OCR Text |
Show 6& I . imagination, to confiiae the M.•giftrates charge, to the bodies, an~' goodtof the Subietl, and to exclude thfm from the care of theit foules •. Did eve• God commit the charge ofthe body to any Go· vernours, towhom, he did notcommir(in his way) the care '?f: fool e• alfu? Hath God committed-to Pa·renrs the charge of their childrens bodies, and not thec•re of their foules? To Mafters ' the charge of their fervants bodies, and-not. of their foules? ~o CaptailleS the dwge. of their fouldiers bod_tes, a~d not of their fouJes l fh;.ll the C•ptaines fuffer fa!fe worflnp,yea Idolatry, pub• Jickly protdfed and pracbfed in the campc, and ye1looke to pr'?f. per in the Bat tell? The Magill rates to whom God bath·~ommit· ted the charge.()£ bodies,. and outward man of the SubieB:, are · they not alfo to take care to procure faith full Teachers to be fent · amongfl-.them? Jehojaphat tooke faithfull car~ for t~e foul~s of· his people in-tbiskind, 2 Cbron, 17: 7>8•_9· Netther d!d he thiS• ~· . a Type of Chrift,but as a Servant ot Cltr1fl: Thofe thm_gs are ~aid tG. b~ done as Types of Chrift, which bemg ceremomall duties, were afterwards done by Chrifl in his owne Perfon, and fo ":ere ilL-him accomplilhed, and abolifhed: And it wo~ld be facrileilge toperforme the fame afi:er hitl!, B_ut tc!t thecon~Ience .of any'fin• cere Chrifiian iudge, .whether it would be facr1ledge m ·a g~dly· Magiftrate, to procure the fending forth of godly P~eachers 1010 all the blind corners of his countrey? The truth IS, Church• Governous, and C!Vill-governours doe herein ftand paralel! one ro another. The Chuch-Governours thou{'\h to them be chiefely committed the charge of Coules, as their adrequate obieB:s :---yet in 'order to the good of -the foules of their people, to dehort. frolll · idlenelfe,negligence, from intemperancy m m~ates and dnnku, fr.om opprcffiun, and deceit, and therein prov1de both fo~ !he health of their bodies, and the fafe~y of theireftatcs. So civtll· govcrnours though to them be chiefely committed the _bodies and ' goods of the people (as their adrequate obieB::) yet m order t_o this, they may and ought to procure fpirituall helpes· to th~Ir foules, and to prevent fuch fpiritu11l evills, as that the ~rofpmty of Religion amongfi them might advance the profpemy of rhc civill State. B.tp{y 3• I cannot but wi'th griefe nbferve the finfulleuile of the' D.ifcuffer : who wbileft he taketh off all chargea of tOulcs from . . tb~ the civill MJglilrates , .tnd layeth it upon Church-Governours, he t•kech it off fromChurch-Governours too, that fo ~he wh'ole charge of precious foules (for whom Chriftdyed) might utterly fall to the ground. For how !hall Church-Governours take the charge of foules upon them, if there be no Church-Governours! And how !hall there be Church-Governours ;where there be no Churches? If Churches be all diffipated and rooted out from the face of the Earth by the Apoftacy of Antichrifl , and none to be gath~red againe, till new Apoftles or Evangelilts be Cent abroad for fuch a worke, then there be now neither Chmches , nor Church-Governours, nor Church·cenfures,eithet' to cenfure He• reticka, or to fetch in thofe ftray foules whom they-have fcatter'd. And then rejoyce yee Hereticks,and all yee Ido!aters,and Seducers, and goeon, and make havock of the fheep of Chriftlike ravenous WolveB: you may now doe it(impun~) withoutfeare or danger;l~ isneither for Civil! Governours, nor Church·Governours to meddle with yo~; Not fat· Civill G•overnours1 for they are· not tojudge norpunifh in m•tters of Relij~ion: Nor for Church·Governou~ s, for there are neither ChUi·ches,-·nor Church-Gover-· nours extant now upon the face of the Earth. But woe be to you· poore fheepe and Lambts of Chrift Jefus: you are now ind""d truly hecome the {beep of the fl"'!!,hter, your PoJJe.JJours may flay you,and pleadtbemfe/veJ not guilty, ( Zach, 11. 4, 5·) not guilry before the Civil! B~rre: fort heir crime is exempted from civill cogniZlnce : not guilty before rhe Churches Tribunall: forthere be no ClmrcheB to call them to account. Difcuffcr, Jf it "'"'the M1gijlrates duty or ojfict, to putJijh H..-eti,k.!_, then ;.., he both a Tempor.IJ and Ecc/efidjl icdU Officer. D;fender, - It followeth not ~ unleffe the M agi!trace were to punith th~m With ECdeliallicall cenfu res, which he neither doth, nor may doe. ' The punifhments which he infliB:eth on them, are meerely Civill,t whether imprifonment, b•nilhment, or death. Difcuf.fer. |