Christ and so is it in the cause of Christ with the Church of Christ and every beleeving soul Fourthly as there be many things that are of this world so there be other things that be not of this world A truth which all will acknowledge in respect of this world and the world to come but it holdeth also in this present world wherein there be some things that are of it and somethings that are in it but not of it The Kingdome of Christ which hath many mysteries many parts many priviledges many lawes many subjects is of this kind The naturall man seeth no more in the world then what he conceiveth to be of the world but the spirituall man judgeth all things And what the eye of the naturall man seeth not what his eare heareth not and what his reason understandeth not because it is spirituall and cannot be discerned but spiritually that the spirituall man perceiveth and receiveth with all his heart and is no lesse assured of the infallibility thereof then of what he perceiveth by sense or reason he knoweth what he beleeveth and that he is not deceived about it But passing over all these and other the like particular doctrines which cannot at this time be prosecuted I come to the necessary uses of that main and principall doctrine intended in the Text and laid open by that which hath been spoken That Christ Jesus the Sonne of God hath a Kingdome in this world and that this Kingdome is a spirituall Kingdome and not of this world The first use shall be for Information in the point of agreement and difference betwixt Civill and Ecclesiasticall power the Kingdomes of this world and the Kingdome of Christ the Magistracie and the Ministery First both the one and the other is from God In the State there be superiors and inferiors the Lord who hath appointed in nature the tall Cedar and the low Shrub growing at the root of it the Elephant and the Mole the Eagle and the Wren the great Leviathan and the smaller Fishes hath also in policie appointed Kings Princes and Nobles to rule and governe and others of lower condition to honour and obey In the Church some to teach and rule and others to be taught and ruled by them Anabaptists I speak of such as are not novices but are acquainted with the deeps of the profession and other such masters of confusion do not distinguish betwixt the common and particular vocations of Christians betwixt a Christian equality and a Civill or Ecclesiastick inaquality All Christians having alike pretious faith in respect of their common dignity and vocation as they are Christians and are in Christ are equall amongst themselves there is neither Master nor Servant bound nor Free King nor Subject Pastor nor people but all are one in Jesus Christ but this hindereth not an inequality in Civill or Ecclesiasticall respects God who hath appointed them to be equall the one way hath also appointed an inequality equality amongst them the other way Notwithstanding this agreement betwixt the Magistracie and Ministery in respect of their Author yet is there here also some difference betwixt the one and the other for Magistracy proceedeth from God the Creator and Ruler of the world and therefore doth belong unto and is to be found amongst all sorts of people in all Nations that live in any civill society But the Ministery is the Ordinance of Christ the Mediator hath not place but in the Church of Christ Again Magistracie and Civill government in the generall is from God and is ordained of him But the particular different formes of Civill government are from men and yet all of them lawfull Whence it followeth that Civill power is not absolute but limited First by the will of God whose Minister the Magistrate is And next by such lawes and limitations as are agreed upon to be the foundation of that power It is not so with the Ministery For not onely is the Ministery in the generall the ordinance of Christ but all the speciall kinds of Ministers are appointed by him An humane creature in the State is not unlawfull but to be or appoint an humane creature in the Church is unlawfull A difference which Politickes and Church-men who love preeminence above their brethren are never enough moved to acknowledge Nor have the Ministers of Jesus Christ any limitations from men all their limitation is from Jesus Christ whose Ministers they are There is also a second thing wherein the Magistracy and the Ministery doe agree It is true indeed that the Magistrate is more about things externall which concern this present life and the Minister about things spirituall which concern the soule and life eternall yet is there nothing so Ecclesiasticall but it belongeth some way to the Magistrate he being keeper of both Tables Nor is there any thing so secular but it concerneth the Ministery in so far as secular things fall under obedience or disobedience to God For the word of God is extended to all causes all persons all conditions of life all which are to be ruled by the Word And this Word is to be expounded and must be particularly applied by the Ministery But while both are about the same things causes and persons it is in a very different way the power of the one is but Ministeriall the weapons of his warfare are spiritual not carnall but the power of the other though in respect of God whose Minister he is it be Ministeriall yet in respect of his subjects and inferiors it is Magisteriall and hath authority to compell and coerce The Magistrate may not go to the Pulpit to preach or minister the Sacraments nor may he as he is a Magistrate exercise Ecclesiasticall discipline but ought by his authority to command all these necessary duties to be done And the Minister may not ascend to the Tribunall to judge civill or criminall causes yet ought he to teach and in the Name of God exhort that justice be done to all by which every one may have that which is due unto him We may say with Bernard that the Church hath two Swords the Spirituall and the Temporall but in a different sort the use of the spirituall and the benefit of the temporall We may also say that the Civill power hath two swords the Temporall and the Spirituall but in a different manner the use of the temporall and the benefit of the spirituall When these two Swords are put in good hands and wisely managed it goeth well both with Church and State with Truth and Peace with Religion and Righteousnes The Magistracy and the Ministery are not unfitly compared to the two principall faculties of the soule of man the Will and the Understanding man being as well a Republick as a little world the will of man hath two acts one which is her proper and essentiall operation it is called actus elicitus as to will to nill or to suspend the other is called actus imperatus
produced by another power whether of the body or of the soule as by the Understanding at the commandment of the Wll For the Will may command the Mind or Understanding quoad exercitium although not quoad specificationem The Magistrate hath actum elicitum as his proper operation about civill matters as his proper object but in spirituall things not so He may neither preach nor minister the Sacraments nor exercise discipline yet hath he actum imperatum he may and ought by his place to command Ministers to do all these duties And if he be negligent in this he sinneth against God Upon the other part the Minister may not judge civill or criminall causes nor performe the proper offices of the civill power yet as the Minister hath actum elicitum for performing of spirituall duties so hath he although not actum imperatum yet actum excitatum for exciting and in the name of Christ exhorting and charging the Civill Powers to the performance of their duty This generall use of Doctrine may be brought neerer home by the following use which is for reproof of two main errors which at this time make a great deal of trouble in the Christian world and which being once removed there might be greater peace and quietnesse in Churches and Common-wealths The one is of the most unjust tyrannous claim made by the Pope of temporall dominion over the whole world or at least to intermeddle with the affaires of Princes and Kingdomes in reference to the Church or as the Papists expresse themselves in ordine ad spiritualia For the Pope not contenting himselfe with the transcendency of Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over the whole Church though he hath no warrant for it in his boundlesse and endlesse ambition did climb yet higher and partly by the favour or foolishnesse rather of Christian Princes and partly by his own fraudulent and violent dealing as the son of him who hath been a murtherer a lier from the beginning hath set himselfe up first amongst and next over the greatest Princes and mightiest Emperours to dispose of their Crownes and Dignities at his pleasure which is the mark and character of him who is spoken of by the Apostle 2 Thess 2.4 Who sitteth in the Temple of God as God shewing himself that he is God and opposing and exalting himselfe above all that is called God As the Text sheweth that Christ was no earthly King that he left no Regal power to Peter and therefore the Pope can have no temporall power as the Vice-gerent of Christ so the supream power to dispose of Kingdomes and temporall things in reference to things spirituall and the lawfulnesse of civill dominion which the Pope claimeth by the donation of Princes are overturned by the grounds laid in the Text The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world About this point there be three things which may astonish our hearts and indeed are matters of admiration one is the wonderfull patience of God suffering that man of sin so long to rage and to be drunk with the blood of the Saints which should make us to say with the Spirit and Bride Come Lord Jesus come quickly the sins of that Sea are long since at the height Lord why tarriest thou Never since the beginning of the world was there such an example of divine patience Learned men have applied themselves to search into the causes of the so long continuance of the Sect of Mahomet and conceive that the detestation of Idolatry and of persecution of the Gospel are two principall causes thereof the contrary whereof is found in the Church of Rome which makes the patience of God so much the more admirable A second is that he who calleth himself the servant of servants doth make himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and yet the Kings and Lords of the earth do still give their strength and power unto the Beast and lie under his yoke drunk with the wine of his fornications nor will they yet awake after so full a discovery of that mystery of iniquity which is from the spirit of slumber in the justice of God possessing their spirits And the third is that such Kings and Kingdomes as are begun to hate the Whore and make her desolate and naked doe suffer themselves by whatsoever tentations or worldly respects to be divided or retarded in accomplishing the work And here we have just reason to lament that the work of God maketh so slow progresse in this Land And it may be unto us this day just cause of deep humiliation that our sins in former times and since the beginning of this work of Reformation are such as make obstruction unto it The Lord I confesse hath done much already especially in removing the Prelats and other members of that Popish Hierarchy who had transformed the Kingdome of Christ in this Island into a wordly Kingdom very conform unto the Pope the head of the Hierarchy In this England hath as great cause to rejoyce as any Nation under heaven because never any nation hath felt more of Popish and Prelaticall tyranny then England and that both of old and of late witnesse your own Histories There is also another error to be reproved which is upon the other hand and may be called a new Papacy the former error is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Court-parasites politicians and such other enemies to the Kingdome of Christ would introduce into the reformed Churches ascribing to the highest civill authority or to the supream Magistrate the same place in the reformed Church within his dominion that the Pope hath in the Roman Church and making him head of the Church by which the Pope is changed but not the Papacy the Dominator but not the Domination Nor is there any difference but 1. that this opinion maketh as many Popes as supream Magistrates which would cease if Caesars or Emperours as of old did rule the world 2. That it will be acknowledged that such civill Popes are subject to error which is no great difference for the chiefest Doctors in the Roman Church do admit that the Pope may erre and for this cause will have him subject to generall Councels For clearing of this great difficulty and that we may give to Caesar what is Caesars unto Christ and his Ministers what belongeth to them we are to observe these three distinctions 1. We are to distinguish times in the times before the Law the Civill and Ecclesiasticall power might be in one person as in Melchisedeck Job c. not so after the Law when the Republick and Church of Israel were once constitute and setled The Lord that maketh Summer to succeed after Winter the day after the night and youth after infancy would have it to be so The saying of the wise Physitian Vindiceanus quia ego non jussi belongeth to God in matters of this kind August Epist 5. 2. We are to distinguish between cases in extraordinary cases
a main difference the flock under their charge is dealt with by them not by way of command or compulsion but by moving intreating and perswading them to receive the commandements of Christ They are therefore no other then fire-brands and instruments of division that would raise jealousies of this kind betwixt these two kinds of government both which are appointed of God to serve for the good of the people of God each in its own way Whatsoever hath been or can be spoken against Church-government may as wel be spoken against the Gospel and Kingdome of Christ and the contest is not properly betwixt the Magistracy and the Ministery or betwixt Civill and Ecclesiasticall authority but betwixt the Kingdomes of this world and the Kingdome of Christ which is a great unhappinesse and the cause of a world of miseries unto the Kingdomes of this world wherein the ambition of Church-men transforming the Kingdome of Christ into an earthly Kingdome and cloathing the Church with the pomp of the world beareth a great part of the guiltinesse if both were kept within the just limits and moved within their own spheares their motions and influences might be comfortable to the souls and lives of the children of men I come now to the third use which is Correction against such as say with those Citizens Luke 19.14 We will not have this man to reigne over us There be many divers sorts of enemies in the kingdom of Christ that say so some open professed enemies such as are Pagans Jews Turks some more secret dissembled enemies who under the pretence of the doctrine of Christ oppose him and his Kingdom such as have been false Christs and are this day Antichrist with all his members and followers Hereticks Schismaticks Politicks and all worldly meer naturall men And there be many sundry causes that draw them into by-parhs and make them run into errors greater or lesser but it may be coafidently a vouched that the main cause by which Satan prevaileth upon the corrupt heart of man to make him an enemy to Christ and his Kingdome is the dislike he hath of this principle and fundamentall of Christian Religion That the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world All men naturally love the world and the things of the world which are the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life and finding that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world nor doth promise unto them the things of this world but that it is a spirituall Kingdome binding up their spirits and interdicting their hearts the love of the world it must of necessity follow unlesse the light and power of the Spirit of Christ shine in their minds and work upon their hearts that either in profession or in hear or both either more or lesse they prove enemies unto Christ especially in that which would break the bond that tieth them fast to the world If men might be pleased to examine themselves narrowly and descend into their own hearts they would find that their hearts deceive them and while they seem to others to themselves to be despisers of the world they are either by covetousnesse or vaing-lory or love of carnall liberty or some other such tie intangled and keeped fast by the world and are either directly or indirectly drawn to oppose the Kingdome of Christ He that will consider the grounds of Paganisme Judaisme and Turcisme and for what reason they doe not receive Christ when he is offered unto them shall find this to be a principall cause He that will search into the histories of particular heresies and schismes wil often meet with this and find the world in the bottome of the hearts of men I do not speak of the simple seduced people but of the wisest and learnedest of their seducers and of the great wits of the world which make the world their Idoll and bow down before it But leaving this I come to the fourth use for instruction in such duties as are required of us all at this time and after a speciall manner of those that are in high places First of all seeing the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but is a spirituall Kingdome it is a necessary duty to study the nature and search into the mysteries and secrets of this Kingdom The kingdome of Satan and Sin have many deeps and secrets the Kingdomes of the world have their secrets of policie and government and the Kingdom of Christ hath greater secrets and more hid mysteries Great ones in the world know many things of the mystery of Iniquity and of the secrets of Kingdoms and States of the world but the truth is many of them are ignorant of the mysteries of the Kingdome of Christ The Princes of this world whether Princes for knowledge as the Philosophers were or for power and greatnes as the Nobles and great ones be do not know those mysteries for had they known them they would not have crucified the King of glory But as it is written Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him which the Apostle speaketh of the Kingdome of grace in this world 1 Cor. 2.8 9. Natural reason calleth for fit instruments for every work and the matter well prepared to work upon but the Apostles were neither noble nor learned but poor and simples and the world altogether indisposed to receive them being at that time as much as at any time before or since full of learning of power and of policie yet they went on subduing conquering and bringing all unto the obedience of the Gospel of Jesus Christ The laws of this kingdome were in stead of revenge Love your enemies in stead of lust Look not on a woman to lust after her in stead of covetousnesse Forsake all instead of ambition Deny your selves And yet the supernaturall lawes by the Spirit and power of the great Law-giver were setled and written in the tables of mens hearts The promises of reward were not worldly pleasures or ease but let every man take up his crosse and follow me All things in this kingdome were above the reach of naturall reason yet the spiritual man by a new faculty created of God knoweth the deep things of God and judgeth all things Some Divines have observed seven things in the passion of Christ altogether contrary to the judgement of the naurall man the greatest impotency and weaknesse in him who was omnipotent the greatest suffering in that was impassible the greatest foolishnes according to the judgement of men in the deepest wisdome greatest poverty in the God of all riches greatest shame in the greatest glory and majesty greatest dereliction and forsaking in the most perfect union and great severity of the Father against his Son in the greatest love of the Father to the Son in the very time of his suffering Many more might be
the young Lion with the Calfe c. 6. Take heed of imprudency in choosing and imploying of instruments for the establishing the Kingdome of Christ the greatest shew and profession of zeale is not alwayes the programe of the greatest zeale As a man of a calm constitution may seeme to have more patience then another which yet is not patience but mildnesse of temper So a cholerick disposition may appear to be zeale but it is only a natural and earthly not a spirituall and heavenly fire Again he that hath most true zeal and holinesse to make him a spirituall Souldier hath not alwayes the best abilities for a temporall warre It is a great mistake and the mother of much confusion to take grace for gifts or gifts for grace A man may have great gifts and abilities which the Lord will blesse for the benefit of his people and yet have a small measure of grace for his own comfort and salvation And a man may be a very gracious man and yet no more skill to be a good Souldier then to bee a good Shooe-maker It was said of old that then it is well with Kingdomes and Common-wealths when either Philosophers reigne or they that reigne are Philosophers We may say that it is a happy thing when such men are imployed as have best gifts and grace whether it be in the time of peace or war 7. Take heed of fainting and wearying in setting up of the Kingdome of Christ the Lord hath made you instrumentall in laying the foundation ye must persevere till the head stone be brought forth with shoutings otherwise it will be said that these Kingdomes did begin to build but were not able to finish the work Sometimes weaknesse may appeare in one Army and sometimes in another out the cause is the same and with God Almighty there is no shadow of change his power is not greater one day then another for the infinitnesse of Omnipotencie admitteth of no degrees Pilate protested three times that he found no fault in Christ and endeavoured for satisfying his own naturall conscience to set him free but in end lest he should be reputed an enemy to Caesar he delivered him to be crucified Darius laboured all the day long till the setting of the Sun to deliver Daniel but overcome with opportunity he condemned him at last to the den of Lions We may change the Kingdomes of the world may change but the Cause and Truth of Christ abide the same without change throughout all generations My exhortation therefore is that you beware of selfe Respects of Indifferency of Division of Delayes of Discouragements of Imprudency and of Inconstancy and that you give your selves to Sincerity Zeal Unity Diligence Magnanimity Prudence and Perseverance that yee may be the choyce and blessed Instruments of God for the establishing of the Kingdome of his Son our Saviour in the Land The last use is for Consolation which is not repugnant to true humiliation I will not trouble you with the generall Doctrine of such benefits and comforts as we are made partakers of by the Princely office of Christ for it were long to shew how by the vertue of this his office hee applieth unto us all that he hath done and suffered that the Kingdomes of the world may be our Lords and his Christs and he reigne over them for evermore and communicates with all true beleevers this grace to be Kings with him to reigne over their own lusts which is greater then any earthly conquest He that ruleth his own spirit is better then he that winneth a Citie to reigne over the world which still lieth in wickednesse and to reign over Satan the Prince of this world and worker of all mischiefe if we find nothing of this we beleeve nothing of the Kingdome of Christ if we endeavour not the sense and experience of this communion our faith is but imagination But leaving these generals I would upon this ground give you some comfort for the Cause and work in hand and it is this First If it be the cause of Christ which we maintain Next if we be the servants and people of God seeking his honour and endevouring that his Kingdome may come why may we not be comforted in this That Christ is our King and will one way or other vanquish and subdue all our enemies I will use but two reasons for it one is from the great and glorious victories that he hath in former times obtained over so mighty-enemies for the comfort of his people if we do but remember what great things he hath done since the beginning of this warre we should deny our own experience if we doubt for afterward The other is when we consider what is said in the end of the prayer which he taught his Disciples Thine is the Kingdome the Power and the Glory If we pray and endeavour that his Kingdome may come if we desire the Crown to be put on his head and the Scepter in his hand we may be confident of successe Because his is the Kingdome he is bound by right to fight for to defend and to deliver his own subjects that are fighting for his Kingdome His is the power in heaven and in earth over Angels over Devils over Armies of men and over all Creatures And his is the Glory the honour of his own actions will return upon himselfe The first that he is our King teacheth us that by office he ought to save us The second that he is able to do it because power is his And the third that he will do it because it will be dishonour to this Name to suffer his Cause and People to perish and it will be his glory to save them And that not onely in this world but when we go hence The penitent Malefactor on the Crosse cried out Lord remember me when thou commest into the Kingdom we may rather with greater confidence say Lord remember us when now after victory over Satan the World and Death thou dost possesse thy Kingdome The time permitteth not to proceed to the other two branches of the Text and therefore here I cease * ⎠* FINIS