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A MODEL OF CHURCH AND CIVIL POWER;

COMPOSED BY

MR. COTTON AND THE MINISTERS OF NEW ENGLAND,

AND SENT TO THE CHURCH AT SALEM, AS A FURTHER CONFIRMATION

OF THE BLOODY DOCTRINE OF PERSECUTION FOR

CAUSE OF CONSCIENCE,

EXAMINED AND ANSWERED.

CHAP. LXXXII.

Truth. What hast thou there?

model of a

common

Peace. Here is a combination of thine own children a strange against thy very life and mine: here is a model, framed church and by many able, learned, and godly hands, of such a church weal, after and commonweal as wakens Moses from his unknown and Jewish grave, and denies Jesus yet to have seen the earth.

the Mosaical

pattern.

19, with

Truth. Begin, sweet Peace, read and propound. My hand shall not be tired with holding the balances of the sanctuary: do thou put in, and I shall weigh as in the presence of Him whose pure eyes cannot behold iniquity. Peace. Thus, then, speaks the preface or entrance: Matt. xvi. Seeing God hath given a distinct power to church and John xx. 23, commonweal, the one spiritual (called the power of the keys), the other civil (called the power of the sword), and hath made the members of both societies subject to both authorities, so that every soul in the church is subject

66

Rom. xiii. 1,
Matt. x. 18,

Tit.

1,

Acts xv. 20,

Isa. xlix. 23,

Gal. iii. 28.

to the higher powers in the commonweal, and every member of the commonweal, being a member of the church, is subject to the laws of Christ's kingdom, and in him to the censures of the church:-the question is, how the civil state and the church may dispense their several governments without infringement and impeachment of the power and honour of the one or of the other, and what bounds and limits the Lord hath set between both the administrations." Truth. From that conclusion, dear Peace, that "every church con- member of the commonweal, being a member of the above all church, is subject to the laws of Christ's kingdom, and in Him to the censures of the church:"-I observe, that they grant the church of Christ in spiritual causes to be superior and over the highest magistrates in the world, if members of the church.

Christ's

power in his

fessed to be

magistrates' in spiritual

things.

Isa. xlix. 23,

Hence therefore I infer, may she refuse to receive, and may also cast forth any, yea, even the highest, if obstinate in sin, out of her spiritual society.

Hence, in this spiritual society, that soul who hath most of Christ, most of his Spirit, is most (spiritually) honourable, according to the scriptures quoted, Acts xv. 20; Isa. xlix. 23; Gal. iii. 28.

And if so, how can this stand with their common tenent that the civil magistrate must keep the first table: set up, reform the church: and be judge and governor in all ecclesiastical as well as civil causes??

Secondly, I observe the lamentable wresting of this one
Sometimes this scripture must

lamentably scripture, Isa. xlix. 23.

wrested.

2 ["If princes be nursing fathers
to the church, then they are to pro-
vide that the children of the church
be not nursed with poison instead of
milk. And in so doing they keep
the first table. . .
the bench over the

Princes sit on church in the

offensive government of the church: and yet may themselves, being members of the church, be subject to church censure in the offensive government of themselves against the rules of the gospel." Cotton's Reply, p. 194.]

prove the power of the civil magistrates, kings, and governors over the church in spiritual causes, &c. Yet here this scripture is produced to prove kings and magistrates (in spiritual causes) to be censured and corrected by the same church. It is true in several respects, he that is a governor may be a subject; but in one and the same spiritual respect to judge and to be judged, to sit on the bench and stand at the bar of Christ Jesus, is as impossible as to reconcile the east and west together.

CHAP. LXXXIII.

The first head, that both jurisdictions may stand together.

head ex

36.

Peace. "Whereas divers affecting transcending power The first to themselves over the church, have persuaded the princes amined. of the world that the kingdom of Christ in his church cannot rise or stand without the falls of those commonweals wherein it is set up, we do believe and profess the John xvii. contrary to this suggestion; the government of the one being of this world, the other not; the church helping Jer. xxix. 7. forward the prosperity of the commonweal by means only ecclesiastical and spiritual; the commonweal helping for- Ezra vil. 23, ward her own and the church's felicity by means political 1 Tim. 1. 2. or temporal:-the falls of commonweals being known to arise from their scattering and diminishing the power of the church, and the flourishing of commonweals with the well ordering of the people, even in moral and civil virtues, being observed to arise from the vigilant administration of the holy discipline of the church: as Bodin, a man not partial to church discipline, plainly testifieth. The vices in the free estate of Geneva, que legibus nus

Rom. i. 2, 3,

The civil

commonweal and the spiritual

common

quam vindicantur, by means of church discipline, sine vi et tumultu coercentur; the Christian liberty not freeing us from subjection to authority, but from enthralment and bondage unto sin."3

Truth. Ans. From this conclusion, that the church, or kingdom of Christ, may be set up without prejudice of the commonweal, according to John xviii. 36, My kingdom is inconsist- not of this world, &c., I observe, that although the kingdom independent of Christ, the church, and the civil kingdom or govern

weal, the

church, not

ent, though

the one on the other.

ment be not inconsistent, but that both may stand together; yet that they are independent according to that scripture, and that therefore there may be, as formerly I have proved, flourishing commonweals and societies of men, where no church of Christ abideth. And, secondly, the commonweal may be in perfect peace and quiet, notwithstanding the church, the commonweal of Christ, be in distractions and spiritual oppositions, both against their religions and sometimes amongst themselves, as the church of Christ in Corinth troubled with divisions, contentions, &c.

Secondly, I observe, it is true the church helpeth forward the prosperity of the commonweal by spiritual means, Jer. xxix. 7. The prayers of God's people procure the peace of the city where they abide; yet, that Christ's ordinances and administrations of worship are appointed and given by Christ to any civil state, town, or city, as is

3 [Under the influence of Calvin the legislation of Geneva was entirely theocratic. Idolatry, adultery, cursing and striking parents, were punishable with death. Imprisonment was inflicted for every immorality at the instance of the church courts. Women were forbidden to wear golden ornaments, and not more than two rings on their fingers. Even their feasts

were regulated: but three courses were allowed, and each course to consist of only four dishes. Great efforts were also made, which gave rise to many civil commotions, to remove from office under the state persons excommunicated by the church. Henry's Das Leben Calvins, p. 173, edit. 1843.]

implied by the instance of Geneva, that I confidently deny.

dinances put upon a

whole city

or nation,

civilize, and

never Chris

them.

The ordinances and discipline of Christ Jesus, though Christ's or wrongfully and profanely applied to natural and unregenerate men, may cast a blush of civility and morality may more upon them, as in Geneva and other places-for the shining moralize, but brightness of the very shadow of Christ's ordinances casts tianize a shame upon barbarism and incivility-yet withal, I affirm, that the misapplication of ordinances to unregenerate and unrepentant persons hardens up their souls in a dreadful sleep and dream of their own blessed estate, and sends millions of souls to hell in a secure expectation of a false salvation.

CHAP. LXXXIV.

The second head, concerning superiority of each power.

head, con

periority of

Rom. xiii.

1-3; Isa.

Peace. "Because contention may arise in future times The second which of these powers under Christ is the greatest, as it cerning su hath been under anti-christ, we conceive, first, that the each power, power of the civil magistrate is superior to the church xx. 23. policy in place, honours, dignity, earthly power, in the world; and the church superior to him, being a member of the church, ecclesiastically; that is, in a church way, ruling and ordering him by spiritual ordinances according to God's [word], for his soul's health, as any other member. So that all the power the magistrate hath over the church is temporal, not spiritual; and all the power the church hath over the magistrate is spiritual, not temporal. And as the church hath no temporal power over the is only arimagistrate, in ordine ad bonum spirituale; so the magistrate coactivum.

Luke xii. 14,
And that

John viii. 11.

judicium of the church in lawsuits, 1 Cor. vi. 2,

trarium, not

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