the fword, in this kind, fhall in the end perish by the fword. Á Man when he fins not against the State, may justly ftand for his State freedom; and to deprive a Man of his State Liberties for the Kingdom of Christs fake, as it caufeth disturbances in the World, fo let any man fhew me any fuch thing in the Gospel. 7. Chrift ufeth no fuch outward force himself, 7. for he is meek and lowly in Spirit; and not boyfte-Chrift u rous and furious in the Flesh. And it was fore-Jeth no Juch outtold of him, that he should not ftrive, nor cry, nor! toard force lift up his voice in the treets, to call in outward and fecular aid and power. He never used the power of the world,but did all by the power ofthe word; even his very punishments and deftructions, he executes by the Word; He fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall play the wicked: And Antichrift himself, his greatest Enemy, he destroys, by the Spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming. 2. 2. Neither did Chrift command his Apoftles to ufe any fuch outward power, but he fent his Dif- Neither ciples to Preach, and bid them fay, into what commandHouse foever they entred, Peace be to this Houfe; ed his Aand if Men would not receive Peace, and the Do-postles, arine of Peace, not to force them, but to depart thence, and to shake off the dust of their feet, as a witness against them, that they had been there, according to the will of Chrift and the Father, and offered them Mercy and Salvation, which they refused. And this is all that the Ministers of the Gospel can do, to any that refuse their Doarine; and not to go prefently to the Secular Magistrate to ask power to punish them, or imprifon them, or fell their goods, as is now pratifed in fome parts of the Kingdom, even upon the Saints: And if Men be wicked, is it not miL 2 fery fery enough for them to refuse eternal life, except alfo they inflict on them temporal death? is it not mifery enough for men to refuse the good things of Heaven, except they alfo deprive them of the good things of this prefent life?" and yet as Luther faid of the Clergy, Quando non invocat brachium seculare, & morte utraque terret mundum? When doth it not call upon the Secular Power, and terrifie the World with both deaths? Surely Christ and the word approve not these ways. For, Mat. 18. Chrift impofeth no other punishment on them, that would not hear the Church, than that he fhould be reckoned as a heathen, and Paul, Titus 3. Teacheth us after once and twice admonition to avoid an Heretick, but not to imprison him, or kill him, or banish him; and again, they that do thefe things, fhall not inherit the Kingdom of God; and again, he that believes not shall be damwed; but not one word of outward or corporal punishment, in all the Gospel. 3. Yea, Chrift reproveth his Difciples, for dif covering fuch a Spirit of Tyranny, as to punish men for not receiving him, Luke 9. when the Apoftles of a Prelatical and Antichriftian Spirit, in that particular, defired fire to come down from Heaven upon them that would not receive him, Chrift did feverely rebuke them, faying, Te know not of what Spirit ye are; not of Chrifts Spirit, which is meek, but of Sathans, who was a mur◄ therer from the beginning, and of Antichrifts, his first begotten in the world; and he adds, the Son of man came not to destroy men lives, but to fave them; and therefore to go about to turn the Gofpel, not to fave mens lives, but to destroy them, and fo to change Chrift himself, from a Saviour, into a Destroyer, this is Antichrift Triumphant. All these things fhew that worldly power hath no place at all in the reformation of the Gospel. Now Now I fhould have proceeded here to Anfwer fome Objections, as namely: 1. That of Luke 14. compell them to come in ; Object. this, I forgetting, named not. May a Chriftian then live as he lift? 2.Object. No, by no means; for he hath the Word and Anfw. Spirit in him, to keep him from living as he lift; and he knows that no man in Gods Kingdom, may live as he wills, but as God wills. But would you have no Law? 3.Object. No Laws in Gods Kingdom, but Gods Laws; Anfw. and these are a thousand times better than all the Laws of men, and they are these three: The Law of a new-nature. The Law of the Spirit of Life that is in Chrift. But would you have no Government? 4.Object. Yes, but the Government of Chrift the Head, Answ. and the Holy Ghoft the Spirit, in and over the Church the Body, They that would govern the Faithful, the Members of Chrifts own Body, make themselves the head of thofe Members; and fo Antichrift may as well be found in a combination of men, as in one fingle Perfon. But would you have no order? 5.Object. Yes, the best that is; even fuch an Order as is Anfw. in the Body of Chrift; where every Member is placed by Chrift, and none by it felf; the Order of the Spiritual Church is a Spiritual Order, and not a Carnal. But would you have Sin Suffered? 6.Object. No, but more truly and throughly destroy- Answ. ed, than any power of the world can destroy it; even by the Spirit of judgment and burning. But would you have Sinners fuffered? 4.Object No, but punished more feverely, than any Anfi9. powers of the world can punish them; For he fhall fmite the earth with the rod of his mouth, Pfal. 72. 18. and with the breath of his lips he shall flay the wicked. And as for those that are outwardly wicked, the Magiftrate is to keep them in order, for the quiet of the State, he having power over their perfons eftates, and lives. I should also have proceeded to the next thing, The advantages of fuch a Gofpel Reformation where it is wrought; together with the Ufes: but because I would not be overlong, I pafs by these things, and fo proceed no farther in this Difcourfe. Bu now being brought hither by an unexpected Providence, 1 fhall crave liberty to speak a few words to you, in the behalf of two Kingdoms, that is, this Kingdom, and Gods. 1. That which I have to request of you for this Kingdom is, that you would regard the oppreffion of the poor, and the fighing of the needy: Never was there more injuftice and oppreffion in the Nation than now; I have feen many oppressed and crushed, and none to help them. I befeech you confider this with all your hearts; for many who derive power from you, are great Oppreflors. And therefore I require you in the name of God, to discharge the truft that God hath put into your hands; and fo to defend the poor and fatherless, to do justice to the afflicted and needy, to deliver the poor and needy, and to rid them out of the hands of the wicked; This is your Business, difcharge your Duty; if you will not, then hear what the Lord faich, Pful. 12. 5. for the oppression of the poor; for the fighing of the needy, now will I arife faith the Lord; and Gods rifing in this cafe, would prove your ruine. If you will not do Gods work in the Kingdom, which he hath call'd you to, he will do it himself without you; as it is written, He Shall deliver the needy when he cryeth, the poor alfo, and him that hath no helper; he shall fave their Souls from from deceit and violence, the common evils of the Times. And this is all that I have to fay for this Kingdom. 2. I have a few more things to fay touching Gods Kingdom; and the firft is this: 1. That as Chrifts Kingdom, and the Kingdoms of the world are diftinct, fo you would be pleas'd to keep them fo, and not mingle them together your felves, nor fuffer others to do it, to the great prejudice and disturbance of both. 2. That you would be pleased to think, that Chrifts Kingdom (which is not of this world) hath fufficient power in it felf, to manage all the affairs of it, without ftanding in need of any aid or help from the World; feeing the power of Man is of no place or use in the Kingdom of God, which is not a Temporal, or an Ecclefiaftical Dominion, but a Spiritual. 3. That you would fuffer the little ftone of Chrifts Kingdom to be hewn out of the Mountain of the Roman Monarchy, whereof this Kingdom is a part, without hands, even by the power and efficacy of the word and Spirit, seeing the hands of men cannot help, but hinder this work, which is to be done without hands: And that your might, and your power, would please to let God do this work of his, without might and without power, and by his Spirit only. 4. That you would be pleased to suffer the affemblings of the Saints, both publikly and privately, as occafion ferves, feeing this can be no prejudice to the State, but a great advantage; in as much as they meet peaceably, and make no tumults, and in their affembling pray for the peace and welfare of this divided and distracted Kingdom. And alfo, that you take heed of fcattering thofe Churches, that meet in the Name and Spirit of Jefus Chrift, (which are Chrifts L 4 Own Gods 2, Kingdom. |