laid in the dungeon nor had they forbid Amos to prophesie at the Kings Chapel or his Court nor had they mocked the messengers of God and despised his prophets till the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy 2 Chron. 26. 16. Had this Spirit of Vnity been in the persecuting Jews they would not have counted Paul a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among the people nor have hunted the Apostles with implacable fury nor have forbidden them to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved and have brought Gods wrath upon themselves to the uttermost 1 Thes 2. 15 16. Had this Vnity of spirit prevailed in the Nicolaitans and other hereticks of old they had not so early grieved the Apostles and divided and dishonoured the primitive Church nor raised so many Sects and parties among Christians nor put the Apostles to so many vehement obtestations against them and so many sharp objurgations and reproofs Nor had there been down to this day a continuation for so many hundred years of the Churches woful distractions and calamities by the two sorts of afflicters viz. the Clergie Tyrants on one side and the swarms of restless Sectaries on the other And if the Spirit of Vnity ruled in the people there would he less rebelling repining and murmuring against Governours but subjects would render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome fear to whom fear is due and honour to whom honour Rom. 13. 7. They would owe nothing to any man but to Love one another v. 8. For he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law For this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness Thou shalt not covet and if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt Love thy neighbour as thy self Love worketh no ill to his neighbour Therefore Love is the fulfilling of the Law v. 9 10. Love is long-suffering and kind Love envyeth not Love vaunteth not it self or is not rash nor is puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked or siercely angry thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in or with the truth Love beareth or concealeth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13. 4 c. Did the Vnity of the spirit and Love prevail it would undo most of the Lawyers Atturneys Solicitors Proctors It would give the Judges a great deal of ease It would be a most effectual corrector of the press of the pulpit of the table talk of calumniators and backbiters It would heal factious preachers and people and many a thousand sins it would prevent In a word Love and Vnity are the most excellent Law They are a Law eminenter For it is to such that the Apostle saith there needeth no Law that is no forcing constraining Law which supposeth an unwilling subject For what a man Loveth â—e need not be constrshained to by penalties And men need not many threats to keep them from beating or robbing or slandering themselves And did they but Love God and the Church and their Neighbours and their own souls as they do their bodies piety and justice and concord and felicity would be as common as humanity is As the best physicions are most for strengthening nature which is the true curer of diseases so he that could strengthen Vnity and Love would soon cure most of the persecutions schisms reproaches contentions deceivings over-reaching rash-censuring envy malice revenge and all the injuries which selsishness causeth in the world 4. The Vnity of the spirit is necessary to the fulness of our joy and the true consolation of our lives A private selfish Spirit hath very little matter to feed his joy even his own poor narrow and interrupted pleasures And what are these to the treasures which feast the joy and pleasure of a publick mind If Love Vnite me as a Christian to all Christians and as a man to all the world the blessings of Christians and the mercies of all the world are mine When I am poor in my own body I am rich in millions of others and therefore rich in mind When I am sick and pained in this narrow piece of flesh I am well in millions whose health is mine and therefore I am well in mind when I am neglected abused slandered persecuted in this vile and perishing body I am honoured in the honour of all my brethren and I prosper in their prosperity I abound in their plenty I am delivered in their deliverances I possess the comfort of all the good which they possess Object By the same reason you may say that you are holy in their holiness and righteous in their righteousness which will be a fanatical kind of comâ—ort to ungodly persons Answ He that is himself unholy and unrighteous hath not this Vnity with holy righteous persons He that hath not the spirit hath not the unity of the spirit This frivolous objection therefore goeth upon a mistake as if this Vnity were common to the ungodly But to those that have the spirit of Unity indeed the comfort of all other mens holiness is theirs and that in more than one respect 1. By some degree of causal participation As the common health of the body is extended to the benefit of each particular member And the common prosperity of the Kingdom doth good to the particular subjects Goodness in all men is of a communicative nature as Light and Heat are And therefore as a greater fire much more the Sun doth send forth a more extensive Light and Heat than a spark or candle so the Grace of Life in the Vnited body of Christ doth operate more powerfully for every member than it would do were it confined to that member separatedly As in the holy Assemblies we find by sweet experience that a conjunction of many holy souls doth add alacrity to every one in particular And it is a more lively joyful work and liker to heaven to pray and praise God with many hundreds or thousands of faithful Christians than with a few I know not how the conceit of singularity may work on some but for my part Gods praises sung or said in a full assembly of zealous sincere and serious persons is so much sweeter to me than a narrower Communion yea though many bad and ignorant persons should be present that I must say that it is much against my will when ever I am deprived of so excellent a help 2. And as Efficiently so Objectively a holy soul by this Unity of spirit hath a part in the blessings and Graces of all the world He can know them and think of them so far as he is One with them with such pleasure as he thinketh of his own For what should hinder him Do we not see that husband and wife are pleased by the Riches and honour of each other because
Church universal and such as we must have outward Communion with though only the sincere believers and consenters shall be saved § 8. 3. I believe that at death the spirits of the justified go to happiness with Christ and the souls of the wicked to misery And that at the end of this world Christ will come in glory and will raise the bodies of all men from death and will judge all according to their works And that the Righteous shall go into everlasting life where being perfected themselves they shall see God and perfectly love and praise him in Joy with Christ and all the Glorified Church And that the rest shall go into everlasting punishment where their worm never dyeth and their fire is never quenched § 9. II. AS I Believe thus in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost according to the Sacred Scriptures and the Creeds and constant Profession of the universal Christian Church so I do unfeignedly continue to give up my self presently absolutely and resolvedly to this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Covenant of grace that I may be resigned to the will of God my Owner and obey the will of God my Ruler and please and rest in the Will and Love of God my Father the Chiefest End and Infinite Good And renouncing all Idols and enemies of God and this his Covenant I consent though with the Cross to follow Christ the Captain of my Salvation to the death desiring still more of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the Holy Spirit and hoping for the promised Glory All which I pray for according to that Prayer which Christ hath left to be the summary Directory of our desires Our Father which art in heaven c. § 10. III. ACcording to the foresaid Belief and Consent As God hath obliged me I do by Covenant oblige my self by the help of his Grace sincerely to obey this God my Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier according to the Law of nature summed up in the two Great Commands of Loving God with all our hearts and our neighbours as our selves and in the Ten Commandments as the Law of Christ explained by him with his superadded precepts and institutions By all which I am bound to take God only for my God by believing fearing trusting loving and obeying him To Avoid all Idolatry of mind and body To worship God according to his Law by learning and meditating on his word by believing-holy-fervent-prayer thanksgiving and praise and the holy use of the Sacrament of his Body and Blood I must reverently and holily use his name and not by perjury or otherwise profane it I must keep holy the Lords day especially in holy Communion with the Christian Assemblies in the publick worship of God and thankful commemoration of Christs Resurrection and our redemption I must if I be a superiour faithfully and holily govern my Inferiours and as an Inferiour I must honour and obey my Parents Magistrates and other superiours in power over me I must not wrong my neighbour in thought word or deed in his Soul his Body his Chastity Estate Right or Propriety but must do him all the good I can and justly give to all their own and do as I would be done by as Loving my neighbour as my self According to the Decalogue God spake all these words saying I am the Lord c. § 11. 2. ANd as the special duty of my office as in the Sacred Ministry I do Consent and Promise sincerely to perform that office for the flock over which I shall be placed or whereever I am called to exercise it Teaching them the doctrine of the Sacred Scriptures especially the greatest and most necessary parts which I have here professed and nothing contrary thereto so far as by diligent study I can discern it exhorting them to live by faith in love to God and man and in the joyful hope of heavenly Glory in humility self-denial temperance patience justice diligence and fruitfulness in all good works To be loyal and obedient to their superiours teachable to their instructors haters of sinful divisions and contentions and lovers and followers of peace To seek first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness to mortifie the flesh and not to overlove this world To repent of sin to resist temptations to prepare for death and judgement most carefully to please and quietly trust the will of God And in the publick celebration of the Sacraments and all the worship of God and Guidance of the flock the same word of God shall be my Rule to which also I will sincerely endeavour to conform my whole Conversation not following after vain-glory or filthy lucre or lording it over the heritage of God but seeking to please and glorifie Christ in my own and their salvation § 12. ANd as I expect my part in the benefits of godly and peaceable Government so I do profess to believe and promise to teach and practise accordingly That there is no power but of God and that Rulers are Gods Ministers for Good not for destruction but edification to be a terrour to evil doers and a praise to them that do well and this under Christ to whom is given all Power in heaven and earth That we must pray for Kings and all in authority that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty That subjects must obey their Rulers in all things lawful belonging to their office to command and not resist rebel or be seditious That they must give honour reverence and tribute to whomsoever they are due And all this not only for fear of man but in Conscience as hereby obeying God The Renunciation ANd as I have thus unfeignedly professed my Belief my Consent and promised Practice so I heartily Renounce all Doctrines Desires and Practices contrary to any part of this Profession And if by errour I hold or shall hold any thing contrary thereto as soon as I discern such contrariety I will renounce it Especially I Renounce Atheism Polytheism and Idolatry of Mind or Body All Infidelity Antichristianity and false Christs Profaneness ungodliness and malignant enmity to God and Holiness All contempt of Gods spirit and his word All serving the Devil the world or the flesh as enemies to God or Holiness All selfishness Pride and hypocrisie perjury and taking Gods name in vain superstition profanation of Gods holy day and contempt of his publick or private worship All Rebellion against my parents Prince or other Rulers All murder adultery and fornication theft and deceit lying and false witness bearing and all other injury against the life health chastity estate or reputation of my neighbour All sinful discontent with my estate and coveting that which is anothers And whatever is impious uncharitable or unjust From all these I desire to be free PArticularly to approve my fidelity to my Rulers I
world falsly that it is but Things Indifferent that we deny obedience to and call on us to tell them what it is that we fear if we conform and when we tell them they make this also our crime because they think themselves accused what remedy have we against such men 2. I love and honour all good and pious men that Conform For I consider how variously the same thing is represented to and apprehended by men of various educations converse and advantages so that the same sin materially heinous may formally be much less in some than in others As was Paul's ignorant unbelief and persecution Or else saith the Papist Answerer of the three books for the Jesuites Loyalty Most Princes must be most heinous sinners that make wars against each other in which multitudes are killed when both sides cannot have a just cause unless the supposition that their cause was good by mistake excuse them THE CONTENTS The First Part. THe Reasons for Christian Vnity and Concord after the nature of it described and how much may be hoped for on earth Chap. 1. The Text opened The Doctrines named The method proposed page 1 Chap. 2. The Nature of Vnity and this Vnity of the Spirit opened p. 10. Chap. 3. The necessity and benefits of this Vnity and Peace to all men p. 30. Chap. 4. The Vnity of the Spirit is the welfare of the Church p. 45. Chap. 5. This Vnity is for the good of the World without the Church p. 67. Chap. 6. It is due to the honour of Christ and amiable to God p. 71. Chap. 7. What obligations are on all Christians to avoid sinful divisions and discord and to promote this unity and peace p. 75. Chap. 8. What sort and measure of Vnion may or may not be hoped for on earth p. 79. Chap. 9. That Christ who commanded our Vnion hath himself prescribed the terms p. 98. Chap. 10. No humane terms not made by Christ or his Spirit extraordinarily given to the Apostles are necessary to the Being of particular Churches but divers humane Acts are necessary to their existence p. 100. Chap. 11. The danger of the two extremes And first of despairing of Concord and unjust tolerations p. 114. Chap. 12. The sin and danger of making too much necessary to Vnion and Communion p. 119. Chap. 13. To cry out of the mischiefs of Toleration and call for sharper execution while dividing snares are made the terms of Vnion is the work of ignorant proud and malignant Church destroyers p. 125. The Second Part. THe Terms of Concord Chap. 1. In General what are the true and only terms of Church Concord and what not p. 135. Chap. 2. Instances of Gods description of these terms in Scripture p. 143. Chap. 3. The true terms of Catholick Vnion and Concord more particularly described as the chief means of hope for the Churches peace p. 162. Chap. 4. What are the terms necessary for the continuance of this Communion and what are the causes of abscission and excommunication p. 177. Chap. 5. What are the terms necessary to the office and exercise of the Sacred Ministry p. 200. Chap. 6. What is necessary to the Constitution administration and Communion of single Churches p. 228. Chap. 7. What are the necessary terms of Concord of those single Churches with one another in the same Kingdome or in divers p. 243. Chap. 8. What is necessary to the Civil peace and Concord of Christians and what is the part of the Christian Magistrate about Religion as to his promoting or tolerating mens doctrines or practices therein p. 248. Chap. 9. Objections answered about Toleration especially p. 267. Chap. 10. A draught or Specimen of such Forms as are mentioned for Approved and Tolerated Ministers p. 279. The Third Part. Of Schism ESpecially the false dividing Terms of Vnion and other Causes of Schism Chap. 1. What SCHISM is and what are its Causes and effects p. 1. Chap. 2. The true Preventions and Remedies of Schism p. 16. Chap. 3. More of the same Twenty things necessary hereunto p. 26. Chap. 4. The Catholick Church will never unite in the Papacy p. 29. 1. What the Papists opinion is of the Terms of Vnion 2. The fifth Monarchy opinion of Campanella de Regno Dei and some other Papists That it is really an Vniversal Kingdome which is claimed by the Pope 3. The Christian world will never unite in one Pope Chap. 5. The Catholick Church will never unite in Patriarchs or any humane Church officers or forms of Government p. 41. Chap. 6. The Catholick Church will never unite in General Councils as their Head or necessary center or terms of Concord p. 52. Chap. 7. The Catholick Church will never unite in a Multitude of pretended articles of faith not proved certainly to be Divine nor in subscribing to or owning any unnecessary doubtful opinions or practices p. 60. Chap. 8. The Catholick Church will never unite by receiving all that is now owned by the Greek or Latine Church the Abassine Armenian the Lutherans or Calvinists or in a full Conformity to any divided party which addeth to the primitive simplicity in her terms of Concord p. 68. Chap. 9. The pretended necessity of an uninterrupted successive ordination by Diocesan Bishops will never unite the Churches but is Schismatical Mr. Dodwells book hereof confuted p. 73. Chap. 10. None of these terms will unite a National Church associated Churches nor well any single Church Though by other means a competent Vnion may be kept in some Churches notwithstanding some such Schismatical inventions as lesser diseases destroy not nature p. 104. Chap. 11. The severity and force of Magistrates denying necessary Toleration and punishing dissenters from uncertain unnecessary things will never procure Church Vnion and Concord but division p. 107. Chap. 12. Excommunicating and Anathematizing in such cases will not do it p. 112. Chap. 13. Any one unlawful uncertain doctrine oath Covenant profession subscription or practice so imposed will divide p. 116. Chap. 14. Vnlimited Toleration will divide and wrong the Church p. 118. Chap. 15. The Catholick Church will never unite in a reception and subscription to every word verse or book of the holy Scripture as in our Translations or any particular Copy nor otherwise known but some will still doubt of the Divine authority of some parts p. 134. Chap. 16. The Church will never unite in any mens Commentaries on the Bible p. 137. Chap. 17. A summary recital of the true terms of Concord and of the Causes of Schism p. 139. Id quod natura remittit Invida jura negant Ovid. ERRATA In the First and Second Parts Page 17. line 19. for more read as p. 19. for affecteth r. asserteth p. 26. l. 11. dele with p. 45. l. 17. for in r. is p. 58. l. 13. r. above p. 96. l. 7. r. to their p. 130. l. 2. r. Placeus p. 225. l. 2. r. condemn In the Third Part. Page 4. line 25. read sin p. 5. l. 11. r.
others They will have worâ— enough at home § 5. Were but Christian Princes and people united as they would be a terror to Turkish and other Infidel Oppressors and in likelihood easily able to vanquish them so they might easily contribute their endeavours to instruct and convince these Infidels with probability of greater success than any attempts have yet had upon them They might with greater advantage send out and maintain men of Learning and other fitness to perform it The Eastern Christians by divisions were broken off from the Greeks The Greeks by division and wickedness fell into the hands of the Turks The divisions of the Western Nations furthered their Conquest and hindred the Greeks recovery The divisions of the Military forces lost Palestine and frustrated their vast labours and expences Lost also Armenian aids and destroyed the hopeful beginnings of the Conversion of the Tartarians The division of Christian Princes hath set up the Papal Kingdom as the Umpire of their feuds That which hath done so much to destroy Churches and Kingdoms and hath murdered many hundred thousand Christians and gone far towards the extirpating of true Christianity out of much of the formerly Christian World must needs unfit us all to recover the World and convert unbelievers § 6. And were but Christian Preachers and Pastors United instead of their pernicious Church-destroying contentions how great things might their united diligence have done If all the mischievous unskilful proud wrangling and worldly ambitious strife by which the Christians were divided into Nestorians Eutychians Monothelites Phantasiasts Donatists Novatians and their Anathematizers c. had been turned into an united force and diligence by Light and Love to have converted Infidels What a happy case had the World been in And what blessings had that part of the Clergy been that now have left their Names and History to reproach and shame § 7. II. And as Efficiently so Objectively and Morally the Vnion of Christians tendeth to convert the World as it is notorious that their divisions have hindered their Conversion Men commonly suspect them to be deceived or deceivers that do not agree among themselves They that reverence united Christians despise them when they see them fall into divisions and learn of themselves to condemn them all by hearing them revile and condemn each other Christ had never made it so great a part of his prayer to his Father that his disciples might be One even as the Father and he were One to this end that the world may know that the Father sent him if this their Union had not been a special means of convincing unbelievers And this was not by a Political Union of the rest of his Disciples under some One of them as the Governing Head of all the rest For no such Head was set over them by Christ nor ever claimed or exercised any such authority But it was a holy Union of Minds in knowledge and faith and of Hearts in Love and of Life in their published Doctrine and their Communion and Conversation The common Sun-light maketh all mens sight whose Organs and Viâ—ive faculty are sound to agree and though a man hath two eyes they see unitedly as if they were one The more united fuel make one fire the more powerful it is to kindle on all other combustible matter near it When many Ministers of the same or several Churches agree it much availeth to procure the belief and obedience of their flocks And when Pastors and people agree it strongly inviteth the reverence and consent of those without By wilful dissensions we are scandals and snares to unbelievers and if Christians live not in Unity Love and Peace they rob the world of a great appointed means of their conversion And they who for so doing do justly exclaim against persecutors and hinderers of the Gospel should also remember how much they participate in that guilt while the Love of Christians to one another is made almost as needful as preaching to the winning of mens Love to faith and holiness § 8. As in the solemn singing of Psalms the harmony of concenting well tuned voices inviteth the hearers to joyn with them by delight when bawling confusion and discord one singing one tune and another another is loathsome and tiresome and driveth men away so would the sweet concent of Christians have won unbelievers to the Love of Christian faith and piety when their divisions and wicked lives have had contrary lamentable effects wo to the world because of offences and wo to them by whom offences come CHAP. VI. The Vnity of Christians is due to the Honour of Christ and is pleasing and amiable to God § 1. IT is not only Miracles that are Christs witness in the world The spirit of Prophecie also is called his witness Rev. 19. 10. And if many Prophets should all say that they speak from Christ and speak contrary things and charge each other with falshood and deceit would this be to his honour or to the credit of their testimony It is the great Concord of the prophecies promises and types of the Old Testament with the history and doctrine of the New and the great concord of all the writers of the New Testament among themselves which greatly facilitateth our belief both of the Old and New And all Infidels who accuse the Scriptures of untruth do accuse it also of contradictions And if they could prove the later they would prove the former § 2. And the spirit of Holiness as it regenerateth and sanctifieth sinners from generation to generation is no less a witness of the Truth and Love and Glory of Christ than prophecies and miracles The same spirit that is the author of prophecie and sacred doctrine is also the author of believers renovation to the image of God And Illumination is not the least or last part of this sanctifying work Christ is the light of the world and his word and spirit are given to enlighten blinded minds and to bring them out of darkness into his marvellous light and from the power of the Prince of darkness and from doing the works of darkness to the Father of Lights who giveth wisdom liberally to them that ask it that they may walk as Children of the light Light is usually called Glory Heaven is the place of the greatest Light and greatest Glory And heavenly wisdom in believers is much of their Glory here begun in which their Father their Saviour and their sanctifier is glorified Whatever therefore obscureth or diminisheth this sacred Light in Saints opposeth that Glory of God and our Redeemer which must appear and shine forth in them The holy Learning of his disciples is the honour of the heavenly Teacher of the Church All true believers are taught of God were they no wiser nor no better than other men where were the testimony and the honour of their Teacher and who would believe that he were a happier Teacher than Philosophers or that he were the true Saviour of
rebellion he revolteth And also since all power in Heaven and earth is given to Christ how an infidel that renounceth him can be said to be authorized by him And I can no otherwise resolve it than by distinguishing of a King or ruler that is such simpliciter and one that is such but secundum quid 2. One that is tolerated in the place by God the Soveraign and one that is also approved 3. One that the people are bound to obey only in tantum for civil order peace and safety and one that they must obey in matters of Religion and whom God will not condemn as an Usurper in part The case is much the same as that How far subjects that are necessitated to live under a Foolish Prince must obey him which is 1. So far as it is no wrong to another 2. So far as is necessary to the due honour of the office which he possesseth 3. So far as is needful to the common peace order and safety and to our own and to the ends of Government But so as still to desire a better and by just means to endeavour it but not by sin or that which is worse to the Common-wealth than his Foolishness is § 7. II. The same answer mutatis mutandis will serve to the second A Heretick truly so called or a wicked man or persecutor hath radical remote power to all a Princes work But he hath immediate full power to no more than he can do according to Gods Laws and in so much he is to be obeyed and in nothing that is against them § 8. III. The office of Orthodox Rulers is the same fundamentally and radically But their full nearest Power is greater because their Capacity is greater But yet even they are never to be obeyed against the Laws of God which give them their power and limit it and are theirs and their subjects highest rule § 9. IV. The Papists commonly and many Prelatists and some Presbyterians say that about causes of Heresie or Church Communion the Church is to judge and the Prince to execute the Churches judgement But with great difference some Presbyterians only say that the Magistrate ought upon the bare judgement of the Church to force the excommunicate person from the Assembly if he intrude And the Independents will say as much as this And indeed this is but to keep peace it being due to a family that none intrude against their will But yet as a Prince or Judge may right a servant child or wife so may they the excommunicate when it is proved that they are wronged And therefore may to that end re-examine the cause But other Presbyterians and Diocesans say that when the Church hath excomunicated a man the Magistrate is bound to force him by imprisonment fines or corporal penalties to repent and be reconciled And the Papists say that men judged Hereticks he must burn or banish which is all false as shall be proved in the third book § 10. V. The fifth sort hold that as Melchizedek and Christ were both Priests and Kings so it should be now And some say before confuted that every King is the chief Priest and others that the chief Priest should be King and that the Pope is the universal Monarch having both swords Spiritual and Corporal But as to the execution Bishops are to obey him in excommunicating Hereticks that is his adversaries and Kings in killing or banishing otherwise he may depose both Kings and Bishops But against this more in due place § 11. VI. As to the Radical power of the people I have said so much against it in my Christian Directory in confutation of Richard Hookers Ecclesiastical Policie that I need to add no more In my Political Aphorismes I more fully opened this I conclude with the common Christian judgment that the Civil Magistrate only hath the power of Ruling by the sword § 12. II. As to the second case How the Magistrates power is to be used towards all men in Common I answer in short 1. All are agreed that the good of the Commonwealth is the end of Government as the Terminus of a Relation which essentiateth it It is not government univocally but equivocally which is not for the common good really or visibly intentionally really or pretendedly § 13. 2. Every true member of the Common-wealth hath a right to a part in this common good till he forfeit it § 14. 3. Every member hath not an equall right because all have not equal capacity or worthiness § 15. 4. It is as hard a question How far an Atheist or Infidel is a rightful member of a Common-wealth as how far such a one may be a rightful Governour And 1. It is certain that as to obligation he is a subject of God and man and bound to obey as an Atheist King possessing the place is bound to rule well and smneth by not doing it 2. It is certain that as a man he hath a fundamental conditional right to the priviledges of a good subject that is if he will be such a one 3. A Negative not-knowing God or Christ much differeth from a positive denying him rebelling and opposing As Catechumens that know not God or Christ are not Anathematized as deniers and opposers are because they are teachable and coming towards the Church though not of it so in a Christian Commonwealth such are members in a large sense secundum quid and forfeit not their lives liberties or estates but are only candidates as to the rewards and preferments and special priviledges of worthy members who either rule or have a voice in choosing Rulers But being willing to learn to know God and Christ they should with love and kindness be encouraged and drawn on 4. But in a Kingdom of such as know not God or Christ they must have rule and priviledges because there are no fitter to have them But such a Kingdom is to God no otherwise his subjects than such a person before described is 5. But those that after sufficient instruction deny and oppose God as God do forfeit the protection and common liberty of subjects in a Kingdom that confesseth God and those that deny Christ in a Christian Kingdom and oppose him as Christ do forfeit the Common protection of Christian subjects But wise men think that because the Deity is of Natural Revelation by all Gods works to all men as men and Christ only of supernatural revelation by the Gospel and the work of faith more difficult therefore the opposers of a Deity forfeit their lives if they continue obstinate but the enemies of Christ only forfeit their place in a Christian Commonwealth and should be banished if obstinate As the meer ignorance of him keepeth such out of the Church till they believe But then denying or opposing Christ deserveth ejection with anathema § 16. 5. All men then must by the Magistrate be used as men according to their natures and not as bruits and therefore must be instructed