in the Kings of Israel and Judah in punishing Idolaters except they did it by extraordinary impulsion which cannot be proved it concludes nothing against us Argument VIII WEE argue from examples of Seducers who have been punished with bodily death or otherwise As at the command of Moses the Prince three thousand were slaine Exod. 32. 26 27 28. for worshipping the golden Calfe that God might that day bestow a blessing on them 29. and Moses might make atonement for them vers 30. Numb 25. Moses commands all the heads of the people to be hanged before the 〈◊〉 that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel because they were joyned to Baal-peor and the sacrifice of the Gods of Moah 1 2 3 4. Phineas in his zeale turned away the 〈◊〉 of God in that he thrust through Zimri in the act of uncleannesse with Corby a Medianitish woman And 〈…〉 slay the Priests of Baal with the sword And Paul 〈◊〉 Elimas the Sorcerer with blindnesse because he laboured to pervert Sergius Paâ—lus the deputy from the faith Act. 13. 8 9 10. the sonne of the Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian while he did strive with a man of Israell and so in passion and malice toward the man as would appeare cursed God was stoned to death and a law was made on it against the blasphemer Levit. 24. 10 11 12 13 14. which is ver 15 16. Whosoever curseth his God shall beare his sin 16. And whosoever blasphemeth the name of the Lord hee shall surely be put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as hee that is borne in the land when her blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death there be two things here to me that proveth this was no judiciall temporary law binding Israel onely 1 His God Holdeth forth that nature abhorreth and the sum of the first command written in the heart is hee that curseth his maker whom he is to blesse love and serve with all his heart should dye 2 This law obliegeth the stranger and any heathen to be put to death if hee should blaspheme God saith it is the law of nature and obliegeth us under the New Testament as being the first and highest sin that nature crieth shame and woe upon and wee are to conceive it was a lawfull warre attempted by the ten tribes to goe against the tribe of Ruben Gad and the halfe of Manassah Josh 10. 11 12. c. to 34. because they set up a new Alter to worship as their brethren conceived which if true certainly was a cleare apostacy from the God of Israel That Joshua destroyed the Canaanites for their Idolatry Josh 6. 21 22. chap. 20 c. I confesse will not warrant us to make warre and destroy with the sword all the Indians and Idolaters on earth and to compell them to worship the true God in the Mediator Christ without preaching first the gospell to them Nor can it warrant us to kil every ignorant blinded Papist with the sword nor can wee deny but what Elias and Paul did against false teachers was by extraordinary impulsion because the ordinary Magistrate would not as 〈◊〉 and Jezebell and could not through ignorance of the gospell punish perverters of the truth but sure these examples prove corporal and sometimes capitall punishment ought by the Magistrate to be inflicted on all blasphemers on all ringleaders of Idolatry and false worship as Exod. 32. They forced Aaron to make the calfe and Levit. 25. they were heads rulers and cheife offenders that were hanged the manner of the punishment may bee exemplary and determined of God for the example of after ages whither by death for simple heresie in one seduced which was no ring-leader which I finde hath not been done by God in the old or new Testament but seducers and ring-leaders by the law such as cease not to subvert the faith of others should dye yet these examples clearly hold forth so much of the law of nature as bodily punishment according to the measure of the offence is due otherwise if Christ have freed false teachers from all punishment external or that may be thought to worke any otherwise then by meer spirituall instructing in all meeknesse then by the liberty purchased by Christ they are freed from shame and reproach for shame and the publicknesse of suffering is an external punishment and is another meanes besides meek instructing as is clear from Judg. 8. 7. and from Souls calling Jonathan the sonne of a rebellious woman in which he handled him shamefully 1 Sam. 20. 34. Isa 50. 6. Luk. 14. 9. Yea by this way of Libertines false teachers are not to bee rebuked nor avoyded that they may be ashamed Paul may not upbraid the Cretians and call them idle bellies and lyars that they may be sound in the faith for that must be contrary to the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free And a bodily punishment may be extraordinary in regard of the manner of doing when done by miracle and fire brought from heaven and in regard of the persons that inflict it as that which Phineas did being Priest and Elias being a Prophet and Paul being an Apostle when the Magistrate will not do his part and yet the punishment in the 〈◊〉 and substance may be according to an ordinary law of God that bindes us Paul strikes Elimas with blindnesse it is no rule for Ministers to do the like to false teachers but it is the rule for him that beares the sword to inflict bodily punishment upon perverters of the Gospell if this 〈◊〉 not Joshua's warres with the Canaanits that were according to a morall and perpetuall rule of justice and bindes us Josh 11. 26 27. should not binde us to lawfull defensive warres in the like case contrary to the law of nature Josh 11. 26 27. because Joshua in these warres did many things extraordinarily and killed all the cattle and women with childe which we are not to doe The answer of many is These were extraordinary ergo they binde not us Is no answer they were extraordinary in the manner not in the substance and nature of the punishment in which the course of justice warrants us as a rule flowing from the Law of nature though the manner and extraordinary accidents are before us as no oblieging law upon the same ground many argue the Apostles who were immediately inspired give out synodicall decrees Acts 15. therefore Elders that are not infallible may not give decrees according to the word of truth Yea say we neither should this be a good consequence the Prophets and immediately inspired Apostles preached and prophesied the will of God as the Lord taught them Ergo Minister now though not immediately inspired may not preach the mind of God according to the proportion of faith for we thinke the consequence is most strong according to the word wee are to follow the
and Orthodox meaning of the word not sufficient p. 66 Divers pious conferences betwixt us and Lutherans ibid. They hate God and love blasphemies in the consequence who obstinately hold them in the Antecedent p. 68 They may be false Teachers and so punishable who erre not in fundamentals p. 73 Divers things not fundamentaly believed with certainty of faith p. 75 Beleeving of truths revealed of God with a reserve blasphemous and turneth beleevers into Scepticks and Nullifidians p. 77 Beleeving with a reserve against the motion of the Holy Ghost p. 78 Beleeving with a reserve against the stabilitie of faith ibid. Against the trying of all things and spirits inioyned by the Holy Ghost p. 79 Faith with a reserve against our prayers for knowledge and growing therein p. 81 The Holy Ghost bids us not beleeve with a reserve p. 82 To beleeve with a reserve contrary to our doing and suffering for truth and faith p. 83 Two distinctions necessarie touching controverted points p. 85 Some things of their own nature not controversall yet the deductions from them to our blind nature are controversall ibid. Fundamentalls of faith most controversall to our blind nature p 86 Chap. 7. What opinions may be tollerated what not Some far off Errors may be tolerated p. 97 Schisme and actuall gathering of Churches out of Churches cannot be tolerated p. 98 The place Rom. 14. willing us to receive the weak no plea for toleration p. 100 Phil. 3. 15. Let us walke according to the same rule c. nothing for toleration p. 101 Chap. 8. Whether Heresie be a sin or a meer error and innocencie whether an Heretick be an evill doer Libertines make Heresie a meer innocent and unpunishable error of the mind p. 101 Heresie is a sin as wel as Idolatry though we could neither define Heresie nor Idolatry ibid. Heresie proved to be an hainous sin ibid. The Holy Ghost contrary to Libertines supposeth undeniablie that Hereticks are known and so they are not known to God only when he bids us beware of them avoid them bid them not God speed p. 105 Pertinacie may be and is known to men p. 106 Heresie a wicked resisting of the truth and yet not the blasphemie against the Holy Ghost p. 107 Libertines say that an Heretick dying for his Heresie hath no 〈◊〉 Conscience but a spirituall and heavenly end p. 108 The vain glory of the Devils Martyrs who die for Heresie p. 111 Spirituall stupidity and malice both together in Hereticks and Sâ—tâ—â—s Martyrs p. 113 Some ignorance consists with the sin against the Holy Ghost p. 114 Chap. 9. Of Libertie of prophecying of erroneous indictmâ—â—â— of Conscience that it is not our rule Who is an Heretick to Arminians Tit. 3. 10. p. 115 None to Libertines are Hereticks but such as professe a religion which they beleeve with perswasion to be false ibid Liberty of prophesying taken in a threefold sense p. 117 To desire false Prophets to cease out of the Land is no quenching of the Spirit p. 119 Chap. 10. Of indulgence in fundamentall or non-fundamentall errors How the Arminian Libertines doe define an Heretick p. 122 Hereticks to Libertines only such as deny things knowable by the light of nature p. 123 Diversitie of opinions among them ibid. The punishing of men for publishing of fundamentall errors and the indulgence of a Toleration yeelded to them though they teach all Errors in non-fundamentals a vain distinction and hath no groâ—â—â— in Scripture ibid. Some murthers non-fundamentall in David which yet are consistâ—â— with the state of salvation should as well be tolerated assome errors in non-fundamentals by the distinction of Libertines p. 124 Some non-fundamentals clearly in the word revealed not to bee beleeved with a reserve and others non-fundamentals with a reserve p. 126 Queries propounded to Libertines p. 128 Why may not the Magistrate lawfully spare the life of him who 〈◊〉 of a Libertine Conscience meerly sacrificeth his child to God or why should hee punish with the Sword some acts not desâ—â—â—ctive to peace in the Conscience of the punished and not all acts of the same kind p. 128 To compell men to â—oe against their Conscience that is to sin neither in Old or new Testament lawfull Deut. 13. and 17. p. 130 There is the same obligation the same formall reason so saith the Lord of beleeving non-fundamentall revealed and fundamentals and the same necessity of divine command not the same necessitie of means called necessitâ—s medii p. 132 Chap. 11. Of the obliging power of Conscience The State of the Question touching the obligation that Conscience layeth on us p. 134 Ancient bonds of Libertie of Conscience Sect. 2. Chap. 6. p. 26 p. 139 Though the Magistrate punish false Teachers it followeth not that he compells them to sin against their Conscience ibid. Gods way and manner of calling is no ground why the Magistrate should not punish false Teachers p. 141 Ancient bonds of Liberty of Conscience cap. 61 p. 26. p. 142 Who is the selfe-condemned Heretick Tit. 3. 10. ibid. Chap. 12. Arguments against pretended Toleration Toleration hath no warrant in the word p. 145 Toleration inferreth Sceptisme p. 146 Want of infallibility in the new Testament no reason for the toleration in the new Testament p. 148 Toleration is against faith hope comfort in the Scriptures p. 150 Toleration is against the Ministery of the word p. 151 Rulers by the fourth Commandment are to see all under them worship God p. 177 Proposals of the Armie under Sir Thomas Fairfax 12. p. 10. ib. Chap. 13. Magistracie and perpetuall Laws in the Old Testament warrant the civill coercing of false Prophets Rulers as Rulers not as typicall Rulers punished false Teachers with the Sword p. 177 Typicalnesse did not priviledge all the Kings of Judah and Israel to compell the Conscience and punish false Teachers as Libertines say p. 180 How typicalness priviledgeth men to such and such actions how not p. 181 Seducers punished by bodily death p. 182 Punishing of Idolaters and blasphemers of the Law of Nature p. 183 How warres that are extraordinarie in the manner and in some particular acts may be and are in the substance of the acts ordinarie ruler obliging us p. 184 The Law of God warranted by the Law teacheth that false Teachers and Hereticks are to be punished with the sword p. 185 The Law of Deut. 17. 2 3. for punishing of Idolaters p. 187 There was no consulting with the Oracle who should be put to death for his conscience in the Old Testament but an ordinarie pay of trying such evill doers by judiciall proceeding and hearing of witnesses ibid. The end of punishing of false Teachers with the sword is not their conversion to God ministers of the Gospel only labour in that field but the not perverting of souls and disturbing the safetie of humane societies p. 188 Sacrificing of Children to Molech punished with death by Gods Law not as murther but as spirituall whoredome ibid. Chap.
that the sword is a kindly means to force outward performances for the Magistrate as the Magistrate does not command these outward performances as service to God but rather forbids the omissions of them as destructine to man for example a Physician commands fasting Pastors after the example of James commands fasting when judgements are on us the physician commands it in so farre as eating troubles the common societie of humours members and temper of the body and the Physician forbids eating so as he will have no more to do with the patient if he will disobey and so trouble the temper of the bodie which is the onely object the physician works on Pastors command fasting to be in sincerity for afflicting and humbling the soul under the mightie hand of God So the Magistrate forbids cutting of a veine or shedding of blood as a thing troubling the peace of humane societie yet his command is not a direct means of preventing diseases in the bodie of a subject and for healthie living But the Physician commands to cut a viene and to shed blood for health and to prevent a disease and sinnes neither against the Magistrate nor God in so doing so doth the Magistrate not directly command going to Church as a worship to God so as his commands have influence on the conscience as the Pastors commands have but he commands going to Church and hearing so as the omission of hearing harts the societie whereof God hath made him a civill and politick head in this latter sense must Lactantius Tertullian and others be taken otherwise these words the Religion of another does his neighbour neither good nor ill in rigour are not true the ill example of others in Idolatrie brings ill upon all the Church Deut. 13. 5. yea and the fierce anger of God v. 17. Again Laâ—â—antius saith false Religion cannot be compelled but he denyes not that Christians may punish blasphemies in true religion 2. he denyes we may propagate the Gospel among Pagans with the sword both which points we teach There 〈◊〉 saith he of force and injurie because Religion cannot be compelled the business is to be tranâ—acted by words rather than blowes that there may be willingnesse Let them enemies of the truth draw the sword or sharpnesse of their wiâ—â— if their reason be good let it be produced we are ready to 〈◊〉 if they teach nothing more cleare then that he speaks of the Pagans that would force Pagans worship on Christians we beleive nothing of their Religion whilt they are silent as we cannot yeeld to them while they rage against us let them imitate us and declare the reason of the whole matter for we Christians doe not allure as they Pagans frequently object to us but we teach we prove we demonstrate therefore none by us are kept against their will for he is unprofitable to God who wants devotion and faith and yet no man departs from us when the truth detains him But saith Celsus fol. 84. if in the time of Lactantius Christians killed men for their religion no man can doubt but Lactantius in these same generall words inveighs against Christians who would compell men to their faith against their will and that he abhorres the violence of ours against hereticks Answ These are of a wide difference to kill blasphemers and false teachers for spreading heresies and blasphemies and to compell them by warre and fire and sword to be of our Christian Religion As I hope to prove for the formers lawfull â—he later unlawfull It s true Lactantius speaks of all Religion true and false that we are to compell none with the sword to any Religion but he no where saith that the Magistrates may not kill open and pernicious seducers and false teachers who pervert others for the Magistrate is not to compell yea nor to intend the conversion of a pernicious seducer but to intend to take his head from him for his destroying of souls And Lactantius denyes Religion after it is begotten can be defended that is nourished and conserved in the hearts of people by the sword but by the word and Spirit Those are farre different tormenting and pietie saith he nor can violence be conjoyned with veritie nor justice with crueltie And again but as in Religion so also in defending of Religion they are deceived Religion is to be defended not by killing but admonishing others read by being killed not by crueltie but by patience not by wickednesse but by faith But here he speaks of defending in a hostile way by killing those that will not be of our Religion be it the Pagan religion and most develish not of defending the Christian professors from the infection of wolvish seducers by the sword of the Nurse-father of the Church who is to defend good men and to execute vengeance on evill doers For in all this Lactantius speaks of such a violence as is without teaching parati sumâ—s andire si doccant tacentibus certe nihil credimus But suppose some father were in that errour as Augustine was but retracted it though Augustine 〈◊〉 we may compell man to the faith yet 〈◊〉 of improper compulsion and of Donatists the such as are 〈◊〉 the Church whom he thinks the Magistrate on 〈◊〉 to punish which is not a compelling of the 〈◊〉 to the sound faith but an act of justice in punishing him for his 〈◊〉 of heresiâ—s to the perverting of the faith of others Upon these 〈◊〉 is Cyrilius saith Moyes Law is one and he Kingdom of Câ—â—â—t is wholly heavenly and spirituall and 〈◊〉 â—efore hath spirituall 〈◊〉 and spirituall armour and therefore a spirituall not a carâ—â—â— sword to punish the enemies of this Kingdom 〈◊〉 Christian men But he speaks of 〈◊〉 without the Church who as I constantly 〈◊〉 are not with warres and the sword to be compelled to 〈◊〉 the Christian Religion and therefore aâ—deth on the 〈…〉 did fight against Amorites Canaanites and 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 of iron but he speaks not of the Laws 〈…〉 24. and 〈◊〉 in which death was decreed for the false Prophet within the visible Church At 〈…〉 the fathers have 〈◊〉 with unsound Emperours who have tollerated 〈◊〉 Arrians and Jews but that is no law for us But the other point is that though these that are without are not to be compelled to embrace the true Religion it followeth nto that the Magistrate should not 〈…〉 Prophets or pernicious teachers such as Baals 〈◊〉 who openly 〈◊〉 the people of God to Idolatrâ—â— 1. Become the Magistrate cannot 〈◊〉 ought not to compell 〈…〉 lyars to be 〈…〉 it with their own as well as they must be such externally no more then he can compell them to inward fear love faith in God and to the externall performances 〈◊〉 But it doth not follow that therefore the Magistrate cannot command externall acts of mercie câ—â—astitie selfe-contentednesse and should not punish murther adulterie theft robberie perjurie for to punish these makes many
Prophets and Apostles in that in which they followed the law of nature which is that every Ambassador relate faithfully his Princes will though some have ordinary gifts some extraordinary and rare gifts in relating the same embassage So it is no good consequence some by extraordinary warrant did punish evill doers ergo the ordinary Magistrate hath not therefore power to punish such evill doers Argument IX THE expresse law of God and of nature written in the heart of al proveth that the seducer should die Deut. 13. If a Prophet or a Dreamer arise and say let us goe after other Gods he shall be put to death That is no temporary law oblieging the Jewes only the Text sayth 1 Let us goe saith the Dreamer after other Gods is 〈◊〉 them this â—in is against the first command and that imâ—aculate principle of nature graven in the heart of man That there is one onely true God and he onely to be served 2 It is against the love of God ver 2. The Lord tryeth you whether you love the Lord your God if he be God our love is due to him 3 It is against the fear of God v. 4. Ye shall fear him if he be God he is omnipotent infinitely great and dreadfull therefore by the light of nature to be feared And 5. cleaved to as the onely happinesse of men Adde to these that it is a morall transgression if Magistracy and lawfull revenging of violence and unjustice by the Minister of God and Government against highest soule-oppression be a naturall Remedy not a temporary positive salve as undoubtedly it is then sure he that seduces so should dye 1. He speakes aversion and turning away from God and that is hell and the extremity of miseries 2. He thrusts thee out of the way v. 5. a word of violence Then 3. he is evill and destructive to the society of men which the Magistrate by his office should defend v. 5. So shalt thou put away the evill from the midst of thee 4. He seeks to thrust thee from the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to remove from God as from an unclean and cursed thing and it expresseth excommunication and then to thrust men away from the Lord in Covenant with us that can save from the greatest of miseries must be the highest of injuries and if the Lord proved a publicke avenger against the highest wrongs that can be done in a society as he doth then certainly against this 5. It is a wrong that God would have all Israel to feare a wickednesse that strikes at the root of society 11. And all Israel shall heare and feare and doe no more any such wickednesse as this among you And v. 13. such are children of Beliel they make all things and persons cursed they come among and bring on the land the fierce anger of the Lord v. 17. the intâ—â—â—secall worke and end of the Magistrate is to avenge evill doing and so to remove the fierce anger of the Lord from a land that the people may feare and not do any such wickednesse as is cleare Deut. 13. 10. 11. Exod. 32. 29. 30. Deut. 19. 20. Rom. 13. 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Now the false Prophet is such as brings on all these evills and therefore if Magistrates stand under the new Testament and if there be such a sin now as thrusting away people from the Lord who hath in Christ delivered us from a greater bondage then that of Aegypt this must be a perpetuall Law Deut. 17. 2. If there â—e found any among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other Gods and worshipped them either the Sunne or the Moone or any of the hoast of heaven which I have not commanded 4. And it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought in Israel 5. Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which hath committed that wicked thing unto thy gates even that man and that woman and shall stone them with stones till they dye 6. At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death bee put to death Hence not simple Idolaters nor all the Nations round about nor all the Papists that are educated in Idolatry by this Law shall be put to death but such as are within the gates of Israel 2. In Covenant with God 3. It is wrought in Israel and so Apostates to Judaisme to strange Gods are to be punished so we teach not that Nations are to be converted by the sword or that the Idolatry of Indians the blasphemy of Jews is a sufficient ground to make warre against them and cut them off with the sword 2. Apostates turning to false Gods were by a written law judged There is no consulting of an Oracle by urim and thâ—â—mim here as Libertines say but just as the murtherer is to be judged under the New Testament if it be told thee the people or the Judge and thou hast â—eard of it v. 6. Vnder two witnesses hee shall be convinced It were a vaine thing to goe and seek witnesses and follow reports and hear-sayes if they had an immediate Oracle to informe the Judge and say Here the Idolatry there the Idolater binde him and lead him away to death as some Patrons of Liberty plead we read not any such conjecture 3 He is not persecuted for opinions Because be cannot câ—me up to that measure of light in judgement that other Saints attain unto but he is put to death for an externall act of Idolatry that is seen heard proved by two witnesses and for externall abomination wrought in Israel v. 5 6. the Lord never puts a Judge to prove opinions that remain within the walls of the heart and are things of the minde by witnesses nor is the end of putting to death to force beat or cudgell him to the sound faith with the sword but to be avenged on hiâ— sin to remove evill to save the Israel of God from infection 4 It is not single Idolatry that is his death but his Idolatry in seducing others by word or example he workâ— such abomination in Israel v. 4. in the Church of God which tendeth to seduce others Deut. 18. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee that is Christ Act. 3. 22. so the Holy Ghost in the Apostles expounds it And he adds ver â—0 But the Prophet that shall presume he must mean in the time of the Messiah when the true Prophet shall rise to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods even that Prophet shall die It is
a prophecy of a New Testament Law because many were to come in Christs name and say Loe I am Christ as many now doe so Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. Levit. 20. 2. Whosoever of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel that giveth any of his seed to Molech 〈◊〉 shall surely be put to death This Law if it did lye upon the strangers and heathen then it was not judiciall but it must lye on us Gentiles now Who can free us from it Object But he was put to death not for false worship but for â—â—rthering of his Son Answ No Law of God or men can judge that murther which is done without hatred to the party murthered as is clear Deut. 19. 11 12 13. chap. 4. 42. chap. 19. 4. but here the dearer their sons were to them they the rather offeâ—ed them to their God â— The Text gives no reason why such should be put to death for murther but for false worship against the first Table Ver. 3. He defiles my Sanctuary be prophanes my holy name ver 5. the Magistrate must kill such a seducer for he commits whoredom with Molech CHAP. XIV Cavils against coercive judiciall Laws for punishing false prophets in the Old Testament removed THE first common Answer made to all these is That these were judiciall and Old Testament Laws when God dealt more strictâ—y with the Jews and hedged them in with severer laws penalties and a greater measure of bondage then now under the meek and gentle reign of the Messiah Answ More severity and a stricter tutory to be over the Church in non-age and under Pedagogie we grant Gal. 4. 1 2 3. But that is in regard of Ceremoniall hedges laws and dayes but it is to begge the question to say that morall transgressions are destructive if not more to Christian societies now as then such as blasphemy idolatry heresie that were punished with the sword then must now be more loosed from all bodily punishment in any kind then murther sorcery adultery perjury For the comparison of a milder Government under Jesus then under Moses cannot stand in fencing some moral transgressions utterly from the sword and in leaving others lesse weighty under as bloody punishments as ever they were When no reason from the word of truth can be given why the murtherer should dye by the sword now and then but blasphemy and offering the sons to Molech as the Indians doe now was then by the law of Nature a dis-worship or a false worship punishable in Jews and heathen but now it is not in any punishable by the sword at all 2. The sword did not force the conscience of any then more than now nor could it cudgell an Idolater or a blasphemer into the sound faith then more then now and weapons of the Prophets in the Old Testament as well as the Apostles in the New were not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Prophets as Prophets no more used the sword against mens consciences of old than Christ his Apostles and Ministers doe now Mat. 28. 19 20. And as Christ saith now preach the Gospel but kill none use neither staffe nor sword nor miraculous power to destroy hereticks or burn Samaria so he said to his Prophets speake my word to Israel and Judah and the Nations to Ninive and others but kill none and use the sword against none of the rebellious who will not heare that they may bee converted Yet hee commanded the Magistrate to use the sword against the seduceing Prophet nor can the Libertines shew us of a Ceremoniall death inflicted for the transgression of a morall law which transgression is now made free from all bodily punishment indeed the man that refused to raise up seed to his brother was put to shame by the law and we are freed from both the law and the penalty thereof and the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath was put to death by an answer from Gods mouth but the breach of the holy Sabbath instituted before the fall is no Ceremoniall transgression nor doe we thinke that every violation of the Sabbath was punished by death but that the Magistrate Masters and Fathers are not to punish with bodily coercive power the transgressours of the fourth command is most false For what the Magistrate commands the Subject the Master the servant the Father the sons and which they have warrant from the Morall law to command in these relations that they command in order to the sword and rodde if their commandements find no other welcome but rebellion for the power of Magistrate and Master yea and of the Father now in the state of sin is essentially coercive they may compell their inferiours by strong hand either to doe or suffer the will of God which is sufficient to prove our poynt Though it be true some morall transgressions Moses punished with death as Sabbath-breaking it followeth not therefore the godly Prince may now punish it with death but it followes not therefore such transgressors are made free through Christ of all bodily punishment as Libertines inferre for though the temporarines of the punishment be only in the measure of punishment yet not in the punishment it selfe 2 We desire a reason why the gentlenesse of the sonne of Gods government should free the blasphemer and the soul-murtherer from sadder yea from all bodily punishment and not free him that destroyes the body also Or how all the Sons of Levi saw by an immediate oracle that all that had worshipped the golden Calfe Exod. 32. had done it with such high presumption as made that Idolatry worthy of death which otherwise was not worthy of death and it is cleare the charge was without exception v. 27. slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour And the like I say of all that joyned to Baal-peor And when Asa compelled so many thousands both of Judah and Israel to sweare a Covenant and that they should be put to death that would not seeke the Lord 2 Chro. 15. whether Asa and all the under-Judges for Asa in his owne person could not doe it had a deputed dominion over the consciences to force them and whether he consulted the oracle to know who sought not the Lord and refused the Covenant out of meere weaknesse as not being able to see how Asa who was no Prophet and a Prince for eminency of conversing with God farre inferior to Moses was not a little wide in pretended zeale to urge the Law with an oath and no lesse then death on the refusers to seeke God and the breakers of the Covenant Nor could Asa see and know infallibly how out of heart-obstinacy or how out of sinlesse and faultlesse innocency refused the Covenant And Asa could not compell men to take the Covenant and professe seeking of the Lord against their judgements and consciences which the thirteenth Proposall of the Army does condemne And yet
Asa was free of compelling men to hypocrasy When therefore Peter strucke Annanias and Saphira with death and Paul Elimas with blindnesse and delivered Himeneus and Alexander to Sathan and when the Apostles sharply rebuked and upbraided the Cretians those who are called dogs evill-workers enemies to the crosse of Christ such as serve their belly not the Lord Jesus it is as pertinent and necessary a query whether or no Peter compelled others who saw Annanias punished to death Paul constrained others who saw the terrible wrath of God on Hymeneus to dissemble and to doe and professe against the judgement of an erronious conscience and lay all their goods downe at the Apostles feete against their conscience which yet beleeved they were against the law of nature defrauding their owne children and to professe the faith and not inword blaspheme and say there is no resurrection no Christ no heaven after this life as Familists now say for feare that Paul deliver them to Sathan And wee know professours are much affraid to goe for dogges and belly-Gods in the account of such eminent Godly men as the Apostle Paul and others and therefore will cover themselves and professe the contrary if therefore censures and rebukes from the eminently Godly doe create varnished hypocrits and it is not the sin of Godly rebukers and if punishments may and doth constraine many to say and doe and unsay and counterdoe in matters of Religion in judgeing according to conscience in highest judicatures and contrary to that same conscience the next day this which is objected against coercive power in matters of conscience that it creates hypocrites and straines men to doe against their judgement and so to sinne is all accidentall to the nature of coercive and bodily restraining power And because many keep their hands from blood and violence and that out of deep hypocrisie since they lodge in their breast bloody hearts onely for feare of the Princes sword yet both the Prince and his sword is innocent of that hypocrisie Then as coercive power is falsly charged with any kindly begetting of hypocrites in the duties of the second Table so is it as harmelesse in matters of Religion respecting the first Table nor did the Lord in the Old Testament create hypocrits by straining mens consciences by bloody Lawes A third Answer stands thus those lawes were made of old against false teachers Because the Jewes had the opportunity of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himself and except the Iudge had been desperately wicked and despised the glorious ordinance of the Oracle of God they could not doe unjustice God being always at hand to declare unto them what kinde of blasphemer and what kind of Idolater it was that he intended by his law should be put to death Men are now fallible and the learnedest cannot tell whaâ—â—blasphemy or idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law So Jo. Goodwin Answ If there was such immediate consultation to make short worke of blood to the Judge we desire law or instance of the Priest or Prophets consulting with the mouth of God touching the Prophet whether true or false but none can be produced sometimes the Prophets by miracles cleared their calling another way we fâ—nd not 1 This is against appeales that are cleare Deut. 17. In all matters of controversie when in the highest Court where a mans head whether hee be a false Prophet or any other was at the stake the Judges v. 11. were to judge according to the sentence of the law and they proceed upon witnesse Deut. 17. 6. God should by this declare law proof and witnesses uselesse for the Lord from Heaven condemnes the man 2 Jeremiah and all the Prophets that were killed and stoned never sought the benefit of the law nor said give us a â—ury from heaven an oracle for to take away our head the Prophets never accuse Kings or Judges in persecuting the Prophets that they consulted not the oracle ere they rejected the Prophet 3 This had been a well settled law to try all Prophets who speake from God and who speake the visions of their owne head all should have passed the grand Jury of an immediate oracle from heaven and by this there should not have been a false Prophet in all Judea but the Judge might have discovered him but God never gives this character of an Idolater Blasphemer or a false Prophet The Oracle of Vrim hath blacked him as an impostor But divers other characters the Lord gave As 1. If hee speake not according to the Law 2. If the good he foretel never comes to passe 3. If hee â—eale the wound with smooth words 4. If he strengthen the armes of the wicked When as yet God had made no standing law he was consulted and God gave sentence against the man that had broken the Sabbath and that blasphemed but their consulting with God presupposeth by the law of nature the Magistrate should punish such therefore the puâ—â—ing him in ward was a punishment only they would have the mind of God touching the manner of his punishment but sure this was not the ordinary and standing law 4 There were others as difficill and intricate controversieâ— of murther adultery treason as Deut. 17. 8. Between blood and blood plea and plea stroake and stroake By this reason Anabaptists have a better ground to say there should be no Christian Magistrate under the New Testament nor any use of the sword nor sheding of blood at all because the Jeâ—es under the Old Testament had the opportunity of immediate consulting with the mouth of God himselfe we are fallible men and the learnedest can no more tell what murther what incest or adultery was condemned in the law of God for heart-hatred which is seen to God only doth essentially constitute murther punishable by the Judge Deut. 19 11 12 13. chap. 4. 44. chap. 19. 4â— then they can define what blasphemy or idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law for we are to be as wary to take a mans life and blood now under the New Testament for murther and treason and sorcery as they were under the old in stoning blasphemers and we are no more infallible in the one then they were in the other Yea it strongly concludes that wars are as unlawfull under the New Testament as under the old for under the old they consulted the mouth of God before they went to battle we have no immediate oracles to consult yea when we are ingaged wee are neither to pursue the enemy nor to forbear because we have not the immediatly inspired Prophets Micah Jeremiah as they had wee may not make a Covenant with neighbouring Kingdomes the Scotish Army have no oracle to shew them whither they shall remove out of England for that will be the safety of the cause of all the godly Presbyterians who are now persecuted for the Covenant of God and a carying on
such a limb of hell The thirteenth Proposall of the Army will say the Parliament forces this man to sinne and to beleeve and professe a truth against his judgement and conscience and upon this ground for wee know not infallibly such a man to be a damned Atheist The 4 Answer to annull all these Lawes in the Old Testament is this punishment was bodily afflictive carnall and so typicall and prefigurative of those greater and more spirituall evils under the Gospell to wit of eternall damnation As the land was a type of heaven so to bee cut off by death out of that land was typicall Answer Had the Jewes no spirituall censures then as debarring from the Passeover the excluding of the uncircumcised and uncleane from the Congregation of the Lord 2 Was not the cutting off of the murtherer out of that good land as typicall as the cutting off of the blasphemer 3 Is there any bodily punishment but it is carnall and afflictive I trow none 4 Is punishment and cutting off from the Church by death typicall because bodily Then the avenging of 〈◊〉 doers under the New Testament must be typicall and is many hangings and headings of evill doers as many types under the New Testament If the punishment was typical because in such a way bodily as exclusion from a typicall land Then 1. How is not the killing of the murtherer typicall 2. Give us a warrant for this because we may not at our pleasure phancy types where the word gives no ground for them otherwise we shall with Anabaptists turne all the Old Testament and whole scripture into types upon our owne imagination 3. How shall violent death â—ypiâ—â—e damnation and hel that was existent then and not a thing to come and that because it was the cutting off of the blasphemer not of the murtherer 5 But say they were types as crucifying and hanging on a tree was Deut. 21. 23. of Christs crucifying Gal. 3. 10. What shall it follow that robbers and murtherers 〈◊〉 as Barraâ—â—s may not under the New Testament be 〈◊〉 Yea and by this argument nor may any bodily punishment be inflicted on robbers more then false teachers may bâ—â— killed or incurre any bodily punishment for that were â—â—y Libertines to rip up the grave of Moses because undoubtedly crucifying was a typicall death Gal. 3. 10 â—9 〈…〉 â—ut it is knowne there were two forts of typicall things in the old Testament 1. Some that were meerly typicall and had no use but in divine worship as sacrificing Bullocks and Lambs to God other things were so typicall that they had both a naturall and civill use at eating of manna when yee are hungry drinking water in the wilderneâ—se living in the holy land the former typicall things are utterly ceased and it were impious and meere judaisme to recall them or bring in againe sacrificing of Bullockes to God but the latter things may well remaine in their Naturall and Civill use though their typicall and religious use be abolished as it were lawfull for Jewes even now after Christ is come and ascended and hath put an end to all shadowes and types by the comming in the body to eat manna if they were in the wildernesse and drinke water out of the rocky mountaines if thirsty and dwell in their owne land if the Lord should restore them to it yet should they not Judaize nor recall the types of Moses for these they should doe for a naturall and physicall and for no Religious use Now granting that stoning of blasphemers were typicall and as typicall as hanging of robbers was Deut. 21. yet should it never follow that stoning of blasphemers were Judaizing and unlawfull because it hath a necessary civill use even of common and naturall equity that he that thus perverteth the right wayes of the Lord and seduceth others should dye the death Yea this may well infer that prophesying of lyes blaspheming were typicall sinnes against a ceremoniall and temporary law and so they are not now sinnes yea because it is a falling from Christ to observe Jewish shadows Gal. 5. not to blaspheme and not to prophesie lyes must be sinne and if that be blasphemy what more reason to remove the punishment of a sinne as destructive to society now as then if the sinne cease not to bee sinne but remaine yet a morall hainous transgression The fifth Answer is That the Lawes of Moses cannot reach the heretickes now under the Gospel 1. An hereticke denyes not God the Creator nor teacheth hee Let us goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowne as the Apostate Prophet Deut. 13. 2. Hee denyes not the word of God therefore you may use it as a weapon against him but yee can use no sword but that of iron against Apostates 3. Hereticks as Sadduces were tollerated among the Jews but blasphemers and Apostates were not 4. Scribes and Pharisees held many dangerous opinions yet neither they nor Sadduces were expelled the City or hindered to be Magistrates 5. Though the zeale of Gods house eat up Christ and he attempted a reformation yet he never charged Church or State as unfaithfull for not proceeding against them to imprisonment and death 6. These Deut. 13. would perswade they speake by the inspiration of some Deity and that their sayings were oracles hereticks doe not so so Io. Goodwin Hagiom Answ 1. The conclusion we hold is not hurt all this saith an Heretick that is not an apostate is not to be put to death Let it be so but wee hold by these places that bodily punishment is to be inflicted on him and yet the conscience is not strained nor he persecuted 2. Hereticks 2 Pet. 2. denyes the Lord that bought them and make shipwracke of faith and bring in damnable heresies and bring on themselves swift destruction they depart from the faith speake doctrines of devills lyes in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 1. are condemned of their own conscience Tit. 3. 10. Lead the simple captive resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres did Moses are men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 6 7 8. which is a wilfull denying of the Lord that bought them Libertines have bowells of charity to Arch-hereticks as if God had made a law of sinnes if we are we are not capable under the Gospell whereas it is knowne there are though we need not call all false teachers Hereticks Seducers that say there is not a God nor a heaven nor a hell 3. How shall they prove that the Seducer Deut. 13. formally denyed God the Creator To deny him as Creator and say the world was eternall as Aristotle did is not to deny God for Aristotle and all his acknowledged there was a God but that those dreamers denyed the very existence of God any otherwise then as practicall Atheists and by consequence in their abominable doctrine they cannot prove for they professe a Religion and a God when they say Let us goe and serve other Gods and
these words that thou knowest not are the words of the Holy Ghost not that these Seduceâ—s so speake in so many syllables but the God they drew men after was an unknowne God for there is not a Caligula in the world can be a speculative and heart-Atheist or if these words whom thou â—ast not knowne be the Seducers they are spoken to heighten the new God and exâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 above Jehovah as not knowne by the blinde and ignoraâ—â— world yea and those that worshipped the golden Calves at Dan and Bethel worshipped other Gods and turned away themselves and others from the true God for Deut. 32. 16. They provoked him to jealousie with strange God with abominationâ— provoked they him to anger 17. They sacrificed unâ—â—â—evills not 〈◊〉 Gâ—d to Gods whom they know not to new Gods that newly come up wâ—om your fathers feared not 2 Chron. 11. 17. and Jeâ—oâ—â—am ordained himselfe Priests for the high places and for the devils and for the calves which he had made Psal 106. 19. They made a calfe in Horâ—â— and worshipped a molten image yet they denyed not God the Creator except practically Deut. 32. 18. Of the rocke that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed tâ—ee Psal 106. 21. They forgâ—t God their Saviour which â—ad done great things in Aegypt Yea and those that worshipped these Gods denyed no otherwise God the Creator then hereticks now doe for both in profession asserâ— Jehovaâ— that made the heaven and the earth Exod. 32. they said of these calves as Jeroboam did v. 8. These be thy Gods O Israeâ— that brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt 1 King 12. 28. and Exod. 32. 5. Aaron said to morrow shall be a feast to Jehovah then they denyed not in profession and in words the Jehovah that made them nor Christ their Saviour then by signes and wonders brought them out of Aegypt so a Hereticke or a Popish Idolater denyes not God in profession yet both worship strange Gods and the worke of mens hands and the devill not God Deut. 32. 16. 2 Chro. 11. 15. Nor did Jeroboam deny God in profession for he acknowledged that the Lord God the true God could heale his dryed up arme 1 King 12. 6. and sent his wife to enquire of Jehovah concerning his sicke childe 1 King 14. 1 2. and Jeâ—u who clave to Jeroboams calves 2 King 10. 29. And so by this same law of God ought to dye as is clear in that he worshipped and served other Gods as Deut. 32. 16. Ps 106. 19. compared with Exod. 32. cleareth for three thousand were slaine by the Magistrates sword for this sin Exod. 32. 27 28. yet these denyed Jehovah not in formall and expresse profession but by the genius and staine of their doctrine and the same way the Hereticke denyes the Lord that bought them these that worshipped Iehovah and Malcom Zeph. 1. by this law should dye the Priests of Malcom come under the law as well as the Priests of Baal the Priests of Baal and the false Prophets were slaine according to the law and yet they professed Jehovah as well as Micaiah 1 King 22. 24. and Achab who worshipped Baal professed he worshipped Jehovah and so did these who worshipped the Samaritan strange Gods and Iâ—hovah both together 2 King 17. Nor is it of weight that some say from Deut. 13. onely these are to be put to death who denyes God as knowne by the light of Nature not these that deâ—y the blessed Trinity or Christ the Mediator or the principles of the Gospel which are only known by the supernaturall light of faith and onely these that deny principles of Divinity that are by natures teaching in the heart for these sinne against Natures law and the Alphabet of naturall Theology This hath no warrant in the word the Law condemnes these to dye who blaspheme or draw men away from the true God as revealed in the Scriptures which is a supernaturall Revelation that flesh and blood taught not Moses but a Propheticall and â—mmediately inspiring Spirit as the reason which God insâ—uateth Exod. 32. 8. They have turned quickly aside out of the way that I commanded them Now the twilight and rude divinity of Nature revealed not this way as being supernaturall yet for this turning aside were three thousand killed v. 27 28. And it is cleare Deut. 13. the dreamer shall surely bee put to death not because he hath denyed the Creat or that is knowne by the light of nature but v. 5. because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walke in Now this is not I conceive a naturall way nor written in mans heart by nature as this answer supposeth But yet it s also a sinne against the law of nature to deny the God who reveals himselfe in the Mediator Christ And these that were put to death by this law were such as denied God revealed in Christ for Christ saith Moses wrote of mee and to Christ all the Law and the Prophets bare witnesse 2 Nor did these that worshiped Idols and the false teachers and such as offered their children to Molech who were surely by the Law to be put to death deny the word of God more then the Heretick now and Jeremiah useth the weapon of the word of God against them as Moses was to use the sword against them Deut 17. 3 4 5 6. Lev. 20. 2. as we read Jer. 7. 13. And they have built the high places of Tophee which is in the vally of the sonne of Hinnon to â—urne their sonnes and their daughters in the fire and he useth an argument from the word of God to convince them which I commanded them not neither entred it in my heart Libertines might say why should Jeremiah speake of a command of God for though our Hereticks under the Gospell acknowledge the word of God yet the false teachers and Apostates that were to dye by the law doe but mocke the word of God and therefore the Lord should not use this argument which I command not But to mee is cleare they were so farre from denying the word of God as our Antiscripturists doe that for the offering of their sonnes to God they alledged both Abrahams example who was bidden offer Isaak his onely sonne to God and the Scripture for if we say they are to offer the best of the flock to God and its little enough to so great 〈◊〉 Lord farre more are we to offer the dearest thing we have to wiâ— our sonnes and daughters God answers What yee offer to mee must be commanded in my law but it never entred into my heart to bid you offer your children to mee Now if these had both denyed God their Creator and his word there had beene no other sword
to be drawne against them but that of iron 3 How will Libertines prove that the second sort of seducers that were to dye for seducing Deut. 13. 6 7 8. the brother son daughter or wife that lyes in the bosome denyed God the Creator there is no warrant from the text to say they dreamed dreames and wrought wonders to seduce or that they professed the inspiration of a new Deity yet they were to dye and why not the Hereticks now by the same reason If they thrust people away from the Lord that hath ransomed them from Hell Yea 4 These acknowledge the Lord and the law and the Lords Priests and Prophets as some Hereticks doe now yet not standing to the sentence of the law that the Priest shall â—each but presumptuously rejecting it were surely to be put to death Deut. 17. 10 11 12 13. So he that speaks a word in the name of the Lord so confesseth and professeth both the Lord and his word as hereticks now do which the Lord commanded him not to speak or shal speak in the name of other Gods even that Prophet shall dye And did not Jeremiah and Vriah the son of Shemaiah and the Prophets that were killed and sâ—oned by the Jewes professed God and that the word of God came to them and that they had seen the visions of God yet they were condemned as false Prophets but for prophesying destruction on Israel Judah and Jerusalem and if the Lord had not sent them but they speake the visions of their owne head they had been false prophets as is cleare Jer. 14. 13 14. Jer. 23. 15 16. and so justly condemned 5 Are there not now under the New Testament who deny the word of God as many Antiscripturists in England and doth not Saltmarsh Del Beacon Randal and many Familists and Antinomians father their new lies upon the spirit and the pretious anoynting that teacheth all things aâ—â— not they like to those Prophets Deut. 13 have not some in France in Holland in England made defection to Judaisme and Turâ—isme and turned Apostates from Christ And yet they deny not God the Creator nor the Scriptures of the old Testament and by this answer they are free of all bodily punishment And does not Peter contradict this answer of Libertines that say our Hereticks are not as these Deut. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people as there shall be false teachers among you and our Saviour Mat. 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect A vive representation of the state of England this day 6 The formall and what is essentiall to a false prophet is now in our seducers they thrust men away from God and the way of Gospell that the Lord hath commanded us to walke in â—nd that is enough 7. From the practice of the Iewes when Heretickes and Seducers and blinde guides were in the chair and they tollerated themselves we draw rather the contrary argument ergo we are not to follow nor to suffer blinde guides now who deny the resurrection as Familists and other to lead souls into the ditch no more then we are to follow them in corrupting the Law and extolling the traditions of men CHAP. XV. Christs not rebuking tolleration and the â—aw Deut. 13. vindicated CHrists no when reproving Church and State for not punishing Sadduces and Hereticks denying the resurrection is 1. A poore argument to prove the lawfulnesse of tolerating them 1. The Sadduces were cheife Rulers themselves Act. 23. 6. And he that reproves a Judge for murther must in that same reprove him for tolerating murthers He that said the guide leading the blind led should fal in the ditch he reproved the mis-government and wicked toleration of the Rulers Nor read we that Elias reproved Achab for not killing Baals priests ergo Achab transgressed not the Law Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Deut. 17. 1 2 3. in tolerating false teachers Nor doth God Deut. 32. 6 7 8. reprove the Rulers for not punishing the worshiping of the golden calf or the making of it for worship because Aaron and the Rulers under Moses were guilty of it will it follow that the Rulers and the sonnes of Levi should tolerate it since the Lord commanded the contrary Nor does the man of God reprove Jeroboam for tollerating the people to worship the golden calves or because he suffered the lowest of the people to intrude themselves in the priests office against the word and law of the Lord because the lesse sin was swallowed up in the greater but it followes not that Jeroboam did the duty of a Magistrate in suffering the people to go to Dan and Bethel to such abominable Idolatry or in suffering the basest of the people to take onâ—them the Priests Office but the Prophets reproving Jeroboam's commanding of that Idolatrous worship and Priests which is a greater sinne must by consequence condemne his not punishing of it which is a lesse sin so David sinned as a Magistrate in suffering Bathsheâ—a to commit adultery and to wrong her husband and to violate Gods Law and should not onely as a Magistate have hindered her but should have put her to death for adultery he being the supreme Magistrate and there being an expresse Law of God that the adulterer man or woman should dye the death Levit. 20. 10. which David knew well yet the Prophet Nathan does not in expresse tearms condemne David for not putting Bathsheba to death though he faithfully reproved David because Nathan reproving David for the adultery it selfe committed in his owne person as the greater sinne must by consequence condemne Davids tollerating of Bathsheba an adulteresse to live which was a lesser sinne and it will not follow that David a King should tollerate knowne adultery in Bathsheba a subject because Nathan does no where in direct tearms nor any Scripture elsewhere that we read condemne David for not punishing with the sword the adultery of Bathsheba so Nathan Gâ—d and other Prophets no where reprove David sparing the life of Joab a murtherer When Christ reproved the Sadduces for denying the resurrection he reproves by consequence both Church and State for tollerating the denying of the Resurrection and supposeth the tolleration of it to be against the law of God 2. It is no argument at all from 1. A negative fact 2. In such a particular Scripture to prove the lawfulnesse of tolleration Let then answer this Christ that was a faithfull Preacher to State and Church no where reproveth in the Gospell the tolleration of the extortion of Publicans Sodomie murther the absolving of a murtherer at the feast a bloody tolleration denying of God blasphemy ergo it was lawfull for the Church and State to suffer all these 3. This answer inferreth that the Church should tollerate all false doctrines and the denying of the resurrection
and that there should be no Church censure contrary to Mat. 18 yea Christ does no where rebuke the Pharisees Scribes and Priests because they did not by preaching admonish and convince their fellows the Sadduces of that hereticall doctrine that the dead shall not rise and by this there should be not onely a Physicall tolleration and a non punishing by the Magistrate of all heresies but a morall forbearing and a no-rebuking no preaching against false wayes and so not onely Church-censures are taken away contrary to Matth. 18. 15 16 17. Revel 2. 1 2 14 15 16 20. But it is not lawfull for Ministers or teachers to write or teach against Iezabel and these that hold the doctrine of Balaam by this reason of the Libertines Nor does Christ command the Rulers of the people to punish the false witnesses that rose against him Nor does he rebuke Church or State for tollerating the Publicans to extort the people nor Caesar and Pilate for oppressing the people nor the Scribes and Pharisees for not preaching against Herods beheading of Iohn Baptist or Pilates mixing the Gallileans blood with the sacrifice Luke 13. ergo Ministers are to tollerate bloody Magistrates and not to preach against them The sixth Answer to elude these Lawes is If these Lawes binde us in the New Testament then must you not adde nor diminish from the Law Deut. 13. and so must the whole City inhabitants and cattle be put to the edge of the sword and devoted to a curse v. 14 15 16 17. which ye cannot say beares any truth under the New Testament except we say that Papists and their babies should be put to the edge of the sword and their houses and land they dwell in execrable Answ There are three different Lawes Deut. 13. one against the seducing false Prophet to v. 5. a second against any seducing person if it were brother or wife to v. 12. a third to the end of the Chapter of a City State or society that will defend a false teacher Now we argue not from the third Law but there is no warrant to punish the sonne of a false Prophet Idolater Heathenish or Popish or of wife or brother that tempt us to Apostacy and to follow false Gods yea or to hurt land house or cattle that belongs to them the sonne shall not beare the sinne of the father except God by a positive Law command it But the third Law upon which we build not our arguments at least as touching any ceremoniall part of it belongs not much to us for to gather the spoyle of such a City and to burne it every whit for the Lord as a cursed and devoted thing or place is clearly ceremoniall and typicall because now every creature of God is clean Rom. 14. 14 and so are all the victualls or meats of Heathens or Papists now and good and sanctified 1 Tim. 4. 3 4. and what God hath cleansed we are not to esteem common or prophane Act. 10. 14. and the like must we say of places 1 Tim. 2. 8. Ioh. 4. 21. Zach. 14. 21. and by proportion of all creatures the creatures cannot now be typically cursed and execrable as then Deut. 13. 16. 18. For the holy Land and every City was made by the Lord typically and ceremonially holy and a pledge of a Heaven when therefore a Seducer fled to any City from the Judge if that City would partake with him in his sinne and save him from the hand of Justice that City forfeited its typicall holinesse and it and all things in it the spoyle cattle and goods made accursed and to bee burnt with fire and all the inhabitants young and old put to the edge of the sword and that not under the noâ—ion of false teachers but as open Rebells against God his holy law and the Judge the Minister of God was to avenge that blasphemy and the morall part is this If the Army now on foot in England will against the Laws of God and man protect blasphemers and false teachers and save them from the hand of Justice and will reward countenance and promote Seducers of soules our humble opinion is that they render themselves obnoxious to the sword of the Magistrate But the punishing of infants and burning of the spoyle was a meer temporary typical law that doth not abolish us in the New Testament Now Libertines bring this as an argument We cannot put to death false teachers by Deut. 13. for then should we by that Law kill their children and cattle which consequence we deny as false and vaine For our Divines strongly argue from the morall equity and the Law of nature â—arâ—anting Joshua to make warre with the Canaanites in the Old Testament to prove the lawfulnesse of warres under the New Testament upon the same morall equity as â—osh 1â— 19 20. Those that refused to make peace with Isâ—â—â—l and came against Israel in battle against those Israel might raise warre by the Law of nature in their owne defence But such were all the Canaanites except those of Gibâ—on Josh 11. v. 19. 20. And this argument holds strongly in the New Testament if any as some Anabaptists doe inferre this is no good argument because if the major proposition were true then should we also kill the women and sucking children as the Lord commanded Saul touching the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. and then should we destroy the cattle and burne the spoyle with fire for Joshua and Israel made such a war with Iericho c. and the rest of those Cities yea Israel destroyed them utterly and shewed them no favour Josh 11. 20. We with good ground deny the consequence because the warre with these seven Nations was warranted by the Law of nature but the warre tali modo to destroy utterly young and old cattle and all they had was from a ceremoniall and temporall law peculiar to the Jewes because God would have his Church neither inriched by their goods nor to make Covenants and marriages with them or to live in one society with them nor to see their groves lest they should bee insnared to follow their Religion and strange Gods CHAP. XVI Prophesies in the Old Testament especially Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. 5 6. for punishing false Prophets vindicated WE argue from the Predictions and Prophesies in the Old Testament touching the Magistrates zeale under the New Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2. Also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to cease out of the land 3. And it shall come to passe that when any shall yet Prophesie then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth 4. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Prophets shall bee ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied c. That which
hairy mantle to deceive as the 4. v. holds forth and so he pretends a calling from God when he hath none 2. He prophesies not errors only but lies that hee knowes or may know except he were wilfully ignorant to be lyes 3. He speaks them in the name of the Lord and sayes he hath seene the visions of God and the word of the Lord came to me when no such thing was but he utters his owne phancies and hee that does these three deserves bodily punishment and if they bee lyes striking at the root of the Christian faith hee deserves to dye the death 2 The text will not bear that his father and his mother with their owne hands shall thrust him through without addressing themselves to the Judge But it is an allusion to the Law Deut. 13. His father and mother shall not pity him but cause him to be thrust through So Elias said to Achab Hast thou killed and also gotten possession When Achab with his owne hands had not killed Naboth but by his command and letter had procured that others should doe it so 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah but it is exponed David procured that the Ammonites should kill Vriah David with his owne hand did not thrust him through The Answer is because the objector is like to be cumbred with this text he saith for I repeate not what I answered before the best exposition and fullest is His father shall pierce him through that is shall indeavour to take him off and deterre him from such a practice by laying before him the sentence of the death out of the Law Exod. 20. 5. 7. threatning if thou goe on thou shalt not live with God but shall be condemned he shall pierce him through with sharp and piercing words the word of God is compared to a two edged sword Psal 149. â—7 c. and ver 12. There is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword so Turnovins And the predictions in Scripture are spoken as performances Jer. 1. I have set thee over the Nations to root out c. That is to foreshew or threaten rooting out so Chytraeus They shall confute their wicked opinions c. Answ Though Turnovius expound piercing through by preaching death from the Law and terrifying yet since the Objector weakly and groundlesly as we saw will râ—strict this Prophesie to the Church of the Jewes and a poore short time when this zeale endured It must with his leave be meant in that day that is in the time of the Gospel as in other places it must be taken as Ier. 50. 4. v. 20. Ier. 31. 29. Ier. 33. 15. 16. Ioel 2. 29. Zach. 8. 23. for so prophesies of Christs Kingdome are expounded to have their accomplishment in Christs Gospel-Kingdome and then the Law piercing through and terrifying must be in use under the Gospel which is all we crave therefore the Objector adds to the words of the threatning thou shalt not live to wit before God and so leaps from the threatning of the sword of the Magistrate Deut. 13. which hee saith is the sense of the place to the second death and a dying before God 2. But let us have an instance where piercing through dying and wounding is put for Metaphoricall wounding with words to gratifie the Objectors erroneous sense wee cannot quit this place so for all the Text cryes for a reall piercing and killing 1. It is I grant an easie way to answer places of Scripture that can but bear a literall sense to change them into Metaphors so you may give to the Magistrate with some Anabaptists Rom. 13. a Metaphoricall sword and pay him metaphoricall tribute and give him metaphoricall obedience what more reason to make this a morall slaying and piercing with words then a morall or metaphoricall Idol or a metaphoricall false Prophet a metaphoricall uncleane spirit and passing out of the land These words thou shalt not live are words of the Law and the piercing through metaphoricall but those words againe Thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord are not metaphoricall but containe a proper truth such a complication is not in all the Scripture 2. The words in their literall sense are faire and easie and not to bee wrested to a spirituall or borrowed sense without ground it much lesseneth the zeale foretold to be under the Gospel and turnes a reall zeale over into words of threatning the Text saith the contrary his father shall thrust him through and this works so upon him that others shall really leave their false prophecying and shall say I am no Prophet but a Herdman now if the words be a Prophecie to be fulfilled only in the Jewes excluding the Gentiles as the Objector saith then is it no zeale at all but a most sinfull and unjust dispencing with the Law and a zeale far below the Law for the Law saith Deut. 13. If the seducing Prophet which were as neer to thee as a Brother Son Daughter or Wife in thy bosome thou must not smooth him and oyle him with sharpe words and meer threatnings yea but thou must act against him v. 8. Thine eye shall not pitie him thou shall not spare him neither shalt thou conceale him 9. Thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Now this cannot be a metaphoricall putting to death but the Objectors metaphoricall and minatory piercing of him through with sharpe and piercing words imply necessarily that yee must conceale him and pitie him and not kill him nor stretch out any hand against him first or last to hurt him but only stretch your tongue against him and barely threaten him and terrifie him but let him live If the Prophecie be extended to Iew and Gentile under the Gospel which against the Text the Objector denies then it argues 1. That there is such a Law under the Gospel else if it be an unjust Law and out of date now under the Gospel the threatning and piercing through must bewith lying words and father must utter to the lying Prophet lies to terrifie him and say son if thou desist not from prophesying lies thou shalt be thrust through with the Magistrates sword and die according to the Law that is I foreshew and threaten according to the Law but it is an unjust and an out-dated Law to Libertines that obliegeth not under the New Testament that thou shalt be thrust through and die that is I fore-shew and prophesie a lie that thou ought to be put to death and persecuted for thy conscience whereas no such thing ought to be now when the Law Deut. 13. is worne out of vigor 2. It must follow that lying and false words uttered in a threatning manner must be the way to cause the false Prophet to bee ashamed of his vision and prophesying falsely no more but say I am no Prophet but an herdman Whereas the Holy Ghost sayth feare of thrusting through is the cause 3 If it
who wasted Thracia and was therefore carefull that Ambrose should draw up a short confession yet did he except from the Toleration the Manichees the Phocinians the Eunomians But see codice prima lege Cunctos populos de sum trinit Martianus ibid lege 4. Synod Chalcedo Leo imperator cons 15. C. Const 17. Heraclâ—us Imperator const 1. de fide Justinianus Novellus 123. c. 32. Novell 137. c. 6. Honorius l. 4. c. 55. Eccle. Valentinianus l. 9. de Episc cler Novell 123. c. 18. Novella 123. c. 29. c. Le. const 87. Novell 131. c. 4. Eusebius Pamphil de vita Constan l. 3. c. 13. Surius tom 2. Concil c. 20. p. 362. Codic l. 1. Tit. de heret lex 2. 1â—6 Justinian codex l. 1. Tit. 4. de sum Trinit lex 2. Surius concil tom 2. p. 469 421 494. tom 2. p. 668 669 670. Socra Scholastic his l. 2. c. 37. Nicepherâ— hist l. 9. c. 4. Contur Magdeburque 4 col 558. So for his power to conveene Councels as the Nicen by Constanti Euseb l. 3. c. 6. Sozom l. 1. c. 17. Soâ—rat l. 1. c. 6. Ruff. l. 10. c. 1. Theodor. l. 1. c. 7. the Councell of Tyre by Constant Eusebius de vit cons l. 4. c. 41. Sozom. l. 1. c. 9. Theodosius elder made a Law of death against the Anabaptists and banished Euâ—â—mius Socrat. l. 7. c. 12. It is true Constantinus and Licinius as Eusebius tels us l. 10. c. 5. say in a Law now therefore we freely will and command That every man have a free liberty to observe the Christian Religion and that without any griefe or molestation he may be suffered to do the same But the practice of heathen Emperous is no rule 2. God opened their hearts to make these Lawes in favour of Christians 3. They had experience of the favour of God by the prayers of Christians 4. The Heathen Law in the Letter would prove that none should be rebuked or argued against whatever Religion he chose Maximius proclaimed That all men should use what Religion they like best Eus l. 9. c. 10. But 1. Maximius out of naturall pity because he had before persecuted Christians did this 2. Dioclesian and Maximianus tooke Churches from them he restored them hence followed peace till an 130. The Councell of Constantinople 1. by Theodosius senior Theodoret l. 5â— c. 7. Socrates l. 5. c. 8. The Councell of Ephesus 1. By Theodos junior Evagrius l. 1. c. 2. So Imperator Iustinus l. 44. ad Maenam Patriarcham de Monachis Monasteriis separandis de Episc cler Eusebius de vita cons l. 3. c. 25. Epistolam libella ad Synoda constitutionem The Bishops of the second generall Councell if there was any of them generall writ to the Emperour Theodosius We desire your clemency that you by your Letters would confirme the Decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon and command that it be ratified and established which he did See also Constantius his power prescribing to the Councels of Arimimon and Seleucea the subject matter they should treat upon and commanded ten of each Councel to come and give him an account of their proceedings Sâ—zomen l. 4. c. 6. Toeodosius and Valentinâ— command the Councell of Ephesus to send them some Bishops to acquaint them with the causes and motives of their deliberations Relatio Synodi Ephesinae quae est tom 1. concil The second Councell of Nice which some call the seventh Generall Councell relate the like to the Emperour at Constantinople Theodoret l. 5. c. 8. Zonaras tom 3. anat There be two edicts of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian confirming the Councel of Chalcedon so act 3. Chalc. to 1. Conc. all which say the Emperours de facto commanded as Magistrates Church-men to determine according to the word and corrected such as contravened And though Picus Mirandula saith well No man hath power of opinions so as if hee will he may have another opinion which though it may beare that opinions fall not under free-will yet the venting of them to others is to Mirancula a free act and punishable We know the Edict of Valeâ—inian and Martian of capitall punishment against Such as shall attempt to teach things unlawfull Let false teachers according to Justinian have no leave to live and dwel in Roman bounds saith Pametius Augustine saith Hereticks kill soules let them be afflicted in body they bring on men death eternal and they complaine that they suffer temporall deaths And why saith Augustine should Sorcerers find the rigor of the Law from Emperors and Hereticks and Schismaticks go free Constantius gave out Edicts against Hereticks as Eusebius saith h. 2. c. 27. And also made lawes of pecuniary fines and mulcts against them Honorius made lawes against Donatists of fining and of banishing preachers of Donatisme Martianus did the like The like saith Nazianz of Theodosius the great Banishment and other punishment the Emperours inflicted upon Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Futiches and their followers Which the Arch-Bishop of Spalato Mâ—de dominis granteth though he sayes Augustine excepteth capitall punishment for such saith he he will not have to be inflicted for the conscience which is a manifest depraving of the mind of Augustine who will have such punishment according to the quality of the fault inflicted on them as upon Sorcerers and Murtherers Let Augustine be considered in these and other places after hee retracted his too meeke sentence That they should not be punished at all Alexander Alexandrinus said Arrius and his followers ought to bee punished with excommunication and a curse Theodoret. lib. 1. c. 4. But for the point in hand the Christian Magistrate is tyed and obliged to these punishments to bee inflicted for morall offences that the Law of God hath ordained at least in nature I prove 1 That which is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man must be determined by the revealed will of God in his word but the punishment of a seducing Prophet that ruineth the soule of our brother and makes him twofold more the childe of Sathan than before is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man Ergo such a punishing of a seducing Prophet must be by the revealed will of God in his word The Proposition is proved 1. Because God only not Moses nor any other law-giver under him taketh on him to determin death to be the adulterers punishment Levit. 20. 10. And the same he determineth to be the punishment of willfull murther Exod. 21. 12. of smiting of the Father or Mother v. 15. of Man-stealing vers 16. of Sorcery Exod. 22. 18. of Beastiality 19. Of sacrificing to a strange God vers 10. And upon the same reason God only not any mortall man must determine the punishment due to such as seduce soules to eternall perdition For what reason can be imagined why God can be the onely determiner of such a
punishment of killing and not for the ruining the soul and making him the childe of perdition Let not any say by this reason to tempt to any sin by any evill counsel â—â— provocation to immoderate anger or envy should deserve death for every tempting to sinne is a ruining of the soul of such as we give bad counsell unto and tempt to sin Answ If we do so tempt them by a sinfull way as a sinfull injuring and railing on them or by a wicked course it is sure it doth deserve punishment by the Magistrate but the act of so counselling and tempting to sin though Eâ—conditione operis it be soule-ruin yet it is not such as deserveth death Otherwayes killing adultery sorcery beastiality tempt also to sinne and soule-ruine besides the other injury in them against the life and châ—stity of men 2 The Proposition is proved because the will of God can be the Creator and first Author of nothing but which is morrally good For the Scripture is as full in the duties of the second table touching mercy and righteousnesse as in the duties of the first touching piety and religion and any thing pretended to be morrall hath God for its authour in either the first or the second table of the Law nor can the will of man be the author of any thing morrally good and will-righteousnesse is as unlawfull as will-worship or will-piety since the word is a perfect rule in matters of doctrine or faith or of life manners and conversation and teacheth the Judge what he should doe Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Psalm 119. 9. Psalm 19. 8 9. Prov. 3. 21 22 23 c. 3 What ever by order of justice doth concerne the life and death of our neighbour rewarding or punishing him in name body goods so as if it bee justly inflicted it is justice and if unduely and undeservedly it is unjustice and murther as wronging of him in his body by stripes wounding death in his liberty by prison in his goods by fines that must be determined in the word by him that is Lord of life death libertie of our name and goods otherwayes the word should not teach us when the Judge sinnes when not when he makes just Lawes when unjust when he exceeds in punishing when he is deficient I come to the assumption The punishing of a seducing Prophet is morrall In that it is commanded to father and mother not to pitty him Deut. 13. 6. holden forth as the zeale of God in father and mother under the Messiaâ—s Kingdome Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and every one is forbidden To bid him God speed yea and commanded to deny him an act of humanity and hospitality and not receive him in his house 2 Joh. 1. If we be commanded to put any shame on him far more must the Ruler bee taught of God what shame he should put on him For what ever under the New Testament is capable of a command is morall And if morall what the Magistrate should doe to him can no more be determined by the will and wit of man than it can be determined what punishment the Magistrate must inflict upon the murtherer the adulterer the Sorcerer the Sodomite which all the wisdom of God hath determined in the word otherways God hath left the Magistrate in the dark that from the word he hath no direction when he committeth murther or when he doth acts of justice And that it is a morall act also to seduce soules is cleare in that 1. We are commanded to beware of such Matth. 7. 5. and avoid them Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. 2. That the Lord condemneth them in his word as such as make their followers the children of perdition Yea Matth. 22. 15. They subvert the hearers their word cate as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 15 17. Lead silly women Captive 2 Tim. 3. are Deceivers Tit. 1. 10. Now that God hath appointed a punishment for this of old and hath spoken against this sinne so much in the New Testament and bidden private Christians cry shame on Seducers and fly them and yet left the Magistrate under a discharge and inhibition to draw a sword against such who can beleeve it except that inhibition given to the Christian Magistrate wer written in the Testament of our Lord. To say the new Testament-dispensation is so spirituall that God wil have no remedying of seducing but by the spirituall armor of the word is said without ground when the New Testament-dispensation is as spirituall to gaine the Sorcerer the Theâ—fe the Sodomite the drunkard the Reviler as the Idolater by the spirituall aâ—mor of the Word Act. 19. 19. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. and by this reason the Magistrate may draw the sword against no theife Sodomite Drunkard Sorcerer contrary to Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Especially since the Magistrate is not indifferent towards ill-doers and well-doers since hee must punish the one as a Nurse-Father praise and reward the other 1 Peter 2. 14. gaining of soules is well-doing Matthew 25. 21 23. And seducing of soules is by the Law of Nature and Nations the worst of injuries done to men 2 Argument That which is perpetually morall and one act of Justice at all times and places must oblige us Christians and the Christian Magistrate as well as the Jewish Rulers But to punish the seducing Prophet is perpetually morall and an act of justice at all times and in all places as the rewarding of such as teach truth is a commendable act of justice Ergo The proposition is cleare in regard the morall Law doth therefore oblige us Christians because it is morally perpetuall and perpetually morall and that in all times and places as to serve God honour our parents not to murder c. is perpetually morall now as among Jewes with us as among the Indians and Tartarians but to punish the seducing Prophet is such 1. because the Heretick is condemned by his owne conscience Tit. 3. 10. in believing lies Ergo Farre more by his owne conscience by leading others into that same condemnation with himselfe and if he apprehend the vengeance of a God-head there must be a conscience naturally apprehending such as we see the conscience of murtherers and of Cain feare some revenging hand If therefore the Minister of God the Magistrate inflict this it must be nothing else but an act of naturall Justice which the naturall conscience doth apprehend But what acts of Justice the conscience naturally feares must be acts of Justice perpetually morall not respecting one man or Nation more than another 2. All Countries by an instinct apprehend a God and conceive their Priests and Prophets are to be entertained and rewarded as Egypt Gen. 47. 22. Midian Fâ—xed 2. 16. Exod. 18. 1. Judg. 17. 5. c. 18. 4. 2 King 15. 18. The Philistims 1 Sam. 5. 5. c. 6. 2. Baal and the Zidonians had their Priests 2 King 10. 8 19 Lycainia Act 14. 13.
And if their Rulers feed their Priests the false Prophets and Priests that deceive them and mis-lead them they must punish So the King of Babylon roasted in a fire two false Prophets Jer. 29. 21 22. And it is cleare that Jeremiah argues not from any judiciall Law when he saith The Prophets that speake lies in the name of the Lord shall die by the sword c. 14. v. 14 15. It was by the sword of the Chaldeans who had nothing but the Law of nature that they perished for no Judiciall Law of God taught them that he ought to die by the sword of the Magistrate who speaks lies in the name of the Lord whereas the Chaldeans knowing that Jeremiah had prophecied truth and was sent of God they intreated him well as the Lord had fore-told Ier. 15. 8. Nor can it be said that the consequence is null and that that cannot oblige Christian Magistrates which hath no better warrant than the corrupt practises of Heathens for they persecuted the true Prophets and Apostles that spake in the name of the Lord as Herod beheaded Iames Acts 12. and apprehended Peter Nero persecuted Paul and Dâ—mitian confined Iohn to the Isle Pathutos for the Word of God To which I answer That the Argument is not drawn simply from the practice of Heathen Magistrates but from the light of nature that teacheth all Magistrates Heathen and Christian to punish publike impostors false Prophets and liers as most pernitious enemies to the peace of all humane Societies And if the Law of nature and Nations dictate to all Societies That deceivers and such as raise false reports and lies upon earthly Judges should be punished far more is it a principle of the Law of nature that publike lyers and such as speake lies in the name of the Lord and deceive and seduce the soules of father and mother King and Ruler and of all ranks of men in the Society should not be tollerated in the society And what though Emperours and Kings have abused the power that God gave them for the truth to persecute the servants of Christ for the truth it followes not but they had just power as the Ministers of God to punish seducing Prophets as well as other ill-doers by the law of nature and Nations And this I take is holden forth by Iob 31 26 27 28. who being under no Judiciall Law obliging the Jewes but a Gentile and so in this led by the Law of nature and Nations maketh Idolatry and worshipping of the Sunne and Moone to be an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge That this is not an iniquity to be punished by God as if heresie be innocency as Libertines say it must neither be punished by God nor man but by the Judge on earth is cleare For 1. the expression v. 28. varies onely in the number from that which is v. 11. Now there Iob saith of Adultery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsum iniquitas Iudicum And ver 98 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etiam hoc iniquitas Iudie is The English Divines do well observe That adultery is a capitall crime to be punished by the Iudge Gen. 38. 24. Levit. 20. 10. Deut. 22. 22. And they expound ver 28. the same way Pagnin est iniquites Iudicanda Iudice diâ—na vel Iuditiaria Mercerus Exod. 21. 22 He shall give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Iudges Isai 16. 3. do Iudgement Shimlerus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judges that cognosâ—â— of causes Deut. 31. 31. Our enemies being Iudges Job 31. 11. Inquitas dignaque Iudicetur puniatur It is true the LXX expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Chalde Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est enim iniquitas maxima But it is taken for a crime that comes before an earthly Judge So Hieronimus And Exod. 21. 22. If a man strike a woman with childe and she live he shall give according to the sentence of the Iudges Hieronimus quantum arbitri Iudicaverint The Chalde Paraphrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dabit per sentâ—ntiam Iudicum LXX 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Syriak Dabit quantum decernent Iudices The Samaritan Dabitque ex sententia Iudicum Vatablus Job 31. v. 11. Iniquitas capitali supplicio persequindâ— v. 28. Nam ea iniquitas capitali supplicio digna Junius Iniquitas à Iudicibus animadvertenda Piscator Iniquitas Iudiciaria Complutentes Iniquitas Judicanda Pineda in Job 31. 28. Iniquitas digna Iudicio Iudicumque sententiâ severissima gravissimo supplicio All agree to this That Idolatry according to Iob from the Law of nature deserveth canitall punishment to be inflicted by the Judge And Piâ—eda saith this agreeth with the Law of God Especially Deut. 4. 25. 23. Sanctius gathereth from Job 31. 11. That Adulterers in Iobs time were by the sentence of the Judge burnt Now the same expression is v. 28. spoken of Idolatry Hence is Socrates condemned to die for his false Religion as is supposed by the people Maximus condemned the Priscilliaâ—s as Hieronimus observes for Heresie Nor is it much to be valued that Ier. Taylor saith That Maximus was a Tyrant and put to death Catholike Hereticks Without choyce it proves punishing of Hereticks as supposed of old to be warranted by law Vrsatus and Stacius procured at Court Law to death against Priscillianists And the Niceue Fathers that Arrius should be banished Nor doth Spalato cite Tertullian Cyprian Lactantius Hiâ—rome Severus Sulpitius Minutius Hilary Damascen Chrysestome Theophilact Bernard for any other purpose whatever Taylor say on the contrary but 1. To prove that forcing of men to Religion is not to the way of God which also I teach for the preaching of the Word not the using of the sword is the meanes of conversion of sinners 2. That killing is not to be practised on all Hereticks 3. That the Law and the Sword are not to go without convincing of the conscience by the Word of God 4. That to deliver up godly men to persecuting Tyranes because of some errors hath more scandall to cause men stumble at truth than to make truth victorious 5. That neither Church nor State can judge heart-opinions nor punish them but only professed and taught opinions that are both unnecessary and unsound 6. That Pastors have not the Sword to compell to Religion 7. That Nations of another Religion are not gained to Christ by the Sword not can we make warre against them because they are Idolators and follow a false Religion nor was Idolatry the ground of the warre that Israel raised against the Caâ—aanitos and other Nations To all which I adde the words of Ier. Taylor The best and ablest Doctors in Christendome have been deceived actually in 〈◊〉 of Religion in that all sorts of Christians dissent from the errorâ— of Papias Irenaeus Lactantius Iustin Martyr Cyprian Firmilian c. Ergo by
to receive true Religion It is a token the man is scant and ebbe of proofes in Scriptures when he can prove liberty of conscience by no Scripture but one wing and tith of a Parable never expounded by Christ who yet expoundeth all the rest of the parts of the Parables and yet as I have said before the tares are not expounded by Christ to bee Heretickes but ver 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one and ver 41. all things that offend and doe iniquity Mr. Goodwin denies that Heretickes are ill doers Mr. Williams saith they do iniquity but if he would expound and apply all the tithes and joynts of the Parable then Mr. Williams must tell us what the sleeping of men v. 25. and what the springing up of the blade is and the bringing forth of the fruit is v. 26. and how men quarrell with God because of the prosperity of Hereticks when as Scripture extends the prosperitie that stumbles men to the most wicked who are fat and rich Psal 37. 1 2 3 4. Ier. 12. 12. Job 22. 1 2 3. and what the bundles are vers 30 since Mr Williams as all Libertines and Anabaptists are is bold with the word to expound tares otherwise then the word of God and our Saviour Christ doth who of purpose expoundeth the â—â—res to be workers of iniquity and ill doers now Hereticks to Master Williams and Libertines are no ill doers but innocent men men that fear God such as suffer persecution for conscience the children of light of the promise of the free woman persecuted by the children of this world and the sons of the bondwoman as all their Books say how doth Christ make these Hereticks that are named tares such as grow and flourish till harvest and then these innocent men that feared God are judged by God offenders in Christs Kingdome workers of iniquity cast into a furnace of fire where there shall bee wailing and gâ—ashing of teeth To conclude why doth Mr Williams say the Magistrate oweth protection to the true Church apart and met together and saith not that he owes protection to the false Church the same way apart and met together he must secretly insinuate that the Magistrate oweth some singular royall protection to the assemblies of Anabaptists and Seekers and the true Church which he oweth not to the Church of wicked men met and assembled for worship Yet when the wicked are assembled in the valley of the sons of Hinnon to burn their sons to Devils when they are met in the high places to offer and Sacrifice to the Sun and the Queen of Heaven and to adore the works of mens hands even then are these men Subjects under a lawfull Prince and this Prince must either in such abominable and bloodie worship defend their persons and estates from violence or then 1. Master Willams saith amisse 2. The Prince must by his office serve the Devil and countenance and defend a most wicked and bloodie service such as Son-slaughter and Idolatry and that against his conscience though he judge them a false Church 3. The Prince if hee withdraw his royall defence is wanting in his office and yet it is his conscience to neglect dutie to such 4. And must force the consciences of people in tempting them to deâ—ist from what they in conscience conceive to be the highest worship and expression of love fear and reverence to God in that he refuseth to protect them in man-slaughter and such service to God which they dare not venture on without his protection least men rise up against them and destroy them Mr. Williams addeth ib. p. 216 To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to doe her 〈◊〉 and yet the Magistrate must 〈◊〉 judge what that dutie is must be to play in spirituall things Answ That the Magistrate should compell godly men to keep peace and a David suppose he were a Subject not to kill not to commit adultery under the pain of civill punishment I suppose is not Heresie and yet I see not how the Magistrate is not to judge according to the word of God what is wilfull murder and so deserveth death by the Law of God what is accidentall killing and deserveth no death but a Refuge and Maneprize But the Magistrate say Libertiâ—es should not judge what is heresie what sound doctrine why because that is to be judged according to the word of God by Pastors But that is 〈◊〉 causa pro causa for the King is to judge what is murther what not and all matters belonging to a civill Judge what is morally good and evill and what is punishable by the sword what not by reading on the book of the Law when he sitteth on the throne Deut. 17 18 19. but this he judgeth in order to civill punishment and not in order to the gaining of souls and in so far as concerns his practice and the same way is he to judge what is heresie what not if this be not said then should we play indeed in spirituall matters Q. But is not the Christian Ruler then as a Ruler to judge whether Arrius ought to be banished and imprisoned who denieth the Son of God to be consubstantiall with the Father and so all Rulers are to judge of Heresies and Gospell Truths even Indian and Pugaâ— Magistrates who are essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Rulers for quod convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans There is a difference betwixt a Ruler and such a Ruler a Christian Ruler or a Heathen Ruler a Ruler aâ— a Ruler should judge of all civill businesses and of truths and falshood in Religion for all Nations have some God and some Religion but a Ruler as a Christian Ruler onely not as a Ruler as the notion of 〈◊〉 a Ruler doth 〈…〉 and the Christian Ruler ought 〈…〉 judge what is Gospel truth or Gospel untruth for then all 〈…〉 Pagan or what not should judge the Gospel truthe though they be not obliged to believe in Christ or to know the Gospel which they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. Now this is absurd But onely Rulers as Christian Rulers should judge of Gospel-truths Magistrates should judge but all Magistrates as Magistrates should not judge of all businesses and of all matters belonging to all Countries for then an Indian Magistrate should judge of all the matters of France England Scotland which cannot be said so a Magistrate as a Magistrate should judge of Religion but not all Magistrates of all Religions for Heathen Magistrates cannot judge nor ought not to judge whether Arrianisme be Heresie or not and whether it be punishable by the Sword or not whether Christ Mediator hath one will as the Monothelites said or two as the Catholike Protestants said because the Heathen Magistrate as we suppose never heard of Christ So we say a judge of France cannot judge as a judge of transporting of wooll out of England or of wax out of Scotland
learned of them are not able clearly or demonstratively to informe the Magistrate and Judge what blasphamy and what Idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law But so Mr. Goodwin in accusing our darknesse and in freeing the Magistrate of a duty he owâ— to God and the Church layeth obscurity on the Scripture as Papists doe though for another end And I am as confident there was some soroâ—â—y some wilfull murther some incest some plea 〈…〉 and bloud stroak and stroak some adultery sentenced by God to be punished by the sword that Mr. Jo. Goodwin is not able clearly and demonstratively to informe the Magistrate of And by this argument murther sorcery incest and adultery ought not to be punished by the sword Can Mr. Jo. Goodwin demonstratively informe us what be the false Prophets Matth. 7. the grievous wolves Act. 20. the Heretick Tit. 3. 10. that we are not to beleeve but to avoid and by this argument we must not beware of them nor avoid them since they are unknowable Dr. Jer. Taylor layeth downe the same ground for tolerating Papists Socinians Familists and all the dreaming Prophets on earth because of the difficulty there is of expounding Scripture and all the means and wayes of comming to the true sense thereof are fallible There is variety of reading various interpunction a parenthesis a letter an acceâ—â— may much alter the sense Answ May not reading interpunction a parenthesis a letter an accâ—m alter the sense of all fundamentalls in the Decalogue of the principles of the Gospel and turne the Scripture in all points which Mr. Doctour restricts to some few darker places whose senses are off the way to heaven and lesse necessary in a field of Problemes and turne all beleeving into digladiations of wits all ouâ— comforts of the Scriptures into the reelings of a Wind-mill and phaâ—cies of seven Moons at once in the firmament this is to put our faith and the first fruits of the Spirit and Heaven and Hell to the Presse But though Printers and Pens of men may erre it followeth not that heresies should be tolerated except we say 1 That our faith is ultimately resolved upon characters and the faith of Printers 2 We must say we have not the cleare and infallible word of God because the Scripture comes to our hand by fallible means which is a great inconsequence for though Scribes Transâ—atours Grammarians â—rimers may all erre it followeth not that an erring providence of him that hath seven eyes hath not delivered to the Church the Scriptures containing the infallible truth of God Say that Baruth might erre in writing the Prophesie of Jeremiah it followeth not that the Prophesie of Jeremiah which we have is not the infallible word of God if all Translatours and Printers did their alone watch oâ—er the Church it were something and if there were not one with seven eyes to care for the Scripture But for Tradition Councells Popes Fathers they are all fallible means and so far forth to be beleeved as they bring Scripture with them Dr. Taylor tells us of many inculpable causes of errour 1 The variety of humane understanding what is plaine to one is â—bscure to another Gregoâ—ies and Ambroses missall were both laid upon the Altar a whole night to try which of them God would miraculously approve By the morrow mâ—â—tins the missall of Gregâ—ry was found tâ—rne in peeces and throwne upon the Church and Ambroses found open in a posture to be read The miracle was expounded that Ambroses missall was to be received Dr. Taylor saith that he would expound it that Gregories missall was to be preferred and to be spread through the world Answ I have read of no faultlesse causes of errour nor of any invincible errour in things that we are to beleeve and know by vertue of a divine Commandement for this is a speciall false principle that to know God as he hath revealed himselfe in his word is not commanded of God in his word 1 Because to this David exhorteth Solomâ—n And shall Solomâ—n my son know the Lord 1 Chron. 28. 9. and when the Apostle bids as be renewed in the spirits of our mind Ephes 4. 23. Rom. 12. 2. 2 And growing in knowledge is recommended 2 Pet. 3. 14. 1 Cor. 1. 5. Prov. 4. 1. 5 And is set downe as a blessing Esa 11. 9. Exod. 18. 10. Prov. 1. 2. Hos 13. 4. It s sure to know God and his revealed will in his word must oblige us 4 The end of the revealed will is to know God Deut. 4. 3. 5. Prov. 22. 21. 5. The first Command injoyneth all worship internall and externall as to know God Hosea 13. 4. Jer. 9. 6. Jer. 24. 7. 2 Kings 19. 19. 2 Chron. 6. 33. and reason the mind be under the Law of God as will and affections 〈◊〉 6. There is a connexion between the minde and other faculties or affections a corrupt minde is often conjoyned with a guilty conscience and faith and a pure conscience go together 1 Tim. 1. 19. 1 Tim. 1. â— 2 Pet. â— 4 5. keep the one and you shall the more easily keep the other make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience cannot swim safe to Land and the will and rebellious affections and lusts have influence upon the actuall and habituall blinding of the minde in that men walking after their lusts are quickly blinded in their minde and the judgement depraved 1. 2 Pet. 3. 5. they are willingly ignorant and so refuse to know God 2. Turne away their ear from the Law refuse the means of the knowing of God and dig not for wisdome as for silver hate knowledge Prov. 1. 24. c. 2. 2 3 4 5 6. 3. Blinde their owne minds and shut their eyes Esa 6. 10. Matth. 13. 14 15. Ezek. 12. 2. Deut. 29. 3 4. Object All these places do well prove that to be unwilling to know God is a sinne but not that the simply minde-ignorance of God is sinne Answ And why is it sin to be unwilling to know God which the word commandeth if not to know God be not sinfull as to be willing not to fear not to love not to hope in God not to obey God not to love our neighbour is sin as well as not to fear not to love God are sins Therefore what is truth in it selfe and revealed to bee truth in the Scripture if it appeare an untruth to another the cause of that is not inculpable as D. Taylor saith as if the letter of the Scripture tendred it selfe darke and unâ—â—plicable to us without our fault But the wisdome of God we beleeve in the Scripture is plaine to those that open their eyes otherwise heresie should not onely be no sinne contrary to the word of God Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 1. 2. 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. 2 Tim. 2. 16 17 18 19. but an innocent apprehension of apparent truth as there is no guiltinesse in an eye vitiated
am bâ— ye shall dye in your sins and he that beleeveth not is condemned already He chargeth no man guilty of unbeleefe that heareth the Gospel for simple not beleeving But then we are commanded to beleeve no truth that God speaketh to know no truth but onely to know it with an inclination of heart love and will toward the Commander and so the minde and understanding faculty the noblest and most excellent peece in the soule must be left lawlesse and free in its operations from all hazard of guilt or sinne 2. If this Argument be good sinnes of infirmities and of weaknesse must be no sin Idle words cannot come in reckoning in the last day contrary to Matth. 12. 36. for God forgives crimes Ergo he will not call us to an account for our venialls If this conclude any thing the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Ergo simple ignorance of the things of God is no sin I may argue no man can pretend to be free of sin in the inclination of the heart and originall guiltinesse Job 4. 4. Ps 51. 5. Gen 8. 21. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. Eccles 7. 20. Ergo sin is no sin originall sin sins of infirmities are no sins Object No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime and himselfe doth act it or incourage it then the matter of fact is punishable according to its proportion and malignancy as if be preach Treason and Sedition his opinion cannot excuse because it brings in a crime a man is never the lesse Traytor because he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treason and a man is a murtherer if he kill his brother unjustly although he thinke to doe God good service in it matters of fact are equally judicable whether the principle of them he from within or without and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious blasphemous or perjured by perswading himselfe it is lawfull a gate were opened for all iniquity I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry or any other sort of practicall impiety with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished because it is no other but matter of fact but no matter of meer opinion no errours that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporall inflictions Answ 1. The Doctor mocketh when he saith No meer opinions are to be persecuted That was never in question a meer opinion is a meer act of the minde within the walls of the soule and can be knowne to no man for neither Magistrate nor Church can judge of invisible and hidden acts of the soule so he sayes nothing 2. The simple apprehension of God to be a fourfooted beast is by the Apostle Rom. 1. esteemed Idolatry and a mentall changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the glory of a corruptible creature and the profession thereof must then be the profession of manifest Idolatry and so punishable yet it is a profession of a meer opinion but I confesse of a most Idolatrous opinion not of a fact otherwise by this learning of Libertines there can be no sin in simple apprehensions of God though most prodigious and monstrous what is blasphemy is as controverted and as unjudicable as simple errour Servetus his naming the blessed Trinity a Cerberus or three-headed dog blasphemed say we I thinke Doctour Taylor will not say so then by his way blasphemy must be as unjudicable as heresie and to him the formall of it is within in the heart 3. If matters of fact be punishable according to their proportion and malignancy then speaking lyes in the name of the Lord and teaching and professing malignant doctrine contrary to the doctrine of godlinesse that Christ thought it no robbery to be equall and consubstantiall to God that God is one in three persons and to teach any thing contrary to what God hath said in his word as that there were not eight persons in the Arke with Neah must be punishable the contrary whereof the Doctor saith here for every breach of a Commandement is malignancy and punishable when it hurteth humane society especially 4. Can a man be the lesse hereticall and his society the lesse detestable then that he thinks his heresie is sound doctrine for thoughts cannot change the nature of actions 5. To kill a man is indifferent of it self it may be done in justice it may be done in injustice but if a man kill his son and offer him to God neither hating nor envying nor grudging at the safety of his son only upon this meer opinion that he expresseth an act of love to God above that he beareth to his son as Abraham did then by this way he sinneth not this son-slaughter is not murther nor punishable but a simple errour For 1. It may be said by Libertines the act of killing is indifferent of it selfe 2. If he hate not his son and lye not in wait for him it is no murther Deut. 4. 42. Deut. 19. 46. He is not worthy of death for as much as he hated him not in times past Nor can killing be called a vertuall hating or essentially an hatred of our brother for then it were impossible for a Judge to kill a man and not to hate him As every breach of the Law of God is essentially an hatred of God and a vertuall hatred of God for simple killing of our neighbour is not murther by Gods reasoning but killing of him in hatred rage anger or desire of revenge Nor can it be said that hating forbidden in murther by the Law of God includes a loving of him and a saving of his life when it is in our power to save it as it is in the fathers power who sacrificeth his innocent Son to God to save his life Answer I deny not but it is murther for they teach that a man may publish that which by consequence destroyeth the faith of fundamentals and so subvert the faith of others which to do is a sin but because the man followeth the dictment of his erroneous conscience it is no sin to the man that so teacheth yea he may innocently suffer persecution for his conscience thus erroneous yea and dye a martyr for it Ergo if the following of an erroneous conscience shall make a lesse sin to be no sin but innocency it shall make a greater sin to wit killing of his son to his heavenly father no sin and so he may lawfully do it Nor wil it suffice to say to offer a man to God and kill him is against the light of nature and vincibly a sin what then if the man beleeve he is commanded to kill him his erroneous conscience must bind as the offering of whole burnt offerings to God to us is a sin against the light of nature in regard the law of nature can no more warrant it then it can
of strength that men cannot be perswaded to cast off opinions of God for feare For 1. Some must be saved through feare and pulled out of the fire Jude v. 23. 2. Augustine answered this argument of Donatists feare of Princes Laws 1. compelleth men to come in and hear truth and truth perswadeth Epist 48. ad Vincent Aliâ— dicant nos falsâ—s rumorâ—â—â— terribamâ—r 〈◊〉 quâ—â— falseâ— esse nesciremus si non intraremus nec intrarimus nisi cogereâ—â—er gratias domino qui trepidationem nostram flagello abstulit 2. Fear of Civill laws may draw men out of the societie of bewitching Seducers where they are â—ettered with chaines of lies Epist 50. ad 〈◊〉 Quid de 〈…〉 confitentur quod iam olim volebant esse Cathâ—◠〈…〉 eos habitabant inter quos id quod vâ—â—ebant esse non poteâ—â—â—t per infirmitatem timoris ubi si unum verbâ—m pro Catholica fide diâ—â—rent ipsi domus corum funditus everâ—â—â—entur Quâ—â— est tam â—â—ens qui neget istie 〈◊〉 per â—â—ssa 〈…〉 tanto â—uerentur 〈◊〉 c. 3. Feare of Laws as Augustine saith to the Donatist Vincentius Epist 48. hath daunted wild Hereticks Qui tamen ad hanc sanitatem non 〈◊〉 nisi legum istarum quae tibi displicent vinculis tanquam â—â—netici ligarentur Obj. 4. Artaxerxes gave the people libertie to return to 〈◊〉 own Land assisted them with other favours and enabled 〈◊〉 to execute Laws according to their Nationall state But did God put it in the Kings heart to restrain nations from their Idolatrie to constrain them to ferme the worship build the Temple 〈◊〉 an Altar Answ Ezra 6. 3. Cyrus 〈◊〉 decree Let the house of the Lord be built c. Ezra 7. 23. Artaxerxes in his decree faith Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the God of heaven c. he restrained men from Idolatry and all disobedience to the Law of God ◠〈…〉 whosoever will not doe the Law of thy God 〈…〉 Law of the King Let judgement be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or unto confiscation of 〈◊〉 or to imprisonment Ergo This heathen King by the â—ight of nature by a civill Law established the Law of God against Idolaters and false Prophets which is all we crave of Christian Magistrates and for this cause said Ezra Blessed â—e the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing in the heart of the King to beautifie the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem He interposeth the Kings law to the law of God though the Law of God borrow no obligatory power or dignitie from the King and the Lord need not the sword of flesh yet that it may get externall obedience before men and with the externall man it is the dutie of Artaxerxes and of all kings to adde their law of death banishment or confiscation c. to the Law of God that such as refuse to doe the Law of God and seduce the people of God with lies and false doctrine may be punished it was the defect of dutie in these Kings that they compelled not the people to return Obj. 5. For Jewes and Nations that blaspheme Christ must be put to the Sword according to the Scriptures Exod. 22. 20. Levit 24. 16. Deut. 13. Answ It followes no way two things hinder any to execute these Laws 1. They are not so under us as we have a Magistratical power over them as Magistrates have the sword over ill-doers that are subjected by divine providence to the power 2. They are not convicted of Blasphemie nor instructed in the doctrine of the Gospel as they are convicted by the Law of nature that murther and adulterie deserve punishment Obj. 6. In all the New Testament we find not a prison appointed by Jesus Christ for an Heretick Blasphemer Answ Where are the ten Commandements set down in the New Testament in expresse words of Scripture order or where speaketh Christ or his Apostles of prison sword gallows faggot to witches murtherers parricides yea or of so much as rebuking or excommunicating such by their specified sins in particular more than of blasphemers yet doth he Rom. 13. appoint prison and sword for all ill doers and the same Socinians and Anabaptists object against all Magistracie Obj. 7. The State and Nationall Church of the Jewes sware a Covenant 2 Chron. 15. that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman But may whole Nations or Kingdomes now according to any title expressed by Jesus Christ to that purpose follow that patterne of Israel and put to death all both men and women great and small that according to the rules of the Gospel are not born again penitent humble heavenly patient c. What 1. Hypocrisie brings this 2 What a prophanation of the holy name of God bringeth this 3. What masacring of people by civill wars Answ 1. I confesse the swearing of the Covenant in Israel and in National Churches may hence be proved to differ 1. As touching the externall worship for their seeking of God and ours differed they sought God in circumcision Passeover Sacrifices Feasts Divine Ceremonies but we doe not so 2. They sware the Covenant 2 〈◊〉 15. with blowing of Trumpets Cornets c. We do not so 3. A whole City that maintained a false Prophet against the sword of justice Deut. 13. was destroyed sacked their very cattell and every thing in it accursed Wee are not obliged to deaths and punishments every way thus ceremoniall as they but as for the substance of the service the swearing of an Oath and Religious Covenants being of the law of Nature and the Punishing of Apostates from the doctrine of the Gospell to which they have sworne though the Gospel it selfe be farre above natures law must be from the Law of nature lying on us we must by the same law be tyed as they not to kill all not borne again I hope the antitipe is here of Mr. Williams foregoing not of God no word of Christ saith that Christ chargeth to inflict bodily punishment on men by the sword of the Magistrate because not borne againe Nor do we thinke that by small and great here are meant sucking children who could not sweare a Covenant for the text restricteth the Covenant-breach to such as swear the Covenant and where infants are to be put to the sword by the Magistrate in the Old Testament as it is like Deut. 13. 13 14 15. and 1. Sam. 15. 1. 〈◊〉 they are morally culpable before God but not that wee should mistake that sort of justice noâ— to kill infants under the New Testament for the sin of their parents 2 We thinke Mr. Williams Arguments weake and Anabaptisticall we should not swear such a Covenant 〈◊〉 why It were hipocrisie and a prophaining of Gods
perswasions and reasons but since the creation of the world to this day the understanding and will keep ever their naturall way of working 8. And that which our Saviour calleth the Law and the Prophets Mat. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them was the Law of Nature and the Morall Law and the doctrine of the Prophets in the time of Moses and in the Kingdome of the Messiah though Libertines put a false glosse on it for I would not that others should punish me if I murther steal speake lyes in the name of the Lord though if I had authority I should will to punish others that are guilty of these crimes for so they expound it now if wee should not will to punish others for their conscience under the New Testament neither should the godly Magistrate in Moses and Davids dayes will to punish others for their conscience and if we should not will to rebuke and excommunicate hereticks now neither ought the godly Jewes to will to doe the same to others because of old men did not will to be punished with the Sword rebuked or excommunicated for their conscience 9. It was no lesse unlawfull for a Judge in Israel to domineere and tyrannize over the conscience of a false Prophet a Priest of Baal Dagon and to answer the arguments subverting the doctrine of Moses Law so shining with Divinity Majesty and the Wisdome of God with the bloody sword and throwing of stones then it is for the Christian Magistrate to labour to convert the false Prophet now by a Sword or an Axe domineering over his conscience so rendring him a Lambe disputing and trembling under the paw of the Lion And whatever arguments Libertines draw for pretended toleration from the Law of Nature making punishing for conscience contradictory to the light of Nature must inferre that the Judiciall Law of Moses for punishing false Prophets was not onely beside but contradictory to the Law of Nature which were a wronging of the wisdome of God and of the perfection of all his Laws Nor shall it helpe the matter to say the Law of punishing the false Prophet Deut. 13. c. was onely to be executed on such a man as 1. sinned against his conscience shewing him that to say other Gods beside the God that made the heaven and the earth were to be adored and worshipped was repugnant to the light of Nature 2. And on such as the infallible oracle of God fell and blacked as a heartblasphemer and to punish such a seducer was not to compell understanding and will nor to force the conscience nor to make stoning and the sword of steel the carnall weapons that produce spirituall repentance because there was foregoing conviction from the light of Nature perswading the man or which might have perswaded him that his blasphemy was against Nature whereas ye will have the godly punished meerly by the Magistrate because he cannot command his minde and conscience to be of the Magistrates Religion which he judgeth in his conscience to be a false superstitious and Idolatrous way for this containes many uncertainties and lyes For death was to be inflicted not on those onely that sinned against the Law of Nature but 2 Chron. 15. 13. Whosoever would not seeke the Lord God of Israel was put to death small or great man or woman now the seeking of the Lord God of Israel was to serve him according to the rule revealed in the supernaturall spirituall and holy Law of God contained in Moses his Books This I judge was some higher then the Law of Nature 2. Let us put Libertines to make this good that those who said the golden calves were the gods that brought them out of Egypt and adored them and were therefore put to death Exod. 32. since our Divines prove from the place that they made those Calves memorative objects of Jehovah onely did that against the light of their conscience and the manifest Law of Nature What if God had made Calves and Bullocks to represent God as there were Bullocks in the Temple and the sacrificed Bullocks were all types of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe to God And what if the Lord should command to adore himselfe before those Bullocks as he commanded to pray to him before the Arke and the face toward the Temple I conceive Libertines shall have to doe with the bottome of their wits to bring arguments from the Law of Nature to prove that every false instituted worship punished by the Sword of old was against the Law of Nature and that the Seducers were convinced in their conscience it was so 2. If there was an infallible Oracle to backe the false Prophet why was he judged Deut. 17. by the Law then why must witnesses two or three depose against him why must the people that stone him or concurre to execute the sentence of death against a City that will welcome and defend false Prophets know it by report and hear-sayâ— Deut. 13. 12. and enquire and make search and aske diligently if the thing be truth and certaine v. 14. what need of exposition of the written Law Deut. 17. 11. what need of witnesses Deut. 17. 6. here is shorter worke and we must be wiser then God Libertines save all the travell an immediate Oracle from heaven is both the Judge witnesse party and all and infallibly saith this man hath prophesied falsely in the name of the Lord good people rise and stone him Judge you need no witnesse 〈◊〉 a witnesse from heaven what needed the Priests and Pharisees trouble themselves to seek witnesses against Christ Mr. Goodwin and others are of the minde Caiaphas Priest and Prophet could have given a word from heaven whether he was a blasphemer or not But a Prophet of God being infallible might have infallibly informed them if the man were a false Prophet Yea but what shall be done when the Priest and Prophet of God himselfe is called in question shall he aske the Oracle whether he himselfe be the false Prophet or no 3. This answer layes ground that the Jewes might know the false Prophet and punish him but under the New Testament we cannot know him But I have proved under the 〈◊〉 Testament we may sufficiently know 〈◊〉 so as we may try him not beleeve him not bid him God 〈…〉 and avoid him and rebuke and excommâ—nicate him as many Libertines grant 4. As the Jewish Judge did not domineere over the conscience nor compell understanding and will because conviction by a cleare Law of God went before so say we upon the same ground we hold none under the New Testament to be punished by the Sword for false doctrine but he that is admonished convicted and selfe-condemned Tit. 3. 10. But your Arguments for Presbytery and against Toleration cannot convert us say they I answer nor could Pauls Arguments that convicted Sergius convict Elymas actu secundo God must
the same obligation the same formall reason so saith the Lord of beleeving non-fundamentals revealed and fundamentals and the same necessity of divine command not the same necessity of means called necessitas medâ—â— Bloody Tenet c 3 p. 19. Râ—monst Apo c. 25 245. Nam vâ—rbuâ— Dei etiamsi vin obligandi ex se pâ—rse habeat actu tâ—â—en non obligat quenquam nisi intellectum sic prâ—ut adhibiâ—a omni possibili diligentia prudentia â—â—nclligendum esse creditur reâ—no enim obligatur ad verum vâ—rbi divini sensu â— sequâ—dum contra conscientiam suam erroâ—â—am The state of the question touching the obligation that conscience layeth on us Tanner Jesuitâ— to 2. in 12. disp 2. q 4. dub 2. n. 21. Lib. de paradiso opinio nostra nobis legem in ponit Phâ— Gammacheu in 12. q. 19. de actâ— hum c. 2. sect 173. Malderus 12 q. 19. aâ—t 5 â— dis 84. Ancient bonds of liberty of Conscience se 1. c. 6. p. 26. Though the Magistrate punish false teachers it followeth not that he compels them to sinne against their conscience Augustin contr Gauâ—eâ—tiâ— n l. â— c. 24. Et si ficti aliq â—i perseverâ—â—â— non utique â—â—op er ipsos 〈◊〉 fucraâ—t colligendi quos videnâ—â—s verâ—â—eâ— Gods way and manner of calling is no ground why the magistrate should not punish false teachers Ancient bonds of liberty of Conscience s 1 c. 6. p. 26. Who is the self condemned heretick Tit. 3. 1. 〈…〉 sect â— 1. 13. Râ—monst vi di l. 2. c. 8. Ut heresis naturae potius quam vitium vo untatis sit L. 11. c. 2. Errâ—ces istos sola parit natura per nullam ipsoram culpam destituta gratia non voluntas auxilium gratia aspernata Seducuntur non sponte sua sed naturae necessitate seducunt enim non quia seducere volunt sed quia non possunt non seducere Toleration hath no warrant in the word Toleration inferâ—eth Scepticisme Want of infallibility in the New Testament no reason for the toleration in the Testament Apolo Nâ—trar p. 19. Toleration is against faith 〈…〉 in the Scriptures Toleration is against the ministery of the word Rulers by the fourth command are to see all under them worship God Proposals of the Army under Sir Tho. Fairfax 12. p 10 Rulers as Rulers not as tipicall Rulers punished false teachers with the sword Typicalnesse did not priviledge all the Kings of Judah and Israel to compell the conscience and punish false teachers as Libertines say How typicalnesse priviledgeth men to such and such actions how not Seducers punished by bodily death Punishing of Idolators and blasphemers of the law of nature How wars that are extraordinary in the manner and in some particular acts may be and are in the substance of the acts ordinary rules obliegâ—ng us The Law of God warranted by the Law teacheth that false teachers and hereticks are to be punished with the sword The law Deut. 17. 2 3. for punishing of Idolaters There was no consulting with the orâ—cle who should be put to death for his conscience in the old Testament but an ordinary way of trying such evill doâ—rs by judicial proceeding and hearing of witnesses The end of punishing of false teachers with the sword is not their conversion to God Ministeis of the Gospell onely labour in that field but the not perverting of soules and disturbing the safety of humain societies Sacrificing of children to Molech punished with death by Godâ— Law not as murther but as spiritual whordome Laws punishing false teachers were morall not temporary and pedagogicall Power of Fathers and Masters in the â—ourth command coercive Compelling to hypocrisie for feare of shame and reproaches as guilty as compelling men wâ—â—h the sword not to publish heresies nor seduce others 〈…〉 Blasphemers and Idolaters never were judged to dye by consulting with the immediate oracle of God as Joh. Goodwin imagineth Hagiomastâ—x Sect. 34 35 36 37. We have as 〈◊〉 a woâ—â— the Scripture as immediate consulting with the oracle of God Want of infallibility should exclude all Judges to judg â—astâ—rs to preach on write Synods to advise because we cannot doe these with Propheticall infallibility A twofold typicalnesse in the Old Testament one meerly ceremoniall unreducible another typicall but of civill and naturall use the use of the latter ceaseth not because it was sometime typicall so is punishing of seducers Answ 5. Seducers of old denied no otherwise God then our false Prophets now â—â—ayes doe now deny hâ—m Not only those who â—ffend against the principles of nature but those that publish and hold errors against the supernaturall principles of the Gospell are to be punished by the sword Such as slew their children to Molech denied no more the word of God then our Hereticks now doe There be false Prophets now under the New Testament as there were under the Old Testament 〈◊〉 not expresse rebukinâ— of the Magistrates tolerating of Heresies makes not for Christs apâ—â—oing of toleration of Heresies more then of tolerating the absolving of a murtherer at the time of the feast or other crimes against the second Table Answ 6. The Lawes Deut. â—3 three in number explicated the first two were morall the third ceremoniall for the most part The wars in the Old Testament warrant wars in the New according to the naturall equity in them but they binde not according to the ceremoniall temporary typicalnesse annexed to them The Prophesies in the Old Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2 3 4 5 6 7 prove that false teachers under the New Testament ought to be punished with the sword So John Goodwin answereth in his Appendix to Hagimastix The Prophecie Zach. 13. the house of David noteth not the Iewes only excluding the Gentiles Master Goodwins answer to Zach. 13. 4 Answer of Mr. Goodwin It is not metaphoricall thrusting through that is spoken of Zach. 13. but really inflicted death anâ—bodâ—ly punishment Chytaeus in Zach 13. 3. 〈◊〉 doctores 〈…〉 Ut Asa proprâ—â—m maâ—reâ— removit a cuâ—â—u adâ—â—orum â—ead propter 〈◊〉 Idolorum * Esa 49. 23. Esa 60. 10. Ps 138. 4. Ps 72. 10. 11. Ps 2. 11. Es 60. 16. Pro. 8. 16. Rev. 21. 24. 〈…〉 So 〈◊〉 Goodwin Hagiomastick The ignorance of the Christian Magistrate in matters of Religion no ground why by his office hee ought not to know so farre truth and falshood as to punish heresies published and spread Ordinary professors may know who are hereticks and false teachers Magistrates as Magistrates cannot judge all evill doâ—â—s for heathen magistrates who never heard the Gospel cannot judge Gospel-hereticks How Christ taketh service of a Christian magistrate mr â—o Goodwin How M. Goodwin would elude the place Rom. 13. to prove that false teachers are not evill doers Paul Rom. 13. speakes of magistrats in general what they ought to be not of Roman magistrates as they were then Roman well-doing and ill-doing not meant in this text The plaâ—â—