May a Christian Magistrate exercise ciuill, or criminall Iudgements?
Yes indeede, for if a housholder may in his house gouerne his children by discipline, correct the stubborne, and reward the good, surely the same may a Magistrate doe in the common wealth, as the Apostle teacheth, saying; That the Magistrate doth honour good workes, and punish the euille 1.1
Neither doth that saying, Mat. 7.1. Iudge not, that yee bee not iudged, forbidd publick iudgements, whether politicall, or Eccle∣siasticall, but onely prohibiteth rash Iudgement of matters, either vncertaine, as Augustine saith, or Diuine, which are beyond our reach, and to high for vs, as saith Saint Hilarie; or that iudge∣ment which proceedeth out of the bitternesse of the minde, as saith Chrysostome: and the purpose of Christ in that place is to treat of contratie or malignant censurers, either of matters or persons.
And as for that, Rom. 14.4. Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant? It condemneth their vnmeasurable pride, who, be∣ing puffed vp with the knowledge of Christian libertie, make no account at all of their weake brethren.
And that 1. Cor. 4.5. Iudge nothing before the time, forbiddeth onely those Iudgements, which are grounded onely vpon slender signes, and bare suspicions, and not the priuate Iudgements of charitie, and much lesse the publick iudgements either of Church or common wealth.
Lastly that saying of the Apostle. Heb. 13, 4. Whoremongers and adulterers God will iudge, comprehendeth the office of the Magistrate. For God will iudge and punish them, either immedi∣ately without the ministerie of man, or mediately by the Magi∣strate.