the safest wayes in these beginnings The Question being thus stated I now proceed with Gods help to prove the Affirmative part and thus I argue to prove that the Form of Government which is described in the true stating of the Question is the best and by consequence that men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish it in a Christian Common-wealth Argum. 1 Theocratie or to make the Lord God our Governour (a) Deut. 33.29 Isai 33.22 Judg. 8.23 is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to estâ—bâ—â—sh The Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is Theocratie or that wherein we make the Lord God our Governour Therefore that Form of Government which is described in the true stating of the Question is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they â—râ— ought to establish The Proposition is clear of it self The Assumption I prove thus That Form of Government where 1. The people that have the power of chusing their Governors are in Covenant with God (b) Exod. 19.5 Deâ—t 1 13 14. 2. Wherein the men chosen by them are godly men and fâ—tled with a spirit of Government (c) Exod. 18.21 Deut. 1.13 3. In which the Laws they rule by are the Laws of God (d) Numb 11.24.25 Isa 33.22 4. Wherein Laws are executed Inheritances allotted and civil differences are composed according to Gods appointment (e) Num 35.29 6.27 2.3 1 Cor. 6.1 2. 5. In which men of God are consulted with in all hard cases and in matters of Religion (f) Deut. 17.8 to 11. 19.16 17. 2 Cor. 10.4 to 11 is the Form which was received and established among the people of Israel whil'st the Lord God was their Governour as the places of Scripture alledged shew and is the very same with that which plead for as will appear to him tâ—at shall examine the true stating of the Question The Conclusion follows necessarily Argum. 2 That form of Government which giveth unto Christ his due preheminence is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is that which giveth unto Christ his due preheminence Therefore the Form of Government which is described in the true stating of the Question is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Proposition is proved out of two places of Scripture Col. 1.15 to 19. with Eph. 1.21 22. From which Texts it doth appear that it is a prehemince due to Christ that all things and all Governments in the world should serve to Christs ends for the welfare of the Church whereof he is the Head For 1. In relation to God he hath this by Right of Primogeniture as he is the first-born and so Heir of all things higher then the Kings of the earth 2. In relation to the World it is said All things were made by him and for him and do consist in him and therefore it is a preheminence due to him that they all serve him 3. In relation to the Church it is said He hath made all things subject under his feet and hath given him over all things to be Head of the Church that in all things he might have the preheminence And indeed that he upholdeth the Creatures and the Order that is in them it is for his Churches sake when that is once compleat the world shall soon be at an end And if you reade the stories of the great Monarchies that have been and judge of them by Scripture-light you will finde they stood or fell according as God purposed to make use of them about some service to be done about his Church So that the onely considerable part for which the world standeth at this day is the Church and therefore it is a Preheminence due to Christ that his Headship over the Church should be exalted and acknowledged and served by all In which respect also the Title of The first-born is given to the Members of the Church and they are called The first-fruits of his Creatures to shâ—w both their preheminence above others and that they are fittest to serve to Gods ends The Assumption That the Form of Government described in the trâ—â— stating of the Question doth give unto Christ his due preheminence will easily be granted by those that shall consider what Civil Magistrates and Rulers in the Common wealth those are who are fittest to serve to Christ's ends for the good and welfare of his Church which will be evident from two places of Scripture First in Psa 2.10 11 12. you have a description of those that are fitted to order Civil Affairs in their Magistracy to Christ's ends they are such as are not onely wise and learned in matters of Religion but also do reduce their knowledge into practise they Worship the Lord in fear and not only so but Kiss the Soâ— which was a solemn outward Pâ—â—fession of love (a) 1 Pet. 5.14 and of Subjection (b) Gen. 41.40 1 Sam. 10.1 and of Religions Worship (c) Hos 13.2 and so fitly serveth to express their joyning themselves to the Church of Christ Secondly in Isa 49.23 it is promised to the Church that Kings and Queens shall be their nursing-fathers and nursing-mothers and therefore it is added They shall worship with their faces to the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet which is a proverbial expression of their voluntary humbling of themselves to Christ in his Ordinances taken from the manner of the Persians in declaring their Subjection to their Emperour (d) Val. Max. lib. 7. chap. 3. which the Apostle calls a voluntary submission to the Gospel (e) 2 Cor. 9.13 which is the spirit of the Members of the Churches of Christ And for this Reason it is that the Lord when he moulded a Communion among his own People wherein all Civil Administrations should serve to holy ends be described the men to whom that Trust should be committed by certain Properties which also qualified them for fellowship in Church-Ordinances as Men of ability and power over their own affections (f) Exod. 18.21 Deut. 1.13 secondly fearing God Truly Religious Men of Courage hating Covetousness men of Wisdom men of understanding and men known or approved of among the people of God chosen by the Lord from among their Brethren not a stranger which is no Brother the most of which concurre to describe Church-members in a Church rightly gathered and ordered who are also in respect of their union with Christ and
is evident from the Scripture alledged For the thing which Paul blameth in them is not that living under unbelieving Magistrates they submitted to their Civil Judicature when they were cited to appear before their Judgement-seats but this he reproveth that when they were free to chuse other Judges as in voluntary references they were they would out of choice be judged under the unjust and not under Saints His Arguments against this are many and weighty 1. From the danger of thus exalting unbelievers and abasing the Saints in these words Dare any of you having a matter against another be judged under the unjust and not under the Saints 2. From the quality of unbelieving Judges whom he calleth unjust because they are destitute of the righteousness that is by Faith and which is the Fountain of all true Moral Justice and because they were ill-affected to Christians and to the Church of Christ and apt to vex them injuriously if they had any business before them and because though some men out of Christ may be found civilly honest and morally just as were also some Heathen men yet you can have no assurance of their justice seeing this is the genius and nature of all men out of Christ to be unrighteous 3. From the property of Church-members whom he calls Saints that is men consecrated to God and to his ends in all things for so they are in their Church-estate and by virtue of their Covenant are bound so to be when as others are or at least are not manifested to be otherwise according to Gods order worldly-minded or self-seekers minding their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ The 4th Argument is à majori for he saith The Saints shall judge the world and blames their ignorance that question it Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world and thence inferreth that they should much more have judgement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in matters that concern this life such are Humane Contracts mens Goods and Lives and outward Liberties The 5 t Argument is from the Wisdom wherewith the Church of God is furnished for all Civil businesses Is there not a wise man among you as if he should say It cannot be that more wisdome should be for transacting of businesses according to God in men that are out of the Church then in those that are in the Church howsoever much worldly wisdome is sometimes given to men of the world yet not sufficient to reach Gods ends that is the Priviledge of Saints they onely are wise as Serpents the other men may be as subtile as Foxes Prov. 8.15 And seeing it is by Christ that Kings reign and Princes decree justice how can it be supposed that Christ who is the Head of the Church will furnish others with a Spirit of Wisdome and Government in Civil Matters and deny it to the Church Members of his own Body whom he alone sanctifieth to his ends The Assumption That the Form of Government in the Common-wealth which we plead for is that wherein the power of civil Administrations is denied to unbelievers and committed to the Saints is evident of it self For whom doth the Apostle call Saints there but Members of the Church when he had said before they were sanctified in Christ Jesus Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 Hence it is that he speaks of men esteemed in the Church v. 4. and of man that can judge between Brethren v. 5. which is a Title given to Church-members ordinarily in the New Testament Object If it be objected He speaketh there of Church-members in opposition to Infidels which persecuted the truth not in opposition to men that may fâ—ar God and be accounted Believers though they be not in Church-fellowship Answ I Answer The fear of God and Faith of those men may be justly doubted whose setled abode is in a place where Churches are gather'd and order'd according to Christ and yet are not after a convenient time joyned to them For if in those times and places where the Name of Christ was a Reproach men were no sooner converted then they were added to the Church and their being added to the Church was made an evidence of their conversion what may we think of those men who living in times and places where the Ordinances of the Gospel may be enjoyed in purity with peace in Church-fellowship do yet live without the Church 2. Though there be sundry degrees of distance from the Church to be found among men that are out of Church fellowship as the Heathen are further off then moral Christians yet the same Spirit of unrighteousness and enmity against Christ worketh and bears rule in an unconverted Christian as doth in an unbaptized Heathen He is unsanctified as the other is and so unsutable to Gods ends in civil Administrations and therefore it will not be safe nor according to the Rule that where a Church is gathered according to Christ the Members should be neglected and such men intrusted with managing the Publick Affairs as are not in fellowship with them Argum. 5 The fifth Argument may be taken from the Nature and Power of Church-Order which when it is managed according to Christ's appointment affordeth best security to a Christian State for the faithful discharge of any Trust that shall be committed to those that are under it Whence I thus argue That Form of Government wherein the power of chusing from among themselves men to be intrusted with managing all publick Affairs of Importance is committed to them who are furnished with the best helps for securing to a Christian State the faithfull discharge of such a Trust is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is such The efore the Form of Government described in the true stating of the Question is the best Form of Government in a Christian Common-wealth and which men that are free to chuse as in new Plantations they are ought to establish The Proposition is undeniable The Assumption That the Form of Government which we plead for is that wherein the power of chusing men to be intrusted with managing of all publick Affairs of Importance is committed to them who are furnished with the best helps for securing to a Christian State the faithful discharge of such a Trust may be confirmed by shewing what these Helps are viz. 1. That the Members of the Church are Saints by calling 1 Cor. 1.2 John 15.19 Heb. 12.23 James 1.18 Isai 11.1 2. Luke 1.75 Psal 50.5 Deut. 26.17 18. i. e. men separated from the world and the pollutions thereof out of which they are called and dedicated to God as the first-born and the first-fruits were and they are qualified by the spirit of wisdome and understanding the spirit of counsel and strength the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the
Lord in some measure through fellowship with Christ to serve God and men in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of their lives 2. That these Saints by calling being in Church-Order according to Christ's appointment are in Covenant with God and one with another whereby they are most strictly bound to do faithfully whatsoever they do to God or men 3. That by virtue of this Order they are bound to mutual helpfulness in Watching over one another Instructing Admonishing and Exhorting one another to prevent sin or to recover such as are faln or to encourage one another and strengthen them in well-doing Thus are they bound in a threefold Cable unto all Faithfulness in all things to God and Man The like assurance cannot be had in any other way if this course be neglected Argum. 6 The sixth Argument with which I will conclude that I may not weary you with Reading as I have wearied my self with Writing shall be taken from The Danger of devolving this Power upon those that are not in Church-Order From whence the Apostle would have men to be affrighted 1 Cor. 6.1 Dare any of you having business against another be judged under the unjust and not under the Saints The Danger therefore that is to be feared in reference to the Chrrch is The disturbance of the Churches Peace when Power shall be put into their hands who being of worldly spirits hate the Saints and their Communion and being of the seed of the Serpent John 15.18 Gen. 3.15 Zech. 3.1 Revel 12.7 are at enmity against the seed of the Woman and being Satans instruments who is the God of this World are resisting and fighting against Christ his Kingdome and Government in the Church 2. Adde hereunto The Danger of corrupting Church-Order either by compelling them to receive into fellowship unsutable ones or by imposing upon them Ordinances of men and worldly Rudiments Col. 2.22 23. or by establishing Idolatrous Worship or by strengthning Hereticks in subverting the common Faith as those Arrian Emperours and Idolatrous Kings and States have done of which we reade so many instances Secondly the Danger to be feared in reference to the Civil State is 1. The raising of Factions to the disturbance of Publick Peace whil'st some Magistrates out of the Church watch their seasons to strengthen themselves against those that are in the Church till they have wrought them out of Office and Power in the Civil State and in the mean time what other can be expected from such unequal mixture in State Dan. 2.42 43. but that they should be as the toes of the feâ—t of Nebuchadnezzar's image which were part of iron and part of clay they should be partly broken and partly strong and not comfortably joyn one with another as iron cannot be mixed with clay The second Danger to the Civil State will be A perverting of Justice by Magistrates of worldly spirits through Bribery respect of persons unacquaintance with the Law of God and injuriousness to the servants of God But I must break off lest I grow too tedious How easily might I adde the Consent of all Nations to this Truth in some proportion who generally practise accordingly In our Native Countrey none are intrusted with managing of Publick Affairs but Members of the Church of England as they call them In Holland when the Arminian Party had many Burgomasters on their side Grave Maurice came into divers of their Cities with Troops of Souldiers by Order from the States Generall and put those Arminian Magistrates out of Office and caused them to chuse onely such as were of the Dutch Churches And in Roterdam and I think it is so in other Towns the Vrentscap who are all of them of the Dutch Church and free Burgers do out of their own company chuse the Burgomaster and other Magistrates and Officers In all Popish Countreys and Plantations they observe it strictly to intrust none with the managing of Publick Civil Affairs but such as are Catholicks as they speak and of the Roman Church Yea in Turky it self they are careful that none but a man devoted to Mahomet bear publick Office Yea these very Indians that Worship the Devil will not be under the Government of any Sagamores but such as joyn with them in Observance of their Pawawes and Idolatries That it seems to be a Principle imprinted in the mindes and hearts of all men in the equity of it That such a Form of Government as best serveth to Establish their Religion should by the consent of all be Established in the Civil State Other things I might adde but I hope enough hath been said for Defence and Confirmation of what I have affirmed touching this matter If you remain unsatisfied I shall desire that you will placidly and lovingly and impartially weigh the Grounds of my judgement and communicate yours if any remain against it in writing For though much writing be wearisome unto me yet I finde it the safer way for me Now the God of Peace and Truth lead us into all wayes of Peace and Truth to the Praise of his Grace through the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Way the Truth and the Life To whom be in all things the Preheminence and Glory and Praise Amen FINIS ERRATA Page 8. line 17. for the State read that estate Ibid. for that read and. p. 11. l. 27. read and having