Chap. VIII. 2'heHISTORY of the PURITANS. 383 . 5. " Where the fcripture is filent, human authority may interpole ; .queen " we muft then have recourfe to the reafon of things and the rights of Eizabeta, " fociety. 1594 6. " It follows from hence, that the church is at liberty to appoint ceremonies, and efíablifh order within the limits above mentioned; " and her authority ought to determine what is fit and convenient. 7. " All who are born within the confines of an eftablifhed church, " and are baptized into it, are bound to fubmit to its ecclefiaftical laws;. " they may not difgrace, revile, or reject them at pleafure : The church " is their mother, and has more than a maternal power over them., 8. " The pofitive laws of the church not being of a moral nature, are " mutable, and may be changed or reverfed by the fame powers that made them ; but while they are in force they are to be fubmitted to, " under fuch penalties as the church in her wifdom (hall dire&" The 4th and .5th propofitions are the main pillars of Mr. Hooker's Remarks, fabrick, and the foundation of all human eftablifhments, viz, that the church, like other focieties, is inve/led with power to make laws for its well- being and that where the .fcripture isfilent human authority may interpofè. All men allow, that human : focieties may form themfelves after any mo- del, and make what laws they pleafe for their well-being ; and that the chrifiian church has fome things in common with all focieties as fuch, as the appointing time and place, and the order of publick worfhip, &c but it mutt be remembered, that the chriffian church is not a weer vo- luntary, fciety, but a community formed and conftituted by Chrift the file king and lawgiver of it, who has made fufficient provifion for its well - being to the end of the world. It does not appear in the New Tefta- ment, that the church is empowered to mend or alter the conititution of Chrift, by creating new officers, or making new laws, though the chri- ítian world has ventured upon it. Chrift gave his church prophets, evan- gelifls, paflors and teachers, for the perfecting the faints, and edifying Ins body ; but the fucceffors of theapoftles in the government of, the church apprehending there not fufficient, have added patriarchs, cardinals, deans,. archdeacons, canons, and other officials. The church is reprefented in fcripture as afpiritual body ; her ordinances, privileges, and cenfures, being purely fuch; but later ages have wrought the civil powers into her.con- flitution, and kept men within her pale, by all the terrors of this world, asfines, imprifonments, ban/bments, fire andford. It is the peculiar ex- cellence of the gofpel worfhip to be plain andfimple, free from the yoke ofjewifh ceremonies ; _but the anticbriftian powers thinking this a defect,. have loaded it with nuttbeflefs ceremonies of their own invention ; and though there arelaws tin fetj{xwre (efficient: for the direäion of the church,, as conflituted by Chrift andhis apoftles, they have thought fit to add fo ma- ny
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