A34674:400
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.
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.
Answ. 1 If all this be restrained according to the intent of the Objection, then is none to have praise, approbation, encouragement from Civil Authority, by reason of matters of Faith, or of Religion, but for matters of righteousness only: or if for any matters of Religion, ⟨p. 31⟩yet only for such as stand with the light of nature, and Law of Nations, as the third Verse must be Expounded. For if it be supposed, that it is an act of Justice (whereof the Magistrate is Minister) to distribute rewards in any matters of Religion, that appears in the walk of the outward man, and respect godly peace in way of encouragement, it must needs be an act of like justice, to distribute punishments to the contrary. The Magistrate being, according to the Apostles distribution, a Minister of God, as well when he encourageth good, as when he represseth and punisheth evil.
Answ. 1 If all this be restrained according to the intent of the Objection, then is none to have praise, approbation, incouragement from Civil Authority, by reason of matters of Faith, or of Religion, but for matters of righteousnesse onely: or if for any matters of Religion, ⟨p. 31⟩yet onely for such as stand with the light of nature, and Law of Nations, as the third Verse must be Expounded. For if it be supposed, that it is an act of Justice (whereof the Magistrate is Minister) to distribute rewards in any matters of Religion, that appeares in the walk of the outward man, and respect godly peace in way of encouragement, it must needs be an act of like justice, to distribute punishments to the contrary. The Magistrate being, according to the Apostles distribution, a Minister of God, as well when he encourageth good, as when he represseth and punisheth evil.
2 The Objection would make only offences against the rules of the second Table, or at most, those that are against the Law of nature and Nations (which come under the view of the Magistrate, as a public Minister of God) to be evil works, and not other sins of like public cognizance & concernment, respecting other matters of Religion. For if both sorts of offences are evil, he being a terror to evil works indefinitely, which come to his public cognizance, he is a terrour ex