writers, that all ecclesiastical jurisdiction hath for the object of it, only the inward man; for consider the end of church censures, saith he, even when one is excommunicated or suspended from the sacrament, it is but to reduce him and restore him by repentance, that he may again partake of the sacrament rightly and comfortably: which repentance is in the soul or inward man, though the signs of it appear externally. 4. Presbyterial government is not an arbitrary government, for clearing whereof take these five considerations:-I. We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth; and the power which the Lord hath given us is to edification, and not to destruction, 2 Cor. xiii. 8, 10. All presbyterial proceedings must be levelled to this end, and squared by this rule. 2. Presbyters and presbyteries are subject to the law of the land, and to the corrective power of the magistrate Quatenus ecclesia est in republica, et reipub. pars. non respublica ecclesiae,-In so far as the church is in the commonwealth, and a part of the commonwealth, not the commonwealth a part of the church, saith Salmasius, Appar. ad lib. de Primatu, p. 292; for which, p. 300, he cites Optatus Milivitanus, lib. 3, Non enim respublica est in ecclesia, sed ecclesia in republica, Ministers and elders are subjects and members of the commonwealth, and in that respect punishable by the magistrate if they transgress the law of the land. 3. Yea, also as church officers, they are to be kept within the limits of their calling, and compelled (if need be) by the magistrate to do those duties which by the clear word of God and received principles of Christian religion, or by the received ecclesiastical constitutions of that church, they ought to do. 4. And in corrupto ecclesiæ statu, I mean, if it shall ever happen (which the Lord forbid, and I trust shall never be) that pres interiorem ac exteriorem ita distinguunt, ut interior sit qua sacerdos possit peccatorem confessum a peccatis absolvere et satisfactionem imponere: exterior autem qua peccatores adstringit vinculo anathematis, aliasque publicas censuras irrogat, et abiisdem exsolvit. Verum hæ duæ jurisdictiones unam faciunt, eam que solam interiorum. Nulla quippe exterior est, cum utraque respiciat et pro objecto habeat hominem interiorem, id est animam. Ibid. p. 297.-Finis tantum respici debet. Aliquis suspenditur et excommunicatur? Sane, sed ut pænitentiam restitui possit, et sacramenta corporis et sanguinis Christi iterum participare. Et pæniten tia illa quam quis agit ut possit reconciliari, inte rioris est hominis. byteries or synods shall make defection from the truth to error, from holiness to profaneness, from moderation to tyranny and persecution, censuring the innocent and absolving the guilty, as Popery and Prelacy did, and their being no hopes of redressing such enormities in the ordinary way, by intrinsical ecclesiastical remedies; that is, by well-constituted synods, or assemblies of orthodox, holy, moderate presbyters; in such an extraordinary exigence, the Christian magistrate may and ought to interpose his authority to do divers things which, in an ordinary course of government, he ought not to do; for in such a case, magistracy (without expecting the proper intrinsical remedy of better ecclesiastical assemblies) may immediately, by itself, and in the most effectual manner, suppress and restrain such defection, exorbitancy, and tyranny, and not suffer the unjust, heretical, tyrannical sentences of presbyteries or synods to be put in execution. Howbeit, in ecclesia bene constituta, in a well-constituted and reformed church, it is not to be supposed that the condition of affairs will be such as I have now said. We heartily acknowledge with Mr Cartwright, annot. on Matt. xxii., sect. 3, "That it belongeth to the magistrate to reform things in the church as often as the ecclesiastical persons shall, either through ignorance or disorder of the affection of covetousness or ambition, defile the Lord's sanctuary." For saith Junius, Animad. in Bell. contr. 4, lib. 1, cap. 12, 18, "Both the church, when the concurrence of the magistrate faileth, may extraordinarily do something which ordinarily she cannot; and again when the church faileth of her duty, the magistrate may extraordinarily procure that the church return to her duty. 5. I dare confidently say, that if comparisons be rightly made, presbyterial government is the most limited and the least arbitrary government of any other in the world. I should have thought it very unnecessary and superfluous to have once named here the papal government, or yet the prelatical, but that Mr Prynne, in his preface to his four grand Questions, puts the reverend Assembly of Divines in mind, that they should beware of usurping that which hath been even by themselves disclaimed against, and quite taken away from the Pope and prelates. Mr Coleman also, in his Sermon, brought objections from the usurpations of Pope Paul V. and of the archbishop of Canterbury. Well, if we must needs make a comparison, come on. The papal usurpations are many: 1. The Pope takes upon him to determine what belongs to the canon of Scripture, what not. 2. That he only can determine what is the sense of Scripture. 3. He addeth unwritten traditions. 4. He makes himself judge of all controversies. 5. He dispenseth with the law of God itself. 6. He makes himself above general councils. 7. His government is monarchial. 8. He receiveth appeals from all the nations in the world. 9. He claimeth infallibility, at least ex cathedra. 10. He maketh laws absolutely binding the conscience, even in things indifferent. 11. He claimeth a temporal dominion over all the kingdoms in the world. 12. He saith he may depose kings, and absolve subjects from their oath of allegiance. 13. He persecuteth all with fire and sword, and anathemas, who do not subject themselves to him. 14. He claimeth the sole power of convocating general councils. 15. And of presiding or moderating therein by himself or his legates. -What conscience or ingenuity can there now be in making any parallel between papal and presbyterial government? cese. ledgeth no pastoral charge of preaching the word and ministering the sacraments to more congregations than one; and doth acknowledge the pastors of particular churches, being lawfully called, to have power and authority for preaching the word and ministering the sacraments in the name of Christ, and not in the name of the presbytery. 5. The prelates, as they denied the power and authority of pastors, so they utterly denied the very offices of ruling elders and deacons, for taking more especial care of the poor in particular congregations. 6. They did not acknowledge congregational elderships, nor any power of discipline in particular congregations, which the presbyterial government doth. 7. They intruded pastors oft times against the consent of the congregation, and reclamante ecclesia, which the presbyterial government doth not. 8. They ordained ministers without any particular charge, which the presbyterial government doth not. 9. In synods they did not allow any but the clergy alone (as they kept up the name) to have decisive suffrage. The presbyterial government gives decisive voices to ruling elders as well as to pastors. 10. The prelates declined to be accountable to, and censurable by, either chapters, diocesan or national synods. In presbyterial government, all (in whatsoever ecclesiastical admin As little there is in making the comparison with Prelacy, the power whereof was indeed arbitrary and impatient of those limitations and rules which presbyteries and sy-istration) are called to an account in presnods, in the reformed churches, walk by. For, 1. The prelate was but one, yet he claimed the power of ordination and jurisdiction as proper to himself in his own dioWe give the power of ordination and church censures not uni, but unitati; not to one, but to an assembly gathered into one. 2. The prelate assumed a perpetual precedency, and a constant privilege of moderating synods, which presbyterial government denieth to any one man. 3. The prelate did not tie himself either to ask or to receive advice from his fellow-presbyters, except when he himself pleased; but there is no presbyterial nor synodical sentence which is not concluded by the major part of voices. 4. The prelate made himself pastor to the whole diocese (consisting it may be of some hundreds of congregations), holding that the ministers of particular congregations did preach the word and minister the sacraments in his name, by virtue of authority and order from him, and because he could not act by himself in every congregation the presbyterial government acknow : byteries, provincial and national assemblies respectively, and none are exempted from synodical censures in case of scandal and obstinacy. 11. The prelate's power was not merely ecclesiastical, they were lords of parliament, they held civil places in the state, which the presbyterial government condemneth. 12. The prelates were not chosen by the church, presbyters are. 13. The prelates did presume to make law binding the conscience, even in things indifferent, and did persecute, imprison, fine, depose, excommunicate men for certain rites and ceremonies acknowledged by themselves to be indifferent (setting aside the will and authority of the law-makers). This the presbyterial government abhorreth. 14. They did excommunicate for money matters, for trifles, which the presbyterial government condemneth. 15. The prelates did not allow men to examine, by the judgment of Christians and private discretion, their decrees and canons, so as to search the Scriptures and look at the warrants, but would needs have men think it enough to know the things to be commanded by them that are in place and power. Presbyterial government doth not lord it over men's consciences, but admitteth (yea commendeth) the searching of the Scriptures, whether these things which it holds forth be not so, and doth not press men's consciences with sic volo, sic jubeo, but desireth they may do in faith what they do. 16. The prelates held up pluralities, non-residencies, &c., which the presbyterial government doth not. 17. As many of the prelates did themselves neglect to preach the gospel, so they kept up in divers places a reading non-preaching ministry, which the presbyterial government suffereth not. 18. They opened the door of the ministry to divers scandalous, Arminianised, and popishly-affected men, and locked the door upon many worthy to be admitted. The presbyterial government herein is as contrary to theirs, as theirs was to the right. 19. Their official courts, commissaries, &c., did serve themselves heirs to the sons of Eli, "Nay, but thou shalt give it me now, and if not, I will take it by force." The presbyterial government hateth such proceedings. 20. The prelates and their high commission court did assume potestatem utriusque gladii, the power both of the temporal and civil sword. The presbyterial government meddleth with no civil nor temporal punishments. I do not intend to enumerate all the differences between the papal and prelatical government on the one side, and the presbyterial government on the other side, in this point of unlimitedness or arbitrariness. These differences which I have given may serve for a conscientious caution to intelligent and moderate men, to beware of such odious and unjust comparisons as have been used by some, and among others by Mr Saltmarsh, in his Parallel between the Prelacy and Presbytery; which, as it cannot strike against us, nor any of the reformed churches (who acknowledge no such presbytery as he describeth), and, in some particulars, striketh at the ordinance of parliament (as, namely, in point of the Directory), so he that hath a mind to a recrimination, might, with more truth, lay divers of those imputations upon those whom (I believe) he is most unwilling they should be laid upon. In the third place, The presbyterian government is more limited and less arbitrary than the independent government of single congregations, which, exempting themselves from the presbyterial subordination, and from being accountable to, and censurable by, classes or synods, must needs be supposed to exercise a much more unlimited or arbitrary power than the presbyterial churches do; especially when this shall be compared and laid together with one of their three grand principles, which disclaimeth the binding of themselves for the future unto their present judgment and practice, and avoucheth the keeping of this reserve to alter and retract. See their Apologetical Narration, p. 10, 11, by which it appeareth that their way will not suffer them to be so far moulded into an uniformity, or bounded within certain particular rules (I say not with others, but even among themselves), as the presbyterian way will admit of. Finally, The presbyterial government hath no such liberty nor arbitrariness, as civil or military government hath, there being in all civil or temporal affairs a great deal of latitude left to those who manage the same, so that they command nor act nothing against the word of God. But presbyterial government is tied up to the rules of Scripture, in all such particulars as are properly spiritual and proper to the church, though, in other particulars, occasional circumstances of times, places, accommodations, and the like, the same light of nature and reason guideth both church and state; yet in things properly spiritual and ecclesitical, there is not near so much latitude left to the presbytery, as there is in civil affairs to the magistrate. And thus I have made good what I said, That presbyterial government is the most limited and least arbitrary government of any other; all which vindication and clearing of the presbyterial government doth overthrow (as to this point) Mr Hussey's Observation, p. 9, of the irregularity and arbitrariness of church government. And so much for my fourth concession. The fifth shall be this: It is far from our meaning that the Christian magistrate should not meddle with matters of religion, or with things and causes ecclesiastical, and that he is to take care of the commonwealth, but not of the church. Certainly there is much power and authority which, by the word of God, and by the Confessions of Faith of the reformed churches, doth belong to the Christian magistrate in matters of religion, which I do but now touch by the way, so far as is necessary to wipe off the aspersion cast upon presbyterial government. The particulars I refer to chapter 8. Our sixth concession is, That in extraordinary cases, when church government doth degenerate into tyranny, ambition, and avarice, and they who have the managing of the ecclesiastical power, make defection and fall into manifest heresy, impiety or injustice (as under Popery and Prelacy it was for the most part), then, and in such cases (which we pray and hope we shall never see again), the Christian magistrate may and ought to do divers things in and for religion, and interpose his authority divers ways, so as doth not properly belong to his cognisance, decision and administration ordinarily, and in a reformed and well-constituted church; for extraordinary diseases must have extraordinary remedies. More of this before. A seventh concession is this, The civil sanction added to church government and discipline, is a free and voluntary act of the magistrate, that is, church government doth not, ex natura rei, necessitate the magistrate to aid, assist, or corroborate the same, by adding the strength of a law. But the magistrate is free in this to do or not to do, to do more or to do less, as he will answer to God and his conscience. It is a cumulative act of favour done by the magistrate. My meaning is not, that it is free to the magistrate, in genere moris, but in genere entis. The magistrate ought to add the civil sanction hic et nunc, or he ought not to do it. It is either a duty or a sin; it is not indifferent. But my meaning is, the magistrate is free herein from all coaction, yea, from all necessity and obligation, other than ariseth from the word of God binding his conscience. There is no power on earth, civil or spiritual, to constrain him. The magistrate himself is his own judge on earth how far he is to do any cumulative act of favour to the church; which takes off that calumny, that presbyterial government doth force or compel the conscience of the magistrate. I pray God we may never have cause to state the question otherwise, I mean, concerning the magistrate's forbidding what Christ hath commanded, or commanding what Christ hath forbidden, in which case we must serve Christ and our consciences, rather than obey laws contrary to the word of God and our covenant; whereas in the other case, of the magis trate's not adding of the civil sanction, we may both serve Christ, and do it without the least appearance of disobedience to the magistrate. Eighthly, We grant that pastors and elders, whether they be considered distributively, or collectively in presbyteries and synods, being subjects and members of the commonwealth, ought to be subject and obedient in the Lord to the magistrate and to the law of the land; and, as in all other duties, so in civil subjection and obedience, they ought to be ensamples to the flock; and their trespasses against law are punishable as much, yea, more, than the trespasses of other subjects. Of this also before. Ninthly, If the magistrate be offended at the sentence given, or censure inflicted, by a presbytery or a synod, they ought to be ready, in all humility and respect, to give him an account and reason of such proceedings, and by all means to endeavour the satisfaction of the magistrate's conscience, or otherwise to be warned and rectified if themselves have erred. CHAPTER IV. OF THE AGREEMENTS AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NATURE OF THE CIVIL AND OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL POWERS OR GOVERNMENTS. Having now observed what our opposites yield to us, or we to them, I shall, for further unfolding of what I plead for or against, add here the chief agreements and differences between the civil and ecclesiastical powers, so far as I apprehend them. They both agree in these things: 1. They are both from God-both the magistrate and the minister is authorised from God-both are the ministers of God, and shall give account of their administrations to God. 2. Both are tied to observe the law and commandments of God, and both have certain directions from the word of God to guide them in their administration. 3. Both civil magistrates and church officers are fathers, and ought to be honoured and obeyed according to the fifth commandment. Utrumque scilicet dominium, saith Luther, tom. 1, fol. 139. Both governments, the civil and the ecclesiastical, do pertain to that commandment. 4. Both magistracy and minis try are appointed for the glory of God as power, hath, for the matter of it, the earthly supreme, and for the good of men, as the sceptre and the temporal sword, that is, it subordinate end. 5. They are both of them is monarchial and legislative; it is also pumutually aiding and auxiliary each to other; nitive or coercive of those that do evil. magistracy strengthens the ministry, and the Understand, upon the like reason, remuneministry strengthens magistracy. 6. They rative of those that do well. The ecclesiagree in their general kind, they are both astical power hath, for the matter of it, the powers and governments. 7. Both of them keys of the kingdom of heaven.1 1. The require singular qualifications, eminent gifts key of knowledge or doctrine, and that to and endowments, and of both it holds true, be administered not only severally by each Quis ad hæc idoneus? 8. Both of them minister concionaliter, but also consistorially have degrees of censure and correction accor- and synodically, in determining controversies ding to the degrees of offences. 9. Neither of faith, and that only according to the rule the one nor the other may give out sentence of holy Scripture, which is clavis δογματική. against one who is not convicted, or whose 2. The key of order and decency, so to speak, offence is not proved. 10. Both of them by which the circumstances of God's worship, have a certain kind of jurisdiction in foro and all such particulars in ecclesiastical afexteriori; for though the ecclesiastical power fairs as are not determined in Scripture, are be spiritual, and exercised about such things determined by the ministers and ruling offias belong to the inward man only, yet, as cers of the church, so as may best agree to Dr Rivet upon the Decalogue, p. 260, 261, the general rules of the Word concerning saith truly "There is a two-fold power of order and decency, avoiding of scandal, doexternal jurisdiction which is exercised in ing all to the glory of God, and to the ediforo exteriori, one by church censures, ex-fying of one another. And this is clavis communication, lesser and greater, which is not committed to the magistrate, but to church officers; another, which is civil and coercive, and that is the magistrate's." But Mr Coleman told us, "He was persuaded it will trouble the whole world to bound ecclesiastical and civil jurisdiction, the one from the other," Maledicis, p. 7. Well, I have given ten agreements, I will now give ten differences. : The difference between them is great. They differ in their causes, effects, objects, adjuncts, correlations, executions, and ultimate terminations. 1. In the efficient cause. The King of nations hath instituted the civil power; the King of saints hath instituted the ecclesiastical power; I mean, the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth, who exerciseth sovereignty over the workmanship of hist own hands, and so over all mankind, hath instituted magistrates to be in his stead as gods upon earth. But Jesus Christ, as Mediator and King of the church, whom his Father hath set upon his holy hill of Zion," Psal. ii. 6, "to reign over the house of Jacob for ever," Luke i. 33, "who hath the key of the house of David laid upon his shoulder," Isa. xxii. 22, hath instituted an ecclesiastical power and government in the hands of church-officers, whom, in his name, he sendeth forth. 2. In the matter. Magistracy, or civil dearAKTIKÝ 3. The key of corrective discipline, or censures to be exercised upon the scandalous and obstinate, which is clavis кpirik. 4. Add also the key of ordination or mission of church-officers, which I may call clavis éžovoiaσrikỳ, the authorising or power-giving key; others call it missio po testativa. 3. They differ in their forms. The power of magistracy is ἀρχιτεκτονικὴ and δεσποτική. It is an authority or dominion exercised in the particulars above mentioned, and that in an immediate subordination to God; for which reason magistrates are called gods. The ecclesiastical power is vanpetiki, or διακονική, οι οικονομική only. It is merely ministerial and steward-like, and exercised in an immediate subordination to Jesus Christ as King of the church, and in his name and authority. 4. They differ in their ends. The supreme 1 Festus Honnius, disp. 30, thes. 6-Circa bonum spirituale versatur potestas ecclesiastica proprie ita dicta, cujus proprium officium est verbum Dei prædicare, sacramenta administrare, disciplinam ecclesiasticam exercere, ministros ecclesiæ ordinare, de controversiis ecclesiasticis quæ circa doctrinam aut regimen ecclesiæ intercidunt, ordinarie judicare, et de ritibus adiaphoris ad ordinem, decorum atque ædificationem ecclesiæ pertinentibus, canones seu leges ecclesiasticas constituere. J. Gerhardus, loc. com. tom. 6, p. 494.-Distinguitur Christi regnum ad quod potestas clavium pertinet, ab imperiis mundanis quæ gladio corporali in administratione utuntur. |