NEither was it ever the desire of Christ in gathering of his* 1.1 Church, that his Apostles should make use of the Civil Ma∣gistrate, to compell whole Nations (consisting of severall judge∣ments) to be obedient to their Doctrine, and rule of Government, but that they should goe and preach, &c. Neither did Christ make use of Herod to subdue the Scribes, Pharisees, Saduces, or any other Sect amon••••t the Jewes, but what he did was meerly by his Doctrine. Neither doe we read in all the Acts of the Apo∣stles, that ever they used any other meanes then the power of the Word preached; and that if any compulsive way were used, it was only by the Scribes and Pharisees, &c. as the Evangelists plenti∣ful••y testifie; instance in Paul himselfe, whilst a Pharisee, Acts 8. 3. & 9. 1. Act. 22. 4, 5. Gal. 1. 13. and is now practised by the like zealous persecuting Pharisaicall Presbiterians of these times.
Christ only admonished his Disciples, that in case their Do∣ctrine* 1.2 was refused, or flighted, to shake off the dust of their feet a∣gainst such parties or Cities, Luk. 10. 11. which was also practised by the Apostle Paul and Barnabas, as we may read, Act. 13. 51. So then the compulsive power of the Magistrate wil only make a Medley in the Church, yea it is a way punctually to oppose Christ in the method which was used by himselfe and his Apostles, in ga∣thering his Church out of Judisme, and Paganisme; yea a way whereby the flock of Christ wil never be discerned, or distinguished* 1.3 from the world, a way never to restore it to its primative purity, but to continue it in the same Gall••maufrey it hath been in since the Apostacie, a way meerly to sorge Hypocrites, a way whereby Doggs, ••orcerers, Whore-mongers, Idolaters, and the like, shall have admittance, as free denizons of the Spirituall Jerusalem, which our Saviour commandeth to be kept out, Rev. 22.