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
A76116	The civil magistrates coercive power in religious matters asserted, in a sermon [on Matt. vii. 12] preached at the assizes at Hertford, March the 7th, 1683/4 by Ralph Battel ...	Battell, Ralph, 1649-1713.	1684 (1684)	Wing B1148A; ESTC R209185	11,968	32

Heart to make an Edict that whosoever would not do the Law of his God or the Law of the King should have Judgment Executed speedily upon him whether it were by Death or by Banishment or by Confiscation of Goods or by Imprisonment And yet it was only concerning the Religious Worship of God and the Beautifying of the Temple that this Edict was put forth 2. Kin. 18.4 Hezechiah reformed Religion removed the high Places broak the Images and cut down the Groves And we read more particularly of Josiah that he took away all the abominations out of all the Countryes that appertained to the Children of Israel 2. Chron. 34.33 and made all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God Josiah did this agreeably to the Moral Law which binds Magistrates still under the Gospel by vertue of that Precept Mat. 22.37 of loving the Lord with all their hearts But if any shal still object it is not now the temper of the Gospel to compel Religion let me tell such that 't is also agreeable to the new Testament to compel men to come to Church and to hear Gods word and receive the Sacraments which are the External acts of Religion and all indeed that can be compelled Now St. Augustine proves this from the Parable recorded by St. Luke Luke 14.23 of a King who made a great Supper and when they made excuse he said to his Servants go to the high ways and hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled Where it is remarkable what St. Matthew observes from the same Parable that notwithstanding many of these came at first involuntarily as it should seem Mat. 22.12 yet it proved succesful afterwards to the greatest part for we read but of one that was cast out for want of a Wedding Garment Some we must save St. Jude tells us ver 23. by fear even pulling them out of the fire and St. Paul when the Corinthians grew too exorbitantly licentious 1. Cor. 4.21 Eph. 3.9 threatens to come to them with a rod. In like manner also St. John threatens Diotrephes Christ in the beginning of his Religion was in stead of a Temporal Magistrate and whomsoever the Apostles did worthily cast out over them he gave Satan power 1. Cor. 5.5 for the destruction of the flesh that their spirit might be saved in his day The power which he did then extraordinarily execute was in the Princes of the Earth by right of their Dominion and Sovereignty but they wanted his Grace and would not make use of it and therefore all this while Christ by Miracle supported his Church and made it grow up in spite of Persecution and when he had done this long enough to prove that his Religion came from God then he called the Princes into the house of * Athanasius Serm. de B. Virg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jacob. And the power of the Magistrate is now that Miracles are ceased become a part of that Rod which St. Paul mentions and both may and ought by Temporal Punishments to strengthen the Spiritual Authority of the Church and for this also we have Thirdly The verdict of Antiquity for thus Socrates Scholasticus expresses the Question * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when once the Emperors became Christians the Church was subject to them Hence those expressions of Antiquity calling Kings God's Vice-gerents the Governours of true Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Captains and Conductors of Faith and Godliness And good and religious Magistrates have still as they have seen prudent occasion taken upon them by Mulcts or Imprisonments or the like moderate punishments to reclaim the perverse and refractory Thus * Contra Crescon l 3.51 in hoc Reges sicut eis praecipitur Deo serviunt si in suo Regno bona jubeant mala prohibeant non solum quae pertinent ad humanam societatem verum etiam ad divinam Religionem St. Augustine declares himself that Kings are to command good things and forbid evil not only in Relation to civil Society but in order to Religion And again writing to Emeritus the Donatist he sayes (a) Ep. 164. nam et terrenae potestates cum Schismaticos persequuntur ea regula se defendunt quia dicit Apostolus qui potestati resistit Dei ordinationi resistit non enim frustra gladium portat when the Civil power punisheth Schismaticks it hath a warrant from an Apostolical Rule Thus St. Jerome speaking of the Kingly and Priestly power says of the former (b) Hieron in Epitaph nepot Ep. 3. ille nolentibus praeest hic volentibus ille terrore subjicit hic servituti donatur the King Governs whether men will or no he subdues them by Terrour And thus History tells us of many good Christian Magistrates that have exercised this power for the good of Religion Eusebius says that Constantine for this reason used to call himself (c) Eusebius de vita Constant lib 4. cap. 24. vos intra Ecclesiam ego extra Ecclesiam Episcopus a Deo constitutus sum A Bishop without the Church and Sozomon reports of the same Constantine that he cut off unprofitable Questions to prevent Schisms in the Church And Valentinian set a Fine upon the head of Chronopius and inflicted diverse Punishments upon Vrsicinus Rufus and others for making Schisms to the disturbance of the Publick Peace Nazianzen had once obtained some kind of Toleration for the Sect of the Apollinarists but when he saw how they abused it he write afterwards sharply to the President 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your indulgence was unseasonable such men as these ought not to be treated any longer with Gentlenss I will sum up this with that of Mr. Calvin not that I think his Authority so great as the forecited but because perhaps his Opinion may prevail with some where the rest would not have been received * Calvin Harm Evang. in Luc. 14.23 Interea non improbo quod Augustinus hoc te stimonio saepius contra Donatistas usus est ut probaret piorum Principum edictis licitè cogi praefractos et rebelles quia etsi voluntaria est fides videmus tamen ijs medijs utiliter domari eorum pervicaciam qui non nisi coacti parent I do not disapprove saith he that St. Augustine makes use of this place against the Donatists that he might prove that Stubborn and Rebellious men may Lawfully be Compell'd for although Faith is Voluntary yet by this means their obstinacy is well overcome who will do nothing unless they are forced to it Now let the Presbyterian judge whether it be not fitting that if men will not be reclaimed one way they should be restrained another when moreover the Supream Authority and the Law of the Nation requires it Indeed let every Wise Man judge whether the Magistrate does not then most judiciously act up to the foremention'd Rule of the Text in doing as he

to themselves in all things relating to Religion at least whatever Laws are made about other things But I hope I shall be able to Justifie our Governours as to that point also and shew that nothing is done by them but what may both Religiously and Lawfully be put in practice any thing in this Rule of the Text notwithstanding The Excellent Lord Verulam observed long ago in his Essays That as a Wound or the Solution of Continuity as he calls it is more dangerous to the Natural Body than a corrupt Humour so are Schisms and Factions to the Body Politick Other Vices may indeed call down a Judgment from above upon any Government that shall indulge and tolerate them but these do nothing else here below but contrive continually how to Subvert and Undermine all Government and yet the Mystery is that they who are this way most concern'd are for the King all this while or would be thought to be so even just as some Practical Atheists do upon occasion sometimes own Religion with their Mouths and yet deny it daily in all their Actions so these men are for the King too in their pretensions and yet Oppose him in all his Measures in all his Friends and in all his Interests And now does this look so much like Religion as perfect Combination against the Government which indeed they have awakened to defend it self against their restlesness by the seasonable Execution of Laws which is nothing but what is Just and Reasonable no ways transgressing this Rule of my Text but rather Prudently exerting it no ways bordering upon Persecution or Irreligion but tending to confirm and strengthen the true Church of God For that Hereticks and Schismaticks ought to be restrained by the Temporal Powers is nothing but what is First Founded in Reason Secondly May be proved from Scripture Thirdly Agrees with Practice of Antiquity First It is founded in Reason That the Supream Temporal Power should have a right to suppress all the Errours in Religion for else they would be defective in a necessary part of their Life and Constitution it were otherwise impossible to hold the Rein steddy or keep the People in due Subjection For whatever other bonds of Government there may be there is none so good as Religion and if you cannot prevail with men to be subject for Conscience sake as well as for Fear i. e. for fear of Men It will be hard to lay the Foundations of a lasting Peace in any Place where there are either Bold or Ambitious or Politick Men to be found And so by consequence there would be no Government upon Earth but what would be as changeable as the Winds and Seas with which the Psalmist sometimes conjoyns the Madness of the People Ps 65.7 Again as Religion is the best Bond of Government so the Pretence of it is also the most Fatal and Ruinous to every Community or Society no Commotions in the Common Wealth are so Sharp so Dangerous and so Intestine as those that are set a Foot under the Colour of Religion almost all Ages and Places would afford us Examples of this Nature but I need not go beyond the bounds of our own Time and Country for them we our selves have seen one of the most Unnatural and Bloody Wars that ever was in the World begun carrried on and by Gods Permission as a Punishment for our Sins Crowned with Success and all under the Banner of Hypocrisie entitled Religion or the Devil transformed into an Angel of Light And is it not then needful that the Magistrate should have a Right to suppress the Pernicious Doctrines of Atheists or Hypocrites and Enthusiasts pretending to Religion to the disturbance of Humane Society and to withold or reclaim such as they would otherwise continually seduce But should not Religion be our Voluntary Service does not God require the Heart and where that is wanting is it any better than Hypocrisie This may be granted and more also and yet the Truth of what I have asserted will stand firm 'T is true indeed that Religion is of no Value unless it be sincere yea it is farther true that Religion properly speaking cannot be forced that is to say as to its inward Act and it were vain and foollish for any one to attempt to go about it by Pure and meer Compulsion but yet will it not follow that all Compulsion in order to Religion is either Unprofitable or Unlawful for Opportunity and the use of Means do many times prevail at length to perform what they could not bring about at first And 't is both Prudent and Reasonable that Men should be brought to use such Means as may inform them and bring them out of Error And I am confident that there are many Thousands in this Realm that owe their Separation from the Church of England to nothing else but the Neglect of Hearing what they might hear and learning what they might be taught which Lessons if received with a Meek and Humble Heart might be an effectual means to bring them into the Bosom of the Church again But oh will you force the Conscience is not every man obliged to follow that and does not he sin that transgresseth its Dictates at any time Granting this to be also true that every man sins who does not follow his Conscience I moreover assert that every man sins who follows it in Opposition to the Law of God or to the Law of Man when it commands nothing that is Opposite to the Law of God And therefore they who transgress the Publick Injunctions of the Magistrate upon suspicion only of Evil are taken in their own Fear and certainly do Evil in endeavouring to avoid it if it be so that 't is really a Scruple of Conscience and not a stubbornness in their Will that is the ground of their Disobedience And therefore if the Magistrate compel an Erroneous Conscience in this Case so far as to make it Enquire and Learn better what it ought to Believe and Practise 't is no less than a great Piece of Charity in him for he only forces the Man out of a perplexity which if he escape by this means he is free from the Snare of Sin but if he escape not he is in no worse Condition than he was before Secondly As Reason requires this so the Scripture both by Examples and Precepts sets forth the fitness of some restraints in these Cases Nebuchadnezzer when he was converted by the Miraculous escape of the Three Children out of the Fiery Furnace Dan. 3.29 made a Law that every People Nation and Language that should speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrack Mesheck and Abednego should be cut in pieces and their houses made a dunghil This was a high Punishment but so was the Offence ye will say even Blasphemy against God I shall mention some of a lesser Degree We read of Artaxerxes Ezra 7.26.27 and the Text tells us that God put it into his