hath made it, and not at all of this world, but the very Kingdom of heaven upon earth, and thereupon to deny him power in it, is no more to prejudice the Magistrate, then to deny him power in heaven. Seeing the Sons Kingdom which is heaven on earth, is to be as free from worldly and humane power, as the Fathers Kingdom which is heaven in heaven: Christ being to be all, in all, in this, as God is to be all in all, in that.
And so to deny the Magistrate, that power which Christ never granted him, is no wrong to him at all; but to grant him, and gratifie him with such power, would be a great and intolerable wrong, to the truth and Church of Christ, as in many other things, so in this present matter, we are speaking of, as you may see, in the following particulars.
For the putting the power of the sword into the Magistrates hands, to suppress errour, is attended with these evils.
1. Hereby the Magistrate is made a Iudge of Doctrines, and hath power given him, to pronounce which is truth, and which is errour, being yet no more infallible, yea everywhit as liable to erre, as the meanest of the people. And what Magistrate is there, that hath the power of the sword, but will uphold his own Religion and judge∣ment to be the truth, though never so false, and will sentence what ever is contrary thereunto, to be errour though never so true? and so the truth and word of God, which only is to judge all, and it self to be judged of none, by this means is made subject to the judge∣ment of vain man, and shall either be truth or errour, as he pleases to call it; and errour, when it pleaseth the Magistrate, shall be adorned, with the glorious title of truth; and shall have his authority to countenance and uphold it. And how great a prejudice, this hath been, and is to the truth, and how great an advantage to errour, it is very easie to judge.
Now if any shall say, that the Magistrate may not judge of do∣ctrine by himself, and use his sword accordingly, but he may take to him the councel and advice of godly and able Ministers, as now of the Assembly, and so may judge and punish, according to their judgement.
I answer; Is it fit, that the Magistrate in so great matters should be blinde folded himself, and see onely by other mens eyes?
Again, if the Magistrate judge, according to the judgement of the Ministers, and depending more on their knowledge then his