The Tabernacle of God with Men, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. The ſifth Inſtruction. There is a Church-Power formally diſtinct from the Civill.
One concluſion will here be of uſe before we inſiſt upon the proofe of this Inſtruction; And it is this; The authority and relation of Magiſtracy is one and the ſame; whether the perſon of the Magiſtrate be Chriſtian or not; as the authority and relation of a father is one and the ſame, in both caſes; It belongs to the office of Magiſtracy to preſerve authoritatively both Tables of the law of God, to take order that the Subjects may live in godlineſſe and honeſty, though onelyonly the Chriſtian Magiſtrate hath principles for exerciſing this power in a Chriſtian way. This premiſed we come to the proofe.
1. From the enſignes of theſe Powers; the Sword of the Civill; the Keyes of the Eccleſiaſticall; theſe, as of different name and nature, ſo they repreſent that power, whereof they are the enſignes, different.
2. From the nature of theſe Powers compared 1. In their Object; of the one, the Common-wealth; of the other, the Church. 2. In their laws; of the one, ſuch as humane wiſedome findes neceſſary or expedient, for the ſociety of mankind; of the other, only the word of God. 3. Their authority; of the one, Imperiall, commanding in their own names, as Lawgivers to the Subjects; of the other, miniſterial commanding only in the name of Chriſt, the only Lawgiver of his Church. 4. In their puniſhments & rewards; of the one, ſuch as concern the outward man; as for puniſhments, fines, impriſonment, baniſhment, death, &c. For rewards, revenues, honours, &c. Of the other, ſuch as concerne the inward man; binding or looſing (the weapons of this warfare are ſpirituall,) retaining or remitting ſins.
3. From the inſtitution of theſe powers; the inſtitution of Magiſtracy is divine in generall. (The powers that be, are ordained of God.) The conſtitution in particular is humane, in diverſe nations, diverſe; in ſome, the Governement by the king, in others by the State, in others by the People; (Be ſubject to every humane creation,) 1 Pet. 2.13. The inſtitution of Church-office, is divine both generally, that there be officers in the Church, and particularly that theſe be they and no other, 1 Cor. 12.28. the civill magiſtrate is nowhere in the liſt, or roll of Church-officers.
4. From the conveyance of theſe powers. 1. The civill magiſtrate, (to inſtance in the ſupreme Perſon,) may be by ſucceſſion; Church-officers muſt be by Election; the civill magiſtrate, (to inſtance in the ſupreme Court,) may be by election of the people of the Common-wealth as ſuch, whether duly qualified for Church-Government or not; Church-officers muſt be by election of the People of the Church as ſuch; and they muſt be qualified according to Scripture-Characters, that they may rightly be choſen.
5. From the exerciſe of theſe powers; both theſe powers were exerciſed in their full height, for the firſt three hundred years after Chriſt, when yet, neither was any Church-officer a civill magiſtrate, neither did any civill magiſtrate pretend to be a Church-officer.
6. From the diſſolution of theſe powers; excommunication diſſolves all Church-power in the hand of a Church-officer, when rightly adminiſtred againſt him; it neither diſſolves nor weakens civill power in the hand of the Magiſtrate, when rightly adminiſtred againſt him.
7. From the farre diſtance of theſe Powers; a woman may be a civill magiſtrate, (as Deborah in Iſrael, Queen Elizabeth in England,) but a woman may not be a Church-officer; a Perſon may by good right be a Magiſtrate, yet by no right a Church-member, much leſſe a Church-officer.
8. Adde to theſe the concurrent judgement of all Churches, who have ever avouched both in Doctrine and Practice theſe powers diſtinct.
Hence a CONSECTARY.
To the Church, as the Church, it belongs, to exerciſe all Church-power, whether the civill Magiſtrate take order for it or not, whether he allow it or oppoſe it. We ſhall here premiſe two concluſions to prevent miſtake.
1. The civill magiſtrate is not to allow any exerciſe of Churchpower in his dominions, which either is, or by him is conceived to be contrary to the rule of Scripture, and ſo diſpleaſing to God.
2. In caſe the Church proceed according to Scripture-rule, and is by the Civill magiſtrate oppoſed or perſecuted, ſhe muſt not defend her ſelfe by armes, but ſuffer in a way of welldoing.
This premiſed, now to the Proof of the Conſectary.
1. The Church, as the Church, is entruſted with the power of diſcipline, a great Goſpell-Ordinance, in the exerciſe whereof conſiſts a great Part of the adminiſtration of the Mediators Kingdome, as we have ſeen in the ſecond inſtruction formerly; and this power intrinſecally in her, independently upon the civil magiſtrate: therefore it behoves her, as ſhe would be found faithfull in that great truſt committed to her, to exerciſe it.
To the Church of beleevers, not yet furniſhedwith officers in any Congregation, it belongs to chuſe and ſettle officers, taking in what due help of the neighbour Miniſters & Congreg ations may be had. To the Church miniſteriall, in her Congregations furniſhed with Officers, it belongs to exerciſe diſcipline, as occaſion ſhall bee. The ſame right that believers have to joyne together in congregations, for duties of ſolemne worſhip, the ſame right have they for the duties of diſcipline; the ſame right that they have to chuſe Elders for labouring in the word and doctrine, the ſame have they for chuſing Elders that ſhall rule them: the ſame Commiſſion that enjoynes the Paſtors and Teachers to preach and adminiſter the Sacraments, enjoynes them likewiſe to diſpenſe diſcipline, but according to the method of the Goſpel.
2. The Church when in her pureſt ſtate for the firſt 300 years, durſt no more neglect that ordinance of diſcipline, then any other Goſpel-ordinance, though cruelly perſecuted by the civill powers; here that concluſion is of uſe; The relation and authority of Magiſtracy is one, &c.
3. If that may be laid aſide, the Sacraments muſt; becauſe partaking in them are acts of higheſt Church-fellowſhip, and the Lord allowes not under ſevere penalty upon the whole congregation, the retaining of ſcandalous ſinners in Church-fellowſhip, who yet cannot be caſt out, but by the exerciſe of Diſcipline.
4. The civill Magiſtrate muſt not be allowed power to abridge Chriſt, of the compleat adminiſtration of his viſible Kingdome, but if the Church ſo depend upon him for the exerciſe of Diſcipline, as without his allowance ſhe hath no right thereto, then is this Power allowed the Magiſtrate.
5. The civill Magiſtrate hath a power cumulative for the Churches good, therefore he is promiſed her as a bleſſing; (Kings ſhall be thy nurſing fathers;) not privative of her good; then ſhould he be no bleſſing to her; but if in his power it be to deprive her of the power of Diſcipline and the exerciſe of it, he hath a power privative of her greateſt good, her purity, that which all the peace ſhe can have by his meanes can never recompence; nay this muſt needs deprive her of her peace too, as making way for all wickedneſſe in a ſhort time to overgrow her, and ſo expoſing her to the wrath of God.
There is yet another ſcruple ſticks with ſome, and that is Epiſcopacy. They who account that Government to be according to Scripture, know not how to indeavour Reformation any other way.
To remove this;
1. Suppoſing ſuch an Epiſcopacy as we finde to have had place in the Church, about two hundred years (ſuppoſe ſooner) after Chriſt to be according to Scripture. 1. Yet the frame of our Prelacy, made up of civill Lawyers and their retinue, downwards, hath no countenance therefrom, but muſt owne the Papacy as the root whence it ſprang.
2. Their adminiſtration was intolerably wicked. 1. Highly ſacrilegious taking out of the hands both of Miniſters and Chriſtians, that power which Chriſt hath given to them, and commanded them to uſe in the exerciſe of diſcipline. 2. Notoriouſly prophane, beſides their whole courſe, abetting prophaneneſſe, and ſtrengthening the hands of the wicked every where; a memorable monument hereof we have in the Book of Liberty, of their procuring and enjoyning, for the moſt abominable and ridiculous, (not without palpable ſtraines of Paganiſme,) Prophanation of the Lords day; another, the many, moſt ſcandalous and vile of the ſons of men, by them ordained Miniſters, and highly preferred. 3. Groſſely ſuperſtitious, witneſſe the Ceremonies new and old, ſo zealouſly by them contended for, as if all religion had been in that will-worſhip. 4. Plainly idolatrous; memorable here, their Altar-worſhip. 5. Egregiouſly perſecuting; the voice of bloud ſpeaks here aloud, from Gaoles, from Pillories, even the bloud of the ſincere and godly Party, generally up and down this Kingdome, Miniſters and Chriſtians, continually under the laſh of theſe taskemaſters. Memorable here the many precious ſervants of God, now in new England, forced by their tyranny into thoſe remote wilderneſſes. 6. Openly rebellious; ſhaking with both hands all true foundations of civill Governement, under pretence of Prerogative, lawleſſe ones, endeavouring the ſame boundleſſe tyranny in the State Civill, that they themſelves exerciſed in the Church. Memorable here, that Proclamation of their procuring and enjoyning, ſo highly abetting and ſtirring up to rebellion, ſet forth againſt the Scots, raiſed up by the hand of heaven to ſtand for the right of civill Governement, as became true Patriots and free Subjects.
3. Suitable to their frame and adminiſtration was their admiſſion, ſo farre from comming in at the true doore by Chriſt appointed for entrance into Church office, and accordingly by the Primitive Biſhops made uſe of, to wit, the Peoples Election, that they ſcorned to owne this door, but other back-doors did they not ſo much come in, as break in at, ſtiffely avouching this diſorder of theirs.
4, It is the right and duty of the Church, to ſeparate from ſinful Church-rulers, as formerly we have ſeen both from Scripture and antiquity; how great a neceſſity was there then of ſeparating from this whole tribe, whoſe foundation, frame, adminiſtration was ſo Apocryphall and Anti-chriſtian?
Suppoſing then Epiſcopacy diſtinct from Presbytery, to be according to rule, yet was our Prelacy ſo little of kinred to the ancient Epiſcopacy, and ſo contrary to the rule, as either it muſt not ſtand, or the Churches muſt not ſtand; that we may then come to that, we muſt firſt leave this 2. Come to it in the true way which is the free choyce of the people and Miniſters. That this may be done, the people fit matter of the Church, muſt firſt be form'd into Congregations. As for that which would here further be required upon this ſuppoſition, Impoſition of hands by Biſhops, in this caſe of ſo great Apoſtacy as hath prevail'd, the neceſſity would ſufficiently plead excuſe: As ſuppoſe a people cald out of Babylon, if impoſition of hands by Popiſh Biſhops might be had for ordaining ſome among them to be their Miniſters, it were not worth the having; but withall it being impoſſible to be had, the call and confirmation of the Church is ſufficient, as Beza pleads for the firſt Reformers, in Acts 14.23. But further for clearing this ſcruple, we lay down