Thousands of commonweals where no true church of Christ.
Secondly, this is built upon a supposition of what rarely falls out in the world, to wit, that there must necessarily be a true church of Christ in every lawful state, unto whom these complaints must go: whereas, how many thousand commonweals have been and are, where the name of Christ hath not (or not truly) been founded!
The complaints of families properly fall into the cognizance of the civil magistrate.
Thirdly, the magistrates’ office, according to their own grant, properly respecting the bodies and goods of their subjects, and the whole body of the commonweal being made up of families, as the members constituting that body, I see not how, according to the rule of Christ, Rom. xiii., the magistrate may refuse to hear and help the just complaints of any such petitioners—children, wives, and servants—against oppression, &c.
They who give to magistrates more than is due, are most apt to disrobe them of what is theirs.
Peace. I have long observed, that such as have been ready to ascribe to the civil magistrate and his sword more than God hath ascribed, have also been most ready to cut off the skirts, and, in case of his inclining to another conscience than their own, to spoil him of the robe of that due authority with which it hath pleased God and the people to invest and clothe him.
But I shall now present you with the thirteenth head, whose title is,—
CHAP. CXXIX.
13th head.
What power magistrates have in public assemblies of churches.