Object. to work all the works in it, that God hath to do. And fo, it is strongly to be fufpected, that those men, that dare not commit the fuccefs of their business to Chrifts power alone, but will call in fecular power, over and above, to help them : I fay, it is more than probable, that they have underneath fome fecular end, feeing Chrifts power alone is fully fufficient to do all things that are neceffary and profitable for his Kingdom. Befides, this worldly power never works peace, but always disturbances in the Church, putting all things out of Gods way and method, into mans, and working mans will rather than Gods; yea, mans will against Gods; and it is wholly contrary to the very nature of the Church; and how then can it agree with it in any thing? If any fhall reply, that worldly power doth well in the Church, because it keeps down many profane perfons that would not be kept down by the word. Anfw. I answer; That fo far as such profane ones are governed by worldly power, they are of the world, and not of the Church; and worldly power had better govern them in the world, its own proper fphere, than in the Church, which is beyond their line; especially feeing the Church hath power enough in it felf, to govern thofe that are of it; and they that will not be governed willingly in the Church, as Chriftians, let them be governed against their wills, in the Commonwealth, as men. For the Government of the Church is over men, as Chriftians, as fpiritual; but the government of the State is over men, as men, as natural and carnal. The firft of thefe governments belongs to Chrift, and the latter, to the Magiftrate; And if the Magiftrate be faithful in his Office and headship, there is no doubt to be made of of Chrifts faithfulness in his. But now, if the Magiftrate will not content himself with his own Kingdom and power, but will needs intrude on Chrifts alfo; and not rekoning it enough to govern men, as men by his worldly power, will also by the fame power, be tampering with the very Church: this both renders him troublesome to the faithful, and the faithful troublesome to him: Him troublesome to the faithful, in that he ufes a power over them, that is neither fuitable to them, nor their affairs; and them troublesome to him, because in Gods Kingdom, as they hear not the voice, fo neither do they obey the command of a ftranger. The Pope he arrogates both fwords to himself, when neither belongs to him, and therefore in due time fhall perish by both; and if the Magiftrate fhall affume to himself power of both Kingdoms, Chrifts, and the Worlds, when of right but one belongs to him, to wit, the Worlds, and not Chrifts; it will be very dangerous, left by encroaching on Chrifts Kingdom, he lofe his own. Let the Magistrate therefore ufe his power in the state, and let him fuffer Chrift to use his power in the Church, feeing his presence is always there; and then there will be quietnefs in both, but elfe in neither; feeing Chrift will as affuredly trouble the Magiftrates Kingdom,as theMagiftrate trouble his. The Third Rule, is, not to force Not to bring or force men into the Church, a-The trae gainst their wills. The Kingdoms of the World Church is are unquiet, because many that are unwilling are men unto it under thofe Regiments, but Chrifts Kingdom is there-against their fore quiet,because all the People in it are willing,and none of them are forced in, but all are perfwaded in, as it is written, God perfwaded Japhet to dwell wills. Ea eft Ec in the tents of Shem: That is, the Gentiles were to be perfwaded, and not forced into the Church. And fo Chrift commanded his Difciples to go and teach all Nations, and not to offer them outward violence; and to perfwade Peace, but not to threaten or enforce it. "For fuch is the nature "of the Church, that inward perfwafion is requi red no where, more than here. For none may clefiæ natu-be compelled to the Faith against their wills, Ta, ut nuf- and God will be loved with the whole heart; requiratur "and alfo Hypocrifie is a Sin chiefly hated of Intern "God. Whereby it comes to pass, that the whole fuafio. Nam quam magis ad fidem nemo cogi poteft invitus,& Deus toto fe corde vult amari, denique hypocri fis peccatum eft imprimis Deo exofum. Quo fit, ut tota Ecclefiæ gubernande ratio, hunc fcopum habere debeat, ut in Ecclefiam vocentur plurimi perfwah, in Ecclefia contineantur non alta ratione. Itaque quo magis ea ratio aberit abs imperio, hoc magis eft apta, regendæ, augendæ & confirmanda Ecclefi. Cha mier. de Oecumen. Pontific. manner of governing the Church must have this "fcope, that they that are perfwaded, may be "firft called unto it, and after kept in it, upon "the fame Account. And fo, the more this man66 ner shall be free from Dominion, so much the more fit it is to govern, increase and confirm "the Church. And this way only was used as "long as the Apoftles lived, and thofe that fuc"ceeded them in the fame Spirit, and that un"questionably for 300 years after. Yea, and "when the Church came to be countenanced by "worldly Authority, yet this fame freedom ftill "was allowed, of which I fhall produce a few "Teftimonies. I read, that Conftantine the Emperor would have no man enforced to be of one Religion more than another. Alfo the fame Conftantine, in his Epistle to his Subjects Inhabiting the Eaft, faith, "Let no Iman be grievous one to another: But what e very man thinketh BEST, that let him DO. Secundum "For fuch as are wife, ought thoroughly to be noftram vobanc itaque perfwaded, that they only mean to live holily, luntatem, as they fhould do, whom the Spirit of God mo- aiimo ju"veth to take their delight and recreation in dicio decre "reading his holy will: And if others wilfully mine pror fano ac re vimus, ne fus denagandum esse poteftatem, Chriftianam obferventiam vel religionem eligendi ac fequendis; ed unicuique dandam effe banc facultatem, ut animum fuum illi religioni addicat, quam ipfe fibi competere putat, quo nobis Deus confuetam in omnibus diligentiam prebitatem, Euseb. 1. 10. c. 5. Fox. Vol. 1. p. 131. "will go out of the way, cleaving to the Syna- The P. 150. i The true The Church then, at firft, confifted only of the willing, and fuch as were perfwaded unto it by the word, till Antichrift began to prevail, and then they fell from perfwading, to forcing; and they no longer went about to make men willing, by the word, but to get Power from the Kings of the Earth, to force them against their wills. And this main piece of the Mystery of Iniquity, was perfectly brought forth by Boniface the Third, who was the firft that used thefe words in the Church, Volumus, mandamus, ftatuimus, ac pracipimus: We will, we require, we appoint, we command: Which is not the voice of the true Ministers of Christ, but the true voice of Thieves and Murderers. And from that time the peace of the Church decayed apace, when there were more unwilling forced unto it, than willing perfwaded. And true peace will never be restored to it again, till men fhall abandon the power of force, and only use the perfwafion of the word, that the Church may confift only of a willing People. The fourth Rule, is, To make void the diftinction of Clergy and Laihath no di- ty among Chriftians; For the Clergy or Ecclefiaftiinction of cal men have all along, under the reign of AntiClergy and Laity. Chrift, diftinguished themselves from other Chrifti ans, whom they called the Laity; and have made up a diftinct or feveral Kingdom among themfelves; and feparated themselves from the Lay in all things; and called themselves by the name of the Church; and reckoned other Chriftians but as common and unclean, in refpect of themselves. Whereas in the true Church of Chrift there are no diftinctions, nor fects, nor difference of perfons; no Clergy, or Laity; no Ecclefiaftical, or Temporal; but they are all, as Peter defcribes them, 1 Pet. 2. 9 A chofen generation, a royall Priesthood, |