The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered, by Roger Williams CHAP. XCII. CHAP. XCII. Peace. The fourth head is, The proper means of both these powers to attain their ends. “First, the proper means whereby the civil power may and should attain its end, are only political, and principally these five. “First, the erecting and establishing what form of civil government may seem in wisdom most meet, according to general rules of the word, and state of the people. “Secondly, the making, publishing, and establishing of wholesome civil laws, not only such as concern civil justice, but also the free passage of true religion: for outward civil peace ariseth and is maintained from them both, from the latter as well as from the former. “Civil peace cannot stand entire where religion is corrupted, 2 Chron. xv. 3, 5, 6; Judges viii. And yet such laws, though conversant about religion, may still be counted civil laws: as on the contrary, an oath doth still remain religious, though conversant about civil matters. “Thirdly, election and appointment of civil officers, to see execution of those laws. “Fourthly, civil punishments and rewards of transgressors and observers of these laws. “Fifthly, taking up arms against the enemies of civil peace. “Secondly, the means whereby the church may and should attain her ends, are only ecclesiastical, which are chiefly five. “First, setting up that form of church government only of which Christ hath given them a pattern in his word. “Secondly, acknowledging and admitting of no lawgiver in the church but Christ, and the publishing of his laws. “Thirdly, electing and ordaining of such officers only as Christ hath appointed in his word. “Fourthly, to receive into their fellowship them that are approved, and inflicting spiritual censures against them that offend. “Fifthly, prayer and patience in suffering any evil from them that be without, who disturb their peace. “So that magistrates, as magistrates, have no power of setting up the form of church government, electing church officers, punishing with church censures; but to see that the church doth her duty herein. And on the other side, the churches, as churches, have no power, though as members of the commonweal they may have power, of erecting or altering forms of civil government, electing of civil officers, inflicting civil punishments—no, not on persons excommunicated—as by deposing magistrates from their civil authority, or withdrawing the hearts of the people against them, to their laws, no more than to discharge wives, or children, or servants, from due obedience to their husbands, parents, or masters: or by taking up arms against their magistrates, though they persecute them for conscience: for though members of churches, who are public officers, also of the civil state, may suppress by force the violence of usurpers, as Jehoiada did Athaliah, yet this they do not as members of the church, but as officers of the civil state.” Truth. Here are divers considerable passages, which I shall briefly examine so far as concerns our controversy. First, whereas they say, that the civil power may erect and establish what form of civil government may seem in wisdom most meet: I acknowledge the proposition to be most true, both in itself, and also considered with the end of it, that a civil government is an ordinance of God, to conserve the civil peace of people so far as concerns their bodies and goods, as formerly hath been said. Civil power originally and fundamentally in the people. But from this grant I infer, as before hath been touched, that the sovereign, original, and foundation of civil power, lies in the people—whom they must needs mean by the civil power distinct from the government set up: and if so, that a people may erect and establish what form of government seems to them most meet for their civil condition. It is evident that such governments as are by them erected and established, have no more power, nor for no longer time, than the civil power, or people consenting and agreeing, shall betrust them with. This is clear not only in reason, but in the experience of all commonweals, where the people are not deprived of their natural freedom by the power of tyrants. Mr. Cotton and the New English ministers, give the government of Christ’s church, or spouse, into the hands of the people, or commonweal. And if so—that the magistrates receive their power of governing the church from the people—undeniably it follows, that a people, as a people, naturally considered, of what nature or nation soever in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, have fundamentally and originally, as men, a power to govern the church, to see her do her duty, to correct her, to redress, reform, establish, &c. And if this be not to pull God, and Christ, and Spirit out of heaven, and subject them unto natural, sinful, inconstant men, and so consequently to Satan himself, by whom all peoples naturally are guided, let heaven and earth judge. The very Indian Americans made governors of the church by the authors of these positions. Peace. It cannot, by their own grant, be denied, but that the wildest Indians in America ought (and in their kind and several degrees do) to agree upon some forms of government, some more civil compact in towns, &c., some less. As also, that their civil and earthly governments be as lawful and true as any governments in the world, and therefore consequently their governors are keepers of the church, of both tables, if any church of Christ should arise or be amongst them: and therefore, lastly, if Christ have betrusted and charged the civil power with his church, they must judge according to their Indian or American consciences, for other consciences it cannot be supposed they should have.