heavenly, spiritual, and not of this world, that it reacheth nothing of all those things which are under the power of the magistrate, that is, the lives and bodies of men, and all civil interests appertaining to them; and affect nothing but what no power of all the magistrates under heaven can reach unto, that is, the souls and consciences of men; no trouble can hence arise unto any rulers of the world, no contests about what they ought, and what they ought not to confirm, which have caused great disorders among many.

3. In particular also, there neither is nor can be in this church-state the least pretence of power or authority to be acted towards or over the persons of kings or rulers, which should either impeach their right, or impede the exercise of their just authority. For. as Christ hath granted no such power unto the church, so it is impossible that any pretence of it should be seated in a particular congregation, especially being gathered on this principle, that there is no churchpower properly so called, but what is so seated; and that no concurrence, agreement, or association of many churches, can add a new, greater, or other power or authority unto them than what they had singly before. And what power can such churches act towards kings, potentates, or rulers of nations? Have they not the highest security, that it is utterly impossible that ever their authority, or their persons in the exercise of it, should be impeached, hindered, or receive any detriment from any thing that belongs to this churchstate?

These principles, I say, are sufficient to secure Christian religion, and the state, order, and power of churches instituted therein, from all reflections of inconsistency with civil government, or of influencing men unto attempts of its change or ruin. The sum is, Let the outward frame and order of righteous government be of what sort it will, nothing inconsistent with it, nothing intrenching on it, nothing making opposition unto it, is appointed by Jesus Christ, or doth belong unto that church-state which he hath ordained and established.

Two things only must be added unto these principles, that we may not seem so to distinguish the civil state and the church, as to make them unconcerned in each other. For,

1. It is the unquestionable duty of the rulers and go

vernors of the world, upon the preaching of the gospel, to receive its truth, and so yield obedience unto its commands. And whereas all power and offices are to be discharged for God, whose ministers all rulers be; they are bound in the discharge of their office to countenance, supply, and protect the profession and professors of the truth, that is, the church, according unto the degrees and measures which they shall judge necessary.

2. It is the duty of the church materially considered, that is, of all those who are members of it, in any kingdom or commonwealth, to be usefully subservient, even as Christians, unto that rule which is over them as men, in all those ways, and by all those means, which the laws, usages, and customs of the countries whereof they are, do direct and prescribe. But these things are frequently spoken unto.

There are sundry other considerations whereby it may be evinced, not only that this order and state of gospel churches is not only consistent with every righteous government in the world (I mean that is so in its constitution, though as all other forms it be capable of maleadministration), but the most useful and subservient unto its righteous administration; being utterly incapable of immixing itself, as such, in any of those occasions of the world, or state affairs, as may create the least difficulty or trouble unto rulers. With others it is not so. It is known that the very constitution of the papal church, as it is stated in the canons of it, is inconsistent with the just rights of kings and rulers; and ofttimes in the exercise of its power destructive unto their persons and dominions. And herein concurred the prelatical church-state of England, whilst it continued in their communion, and held its dependance on the Roman church. For although they had all their power originally from the kings of this realm, as the records and laws of it do expressly affirm, That the church of England was founded in episcopacy by the king and his nobles;' yet they claimed such an addition of power and authority, by virtue of their office from the papal omnipotency, as that they were ringleaders in perplexing the government of this nation, under the pretence of maintaining of what they called the rights of the church. And hereunto they were enabled, by the very constitution of their church-order, which gave them that power, grandeur,

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with political interest, that were needful to effectuate their design. And since they have been taken off from this foundation of contesting kings and princes on their own ecclesiastical authority, and deprived of their dependanceonthe power and interest of the papal see, having no bottom for, or supportment of, their church-state and order, but regal favour and mutable laws; there have on such causes and reasons which I shall not mention, ensued such emulations of the nobility and gentry, and such contempts of the common people, as leave it questionable, whether their adherence unto the government be not more burdensome and dangerous unto it than were their ancient contests and oppositions.

IT

CHAP. VII.

No other church-state of divine institution.

may be it will be generally granted, I am sure it cannot be modestly denied, that particular churches, or congregations, are of a divine original institution; as also, that the primitive churches continued long in that form or order. But it will be farther pleaded, that granting or supposing this divine institution of particular churches, yet there may be churches of another form and order also, as diocesan or national, that we are obliged to submit unto. For although the apostles appointed that there should be bishops or elders ordained Karà Tóλv, that is, in every city and town where Christian religion was received; and Clemens affirmeth, that they did themselves constitute bishops and deacons κаTà Xúрaç кał wóλɛç, in the regions, or villages, and cities; yet there was another form afterward introduced. Theodoret, bishop of Cyprus affirms, that there were eight hundred churches committed to his care, Epist. 113. whereof many were in towns and cities having no bishop of their own. The whole country of Scythia, though there were in it many cities, villages, and fortresses, yet had but one bishop, whose residence was at Tomis, all other churches being under him; as Zozomen declares, lib. 6. cap. 20. So

it is at this day in divers provinces belonging of old unto the Greek church; as in Moldavia and Walachia, where they have one whom they call the youuevos, the leader or ruler that presides over all the churches in the nation. And this order of things, that there should not be a bishop in smaller churches, was first confirmed in the sixth canon of the council of Sardis, in the year 347.

In answer hereunto I shall do these two things: First, I shall shew that there is no church-order, state, or church form of divine institution, that doth any way impede, take away, or overthrow the liberty, power, and order of particular congregations, such as we have described. Secondly, I shall inquire into the causes of churches of another state or order, as the power of magistrates and rulers, or their own choice and consent.

1. There is no form, order, or church-state divinely instituted, that should annul the institution of particular congregations, or abridge them of their liberties, or deprive them of the power committed unto them.

It is such a church-state alone that we are now concerned to inquire after. Whatever of that kind either is or may be imagined that intrenches not on the state, liberty, and power of particular congregations, is not of our present consideration. Men may frame and order what they please, and what advantage they make thereby shall not be envied unto them, whilst they injure not any of the institutions of Christ. But,

1. These churches, as they are churches, are meet and able to attain the ends of churches. To say they are churches, and yet have not in themselves power to attain the ends of churches, is to speak contradictions, or to grant and deny the same thing in the same breath. For a church is nothing but such a society as hath power, ability, and fitness to attain those ends for which Christ hath ordained churches that which hath so, is a church; and that which hath not so, is none. Men may, if they please, deny them to be churches, but then I know not where they will find any that are so. For instance, suppose men should deny all the parochial churches in England to be such churches as are intrusted with church-power and administrations, what church in the first instance could they require our commu

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nion withal? Will they say, It is with the national or diocesan churches? Neither of these do, or can, as such, administer sacred ordinances. A man cannot preach nor hear the word but in a particular assembly. The Lord's supper cannot be administered but in a particular congregation; nor any presential local communion of believers among themselves, like that described by the apostle, 1 Cor. xii. and xiv. be otherwise attained. No communion is firstly and immediately required, or can be required with diocesan churches, as such. Wherefore, it is parochial particular churches that we are required to hold communion with. We say, therefore, these parochial churches are either really and truly so endued with church-power and liberty, or they are not. If they are, or are acknowledged so to be, we have herein obtained what we plead for; if they are not, then are we required to join in church-communion with those societies that are not churches; and if we refrain so doing, we are charged with schism; which is to turn religion into ridicule. For,

2. It is utterly foreign to the Scripture, and a monster unto antiquity (I mean that which is pure and regardable in this cause), that there should be churches with a part, half, more or less of church-power, and not the whole, neither in right nor exercise; or that there should be church officers, elders, presbyters or bishops, that should have a partiary power, half or a third part, or less, of that which entirely belongeth unto the office they hold. Let one testimony be given out of the Scripture, or that antiquity which we appeal unto, unto this purpose, and we shall cease our plea. But this is that which our understandings are set on rack withal every day. There is a national church that is intrusted with supreme church-power in the nation whereof it is: here at the entrance we fall into a double disquietment.

For, (1.) We know not as yet what this national church is, here (or in France), nor of what persons it doth consist. (2.) We know not whether this national church have all the power that Christ hath given unto the church, or that there is a reserve for some addition from beyond sea, if things were well accommodated. Then, that there are diocesan churches, whose original, with the causes and occasions of their bounds, limits, power, and manner of administrations,