Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 2. 1. The Erastians, I thought, were thus far in the right, in asserting more fully than others the Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion; that all Coercive Power (by Mulcts or Force) is only in their hands (which is the full sense of our Oath of Supremacy); and that no such Power belongeth to the Pastors or People of the Church; and that thus (as Dr. Ludov. Molinae•• pleadeth) there should not be any Imperium in Imperio, or any Coercive Power challenged by Pope, Prelate, Presbytery, or any, but by the Magistrate alone: that the Pastoral Power is only Persuasive, or exercised on Volunteers; yet not private, such as belongeth to every Man (to persuade) that hath a persuading Faculty but Public and Authoritative by Divine appointment: And not only to persuade by Sermons or general Speeches, but by particular oversight of their particular Flocks! much like the Authority of Plato or Zen• in his School, or a Master in any Academy of Volunteers, or of a Physician in his Hospital, supposing these were Officers of God's Institution, who could as the ground of their perswasitant• produce his Commission or Command for what they said and did.

§ 2. 1. The Erastians, I thought, were thus far in the right, in asserting more fully than others the Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion; that all Coercive Power (by Mulcts or Force) is only in their hands (which is the full sence of our Oath of Supremacy); and that no such Power belongeth to the Pastors or People of the Church; and that thus (as Dr. Ludov. Molinae•• pleadeth) there should not be any Imperium in Imperio, or any Coercive Power challenged by Pope, Prelate, Presbytery, or any, but by the Magistrate alone: that the Pastoral Power is only Perswasive, or exercised on Volunteers; yet not private, such as belongeth to every Man (to perswade) that hath a perswading Faculty• but Publick and Authoritative by Divine appointment: And not only to perswade by Sermons or general Speeches, but by particular oversight of their particular Flocks! much like the Authority of Plato or Zen• in his School, or a Master in any Academy of Volunteers, or of a Physician in his Hospital, supposing these were Officers of God's Institution, who could as the ground of their perswasitant• produce his Commission or Command for what they said and did.