A34674:350
The Covenant of Grace
The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregational churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.The covenant of grace discovering the great work of a sinners reconciliation to God / by John Cotton ... ; whereunto are added Certain queries tending to accommodadation [sic] between the Presbyterian and Congregationall churches ; also a discussion of the civill magistrates power in matters of religion ; by the same author.
London: printed by M.S. for Francis Eglesfield and John Allen, 1655
Title page typeset from the transcription.
The Result of the Disputations of the Synod, or Assembly, at Cambri… › Part › Question 1
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.
6. That thereby a sluice is opened to let in all manner of false religions, and corrupt opinions into the Church: supposing the Magistrate be of any false religion, or corrupt in his judgement; yea, that were the way to set up a Pope in a Christian Common-wealth, for Religion must turn as he turns. When as the question is touching the Magistrates power of commanding or forbidding not what he in a Pope-like way shall please, or what his own spirit shall like best, but what God hath commanded or forbidden in the Word; and the position subjecteth him to the Word as to the supreme Law, and doth not set him up Pope-like above the Scriptures, or allow him to make his sense of scripture, to be Scripture, or to make humane traditional Cannons to be as much of force as Scripture to bind mens consciences &c. but the position rather condemneth any such power as ⟨p. 10⟩gular, usurped & not approved of God, which swerveth from that rule of the exercise of his power in matters of religion; namely, the Scriptures; and the contrary to that objected would rather follow, that if there must be no King or civill power among Gods professed Israel, coercively to restrain forbidden evils in Religion, then every man would hold and do as he list, as if every one were a Pope; and then Micah's Idolatry and any other abominations may be set up.
6. That thereby a sluce is opened to let in all manner of false religions, and corrupt opinions into the Church: supposing the Magistrate be of any false religion, or corrupt in his judgement; yea, that were the way to set up a Pope in a Christian Common-wealth, for Religion must turne as he turns. When as the question is touching the Magistrates power of commanding or forbidding not what he in a Popelike way shall please, or what his own spirit shall like best, but what God hath commanded or forbidden in the Word; and the position subjecteth him to the Word as to the supream Law, and doth not set him up Popelike above the Scriptures, or allow him to make his sense of scripture, to be Scripture, or to make humane traditionall Cannons to be as much of force as Scripture to bind mens consciences &c. but the position rather condemneth any such power as ⟨p. 10⟩gular, usurped & not approved of God, which swerveth from that rule of the exercise of his power in matters of religion; namely, the Scriptures; and the contrary to that objected would rather follow, that if there must be no King or civill power among Gods professed Israel, coercively to restraine forbidden evills in Religion, then every man would hold and doe as he list, as if every one were a Pope; and then Micah's Idolatry and any other abominations may be set up.