A26892:8047
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 4 › Chapter 3: Directions for Subjects concerning their duty to their Rulers.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
§. 49. Quest. 1. Is the Civil Magistrate Judge in Controversies of faith or Worship?
§. 49. Quest. 1. Is the Civil Magistrate Iudge in Controversies of faith or Worship?
Answ. It hath1 many a time grieved me to hear so easy a Question frequently propounded and pitifully answered,2 by such as the public good required, to have had more understanding in such things. In a word, Judgement is Public or Private: The Private judgement, which is nothing but a Rational discerning of truth and duty, in order to our own Choice and practice, belongeth to every Rational person. The Public Judgement is ever in Order to execution. Now the execution is of two sorts; 1. By the Sword. 32. By Gods word applied to the case and person: One is upon the Body or Estate: The other is upon the Conscience of the person or of the Church, to bring him to Repentance, or to bind him to avoid Communion with the Church, and the Church to avoid Communion with him: And thus Public Judgement, is Civil or Ecclesiastical: Coercive and violent in the execution; or only upon Consenters and volunteers. In the first the Magistrate is the only Judge, and the Pastors in the second. About faith or worship, if the Question be who shall be protected as Orthodox, and who shall be punished by the Sword as Heretical, Idolatrous, or irreligious, here the Magistrate is the only Judge. If the Question be who 4shall be admitted to Church Communion as Orthodox, or ejected and excommunicate as Heretical or profane; 5here the Pastors are the proper Judges. This is the truth, and this is enough to end all the voluminous wranglings upon the Question, Who shall be Judge? and to answer the cavils of the Papists against the Power of Princes in matters of Religion. It is pity that such gross and silly sophisms in a case that a Child may answer, should debase Christian Princes, and take away their chief Power, and give it to a proud and wrangling Clergy, to persecute and divide the Church with.