Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor

2. And as to the point of the Peoples interest, the moderate seem to differ but in words. Some say the People are to Govern by Vote: I confess if this were understood as it is spoken, according to the proper sense of the words, and practised accordingly, it were contrary to the express commands of Scripture, which Command the Elders to Rule well, and the people to obey them as their Rulers, in the Lord: And it seems to me to be destructive ⟨image 24⟩to the Being of a Political Church, whose constitutive parts are the Ruling and the Ruled parts: as every School consisteth of Master and Scholars, and every common-wealth of the Pars imperans, & pars subdita: And therefore those that rigidly stick to this, do cast out themselves from all particular Political Churches Communion of Christs institution. (Which because I have formerly said, or somewhat to that purpose, a late nameless Writer makes me cruel to his party, while I seem for them, and so self-contradicting: as if it were cruelty to tell a Brother of his sin, and not to leave it on him: Or as if I understood not my self, because he understands me not!) But I perceive the moderate mean not any such things as these words in their proper sense import. They only would have the Church Ruled as a free people (as from unjust impositions) and in a due subordination to Christ. And we are all agreed that the Pastors have the Judicium Directionis, the Teaching, Directing Power, by Office: and that the People have Judicium Discretionis; and must try his Directions, and not obey them when they lead to sin; and therefore we cannot expect that the people should execute any of our Directions except their Judgement lead them to execute them. (Though if their Judgement be wrong, God requireth them to rectify it) And as for the Judicial Decisive power (about which there is so great contending) in the strictest sense it is the Prerogative of Christ, and belongeth to neither of them: For only Christ is proper Law-giver, and Judge of the Church, whose Law and Judgement is Absolute, of it self Determinative, and not subjected to our trial of its equity or obligation. So that we must as much conclude that there is no final Judge of Controversies in a Particular ⟨image 25⟩Church, as we do against the Papists, that there is none in the Church in general.

2. And as to the point of the Peoples interest, the moderate seem to differ but in words. Some say the People are to Govern by Vote: I confess if this were understood as it is spoken, according to the proper sense of the words, and practised accordingly, it were contrary to the express commands of Scripture, which Command the Elders to Rule well, and the people to obey them as their Rulers, in the Lord: And it seems to me to be destructive