2 - Of government in general, and of a community civil

Summary

Church government presupposeth the rules of government in general, therefore he that will know the latter, must understand the former: for he that is ignorant of government, must needs be ignorant of church government; and this is the very case of many in our days, and this is one cause of many differences amongst us at this time. To give some light in this particular, I will say something of government in general. The government of God, whereby he more immediately orders man to his final and immortal estate, I have according to my poor ability declared in my Theo-politica, or divine politics, therefore I will confine my discourse to the government of man by man, or rather the government of God by men set over men. For God communicates some measure of his power to mortal men; and such as are entrusted with it, become his vicegerents and bear his name according to that of the psalmist, ‘I have said ye are Gods’ (Ps. 82.6). My design in this treatise is not to deliver an exact system of politics, yet I will make use of those rules I find in political writers of better rank, but with a reservation of a liberty to myself to vary from them, as I shall see just cause. To pass by the distinction of government monastical and economical; I will pitch upon that which is political. The subject whereof is a community and society larger than that of a family, and may be sufficient to receive the form of a commonwealth.