i. 7, and the wages of Balaam, both more common and frequent than easily
is discernible.
[Sidenote: Gal. vi. 6, concerning the maintenance of the ministry, examined.]
To that scripture, Gal. vi. 6, _Let him that is taught in the word make him that teacheth partaker of all his goods_: I answer, that teaching was of persons converted, believers entered into the school and family of Christ, the church; which church being rightly gathered, is also rightly invested with the power of the Lord Jesus, to force every soul therein by spiritual weapons and penalties to do its duty.
But this forcing of the magistrate is intended and practised to all sorts of persons, without as well as within the church, unconverted, natural and dead in sin, as well as those that live and, feeding, enjoy the benefits of spiritual food.
[Sidenote: Christ Jesus never appointed a maintenance of ministers from the unconverted, and unbelieving.]
Now for those sorts of persons to whom Christ Jesus sends his word out of church estate, Jews or Gentiles, according to the parable of Matt. xiii. highway hearers, stony ground, and thorny ground hearers, we never find tittle of any maintenance to be expected, least of all to be forced and exacted, from them. By civil power they cannot be forced, for it is no civil payment or business, no matter of Cæsar, but concerning God: nor by spiritual power, which hath nothing to do with those which are without, 1 Cor. v.
It is reasonable to expect and demand of such as live within the state a civil maintenance of their civil officers, and to force it where it is denied. It is reasonable for a schoolmaster to demand his recompence for his labour in his school; but it is not reasonable to expect or force it from strangers, enemies, rebels to that city, from such as come not within, or else would not be received into the school. What is the church of Christ Jesus, but the city, the school, and family of Christ? the officers of this city, school, family, may reasonably expect maintenance from such they minister unto, but not from strangers, enemies, &c.
[Sidenote: They that compel men to hear, compel men also to pay for their hearing and conversion.]
_Peace._ It is most true that sin goes in a link; for that tenent, that all the men of the world may be compelled to hear Christ preached, and enjoy the labours of the teacher as well as the church itself, forceth on another also as evil, viz., that they should also be compelled to pay, as being most equal and reasonable to pay for their conversion.
[Sidenote: Luke xiv. _Compel them_, examined.]
_Truth._ Some use to urge that text of Luke xiv. 23, _Compel them to come in_. Compel them to mass, say the papists; compel them to church and common prayer, say the protestants; compel them to the meeting, say the New English.[215] In all these compulsions they disagree amongst themselves; but in this, viz., Compel them to pay, in this they all agree.
[Sidenote: Two sorts of compulsion.]
There is a double violence, which both error and falsehood use to the souls of men.
[Sidenote: Moral and civil compulsion.]
First, moral and persuasive; such was the persuasion first used to Joseph by his mistress: such was the persuasions of Tamar from Ammon; such was the compelling of the young man by the harlot, Prov. vii., she caught him by her much fair speech and kisses. And thus is the whole world compelled to the worship of the golden image, Dan. iii.
The second compulsion is civil; such as Joseph’s mistress began to practise upon Joseph, to attain her whorish desires: such as Ammon practised on Tamar, to satisfy his brutish lust; and such was Nebuchadnezzar’s second compulsion, his fiery furnace, Dan. iii.; and mystical Nebuchadnezzar’s killing all that receive not his mark, Rev. xiii.
[Sidenote: The ministers of Christ Jesus compel with no other sword than that of Christ’s mouth, the sword of the Spirit with two edges.]
The first sort of these violences, to wit, by powerful argument and persuasion, the ministers of the gospel also use. Hence all those powerful persuasions of wisdom’s maidens, Prov. ix. Hence, saith Paul, _knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men_, 2 Cor. v.; and pull some out of the fire, saith Jude; such must that compulsion be, Luke xiv. 23, viz., the powerful persuasions of the word, being that two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of Christ Jesus in his true ministers, sent forth to invite poor sinners to partake of the feast of the Lamb of God. The civil ministers of the commonweal cannot be sent upon this business with their civil weapons and compulsions, but the spiritual minister of the gospel, with his spiritual sword of Christ’s mouth, a sword with two edges.
[Sidenote: The maintenance of the ministry spiritual.]
But more particularly, the contributions of Christ’s kingdom are all holy and spiritual, though consisting of material earthly substance, (as is water in baptism, bread and wine in the supper,) and joined with prayer and the Lord’s supper, Acts ii. 42.
Hence as prayer is called God’s sacrifice, so are the contributions and mutual supplies of the saints, sacrifices, Phil. iv. [18.]
[Sidenote: Natural men can neither truly worship nor maintain it.]
Hence, also, as it is impossible for natural men to be capable of God’s worship, and to feed, be nourished, and edified by any spiritual ordinance, no more than a dead child can suck the breast, or a dead man feast; so also is it as impossible for a dead man, yet lodged in the grave of nature, to contribute spiritually, I mean according to scripture’s rule, as for a dead man to pay a reckoning.
I question not but natural men may for the outward act preach, pray, contribute, &c.; but neither are they worshippers suitable to him who is a Spirit, John iv. 24; nor can they, least of all, be forced to worship, or the maintenance of it, without a guilt of their hypocrisy.
_Peace._ They will say, what is to be done for their souls?
_Truth._ The apostles, whom we profess to imitate, preached the word of the Lord to unbelievers without mingling in worship with them, and such preachers and preaching such as pretend to be the true ministry of Christ ought to be and practise: not forcing them all their days to come to church and pay their duties, either so confessing that this is their religion unto which they are forced; or else that, as before, they are forced to be of no religion all their days.
[Sidenote: Rebels not subdued by compliance, but resistance.]
The way to subdue rebels is not by correspondence and communion with them, by forcing them to keep the city watches, and pay assessments, &c., which all may be practised, upon compulsion, treacherously; the first work with such is powerfully to subdue their judgments and wills, to lay down their weapons, and yield willing subjection, then come they orderly into the city, and so to city privileges.
CHAP. CVI.
_Peace._ Please you now, dear Truth, to discuss the scriptures from the Old Testament, Neh. xiii., and 2 Chron. xxxi.
[Sidenote: The national church of the Jews might well be forced to a settled maintenance of their priests, but not so the Christian church.]
_Truth._ God gave unto that national church of the Jews that excellent land of Canaan, and therein houses furnished, orchards, gardens, vineyards, olive-yards, fields, wells, &c.; they might well, in this settled abundance, and the promised continuation and increase of it, afford a large temporal supply to their priests and Levites, even to the tenth of all they did possess.
God’s people are now, in the gospel, brought into a spiritual land of Canaan, flowing with spiritual milk and honey, and they abound with spiritual and heavenly comforts, though in a poor and persecuted condition; therefore an enforced settled maintenance is not suitable to the gospel, as it was to the ministry of priests and Levites in the law.
Secondly, in the change of the church estate, there was also a change of the priesthood and of the law, Heb. vii. [12.] Nor did the Lord Jesus appoint that in his church, and for the maintenance of his ministry, the civil sword of the magistrate; but that the spiritual sword of the ministry should alone compel.
[Sidenote: The civil sword of the national church of the Jews, could not type out a civil but a spiritual sword of the Christian church.]
3. Therefore the compulsion used under Hezekiah and Nehemiah, was by the civil and corporal sword, a type (in that typical state) not of another material and corporal, but of a heavenly and spiritual, even the sword of the Spirit, with which Christ fighteth, Rev. ii. [12.] which is exceeding sharp, entering in between the soul and spirit, Heb. iv. [12.] and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Jesus. He that submits not at the shaking of this sword, is cut off by it; and he that despiseth this sword, all the power in the world cannot make him a true worshipper, or by his purse a maintainer of God’s worship.
[Sidenote: No man should be bound to worship, nor maintain a worship, against his own consent.]
Lastly, if any man professing to be a minister of Christ Jesus, shall bring men before the magistrate, as the practice hath been, both in Old and New England,[216] for not paying him his wages or his due: I ask, if the voluntary consent of the party hath not obliged him, how can either the officers of the parish, church, or of the civil state, compel this or that man to pay so much, more or less, to maintain such a worship or ministry? I ask further, if the determining what is each man’s due to pay, why may they not determine the tenth and more, as some desired (others opposing) in New England, and force men not only to maintenance, but to a Jewish maintenance?
_Peace._ Yea; but, say they, is not the labourer worthy of his hire?
[Sidenote: Christ’s labourers worthy of their hire, but from them that hire them.]
_Truth._ Yes, from them that hire him, from the church, to whom he laboureth or ministereth, not from the civil state: no more than the minister of the civil state is worthy of his hire from the church, but from the civil state: in which I grant the persons in the church ought to be assistant in their civil respects.
_Peace._ What maintenance, say they, shall the ministry of the gospel have?
[Sidenote: What maintenance Christ hath appointed his ministers in the gospel.]
_Truth._ We find two ways of maintenance for the ministry of the gospel proposed for our direction in the New Testament.
First, the free and willing contribution of the saints, according to 1 Cor. xvi., Luke viii. 3, &c., upon which both the Lord Jesus, and his ministers lived.
Secondly, the diligent work and labour of their own hands, as Paul tells the Thessalonians, and that in two cases:
1. Either in the inabilities and necessities of the church.
2. Or for the greater advantage of Christ’s truth. As when Paul saw it would more advantage the name of Christ, he denies himself, and falls to work amongst the Corinthians and Thessalonians.
Let none call these cases extraordinary: for if persecution be the portion of Christ’s sheep, and the business or work of Christ must be dearer to us than our right eye or lives, such as will follow Paul, and follow the Lord Jesus, must not think much at, but rejoice in, poverties, necessities, hunger, cold, nakedness, &c. The stewards of Christ Jesus must be like their Lord, and abhor to steal as the evil steward, pretending that he shamed to beg, but peremptorily dig he could not.
CHAP. CVII.
_Peace._ One and the last branch, dear Truth, remains concerning schools.
“The churches,” say they, “much depend upon the schools, and the schools upon the magistrates.”
[Sidenote: Universities of Europe a cause of universal sins and plagues; yet schools honourable for tongues and arts.]
_Truth._ I honour schools for tongues and arts; but the institution of Europe’s universities, devoting persons (as is said) for scholars in a monastical way, forbidding marriage, and labour too, I hold as far from the mind of Jesus Christ as it is from propagating his name and worship.
We count the universities the fountains, the seminaries, or seed-plots of all piety; but have not those fountains ever sent what streams the times have liked? and ever changed their taste and colour to the prince’s eye and palate?
For any depending of the church of Christ upon such schools, I find not a tittle in the Testament of Christ Jesus.
[Sidenote: Christ’s church his school, and all believers scholars.]
I find the church of Christ frequently compared to a school. All believers are his disciples or scholars, yea, women also, Acts ix. 36, _There was a certain disciple_, or scholar, _called Dorcas_.
Have not the universities sacrilegiously stolen this blessed name of Christ’s scholars from his people? Is not the very scripture language itself become absurd, to wit, to call God’s people, especially women, as Dorcas, scholars?
_Peace._ Some will object, how shall the scriptures be brought to light from out of popish darkness, except these schools of prophets convey them to us?
_Truth._ I know no schools of prophets in the New Testament, but the particular congregation of Christ Jesus, 1 Cor. xiv. And I question whether any thing but sin stopped and dried up the current of the Spirit in those rare gifts of tongues to God’s sons and daughters, serving so admirably both for the understanding of the original scriptures, and also for the propagating of the name of Christ.
[Sidenote: Who knows but God may again pour forth the gifts of tongues?]
Who knows but that it may please the Lord again to clothe his people with a spirit of zeal and courage for the name of Christ; yea, and pour forth those fiery streams again of tongues and prophecy in the restoration of Zion?
[Sidenote: Tongues attainable out of Oxford or Cambridge.]
If it be not his holy pleasure so to do, but that his people with daily study and labour must dig to come at the original fountains, God’s people have many ways, besides the university, lazy and monkish, to attain to an excellent measure of the knowledge of those tongues.
[Sidenote: Mr. Ainsworth.]
That most despised while living, and now much honoured Mr. Ainsworth,[217] had scarce his peer amongst a thousand academians for the scripture originals, and yet he scarce set foot within a college-walls.
CHAP. CVIII.
_Peace._ I shall now present you with their tenth head, viz., concerning the magistrates’ power in matters of doctrine.
“That which is unjustly ascribed to the pope, is as unjustly ascribed to the magistrates, viz., to have power of making new articles of faith, or rules of life, or of pressing upon the churches to give such public honour to the apocrypha writings, or homilies of men, as to read them to the people in the room of the oracles of God.”
_Truth._ This position, simply considered, I acknowledge a most holy truth of God, both against the pope, and the civil magistrates’ challenge, both pretending to be the vicars of Christ Jesus upon the earth. Yet two things here I shall propose to consideration:—
[Sidenote: King Henry the Eighth set down in the pope’s chair in England.]
First, since the parliament of England thrust the pope out of his chair in England, and set down King Henry the Eighth and his successors in the pope’s room, establishing them supreme governors of the church of England: since such an absolute government is given by all men to them to be guardians of the first table and worship of God, to set up the true worship, to suppress all false, and that by the power of the sword; and therefore consequently they must judge and determine what the true is, and what the false:—
[Sidenote: If the magistrate must punish in spiritual cases, he must of necessity be judge in spiritual causes also.]
And since the magistrate is bound, by these authors’ principles, to see the church, the church officers, and members do their duty, he must therefore judge what is the church’s duty, and when she performs or not performs it, or when she exceeds; so likewise when the ministers perform their duty, or when they exceed it:—
And if the magistrate must judge, then certainly by his own eye, and not by the eyes of others, though assembled in a national or general council:—
Then also, upon his judgment must the people rest, as upon the mind and judgment of Christ, or else it must be confessed that he hath no such power left him by Christ to compel the souls of men in matters of God’s worship.
[Sidenote: Apocrypha, Common-prayer, and homilies, precious to our forefathers.]
Secondly, concerning the apocrypha writings and homilies to be urged by the magistrate to be read unto the people as the oracles of God: I ask, if the homilies of England contain not in them much precious and heavenly matter? Secondly, if they were not penned, at least many of them, by excellent men for learning, holiness, and witness of Christ’s truth incomparable? Thirdly, were they not authorized by that most rare and pious prince, Edward VI., then head of the church of England?[218] With what great solemnity and rejoicing were they received of thousands!
Yet now, behold their children after them sharply censure them for apocrypha writings, and homilies thrust into the room of the word of God, and so falling into the consideration of a false and counterfeit scripture.
[Sidenote: A case.]
I demand of these worthy men, whether a servant of God might then lawfully have refused to read or hear such a false scripture?
Secondly, if so, whether King Edward might have lawfully compelled such a man to yield and submit, or else have persecuted him; yea, according to the authors’ principles, whether he ought to have spared him; because after the admonitions of such pious and learned men, this man shall now prove a heretic, and as an obstinate person sinning against the light of his own conscience?
In this case what shall the consciences of the subject do, awed by the dread of the Most High? What shall the magistrate do, zealous for his glorious reformation, being constantly persuaded by his clergy of his lieutenantship received from Christ?
[Sidenote: Reformations are fallible. Bloody conclusions.]
Again, what privilege have those worthy servants of God, either in Old or New England, to be exempted from the mistakes into which those glorious worthies in King Edward’s time did fall? and if so, what bloody conclusions are presented to the world, persuading men to pluck up by the roots from the land of the living, all such as seem in their eyes heretical or obstinate!
CHAP. CIX.
_Peace._ Dear Truth, what dark and dismal bloody paths do we walk in? How is thy name and mine in all ages cried up, yet as an English flag in a Spanish bottom, not in truth, but dangerous treachery and abuse both of truth and peace!
[Sidenote: Eleventh head.]
We are now come to the eleventh head, which concerns the magistrates’ power in worship?
“First, they have power,” say they, “to reform things in the worship of God in a church corrupted, and to establish the pure worship of God, defending the same by the power of the sword against all those who shall attempt to corrupt it.
“For first, the reigning of idolatry and corruption in religion is imputed to the want of a king, Judges xvii. 5, 6.
“Secondly, remissness in reforming religion is a fault imputed to them who suffered the high places in Israel, and in Gallio who cared not for such things, Acts xviii. 17.
“Thirdly, forwardness this way is a duty not only for kings in the Old Testament, but for princes under the New, 1 Tim. ii. 2; Rom. xiii. 4; Esay. xlix. 23. Neither did the kings of Israel reform things amiss as types of Christ, but as civil magistrates, and so exemplary to all Christians. And here reformation in religion is commendable in a Persian king, Ezra vii. 23. And it is well known that remissness in princes of Christendom in matters of religion and worship, devolving the care thereof only to the clergy, and so setting the horns thereof upon the church’s head, hath been the cause of anti-christian inventions, usurpations, and corruptions, in the worship and temple of God.
“Secondly, they have not power to press upon the churches stinted prayers, or set liturgies, whether new or old, popish or others, under colour of uniformity of worship, or moral goodness of them both for matter and form, conceiving our arguments sent to our brethren in England concerning this question to evince this truth.[219]
“Thirdly, they have no power to press upon the churches, neither by law, as hath been said before, nor by proclamation and command, any sacred significant ceremonies, whether more or less popish or Jewish rite, or any other device of man, be it never so little in the worship of God, under what colour soever of indifferency, civility, using them without opinion of sanctity, public peace, or obedience to righteous authority, as surplice, cross, kneeling at sacrament, salt and spittle in baptism, holy days; they having been so accursed of God, so abused by man, the imposing of some ever making way for the urging of more, the receiving of some making the conscience bow to the burden of all.
“Fourthly, they have not power to govern and rule the acts of worship in the church of God.
“It is with a magistrate in a state in respect of the acts of those who worship in a church, as it is with a prince in a ship, wherein, though he be governor of their persons, else he should not be their prince, yet is not governor of the actions of the mariners, then he should be pilot: indeed if the pilot shall manifestly err in his action, he may reprove him, and so any other passenger may: or if he offend against the life and goods of any, he may in due time and place civilly punish him, which no other passenger can do; for, it is proper to Christ, the head of the church, as to prescribe so to rule the actions of his own worship in the ways of his servants, Esay. ix. 6, 7. The government of the church is upon his shoulder, which no civil officer ought to attempt. And therefore magistrates have no power to limit a minister, either to what he shall preach or pray, or in what manner they shall worship God, lest hereby they shall advance themselves above Christ, and limit his Spirit.”[220]
_Truth._ In this general head are proposed two things.
First, what the magistrate _ought_ to do positively, concerning the worship of God.
Secondly. What he _may_ do in the worship of God.
What he ought to do is comprised in these particulars:—
First. He ought to reform the worship of God when it is corrupted.
Secondly. He ought to establish a pure worship of God.
Thirdly. He ought to defend it by the sword: he ought to restrain idolatry by the sword, and to cut off offenders, as former passages have opened.
For the proof of this positive part of his duty, are propounded three sorts of scriptures.
First. From the practice of the kings of Israel and Judah.
Secondly. Some from the New Testament.
Thirdly. From the practice of kings of other nations.
Unto which I answer,—
[Sidenote: The argument from the Babylonian and Persian kings reminded.]
First. Concerning this latter, the Babylonian and Persian kings—Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes—I conceive I have sufficiently before proved, that these idolatrous princes making such acts concerning the God of Israel, whom they did not worship nor know, nor meant so to do, did only permit, and tolerate, and countenance the Jewish worship; and out of strong convictions that this God of Israel was able to do them good, as well as their own gods, to bring wrath upon them and their kingdoms, as they believed their own also did, in which respect all the kings of the world may be easily brought to the like; but [they] are no precedent or pattern for all princes and civil magistrates in the world, to challenge or assume the power of ruling or governing the church of Christ, and of wearing the spiritual crown of the Lord, which he alone weareth in a spiritual way by his officers and governors after his own holy appointment.
Secondly. For those of the New Testament I have, as I believe, fully and sufficiently answered.
So also that prophecy of Isa. xlix. [23.]
[Sidenote: The precedent of the kings and governors of Israel and Judah, examined. The state of Israel relating to spiritual matters proved typical.]
Lastly. However I have often touched those scriptures produced from the practice of the kings of Israel and Judah, yet, because so great a weight of this controversy lies upon this precedent of the Old Testament, from the duties of this nature enjoined to those kings and governors and their practices, obeying or disobeying, accordingly commended or reproved, I shall, with the help of Christ Jesus, the true King of Israel, declare and demonstrate how weak and brittle this supposed pillar of marble is, to bear up and sustain such a mighty burden and weight of so many high concernments as are laid upon it. In which I shall evidently prove, that the state of Israel as a national state, made up of spiritual and civil power, so far as it attended upon the spiritual, was merely figurative, and typing out the Christian churches consisting of both Jews and Gentiles, enjoying the true power of the Lord Jesus, establishing, reforming, correcting, defending in all cases concerning the kingdom and government.
CHAP. CX.
_Peace._ Blessed be the God of truth, the God of peace, who hath so long preserved us in this our retired conference without interruptions. His mercy still shields us while you express and I listen to that so much imitated, yet most inimitable state of Israel.
Yet, before you descend to particulars, dear Truth, let me cast one mite into your great treasury, concerning that instance, just now mentioned, of the Persian kings.
[Sidenote: The Persian kings make evidently against such as produce them for maintenance of the doctrine of persecution.]
Methinks those precedents of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, are strong against New England’s tenent and practice. Those princes professedly gave free permission and bountiful encouragement to the consciences of the Jews to use and practise their religion, which religion was most eminently contrary to their own religion and their country’s worship.
_Truth._ I shall, sweet Peace, with more delight pass on these rough ways, from your kind acceptance and unwearied patience in attention.
In this discovery of that vast and mighty difference between that state of Israel and all other states, only to be matched and paralleled by the Christian church or Israel, I shall select some main and principal considerations concerning that state, wherein the irreconcilable differences and disproportion may appear.
First. I shall consider the very land and country of Canaan itself, and present some considerations proving it to be a non-such.
[Sidenote: The land of Canaan chosen by God to be the seat of the church; but under the New Testament all nations alike.]
First. This land was espied out, and chosen by the Lord, out of all the countries of the world, to be the seat of his church and people, Ezek. xx. 6.
But now there is no respect of earth, of places, or countries with the Lord. So testified the Lord Jesus Christ himself to the woman of Samaria, John iv. [21,] professing that neither at that mountain, nor at Jerusalem, should men worship the Father.
While that national state of the church of the Jews remained, the tribes were bound to go up to Jerusalem to worship, Ps. cxxii. But now, _in every nation_, not the whole land or country as it was with Canaan, _he that feareth God and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him_, Acts x. 35. This then appeared in that large commission of the Lord Jesus to his first ministers: _Go into all nations_, and not only into Canaan, to carry tidings of mercy, &c.
Secondly. The former inhabitants thereof, seven great and mighty nations, Deut. vii. 1, were all devoted to destruction by the Lord’s own mouth, which was to be performed by the impartial hand of the children of Israel, without any sparing or showing mercy.
[Sidenote: The inhabitants of Canaan’s land, every soul, to be put to death, that the Israelites might enjoy their possessions: not so now.]
But so now it hath not pleased the Lord to devote any people to present destruction, commanding his people to kill and slay without covenant or compassion, Deut. vii. 2.
Where have emperors, kings, or generals an immediate call from God to destroy whole cities, city after city, men, women, children, old and young, as Joshua practised? Josh. vi. and x., &c.
This did Israel to these seven nations, that they themselves might succeed them in their cities, habitations, and possessions.
This only is true in a spiritual antitype, when God’s people by the sword, the two-edged sword of God’s Spirit, slay the ungodly and become heirs, yea, fellow heirs with Christ Jesus, Rom. viii. 17. God’s meek people inherit the earth, Matt. v. [5.] They mystically, like Noah, Heb.