us and we have seen his Glory So the beloved Apostle witnesses of him He took on him not the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Thus the Son of God became the son of man being miraculously conceived of the Holy Ghost in the womb of Mary the Virgin over-shadowed by Gods Spirit and born of her in the humane nature like to us in all things except sin Thus was God the Son made manifest in the flesh by assuming the Nature not the person for then had he been two sons and two persons of man to himself This Man Christ Jesus hath body and soul the two substantial parts of Man even as we have as appear'd in his whole progress both which he hath Glorified not nullified This Fatherless man is as Wonderful as the same motherless God for who can declare his Generation as to the manner of it Thus Infiniteness confined himself God eternal was born of a finite poor Virgin Here is an Object indeed for the best knowledge of the best man God become man 3. Christ is God-man Emmanuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with us The true Ithiel God with me the very Vcal who is All. In him by hypostatical Union the humane nature with the Divine do both subsist in God the Son the second person of the divine Trinity Here is indeed a complication of ineffable wonders As there one Divine Nature subsists distinctly in three divine Persons So here two Natures the divine and humane subsist both in one person each of them acting and remaining distinctly conjunctly and inseparably incommutably and unconfusedly as the Fathers expressed it to avoid Errors on both hands Here is no mixtion nor composition no confusion nor conversion but a mysterious and transcendant Union from whence flow the various expressions of Scripture 1. When that is attributed to each Nature which properly belongs thereto as suffering to humane Nature and also when that is attributed to the person which therein belongs to both natures as to be Mediatour this is most proper Secondly When that which is common to the whole Person as to be Mediator is attributed only to one of the Natures suppose to the humane this is more improper Thirdly When that which is proper to one Nature is attributed to the other Nature in concreto by a name denoting the whole Person In that sense its true that God purchased his Church by his Blood and that the King of Glory was crucified by communication of Properties Yet this acception is the most improper of the three being Metonymical as the second is Synecdochical In man two imperfect Natures Soul and Body are coadunated with reservation of Proprieties to the constituting of one Suppositum and Person by the vertue of God Christs Person in the divine Nature being most perfect took the humane nature into the unity of one person by his own Vertue So that its one and the same Christ visible according to the humane invisible according to the divine Nature This hypostatical Union was the work of the Trinity mediately of the Holy Ghost immediately and of the Son terminatively The Fathers compare this Mysterie to the joint work of three Sisters making up one vesture and putting it all conjunctly upon the second of them It was necessary that Christ should be God 1. To impart an infinite value and vertue to his compleat Obedience 2. To overcome all sufferings and enemies 3. To communicate all effectually by his Spirit to his people It was as needful that he should be man 1. Because the Godhead could not suffer Secondly because the same Nature that had offended was to satisfie 3. That our Nature corrupted by the first Adam might be restored by the second Christ Jesus our Lord. Thus is Christs Person the Amiable Object of our Knowledge Secondly CHrist considered in his Office is a precious Object his chief business as Mediator being to procure effectual Reconciliation to the saving of his people by his perfect Oblation presented to God for them and applied to them by Gods Spirit He assumed the Name and function of Jesus the Saviour He was anointed as the Christ of God with all suitable qualifications and made Lord of all but especially made our Lord and Saviour by personal appropriation and effectual application Thus was Christ voluntarily made of a woman under the Law subjecting himself in that wonderful dispensation of his Mediation to receive from the Father his Call to that redeeming Function There was no defect in God but in us only who wanted skil power and will utterly to the curing and saving of our selves Christ therefore was divinely anointed to be our Soveraign Prophet Priest and Prince to effect all for us and in us needful to salvation As a Prophet he Reveals the whole Council of God As a Priest he makes full expiation to God and Intercession for us As a Kingly Prince he subdues all spiritual Enemies and makes all things serviceable to the guidance and protection of his people under his Soveraign Rule and Government All this he did and doth by his Eternal Spirit as the Scripture Records freely fully surely and singularly being therein a glorious Object of Christian knowledge Thirdly Christ in his Progress is considerable under a double state of Humiliation and Exaltation 1. HIs Humiliation appeared in all the steps of his Conception and Birth of his Life and Passion of his death and Burial most wonderfully This God head was then covered with the dark vail of his humane Nature mourning as it were in the sad habit of his infirmities for his peoples Enormities He willingly then eclipsed his divine light within the dark Lanthorn of this submissive state he humbled himselfe to exalt us he emptied himself that he might fill us He parted with all that he might give us all He shewed himself to be the Son of man to the lowest degree that he might bring all his into the state of Children Had there not been an absolute necessity thereof he had never done it Had not our case been so desperate could any other way have expiated and destroyed his peoples sins Christ had not come down from the height of Glory to the bottom of ignominy Here is an object of admiration indeed God humbled to a childs state growing up by degrees in Stature and Grace doing and suffering every moment for his enemies in rebellious arms Behold the Son of man wrastling with earth and hell yea with heaven it self conflicting with mans rage the devils fury and the wrath of God! What think you of sin the murtherer of this Christ and of that Love which gave him to the death Thus made he his soul a sacrifice for sin that he might see his seed and the good will of the Lord prospering in his hands He laid in the grave to confirm his
themselves to be the Holy Ghost as Simon Magus Montanus David George c. Fifthly All Enthusiasts who father their lies on Gods Spirit c. TO quell this wofull poison your Preservative will set your Judgement right by the Grace and Knowledge of Christs Spirit Thereby you will surely understand that the holy Spirit hath in Scripture ascribed to him the same Titles and Attributes the same divine worship and works which are ascribed to the Father and to the Son and therefore must needs be God blessed from ever and for ever That the working of all Scripture Miracles the penning of all those divine writings the wonderfull quickning of dead souls and bodies and the daily experience of all spiritual Christians do fully demonstrate it That therefore the fanatick illusions and delusions of Revelationists being so opposite to Gods Truth and Holiness must needs proceed from that lying Spirit who perswaded so many of Ahabs Prophets and still possesses the false Prophets of our days to speak and act against the Dictates of Christs Spirit The malicious opposing of the Truth confirmed so undeniably by the miraculous Operations of the Lord The Spirit hath therefore the most desperate aggravations even unto death attending the same because God the Father and Son both are thereby also desperately opposed 6. Against his Office and Function of Al-sufficient and only Mediator for his peoples Salvation move First All the former Hereticks in denying his Deity or Humanity his Parts and Person Secondly All such who mangle the said Function as the Socinians who deny the need and use of his satisfaction for sin Thirdly All such who divide his Mediation work ascribing part thereof to Saints and Angles as the Papists with fond distinctions Fourthly All such as put the said Mediation into the Virgin Mary's hand calling her Queen of Heaven entitling the Psalter to her placing her name instead of the Lords name in the said Psalter giving her Authority over Christ her Son in Heaven promising and expecting more from her often then from Christ as much at least and telling doctorally that God hath divided his Mercy and Justice giving her the Throne of Mercy and reserving himself the Throne of Justice c. as the said Papists Fifthly All such who pretending to sinless perfection and selfish Righteousness do frustrate and nullifie so far his Mediation as the Quakers and such monkish Pharisees To suppress the violence of this poisonous stuff the Grace and Knowledge of Christ improved will shew us clearly still the necessity of Christs satisfaction and Al suffiency of his Mediation that without the shedding of this blood there can be no remission of sin That No Righteousness but that of God-man could satisfie divine Justice That without satisfaction there could be no Reconciliation of God to man that without Imputation thereof to many there could be no discharge of mans Debt That no purchase could be made of eternal Life and divine favour but by that infinite Price paid by Emmanuel That without such purchase orderly applycable there could be no salvation for lost man That Christs mediation alone is Al-sufficient to all those purposes and needs no partners in any share thereof either for Impetration or application That to give the least part thereof to any meer Creature whether in Heaven or Earth can be no better then Idolatry That no Palliation or shifts by distinctions of Dulia Hyperdulia and Latria can cover this Blasphemy no more then Adams figs leaves could cover his nakedness That there cannot be on earth in any meer man a sinless perfection and if it could be had yet it could not satisfie for the evil past in the least That the best are but unprofitable Servants That the payment of a farthing due cannot satisfie a thousand pound debt in Arrears To signifie emphatically the due application and Imputation of Christs Righteousness unto Believers the Scripture cals him Jehovah-Tsidkenu the Lord our Righteousness repeating that name again in the great Promise of Restauration to be afforded to his Israel by vertue of that Righteousness made theirs whence Christs name is Synecdochically and Metonymically ascribed to the new Jerusalem To that import the Lord Jesus incorporates his name with a Christians Propriety into one New name framed by his own Spirit which Paul expresses by his being made unto us of God Righteousness and Redemption and our being made the Righteousness of God in in him as he was made sin for us who knew no sin which must needs be understood by way of Imputation there being no sin inherent in Christ 7. His Priesthood is opposed first By all the formerly named Errors Secondly by the Papists in making new Priests daily and a new propitiatory Sacrifice called incruentum to be offered by them for the living and dead Secondly In joining mans merits to his and thereby patching up a mongrel Righteousness for themselves and others Thirdly In pretended Works of supererogation which are imputed to others by way of Indulgence out of their Churches imaginary Treasure Fourthly In denying the Imputation of Christs Righteousness for the pardon and Justification of his Members Fifthly In giving to mans Righteousness dip'd in Christs blood a meriting value and vertue to satisfie and pacifie Gods Justice and to procure his Mercy Sixthly In making Christs Merits to be but the remote and mediate cause but mans Merits to be the immediate Proxime cause of the pardon Thirdly By such who sever his habitual and his active Obedience from his meriting Oblation given to God for his people and imputed to Believers reckoning only his passive Obedience to be so meritorious and imputative for the reconciling of Man to God Fourthly By Quakers and others who find no need of and little regard an high Priest in Heaven Against such mortal wounds the Balm of our Christian Gilead will afford healing vertue from the due review of his Grace and Knowledge We shall find thereby that Christ Jesus by his personal Righteousness by that one Oblation hath for ever perfected those that are sanctified once for all That a new order of Priests brings a new Law and nuls the former That it was an imperfect Priest and Sacrifice typically ceremonial that needed renewing That to give to a meer Man suppose a Masse-Priest the power of making and renewing a propitiatory Oblation at his Will upon his intent of consecrating is to set him in Christs room yea above Christ and to deny Christ come in the flesh by unavoidable Consequence The Oblation of Christ had not been compleat if it had not been active as well as passive and habitual as well as actual Heart-Obedience being the root and life of all other Redemption is indeed frequently ascribed to his blood and death but it s by a Synecdoche including the rest of his whole Obedience whereof his
cruel and painful torment They might as well deny the Sun-light at noon-day who deny this Truth To turn plain Scripture into Allegories is to turn substance into a shadow It cost Origen a self-mutilation for mutilating divine writings thus He was called Centaur for monstrous Opinions flowing from Allegorical strainings of Scripture Christs Manhood should be so precious to us as not to endure affronts put on it Therein God and man do most sweetly meet which will help weak faith in every time of need 3 Against both the parts of his humane nature his soul and Body many also fight Apollinarius denying him a human soul as if the Godhead had supplied the want thereof Eutyches destroyed both by his pretended swallowing of them up into the Divine Nature The Manichees and Valentinians allowed him but an aery phantastical Body running through the womb of Mary as through a Pipe Mahometans fain it to have passed through Maries Paps and by the smell of a Rose Divers Novelists are daily broaching strange conceits about it The Vbiquitarians give him a monstrous Body immense and filling all places the Papists as monstrously would have his Body to be distinctly in many places at once to be without quantity without extension without sensible accidents to be made a new daily at the Priests will to be broken and not broken by himself and by all their Priests c. Many such contradictions against Scripture and sence Reason and all Sciences they are forced to for their fictitious Transubstantiation sake All such Malignant vapours which infest many will be effectually dispelled by the right use of your spiritual confection Christ was and abides ever a perfect man consisting of Soul and Body both subsisting in his divine Person being united to the divine Nature therein It will shew you that his soul was sorrowful to death and was made sensible of all humane affections though without sin as clear Chrystal water moved without any mud It will teach you that his Body had flesh and bones after his Resurrection as before which a spirit hath not That the same Body did visibly ascend into Heaven before the Disciples eyes and shal return thence in the same manner That the Heavens must hold him till the Restauration of all things That the glorifying of his Body hath not could not have annihilated it or changed the substance though it hath bettered the qualities thereof It will help you to know the flesh of Christ spiritually though you learn to know him no more after the slesh carnally It will teach you that his bare flesh and the fleshly sence thereof profits nothing a Capernaitish soul being destitute of his Spirit but that it s his Spirit that quickens us giving Life to his flesh and to his Word that both may be Spirit and Life to us in a spiritual and lively improvement Christs manhood is that precious Golden Ring that sets forth the Jewel of his Godhead to us It s a curious Vail of his contriving that his glorious face may through it be beheld It s a Chrystal Glass of the Lords framing to reflect thereby his Image upon us Out of Christ God is a consuming fire but thereby he becomes a Reconciled Father If Christ were not man still there were no hopes for man if we know him not thus we know him not at all It s not a figment of our own divising but the man Christ Jesus that must be our Saviour He cannot be ours unless wholly ours 4. Against his Person appear Nestorius dividing it into two Persons Sabellius Arius all Antitrinarians denying his distinctly eternal Personality from the Father The Socinians and Notionists that fancy the distiction of persons in God to be but nominal according to various dispensations witness Hob's Leviathan among many other poisonous books so commonly scattered abroad TO queneh the force of these pernicious Errors your Counter poison will season your soul with the scriptural description of Emmanuel our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God with us It will prove him to be God-man having both Natures divine and humane subsisting in his person the Son of God the second Person of the divine Trinity by Hypostatical Union it will clear him to be the Brightness of his glorious Father and the express Image of his Person being that one Mediator between God and Man and therefore God-man that he might conquer by suffering and make his suffering infinite for vertue and value for satisfaction and acquisition It will shew you that there are three in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and that those three are one That this Mystery is not against Reason though above it in its common shallow apprehension that the Son sends the Spirit Comforter from the Father and is therefore distinct from them both yet that he and the Father are one in Essence though distinct in person That Gods Reason is the Rule of ours being revealed to us in his divine monuments that we may assent to his Assertion though we cannot fathom the Explicitness thereof no more then Bruits can fathom our rational expressions That the Person of Christ coming out of the water must needs be distinct from that Person of the Spirit who came in the likeness of a Dove lighting on him at his Baptism and from the person of the Father whose voice from Heaven said This is my Beloved Son hear him Thus the Grace and Knowledge of Christ will teach you that he who thought it no Robbery to be equal wtth God being in the form of God substantially made himself of no Reputation that as God-man he might restore man to God in the gloryfiing of all divine Attributes Our Faith is not true if we do not own the true God truly as he holds forth himself in three distinct persons Those divine persons are not meer modes or manners of Attribution or Manifestation but real subsistences The Father is not the Son the Son is not the Spirit personally though they be one God essentially The person of the Son alone was incarnate not that of the Father he could not be Son not that of the Spirit there had been two Sons then The Word became flesh not the Father nor Spirit Divers Emblems are used to set forth this glorious Mysterie but Scripture-Language describes it best to a sober faith The Word Person is a Scripture Word very proper and significant They that deny this right use thereof make way for further denyal of Truth The Person of Christ is then to be owned by all that intend to be owned of him 5. Against Christs Spirit stirs first Macedonius denying him to be a divine Person distinct from the Father and Son Secondly All Antitrinitarians who oppose the distinction of divine Persons Thirdly The Greeke who deny the Procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son Fourthly The several Blasphemers that vaunted
Bramble bear figs or a sinful man beget a sinless child Is not the spawn and brood of venemous creatures venemous also Can a dead corpse raise it self to Life or a soul dead in sin contribute ought to its own quickning Yet is this no excuse for any sin because man is condemned for the abuse and neglect of that which is given him The best of them goes not so far as he might Though he be spiritually dead yet is he naturally alive and the abuse of natural parts is a sufficient condemnation to every sinner though variously appearing Thus is God stil just merciful and true though man prove unjust unworthy and false He is stil beforehand with every man though unfaithful servants who improve not the talent lent them charge him to be a hard master As he is free in disposing of his gifts so will every abuse and neglect of each of them be duly reckoned for 22. Christs saving Grace is also abused 1. By the former Errors 2. By the Pelagians and Socinians ascribing mans salvation to his own merits the fruits of his own power and will 3. By the Papists and Arminians sacrificing also to their nets some owning merits de congruo before Conversion others only merits de condigno after conversion either ex propria Natura with some or ex pacto with others very few of them are found more modest 4. By the Quakers Behmenists and Notionists variously treading in their steps and disguising those old Errors with the colours of new Light of a Christ within pretended Raptures Chymical dreams and Magical deceits Their monstrously abstruse expressions and Fictitious Raptures were much magnified in that German Tragedy acted in various Scenes for many years especially from 1522. til 1540. and are now revived out of Paracelsus Behmen Wigelius and the like by their followers very perniciously now AGainst such a Poyson the gracious Knowledge of Christ will fortifie you by Scripture discovery of the Nature and Cause the Method and Means the Subject and Effects of that saving Grace 1. The Nature thereof is Gods Application of his special Favour unto his Elect Redeemed by Christ saving them from all sin on earth Inchoatively in Heaven consummatively 2. The Fountain cause thereof is his own pleasure the final his Honour exalted in his Son by his own Spirit applying the same 3. The Method observed is gradually to shew this favour 1. Primitively in his Election and Redeeming Love 2. Communicatively in his Adopting and Justifying his supporting and supplying Love from the beginning of Grace through perseverance unto Glory in Eternity 4. The means appointed and employed therein are 1. Christ the Principal The Spirits Operation as efficient and every Ordinance and Providence his Word especially as Instrumentally blessed of him thereto 5. The Subjects thereof are Gods Elect Redeemed by the Son Renewed by his Spirit whom he Adopts for Children justifying their persons and keeping them through faith by his Power unto Salvation supporting and supplying them stil by the earnest and first fruits of his Spirit til the full possession of all 6. The Effects thereof are the gaining of their hearts by Divine Love to mutual Returns to chuse him in Christ by his Spirit for their chief good and soveraign Lord delighting in him depending on him closing with him following of him drawing all from him reducing all to him loving what he loves hating what he hates with an harmony of mind heart and hand And all for his sake and to his Glory by his strength according to his Will THis Light will easily dispel all Cavils darkning the truth There are no merits but in Gods Mercy He rewards indeed but it s of Grace He pardons sin and doth it freely Yet he requires Faith and Repentance not to merit but to receive it emptying the soul of self to fill it with himself letting out sin to let in Christ casting out Satan to bring in his Spirit Purging out corruption by giving his Grace preparing for Glory He therefore bids them take heed lest they fall to keep them standing in the right use of Means He appointed the End and blesses the Means He promises and assures their standing not by their own but by his Might Thus all that the Father gave Christ shall come to him and him that comes to him he will in no wise cast out because this is the will of the Father that sent him that of all he hath given him he should lose nothing The father that gave them to him is greater then all none shall pluck them out of his hand Ergo. Object But may they not slip away Answ Yea if left to themselves as Adam was in the Covenant of Works But he hath made a better Covenant with them in Christ engaging his Grace to preserve and save to the utmost all whom he chose in him Redeemed by him and sanctifyingly renews by his Spirit This is all their Hope and all their Salvation though in a Winter of temptation it seems not to flourish He therefore writes his Law in their heart and puts his Spirit within them to cause them to walk in his Statutes that they shall keep his Judgements and do them He will uphold them by his right hand till he bring them to Glory He will Crown his own Grace in them and magnifie his strength in their weakness Object But doth not this Doctrine lead to presumption and Libetinism Answ Not at all though it may be abused as the best things are It leads genuinely to all Christian diligence and Grace as the sure only way to Glory This Assurance he gives not to all alike nor to any alike at all times Though his weak children be sure in his hand yet he lets them often stumble that they may know him and themselves better The Riches of his Grace appear still herein freely and fully surely and choicely What 's freer then pardon to an unworthy Rebel That Christ satisfied and that Faith is given to receive pardon is not that free also What 's fuller then such a pardon that justifies from all guilt Inchoatively progressively consummatively whether you say the pardon is Renewed or continued or confirmed to the Regenerate is it not stil full Doth he not blot out all scores and remit all faults by application of his Justifying Grace His correcting of them is the fruit of that Adopting Love which pardons them Because they are children they must have Physick and the Rod also What 's surer then this Grace which engages the Trinunity in the clearest Bond with the surest Ties with Word and Writing with his Hand and Seal with Promise and Oath yea with his own Blood to final performance on his side and theirs They may break indeed but he cannot break Though they act faithlesly yet he acts
faithfully He cannot Deny himself nor them because his in Christ And what 's choiser then this special Grace that saves his children when he punishes others What 's more precious then this Miracle of Grace that gives them God in Christ and all things with him What more singular then this marvellous Love who gives them his Spirit to seal and strengthen them that they may close with him and keep close to him still This is Grace indeed not to be abused nor to be opposed by any pretence It s as compleat as his Salvation which must needs be answerable to such a compleat Saviour An imperfect Christ is but an Idol of mans fancy so is that Imperfect salvation and ineffectual Grace which many dream of 23. Christ suffers also in his Instruments his Civil Deputies in the Magistracy 1. By the former evils 2. By the Papists who advance their Antichristian Head into the Magistrates Seat putting the civil Key into the Popes hand and loosening the Subjects from their Allegiance to such Superiours who do not please him encroaching much upon civil Affairs in their Cannon Law as about Marriage Incest Adultery c. obliging their Clergy to Forraign Supremacy forbidding the Magistrate his Duty about Externals of the first Table c. 3. By Quakers and Notionists who labour to bring in confusion as the German Anabaptists did 4. Yea by many who seem more sober yet deny the best part of his Office that special care of the first Table in its Externals wherein he is to do most for God 5. By divers infirm Christians that by mistaken apprehensions of a fifth Monarchy do actually resist Christ in denying due homage to such Powers whom hi Providence hath set in Power AGainst these Oppositions the Knowledge of Christ graciously improved will sufficiently arm us declaring from Scripture the Magistrates Duty and Dignity in being most like God and doing most for God His Power is Authoritative about the external man in all matters Religious and Civil Politically to regulate reward and correct according to Gods Word for the Lords honour and the Publique good The Genus is an Authoritative Power the Object is the external man expressed by word sign or deed the Subject is all matters of the first or second Table religious and civil The acts of Power are to regulate reward countenance good and disown and correct evil The manner of acting is Political not Spiritual by civil Censures not Ecclesiastical The Rule is Gods Revealed Will in his written Word not his own Will or mans fancy The End is Gods honour as supreme publique good as subordinate Herein shines the Magistrates Dignity in being thus employed as Gods Substitute to look to his Law in cherishing good and suppressing evil Herein Gods Vicegerent shall meet with comfort in these Politicks of Gods own giving The Lord in all Ages hath honoured such who have thus laboured still to honour him He requires it still and rewards it in a special manner He gives many Instructions about it to avoid error neglect and abuse He still branded those that neglected it and set up themselves in slighting of him They were threatned and punished sorely that would not and did not tender Christs Interest No Book of Scripture or humane Record but gives us signal demonstrations hereof The many Cavils obscuring this Truth easily vanish by the brightness thereof The Pontifician Crue by their encroachments have taught our Libertines very sad lessons Corah with his Partners acted once this part as the German Rout did long afterwards from 1522 till 1534. Pretence of Conscience is much talked of but it covers often the abuse of Conscience The Magistrate meddles not with conscience but with external evil though pretending conscience He is a terrour to all evil works whatever they be where-ever they appear and a countenance to good That 's his Office by Gods Commission for thy good Christ is King of Kings by whom they all Raign who calls all to account If sin and Satan possess a mans conscience that should be Gods Seat it cannot excuse their treasonable acts but aggravate them Much care indeed is to be still used least this Power be slighted or abused Such Christians who appear truly consciencious are to be dealt with in much tenderness Yet cannot Conscience plead for any sin Christ never intended it to be Errors Sanctuary He dallies with no sin and would have his servants like him They that make no conscience of his Truth and Grace nor of the publique Peace shew their conscience to be very unsound The standing Rule of man whether high or low is not his Conscience but the Lords Word An evil Conscience is the worst of evils and the Nurse of all evil Error is an infections Disease that spreads dangerously under the pretence of Conscience still Conscience must rule us so far as it s ruled by Gods Word and no further It cannot bind to nor discharge any sin Paul judges himself for those very sins very hainously which his conscience through mistake suggested to be his duty If a Christian suffer as an evil doer though he pretend Conscience he shall have little honour or comfort therein The sin is aggravated that is committed by an evil of Conscience the Presence Chamber and the Royal Throne of our Soveraign Christ The Magistrate therefore should be most careful to see that all sorts enjoy the best Means of informing Conscience about the Will of God as Noble Jehosaphat did that all good Laws may be duly observed Then Execution must be look'd unto the Life of the Law It s the great mercy promised to Christs Kingdom that Kings shall be Nursing Fathers to his Church and contribute their utmost to the help thereof whereas before they gave up their power to the Antichristian Beast Christ himself is wronged when his Lieutenant the Magistrate is taken off from his Work or disturbed therein All Arguments used against the Magistrates Power in Religion are still under-charged or over-charged either they prove only that Conscience is not to be forced and that Christians should begentle and meek bearing with each other in things indifferent which is not denied or if there were any force in them to disprove the Magistrates dealing with the first Table the same force would reach further against the second Table also So that they would make his office needless striking at Christ through his vicegerents Loins to bring in confusion and Anarchy by exempting from his Cognisance whatever things may pretend Conscience What evil so horrid that may not be covered under such a mask Hath not experience seen it fulfilled in the predigious Ranters are Quakers of our days Christs Interest in the good of mens souls is still the best part of the Magistrates care they must needs be sadly injurious to both that would deprive them of that choice