it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life Thornes also and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee c. Gen. 3.16 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out af it wast thou taken c. Then he said unto the woman I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee c. Rom. 5. and as in Adam all sinned so all in him are to die as the Apostle tells us Therefore it is plain that though the guilt of original sin be taken away by repentance and baptisme it self there remains still a punishment of death and divers other penalties inflicted Mariam the sister of Moses Num. 12 after the sin o murmuring against Moses was committed was struck with a Leprosie but she was not presently cured no not by Moses his prayer to the Lord for her recovery but she was cast out of the Tents by the Lords command for seven days for the punishment of her sin though the guilt was forgiven her and she remained all that while in her Leprosie God forbid Moses and Aaron Num. 20 the going in and leading of their people with them into the land of Promise for their sin of unbelief at the water of Strife though without doubt God Almighty had forgiven the sin to those holy men So the sons of Jacob Gen. 41.21 for their offence committed against their brother Joseph conceived what they suffered to be very due to them and David after he had confest his sin of adultery and murder 2 Sam. 12.13 14 15. and was pardoned by the Prophet Nathan in these words the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye yet addes howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great oncasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye and the Lord strake the childe that Vriahs wife bare c. See the punishment of Eli and his house after the sin was pardoned 1 Sam. 3 12 13 14. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also make an end for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he resprained them not and therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli 1 Sam. 4.14 c. that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever All this must undoubtedly be understood of a temporal punishment onely accordingly Hophni and Phinehas were slain Eli falling backward brake his neck and Phinehas's wife dyed in travell David we know had his great sin pardoned him for numbring of the people 2 Sam. 24.18 c. yet he was punished with a most grievous pestilence to the destruction of so many thousands and yet at last was commanded by the Prophet Gad to make a further satisfaction to reare an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah c. and his offering cost him fifty shekels of filver We finde that the Ninivites at their grand repentance fasted and put on sackcloth Jonah 3.1 Kings 21.27 Ahabrent his clothes and put sackloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackeloth and went softly by which humbling of himself he did in part satisfie and pacifie the divine wrath conceived against him Jerem. 18.8 This the Prophet Jeremy most cleerly expresseth saying in the person of God if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evill I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them and according to the measure of the fault so ought the measure of the punishment to be as we read in the book of Deuteronomy Deut. 25 All this is clearly confirmed by S. John in his Apocalypse saying how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously Revel 18 7. John 5.14 so much torment and sorrow shall be given her but above all we finde it cleer in the Gospel where our Saviour after he had cured the man that was sick of the Palsie eight and thirty years he said unto him behold thou art whole sin no more least a worse thing come unto thee plainly intimating that this great and long infirmity was inflicted upon him for his sins and though those sins were probably pardoned before by the great mercy of God and patience of the person suffering yet the punishment lasted still upon him Now that prayer fasting and alms which are injoyned to penitents are necessary to the Sacrament of Penance appears plainly by these Scriptures We finde in Leviticus how God commands several sorts of Sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the Priests Levit. 4.5.6 Prince and People I pray you then observe how the Prophets call upon us for these duties therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning So the Prophet Joel Then the Prophet Daniel says more cleerly yet to Nebuchadnexzar wherefore O King let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing of mercy to the poor it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity c. We sinde again how the Ninivites repenting at the preaching of Jonas proclaimed a fast and put on Sack-cloth from the greatest even to the lest of them The King himselfe arose from his throne layed by his Robe and covered himself with sack-cloth and sat in ashes crying all mightyly unto God and turning from their evill ways and the violence in their hands And God saw their works that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill c. is not here a plain fatisfaction performed by the Ninnivites and so accepted by God and as cleerly exprest by the Prophet and is not this repentance and satisfaction of the Ninivites highly commended by our blessed Saviour saying the men of Ninnive shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation that is obstenate impenitent siners Luke 11.32 such as refuse to satisfie for their sins and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas c. That great preacher of repentance Mat. 3. Lxke 3. the holy Baptist crys out to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance does not our Saviour plainly pronounce a woe unto Chorazin and Bethsaida for their impenitence Mat. 11.21 22. assuring them that if those mighty works he did there had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes and therefore concludes that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement
him in Jordan confessing their sins The wise Solomon assures us that he that conceals his wickedness shall not be directed Prov. 8. but he that confesseth it shall finde mercy That this duty of confession was both preached and practised in the Apostles days is plain by that express place And the name of the Lord Jesus was maguified Acts 19.28 and many that belived came and confessed and shewed their deeds No less express is that text of S. John if we confess our sines he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all wickedness To figure out this greatâ—duty of confession to us our Saviour chargeth the Leper whom he cleansed Mat. 8. to go and shew himself to the Preist and offer the gift that Moses comanded Luke 17. In the like manner he commanded the ten lepers and says to Lazarus when he had raysed him from the dead loose him and let him go These things I say are cleer prefigurations of this duty of confession which was afterwards to be establisht in the Christian Church and has been ever since the Apostles times most universally practised To what you alledge against our doctrine of Satisfaction for sins I answear thus To the first I do absolutly deny Luke 3.11 Mat. 3. that the Baptise taught no satisfaction for he taught almes and works of mercy for him that had two coats to impart to him that had none and him that had meat to do likewise They that came to him for batisme were to confess their sins as I said before that according to their qualities they might have several penitencies imposed upon them Luke 3.8 and therefore exhorts them to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance which fruits are the works of satisfaction understood by us by this it is plain that the holy Baptist enjoynes us more then our duty and besides those words which you quote were spoken to the Publicans whom he bids to exact no more than what was appointed them you have strained the text hard to bring it to us that we should do no more than we are commanded to do To the Second I answear that the Prophet speaks there of the life of grace only which to attain if satisfaction be not performed before it is required to be in purpose and intention and is necessary to the preservation of that life of grace when it is acquired Besides though there should be no mention at all of satisfaction in these words of the Prophet that you quote does it therefore follow that there is no such thing required or that the prophet has deceived us God forbid for we finde what is wanting in one place abundantly supplied in other Scriptures as heer the Prophet mentions nothing but justice says not a word of fortitude temperance chastity c. which we know are equally requisite and suâ—iffiently laid down and commanded in other Scriptures To the Third I answer that the Prophet Micah in those words you quote does not seclude but rather include works of satisfaction for by doing judgement and justice is to be under stood a severe censure and condemnation of our selves by loveing of mercy are understood those works of mercy almes and piety that are to be exercised upon the poor by charity and to walk humbly with God what is it but resignation of our selves to him and perfect submission to his will joyned with an exact care to keep his divine precepts in this point of penance we are reqâ—ired to shew all the severity in the world against our selves that we being judged of our selves be not judged of the Lord as the Apostle tells us Besides the Prophet Micah there rebukes not those that go about by good works to satiâ—fy for their sins but those that foolishly thought by their pittifull sacrifices and burnt-offerings with the bloud of Rams and Bulls and Goats c. to satisfy the divine wrath for sins Now that was impossible as S. Paul tells us Heb. 10. Isay 1. and the Prophet Isay assures us that those things were not in themselves acceptable to God To the Fourth and Last I do answer and grant that the passion of Christ is sufficient to take away all sin and the guilt of punishment as well temporall as eternall it followes not therefore that nothing is required on our parts to be done for in the Sacrament of penance we partake of the virtue of the passion of Christ by a method of some proper acts which are the mater of pennance wherefore the Apostle Paul exhorts his penitents thus not to yeild their members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but to yeeld themselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God Now to what you imply of argument in that Christ Jesus is the great Physition and so likely to make a perfect cure as well from guilt of the punishment as from the guilt of the sin it self I do acknowledge him to be the great Physition of our souls and to cure perfectly as you say yet very differently Luke 4. and sometimes suddainly and all at once as Peters wifes mother who was perfectly restored to perfect health sometimes again he is pleased to cure very leasurely as when he cured the blind man first he was pleased to restore him to an inperfect use of his sight Mar. 8. as to see men like trees walking then he was pleased afterwards to perfect his cure and make him to see cleerly all things just so he is pleased to pass his spiritual cures upon us sometimes he is pleased to turn the heart of man with such a power that it shall presently enjoy a perfect spiritual health as he did that of the blessed Magdalen sometimes again he remits the sin by his operating grace and afterwards works so with his cooperating grace that in process of time he takes away all the guilt of punishment and all the other relicts of sin it is not therefore to be proved by any of Christs corporal or spiritual cures that the sin being remitted all the punishment is remitted likewise but rather the contrary and I shall proceed further to prove it thus The Catholick doctrine that I am to prove now against you is this that sins being by contrition confession and absolution perfectly forgiven the penitent ought yet to satisfie for the temporal punishment due to them Adam without doubt repented himself of his sin Gen. 2.17 notwithstanding he was not presently absolved from the punishment that was threatned by God for it which was this for in theday that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Nay after the transgression of the divine precept beyond the business of death which was before threatned God addes others saying to Adam Gen. 3.17 because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying thou shalt not eate of
in the way with him least at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into Prison verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing This prison our Saviour speaks of has been always received by the Church for Purgatory Again our Saviour says in S. Mat. 12.32 Matthews Gospel that whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come By which it is manifest that some sins are to be purged and forgiven in the next world S. Paul is likewise very plain in this in his Epistle to the Philippians Phil. 2.10 wherein he tells them that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Here are cleerly three sorts of persons spoken of as for those under the earth it is impossible should be meant of those in hell no the damned souls are so far from paying a reverence to the name of Jesus that they are always busie in blaspheming of it it must then of necessity be the faithful souls that are in Purgatory In the like manner we finde in the Revelation of S. Revel 5.13 John how the Apostle saw every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and sea and all that are in them and heard them saying blessing hnour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Now observe how the Apostle makes a threefold order of the prayers of God first of the blessed in heaven then of the righteous upon earth than of those that remain to be purged under the earth and it must be so understood for the damned in hell as I said before are so far from praysing and glorifying of God and blessing him that fits upon the Throne that their malice does wholely imploy it self in cursing and blaspheming of his divine Majesty and all the blessed souls with him Again 2 Mach. 15. Mat. 17. Mark 9. Luke 9.24 a great evidence of the truth of Purgatory and a convincing one indeed may be taken from the frequent apparitions of many departed souls to pass by those in the Machabees of Onias and Hieremias that appeared to Judas we finde that Moses and Elias did appear to Christ when he was transfigured and the disciples themselves after the resurrection of our Saviour when he appeared to them thought that they had seen a spirit which they would never have thought unless they had known that the spirits of some departed did make usual apparitions now granting such a thing as the apparition of a spirit which I take to be already proved it must follow that those souls must be reposed in some place that is not in heaven for then they would never wander here to so great a loss nor can they be in hell from whence there is no redemption Again we finde the Theif upon the Cross saying to our Saviour Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom which he had never said but that he thought that Jesus Christ had a power to pardon sins after this Life S. Paul likewise was certainly of this opinion where he tells the Corrinthians thus else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead which plainly shews that it was a practised course amongst the Christians then to undertake duties and voluntary afflictions in the behalf of the dead which sure was imagined to be for their advantage and yet you think much to pray for them Now the reason of all this is very cleer for we know that a man who sins mortally may have the mortality of that sin forgiven him and consequently be freed from the guilt of eternal punishment and yet may be obnoxious to some temporal penalties which if he does not satisfie in this life he must expect to do it in the next As for example we see a King does often pardon an offender his life which he has forfeited to the Law and deserved to loose and yet he may inflict banishment or imprisonment upon the same person and this very course we finde taken by God in Scripture Num. 20 12. Deut. 32.48 2 Sam. 12.13 14. 2 Sam. 24.10 First we see the sin of unbelief forgiven by God to Moses and Aaron that is as to the eternal punishment and yet they were punisht with a temporal death Again we finde King David after he had obtained a pardon for his fins of Adultery and Murder was punisht yet with the death of his son nay after the prophet Nathan had declared that the Lord had put away his sin he should not dye yet his son must and again the same King David for his sin of pride in numbring the people was pardoned as to the eternal guilt and yet we see what a temporal punishment followed upon it and he was forced to choose one of the three Plagues for it I might be infinite in examples of the like kinde but I have something else to say to this point so must not insist too long in that particular of it We know again that a righteous man may sometimes happen to dye with a great many venial sins about him especially if he be prevented with any sudden death so cannot possibly have time enough to bethink himself much less to repent of them so must still remain obnoxious to the temporal punishment that is due to those sins certainly in such a case that person cannot be admitted into the joyes and glory of heaven till he be freed from those venial sins and the guilt of that temporal punishment that is due for them So we finde in the Revelation that there shall in no wise enter into it Rev. 21.27 any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye c. now such a person is possible to be and we may very well suppose it that he cannot be freed in this life therefore after it it must be nor can this be in Heaven or in Hell therefore it must be in Purgatory Over and above all this the undeniable practise of the Church in praying for the dead is a most invincible argument for Purgatory and no man can deny but that custome is much ancienter than Christianity and has continued ever since That it was ancienter then Christianity we finde in the Machabees which book though you shut out of the Cannon of holy Scripture with as much reason as you do other things yet you allow it more credit than any ordinary Author 2 Mach. 12.43 44 45. how then should it fail so grossy as to make a lye in matter of fact as well as matter of faith We are told there of a sacrifice offered for the
shall be devoured with the Sword c. and again hearken unto me ye stout hearted that are far from righteousness c. The Prophet Ezekiel declares Ezek. 18.27.28.30 that when a wicked man turnes away from his wickedness that he hath committed doth that which is lawfull and right he shall save his soul alive c. Therefore Ezek. 18.31.32 I will judge you O house of Israel every one according to his ways c. Repent and turn your selves from your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will you dy O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye does not God Almighty heer plainly require the operation of his peoples wills towards their own good and this sence runes at large through all the Prophets calling us to turn to our God and then assuring us that he will turn to us But the new Testament is yet more full of this sence Mat. 23.37 Luke 13.34 Mat. 11. Our Saviour in those bleeding words he utters over Jerusalem speaks it out thus O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy childeren together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not c. Heer it is plain that God was willing man onely unwilling and resisting to his own ruin Our Saviour adviseth freequently that if we would enter into life we must keep the commandements and such like expressions are abounding in the gospells but in the parable of the Talents Mat. 25.16.17 when he that had received five Talents went and traded with the same and made them other five Talents and so he that had two did likewise now the servant could not be said to gain unless his freewill had actively concurred to the gaining of them other wise he should only have said that he had received his ten Talents S. Paul speaks it plainly to the Corinthians I have planted 1 Cor. 3.6 7 8. and Apollo watered but God gave the increase but heer is a working still with God nay the Apostle expresseth it in the next verses for we are labourers together with God And every man shall recieve his own reward according to his own labour c. and this doctrine he perfectly explaines in the other Chapter where he tells them 1 Cor. 15 10. that the grace which was bestowed on him was not in vain but that he laboured more abundantly then they all and yet not he but the grace of God which was with him so then grace may very well cooporate with the freewill of man Nay yet more punctually the Apostle professeth this great truth 1 Cor. 7.37 in another chapter of the same epistle Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart haveing no necessity but hath power over his own will and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin doth well c. S. John S. Iames S. Jude S. Peter 1 John 2.3 1 Pet. 1.22 c. and all the rest of Apostolicall writtings are full of nothing more than perswasions to a good life to turn from sine to purify our selves as he is pure to be righteous as he is righteous now to what purpose were all this if man had not a power to cooperate with divine grace by the freedome of his will To conclude all 2 Tim. 3.16 17. S. Paul tells us that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reprofe for correction for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnisht to all good works Now if all our actions be by necessity and constraint to what purpose is it to teach reprove correct or instruct if a man have not some liberty of will how should he be furnisht to all good works Phil. 14. and the same Apostle tells Philemon that he would advise him nothing against his consent that his benefit should not be as it were of necessity but willingly I could produce infinite testimonies more to establish this truth but I fear I have been too large already in a business that common sense it self me thinks were able to convince for if all things do come to us by an absolute necessity and our wills have no power of action there will be nothing lest to be done by the power of prayers preachings counsels publick governments There would be no rewards due to virtue or punishment to vice all Laws Statutes Orders Precepts must be to no purpose all admonitions reproofes persaw asions must cease for all these require a liberty to be understood and are utterly nullified by a necessity and in short it would amount to this that all wickednesses blasphemies and villanies would be cast upon God For who can justly tax Judas of his wicked treasons if he did commit it by an inevitable necessity But these are the most difficult questions that we can pick out of the whole body of Divinity so I shall be bold to desire you good Mrs. N. not to offer any more of these subtilties to me and though in order to your commands I have endeavoured to satisfie your doubts yet I must tell you that it hath been full sore against my will and if I have by this bold adventure committed any errours as I fear I have too many I do humbly beg God and his holy Church to pardon me This Paper was no sooner perfected but my Lady called for her Coach where her Ladiship was no sooner sat and the welcome of the house presented but they thus fell into their old discourse and my Lady began after this manner Lady M. I am come now dear Mrs. N. to wait on you and to make you a double payment first for your late kinde visits which have not lyen in my power since to return then to make a payment of the thanks best satisfaction that lay within my power for your last too learned paper though sweet Mrs N. I must beg your pardon if I never do the like again for in earnest it is too hard a task for us to ingage in those sublime points that the learnedst Doctors in the world of one side or t'other may be foiled in and sure we that cannot swim as those divine Doctors can must not dare to wade in those unfathomable depths Mrs. N. I most heartily thank you sweet Madame for your kinde correction of me in this particular and I faithfully promise never to offend in that more And truly Madame if I had read your first paper before I had sent my last I had not given your Ladiship any further trouble at all for indeed I have perceived enough by that to convince me of some
up the other cheek that is to receive another injury rather than to revenge any Nor can it any way follow from hence that war is unlawfull for the invader as well as the defender ought not to make war out of any private affection to revenge but out of a right intention for the publick good otherwise war must be unlawfull indeed To the Third We find two parts of your argument to be answered to the first is Christs command to Peter Put up thy Sword again into his place then give us leave to tell you that Christ speaks not of war at all but meekly reprehends Peter for these reasons first because all the Apostles had askt leave to strike and healone without staying for Christs answer drew his Sward and wounded a servant of the High Priests Secondly because it was a rash and indiscrect thing that one man should assault such a multitude of armed men Thirdly because if it had been necessary our Saviour could have commanded Angels to have so defended him as he tells him I can ask the Father and he will send me more then twelve legions of Angels c. Fourthly because he would not have his death hindred as he said The Cup which the Father hath given me wilt thou not that I drink All this hinders not but that war may notwithstanding be lawfull if the just conditions of war be observed The second part of your argument consists in those words both out of the Gospell and Apostle he that killeth with the Sword must perish or be killed with the Sword which cannot be understood simply to be true for we know the contrary and that many bloody men die in their beds but both our Saviour and the Apostle alledge an old Law out of the Text whosoever shall shed mans blood his blood shall be also shed Gen. 9.6 Leviticus 24.17 and whosoever shall strike a man so as he dieth let him die the death Now that murtherers are to die by the law hinders nothing but war may be lawfull for otherwise it must have been unlawfull under the old Testament for then the Law was made against Homicides Now the difference between homecide and a lawful war if you know not we will tell you the one is committed against the publick laws of God and man as well against common justice as the Decalogue it must be therefore unlawfull The other is undertaken for the defence of publick justice and to keep off or repay a publick injury and that sure by all laws of God and nature must be lawfull To the Fourth I would fain know of you what Prince or Emperour did then believe in Christ whose aid the Apostles might have implored against Hereticks it was not that the Hereticks then did not deserve it but because the swords of the Princes and Emperours then were shut up in Pagan sheathes but when they came to serve the Gospel under Constantine then the Christians besought them upon all such occasions and to what you say that Hereticks are to be conquered with the sword of the spirit that is 1 Pet. 3. the word of God it is true that S. Peter teacheth us to be ready to give an account to every one that askes it of the faith that is in us and yet S. Paul adviseth us Tit. 3.10 11. to reject a Heritick after the first and second admonition and gives the reason knowing that he is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself We beseech you therefore look to your self and all your party that you do not dispute out of Scriptures against known faith To the Fifth It is plain that our Saviour onely would not that one Tares should be pulled up to endanger the Wheat for so he explaines himself after Mat. 18. least whilest ye pull up the Tares ye pull up the Wheat also We grant also that heresies must be but yet there is a woe pronounced to him by whom they are and that must too implies no absolute necessity but a conditional one as they are foreknown to God so must be or else a necessity of the end which the Apostle implies that they who are approved may be made manifest this proves nothing against the punishing of a notorious Heritick To the Sixth We answer that when our Saviour said but ye shall not be so he did not forbid civil Magistracy but only instructed his Apostles that they being to be the future Pastors of souls should not meddle with secular businesses nor dominear after the manner of secular Lords but rather that they should attend their own charges and become patterns of humility to all and so in like manner when the Apostle tells us that there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme he excludes not Kings and Princes or other secular Lords Rom. 13.6 but only a plurality of Gods for there is but one God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose Ministers all other Kings and Lords are To the Seventh We say that in those Texts you urge the use of swearing is not forbidden but the abuse of it and that consists plainly in swearing vainly and in business of no moment and in calling God to witness a thing without evident necessity which is against the reverence that is due to God this abuse only Christ forbids in these words but I say unto you swear not at all that is Exod. 20.7 Deut. 10. without necessity ye shall not swear at all and this is explained in other Texts Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain again thou shalt not mention the name of God lightly or to no purpose now by these two words in vain and lightly or to no purpose it is plain that it is only forbid so to do rashly vainly or without necessity Now give us leave to reply That it is lawfull to make war against Turks Jews or Heriticks upon a reasonable and lawfull occasion or to punish them and that Christians may make war and bear Civil Magistracy yea give and take Oaths We prove by Scripture thus First As to the matter of war it is plain that when the Souldiers came to St. John Baptist and asked him what they should do Luke 3.14 he answered them do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages here it is plain he forbid them not their trade which was to go to war but taught them how to do it honestly S. Paul tells the Romanes Rom. 13. that Kings and Supream powers carry not the sword in vain The Children of Israel we know got the possession of the Land of Promise by an open war of Gods own appointment as is abundantly to be seen in the Books of Joshuah Judges and Kings Nay the Lord commanded them to have a continual war against Infidells for so we find in the Book of Judges Now these Nations the Lord left to prove Israel by them even as many of
Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan Judg. 3.1 2. only that the generation of the Children of Israel might know to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing thereof Observe I pray you the great care the Almighty took to teach the Children of Israel the art of war Observe again the strict command that Samuel by Gods command giveth to Saul Now go and smite Amaleek 1 Sam. 15.3 and utterly destroy all they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass This was you 'l say a severe command and commission for war Indeed the whole Old Testament is so full of instances how the Jews by the command and assistance of God did not onely resist Infidells but invade them as in Abraham Mases Joshuah c. that it would be vs endless as needless to make a recital of them Jer. 48. Nay we find high words in Prophet Jeremy cursed be he that refrains his sword from blood and to sum up all this that the trade of war is and must be lawfull is plain that God himself does own it as to be the Patron and defender of it and calls himself therefore the Lord of Hosts and when the Pharisees askt our Saviour whether it was lawfull to pay tribute to Cesar which was for to pay souldiers wages he answered them give to Cesar the things which are Cesars In the next place we prove that it is lawfull to punish Hereticks now the first punishment that is spoken of in Scripture is excommunication and that is plain out of St. Matthew Mat. 18. If he bear not the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican that is let him be separated from the Church by excommunication so in the place before quoted out of S. Paul to Titus Tit. 3. 2 Thess 3 2 Joh. 2. so to the Thessalonians so S. John which for brevity sake I forbear to recite The next punishment to be inflicted upon Hereticks as enemies to God is death and first it is plain out of the Old Testament Deut. 13.5 And that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God c. Then again in the next chapter it is said That he that shall grow proud Deut. 14. and refuse to obey the commands of the Priest who at that time ministers to the Lord he was to die the death by sentence of the Judge that the evil might be taken from Isaael The reason of this Law holds still that the evil may be taken out of the Church And again in the same Book it is expresly said that the Prophet who shall arrogantly dare to deliver in Gods name Deut. 18. what he had not commanded him to say or anything else in the name of any other Gods Levit. 24. should be put to death Then Blasphemers were to be led out of the Tents 1 Kings 18. and stoned to death and why not Heritics so we find Elias the Prophet of the Lord killed the Prophets of Baal Then as to the New Testament we find our Saviour calls false Prophets or Heriticks Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Matt. 7. but within were ravenous Wolves now such ought to be killed if the safety of the flock cannot otherwise consist Acts 20. So S. Paul sayes that he knew that ravenous Wolves would enter not sparing the flock such therefore ought to be put to death If Jesus Christ whipt the mony-changers out of the Temple John 2. what should he do if he were in the earth to the Heriticks that are in his Church Ananias and Saphira in the beginning of Christianity Acts 5. for a little diffembling in matter of money were put to death how ought they to be used then that make it their business to cozen and cheat Christians of their souls nay to defraud God of them Last of all St. Paul chargeth the Galatians Galat. 4. 2 Cor. 10. and Corinthians too to be in readiness to prosecute and punish all disobedience and in another place speaks it out plainly Galat. 5. I would they were even cut off that trouble you so enough we conceive said as to this Then that it is lawfull to beare civil magistracy is first plain out of our Saviours words Matt 22.21 render to Cesar the things which are Cesars and to God the things which are Gods by those words he does suficiently justify all civil Authority But S. Rom. 13.1.2.3.4 c. Paul in that whole chapter to the Romans most expresly asserts it Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained by God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and after that again he says the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minnister of God a revenger unto wrath unto him that does evil c. Again to Timothy he sayth 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all in Authority c. Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2 27. Yet again to Titus he sayth put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey rulers c. and St. Peter commands us expresly to feare God and honer the Kings Now last of all that a lawfull oath may be lawfully taken and given is plain by Apostolicall practice for we finde that S. Paul did very frequently swear which he should never have done Rom. 1.19 2 Cor. 1.23 Phil. 1.8 1 Tim. 5.21 if swering had been absolutely forbiden 〈◊〉 our Saviour as you pretend it was First to the Romans he says God is my witness Then to the Corinthians he says I call God for a record upon my soul Then to the Philipians again God is my witness or God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowells of Jesus Christ then again to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and all the elect Angels c. and to close up all this pittifull controversie Heb. 6.26 the same St. Paul affirms in his Epistle to the Hebrews that every controversie ought to be ended by an Oath and accordingly this practice has obtained all over Christendome and ever since the beginning of Christianity that in all judgements and Tribunals when a man cannot clear his innocency by witnesse he ought to attest it by his Oath and then the controversie ceaseth By all these Texts that we have produced out of Scripture it is most plain to any reasonable man that it is onely as we said before in our answers to your arguments that the abuse of Oathes is forbidden not the use of them To what you aledge against the Baptisme of infants