David, who was immediately designed by God: and when the golden links
of the royal chain broke in the usurpations of the Roman conqueror, it
pleased the most wise God to send a son of David, a Son of God, to begin
again that royal line, to sit upon the throne of his father David, Luke
i. 32; Acts ii. 30.
[Sidenote: Magistracy in general from God, the particular forms from the
people.]
It is not so with the Gentile princes, rulers, and magistrates, whether
monarchical, aristocratical, or democratical; who, though government in
general be from God, yet, receive their callings, power, and authority,
both kings and parliaments, mediately from the people.
Secondly. Josiah and those kings, were kings and governors over the then
true and only church of God national, brought into the covenant of God in
Abraham, and so downward: and they might well be forced to stand to that
covenant into which, with such immediate signs and miracles, they had
been brought.
[Sidenote: Israel confirmed in a national covenant by relations, signs,
and miracles, but so not England.]
But what commission from Christ Jesus had Henry VIII., Edward VI., or
any, Josiah like, to force the many hundred thousands of English men and
women, without such immediate signs and miracles that Israel had, to
enter into a holy and spiritual covenant with the invisible God, the
Father of spirits, or upon pain of death, as in Josiah’s time, to stand
to that which they never made, nor before evangelical repentance are
possibly capable of?
[Sidenote: Henry VIII. the first head and governor of the church of
England.]
Now secondly, _de facto_: let it be well remembered concerning the kings
of England professing reformation. The foundation of all was laid in
Henry VIII. The pope challengeth to be the vicar of Christ Jesus here
upon earth, to have power of reforming the church, redressing abuses,
&c.: Henry VIII. falls out with the pope, and challengeth that very power
to himself of which he had despoiled the pope, as appears by that act of
parliament establishing Henry VIII. the supreme head and governor in all
cases ecclesiastical, &c.[221] It pleased the most high God to plague the
pope by Henry VIII.’s means: but neither pope nor king can ever prove
such power from Christ derived to either of them.
[Sidenote: The wonderful formings and reformings of religion by England’s
kings. Kings and states often plant, and often pluck up religions.]
Secondly, as before intimated, let us view the works and acts of
England’s imitation of Josiah’s practice. Henry VII. leaves England under
the slavish bondage of the pope’s yoke. Henry VIII. reforms all England
to a new fashion, half papist, half protestant. King Edward VI. turns
about the wheels of the state, and works the whole land to absolute
protestantism. Queen Mary, succeeding to the helm, steers a direct
contrary course, breaks in pieces all that Edward wrought, and brings
forth an old edition of England’s reformation all popish. Mary not living
out half her days, as the prophet speaks of bloody persons, Elizabeth,
like Joseph, advanced from the prison to the palace, and from the irons
to the crown, she plucks up all her sister Mary’s plants, and sounds a
trumpet all protestant.
What sober man stands not amazed at these revolutions? and yet, like
mother like daughter: and how zealous are we, their offspring, for
another impression, and better edition of a national Canaan, in imitation
of Judah and Josiah! which, if attained, who knows how soon succeeding
kings or parliaments will quite pull down and abrogate?[222]
[Sidenote: A national church ever subject to turn and return, &c.]
Thirdly, in all these formings and reformings, a national church of
natural, unregenerate men, was (like wax) the subject matter of all
these forms and changes, whether popish or protestant: concerning which
national state, the time is yet to come whenever the Lord Jesus hath
given a word of institution and appointment.
CHAP. CXIX.
[Sidenote: A woman, papissa, or head of the church.]
_Peace._ You bring to mind, dear Truth, a plea of some wiser papists for
the pope’s supremacy, viz., that it was no such exorbitant or unheard
of power and jurisdiction which the pope challenged, but the very same
which a woman, Queen Elizabeth herself, challenged, styling her papissa
or she-pope: withal pleading, that in point of reason it was far more
suitable that the Lord Jesus would delegate his power rather to a
clergyman than a layman, as Henry VIII.; or a woman, as his daughter
Elizabeth.
[Sidenote: The papists nearer to the truth, concerning the government of
the church, than most protestants.]
_Truth._ I believe that neither one or the other hit the white;[223] yet
I believe the papists’ arrows fall the nearest to it in this particular,
viz., that the government of the church of Christ should rather belong
to such as profess a ministry or office spiritual, than to such as are
merely temporal and civil.
So that in conclusion, the whole controversy concerning the government
of Christ’s kingdom or church, will be found to lie between the true and
false ministry, both challenging the true commission, power, and keys
from Christ.
[Sidenote: The kingly power of the Lord Jesus troubles all the kings and
rulers of the world.]
_Peace._ This all glorious diadem of the kingly power of the Lord Jesus
hath been the eye-sore of the world, and that which the kings and rulers
of the world have always lift up their hands unto.
The first report of a new king of the Jews puts Herod and all Jerusalem
into frights; and the power of this most glorious King of kings over the
souls and consciences of men, or over their lives and worships, is still
the white that all the princes of this world shoot at, and are enraged at
the tidings of the true heir, the Lord Jesus, in his servants.
[Sidenote: A twofold exaltation of Christ.]
_Truth._ You well mind, dear Peace, a twofold exaltation of the Lord
Jesus; one in the souls and spirits of men, and so he is exalted by all
that truly love him, though yet remaining in Babel’s captivity, and
before they hearken to the voice of the Lord, “Come forth of Babel, my
people.”
A second exaltation of Christ Jesus, upon the throne of David his father,
in his church and congregation, which is his spiritual kingdom here below.
[Sidenote: The world stormeth at both.]
I confess there is a tumultuous rage at his entrance into his throne in
the soul and consciences of any of his chosen; but against his second
exaltation in his true kingly power and government, either monarchical in
himself, or ministerial in the hands of his ministers and churches, are
mustered up, and shall be in the battles of Christ yet to be fought, all
the powers of the gates of earth and hell.
[Sidenote: A fourth difference.]
But I shall mention one difference more between the kings of Israel and
Judah, and all other kings and rulers of the Gentiles.
[Sidenote: Kings of Israel types.]
Those kings as kings of Israel were all invested with a typical and
figurative respect, with which now no civil power in the world can be
invested.
[Sidenote: They wore a double crown.]
They wore a double crown: first, civil; secondly, spiritual: in which
respect they typed out the spiritual king of Israel, Christ Jesus.
When I say they were types, I make them not in all respects so to be; but
as kings and governors over the church and kingdom of God, therein types.
[Sidenote: The saviours of the Jews, figures of the Saviour of the world.]
Hence all those saviours and deliverers, which it pleased God to stir
up extraordinarily to his people, Gideon, Baruc, Sampson, &c.; in that
respect of their being saviours, judges, and deliverers of God’s people,
so were they types of Jesus Christ, either monarchically ruling by
himself immediately, or ministerially by such whom he pleaseth to send to
vindicate the liberties and inheritances of his people.
CHAP. CXX.
_Peace._ It must needs be confessed, that since the kings of Israel were
ceremonially anointed with oil: and—
Secondly, in that they sat upon the throne of David, which is expressly
applied to Christ Jesus, Luke i. 32; Acts ii. 30; John i. 49, their
crowns were figurative and ceremonial; but some here question, whether
or no they were not types of civil powers and rulers now, when kings and
queens shall be nursing fathers and nursing mothers, &c.
[Sidenote: The monarchical and ministerial power of Christ.]
_Truth._ For answer unto such, let them first remember that the dispute
lies not concerning the monarchical power of the Lord Jesus, the power
of making laws, and making ordinances to his saints and subjects; but
concerning a deputed and ministerial power, and this distinction the very
pope himself acknowledgeth.
[Sidenote: Three great competitors for the ministerial power of Christ.
The popes great pretenders for the ministerial power of Christ.]
There are three great competitors for this deputed or ministerial power
of the Lord Jesus.
First. The arch-vicar of Satan, the pretended vicar of Christ on earth,
who sits as God over the temple of God, exalting himself not only above
all that is called God, but over the souls and consciences of all his
vassals, yea, over the Spirit of Christ, over the holy scriptures, yea,
and God himself, Dan. viii. and xi., and Rev. xv., together with 2 Thess.
ii.
[Sidenote: They also upon the point challenge the monarchical also.]
This pretender, although he professeth to claim but the ministerial
power of Christ, to declare his ordinances, to preach, baptize, ordain
ministers, and yet doth he upon the point challenge the monarchical or
absolute power also, being full of self-exalting and blaspheming, Dan.
vii. 25, and xi. 36; Rev. xiii. 6, speaking blasphemies against the
God of heaven, thinking to change times and laws; but he is the son of
perdition arising out of the bottomless pit, and comes to destruction,
Rev. xvii., for so hath the Lord Jesus decreed to consume him by the
breath of his mouth, 2 Thess. ii.
[Sidenote: The second great pretender, the civil magistrate.]
The second great competitor to this crown of the Lord Jesus is the civil
magistrate, whether emperors, kings, or other inferior officers of state,
who are made to believe, by the false prophets of the world, that they
are the antitypes of the kings of Israel and Judah, and wear the crown of
Christ.
[Sidenote: Three great factions challenging an arm of flesh.]
Under the wing of the civil magistrate do three great factions shelter
themselves, and mutually oppose each other, striving as for life who
shall sit down under the shadow of that arm of flesh.
[Sidenote: 1. The prelacy.]
First, the prelacy: who, though some extravagants of late have inclined
to waive the king, and to creep under the wings of the pope, yet so far
depends upon the king, that it is justly said they are the king’s bishops.
[Sidenote: 2. The presbytery. The pope and presbytery make use of the
civil magistrate but as of an executioner.]
Secondly, the presbytery: who, though in truth they ascribe not so much
to the civil magistrate as some too grossly do, yet they give so much to
the civil magistrate as to make him absolutely the head of the church:
for, if they make him the reformer of the church, the suppressor of
schismatics and heretics, the protector and defender of the church, &c.,
what is this, in true, plain English, but to make him the judge of the
true and false church, judge of what is truth and what error, who is
schismatical, who heretical? unless they make him only an executioner, as
the pope doth in his punishing of heretics.
I doubt not but the aristocratical government of presbyterians may well
subsist in a monarchy, not only regulated but also tyrannical; yet doth
it more naturally delight in the element of an aristocratical government
of state, and so may properly be said to be—as the prelates the king’s,
so these—the state-bishop’s.
[Sidenote: 3. Independents. The independents: who come nearest to the
bishops.]
The third, though not so great, yet growing faction is that (so called)
independent: I prejudice not the personal worth of any of the three
sorts: this latter, as I believe this discourse hath manifested, jumps
with the prelates, and, though not more fully, yet more explicitly than
the presbyterians, cast down the crown of the Lord Jesus at the feet of
the civil magistrate. And although they pretend to receive their ministry
from the choice of two or three private persons in church covenant,
yet would they fain persuade the mother of Old England to imitate her
daughter New England’s practice, viz., to keep out the presbyterians,
and only to embrace themselves, both as the state’s and the people’s
bishops.
[Sidenote: The third competition, of those that separate.]
The third competition for this crown and power of the Lord Jesus is of
those that separate both from one and the other, yet divided also amongst
themselves into many several professions.
Of these, they that go furthest profess they must yet come nearer to the
ways of the Son of God: and doubtless, so far as they have gone, they bid
the most, and make the fairest plea for the purity and power of Christ
Jesus,—let the rest of the inhabitants of the world be judges.
[Sidenote: Their nearer conformity to Christ. The churches of the
separation ought in humanity and subjects’ liberty not to be oppressed,
but (at least) permitted.]
Let all the former well be viewed in their external state, pomp, riches,
conformity to the world, &c. And on the other side, let the latter be
considered, in their more thorough departure from sin and sinful worship,
their condescending (generally) to the lowest and meanest contentments
of this life, their exposing of themselves for Christ to greater
sufferings, and their desiring no civil sword nor arm of flesh, but the
two-edged sword of God’s Spirit to try out the matter by: and then let
the inhabitants of the world judge which come nearest to the doctrine,
holiness, poverty, patience, and practice of the Lord Jesus Christ; and
whether or no these latter deserve not so much of humanity and subjects’
liberty, as (not offending the civil state) in the freedom of their
souls, to enjoy the common air to breathe in.
CHAP. CXX.[224]
_Peace._ Dear Truth, you have shown me a little draught of Zion’s
sorrows, her children tearing out their mother’s bowels. Oh! when will He
that stablisheth, comforteth, and builds up Zion, look down from heaven,
and have mercy on her? &c.
_Truth._ The vision yet doth tarry, saith Habakkuk, but will most surely
come; and therefore the patient and believing must wait for it.
[Sidenote: Seven reasons, proving that the kings of Israel and Judah
cannot have any other but a spiritual antitype. Civil types and figures
must needs be answered by spiritual antitypes.]
But to your last proposition, whether the kings of Israel and Judah were
not types of civil magistrates? Now, I suppose, by what hath been already
spoken, these things will be evident:—
First. That those former types of the land, of the people, of their
worships, were types and figures of a spiritual land, spiritual people,
and spiritual worship under Christ. Therefore, consequently, their
saviours, redeemers, deliverers, judges, kings, must also have their
spiritual antitypes, and so consequently not civil but spiritual
governors and rulers, lest the very essential nature of types, figures,
and shadows be overthrown.
[Sidenote: Civil compulsion was proper in the national church of the
Jews, but most improper in the Christian, which is not national.]
Secondly. Although the magistrate by a civil sword might well compel that
national church to the external exercise of their national worship: yet
it is not possible, according to the rule of the New Testament, to compel
whole nations to true repentance and regeneration, without which (so far
as may be discerned true) the worship and holy name of God is profaned
and blasphemed.
An arm of flesh and sword of steel cannot reach to cut the darkness of
the mind, the hardness and unbelief of the heart, and kindly operate upon
the soul’s affections to forsake a long-continued father’s worship, and
to embrace a new, though the best and truest. This work performs alone
that sword out of the mouth of Christ, with two edges, Rev. i. and iii.
[Sidenote: Neither Christ Jesus nor his messengers have made the civil
magistrate Israel’s antitype, but the contrary.]
Thirdly. We have not one tittle, in the New Testament of Christ Jesus,
concerning such a parallel, neither from himself nor from his ministers,
with whom he conversed forty days after his resurrection, instructing
them in the matters of his kingdom, Acts i. 3.
Neither find we any such commission or direction given to the civil
magistrate to this purpose, nor to the saints for their submission in
matters spiritual, but the contrary, Acts iv. and v.; 1 Cor. vii. 23;
Col. ii. 18.
[Sidenote: Civil magistracy essentially civil, and the same in all parts
of the world.]
Fourthly. We have formerly viewed the very matter and essence of a civil
magistrate, and find it the same in all parts of the world, wherever
people live upon the face of the earth, agreeing together in towns,
cities, provinces, kingdoms:—I say the same essentially civil, both from,
1. The rise and fountain whence it springs, to wit, the people’s choice
and free consent. 2. The object of it, viz., the commonweal, or safety
of such a people in their bodies and goods, as the authors of this model
have themselves confessed.
[Sidenote: Christianity adds not to the nature of a civil commonweal, nor
doth want of Christianity diminish it.]
This civil nature of the magistrate we have proved to receive no addition
of power from the magistrate being a Christian, no more than it receives
diminution from his not being a Christian, even as the commonweal is
a true commonweal, although it have not heard of Christianity; and
Christianity professed in it, as in Pergamos, Ephesus, &c., makes
it never no more a commonweal; and Christianity taken away, and the
candlestick removed, makes it nevertheless a commonweal.
[Sidenote: Rom. xiii. evidently proves the civil work and wages of the
civil magistrate.]
Fifthly. The Spirit of God expressly relates the work of the civil
magistrate under the gospel, Rom. xiii., expressly mentioning, as the
magistrates’ object, the duties of the second table, concerning the
bodies and goods of the subject.
2. The reward or wages which people owe for such a work, to wit, not
the contribution of the church for any spiritual work, but tribute,
toll, custom, which are wages payable by all sorts of men, natives and
foreigners, who enjoy the same benefit of public peace and commerce in
the nation.
[Sidenote: Most strange, yet most true consequences from the civil
magistrates now being the antitype of the kings of Israel and Judah.]
Sixthly. Since civil magistrates, whether kings or parliaments, states,
and governors, can receive no more in justice than what the people give:
and are, therefore, but the eyes, and hands, and instruments of the
people, simply considered, without respect to this or that religion; it
must inevitably follow, as formerly I have touched, that if magistrates
have received their power from the people, then the greatest number
of the people of every land has received from Christ Jesus a power to
establish, correct, reform his saints and servants, his wife and spouse,
the church: and she that by the express word of the Lord, Ps. cxlix.
8, binds kings in chains, and nobles in links of iron, must herself be
subject to the changeable pleasures of the people of the world, which
lies in wickedness, 1 John v. 19, even in matters of heavenly and
spiritual nature.
Hence, therefore, in all controversies concerning the church, ministry
and worship, the last appeal must come to the bar of the people or
commonweal, where all may personally meet, as in some commonweals of
small number, or in greater by their representatives.
[Sidenote: If no religion but that which the commonweal approves, then no
Christ, no God, but at the pleasure of this world, 2 John 9.]
Hence, then, no person esteemed a believer, and added to the church:—
No officer chosen and ordained:—
No person cast forth and excommunicated, but as the commonweal and
people please; and in conclusion, no church of Christ in this land or
world, and consequently no visible Christ the head of it. Yea, yet
higher, consequently no God in the world worshipped according to the
institutions of Christ Jesus—except the several peoples of the nations of
the world shall give allowance.
_Peace._ Dear Truth, oh! whither have our forefathers and teachers
led us? Higher than to God himself, by these doctrines driven out of
the world, you cannot rise: and yet so high must the inevitable and
undeniable consequences of these their doctrines reach, if men walk by
their own common principles.
[Sidenote: The true antitype of the kings of Israel and Judah.]
_Truth._ I may therefore here seasonably add a seventh, which is a
necessary consequence of all the former arguments, and an argument
itself: viz., we find expressly a spiritual power of Christ Jesus in the
hands of his saints, ministers, and churches, to be the true antitype of
those former figures in all the prophecies concerning Christ’s spiritual
power, Isa. ix., Dan. vii., Mich. iv., &c., compared with Luke i. 32,
Acts ii. 30, 1 Cor. v., Matt. xviii., Mark xiii. 34, &c.
CHAP. CXXI.
_Peace._ Glorious and conquering Truth, methinks I see most evidently thy
glorious conquests: how mighty are thy spiritual weapons, 2 Cor. x. 4,
to break down those mighty and strong holds and castles, which men have
fortified themselves withal against thee? Oh! that even the thoughts of
men may submit and bow down to the captivity of Jesus Christ!
[Sidenote: A fourth difference of laws and statutes from all others.]
_Truth._ Your kind encouragement makes me proceed more cheerfully to a
fourth difference from the laws and statutes of this land, different
from all the laws and statutes of the world, and paralleled only by the
laws and ordinances of spiritual Israel.
[Sidenote: Moses a type of Christ.]
First, then, consider we the law-maker, or rather the law-publisher, or
prophet, as Moses calls himself, Deut. xviii. [15,] and Acts iii. [22,]
he is expressly called that prophet who figured out Christ Jesus who was
to come like unto Moses, greater than Moses, as the son is greater than
the servant.
Such lawgivers, or law-publishers, never had any state or people as Moses
the type, or Christ Jesus, miraculously stirred up and sent as the mouth
of God between God and his people.
[Sidenote: The laws of Israel unparalleled.]
Secondly, concerning the laws themselves: it is true, the second table
contains the law of nature, the law moral and civil, yet such a law was
also given to this people as never to any people in the world: such was
the law of worship, Ps. cxlvii., peculiarly given to Jacob, and God did
not deal so with other nations: which laws for the matter of the worship
in all those wonderful significant sacrifices, and for the manner by such
a priesthood, such a place of tabernacle, and afterward of temple, such
times and solemnities of festivals, were never to be paralleled by any
other nation, but only by the true Christian Israel established by Jesus
Christ amongst Jews and Gentiles throughout the world.
[Sidenote: God’s own finger penned laws for Israel.]
Thirdly, the law of the ten words, Deut. x., the epitome of all the rest,
it pleased the most high God to frame and pen twice, with his own most
holy and dreadful finger, upon Mount Sinai, which he never did to any
other nation before or since, but only to that spiritual Israel, the
people and the church of God, in whose hearts of flesh he writes his
laws, according to Jer. xxxi., Heb. viii. and x.
_Peace._ Such promulgation of such laws, by such a prophet, must needs be
matchless and unparalleled.
[Sidenote: Fifth difference.]
_Truth._ In the fifth place, consider we the punishments and rewards
annexed to the breach or observation of these laws.
[Sidenote: Temporal prosperity most proper to the temporal national state
of the Jews.]