A77844:43
The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurence Jury, London, the…The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurencejury, London, the…
The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurence Jury, London, the 28. day of Sept. 1644. at the election of the Lord Major. / By Anthony Burgess, sometimes fellow of Immanuel College in Cambridge; now pastor of Sutton Coldfield in Warwick shire, and a member of the Assembly. Imprimatur Thomas Gataker.The magistrates commission from heaven. Declared in a sermon preached in Laurencejury, London, the 28. day of Sept. 1644. at the election of the Lord Major. / By Anthony Burgesse, sometimes fellow of Immanuel Colledge in Cambridge; now pastour of Sutton Coldfield in Warwick shire, and a member of the Assembly. Imprimatur Thomas Gataker.
London: printed by George Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1644London: printed by George Miller for Thomas Vnderhill, 1644
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.
But then there are others that are of an inferior nature, and there Austins rule is good, Saeviant illi, qui nesciunt quantis gemitibus datur vel tantillum de Deo intelligere, let them be fierce, and cruel, who know not with what sighs it is given, even to understand but a little of the truth of God: In Rom. 14. there you ⟨p. 10⟩may see a tenderness, ought to be allowed to those that are weak: and as the Physician saith, dies & quies quandoque sanant hominem, so it is true likewise of Errors that are of a less size, many times, ease and time they will heal the man: howsoever, the Magistrate is here to be wary, for, nihil est periculosius immaturâ medicinâ, nothing is more dangerous then an unripe, or an unseasonable medicine: But this requireth a large Tractate.
But then there are others that are of an inferiour nature, and there Austins rule is good, Saeviant illi, qui nesciunt quantis gemitibus datur vel tantillum de Deo intelligere, let them be sierce, and cruell, who know not with what sighes it is given, even to understand but a little of the truth of God: In Rom. 14. there you ⟨p. 10⟩may see a tendernesse, ought to be allowed to those that are weake: and as the Physitian saith, dies & quies quandoque sanant hominem, so it is true likewise of Errours that are of a lesse size, many times, ease and time they will heale the man: howsoever, the Magistrate is here to be wary, for, nihil est periculosius immaturâ medicinâ, nothing is more dangerous then an unripe, or an unseasonable medicine: But this requireth a large Tractate.
In the third place: Their power extendeth to all the outward moral duties of the second Table: and here properly the power of the Magistracy is to be seen: to set themselves against all wickedness, to be zealous against vice, to see that the Law of God in all the Commandments of it be kept, remota justitia quid sunt regna, nisi magna latrocinia, said Austin, let Justice be taken out of the way, and then what are Kingdoms, but great piracies, and robberies? and therefore he ought to be zealous against vice, and to set against all impiety; if thou doest evil be afraid: Beloved! how happy is it, when the drunkard is afraid, and the swearer afraid, and when the ungodly man is afraid of a Magistrate: this is the end for which God hath given him his power: if thou dost ill (says he) be afraid: so then, his power, extendeth to the keeping up all the duties of the Law of God.