rgument against me, confound these two things
which he himself had but just now carefully distinguished? If he will make
anything of his syllogism he must hold at one of these two senses. In the
first sense it is true that all are either for Christ or against Christ;
and it is as true that his assumption must be distinguished. For, _de
facto_, the Christian magistrate is for Christ when he doth his duty
faithfully, and is against Christ if he be unfaithful. But, _de jure_, it
holds true universally, that the Christian magistrate manageth his office
under and for Christ; that is, so as to be serviceable for the kingdom and
glory of Christ. In the second sense (which only concerneth me) taking
"under and for Christ," to be in Christ's stead, as his deputies or
vicegerents, so his assumption is lame and imperfect, because it doth not
hold forth my opinion clearly. That which I did, and still do hold, is
this: That the civil magistrate, whether Christian or pagan, is God's
vicegerent, who, by virtue of his vicegerentship, is to manage his office
and authority under God, and for God; that is, in God's stead, and as God
upon earth: but he is not the vicegerent of Christ as Mediator, neither is
he, by virtue of any such vicegerentship, to manage his office and
authority under Christ, and for Christ; that is, in Christ's stead, and as
Christ Mediator upon earth. This was and is my plain opinion (not mine
alone, but of others more learned), and Mr Coleman hath not said so much
as yo{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~} to confute it. So much for the assumption. But in the same sense I
utterly deny his proposition, as being a great untruth in divinity; for
the sense of it can be no other than this: Whosoever do not manage their
office and authority in Christ's stead, or as deputies and vicegerents of
Christ, as he is Mediator, they manage it in the devil's stead, as the
devil's deputies and vicegerents. Now I assume pagan magistrates do not
manage their office as the deputies and vicegerents of Jesus Christ, as he
is Mediator, therefore as the devil's deputies. Which way was the
authority derived to them from Christ as Mediator? Mr Coleman, p. 19,
saith in answer to this particular, formerly objected, that Christ is
rightful king of the whole earth, and all nations ought to receive Christ,
though as yet they do not. But this helpeth him not. That which he had to
show was, that the pagan magistrate, even while continuing pagan and not
Chris