A discourse about civil government in a new plantation whose design is religion written…

4. In some Countries sundry Nations are so mingled, that they have severally an equal Right unto several parts of the Country, and therefore though they live in the same general Country, yet they are governed by different Laws, and have several Magistrates ⟨p. 5⟩chosen by themselves severally, neither of them being capable of Magistracy in the others parts, nor having Right and Power of choosing Civil Magistrates there. Thus were the Israelites joined with the Canaanites, that were left in Canaan unsubdued: and thus are the English planted in these parts of America, where sundry Nations of Indians dwell near them, and are Proprietaries of the places which they inhabit. Now be that should affirm, that the Churches of Christ, as such, have Right and Power of choosing Civil Magistrates in such places, seemeth to me more to need Physic then Arguments, to recover him from his Error.

4. In some Countreys sundry Nations are so mingled, that they have severally an equal Right unto several parts of the Countrey, and therefore though they live in the same general Countrey, yet they are governed by different Laws, and have several Magistrates ⟨p. 5⟩chosen by themselves severally, neither of them being capable of Magistracy in the others parts, nor having Right and Power of chusing Civil Magistrates there. Thus were the Israelites joyned with the Canaanites, that were left in Canaan unsubdued: and thus are the English planted in these parts of America, where sundry Nations of Indians dwell near them, and are Proprietaries of the places which they inhabit. Now be that should affirm, that the Churches of Christ, as such, have Right and Power of choosing Civ•l Magistrates in such places, seemeth to me more to need Physick then Arguments, to recover him from his Errour.

2. The second thing that I dislike in your stating the Question, is, in that you make the Churches of Christ to be the subject of this Right and Power of choosing Civil Magistrates. For 1. The Church so considered is a Spiritual Political Body, consisting of divers Members Male and Female, Bond and Free; sundry of which are not capable of Magistracy, nor of Voting in the choice of Magistrates, inasmuch as none have that Right and Power but free Burgesses, among whom Women and Servants are not reckoned, though they may be, and are Church-members. 2. The Members of the Churches of Christ are considerable under a twofold respect answerable to the twofold man, which is in all the Members of the Church whilst they are in this world, the inward & the outward man.