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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56215	The sword of Christian magistracy supported, or, A vindication of the Christian magistrates authority under the Gospell, to punish idolatry, apostacy, heresie, blasphemy, and obstinate schism, with corporall, and in some cases with capitall punishments ... by William Prinne of Lincolns Inne, Esquire.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1653 (1653)	Wing P4099; ESTC R15969	222,705	186

out his Vineyard to other husbandmen which shal render him the fruits in due season which Parable was experimentably verified in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jews by the Romans And it is added Whosoever shal fall on this stone Christ shal be broken but on whomsoever it shal fal IT SHAL GRIND HIM TO POWDER Mat. 22. 2. to 8. The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain King which made a marriage for his son and sent his servants to cal them that were bidden to the wedding but they would not come c. And the remnant took his servants and intreated them spitefully and slew them But when the King heard thereof he was wroth and sent forth his armies and DESTROYED THOSE MURDERERS and burnt up their City Really verified in the Jews too To which I shal subjoyn Rev. 11. 17 18. We give thee thanks O Lord God Almighty which art and wast and art to come because thou hast taken unto thee thy great power and hast reigned And the time is come thou shouldest DESTROY THEM WHICH CORRUPT THE EARTH Compared with Rev. 17. 5. 16. where it is thus prophecyed of the destruction of the whore of Babylon the great the mother of fornications abominations of the earth The ten horns which thou sawst upon the beast which are 10. Kings these shal hate the whore and make her desolate and naked and SHAL EAT HER FLESH BURN HER WITH FIRE for God hath put it into their hearts TO FULFIL HIS WIL. And Rev. 19. 19 20 21. And I saw the beast and the Kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sate on the horse And the beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast them that worshipped his image These both were cast into A LAKE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE BRIMSTONE And the remnant WERE SLAIN WITH THE SWORD of him that sate upon the horse which sword proceeded out of his mouth and all the fouls were filled with their flesh From all these Parabolical Expressions in the New Testament it self of things to be acted by God the Father by Jesus Christ himself his servants the Magistrates under the Gospel I shal draw these Conclusions necessarily flowing from them First That God the Father and Jesus Christ are altogether as rigorous and severe if not far more ridged and mercilesse against their professed Enemies Antichristian Opposers Persecuters and false Prophets under the Gospel as they were under the Law which these Texts together with Heb. 2. 1 2. and c. 10. 26. to 32. and Rev. 6. 10. to the end undeniably manifest Secondly That such as those shall be punished with capital and corporal punishments even under the Gospel by Christ his Ministers Soldiers Revengers who bear his Sword who are principally orthodox Christian Kings and Magistrates as these several expressions manifest Slay them before my face He will miserably destroy these wicked men and murderers burn up their City grind them to powder thou shalt destroy them which corrupt the earth The ten hornes shal make the whore desolate and naked and shal eat her flesh and burn her with fier And the beast and false prophet were taken and cast into a lake which burneth with fier and brimstone the ground of the ancient Writ De Haeretico comburendo and of burning Hereticks and the rest were slain with the sword and all the fouls were filled with their flesh If any Object that the sword wherewith those last are said to be slain is nothing else but the sword of the Spirit and preaching of the Word because it is said that this sword proceeded out of the mouth of him that sate upon the horse which they further confirm by Isa 11. 4. He shal smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and by the breath of his lips shal he slay the wicked 2 Thes 2. 3. And then shal that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shal consume with the Spirit of his mouth and destroy with the brightnesse of his comming concluding hence That God doth all by the power of his Word even his punishments and destructions he executes by the Word I answer That the Sword proceeding out of the mouth of him that sate upon the horse in this Text is not the meer preaching of the Word and Gospel as is pretended but Christs denouncing of Sentence of Judgement and executing the same upon them not as a Preacher but as a Judge this is clear by Rev. 17. 2. Come hither and I wil shew thee the Judgment of the great whore c. Rev. 18. 8. Shee shall bee utterly burnt with fier for strong is the Lord who JVDGETH her Rev. 16. 21 22. Rejoyce over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her And a mighty Angel took up a stone like a great milstone and cast it into the sea saying Thus with violence shal the great City Babylon be thrown down and shal be found no more at all c. Rev. 20. 1 2 4 5. I heard a voyce of much people in heaven saying Allelujah salvation honor and power unto the Lord our God That SAT ON THE THRONE as a Judge For true and righteous are his JVDGEMENTS for he hath JVDGED the great where which did corrupt the earth with her fornications and hath avenged the blood of his Saints at her hands c. It follows in the very next words to those objected And I saw an Angel come down from heaven having the key of the bottomlesse pit and a great chain in his hand And he layd hold on the Dragon the old serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a thousand years and cast him into the bottomlesse pit and shut him up c. And I saw THRONES and they sate upon them and JUDGEMENT was given unto them c. And Verse 10 11 12 c. And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are and shal be tormented day and night for ever and ever And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it c. And I saw the dead smal and great stand before God And I saw the Books opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works c. By all which it is undeniable that the sword of the mouth wherewith those were slain was only Christs Sentence of Judgement and Execution passed upon the whore the false Prophet beast c. by himself sitting as a Judge or King upon his Throne of Judgment and his executioners not the preaching of the Word by himself or his Ministers as a Prophet preaching out of a Pulpit And in this sense Judges and Magistrates when they passe sentence of death

Sacrum an holy War because waged in defence of Religion though Idolatrous to punish the contemners of it Yea this was one cause of the Poloponesian War between the Athenians and Lacedaemonians as Thucidides and Grotius record who assert Justius illi punientur qui in eos quos Deos putant irreverentes atque irreligiosi sunt Hence the Athenians banished Protagoras out of their City and territories and burned his Books in a publick assembly because he had written in the beginning of his Book De diis neque ut sint neque ut non sint habeo dicere Hence Antiochus attempting to rob the Temple of Dodona in Syria was together with his whole army slain by the Inhabitants Hence we read in Aelian of a child condemned to death for Sacriledge and offring injury to the Heathen Goddesse Diana in taking away a Golden Plate which had fallen from her Crown And upon this ground Numa Pompilius as Livy Plutarch and Dionysius Hali●arnasseus record instituted a Pontifex Maximus or chief Priest at Rome eique omnia ex scripta ex signataque attribuit quibus hostiis quibus diebus ad quae templa sacra fierent c. Pontificiis scitis subjecit vt esset quo consultum plebs veniret ne quid divini juris negligendo Patrios ritus PEREGRINOS-QVE asciscendo turbaretur ne quid praeter LEGITIMA fiat And upon the like reason when the Romans in the time of Manlius had their bodies infected with diverse diseases and their minds with manifold erroneous Religions and Superstitions this publick shame coming to the knowledge of the chief of the City Cernentes in omnibus vicis sacellisque peregrin● atque insolita piacula pacis Deum exposcendae they thereupon commanded the Ediles to take care Vt animadverterent ne qui nisi Romani Dii NEV QVO ALIO MORE QVAM PATRIOCOLERENTVR to preserve Uniformity and avoyd all Innovations in their publike worship which they deemed true Whence I conclude that what Pagan Kings Magistrates Nations have usually punished with corporal or capital punishments and restrained by Civil Laws in all ages out of the light of Nature that Christian Kings Magistrates and Nations under the Gospel may lawfully punish in like sort even by the principles of Nature too had they no other Divine Law to warrant them as they have 'T is true most of these erred in the object in deeming that Heresie Schism Blasphemy Error which was not not in the punishment had the object been such as they really deemed it and such as we here dispute of My fourth Argument is this God hath prophecyed That Idolaters Hereticks and False Prophets under the Gospel shal be put to Death Therefore Christian Kings and Magistrates under the Gospel may lawfully put them to death else these Proph●sies should be frustrated and not fulfilled The Antecedent I have already made good in part from DEUT. 18. 15. to 21. which relates to the times of the Gospel But the Prophet which presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak or that shal speak in the name of other gods EVEN THAT PROPHET SHAL DYE to wit by the sword of Justice which is thus repeated ACT. 3. 22 23. And it shal come to passe that every soul that wil not hear that Prophet SHAL BE DESTROYED FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE even under the Gospel as wel as under the Law either immediately by the hand of God himself or mediately by the Civil Magistrate and Sword of Justice as The despisers of Moses Law were to be destroyed HEBR. 10. 28 29. compared with this text Whereto I shal now subjoyn ZECH. 13. 1 2 3 c. which speaking thus of the time of CHRIST and of his passion In that day shall a fountain be opened to the house of David for sin and for uncleannesse Awake O sword against my shpherd and against the man that is my fellow saith the Lord of hosts Smite the shepherd and the sheep shal be scattered c. applyed to Christ and the times of the Gospel in the New Testament MAT. 26. 32. MARK 14. 27. 1 PET. 1. 6 7. he adds And it shal come to passe IN THAT DAY of the Gospel saith the Lord of hosts I wil cut off the names of Idols out of the Land and they shal no more be remembred and also I wil cause the Prophets and unclean spirits to passe out of the Land And it shal come to passe that when any shal yet prophesie that HIS FATHER and mother which begat him shal say unto him THOV SHALT NOT LIVE FOR THOV SPEAKEST LYES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD and his FATHER and his Mother that begat him SHAL THRVST HIM THROVGH WHEN HE PROPHESYETH And it shal come to passe in that day that the Prophets shal be ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied neither shall hee wear a rough garment to deceive This Prophesy relates wholy to the times of the Gospel The first part thereof concerning the destruction of Idols and Idolaters was in part fulfilled by the Apostles and others preaching and by Constantine the great his subverting of all Idols Temples Groves Statues by his enacting Laws against their worship and putting Lycinius and his complices qui praelii CONTRADEVM SVSCIPIENDI authores fuerunt to death being first condemned by Martial Law for waging war against God and the Christians as we may read at large in Eusebius The latter part concerning Hereticks and false Prophets who speak lyes in the name of the Lord relates likewise to the times of the Gospel wherein two things are considerable First their judgement and punishment Thou shalt not live and they shal thrust him through when he prophesieth A capital sentence and execution to the very taking away of their lives Secondly The parties who are to pronounce and execute this Judgement his Father and Mother that begat him an expression borrowed from Deut. 13. 6 7 8 9. This may have a threefold interpretation First His natural Father and Mother shal do it if living upon lawful conviction before the Christian Magistrate Secondly His Civil or Ecclesiastical Father and Mother especially if his natural Parents be dead to wit the Christian Magistrate Church and people where he liveth Thirdly his very neerest dearest friends and kindred who must cast aside all affection in the cause of God And this part of the Prophecy was fulfilled under the Gospel by the manygodly Laws of Christian Emperors Kings States in all ages for the punishing of Hereticks and seducing false Teachers with Banishment Imprisonment Burning Death and other corporal censures of which more anon Thirdly the good effect of these corporal censures and punishments upon Idolaters Hereticks and False Prophets is thus expressed in the Text. First The name of Idols shal no more be remembred Secondly The false prophet and unclean spirit shal passe out of the Land Thirdly Every other false prophet

so much as the least pitty The PIOVS RIGOR OF THIS SEVERITY not only PURGED the Kingdome of England of that Plague which had already crept into it BVT ALSO PREVENTED THAT IT SHOULD NO MORE CREEP INTO IT BY THE TERROR STRUCK INTO THE HERETIKES So our Nubrigensis whose words I have faithfully englished The forraign Sectaries thus severely punished were no other then professed Anabaptists and schismatickes pronounced hereticks for their obstinacy Their punishment was harsh yet deemed just and necessary in those times and it had this good issue which may induce us now to a fitting and just severity against obstinate Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers Anabaptists it suppressed the spreading of their pestilent Errors for the present in England and preserved it safe from their infection for the future Timely and discreet Flebotomie is ever the best cure against this Gangraene of obstinate Schisme and Heresie Only this I shall observe by the way that these Anabaptists for ought I find never pretended that the King and civill Magistrates had no power to punish them for matters of Religion as our Anabaptists and Sectaries now plead and write The sinnes of Heresy and Apostacy were so odious in this our Realm that by the very ancient common Law of England they deserved were punishable with death yea the soarest death of all others BURNING as being no lesse then High Treason against the King of heaven and Gravius est aeternam quam temporalem laedere majestatem That these were thus punishable by the very common Law of England before the Statute of 5. R. 2. Stat. 2. c. 5. surreptitiously procured without the Commons assent and repealed the next Parliament or the Statutes of 2. H. 4. c. 15. and 2. H. 5. c. 7. is apparent unto me by the Authority of our ancient Law Bookes I read in Bracton l. 3. c. 9. f. 123 124. who writ in King Henry the 3. his reigne That if a Clergy man be convicted of Apostacy he shall be for it depriued and afterwards per manum laicalem COMBVRATVR he shall be burnt by the hands of Laymen as it hapned in the Councell of Oxford under Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury to a certain Deacon who became an APOSTATE for a certain Jew who when he bad been degraded by the Bishops statim fuit JGNI TRADITUS per manum Lai●●lem he was presently delivered to the fire by Lay hands And c. 23. f. 144. b. The Jewes may circumcise their owne sonns but not a man of another religion for if they do it they shall be gelt by way of punishment I read that in the Councell held at Oxford An. 1222. in the 6. year of Henry the 3. under Stephen Archibishop of Canterbury an execrable Impostor was convented before him who suffered himselfe to be wounded in his hands feet and side that by the resemblance of these bloody impressions he might perswade the people he was their Saviour who being condemned by the Councell was immured between two walls as a Monster too impious and unworthy to dye by humane hands and another who pretended her selfe to be Mary the mother of Christ and a third who pretended her self to be Mary Magdalen were immured with him Matthew Paris Matthew Parker and others write that they were crucified And Mat. Paris relates that Grosthead Bishop of Lincolne lying on his deathbed An. 50. of Henry the 3. pronounced the Pope to be an Heretick and the Friars Nunnes and Preachers also to be Hereticks for not opposing but favoring him and concluded thereupon with R m. 1. verse last qui talia agunt consentiunt DIGNI SUNT MORTE Therefore in those daies Hereticks were deemed worthy to dye as well temporally as eternally which confirmes that in his time Hereticks deserved to be put to death John Britton Bishop of Hereford Doctor both of the civil and canon Law who writ a Book of the Lawes of England then in use about the 5. year of King Edward the first by the Kings command lib. 1. cap. 9. De Arsouns or persons that were to be burned by judgement of Law informs us That such who burned houses in times of peace and were therof convicted shall be burned so as they shall be punished by the selfesame thing wherein they offend And THE SAME JUDGEMENT have Sorcerers and Sorceresses and Sodomites and MISCREANTS or HERETICKS openly attainted who are to be enquired after And this was no new Law as appears by the preamble of the King to this Booke but les leys que len ad use en nostre Royalme AVANT SES HOVRES Therefore it is cleare by this Authority that the burning of Hereticks was in use before this Kings reigne though we find few or no presidents of it and inquirable by the Justices and other temporall Officers of the King as Britton writes in this chapter but not by the Bishops and Clergy further then to Excommunicate them Andrew Horne in his Myrrour of Justices written in the end of King Edward the first or at least in King Edward the second his reigne hath these severall passages concerning Heresy and its punishment as Chap. 1. Sect. 4. p. 21 22 23. where speaking of Crimes and their Division of the Crime of Treason he writes thus Crime of Majesty or Treason is an horrible sinne done to the King and this is either to the KING CAELESTIAL or Terrestriall Against the King of heaven in three manners by HERESY Sorcery Sodomy HERESY is an evill and false beliefe arising from Error in the right Christian faith In this sinne is Sorcery and Divination which are members of heresy and arise from an evill beliefe After which he enumerates the severall sorts of Sorceries and Divinations contrary to the Law of God and the Church and to the right faith for which they are to be apprehended and removed from among the people of God that so no good Christian may be taken with their act nor partner with their sinne Chap. 2. Sect. 22. p. 141 142. he writes thus Of the Crime of Treason or Majesty there is no especiall or large Enditement but OF HERESY and Sorcery Of which if any be indited and drawn into judgment this is the Inditement pronounceable for the King by any of his people in this manner according as it is found IN THE ROLLES OF ANCIENT KINGS I say Sebourge here is defamed by good people of the THE CRIME OF HERESY for this that from an ill art and beliefe forbidden and by charmes and enchantment he took from Brightient by name on such a day c. the flower of his beare by which he lost the vent c. Or thus Molling who is here is defamed by good men that on such a day c. he renounced his baptisme and caused himselfe to be circumcised and became a Jew or Saracen or offered or sacrificed unto Mahomet in despite of God and in damnation of his soule and this sinne he did FELONIOVSLY

Whoredome or Drunkennesse because they committed them onely to satisfie their beloved Lusts and please their carnall appetites but onely chaste and sober men Ergo it is not lawfull for the Christian Magistrate to restraine and punish Whoremasters Adulterers Drunkards for these Sinnes Vices lusts Certainly such an Argument would quite subvert all civill punishments whatsoever for Vnusquisque sui ipsius iniquus Index especially carnall men in all cases which concerne their best beloved sinnes And thus much in answer to his Major Fourchly for his Minor it is a most arrogant false assertion wherein the Objector who never read one quarter of all Books written of the Magistrates power much lesse the hearts and secret thoughts of every conscientious Christian that ever lived under the power of Christian Magistrates dares confidently averre That a coercive power in Magistrates was never acknowledged by any Christian whatsoever but onely those who were well assured it would be used for their turne When this pretending Omniscience can demonstrate this over-bold assertion to be true we may credit his Argument till then we must reject both him and his argument as false and groundlesse Fiftly Christ himselfe together with his Apostles Paul and i Peter acknowledged such a coercive power in the civill Magistrate as I have proved though they beleeved it would be used against themselves and their followets as it was the like did Augustine with sundry other Authors forecited and all Christian Churches at this very day yea Cyprian Luther Melancton Zuinglius and others who lived in the times of persecution did the like as I have formerly proved therefore the contrary groundlesse assertion of this over-confident Arguer is most false impious and his Argument most infirme which is grounded principally upon it The sixteenth Objection is this That power which in the exercise of it directly tends to prevent hinder or suppresse the growth or encrease of the light of the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ in a Church or STATE and the reformation of such things either in Doctrine or Discipline as are unwarrantable therein is not QVESTIONLES of any divine Right or Institution If A. S. deny this proposition at the perill of his modesty and reputation be it But such a power in the civill Magistrate for suppressing Errors Schismes Heresies c. in Religion directly tends to all the mischiefe and inconvenience in the world Ergo. The evidence of the assumption is this When men are obnoxious to the stroke of the civill power and in danger of suffering deeply from the Magistrate for any thing they shall hold or practice in Religion contrary unto him it must needs be a great temptation and discouragement upon them from searching and enquiring into the Scriptures after a more exact knowledge of the good and holy and perfect will of God in things because in case he should discover any thing contrary to what the Magistrate professeth he must run the bazard either of with-holding the Truth he so discerned in unrighteousnesse and so of having both God and his owne conscience his enemy or else of having his bones broken by the iron red of the civill Magistrate for making profession of any thing contrary to that he professeth To this I answer first that this Argument as the former is grounded upon false carnall reasonings and principles warranted by no Scripture to contradict the coercive power of Magistrates warranted by expresse Scriptures Secondly the proposition may very well be denied by A. S. or any other without the perill of his modesty or reputation the utmost hazard he shall incurre by the Objectors confession I am certaine without any danger to his soule or conscience else we must deny the very office and exercise of Kingly and all other Supreame Civill or Ecclesiasticall powers here secretly struck at because in the abused exercise thereof they usually tend not onely to prevent hinder suppresse the growth encrease of the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ in a Church and State with the reformation of such things in Doctrine or Discipline as are unwarrantable therein yea commonly degenerate into oppression tyranny cruelty and injustice to boot as is evident by Psal 2. 2 c. Acts 4. 25 to 30. Matth. 10. 17 to 29. cap. 24. 9 10. and the Histories of all Ages Upon which ground the Anabaptists and some of our new Saints of their spawning condemne all Monarchy and Magistracy as the Objectors cunningly do Thirdly I answer that the abuse of any lawfull power or institution doth not nullifie the power or institution it selfe if divine or necessary as the Magistrates is nor the lawfull exercise thereof therefore this accidentall abuse of the Magistrates coercive power the sinne and fault of the persons that manage it onely not of the power it selfe cannot invalid or nullifie the exercise of it no more then the abuse of preaching and arguing abrogate their lawfull use nor the common abuse of eating and drinking to surfeting and drunkennesse or of apparell to pride make the things themselves or the right use of them evill Fourthly the assumption is false contrary to expresse Scriptures as Isa 49. 23. 2 Tim. 2. 1 2. yea the punishment of reall Heresies Errors Schismes Blasphemies the onely thing in dispute by godly Christian Magistrates can never involve them in the objected danger and tends onely to prevent the Objectors mischiefs and to the remotion suppression of those mists of Heresie Error Blasphemy which would eclipse the light the knowledge of God Jesus Christ in Church State and helps to reforme things amisse in Doctrine and Discipline as experience with all Ecclesiasticall Histories and the Chronicles of the good Kings of Judah and Israel manifest Therefore this Objection must needs be exploded as most false and dangerous by all good men Fiftly fear of punishing Hereticks Schismaticks false Teachers and Blasphemers will never retard nor discourage any Orthodox Christian from searching and enquiring into the Scriptures after more exact knowledge of the good and perfect will of God as is falsly alleaged but rather instigate them to such a search and if any accidently by such fear of punishment be deterred from such an enquiry into the Scriptures and induced to with-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse it is their owne sinne not the Magistrates nor the fault of his coercive power rightly managed yea no true Saints of God but onely Hypocrites and such false Saints as the Objectors are will be deterred from searching the Scriptures and induced to with hold the truth in unrighteousnesse by any humane power whatsoever as is evident by the example of the Apostles Acts 4. 5. of the three Children and Daniel Dan. 3. 6. of Paul himselfe Acts 20. 23 24. cap. 21. 11 12 13 14. and by Cel. 1. 27 28 29. Hebr. 10. 32 33 34. Rom. 5. 3 4 5. This Argument therefore must vanish into nothing before these Scriptures and shame the Author of it The seventeenth

Objection is of the same stamp That power which in the use of it plainly and undoubtedly tends to the gratification of Satan of carnall and prophane men is not certainly derived from God But that power in matters of Religion to crush Heresies Schismes c. which A. S. and many others pinned upon the Magistrates sleeve is a power of this tendency and importance in the use of it Ergo The latter proposition shines cleere enough with its owne light first because a very great part of those who are like to suffer by it are men of good conscience and men truly fearing God it not being likely that ordinarily men of loose or no conscience should delight to swim against the streames either of greatnesse or plurality in matters of Religion therfore it cannot but be conceived a matter of solemn gratification to Satan who is a Murderer and bloody Enemy to the Saints to see them disgraced crushed c. Secondly because it is the impatient and important desire of all ignorant loose luckewarme and carnall professors to have all religions as they call them all wayes sects opinions and practises in Religion wholly silenced suppressed and abolished where they live except only that one way and practice which shall be authorized and practised by the State I answer first that the Minor is both false and absurd for the use of Magistrates legislative coercive and punitative power tends to no such ends as is objected but directly to the contrary and if any apply it to such ends it is meerly the abuse not use thereof and the abuse of this lawfull necessary power must not abolish nor blemish its lawfull use no more then the abuse of the very Scriptures of Preaching Food or Ecclesiasticall censures nullifie their use Secondly Hereticks Blasphemers or obstinate Schismaticks being the First-borne of the Devill and Heresie Blasphemy Schisme works of the flesh directly contrary to the Spirit and Word of God it is farre more probable that the not using this power of the Magistrate to punish them will farre more gratifie Satan and prophane carnall men then the exercise of it Thirdly all the godly Christian Emperours Kings States Ecclesiasticall Historians Councils and Authors forecited who have enacted Lawes against Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers and have pleaded for the use necessity of this power have been quite contrary minded yea the very Word and Spirit of God and God himselfe who hath given them such a power in expresse tearmes in the Old Testament and New contradict this Anarchicall if not Atheisticall proposition which hath neither Scripture nor reason to back it but the Objectors own bare assertion point-blank against Scripture and the concurrent suffrages of all Ages Fourthly I beseech you observe the impudency of these Objectors who deem themselves the onely Saints what Blasphemies they dare to vent in print That the Magistrates power to crush Heresies Schismes Blasphemies in the use of it plainly and palpably tends to the gratification of Satan and carnall and prophane men and those that are like to suffer by it are men OF GOOD CONSCIENCE AND TRULY FEARING GOD Ergo Hereticks Schismaticks and Blasphemers in their judgment are men of good conscience truly fearing God and those godly Christian Magistrates who out of good conscience and true feare of God shall restraine or punish them for their Heresies Blasphemies Schisms by the rule of contraries are men of no conscience nor truly fearing God but prophane carnall men yea ignorant loose lukewarme and carnall professors as he stiles them and none are pleased with their punishment but Satan and such men as these This is New-light indeed deserving to be hung up at Tyburne by the hands of the Hangman and such absurd Blasphemy as becomes none but Tyburne-Saints Fiftly I answer that it hath been the importunate desire of the true Saints and Ministers of God in all Ages not of ignorant loose lukewarme and carnall Professors as is falsly pretended without proofe or evidence to have all Religions Wayes Sects Opinions and practises in Religion suppressed excepting that one true way and practice which the Scripture warrants and the Christian States wherein they live upon good grounds approve as I have plentifully evidenced in the premises and is manifest by all Historians by the proceedings and Books written against Hereticks and Schismaticks in all Ages by the late Petition of thousands of godly People and Ministers to the Parliament and both Houses Answers thereunto Therefore this bare sottish false assertion to the contrary deserves no other answer but contempt and the Objectors merit no other character for it then that of Titus 1. 12 13. The Cretians are 〈◊〉 L●ars evill Beasts This witnesse is true The eighteenth Objection is this That power which in the use of it directly tends to defile and pollute the consciences of men either by destroying the softnesse tendernesse or ingenuity of them or by disturbing the lawfull peace or comfort of them or by bo●● is a power from beneath not from above But such is the coercive power in matters of Religion to crush Schismes Heresies c. wherewith A. S. would faine befriend himself in the civill Magistrate Ergo. The truth of the Assumption appears in this consideration when the conscience of a man hath once broke the bounds and tye of its owne light and prosti●u●ed it selfe to the desires and lusts of men against the graine of its owne judgment and reclamation whereunto it is secretly tempted and urged when a man is threatned deep in case he shall not comply with the State in their Religion his judgment and con●cience being wholly averse to it one of these great evils commonly befals him First God takes no pleasure in such a conscience afterwards he withdraweth himselfe from it and leaves it unto it selfe whereupon it fals upon a course of hardening it selfe and by degrees contracts a boldness● impudence and desperatnesse in sinning Secondly by reflecting on what it hath done in such a ●●se and c●sting it up between God and it selfe how grievous a sinne it is to trample upon its owne light upon any co●sideration whatsoever it brings it selfe into grievous Ago●●es of Perplexities and Horror out of which it never recovers afterwards To this I answer first that this Argument is founded meerly upon false and carnall reason without and against all Scripture being of the same straine as the former Secondly the Assumption is a grosse falshood proved neither by Scripture nor Historicall Examples nor Experience but asserted onely by the Objectors Thirdly it confounds the abuse of the Magistrates coercive power with the lawfull use thereof as the two former Arguments did and makes the abuse to nullifie the use Fourthly it makes a casuall contingent effect of the use of this coervive power which seldom happens that through the parties own default who is restrained punished or onely frighted thereby to abolish the ordinary good use and effect