Concerning Ministers Meddling with State Matters in their Sermons, application · Section 5 – Section 11
Of the Magiſtrates work by himſelf.
The aime therefore which the Magiſtrate, as he is a Chriſtian, ought to have in taking his place upon him, is to ſet himſelf under Chriſt, as his ſervant and inſtrument, to conveigh to the ſocieties of men by naturall means the enjoyment of all Gods gooneſſe, that he may be glorified therein, and they may be happie thereby in this world: and to this effect his more immediate aime and deſigne ſhould be, to employ the power and authority of his place, to order the outward ſocieties of men in unity, to overſee, and rectifie all their actions, which are contrary to the will of God in nature, and by his conduct to ſettle men together in a condition of life, wherein Godlineſſe and Honeſty2 Tim. 2. 2. may be maintained and advanced, and ſafetie with Peace and Plentie enjoyed without diſturbance.
From this deſcription of his aime, as it ariſeth naturally from Gods end in giving him his employment, we may gather two things, both what his proper works are, and what the propertie of his way is in going about them.
His proper works are, to ſet a foot all the meanes which he can uſe in his place, by which theſe ends may be brought to paſſe: and the propertie of his way in going about thoſe works is, to carry himſelf ſutably to the nature of men, with whom he hath to deal, to the eminencie of the place wherein he is ſet, and to the qualitie of the means whereof he doth make uſe; here then, if we will reflect upon particulars, we ſhall finde theſe to be his proper works.
1. Togather and unite mens mindes and perſons together under ſome common relation for their mutuall help, unto that which is good for all, as their joint intereſt: whence it is, that all corporations in a State depend naturally upon the Supreame Magiſtrate, as the branches of a tree upon their root.
2. To take notice of all mens wayes and walkings, to ſee that nothing be found therein prejudiciall to the common good; and to call thoſe that do any thing amiſſe, and contrary to the lawes of nature, or of the Common-wealth, to an account concerning their proceedings, to right the ſame.
3. To ſet up and maintaine indifferently towards all, the publick meanes of common happineſſe, wherein all are concerned, that every one may enjoy the comforts of the life of nature. Here then his work will be ſo farre as outward helps can reach the effect, and counſell give addreſſe thereunto, to intend theſe things.
1. Firſt, to provide for the life of Godlineſſe by the protection and advancement of the Chriſtian Religion, and of the profeſſors thereof, to ſhew himſelf a Nurſing Father of them, and of the wayes of Gods worſhip in the State to countenance it with Authoritie.
2. Secondly, to provide for the life of Honeſty; by the erecting, ordering, and overſeeing all manner of Schools, for the education of all ſorts of youths, in good manners, and in all manner of Learning, chiefly that, whereof every one ſhall be found moſt capable to become ſerviceable unto the ſocietie of mankind thereby.
3. Thirdly, to provide for the ſubjects ſafetie by the management of their ſtrength for publick defence, and the juſt uſe of power, to puniſh all offenders, and to right particular wrongs: that the wicked may ſtand in awe and fear.
4. Fourthly, to provide for the Subjects peace, by the ſettlement of good order in all things of a publick nature, and between man and man, by wholeſome lawes and conſtitutions in matters of right and wrong; and by publick Judicatures in controverſall caſes, wherein by the law of nature none ought to be his own judge: that every one may know his duty, and behave himſelf blameleſſely therein, or be reproved, ſhamed, and corrected in judgement for his faults.
5. Laſtly, to provide for the Subjects plentie, by the ſetting up and encouragement of all manner of induſtrie by Sea and Land, in the wayes of Husbandry, of Fiſhing, of Merchandiſe, of Manufactures, and of every thing elſe, that may bring a lawfull benefit to the particular or generall ſocieties of men, amongſt themſelves or towards forreigners.
I conceive theſe to be the maine and full ſubſtance of his proper works, as he is a Magiſtrate, and a Chriſtian in his place: and that theſe things ſhould ſtand thus in his deſigne, although in the proſecution thereof, the order of his proceeding may be quite retrograde in ſome reſpect, and in ſome other variouſly changeable: As for the property of his way in doing theſe things, I conceive thus.
Of the property of the Magiſtrates way in doing his works.
In reference to the nature of men, with whom he hath to deale, his way muſt be rationall, and the neerer it comes to flow from the grounds of Common right and equitie, the more effectuall it will prove.
In reference to the eminency of his place, his way ſhould be Authoritative and backed with Power. I underſtand a way to be Authoritative; when by a lawfull office, which none elſe can, may or will attend and diſcharge for the publick good, a neceſſary duty is preſcribed to thoſe that are in ſubjection, and that it is backed with power, when there is ſtrength enough to inforce obedience to that which is commanded, and break all oppoſite reſiſtance to the execution thereof. There is no power (ſaith the Apoſtle) but of God, and the powers (ſaith he) that be, are ordained of God. Rom 13. 1. and we may ſay, that there is no Authority (as it is diſtinct from power) but of men; becauſe the diſpenſation of right to it, is in the hand of God, by the ordinance of men, or in the hand of men, by the ordinance of God: by men in this place, I meane the elders and heads of the people: by the ordinance of God, in the hand of men; I meane the fundamentall rights, which by nature are inherent in all humane ſocieties, to provide for their owne ſafety and well-being: and by the ordinance of men in the hand of God, I mean the reſolutions and agreements of the people, which are ſetled upon thoſe rights in order to their wellbeing. And how far they ſhould attend each other ordinarily, or extraordinarily do beget each other, as God intends Iudgement or Mercy towards a people; I ſhall not now ſearch into, but this I ſay for the Magiſtrates way of eminencie, that if matters be ſet a foot Authoritatively without power, eſpecially in extraordinary adminiſtrations; thoſe that act them, expoſe themſelves unto contempt: and if they be ſet a foot powerfully without Authority, either in ordinary or extraordinary adminiſtrations, thoſe that act them, make themſelves odious as oppreſſours: therefore nothing ſhould be done either Authoritatively without power, or powerfully without Authority.
In reference to the qualitie of the meanes, which are made uſe of, his way is to act by Commiſſion and Deputation of Authority, of right and of power unto ſubordinate officers, who may act in the name of the Supreame; and may not be lawfully reſiſted, in that which they have commiſſion to perform. And thus much concerning the Magiſtrates work, and his way of going about it.
Of the Miniſters work by himſelf.
As for the Miniſters of the Goſpel, Gods end is to glorifie his ſpirituall goodneſſe towards the ſouls of men by their ſervice, making them conduit-pipes of his grace towards the ſame; that by faith in Chriſt men may receive the forgiveneſſeAct. 26, 18. of ſins, and an inheritance amongſt thoſe that are ſanctified. And to this effect; Chriſt doth appoint them as his meſſengers to be witneſſes of his Truth, which is the Covenant made between God and man in himſelf, and to be2 Cor. 4. 5. ſervants to the ſocieties of beleevers, the publick profeſſors of his truth, for his ſake: they are alſo made ſubjects for the1 Pet. 2. 13. Lords ſake unto every ordinance of man, as all other men are, that they may give others a good example of orderly walking, and of harmleſneſſe in the life of nature.
And of his way in going about it.
Now by this appointment of God concerning them, it is evident, that they in their places are not properly over men as Magiſtrates are in humane affairs, to command, and compell obedience to that which they inioyn; but onelyonly towards men in Divine affairs, to let them know the will of God, and to intreat them to yeeld obedience thereunto for Chriſts ſake; and in caſe men will not hearken to them, they have no more to do, but to ſhake off the duſt from their feet, and declare the judgement of God unto them.
And as they have no maſterly or commanding power over either the outward concernments, or the faith of thoſe to whom they are ſent, ſo they have no right to ſhare any way with the Magiſtrate in his employments, no more then his meaneſt Subject, nor to meddle with the adminiſtration of any of his works, nor to incroach upon any part of his Authority, nor to make any mixture of his employments with their own under any publick pretence whatſoever; but in all outward and viſible concernments, to be as it becometh meer Subjects, and under the Supreme Power, without any exemption, or any priviledge (by the title of Eccleſiaſticall perſons) to be free from his juriſdiction, as the Man of Sin pretends his ſervants ſhould be.
Therefore the aime which the Miniſter of the Goſpel ought to have in taking his place upon him, is to ſet himſelf under Chriſt in his employment, as his ſervant and inſtrument towards the ſpirits of men; that by grace he may conveigh the teſtimony of Gods ſpirituall goodneſſe to them, that they by entertaining the ſame may glorifie God, and become happy both in this world, and in the world to come. And to this effect, his more immediate aime ſhould be, to teach thoſe that know not Chriſt to know him, and perſwade them to beleeve in him, and to profeſſe his Name: and thoſe that profeſſe him, to walk by the Spirit of Chriſt with God in the Covenant, entertaining and obſerving the tenor thereof through conformitie to the croſſe of Chriſt, in hopeRom. 8. 17. of being glorified together with him.
Of the difference of the Magiſtraticall and Miniſteriall wayes of adminiſtration
And from this deſcription of his aime, and the appointment of Chriſt concerning him towards his employment, we may ſee that his proper works, and the property of his way in going about the ſame, are, as farre different from that of the Chriſtian Magiſtrates works and way, as the life of Nature is from the life of grace, as viſible things are from inviſible, as meer reaſon is from revelation, as ruling is from doing ſervice, as coaction is from ſupplication, as commanding is from being in ſubjection, as the outward man is from the inward, as this world is from that which is to come, as to be dead, and crucified unto this preſent life, is from ſeeking after the enjoyment of happineſſe therein, and as bearing witneſſe concerning the will and Word of God, to incline the conſcience to yeeld it ſelf willingly thereunto, is from an injunction brought forth by the will and word of man, with a purpoſe to ſee it actually performed, and perſonall obedience yeelded thereunto, whether it be done willingly or no. So that except men wil purpoſely ſet themſelves to go beyond their line, and neglect their own work, to take another mans work out of his hand; there can be no interfaring of the employments; and yet they may be as intimately coordinate, concurrent, and ſubſervient to their joynt end of humane happineſſe, and the glory of God in Chriſt, as ſenſe is coordinate, concurrent, and ſubſervient unto Reaſon; or right reaſon unto Conſcience, or a good conſcience unto the motions of the Holy Ghoſt, and to the teſtimony of Jeſus in the word of prophecy.
And of the limits of their intermedling with each others affaires.
Thus we have briefly ſeen the proper works of theſe employments, as they relate unto the ends for which Chriſt hath appointed them. We ſhall not need to deſcend unto the particulars of the Miniſteriall works, it ſufficeth for our purpoſe in hand, to have diſcovered this, that by the appointment of God, for the glory of his Grace in Chriſt Jeſus, as crucified unto the world on the one hand; and for the glory of his Supreame power in Chriſt, as exalted over the world on the other hand: the ſeverall, proper and immediate ends and aimes of the Magiſtraticall and Miniſteriall employments, are put in two peculiar channells; and accordingly that their works are ſo diſtinct, as the work of the minde is from that of the bodie, and their wayes of going about them ſo different, as the way to frame and beget inward thoughts towards God, is from the way to order mens outward actions in a ſocietie towards men. For to attend the latter belongeth wholly to the Magiſtrate, as to attend the former is wholly peculiar to the Miniſter. And although the Magiſtrate, as a Chriſtian, may intend as occaſion is offered, to help, by the Spirituall Talent which God hath beſtowed upon him, his Brethren in the way of ſetting their hearts aright towards God (nor is this any prejudice, but rather an advantage to the Miniſter of the Goſpell) yet he cannot be obliged to give attendance unto that employment, as to a function of his Magiſtracy: nor is that to be reckoned as any part or act of his ruling office: but to the Miniſter it is his whole office to attend this continually, by labouring in the word and prayer for it. Nor is it lawfull for him as a Miniſter of the Goſpel, either to attend or to intend any thing elſe but this: it is true, that as a neighbour in humane ſocieties, he may occaſionally adviſe (being called thereunto) that which is moſt expedient to be done in the outward actions of men: (nor is any prejudice, but rather an advantage to the Magiſtrate in the State,) but if his aime ſhould be to intend or attend, the regulating of mens naturall wayes; or the judging of men by their actions authoritatively or powerfully as an overſeer of their outward behaviour; he hath forſaken his owne employment, he hath uſurped the ſtation and place of his Magiſtrate, he hath brought the ſtate of Nature, which is ſingle, under the intanglement of a twofold government, he doth confound the conduit-pipes of the Spirituall and Naturall adminiſtrations, wherein Gods goodneſſe ſhall appeare and run, though joyntly, yet diſtinctly; and he doth lay in the ſpirits of men, and in the frame of their aſſociation, the foundations of Babylon, and builds up the Myſtery of Iniquity thereupon, whereby worldly intereſts are covered with religious pretences, the conſciences of beleevers enſlaved to the wills of men, and the Truth and Ordinances of God perverted to ſerve humane policies and deceitfull practices. For indeed this corruption of the aim of the Miniſteriall function, is the very Cornerſtone of that myſtery, which the man of ſin hath maintained againſt the profeſſion of the truth, ever ſince Chriſtian Societies have appeared in the ſtate of the world to be conſiderable.
The Rule by which the true property of humane actions is to be diſcerned.
For ſeeing the natural & true end of everything doth determine & diſcover what goodnes is therein, and what is right or wrong in the properties, in the parts, in the faculties, in the actions thereof: for as theſe are, or are not ſubordinate and fitted for the attainment of their naturall uſes and ends, ſo they are to be accounted good or bad, right or wrong: (as a hand, a foot, and an eye, ſo farre as they are fitted or not fitted to handle, walk, and ſee, ſo farre are they to be counted good or bad in their own kind) therefore in the rationall judgement, and eſtimate of the nature of humane actions, the knowledge of the true aim whereunto they ſhould tend, doth ſhew the ſtraightneſſe or the crookedneſſe thereof: for as they are ſubſervient or not ſubſervient by their innate properties, to produce the effect which ought to be aimed at; ſo they are to be judged good or bad, ſtraight or crooked. If then according to this Rule we ſhould reflect as we ought to doe upon our ſelves as well as upon other men, to bring all our proceedings to this teſt of Reaſon and Conſcience, we may judge ſomewhat more particularly of our affaires thus: