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. 1Whereunto the only wise God hath fitted and appointed two sorts of Administrations, Ecclesiastical and Civil. Hence they are capable of a twofold Relation, and of Action and Power suitable to them both; viz. Civil and Spiritual, and accordingly must be exercised about both in their seasons, without confounding those two different states, or destroying either of them, whilst what they transact in civil Affairs, is done by virtue of their civil Relation, their Church-state only fitting them to do it according to God.
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 ch•osing 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. 1Whereunto the onely wise God hath fitted and appointed two sorts of Administrations, Ecclesiastical and Civil. Hence they are capable of a twofold Relation, and of Action and Power sutable to them both; viz. Civil and Spiritual, and accordingly must be exercised about both in their seasons, without confounding those two different states, or destroying either of them, whilest what they transact in civil Affairs, is done by virtue of their civil Relation, their Church-state onely fitting them to do it according to God.
- 12. Cor. 4.16.
