Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

(7) of the fame nature as is the Powcr of a Phyli an over his Pa- tients, or ofa School-mall er over his Schollers, fuppofing he had not the power ofthe rodor actual force, but fuch a power as the Profeffors of Philorophyor other fciences had in their feve- ral Schools upon the adult ( nor all fogreat neither ; .becaufe the Laws by which wemua rule areiiade toour hands , as to the fubtiantials.) Hence therefore it is pain, that as we can bind or forceno man to believe us, or to ui derftand the truth, and to be Chriaians, but by the power of dernonflrated Evidence, and by the light which welet in ( through Gods grace ) into their Confcienccs ; fo neither can we cattle any to execute our fentences againft offenders further then by light we convince them chat it is their duty : fo that ifall the Bifhops or Presby- teries in the land fhould judge inchor fuch an opinion to be here- fie, and fhould Excommuniaate thole that own it as hereticks; in this cafe if the Churchdo believe as the Paflors believe,rhey will confent and avoid the Excommunicateperfon ; but if they take it tobe Gods truth which the Paftors call bereue, they will not take themfelvesbound by that fentence to avoidhim : nor will the Offender himfelf any further be (enable ofa penalty in the fentence,thenhe than be convinced that he bath erred; and if the Church avoid him, he will jiaftifie himfelf, and judge that they do ìt wrongfully and will glory in his fuffering : fo that it is on theConfcicnce that Church-Governourscan work ; and no otherwife on theoutward man, but mediante Conrcientih. Prop. 7. Thegronnd of this is partly knot,* no Church-Go vernors can bind any man contrary to Gods -word : Claveerrante, & ha apparente, if the peopleknow that he erreth, they arenot to obey him againfi God., Yet in the bare inconvenient determination of fome Circumflantials by which the duty is not deftroyed,but lets conveniently performed, the people are bòund to obey their Governors , becaufe it is not againfl Gods determination, and becaufe he erreth but in anundetermined point,ofwhich God ap., painted him tohe the orderly determiner. But if God have once determined, no mans contrary determination can oblige ; nor yet if they go beyond the fphereof their own work, and deter- mine of an aliene fubje& which God did never commit to their determination : elfe a Minifter, or Bithop, might oblige every Taylor how to cut his garment, and every Shoo-maker how to cut

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