The time between the ascension and the general resurrection is called,not a reigning,but a regeneration;that is,a preparation of men for the second and glorious coming of Christ at the day of judgement,as appeareth by the words of our Saviour,"You that have followed me in the regeneration,when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory,you shall also sit upon twelve thrones";and of St.Paul,"Having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace";and is compared by our Saviour to fishing;that is,to winning men to obedience,not by coercion and punishing,but by persuasion.And therefore he said not to his Apostles he would make them so many Nimrods,hunters of men;but fishers of men.It is compared also to leaven,to sowing of seed,and to the multiplication of a grain of mustard-seed;by all which compulsion is excluded;and consequently there can in that time be no actual reigning.The work of Christ's ministers is evangelization;that is,a proclamation of Christ,and a preparation for his second coming;as the evangelization of John the Baptist was a preparation to his first coming.
Again,the office of Christ's ministers in this world is to make men believe and have faith in Christ:but faith hath no relation to,nor dependence at all upon,compulsion or commandment;but only upon certainty,or probability of arguments drawn from reason,or from something men believe already.Therefore the ministers of Christ in this world have no power by that title to punish any man for not believing or for contradicting what they say:they have,I say,no power by that title of Christ's ministers to punish such;but if they have sovereign civil power,by politic institution,then they may indeed lawfully punish any contradiction to their laws whatsoever:and St.Paul,of himself and other the then preachers of the Gospel,saith in express words,"We have no dominion over your faith,but are helpers of your joy."
Another argument,that the ministers of Christ in this present world have no right of commanding,may be drawn from the lawful authority which Christ hath left to all princes,as well Christians as infidels.
St.Paul saith,"Children,obey your parents in all things;for this is well pleasing to the Lord."And,"Servants,obey in all things your masters according to the flesh,not with eye-service,as men-pleasers,but in singleness of heart,as fearing the Lord":this is spoken to them whose masters were infidels;and yet they are bidden to obey them in all things.And again,concerning obedience to princes,exhorting "to be subject to the higher powers,"he saith,"that all power is ordained of God";and "that we ought to subject to them not only for"fear of incurring their "wrath,but also for conscience sake."And St.Peter,"Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man,for the Lord's sake,whether it be to the king,as supreme,or unto governors,as to them that be sent by him for the punishment of evildoers,and for the praise of them that do well;for so is the will of God."And again St.Paul,"Put men in mind to be subject to principalities,and powers,and to obey magistrates."These princes and powers whereof St.Peter and St.
Paul here speak were all infidels:much more therefore we are to obey those Christians whom God hath ordained to have sovereign power over us.How then can we be obliged to obey any minister of Christ if he should command us to do anything contrary to the command of the king or other sovereign representant of the Commonwealth whereof we are members,and by whom we look to be protected?It is therefore manifest that Christ hath not left to his ministers in this world,unless they be also endued with civil authority,any authority to command other men.
But what,may some object,if a king,or a senate,or other sovereign person forbid us to believe in Christ?To this I answer that such forbidding is of no effect;because belief and unbelief never follow men's commands.Faith is a gift of God which man can neither give nor take away by promise of rewards or menaces of torture.And,if it be further asked,what if we be commanded by our lawful prince to say with our tongue we believe not;must we obey such command?
Profession with the tongue is but an external thing,and no more than any other gesture whereby we signify our obedience;and wherein a Christian,holding firmly in his heart the faith of Christ,hath the same liberty which the prophet Elisha allowed to Naaman the Syrian.