stances, be permitted to preach the Gospel, who were not permitted to exercise a governing power in the Church.

So utterly futile and insufficient are the arguments for a lay government in the Church; and our conclusion remains perfectly firm, that Christ the Head, has delegated the sole rule and authority in it to that order of men whom he commissions to preach the gospel and administer the sacraments.

III. As under the Law there were several sorts of men separated for the service of the sanctuary, so under the Gospel those who are appointed to teach and govern the Church our Lord hath set apart to be a distinct order and function of men. They are called from their ordinary occupations and duties, by which act they are separated for the work whereunto they are called, Acts xiii. 2; Rom. i. 1; Gal. i. 15. They are to be continually employed in their office, and to be altogether devoted to the service of their heavenly Master, Acts vi. 4.; xx. 17, et seq.; Rom. xii. 7; 1 Cor. iii. 9; Col. iv. 7; 1 Tim. iv. 15, 16; v. 17. The names which are given to them in the New Testament denote peculiarity and distinctiveness of order. They are called "bishops," "angels of the Churches," "elders," "pastors," "teachers," which were synagogue terms, every one denoting peculiarity of order, and they must have been understood in this sense by the Jews

whom Christ and the Apostles addressed'. The fact of an appointment to be ministers and stewards of the mysteries of God, is an abundant attestation that they were designed to be men of a distinct order, and peculiar function.

IV. To this separate order of men ecclesiastical government is committed; and though its co-existence with secular governments may seem to form an imperium in imperio, it is nevertheless of such a character as, in its legitimate exercise, cannot interfere with the civil supremacy of sovereigns.

That all persons are to be subject to the temporal government under which they live, is the unquestionable doctrine of scripture: "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers,”Rom. xiii. 1; ،، Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, and to obey magistrates," Tit. iii. 1:"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme, or unto governors," &c. 1 Pet. ii. 13. In these and similar precepts, no exception is made in favour of spiritual persons. If any one could claim exemption, certainly our Saviour might; yet while he was on earth, he always submitted to the civil power, and paid tribute in token of his obedience to it, Matt. xvii. 27., and the Apostles followed the

1 This is the observation of Lightfoot, Works, Vol. 1. p. 23, folio edition.

same example. By becoming either members or ministers of the Church, men do not cease to be subjects of the State, nor owe less duty to it. The spiritual order confers no civil jurisdiction, claims no immunity from the sword of earthly sovereigns, to whom supreme power over all persons, ecclesiastical as well as civil, within the realm doth appertain; so that it is the duty of all Christians, clerical as well as laical, to yield a willing obedience to its commands in all things not contradictory to the word of God.

The sovereign's interference in matters of religion, is only of a civil nature; and his supremacy extends only over the civil means employed for the support of it1. This is likewise manifest from the absolute independency of the Church; for, being a society purely spiritual, and entirely independent, both in its origin and continuance, of human power, no human power can lawfully controul its spiritual privileges. To the chief magistrate "the ministering either of God's word or of the sacraments" cannot belong; he cannot determine what is true in religion; nor can he lawfully alter, enlarge, or trample upon, the rights and privileges of the Church, as a divinely organized and spiritual society. His power extends only to its outward condition in the world; whatever things of a

P. I. chap. iii. 4.

civil nature relate to it, these, and these only, come within his jurisdiction. They may be denominated" ecclesiastical" as pertaining to the Church; and, in this sense, the sovereign is, within his realm, over all persons; and in all causes, as well ecclesiastical as temporal,

supreme.

It must be acknowledged to be often a difficult matter to define the precise limits of his jurisdiction. Men being the subjects both of an earthly kingdom, and of the kingdom of Christ, it is frequently a nice point to draw the line of distinction between the respective duties. Murder, theft, forgery, assault, trespass, and almost all offences against the moral law, may in some sense be accounted causes spiritual; yet they are clearly amenable to the punishment of the temporal government, upon which devolves the care of preserving the public peace. Whatever it be that plainly affects the civil well-being of the State, is a matter of a civil nature, and becomes for that reason the object of the magistrate's care and concern.

Again, in matters purely spiritual, he must be allowed to have cognizance to a certain extent; for this is correlative with his right to choose and establish a religion. Though he has no right to oppose any article of Christian truth, or to dictate any article to be believed as such, he may both confer civil privileges upon those who in his judgment profess the true

faith, and also suppress such dangerous errors as are manifestly subversive of the public religion, or of the public morals. He has therefore authority to judge in matters of religious opinion, so far as they affect the civil good of the State, which is so far an interference in spiritual matters.

Hence the magistrate being bound to protect the Church which he establishes, may convene councils or convocations, whenever it is needed for the preservation of its peace and good order. He may enforce the decrees passed therein, and the constitutions of ecclesiastical governors, by the civil arm. He may chastise and correct the vicious members of the Church, whether clerical or laic, and thus aid her spiritual censures by the temporal rod. He may go still farther, and command ecclesiastical persons faithfully to discharge their respective offices, and punish them for the neglect or abuse of their spiritual functions; yet only so far as God's word doth allow.

His authority, then, reaches to causes ecclesiastical; and he must of necessity be possessed of it; for, as the supreme power in a state, in whatever hands it be lodged, can have no superior upon earth, he must have jurisdiction over all orders and estates, and over all causes. At the same time it is only a civil, not a spiritual supremacy. In every exercise of official power in religious matters, or over ecclesiastical per