OCR Text |
Show I \' ._· !~~- .. '·· ~""" .... ,., ,. • .. The Teftimonies alfedged jyom . make Lawes to binde Con!Cience, but the oucward man ontly: nor would we thinke it meet, to bind• 'tho outward managaina Confcience. Difcuff"er. _ . .Againt)Jiberetrstbe Anfwertr affirme:h,1hat mtn m:!} ma~ L~trpr1 to foe the L•wa of God obfervtd. · 1 Anfwer, At God 11<ed1 not the btlp of a material/ Sword of Sw/e to affift the S.rord ujthe Spiritiv thujf"irJo(Con[cinm : fo thoft men, thofo M 1gtjlrate1, }'"that Common-"'ealtb which m•/c!t fueb Magijtrateunu(1 needs h•ve power and AuthoriiJfrom Chrijllt{HJ '' fit Judge, anti to determine in all the gretJt ControvtrfieJ conGtrni•t Doarme, W111foip, Governmen! r§e. - Defender. God needeth not tbe h~! p of a materiall Sword of Steele 1 to allill_ the Sword ofhis Sp\rit of righreoufneff"e in the duryes o{ the (econd T_ahle, no mer~ then to affift the Sword of the Spirit ofholynelfem the dutyesof tbefirftTable. The Law of Righre: oufneff"e is as fully and pl~inly written by the Spirit of God in the hearts and Confcienccs of men, as is the Law of holynelfc: yea and more~oo. And yet thcDi[eHiferdotb not (for ought I know) make_ It a needlelfe matter for God to accept the helpc of the m1tenali ·Swo:d to affill:theSpirit of Righrcoufndu in the affai1e3 ofConfcicPce, which pertaine to the fecond Table. !hetruthis,<?;od needeth not the Arme of!lcth to helphim,rhat u, he necdcth nouny help, which the wifdome or fl:rcngth of the creature can lnvenr, or bring forth , which himfelfe appointed not, Buc yet Gt'd thinkes it no difbonour to himfelfe, to make ufe of his owne O;dinances, in their owne bounds , to his owne' ends; Nor docrh he then need them, when he ufeth them, but wee need fuch helps for the performlnce of our du<y both to God, and man. \Vhich made it a curfed fin in il1eroz, not to come cur to hdp the Lord,JuJge.s 23. Nor will it hence fol :ow ,thJt fuch Magillrare! as are chof<n ro help forward the work of God in m.tttcrs of Reli!(ion,rhatri,htt themfelves, or the Cvmm.m-wealtb th<tt cbooftth them, m•jl uerdt ~ve,po wer, ar~d AuthodtJ ftom Cbrift, to jit Iutlge, 1tnd to4mrmi" tn all grtJt em trove fiet of Religiun, in Doflri1ie 1 DifciJiiu• AIIJ Gu~·ernmet<t : .Ancient And l11te writers· a'i[t:ujfed • . It is enough that they ar~ called of God to be w•fe and karned in the fervice of ~hr~lt 1 and in the ,wayes of his Ki;;gdome.Pfal. I; 10, I 1, I 2. which tftneyhavc learned, they ou.;ht to rule with htm, and for h1m_: ore! if how !hall it be fuifilled, which is written of them, Tne K1ngdomcs ?fthe _world, are become the King· domes of the Lor~,and. of htsChntl,and he lhall reigne for ever? Rtv. 7· IS. Yea tn thts c•fe, it is learning enough, if they k llOW the Principles and Foundations of Religion,•nd can difcerne the Arr~gancy of a tumultuous lpirir after convicbon For (u:.h want nor JUdgement; to ccnfure Apollacy, to Hereiie in dollrille co Idolatry in vrorthip, to Tyranny inGoverumcnt.. ' Difcnlfer. But then. ]Rt~, whithw_upon_thil groflnd,' it mrtj!' not evidint[1 foU•w, that then etther there JS 1lo Conzmo11·wealth nor Civi/1 State •f m<n ,ill the world, that i1 11ot q•~tlijied with thi/di(c,rning : (ami tbmtb~ CDmmon-wea/th htCihmore light eoncerning•tht Cht~rch, then tb. Cl!urcb 1t felft :) Or that the Common·WNith 1tr1tl Magijlratu thfreof,.,ft judgt ~nd punijh attbryare perfruded in their ownebtitifo md C.Jmfcienct (be their {o1l{cienee, Pagani% Turki_/b , or Anticbrijllm, r ). ..And what it thu' bill Ia C011found Heaven ~nd Earth ''l ftherl a'f'l.to ul!,e4wa} not ontly the being ofChrifti~niiJ out •f the ""¥/, br~t a» eivi1l!J,yea the world ollt oft be world,.md ta lay all up~ •n braptof confuft•n 1 .,,, , D,fmder: ste wqat Rrangeeffelh, a llrongfancy can produce l would 1r no{ think, it mull: be (orne ftrange, and thong paradox, thac ' It be guunred !hall p~oduce fuch ftrange and ftrong effeth, as tra~~ ~way the being of Chriftianity out of the wotld, yc:t and alclvlhty, yea and the world{)utof.the world l But when men havdl-epta while, and ll'rong fancyes are ~aporated,the world willltand where it is and civihty !land in 1 •wodd,and Chriftianicy incivility. ' hI fly therefore (that which no faber minde can conrraditl) 1 ak though Magillrates be bound to become wile and Jearnecl, :.1 now Chrill, and tu efbblifh the Religion ofChriO: . yer it •I not (as the D;fcttlfer faith)evidently follow,no nor follow· ltlll.' That then there i1 no law foil Commonwealth nor Civil/ State·of . llitnla,tbe-woriJ1 which i1 no I 'JHiflified Jl!lth this (piritulfll difierning. . . FOf" |