God and his Law Quest 3. Whether when the people have Covenanted with God in the Law the Magistrate be not to put in execution the punishments for the breaches made by the people of the Covenant Joshua 7.15 Resp 1. Or else he bears the sword in vain Rom. 13.4 Deut. 17.2 2 Or else the whole Nation are defiled by the sin and so the punishment becomes universal Deut. 13.12 13 14 15 16. 3 The Scriptures require that the soul sins against the Law shall dye Ezek. 18.4 4 Or the Nation will become abominable and in stead of being a people of God be a people of Satan for by punishment of sin according to the Law sin was said so to be put away from among them and not else the sin else remaining Deut. 13.5 one man as pitch defiling another 5 In Covenant keeping was great reward so in Covenant breaking was death the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 Ezek. 18.29 Yet saith the house of Israel The way of the Lord is not equal O house of Israel are not my way equal are not your ways unequal compare Gods with ours and his ways are equal ours unequal There are three grounds by which the Magistrate hath warrant to force the Law of God on a Nation which are all binding to the now Magistracy 1. Is the ground that the creature stands bound to God by for his Creation as it retains a knowledge of God thereby so that man is without excuse by the creation for making any similitude of God because in the things are made the invisible things of God are seen Rom. 1.19 20 which inexecusableness is before God onely 2 The Law being added sin abounded Rom. 5.20 Gal. 3.19 the Law was added because of transgression so that after the receiving and owning of the Law sin abounds not in quantity but in quality also a man dyes more justly for sinning against Law then without Law for offending Gods then mans Laws for breaking the Law after the Covenant then before as Paul says Rom. 7.7 I had not known sin but by the Law and 1 Cor. 15.56 the power of sin is the Law and Rom. 5.13 where is no Law is no transgression imputed 3 A people desiring the knowledge of God and enjoyment of his name but are denyed by such as rule over them and after by the outstretched arm of God are redeemed from them are by a special means called to a setting up of Gods Law and government as a debt to their Redeemer I. Thus Exod. 20.2 I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the house of bondage out of the Land of Egypt c. Note the Antichristian estate is the Land of Egypt to us as Egypt was to the Israelites Rev. 11.8 and the house of bondage in respect of the illegal yoaks William the bastard laid on this Nation which were full of tyranny and oppression who destroyed the fundamental Law of the Nation and on all differences with the Barons his posterity promised restoration of them who then knew no better Now God never delivered this Nation from the house of bondage and Land of Egypt in this kinde until now now there is a freedom from others and a tye to God that he be made king that hath delivered them See how Israel observs Gedeon Judges 8.22 23. The men of Israel said unto Gedeon Rule thou over us and thy sons also for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian And Gedeon said unto them I will not rule over you nor shall my sons rule over you the Lord shall rule over you It shews that a people are bound to set up him to rule over them that delivered them from their enemies and I hope the men delivered of this Nation will say God delivered them Deut. 29.16 17. Yea the late power could not this power I know will not say they delivered the Nation from the bondage on it spiritual or corporal but that it was God delivered it what now hinders that God who ought to reign is not set up in the Land to rule Yea I believe the very enemy for our deliverance sake will say as Nebuchadnezzar seeing his idolatry scorned and the worshippers of the true God preserved as Dan. 3.28 and ver 29. I make a decree that every people Nation and language which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednege shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghil because there is no other God that can deliver in this sort So that it appears Gods deliverance of a people from evil and idolatrous powers is a ground by which that people so delivered are bound to own God his rule and Law they being therefore freed that they may honor him and obey him as in the deliverance of his people Israel Luke 1.74 75. 2 King 17.35 36 37 38 39. Quest 4. But what are the enforcements God authorizeth the Magistrate with in setting up his Law 1 Exod. 19.5 Keep my Covenant then shall ye be a peculiar treasure to me above all people for all the earth is mine if not see Lev. 26.15 25. Deut. 5.2 3 mark the Covenant is no less tyed to the keeping of the judgements Deut. 7.12 then to the keeping of the commands ver 9. 2 As in 2 King 11.17 A Covenant is made after general apostacy to Baal that the people will be the people of the Lord. 3 All the people small and great have the words of the Covenant read to them and they stand to it 2 King 23.2 3. 4 2 Chron. 15.12 13 they entred into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers and who would not seek the Lord God of their fathers whether man or woman small or great should be put to death 2 Chron. 34.31 32. Josia made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord to keep his Commands his testimonies and his statutes and he caused all that were in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it I beseech you consider if mortal men made Kings adjudge men to death for denying their supremacy doth not man more justly dye for denying Gods was it Treason to declare any other King in a Nation then he that is Legally such How much more doth he deserve death that sets up another King then God over men by Idols Was the counterfeting the Broad-Seal Treason how then to swear by the name of the most high falsly or in a way God owns not Object O but this was in a civil way onely that Kings were so honored Res 1 God in the Law as King is only acknowledged as supreme in the State as issuing forth all power from himself to men in which he not men reigns as of the contrary not to submit to the rule and authority of God is as the Israelites to reject God or Christ and chuse Saul or Barabbas or the Bramble to rule over them 2 The worship of God was not contained in the Law
judicial but in the Law ceremonial the Judicial Law held out his authority power and rule onely as a Lord over men which men despising dye more justly for then for opposing the authority of all the men on earth 3 This of the Law is an honor due to God from his creating man and from man as his creature in natures state by created light Quest 5. Whether the first Table belong to the Magistrate now or not or onely the second Table Resp Jam. 2.10 says He that breaks the Law in one point is guilty of all and Moses says Cursed be he confirmeth not all the words of this Law to do them Jam. 2.7 11. 2 Judgement of things in the second Table is not to be executed without the use of Commands of the first 1 A man in difficult cases cannot be satisfied but by an Oath Heb. 6.16 an oath is the end of all strife Jer. 4 2. Thou shalt swear the Lord lives in righteousness which shews the oath of God is not to be ministred to unrighteous Law and proceeds again it must be in judgement which cannot be if the commands of the first Table pertain not to the Magistrate 2 As an oath is to be ministred in judgement Command 3. so that oath must be in the name of God or the Plaintiff is not to receive his testimony yea indeed it can be no oath Command the first is hence proved to be of necessary use in judgement 3 It must not be by the name of an idol God that the Magistrate professing Gods word ought not to receive for God will cut off the name of Idols out of the Land Command second is concerned also in judgement 4 And whereas it ought to be the Magistrates care that the people under him live a godly and sober life in all righteousness ond honesty it proves from 1 Tim. 2.2 1 A necessity of the seventh day Sabbath to be observed the fourth Command 2 And if the Law of Moses by which the people are to live or be judgeed be read to them every Sabbath day Act. 15.21 3 That the remembrance of the Creation and Rest with thanks to the Creator be continued that God may sanctifie them and as a school-master bring men to Christ 4 That the servant the Oxe the Ass may rest and not be destroyed with labour and toil the merciless master otherwise would burthen them withal yea and destroy them Christ tells us The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath Mark 2.27 5 Without this what profanation wickednesses and abominations would the people suddenly run into and be before God worse then heathens who observed days to their idol gods 6 The seventh day is the signe of the Covenant of God so that if that be neglected the Covenant is not signed yea God punished the breach of Sabbaths the neglect of Sabbaths severely and blessed in all abundance the observance of them and annexed many promises If Magistrates now have nothing to do to put in execution the Commands of the second Table 1 Then they have nought to do to punish Witches Sorcerers or other Covenanters with Satan because these sin against the first Command in denying God and against the third in taking the name of God in vain 2 Gal. 5.19 20. Idolatry and Witchcraft are numbred together as a work of the flesh with adultery fornication murther Object Ver. 20. Heresie is exprest and that pertains not to the civil Magistrate to punish Resp This Heresie as here a work of the flesh is limited to a denyal of God or the rule and the authority of God indeed a dividing himself from God and his Law under which the natural man ought to be the Apostle in this Epistle treating mainly of the Law and the state of man as under the same or as it ought to be under the same for those under the curse ought to be under the rule of the Law though the time and opportunity is denyed them and this kinde of heresie concerns the Magistrate as the punishment of witchcraft or murther doth and distinct from the heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 speaks of calling them damnable heresies that is denying Christ that bought them which is brought into the Church and come not under the Magistrates cognizance to punish with the sword And thus you see how the four Commands of the first Table concern the Magistrate as much as the six last of the second Table yea so as he that confirmeth not all the words of the Law to do them is accursed and he that breaks one is guilty of all for the authority of the Law is in the first Command acknowledged or made void in the owning or the denyal of it as containing the Kingship and the supremacy of God as Lawgiver this begets obedience The power of the Law is from the name of God contained in the third Command this begets fear The sanctification of the people by the Law is from the observation of the fourt Command this begets holiness The second Command is for the preservation of the power and the authority of the Law and for preventing unholiness a not glorifying God as God So that the second Table disjoyned from the first in the hand of man is mans setting up of himself and casting down the authority and power of God and is the greatest of all abominations and the greatest of all other violence done to God O let not humane power and authority ever come to rule by the divine Law of God this is indeed to set themselves in the Throne of God will not God hold him guiltless takes his name in vain and shall he be guiltless takes his throne his honor his name his law and glory from him It is no less dangerous to rule by our authority then not to rule by Gods law Gods law is not to be administred but in his name and by that authority is of God without desperate and high rebellion God is to be in the law and judgement as Kings were in their law and judgement shall men have that over you which you think too great to give to God How little is God beholding to you who will not admit him his soveraignty in his own law over his creatures Object But is not an inforcing a Covenant with God and a putting men to death for idolatry persecution and an oppressing the Consciences of men Resp 1 The enforcement is not of man but God man is but Gods minister therein as in the other parts of his ministery 2 Conscience is inexcusable before God from the things made proving the invisibility of God against Idols and idolatry as Rom. 1.19 20. 3 The Law hath a light more strongly convincing Conscience then the natural light by which it is bound to the living God from idols by which man is inexcusable before men and so he that hath the law and yet worships idols justly is judged to dye thereby Note it is not mental idolatry but manual or
open such as by two witnesses is proved before the Judge is here meant 4 Conscience is under the light of the law so that a man cannot plead Conscience to do any thing against the law as to steal commit adultery lye murder disobey his parents in lawful things then much less may a man plead Conscience to be an idolater a blasphemer or to depart from the true God 5 Persecution is from Tyrants afflicting men for doing just and holy things before God and not from the Minister of God doing justice on men actually and openly offending against the divine Law of God as evil doers not as Christians 6 Conscience is not to be forced to believe Doctrines of Faith but to be informed when yet a man is to be compelled in his life to live righteously soberly godlily 7 Conscience is not prejudiced in its liberty when the man is punished for idolatry Conscience having no liberty from God to worship idols Conscience agreeing with the Law against the idolater onely man when he knows God and glorifies him not as God becomes vain in his imaginations and is given up to act against Conscience to his own condemnation 8 Conscience when from some unknownness of the minde of God in some duty doubts is not to be forced because its knowledge of the thing is not accompanied with Faith and so what is not of faith is sin but Consciences knowledge of God is cleerer then to think that God is a stone or that the Sun is God or the like or else there is no knowledge of God in that man either as he is revealed in the Law or Gospel or any answerable light to Law or Gospel yea or nature it self abiding in him without some answerableness to one of which lights in man it cannot be termed Conscience in man that withholds him from submitting to things enjoyned by a power Now it s that answerableness of light in man to the Gospel is not to be forced and comes in the compass of persecution the civil Magistrate not being trusted therewith and not that answerableness of light in man to the Law which is agreeable to the natural light and concerns the natural man and the natural life of men in their manners and so the Magistrate to be trusted with it It s not Conscience in a man that desires liberty to be unjust unhonest c. but unconscionableness and a lack of Conscience As for that Queston Whether the first Table be to be enjoyned by the now Magistrate O that it might be considered whether that shall be a Law to us concerns our neighbours and not that concerns our God Shall the Law be law and the authority of God evacuated As Christ Matt. 23.19 Ye hypocrites which is greater the Altar or the gift so which is greater God or the Law O is there not such an oneness in the law that the destruction of one is the destruction of all 1 Shall a childe dye for disobeying his parents by the fifth Command and shall it not be death to them that will not take God for their God by the first command 2 Is it death for a man carnally to defile himself with his neighbours wife by the seventh Command and shall spiritual defiling a mans self with whorish idols by the second Command be much more death 3 Shall stealing a child from his father be death by the eighth Command and shall not stealing men from God by perswading to idolatry be death by the second Command Deut. 13.6 7 8 9 10. 4 Shall a childs cursing his father or mother be death by the fifth Command and shall not cursing and blaspheming of God be death by the third Command and denying his authority 5 Shall heathens from the light of nature execute death for the like offences on men in revenge of wrong done to their idols and shall we plead a liberty to those done against the onely true God by his enemies 6 Christ Matt. 22.38 said This is the first and the great Command and the second is like to this Is it the great Command concerned God and is there no punishment for offences against it but for offences against the second that concerns men onely That in the tenth Command Thou shalt not covet is by the Apostle cleerly reduced to the second Command Eph. 5.5 or covetous person which is an idolater 7 The second is said to be like the first Matt. 22.39 what is forbid in the second is forbid in the first as against God as in the other as against man the first was a pattern to the second and love is the fulfilling of both the Tables 8 Is not the Conscience enforced when enjoyned obedience to the Law and Statutes and Judgements of God in the second Table and can it be said to be enforced when enjoyned obedience to the law c. concerns the first Table In a word the Scriptures say that man is shut up under the law until Faith come if man the whole man then Conscience in man is shut up to it and hath no freedom from it nor way to take himself from submitting to it Gal. 3.22 23. Christ himself was made under the Law and how then are all others in their very creation Gal. 4.4 9 It will not be amiss to shew the dependency of the Commandments 1 The first Command contains the Covenant it self as it concerns God in his being to man who is alone to be honored 2 Command concerns God on our part that we glorifie God as God and not represent in him idols and worship him in creatures 3 Command shews God is to be sanctified of Covenanters in his name or authority that might not be impayred 4 Command hath in it a signe of the Covenant and is for sanctification of the Covenanters 5 Command God sets up deputies to see the Covenant kept God authorizing them with authority thereunto as under him 6 Command contains a preservation of the Covenanters in their being the Covenant binding one man to preserve another 7 Forbids defilement of themselves and neighbours wives that they may have a holy seed that are in covenant with God Hence a bastard seed was not to inherit 8 A preservation of men in Covenant in their estates tying men one to be just to another 9 A preservation of them in their names tying men to be true in Covenant one to another 10 To keep our Consciences free from coveting any thing is anothers 1 Kings in their authority soveraignty and laws of Treason had that God should have as in Saul who ruled by Gods authority and God rejected and his Law exercised by humane authority 2 When God again is made King he hath no more in the four Commands then Kings had among us by their humane laws over the people 3 The four Commands contain a kingly authority for bodily rule the worship of God being ministred in the Tabernacle not the gate by a Priest not the Judge yet we think it hard to
grant God what we give to men In the first Command the person of the King is specifically enjoyned to be owned alone men also would not in their kingdoms admit corrivals as in Caesar and Pompey to proclaim another then the lawful King is Treason by humane authority against the King so in that kingdom is Gods by divine authority it is Treason against God The second Command answers to counterfeiting the King in his coyn his seal his authority his hand all which by humane Law is Treason The third Command answers to the Kings name all Acts and Edicts are published in his name Writs executed in his name and men as by the true God did corruptly use to swear by their kings lives as Joseph by the life of Pharoah And was to confirm the kingly authority of God now authority was so maintaind by men in their humane way to themselves that it was death for any to deny the Kings authority how then to deny Gods soveraignty The fourth command answers to the Kings Courts when as in old times in this very Nation they had set days in which the Laws of the Land were publikely read to the people so on the Sabbath day Moses is read to the people which is better to which should be attendance as Tenants at their Lords Court days Applic. 1 If the second Table be administred by humane authority it is not administred as Gods Law but mans 2 Men set themselves in the place of God and will not have God reign over them until he destroy them Psal 2. 3 Whiles men scruple whether God should reign from his seeming severity that he might exalt the divine glory to man in wayes of Tyranny makes himself great as Herod speaking as with the voice of God and not of man Act. 12.22 4 Doth God require more in his rule of men then men in theirs or would men give less or shall he take less to be a King among the people which desire to be a Kingdome to God then they gave their King before 5 Tell me how a Kingdome can be Gods and he not the King or how he can be a King without his law and authority or however God can have a visible authority among men as a King in a kingdome and the four commands of the first Table in any part of them laid aside or abridged 6. As Law is nothing without Authority yea no Law so the second Table is nothing without the first for the inward or outward man 7 The covenanting of People with God in his Law answers to our Nations receiving their King upon the Oath ministred to him at his Coronation to rule justly by the Law of the Land and to maintain our just rights I make bold humbly to offer these Queries 1. Whether it be not the minde of God that in the fall of Kings and that humane authority that the humane Law shall fall with it 2 Whether God hath not made himself way thereby to set up himself authority and law in the place thereof 3 Whether or no the people that stand in the way and hinder Gods coming to the Throne must not look to be removed and cast down 4 Whether there be any fitter or better then God to set up or better authority and more lawful then Gods Or a more just Law to be ruled by then his if not why is not he exalted if God be God follow him 5 If the people should be so blinde as to say as Israel to Gedeon Come thou and thy sons reign over us say as he I will not reign over you nor shall my sons God shall reign over you he is King Pilate would not be entreated to write otherwise 6 Rev. 6.2 the Crown and kingdom in a war shall be given Christ O that the now Magistrates of this Nation had the honor to give it him he then should make this Nation the head of the greatest and most glorious Monarchy ever was exceeding the golden head or state of the Babylonian for plenty as that of iron for richness and glory Rev. 21.24 7 Whether all the men that refuse or lay aside the first Command reject not God in himself as King and in the third God in his authourity and in the fourth God in his Court and in the fifth God in his deputy and in the rest with the Statutes and Judgements God in his Law and government and so entail that sentence on them is written Luke 19.27 as enemies of Christ to be destroyed before him or as Psal 2.3 for breaking the bands of God his Law come to be broke in pieces like a potters vessel with a rod of iron be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye that are Judges of the earth kiss the son make him your King and do him homage as to your onely Lord and Soveraign for God in despite of all opposition will set him on Sion hill a soveraign and king to the people 8 And whereas under Monarchy indictments run against men for that against the peace of the King his Royal Crown and Dignity they had feloniously done so and so men are now to be indicted thus Thou B C. art charged with breaking the Covenant of God by transgressing against his Soveraignty in that thou art a worshipper of Idols or of false Gods Or against his Name or Authority in blaspheming him which was judged with fasting 1 King 21.12 13. and so of the rest Or thus Thou A. B. art charged with breaking the Covenant of thy God by transgressing his Law in the unjust or violent taking away the goods or cattel of thy brother D. E. Blasphemy in the third Command what it is is a curious Question which concerns God in his Rule and Authority when men rose up against it and spake evil of it vilifying and reproaching it as is apparent 1 King 21.12 13. Naboth is accused for blaspheming God and the King in which not onely God but the King his Deputy was pretended in the same blasphemy to be blasphemed or to be evil spoken of to which that may allude He that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy that is he that speaks evil of Moses rule dyed without mercy And so David Psa 69.9 the reproaches of them that reproached me fell on thee God the onely King was reproached in the reproach of David his Deputy To the Synedry or the Councel of seventy to the Judges and Elders were Scribes appertaining who were to be intrusted with Evidences and Covenants or contracts of men Concerning which note that one of Baruchs in Jeremiah is a form for all other Contracts of the like kinde as under one Command all sins of that kinde are forbid so under one form all Contracts of that kinde are enjoyned unless the word hold out a particular exception which is a general rule for cases in like kinde These Scribes were by a publike Officer on complaints to issue out Summons to bring in offenders before the Judge which without Arresting on warning given sufficed for he that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy by which a thief might lose his life if he according to the Law would not labour for the man whose goods he stole untill he had satisfyed him according to the Law c. Numb 10.12 Moses sent to call Dathan The form of the Summons take to be this Numb 16.16 Moses said to Corah Be thou and all thy company before the Lord thou and they and Aaron to morrow 1 The place before the Lord that is the same with the place of Judgement 2 The time To morrow judgement not to be delayed 3 Be thou and thy company partakers in the act Complainants and Witnesses 4 And Aaron who was complained against To these God instituted for rule in the Commonweale dividers who allotting for payment of debts divide the estate of men dying amongst the children or right inheriters according to the Law who also are chosen of the people and their acts to be submitted to if just as legal and their authority not to be opposed or despised The rule of dividing them I have set down in my book of the New Earth Now in that I think this with what I have formerly written of this subject is sufficient to answer the Questions propounded I forbear to enlarge my self herein and look to God to appear hereby for his own name and glory to the now Magistrate of the Nation to win and work their wills to the obedience of their God that he may be good to the Nation according to his truth and glory to whom be obedience of every soul that hopes in him for salvation now and ever Amen FINIS