A84352:42
The Christian CommonwealthThe Christian Commonvvealth
The Christian Commonwealth: or, The civil policy of the rising kingdom of Jesus Christ. Written before the interruption of the government, by Mr. John Eliot, teacher of the Church of Christ at Roxbury in New-England. And now published (after his consent given) by a server of the season.The Christian Commonvvealth: or, The civil policy of the rising kingdom of Jesus Christ. Written before the interruption of the government, by Mr. John Eliot, teacher of the Church of Christ at Roxbury in New-England. And now published (after his consent given) by a server of the season.
London: printed for Livewell Chapman, 1659
THE CHRISTIAN COMMONWEALTH: OR, The Civil Polity of the Rising King… › Chapter 1
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.
IT is the Commandment of the Lord, that a people should enter into Covenant with the Lord to become his people, even in their Civil Society, as well as in their Church-Society aWhereby they submit themselves to be ruled by the Lord in ⟨p. 2⟩all things, receiving from him, both the platform of their Government, and all their Laws; which when they do, then Christ reigneth over them in all things, they being ruled by his Will, and by the Word of his Mouth (b).2
- aDeut. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13. You stand this day all of you, before the Lord your God; your Captains of your Tribes, your Elders and your Officers, with all the men of Israel▪ (11.) Your little ones, your wives, and the stranger that is in thy Camp, &c. (12.) That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath which he maketh with thee this day, (13.) That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be to thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.
- 2(a) Isai. 33. 22. The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King, he shall save us.
The substance of which Covenant, and subjection of themselves unto the Lord, to be ruled by him in all things, is this. That they do humbly confess their corruption by nature, and lost condition; that they acknowledge the free grace cof God, in their redemption by Christ, and in the promulgation of the Gospel unto them, and making application thereof effectually unto their souls: and therefore the Lord hath showed his everlasting Love unto them, and caused them inwardly by faith, to give up themselves unto him, to be for ever his, to love, serve, and obey him, in all his Word and Commandments: so now they do outwardly, & solemnly with the rest of Gods people join together so to do in their Civil Polity, receiving from the Lord, both the platform of their civil Government, as it is set down (in the essentials of it) in the holy Scriptures; and also all their Laws, which they resolve through his grace, to fetch out of the Word of God,