The Covenant of Grace

for some such persons may not be at all acquainted with the true God, or have any knowledge of Christ, or of the word, but as yet are Pagans: Now touching such, the Magistrate should take care, that the best means be seasonably and wisely used with them, according to their capacities, to bring them first to the knowledge of the true God, and of his word, and to convince them of the falsehood & vanity of their gods, whom they worship, &c. and afterwards, as there is cause, to put forth acts of his coercive power towards them, as Scripture-rules and examples will allow others, though they are Christians, yet such as are not clearly ⟨p. 7⟩instructed or enlightened in matters clearly set down in the Word; in this case the civill Magistrate is to inform and convince, and not to proceed suddenly till all just means are used to leave him convinced, of which it is more meet for the Magistrate than for the offending person to judge, who it may be will never say he is convinced. We live in times wherein many men are perversely carried, and will regard no reason, but go full against the light of it, and of common sense too, sometimes rather than confess the truth when convinced of it; such an obstinate fool is not to be answered according to his folly by any further reasonings, Pro. 26.4. A whip is fitter (saith Solomon) for such a back. By this, which hath been already spoken touching the acts and rule of the Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion, the impertinency and invalidity of many objections against this his power will appear, as,

for some such persons may not be at all acquainted with the true God, or have any knowledge of Christ, or of the word, but as yet are Pagans: Now touching such, the Magistrate should take care, that the best means be seasonably and wisely used with them, according to their capacities, to bring them first to the knowledge of the true God, and of his word, and to convince them of the falshood & vanity of their gods, whom they worship, &c. and afterwards, as there is cause, to put forth acts of his coercive power towards them, as Scripture-rules and examples will allow others, though they are Christians, yet such as are not clearly ⟨p. 7⟩instructed or inlightned in matters clearly set down in the Word; in this case the civill Magistrate is to informe and convince, and not to proceed suddenly till all just means are used to leave him convinced, of which it is more meet for the Magistrate than for the offending person to judge, who it may be will never say he is convinced. We live in times wherein many men are perversly carried, and will regard no reason, but goe full against the light of it, and of common sense too, sometimes rather than confesse the truth when convinced of it; such an obstinate foole is not to be answered according to his folly by any further reasonings,