the things to be commanded by them that are in place and power. Presbyterial government doth not lord it over men's consciences, but admitteth (yea commendeth) the searching of the Scriptures, whether these things which it holds forth be not so, and doth not press men's consciences with sic volo, sic jubeo, but desireth they may do in faith what they do. 16. The prelates held up pluralities, non-residencies, &c., which the presbyterial government doth not. 17. As many of the prelates did themselves neglect to preach the gospel, so they kept up in divers places a reading non-preaching ministry, which the presbyterial government suffereth not. 18. They opened the door of the ministry to divers scandalous, Arminianised, and popishly-affected men, and locked the door upon many worthy to be admitted. The presbyterial government herein is as contrary to theirs, as theirs was to the right. 19. Their official courts, commissaries, &c., did serve themselves heirs to the sons of Eli, "Nay, but thou shalt give it me now, and if not, I will take it by force." The presbyterial government hateth such proceedings. 20. The prelates and their high commission court did assume potestatem utriusque gladii, the power both of the temporal and civil sword. The presbyterial government meddleth with no civil nor temporal punishments.

I do not intend to enumerate all the differences between the papal and prelatical government on the one side, and the presbyterial government on the other side, in this point of unlimitedness or arbitrariness. These differences which I have given may serve for a conscientious caution to intelligent and moderate men, to beware of such odious and unjust comparisons as have been used by some, and among others by Mr Saltmarsh, in his Parallel between the Prelacy and Presbytery; which, as it cannot strike against us, nor any of the reformed churches (who acknowledge no such presbytery as he describeth), and, in some particulars, striketh at the ordinance of parliament (as, namely, in point of the Directory), so he that hath a mind to a recrimination, might, with more truth, lay divers of those imputations upon those whom (I believe) he is most unwilling they should be laid upon.

In the third place, The presbyterian government is more limited and less arbitrary than the independent government of single congregations, which, exempting themselves

from the presbyterial subordination, and from being accountable to, and censurable by, classes or synods, must needs be supposed to exercise a much more unlimited or arbitrary power than the presbyterial churches do; especially when this shall be compared and laid together with one of their three grand principles, which disclaimeth the binding of themselves for the future unto their present judgment and practice, and avoucheth the keeping of this reserve to alter and retract. See their Apologetical Narration, p. 10, 11, by which it appeareth that their way will not suffer them to be so far moulded into an uniformity, or bounded within certain particular rules (I say not with others, but even among themselves), as the presbyterian way will admit of.

Finally, The presbyterial government hath no such liberty nor arbitrariness, as civil or military government hath, there being in all civil or temporal affairs a great deal of latitude left to those who manage the same, so that they command nor act nothing against the word of God. But presbyterial government is tied up to the rules of Scripture, in all such particulars as are properly spiritual and proper to the church, though, in other particulars, occasional circumstances of times, places, accommodations, and the like, the same light of nature and reason guideth both church and state; yet in things properly spiritual and ecclesitical, there is not near so much latitude left to the presbytery, as there is in civil affairs to the magistrate.

And thus I have made good what I said, That presbyterial government is the most limited and least arbitrary government of any other; all which vindication and clearing of the presbyterial government doth overthrow (as to this point) Mr Hussey's Observation, p. 9, of the irregularity and arbitrariness of church government. And so much for my fourth concession.

The fifth shall be this: It is far from our meaning that the Christian magistrate should not meddle with matters of religion, or with things and causes ecclesiastical, and that he is to take care of the commonwealth, but not of the church. Certainly there is much power and authority which, by the word of God, and by the Confessions of Faith of the reformed churches, doth belong to the Christian magistrate in matters of religion, which I do but now touch by the way, so far as is

necessary to wipe off the aspersion cast upon presbyterial government. The particulars I refer to chapter 8.

Our sixth concession is, That in extraordinary cases, when church government doth degenerate into tyranny, ambition, and avarice, and they who have the managing of the ecclesiastical power, make defection and fall into manifest heresy, impiety or injustice (as under Popery and Prelacy it was for the most part), then, and in such cases (which we pray and hope we shall never see again), the Christian magistrate may and ought to do divers things in and for religion, and interpose his authority divers ways, so as doth not properly belong to his cognisance, decision and administration ordinarily, and in a reformed and well-constituted church; for extraordinary diseases must have extraordinary remedies. More

of this before.

A seventh concession is this, The civil sanction added to church government and discipline, is a free and voluntary act of the magistrate, that is, church government doth not, ex natura rei, necessitate the magistrate to aid, assist, or corroborate the same, by adding the strength of a law. But the magistrate is free in this to do or not to do, to do more or to do less, as he will answer to God and his conscience. It is a cumulative act of favour done by the magistrate. My meaning is not, that it is free to the magistrate, in genere moris, but in genere entis.

The magistrate ought to add the civil sanction hic et nunc, or he ought not to do it. It is either a duty or a sin; it is not indifferent. But my meaning is, the magistrate is free herein from all coaction, yea, from all necessity and obligation, other than ariseth from the word of God binding his conscience. There is no power on earth, civil or spiritual, to constrain him. The magistrate himself is his own judge on earth how far he is to do any cumulative act of favour to the church; which takes off that calumny, that presbyterial government doth force or compel the conscience of the magistrate. I pray God we may never have cause to state the question otherwise, mean, concerning the magistrate's forbidding what Christ hath commanded, or commanding what Christ hath forbidden, in which case we must serve Christ and our consciences, rather than obey laws contrary to the word of God and our covenant; whereas in the other case, of the magis

I

trate's not adding of the civil sanction, we may both serve Christ, and do it without the least appearance of disobedience to the magistrate.

Eighthly, We grant that pastors and elders, whether they be considered distributively, or collectively in presbyteries and synods, being subjects and members of the commonwealth, ought to be subject and obedient in the Lord to the magistrate and to the law of the land; and, as in all other duties, so in civil subjection and obedience, they ought to be ensamples to the flock; and their trespasses against law are punishable as much, yea, more, than the trespasses of other subjects. Of this also before.

Ninthly, If the magistrate be offended at the sentence given, or censure inflicted, by a presbytery or a synod, they ought to be ready, in all humility and respect, to give him an account and reason of such proceedings, and by all means to endeavour the satisfaction of the magistrate's conscience, or otherwise to be warned and rectified if themselves have erred.

CHAPTER IV.

OF THE AGREEMENTS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NATURE OF THE CIVIL AND OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL POWERS OR GOVERNMENTS.

Having now observed what our opposites yield to us, or we to them, I shall, for further unfolding of what I plead for or against, add here the chief agreements and differences between the civil and ecclesiastical powers, so far as I apprehend them. They both agree in these things: 1. They are both from God-both the magistrate and the minister is authorised from God-both are the ministers of God, and shall give account of their administrations to God. 2. Both are tied to observe the law and commandments of God, and both have certain directions from the word of God to guide them in their administration. 3. Both civil magistrates and church officers are fathers, and ought to be honoured and obeyed according to the fifth commandment. Utrumque scilicet dominium, saith Luther, tom. 1, fol. 139. Both governments, the civil and the ecclesiastical, do pertain to that commandment. 4. Both magistracy and minis

try are appointed for the glory of God as supreme, and for the good of men, as the subordinate end. 5. They are both of them mutually aiding and auxiliary each to other; magistracy strengthens the ministry, and the ministry strengthens magistracy. 6. They agree in their general kind, they are both powers and governments. 7. Both of them require singular qualifications, eminent gifts and endowments, and of both it holds true, Quis ad hæc idoneus? 8. Both of them have degrees of censure and correction according to the degrees of offences. 9. Neither the one nor the other may give out sentence against one who is not convicted, or whose offence is not proved. 10. Both of them have a certain kind of jurisdiction in foro exteriori; for though the ecclesiastical power be spiritual, and exercised about such things as belong to the inward man only, yet, as Dr Rivet upon the Decalogue, p. 260, 261, saith truly "There is a two-fold power of external jurisdiction which is exercised in foro exteriori, one by church censures, excommunication, lesser and greater, which is not committed to the magistrate, but to church officers; another, which is civil and coercive, and that is the magistrate's." But Mr Coleman told us, "He was persuaded it will trouble the whole world to bound ecclesiastical and civil jurisdiction, the one from the other," Maledicis, P will now give ten p. 7. Well, I have given ten agreements, I differences.

The difference between them is great. They differ in their causes, effects, objects, adjuncts, correlations, executions, and ultimate terminations.

1. In the efficient cause. The King of nations hath instituted the civil power; the King of saints hath instituted the ecclesiastical power; I mean, the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, who exerciseth sovereignty over the workmanship of his own hands, and so over all mankind, hath instituted magistrates to be in his stead as gods upon earth. But Jesus Christ, as Mediator and King of the church, whom his Father hath "set upon his holy hill of Zion," Psal. ii. 6, "to reign over the house of Jacob for ever," Luke i. 33, "who hath the key of the house of David laid upon his shoulder," Isa. xxii. 22, hath instituted an ecclesiastical power and government in the hands of church-officers, whom, in his name, he sendeth forth.

2. In the matter. Magistracy, or civil

power, hath, for the matter of it, the earthly sceptre and the temporal sword, that is, it is monarchial and legislative; it is also punitive or coercive of those that do evil. Understand, upon the like reason, remunerative of those that do well. The ecclesiastical power hath, for the matter of it, the keys of the kingdom of heaven.1 1. The key of knowledge or doctrine, and that to be administered not only severally by each minister concionaliter, but also consistorially and synodically, in determining controversies of faith, and that only according to the rule of holy Scripture, which is clavis doyμatiky. 2. The key of order and decency, so to speak, by which the circumstances of God's worship, and all such particulars in ecclesiastical affairs as are not determined in Scripture, are determined by the ministers and ruling officers of the church, so as may best agree to the general rules of the Word concerning order and decency, avoiding of scandal, doing all to the glory of God, and to the edifying of one another. And this is clavis diarAKTIKÝ 3. The key of corrective discipline, or censures to be exercised upon the scandalous and obstinate, which is clavis KOTIK. 4. Add also the key of ordination or mission of church-officers, which I may call clavis ἐξουσιαστική, the authorising or power-giving key; others call it missio po

testativa.

3. They differ in their forms. The power of magistracy is ἀρχιτεκτονικὴ and δεσποτική. It is an authority or dominion exercised in the particulars above mentioned, and that in an immediate subordination to God; for which reason magistrates are called gods. The ecclesiastical power is netiki, or διακονική, or οικονομικὴ only. It is merely ministerial and steward-like, and exercised in an immediate subordination to Jesus Christ as King of the church, and in his name and authority.

4. They differ in their ends. The supreme

1 Festus Honnius, disp. 30, thes. 6-Circa bonum spirituale versatur potestas ecclesiastica proprie ita dicta, cujus proprium officium est verbum Dei prædicare, sacramenta administrare, disciplinam ecclesiasticam exercere, ministros ecclesiæ ordinare, de controversiis ecclesiasticis quæ circa doctrinam aut regimen ecclesiæ intercidunt, ordinarie judicare, et de ritibus adiaphoris ad ordinem, decorum atque ædificationem ecclesiæ pertinentibus, canones seu leges ecclesiasticas constituere. J. Gerhardus, loc. com. tom. 6, p. 494.-Distinguitur Christi regnum ad quod potestas clavium pertinet, ab imperiis mundanis quæ gladio corporali in administratione utun

tur.

end of magistracy is only the glory of God as King of nations, and as exercising dominion over the inhabitants of the earth; and in that respect the magistrate is appointed to keep his subjects within the bounds of external obedience to the moral law, the obligation whereof lieth upon all nations and all men. The supreme end of the ecclesiastical power is either proximus or remotus. The nearest and immediate end is the glory of Jesus Christ, as Mediator and King of the church. The more remote end is the glory of God, as having all power and authority in heaven and earth. You will say, Must not then the Christian magistrate intend the glory of Jesus Christ, and to be subservient to him, as he is Mediator and King of the church? Certainly he ought and must; and God forbid but that he should do so. But how? Not qua magistrate, but qua Christian. If you say to me again, Must not the Christian magistrate intend to be otherwise subservient to the kingdom of Jesus Christ as Mediator, than by personal or private Christian duties, which are incumbent on every Christian? I answer, No doubt he ought to intend more, even to glorify Jesus Christ in the administration of magistracy; which that you may rightly apprehend, and that I be not misunderstood, take this distinction: It is altogether incumbent on the ruling officers of the church to intend the glory of Christ as Mediator, even ex natura rei, in regard of the very nature of ecclesiastical power and government, which

hath no other end and use for which it was intended and instituted, but to be subservient to the kingly office of Jesus Christ in the governing of his church upon earth (and therefore sublata ecclesia perit regimen ecclesiasticum, take away the church out of a nation, and you take away all ecclesiastical power of government, which makes another difference from magistracy, as we shall see anon). But the magistrate, though Christian and godly, doth not ex natura rei, in regard of the nature of his particular vocation, intend the glory of Jesus Christ as Mediator and King of the church; but in regard of the common principles of Christian religion, which do oblige every Christian, in his particular vocation and station (and so the magistrate in his), to intend that end. All Christians are commanded, that whatever they do in word or deed, they do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, Col. iii. 17, that is, according to the will of Christ, and

for the glory of Christ; and so a merchant, a mariner, a tradesman, a schoolmaster, a captain, a soldier, a printer, and, in a word, every Christian, in his own place and station, ought to intend the glory of Christ, and the good of his church and kingdom. Upon which ground and principle, if the magistrate be Christian, it is incumbent to him so to administer that high and eminent vocation of his, that Christ may be glorified as King of the church, and that this kingdom of Christ may flourish in his dominions (which would God every magistrate called Christian did really intend). So then the glory of Christ, as Mediator and King of the church, is to the ministry both finis operis, and finis operantis. To the magistrate, though Christian, it is only finis operantis, that is, it is the end of the godly magistrate, but not the end of magistracy; whereas it is not only the end of the godly minister, but the end of the ministry itself. The ministers' intendment of this end flows from the nature of their particular vocation; the magistrates' intendment of the same end flows from the nature of their particular vocation of Christianity, acting, guiding, and having influence into their particular vocation. much of the supreme ends.

So

Now, the subordinate end of all ecclesiastical power is, that all who are of the church, whether officers or members, may live godly, righteously, and soberly, in this present world, be kept within the bounds of obedience to the gospel, void of all known offence toward God and toward man, and be made to walk according to the rules delivered to us by Christ and his apostles. The subordinate end of the civil power is, that all public sins committed presumptuously against the moral law, may be exemplarily punished, |and that peace, justice, and good order, may be preserved and maintained in the commonwealth, which doth greatly redound to the comfort and good of the church, and to the promoting of the course of the gospel. For this end the Apostle bids us pray for kings and all who are in authority (though they be pagans, much more if they be Christians), "that we may live under them a peaceable and quiet life, in all godliness and honesty, ," 1 Tim. ii. 2. He saith not simply, "that we may live in godliness and honesty," but that we may both live peaceably and quietly, and also live godly and honestly, which is the very same that we commonly say of the magistrate, that he is