Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	divers_a	follow_v	great_a	109	3	2.1245	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83437	The casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Or, A treatise against toleration and pretended liberty of conscience: wherein by Scripture, sound reason, fathers, schoolmen, casuists, Protestant divines of all nations, confessions of faith of the Reformed Churches, ecclesiastical histories, and constant practice of the most pious and wisest emperours, princes, states, the best writers of politicks, the experience of all ages; yea, by divers principles, testimonies and proceedings of sectaries themselves, as Donatists, Anabaptists, Brownists, Independents, the unlawfulnesse and mischeif [sic] in Christian commonwealths and kingdoms both of a vniversal toleration of all religions and consciences, and of a limited and bounded of some sects only, are clearly proved and demonstrated, with all the materiall grounds and reasons brought for such tolerations fully answered. / By Thomas Edvvards, Minister of the Gospel. The first part.; Casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Part 1	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1647 (1647)	Wing E225; Thomason E394_6; ESTC R201621	211,214	231

stated the question of Toleration and Liberty of Conscience and laid down many Particulars usefull and necessary to bee known as giving understanding and light into the nature of this Controversie I now come as to the proving of a Toleration in it self of Blasphemies Heresies Errors Schisms unlawfull so of showing the Christian Magistrates Power and Warrant yea necessity that is laid upon him of hindring and suppressing all false wayes and worships and of promoting and commanding by his Authority with all his subjects the true Religion and Faith and this I shall do by laying down divers Theses and Positions one following upon another and each going further and rising higher then the other and the method I propound to follow in this Tractate shall be that of the Title page of this Book First by Scripture Secondly by sound Reasons Thirdly by Fathers Fourthly Councels and so as it there followes setting down upon all those Heads by way of Theses the proofs of the points in hand though upon some more some fewer as the nature of the things may require and I shall judge needfull and convenient CHAP. I. The Theses grounded on expresse Scriptures proving the sinfulnesse and wickednesse of Tolerations and the Magistrates duty with●● his Territories to suppresse Blasphemies Errors Heresies Schisms 1. THESIS AS there is but one God one Lord Christ one Spirit one Heaven so there is but one Faith and that once delivered to the Saints one Truth one Gospel and one Way the Scripture every where speaking of these in the ●ingular number as of one not as of many never calling them Faiths Truths Gospels Wayes but the Faith she Gospel the Truth the way of Truth the good old way one way the right way the way of righteousnesse and such like whereas falshood and error is manifold the Scripture speaking of false wayes 〈…〉 of Antichrists as many Falsum est multiplex verum autem 〈…〉 sibi per 〈◊〉 conforme est 2. THESIS The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament in many placeth old forth and command to aske for follow after walke in that one good way to strive and contend earnestly for that one Faith to hold fast the truth to serve God only and on the contrary reproves prohibits condemns turning afide to the right hand or to the left or halting between two or more Religions and Worships hence those complaints 1 Kin. 18. 21. of the people halting between two opinions between God and Baal of fearing the Lord and serving their owne Gods after the manner of the Nations 2 King 17. vers 33. 41. of worshipping and swearing by the Lord and by Malcham Zeph. 1. 5. and those prohibitions of not letting cattell gender with a diverse kind of not sowing fields with mingled seed of not wearing garments mingled of linned and wollen of not sowing of Vineyards of divers seeds and of not ploughing with an Oxe and an Asse together Levit. 19. 19. Deut. 22. 9 10. 3. THESIS God both foretels and promises in his word and that more particularly of the dayes of the Gospel to give one heart and one way to his people and as there shall be one Lord so his name shall be one and that they shall all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent Jer. 32. 39. Ezek. 11. 19. Zeph. 3. 9. Zach. 14. 9. Christ praies earnestly to his Father for beleevers that they all may be one and that they may be perfect in one John 17 21 22 23. and there are many exhortations to Christians to be of one mind and of the same mind in the Lord to be of one accord of one mind all to speak the same thing that there be no Schisms among them but that they be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and that they keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 2 Cor. 13. 11. Philip. 2. 2. Philip. 4. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Ephes 4. 3. Now what God hath promised and foretold what Christ hath prayed for in a speciall manner what the Apostles in their Epistles have so pathetically intreated and exhorted to that Christians should especially labour after and all the meane tending thereunto which the desiring and granting of a Toleration of all wayes or many wayes must needs be contrary unto 4. THESIS A Toleration and sufferance but of any one or two false ways and worships fights directly against these and many such like places of Scripture For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. Buy the truth and sell it not Prov. 23. 23. be valiant for the truth strive for the faith of the Gospel Be zealous beware of false Prophets beware of dogs beware of evill workers beware of the Coucision A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition reject They that keep the Law contend with the wicked Pauls not giving place to false brethren no not for an houre that the truth of the Gospel might continue Paul and Barnabas having no small dissention and disputation with those who taught Circumcision If there come any unto you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed the Angel of Ephesus his commendation for that he could not beare them which are evill and which say they are Apostles and are not and for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans the Angels of the Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira being threatned by Christ for suffering them that held the Doctrine of Balaam the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans and that woman Jez abel which called her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce his servants 5. THESIS Whereas a particular partiall Toleration offends against many particular places of Scripture a Vniversall Toleration is against all Scripture goes against the whole current scope and sense of Scripture both in the Old and New Testament both in matters of Faith and Manners both in the generall rules and commands and the particular and that both in personall actions and in all Relations to others The sum of the Scriptures is Faith and good life and the end of the severall states appointed by God both Politicall Ecclesiasticall and Oeconomicall are to maintain and continue these Now a generall Toleration of all Religions and consciences is diametically opposite to all these against the whole will of God overthrowing all that God in the Scripture expresses of sins duties and relations I would have any thing in the Scripture named in point of faith holinesse in the relations of Magistrates Ministers Governours of Families which this Toleration some way or other does not make void Other Errors and Heresies as Arrianisme Anabaptisme c. do not offend against all Scripture but against such and such places but this generall Toleration throws down all at once it overthrows the Scriptures in that it allowes a Liberty of denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God in that it

THE CASTING DOWN of the last and strongest hold of Satan OR A TREATISE Against Toleration And pretended Liberty of Conscience Wherein by Scripture sound Reason Fathers Schoolmen Casuists Protestant Divines of all Nations Confessions of Faith of the Reformed Churches Ecclesiastical Histories and constant practise of the most pious and wisest Emperours Princes States the best Writers of Politicks the experience of all Ages yea by divers Principles Testimonies and Proceedings of Sectaries themselves as Donatists Anabaptists Brownists Independents the unlawfulnesse and mischeif in Christian Common-wealths and Kingdoms both of a Vniversal Toleration of all Religions and Consciences and of a limited and bounded of some Sects only are clearly proved and demonstrated with all the materiall Grounds and Reasons brought for such Tolerations fully answered By THOMAS EDVVARDS Minister of the Gospel The First Part. 2 Chron 34. 32 33. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the Con 〈…〉 that pertained to the childre● of Israel and made all that were present in Israel to serve even to s●ve the Lord their God And caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Beniamin i●stand to it London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for George Calvert and are to be sold at the golden Fleece in the Old-Change 1647. To the Christian Reader GOod Reader I fully intended and accordingly had provided that this first Part of Anti-Toleration should have come into thy hands more compleat and perfect then it does for the present I prepared an Epistle Dedicatory to the Honourable Houses of Parliament sutable to the nature of Toleration and the Times as also a Preface and Introduction to that Argument and Subject wherein laying down the Prolegomena Praecognita of this Noble and famous Question of Liberty of Conscience as certain Distinctions about Magistrates and their Power of Errors and Opinions of Persons holding them of Toleration and Liberty as some Concessa some Negata certain mistakes and misrepresentations of the state of the Question with divers other Particulars I drew up the true state of the Question both Theologically and Politically it being a mixt question besides I purposed to have added to this Part further proofs out of the New Testament against Toleration and for the Magistrates power But these Preparatives and Additionals amounting to about some ●en sheets the reviewing perfecting and printing whereof would take up at least twenty dayes and not knowing what a Day might bring forth the Storm comming on so fast I thought it best for fear this Book might be suppressed at the Presse and never see the Sun to send it forth as it was that the Church of God at home and abroad might have the benefit of it and to reserve the rest for a second Part if God spare life and liberty In this present Tractate is handled the Scripturall part of Anti-Toleration the best foundation and only ground-work to build on wherein there are not only the Scriptures produced for proof but made good by severall reasons from the text and context with all the evasions to clude and put them off fully answered The subject matter of this Book is the great Controversie of the times Toleration being that very thing for which God hath a controversie with the Parliament and Land having most justly however t is most unjust on their part raised up that Generation not to suffer them because they have against the councel of God yea against all sense and reason let them alone and suffered them to grow to this Head I remember what God said to his people Israel that if they did not drive out the Canaanites and destroy their pictures c. they should be pricks in their eyes and thorns in their sides and should vex them with their wiles What of the King of Israel because that he let go out of his hand a man appointed to destruction therefore his life should go for his life and his people for that people as also what of the Angel of Thyatira that Christ had a quarrell with him for suffering that woman Jezabel to teach and to seduce his servants And we may see how God hath now fulfilled this upon the Parliament Ministry City Kingdome vexing us and threatning heavy things against us by the Sectaries punishing us wherein we have offended In all ages and histories of the Church we shall find that Hereticks and Sectaries however whilst weak and few have pleaded for Toleration and Liberty yet when they have come to grow strong and to have power in their hands they never would suffer the Orthodox but have been the greatest tyrants and persecutors as the Arrians Donatists Anabaptists Arminians It was the observation of Augustine many hundred yeers ago and his answer to Petilian That the Donatists however they pleaded far be it from them to compell any one to their Tenets where they had power used to force the Orthodox violently and where they did not it was not for want of will but because they could not for fear of the laws or the multitude of refusers yea if any of their own party left them and came to the Orthodox they would fall upon them and beat them yea kill them and that Sect of the Donatists which was strongest would implore the help of the Magistrate against their Schismaticks the Maximinianistae and Rogatistae all which Austin shows But for a conclusion I shall turn my prayers unto God that he would give us to see and know our sin in our punishment and to give him glory in saying Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements And for the time to come to give Magistrates Ministers and his People more zeal and wisdome then to tolerate and suffer Errors Heresies and Schismes And so commending these labours to the blessing of Christ who yet lives and raigns as Luther speaks and will raign till he hath made all his enemies his footstool I remain Yours in Christ THOMAS EDWARDS The TABLE containing some of the principall Heads of this Book AVniversall Toleration is against the whole current scope and sense of all Scripture and sets up the polluted defiled consciences of men above the Scriptures p. 4 5 What God commands Persons for themselves and their own Practise he commands to them being in Power and Authoritie for all under them p. 6 7 There can be no reason given why all other persons in Authoritie as Fathers Masters c should be bound to have a care in matters of Religion over children Servants and Magistrates should have none p. 7 8 The godly Magistrates spoken of in Scripture did de facto make use of their Power to suppresse false Doctrine Seducers c 8 9 10 11 They did not only doe it de facto but de jure were approved of and rewarded by God for so doing p. 11 12 Those Magistrates who were good that out of any carnall respects forbore to use their power were sharply reproved and punished by

very uncertain doubtfull other things absurd and untrue As first that to be a Type of Christ is a sufficient ground of a Politicall Civill power over the Church and that typicalnesse qua typicalnesse gives those perso●s a power who otherwise have none the contrary unto which is in severall Reasons proved by Doctor Stewart in the second part of his Duply to M. S. page 22. and never yet answered by M. S. or any other though M. S. and many of his Brethren have written upon that argument since Secondly that he who was Head of the State was Head also of the Church in a typicall way whereas many great Divines are of another judgement and show that the Kings of Judah and the civill judicatures were formally distinct from the Ecclesiasticall and that he who was cheif in the State over civill matters was not cheif Iudge and Officer in the Church in an Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall notion of which point Master R●●herford and Master Gil●espie having written so fully lately I shall spare to speak any thing and referre the Reader to their learned Books enti●uled The Divine Right of Church Government Aarons Rod Blossoming Thirdly that the people of the Iewes were interchangably a Church and a Nation so that whoever was a member of the Church was a member of the Common-wealth and vice versa of which see the Book entituled The Antient Bounds or Liberty of Conscience seated page 60. Now Master Gillespie in his Aarons Rod blossoming Book 1. chap. 2. proves strongly that the Iewish Church was formally distinct from the Iewish State and that in seven particulars as in respect of distinct Lawes distinct Acts distinct Officers so in respect of distinct Members there being Members of the Church among them who had the name of Proselyti Iustitiae and were initiated into the Iewish Religion by Circumcision Sacrifice c. that neverthelesse were restrained and secluded from Dignities Government and Preferment in the Iewish Common-wealth and from divers matriages which were free to the Israelites Master SELDEN also in that learned Book of his De Jure Natur. Gentium lib. 2. cap. 4. lib. 5. cap. 20. speaks as much of those Proselytes Proselytus justitiae utcunque novato patriae nomine Iudaeu● diceretur non tam quidem ci● is Iudaicus simpliciter censendus esset quam peregrinus sempe● cui jura quamplurima inter cives Secondly how do they prove that Iehu Ioash Manasseh Asa Hezekiah Iebosophat Iosiah were Types of Christ and did execu●e typically the kingly office of Christ in his Church were Kings in an Ecclesiasticall notion an extraordinary way not ruling only for the Church but in the Church and over it as they say Moses Ioshua David Solomon were in their persons places and actions expresse types of Iesus Christ as 't is evident in the New Testament Pen-men also of Scripture besides Prophets as well as Magistrates and so were extraordinary men that every thing they did in Religion is not a binding example to Magistrates now as many Reformed Divines have showen against the Arminians and Erastians but that Asa Iosiah Hezekiah Iehosaphat were is gratis dictum not yet proved neither were these Pen-men of holy Scripture or Prophets extraordinarily inspired but these foure great Reformers as Kings were stirred up enquiring after and directed by Prophets as the Reader may finde clearly in the stories of them in the Chronicles and Kings Besides I finde not among Divines who have written of the Types of Christ or who grant Moses David Solomon to be expresse Types that they make Asa Iosiah c. to be Types Again of Types of Christ as Divines distinguish there are particular persons types of him as Adam Noah Isaac Joseph Moses Joshua Samson David Solomon Jonah and there are such rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets c. Now though all of the first sort are speciall particular Types of him so that the speciall things done by them do typifie and set forth Christ in many particulars of his person actions and sufferings yet the rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets may not be typicall in all the particular persons of those ranks and orders at least to the particular acts they do in those ranks and orders but 't is enough for many in those orders to agree in common as in being Kings and Prophets as Christ was there being some in all those orders and ranks appointed of God especially and peculiarly to be the Types which others are not and for whose sakes in those orders and ranks such orders of men were instituted by God to be Types of which many instances might be given with the Reasons thereof in some of the First-born Kings c. but I shall reserve the further handling of that to a second part upon this Subject Lastly supposing Asa Josiah and those godly Kings to be Types of Christ may it not be doubted whether Jehu Ieboash Ammon Ieroboam c. were Types of Christ and did execute his kingly office who yet were commended viz. the two fir●t for destroying false worship and reproved for not doing it constantly besides could those Kings of Israel and Iudah who yet were lawfull Kings that apostatised from all the whole worship of God the Ceremoniall Law that ordained the Types that destroyed Gods service and the Priesthood made Priests of the lowest of the people be Types of Christ and I desire to be resolved or M. S. the Author of the Antient bounds of Liberty of Conscience stated whether any wicked men were speciall Types of Christ and whether all persons who were Types of Christ were not saved Thirdly suppose these Kings of Iudah were Types of Christ in setting on the Thron of David and ruling over Iudah in Christ the King of his Church coming out of their loines yet they were temporall Kings had Civill authority Now how does it appear that what they did in punishing idolatrous Priests comm●nding their subjects to the true worship of God they did only as Types by vertue of that Notion and not as they were temporall Kings which must be proved before their examples can be made null and I am sure the Scripture no where faith that the Kings of Iudah and Israel in what they commanded in matters of Religion they did as Types of Christ and not as Civill Magistrates 'T is one thing to be a Type and another thing to doe such things meerly qua Types and what if Christian Magistrates leaning upon this broken staffe suffering all Herefies Blasphemies and Idolatries in their Kingdomes Christ at the last day when they stand before the judgement feat they objecting for themselves the Kings of Israel and Iudah were Types of Christ and all they did was by vertue of their typicall notion shal tell them no but as Magistrates entrusted by God with a power and authority how will they be then confounded will this distinction and notion

seven Precepts Juris Noachidarum seu Naturalis as they are called among which Idolatry and Blasphemy De Cultu extraneo De maledictione Nominis sanctissimi seu Numinis were the first Nay further he proveth that every Gentile which had not received those seven Precepts was to be punished with death if he stayed in the Jewes Territories and particularly in divers places of that Book showes that Idolatry and Blasphemy were punished by death upon all that lived in the Iewish Common-wealth though they were not Proselyti Justiciae and on those words Levit 24. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death writes thus Id est sive fuerit Proselytus sen peregrinus sive indigena aut civis ex eo quod blasphemaverit nomen Domini morte plectendus est yea he saith that the Gentiles or Proselytes Domicilii were punished more severely then the Iewes in this case of Blasphemy not only for blaspheming the proper name of God but the Cognomen All which showes clearly these punishments were not inflicted upon the Iewes qua Iewes and qua a typicall people in a typicall Land c. but upon them as the nature of such crimes calling for such punishments and that 't is the Magistrates duty to restraine in Iews or Gentiles in all under their jurisdiction Idolatry blasphemie c. Thirdly the reasons and grounds of these Lawes and commands with the use and end of them upon which they are inforced are of common reason and equity that concern us under the New Testament as well as the Iewes I doe not finde one Ceremoniall or properly Iudiciall reason given of any one but all of them are laid downe either absolutely and simply without any reasons at all or else upon such reasons as are morall and perpetuall and I judge that in all commands which are not typicall and ceremoniall and so some other thing apppointed to come in upon the abolishment to make good their perpetuall end and use assigned that rule of Divines holds universally true Ratio immutabilis facit praeceptum immutabile which by the way may serve to answer the Evasions of Minus Gelsus Senensis and of Hagiomastix bringing instances in Circumcision and such like which the Scriptures declare expressely to be abolished having substituted Baptisme and other ordinances in their roome but have not said one word in the like kind of the commands in question besides that Christ the substance of those shadows is come and so they are of no further use at all And indeed Acontius though a great Libertine doth confesse that Law in the 13th of Deuterenomy of the stoning of the false Prophet and Seducer is not confined only to the time before Christ having no place at all under the Gospel and to the ground and conjecture as Acontius calls it of that opinion he saith that the reason set downe in the same is against it viz. All Israel shall beare and feare and shall do no more any such wickednesse as this is among you which reason certainly abides alwayes so that although this Law had exspired yet notwithstanding by vertue of it the Magistrate hath a right and power of making another like it as he hath of making Lawes against Murtherers Adulterers and other flagitious persons Fourthly Before these Lawes in Deut. 13. and Deut 17. for punishing Idolaters were given by Moses yea before Moses time or any Common-wealth among the Iewes was erected in other Countries remote from the Land of Canaan Idolatry in worshipping creatures deserved punishing by the Magistrate as I have showed already fully in page 13 14. of this Book yea the particular kind of Idolatry instanced in Deut. 17. 3. of worshipping the Sunne or Moone which among the Israelites was to be punished by death if it had been found in Job in the Land of Vz he had beene worthy of punishment from the Iudges for it Job 31. 26 27. 28. And other Princes not Iewes as Artaxerxes Nebuchadonezar c. made Lawes and Edicts for punishing those that blasphemed the God of heaven and transgressed his Lawes as the Scriptures testifie Now the Lawes properly judiciall that were the Iewes civill Lawes simply belonging to them as such a people in such a Countrey were in use only among themselves and not practised by other Nations and Countries but such Lawes and Customes used among them that were observed universally among all Nations or by divers Nations though not of all strictly speaking were not Iudiciall Lawes but the Lawes of Nature and Nations though according to the Discipline of the Iewes that is what was received in the Church and Common-wealth of the Iewes and accordingly accounted by them as the Law of the world of all men and ages or the Law of many Nations common to them with those Nations of all which the Reader may be further satisfied in that learned Peece of Mr. SELDEN'S De jure Naturali Gentium juxta disciplinam Ebraeorum and particularly in the Preface of that Book where he sheweth the reason of that Title and gives the summe of his work and undertaking and in his first Book And among the Iawes of Naturall right as distinguished from the civil lawes of the Jews or simply Israeliticall those commands of punishing for strange worship and Blasphemie are reckoned by the Jewes themselves as the Reader may find in the first book de Jure Naturali Gentium cap. 10. 2 book cap. 1. 12. 3 book cap. 1. Fifthly The Spirit of God under the New Testament Hebr. 10. 28 29. speaking according to the common equity and justice of the matter and not according to a Politicall law peculiar to one Nation saith of the despisers of Moses law that died without mercy under two or three witnesses that they were worthy of it as appears by the comparative Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought warthy Every comparative implying a positive The sorer punishment that he is worthy of who hath trodden under foot the Son of God supposes the other worthy of the sore punishment inflicted upon them by Moses law for despising it Now by Moses law in this place the breach whereof deserved capitall punishment must needs be meant sins against the first Table rather then against the second and that because the scope of the Apostle is to warne the Hebrews against Apostasie and falling off from the Christian religion for which end he brings these words among others and therefore would speak ad idem Beza upon 〈◊〉 place saith that the Apostle speaks not of the transgression of any one command but of the apostasie and totall defection from the true Religion of which Moses in Deut. 17. 2. had spoken So Calvin upon this text The law under Moses did not punish with death all sins or transgressions committed but Apostasie The Apostle had an eye to that of Deut. 17. 2. of stoning him that served strange gods And Pareus

upon Heb. 10. 28 29. shewes that temporall death from the Magistrate for of that he speaks not of Gods judgements was justly inflicted by Moses law upon capitall transgressions as Blasphemie Apostasie and therupon infers from the lesse that much greater punishment must abide Apostates who despise the Gospel Infert à minori tanto gravius supplicium manere defectores illos Si legis contemptoribus supplicium mortis quo nihil est in hoc mundo acerhius justè irrogabitur utique supplicium quovis morte atrocius Apostatae Evangelii contemptores incurrent And 2 Heb. 2. in those words For if the word spoken by Angels was firm and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the Apostle shews that the law of Moses given by Angels Gal. 3. 19. Act. 7. 30. had the breach and transgression of it justly punished mediately by the Magistrates to whom the execution of the laws was cōmitted by God which just punishment is there cheifly understood of transgressions against the first Table Sixthly Granting that 13. of Deut. with the other Texts of Scripture named to be judiciall politicall lawes of the Jews yet they may binde the Christian Magistrate under the Gospel Indeed the Ceremoniall law being given for certain uses and for a certain time till the comming of Christ upon the arising of this Sun all these shadowes vanished away as being but of one time But now the Judicial lawes however delivered to one Nation yet were not of one time never tied to one time only so that had the commonwealth of the Jewes continued untill this day excepting a few things belonging to the vindication of the ceremonies which would have ceased with the ceremonies they would have used their Political lawes still in regard the Gospel neither changed nor took away any of them as Beza observes in his Tractate de Haereticis à Magistratu puniendis p. 154. And for the better understanding and proving that the Judicial lawes under the Old Testament are still in force I shall lay down two or three distinctions 1. The judicial law may be considered so far as concerns the distinction of the Iewes from the Gentiles and the typical signification of the kingdome of Christ or only so much as belongs to the forme of Civil government Now the judicial law according to the first acception is absolutely and simply abrogated but secundum quid in part and some kinde only in the latter that is Whatever was in the judicial law of particular proper right peculiarly concerning the Jewes as of inheritances not to be transferred from one Tribe to another of the Tribe of Levi having no inheritance among the other Tribes Numb 18. 20 24. of the emancipation of an Hebrew servant or handmaid in the seventh yeer a mans marrying his brothers wife and raising up seed to his brother the forgiving of debts at the Jubile marrying with one of the same tribe with other such like all of this kind is ceased But what was of common right common to other Nations with them according to the common law of nature of which sort are lawes concerning the punishment of Moral transgressions and other such that all remains and is in force Of which distinction the Reader may find more in Piscator's Appendix to his Observations upon the 21 22 23 chap. of Exodus Bullinger and in Altingius his common places par 1. loc 7. de lege Dei p. 112. Lex judicialis simpliciter abrogata est quoad distinctionem Judaeorum à Gentibus typicam regni Christi significationem secundum quid verò quantum attinet formae gubernationis civilis Nam quod juris in ea fuit particularis Judaeos peculiariter concernans qualis fuit lex de officio Levitarum item alia de haereditatibus de tribu in tribum non transferendis id omne cessavit Quod autem juris suit communis secundum legem naturae omnibus communem sancitum cujusmodi sunt leges de paenis scelerum aliaeque id totum manet 2. The Iudicial lawes may be considered according to their substance and equity or according to many accessories circumstances forms manner of them Now though the Magistrate under the Gospel is not bound unto these lawes simply that is to every circumstance and particular of them for form manner time and place as for example not to the same kinds and formality of punishments set down in those lawes for those forms are accessions of the law and therfore out of the nature of persons times places and constitution of common-wealths mutable Yet he is bound to the substance equity of them so as not to derogate from the right of those lawes Of this distinction the Reader may find much said by Cartwright in his 2. Reply to Dr. Whitgift p. 98 99. Beza de Haereticis â Magistratu puniendis p. 154 155. Tremellius and Junius in their Preface before the five Books of Moses Thirdly these Lawes may be lookt upon as containing doctrine from God of punishment i. e. that those who seduce blaspheme God c. be restrained yea and by death in severall cases or else as in their latter according to the great rigor and severity expressed in them as in Deut. 13. c. by smiting the inhabitants of the City with the sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the cattle thereof with the edge of the sword and by gathering all the spoyle of it into the midst of the street thereof and burning with fire the City and all the spoyle of it every whit in not sparing them though they should have truly repented in enjoyning the sonne the wife of a mans bosome to bring forth the father husband and to stone them with stones Now though to the degrees and measures of punishment the severity and utmost rigor the Magistrate is not now tied yet to the thing in cases of Idolatry seduction false prophesying speaking lies in the name of the Lord he is bound and in some cases of grosse and high Idolatry and Blasphemy committed presumptuously to inflict capitall punishment of this distinction also let the Reader consult these Authors And of this question that the Iudiciall Lawes of Moses in the sense now given doe yet last and are in force besides the Resolution of many great Divines in the case Beza Calvin Cartwright Tremellius and Junius Bullinger Zinchius Peter Martyr Henricus Altingius and more especially Piscator who by eight Arguments proves the Question in controversie besides answering two and twenty Arguments brought against it I shall desire the Reader to observe these few Reasons 1. The Iudiciall Law differs from the Decalogue the Law of the ten Commandements in this that whereas the Decalogue comprehends in a few words all righteousnesse and equity in all kind of duties to God and man the Iudiciall explains only that part of righteousnesse and equity which stands in those things of which judgements

found to make for the defence and preservation of the obedience of the Decalogue 3. If appear as usefull and necessary now for the glory of God the salvation of mens soules the peace safety of the Church and State as then Now all these do most clearly appear in punishments of sins immediately against God as Apostasie Idolatry Blasphemy c. For first these commands are of the light of nature tha● he who is in place and power should forbid and punish the speaking evill of God This sentence as Melancton writes is preacht to all men yea to all reasonable creatures every one in his place ought to forbid and hinder the manifest reproaches and dishonours of God And therefore Magistrates ought to forbid and punish Epicurean speeches worships of Idols profession of wicked doctrines Many Common-wealths among the Heathens have made Lawes against Epicures and Atheist● who have openly held there was no God or that there was no providence of God Peter Martyr in his Common Place● that Heathen Princes used to care for Religion and have punished men even to death for the matters of Religion Thus Socrates was condemned at Athens for no other cause but for teaching of new gods I and for with drawing the youth from their old worship of the gods Zanchius on the fourth Commandement writes that by the Law of nature all Princes among the Heathen judged that the care of Religion belonged to them The Athenians judged so the Romans also and thereupon made Lawes and punished for violation of religion Beza gives three instances of punishments inflicted by heathen Magistrates upon three cheif Philosophers for matters of Religion Socrates Theodorus Protagoras the last of which was by the Athenians banished out of their Territories and his books burnt for writing contemptuously of the gods in these words De diis neque ut sint neque ut non sint habeo dicere Musculus in his Common Places speaking of Magistrates having the care of Religion saith the wise men among the Heathen acknowledged it and that the truth of this opinion was so manifest as that it could not lie hid from the Heathen it was jus gentium dictated by the light of nature and therefore ought to be much more acknowledged and embraced by us who in the knowledge of God go farre beyond not only the Gentiles but the Iewes Master Selden in divers places of that learned Book De Jure Naturali Gentium proves that those commands De Cultu Extraneo and De Maledictione Nominis sanctissimi seu Numinis were Jus Naturalis common to all men were indeed the cheif and first Heads of the Law of Nature and that in those precepts viz. for the negative part all the Gentiles who lived or but passed through the Land of Judea were punished by the Magistrate for Idolatry and blasphemy as well as the Iewes and that from Lawes common to the Iewes with the Gentiles though the kinds of the punishments viz. this or that as whether stoning c. were not of the same nature but more proper to the Iewes yea he showes it was an opinion held by some learned men that it was not lawfull for any Gentile to speak evill of and blaspheme his God which hee worshipped as the God of his Countrey and saith it was founded upon those words Levit. 24. 15. Whosoever curseth his god shall heare his sinne the blaspheming the name of the Lord being spoken of after in the 16. verse as if it were distinct from that in the 15. verse In which forme of speech divers learned men both Rabbins Fathers and others would have forbidden to all the sonnes of men not only speaking evill evill of the most holy and only God but also the speaking of those gods which they had chosen to themselves So as none of the Gentiles might blaspheme their false God which yet they had not renounced without the violation of that Law Whosoever curseth his god shall beare his sinne Master Burroughs in his Irenicum though he be for a Toleration in a great measure as in things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men and that with a liberty of declaration of difference of judgement and some different practise page 55. yea brings such Arguments for that Toleration that if they prove any thing they prove a generall Toleration yet confesses page 23. of that Book T is the dictate of nature that Magistrates should have some power in matters of Religion The generality of all people have ever thought it equall It hath ever been challenged of all Nations and Common-wealths The Heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed but punished such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods And Master Burroughs in page 19. of the same book affirmes that Principle That Magistrates have nothing to doe with matters of Religion is abhorring to nature Is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world that men suffer that God to be blasphemed whom they honour and that nothing should be done for the restraining any but to aske them why they doe so and perswade them to doe otherwise There hath ever been as great a contestation amongst people about Religion as about any thing Exod. 8. 25 26. Pharaoh hade Moses sacrifice in the Land But Moses said it is not meete so to doe for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians Lo shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone us Though they had leave of the King yet the people would not endure it By which place of Scripture 't is evident that the Egyptians who were heathens by the light of nature would not endure the dishonour of their gods to see those creatures they worshipped for gods to be killed as Oxen and Sheep the principall sacrifices of the Hebrewes but they would kill the Israelites for so doing And lastly Master Prynne in that late Book of his The sword of Christian Magistrates supported doth largely and excellently show that by the light of nature in all ages Heathen Magistrates have made Lawes against and punished such whom they esteemed Atheists Hereticks Blasphemers of their Gods or oppugners of their established Religion and that with no lesse then Capitall punishments unto which Book from page 14. to 19. I referre the Reader where he shall finde many examples of Heathen Kings and Nations recited and shall conclude this with that saying of Seneca De Benefic lib. 3. cap. 6. Violatarum Religionum aliubi atque aliubi diversa p●na est Sed vbique Aliqua as well as of homicide paricide poysoning Secondly the Magistrates sword in matters of Religion in punishing Blasphemies Idolatries Heresies hath been found by good experience in all ages to make greatly for the defence and preservation of the first Table to stirre men

particulars must stil bind I shal give instances in the old and new Testament of morall and Evangelicall commands and examples that the things themselves are in force and yet many accessories acccidentals circumstantials accompanying them at such a time in such places and such a condition of the Church not binding And certainly if commands and rules confessed to bee morall and Evangelicall had such accessories accidentals circumstantials formes and manner of expressions accompanying them to which wee are not now tied though wee are to the commands and duties themselves then the commands cald judiciall in Deut. 13. 17. because consisting in judgements and matters of punishing offences may easily bee conceived upon severall reasons to have for the manner and forme of proceeding with the kinds and extent of punishments many accessories accidentals to which the Church of the new Testam is no ways bound although not free from the substance of the commands or those Iawes as containing such a Doctrine that in their generall nature and proportion of equity give us the best determination naturalis juris as Amesius speakes The Decalogue is in force and binding for the matter and substance of the commands of all Christians under the N. Testament as is confessed even by them that hold the judicial lawes totally abrogated and yet many of them plead that in divers respects and in severall particular things viz. accessories appendixes attending that time and that people the Jewes as under such considerations that law binds not us Now though the judgement of the generality of Orthodox Divines goes not along with them all their expressions about the māner of the abrogation yet al confesse that even in the Decalogue there are some things accessories accommodated to that time condition of that people the Jews which have the nature of ceremonials judicials as that clause in the preface which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt out of the house of Bondage upon which the ten commandements are inforced to the Jewes as that clause in the fifth command that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee was specially meant and had particular relation to the Land of Canaan though in the generall equity it was meant of a good and long life upon earth as is evident by Ephes 6. 3. where the Apostle changes it from dayes being long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth to this that it may be well with thee and thou maiest live long on the earth as something in the fourth commandement which that Colos 2. 16 17. showes and so some other phrases might be instanced in which bind not and yet from hence to reason against the Decalogues binding Christians under the new Testament as Hagiomastix in page 48 49. against that command in Deut. 13. and to say as he does were frivilous and absurd Now if it be so in the matter of the Decalogue then the same reason holds more in Deut. 13. The Government Discipline and order of the visible Church laid downe in the new Testament for the essentials and substantials binds all Churches to the end of the world as the Reformed Churches hold and divers Ministers of that way as Gersom Bucerus Parker Danaeus Cartwright c have written and yet they doe not hold all accessories circumstantials occasionals c of Discipline spoken of in the new Testament to bind but distinguish of things showing what 's immutable and perpetuall and what not of which the Reader may consult Parker De Politia Ecclesiastica Danaeus on the first of Timothie who showes in divers places of that Book that the fundamentals essentials and substantials of Ecclesiasticall Discipline cannot bee increased nor diminished by any new constitutions of men but for accessories and accidentals they may be diminished increased and moderated according to the various circumstances of places things persons and times For Discipline being as a comely garment fitted to things persons and times as these may be changed viz times c so Discipline also in accessories and lighter things may be altered and if out of a folish zeal of observing all things practised in the Apostles times men will imitate all things then done without considering a difference of times places and state of things they must needs doe that which will bee to the great evill of the Church and detriment of consciences Independents themselves though they hold the substantials of Church Government and order ought to bee the same in our times that they were in the Apostles yet they doe not in all circumstantials nor accidentals judge Discipline now binds and I suppose if Hagiomastix had thus reasoned against their Independent Government and order that if that tied us in these dayes then wee are bound to all circumstances and accessories as to the number of seven Deacons c as to widowes just of such an age c or else the office of Deacons and widowes are ceased in the Church they would have laughed at him for his folly and yet this is the way of the mans reasoning against the command of God Deut. 13. 17. the command it selfe must be wholly abrogated or else all accessories and formalities accompanying it Christians are tied unto Baptism the Lords Supper Preaching of the word to speak properly are not points of Government and order but the worship of God Love Humility Hospitality are graces and morall duties commanded under the Gospell and yet all these with many others of the like kind that I could instance in had in the Apostles dayes those Primitive times some accessories and appendixes wayes of manifestations of them which are now ceased as the feasts of Love the Kisse of love washing the Saints feet c. in which humility brotherly love kindnes to strangers were expressed as proper peculiar to that condition the Church was then in the customes of those Countries c. Now if any Seeker should reason with Hagiomastix that these Ordinances were all antiquated or any Antinomian that these graces were not to be exercised by us now because these accessories and appendixes were laid aside or would inforce from the Practise of them a necessity of washing feet the Kisse of love and all other things proper and peculiar to the state of the Apostles I suppose he would laugh at them and in his answer jear them to purpose Now therfore if in Evangelicall Ordinances and Commands in points of worship and graces under the time of the new Testament where there is still one and the same manner of administration of the Coveenant of grace there may be such a non obligation in respect of accessories and accidentals though yet the Ordinances and graces themselves remain in full force and vigor we may then easily conceive in commands concerning punishments of sin against the first Table how under the new Testament being a divers manner of administratiō from the old though the same in

high Priest in matters of morall transgressions giving Answers by Vrim and not by the sentence of the Law So Lorinus upon the 11. verse according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee saith that by the name of the Law in this place is neither necessarily understood the Mosaicall Law nor the holy Scripture but the sentence it selfe of the Judge as the pronoun● infinuates the Hereticks would have it to bee a conditionall command of hear●●ning to the Priests according to the Law that they might take away the Authoritie of Traditions and appeale to the Scripture alone Luther long since writing upon this place observed as much of the Papists And the Papists with a great deale of endeavour have drawn this place to their Idol that they might set up the Papacie So that by this it seems the Papists and Sectaries are agreed upon the same Mediums to set up the Pope and his Infallibilitie and a Toleration and Dispensation to beleeve and professe whatsoever men please Thirdly this cleere reason of Master Goodwin in his 36. Section of Hagiomastix against the old Testament Law being now in force for putting of false Prophets Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatris to death upon which hee vapours and triumphs so exceedingly over the Anti Quaerists certaine striplings of the Assembly as hee by way of scorne terms them is so farre from fighting against the Magistrates punishing even by virtue of that old law for matters of Religion where hee is sure and certaine the things hee punishes for are Apostasies Idolatries Heresies Blasphemies and that hee is not mistaken as that in all such cases of certaintie and infallibility it establishes the Magistrates coercive power in matters of the first Table and is indeed a strong reason for it For if that were the formall cause and reason why Magistrates might then punish Idolatrie false Prophecying c. because they might infallibly know such a thing was Idolatrie c. and so bee out of danger of fighting against God then what things may bee as certainly known under the Gospel to bee Idolatrie false Prophecying Apostasie c the Magistrate may as well restraine I shall not need to prove the consequence because besides its own evidence that it necessarily follows Master Goodwin in expresse terms grant and confesses page 130. that for his part hee shall thinke it equall nd meet hee that shall doe presumptuously and not hearken unto what is by infallible Revelation from God should be put to death and the only ground brought by him in this 36. Section of denying this power to Magistrates now is their uncertaintie in matters of Religion the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion being men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake and therefore to goe about to prove that the old Law is now in force because it was once given to the Iewes is as if one should prove that a man may safely and without danger walke among bogges and praecipices at midnight because he may well do it at noone day So that by Hagiomastixs owne confession what 's certainly and infallibly known to be Error Idolatrie Blasphemie Heresie may and ought to be punished by the Magistrate under the new Testament which is indeed a yeelding the question that Magistrates may punish under the Gospell in matters of Religion for that 's not the question what is truth and what is Error what is Heresie and what is Idolatrie and whether any thing can bee known certainly under the Gospell to be truth or no and how the Magistrates come to know it and who shall tell them which is truth that is quite another question but the question in hand about Toleration and the Magistrates coercive Power in points of Religion is supposing and granting there are many things certaine in Religion which he certainly knows and beleeves whether then the Magistrate may punish which upon this very question whether Princes have full Power to command for truth was well observed by Bishop Bilson long since in his answer to a Jesuite making this objection Yea But who shall tell Magistrates which is truth That is not this question When wee reason whether Princes may command for truth and punish error you must not cavill about the meanes to know truth from error but suppose that truth were confessed and agreed on and in that case what may Princes doe for truth If I should aske you whether Princes may revenge Murthers and punish thefts were this an Answer to say but how shall they know what Murther is and who be theeves No more when we demand what duty Princes owe to God and his truth should you stand quarrelling what truth is or how truth may be known The Princes dutie to God is one question which wee now handle the way to discerne truth from error is another which anon shall ensue when once this is ended But first let us have your direct Answer whether Princes may command for truth or no And then the Iesuite answering for truth they may but if they take quid pro quo they both hazard themselves and their whole realms Bilson replies you slide to the second question again before the first be finished stay for that till this be tried Now then to bring this point to ahead and issue Hagiomastixs clear reason grants that in cases about matters of Religion sure and certaine the Magistrate may punish in the times of the Gospel which directly overthrowes that universall Toleration so much pleaded for in divers of his Books so that Master Goodwin by his own cleer reason is forced upon this Dilemma either to hold no points in matters of Religion and Doctrine of faith can be certainly and infallibly known under the Gospel or if they can then the violations of such may by the Magistrate be lawfully censured And here in this matter I doe appeale from Master Goodwins wanton wit great applause among his Seduced Members and from all others his ingagements to the Sectarian partie to his conscience if so bee in this point of pretended libertie of conscience he hath any conscience at all left to resolve me this question whether Christian Magistrates under the Gospell may not by the Scriptures and other meanes that God hath given and appointed in his Church infallibly and certainly know that there is a God that this God is but one that the Scriptures are the word and mind of this God that this God is holy just good wise eternall omniscient omnipotent mercifull perfect that this one God though but one in essence is three in persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost that the Son was manifested in the flesh became man that he died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures that hee rose again from the dead ascended into heaven sitteth at the right hand of God shall come to judge the world that

Zerubbabel would not let the Priests that knew not their genealogies eat of the most holy things so that some Priviledges are denied for want of Vrim and Thummim in a case of Geneologie and birth after a confusion and mixture of marriages for the space of about 70. yeares being a matter of fact of what genealogie verse 62. not a matter of Law but no restraints of punishments upon Prophaners of the Sabbath those who married strange wives c for want of Vrim and Thummim And long after the losse of Vrim and Thummim we find Artaxerxes Darius the King of Niniveh and Nebuchadnezzar making Lawes for punishing men in cases of Blasphemie and other matters of the first Table and the places of Scripture relating such Edicts and Lawes speak of them by way of approbation as I have shown before in the 15. and 16. pages of this Treatise whereunto I refer the Reader and shall only adde one passage out of Calvin upon that Edict of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. 29. For this Edict Daniel celebrates and sets forth in which capitall punishment is denounced against any man that shall speake amisse of the God of Israel Truely t is no common honor that is given to a cruell Tyrant when God assignes his Prophet as the Preacher to publish the Lawes he made and puts those Lawes among his acts and numbers them among his holy Oracles What whether is Nebuchadnezzar praised by the Testimoniall of the Holy Spirit and of the Prophet for taking upon him according to his Power and Authoritie the defence of the glory of the true God that holy Magistrates should beare with the wicked prophanation of his glory and does not the Lord rather under the Person of a Prophane King showe what becomes them to doe And certainly what is more preposterous then in the bosome of the Church to foster unpunished wicked contumelies against God which was in Babylon enacted to be punished with capital punishment Fifthly this cleere Reason of Gods immediate and infallible declaring his own mind and pleasure under the old Testament even according to Hagiomastix Principles is so far from being any reason why Magistrates might then punish Blasphemers Idolaters false Prophets c but not now as that the contrary seems more reasonable for in cases of immediate and infallible Answers from Heaven God declaring who was an Idolater and what was Idolatrie c convincing men so powerfully as leaving them without all subterfugies one would think there should need the Magistrates Power a great deale lesse then in a time when there are no such immediate Answers from God nor discoveries of men from heaven For it cannot be thought but that very bad men when they certainly knew that if they prophecied falsly entised persons to Idolatrie c could not upon any Pretences whatsoever escape from being convicted but should by God himself from heaven be judged Idolaters false Prophets and thereupon bee but to death they would either wholly forbeare the outward acts or if committed any such they would confesse them repent and do no more so whereas when men know there is no such way of finding them out of God from heaven naming persons and things this is the man and this is Idolatrie Blasphemie c they would be incouraged both to doe such things and to maintaine them when they have done to bring Scripture against Scripture and Reason against Reason as knowing all immediate Answers and Discoveries to be ceased Unto which if that be added that under the old Testament God himselfe inflicted more outward bodily punishments upon persons for Idolatrie wil-worship Scisme c then hee does now under the new the judgements under the Gospel being more spirituall as many examples in the old Testament show being a more Immediate Iudge and Inflicted of bodily punishments on the Jewes as he was to them a more Immediate Legislator of which I have spoken before in page 64. of this Booke there appears lesse reason for those coercive commands being in force under the old Testament then now there being in both these respects now named without the Magistrates coercive Power greater means for awing and restraining Violators of the first Table viz. Gods immediate discovering and inflicting of punishment then in our times And for illustrating this wee may observe that in the Primitive times when there were extraordinary gifts in the Church of Miracles c and immediate Answers and Revelations by Apostles and Prophets then the Church needed not so much the helpe of the Magistrates and the civill sword God giving no Christian Magistrate all that time but the Magistrates that were in those dayes were Persecutors and enemies of the Christians but after the Planting of the Gospel and watering it and the extraordinary Gifts and Offices in the Church ceasing then God gave Kings and Princes to be nursing Fathers to defend the Church and the truth by their Laws and Power and hath continued such ever since as a great helpe to the Church as a wall to the weak Vine So when under the old Testament there was according to this Reason of Master Goodwin such immediate and infallible Answers from the Mouth of God himselfe in all difficult cases of Religion and such immediate visible judgements by the immediate hand of God upon Idolaters false Prophets especially upon Despisers of the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them except men had been desperately and outragiously wicked and had with a high hand despised God himselfe speaking and presently striking dead in case of disobedience they could not have been obstinate Seducers to Idolatrie false Prophets Blasphemers should neither so much have needed Magistrates armed with commission from God to execute those commands of the 13. and 17. chapters of Deut. c as in these dayes we doe wherein both these are wanting according to Hagiomastixs own confession and so much for the fifth Answer Sixthly If this bee a cleer Reason why that old Testament Law for the putting of false Prophets Blasphemers c to death should not be now in force because in all difficult cases that happened about matters of Religion the Jewes to whom this Law was given had the opportunitie of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe who could and did from time to time infallibly declare what his owne mind and pleasure was in them So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desparately wicked and set upon bloud and had despised that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God among them they could not do injustice because God himselfe was alwayes at hand to declare unto them what was meet to be done whereas now the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion are men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake then t is as cleer a Reason why the old Testament Law for punishing Murtherers and other

same reason the Decalogue the whole ten commandements are overthrown too for both in Moses his giving the moral Law and in the commands themselves with the preface from the second verse of the 20. of Exod. to verse 18. there are divers particulars typical and figurative of things under the Gospel temporall corporall things of spiritual and heavenly of which I having spoken before in this Book pag. 24. 25 83 85. and many learned Divines giving instances in this kind * as Zepperus Rivitus Master Burgesse I shall inlarge no further but referre the Reader to those Books Having laid downe divers reasons to prove the commands under the old Law for Magistrates punishing false Prophets Apostates Blasphemers to be of common reason and equity given to all Nations and for all Ages and having answered the most materiall grounds brought by the Patrons of Toleration to make void those commands as not binding under the new Testament I come in the third place to answer those evasions and shifts brought by Iacobus Acontius Minus Celsus Senensis and Hagiomastix `that if it should be granted that all and every the Lawes contested about as well that for putting to death the false Prophet as those for inflicting punishment upon the Idolater and Blasphemer were moral and still in force under the Gospel yet these could not reach unto Hereticks and false Teachers among us at not being those false Prophets Idolaters Blasphemers spoken of in the old Law If it can be proved that Hereticks are those Blasphemers false Prophets Apostates which Moses commands to be killed then it shall be acknowledged Hereticks are to be killed but there is a large difference between a Heretick and such a false Prophet or Apostate as the Presbyterians in their owne definition of Hereticks make A Heretick does not deny God the Creator of heaven and earth neither doth he teach that other gods are to be worshipped a Heretick does not deny the name of Christ a Heretick does not deny the word of God which an Apostate does So that the word of God may be used as a weapon against Hereticks which against an Apostate cannot A Heretick therefore is not mentioned nor touched in any one word of these Lawes But if any will go about to draw these Lawes unto an Heretick that cannot be done by the proper force of the words but as the Lawyers speake per extensionem latamque interpretationem by stretching of them and far fetched interpreation And it would first be well considered of whether every Law does admit of such extensions and if not every one which of them then does admit and wherfore and whether in this Law there are those things for which an extension is to be made By the false Prophet who was commanded to be put to death Deut. 13. 5. was not meant every Heretick or erroneous person nor yet those who taught or published any false Doctrine though of dangerous consequence but only those who endeavoured to perswade men to the worship of a false god that by affirming that they spake by the inspiration of some deitie and that their sayings were to be esteemed Oracles What Doctrine it was which made the Prophet or Teacher of it guilty of death is expresly determined in the Law it selfe and asserted to be this Let us goe after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them And that the Law of God made against false Prophets and worshippers of false Gods was not intended against those who otherwise held that the Law of God was to be kept but were infected with some other error is sufficiently evident from hence because in former times among the Iewes who were affected with a vehement love and zeale towards their law Hereticks notwithstanding were tolerated and particularly the Sadduces These although the greatest part of the people and the Rulers beleeved them to erre exceedingly neverthelesse they were not expelled the Citie neither exempted from being Magistrates or bearing any other Civill office yea they were not hindred from coming to the Temple or the Synagogues The Scribes and Pharisees also both held and taught many most dangerous and erroneous Doctrines yet were they also in great honor and esteeme in this Church and state And though our Saviour upon occasion reasoned against yea and reproved them all for holding and teaching these errors and gave warning to take heed of them yet did he never charge this Church or State or those that bare office in either with sin or unfaithfulnesse in their places for not proceeding against them in regard of their errors either by imprisonment or death And yet we know that the Zeale of his Fathers House did eat him up and that he attempted a reformation amongst them yea Christ did teach and presse upon men all and all manner of duties from judgement mercy and faith even to the paying tithe of Mint Annise and Cummin Now unto these and other such like besides some hints I have already given upon the 14. Thesis which may serve in part for satisfaction to some of these evasions I desire the Reader to mind these following Answers First there are other places of Scripture both of commands or else examples approved by God concerning the punishing with death or restraining by Civil power the last of which makes good the point in hand against Hagiomastix and other Libertines as well as that of death for other faults in matters of Religion besides Blasphemie Apostasie and false Prophecying in the sense now alledged by Hagiomastix and his Compeers which these following instances prove First in Deut. 13. 6 7 8 9 10 that very chapter verse 5. brought by Hagiomastix to prove only those were to be put to death who endeavoured to perswade men to the worship of a false God and that by affirming that they spake by the inspiration of some deitie and that their sayings were to be esteemed by Oracles the Holy Ghost layes downe the contrary giving a distinct Precept and command from that of the false Prophet or dreamer of dreams who publickly and openly sollicites to Apostasie concerning the killing of such who in a hidden and clancular way seduce T is observed by learned Junius in his Analytical explication on Deut. 13. that there are two sorts of Seducers to Apostasie commanded to be put to death the one of such who publickly and boldly sollicite who are spoken of in the 5 first verses the other of such who secretly intice in verse 6. and the five following Now however the false Prophet or dreamer of dreames might pretend to speak by the inspiration of some deitie for which the 5 verse of the 13. is quoted by Hagiomastix yet the private enticers to Apostasie as the daughter the wife of the bosome the Son besides that they are made a different sort from the Prophet and dreamer of dreams and those six verses from the sixt to the twelfth containe a distinct command from the five first

God and Christ his Sonne standeth in as full strength under the Gospel as ever it did under the Law For Princes in the new Testament be Gods Ministers to revenge Malefactors as they were in the old and the greater the wickednesse the rather to be punished ergo the greatest as Heresies Idolatries Blasphemies are soonest of all other vices to be repressed by Christian Magistrates whose zeale for Christs glory must not decrease Christs care for their Scepters being increased and those monuments of former Kings left written for their instruction were not this sufficient as in truth t is to refute your evasion yet King David foreseeing in Spirit that Heathen Kings would ●and themselves and assemble together against the Lord and his Christ extendeth the same charge to the Gentiles which the Kings of Jurie received before and warned them all at once Be wise ye Kings understand ye● Judges of the world Serve the Lord. And so in another place of this Book the Jesuits saying these were Kings of the old Testament and they had the Law of God to guide them he answers Then since Christian Princes have the same Scriptures which they had and also the Gospel of Christ and Apostolick writings to guide them which they had not why should they not in their Kingdomes retaine the same power which yee see the Kings of Iudah ●ad and used to their immortall praise and joy Againe Christ came not to abolish or diminish the power of Kings and States but to save their souls they are no way loosers but gainers by Christs comming Christs Kingdome is not of this world it alters not the Power and Preeminence God once gave to them as Kings and Magistrates Lastly If Magistrates under the new Testament should have this power taken from them the Church of God should be in a farre worse condition and more uncomfortable then it was under the old Law the Church should lose a great helpe it sometimes enjoyned neither can that helpe the matter to say that we have now Excommunication and other spirituall weapons to supply that losse For the Church of the Jewes had excommunication and the word of God yea extraordinary Prophets many miracles answers by Vrim and Thummim in all difficult cases about religion as Hagiomastix faith which we have not and yet they had need of Magistrates coercive power in matters of religion for all that To conclude there can be no reason in the world showen or given why Magistrates under the new Testament should not have power to restraine and punish Aposta●ies Blasphemies c as well as under the old but many might be given why their power rather should be continued and enlarged under the new and in this wee have Master Burroughs himselfe a witnesse what a sad condition the Church of Christ would be in if we had no externall power to restraine from any kind of Blasphemie and Seducements which passage having quoted before and having spoken something on that occasion page 63. of this Treatise of Toleration I referre the Reader thither and to Master Burroughs Irenicum page 23. 24. Fourthly God is unchangeable the Covenant of life under the old and new Testament is one and the same for the essence and substance as our Divines show against the Socinians Antinomians Anabaptists and the rule of righteousnesse and holinesse is the same under the new that it was under the old and therefore God hating corruptions of Religion so as to command his Vice-gerents to punish them then and to prevent their spreading he being unchangeable and the punishing of violations of Religion and impieties being acts of holinesse and righteousnesse must needs stand firm● and bind Magistrates under the new Testament And if the Magistrates restraining and suppressing the dishonors of God ruine of souls by his sword be altered and changed by God in the times of the Gospel then that power of punishment was either truely Ceremonial or else judicial belonging properly to the Poli●ie and Paedagogie of the Jewes but it was neither First Not Ceremoniall it was no type of any thing which was to come as I have showen before page 168. 169. of this Treatise Secondly Not properly judiciall in the sense laid downe page 53. 54. of this Treatise but morall of common right used by other Nations and that both before the judicial Law was given and after of which having spoken so much in divers pages and places of this Booke I shall onely adde this viz. that Zepp●rus in his fourth Booke de Legibus mosaicis excellently showes these Lawes to be Appendixes of the Decalogue and in stead of a just Commentarie upon them particularly of the first commandement whereupon he handles that question of punishing false Prophets and Hereticks and showes how many Errors and Opinions be Blasphemies as Servetus Opinion against the Holy Trinitie and Opinions against the Attributes of God c which abominations whosoever denies ought to be punished capitally he overthrowes all pietie and showes himselfe to be a stranger to all Religion and faith where among other reasons brought by him why false Teachers and Hereticks should be punished by the Civil Magistrates as the expresse Lawes of God given by Moses and not antiquated he gives this No substantial sufficient reason can be brought why the Majesty of God and the Authoritie of the Church ought to be of lesse moment and waight among Christians then in times past it hath been amongst the Jewes Yea by how much God hath more clearely manifested himselfe by his Sonne then in times past by his Prophets by so much the lesse can that coldnesse and luke-warmenesse be excused if wee be carried with a lesse study of our Religion and do lesse defend it then they Fifthly It cannot upon any reasonable ground be presumed that Idolatries Heresies Blasphemies c commanded by God to be punished by the Civil Magistrate under the old Testament should by Christs comming be set at libertie and absolutely freed from punishment For 1. Besides that the old Testament prophecying of Christs comming speaks of those dayes as times of greater holinesse and strictnesse and that in reference to the commands of the first Table as these Scriptures show Isaiah 35. 8 9. there shall be a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the uncleane shall not passe over it no Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon that is no enemie of God hurtfull to the Church among which false Teachers are chief cald by Christ and Paul ravening Wolves and greivous Wolfes not sparing the flock Matth. 7. 15. Acts 20. 29. Zach. 13. 2 3. prophecies that in the day in which the Messiah shall come into the world he shall overthrow Idolatrie false Doctrine and whatsoever is contrary to the word of God and true Religion The Prophet comprehends all under three Heads 1. I will out off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall no more

coercive power with a high hand scourging and driving out of the Temple those that sold Oxen c. and this he is said to doe out of zeale the zeale of thine House hath eaten me up and though this be not recorded for Ministers to use a materiall whip yet certainly this was an act of righteousnesse that should have been done by the Magistrates of that time it had been a glorious action if they had done it and however there might be something heroical in it yet doubtlesse t is an act of righteousnesse and zeal that ought to be done by some in their ordinary calling viz. by Magistrates 3. Rom. 13. 4. Magistrates beare not the sword in vaiue for them that doe evill and they are revengers to execute wrath upon them that doe evill Now Blasphemers Hereticks false Teachers doe evill and are evill workers Phil. 3. 2. 2 Epistle of John v. 11. Revel 2. 2. and non distinguendum est ubi Scriptura non distinguit upon which place Master Bilson writes thus Princes in the new Testament be Gods Ministers to revenge malefactors as they were in the old and the greater the wickednesse the rather to be punished ergo the greatest as Heresies Idolatries and Blasphemies are soonest of all other vices to be repressed by Christian Magistrates whose zeale for Christs glory must not decrease Christs care for their Scepters being increased 4. 1 Cor. 12. 10. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle showes us that when Christian Magistrates were wanting besides miracles gifts of healing c. Christ gave a speciall gift to the Church of restraining Seducers and obstinate Hereticks by corporall punishment There were some that had a speciall gift of coercing ungodly men this Paul exercised upon Elym●n the false Prophet and Seducer Acts 13. 11. upon which place Peter Martyr writes fully The Church then had not the Sword of the Magistrate by which offences might be restrained therefore a power was given of punishing them corporally The best Interpreters Ancient and Modern as Chrysostome Oecumenius Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Pareus and divers others doe understand by Powers those who had such a Gift upon which place I intended to have insisted largely by comparing other Scriptures with it and to have demonstrated from it the necessity and lawfulnesse of a power of punishing corporally obstinate Hereticks and Seducers but I must take off 5. Gal. 5. 12. Paul wishes that false Teachers and troublers of the Church were cut off which place I intended to have enlarged upon to prove it meant of bodily cutting off but cannot now 6. 1 Tim. 2. 2. Paul showes Kings and those that are in Authoritie are to be prayed for that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty in all godlinesse as well as honesty This is the end of prayers to be made for Magistrates Now that which is the end of Prayers poured out for Magistrates ought to be the end propounded by the Magistrate in his duty but the Apostle commands prayers to be made for Magistrates for that end ergo it lyes upon the Magistrate to see to it of which the Reader may see more in Meisner Polit. de Magistratu and t is confessed by Master Thomas Goodwin in his Returne of Prayers this was a command to pray that God would give Christian Magistrates to the Church the Answer of which was in giving Constantine a Christian Emperor who as the Ecclesiastical Histories show did by Lawes and Edicts command the Christian Religion as also establish the ●icen● Creed touching the Faith of one Substance banishing by his Edict Arius and his adherent● 7. Revel 17 16. John prophecies and speaks of it as an acceptable work to God for Christian Kings and States by their Civil temporal power to destroy the Romish Religion Now if the Romish Seducers and corrupters of Religion upon that ground cald the Whore may be punished by Civil Magistrates and dealt with by other weapons then preaching admonition excommunication then such as are certinly worse then they as Anti●rinitaria●s Soc●nians Libertins may be also by Magistrates restrained Master Robinson writing against the Anabaptists one Helwisse who interprets this place of Spirituall weapons answers him this is a prophecie of Kings and Magistrates whose weapons and power are other besides that of prayers which is common to all Christians t is spoken what they shal doe as Kings Besides t is contrary to the cleare meaning of the Holy-Ghost which is that Kings should first use their Civill power for the Beast and Whore and after against them to their destruction they shall give their power to the Lamb as they before gave it against the Lamb Now we know they used their Civil power under Poperie as a means by which to suppresse the true Religion and therefore Princes and States shall establish the true by that means and destroy the false of which I had thought to have enlarged further as also upon the other New Testament quotations to have answered the evasions brought against them especially of Hagiomastix against Rom. 13. 4. and to have proved it cannot be restrained only against evils of the Second Table but is to be understood of evil against the First but I must reserve these things and divers more to another opportunitie and for a Second Part. If God wil. To God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ Amen FINIS GOod Reader among many other Errata of the Presse upon running over the Book in hast since printed not having time to read and weigh every page much lesse sentence or line I finde these following ERRATA PAge 32 line 12 after ought to be r. also punished p. 30. l. 13 for they r. these p. 33 l. 28 r. four and five fold p. 55 l. 4. for latter r. letter The figures of the pages which should be 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64. are misprinted p. 64. l. 6. for mens r. means p. 78. l. 23. for others r. other Divines p. 167. l. 12. after put r. upon and. Margin Notes p. 14. for diga r. digna p. 61. for Egyptis r. Egyptii bones r. boves p. 130. r. c. 9 quae 4. p. 189. for equas r. equus p. 214. r. praceptorum for Prophetam r. Prophetarum for pl●nisqu● r. plerisque p. 216. r. after peccata r. coercerentur Numb 33. 52 5. ● King 20. 42. Revel 2. 20. * Aug. contra Petil. l. 2. c. 83. Noli dicere inquit Petiliano Augustinus Absit absit à conscientia nostra ut ad nostram fidem aliquem compellamus facitis enim ubi potestis ubi autem non facitis non pot●stis sive legum sive invidiae tim●re sive resistentium multitudine * Luther epist ad Wences Lin cum Christus meus vivit regnat ego vivam regnabo ☞ ☞ * Zanch. in quartum praceptum Chemnitii loci Commun De lege Dei in quartum praecept * Vide Master Cheynels