The inventions of men in swerving from the true essentials of civil and spiritual commonweals.
Truth. If the scope of this head be to qualify and adorn Christian impartiality and faithfulness with Christian wisdom and tenderness, I honour and applaud such a Christian motion; but whereas that case is put which is nowhere found in the pattern of the first churches, nor suiting with the rule of Christianity, to wit, that “the commonweal should consist of church members,” which must be taken privately, to wit, that none should be admitted members of the commonweal but such as are first members of the church—which must necessarily run the church upon that temptation to feel the pulse of the court concerning a delinquent magistrate, before they dare proceed—I say, let such practices be brought to the touchstone of the true frame of a civil commonweal, and the true frame of the spiritual or Christian commonweal, the church of Christ, and it will be seen what wood, hay, and stubble of carnal policy and human inventions in Christ’s matters are put in place of the precious stones, gold, and silver of the ordinances of the most high and only wise God.
CHAP. CXXXVII.
16th and last head examined.
Peace. Dear Truth, we are now arrived at their last head: the title is this, viz.,—
Their power in the liberties and privileges of these churches.
“First, all magistrates ought to be chosen out of church members, Exod. xviii. 21; Deut. xvii. 15; Prov. xxix. 2. When the righteous rule, the people rejoice.
“Secondly, that all free men elected, be only church members;—
“1. Because if none but church members should rule, then others should not choose, because they may elect others beside church members.
2. From the pattern of Israel, where none had power to choose but only Israel, or such as were joined to the people of God.