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Show Difcuffer. 'Ihat DoUrine and t!iflin{Jion, that a Magijlrato may ptmijb ata He• retic4_.civii1y, wiU not here avayl~: ~ wwhat i4 b;'beH,i( tbn be not.1cott· fu[ediJ to punijb Corporall, or_Ctvtll offences, ~~~h JPmtuall, o; Church· cenfitm ( th• 11Jendcr not betng a m•mber of tt:) or to p11ttifo fo ule_or IJ>irituall offences, with CorporaUon'Iempor$/1 weapomprop•r to Delm· .qHents a.gainj! the Civil/ State . . Defender. It is 110 Babell, or Babilooifh confufion to punifh corporall, or . civill offences, with Spirituall or Church-cenfuw, !Vhat if a ·Brother be a ftriker , an opprdfour, a murderer, a formcator, or ·Adulterer? all thefe are corporall, and civill offence!. But !hall not therefore the Church punifh thefe with fpirituall,and Church. cenfures? Then the Apo!lle was miftaken, who direfteth fo to. doe,· I Cor 5.11· why the Difculferputteth in that patenthdis (_t~e offender not being a member ofit :) lcannot tell: fure lam, Jtl! nothing to the purpofe. For as the Church cannot puni!h ilny of· fendor, unleffe he be a member of the Church, fo neither may the Civil! Magiftrate punifh an Heretick or other fpirituall offend or; unle!fe he be a member of his Common-wealth. And ifi1 be no confufion to punifh civil! offences with Church· cenfures, i1 is no confufion to punifh fpirituall offences with civill cenfures. And the reafon of both thefe is the fame, there be Curt• dry civill offences, which arealfo tranfgre!lions of the Rule of th_e word, and fo offences to the Confciences of the Church, and fo juf\ly fttbjd l: to Church·cenftue. There be alfo offences co the O rder and peace of the Church, which tend likewi~ co provoke wrath againft a Civil! State. As the King of Perfia fa1d, Wb~tfoe· ver i< commatJdedby the God of Heaven fort he Ho~fo of God.' let II be: diligently done : for why {hould there be wratb agatnjl the Ktng and hw So11ne1 l Ezca 7. 3· If offmces to the Ch_Hrch do~ ~rovoke wrath againft the Civil! Statr, it is no confufion tn the Cmll State to pu· nifh fuch . Difcu!fer. Woe were it with tbt CivilliMagijlrate, if to~ ether with the com· rnon care .md charge of the Comlnoit- wealth, the blo~td ~f every jolllethat perifbeth, fhould crJ againfi him, unleffi he foould fay with Paul, Aat ~ o . I am c!eare from the bluud of all meo,&c. Definder. It is oot the bloud of nery foul~ that perilheth, that can cry af! ainft a MJgill:rate, unleffe the foule perilh by fome fuch neglett of duty in the Magi!\ rate, which God req•1ireth of him for the_ good of the foules of his people. Of which Dt~ties there be nvo Ions. 1. To fetke out and procure meanes of Grace for them fo farre as they are capable in Gods way . 2 . Toremovemeanesof theircorruptionand pollution , fuch as Idolls openly erefted, and Idolatrous f;t!Ce T "achers perverting the people. If in both thefe, the Magitlrare be faithfull , though thoufands of foules may perifh under his Government , yet h<; is innocent from the blood of them all , and may fo profellC wub PllUI • Difculfer. Iack,.nowledgethe Magijlrate ought tocberifo ( oHa FoJier Father) the Lord JefWJ ;,, hn 'Truth, in hi1 Saints , to cleave unto them hif1!felfe, to countenance tb.m unto the Death , yea alfo to break_t the Teeth of the Lyons, _ who offer civil/ vi"/ence andinjurie unto them. But to fee all hn Srtbjell,,CbriJli•nJ, to ~rp fitch a Church, orChrij!ianJ in tb. purity of worfhip, and fie them doe their duty , thn belongeth to the head •f the body the Lord Jef«<-, and fitch JPiritu:JII OjficerJ, a1 he ha:b to thi1 purpa(c drpHted. Reply. r. What " f. id uf Spi rituall OJicers deputed by Chrift to fee the Church co doe her Duty," bm a pretence, when he acknowledgeth no Church, nor fpirit11all Officers in the Church de- puted by Chrilt, <Xt.ant upon{he faco of the Em h. Reply. 2 : What Rea!on em the Difcrl}fer give why the M.tgi! lrate lhould breake rhe teeth of the Lyons, who offer civil! violence to the Church and Saints, and not breake the teeth of the ravenou.s wolves ( falfe Prophets ) who off"r vi,Jencc co their foules? Dc1ubrleffi: thofe ravenous wolves, that make havoek of - their foules, are f.irre more mifchievoulthcn the Lyons be, that offer violence to eheir bodie~. The Rom•ne pagan E-rt perours .(wholikeLions-perfecuted the Church, z Tim . 4· 17. ) they by· perfecution increafed it, though againfi their wilt,. But the Romane Popifh Bilhops, that like ravenous 'wolves devoured their foules, lefr the Church of Chrift fcarce vifible, ( though vifible) and them, a very fmall remnant, though a remnant. It may be matter |