Whether [anons be Lazvs, and Paftors barve a Legiflatir-,;e Po:ver. 5 •NoCb>rcb OJ!icm as fuch, (much lefs th~ pcoplt ) ~an m1ke Laws with a Co-acl:ive or Co– trcive fanCbon; that JS, to be enforced by thc:Ir .Authoruy With the Swurd or any corporl l pe– nalty, mulll or force : This beillg the foie privilcdgc of Secular Powers> Civil or O.::conornical, o.r Scholallick. 6. There is no obligation arifcth to the fubject for particutJr obedience of any Law, which is cVi.. dently againllthe Laws of God { in N.ture or holy Scripture). 7 • They arc no Laws which Pallors mak~ to people out oftheir power: As the Popes, &c. g, There is no power on earth under Chnft, that hath Authonty to make Vniverfal Lt:ti'J; to bind the whole Church on all the earth, or all mankind. BecaU.fc there iS no Vniverj~l Suvcr.sign, Civil ot Spiritual, Perfonal or Collective. · 9 •Therefore it is no Schifm but Loyalty to Chrill, to renounce or feparatc from fuch a foci<ty of ~ Ufarpation; nor no difobedience or rebellion, to deny them .obedience". 10 • Pafiors may and mull be obeyed in things Lawful as Magifiratcs, if the King make them Magi· firates : Though I think it unmeet for thcm to a<cept a Magi!lracy with the Sword, except in cafe of fame rare ncceffiry. 11 .IfPopc, Patriarchs or Pallors fhall ufurp any of the Kings Authority, Loyalty to Chrifi and him and the Love of the Church and State, oblige us to take part wirh Chrifi and the King againfi fuch Ufurpation, but only by lawful means, in the compafs ofour proper place and Calling. 12 • The Canons made by the Councils of many Churches , have a double nature; As they arc made for the people and the [ubjtl/J of the Pallors, they are a fort of. Ltws : That is, They oblige by the derived Authority of the Pallors : Becaufc the Pallors of fevera/ Churches do not Lofe any of . , their Power by their Atfembling, but exercife it with the greater advantage of Concord. But as ;~~'';' •; ~·' they are made only to oblige the prtfen• or abfen• PajlorJ who fcpararedly arc of eq..,/ Office- ,,,;~ ~=~: ~;n power, fo they are no Laws, except in an equivocal fcnfe, but only AgreemeH11 or Contra[lr. So folidly.rcfulv-. BifhopVjher profefi his judgement to be-: And before him the Council of Cartbage in Cypriant ti"me : « b tlus Q>c, Bur it needs no proof, ~no more than that a Convention of Kings may make no Laws to bind the Ilion. Kings of England, but Contracts only. 1 3. But yet we are aliunde obliged even by God, to keep thefe Agreement/ in things lawful, for the Churches peace and concord, when greater contrary rc:afons, a fine, do not difoblige us. For when God faith, You jhaU ~(rep Peace and Concor.l, and ~(rep Larr>[ul Covenants ; The Canons afford us the Minor; [But tht'ft a'l't LawfHl Contralls or Agreements, and means of tht Churchu Peace and Con· cord: J Therefore (faith Gods Larr>) you {hall obferve them. So though the ContraCls (as ofHus– band and Wife, Buyer and Seller, &c. ) be not Laws, yet that is a Law of God which bindeth us to keep them. , '4· Seing that even the obliging Comma•tlt of Pallors may not by them be e>J[orwJ by the Sword, 1 Per. 5-''· ~. hut work by the power of Divine Authority or Commiilion manifeftcd, and by holy Reafon, and 2 Cor. I. 24. Love, therefore it h rnoft modeft: and fit for Pafiors (who mull not Lord it over Gods heritage, but . be examplts to all) to take the Lower name of Authoritalivt Dirtliiom, and perfwafionr, rather than of Larr>t : Efpccially in a time when Papal Ufurpation mikcth fuch ruinating ufe of that name, and Civil Magifirates ufe to take it in the nobler and narrower fenfc. THe Qt!efiions, I • [ If one Pallor make Ordm for his Church, and the multitudes or Synods be again]! them : which muft btobeyed] you may gather from what is faid b.efore ofOrdination. And 2 • [What <Ire the partitulars;raper MateriaUy 10 tht Magijlrate!lkcifion, and what to the Pajlors,] I here paiS by. ,..
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