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A33931 The decision & clearing of the great point now in controversie about the interest of Christ and the civill magistrate in the rule of government in this world stated according to the word of truth and presented to the Parliament of this Common-wealth and to all other powers in the world where it may come, or to any that desire satisfaction in this matter / written by T. Collier. Collier, Thomas, fl. 1691. 1659 (1659) Wing C5276; ESTC R29644 12,984 20

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danger incurred by ta●ing this authority if ordering and setling things relating to the worship of God with a coercive Power Answ 1. It is an intruding into that which they have no right unto and doubtless it is as open a wrong to Jesus Christ as it is for one Prince to invade anothers Territories and take away his dominion from him under pretence of love to him a sad sign and symptome of an aspiring minde when when men will not be content with what God hath allotted them and not only to be undermining one another to make themselves greater but they dare adventure on the crown and dignity of Jesus Christ 2. Magistrates by this Practice do not only intrude themselves into his authority where they have no right but likewise must necessarily expose themselves to the great danger of contracting the guilt of the blood od souls upon themselves And that first because compulsion by a coercive power necessarily makes a world of Hypocrites and Formalists and so deceives them with the name and supposition of Christians and beleevers when they are strangers to it whereas otherwise through the spreading forth of truth in the Gospel-light they might in an ordinary way be brought truly to look after God Or secondly in case the Magistrate err himself in the Religion set up by him as its wonder if he do not and so compel to his own will in stead of the will of Christ he may be instrumental to destroy souls in deterring them from closing with the truth and compelling them to close vvith his error 3. By this the Magistrate proclaims himself in effect to be infallible in judging and determining universally in matters of Relgion which is proper only to Jesus Christ and so exalts himself above all that is called God even above Jesus Christ in that which is his Prerogative alone and so at least attains to the badge and livery of Antichrist This is judged so to be by all reformed Churches and therefore they apply it to the Pope or Papal power on this account i. e. his usurping a power rule over the Consciences of the people and persecuting all that differ from them and how those who walk in the same steps only their opinion changed in matter of Religion will acquit themselves from the same guilt I leave to themselves to judge 4. It is that which derogates from the liberty of the Gospel which Christ hath purchased by his own blood for his people that they might not be the servants of men in divine things May vve rationally suppose that Christ hath delivered his people from the old Testament-Bondage that vvas ordained of God himself to deliver them up to the povver and vvills of men and it may be too of such men as knovv not God its true God hath rather chosen to subject his children to the vvills of men in suffering then in serving in divine things if Christ had left his people in this matter to the vvills of men the Gospel liberty had been much vvorse then that of the Lavv David vvhen he vvas to chuse vvould rather fall into the hands of God then into the hands of men because he is merciful and so tender vvas Paul of derogating from the Gospel-liberty that notvvithstanding he vvas infallibly inspired yet usurps not this povver to himself of having Dominion over the faith of his Brethren 2 Cor. 1. 24. 5. The Magistrate by this means necessarily exposeth himself to the danger of persecuting Christ For First we may yea we must suppose a possibility for Magistrates to erre especially in divine things being liable to tentations and snares above other men and if they miss in the least hint or part of truth and so compel from any part of truth to their own error and persecute those that cannot in conscience submit doubtless they become persecutors of Christ And Secondly we may have grounds for all that I know to judge and hope that the Lord may have a people that are precious to him in and under all apprehensions in Christian profession who hold the head and truely then it concerns the Magistrate to look to it and to succour and delend all in all sorts of profession rather then to persecute any one of Christs little ones the danger of this see Mat. 18. 6. 6. Acts of Rapes and force on the body in order to bodily fornication are judged by the law to be acts of highest offence even fellony deserving death but know that acts of force upon the soul to spiritual fornication which is done on all that are forced by a Magisterial Coersive power to that in worship which is contrary to conscience is a worse and more dangerous force or Rape then that on the body to outward bodily fornication For first the soul is the more sublime and divine part of man And secondly a bodily rape may be as it s generally judged without sin in the party that is violently surprized but this of the spiritual force who ever is conquered by it sins against God though the thing may be lawful to which he may be compelled yet to him its sin being done against faith and conscience for whatsoever is not of faith is sin so that to set up a coercive power in Religious matters is the likeliest and surest way in the world to lay a necessity of sinning or suffering upon all consciencious people 7. This act in the Protestant Magistrates far exceeds that in the papal and so it becomes a force of the highest nature for the Papist saith to all That they must believe as the Church believes i. e. the Pope and his Clergy and to accomplish this he keeps them ignorant permits not the Scripture in their own language to the end they may believe as the Church believes the common people shall know but what the Church will tell them and so are kept ignorant and their force is without trouble for they think they do well c. But the Protestant seems to go further The Scripture shall be translated into the mother tongue that every one may read it the people shall be pressed to buy Bibles to search the Scriptures to finde out the minde of God c. and when all is done they must still believe as the Church believes i. e. as the Minister and Magistrate shall conclude It is to invite to search and see with their own eyes and yet compell to believe what another sees doubtless it s not onely an irreligious but an irrational thing to allow people to search and know yet will put out their eyes and compel them to see with others I quere whether it would not be a lesser evil Pope-like to keep the Bible in an unknown tongue and so keep the people ignorant then to allow the Bibles and compell to walk contrary to the light and truth apprehended therein I mean to the powers thus acting Be wise now therefore Oy kings be inst●ucted ye Judges of the earth kiss the
Protestant-Magistrate walking by this Rule i. e. Authority in Divine things c. doth justifie all others in their practices there being as much rule for the one as the other and so it is the ready way for Magistrates to be contracting the sin and guilt of all the civil Magistrates and of all the blood that hath been shed on this account 7. If Authority in divine things were committed to the Magistrates this would without all controversie put an end to the sufferings of the Saints for if this power were given to men then it would be the Saints duty to submit unto them then whence and to what purpose are all those sayings of Christ in Scripture to strengthen his people against and to comfort them in persecution Matt. 5. Luk. 6. Ioh. 16. If it were true indeed that Magistrates had received this power from above then they do well in exercising of it sutable to their understanding and in punishing those that will not submit and the Lords people do ill and are justly persecuted for not performing their duty how then shall they be blessed in their suffering So then that Principle and Practice that justifieth Magistrates in a way of persecution and condemneth Saints under the notion of Hereticks for their suffering for Christ cannot be of God c. So that from these grounds I undoubtedly conclude That Jesus Christ hath reserved to himself the power of governing and ruling in and over his people in all Divine and Religious concernments and hath not resigned it to any Magisterial power on earth 3. And finally we find it clearly stated in the Scripture that Christ hath committed his Authority in matters relating to VVorship to his Church and not to the Magistrate Hence Christ having stated his own power Matt. 28. 18. He promiseth his presence with his Church to the end of the world ver 20. therefore in case of offence he directs his to tell it to the Church Matt. 18. 17. there being no higher appeal on Earth for Believers in divine things and as the Church so is its Government distinct from the world and the worldly Government so that that Magistrate that assumes this Authority to himself robs the Church of that authority her Lord hath given her and the authority Christ hath left in his church is spiritually to be exercised all church-censures reacheth in the utmost extent to reject and cast out to the world and to Satan from whence they came not to inflict bodily punishments but to endeavour in all the saving of the soul that the flesh might be destroyed and the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And in as much as the Lord knows that his church might err in matter of judgement and censure about divine things therefore he hath communicated a power of judgement to the church to be exercised according to their light faith in divine Record yet hath reserved to himself the power of judging and that even of all the churches judgements and actions to be made manifest in the day of Christ Obj. God having once committed the power of judging and executing of his Divine will in point of worship to the Magistracy of the Jews in the Old-Testament-Ministration why may we not conclude it remains a duty under the gospel in as much as we find no repeal of that Authority Ans God owning them as they were the natural seed of Abraham to be a National church he made that Church State one which is not nor cannot be so in the Gospel because he now owns the spiritual seed in the Gospel Church and Covenant And further as he made that Church and State one so he gave the Judicial and Political Law clear to them and clearly stated the Magistrates duty on that behalf but no such thing under the Gospel 2. The authority of the Magistrate under that Ministration was typical and presented Christ the great Lord and Law-giver in the Gospel-ministration for the annointed Office of Priest and King lead to Christ the annointed one so that when Christ was come and had suffered and conquered in and by his suffering he put an end to that Ministration and repealed Priesthood-government and that whole ministration so that whoever pleads Magistrates authority in Eccclesiastical causes from the Jewish constitution doth consequently deny Christ to be come in the flesh and takes his Government from him so that we rightly understanding the Government of the Old Testament-Magistrates should rightly be informed to whom the Right of Rule in Divine things and Ecclesiastical concernments do now belong namely to Christ into whom the magisterial power of the Old Testament is naturally and properly dissolv'd as the type into the substance q. Is it not the Magistrates duty to see to and take care of the performance of the first table and to see that the will of Christ contained therein be done by the people A. Doubtless it is not any part of his charge or work and that from the Reasons already minded and further I might truly say That as man is a reasonable creature so Gods way of working to Divine undertakings is by the illuminating of his understanding through his Word and Spirit that so he might be able to give a reason of his hope and serve in Divine things in the liberty of the Gospel not having his understanding captivated to the will of another q. Whence should arise this great mistake as doubtless if it be a mistake it is a great and dangerous one A. Ignorance and Pride ushered in this mistake and that is it which still endeavours to keep it on foot 1. Ignorance this ordinarily is the mother of all sin and lyeth at the bottom of all mischiefs Christ was put to death through Ignorance 1 Cor. 2. 8. and it is through Ignorance men put him to death in his Authority and put to death those that own him in his Authority John 16. 2 3. It is saith Christ because they have not known the Father nor me 2. Pride flowing from Ignorance and a desire of self-exaltation Pride of Magistrates and pride of Ministers accompanied sometimes with mistaken zeal and sometimes with enmity and desire of revenge on those who submit not to their wills witness the truth of this That Person or people whoever that concludes it the Magistrates duty to compel to Religion think withall its meet they should be uppermost to be prescribing Laws for others This proclaims it to be a proud selfish principle men while under will not like it but when over will exercise it this is pride and a desire of domination for all sorts of people in the world dislikes with and complaines of a coercive power in matters Spiritual and Divine unless it be when themselves have the ruling power and are gotten uppermost Protestants complain or Papists and Papists of Protestants where they are under and Non-Conformists of both but him that is uppermost will rule q. But what is the evil and