An Expofition upon the and as the Prophet fpeaks, H o{ea 4· 2· By Swearing, and Lying, and Kilimg, and ' Srealing, and committing .Adulttry, they would break out, umill Blood touc.he'! Bl~d. ; and there \VOuid be no more Peace nor Agreement on Ear th than there IS m Hell : But the All-wife God who hat\t fubdued the Beafts of the Earth to Man, hath li kewife fubducd Man (who elfe would become more wild and brutiih t han they) unto Ma n. So that thofe who ftand not in any awe of the God of Heaven, yet arc awed by the Gods of the Earth :, and whom the Thoughts of Hell and Eternal Wrath, cannot fcare from Wickcdncfs, yet many times the Thoughts of a Prifon, or of a Gibbet, doth. . Magiftracy then being an Inftitution of fuch great Eminency, and abfolute Ne ... ceffity, let us fee what are the Duties, I. Ftr'fJ, Of thofe who arc invefted with it towards their SubjeCl:s: And then, Il. Secondly, The Duties of their Subjects reciprocally towards them. Of the Firft, l fha!l fpeak bm briefly, fince we are chiefly concern'd in the Knowledge and, Pratl:ice of the Second. Magiftrates therefore may be confidered either as Supream or Subordinate, according to the Difl::inCl.ion the Apoftle makes of them, 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14. The King as Supream, and Governoms fcnt by him as Subordinate; Each of thefe have their refpedive Duties belonging unto them. As for fupream Magiftrates, their Duty is, 1 • Firft, To eftablifu and maintain the true Worfuip and Service of God, and to purge out all Corruptions and Abufes that have any way adulterated it with Superftitions or idolatrous Mixtures. God bath appointed a Sovereien Prince to be Cuftos utriufq; Tabultt, a Guardian of both Tables of his Law; and hath put the Sword into his Hands, not only to be an Avenger in Cafes of lnjHry done by Man to Man, but to be an Avenger in cafe of the Violation of thofe Laws which immediately rcfpeCl: his own Worfhip, and to be a Reformer of tlie Corruptions of the Church, as well as the Diforders of the State. Indeed, this Power and Supremacy which we thus afcribe unto him, is not formally and intrinfic., lly Spiritual or Ecclefiaftical, but only objectively fuch : For they neither have the power of Order, which gives Authority to preach the Gofpel, and adminiftcr the Sacraments, which properly belongs unto the Minifterial Office; and whofoever he be that <hall intrude himfelf thereinto without a lawful Call and Ordination, be his Gifts or Place never fo Eminent, he is guilty of the fame Prefumption that V.t.- :Uah was, and may dreadfully expeCt the fame, or a greater Puniihment, 2 Chr11n; 26. 16, 19, His Heart tM1lifttd up to his DejlruUion; for he tranfirej[ed, and wmt into tht Temple of the Lord to burn Incenfo upon the Altar of lncenfe: And whi/ft the Cmfer was in his Hand, tht Ltprofie rofo up in his Forehead. Neither have they power of the Keys committed unto them, to bind and loofe, to retain and remit Sins by a due pronouncing of Ecclefiaftical Cenfures: For thofe two Powers of Order and the Keys, appertain only unto the Minifters of the Gofpel, for to them only were they committed. Yet Princes have a Power of Jurifditl:ion over Chun;h-Affairs, and ought by their Laws and Authority to provide, that God be \V"orfhipped in his own prefcribed way, that Heretics be rooted our, Schifms and Rents healed, ftubborn Contemners of God's Laws, as well as theirs, feverely punifh'd, the Mouth of Blafphemy ftopp'd, Minifters commanded to, and encouraged in the confcientious Performance of their Duty; that nothing be tolerated in praCtice contrary to the Rules of a Irood Life; thaE nothing be broached in DoCtrine contrary to the Form of found W~rds which have been delivered unto us. Thus far reacheth the Magifrrates Duty and Authority in things pertaining unto the Church. And therefore we find in theScripture, that when the Worfuip of the true God was fo much corrupted and forgotten among the lfratlites, that Micah, out of a blind and idolatrous Devotion, made him a whole Chappel of Gods to worfhip: The Holy Ghoft gives this as a Caufe of fo great an Abomination, that in thofe Days there w;;s no King in Ifrael, ]udg. 17. 6. In 'Jutlges rhe 9th, we read that tragical Hiftory of Adultery, and Unclean~ nefs unto Death ; and the very fame reafon is given for the Licenrioufnefs of thofe Times, ver. 1. l;t thofo Days there was no King in lfrael. And this plainly intimates unto us, that not only Adultery and Murther, Sins againft the fecond Table of the Law, but alfo Idolatry and falf~ Worfuip, againft the firft, ought, and might hare been either prevented or punifhed, had there been a King and Ruler iu Ifml; and
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