The civil magistrate not betrusted with gathering of churches.
Truth. If there be a ministry sent forth by Christ’s supreme power, and a ministry sent forth by the magistrate’s subordinate power, to gather churches—I ask, what is the difference between these two? Is there any gathering of churches but by that commission, Matt. xxviii. Teach and baptize? And is the civil magistrate entrusted with a power from Christ, as his deputy, to give this commission, and so to send out ministers to preach and baptize?
If the magistrate, then much more the people of the world, from whom the magistrates receive their power.
As there is nothing in the Testament of Christ concerning such a delegation or assignment of such power of Christ to the civil magistrate: so I also ask, since in every free state civil magistrates have no power but what the peoples of those states, lands, and countries betrust them with, whether or no, by this means, it must not follow, that Christ Jesus hath left with the peoples and nations of the world his spiritual kingly power to grant commissions, and send out ministers to themselves, to preach, convert, and baptize themselves? How inevitably this follows upon their conclusion of power in magistrates to send, &c., and what unchristian and unreasonable consequences must flow from hence, let all consider in the fear of God.
Jehoshaphat (2 Chron. xvii.) a figure of Christ Jesus in his church, not of the civil magistrate in the state.
Jehoshaphat’s sending forth the Levites to teach in Judah, &c., as they allege it not, so elsewhere it shall more fully appear to be a type and figure of Christ Jesus, the only king of his church, providing for the feeding of his church and people by his true Christian priests and Levites, viz., the ministry which in the gospel he hath appointed.
CHAP. CV.
Peace. We have examined the ministry, be pleased, dear Truth, to speak to the second branch of this head: viz., the maintenance of it. They affirm that the magistrate may force out the minister’s maintenance from all that are taught by them, and that after the pattern of Israel; and the argument from 1 Cor. ix., Gal. vi. 6.
Truth. This theme, viz., concerning the maintenance of the priests and ministers of worship, is indeed the apple of the eye, the Diana of the [Ephesians,[214]] &c.; yet all that love Christ Jesus in sincerity, and souls in and from him, will readily profess to abhor filthy lucre, Tit. i. 7, and the wages of Balaam, both more common and frequent than easily is discernible.