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A33931 The decision & clearing of the great point now in controversie about the interest of Christ and the civill magistrate in the rule of government in this world stated according to the word of truth and presented to the Parliament of this Common-wealth and to all other powers in the world where it may come, or to any that desire satisfaction in this matter / written by T. Collier. Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691. 1659 (1659) Wing C5276; ESTC R29644 12,984 20

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danger incurred by ta●ing this authority if ordering and setling things relating to the worship of God with a coercive Power Answ 1. It is an intruding into that which they have no right unto and doubtless it is as open a wrong to Jesus Christ as it is for one Prince to invade anothers Territories and take away his dominion from him under pretence of love to him a sad sign and symptome of an aspiring minde when when men will not be content with what God hath allotted them and not only to be undermining one another to make themselves greater but they dare adventure on the crown and dignity of Jesus Christ 2. Magistrates by this Practice do not only intrude themselves into his authority where they have no right but likewise must necessarily expose themselves to the great danger of contracting the guilt of the blood od souls upon themselves And that first because compulsion by a coercive power necessarily makes a world of Hypocrites and Formalists and so deceives them with the name and supposition of Christians and beleevers when they are strangers to it whereas otherwise through the spreading forth of truth in the Gospel-light they might in an ordinary way be brought truly to look after God Or secondly in case the Magistrate err himself in the Religion set up by him as its wonder if he do not and so compel to his own will in stead of the will of Christ he may be instrumental to destroy souls in deterring them from closing with the truth and compelling them to close vvith his error 3. By this the Magistrate proclaims himself in effect to be infallible in judging and determining universally in matters of Relgion which is proper only to Jesus Christ and so exalts himself above all that is called God even above Jesus Christ in that which is his Prerogative alone and so at least attains to the badge and livery of Antichrist This is judged so to be by all reformed Churches and therefore they apply it to the Pope or Papal power on this account i. e. his usurping a power rule over the Consciences of the people and persecuting all that differ from them and how those who walk in the same steps only their opinion changed in matter of Religion will acquit themselves from the same guilt I leave to themselves to judge 4. It is that which derogates from the liberty of the Gospel which Christ hath purchased by his own blood for his people that they might not be the servants of men in divine things May vve rationally suppose that Christ hath delivered his people from the old Testament-Bondage that vvas ordained of God himself to deliver them up to the povver and vvills of men and it may be too of such men as knovv not God its true God hath rather chosen to subject his children to the vvills of men in suffering then in serving in divine things if Christ had left his people in this matter to the vvills of men the Gospel liberty had been much vvorse then that of the Lavv David vvhen he vvas to chuse vvould rather fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men because he is merciful and so tender vvas Paul of derogating from the Gospel-liberty that notvvithstanding he vvas infallibly inspired yet usurps not this povver to himself of having Dominion over the faith of his Brethren 2 Cor. 1. 24. 5. The Magistrate by this means necessarily exposeth himself to the danger of persecuting Christ For First we may yea we must suppose a possibility for Magistrates to erre especially in divine things being liable to tentations and snares above other men and if they miss in the least hint or part of truth and so compel from any part of truth to their own error and persecute those that cannot in conscience submit doubtless they become persecutors of Christ And Secondly we may have grounds for all that I know to judge and hope that the Lord may have a people that are precious to him in and under all apprehensions in Christian profession who hold the head and truely then it concerns the Magistrate to look to it and to succour and delend all in all sorts of profession rather then to persecute any one of Christs little ones the danger of this see Mat. 18. 6. 6. Acts of Rapes and force on the body in order to bodily fornication are judged by the law to be acts of highest offence even fellony deserving death but know that acts of force upon the soul to spiritual fornication which is done on all that are forced by a Magisterial Coersive power to that in worship which is contrary to conscience is a worse and more dangerous force or Rape then that on the body to outward bodily fornication For first the soul is the more sublime and divine part of man And secondly a bodily rape may be as it s generally judged without sin in the party that is violently surprized but this of the spiritual force who ever is conquered by it sins against God though the thing may be lawful to which he may be compelled yet to him its sin being done against faith and conscience for whatsoever is not of faith is sin so that to set up a coercive power in Religious matters is the likeliest and surest way in the world to lay a necessity of sinning or suffering upon all consciencious people 7. This act in the Protestant Magistrates far exceeds that in the papal and so it becomes a force of the highest nature for the Papist saith to all That they must believe as the Church believes i. e. the Pope and his Clergy and to accomplish this he keeps them ignorant permits not the Scripture in their own language to the end they may believe as the Church believes the common people shall know but what the Church will tell them and so are kept ignorant and their force is without trouble for they think they do well c. But the Protestant seems to go further The Scripture shall be translated into the mother tongue that every one may read it the people shall be pressed to buy Bibles to search the Scriptures to finde out the minde of God c. and when all is done they must still believe as the Church believes i. e. as the Minister and Magistrate shall conclude It is to invite to search and see with their own eyes and yet compell to believe what another sees doubtless it s not onely an irreligious but an irrational thing to allow people to search and know yet will put out their eyes and compel them to see with others I quere whether it would not be a lesser evil Pope-like to keep the Bible in an unknown tongue and so keep the people ignorant then to allow the Bibles and compell to walk contrary to the light and truth apprehended therein I mean to the powers thus acting Be wise now therefore Oy kings be inst●ucted ye Judges of the earth kiss the