonwealths. Nevertheleſs the Church is another and higher thing than that higher mode of the Commonwealth as Chriſtian, and hath an Eſſentially different Polity, being a Society of another foundation, and ſpecifically different Conſtitution.
It is queſtionable (to ſay the leaſt), whether the Civil Power of the Commonwealth, and the Spiritual Power of the Chriſtian Church, may lawfully reſide in the ſame perſon. I do not now ſpeak of that Power in the Church, which is objectively Eccleſiaſtical, but formally Civil, (ſuch as is the Kings Supremacy in all Cauſes and over all Perſons Eccleſiaſtical, within his Dominions); but of Power formally Spiritual. And if both Spiritual and Civil Power, may lawfully reſide in the ſame perſon; yet that perſon, tho naturally but one, would be politically two, and the People ſubordinate to him in thoſe two capacities; tho they be the ſame perſons, yet they would be two Societies diſtinguiſhed in their Eſſential forms.
When the Commonwealth fails, the Church may ſtill ſubſiſt; and when the Church fails, the Commonwealth may ſtill ſubſiſt. The Commonwealth of the Jews, that was a Theocracy, ſuffered an Interciſion during the Babyloniſh Captivity; yet their Church then remained, tho it were greatly wounded, it was not extinct. And afterwards when they were no Commonwealth of themſelves, but a Province of the Roman Empire, their Eccleſiaſtical Society and Polity ſtood intire, till it was to give place to the Chriſtian Church.