Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A84352
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The Christian Commonvvealth: or, The civil policy of the rising kingdom of Jesus Christ. Written before the interruption of the government, by Mr. John Eliot, teacher of the Church of Christ at Roxbury in New-England. And now published (after his consent given) by a server of the season.
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Eliot, John, 1604-1690.
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1659
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Wing E504; Thomason E1001_10; ESTC R207846
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29,052
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58
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wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me ver 14. I am not able to bear all the people alone because it is too heavy for me The conveniency of the number of this high Council is thus to be measured and judged by Gods Standard Israel had at least three Millions of people though not one Million of men in order or not much more for the Souldiers were but six hundred thousand now their Supreme Council consisted of seventy one therefore that is the highest number that will be needed among men ordinarily yea though a people should be much bigger I see not but that number may suffice But that number is not limitted because God denyeth not this Government to fifty who are the least Court and a lesser number of men then the highest Council in Israel had by Gods appointment and if it be not limitted on the one side so nor on the other Again the lowest number of the Supreme Council that may be is five because that Council must consist both of Magistrates and Elders of Churches Elders of both sorts one of a sort sufficeth not and the bigger part must be Magistrates This Council must alwaies be in being personally or virtually to give answer to all Cases propounded touching the Law of God and the application thereof to any particular Person or Cause and to take care for the general Protection Provision and Government of the whole in truth holiness and peace CHAP. V. THe duties of all the Rulers of the civil part of the Kingdom of Christ are as followeth The Office and Duty of all the Rulers is to govern the people in the orderly and seasonable practice of all the Commandments of God in actions liable to Political observation whether of piety and love to God or of justice and love to man with peace Hence they are keepers of both Tables and are so to look that all the Commandments of God be observed as to compel men to their undoubted duty and punish them for their undoubted sins errours and transgressions A Case a Duty a Sin is said then to be undoubted when either it is expresly or by general approved consequence commanded or forbidden in the Scriptures or when it hath passed the circuit of Gods Polity and received its final determination according to the Scriptures unto which not to submit is capital presumption Hence again Rulers are eminently concerned to maintain the purity of Religion with all care and power holiness truth and peace being much concerned herein Hence again all Rulers must be skilful in the Scriptures they must read and meditate in the same all the daies of their life that thereby they may be enabled to do their Office faithfully and religiously so long as they live Hence again they are to give counsel and command for the well ordering of all the Publick Affairs of their people both in Education of Youth whether in Schools or other Occupations in walking in their Callings in their Neighbourhood commerce and converse with men in subjecting themselves to Government with Religion Justice and Peace CHAP. VI. THe Office of the Ruler of ten is to see all his people walk as becometh Gods people in their several places furthering the same upon all occasions And at appointed times to sit alone to hear and determine Causes of Justice and of evil conversation to declare Gods sentence and counsel in every Case and see it executed Provided it be with the consent and submission of the party or parties concerned All difficult Cases and Appeals he shall binde over to the Court of six and Capitals in life limb or banishment to the Court of eleven These Rulers are next the people hence they see them * Each other most and therefore they need be singularly wise patient loving faithful and zealously holy men So great is his work and charge that it had need extend but to a small compass If he well perform his Office it doth prevent much trouble to Superiour Courts The Office of the Ruler of fifty is to see that all the Rulers often under him be faithful in their Office and Duty and to help on their work in all Cases and toward all persons as he hath occasion As also to call and keep the Court of six in their seasons where all Cases pertaining to the publick good of all his order and particular Cases betwixt parties of the several of the orders of ten under him are nextly to be tryed and determined together with Appeals from any of the Rulers of ten under him and difficult Cases transmitted from them to this Court This Court hath power to end strifes judge Causes declare and pronounce the sentence of Gods Word in mulcts and punishments and see them executed Difficult Cases they shall transmit and also Appeals they shall bind over unto the Court of three But capitals in life limb or banishment to the Court of eleven The Office of the Ruler of an hundred is to see that the Rulers of fifty under him do perform their Office and Duty faithfully to help them what lieth in him in any of their works towards their Rulers of ten or any particular person under him Also all Causes which concern the Publick good of all Orders under him are in his charge And also to call and keep the Court of three where Causes betwixt parties of his several orders of fifty are properly to be tryed and determined with Appeals from the Court of six and such difficult Cases as that Court shall transmit to them This Court hath power to end all strifes judge and determine Causes declare and pronounce the sentence of Gods Word in mulcts and punishments and see them executed Also to take care of the Publick good of all their Orders Appeals difficult Cases and capitals in life and limb and banishment they shall bind over and transmit to the Court of eleven The Office of the Ruler of a thousand is to see that all the Rulers of hundreds under him do perform their Office and duty faithfully to help them what lieth in him in any part of their charge toward their Rulers of fifties or Rulers of ten or any person under him also all Cases which concern the Publick good of all the orders under him are in his care and charge As also to call and keep the Court of eleven where all Causes betwixt persons in several of his Hundreds are properly belonging with Appeals from the Court of three and difficult Cases transmitted to them Also all Cases which concern the Publick good of all the Orders under them Also all capital Cases of life limb or banishment belong this Court because it is the highest and most solemn Judicatory in the single Platform and fullest of Majesty The highest punishment is fitly pronounced in a more solemn Judicatory then is the Court of six or three unless the smalness or paucity of the people have no higher
Christ come in and help ye for ward the setting up of his Kingdom I am bold to present this Scripture-Platform of Government to publique view if advice so carry it at this season because I do believe it to be a Divine Institution of a Civil Government and seemeth to me to be such as will well suit the present condition of England Scotland and Ireland or any other religious people in the World who fear the command of God and tremble at his Word and being perswaded in my heart that it is the minde of the Lord that Nations should be governed by Scripture-Institutions the time being come that the Lord is about to shake all the Earth and throw down that great Idol of Humane Wisdome in Governments and set up Scripture-Government in the room thereof It may please God to give acceptance unto this poor beginning and move the hearts of such as are wise to prosecute this design of Christ and more accurately to search the Scriptures to finde out the perfect will of God in this point which yet is but in its birth and dawning many things being yet dim and dark in the morning twilight we cannot see far before us nor round about us but the Rising-Sun will through grace bring greater light with him As for such wholsome just and wise Laws as any Nation hath already made the Wisdome of the Lord will teach his People to refer them to their Scripture-principles demonstrating the truth and equity thereof by the Word of God whereby they will appear to be the deducts from the Word of God and hence they that are governed by them are governed by the Lord they that break them sin against the Lord by breaking his Commandment and Law It were a Work worthy the labours of the best Divines and the best of Men to demonstrate the equity of all the wholsome and wise Laws of ENGLAND by the Word of God the effects of which Work would be of admirable consequence to sanctifie the whole Land to make the Rulers more expresly to govern for the Lord and the People to obey the Lord in obeying their Governours and so the Lord himself should Reign over them My continual Prayer in this behalf at the Throne of Grace is that the Lord would so far scatter those black Clouds which do darken the mindes of God's People in ENGLAND that they may see some Beams of the brightness of CHRIST his coming to Reign and that the Lord would please to bow their divided hearts to meet with one consent and accord to make CHRIST their LAW-GIVER and JUDGE and KING in whom alone they shall finde settlement and assured peace Amen Amen THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH OR The Civil Polity of the Rising Kingdom of Jesus Christ CHAP. I. IT is the Commandment of the Lord that a people should enter into Covenant with the Lord to become his people even in their Civil Society as well as in their Church-Society a Deut. 29. 10 11 12 13. You stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captains of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel 11. Your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy Camp c. 12. That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his oath which he maketh with thee this day 13. That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself and that he may be to thee a God as he hath said unto thee and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob. Whereby they submit themselves to be ruled by the Lord in all things receiving from him both the platform of their Government and all their Laws which when they do then Christ reigneth over them in all things they being ruled by his Will and by the Word of his Mouth b a Isai 33. 22. The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he shall save us The substance of which Covenant and subjection of themselves unto the Lord to be ruled by him in all things is this That they do humbly confess their corruption by nature and lost condition that they acknowledge the free grace c Deut. 26. 1. ad 12. I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am come into the Countrey which the Lord thy God sware unto thy fathers to give us c. vers 5. And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my father and he wont down into Egypt c. vers 7. And when we cried unto the Lord he heard us c. ver 8. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand c. of God in their redemption by Christ and in the promulgation of the Gospel unto them and making application thereof effectually unto their souls and therefore the Lord hath shewed his everlasting Love unto them and caused them inwardly by faith to give up themselves unto him to be for ever his to love serve and obey him in all his Word and Commandments so now they do outwardly solemnly with the rest of Gods people joyn together so to do in their Civil Polity receiving from the Lord both the platform of their civil Government as it is set down in the essentials of it in the holy Scriptures and also all their Laws which they resolve through his grace to fetch out of the Word of God making that their only Magna Charta and accounting no Law Statute or Judgement valid farther then it appeareth to arise and flow from the Word of God Such as with a lively faith enter into or walk in this Covenant do perform every Act wherein they are free from temptation of civil conversation among men a 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God by faith in obedience unto God Instructing that all should do so who take this Covenant and if they do not they are guilty of breach of Covenant before God A willing subjection of a mans self to Christ in this Covenant is some hopeful sign of some degree of faith in Christ and love to God and as a good preparative for a more neer approach to Christ in Church-fellowship and Covenant he that is willing to serve Christ by the Polity of the second Table civilly is in some degree of preparation to serve him by the Polity of the first Table Ecclesiastically The Child is implicitely comprehended in the Fathers Covenant a Deut. 29. 14 15. Neither with you onely do I make this Covenant this day but with him that standeth here this day before the Lord our God and with him that is not here with us this day the Wife is explicitely comprehended in her Husbands insomuch that in her Widowhood she and her Family are one under the order of the Government of God