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…

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.

In the third place: Their power extendeth to all the outward morall duties of the second Table: and here properly the power of the Magistracy is to be seene: to set themselves against all wickednesse, to be zealous against vice, to see that the Law of God in all the Commandements 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 Kingdomes, but great piracies, and robberies? and therefore he ought to be zealous against vice, and to set against all impiety; if thou doest evill 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 (sayes he) be afraid: so then, his power, extendeth to the keeping up all the duties of the Law of God.

Now in the next place, I must give you a limitation of this, that though the power of the Magistrate extendeth to all these things, yet for all that, there is a bounding of his power: therefore it is distinct from the Ministers power; it is distinct, I say, from Ecclesiastical power; Whose sins ye remit, are remitted, these things are not said to a Governor, nor to a Magistrate; And so to preach the word of God by way of office: And to administer the Sacrament, They are a distinct power, they are not to be confounded, though they mutually help one another: if we have a Ministry, but not a Magistracy, we may live (piè) godly, but not (commodè) quietly, and if we have a Magistracy and not a Ministry, we may live (commodè) quietly, but not (piè) godly, they mutually help one another. And yet for all that they are distinct, they are not to invade one another, but they are to remain different in their bounds: Besides, they are bounded in regard of their power; because they may not do any thing against God, he is but the Minister of God, and therefore is to take heed, what God will have done in his way and worship; least of a Minister of God, he be made an