be remembred T is a frequent thing in the Prophets when they prophecie of Christs Kingdome to proclaime War to Idols and Images as in Micah 2 I will cause the Prophets to passe out of the Land he denounces destruction to the Prophets which is to be understood of false Teachers 3. I wil cause the uncleane Spirit to passe out of the Land that is all the workes of the Devil the uncleane Spirit often so called by which he withdrawes men from the true worship of God Upon which words Gualther writes The Prophet having spoken in the 1. v. of a full and absolute washing by Christs bloud both from original sin and the corruption of our nature under the name of uncleannesse and all actuall sins thoughts words and deeds under the name of sinne least any from hence should conceive a hope of carnall liberty and impunity he showeth this effect of the grace of Christ is yet to proceed further that by him also shall be taken out of the way from the midst of the Church whatsoever is against the true Religion and Word of God Zach. 14 20 21. In that day shall there be upon the bridles of the horses Holinesse unto the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bowles before the Altar c. On which verses Gualter writes the summary meaning of all to be this That in those days of the Gospel all things shall be turned to the worship of God even those things which before have beene imployed to prophane uses and against him Now then there shall not be Holinesse unto the Lord written only on the forehead of the Priests but it shall appear eminently on the bridles of the horses And Horses are particularly instanced in Horses being in a special manner serviceable for War the horse is prepared for the battel saith Solomon to show that the Warrs under the Gospell should not be prophane and wicked such as are made by ambitious and covetous persons but such by which the worship and Church of God may be defended against wicked enemies by those whom God hath appointed nursing Fathers of his Church And such Warrs in times past Constantine made against Maxentius and Licinius and Theodosius against Eugenius and Arbogastus And for those words in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the House of the Lord of Hosts he showâ—s Canaanite signifies Merchant and that the Prophet speaks of those who sell and make merchandise of holy things as the false Teachers in Peter who made merchandise of the people These are to be driven away far from the Church because they both corrupt the worship of God subvert the faith of the simple and make void the merit of Christ these Christ sets not upon only with words or with denouncing woes but with a whip made of small cords as impudent greedy dogs he câ—sts out of the Temple with publick disgrace By the Canaanite or Merchant in this place the Prophet seems to have a special relation to the abuse of merchandizing and selling which was used in the Temple Matth. 21. 12. 2. John 15. Malach. 3. 2 3 4 5 the Prophet in this chapter prophecying of Christs comming into the world least men in his comming should pâ—â—â—â—ise to themselves an earthly Kingdome and a lawlesse Libertie of doing any thing without punishment he tels them what a one Christ is and for what end he comes and what kind of persons they ought to be who desire to be be saved by him Who may abide the day of his comming for he is like a refiners fire and like fullers sope and he shall fit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver c that is as those who deal in mettals doe not cease to melt and purge their mettals til they see all the drosse taken away nor fullers leave to wash and rub the garments till all the spots and dirt be washed out So Christ doth not cease using his fire and fullers sope till we be sanctified and cleansed throughout The use of this Doctrine to us ought to be least we abuse our pretence of beleeving in Christ to a Libertie of sinning but rather we should give our selves to him to be purged that we may be made such as he would have us to be But of the scope of the Prophet in these verses and how severe Christ under the Gospell will be against transgressors of the first Table as Sorcerers false Swearers under the last of which are contained all those who abuse the name of God that they may deceive others not only those who in Civill matters and bargains falsly pretend the name of God but also such who in teaching abuse it and vent the fictions of their owne brains for divine Oracleâ— the Reader may find more in Gualther upon the place So 2. The new Testament speaks of Christs comming to destroy the workes of the Devil 1 John 38. among which false Doctrins Antichristianisme and seducing are spoken of by the Apostle in that Epistle and the foregoing chapter as cheife and Christ is brought in Revel 2. 18 20. described in a most terrible manner speaking against Toleration of Heresies Thâ—se things faith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse I have a few things against thee because thou suffirest that woman Iesabel which calleth her selfe a Prophetesse to teach and to seduce my servants as also Christ and his Apostles in the new Testament in severall respects speak more against false Doctrines Herefies false Teachers Seducerâ— then against corrupt manners Neither can it be put off by saying that under the new Testament Christ hath brought Libertie a part whereof is the Toleration of Heresies c for the Apostle in Gal. 5. 1. where he exhorts Christians to stand fast in the Libertie wherewith Christ hath made them free expresly declares verse 13. this Libertie is not to be used for an occasion to the flesh which it must needs be if this Libertie were a Libertie of Heresies heresies being named in the same chapter a worke of the flesh verse 19. 20. Master Cartwright writing of certaine judiciall Lawes that cannot be changed as of putting to death a contemptuous Blasphemer and stubborne Idolater speaks thus of this pretended Ground of Christs comming As for that they alledge the cause of this Libertie now they are not to be put to death by reason of the comming of our Saviour Christ and his passion t is a weak one and injurious unto the comming and death of Christ for he appeared that he might destroy the workes of the Devil this makes our Saviour Christ to build againe that Kingdome of sin which he hath destroyed For when in common reason and by the manifest word of God the Lord giveth this blessing unto the punishment of such greivous offenders by death that
seven Precepts Juris Noachidarum seu Naturalis as they are called among which Idolatry and Blasphemy De Cultu extraneo De maledictione Nominis sanctissimi seu Numinis were the first Nay further he proveth that every Gentile which had not received those seven Precepts was to be punished with death if he stayed in the Jewes Territories and particularly in divers places of that Book showes that Idolatry and Blasphemy were punished by death upon all that lived in the Iewish Common-wealth though they were not Proselyti Justiciae and on those words Levit 24. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death writes thus Id est sive fuerit Proselytus sen peregrinus sive indigena aut civis ex eo quod blasphemaverit nomen Domini morte plectendus est yea he saith that the Gentiles or Proselytes Domicilii were punished more severely then the Iewes in this case of Blasphemy not only for blaspheming the proper name of God but the Cognomen All which showes clearly these punishments were not inflicted upon the Iewes qua Iewes and qua a typicall people in a typicall Land c. but upon them as the nature of such crimes calling for such punishments and that 't is the Magistrates duty to restraine in Iews or Gentiles in all under their jurisdiction Idolatry blasphemie c. Thirdly the reasons and grounds of these Lawes and commands with the use and end of them upon which they are inforced are of common reason and equity that concern us under the New Testament as well as the Iewes I doe not finde one Ceremoniall or properly Iudiciall reason given of any one but all of them are laid downe either absolutely and simply without any reasons at all or else upon such reasons as are morall and perpetuall and I judge that in all commands which are not typicall and ceremoniall and so some other thing apppointed to come in upon the abolishment to make good their perpetuall end and use assigned that rule of Divines holds universally true Ratio immutabilis facit praeceptum immutabile which by the way may serve to answer the Evasions of Minus Gelsus Senensis and of Hagiomastix bringing instances in Circumcision and such like which the Scriptures declare expressely to be abolished having substituted Baptisme and other ordinances in their roome but have not said one word in the like kind of the commands in question besides that Christ the substance of those shadows is come and so they are of no further use at all And indeed Acontius though a great Libertine doth confesse that Law in the 13th of Deuterenomy of the stoning of the false Prophet and Seducer is not confined only to the time before Christ having no place at all under the Gospel and to the ground and conjecture as Acontius calls it of that opinion he saith that the reason set downe in the same is against it viz. All Israel shall beare and feare and shall do no more any such wickednesse as this is among you which reason certainly abides alwayes so that although this Law had exspired yet notwithstanding by vertue of it the Magistrate hath a right and power of making another like it as he hath of making Lawes against Murtherers Adulterers and other flagitious persons Fourthly Before these Lawes in Deut. 13. and Deut 17. for punishing Idolaters were given by Moses yea before Moses time or any Common-wealth among the Iewes was erected in other Countries remote from the Land of Canaan Idolatry in worshipping creatures deserved punishing by the Magistrate as I have showed already fully in page 13 14. of this Book yea the particular kind of Idolatry instanced in Deut. 17. 3. of worshipping the Sunne or Moone which among the Israelites was to be punished by death if it had been found in Job in the Land of Vz he had beene worthy of punishment from the Iudges for it Job 31. 26 27. 28. And other Princes not Iewes as Artaxerxes Nebuchadonezar c. made Lawes and Edicts for punishing those that blasphemed the God of heaven and transgressed his Lawes as the Scriptures testifie Now the Lawes properly judiciall that were the Iewes civill Lawes simply belonging to them as such a people in such a Countrey were in use only among themselves and not practised by other Nations and Countries but such Lawes and Customes used among them that were observed universally among all Nations or by divers Nations though not of all strictly speaking were not Iudiciall Lawes but the Lawes of Nature and Nations though according to the Discipline of the Iewes that is what was received in the Church and Common-wealth of the Iewes and accordingly accounted by them as the Law of the world of all men and ages or the Law of many Nations common to them with those Nations of all which the Reader may be further satisfied in that learned Peece of Mr. SELDEN'S De jure Naturali Gentium juxta disciplinam Ebraeorum and particularly in the Preface of that Book where he sheweth the reason of that Title and gives the summe of his work and undertaking and in his first Book And among the Iawes of Naturall right as distinguished from the civil lawes of the Jews or simply Israeliticall those commands of punishing for strange worship and Blasphemie are reckoned by the Jewes themselves as the Reader may find in the first book de Jure Naturali Gentium cap. 10. 2 book cap. 1. 12. 3 book cap. 1. Fifthly The Spirit of God under the New Testament Hebr. 10. 28 29. speaking according to the common equity and justice of the matter and not according to a Politicall law peculiar to one Nation saith of the despisers of Moses law that died without mercy under two or three witnesses that they were worthy of it as appears by the comparative Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought warthy Every comparative implying a positive The sorer punishment that he is worthy of who hath trodden under foot the Son of God supposes the other worthy of the sore punishment inflicted upon them by Moses law for despising it Now by Moses law in this place the breach whereof deserved capitall punishment must needs be meant sins against the first Table rather then against the second and that because the scope of the Apostle is to warne the Hebrews against Apostasie and falling off from the Christian religion for which end he brings these words among others and therefore would speak ad idem Beza upon 〈◊〉 place saith that the Apostle speaks not of the transgression of any one command but of the apostasie and totall defection from the true Religion of which Moses in Deut. 17. 2. had spoken So Calvin upon this text The law under Moses did not punish with death all sins or transgressions committed but Apostasie The Apostle had an eye to that of Deut. 17. 2. of stoning him that served strange gods And Pareus
upon Heb. 10. 28 29. shewes that temporall death from the Magistrate for of that he speaks not of Gods judgements was justly inflicted by Moses law upon capitall transgressions as Blasphemie Apostasie and therupon infers from the lesse that much greater punishment must abide Apostates who despise the Gospel Infert à minori tanto gravius supplicium manere defectores illos Si legis contemptoribus supplicium mortis quo nihil est in hoc mundo acerhius justè irrogabitur utique supplicium quovis morte atrocius Apostatae Evangelii contemptores incurrent And 2 Heb. 2. in those words For if the word spoken by Angels was firm and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward the Apostle shews that the law of Moses given by Angels Gal. 3. 19. Act. 7. 30. had the breach and transgression of it justly punished mediately by the Magistrates to whom the execution of the laws was cōmitted by God which just punishment is there cheifly understood of transgressions against the first Table Sixthly Granting that 13. of Deut. with the other Texts of Scripture named to be judiciall politicall lawes of the Jews yet they may binde the Christian Magistrate under the Gospel Indeed the Ceremoniall law being given for certain uses and for a certain time till the comming of Christ upon the arising of this Sun all these shadowes vanished away as being but of one time But now the Judicial lawes however delivered to one Nation yet were not of one time never tied to one time only so that had the commonwealth of the Jewes continued untill this day excepting a few things belonging to the vindication of the ceremonies which would have ceased with the ceremonies they would have used their Political lawes still in regard the Gospel neither changed nor took away any of them as Beza observes in his Tractate de Haereticis à Magistratu puniendis p. 154. And for the better understanding and proving that the Judicial lawes under the Old Testament are still in force I shall lay down two or three distinctions 1. The judicial law may be considered so far as concerns the distinction of the Iewes from the Gentiles and the typical signification of the kingdome of Christ or only so much as belongs to the forme of Civil government Now the judicial law according to the first acception is absolutely and simply abrogated but secundum quid in part and some kinde only in the latter that is Whatever was in the judicial law of particular proper right peculiarly concerning the Jewes as of inheritances not to be transferred from one Tribe to another of the Tribe of Levi having no inheritance among the other Tribes Numb 18. 20 24. of the emancipation of an Hebrew servant or handmaid in the seventh yeer a mans marrying his brothers wife and raising up seed to his brother the forgiving of debts at the Jubile marrying with one of the same tribe with other such like all of this kind is ceased But what was of common right common to other Nations with them according to the common law of nature of which sort are lawes concerning the punishment of Moral transgressions and other such that all remains and is in force Of which distinction the Reader may find more in Piscator's Appendix to his Observations upon the 21 22 23 chap. of Exodus Bullinger and in Altingius his common places par 1. loc 7. de lege Dei p. 112. Lex judicialis simpliciter abrogata est quoad distinctionem Judaeorum à Gentibus typicam regni Christi significationem secundum quid verò quantum attinet formae gubernationis civilis Nam quod juris in ea fuit particularis Judaeos peculiariter concernans qualis fuit lex de officio Levitarum item alia de haereditatibus de tribu in tribum non transferendis id omne cessavit Quod autem juris suit communis secundum legem naturae omnibus communem sancitum cujusmodi sunt leges de paenis scelerum aliaeque id totum manet 2. The Iudicial lawes may be considered according to their substance and equity or according to many accessories circumstances forms manner of them Now though the Magistrate under the Gospel is not bound unto these lawes simply that is to every circumstance and particular of them for form manner time and place as for example not to the same kinds and formality of punishments set down in those lawes for those forms are accessions of the law and therfore out of the nature of persons times places and constitution of common-wealths mutable Yet he is bound to the substance equity of them so as not to derogate from the right of those lawes Of this distinction the Reader may find much said by Cartwright in his 2. Reply to Dr. Whitgift p. 98 99. Beza de Haereticis â Magistratu puniendis p. 154 155. Tremellius and Junius in their Preface before the five Books of Moses Thirdly these Lawes may be lookt upon as containing doctrine from God of punishment i. e. that those who seduce blaspheme God c. be restrained yea and by death in severall cases or else as in their latter according to the great rigor and severity expressed in them as in Deut. 13. c. by smiting the inhabitants of the City with the sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the cattle thereof with the edge of the sword and by gathering all the spoyle of it into the midst of the street thereof and burning with fire the City and all the spoyle of it every whit in not sparing them though they should have truly repented in enjoyning the sonne the wife of a mans bosome to bring forth the father husband and to stone them with stones Now though to the degrees and measures of punishment the severity and utmost rigor the Magistrate is not now tied yet to the thing in cases of Idolatry seduction false prophesying speaking lies in the name of the Lord he is bound and in some cases of grosse and high Idolatry and Blasphemy committed presumptuously to inflict capitall punishment of this distinction also let the Reader consult these Authors And of this question that the Iudiciall Lawes of Moses in the sense now given doe yet last and are in force besides the Resolution of many great Divines in the case Beza Calvin Cartwright Tremellius and Junius Bullinger Zinchius Peter Martyr Henricus Altingius and more especially Piscator who by eight Arguments proves the Question in controversie besides answering two and twenty Arguments brought against it I shall desire the Reader to observe these few Reasons 1. The Iudiciall Law differs from the Decalogue the Law of the ten Commandements in this that whereas the Decalogue comprehends in a few words all righteousnesse and equity in all kind of duties to God and man the Iudiciall explains only that part of righteousnesse and equity which stands in those things of which judgements
there is a Hell and eternall Death for all wicked impenâ—tent persons and a Heaven and eternall life for the Elect and true beleevers that for a Christian to worship and serve the Sun Moon and starres or foure-footed Beasts and creeping things is Apostasie and Idolatrie that to revile scoffe at and speak reproachfully of God is to blaspheme God that for a man to say God revealed to him the day of judgement should bee on such a day or such and such things should come to passe at such a time when the contrary is manifested to all be not to prophecy falsly and so I might instance in many more Unto which question if Master Goodwin answers affirmatively that Magistrates may in these and some other points of Religion infalliblity and certainly know the truth then the universall Toleration pleaded for by him in M. S. Some modest and humble Quaeries concerning a printed Paper entituled an ordinance for the preventing of the growing and spreading of Heresies c Hagiomastix Appendix 〈◊〉 Hagiomastix and other his Pamphlets falls to the ground and the Ordinance presented to the Honorable House of Commons for preventing Heresies and Blasphemies may take place and the Inflicters of heavy censures upon such who broach Doctrines contrary to these viz. that there is a God that he is perfectly holy â—ternal that hee is one in three persons c may infallibly know such Opinions are not the sacred Truths of God and the câ—eer reason of Hagiomastix in this 36. Section against the old Testament Law for putting false Prophets c to death now is of no force at all for in these Principles of religion named and divers others as the resurrection of the dead that Christ is God that Christ according to his humane nature was borne without sin c Christian Magistrates walke no more at midnight but at noon day then the Iewish Magistrates in cases of Blasphemie Apostasie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly c. are as certaine and sure as they who received Answers under the old Law in matters of Religion of Idolatrie Blasphemie supposing there had been any such from the Priests by the judgement of Vrim But now if Master Goodwin dare answer negatively that there is no infallible certaine knowledge in any point of Religion under the new Testament no man infallibly and certainly knowes that there is a God or that this God is holy perfect eternall that there is a Iesus Christ who died for our sins and rose againe from the dead that there is a resurrection of mens bodies and a day of judgement c t is all opinion and probabilitie the contrary may be the Sacred Truths of God and therefore there may be no punishing by death or other bodily punishment for holding any Doctrines or Opinions in Religion suppose contrary to admonition which for ought the said inflicters know except they make themselves infallible may be the sacred Truths of God I say and am ready to prove it against him that he overthrowes the Scriptures all Christian Religion all Faith yea all the comfort and salvation of Christians hee is a Sceptick an Antiscripturist a Newtrall in Religion and an Atheist Hee justifies the worst of the Papists in all they have written against the Scriptures calling it a nose of wax a dumb judge inkie Divinity c. for to hold nothing can bee known certainly and infallibly by the Scriptures is to make them a nose of wax an imperfect weak rule a doubtfull Oracle like that of Apollo's For if the Trumpet give an uncertaine Sound who shall prepare himselfe to the battell so likewise except the Spirit of God have by the holy pen-men uttered words that may bee understood how shall it be known what is written for this would make the Scriptures be as a speaking into the aire but as concerning that point of the Church under the new Testament knowing infallibly and certainly the Christian Religion and matters necessary to salvation both in faith and worship as the Church under the old by Vrim I shal speak fully to it in the seventh answer to this Reason only for a conclusion of this third Answer I adde I much wonder seeing under the new Testament according to Hagiomastix Doctrine no Magistrates nor Synods can be certaine in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion but the best Oracles Magistrates have to consult with are every way obnoxious unto error and mistake and that the wisest and most learned of them are not able cleerly or demonstratively to informe the Magistrate what blasphemy or what idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law though by the way I must check Master Goodwins confidence for I who am the least of all the Ministers of Christ and not to be named with the wisest and most learned of them am able cleerly and demonstratively out of Deut. 17. 2. 3. 4. 5. to informe the Magistrate and Master Goodwin too if he will bee informed what Idolatrie it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law viz for a Iew to goe serve and worship the Sun or Moon how Master Goodwin and divers Members of his Church come to be in many controverted points doubtfull cases about matters of Religion so confident and certaine as they make themselves certain that Presbyteriall Government is not Jure Divino certaine that Christian Magistrates may not exercise their coercive Power in any matters of Religion no not to the restraining of Blasphemie Idolatrie Heresie Scisme most certaine that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere faith in a proper sense is imputed to justification and not Christs Righteousnesse certaine that the way of the Congregation is the truth and so I might instance in divers other points To be confident as confidence it selfe can make a man to bee as sure as twice two makes four to have abundant satisfaction from God for what a man holds in pregnant strong cleer and rational demonstrations on the one hand and distinct clear and home Answers to all objections to the contrarie on the other hand that if light be light reason reason sense sence Scriptures Scriptures then such a Doctrine is truth that though the whole world should rise up as one man to oppose yet that should not shake nor unsettle a man in it is to attaine to a high measure of certaintie and infallibâ—litie Now whoever hath but read with due consideration Mr. Goodwins writings cannot but take notice in them of many high strains and professed solemne Declarations of his absolute certaintie and full demonstrative knowledge of many Points of Religion yea of some more doubtfull controverted as of Church-Governement and the way of the Congregation and yet I suppose hee hath no better Oracles to consult with then Christian Magistrates have There is no Priest with Vrim for him to enquire by unlesse the Sectaries have set him up as their Oracle to consult with in stead of the Scriptures and I think he will not
men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake Yea the wisest and most learned of them are not able cleerly or demonstratively to informe now what the Government of the Church was in the Apostles dayes what the duties of a Minister are to the People as how oft he must preach so that upon Hagiomastixs cleere reason in his 36. Section against the old Testament Law for Magistrates punishing Blasphemers Idolaters c whatsoever can be brought out of the old or new Testament in matters of dutie may be evaded and it may be said this or that was commanded or forbidden because then they had the high Preists Prophets and Apostles who were infallible and could determine all difficulties In a word if some dissimilitude that may be shown either under the old Testament or the new in the times or state of things there when those Commands and Rules were given from the times and state of things now may be a sufficient reason of the Rules and Commands themselves being now not in force then it will follow that all morall duties laid down both in the Law and the Gospel bind not us because the same dissimilitude or as great may be shown in whatsoever dutie upon any Ordinance of Christ or relation among men is propounded Upon this ground the Sacrament of Baptisme shall not be perpetuall not universall in the Church because of some differences between that time when Christ instituted it and the times now as Socinus thereupon held Baptisme an indifferent thing belonging only to the infancie of the Church in which out of a rude people and accustomed to ceremonies a Church was gathered to Christ So neither an outward calling and Ordination of Ministers shall be perpetuall because then there were Apostles and other extraordinary men who in ordaining them could conferr the gifts of the Holy Ghost and had the gift of discerning of spirits So all the commands given by Paul and Peter of servants obeying their Masters and being subject to their Masters with all feare may be evaded and they may say they concerne not us because the servants in those times were their slaves bought with their money at their dispose but wee are borne free as well as our Masters and then those servants in any commands doubtfull had Apostles or other infallible men to go to to be resolved which wee have not they being long since ceased and so I might goe over all examples and commands both in the old or new Testament Fifthly This cleere reason of Hagiomastix in his 36. Section and 130. page why Magistrates under the old Law might exercise coercive Power upon false Prophets Blasphemers c because in all difficult cases of Religion the Iewes to whom this Law was given had the opportunitie of enquiring by Vrim and Thummim of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe by the high Priest seems not to be any reason upon these grounds First that reason is never expressed in those commands or examples for putting to death false Prophets Blasphemers Idolaters c. but other reasons are alledged viz. from the nature of the sinnes drawing away from God the putting away of the evill and that others may feare and do no more so with other such like all reasons of a common nature to the times now as well as then Secondly before there was a high Priest and holy garments made for him particularly the brest plate of judgement the Vrim and Thummim Exod. 28. 15. 30. the Law was given for putting to death Idolaters Exod. 22. 20. and in Jobs time long before the high Priest and in a Land where the high Priest was not enquired by Idolatry was an iniquity worthy to be punished by the Iudges 3. Those who were Heathens strangers in the Land of Judea that beleeved not in the God of Israel nor understood not what the judgement of Vrim was and the sentence thereof yet the Iewish Magistrates would not suffer such whilst staid among them to blaspheme God to worship strange Gods or to offer their children to Molech as appears in Levit 20. 2. and in page 49. 50. of this Treatise Fourthly the Magistrates exercised their coercive Power in matters of Religion as freely after Vrim and Thummim were lost and that judgement ceased as they did before which cleerly showes the enquiring by Vrim under the old Law was not the cause of those Lawes concerning punishing Idolaters and false Prophets being in force It is the judgement of most of the learned writers both Robbins and others that the oraculous consultation with the Breast-plate continued no longer then to the captivitie of Babylon Vrim and Thummim being lost at the captivitie of Babylon and wanting at the Peoples returne as these Scriptures show Ezra 2 63. Nehem. 7. 65 neither do we find that ever God gave Answer by them any more divers learned men who write of the Iewish Church and State and of the first and second Temple of Hag gai 1. 8. Haggai 2. 9. The glory of this latter House shall be greater then of the former show the want of five things in the second Temple which had been in the first 1. The Aâ—ke with the mercy seat and Cherubims Secondly the fire from Heaven Thirdly the Majesty or divine presence Fourthly the holy Ghost Fifthly And the Vrim and Thummim of which the Reader may see fully in Ainsworths Annot. on Exod. 28. 30. Now that after the Captivitie of Babylon Princes and Magistrates used a coercive Power for offences against the first Table is plaine by those instances Ezra 10. 7 8. of making Proclamation that all who had taken strange wives of the People of the Land should come unto Jerusalem for the putting them away and such as were borne of them and that whosoever would not come within three dayes according to the Councell of the Princes and the Elders all his substance should be forfeited c Nehem. 9. 38. Nehem. 10. and 13. chapters Nehemiab and other Rulers entring into Covenant for Reformation in the matter of the Sabbath strange wives maintenance for the service of the House of God and Nehemiah commanding and contending to have matters reformed in the worship and house of God yea restraining and hindring the Prophanation of the Sabbaâ—h and smiting some for marrying wives of Ashdod of Ammon and of Moah Yea the want of a Priest standing up with Vrim and Thummim by whom the Magistrates might enquire was so far from hindring Magistrates in punishing about matters of Religion that the quite contrary is expressed both in Ezra and Nehemiah Ezra 2. 63. Nehem. 7. 65. some Priests being put from the Priesthood and forbidden by the Governor to eat of the most holy things till their stood up a Priest with Vrim and with Thummim that is for want of Vrim and Thummim by which God might be consulted with and his mind known herein Zerubbabel the Tirshatha is commonly said to be
of that knowne axiome A particulari ad universale non valet consequentia and therefore though that particular reason be ceased although I haue fully shown that never was any reason of those Laws under the old Testament for punishing of false Prophets but a meer device and a fancie t is no good consequence all the other reasons yea and the commands themselves should cease also Seventhly to that Hagiomastix saith that the punishments enjoyned by God then under the Law to be inflicted in his Church upon delinquents were more bodily and afflictive to the outward man then the punishments enjoyned under the Gospel and consequently were not only carnall or bodily but typicall also and prefignificative of those greater and more spirituall under the Gospel cutting off from his people then as of casting out from his people now cutting off under the Gospel being no where found to be used but in a metaphorical and allusive sense also to what Minus Celsus Senensis writes that that corporall punishment in Deut. 13. was a Type of eternall damnation and therefore that Law with all the rest given for the future signification of things by the comming of Christ ceased I answer as followes First I deny the punishments enjoyned by God under the Law to be inflicted in his Church upon delinquents to be bodily or afflictive at all to the outward man as by donfiscation of goods or by death but they were spirituall and inflicted upon the soules by suspension excommunication and such like spirituall censures as well as now under the Gospel T is true there were bodily outward punishments in the Civill Iudicatories inflicted then on the bodies of false Prophets Idolaters c but by the Magistrates the Civil Governors and not by the Priests the Ecclesiastical Governors in the Church of the Iewes For under the Law the Jewish Church and Common-wealth the Civil Government and Ecclesiastical the censures and punishments of Church and State were formally distinct as Master Gillespie hath fully and excellently proved in his Aarons rod blossoming in many places particularly 1. Book cap. 2. 3 4 5 and the Church of the Iewes proceeded then against false Prophets only with the sword of the Spirit and spirituall weapons and the State with the materiall Sword and bodily punishments Which truth is fully acknowledged also by Master Cotton however differing from Presbyterians about a National Church in his Answer to Master Williams Bloudy Tenet saying I should think mine eye not only obscured but the fight of it utterly put out if I should conceave as he doth that the National Church State of the Jewes did necessarily call for such weapons a speaking of a Sword of Iron or Steel to punish Hereticks more then the Congregetional State of particular Churches doth call for the same now in the dayes of the new Testament For was not the National Church of the Iewes as compleatly furnished with spirituall Armor to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divels as the particular Churches of the new Testament be Had they not power to convince false Prophets as Eliah did the Prophets of Baal Had they not power to seperate all evil doers from the fellowship of the Congregation what power have our particular Churches now which their National Church wanted or what efficacie is there found in the exercise of our power which was wanting to them It is therefore a Sophistical imagination of mans Braine to make a mans selfe or the world believe that the National Church State of the Iewes required a Civil Sword whereas the particular State of the Gospel needs no such helpe And was not the National Church of Israel as powerfully able by the same spirit to doe the same surely it was both spoken and meant of the National Church of the Jewes not by might nor by Power but my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 4. 6. So that by what I have already said Hagiomastix must either I suppose recall what he hath written of carnal bodily punishments enjoyned by God then to be inflicted in his Church upon delinquents or else must joyne with the Erastians in holding the Iewish Church and Common-wealth their Governement and Censures all one and the same Secondly The foundation upon which Hagiomastix rears this building of outward punishments under the old Testament being typical of spiritual under the new viz the Land of Canaan with the external happinesse and peace there being typical and therefore reasons a comparaâ—is and from the Analogie is sandie and unsound for the Land of Canaan with the external happinesse and long life in it whatsoever it was typical of was from what God had put into the Land being a Land healthful pleasant flowing with milke and honey abounding in excellent precious fruits the immediate blessings of God upon it and not from what came to it by the Magistrates Laws and their good Government for further satisfaction of which I wish Master Goodwin to resolve me this question whether the Land of Canaan were not typical as well in times of wars and troubles and under bad Princes as in dayes of peace and under good Princes and so to reason a comparatis to use his owne Phrase and adidem if temporall threatnings and bodily punishments inflicted upon delinquents under the old Testament were typicall and Praesignificative of greater under the Gospel they must be threatnings and bodily punishments inflicted from God upon false Prophets c not thoe executed by the Magistrates on them Thirdly Granting both Hagiomastixs foundation and the building reared upon it to be good yet they no whit prove bodily and outward punishments to be wholly taken away under the new Testament for suppose the temporal happinesse and the temporal punishments had typified more spiritual happinesse and lesse of the earth more spiritual judgements and lesse of outward or bodily sufferings under the Gospel yet it followes not they take away all outward happinesse and blessings and all outward bodily punishments there may be greater or lesser degrees of things under the old and new Testament suitable to some difference in the manner of Administration betweene the old and the new and yet not the substance of the things taken away These are knowne axioms Gradus non tollunt substantiam Magis Minus non variant speciem T is apparent by sense and experience that how much soever spirituall blessings and spiritual judgements in the dayes of the Gospel abound above the times under the Law yet they take not away all temporal outward blessings nor all temporal outward judgements but God for all that gives many outward blessings and sends many temporal judgements on the earth So supposing God should inflict more spiritual judgements on the soules of men under the new Testament and the Church greater spiritual censures then under the old it no way followes the Magistrates may inflict none at all especially when all spiritual judgements on the soule are slited and with a high hand
verses about false Prophets neither doe they give out signs or wonders to confirme their calling the parties instanced in the text being of daughters to Fathers Wifes to Husbands c were not likely so much as to pretend to them the name of Prophets speaking by inspiration of some deitie but rather drawing by their neernesse of relation intimatenesse of affection opportunities of private and constant converse which many phrases in those verses the wife of the bosome thy friend which is as thy owne soule entise thee secretly thou shalt not censent unto him neither shall thine eye pity and such like imply and yet these are commanded to be put to death as well as those Prophets who openly and bodily gave out signs and wonders to confirme their being Prophets of which the Reader may be further satisfied by reading Junius his Analytical explication on Deut. 13. And as Moses in that former part of the chapter showes plainly contrary to the affirmation of Hagiomastix and other Libertines that others who perswade men to the worship of a false god besides those who pretend themselves Prophets are to be killed so in the latter part of this chapter from v. 13. he layes downe how they are to be put to death also that are guilty of Apostasie that have suffered themselves to be drawn away from the true worship of God to other gods who are so far from comming under the notion of false Prophets endeavouring to perswade men to the worship of a false God and that by affirming they spake by the inspiration of some deitie as that they fal not under the Title of Seducers at all but the seduced and therefore Iunius writing upon this Deut. 13. analyzes the whole chap. concerning Apostasies into two First the Authors entising to Apostasie in the first 11. verses Secondly those who are guilty of Apostasie who suffer themselves to be withdrawn from the worship of God in the latter part of the chapter and he showes this is another part of the chap. in which Moses speaks not of those seducing false Prophets nor the clandestine Seducers but of those who yielded to their Seducements particularly of those who publickly to the view of all are Seduced and being in publick Order as a City rest in that Apostasie by the publick authoritie of men falling from God and openly defending that impietie So Deut. 17. from verse 2. to verse 8. sets downe a Law for putting to death those who are Idolaters and Apostates simply though they never went about to entice others Iunius upon this 17. c. observes that this Law differs from that in the 13 chapt the eleven first verses because there Moses speaks of Apostates who are Dogmatists and enticers to Apostasie but here of Idolaters simply In Deut. 17. from verse 8. to verse 13. there is a Law that in ecclesiastical cases in matters of Religion as well as Civil upon going from the lower Iudicatories to the supreme to the high Priest with the Colledge of Priests the man that would doe presumptuously and would not hearken unto the Priest even that man should die which was in other cases then Blasphemie Apostasie Prophecying falsly for it appears by the scope of that place and the stream of all interpreters that in too hard matters for inferior Courts they should goe to the High Ecclesiastical Synedrion and whoever presumptuously disobeyed their sentence according to the Law though in other things then the forenamed Blasphemie c as appears by this place verse 11. 12. speaking of the Law indefinitely with that 2 Chr. 19. 8 9 10 11. compared together mentioning what cause soever shal come to you of your brethren that dwell in their Cities between Law and commandement statutes and judgements should be put to death the ground of which putting to death here commanded was not only from the nature of these sins against the first Table of the highest forme as Apostasie Blasphemie and such like but for other sinnes in points of Religion though lesser when the sentence and resolution of the high Priest with his Colledges was presumptuously disobeyed so that the punishing of wilful scorneful contempt of supreme Ecclesiasticall Government determining doubts and Controversies according to the word of God though in other cases then Apostasie Blasphemie Prophecying falsly is here commanded But having spoken so much of this Deut. 17. already in p. 101. 102 103 104 105 135 159 160. I shal not enlarge further only I shal take my leave of this Scripture by adding a passage out of Master Cottons late Book against Mr. Williams in way of answer to an evasion of his that the capital punishment prescribed against the presumptuous rejection of the sentence of the highest Court in Israel was a figure of excommunication in the Church of Christ Unto which Master Cotton replyes That Law is of moral equity in all Nations and in all Ages Hee that shall presumptuously appeale from or rise up against the cheifest or highest Court in a free state is guilty laesae Majestatis publicae and therefore as a capital offender to be censured in any free common-wealth And certainly if that part of the Law in Deut. 17. of presumptuously appealing from or rising against the sentence of the cheifest and highest Court in a free State being punished with death be of universal and perpetual equitie then punishing so far at least as to restraine those who presumptuously rise up and contemn the sentence of the highest Ecclesiastical Iudicature in a Church going according to the word of God is of universall and perpetual equitie too and the command of God in that text for punishing is against the man that will not hearken unto the Priest as well as he that will not hearken unto the Judge Deut. 18. 20. sets downe a Law that the * Prophet which shal presume to speake a word in Gods name which he commanded him not to speak shal die as well as hee that shall speake in the name of other gods which place of Scripture proves expresly against Hagiomastix that other Prophets besides those that came in the name of false gods and with other false Doctrine then that let us goe after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them were to be put to death The command is indefinite concerning speaking any word in Gods name which he commanded not to speak which must needs extend further then a Prophet prophecying only of turning to another God for there were many false Doctrines and false worships against the Jewish Religion besides that of Apostasie to other gods Again the scope of the words and several phrases as if the thing follow not nor come to passe thou shalt not be afraid of him show t is meant of other Doctrine then saying let us goe after other gods namely of Doctrine foretelling of some things to come whereas enticing to goe and serve other gods is de praesenti Learned * Iunius writing
on this place showes that the Prophecies here spoken of are different from those in Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. they being of faith but these of facts and events which are not foretold particularly from the Canon of the Scripture but only from the speciall revelation of God Ainsworth in his Annotations upon the Place showes v. 22. the Prophet there speaking of things is meant of praedictions foretelling things to come as also he reckons up severall sorts of false Prophets others then the false Prophet spoken of Deut. 13. 1 5. The false Prophet is to be strangled to death although he Prophecie in the name of the Lord and neither addeth nor diminisheth whether he Prophecieth that which he hath not heard by propheticall vision or who so hath heard the words of his fellow Prophet and saith that his word was said unto him and he prophecieth thereby hee is a false Prophet and is to be strangled to death And t is evident by Jerem. 26. 8 9 11 12 15 16. in the Priests and Prophets proceeding against Jeremiah pretending him to be a false Prophet and therefore to be put to death for saying this house shall bee like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant Whereas Jeremiah still makes his defence The Lord sent me to prophecie against this house and against this City all the words that yee have heard that other false Prophets were to be put to death then those who taught men to worship other gods upon which law they would have put Jeremiah to death against whom they never so much as suggested that he caught revolt from the Lord and worshipping strange Gods Deut. 19. 16 17 18 19. gives a ground in case of private seducing to revolt upon proofe to punish with death or in case of perjurie testifying falsly upon oath against one for seducing a sinne against the first Table too to doe the like both which showes other persons for matters of Religion may be punished then the false Prophet spoken of in Deut. 13. 1â—5 viz. private Seducers to Apostasie and perjured persons of which place of Scripture let the Reader see what I have said before in this Tractate page 108. and further consult Junius in his Analytical explication of Deut. 19. where we shall find that both wayes the matter here spoken of is belonging to the first Table and Religion If the accusation be true t is enticing secretly to Apostasie if false t is matter of Religion because the oath of God is set to it especially in the cause of Apostasie and therefore the Priests in that an oath is a point of Religion are commanded to be present and to take cognizance of it And by the way least this place may be thought to favor the Priests enquiring by Vrim for the resolving of the controversie because t is said Then both the men between whom the controversie is shall stand before the Lord before the Priests and the Iudges I shall to what I have already answered to this place pag. 108. adde a passage out of Junius to show the contrary The parties between whom the controversie is are commanded in these words to stand befor Jehovah that is not before the Temple of the Lord but before Iudges given of the Lord before whom when men appeare they are said to stand before the Lord and whom consulting with they are said to consult the Lord Exod. 18. Dent. 1. The verse also next following showes it cannot be meant of the judgement of Vrim for the resolution of it depends upon the Iudges making diligent inquision verse 18. that is their questioning and searching into the parties and all circumstances whereas if it had been by Vrim it would have been attributed to the Priests rather then the Judges and it would have come from God without that diligent inquisition and exact enquiring of men as the words imply So Junius on the place saith But the knowledge and judgement of this thing properly belongs to the Judges and therefore to the Judges only the diligent enquiring and thorough searching out is principally commanded Lastly Zach. 13. 2 3. God by the Prophet showes that in the dayes of the Gospel prophecying falsly as distinct from Idolatrie for so t is made and also I wil cause the Prophets is to be punished bodily which text that t is both meant of the time under the Gospel and to be understood litterally of civil outward punishment by those in Power and Authoritie and not figuratively and spiritually that I may not anticipate my selfe nor create trouble to the Reader to read the same thing twice I shall by the grace of God prove in the 19. Thesis where I shall at large speak of that Scripture and take of Hagiomastix's evasions and whither I refer the Reader Now by Prophets there and those who prophecie and speak lies in the name of the Lord are not meant only Prophets whose doctrine is to go worship false gods but al sorts of false phets 1. Illiterate mechanick men who run but are not sent and that whether they preach true or false which that they are included the fift verse showes because when the false Prophets spoken of shall repent and be ashamed among the rest one is brought in saying I am no Prophet I am an Husbandman for man taught me to keep cattell from my youth 2. Prophets who take upon them in the name of the Lord as by revelation from God to foretell things to come such Prophets as are spoken of in Deut. 18. 20. Ezek. 13. 6 7. Jerem. 14. 14. 15. 3. Such who preach false Doctrines and Heresies wresting the Scriptures to maintaine them though they doe not formally teach another God and Christ neither pretend to speak by the inspiration of some deitie but only by perverting the Scriptures which is a speaking lyes in the name of the Lord Now that Heretieks and false Teachers are understood in this place of Scripture as well as Apostates besides the judgement of many learned and Orthodox Interpreters as Galvin Ariâ—s Montanus Gualther Fabritius Diodate Annotations of English Divines there are these Reasons 1. all such are meant who speak lyes in the name of the Lord and that is made formalis ratio why not live and to be thrust thorow for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord. Now false Doctrines and Heresies are speaking lyes cald lyes in many places of Scriptures 1 Tim. 4. 2. 2 Thes 2. 11. Revel 2. 2. and fables 2 Tim. 4. 4. and when men pretend God hath revealed them unto them by inspiration or urge the Scriptures to make them good this is to speake lyes in the name of the Lord hence Calvin upon this place gives this reason that t is cleere the Prophet Zacharie speaks altogether of false Teachers because of those words for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord. 2. The word in this text used viz. Nebüm and translated
to punish for Murther Adulterery Theft more then for Idolatrie Blasphemie Hereâ—ie 2. Hagiomastix brings in the Church again as well as the State surely he is for a Toleration of all Heresies Blasphemies c in the Church as well as the State to have no man punished for his religion with any censure of Admonition Excommunication or Non-Communion In his M. S. he was for spiritual censures but in these 3. yeers last past the man is well improved belike to reason against any Church censure as well as State Punishment And by the way I desire the Reader to observe whatever reason in the wisedome of God there might be that nothing is set down in the Gospels of Christs charging the State with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces c that cannot be the reason to show the unlawfulnes of Magistrates punishing Hereticks because Hagiom confesses the same of the Church that Christ charged not the Church nor the Officers with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces and yet I suppose Hagiomastix will not openly professe t is a good Argument that no Church censures may be used against any Heretick however I am sure many of his Compeers in handling the question distinguish of a Toleration and censures granting Ecclesiastical censures though denying Civil And I am sure if Christs never charging the church nor those that bore office in her with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces be no good argument to take away all Church censures neither is it to lay wast all Magistrates punishing in such cases 3. Christ did to the Scribes Pharisees Sadduces speak and reason against their errors yea reproved and threatned them for those errors which also is granted by Hagiomastix in doing of which he did equivalently and really presse upon them the suppressing and punishing of Heresies in persons under their power whilst he spake to men in Authoritie and denounced the judgements of God because of them He that preaches to a Prince against Idolatrie and showes the evils that will come upon a King and his Kingdome for it preaches to him to restraine Idolatrie though he doe not particularly in expresse words call upon him not to suffer any man to practice Idolatrie and therefore Christ speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees the Rulers and Elders that knew the Laws of God how Magistrates in Israel were to punish false Teachers in speaking so against false Prophets Hereticks and Sectaries as Sadduces c that was a charging them such a thing being spoken to such men to doe their duties against them which by the Law was more then if private persons and being spoken to qua such as Scribes c was a commanding them according to their places to proceed against them For t is a rule among Divines that in many things recorded in Scriptures which are delivered only in common and in general they are to be taken by every one according to their relations and places by the Magistrates according to their relation the Ministers according to theirs and the People according to their Sphere of which many instances may be given in the new Testament 4. Supposing it could be proved Christ never reproved the Jewish Church and State for suffering the Sadduces c yet it followes not Magistrates therefore should tolerate Hereticks and Sectaries and that both because Gods declaration of his mind in other parts of Scripture though not in the Gospel is a sufficient as also because there might be some particular reasons proper to the Iewish State as that Christ saw the Iewish State and Magistracie it selfe that then was to be leavened and corrupted with those errors and opinions to be either Sadduces Pharisees Scribes Herodians and such like so that to have spoken against Toleration and for punishing Sadduces c had been to have spoken to the State not to have suffered it selfe as if one should preach to the Parliament now not to tolerate but to punish themselves So was it for Christ to have urged those commands in Deut. 13. c and those examples of Iosiah Nehemiah c upon the Iewish State then 2. That in the times of Christs preaching the Civil Power of the Common-Wealth of the Jewes was much weakned if not wholly taken away from them by the Romans of which I have spoken something before page 30. and doe now adde that the Iewes had no power at all of capitall punishments then and therefore to what end should Christ charge them with those Lawes of putting false Prophets c to death for full prooâ—e of which I refer the Reader to Master Gillespies Aarons rod blossoming Book 1. chapt 3. page 29. 30 31 32 33 34 35. who learnedly proves that point both from Scripture and the Testimonies of many learned writers who have written of the Iewish Antiquities and Customes and Answers the contrary objections 3. Christ knew that Church and Common-wealth were to be certainly shortly dissolved the Christian Church to be set up and though he warned the People of those errors and wayes and denounced the judgements of God against them yet because he knew the purpose of God was to destroy the Iewish Common-wealth he might not speake for that and the other Reasons forenamed to the Magistrates as otherwise he would of which the Reader may read more in pag. 30. of this present Book And now for putting a Period to this 17. Thesis and to all the Answers given by me to those evasions brought against â—hose old Testament Lawes of Deut. 13. Deut. 17. and the rest I shall briefly adde 3 things First To cleare a little further some passages of Deut. 13. Secondly show the slightnesse and weaknesse of Hagiomast exceptions against those old Testament Laws Thirdly Show the excessive pride and folly of the man in boasting and glorying in such poor weak things as he brings against the Vindicator of the Ordinance for preventing the groth and spreading of Heresies in Sect. 34. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41. First As I shall adde two places more out of Moses Law before omitted in the beginning of the 17. Thesis to prove the Magistrates power of punishing in matters of the first Table viz Deut. 19. 16 17 18 19. and Numb 15. 30 31. the former in case of Apostaâ—ie the latter in case of blaspheming God so to all I have said of Deut. 13. I desire the Reader to observe that God having in the former chapter commanded the worshipping of the ture God and forbidden that of Idols which unquestionably is morall this 13. chap. is fitly added to it as an appendix in which God gives direction for removing the impediments opposite to his worship commanded particularly he commands the Authors of Apostasie not to be hearkned unto nor tolerated but to be punished with death and for that end that such who are obstinaâ—e and will not be amended nor regard their own salvation may be hindred at least from being an impediment to the salvation of
God for it p. 12 13 Magistrates and Judges before Moses time before the Judiciall Lawes or Levitical Priesthood did punish for matters of Religion and command men under their power to worship God p. 13 14 Other Kings besides those of Israel and Iudah used their Power for the worship of God against Idolaters Blasphemers c p. 14 15 16 That objection against the Kings of Israel and Iudahs power in matters of Religion that they were tipes of Christ and that Land typical answered at large in eight distinct Answers where divers things are opened concerning Types and of those Kings being Types and how actions may be Typical and yet morall from p. 16 to 27 Idolatry and Idolaters not the adaequate object of the Magistrates coercive power under the old Testament but the whole worship and truth of God from p. 27 to 34 The 17. of Deut. 18. 19. opened and proved to give Magistrates the care of Religion p. 34 35 36 37 Vnder the Father in the fourth commandement and under sanctifying the Sabbath the Magistrates dutie to see the publick worship of God observed by his subjects proved p. 34 40. 41 The Magistrates dutie qua Magistrate in matters of Religion proved and yet with a difference of the Christian and Heathen Magistrates power in such matters p. 42 43 44 The commands in the Old Testament for Magistrates punishing in matters of the first Table as Exod. 22. 13. Deut. 13. 1 2 5. Deut. 17. 1. 2 3 4 5. Levit. 24. 16. Deut 18 20. 22. with divers others laid down p. 44 45 46 Reasons laid down to prove these commands for punishing Idolaters false Prophets c. Morall of common reason and equity given to all Nations and for all Ages from p. 46. to 53. Of Judiciall lawes under the Old Testament being in force under the New how far and in what respects with the reasons thereof from p. 53. to 58. The Magistrates punishing of sinnes immediately against God as Blasphemy Apostasie c. is of the light of nature p. 58 59 60 61 72 73 The Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion as necessary under the Gospel for the glory of God salvation of mens soules peace of Church and State as under the Old yea more reasons for it under the Gospel then under the Law p. 62 63 64 The Magistrates punishing false Prophets c. is an act of our love to God and our Brethren p. 66 67 68 69 70 71 The reasons of those commands in 13. and 17. chap. of Deut. concerning putting to death false Prophets Apostates have been were and are stil the same of a like nature and force both before the commands given by Moses in Moses time and now under the Gospel p. 76 77 78 An Answer to that objection that if Moses laws bind now then Moses is alive under the new Testament p. 79 80 A full Answer to that objection If the Law in Deut. 13. be in force now t is in force in all the particulars for the manner of the punishment for a whole City not only al the Inhabitants but the cattell also c. in which answer many things are opened and cleared what 's morall in that Deut. 13. and what ceremoniall and that the law concerning the destroying of a city cattell c. is no part of the command spoken of in the first part of the 13. chap of Deut. p. 81 82 83 84 85 86 87. 173 174 175. 195 196 An answer to that obiection If Moses lawes bind under the New Testament then every person in an idolatrous State is bound to seek the death one of another yea the Magistrate bound to sentence to death all his subiects practising idolatry without exception p. 90 91 92 93 A full answer to that Evasion of Hagiomastix against the Old Testament lawes that the reason why the Magistrates did then punish false Prophets Blasphemers c. was because the Jewes to whom these laws were given in all difficult cases about matters of Religion had the opportunity of immediate consultation with God who did infallibly declare his mind to them in which answer many questions are discussed and cleared severall texts opened as whether God gave answers by Vrim and Thummim in difficulties arising about morall transgressionâ— against the first Table or rather whether those answers were not concerning the events of future things as about the successe of war c. as whether Infallibility or Fallibility be the proper grounds and reasons of punishing or not punishing in matters of faith and morall transgressions as whether there be not and how far and by what means an infallibility and certainty in matters of Religion now as well as under the Law as whether that Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. be any proof for God giving answers by Vrim and Thummim or only a ground in difficult cases to go from lower Courts to higher and the highest of all who by reason of their number and abilities were more able from the law of God to resolve difficult cases then the inferior Courts with divers other particulars usefull to be known in these times from p. 95 to 165 A full answer to that Evasion brought by Hagiomastix and other Patrons of Toleration that the punishments under the Law were more bodily and afflictive to the outward man then under the Gospel and consequently were typicall Cutting off of Casting out now and typicall of eternall damnation and therefore by the comming of Christ ceased p. 165 166 167 168 169 170 A full answer to that objection That supposing all those lawes in Deut. 13. c. were morall and in force yet they could not reach to Hereticks and false Teachers among us as not being those false Prophets Idolaters Blasphemers spoken of in those lawes from p. 171 to 190 An answer to that objection That the Sadduces Herodians Pharises were tolerated by the Jewes and that Christ did never charge that Church and State with sin for not punishing them p. 29 30 compared with 190 191 192 193 194 Severall Reasons laid down to prove that if there were no commands nor examples in the New Testament to prove the Magistrates power of punishing Hereticks false Teachers yet the proofs of the Old Testament were binding p. 199 to 211 Besides all the Old Testament proofs some places of Scripture speaking of the dayes under the New Testament brought for Magistrates power in Religion and punishing false Teachers p. 212 213 214 215 Seven grounds from places of Scripture recorded in the New Testament proving Magistrates coercive power against false Teachers annd Hereticks laid down and cleared p 215 216 217 218. Published by Authority A TREATISE against the Magistrates Toleration And Permission of a Promiscuous use and Profession of all Religions Sects and Heresies and a partiall limited Toleration of some few Sects or of any one Sect way of Worship Church Government different from the true Religion established and setled HAving in my Preface and Prolegomena both
reference to the souls of men and not in the hands of the Magistrate and why Parents Masters offend in not caring for their families in matters of Religion and the Magistrate not 9. THESIS The holy Patriarchs good Judges godly Kings and other pious Magistrates spoken of in Scripture did de facto make use of their power and authority over others to suppresse false Doctrine false Worship false Prophets Seducers and to bring those under them to the true feare and Worship of God they thought it their duty not only in their owne persons to keep to the Word of God and to serve him and to bring their children to it but to command all under their Government to the true worship of God forbidding and suppressing all other It would fill a Book to relate and open all the particulars concerning Religion in commanding the true destroying the false and punishing false Prophets Idolaters Apostates recorded in the Scriptures of Abraham Jacob Moses Joshua Gedeon Jehosaphat Asa Hezekiah Josiah Manasseh after his conversion Nehemiah with many others I shall set downe some particulars of some of them Abraham the Patriarch was a Magistrate a great Prince that had three hundred and eighteene servants armed trained men borne in his house he had not only the Covenant in his owne flesh but he made all that were borne in his house and all that were bought with his money to be circumcised Genes 17. he cast also out of his Familie Hagar the bond-woman and scoffing persecuting Ismael born after the flesh Genes 21. compared with Galath 4. 29 30. and Genes 18. God saith of him I know that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord upon which place Master Cheynel a learned Divine of the Assembly writes thus Abraham did not leave his children and servauts to their owne genius their owne Councels their owne lusts though 't is certaine that divers of them would have thancked him for such a Liberty for they had been nursed up in Superstition and Idolatry as Abraham was and might have pretended that they were not satisfied in point of Conscience but Abraham knew how to distinguish between Liberty of Conscience and liberty of lust and therefore would not allow them such a Liberty as would have enticed them into the worst kind of bondage * Pareus also God uses the word command that Parents and Superiours may understand that they are not overly and slightly but diligently and with authority to do their duty to bring their inferiours to the feare and obedience of God Jacob the Patriarch Genes 35. 2 3 4. said to his houshold and to all that were with him all under his power protection put away the strange Gods that are among you and be cleane and change your garments And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their Land and all their ear-rings which were in their eares and Jacob hid them under the Oake which was by Shechem Pareus upon the place showes that they that were with Jacob made distinct from his houshold were those Sichemits that were taken captive by the sonnes and servants of Jacob who had brought their Idols with them and observes that as 't is the office of a good Master of a family in his house so of a Magistrate in the Common-wealth to take away Idols and instruments of Idolatry and other lets of true conversion to God Jehosaphat Asa Hezekiah Josiah those excellent Princes made use of their power and the authority of their places in their Kingdomes and Territories to put down and suppresse false worships and wayes to punish false Prophets Idolatrous Priests and the people who went after them to establish the true faith and worship of God and to command and cause all their people by Lawes and their Authority to stand to their Reformations yea Manasseh who had been so wicked presently upon his conversion 2 Chron. 33. 15 16. rested not in his own repentance that he knew that the Lord was God but he took away the strange Gods all the Altars and cast them out of the City and repaired the Altar of the Lord and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel as before he had made them to erre by his place and power verse 9. so now he made them to serve the Lord God of Israel Asa that good King 2 Chron. 14. and 15. chap. by his kingly power took away all Idolatry and false worship and that not only out of the Land of Judah and Benjamin but out of the Cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim the strangers of Ephraim Manasseh and out of Simeon all under his power and jurisdiction though of the ten Tribeâ— and accounted strangers after the revoult yea hee destroyed the Idoll of his Queene Mother Secondly hee setled and renewed the true worship of God renewing the Altar of the Lord and entring into a Covenant to seek the Lord God Thirdly he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God and to do the Law and the commandment and to enter into a Covenant to bind themselves more to the right seeking of God Fourthly he punished those under his government who went contrary viz. they should be put to death who would not enter into this Covenant or having entred into it should fall from it and his Queen Mother he removed from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove that is he deprived his mother of all dignity and authority which she had by custome Jehosophat used his Authority when he came to be King to take away the high places and Groves out of Judah and from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim from South to North from one end of his Kingdome to another he brought his people unto God from whom they had fallen for the Kingdome of Judah from the dayes of Asa was extended to Mount Ephraim Hezekiah when he came to the Kingdome remoued the high places and Images cut down the Groves broke in pieces the brazen Serpent he and his Princes gave out a commandment and established a Decree for the keeping of the Passeover and for the turning of the people unto God and he restored the true worship of God and commanded the Priests and the people to do their duties in their severall places Josiah that godly Prince First he removed and destroyed the high places Groves carved Images molten Images the Altars of Baalim and all the Idols out of all the Land he took away the horses given to the Sun he defiled Topheth brake down the houses of the Sodomites and purged the Land of all the abominations Secondly he put down all the idolatrous Priests and all other Priests that had burnt Incense upon the high places and slew all the Priests of the high places upon the Altars Thirdly he restored the true worship of God made a Covenant with God to that end and commanded the people to keep the Passeover and
worship and false doctrine that denies God that is above is worthy to be punished by the Judges and this is further proved and illustrated that Idolatry is to be punished by Judges corporally by the 9 10 11. verses of this chapter where he speaks the same of adultery that 't is an iniquity to be punished by the Iudges so that the spirit of God here in Iob makes Adultery and Idolatry of the same cognizance and as Adultery is to be punished by the Civill Magistrate so Idolatry and all false wayes whereby men deny the God that is above are by this Scripture to be punished also And that it may further appear the Kings of Iudah and Israel did not qua Kings of Iudah and qua dwelling in such a Land as Kings over such a typicall people bearing visibly and executing typically the kingly office of Christ in his Church meddle in matters of Religion but as Kings in places of authority and power I shall show that other Kings not of the Tribe of Iudah ruling over other Kingdomes and Countries when by any of the great works of God done before them or upon any instinct of the Spirit of God upon them by any message from God by his Prophets and servants they came to be touched in heart and sensible of themselves they used their power in making Lawes and Edicts for the worship of God against Blasphemy and Idolatry and for punishing of those who were Idolaters and Blasphemers Thus Artaxerxes the King of Persia Ezra 7. makes a Decree that whosoever will not do the Law of God judgement shoule be executed speedily upon him whether it be unto death or unto banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment and Ezra blesseth God for it which showes it was well done of Artâ—xerxes Now whereas Master Goodwin would evade this by saying Ezra blesses God for Artaxerzes beautifying the house of God only not for the Decree of punishing those that would not do the Law of God I answer that 's a part indeed of that he blesses God for but not all as is evident by the 28. verse his blessing God having relation to that also as may appeare by that copulative and hath extended mercy unto me before the King and I was strengthned as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me now let the 23. verse that speaks of Artaxerxes Decree to Ezra to set Magistrates and Judges to judge all the people and thereupon who will not do the Law of God to have judgement executed upon them whether it be unto death c. be laid to the 28. verse wherein hee blesses God for his hand upon him to gather chief men out of Israel to goe up with him which was to make Magistrates and Judges and 't is evident the Decree for punishing is included besides if this Decree of Artaxerxâ—s had beene according to Master Goodwine the Bloudy Tenet and other Libertines opinion such a wicked and bloudy doctrine Ezra the Priest the Scribe of the Law of the God of heaâ—en had beene bound to have instructed Artaxerxes better and humbly entreated him to have reversed that part of the Decree in the 26. verse and certainly would never have built up Artaxerxes in such a great sin by blessing God for his Decree and by taking care to set up Magistrates and Iudges to execute it but would have dealt clearly with the King blessing God for the Decree of the building of the Temple and showing him his mistake in the other part about punishing and to put it past question Ezra 10. verse 7 8. relates this Decree of the King was accordingly put in execution by Ezra and the Princes and Elders Proclamations being made throughout Iudah and Ierusalem unto all the Children of the captivity that they should gather themselves together unto Ierusalem And that whosoever would not come within three dayes according to the Councel of the Princes and the Elders all his substance should be forfeited which was one of the penalties of Artaxerxes Decree viz. confiscation of goods Nebuchadnezar Dan. 3. 28 29 30. as soone as he knew God upon that great work of Gods power in delivering the three children out of the fiery furnace made a Decree that whosoever should speak any thing amisse against him should be cut in pieces and their houses made a dunghill Darius Dan. 6. 25 26. upon Gods great work in delivering Daniel out of the Lions den made a Decree that in every Dominion of his Kingdome men tremble and feare before the God of Daniel Lastly the King of Niniveh upon Ienabs preaching yet forty dayes and Niniveh shall be destroyed did not only in his owne person arise from his Throne and cover himselfe with sackcloth and sit in ashes but caused it to be proclaimed and published by his Decree that all his subjects should do the like cry mightily unto God and turne from their evill wayes and this turning of Niniveh upon the command and edict of the King is blessed by Gods repenting of the evill that he said he would do unto them and so Gods owne seale of approbation set to the King of Ninivebs Edict for commanding in matters of Religion Augusâ—ine in his 50. Epistle ad Bonifacium makes use of the examples of the King of Niniveh Darius and Nebuchadonezar to show how a King must serve God as a King by commanding good things and forbidding the contrary as the King of Niniveh served God by compelling the whole City to please God as Nebuchadnezar served him by recalling all in his Kingdome from blaspheming God by a severe Law 13. THESIS As for that which is commonly said by the Patrons of Tolâ—ration that what the Iudges Magistrates Kings of Israel and Iudah did in a coerâ—ive way in matters of Religion in Israel and Iudah they did it not by vertue of their office as ordinary Kings and Magistrates towards their subjects but as Kings in a peculiar and extraordinary notion as typicall Kings types of Christ the King of the Church executing typically his kingly office the people also and the very Land over which they ruled being typicall which no Kings not people under heaven at this day are and that therefore their practises cannot be drawn into example by any Christian Magistrates now I desire the Reader well to observe these following answers and the rather because the maine strength of the Sectaries discourse upon this subject hangs by this string and this thred runs all along throughout their works M. S. the Bloudy Tenet The Antient bounds or Liberty of Conscience stated The Storming of Antichrist with many others place all their confidence here and this is their Sheild and buckler making much use of this typicalnesse under the Old Testament to evade all the instances of Kings and Magistrates brought from thence First to make this good there are some things supposed or asserted for proof
and therefore in the present case the vindicating of and promoting of the glory of God the punishing of evill doers which Blasphemers Hereticks and Scismaticks are the commanding good being Morall-practicall things of perpetuall reason and equity bind all those in authority and government according to their places though they be no Types nor extraordinary persons Fifthly if this evasion of the kings of Israel and Iudah about Typicalnesse be good by the same reason it may hold against Magistrates punishing under the Gospel for matters of the second Table murther adultery c. for may not the Socinians and Anabaptists who deny Christian Magistrates may punish capitally for murther treason c. say the same thing against all the examples of Magistrates and kings under the old Law punishing with death for such offences that they were Types and that people and Land typicall which no Magistrate nor people are now and what ever can be said upon this ground against Princes meddling in matters of Religion may as well be said against their punishing in Civill matters and Anabaptists and Socinians may as well say those Kings were Types of Christ in respect of their power over the State as over the Church and if they should affirm it how would it be disproved And the Bloudy â—Teneâ— pag. 209. grants that in the Land of Israel all things their civils morals and naturals were carried on in Types as well as their Spirituals and Ecclesiasticals yea by this ground what ever shall be brought out of the Old Testament to show the duty of Magistrates or the qualifications of them as that they that rule over men must be just fearing God hating covetousnesse courageous c. it may be answered that was required of those who were typicall and their people typicall but it concerns not Magistrates now and yet higher by this evasion men may reason against all instances out of the Old Testament brought from Fathers Masters to bring up their children in the feare of God c. because the first-borne such Fathers and Masters of families were typicall and their children typicall which Fathers are not under the Gospel Sixthly if this answer of typicalnesse may hold all those Kings and Princes actions and practises in other things of Morall particular duties as prayer mourning for sinne giving God thanks for deliverances c. are taken away from binding now as well as their acts of power and authority and when Ministers bring these examples of David Iosiah Hezekiah c. in such things it may be said they were Types of Christ and did them as Types of something to come the Antinomian may upon this ground answer the example of Davids praying so often and constantly and of mourning for his sinnes by saying David was a Type of Christ Seventhly by this Answer all the Scriptures of the Old Testament Moses Psalms Prophets with whatever of any duty coÌ„manded or sin spoken against in any of these are at once made void for it may be said the Pen-men were Types and given to a typicall people written in a typicall Land It may be said of the whole Morall Law that as Moses in his person was a Type of Christ in many particulars so in delivering the Law he shadowed Christ the Mediatour Moses being a mediator betweene God and his people in giving the Law Galat. 3. 19. the Law was delivered in the hand of a Mediator that is Moses Acts 7. 38. and therefore not binding to Christians And so it may be pretended of all things written in the Psalms Prophets and the other Books that they were viz. the Oracles of God committed to the Jewes and the Circumcision Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 9. 4. which people and Nation of Israel were typicall of the true Israel the Israel of God Galat. 6. 16. So the Land of Canaan was typicall of rest from 〈◊〉 and of true rest and the heavenly inheritance Hebr. 4. 1 2 3 8 9 10 11. vers And indeed what was not typicall some way or other in the Jewish Church and State as the first-borne the Priests Kings Prophets the Land the people their worships with many more particulars so that if this Answer stand good all the Scriptures of the Old Testament are overthrown and all Hereticks whatsoever Socinians Antinomians Familists c. may evade any Scripture brought from thence as well as the pleaders for Toleration the examples of the Kings of Israel and Judah 8ly All the actions and practises done by persons and things typicall are so farre from nothing concerning them who live under the Gospel that the Scriptures of the New Testament tell us that many things under the Old Testament were made Figures and Typeâ— for the admonitions and example of those in like cases under the New and did teach to the uttermost as the 1 Cor. 10. from the sixth verse to the twelfth and that clause of promise in the fifth Commandement That thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee is meant of the Land of Canaan a typicall Land which yet did teach Christians under the New Testament that obedience to their Parents would bring a being well with them and living long upon the earth though they had not the Land of Canaan as Ephes 6. 1 2. 3. fully showes Saint Paul also tells us Rom. 15. 4. that whatsoever things were written 〈◊〉 were written for our learning and so those Magistrates and Princes of Israel and Judah how ever they might typifie Christs Kingdome they were such Types spoken of in 1 Cor. 10. viz. examples to Christian Magistrates to teach them to do so likewise as Fathers then were to teach Fathers now to instruct their children and therefore though such an order of men as Kings in Israel might be intended to typifie Christs Kingdom yet that no way hinders but what they did as Kings in ruling and ordering of their subjects they performed as the proper works of their places common to them with other Princes without any reference to their being Types or doing them as Types God in Scripture recording all along what they did as going upon common morall grounds and speaking nothing of them in their Reformations as in a figurative typicall notion And in the close of my Answer to this evasion of the instances of the Kings of Judah I shall hint to the Reader to consider some notes of distinction between actions meerly typicall and fulfilled in the Antitype done only to represent and shadow forth what Christ was to do and mixt actions morall and typicall too or at least the actions of one who by person or order is a Type and upon search it will be found that all the notes of actions morall not meerly typicall will be found in the practises of those Ks of Judah and Israel before named As first when their practises and wayes are not barely related but commended and praised by God wheras actions meerly typical are only related and set down as
other such ought to be restrained and if they commit Idolatry or other corruptions not so great or so grosse yet by way of proportion and equity such ought to be though in a lower kind and way And 't is evident by many instances that the Iewish Magistrates Kings and others as Iosiah Nehemiah c. did punish in a proportion though not with death those who violated the worship of God and the first Table though they were not guilty of Idolatry and Apostafie to worship other gods nor of worshipping the true God by Idols as by the golden Calves of Jeroboam And if that be good Divinity which M. S. the Father of that Evafion of Idolatry and Idolaters being the adaequate object of the coercive power of the Kings of Judah in matters of Religion hath pag. 89. of the same Book That God prohibiting all manner of violence oppression and hard measure among his people one towards another though such Lawes as those in the letter of them respected only Civil transfactions and dealings betweene men yet the equity and spirit of them extends to spirituals also men being every whit as liable to violence oppressionâ— and hard measure from men for their conscience sake as in any other respects or upon any other grounds whatsoever then from that command Deut. 13. 5 6 7 8 9. and from those examples of Asa Iosiah to inferre an equity of punishing other offences in the same kinde though not named in the letter must needs be better Divinity because every one cannot but conceive that the equity and spirit of a Law may upon better grounds extend to things in the same kinde and of the same nature from one spirituall thing to another from Idolatry to Wil-worship or Heresie then from civill things to religious which differ totâ— genere But setting aside M. S. Concession is there not all the equity and reason in the world from those commands forementioned though granting according to the letter of those Lawes no man should be put to death for any thing lesse then that kind of Idolatry with Apostasie worshipping false gods that those who worship the true God by graven Images by making likenesses of him and that corrupt the doctrine of Faith and Religion should also by the Magistrates bee punished as well by suppressing their Conventicles putting them out of places of power c. though not so much as the others Or is there any equity and proportion in this that God should command punishing with death the highest kinde the Magistrate can inflict for Idolatrie in worshipping strange gods and should forbid any punishment or restraint at all of Idolatry and corruption of his worship in the next degree to that According to degrees of faults to have degrees of punishments is of the light of nature and right reason but to have a higher degree of an offence to bee punished with death and all others not to bee punished at all is against the light of nature and all reason Le ts but look into the Scriptures for the violation of other commands of God as in the 6 7 and 8th Commandements and wee shall finde that where the higher degrees and violations had greater punishments the others went not scorfree For example when adultery was punished with death fornication was punished with fifty shekels of silver and witâ—â— paying of money according to the dowry of virgins Exod. 22. 16. 17. compared with Deut. 22. 22. 28 29. So when stealing of men was death stealing of oxen and sheep was restoring five and foure-fold Exod. 21. 16. Exod. 22. 1. Seventhly there is a great agreement between the false Prophets under the old Testament and the false teachers under the New between Idolatry under the old Testament and Heresies now many Heresies being grosse Idolatries as is evident by many Scriptures of the New Testament which lively parallels and resembles these to each other so that it cannot bee upon any good ground conceived that the first sort should bee punished with death and the latter not punished at all but I referre the fuller clearing of this to the 17. Thesis where upon occasion of opening that 13. of Deuteroâ—omiâ— I shall speak more 15. THESIS Besides the full concurrent testimony and judgement of the most learned Protestant Divines Calvin Philip Melancton Beza Peter Martyr Zanchius Bullinger Musculus Chemnitius Gerardus Bucanus Bilson Cartwright Professores Leydenses Voetius Triglandus that the care of Religion and Gods worship belongs to the Magistrate that God hath given him a power and authority objective and externall in Ecclesiasticall causes to look to Religion as to Civil Justice so as he is bound to see the true Religion and service of God set up and maintained in his Dominions being therupon generally by all Divines cal'd Custos Curator utriusque Tabulae God himself in the Scriptures showes at much annexing the care of Religion and keeping the Law the first Table as well as the second to the Magistrate Deut. 17. 18 19. God there appoints that the King over his people when he comes to the Throne of his kingdome should have a Copie of the Law written out of that which was before the Priests the Levites to be alwayes with him Now the Law there spoken of is meant the whole Law of God the first Table as well as the second that which concerned God as well as man because it was a Copie of that Originall which was kept in the Tabernacle for the Priests and Levites whose office was principally about matters of the first Table and then the end expressed in the 19. verse that the King might learne to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law showes as much that by the name of the Law must be understood the whole Systeme of the Divine Law so that by this place of Scripture 't is evident that not only the second Table of the Morall Law that contains justice and righteousnesse is committed to the Magistrate but the first also concerning the worship of God is given to his custody And as t is understood of the whole Law so the custody of the Law of God is not here a Custodia legum personalis privata meant only of a personall private keeping as the Pleaders for Toleration evade saying that the King in his person as well as others was to keep the Law but also and cheifly of a Custodia Officialis publica quod Rex curare debeat ut Lex Domini pure doceatur ut cultus instituatur a publike keeping out of office it being the Kings office to care that the Law of God should be purely taught and his worship set up and that it must be so understood consider these following Reasons First this King verse 15. was to be one from among themselves a Brother not a stranger who was to know the Law of God and to keep it personally as well before he was a King as after the Law of God being
found to make for the defence and preservation of the obedience of the Decalogue 3. If appear as usefull and necessary now for the glory of God the salvation of mens soules the peace safety of the Church and State as then Now all these do most clearly appear in punishments of sins immediately against God as Apostasie Idolatry Blasphemy c. For first these commands are of the light of nature thaâ— he who is in place and power should forbid and punish the speaking evill of God This sentence as Melancton writes is preacht to all men yea to all reasonable creatures every one in his place ought to forbid and hinder the manifest reproaches and dishonours of God And therefore Magistrates ought to forbid and punish Epicurean speeches worships of Idols profession of wicked doctrines Many Common-wealths among the Heathens have made Lawes against Epicures and Atheistâ— who have openly held there was no God or that there was no providence of God Peter Martyr in his Common Placeâ— that Heathen Princes used to care for Religion and have punished men even to death for the matters of Religion Thus Socrates was condemned at Athens for no other cause but for teaching of new gods I and for with drawing the youth from their old worship of the gods Zanchius on the fourth Commandement writes that by the Law of nature all Princes among the Heathen judged that the care of Religion belonged to them The Athenians judged so the Romans also and thereupon made Lawes and punished for violation of religion Beza gives three instances of punishments inflicted by heathen Magistrates upon three cheif Philosophers for matters of Religion Socrates Theodorus Protagoras the last of which was by the Athenians banished out of their Territories and his books burnt for writing contemptuously of the gods in these words De diis neque ut sint neque ut non sint habeo dicere Musculus in his Common Places speaking of Magistrates having the care of Religion saith the wise men among the Heathen acknowledged it and that the truth of this opinion was so manifest as that it could not lie hid from the Heathen it was jus gentium dictated by the light of nature and therefore ought to be much more acknowledged and embraced by us who in the knowledge of God go farre beyond not only the Gentiles but the Iewes Master Selden in divers places of that learned Book De Jure Naturali Gentium proves that those commands De Cultu Extraneo and De Maledictione Nominis sanctissimi seu Numinis were Jus Naturalis common to all men were indeed the cheif and first Heads of the Law of Nature and that in those precepts viz. for the negative part all the Gentiles who lived or but passed through the Land of Judea were punished by the Magistrate for Idolatry and blasphemy as well as the Iewes and that from Lawes common to the Iewes with the Gentiles though the kinds of the punishments viz. this or that as whether stoning c. were not of the same nature but more proper to the Iewes yea he showes it was an opinion held by some learned men that it was not lawfull for any Gentile to speak evill of and blaspheme his God which hee worshipped as the God of his Countrey and saith it was founded upon those words Levit. 24. 15. Whosoever curseth his god shall heare his sinne the blaspheming the name of the Lord being spoken of after in the 16. verse as if it were distinct from that in the 15. verse In which forme of speech divers learned men both Rabbins Fathers and others would have forbidden to all the sonnes of men not only speaking evill evill of the most holy and only God but also the speaking of those gods which they had chosen to themselves So as none of the Gentiles might blaspheme their false God which yet they had not renounced without the violation of that Law Whosoever curseth his god shall beare his sinne Master Burroughs in his Irenicum though he be for a Toleration in a great measure as in things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men and that with a liberty of declaration of difference of judgement and some different practise page 55. yea brings such Arguments for that Toleration that if they prove any thing they prove a generall Toleration yet confesses page 23. of that Book T is the dictate of nature that Magistrates should have some power in matters of Religion The generality of all people have ever thought it equall It hath ever been challenged of all Nations and Common-wealths The Heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed but punished such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods And Master Burroughs in page 19. of the same book affirmes that Principle That Magistrates have nothing to doe with matters of Religion is abhorring to nature Is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world that men suffer that God to be blasphemed whom they honour and that nothing should be done for the restraining any but to aske them why they doe so and perswade them to doe otherwise There hath ever been as great a contestation amongst people about Religion as about any thing Exod. 8. 25 26. Pharaoh hade Moses sacrifice in the Land But Moses said it is not meete so to doe for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians Lo shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone us Though they had leave of the King yet the people would not endure it By which place of Scripture 't is evident that the Egyptians who were heathens by the light of nature would not endure the dishonour of their gods to see those creatures they worshipped for gods to be killed as Oxen and Sheep the principall sacrifices of the Hebrewes but they would kill the Israelites for so doing And lastly Master Prynne in that late Book of his The sword of Christian Magistrates supported doth largely and excellently show that by the light of nature in all ages Heathen Magistrates have made Lawes against and punished such whom they esteemed Atheists Hereticks Blasphemers of their Gods or oppugners of their established Religion and that with no lesse then Capitall punishments unto which Book from page 14. to 19. I referre the Reader where he shall finde many examples of Heathen Kings and Nations recited and shall conclude this with that saying of Seneca De Benefic lib. 3. cap. 6. Violatarum Religionum aliubi atque aliubi diversa pâ—na est Sed vbique Aliqua as well as of homicide paricide poysoning Secondly the Magistrates sword in matters of Religion in punishing Blasphemies Idolatries Heresies hath been found by good experience in all ages to make greatly for the defence and preservation of the first Table to stirre men
false Teachers go on the more desperately corrupting and destroying all but of these Reasons I intend to speak more in the next Thesis Seventhly supposing all these commands simply Judiciall given to the Jewes only which yet I have proved not to be so there are other commands and examples recorded in the Old Testament distinct from the Judiciall which cannor be counted Judiciall but are Morall and perpetuall as the fourth Commandement one of the ten Commandements given to the Magistrate that by his authority true Religion be preserved take place and all false Religion suppressed the proof of which is laid downe in the 15. Thesis as that command Psal 2. 10 11. given to Kings and Judges which cannot be Judiciall nor Ceremoniall for severall reasons neither have the Patrons of Toleration ever said so of it of which place I shall speak fully in the 19. Thesis as those examples of Abraham and Jacob not suffering those under their power command to commit Idolatry which were long before those commands in the 13. 17. chap. of Dut. said to be judiciall and that these examples were not judiciall besides what the Reader shall finde in the ninth and 12. Theses Musculus in his Common Places De Abrogatione Mosaicae Legis even in that Common Place where his Authority is most urged by the Patrons of Toleration for the abrogation of all Mosaicall Lawes affirms that as a Christian is not under the Mastership of Moses so likewise Abraham was not under the Pedagogie of Moses And so much for the first particular that the commands for punishing Idolaters Blasphemers false Prophets c. were of common reason and equity given for the times of the Gospel Secondly as to the grounds brought by the Patrons of Toleration Minus Celsus Senensis Hagiomastix c. that these commands doeâ— not binde now because they were Moses Lawes Iewish and abrogated by Christ that we may by these commands as well prove the man Moses is now alive because hee was alive under the Old Testament that if the commands be in force for inflicting of death they be in force in all other particulars commanded by the same Authority with this as that the offenders must be put to death with stones onely as that the whole City must be put to death as the cattle must be slain as well as the inhabitants as that the City must be a heap for ever and never built again that there 's clear particular reasons why the Old Testament Law for putting false Prophets Blasphemerâ— and Seducers to Idolatry to death should not now be in force because the Iewes to whom this Law was given in all difficult cases about matters of Religion had the opportunity of immediate consultation with God himself who could did from time to time infallibly declare what his own mind and pleasure was in them because that corporall punishment was a Type and pre significative of spiritual punishments cutting off then of casting out now as also of eternal damnation to these with divers such like I give these following answers which I desire the Reader to observe First besides the Reasons already given that Mosâ— Lawes in the sense expressed for the punishment of Apostates Blasphemers c. are not abrogated by Christ le ts conâ—ider that Christ by his coming hath not abolished that Law which containes the love of God his glory and honour and the love of our neighbour and therefore neither those things which do necessarily belong unto and make for the love of God and our neighbour nor secondly those Lawes in the Old Testament which the New Testament for the times of it approves of not lastly those commands which are of the light of nature and the Law of nature dictates all which because they are so cleare and generally confessed I shall forbear adding the proofs and refer the Reader for further satisfaction to Zanchius De Magistraâ—â— Quest secunda An Magistratui Christianâ— liceat capitales 〈◊〉 de haereticis sumere page 170. Bullingers Histor advers Anabaptist liv 5. cap. 5. pag. 176. Musculus Common Places de Magistratibus pag. 627. Mr. Burrough Irenicum page 23. But now the Magistrates restraining and punishing false Prophets Apostateâ— Blasphemers c. is an act of the love of God and his glory of love to their brethrens soules of safety and good to Common-wealths is very usefull and necessary for vindicating the glory of God and good of the Church the glory of God and the salvation of our neighbour being by that meanes preserved is â—â—proved of also in the New Testament for the times of the Gospel and is the dictate of nature For the proof of this Assumption I shall make it evident in all the three parts of it For the first that t is an act of the love of God and his glory and of love to our neighbour besides the assertion of many great Divines as Zanchius Calvin Beza Bullinger Aâ—esâ—uâ— c. 't is apparent thus Because in the commands given by God Deuâ— 13. Deut. 17. for the Magistrates punishing false Prophets Idolaters and those who would not hearken unto the Preist the reasons of his so doing and the ends of those punishments imply as much and have reference all along to the honour of God the vindicating his name and keeping others from doing the like as these phrases show That Prophet or that dreamer of dreames shall be put to death because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded theâ— to walke in And thou shalt stone him with stones that he diâ— because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God And all Israel shall heare and feare and shall do nâ— more any such wickednesse as this is among you If there be found among you man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other gods then shall thou bring that man or that woman which have commâ—tted that wicked thing unto thy gateâ— and shalt stone them with stones till they die So thou shalt put away the evill from among you And the man that will dâ—e presumptuously and will not hearken unto the Preist c. even that man shall die and thou shalt put away evill from Israel And all the people shall heare and feare and do no more presumptuously which passages fully hold out the Magistrates punishing Blasphemers Idolaters c. to be an act of love to God and the people yea of zeale to his glory and the salvation of the people that sentence so thou shalt put the evill away from among you saith Peter Martyr is in the Law of Moses the fountain of all punishments of wickednesses against the second Table as of transgressions against the first And therefore if the Magistrates punishing of Murther Theft Adultry c. for
before Moses from this command of God used this sword And this law therefore God inserted in the Israelitical laws which is not now taken away by Christs coming as a mosaicall coaction because Christ abrogated not the policie and law of nature Musculuâ— in his common places De Magistratibus shewing the Magistrates coercive power in matters of religion to be so manifest a truth as that the heathen could nor be ignoraÌ„t of it concluds t is to be much more acknowledged by Christians neither is it that any man should say it s not for us Christians to harken in points of religion what the light of our nature dictates unto us but what the Scripture speaks to us of which are given for that end that we may be instructed to every good work For although in those things which concerne the mysteries of our Faith the Law of nature is not to bee consulted with but rather the Scriptures yet also-those things ought not to be contemned which by God are written in our â—earts by nature as is that law of nature whose direction both the Prophets Christ and his Apostles commend to us Is not that power which fathers have over their children of the law of nature which the Scripture also confirms And who wiâ—l deny that it specially belongs to Parents to bring up their children in true religion and the feare of God In Abraham this was praised Gen. 18. Now if wee consider the Magistrate what is hee otherwise to be accounted of then the supreme Father of all his subjects whose power is much greater then of a Father over children and therefore it belongs more to him then to a Father that be should take upon him the care of Religion and among â—is subjects set it up As for Musculus Authority which is so much urged by Minus Celsus Senenfis Sect tertia page 183. that all the judiciall lawes are by the Gospell wholly antiquated and therefore those of Deut. 13. Deut. 17. c. concerning the killing of false Prophetâ— Blasphemers I answer t is evident that is not Musculus meaning that under the Gospell Magistrates may not make lawes or punish for points of Religion for in many of his writings he pleads for this coercive power as in the second Psal verse 11. Serve the Lord with feare Let them note this place who deny kingly and saecular power that the Magistrate bâ—th to doe in the cause of religion The spirit of God admonishes Kings and Judges of the earth to serve the Lord. But hee understands it of that service which is due to the Sonne of God Let them answer here in what thing Princes ought to serve Christ if in religion there be nothing at all which ought to be done by them When therefore Princes by their power doe care that the Doctrine of Gods word be kept in the Church Idolatry and false worships taken away Ministers conveniently provided for and adversaries suppressed forbidding also that the name of God be blasphemed and â—aring that those who live godly may be safe but the wicked and turbulent may be punished do they not serve Christ then So in his commentaries on the fifth of the Gal. 12. verse he is for cutting off false Teachers by the Christian Magistrate which Mr. Goodwiâ—â— page 74. of his Hâ—giomastix confesses of him So in his Common Places De Magistratibus and De Haeresi hee pleads for at large the coercive power of the Magistrates in matters of Religion and particularly of restraining and imprisoning Hereticks yea in case they be blasphemous against God of cutting them off by death For saith hee the law of God doth not suffer a Blasphemer to live By which testimonies of Musoulus and divers others that might be taken out of his writings t is apparent whatever his meaning was of the Abrogation of the whole judiciall law it could not bee that all the commands concerning the Magistrates coercive power against Hereticks false Prophets Blasphemers were by the comming of Christ wholly taken away For whereas Musoulus his expresse judgement is though against the Magistrates cutting off by death a simple Heretick for putting to death blasphemous Hereticks his proof is the law of God doth not suffer a blasphemer to live which law was given by Moses as well as those in the 13. and 17. chapter of Deut. and I find no law spoken of or example recorded in the new Testament for putting Blasphemers to death but what hath immediate reference to that law in Lâ—vit 24. 16. or was founded on the law of nature common to all Nations Now for that abrogation of the mosaicall law in Musâ—ulus common places de legibus spoken of by Minus Celsus Senensis t is not of the abrogation of the judiciall law only but of the morall also which is equally pleaded by Musculus in that chapter and yet t is well known that Musculus was no Antinomian So that however he differed in the way of his expressions from other great Divines about the manner how the morall law in the ten commandements binds us Christians viz. not as delivered by Moses legally to the Israelites but as agreeing with the law of nature justice and equity commanding good just and holy things so far tying all men to observance Musculus explains his own meaning that the observation of the Decalogue did not belong simply to the Israelites alone but secundum quid in some respects as given by Moses upon Mount Sinai and as it contained the Tables of a Covenant made by God with Israel So farre it binds not Heathens nor Christiens but only Israelites But the things containeâ— in the Decalogue the matter of it concernes all The Decalogue so farr as to be under Moses and his Paedagogie doth not binde Christians but as it contains things agreeable or contrary to righteousnesse and the law of Christ t is in force to and therfore coÌ„mands the one and forbids the other Musculus saith he is so farre from condemning the use of the ten Commandements in the Church of God that he greatly praises their study and diligence who first brought that in for a part of the Catechisme of the Church So that notwithstanding any thing Musculus hath of the abrogation of the mosaical law Moses Laws for punishing Idolaters false Prophets Blasphemers are in force now for the generall equity and reason of them as containing matter agreeable to the rules of reason and justice as well as the Decalogue and indeed confidering what Musculus in his Tractate de legibus writes of the judiciall lawes that they are Appendixes of the morall commands inserted here and there in Moses writings and added for exposition of the Decalogue as also what he saith De Magistratibus that the Magistrates power in matters of Religion is of the light of nature nature dictates it and that the law is still in force against Blasphemers then wee cannot understand the abrogation of these lawes of Moses of punishing
Evangelists and Apostles are now alive by this arguments because they were alive some of them thousands and others of them many hundred yeares agoe Thirdly besides this false consequence t is evident upon many grounds that Doctrines are alive doe bind when the Publishers and writers of them are dead yea they are written for that end that they may teach and bee a rule when the men who writ them are dead that being dead by these they may yet speak as the Apostle â—om 15. 4. tells us yea many things are spoken and written to be a rule of direction to the Church intended to take place rather after their death then in their life time as the Prophecies of the Prophets and some Prophecies also of the Apostles so that it may be said as Zâ—ch chapter 1. verse 6. Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever But my words and my Statuâ—â— which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they noâ— take hold of your Fathers though Pen-men and writers of Scripture die yet their words and Doctrine take hold and place when they are dead Fourthly by this reason of holding Moses is now alive if the law of God in the old Testament binds it will follow that all Moses Doctrine the ten commandements and all he writ in the Pentatench Genesis c. are void as well as these commands about punishing false Prophets c. for they were made known and written by Moses when hee was alive and to bee found in his Books together with these lawes termed judiciall So that the Antinomian may as well say the same against the morall law under the Gospell when the ten Commandements are pressed and the Socinian and Anabaptist against those commands to put to death murtherers which now Master John Goodwin doth against these lawes in Deut. 13. c. that men may as well prove the man Moses is now alive by these commands because he was alive under the old Testament as bring those places of Scripture written by Moses to prove the morall law in force and those commands who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud bee shed Fifthly whatever Hagiomastix by way of scoffe hath spoken thus of proving as well Moses may be now alive t is evident besides the new Testaments Confirmation in many places of the Evangelists and Epistles of the old Testament being in force in the dayes of the Gospell of which I shall speak in the 18. THESIS and so will pare the Reader here it by name particularly ratifies the Doctrine and Authority of Moses writings and proves and urges severall things upon men under the Gospell from texts taken out of the five Books of Moses as these places in the new Testament unanswerably show Matth. 23. 2 3. Matth. 28 29 31 32. Mark 12. 26. Luke 16. 29 30 31. Luke 24. 27. John 1. 45. Acts 3. 22. Act. 26. 22. Acts 28. 23. Rom. 9. 7 9 15 16 17. Rom. 10. 6 8. Rom. 13. 8. 9. Ephes 6. 2. 3. yea severall particulars of the judiciall lawes are brought to prove duties required in the new Testament as page 56 57 60. of this Book showes and lastly Moses Authority and writings are of such sacred account under the new Testament that in the Pâ—â—lation the Book that concludes and shuts up the Canon of the new Testament the Book that speaks of things that shall be in the Church of the new Testament till the end of the world Moses his name and writing are joyned with the Lamb and that to be made use of by the most eminent and faithfull servants of God that have gotten the victory ever the beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name these standing on the sea of glasse having the harp of God sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty c. So that all these things being laid together I suppose by this time every ingenuous Reader must needs see that by this Answer to Deut. 13. c. Hagiomastix intended rather to spread a table of mirth for himselfe and his Church to feast on then to give any satisfaction to the Reverend Author of the Vindication of the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance for the preventing of Heresies c. and the rest of the Presbyterians Fourthly as to that answer of Hagiomastix p. 48. 49. they that will have the ancient law for putting Blasphemers Idolaters to death to be now in force must consequently hold t is in force not simply only as to the inflicting of death upon the offenders but in all other particulars commanded by the same Authority as not be killed after any maÌ„ner nor with any kind of death but with stones not only the seducer but the seduced themselves though whole cites not only the inhabitants but the cattel also with divers other particulars named in that of Deut. 13. For if men will urge this law as being still in force they make themselves debters to urge the execution of the whole in all the particularities and circumstances thereunto belonging For who hath any power to make an Election or Reprobation amongst the Commandements of God where God himself hath made none I reply it followes not t is no good consequence that all circumstances accessories particularities must bind because the substance of a command binds or that the substance and summe of a command must be taken away because some circumstances formes and particularities are not in force To argue a thing it selfe abolished because the modus of it binds not alwayes or that the substance and essentials must cease because divers accessories circumstantials and formes wherewith it was clothed most suitable to such a time Countrey condition of such a people are ceased is a fallacie a dicto secâ—ndum quid ad dictum simpliciter which all Logitians know is no good reasoning If I or any other Presbyterian had argued thus such a mans bond binds not now or this is not such a man hee is dead because his apparell haire place of abode with some other such accessories are changed antiquite altered we should certainly have spread a table of mirth for the Independents and therfore I judge for Hagiomastix thus to reason shows no great strength and I doe desire Mr. John Goodwin but to rub up his old Logick of the nature and difference of Substance and Accidents and then I know he will confesse though for him to confesse any thing as manifest as the light wherein he is mistaken in writing is as rare as a black Swan that Accidents may be varied and taken away salva substantia And that I may show the weaknes of this reasoning that this 13. of Deut. is therfore not in force because then the manner of punishing with stones and the person tempted to Idolatry though never so deare stoning him with divers other
substance there may well be a great change of accessories accidentals formes and manner of proceeding which neverthelesse give no ground for the taking away things and commands themselves but only clearly show there may bee a cessation of all such forms accessories manner of proceeding which were peculiar to that time and people And if wee do but observe and consider the composition of most of the mosaicall lawes how they are mixt of morall judiciall and ceremoniall how lawes judiciall have something morall and something ceremoniall in them and ceremonials have something judiciall and morall in them and how that those things which in their nature are moral and perpetuall have yet somewhat judiciall and ceremoniall annexed to them of all which we may be further satisfied in Zepperus his explanation of the mosaicall lawes we may easily conceive how in these mosaicall lawes a command the thing it selfe may be binding for the substance and yet severall particulars accompanying as being properly judiciall and ceremoniall may cease among which now the form and kinds of punishments the extent with rigor and severity of punishing to the cattell the making the city a heap for ever c may be reckoned And that these are but accessories and appendixes of these lawes for punishing Idolaters false Prophets which therefore may not bind though the commands for the substance be still in force may appeare thus because inflicting death simply upon Apostates false Prophets c is commanded without any of these accessories of destroying the cattel and making the city an heap c as these places Exod. 23. 20. Deut. 17. 2 5 6. and Deut. 18. 20. snow which is worthy to be taken notice of besides in the commands to punish those who offer up their children to Molech and that Blaspheme God Levit. 20. 2. Leuit. 24. 16. the inflicting of death upon them is required but none of those particulars mentioned Deut. 13 15 16 17. In the new Testament also though the punishing by death according to Moses law of Apostates be approved of as in page 52 53. of this Book I have showen and severall judiciall Lawes for the substance ratified page 56 57. yet the formalities accessories with all particularities of such Lawes never are spoken of and lastly though severe punishment by the Magistrate the substance of that command in Deut. 13. be both before Moses Lawes as in Jobs time and after Moses times by Artaxerxes Nebuchadnezzar Darius in cases of Apostasie Idolatry Blasphemie approved of yet there is not a word spoken of destroying Cattell the whole Cities c. And to stop Hagiomast mouth for ever I wish him to consider this that by vertue of commands under the old Testament Apostates false Prophets Idolaters may be now put to death and yet the Magistrates under the Gospel not bound to destroy whole Cities cattell nor fulfill the rest of his inferences For it will appeare by many instances in the old Testament even in that time of Administration of the Covenant wherein the 13. of Deut. was written that the Magistrates held not themselves bound to à ll those particulars of destroying all the inhabitants cattell c. though they inflicted punishments yea death upon some Idolaters and Apostates as these instances fully show viz. in Moses Exod. 32. commanding in the worship of the Golden Calfe three thousand to be slaine not all the people nor the cattell Numb 25. 2 3 4 5. commanding for the bowing downe to the gods of Moab the heads of the people to be hanged up not all the people neither the cattell to be killed in Eliah killing the Prophets of Baal only 1 Kings c. 18. not the people in Asa entring into Covenant that whosoever would not serve the Lord the God of Israel should be put to death and in deposing Machah his Mother for making an Idoll in a Grove 2 Chron. c. 15. but not entring into Covenant to destroy all the Cattell and the Cities where such persons lived in Josiah sacrificing all the Priest of the high places in Samaria that were there upon the Altars 2 Kings chapt 23. but not sacrificing the people nor the cattell and so in others which might be given And therfore if Magistrates under the old Testament though all thought it their duty to punish◠Idolaters and Apostates were not tied to all the particulars in Deut. 13. then certainly the Magistrates under the new are lesse tied to those accessories and formalities of that Law by all which t is apparent those things laid down in Deut. 13. 15 16 17. are only accessories accidentals of that cōmand of punishing with death those that goe after other Gods and not of the nature and essence of it yea holding only in some particular cases time but not generall to the Iewes themselves which in what cases and how I shall forbearespeaking of now for feare of inlarging this part beyond its proportion intended And for a conclusion of this the consideration of this mixture and composition of the Lawes of God under the old Testament is exceeding usefull for this purpose viz. that thereby wee may judge more easily of the mutabilitie or immutabilitie of them whether they be temporary or perpetuall and so whether they bind all men or only some In commands alledged out of the old Testament this is to bee carefully lookt into whether they be meerly and purely morall or ceremoniall or judiciall or whether mixt and compounded and how of what lawes mixt If the command bee pure and simple the thing is evident where morall is binds where ceremoniall or judiciall it binds not But if it bee mixt of judiciall ceremoniall and morall or of ceremoniall and morall the morall remains and is in force by all which wee may see the weaknes of Hagiomastixs inference that if that command in Deut. 13. does at all bind Christians it must binde in every particular there spoken of for what 's morall in Deut. 13. abides and yet what 's properly judiciall and ceremoniall is taken away look as that were no good argument against the fifth commandement being in force under the new Testament because then what was judiciall and ceremoniall in it as containing the promise of the Land of Canaan and a blessing in it c. must remaine under the Gospel so neither is this of Hagiomast For as a command morall may have somewhat judiciall mixed with it so may a command judiciall have much of morall in it but now what judiciall lawes and how mixed are temporary and changeable and upon what rules and grounds and what judiciall lawes are immutable and perpetuall and how to bee known I referre the Reader for satisfaction to Zepperus explanation of the Mosaicall Lawes 1. Book chapt 7 8 9 12. And as for those commands in question of Magistrates punishing in cases of Apostasie Idolatry Blasphemie they are upon all occasions reckoned by learned Divines among the immutable and perpetuall as by Zanchius De Magistratu Quaest Secunda
p. 170 171. Beza De Haeretiâ—is a Magistratuâ— puniendiâ— p. 152. 154 155. and by Zepperus in his explanation of the mosaicall judiciall laws first Book c. 10. page 72. and 4. Book chapt 2. p. 243. where hee makes the lawes against the false Prophet teaching publikely the private Seducer the publike defection of the whole City c to bee appendixes of the first command and of common right and particularly in the third chapter of that fourth Book proves by severall Reasons the punishing of false Teachers Hereticks Blasphemers ought to bee perpetuall which learned Authors notwithstanding grant the kinds of punishments the particular forms of those lawes and as they were given of Moses to bee constitutive of the Jewes pollicy to be changeable and not binding The kinds of punishments are taken away Christ would not have the Gentile Magistrate to be bound to those lawes for the kind of punishments which were given to the Jewish Magistrates but notwithstanding punishments in generall are not taken away but commanded In the constituting the kind of punishment there seems a peculiar reason to have been had of that Nation There were certaine peculiar things in those lawes that doe not now belong to us which particulars being taken away there are two things by vertue of those lawes remaine First that defection from the true Religion and seducing to tha defection should be punished by the Magistrate noâ— Secondly that Capitall punishment should be inflicted according to the greatnes of the Blasphemy and wickednesse upon factious and seditions Apostates For of such account ought the Majesty of God to be among all men in all ages of the world that whosoever shall despise and mock at that be who speakes evill of the Author of life is most worthy to have his life taken away So Zanchius De Magistratu Quaest secunda page 170. 171 172 and Beza De Haereticis a Magistratâ— pâ—niendis page 154 155. speake and therfore according to that three-fold distinction laid down page 53 54 55. of this Treatise this law in Deut. 13. may be in force 1. according to the substance and equity of it according as there is a common right in it common to other Nations with the Jewâ— and secondly as it contains a Doctrine made known by God for punishing such offences though wee Christians are not tied to the particular formes of that command according to the Mosaicall law or politie nor as it was given by Moses to one people nor to the utmost vigor and severity of it expressed in every particular which being in force under the Gospel but in this sense thus far fully makes good that which t is brought for the Magistrates coercive power under the new Testament to punish false Prophets Apostates c neither does the abating somewhat of the rigor of the Law sutable to the Mosaical Paedagogie or the relesiang of the particular forms of that Law the kind and manner of punishing abrogate all punishment and restraint For we may easily conceive and wee often see it in experience the rigor and utmost severity of a Law in regard of some circumstances abated and yet not all punishment neither the substance of it taken away and indeed if wee consider what the judiciall Law concerning punishing in criminall matters is as t is laid downe by divers learned men Beza Zepperus Amesius viz. that law which doth peculiarly explicate that part of righteousnesse and equitie concerning executing justice and judgement or the most accurate determination and fit application of the naturall right according to the speciall and singular condition of that people it must needs follow that though those circumstances which were proper to that speciall estate of the Jewes are ceased as of necessity they must the State of the Jewes being changed yet the things themselves as abstracted from their relation to the Jewish Church and state cannot be abolished as being naturalis juris which still doe hold forth to us the best determination of naturall right as Amesius speaks as the changing of the fashion forme and proportion of a mans clothing and apparell cannot alter a mans substance and person so neither can the forms and manner of the judiciall Law by which it was fitted for the Jewes condition as a garment is to a mans body take away the Law it selfe so that judicias being â—othing else but naturals and morals clothed for a time after such a manner to fit the nature and manners of such a people that time and people being passed away the substance viz. what 's naturall and morall must needs remaine Fifthly as to those other inferences added by Hagiomastix page 50. 51 52. to the former that if the obligation of the Mosaicall Law for putting Blasphemers Idolaters c to death was intended by God to continue under the new Testament why was the Apostle Paul so farre from enjoyning a beleeving brother to detect or to put to death his Idolatrous wife that hee doth not permit him so much as to put her away from him if the Law in question was to continue in force under the Gospel then was every person in an Idolatrous state and kingdome whilst it remained Idolatrous bound to seeke the death one of another yea to destroy one another with their own hands Yea the civil Magistrate was bound to sentence all his subjects that practised Idolatry to death without exception and to make a bloudy desolation throughout all his dominions then were beleevers in Idolatrous states and kingdomes upon their respective Conversions to the Christian faith bound to accuse their neighbours being Idolaters and Blasphemers round about them before the Magistrate especially if hee were a Christian and to require the execution of this Law of God upon them to have them put to death I answer M. Goodwins Ifâ— Thens proceed either out of the grosse ignorance of the state of the question of Toleration and scope of Deut. 13. or elsefrom a designe to delude and abuse the people with a show of some reason which though hee knowes in his conscience very well hath no waight at all yet he thinks will serve to mislead his followers who takes shadowes for men For whereas the question about punishing men with death or other severe punishments in cases of Idolatry and false Doctrine is understood by all Divines who write of the Controversie in case of Apostasie and defection meant of those who have once known and received the Christian faith and not of Jewes Turks and Pagans of Magistrates also in their owne jurisdiction and Territories not others and when it may bee with the safety and for the good of a Nation and Kingdome not to the manifest destruction and ruine of a Kingdome as he may find in the writings of many learned men who have writ upon the Question Calvin Beza Zanchius Bullinger Danaeus Musculus Gerardus Baldwins cases of conscience Zepperus Videlius Voetius Master Rutherfurd c and is evident
by the state of the question laid down in the Prolegomena as also Deut. 13. is understood of Apostates who having professed the Law are fallen from it and of persons in the territories and power of the Jews not that they should doe so to all neighbouring Nations round about them as these phrases imply If there arise among you a Prophet If thy brother or thy Son or thy Daughter entice thee secretly saying le ts go serve other Gods If thou shalt hear say in one of thy Cities which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there saying certaine men the children of Belial are gone out from among you and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city Deuâ— 17. 2. If there bee found among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the fight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his Covenant If it be true that such abomination is wrought in Israel then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman unto thy gates and stone them with stones till they die On which place * Calvin observes in his handling that question whether it be lawfull for Christian Judges to punish Hereticks that the punishment of stoning in Deut. 13. was not commanded to be inflicted upon forraine Nations but upon Apostates from the Jewish Religion who had perfidiously fallen from it by which saith hee is answered that objection made by some who aske whether Jewes Turkes and the like are by the sword to be forced to the Faith of Christ Neither doth God command the sword to be drawn promiscuously against all but Apostates who have wickedly with drawn themselves from the true worship and have endeavoured to draw others to the like defection he hath subjected to just punishment Yet for all this Hagiomastix makes Ifs and And 's brings instances of Suppositions in Heathens and of States wholly Idolatrous nothing at all to the question in hand for the Apostle speaks in 1 Corinthians and the seventh chapter of a Heathen and infidell that never received the faith of Christ but being borne and brought up in Heathenisme continues so however one of the married persons husband or wife was converted to the Christian faith besides that question put by Hagiomastix why was the Apostle Paul so farre from enjoyning a beleeving brother to detect or to put to death his infidell or Idolatrous wife that he doth not permit him so much as to put her away from him is absurd and ridiculous and a man would wonder that such a great champion as Cretensis would be taken for that dares challenge all Presbyterians in England Scotland and France assembled and not assembled and so cryed up and deified by the Sectaries in divers Pamphlets should bring such weak poore stuffe for the Corinthian State and Magistracie being then heathenish and infidels as the Apostle in the chapter going before 1 Cor. 6. 2. shows only many particular private persons living in Corinth being converted who were not the civill Government it had been to no end for Paul to direct the beleeving husband to complaine to the Magistrate of his Idolatrous wife that had been the way for himselfe to have been punished that had been all one as to have complained to the civill Magistrates of themselves and certainly the Apostle that blamed the beleeving Corinthians for going to law one with another before their Magistrates who were unbeleevers though he would not if they had been Christian Magistrates had no reason to stirre up Christians to complaine unto unbeleevers in matters of Religion and Christianity Master Goodwin might with as much reason have askâ— why the Apostle Paul did not enjoine the unbeleeving wife or husband to complaine of the beleeving wife and husband as why hee did not enjoine the beleeving wife to detect her Idolatrous husband and might as well nay better reason it unlawfull for Christians to goe to law now under Christian Iudges because they might not under Heathens as to argue against Christians complaining and detecting of Christians that turne Apostates Hereticks Idolaters c because Christians did not complaine in Pauls time to Heathen Magistrates of Heathens yea this is so unreasonable a question to build an argument upon against an expresse command of God and that with a triumph in the close of it saying Certainly this Doctrine of the Apostle â—olds no tolerable correspondency with the opinion of our severe Inquisitors about the non a brogation of the Law for putting Idolaters to death that though I read in Ecclesiasticall Histories of Christians complaining to some Heathen Emperors favorers of Christian Religion of Christians when they turned Herrticks as to Aurelianus of Paulus Samosetenus the Heretick and of Heathens seeking to Heathen Princes against Priests that were very wicked under the show of Religion being guilty of sacriledge and corrupting the chastity of Matrons Yet I never read of any complaining of and desiring Princes to punish Heathens of the same Religion with themselves so that by all this the Reader may easily perceive besides the dissimilitude in the instance of 1 Cor. 7. from that of Deut. 13. the one speaking of an Heathen Idolater the other of a Jewish Apostate there was very great reason why the Apostle enjoyned not the beleeving wife to seek to take away the life of her unbeleeving husband for in so doing she might have hazarded her owne but could have done no good to the hindring of his Idoll worship But however Paul enjoyns nothing to the beleeving husband and wife about detecting their unbeleeving Yoke-fellowes upon the grounds already given yet I make no question had Paul lived in a time wherein the Corinthian Magistrates had received the faith he would have given both them and beleeving husbands in their places injunctions to have demolished Idoll Temples and their worships not to suffer Blasphemies against Christ but on the contrary to have sent preachers among them and to countenance and honor those who received the faith of which in the practises of Constantine Theodosius and other Emperors I might give many instances De inhibitis paganâ—rum sacrificiis and of the shutting up yea pulling down the Temples of the Heathen Gods of their removing from Offices and Places those who were not Christians There is no question but Paul who dehorted so earnestly the beleeving Corinthians from going to the Idols Feasts in the Idols temples and from eating of the sacrifices in their Temples 1 Cor. 10. 2 Cor. 6. would if the State of Corinth had been Christian have exhorted them to put down the Idoll Temples to forbid those Idolatrous sacrifices to suppresse their Priests as also Christian husbands in case their wifes would have gone after Idolatrous Priests worshipped Images brought to them they would have desired their Magistrates helpe against such Seducers and Corrupters And for conclusion of my answer to this fifth Head if I would give liberty to
my pen to writefully against every particular passage in the 39. and 40. Section of Hagiomastix as I have done of some of them I should make his folly and weaknesse manifest to all but having hinted already his mistakes and the utter dissimilitude betweene that command in Deut. 13. and all his instances of an Idolatrous state and a Magistrate bound to make a bloudy desolation throughout al his Dominions c. I say no more but here is a great cry and a little wool and so come to the fixt head to give Answer to something that seems more materiall Sixthly to that Hagiomastix saith page 46. There is this cleer reason why that old Testament law for putting of false Prophets Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatry to death should not now bee in force upon any such terms as it was when and where it was given because in all difficult cases that happened about maters of Religion the Iewes to whom this Law was given had the opportunity of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe who could and did from time to time infallibly declare what his own mind and pleasure was in them So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desperately wicked and set upon bloud and despised that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them they could not doe injustice God being alwayes at hand to declare unto them what kind of Blasphemer and what kind of Idolater it was that hee by this Law intended should be put to death Whereas now the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion are men of very fallible judgemeÌ„ts and every way obnoxious to error and mistake Yea confident I am that the wisest most learned of them are not able cleerly or demonstratively to informe the Magistrate what Blasphemie or what Idolatry it was which was by God sentenced to death under the Law Therefore the going about to prove that the Law for putting Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatry to death is now or amongst us in force because it was once given to the Jewes is as I should prove that a man may safely without danger walk among bogs praecipices ditches at midnight because he may well do it at noon day I answer in the generall this Section is full of many unsound and dangerous passages very prejudicial to the perspicuity perfection and certainty of the Scriptures very derogatorie to the state of the Church under the new Testament preferring the old before it for cleernesse and light as much as noon day before midnight which is contrary to many Prophecies in Scripture of the times under the Gospell and to divers texts in the new Testament 2 Cor. 3. 8 9 10 11 12 18. 2 Cor. 4. 4 6. and tending to bring in with a high hand Scepticisme and Pyrronian uncertainty in all poynts of Religion into the Church of God passages becomming a Iesuite and an Atheist but altogether unbeseeming a Protestant Minister and one who would bee accounted to have laboured more abundantly in vindicating the Authority of the Scriptures and building men on a rock then all other men Whoever does but compare the Iesuits Papists writings Stapleton Bellar. Turnebull Fisher c with learned Whittaker Chamier Rivet Cameron Doctor White Baron Willet and other Protestant Divines who have written of the Authority perspicuity perfection c of the Scriptures against the Papists and then look but upon this Section hee must needs say Higiomastix writes as one brought up in the Schools of the Iesuits and had sucked their breasts as also he that reads but Minus Celsus Senenses and the Socinians with the Netherland Arminians will confesse these lines are the very breathings and actings of that Spirit which dwels in that generation of men I could out of the writings of our Orthodox Divines written against Papists Socinians Arminians upon those heads of the authority perfection perspiculty certainty of the Scriptures and points of Christian faith at large confute him but these belong not properly to this Controversie about Toleration and therefore I shall not insist on them and further I desire the Reader to observe what followes that this cleere reason as Hagâ—omastix termes it may be resolved in that common evasion of Socinians and Armâ—nians and all our Sectaries of Infallibility and Fallibility Whoever well weighâ— that 36. Section of Hagiomastix with that part of the 107. Section page 130. fifth Answer will find the Summe and substance of all that discourse to be nothing else but the usuall Plea of the Patrons of Toleration in their late Libertine Pamphlets as Bloudy Tenet Storming of Antichrist Compassionate Samaritane Justification of Toleration Quaeres upon the Ordinance for preventing of Heresies c. that there is no infallible Iudge now all men are fallible subject to error or mistake and therefore the proper place of speaking to this will be in answering their Grounds for Toleration and pretended liberty of conscience where I hope by the grace of God to speak so fully to that particular of Infallibility and Fallibility that I doubt not to promise the Reader such ample satisfaction to that grand Argument as by the blessing of God all men who have not sold themselves to Libertinisme will never againe after that object it yet however for the present I shall hint these things by way of Reply 1. This very point of Infallibilitie and Fallibilitie was the main rise and cause of setting the Pope in his chair of making one that must be an infallible judge in the Church and so is the ground work of the Popes Authoritie and Tyrannie over the Church which all who understand the Controversies between the Papists and the Reformed Churches De Papa doe well know And on the other hand t is made the foundation of bringing in all Anarchie and Libertinisme into the Church to overthrow all power of Magistrates and of Synods and Councels in matters of Religion so that at on the one hand it hath exalted the Pope and given him an unjust Domination and usurpation so on the other it casts down the use of all civil and Ecclesiasticall power for the good of the Church so that the same thing that set up the Pope and made Antichrist sets up a Toleration and universall libertie of conscience which is a new and worse Popâ— But as the want of infallibility was no good ground for â—etting up the Pope as I suppose Hagiomast and all the Sectaries will grant so will it be found no good argument for a generall Toleration of all Religions a farre greater evill then a Pope Secondly I deny that which Hagiomastix takes for granted the reason it self upon which he founds why the old Testament law for the putting of false Prophets Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatry to death should not now be in force I desire him to prove the Vrim and Thummim of the
Lords holy One the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God among the Jewes by which they inquired and consulted immediately and received Sentences and Answers immediately and infallibly from the mouth of God to be appointed of God or ever made use of by the Priest upon the desire of the Magistrates and Elders in cases of resolving doubts whether this or that was Blasphemie Idolatry false prophecying and thereupon putting to death Blasphemers false Prophets Seducers to Idolatry Hagiomastix gives no place of Scripture at all for proof and upon serious perusall of all places of this kind both of commands and examples for punishing false Prophets Idolaters c I doe never find the Magistrates were commanded in those cases to enquire by Vrim or ever practised it Let Deut. 13. Deut. 17. Levit. 20. 2. 3 4 5. Deut. 18. 20 21 22. Levit. 24. 16. with the examples of Asa Josiah and others bee lookt into and wee shall not finde a word spoken of concering the deciding who were or who were not or killing false Prophets and Idolaters upon receiving an Answer from God by Vrim and Thummim but stil the grounds expressed of proceeding against them are upon the Law of God the nature of the sins and other reasons of a common nature and among the signes and marks by which false Prophets are to be known this discovery by the glorious Oracle is none of them but the thing following not nor comming to passe which was spoken in the name of the Lord their prophecying in Baal and causing the people to erre their strengthening the hands of evill doers that none returns from wickednesse their saying unto them that despise God Ye shall have peace and unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his owne heart no evill shall come upon you with divers such like as is evident by Deut. 18. 22. Jerem. 23. 13. 14 17. and many places out of Moses and the Prophets In Joshua 22. when the children of Israel heard of the two tribes and a halfe building an Altar they did not before they gathered themselves to goe up to warre enquire by Vrim and Thummim whether it was Idolatry or not and when an Answer was given to Phinebas and the ten Princes that they had not built an Altar to turne from following the Lord but only for a witnesse between them and the rest of the Tribes that it might not besaid to their children in time to come ye have no part in the Lord Phinehas the Priest and the Princes of the congregation did not consult the Oracle spoken of to be resolved in this Controversie Thus Asas and the Peoples entring into Covenant to put to death men or women for matters of religion was not founded on an Answer by Vrim and Thummim but upon whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel and for Asa's putting down Maachah his Mother from being Queen because she made an Idol in a grove there is not the least hint expressed of his consultation beforehand with that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God whether she was such a kind of Idolater and her Idolatry of such a nature as she was to be punished with that punishment of being removed from being Queen Josiah in all the exercise of his coercive Power upon the Violators of the first Table 2 King chapt 23. in sacrificing some of them upon Altars and burning their bones in putting down others c never enquired by Vrim whether those he killed were such kind of Idolaters as God by the Law intended should be put to death and whether the others were not such So the Priests Prophets and People in taking Jeremiah and saying he shall surely die and that he is worthy to die they pretend not to passe sentence upon enquiring by Vriâ— but upon his prophecying in the name of the Lord This house shall be like Shiloh and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant Jerem. 26. 8 9 11. which they judged a Prophecying falsly upon mis-underst anding some Scriptures as appears plainly by those words why hast thou prophecied in the name of the Lord saying This House shall bee like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant For because of Gods promise concerning the Temple that he would abide ever there Psal 132. 14 They presumed that it could never perish and accounted all preaching that looked that way blasphemous Matth. 26. 61. Acts 6. 13. of which see more in the late Annotations of our English Divines upon the 9. verse And Jeremiah in his judicial defence to the Court and Councell for so it appears it was a Court by verse 10. 16 17. speaking of certaine Elders of the Land rising up and speaking to the Assembly of the People pleading his immediate call from God to prophecie against the Citie as his Answer against their accusation and in all the contestation and Controversie that was between the Princes and certaine of the Elders and the Priests Prophets and People concerning Jeremiah's being worthy to die neither Jeremiah nor the Priests Elders and People that were for his being put to death or against it once offer for deciding this difficult case and doubtfull matter to propound the enquiring by Vrim and Thummim but both sides plead the case upon Scripture Grounds and examples as hee who reads the chapter may easily see and certainly if enquiring by Vrim and Thummim had been appointed of God and practised by the Church as the Oracle to which in all difficult cases about matters of religion the Iewes were to repaire by which to judge whether such things were Blasphemie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly yea or no and whether the persons were such kind of Blasphemers false Prophets Idolaters as the Law intended should be put to death it is strange that in all this sharpe contest and great Controversie about accusing Jeremiâ—h for prophecying falsly and arraigning him upon his life neither himselfe nor his enemies none of the Priests Princes Elders People nor Jeremiah should once move to enquire immediately from the mouth of God by Vrim and Thummim the infallible Resolution of this question whether Jeremiah prophecied falsly in the name of the Lord and deserved to dy And therfore from this and all the Premises yea upon serious searching into all places of Scripture that speak of Vrim and Thummim and of those who enquired of the Lord in that way and comparing them together with the helpe of many judicious and learned Interpreters besides consulting Divines who have written of Vrim and Thummim I cannot find the least Ground that the Iews either were commanded or ever made use of enquiring by Vrim to bee satisfied in judiciall Proceedings whether this or that was Idolatry or Blasphemie or this man an Idolater or false Prophet or no but they proceeded in those things by the Law of God given to them and in difficult cases too hard they were enjoyned to goe to the Priests by way of consultation
cases too hard and difficult for them are commanded to goe higher to some superior Court and Assembly as those words cleerly show thou shalt arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse This place afterwards was Jerusalem as t is said Psal 122. 5. there were set thrones of judgement and in Ierusalem did Iehoshaphat set of the Levites and of the Priests and the chiefe of the Fathers of Israel for the judgement of the Lord and for Controversies 2 Chron. 19. 8. 9. 10. Ainsworth upon the place writes that by the Iudge that shall be in those dayes is understood the high Councell and Senate of Iudges which were of the cheif of the Fathers of Israel as they who are called Priests verse 9. are called verse 12. Priest so many Iudges are called Iudge only as among the Priests one was cheife so among the Iudges one was Prince 2 Chron. 19. 11. The Hebrew records say when any doubt aâ—ose in any case to any one of Israel hee asked of the judgement Hâ—ll that was in his Citie if they knew they told it him if not then hee that enquired together with the Synedrion or with the messengers thereof went up to Jerusalem and inquired of the Synedrion that was in the Mountaine of the Temple if they knew they told it them if not then they all come to the Synedrion that was at the door of the Court yard of the Temple if theâ— knew they told it them and if not they all came to the chamber of hewen stone to the great Synedrion and enquired and Interpreters generally understand these verses of Iudicatures and Courts in Israel and of the lower Courts going to the highest the great and high Synedrion Now I find no command noâ— example recorded in Scripture of any of the Iewish Courts Ecclesiast or Civil enquiring by Vrim of morall transgressions of what sort they were and what punishments the Committers of such sins should have but still they determined according to the Law and Iudgements Ezek. 44. 24. I never read of the high Synedrion either in Scripture or any other writers of it that they were wont to give their Answer by Vrim and Thummim If we observe those instances in Scripture of enquiring by Vrim wee shall see they are inquiries made of particular persons by the Priest not by a Court and of the high Priest not as sitting in Court nor as alwayes at Ierusalem nor of Criminall cases but of going in and out to warre and such like and whoever doth but consult with the Annotations of Ainsworth Diodate and Luther English Divines the Commentaries of Lyra Piscator and others on this place will confesse t is quite another thing is here spoken of then the judgement of Vrim 3. Amesius in his Cases of Conscience in his Answer to that question whether that Law Deut. 17. 12. of putting him to death who would not hearken to the Iudge and the Priest was just resolves it was and faith the equity of that Law will easily appeare and among other reasons gives this because that place speaks of disobedience in those things which out of the Law of God are cleerly and manifestly determined verse 11. so that wee see Ames judgement in the resolution of that case is that the Answer of the Iudge or Priest was made out of the Law of God and not by Vrim and it seems that learned men never dreamt of any such thing in this Deut. 17. for among all his reasons he mentions no such thing and certainly if that were the meaning of the place which Hagiomastix puts upon it that had been such a strong reason for the equity of putting those to death who would not hearken to the Priest giving them councell immediately and infallibly from God as that Dr. Ames could not have omitted it For if Mr. Goodwin who is so kind and charitable to all Atheists Antiscripturists Blasphemers Idolaters c in his Queries upon the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance against Heresies and his Hagiomastix as that he would have no coercive power made use of against them doth yet grant there was an equity in that Law that sentence of death should passe on such that would not hearken to the Priest speaking immediately and infallibly from God and saith that for his part if the Inquisitors now can give any satisfying account of any sentence awarded against Blasphemers Hereticks that comes by infallible Revelation from God hee shall thinke it equall and meet that hee that shall doe presumptuously and not hearken unto it should be put to death then Dr. Ames who was fully for the Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion and for putting Blasphemous Hereticks to death could not have forgotten this reason Fourthly on Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. is founded by the judgement of many great Divines that which is called the Councell the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem the Seventy Spanhemius in his third part Dubiorum Evangelicorum page 800. 801. showes that by the command of the Law this very place Deut. 17. 8 9. to this supreame Tribunall of the Synedrion were referred all things whatsoever that could not be determined of the inferior Courts or were doubtfull and had tried the severall judgements of the inferior judges Gersom Bucerus in his Dissertat de Gubernat Ecclesiae page 62. quotes this Deut. 17. 8. 9. for the generall Convention at Ierusalem to which the hardest things were brought which could not be determined in the lower judicatories Walaeus in his Tractate de Discrimine muneris politici Ecclesiastici brings this place to prove the Synedrion or Colledge at Ierusalem that if among the Iudges or Priests in the lesser Cities and Townes there fell out some things of greater moment or if any one would not rest in their sentence the cause was devolved to higher Iudges who after Davids time had their Synedrion at Ierusalem as the cheife Metrapolis of Iudâ—â— Mr Gillespie in his Aarons rod blossoming 1. Book 3. chapt writeâ— thus T is agreed upon both by Iewish and Christian Expositors that this place holds forth a supream civill Court of Iudges and the Authority of the civill Sanhedrim is mainly grounded on this very text And as the high civil Synedria is founded here so many Divines show a supream Ecclesiast Sanhedrim distinct from the Civill is held forth in this very place to which the People of God weere bound as to the supream Ecclesiasticall Court to bring all the difficult Ecclesiasticall causes which could not be determined in the lower Assemblies in which Court they were determined without any other appeale of which the Reader may find more in Walaeus Gerson Bucerus Apollonii jus Magistratus circa sacra first part page 374. and second part second chapter page 48. and aboue all others in Mr. Gillespie his Aarons Rod blossoming Book 1. chapt 3. who at large handles this point that the Iewes had an
Ecclesiasticall Sanhedrin distinct from the Civill and among other grounds from this of Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. But none of these learned men not any but Papists that ever I met with give the least hint of any judgement by Vrim to bee meant in this place neither do I find in all the Authors that I have read concerning the way of passing sentence in the highest Synedrion at Jerusalem and determining the difficulties about the Law brought to them whether the Ecclesiasticall of which the high Priest was president or the Civill that ever for the satisfaction of the parties and giving the true sense of the Law thus controverted and so putting an end to all controversies they were wont in that Court to enquire by Vrim nay there are severall things written in the Scriptures and by learned men who write of the customes of the Iewes and proceedings in that Court which show the contrary as those words imply as much Deut. 17. the Priest and the Iudge that shall be in those dayes from whence the Hebrews gather that if the high Synedrion had judged and determined of a matter as seemed right in their eyes and after them another Synedrion rose up which upon reasons seeming good unto them disannulled the former sentence then it was disanulled and judgement passed according as it seemed good unto these latter thou art not bound to walke save after the Synedrion that are in thy generation Now if it were a sentence by Vrim immediate and infallible from God no following Synedrion might have disannull'd it So those words according to the sentence which they shall teach thee showes the sentence was to be according to the Law the word written and not by a voice from heaven as also that instance of Ierem. being condemned to die by the supreme Court at Ierusal the Court of the Priests doing their part judging him a false Prophet and worthy to die the Court of the Princes acquitting him as a true Propheâ— of which see more in Aarons Rod blossom p. 18. 19. both of them going upon Scripture Grounds as I have shown p. 99. but in this great Controversie never appealing to the judgement of Vrim and so in their way of trying false Prophets they went not by the Priests putting on the Ephod to enquire of the Lord but therein all say the Iewes was this If he had threatned a judgement to come although it came not yet hee was not a false Prophet for that God say they is gracious as hee was to the Ninivites and to Hezekiah But if hee promised a good thing and it came not to passe then hee was a lyar For every good thing which God promiseth he performeth so Ieremiah tried Ananias to be a false Prophet because hee promised a good thing to Zedekiah and it came not to passe Fifthly the current of the Scripture both in the Law and Prophets still speaks of going to the Law and according to that making that the last resolution of Practise and Controversies in all morall things both of duties and sins and that for private and publick persons Esaiah 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Deut. 30. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. the Iewes must hearken to the commandement written in the Book of the Law t is not hidden neither is it farre of t is not darke that it cannot be attained to It is not in heaven that it should be said who shall goe up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that wee may heare it and doe it But the worde is very nigh c Deut. 17. 18. v. the Law of God is to bee for the direction of the King and of the Priests and Levites The Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses 2 Cron. 34. 15 19 30 31. compared with 2 Kings chapter 22. 8 11. v. chapter 23. 2 3. was that by which Josiah made his Reformation both in the removing of persons and things not once enquiring by Vrim whether he should slay Idolatrous Priests put downe others keep such a solemne passeover c and t is observable that the King commanded Hilkiah the high Priest and Shaphan the Scribe c to goe and enquire of the Lord for him and for the People concerning the words of this Book what judgement hanged over their heads and when it was like to fall and whether there were any means or whether it was not too late to appease his wrath and accordingly they went unto Huldah the Prophetesse yet he commanded not Hilkiah to enquire by Vrim neither did Hilkiah the high Priest put on the Ephod but went to the Prophetesse which is to me a great argument that the judgement of Vrim was only in some particular set cases as going in and out to war and such like but not for inquiry in cases of the Law what Reformation to be made or what transgressions of the Law to bee punished by death As for those other two places Deut. 19. 17 18. 21 and 5. I shall not spend many lines in clearing them as being not brought to prove the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle least I should be charged by Hagiomastix to show my valour in fighting with men of clouts of my owne setting up For the first t is understood of a single witnesse accusing one for seducing to Apostasie and revolt so Junius reads it ad testificandum in â—um Apostasiam and Ainsworth to testifie revolt against him not civill wrong as the English translation seems to carry it and the meaning is this although in all other causes two witnesses atleast are required by the Law yet in the businesse of religion one witnesse is sufficient to make a questioÌ„ of the partie by which God shows be would have the preservation of Doctrine commended to the Magistrate for this is an appendix of that Law which is spoken of Deut. 17. 2. So Iunius Diodate also on the place writes thus in case of a secret Seducement from Gods true service he that had been sollicited though hee were alone ought to detect the Seducer Deut. 13. 6. 8. and the Judges ought to proceed therein as upon an advice and denunciation not as upon a formall accusation which had required two witnesses And if the calumny was made to appeare unto them they were to observe this Law if it were truth that of Deut. 13. 9. So then this place holds forth no more then what Deut. 17. 8 9. does which hath nothing to doe with the judgement of Vâ—im as I have already showen at large and yet if this place had any thing in it more for enquiring by Vrim then the former it could doe Hagiomastix no good nor is to the point at all brought by him because this enquiring by Vrim is not to know from the Lord what kind of Idolatrie and Idolater this is whether that for which
death is to bee inflicted but whether this be a false or a true witnesse as the words cleerly show the question is not about matter of Law whether such a thing be Idolatrie or not what kind of Idolatry but of matter of fact whether the partie did commit such a thing or no of which he is accused And the Iudges shall make diligent inquisition and behold if the witnesse be a false witnesse and testifieth falsly against his brother then shall ye doe unto him as he had thought to have done to his brother so shalt thou put the evill away from amongst you As for that place Deut. 21. 5. the coherence and scope of the place showes it cannot be meant of the judgement by Vrim but those verses from the second to the tenth containe a direction from God of what course is to bee taken for the expiation of an unknowne murther and among other things that are to bee done for the putting away the guilt of innocent bloud from the Land as the Elders and Judges must doe according to the verse 2. 3 4. so the * fifth verse showes what the Priests are to do for the freeing the people of Israel from innocent bloud being laid to their charge namely in the audience of the people to pray for atonement and expiation that prayer in verse 8. The Elders were to wash their hands and say Our hands have not shed this bloud and the Priests said Be mercifull O Lord and lay not innocent bloud unto thy People Israels charge and if any thing else were to be decided about that businesse by the words of the Priests as expounders of Gods Law it should be determined not that they had any absolute or arbitrary power of themselves but by their word meaning the word of God which they should show as Deut. 17. 11. The subject matter of this Scripture is not to enquire of the Preists whether this were a casuall or a wilfull Murther and for them to tell who were the murtherers that had slaine this man the resolution of which questions by the Priests might indeed imply some colour for the Priests by enquiring by Vrim these things are not once named but all the matter is what 's to be done to expiate the bloud of a man slain in the Land it being not knowne who hath slaine him that 's supposed and is the case upon which all the direction both for Elders Priests and People is built Lastly as to those examples in Levit 24. 11 12 13. and that of Numb 15. 33 34 35 of the Blasphemer and Sabbath-breaker put into ward that Moses might receive an Answer immediately from God what to doe with them accordingly the Lord spake unto Moses that they should be stoned I answer First the Law concerning blasphemie was not yet given publickly to the Jews the mind of God declared what should be done to them that blasphemed the name of the Lord therfore no wonder the Blasphemer was put in ward that the Lord might be consulted with what kind of punishment should bee inflicted upon him by the light of nature and the Law of the Decalogue the people of the Jewes knew hee was to bee punished for it though the particular kinde and forme was not yet made known by God and therefore bring him to the supreame Magistrate Moses and make him fast till the mind of God for the particular kind of punishment should be made known upon which occasion God doth not only declare what shall be done to that particular man but gives them a Law concerning all Blasphemers in the 16. verse taking an occasion from this as hee did from other transgressions committed and his peoples ill manners to publish judiciall lawes the appendixes of the morall Law in matters of justice and judgement But though God was immediately consulted with before there was a law for that is the case here of which there was all the reason in the world how doth it follow that after an expresse Law is given and ordinary means and wayes appoynted by God for the full knowing and executing of that Law now Persons must immediately upon all occasions have immediate Answers from God whether and how they may punish upon that Law and indeed to what end were expresse laws written made known and knowing able men in those laws deputed by God to judge according to them if immediate and infallible Answers were to be sought from God upon all occasions and persons not to be judged by those Lawes And for the Sabbath Breaker in Numb 15 however the Law had said the Breaker of the Sabbath should die Exod. 31. 14. yet it was not declared by what kind of death hee should die as Ainsworth Diodate and our English Divines in their Annotations upon the place observe saying though there were a Law to put to death a Sabbath breaker yet it was not declared what manner of death hee should die and of that the question being proposed the Answer is made by declaring the kind of death he must suffer which is set down in the next ver Solo. Jarchi saith it was not declared what manner of death the Sabbath Breaker should die but they knew he that prophaned the Sabbath was to die Now the Israelites were to receive directions from God as well for the manner and kind of their Lawes and punishments as for the punishments themselves and some of them being not declared no wonder that Moses stayed till hee enquired of God but what 's all this to make good Hagiomastixâ— assertion that because Moses who was to receive Lawes from God both for matter and forme for that people did wait upon God by speciall immediate inquiring in cases of some transgressions that accordingly all things might bee done therefore after God had given all Lawes both for matter and forme in cases of Idolatry Blasphemie prophecying falsly as in Deut. 13. Deut. 17. 2. Levit. 24. 16. the Judges and Magistrates following must doe so too Secondly in both these instances alleadged the men were put into ward not to enquire of God concerning their sins committed whether they were Blasphemie and Sabbath-breaking there was no question in that kind both the people and Moses were satisfied in that as appeares by the stories and by putting them in ward but only in what manner they should be proceeded against God not having before declared his mind particularly in those cases so that these instances helpe Hagiomastix nothing at all as not speaking to the matter in hand For whereas Hagiomastix makes this ground of the Iews putting to death Blasphemers Idolaters their enquiring and Gods declaring by Vrim what kind of Blasphemer and so what kind of Idolater particularly it was that be by his Law intended should be put to death Moses and the people neither inquired any such thing what kind of Blasphemie it was nor did God speake to Moses in that kind but bring forth him that hath cursed in
the campe and let all that heard him lay their hands on his head and let all the Congregation stone him Thirdly the declaration of the mind of the Lord in these two examples was no Answer by Vrim for besides that there is no mention in the text of the high Priest being spoken to put on the Ephod to enquire by Vrim neither doe any Interpreters understand it so both the texts are against it in those words And the Lord spake unto Moses saying bring forth him that hath cursed And the Lord said unto Moses The man shall surely bee put to death the declaration of Gods mind being to Moses immediately whereas in the judgement of Vrim it was to the Priest immediately so that these Answers of God were the Answers of a Law-giver giving Lawes and Penalties by the hand of Moses but not any new Interpretations and declarations of the meaning of the Law upon controversies and doubts arising and besides Gods way of answering Moses and answering by Vrim were different things as the Rabbins and other learned men who write of those things show Gods answering Moses and giving him Lawes and Commandements being by voice but answering by Vrim being in an other way by beholding the Breast-Plate and seeing therein by the Vision or Inspiration as these Scriptures Exod. 25. 22. Numb 7. 89. Exod. 28. 30. with Ainsworths Annotations expresse As for the immediatenesse of these Answers from God to Moses though not by the judgement of Vrim there were speciall reasons thereof God in an immediate way communicating to Moses all his Laws morall and judiciall Exod. 25. 22. and Moses being such a Prophet whom the Lord knew face to face and such an extraordinary man in severall respects as there was none like unto him Numb 12. 6 7 8. Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 34. 10 11. But for the Magistrates and Iudges that came after Moses to whom the morall Law and the Appendix of it the judiciall Law was given and delivered they were to proceed according to the written Law and there were in hard matters higher Courts consisting of a greater number more able to go to to determine what the lower could not then the highest of all the Synedrion at Jerusalem who were in all their judgements aboue morall transgressions to goe according to the Law of Moses as many Scriptures testifie Deut. 17. 11. c But no such Grounds after the whole Law morall ceremoniall and judiciall was published of immediatenesse of Answers from God to any of their Courts no not to the high Synedrion as to Moses who was to receive all for the first constituting of their policie according unto which all Courts and Iudicatures higher and lower were bound to goe Fourthly In these great and weighty cases of the Blasphemer and Sabbath-Breaker Moses did not presently passe sentence but made delayes put them in Prison till he knew the mind of the Lord and as for other reasons before alledged so for these following 1 to teach Iudges in matters of great weight of life and death not to be too sudden and hastie 2 in causes that are very hard to aske councell and to use all means to be well satisfied before they doe any thing In Ainsworths Annotations upon Numb 15. 34. the Reader may find the Chaldee paraphrazing thus This judgement was one of the foure judgements that came before Moses the Prophet which he judged according to the word of God Some of them were judgements of lesser moment and some of them judgements of life and death In the judgements of lesser moment of pecuniary matters Moses was readie but in judgements of life and death bee made delayes And both in the one and in the other Moses said I have not heard viz what God would have done For to teach the Heads or cheife of the Synâ—drions or Assises that should rise up after him that they should bee ready to dispatch inferior causes or money matters but not hasty in matters of life and death And that they should not be ashamed to inquire in causes that are too hard for them seeing Moses who was the Master of Israel had need to say I have not heard Therefore hee imprisoned him because as yet it was not declared what sentence should passe upon him Babington in his comfort Notes on Levit. 24. writes Moses although such a man yet will doe nothing hastily in judgement and especially touching life but he will be advised by God who then spake from betwixt the Cherubims Exod. 25. and Numb 7. But it followes not because Iudges and Courts of Iustice were to learne to be cautious and carefull in matters of religion for what they punish especially with death that therefore they may punish no violations in religion though expresly and directly against the word of God unlesse God doe immediately from heaven declare them Blasphemies c and such kind of Blasphemies which the Law intends death to And for a conclusion of my Answer to this Evasion of Master Goodwin of the judgement by Vrim in the cases of Blasphemie Idolatry Prophecying falsly the cleare reason why then they were punished with death but may not be so now that being ceased under the new Testament I shall say no more but this I challeng him among al the examples recorded in Scripture of punishing men with death imprisonment or banishment c for Blasphemie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly prophaning of the Sabbath marrying Idolatrous wives and other transgressions of Gods worship to produce any one Instance that by the Iudges or by the high Sanhedrin God was enquired by Vrim whether such and such facts were Blasphemie Idolatrie c and of that kind and nature intended by the Law as punishable with death or among all Classicall Authors Rabbins and others who have written of the customes of the Iewes of Vrim and Thummim of the Sanhedrin at Ierusalem to cite me out of them any passages that affirme the Iudges or the high Councel of Seventie at Ierusalem or the high Priest for them were wont in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c. to enquire by Vrim and to passe sentence upon persons according to that Answer and not according to the law which if he cannot doe as I am confident upon serious search he cannot then the Reader may easily see what poor shifts this great Champion of the Sectaries is put unto to uphold his damned cursed cause of Toleration of all Religions and to elude the commands of God fore-named for punishing Blasphemers Apostates Idolaters and false Prophets Now among all who have written of the high Priest and of Deut. 17. 11 12. I find only some Papists going Hagiomastixs way as Tostatus Lorinus who from all places of Scripture of the high Priest drawing matter to the Pope for establishing his Authoritie doe from this place also that they may establish his Authoritie above the Scriptures and appeals to him in cases of Controversie as the sole infallible Judge speake of the
high Priest in matters of morall transgressions giving Answers by Vrim and not by the sentence of the Law So Lorinus upon the 11. verse according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee saith that by the name of the Law in this place is neither necessarily understood the Mosaicall Law nor the holy Scripture but the sentence it selfe of the Judge as the pronounâ— infinuates the Hereticks would have it to bee a conditionall command of hearâ—â—ning to the Priests according to the Law that they might take away the Authoritie of Traditions and appeale to the Scripture alone Luther long since writing upon this place observed as much of the Papists And the Papists with a great deale of endeavour have drawn this place to their Idol that they might set up the Papacie So that by this it seems the Papists and Sectaries are agreed upon the same Mediums to set up the Pope and his Infallibilitie and a Toleration and Dispensation to beleeve and professe whatsoever men please Thirdly this cleere reason of Master Goodwin in his 36. Section of Hagiomastix against the old Testament Law being now in force for putting of false Prophets Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatris to death upon which hee vapours and triumphs so exceedingly over the Anti Quaerists certaine striplings of the Assembly as hee by way of scorne terms them is so farre from fighting against the Magistrates punishing even by virtue of that old law for matters of Religion where hee is sure and certaine the things hee punishes for are Apostasies Idolatries Heresies Blasphemies and that hee is not mistaken as that in all such cases of certaintie and infallibility it establishes the Magistrates coercive power in matters of the first Table and is indeed a strong reason for it For if that were the formall cause and reason why Magistrates might then punish Idolatrie false Prophecying c. because they might infallibly know such a thing was Idolatrie c. and so bee out of danger of fighting against God then what things may bee as certainly known under the Gospel to bee Idolatrie false Prophecying Apostasie c the Magistrate may as well restraine I shall not need to prove the consequence because besides its own evidence that it necessarily follows Master Goodwin in expresse terms grant and confesses page 130. that for his part hee shall thinke it equall nd meet hee that shall doe presumptuously and not hearken unto what is by infallible Revelation from God should be put to death and the only ground brought by him in this 36. Section of denying this power to Magistrates now is their uncertaintie in matters of Religion the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion being men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake and therefore to goe about to prove that the old Law is now in force because it was once given to the Iewes is as if one should prove that a man may safely and without danger walke among bogges and praecipices at midnight because he may well do it at noone day So that by Hagiomastixs owne confession what 's certainly and infallibly known to be Error Idolatrie Blasphemie Heresie may and ought to be punished by the Magistrate under the new Testament which is indeed a yeelding the question that Magistrates may punish under the Gospell in matters of Religion for that 's not the question what is truth and what is Error what is Heresie and what is Idolatrie and whether any thing can bee known certainly under the Gospell to be truth or no and how the Magistrates come to know it and who shall tell them which is truth that is quite another question but the question in hand about Toleration and the Magistrates coercive Power in points of Religion is supposing and granting there are many things certaine in Religion which he certainly knows and beleeves whether then the Magistrate may punish which upon this very question whether Princes have full Power to command for truth was well observed by Bishop Bilson long since in his answer to a Jesuite making this objection Yea But who shall tell Magistrates which is truth That is not this question When wee reason whether Princes may command for truth and punish error you must not cavill about the meanes to know truth from error but suppose that truth were confessed and agreed on and in that case what may Princes doe for truth If I should aske you whether Princes may revenge Murthers and punish thefts were this an Answer to say but how shall they know what Murther is and who be theeves No more when we demand what duty Princes owe to God and his truth should you stand quarrelling what truth is or how truth may be known The Princes dutie to God is one question which wee now handle the way to discerne truth from error is another which anon shall ensue when once this is ended But first let us have your direct Answer whether Princes may command for truth or no And then the Iesuite answering for truth they may but if they take quid pro quo they both hazard themselves and their whole realms Bilson replies you slide to the second question again before the first be finished stay for that till this be tried Now then to bring this point to ahead and issue Hagiomastixs clear reason grants that in cases about matters of Religion sure and certaine the Magistrate may punish in the times of the Gospel which directly overthrowes that universall Toleration so much pleaded for in divers of his Books so that Master Goodwin by his own cleer reason is forced upon this Dilemma either to hold no points in matters of Religion and Doctrine of faith can be certainly and infallibly known under the Gospel or if they can then the violations of such may by the Magistrate be lawfully censured And here in this matter I doe appeale from Master Goodwins wanton wit great applause among his Seduced Members and from all others his ingagements to the Sectarian partie to his conscience if so bee in this point of pretended libertie of conscience he hath any conscience at all left to resolve me this question whether Christian Magistrates under the Gospell may not by the Scriptures and other meanes that God hath given and appointed in his Church infallibly and certainly know that there is a God that this God is but one that the Scriptures are the word and mind of this God that this God is holy just good wise eternall omniscient omnipotent mercifull perfect that this one God though but one in essence is three in persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost that the Son was manifested in the flesh became man that he died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures that hee rose again from the dead ascended into heaven sitteth at the right hand of God shall come to judge the world that
Zerubbabel would not let the Priests that knew not their genealogies eat of the most holy things so that some Priviledges are denied for want of Vrim and Thummim in a case of Geneologie and birth after a confusion and mixture of marriages for the space of about 70. yeares being a matter of fact of what genealogie verse 62. not a matter of Law but no restraints of punishments upon Prophaners of the Sabbath those who married strange wives c for want of Vrim and Thummim And long after the losse of Vrim and Thummim we find Artaxerxes Darius the King of Niniveh and Nebuchadnezzar making Lawes for punishing men in cases of Blasphemie and other matters of the first Table and the places of Scripture relating such Edicts and Lawes speak of them by way of approbation as I have shown before in the 15. and 16. pages of this Treatise whereunto I refer the Reader and shall only adde one passage out of Calvin upon that Edict of Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. 29. For this Edict Daniel celebrates and sets forth in which capitall punishment is denounced against any man that shall speake amisse of the God of Israel Truely t is no common honor that is given to a cruell Tyrant when God assignes his Prophet as the Preacher to publish the Lawes he made and puts those Lawes among his acts and numbers them among his holy Oracles What whether is Nebuchadnezzar praised by the Testimoniall of the Holy Spirit and of the Prophet for taking upon him according to his Power and Authoritie the defence of the glory of the true God that holy Magistrates should beare with the wicked prophanation of his glory and does not the Lord rather under the Person of a Prophane King showe what becomes them to doe And certainly what is more preposterous then in the bosome of the Church to foster unpunished wicked contumelies against God which was in Babylon enacted to be punished with capital punishment Fifthly this cleere Reason of Gods immediate and infallible declaring his own mind and pleasure under the old Testament even according to Hagiomastix Principles is so far from being any reason why Magistrates might then punish Blasphemers Idolaters false Prophets c but not now as that the contrary seems more reasonable for in cases of immediate and infallible Answers from Heaven God declaring who was an Idolater and what was Idolatrie c convincing men so powerfully as leaving them without all subterfugies one would think there should need the Magistrates Power a great deale lesse then in a time when there are no such immediate Answers from God nor discoveries of men from heaven For it cannot be thought but that very bad men when they certainly knew that if they prophecied falsly entised persons to Idolatrie c could not upon any Pretences whatsoever escape from being convicted but should by God himself from heaven be judged Idolaters false Prophets and thereupon bee but to death they would either wholly forbeare the outward acts or if committed any such they would confesse them repent and do no more so whereas when men know there is no such way of finding them out of God from heaven naming persons and things this is the man and this is Idolatrie Blasphemie c they would be incouraged both to doe such things and to maintaine them when they have done to bring Scripture against Scripture and Reason against Reason as knowing all immediate Answers and Discoveries to be ceased Unto which if that be added that under the old Testament God himselfe inflicted more outward bodily punishments upon persons for Idolatrie wil-worship Scisme c then hee does now under the new the judgements under the Gospel being more spirituall as many examples in the old Testament show being a more Immediate Iudge and Inflicted of bodily punishments on the Jewes as he was to them a more Immediate Legislator of which I have spoken before in page 64. of this Booke there appears lesse reason for those coercive commands being in force under the old Testament then now there being in both these respects now named without the Magistrates coercive Power greater means for awing and restraining Violators of the first Table viz. Gods immediate discovering and inflicting of punishment then in our times And for illustrating this wee may observe that in the Primitive times when there were extraordinary gifts in the Church of Miracles c and immediate Answers and Revelations by Apostles and Prophets then the Church needed not so much the helpe of the Magistrates and the civill sword God giving no Christian Magistrate all that time but the Magistrates that were in those dayes were Persecutors and enemies of the Christians but after the Planting of the Gospel and watering it and the extraordinary Gifts and Offices in the Church ceasing then God gave Kings and Princes to be nursing Fathers to defend the Church and the truth by their Laws and Power and hath continued such ever since as a great helpe to the Church as a wall to the weak Vine So when under the old Testament there was according to this Reason of Master Goodwin such immediate and infallible Answers from the Mouth of God himselfe in all difficult cases of Religion and such immediate visible judgements by the immediate hand of God upon Idolaters false Prophets especially upon Despisers of the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them except men had been desperately and outragiously wicked and had with a high hand despised God himselfe speaking and presently striking dead in case of disobedience they could not have been obstinate Seducers to Idolatrie false Prophets Blasphemers should neither so much have needed Magistrates armed with commission from God to execute those commands of the 13. and 17. chapters of Deut. c as in these dayes we doe wherein both these are wanting according to Hagiomastixs own confession and so much for the fifth Answer Sixthly If this bee a cleer Reason why that old Testament Law for the putting of false Prophets Blasphemers c to death should not be now in force because in all difficult cases that happened about matters of Religion the Jewes to whom this Law was given had the opportunitie of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe who could and did from time to time infallibly declare what his owne mind and pleasure was in them So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desparately wicked and set upon bloud and had despised that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God among them they could not do injustice because God himselfe was alwayes at hand to declare unto them what was meet to be done whereas now the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion are men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake then t is as cleer a Reason why the old Testament Law for punishing Murtherers and other
not cause to say Lord let any burthen of the Ceremoniall Law be laid upon our necks rather then this Thirdly unto the end of Christian Religion and the knowledge of it as it is written in the Scriptures particularly of the new Testament which is that Christians may have consolation and hope in life and death Rom. 15. 4. 1 Epist John 1. 4. Now there can be no solid comfort without certaintie and assurance of the truth of the thing in it felse at least which wee professe but in doubts fears uncertainties the soule must needs be in perplexities anxieties as upon the rack Feare hath torment 1 Iohn 4. 18. But Secondly the infallibilitie and certaintie under the old Testament by Vrim and Thummim of the Priest so much spoken of and magnified by Hagiomastix above that under the new was as much liable to questioning and doubts by cavilling and contentious Spirits as the way under the new and many exceptions might be made and Controversies to arise whether those who were to give sentence in cases of Religion upon the Answer by Vrim did according as they received it from God or according to their own corrupt affection and interest which considering what many of the Priests were under the old Testament corrupt and partiall and the silent manner of Gods Answer by Vrim might give occasion of questioning yea Hagiomastix himselfe supposes and implies in some cases a possibilitie of a wrong Answer and doing injustice after consultation with the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God as these words show So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desperately wicked end set upon bloud and had despised the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them they could not doe injustice Now t is evident there were high Priests among them and such who had power of sentence in cases of Religion that were desperately wicked who either might passe sentence without enquiring by Vrim or else not goe according to Gods Answer by Vrim but according to the lusts of their owne hearts Whosoever does but consider these examples following recorded in Scripture both of the Priests and other men going flat contrary to the mind of God and immediate Answers from him will not wonder but be satisfied The Priests in Ieremiahs time were desperately wicked and set upon bloud even upon having Ieremiahs bloud pronouncing sentence upon him This man is worthy to die and Thou shalt surely die Jerem. 26. 8 11. and there were many complaints by Ieremiah Ezekiel and other Prophets of the Priests and cheife Priests being out of the way through strong drink erring in vision and stumbling in judgement saying to a stock Thou art my Father and to a stone Thou hast brought me forth c offering violence to the Law and Prophaning of holy things putting no difference between the holy and prophane hiding there eyes from the Sabbaths the chiefe of the Priests transgressing very much and polluting the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Ierusalem Esay 28. 7. Ierem. 2. 27. Ezek. 22. 26. 2 Chron. 36. 14. Now if the Priests would doe all this when they degenerated offer violence to the Law say to a stock thou art my Father pollute the house of the Lord and much more that is recorded in the Scripture of them then there is no question to be made but they might pervert the sentence by Vrim and give an Answer quite contrary to what they received immediately and infallibly from God therby condemning the innocent and clearing the guiltie making that prophecying falsly as in Ieremiahs case which was Prophecying truly making that Blasphemie which was none Yea they are particularly taxed for erring in vision and stumbling in judgement which words probably may be meant of their judgement by Vrim the Priests Answers in that way being cald the judgement of Vrim and judgement in divers places of Scripture as Numb 27. 21. Exod. 28. 15 29 30. So that for all Hagiomastixs cleer reason if the Priests were corrupt and partiall under the Law as some good Priests in some particular cases might be and were as Aaron in the golden calse Eli in the matter of his sonnes Hophni Phinehas and wicked ones would certainly be the Iews might be in danger in matters of Religion to be punished unjustly then in those dayes notwithstanding their Priests had immediate and infallible Answers from God as well as Christians now under the new Testament besides if we consider what the way of Answering by Vrim was and that as distinguished by Rabbins and other Divines from some other wayes of Gods Answers not by a loud voice that all who came to enquire might heare the Answer as well as the Priest but in a silent way and manner revealed only to the Priest either by inspiration or by looking into his breast-Plate upon the darknesse or brightnesse of his Iewels by which he knew or by some letters in the breast-Plate in which he read the will of God and so by the Priest communicated to the Iudges and standers by but if the Priests would pretend other Answers from God then he gave how should the Iewes disprove them and what more certaintie had those who in difficult doubtfull cases came to the high Priest to enquire by Vrim seing they received the Answers not from God immediately but from the high Priest and the Priest might possibly deceive them in cases falling out about their own children or neer bloud showing partialitie and affection then may be had by us now in these times nay going according to Master Goodwins Principles that the sentence of the high Priest was by Vrim and not by the Law the judgement of Vrim from the Priest was the supreme and last Iudge in case the Priests would be false as in some particular cases they might the Iewes were in a more uncertaine and worse condition then if to be judged by the Law or wee in these dayes who if our Magistrates and Iudges should degenerate might appeale to the Scriptures and urge them to them whereby to convince them but so could not the Iewes according to Hagiomastixs Doctrine the Priest by Vrim being appealed to in cases where they suppose the Law could not helpe and lastly if wee consider how Prophets under the old Testament who were as immediately and infallibly inspired as the high Priest by Vrim yet in all their Answers and Dictates were not without all possibilitie of mistake as is evident by Nathans Answer to David 2 Sam. 7. 4 5. c nor without all danger of deceiving those they spake to as is to be seen in that example of the old Prophet in Bethel 1 Kings 13. 11 17 18 21. and divers other places of Scripture speaking of Prophets wee may easily conceive how Magistrates and Iudges then might be liable to error as well as now especially if they tooke all the Priests and Prophets said without comparing and examining
those things by the Law So that by all this and a great deal more that might be spoken to this effect as the Magistrates and Priests combining together c. the Iewes to whom the Law was given for putting false Prophets Blasphemers to death for all the opportunitie of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe by Vrim and by Prophets might in many cases have been deceived mistaken and in as great uncertaintie every way as Hagiomastix supposes the Church to be in under the new Testament Thirdly supposing and granting there had been such a certaintie and infallibilitie in the matters of Religion under the old Law as is contended for by Hagiomastix and that free of all the exceptions now spoken of yet I affirme there is an infallibilitie and certaintie under the new also in the Doctrines of faith and worship and Christian Magistrates may infallibly and certainly know such and such Doctrines to be false and such true such Practises and speeches to be Idolatrous blasphemous as well as the Iewish Magistrates did and supposing that true which Hagiomastix saith that the Iewish Magistrates had a certaintie of knowledge in all difficult cases of Relgion by the judgement of Vrim which Christian Magistrates have not yet in another way and by other means they may have a certaintie and infallibilitie that these and these Doctrines are of God and other Doctrines are not of God when there are three or foure wayes to come to the certaine knowledge of a thing a man may be sure and certaine in one or two though he have not all the wayes A Iudge who hath three or foure honest witnesses and many circumstances with the parties own confession may be certaine though he might not see the fact committed nor have all wayes of knowledge that possible may be and so may Magistrates now in this case of Religion though they should want some one way the Magistrates under the new Testament had And for the certaintie and infallibilitie in matters of Religion under the new Testament it may apeeare thus 1. Hagiomastix must confesse upon his own Principles that during the Apostles times which was under the new Testament in all difficult cases that happened about matters of Religion Christian Magistrates might have had the same opportunities of immediate and infallible Answers as under the old Apostles Prophets then having as infallible immediate Revelations from God as the high Priests and therefore in case there had been Christian Magistrates in the Apostles days they might by this reason have exercised coercive power on Apostates Hereticks and Blasphemers as well as the Iewish Magistrates by which t is apparent those Lawes about false Prophets and Blasphemers were not only old Testament Lawes proper for Moses Paedagogie but new Testament Lawes and that for the prime flourishing state of the new Testament the Apostles times Secondly the Independents and Sectaries in many of their Books Sermonâ— and Discourses tell us of a time at hand wherein there will be a new and marveilous light when wee shall cleerly and certainly know the truth of these things now so much doubted of and controverted of the nature of a visible Church of the Government of the Church and such like Now then upon Master Goodwins cleare reason the old Testament Law for the putting of false Prophets c to death should be in force under the new Testament as well as under the old because then in all difficult cases in worship Doctrine c the Christians that live in those times may infallibly and certainly know the mind and pleasure of God in them Master Goodwin in his Postscript or Appendix to Hâ—giomastix the scope of which Discourse is to make inval'd that Zach. 13. 3. from being any ground for Civill coercive Power against false Prophets among other evasions interprets the place to relate to those times of refreshing to the Iewish Church and Nation the time when God intends to build up the Iewes again into a Church of far more inward grace and holines into a Nation of far more outward beauty strength and glory then ever was their portion since they first became a Church or Nation unto this day either in the one kind or in the other Now of that particular time and day of the new Testament t is especially Prophecied that outward coercive Power shall be exercised upon false Prophets And it shall come to passe that when any shall yet Prophesit 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 Prophecieth As for Hagiomast figurative sense put upon these words against the literall and proper and other his glosses to corrupt the text I shall speak to them in the 19. Thesis where I shall prove that Zach. 13. 3. to be a good proofe of the Magistrates coercive Power under the Gospel Thirdly for that time and those dayes under the new Testament between the Primitive Apostolicall Churches and the calling of the Iewes into which we fall and among which our times are to be numbred there is an infallibilitie and certaintie to be had in Doctrines of faith and Christian Religion and the best Oracles Magistrates have to direct them in matters of Religion now are not fallible and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake The Scriptures are an infallible and certaine rule the voice and word of God himselfe God speaking by them as by Vrim and Thummim Learned Bishop Davenant in his Disputation De judice ac norma fidei Cultus Christiani in answering that objection of the Papists if generall Councels could erre their should be no firme Iudgement in the Church to compose Controversies answers If the Papists speak of a humane judgement we acknowledge nonâ— so firme and infallible to which all men may safely and securely commit their faith without triall But if they speak of a divine judgement we affirme there is a firme and perpetuall judgement in the Church of all the Doctrines of faith namely the judgement of God speaking in the Scriptures for he is not to be confuted with arguments but to be reckoned among Atheists who denies in the Scriptures in the things of faith that there is a sentence pronounced by God himselfe and that intelligible firme and infallible Were those Answers by Divine inspiration and immediate Revelation So are the Scriptures of divine inspiration and immediate revelation also 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God 2 Pet. 1. 20 21. No Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private Interpretation for the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost were those Answers sure and certaine the Oracles of God among them so are the Scriptures sure and certain Psal 19. 7. The Testimony of the
before Apostles yea Angels and anathematizes them if they bring any other Gospel then what the Apostles had preached which in many places he declares was according to the Scriptures Chrysostome saith that the Scripture is to be preferd before the Angels in the matters of faith The word of God is the cheife and highest rule of faith for as learned Chamier writes The word of God is God speaking therefore look what is the authoritie of God speaking the same is of the word of God and therefore above Angels And by the way I desire the Reader to observe against Hagiomastix who makes such a do of infallibilitie that not whatsoever is infallible is the supreme rule of faith for that is a grand mistake to make every thing that is infallible the ground of beleeving or the cheife rule of it but this is the ground of being the supreme Rule of faith that it be summae suaeque authoritatis of supreme authoritie of it selfe and not from another which is apparent because Angels are infallible the Apostles also were ex particulari assistutia Spiritus and yet neither of them are nor have been the supreme Rule of the Church This Paul hath taught us in Gal. 1. 8. how Apostles and Angels are to be anathematized if they bring any other Gospel But these things are unworthy to be affirmed of the Rule of faith and especially of the supreme Rule which ought not to be so resembled to any thing that by that it should be corrected and ordered for then it ceases to be a Rule but rather that by the Rule especially the highest all things else are to be judged wherefore besides infallibilitie there is something else necessary to a thing that it should become a Rule namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that it be of cheife and of its owne Authoritie not of a subordinate and borrowed Authoritie from another but whoever would be further satisfied in this point let him read learned Chamier 6. Then Gods owne voice from heaven the Apostle Peter tels us 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. of that voice of God from heaven which came to Jesus Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased which Peter Iames Iob◠heard when they were with Christ in the holy mount Matth. 17. 5 6. and yet Peter speaking of the Scriptures and comparing them with this voice from the excellent glory writes thus We have also a more sure word of prophecie whereunto you doe well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place until the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts upon which words Interpreters on the Place and other learned men show however that voice from heaven being from God as the written Prophecies were was in it selfe as sure yet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken either for a most lure or very sure word a comparative for a superlative so used in other places of Scripture so setting forth to us the Scriptures being founded on the firmest and greaest authoritie or more sure or more firme So the word in the Greek properly signifies to the Christian Jewes to whom the Epistle was written which by long use and experience were more setled in their hearts and so sooner beleeved then the voice from heaven although that were sure also Christ in Joh. 5. from verse 31. to the 40. speaking of the many Testimonies concerning him as his own Johus testimony the Testimony of his works instances in the voice from heaven witnessing to him Matth. 3. 17. 17. Matth. 5. and then Christ goes to the Scriptures as the highest and cheifest Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke you have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me wee may observe the gradation of the witnesses Christs works greater then the Testimony of John the Fathers witnessing from heaven above that of his workes and the Scriptures testifying of him the last and greatest of all and for a conclusion of this Gods speaking to his Church under the new Testament especially since the Canon was sealed and confirmed as Divines speake that is by his Sonne making known the whole Evangelical Doctrine and Will of God concerning mans salvation is by the holy Ghost preferred far before the divers manners and wayes of Gods making known his will before as that of dreams visions Vrim and Thummim voice from heaven Angels c as is evident by Heb. 1. 1 2 3. compared with the second of Heb. 1. 2 3 4. In a word they who are so wicked to wrest and pervert manifest plaine places of Scripture would not if they had lived in those dayes have rested satisfied in the Sentences of the high Priest by Vrim in one comming from the dead in the Doctrine of an Apostle or Angel or in a voice from heaven but would have made cavils and sound pretences to have eluded and evaded all or any of those as well as the Scriptures in all which I might give particular instances but for present I shall instance only in the voice from heaven of which voice from heaven John 12. 28 29 30. though it was so plain and distinct testifying Christ to be sent of God and the Messiah yet t is perverted and misinterpreted as much as the Scriptures of which voice from heaven how perverted I referre the Reader to learned Rollock Calvin and other Interpreters on that place of Scripture and so much for this seventh Answer Eightly Supposing all Hagiomastix saith in page 46. 47. and 130 to be true that that sentence of the Priest or Iudge against which hee that would doe presumptuously was to be put to death was only a sentence upon enquiry by Vrim and Thummim and that the Iewes opportunitie of immediatenesse of consultation with the mouth of God himselfe was a cleer reason why that old Testament Law for putting of false Prophets c to death was given to them yet it followes not these Laws cannot be in force now unlesse that can be made apparence to have been the only reason and ground of the Magistrates punishing for if there were other reasons as well under the old Testament of those Lawes and that by God formally and particularly declared and expressed as t is evident there were and I have proved page 70. 76. and divers other pages of this Treatise then they being in force still the Lawes bind though one particular reason or more proper to that time bee ceased I might instance in many morall things commanded under the old Testament that unquestionably I suppose in Master Goodwins judgement are in force under the new of which among other reasons given there was some one particular reason proper to the Iewes that holds not now but for this I refer the Reader to page 83. of this Book and to put an end to these eight Answers to the sixth evasion of Hagiomastix page 46. 47 130 I shall only mind him
contemned Fourthly Whereas punishment by the Magistrate and cutting off by death under the old Testament in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c is made a Ceremonie and type of excommunication under the new Testament cutting off of casting out and of eternal damnation I may truly Answer this is gratis dictum said but not proved and therefore might deny it without giving any reason and bid the Patrons of Toleration prove it but that the Civill Magistrates punishing delinquents under the old Testament was no Ceremonie nor Type I shall give these reasons 1. Ceremonies shadowes Typical things under the old Law were either of things past or things to come the remembrances of things already done or the Praesignifications of future things but Ceremonies and Types were not the signification of things present and existent Now excommunication and eternal damnation were at that time under the old Law when those commands of punishing with death the Apostate faise Prophet c were given and in use That excommunication and cutting off from the Church were in the Church of the Ieweâ— in the times of the good Kings and Magistrates punishing Idolaters c with the Civil sword let the Reader Consult Aarons Rod blossoming 1 Book 4. 5 6 7. chapt That there was Hell and eternall damnation under the old Law as well as the new both before those commands in Deut. 13. 17. were given and all along after many places of Scripture show as Isaiah 30. 33. 2 Pet. 4. Jude 5. 6 7 that mention Hell for the evil Angels Sodomites the unbeleeving Israelites that came out of Egypt and the wicked Kings of Israel and Judah and therefore that which Hagiomastix saith that cutting off from his People under the Law it exchanged for casting out from his people under the Gospel is very false for there was casting out from the Church as well then as now yea cutting off spoken of in the old Testament in many places means nothing else but casting out of the Church by excommunication for full proofe of which I referre the Reader to Aarens rod blossoming 1. Book cap. 5. pag. 55. 56 57 58 59 As also that passage is not true that the expression of cutting off where ever t is found in the Gospel is mâ—tephorical and allusive only for cutting off is used in the new Testament for cutting of by bodily death as in Gal. 5. 12. and else where the proof of which I referre to the 20. Thesis where I shall handle it fully Secondly The same things may be said with as much reason against bodily outward punishments for breaches of the second Table Adultery Murder Theft as against outward punishing for Apostasie c and if they hold not good against the second Table neither do they against the first Thirdly The Civil Magistrates punishing for moral transgressions is no Ceremonie nor Type acts of morall justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they never were accounted Typical or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scriptures into an Allegory and Master Cotton answering such a like evasion in the Bloudy Tenet saith Did ever any Apostle or Evangelist make the judicial Laws of Moses concerning life and death ceremonial and Typical Time was when humane inventions in Gods worship were accounted superstition But now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for currant Evangelical Divinity And in another place To make a judicial Law a figure without some light from some Scripture is to make a mans selfe wise above that which is written Fifthly the making these expresse commands of God concerning punishing Idolaters false Prophets Blasphemers types and figures of spiritual and eternal punishments of excommunication damnation c is by turning the Scriptures into an Allegory and forsaking their literal sense against the rules of interpretation given by the most Orthodox Divines as Augustine and others a making them utterly void and as opening a wide doore to all errors and foolish conceits that as often as men know not how to answer the Scriptures that crosse their Opinions and lusts and yet have a mind to keepe their Opinions they may still fly to this and say This Scripture is not to be taken litterally but mystically and Allegorically Beza in that judicious Tractate of his De Haereticis a Magistratu puniendis in Answer to Montfortius a grand Patron of Toleration in those times who in many places of his writings made use of this Invention that corporall punishment under the old Law as stoning was no figure of any bodily punishment to be now inflicted but of eternal to which we ought to leave Hereticks or else of that punishment which is inflicted not by a corporal sword but a spiritual the lively word of God writes thus For this was the speciall subtiltie of Sathan of old which yet not one almost of the ancient Fathers observed that when he could not cast the Scripture out of the Church wholly yet by vaine Allegories he made the whole Scripture unprofitable and fabuloùs so as truely there was not one peice of Scripture left free of being contaminated with these Allegories which very course also the Anabaptists and Libertines take at this day But this I would that they should at length show us out of what place of Scripture they have learned that invention and device of the shadowes and figures of the judiciall Lawes Per in Ceremonies and so in some Histories from the Authoritie of Scripture I acknowledge these things But of judicial Lawes or corporall Idolatrie which might shadow out spirituall I remember not that I have ever read any thing But for further satisfaction in this particular I refer the Reader to the Tractate of Beza page 156. 167. Sixthly supposing all Hagiomastix saith were true that those bodily punishments commanded by God under the old Law to be inflicted upon false Prophets Idolaters Seducers Blasphemers had been in some sense typical and Praesignificative of those greater and more spiritual under the Gospel yet it followes not that they are ceased now and may not be lawfully practised for they may remaine and be made use of though the other sense intended be fulfilled too there is a compound sense of some Places of Scripture litteral and historical figurative and spirituall as Weems in his Christian Synagogue second Book page 223. 224 225 226 227 228 showes in which cases when the spiritual is fulfilled eminently the literal is not abolished of which I might give many instances but shall onely name one viz. that of Deut. 25. 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corne. Now though the spiritual sense of that place be the not muzling the mouth of the Ministers who labour in the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 9. yet the litteral sense holds stil that a man should forbeare to muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corâ—â— or at least t is not unlawfull to forbeare besides by the
same reason the Decalogue the whole ten commandements are overthrown too for both in Moses his giving the moral Law and in the commands themselves with the preface from the second verse of the 20. of Exod. to verse 18. there are divers particulars typical and figurative of things under the Gospel temporall corporall things of spiritual and heavenly of which I having spoken before in this Book pag. 24. 25 83 85. and many learned Divines giving instances in this kind * as Zepperus Rivitus Master Burgesse I shall inlarge no further but referre the Reader to those Books Having laid downe divers reasons to prove the commands under the old Law for Magistrates punishing false Prophets Apostates Blasphemers to be of common reason and equity given to all Nations and for all Ages and having answered the most materiall grounds brought by the Patrons of Toleration to make void those commands as not binding under the new Testament I come in the third place to answer those evasions and shifts brought by Iacobus Acontius Minus Celsus Senensis and Hagiomastix `that if it should be granted that all and every the Lawes contested about as well that for putting to death the false Prophet as those for inflicting punishment upon the Idolater and Blasphemer were moral and still in force under the Gospel yet these could not reach unto Hereticks and false Teachers among us at not being those false Prophets Idolaters Blasphemers spoken of in the old Law If it can be proved that Hereticks are those Blasphemers false Prophets Apostates which Moses commands to be killed then it shall be acknowledged Hereticks are to be killed but there is a large difference between a Heretick and such a false Prophet or Apostate as the Presbyterians in their owne definition of Hereticks make A Heretick does not deny God the Creator of heaven and earth neither doth he teach that other gods are to be worshipped a Heretick does not deny the name of Christ a Heretick does not deny the word of God which an Apostate does So that the word of God may be used as a weapon against Hereticks which against an Apostate cannot A Heretick therefore is not mentioned nor touched in any one word of these Lawes But if any will go about to draw these Lawes unto an Heretick that cannot be done by the proper force of the words but as the Lawyers speake per extensionem latamque interpretationem by stretching of them and far fetched interpreation And it would first be well considered of whether every Law does admit of such extensions and if not every one which of them then does admit and wherfore and whether in this Law there are those things for which an extension is to be made By the false Prophet who was commanded to be put to death Deut. 13. 5. was not meant every Heretick or erroneous person nor yet those who taught or published any false Doctrine though of dangerous consequence but only those who endeavoured to perswade men to the worship of a false god that by affirming that they spake by the inspiration of some deitie and that their sayings were to be esteemed Oracles What Doctrine it was which made the Prophet or Teacher of it guilty of death is expresly determined in the Law it selfe and asserted to be this Let us goe after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them And that the Law of God made against false Prophets and worshippers of false Gods was not intended against those who otherwise held that the Law of God was to be kept but were infected with some other error is sufficiently evident from hence because in former times among the Iewes who were affected with a vehement love and zeale towards their law Hereticks notwithstanding were tolerated and particularly the Sadduces These although the greatest part of the people and the Rulers beleeved them to erre exceedingly neverthelesse they were not expelled the Citie neither exempted from being Magistrates or bearing any other Civill office yea they were not hindred from coming to the Temple or the Synagogues The Scribes and Pharisees also both held and taught many most dangerous and erroneous Doctrines yet were they also in great honor and esteeme in this Church and state And though our Saviour upon occasion reasoned against yea and reproved them all for holding and teaching these errors and gave warning to take heed of them yet did he never charge this Church or State or those that bare office in either with sin or unfaithfulnesse in their places for not proceeding against them in regard of their errors either by imprisonment or death And yet we know that the Zeale of his Fathers House did eat him up and that he attempted a reformation amongst them yea Christ did teach and presse upon men all and all manner of duties from judgement mercy and faith even to the paying tithe of Mint Annise and Cummin Now unto these and other such like besides some hints I have already given upon the 14. Thesis which may serve in part for satisfaction to some of these evasions I desire the Reader to mind these following Answers First there are other places of Scripture both of commands or else examples approved by God concerning the punishing with death or restraining by Civil power the last of which makes good the point in hand against Hagiomastix and other Libertines as well as that of death for other faults in matters of Religion besides Blasphemie Apostasie and false Prophecying in the sense now alledged by Hagiomastix and his Compeers which these following instances prove First in Deut. 13. 6 7 8 9 10 that very chapter verse 5. brought by Hagiomastix to prove only those were to be put to death who endeavoured to perswade men to the worship of a false God and that by affirming that they spake by the inspiration of some deitie and that their sayings were to be esteemed by Oracles the Holy Ghost layes downe the contrary giving a distinct Precept and command from that of the false Prophet or dreamer of dreams who publickly and openly sollicites to Apostasie concerning the killing of such who in a hidden and clancular way seduce T is observed by learned Junius in his Analytical explication on Deut. 13. that there are two sorts of Seducers to Apostasie commanded to be put to death the one of such who publickly and boldly sollicite who are spoken of in the 5 first verses the other of such who secretly intice in verse 6. and the five following Now however the false Prophet or dreamer of dreames might pretend to speak by the inspiration of some deitie for which the 5 verse of the 13. is quoted by Hagiomastix yet the private enticers to Apostasie as the daughter the wife of the bosome the Son besides that they are made a different sort from the Prophet and dreamer of dreams and those six verses from the sixt to the twelfth containe a distinct command from the five first
grâ—sse then the Papists I referre the Reader to the Theses of learned Voetius De necessitate utilitate Dogmatis de saâ—stâ— Trinitate who fully and excellently proves all these particulars In the ancient Constitutions of Gratian Valentinian Theodosius Martian Iustinian Antitrinitarians are said Iewishly and Apostatically to contradict the Trinitie and the name of Christians is denied them Are not Anti-trinitatians as Paul Best that hath belched out so many reproachfull speeches against Christ and the Holy-Ghost Blasphemers in a high measure Are not they who doe not only speak evill of the Trinitie but teach others so to doe greater Blasphemers then those spoken of in Levit. 24. 16 Are not divers Anabaptists who have broached false Doctrines and foretold divers things to come as the day of judgement to be on such a day such a City or Country to be destroyed on such a day such a Citie or Kingdome to be given them of God and that by affirming they spake by Revelation and immediate inspiration of God false Prophets as well as those in Deut. 13. 2. Deut. 18. 20 22 In a word I shall conclude this with a passage out of * Beza De Haereticis a Magistratu puniendis brought by way of Answer to a like objection against Deut. 13. c Those Lawes are not now in force because there is no man now a false Prophet according to Moses definition that is who foretels any thing to come and teaches to worship other gods I answer that the mind of the Law-giver is to be understood from the cause of making the Law Because he hath spoken to turne away from the Lord your God Now there are divers publick Declarations of this defection of which although the Principall only and those which most commonly fall out be named in the Laws yet the very reason of the Law is expressed in a universall forme and therefore in the general oúght to be in force against those who doe fall from the true religion and sollicite others to defection whom in a generall word we call now Hereticks not false Prophets or dreamers of dreams or Sacrificers to other gods because that those out ward ceremonies and those gifts of Prophecie are ceased But though they be ceased notwithstanding neither defection nor the punishment of it is ceased Moreover I say those who interpret the holy Scripture wrongfully withdraw men from the true worship of God and so perswade them to the worship of other gods For t is necessary that all Doctrine which speaks of the worship of God if it be not of God it proceeds from the Devil Therefore he that receives it intertains the Devil and he that perswades the receiving it drawes away from God For Paul cals the Doctrines of forbidding meats and marriage the Doctrines of Devils Fourthly In the commands given by God either against such and such sins or for punishing in such and such sins without any stretching of the commands at all or interpretations at large many things not named must necessarily be contained as under generals the particulars as under one kind other kinds of a higher nature or of the like nature as under the male the female also and other such or else many common received Rules given by Divines for interpretation of the Decalogue and Scripture are to be rejected Yea many things that are evill and abominable are not forbidden in the Law of God There are many things may be instanâ—ed in out of the new Testament of which God showes his dislike which yet in the letter and particularly by name are not forbidden in any of the commands of the old Testament as Rom. 1. 26. with divers others that might be named and there are many abominations that have been are and may be committed even of things against the light of nature that are neither in the old Testament nor new forbidden particularly and yet certainly these things are forbidden directly and properly in the commandements and the commandements are not stretcht nor wyre-drawn by those who alledge such commands against such Practises If the Scriptures must set down particularly by name all the kinds and degrees of evils with the particular manner and way of doing them which the corrupt nature of man is capable of committing and al particulars of all kinds and manner of duties with all particular cases about punishments and all kinds and degrees of punishment belonging to all kind of offences that may fall out and that both in Civil and Ecclesiastical censures with the particular way and manner of proceeding in them all I suppose some hundreds of great volumes would not containe them all but that it might be said in this case as t is Iohn 21. the last verse of the things which Iesus did that if they should be written every one the world it selfe could not containe the Books that should be written And if there must not be an extension and interpretation of commands so as to hold such commands and places of Scripture forbid or enjoyne some things not particularly named how will Hagiom prove many things practised by Papists and Prelaticall men to be against the second command or against any command as the making Crosses for Religion Holy-Water Saints Reliques bowing at the name of Jesus Holy-Dayes Surplices Altar-Clothes with a hundred other Ceremouies and Inventions of men in the worship of God are these literally and by name forbidden in the second command or any other and may not the Papists and Prelates in all the texts of Scripture brought against their Wil-worship and Inventions of men say the very same to Hagiomastix and his fellowes that Crosses Holy-Dayes bowing at the name of Iesus c are not mentioned nor touched in any one word of those Laws under the old Testament given against Idolatrie But if any one will goe about to draw these words unto their Crosses c that cannot bee done by the proper force of the words but as Lawâ—ers speake per extensionem latamque interpretationem And it would be first well considered of whether every Law does admit of such extensions and if not every one which of them then does admit and wherefore and whether in the second commandement there are those things for which an extension is to be made Again I desire Hagiomastix and his compeers to resolve me these questions seeing there must be no extension of that command in Deut. 13. 1 5. nothing else commanded but what is in the letter of the Law Whether a false Prophetesse that should arise and endeavour to perswade to the worship of a false God and that by affirming she spake by the inspiration of some deitie and that her saying's were to be esteemed Oracles were not to be put to death by virtue of this command as well as the false Prophet and yet a Propheâ—esse is not in the text Whether that command Exod. 21. 33 34. of the owner of the pit into which his neighbours Oxe or Asse fell making good the
Oxe or Asse and giving money to the Owner of them did not bind as much if a Horse or a Sheep fell into it and yet the words of the Law are only the Oxe or the Asse and not a Horse or Sheep Whether that command concerning the putting to death those children that did curse or strike their Parents though it expressed not in the letter death for killing of them did not include much more death upon those who killed their Parents and so I might instance in many more particulars But for a conclusion of this fourth Answer I shall end with a passage out of Maccovius in a Disputation of his De Lege judiciali that the perfection of the judicial Laws require that we should hold no case can fal out which cannot from the analogie of the Law for of like there is the same judgement be determined From the analogie and similitude of things t is easie to understand that the same Law and Right is to be observed referring the Reader for more satisfaction to page 31. 32 33. of this present Tractate Fifthly as to that brought by Hagiomastix and the rest that the Law of God made against false Prophets and worshippers of false Gods was not intended against those who otherwise held the Law of God was to be kept but were infected with some error because in former times among the Jewes who were affected with a vebement love and zeale towards their Law Hereticks notwithstanding were tolerated and particularly the Sadduces these were not exempted from being Magistrates The Scribes and Pharisees also that taught many dangerous errors yet were in great honor in this Church and State I answer 1. Hagiomastixs foundation upon which he raises this argument is unfound for the Scribes Pheriâ—ees and others in place in the time of tolerating the Sadduces Herodians and other Hereticks which was in Christs time were not zealous of the Law of God as is evident by many of Christs Sermons reproving them for want of love and zeale to the Law and the true worship of God Matth. 5. from the 19. verse to the end of the chapter Matth. 15. from verse 3. to the 10. Matth. 23. from verse 3. to the 29. verse They were zealous indeed of the traditions of the Elders and of their owne Superstitions and Devices but not of the Law of God they corrupted and transgressed the Lawes of God by their traditions and hypocrisies but had no true love nor zeale to the Law nor the Jewish Religion and therefore no wonder they tolerated Sadduces Herodians c but of this point how religion was then mightily corrupted and all things out of order I have spoken before in p. 30. of this Treatise and so wil not tautologize 2. Can Hagiomastix upon second thoughts think the Practise of the Rulers of the Jewes and the people that followed them in a time so desparately corrupt as that was when Church and State hastened to destruction and all things were amisse a safe Ground for Christian Magistrates to walke by and not rather judge they did amisse in that as well as in other things and that their Practice is not a probable Rule to be followed I shall mind him of one particular instanced in by himselfe viz their not hindring the Sadduces and other Hereticks from coming to the Temple or the Synagogues which if it were well done t is by this argument as unlawful for the Church to censure her members with Ecclesiasticall censures for any Hereticall Tenets as for the Civil Magistrate to punish and so all Church Censures for Heresies and false Doctrines are overthrown as well as civil whereas I took it for granted Church censures in matters of Religion had been Lawfull viz. A spiritual weapon suitable by their owne confession for a spirituall evill Heresie and M. S. a good Friend of Hagiomastixs in answer to that Argument against Toleration Revel 2. 20. yeelds it saying that 's meant of Church censures but not of bodily outward punishment by the Magistrate and therefore I think the practise of the People and their Rulers suffering Sadduces and all other Hereticks to be no better argument for Justification of a Toleration then their practise of crucifying Christ a Justification of that 3. Besides that all may see what you and your party aime at in speaking of the Pharisees and Saduces being in honour in the Jewish State Magistrates and bearing civill offices not a bare Toleration of your consciences but that you may be in places of honour government and profit This gives us a cleare reason of the Toleration of Errors in those times namely that Scribes Pharisees and Saduces were in places of power and government had a great interest in Church and State and therefore no wonder if they would tolerate themselves and their owne Opinions can you think it a good argument that Adulterers and theeves ought to be tolerated because Adulterers and Theeves having power suffer such to goe unpunished Or can you thinke it reason to say many Papists Anabaptists being in places of Government suffered Papists Anabaptints therefore t is the duty of the godly Magistrate to suffer them and all other Hereticks Pray Master Hagiomastix resolve me this question seeing Scribes Pharisees and such like were Magistrates and in places of power and honour who should punish Pharisees and Saduces for their Errors and dangerous Opinions Sixthly as to that last clause that Christ did never charge this Church or State or those that bore office in either with â—in or unfaithfulnesse for not proceeding against the Sadduces Pharisees c. in regard of their Errors either by imprisonment or death and yet Christ did teach and presse upon men all and all manner of duties I answer First how is that proved he never did Can the Patrons of Toleration Minus Celsus Senensis Hagiomastix c make it follow by saying t is no where written in the Gospels and therefore he never reproved them can they reason from the Scriptures negatively in matters of fact such things never were because theâ— are not spoken of what thinkâ— they of that Axiome Anon dicto ad non factâ—â— noâ— valet consequentia were not there many things that Christ did which were not written Iohn 21. the last verse But if they will reply yes in some things but not in matters of judgement righteouâ—nesse such a weighty matter as this is made to be I rejoyne that in many weighty matters of the Law and justice Christ either spoke not particularly of them or if he did they are not written neither can be found in the Gospels more then this of punishing Sadduces and other Hereticks in matter of Religion I might instance in many things unquestionably forbidden or commanded by God in the Morall Law that are not particularly spoken of in the Gospels which yet from hence to reason against them wery vere bad Divinity What instances can be given of Christs giving any commands to those in place
others and the common grace of God which removall of impediments with the end laid down cannot but be morall also Junius in his Analysis upon this chapter showes t is an Appendix to the worship of God and Zepperus in his Tractate of the mosaical Lawes saith that this of defection by false Prophets is an Appendix of the first commandement Now as the chapter it selfe cleers it and divers learned Divines writing upon the chapter shows this 13. chap. is not all one commandement but there are three distinct commands in this chapter the first of the false Prophet publickly teaching Apostasie in the five first verses the second of the Clandestine Seducer in the six verses following the third of a publick defection of a whole Citie which being observed wel considered besides what I have said already to Hagiomastixs answer that the command in Deut. 13. concerning the putting of false Prophets and Seducers to death cannot bind because then whole Cities must be destroyed Cattel c fully answers all he speaks in this kind because that latter part of the chapter upon which he vapors so is a distinct command quite another thing from that in the first verse to the 5. as also from that of the 6. to the 12. So that t is a meere fallacie to confound Lawes which are distinct to speak all along of that 13. chapt as one Law and command for so he does page 48. 47. make them all one fallacia compositionis is easily discovered by dividing and distinguishing the commands which God hath made distinct and therefore the one command may be in force and wee neither add nor diminish ought from it although the other which is no part of it may not but be more proper to the Iewes and only in some particular cases of which I shall speak more presently and among many differences that might be observed between the two former commands in the first 11. verses and this about a Citie this is plainly one whereas these are commands founded expresly upon generall reasons common to all because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God c this is not spoken of at all in the case of the Citie but t is grounded upon a reason peculiar to the Iews as some learned men observe from v. 12. If thou shalt heare say in one of thy Cities which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there the foundation of that command being ceremoniall because it hath a particular respect to thaâ— Land the Lord gave them to dwell in God being in a certaine singular kind of manner the Lord of that Land upon which place of Scripture Junius writing showes the destroying of the Citie utterly with the devoting of all things therein to destruction to be ceremoniall and so not to take place now yea it was not of force among the Iewes themselves but only in one particular case when a Citie openly by publick Authoritie defended and maintained Apostasie from God and therefore though in a Citie there had been hundreds of Apostates whether publick or private Seducers which all were to have suffered by vertue of the former Lawes of the first 11. verses of this chapter yet so long as openly by publick Authoritie of that Citie these were not defended nor maintained although these particular Apostates were commanded to be put to death all the inhabitants among whom they lived were not commanded to be put to death muchlesse the Cattell and all things within it to be burnt with fire and the Reader for his further satisfaction herein besides what I have written of this in page 85. 86 87. may consult with Junius in his Analyt explication on Deut. 13. 543. 544. who resolves the question and case thus That in this chapter there are three things concurr the morall right the ceremoniall and the Political That which is of morall right that according to the substance remains and therefore it followes that who foe is guilty of so great wickednesse and obstinacie as Moses describes in this chapter ought to receive the reward and punishment of his 〈◊〉 and that by the Law of God and nature whose Minister and Helper the judicial and political Law is but that which is ceremonial and is in the last part of this chapter where God commands to destroy the Citie and devote all things in it to a curse hath no place now because the foundation of this command is ceremoniall For the Political and judicial Law which hath its foundation partly in the divine and naturall Law and partly in the ceremoniall it followes from thence whatsoever in the judicial Law simply belongs to the preservation of the naturall and moral Law ought according to the substance to be observed but whatsoever things are of ceremonial right to them the Magistrate is not bound but the publick safety and prevention of so great evils laying aside ceremonies according to natural and moral right ought to be procured and sought for by him Secondly I might manifest the flightnesse and weaknesse of Hagiomastixs evasions of those old Testament Lawes by drawing them briefly into one and showing the several fallacies and paralogismes one after another as arguing Falsa Suppositione Adicto secundum quid A particulari ad vniversale Fallacia compositionis et divisionis c As also had I wanted matter I could have run out in flourishing words and at the end of every Reply to his evasions have stood triumphing over him as he does over the Authors of the Vindicaâ—ion saying O Independents and Sectaries if your Teachers yea your great Rabbi and Oracle bring such poore and weak Stuffe for their Tenets and way you had need to take heed and beware of them least the blind lead the blind and both ful into the ditch But I consider I am handling a great Controversie in Divinitie a point about Conscience and that t is not comely to speak of it in a light and scossing way and therefore shall not offer to contend with Master John Goodwin in that way contenting my selfe to have aimed at hard Arguments and fore words Thirdly I might take occasion to set out the â—olly and horrible pride of the man in boasting and glorying in such poore weak Stuffe and that stollen out of Minus Câ—â—suâ— Sâ—â—â—â—sis behaving himselfe like à gloriosus miles I might annex and fasten each of his vapouring insolent insultations over his three supposed Adversaries unto each Answer by which his folly and vanitie would be made manifest to all in excessive boasting when he hath performed so little but I will forbear to deal with him in that way and shall conclude this 17. Thesis and all my Answers to his evasions in speaking sadly to his Conscience though I much feare in this Argument of Libertie of Conscience he hath little Conscience left or is capable of any Conviction this being his Sanctuary and Protection to safegard him from the trouble and danger of al
non est nobis Christianis â—ttendendum in religione quid dictitet lumen naturae sed quid nobis sanctae Scripturae praescribant quae ad hoc sunt datae ut ad omne bonum opus instructi red daemur licet 〈◊〉 in iis quae fidei nostra mysteria concernuâ—â— non sit câ—asulendu lex naturae sed magis sacrae Scriptura simul tamen conteâ—â—i 〈◊〉 debent quae diviâ—oconsilio 〈◊〉 â—estric naturaliter â—sureâ— inscripta qualis est lex illa quam naturae vocamus cujâ—â— nobis directionem Prophetae Christus Apostoli commendant * O Vtinam bodie amputentur omnes illi falsi Doctores ac Pastores qui â—â—â—pus Ecclesiarum Christi sic occupant ut inde avelli non posse videantur nisi quemadmodâ—m vesâ—es ferro exciduntur abjiciuntur iâ—a ipsi quoque forti â—anu pâ—r Christianos Magistratus â—mputentur quâ— salus fidelium quae periâ—litatur recuperâ—tur * De Haeresi p. 611 612. De illis hereâ—icis loquer qui et si graviter errent haud tameâ— blasphemi sunt adversus Deum Blasphemum lex Dei vivere non patitur * Musculus in quâ—tum praecept pag. 81 82. non dico simpliciter ad solos Israelitas pertinere Decalogi hujus observantiam sed quateâ—us pertinet ad legem Mosaicam tabulas â—abet foederis à Deo cum Israele initi Hacteâ—us utique neque Gentes neque Christianâ—s constringit sed solos Israelitas quos legis hujus dispensatio peculiariter nominatim concernit Interea tamen scienduâ— est quae in hoc Decalogo 〈◊〉 nentur quatenus in sesunt bona justa aequa pia ad legem naturae pertinent hactenus illorum observantiam pertinere ad omnes Quatenus Israelitis per Mosem legaliter est traditus solos Israelitas legaliter constringit quatenus vero cum lege naturae justitia equitate consentit non solos Israelitas sed omnes homines ad sui observantiam habet obnoxios Muscul de legibus 141 142. Episcop Winton opusc pag. 145. Ames lib. 5. cas consc cap. 1. Mepul lib. 2. cap. 13. * Judiâ—iales leâ—es proprie illae fuerunt quae cum non fuerunt caremoniales singularem populum Judaicum respectum habuere ita ut ratio causa fundamentum earuÌ„ posituÌ„ fuerit in illius populi peculiari aliqua çonditione Leges igitur illae quae judicialibus annumerari solent tamen in ratione sua nulluâ— singularem respectum habuerunt ad conditionem Judaeoâ—um magis quaÌ„ aliorum populorum illae omnes sunt juris moralis ac naturalis omnium populorum communes * Kekerman lib. 1. cap. 7. Dâ— praedicam Substantiae lib. 1. cap. 21. Burgerdis Institut Logic. l. 1. c. 13. c. 4. Seton Log. De Substantia Substantia quà substantia non variatur gradibus seu non recipit magis minus Substantia eadem numero permanens potest contraria accidentia in se suscipere Accid communia recipiunt gradus Accidens est quod adest abest sine subjecti interitu Accidentia sunt seperabilia à subjecto * Cas Cons lib. 5. cap. 1. De Jure * Zepperi Mosaic Leg. Forens explanat l. 1. c. 6 de varia legum mosaicaruÌ„ composit pag. 36. 37. Decalogus sane ut nt mere moralis immutabilis perpetuus videri queat aliquid tamen cereminiale forense admixtuÌ„ habet Quintum praeceptuÌ„ morale est quatenus parentibus a liberis honorem exhiberi vult judiciale politicum quatenus terrae Chanaan benedictionis in illa promissionem continet Ceremoniale in super aliquid quatenus Chananaea terra typus erat caelestis illius patriae vid. ibi plura Rivet explicat Decal p. 12. promissio enim addiâ—a praecepto quinto expresse loquitur de terra-quam Deus erat daturus populo quae hoc tempore nos non respieit * Danaus in Tim. 2. Epistol Dedicat. in cap. 3. v. 15. cap. 5. v. 14. * Apologet Narration Meere circumstances we except or what rules the Law of nature doth in common dictate ☞ * The stoning to death with stones Idolaters false Prophets was not essentiall as Zach. 13. 3. showes who there prophecies they shall be thrust through not stoned ☞ * Beza De Haeret a Magistr Page 154. Judicialis autem Lâ—xeam duntaxat justitiae aequitatis parteÌ„ sigillatim explicat quae in iis rebus versatur de quibus judicia constituta sunt * Ames lib. 5. Cas Consc cap. 1. de jure ista Lex judicialis quae per Mosen traditae fuit Israelitis ut eorum propria fuit ipsis accuratissima determinatio accommodatio juris naturalis secundum illius populi singulaâ—em determinationem Ista Lex ad Christianos pertinet tantum sub ratione doctrinae quatenus vel generali sua natura vel proportionis aquitate exhibet semper nobis optimam naturalis juris determinationem ☜ Calvin Refutâ—t errorum Serveti in Quaest an Christianis Judicibus Hâ—reticos punire liceat p. 59â— * Cretensis p. 11. * A letter by way of Answer to a letter of Mr. Vicars A candle to see the Sunne Apolog for some passages in Hagiomastix by divers Independents * Viz. that of Deut. 13. 5. 9 * Eusebii Eccles Histor lib. 7. cap. 29. * Rivet explicat Decal p. 209. * Theod. Hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. 20. * Appendix to Hagiomastix Apolog. of some of Mr. Goodwins Church for Hagiomastix A Candle to light the Sun Whitak disput de sacra Script contra Bellarm. Staplet De Scripturae authoritate perspicuitate interpretatione perfectione John Whites way to the true Church Rob. Baron Apodixis Catholica sive Apologia pro Disput. dâ— Firmali objecto Fidei Rivet Cathol Orthâ—dox Tractat. Prim. de Scriptura With divers Pamphlets of Saltmarsh and walwyn for liberty of Conscience ☜ * Juuius in locuÌ„ Narratio de litis contestatione qua accusatur Jeremia v. 11. seipsum defendit Defensio Jeremiae juridicialis absoluta ut vocant Rhetores incipiens concludens a vocatione dei jure ab ipso factuÌ„ afferens * See in Mr. Gillesp Aarons rod blossoming p. 18 19 20. * Aainsworth Annot. on Exod 28. 30. Numb 27. 21. Eleazar shal aske councell of God for Joshua in all doubtfull cases in all their warre c. Diodates Annot. on Numb 27. 21. 2 Sam. 21. 1. Annor of our English Divines on Exod 28. 30. Iuniâ— Annot. in Num. 27. 21. 1 Sam. 28. 6. * Petr. Mart. loc commun Class 1. cap. 7. Weems Christian Synagogue chap. 4. Theodoret. Quaest. in Exod quaest 60. Suara pectus erat Indumenti genus quod Rationale vecabatur tegens cor partem ration alem Quo quidem vestimento cognoscebatur victoria ne an clades bello immuneret ut perspicuum est ex Historiam Regnorum * Petr Mart loc commun Class 1. cap. 7. Hic ut inquit Chambi mos erat interrogandi