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…

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 ⟨p. 11⟩adversary to God: Hence people are not to obey a Magistrate, nor a Governor when he commands against the word of God. Colimus Imperatorem (said Tertullian) quemadmodum Deo libet, & ipse expedit, we honour the Emperor as its commanded by God, and as it is expedient for him. This was their resolution in the Acts, whether it be fitter to obey God, or man, judge ye, da veniam ô Imperator, tu carceres, ille gehennam minatur, pardon, O Emperor! thou threatenest prisons, but God threatens Hell; So that we are not to obey him against the word of God: He is but a Minister, and being but a Minister, he is bounded still, that he may not prescribe any thing in the worship of God, nor in the Law of God, that God hath not laid down. We read in Levitical ordinances, that always the head of a Sacrifice was to be thrown away: though this beast were to be offered and that, yet still the head was to be thrown away: to teach (say some Expositors) that a mans head in the worship of God, it is to be laid aside: he is not to go according to his own inventions, but he is to keep merely to the command of God. And thus have I done with the first part of the Doctrine.

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 Ecclesiasticall power; Whose sins ye remit, are remitted, these things are not said to a Governour, 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 helpe one another: if we have a Ministery, but not a Magistracy, we may live (piè) godly, but not (commodè) quietly, and if we have a Magistracy and not a Ministery, we may live (commodè) quietly, but not (piè) godly, they mutually helpe one another. And yet for all that they are distinct, they are not to invade one another, but they are to remaine different in their bounds: Besides, they are bounded in regard of their power; because they may not doe 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