ities would follow, should not these two societies, viz. church
and commonwealth, be acknowledged to be really and essentially
distinct from one another! For then, 1. There can be no commonwealth
where there is not a Church; but this is contrary to all experience.
Heathens have commonwealths, yet no Church. 2. Then there may be church
officers elected where there is no church, seeing there are magistrates
where there is no church. 3. Then those magistrates, where there is no
church, are no magistrates; but that is repugnant to Scripture, which
accounts heathen rulers the servants of God, Isa. xlv. 1; Jer. xxv. 9:
and calls them kings, Exod. vi. 13; Isa. xxxi. 35. And further, if there
be no magistrates where there is no church, then the church is the
formal constituting cause of magistrates. 4. Then the commonwealth, as
the commonwealth, is the church; and the church, as the church, is the
commonwealth: then the church and the commonwealth are the same. 5. Then
all that are members of the commonwealth are, on that account, because
members of the commonwealth, members of the church. 6. Then the
commonwealth, being formally the same with the church, is, as a
commonwealth, the mystical body of Christ. 7. Then the officers of the
church are the officers of the commonwealth; the power of the keys gives
them right to the civil sword: and consequently, the ministers of the
gospel, as ministers, are justices of the peace, judges, parliament-men,
&c., all which how absurd, let the world judge.

2d. From the co-ordination of the power ecclesiastical and political, in
reference to one another: (this being a received maxim, that subordinate
powers are of the same kind; co-ordinate powers are of distinct kinds.)
Now, that the power of the Church is co-ordinate with the civil power,
may be evidenced as followeth: 1. The officers of Christ, as officers,
are not directly and properly subordinate to the civil power, though in
their persons they are subject thereto: the apostles and pastors may
preach, and cast out of the church, against the will of the magistrate,
and yet not truly offend magistracy; thus, in doing the duty they have
immediately received from God, they must "obey God rather than men,"
Acts iv. 19, 20. And the apostles and pastors must exercise their office
(having received a command from Christ) without attending to the command
or consent of the civil magistrate for the same; _as in casting out the
incestuous person_, 1