A34674:418
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.
Object. Thirdly and lastly, the tares are commanded to be let alone, Mat. 13.29,30. Therefore what Authority hath the Magistrate to restrain or punish men now under the Gospel, but rather to leave Christians to the liberty of their own Consciences?
Object. Thirdly and lastly, the tares are commanded to be let alone, Mat. 13.29,30. Therefore what Authority hath the Magistrate to restraine or punish men now under the Gospel, but rather to leave Christians to the liberty of their owne Consciences?
Answ. This is a Parable, and therefore to be taken in the scope and substance, and not according to the circumstances ⟨p. 43⟩thereof, as Peter Martyr noteth in this case. Now the scope of part of the Parable, is not to be a direction unto us, what we shall do in point of exercise of any power with us, but contains simply a doctrine of providence; what God will order to be the condition of his visible Church in this world, and therefore to show, that Christ intended not any rule of precept of our duty in this sentence of the Parable, vers. 29, 30. (Nay let both grow together) he doth not in his after exposition of the several branches of the Parable, insist at all on the branch mentioned, to give any explication thereof; and if it were any direction, it must either look to Civil or Church power; if to Civil power, then since the tares are expressly interpreted to be the Children of the Devil, and such as offend, and do iniquity, and are as reprobates to be burned, or damned, vers. 38. Then the worst wretches that live, Murderers, Buggerers, Traitors, &c. must be all let alone in their sins, and only left to Christs Judgement at the last day. ⟨p. 44⟩And our opposites have least reason to stretch this Parable, as respecting any restraint of the use of the Civil power, when the very scope of it, is not to tell us touching the state of the Civil Kingdom in this world, but rather of the state of the Kingdom of God, or the Ecclesiastical part of the world (the visible Church) and if it look at any restraint of the use of power, it striketh rather at the use of Church power; but if it look at Church power, then the Churches are not to censure Heretics, no, not though obstinate, contrary to