Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

Church-Hiftory of Bithops and r. By this rule all Chriftians fhould be from under all Power of Kings a id Civil Rulers : For are they not all [the fervants of the highefl y edges] Hath Godno Servants but the Clergy ? z. By this rule both Princes and People fhould be free from the Bi- chops judgment : For are not thefe Bithops Men as well as Princes? and are not Chriftian Princes and People the fervantsof thehighefl fudge, and therefore fhould not be judged by Bithops. 3. But what a wicked rebellious doirine is intimated in the diftin- Etion, that Princes are Earthly Yudges, and Prelates are the fervants of the higheft Yudge? Are not Prelates Earthly judges as well as Princes, in that theyare men that judge on Earth ? And are not Princes Judges of Di- vine appointment and authority as well as Prelates ? Yea, and their power more pail all difpute ? 4. And what abfurdity is it, that every foul be fubjebl to thehigher power? And that he that's oneof your Sheep inone refpeft, may be your Ruler in another ? Why may not the King be the Ruler of him that is his Phyficianor his Tutor? And why not of him that is his Priefl. Was not Solomon Ru- ler of Abiathar when he difplaced him ? May not one man judge who is fit or unfit for Church Communion, and another judge who is punith- able by the fword? Did Chrift come to fet up a Miniftry inftead of a Magiftracy? He that faith, Man who made me a Judge, came not to put downJudges : He that faith, By me Kings reign, came notto put down all Kings. Obj. Chrift fete up a Kingdome of Priefls, or a Royal Prieflhood. Anfw. But his Kingdom isnot of thisWorld, or Worldly : It is a fpi- ritual Kingdome,conquering fin and Satan, putting down the World out of our hearts, and making cis hope for the everlafting Kingdom whichwe (hall Ihortly enjoy. The Difeafeof the Difciples that ftrove who fhould be greaten, and fit at the right and left hand; and faid, Lord wilt thou at this time reftore the Kingdom to Ifrael, hath prevailed after all this warning on a Worldly Clergy, to the great calamity of the Church. And what wonder, when even then St. Paul faith, All Jeefz, their own (too much) and none the things of 7efits Chrift (fo naturally as Timothy did) and fo zealoufly as they ought. Too many Popes haue been Peters Succeffours in the Charafter given him, Mat. 16. Get thee behind meSa- tan, Thouart anoffence unto me ; For thoufavoureff not the things that be of God, but chafe that be of men. I underftood not who were the fpring of our late Fifth-Monarchy mens difeafes, till I read Campanella de Regno Dei, and fome fuch Papifts, where I fee that Chrifis reign by his Vicar the Pope over all the Princes and People of the World, is the true Fifth-Mo- narchy Herefie; For which they bring the fame Prophecies as the Mille- naries do for their Eapeétations. Obj. But the `Pope, Prelates and Clergy (called theChurch) are not to reign by depofing Kings, but by Ruling them and being above them : As Lave is a- bove the Law, whichyet is made for the ungodly that want Love, and mull be ruled

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