2. The Spirit doth not only reform the Flesh, by taking away all evil out of it, whether Corruptions or Errors, but also it changeth the Flesh into its own likeness: For the Spirit is as fire, that changeth every thing into its felf; and fo doth the Spirit in the Flefh, make the Flesh Spiritual; like Heavenly fire, it changeth men into its own likeness, and makes them Spiritual, Heavenly, Holy, Meek, Good, Loving, &c. And thus the Spirit reforms indeed: When the Spirit is poured forth upon a Man, how wonderfully doth it retorm him? this works a change in him in good earneft; and no Man is ever truly reformed, till he receive the Spirit. And thus you fee the means that Chrift ufeth to work this Reformation, and these are the only Means. Object. Object. Yea, but I hope you will allow Secular Power too: May not the Spiritual Church of Chrift be Reformed with worldly and Secular Power? Anfw. Anfw. I Anfwer, by no means; and that for these Causes. I. 1. Forceable Reformation, is unbefeeming the Unbefeem Gofpel; for the Gospel, is the Gospel of peace, and the Gofpel. not of force and fury. Civil Ecclefiaftical Reformation reforms by breathing out Threatnings, Punish* Though the truth ments, Prifms, Fire, and Death; but the Gospel by * And therefore it is most uncarry its Preaching Peace. evidence befeeming the Gospel, to do any thing rafhly and in it felf, and the Word of God is greater than all the Teftimonies of Men, yet for their fakes that are weak, I have inferted the judgments of fome Godly Men (as I have accidentally met with them) who have spoken of thefe things in the Spirit; that fo you may fee the truth, though it hath but few followers, yet it hath fome. Melanion on Pfal. 110. V. 3.Habebis populum, non coaftum gladio, fed verbo collectum, & lato corde ample bentem evangelium, te fponte celebrantem. Difcernit igitur ecclefiam ab imperiis mundanis, & externam fervitutem a cultibus cordis, accenfis voce evangelii a fpiritu fan&o. Ag. Religio cogi non vult, violently, . doceri expetit. Immanitate non ftabilitur, fed evertitur. Polan.This Charles to whom Leo gave the Title of The moft Chriftian King, was a great Conqueror, and overcame many Nations with the Sword; and as the Turk compelleth to his Faith, fo be compelled with Violence to the faith of Chrift; but alas, the true faith of Chrift whereunto the Holy Ghost draws mens hearts, through preaching the word of truth, he knew not, &. Tindal. Fides, fua fponte, non coacte agere vult. Luth. Chriftus non voluit vi igne cogere homines ad fidem. Luth. Haretives comburere, eft contra voluntatem fpiritus. Luth. He hath given in the Church, the Sword of the Spirit to inforce with, and not the Sword of the Magilitate. Prorfus diverfa ratio eft regni Chrifti & mundi. Mandici Magiftratus que volunt imperant, & fubditi coguntur obedientiam frattare. At in Regno Chrifti, quod non eft mundana aut pontificia Domiratio, fe fpirituale regnum, nibil fimile geritur, fed quivis alterim judex, & quilibet alteri fubjectus eft. At tyranny animicide illi, nihil morantes vocem Chrifti, regnum meum non eft de hoc muudo, ex Ecclefia, Foliziam civilem, feu potius Pontificium imperium conftituerunt. Luth. -Quare ipfam fedem Beftie nego, nihil moratus fit ne bonus vel-malus, qui in ea fedet. Sedes inquam quæ fit fuper omnes fedes, nulla eft in Ecclefia fuper terram jure divino, fed omnes funt æquales, quia una files, unum baptifma, unus Chriftus, &c. Luth. Where there is no worldly fuperiority over one another, there is no worldly compulfion of one another. In the natural Body, there is no convocation of many members to govern one, or of more members to govern fewer, but the foot performs its office without being under the authoritative power of the hands, yea each member performs its of fice aright, without being in fubordination to another, by the guideance of that head to which it is united, and of that Spirit that dwells in it; ach member having an immediate influence of the head upor it felf, though it may outwardly feem to be further from the head than another member. And thus it is in Believers and Congregations. -Quid autem vi & coactione opus vobis eft, qui hujufmodi certamen decertatu, in quo cogi nemo debet? Ulrichus ab Hutten, to the Councel of Prieft. What need you the Fower of the Magiftrate to defend the truth, who have so many Scriptures to defend it? the truth of God being to be defended by the Word of God, and not by the power of men. Idem. I could produce many more Teftimonies; but thefe are fuficient to fhew, that I am not alone in this Point, against forcible Reformation, but have the Armory of David, to defend it withal, on which there hang a thoufand bucklers, all fhields of mighty men. violently, for the advancement thereof; for the Gofpel of Peace, is not to be advanced by violence; and therefore violent Reformers, live in contradition to the Gospel of Peace, and cannot be truly reckoned 2. reckoned Chriftians, but Enemies to Chriftianity; fith Chriftianity doth all by the Power of the Anointing; but Antichriftianity, doth all by the Power of the World. 2. Forceable Reformation is unfuitable to Chrift's Unfutable to Chrifts Kingdom; for Chrifts Kingdom ftands in the SpiKingdom. rit; and the force of flesh and blood can contriThis ftands bute nothing to this. in the Spi 2. 2. Again the Faithful, the Subjects of this Kingrit. dom, are a Spiritual People, and fo they are The Sub- without the reach of any outward Force; you jects of it may as well go about to bring the Angels of Heaare a Spi- ven under an outward and Secular Power, as the ritual Peo- Faithful, who being born of the Spirit, are more ple. Spiritual than they. And what hath Flesh and Blood to do with them that are born of the Spirit, in the things of the Spirit? And therefore touching this Kingdom which is Spiritual, and beyond not only the power, but the cognisance Ifa. 11.9.of the World, God hath faid, There shall be none to kill nor hurt in all my holy mountain. And again, Ila.60.18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy streets, wasting nor deftruction within thy borders. People. 3. 3. 3. As they are a fpiritual people, so alfo a A willing willing people; and what needs outward power to force a people made willing by the Spirit? Pfal. 110. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power: The very day of Chrifts power, is not to force men against their wills, but to make them willing. The Spirit of God that brings them to this Kingdom, makes them willing to obey God there, and gives them pleafure in that obedience, by fhedding abroad the love of God in their hearts. They that are not a willing people, belong not to Chrifts Kingdom, but to the world. 3. Humane 3. By this Forcible Reformation, humane Inftitution is fet up; for the power of the world reforms is fer up. by the prudence of the world: and men never Inftitution ufe ufe humane power in the Church, but they first means, the authority of men, is made to have 4. 4. It brings men into blind obedience, and makes them obey what is commanded on pain It brings of punishment, though they know not whether Men into blind obe it be right or wrong; with the word, or against dience. the word: So that a man fhall fay, that which I do I am constrained to do; and therefore I do it because I am constrained. I read in Frithes Answer to the Bishop of Rochester, that a youth being prefent at his fathers burning, the officers feeing him, refolved to examine him alfo, to try if they might find him a Sectary or an Heretick: but the youth difinaied at the fad fight of his fathers death, and fearing the like end himself, being asked of one of them, how he believed? Anfwered, Sir I believe even as it pleaseth you. And fo, the more outward and violent power is ufed upon men, the more of this kind of faith and obedience you fhall have: when men fhall fee prifons, and banishments, and lofs of goods, and death, walking up and down the Kingdom for the Reformation of the Church, you fhall at last have men fay, Sirs, we will believe and do, even as it pleafeth you: we will believe as the State pleafeth, or we will believe as the Councel pleafeth; And let them make what confeffion they will, we had rather believe them, then indure them. And thus by fear and punishment, may men be brought to say and do, that which they neither believe nor understand: and how acceptable fuch popish faith and obedience is unto God, all fpi L ritual 5. ritual Chriftians know, and every mans confcience, methinks, fhould be convinced. 5. It makes men Hypocrites and not Saints; It makes for it forceth the body, and leaves the heart as Hypocrites it was; for the heart cannot be forced by out 6. ward power, but by the Inward efficacy of the truth: Now the hearts of men being corrupt, what are all outward duties, they are forced to, but fo much Hypocrifie? So that forceable Reformation makes only Hypocrites and gilded Sepulchres, putting a form of godliness upon the outward man, when there is no power of godlinefs in the inner man, but a power of ungodlinefs. That Reformation, with which the uncleannefs of the heart ftands, is none of Chrift's Reformation. What is the Reformation of the outward man, when the heart is full of Atheism, Ignorance of God, Adultery, Pride, Murther, &c. and all the corruptions of Nature? Call you this a Reformation of the Church of Chrift? This Reformation makes none Saints, but all Hypocrites, forcing mens actions contrary to their natures. 6. It caufes difturbances and tumults in the Caufes Di-World; when men are forced by outward power, fturbances. to act against their inward Principles, in the things of God, what disturbances and tumults this hath bred in States and Kingdoms who knows not? So that they that lay hold on the power of men, and go about to reform Hearts and Confciences, by outward violence, are never the caufe of Reformation, but always of Tumult: And this renders the cause of the Gospel grievous and odious to the World, rather than commends it. And therefore, let all that love the Gospel of Christ, abstain from outward violence; for they that use the |