culiar to the magistrate (neither doth the ministry
intermeddle or entangle itself into such businesses), but the latter is
contained within the office of the ministers.

48. For to that end also in the holy Scripture profitable, to show which
is the best manner of governing a commonwealth, and that the magistrate,
as being God's minister, may by this guiding star be so directed, as that
he may execute the parts of his office according to the will of God, and
may perfectly be instructed to every good work; yet the minister is not
said properly to treat of civil businesses, but of the scandals which
arise about them, or in the cases of conscience which occur in the
administration of the commonwealth, so also the magistrate is not properly
said to be exercised about the spiritual things of the church, but rather
about those external things which adhere unto and accompany the spiritual
things.

49. And in such external matters of the church, although all magistrates
will not, yet all, yea even heathen magistrates, may and ought to aid and
help the church: whence it is that by the command of God prayers are to be
made also for an heathen magistrate, that the faithful under them may live
a quiet life, with all godliness and honesty, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

50. Unto the external things of the church belongeth, not only the
correction of heretics and other troublers of the church, but also that
civil order and way of convocating and calling together synods which is
proper to the magistrate; for the magistrate ought by his authority and
power both to establish the rights and liberties of synods assembling
together at times appointed by the known and received law, and to indict
and gather together synods occasionally, as often as the necessity of the
church shall require the same. Not that all or any power to consult or
determine of ecclesiastic or spiritual matters doth flow or spring from
the magistrate as head of the church under Christ, but because in those
things pertaining to the outward man, the church needeth the magistrate's
aid and support.

51. So that the magistrate calleth together synods, not as touching those
things which are proper to synods, but in respect of the things which are
common to synods with other meetings and civil public assemblies, that is,
not as they are assemblies in the name of Christ, to treat of matters
spiritual, but as they are public assemblies within his territories; for
to the end that publi