Prince doth his best we hope from the Conditions of the new Covenant that will be acceptable. Must not he who has Commiffion and Charge to act lead out his Subjects to Battle against their Enemies, execute Malefactors, determine Titles of Eftates, &c. because he may, and knows he must fometimes err? Or may not his Governors, Judges, &c. act, because they may err? And may one or more private Perfons, who have no Commiffion to act in fuch Affairs, who have often erred and may err, oppose him or withdraw their Allegiance upon that Account, and without either Commiffion from above, or from the King, take upon them to act in the Affairs committed to that earthly Prince? is not that fetting up themselves in his Kingdom?

Suppofe thofe, who have Authority in the Church, have only Right to preach the Gospel, admit by Baptism, teach and pray, administer the Communion, lay down Rules upon which Persons shall be admitted into the Church, into Offices in it; and By-laws which are not contrary to Christ's Laws for their Behaviour in it; and upon Denial to conform to these Rules, to deny Admiffion into the Church or Office; or upon Breach of these Rules, or of any of Chrift's Laws, to expel out of the Church or Offices in it, and upon Submiffion to restore them; and continue that Power by electing Succeffors without any Power over the Bodies or Eftates of its Members.

The Minifters or Governors of the Commu nity or Corporation of the Church, fince God has taken away the Godlike Power of directing their Words and Actions immediately himself, and of feeing into the Hearts of Men, from them, can only act by their own Faculties, and by fuch Assistance as God is pleased to furnish them with, and take Cognizance of the outward Actions or Declarations of others } fhall they not therefore preach the Gospel, enquire into the Lives of Perfons at Age, examine their Sentiments, &c. before they admit them into the Church by Baptifm? Is it not reasonable before a Man be admitted into a Society, or into an Office or Charge in it, that he make a Declaration of his Sentiments? Would it not be very odd to admit a profeffed Jew and give him a Reward to preach Christianity, and would not he be a Villain to accept it? Have they not both Commiffion and Example for this? Did not the Apoftles examine, notwithftanding their Power of feeing into the Hearts of Men, and make Perfons make publick Cónfeffions before they baptifed them? Did they not lay down Rules how Perfons fhould be qualified before they were chofen into Offices? And if one in a Society break the Laws of him who instituted it, or by which it is governed, is not that a fufficient Reafon to expel him? Have they not both Commiffion and Example for this? Nay the Church cannot be a Society nor fubfift, except the Governors have Power ei

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ther

ther to explain the Laws given by Christ for the Government thereof, or make fuch themfelves upon which they will admit or expel. If the Apostles and their Succeffors had Power of Admiffion and Expulfion, they must be Judges of the Qualifications. If the Governors err in admitting or expelling, &c. they must answer for it; and if the fuppofed Offender err, he must answer for it at the laft Judgment. Yet though they are not infallible, that muft not hinder them to act any more than a Prince or his Governors or Judges, or the Governors of any other Society; and if any of them do their beft, that is acceptable upon the prefent Conditions or new Covenant. Muft they not act who have Authority, Charge and Example to act, because they may err? And may a private Perfon who may err, after he is refused Admittance or expelled, fet up and exercise those Authorities himself, teach, adminifter at the Altar, or govern the Church? Is not this fetting up himself a Governor in Chrift's Church, and doing more Mischief (there) than he is capable of doing in his Kingdom?

The Kingdom of the Jews being at the coming of Chrift in the Hand of an Heathen, and the Nation fince destroyed, I need fay nothing farther of it.

If the Officers in a Chriftian Church under a Heathen Prince convert a Heathen Subject, fo that he make a Declaration and perform Works to entitle him to be admitted, and after

wards commit fuch Crimes as obliges the Church to expel him, then he is to the Church as a Heathen or a Publican, or perhaps worse than he was before; but being a Heathen gave the Church no Authority over his Body or his Eftate; and he ftands upon no other Terms with the King than if he had not been admitted into the Church: If it were a Crime that affects the Prince or his Subjects, in Respect to his Commiffion he may proceed; but after the Perfon is out of the Church, the Church has no Power over him, because when he entered into the Church, he entered under no Engagements for Body or Eftate; and what he forfeited with Respect to the Advantages of being in the Church, takes Effect, and what upon Account of his Crimes or Contempt is to be answered elfewhere: His Recognizance that he entered into, is forfeited to Chrift under whom he lifted himfelf, and before whom it will be tried. If the Church expelled him without a Crime, he will be acquitted, if for a Crime, he must answer for it at Chrift's Bar. If he be baptifed an Infant, and enter into the fame Engagement when at Years of Difcretion, and afterwards be expelled the Church, the Cafe will be the fame. Did not the Apostles inftruct and charge the Perfons they appointed their Succeffors to obferve their Rules? Do we not find John, by Christ's Order, in the Revelations charging the Governors of divers Churches with Errors and admonishing them to amend? (How them came

People

People to dream of Infallibility, when it is plain there is no infallible Guide upon Earth, or from above neceffary; because there is no unerring Faith in Belief or Doctrine, or Obedience in Works required, but rational Guides, a rational Belief and Performance;) notwithstanding all this human Frailty, they were obliged in those heathen Countries, to exercife all their Offices upon the Authority of their Commiffions, and were quitted from their perfonal or actual Allegiance; ordered, if they were perfecuted in one Place, to fly to another, and profecute the main Defign, without any Licence from the Kings to whom they taught Subjection in all other Matters; nay even against their Commands, at the Expence of their Liberty and Lives, upon Affurance of being well repaid what they loft and fuffered in doing their Duty by Christ at his Judgment. Are their Commiffions weakened or their Duty leffened under a Christian King? I think not.

If we believe Chrift, the Authority of Kings was derived from God, and God hath given all Power in Earth to him; fo now a King holds his Authority under Chrift, as well as a Minifter in his Church; and where there is a Chriftian Church, and a King that happens to be Christian, one of his Subjects who pretends to be a Christian can scarce commit one Crime, wherein the King and Officers of the Church are not both immediately concerned, by Virtue of their refpective Commiffions; the Church in reclaim0 3

ing