c conventions may be kept in any territory, the
license of the lord of that place ought to be desired. In synods,
therefore, a respect of order, as well civil as ecclesiastical, is to be
had; and because of this civil order, outward defence, better
accommodation, together with safe access and recess, the consent and
commandment of him who is appointed to take care of, and defend human
order, doth intervene.

52. Moreover, when the church is rent asunder by unhappy and lamentable
schisms, while they who have raised the troubles, and given cause for the
solemn gathering of a synod (whether by their heresy, or schism, or
tyranny, or any other fault of others), use to place the great strength
and safeguard of their cause in declining and fleeing the trial and
sentence of a free synod as being formidable to them, who seeth not that
they cannot be drawn to a public and judicial trial, nor other disobedient
persons be compelled to obedience, without the magistrate's public mandate
and help.

53. The object of ecclesiastical power is not the same with the object of
the civil power, but much differing from it; for the ecclesiastical power
doth determine and appoint nothing concerning men's bodies, goods,
dignities, civil rights, but is employed only about the inward man or the
soul; not that it can search the hearts or judge of the secrets of the
conscience, which is in the power of God alone: yet notwithstanding it
hath for its proper object those externals which are purely spiritual, and
do belong properly and most nearly to the spiritual good of the soul;
which also are termed {~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH VARIA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH PSILI AND OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH PERISPOMENI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}, _the inward things of the
church_.

54. Those things, then, wherein the ecclesiastical power is exercised, are
the preaching of the word, the administration of sacraments, public prayer
and thanksgiving, the catechising and instructing of children and ignorant
persons, the examination