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DE CORPORE POLITICO.

9. And thus much of the magistrates over Christ's flock in the primitive church. For the office of a minister, or ministress, was to be subject to the flock, and to serve them in those things which appertain to their temporal business. The next thing to be considered is the authority which our Saviour gave them, either over those whom they had converted, or those whom they were about to convert. And for these latter, which as yet, were without the church, the authority which our Saviour gave to his apostles was no more but this, to preach unto them that Jesus was the Christ, and to explicate the same in all points, that concern the kingdom of heaven, and to persuade men to embrace our Saviour's doctrine, but by no means to compel any man to be subject to them: for seeing the laws of the kingdom of heaven, as hath been showed, Part I, ch. v., sect. 10, are dictated to the conscience only, which is not subject to compulsion and constraint, it was not congruent to the style of the King of Heaven to constrain men to submit their actions to him, but to advise them only; nor for him that professeth the sum of his law to be love, to extort any duty from us with fear of temporal punishment. And therefore as the mighty men in the world, that hold others in subjection by force, are called in Scripture by the name of hunters; so our Saviour calleth those whom he appointed to draw the world unto him, by subduing their affections, "fishers." And therefore he saith to Peter and Andrew, (Matt. iv. 19): "Follow me, and I will make ye fishers of men." And Luke x. 3: "Behold," saith Christ, "I send ye forth as lambs amongst wolves." And it were to no end to give them the right of compelling, without strengthening the same with greater power than of "lambs" amongst "wolves." Moreover, Matth. x., where our Saviour giveth a commission to his apostles, to go forth and convert the nations to the faith, he giveth them no authority of "coercion" and punishment, but only saith, (verse 14,

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