Selected quad for the lemma: power_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	punishment_n	spiritual_a	temporal_a	8,636	5	9.8741	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34668	A censure of that reverend and learned man of God, Mr. John Cotton, lately of New-England, upon the way of Mr. Henden of Bennenden in Kent, expressed in some animadversions of his upon a letter of Mr. Henden's sometimes sent to Mr. Elmeston (2) a brief and solid exercitation concerning the coercive power of the magistrate in matters of religion, by a reverend and learned minister, Mr. Geo[r]ge Petter ... (3) Mr. Henden's animadversions on Mr. Elmestons's epistle revised and chastized.	Elmeston, John.; Cotton, John, 1584-1652. Censure ... upon the way of Mr. Henden.; Petter, George. Brief and solid exercitation concerning the coercive power of the magistrate in matters of religion.	1656 (1656)	Wing C6415; ESTC R20949	43,719	60

the Mag●strate is by you wittingly dissembled and concealed to make their doctrine the more harsh and to set the fairer glosse upon your large discourse concerning the order of the Gospels working therefore to deale fairly you should have let them know that we doe not say that the Magistrate's command should goe out alone to force subjection to it but that there should goe with it all along the preaching of the Word and all good meanes of instruction to reclaime from ●●rour and instruct in the truth and perswade to the obedience of it It is their minde that men should be dealt with as reasonable creatures and led by reason and perswasion and not as bruit creatures onely forced with goads and whips 2. This course is far from opposing the Gospel's way as that it directly tends to further the working of it that the Lord thereby according to his Covenant may write his lawes in his peoples hearts The end of it as was said above is to bring men to the hearing of the Gospel and attend upon it without which it can never work either to the illightening of their understanding or the perswading of their wills Moreover for the Covenant which is That God will write his lawes in the heart this writing no doubt is meant of the whole Law that of the second table as well as that of the first What then may not Magistrates make Lawes to regulate mens actions in duties of the second Table as against the foule sins against it because Gods Covenant is to write these in the hearts of his people And if this writing such lawes in mens hearts evacuate not the Magistrates legislative power about such duties why should it take away the Magistrates power to make lawes about Religion and the duties thereof The like may be said concerning the Gospels illightening the minde and perswading the will which concernes not onely the mysteries of the Gospel and matters of Religion but the works and duties of the second Table to the right peformance whereof there is need of the illightening of the minde and perswading of the will about ordering which yet power is granted to the Magistrate Farther Why goe you not on to urge this farther with Familists and Seekers and the like against preaching the Word and such other meanes of edification as vaine and uselesse since God doth promise to write his lawes in his chosens hearts and mindes without mentioning any such external helps yea addeth that they shall no more teach one another saying Know the Lord for they shall know every one the Lord from the greatest unto the least of them Jer. 31. 33. 34. Obj. This was the method he Apostle followed 2 Corinth 3. 22. Answ. Here is a plaine change of the Question For the question is not what method the Apostles and Ministers may and ought to use for inward conversion but what course Magistrates may follow in outward matters of Religion Aliud est sceptrum as he said aliud est plectrum It is one thing to sway a Scepter and to carry the temporal Sword which cutteth the fl●sh and another thing to manage onely the sword of the Spirit viz. the Word and Church-discipline which onely medleth with mens spirits Another manner of power for making Lawes and assigning Punishments i● annexed to the temporall sword than to t●e spirituall 2. What answer hath been given to the former Arguments may serve here namely that this course doth not thwart the Apostles method but doth promote it 3. That that writing mentioned by the Apostle which was by the Spirit and in the fl●shly tables of the heart doth concern the duties of the second table about which the Apostle makes many exhortations in this and his other Ep●stles as well as dutyes in Religion wherefore the Apostles method excludeth the Magistrates power no more from medling with matters of the first Table than of the second and permitteth him equall power in them both Obj. You endeavour by a contrary course to constraine the body to what the heart opposeth And then if whatsoever be not of Faith is Sin your course is contrary to the Gospel-order and destructive to mens soules Answ. This Argument seemes not to be your Helena as you call an Argument of mine but your Achilles as a strong Argument is sometimes called Achilleum argumentum as which in this Question seemeth to be of the most force and strength But I answer that it is not contrary to the order of the Gospel nor destructive to mens soules by civil lawes instruction going along and being also used to restraine men from Idolatry and publishing Heresies or to command them to the necessary and naturall duties of Gods worship though it be against their minde and perswasions For first The Gospel doth not allow that mens erroneous consciences and perswasions should be their rule or guide in Religion or any other way but onely the Word of God 2. The Gospel doth no where allow unto men the practise of Idolatry or the open profession of Errors and Heresies 3. As Christ hath appointed that his Gospel should be preached to every creature so all men are bound when and where it is preached to be ready to heare it It is therefore more contrary to the Gospel and more destructive to mens Sou'es to suffer them without restraint to continue in Idolatrous worship and Hereticall wayes than to restrain and compell them according to the abovesaid order Obj. But whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin and men may not be compelled to sin Answ. It is true that whatsoever is not done with a due perswasion that it is right and lawfull but against such a perswasion and with a doub●ing conscience is sin to him that shall so doe it but is not alway so in it selfe nor to him that shall command the doing of it but may be a most just and necessary duty and very justly commanded to be done 1. There are things meerly indifferent in which to enforce men to practise against their consciences is against Charity is a breach of Christian liberty and an abuse of Magistracy For there is no breach of any command of God in doing or not doing such things and God may be honoured and acknowledged both in his doing or not doing thereof Rom. 146. 2. There be matters of lesse moment in Religion and circumstantiall points of Discipline or so in which who so dissent and carry their dissent in a peaceable and humble way are much to be born with and no hard measure is to be put upon them 3. There are maine and necessary but externall duties of Religion negative and affi●mative and some such as oblige all men even by the law of Nature which to command men to observe and restraine from the contrary evils though it go against their mindes is no sin in the Magistrate For first The doing of the one and the neglect of the other are manifest and palpable sins are sins per se and

make Truth's victory the more glorious Answ. If they must be and that by Gods permission c. must they therefore be suffered to go on without controll or contradiction If so it is not lawfull to oppose them with spirituall weapons viz. Freaching Writing Conference Church censure c. For in so doing we shall goe against Gods providence and permission who will have them to be and that for good ends and it is in vaine to think thereby to represse them since they must needs be This permission then and necessity of them doth no more exclude the use of the civill Power to restraine them than of spirituall meanes And if notwithstanding the same there be place l●ft for the Spirituall weapons to represse them there m●y be also place for the Civill power in right order and manner against them But what are these Offences that Christ saith must needs be They are not onely Errors Heresies and false Religions but also other foule sins against the second Table as Murders Whoredomes Theft c. which as is the corruption of Mans Nature and the streng●h of Sathans and the Worlds Temptations cannot be avoided but doe break forth and must needes doe so and that not without Gods permission What then must there be a free Toleration of these Iniquities or must Spirituall weapons onely be used against them to represse them we should then surely have a woful world to live in which is now too too bad notwithstanding all good Laws against them And if notwithstanding this necessity and Gods permission Magistrates may yea ought as herein I presume you will concurre with us to make Lawes against such enormities and infl●ct civill punishments on them the like necessity and permission of Heresies and Errou●s in Religion is no sufficient reason against the use of the civill Power by Lawes and Punishments to oppose them There is no more force in such a reason than because it is appointed for all men to die once and so men must needs die Some should argue that therefore it were not lawfull or at least it were in vaine to prescribe rules to preserve health and life yea to make lawes against murdering men For might some say To what purpose serves such adoe Men must needs die and all these rules and lawes will not prevent their death Nor will the ends for which Errors and Heresies must come viz. to manifest the approved and make truths victory the more notable conclude for a free toleration of them For if in that respect they must be l●● goe free without controll of the Mag●strate neither should they be opposed or suppressed by sp●rituall meanes as which in the restraint of them would hinder the manifestation of the Approved and obscure the victory of Truth Besides as other foule offences against the second Table fall out by divine permission so are they permitted amongst other even for such ends as errors and offences in Religion are viz. to manifest such the more as are just sober chast and innocent upon grounds of good conscience and to make their righteousness● and innocency the more conspicuous And if all such wickednesse were left free without feare of humans punishment doubtlesse in the midst of such a wicked liberty the Righteousnesse Innocency and honest Conversation of those who did live justly and honestly would be the more eminent and notable If there were no punishment for Whoredome Theft D●unkennesse c. it would make the Chastity Sobriety and Justice of such as kept themselves from those and such like Vices the more famous and praise-worthy What you say of the Mystery of Godlinesse that it rayes out with the most perfect beauty by the cleere discovery of the deepest mystery of In●quity may be as truly said that in such a bad state of things if it should be the splendour of true Vertue and Innocency would ●ay forth with most perfect Beauty by the discovery of the foulest practise of reigning iniquity The more freedome there was in Sodom for all filthinesse and wickednesse the more did Lot's righteousnesse and innocency appeare But yet woe to those M●gistates that in their dominions should suffer all wickednesse of that sort to goe unpunished and not restrain it by just and severe lawes that forsooth the honesty and righteousnesse of men truly good might be the better tried and the more manifest And truly Magistrates will never have comfort in granting a free course to Errours Heresies and all wayes in Religion in their respective Countreys upon such pretences that the found in the Faith may be the more manifest and Truths conqu●st the more glorious And here I think it not amisse to insert this Observation 〈◊〉 upon search it will be found that Errors and Heresies did a●●se more easily spread more swiftly continue longer in the first three Centuries after Christ where the Church wanted the authority of the civill Magistrate to put them down then afterward when the Emperours had intertained the Christian Faith in whose times they arose not so often and were much sooner stayed and repressed by the Edicts and Lawes of Emperours that were found in the Faith and did oppose them This may ●ppeare by Dauaeus his second Table upon Augustine De haeresibus where he sheweth what Heresies did arise in every c●ntury of which the three first centuries were most fertile where are reckoned up more than sixty severall Heresies the other next three centuries afford not many above forty and the most of them did arise and flourish under prophane and hereticall Emperours Obj. Truth in a free passage may come in as well as Heresie Answ. 1. But Truth surely will come in more freely where the passage is stopped against Error and Heresie 2 In such a free passage Error and Heresie in all likelihood would most prevaile as being more suitable to our corrupt nature Mala herba citò crescit A bad weed growes apace And naughty weedes will over-run a garden sooner if they be not plucked up than good herbs and flowers replenish and adorne it 3. This makes no more agai●st the use of the civill power to represse them than of spirituall meanes and Church power For if Truth in such Liberty may come in as well as Heresie why should there any opposition be made against Heresie by spiritual weapons and why should not every way as free a liberty be left for one as for the other 4. It may as well be alledged against all civill Lawes to repress any other wickednesse For why should anysuch Lawes be made when in a free Liberty for men to live as they list Righteousnesse and Vertue may come in as well as Unrighteousnesse or any other kinde of Vice Obj. Christ is as potent to ' prevaile in Light as the Prince of darknesse in Delusions Answ. Must we therefore depend upon Christs immediate and almighty power and working without use of means for the spreading Truth and restraining Heresies May we nht as well say

them which before hath been declared to be otherwise The Magistrates power doth not enable him to meddle with those inward and spirituall actions of the soule but onely to regulate the outward in life and conversation It is some mervaile to me that you that are so acute to ●spy mysteries by others unseene see not the weaknesse of this and of many your reasons For it is not in the Magistrates or any man● power to create in mens hearts the principle of true love to their neighbours nor any of those gracious habits of inward cha●tity temperance meeknesse and contentation c. who yet by Laws order some outward actions of those vertues and forbid the actuall sins contrary to them as railing quarrelling fornication riotous drinking theft c. And why then in like sort may he not make Lawes about Externall acts of Religion to enjoyne the exercise of them and forbid the actuall contrary sins though he have no power to create and infuse faith it selfe It is not in vain for Ministers to preach though they cannot create Faith in the hearts of dissenters nor for Magistrates to command hearing of the Word though they can infuse no faith into the heart the outward meanes are rightly used where the inward effect can be only wrought by God As there is no need of the creating any new principle in the heart of man for doing these things wherein the Magistrate doth command which is onely the abstaining from outward evill acts as the not venting or openly professing Errors Heresies and Blasphemies or the doing of some externall duties as to joyne in Gods publique worship heare the Word and such like To performe which that power and freedome which by nature they have is sufficient Obj. The Apostles in Church-affairs were of infallible spirit but yet claimed no such power but indeavoured to draw men to faith by the cords of love A 1. Here is the same mistake which was noted before as if it were affirmed that Magistrates might compell Infidells or any to the Faith of the Gospel As for Church-affairs and any other matters I trust you know that there is a wide difference between the Apostles and Church-officers and Magistrates and the power committed to them both The power of the first is onely spirituall and ecclesiasticall and doth allow them no other meanes to reclaime men from Idolatry Heresie or any sin and to win them to the obedience of the Gospel but spirituall viz. the preaching of the Gospel and Church censures 2. But the power of the Magistrate is such as doth furnish them with authority to lay commands on men to urge them to what is good and punishments to reclaime from evil It is no wonder then that the Apostles would not intrude into a power which was not given them which yet Magistrates may use as their proper right 3. The Apostles did not put forth any coactive power against the foulest sins of Whoredome Drunkennesse Theft c. to pun●sh them with bodily punishments or to urge men to Justice Temperance Chastity but onely by words and exhortatione disswaded from such sins and perswaded to the contrary vertue● If therefore Magistrates may not in Religious affaires go● beyond this practise of the Apostles in the use of their power neither may they use their power for the punishment of sins against the second Table or by lawes encourage to the morall vertues thereof Obj. All humane Weapons can onely force the outward man with a violent and preternaturall motion c. which soon turns again when the constraint is over A. 1. It is not the proper effect of humane Magistratical commands to force menby a violent motion but rather tends to move them to a ready willing obedience such violent and constrained obedience comes not from the command but from the indisposition of the commanded parties who are ill affected to right and truth 2. That motion which is unto good and from evill though somewhat forced is more naturall unto man in his right estate and more agreeable to his right end and duty than a most free and willing motion unto sin and from good 3. Forced motions are used for the common good in other things and that without blame and so may be here in some things and in the order above prescribed The State doth force its Subjects by pressing and such like wayes to serve them in their Wars Servan●s are oft compelled will they nill they to do their Masters work Children to do their duty to their Parents So by Law-courses untoward Debtors are constrained to p●y their debt● Now these motions are such violent motions as here you except against and such as would soon cease if the constraint ceased But who complains of any wrong herin done them since the things they be constrained to be just and equall and for the common good And what lets but that some constraint with wisdom and moderation may be used in religious matters since it is a thing most just and righteous and for the common good both civill and spirituall that Idolatry and Heresie be suppressed and that the people doe attend the preaching of the Word and God● service in praying to and prayising him 4. The motion may at first be violent but afterward become very voluntary what a doe is there at first to bring a Bullock to the yoke or a Colt to the saddle when at length the o●e willingly comes to the yoak and drawes in it and the other as willingly heares the saddle and his rider It is oft so that a young Scholar for a time is forced to schoole but being a while entred and taking some l●king of learning goeth to schoole very freely and willingly So may it be and o●t is in these matters wee treat of But last This makes as much against all correction of children and all law-making about matters of the second Table as against coercive lawes in Religion For there they force children and men with a violent motion as much as here and it utterly impeaches the courses of the godly Kings Asa and Josiah in their reforming of Religion as taking such courses as could onely force the outward man with a violent and preternaturall motion who yet are for such their practise praysed in the Scripture Obj But the Gospel naturally begins with illightening the understanding then perswading the Will c. and the summe of the Covenant is to write the Law in the heart Ans. This Argument as some other before proceedes upon a false supposition 1. It surmiseth That such Magistraticall commands and penalties by our opinion serve to work inward grace in mens hearts and for their conversion when we teach that they are onely to order the outward actions of man 2. It surmiseth that they oppose and goe contrary to the work of the Gospel in mens conversion which is utterly untrue And the course which by those that plead for the Magistrates power in this thing is commended to