A Dissertation Upon the Power of the Church in a Middle Way

A Dissertation Upon The Power Of The Church In A Middle Way by Patrick Middleton. This polemical treatise argues for a middle course between the extremes of ecclesiastical supremacy and Erastianism, defending a constitutional balance between church authority and civil sovereignty. Middleton critiques both Papists and Presbyterians for leaving truth behind in heated disputes, and pleads for a reconciled approach in which Christ's spiritual authority is exercised through church rulers but is bound under the civil government's ultimate authority. He surveys early Christian doctrine, cites Rom. 13, 1 Pet. 2, and the practices of Ambrose and Theodosius, as well as Grotius, to illustrate how civil powers and church governance have interacted historically. The work, originally published in 1733 London, is a cautious defense of Anglican canonical order against independent church power, arguing that independent ecclesiastical jurisdiction would undermine public peace, while acknowledging the necessity of spiritual discipline and proper obedience to rightful rulers. It aims to promote peace and reconciliation in Christian communities.