Shall the church here fly to the pope’s sanctuary against emperors and princes excommunicate, to wit, give away their crowns, kingdoms, or dominions, and invite foreign princes to make war upon them and their territories? The authors surely will disclaim this; and yet I shall prove their tenets tend directly unto such a practice.
Or secondly, shall she say the magistrate is not a true magistrate, because not able to judge and determine in such cases? This their confession will not give them leave to say, because they cannot deny unbelievers to be lawful magistrates: and yet it shall appear, notwithstanding their confession to the contrary, their tenets imply that none but a magistrate after their own conscience is a lawful magistrate.
Therefore, thirdly, they must ingenuously and honestly confess, that if it be the duty of the magistrate to punish the church in spiritual cases, he must then judge according to his conscience and persuasion, whatever his conscience be: and then let all men judge into what a woful state they bring both the civil magistrate and church of Christ, by such a church-destroying and state-destroying doctrine.
Peace. Some will here say, in such a case either the magistrate or the church must judge; either the spiritual or civil state must be supreme.
[Truth.] I answer, if the magistrate be of another religion,—
The true way of the God of peace in differences between the church and the magistrate.
First. What hath the church to judge him being without? 1 Cor. v. [12, 13.]
Secondly. If he be a member of the church, doubtless the church hath power to judge, in spiritual and soul-cases, with spiritual and church censures, all that are within, 1 Cor. v. 1-11.
Thirdly. If the church offend against the civil peace of the state, by wronging the bodies or goods of any, the magistrate bears not the sword in vain, Rom. xiii. 4, to correct any or all the members of the church. And this I conceive to be the only way of the God of peace.