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Show The Tejlimony of Ancient !Jnd '/ate writers difcuffed. For though it be the duty of Civil! Sraw,rhus to be qualified: yet their want of fuch qualifications, doth nor tnake them unla wfull StHes.Many due qualifications are required in Husba~d! W ives,Children, Serums, MagHhare!, CLurches , the want of which makerh them defeCtive, and flrl:ull, but doth' nd make them unlawfull. This will need n;o 'praofeto any fober mindc. Muchldfe will ir followuponthe former Premiles, tb.tt~ very Common· wealth hath thin more !Sght connrning the Chsrcb 1 ·Chrijl, thenthtChHrch itje/fe. .. "for it is a wcake Church , that knowes11o more light' then Pnnciples: And what light the Ccrmmo'n-wealth hath, ~ m•1 have received from the Church. Howfoever , the Magi!lram power to efiablilh the Religion of Chrill d(\th no way inflt~. Tha~ he that efiablilheth that Religion, which is profdfed in the ·C~urch, hath more li~ht concetnin.g t~,a.t, Reli~i~n, n(any. pa~ of n, then the Church 1t felfe. Albetr, It u not 1mpoffible, noiu it abturd that fometime the Magill:rarc m'ay have m'ore lighc~ matters of Religion, then the Church it felfe. David(for ought wee. read) was r!re fitft that difcerned the Hlfordcr in Carting cbc luke" ofC:od, I Chron. I 5:2. And ileie~iAB w~sthe fir'ft, thll prevented the Pr~ifi~ and L<vlts, :ind t'he who\~ C~rch, in:cnc workc of Reformauon, fro·m the Apofiacy af Ahaz, 2 elm;. 29· 4> to I I. '·' '· ' Buttqe~e is nocnlour of confequence,that becaufe Magillfllil are bound to difccrnt, ant!' know the will of Chri!l,a11d co fem 'him with their power, That therefore fuch as have no ditCefninj ·ofChrifl, norofhis holy will, That theylhould punilh anddr· ftroy Chrifl, an<l Chrifiian~, ant! feeke only to •dvancc chdt .owne Religion, which i~ but Id~latry and Sopertlition. ----~----------------------------· ·, . \. . ' ·.. Ancient !Jnd /,.rer writers difcuffeti. C H A P• 70• .A <JVp!J to his Chap. 73· Difcujfing the Teftima· ny of Luther. · Difcuffer. LUthen 1eftimony,faith the Anfwerer,reacheth to two tbingL nei-ther of which Ale deny. ' Firjl, that the Go:z"""ment nf the civi/1 Magijlrate reacheth no furthEr, then to the bodm and go•ds of the~r SubjeU1, not over their Jimler : and therefore they·m") not undertake to gzve LaweJ to the Joules a11d Con• [ciencts of men. Secmdly, that the CburchofCbrijl doth not u{e the Arme of fecular P"""' !o c•mp~O men to the true proftffion of the Truth, For thu·u to be done wuh JPmtuaO weapons, wherebJ Chrijlians are to he exhorted •nd compelltd. ' But this (faith he) hindereth not, 'l'~atChrijliansfinning ag.zi~tfl the Light ofF aith, and Confoiencc, ~'!1 ;uftly be cenfimd nf the Church, hJ Excommunication and of the "~~H MJgiflrate •/fa, in cafe they {hall corrupt others to the perdition •f tberr foulet, · , 'Ihu Jny_nt- confijfion oft he Anfwerer with Luther(to ,.,;, that the qovt~nmeni of' the civi/1 Magijlrate ""'ndeth no further the~ over the Eod]es and g~od~ of thtir St~bjeUs? not over their Joules) who {eeth not, tbat, hereby H gzven a cl~are Tejlzmony, that either the jpirituall and C~~rch Eft ate, the preachzng of the word, Baptifme, Mini fiery, Govern~ t7ttbereof, beiungcth to the civi/1 bod] of the Common-wealth (th•t "'to the bodies a~~ good< of men, which Jiem_eth munftrou< to Im~gine:) or elf:,, that the ctvtlt MJJgijlrJte cannot ( wzthout exceeding the boundt of ,bu Office) meddle with thofi jpirituJII Ajfairet. · Defender. h A man th~t is willing to open his eyes, may eafily fee, that fupugh thevovernrnent of the civill Magil1rate doe extend ro tther then over th<: bodies and goods of his SubjeCts yet he mayd and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods> 'to the good of their Coules : yea and by promooing. the· goo of their !oul<s, he may much •dvance the good o( th~ir· y ouuva rei - |