A26892:8061
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.
§. 54. Direct. 25. Give not the Magistrates Power to any other: whether to the People, on pretence of 1their Majestas Realis (as they call it) or to the Pope, or Prelates, or Pastors of the Church, upon pretence of authority from Christ, or of the distinction of Ecclesiastical Government and Civil. The peoples pretensions to Natural Authority, or Real Majesty, or Collation of Power, I have confuted before, and more elsewhere: The Popes, Prelates and Pastors power of the Sword in Causes Ecclesiastical, is disproved so fully by Bishop Bilson ubi supra, and many more, that it is needless to say much more of it. All Protestants, so far as I know are agreed, that no Bishop or Pastor hath any power of the Sword, that is, of Coercion, or force upon men bodies, liberties or estates, except as Magistrates derived from their Sovereign. Their spiritual power is only upon Consenters, in the use of Gods Word upon the2 Conscience, either generally in preaching, or with personal application in Discipline. No Courts or Commands can compel any to appear or submit, nor lay the mulct of a penny upon any, but by their own consent, or the Magistrates authority. But this the Papists will few of them confess: For if once the Sword were taken from them, the world would quickly see that their Church, had the hearts of few of those multitudes whom by Fire and Sword they forced to seem their members: or at least, that when the windows were opened, the light would quickly deliver poor souls from the servitude of those men of darkness. For then few would fear the unrighteous excommunications of mere Usurpers. It is a manifold Usurpation by which their Kingdom is upheld (For a Kingdom it is ⟨p. 23⟩rather to be called than a Church). 1. They Usurp the Power of the Keys or Ecclesiastical Government3 over all the world, and make themselves Pastors of those Churches which they have nothing to do to Govern. Their Excommunications of Princes or people in other Lands or Churches that never took them for their Pastors, is an Usurpation the more odious, by how much the power usurped is more holy, and the performance in so large a Parish as the whole World is naturally impossible to the Roman Usurper. 2. Under the name of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction they usurp the Magistrates Coercive power in such causes as they call Ecclesiastical. 3.