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Show ' • ._: 'I.'" .... ..1'';.. • • / 60 ---~ir Stat;-,~ if~heydoeneglcct ir,(Pfa/.2. 10111712.) Yedtmay be fater for a Clorifli.m man being oppreffed in inferiour Courts of henticall u,.l,gnant Judges to appeale from them unto Pagan Princes in hisowne juf\ defence, then to make complaint to malignant heredcall Judges, or to .Pagan Princ~s, ·~~in!\ herefies, or hereticall falfe Teachers. Chnf\ lent out ht, Ddc ,ples, ., fheel'e among!\ wolves: and therefore inl\ruftecl them, to be wife JJI-ferpentJ, and innocent as dovn, lv(atth. I o. 16. ~ow it is no part of wifedome for a fheepe of Chn!\ to complam" to a kennell of wolves, That among!\ the wolves, there be fi1me of their company doe make havocke of the fheepe, leading them afide into damnable herefies. If a poore fheepe fhould attempt fucb a thing, would not the whole kennel! of wolves a rife up again!\ bim, as a troubler of their State, that when he enjoyeth peace himfelfe1 ( th~y trouble not him,) yet he will needes be fo bufie as to trou• ble them? And therefore we deny, that it had tended to the defence -of theFaithofJefus, or to thefuppreffing Herifies, for Chri!\ and his Difciples to have complained to Herod, Pilate, C.tfar, of the hereftes ofthePharifes. It had rather tended tothedifturbance and fuppreffion of the Faith of)efus, by provoking the malice of the Pharifes, and by difquieting civill Thrones with feares and jealoufies of (I new Kingdome fpringing up amont:~ft them. Be· fides, it had been altogether prepofterous, to make ufe of the civill power, for the firft publifhing of the Gofpell·of peace. It was neceffary the Gofpell fhould fir!l be knowne,and received,and beleeved, and profeffed, before any could be complained of, for Apoftacy from it into Herdic• or feducement of others into fuch wickedntlfe. Reply 3· to An(. 3· We doe not fay, It i1the holy Will and Purpofc of God, to drablifh the Do8:rine and Kingdome of hb Sonne (our Lord Jefus) onely this way, to wit, by the helpe of civil! Authority. For it is his Will alfo, to magnifie his Power, in d\ablifhing the fame, by a contrary way, even by the fufferings (patient fufferings) of hi• Saints, and by the bloudy fivords of perfecuting MJgiflrates, Revel. 12. II. So that Chrift need not to fend good and gracious Magiflrates, as iffor want of them, the Chrif\ian Faith and Religion would fall to the ground: for it · bath lfaiah 49· 1.3• Difcuffed. hath fpreJd and fl'Jllrifhed under fiery and cruel! perfecmion. But yet this bindreth not, but th3t it is the duty of MJgifirates to know the Sonne, and to kifft him, to ackFwwledge his Kin gdome, and fubmit their Thrones and Crownes to it, to love his trmh, and to be nurJing F athm to his Church, Ifai. 49· 23. which how they can doe, and yet not be Defenders of the Faith of Jcfus, I doe not underflar.d. tA Reply to his thirteenth Chapter, difcu.fing bJ the way, the Text in Ifai. 49· 1.3· . Difcuffi:r. J, THat pla<e of lfaiah 49· 23. will appeate to be farre from proving fuch Kings and ~eenes Judgu of Ecclefiajlicall c•ufes. And if not ]~<dges, they may notpunifh. 2. In JPirituall things, tbemfrlves are [ubje[J t• the Church, foal/ lick! the dujl of th' Ch,.rclm feet, as is there exprejl. How thaJ (hall tbofe Kings and ~ewes be Supr<ame Gqvtrnours of the' Church l 3· G•ds lfrael of old being earnejl for a King, an Armeof Jlefh, God gavt thtrn Saul in his anger, and took!, him a"'ay in his wrath. So God "ill ta~ away foch Princes ir.z bir wrath; that fo as D•vid focmded Saul, Jo Chrijl Je[us in his JPirituall Power m•yfor ever be advanced. Defender. Reply I. We doc not alledge that place in Ifai•h, to prove Kings and ~eenes to be Judges ofEcclefi•flica\1 caufes: but to be providers for the Churches well- being, and proteB:ours of it. For fo much the very phrafe of nurfing Fathers, and Mothers, doth necclf•rily import. But if they be ProteB:ours oft he Church, and providers of the well-being ofit, then are .cbey al(o Dcfendc:s of the faith ofit : fa f.rre as their defence (tn a way of God) IS difpenfab!e. So Magiflrares are alfo called Shephcards of the people(• swell as Minif\ers) Ezec- 34-.Now it is a part of a Shcpheards protection of his fheepe, w drive away wolves from fl1eepe-folds. And it is the like part of good Magi[\rates to drive away falfe Prophets from the Cllurches, whvm our Saviour calleth ravening wolves, Mall h. 7.15. · But 61 |