of their City saying Let us go and serve other gods which we have not known Then shalt thou inquire and make search and ask diligently And behold if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought amongst you Thou shalt surely smite the Inhabitants of that City with the edge of the sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the cattle thereof with the edge of the sword And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof and shalt burn with fire the City and all the spoil thereof every whit for the Lord thy God and it shal bee an heap for ever it shal not be built again And there shal cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand that the Lord may turn from the fiercenesse of his anger and shew thee mercy and have compassion upon thee and multiply thee as he hath sworn unto thy fathers When thou shalt hearken to the voâ—c of the Lord thy God to keep all his Commandments which I command thee this day to do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord thy God Which is thus seconded Deut. 17. 2. to 8. If there be found among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord thy God in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other gods and worshipped them either the Sun or the Moon or any of the host of heaven which I have not commanded And it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and enquired diligently and behold it be true and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which have committed that wicked thing unto thy gates even that man or that woman and shalt stone them with stones til they dye At the mouth of two witnesses shal â—e that is worthy of death be put to death but at the mouth of one witnesse he shal not be put to death The hands of the witnesses shal be first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hands of all the people so thou shalt put the evil away from among you From which two Texts I shal deduce these undeniable Conclusions First That false Prophets and Dreamers of dreams may arise among Gods own people and do signs wonders and predict things which may come to pass which is more I suppose then any of our pretended New-Lights Dreamers or false Prophets now can do Secondly That the end of such Dreamers and false Prophets is but to draw people to go after other gods which they have not formerly known and to serve them or to worship the true God in an undue newfangled manner Thirdly That God suffers such false Prophets and New seducing Lights to arise among his people of purpose to prove them to know whether they love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul Fourthly That Gods people must not hearken to such false Prophets Dreamers and New-Lights though they do signs and wonders but walk after the Lord their God and fear him and keep his Commandments and obey his voyce and serve and cleave unto him and that those that follow such false Prophets and Dreamers do neither truly love fear serve obey nor cleave to God Fifthly That such false Prophets and Dreamers were by Gods express Command to be PUT TO DEATH by the Magistrate and people though they actually seduced none from God even because they had spoken revolt against the Lord their God to turn them away from him to thrust them out of the way which the Lord their God commanded them to walk in Sixthly That the putting of such to death is so far from being an evil or sin of persecution that it is the only way to put away the evill of Idolatry False-Worship sin plague and punishment from the midst of them ver 5. Seventhly that if not onely such false Prophets and dreamers but even any mans own natural brother son daughter wife nighest bosome and most endeared friend which is as his own soul should entice him secretly to go and serve other gods or the true God in a new and false manner which he and his fathers had not known be it what fals god soever he must neither consent nor hearken to them neither shal his eye pity them neither shal he spare nor conceal them but he SHAL SURELY KIL THEM without mercy and his own hand shal be first upon them to put them to death and afterwards the hands of all the people and they shal stone them with stones that they dye not because they actually seduced him or others but because they sought to thrust him away from the Lord his God If then the nearest and dearest of all others to us must be put to death without mercy in such a case then much more others who are not so neerly related to us Gods glory and our zeal to preserve his sincere Worship must admit of no respect of persons no toleration connivance or compassion in such a case as this Eighthly That exemplary capital punishments upon private or open enticers to Idolatry and False-Worship is a special means appointed by God to preserve and convert others from Idolatry and Apostacy Verse 11. And all Israel shal hear and fear and do no more any such wickedness as this is among you The Sword of Justice wil by Gods own Institution suppress prevent yea reform Idolatry Apostacy False-Worship and Heresie as wel as the Word the Sword of the Spirit and prevails herein many times when the Word it self is ineffectual Ninthly That Magistrates are to make diligent search and inquiry after False-Teachers Apostates Seducers of men to serve new gods embrace new religions and if a whole City be thus seduced and such abomination certainly wrought among them they must surely smite the Inhabitants of that City especially of obstinate and impenitent with the edge of the sword destroying it utterly and all that is therein and the cattel thereof and burn all the spoil and City and every parcel thereof with fire and make it an heap for ever By which it is apparent that not only private Idolaters Apostates Hereticks but even whole Cities Churches and Congregations of them are so far from being tolerated that they ought to be destroyed utterly if they continue obstinate Tenthly That the tolerating of Idolaters Apostates and Hereticks is a means to provoke God to pour out the fierceness of his anger against his own people but the utter exterpation of them without mercy is a special means of divine institution to cauâ—e the Lord to turn from the fiercenesse of his anger to shew them mercy and compassion and multiply them as he hath promised And is so far from being against the Word of God and displeasing to him that it is a keeping of
whereupon they carried him forth out of the City and STONED HIM WITH STONES THAT HE DYED 1 KING 21. 5. to 15. Yea the wicked Jews Elders and High-priests who put our Savior to death were so zealous in punishing whatever they reputed blasphemy by coulor of this precept that JOH 10. 31 32 33. The Jews TOOK UP STONES TO STONE CHRIST HIMSELF for BLASPHEMY which they pretended he had spoken AND FOR THAT HE BEING MAN MADE HIMSELF GOD And at his arraignment before his passion MAT. 26. 64 65 66. Christ saying that he was the Son of God thereupon the High Priest rent his clothes saying He hath spoken BLASPHEMY what further need have we of witnesses Behold now ye have heard his BLASPHEMIE What think ye They answered and said HE IS GVILTY OF DEATH An unanswerable proof that Blasphemy even in our Saviors time was a capital crime punishable with death among the Jews and all by vertue of this forecited expresse Law of God Those then must be more unjust then Ahab or Jezebel more impious and lesse zealous then the wicked Jews High Priests or Elders who put Christ to death that dare plead for the exemption of Blasphemers of God or the Trinity from death and capital punishments when God himself hath thus positively commanded That they shal surely and certainly be out to death Thirdly For seditious and obstinate pernicious Schismaticks from the Unity both of the Church and Faith though we find no expresse precept in the Old Testament against them yet we read that God himself sent out a fire and devoured Nadab and Abâ—hu so that they dyed before the Lord because they offred in their censorâ— strange fire before the LORD which he commanded them not LEVIT 10. 1 2 NUM 3. 4. c. 26. 60. 1 CHRO 24. 2. and that God exemplarily destroyed and made the earth to swallow up Corah Dathan and Abiram with their company and families for raising a publike Schism NUM 16. 1. to 41. c. 26. 9 10. PSA 106. 17 18. And such Hereticks and Schismaticks as those fall directly within the Verge and meaning of the forecited Texts against Idolaters False Prophets False-Teachers Apostates from the truth or true worship of God and Blasphemers Heresie it self properly so called being either DOCTRINAL BLASPHEMY or MENTAL IDOLATRY therefore punishable by godly Princes and Magistrates under the Law by vertue of the precedent Texts and so by necessary consequence under the Gospel As for Schismaticks and separate Independent Congregations the Israelites neither knew nor permitted any since they all unanimously met together in one place upon all publick Feastivals Fastings Passeoverâ— and other occasions of solemn worship from which none ever separated upon pretext that all those present were not visible Saints and those who separated from the publike ordinances VVERE TO BE CUT OFF as is clear by EXO 23. 17. c. 35. 1. 4. LEV. 8. 3 4. c. c. 9. 5. c. 16. 33. c. 19. 2. c. NUM 15. 24. c. 27. 1. DEUT. 31. 30. c. 5. 1. c. c. 16. 16. JOSH. 8. 35. c. 23. 2. c. c. 24. 1. to 28. JUDG 2. 5. c. 20. 1. to 26. 1 SAM 7. 3. 5 6. 1 KING 18. 1. 2. to 66. 1 CHRO 13. 1. to 9. c. 15. 3. to 29. c. 25. c. 29. 2 CHRO 5. 2 3. c. 7. 3 4. c. 15. 9. to 16. c. 20. 3 4 5. 27. 28. c. 23. 7. 16 17. c. 24. 9. 10. c. 29. 28. 36. c. 30. 1. to 27. c. 34. 29 30 31 32 33. c. 35. 1. to 20. EZRA 10. 1. c. 5. 9. 12. c. 3. 1. NEH. 8. 1. c. cap. 9. 1. JOEL 2. 15. 16. ZEPH. 2. 1 2. which I wish all Separatists and Independents would wel study and consider My second Argument is this Godly Kings and Magistrates under the Law and Old Testament had power to punish Sabbath-breakers Sorcerers Witches Murtherers Adulterers Wicked doers and disobeyers of the Law of God with temporal and capital punishments Ergo. Christian Magistrates and Princes now have power under the Gospel to punish Idolaters Apostates Hereticks False Teachers obstinate Schismaticks and Blasphemers with corporal and capital punishments The sequel is firm because the same reason holds a like in all and because it is an argument a Minori ad Maju sins against the first second third fourth Commandments as Divines generally accord being more hainous then sins against the second Table because more immediate against the very nature essence and name of God himself and spiritual Sorcerers Witches Murtherers Adulterers such as all Idolaters Hereticks Apostates False Teachers obstinate Schismaticks and Blasphemers are being worse and more dangerous then corporal because they hurt and destroy mens souls and because the forecited and subsequent texts warrant their punishing of these with death as wel as those The antecedent I shall ratifie by these Authorities That Sabbath-breakers WERE TO BE PUNISHED by the Civil Magistrate WITH DEATH is evident by EXOD. 31. 14 15. NUM 15. 32. to 37. That Sorcerers and Witches were to be put to death and not suffred to live is apparant by LEV. 20. 27. DEUT. 18. 10 11. 1 SAM 28. 9. That adulterous and incestuous persons were to be put to death by Gods command by the Magistrate is clear by GEN. 26. 11. c. 38. 24. 25. LEVIT 8. 6. to 30. c. 20. 10. to 19. c. 21. 9. DEUT. 22. 20. to 28. JOH 8. 4 5. That Murderers were to be put to death without mercy is clearly resolved in direct terms GEN. 9. 5 6. EXOD. 21. 12 13 14. LEVIT 24. 17. NUM 35. 15. to 35. 1 KING 2. 31. to 35. In fine godly and zealous King David a man after Gods own heart writes thus of himself PSAL. 101. 8. I wil early destroy ALL THE WICKED of the Land that I may CVT OFF ALL WICKED DOERS FROM THE CITY OF THE LORD If David then as a King yea a type of Christ would thus destroy and cut off with the sword of Justice all the wicked of the Land and all wicked doers from the City of the Lord then certainly he would cut off and destroy all Idolaters Apostates Hereticks False Teachers Blasphemers and obstinate Schismaticks who disturbed the tranquility and obstructed the felicity of the City of the Lord. And why all Christian Princes Magistrates should not do the like under the Gospel as he did under the Law and punish Idolaters Hereticks Apostates Blasphemers c. now with corporal and capital punishments as wel as Sorcerers Murderers and other Malefactors as yet transcends my understanding to conceive My third Argument follows Those things and Persons which Heathen Kings Magistrates Nations and Idolaters themselves by the very light of nature though fit to punish with corporal and capital punishments all Christian Kings Magistrates Nations ought much more to censure in this kind But Heathen Kings Magistrates Nations and Idolaters themselves by the very light of nature have thought fit to punish with corporal
Princes to give their Judges power only to enquire of and punish offences against their Subjects but not at all to enquire after or punish Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions against their own Persons Crowns Kingdoms and shall wee deem the most wise and just God guilty of such a Solecism Doubtless as God himself under the Old Testament commanded Idolaters Blasphemers Seducing Prophets and Achan himself to be stoned to death by all Israel and after that burnt with fire for breaking his covenant and medling with the accursed thing and thereby troubling and bringing Gods wrath upon all Israel so as they fled and fell before the men of Ai Josh 7. 25. 27. So by the like reason justice equity commands Christian Princes Magistrates and people under the Gospell to punish obstinate Heretickes Idolaters Blasphemers False Teachers and pernicious Schismaticks who dishonor his name despite his Spirit subvert his Truth corrupt seduce and destroy others trouble the States and Churches wherein they live and bring Gods wrath upon them with like capital punishments when milder remedies wil not prevail and these recited Texts wil be a sufficient Commission to justifie such their proceedings as all the subsequent Authors as wel ancient as modern Protestants as Papists assert My seventh Argument shal be from our Saviors own words Math. 12. 3â— 32. Whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man it shal be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost and the BLASPHEMY against the Holy Ghost SHAL NOT BE FORGIVEN IN THIS WORLD nor in the World to come I have formerly proved from Levit. 24. 10. to 17. and other Texts That Blasphemy was to be punished with death by the Civil Powers under the Law Our Savior by this Expression Shall not be forgiven in this World which cannot be thought superfluous implies if not asserts That Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost should be thus punished by Christian Magistrates under the Gospel even in this world whence some conceive S. John in his first Epistle c. 5. v. 16. phraseth it in this respect among others A sin VNTO DEATH that is a sin to be punished with temporal as wel as eternal death And that our Saviors words Shal not be forgiven him neither in this world c. imply that the Christian Magistrates must not pardon such Blasphemy but punish it with death in this world as is clear by the next words Neither in the world to come So as the plain sense of these words is That Blasphemy and speaking of words against the Holy Ghost shall not bee forgiven by the Magistrates nor Ministers but punished by temporal death and delivery over to Satan the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander in part in this world nor yet pardoned by God but punished by him with eternall death in the world to come Which being the soundest Exposition of these Words in learned mens opinions which no ways prove a Popish Purgatory as the Papists dream will sufficiently warrant the punishment of such Blasphemy by the Christian Magistrate even with death under the Gospel as wel as under the Law My eighth Argument is drawne from Hebrewes 10. 26. to 31. For if wee sinne wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine fearefull looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devoure the Adversary Hee that despised Moses Law DYED WITHOUT MERCY under two or three witnesses and that in case of Idolatry Apostacy and Blasphemy to which this Text relates Deutronomy 13. Verse 6 7 8 9. Chap. 17. 8 9 10. Leviticus 24. Verse 10. to 17. OF HOW MVCH SORER PVNISHMENT suppose yee SHALL HE BE THOVGHT WORTHY Who hath TRODEN VNDER FOOT the Sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant where with he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace For we know him that hath said Vengeance is mine I wil recompence saith the Lord And again The Lord wil judge his people It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God From this text as likewise from Heb. 2. 1 2. and cap. 6. 1. to 9. which are in some sort paralelled with it it is most apparent First that the sins of Apostacy Blasphemy Heresy contempt of Christ and his blood and despiting of his Spirit by Christians are far more heinous great and more unpardonable under the Gospel then they were under the Law Secondly that they are worthy of much sorer punishment under the Gospel then under the Law Wherefore since those who were guilty of them and despised Moses Law dyed without mercy by the hand of the Magistrate and people under two or three witnesses under the Law those who are guilty of them under the Gospel deserving much sorer punishment may likewise be put to death by the Christian Magistrate without mercy and punished with more severe temporal punishments then any were under the Law because their sin is more hainous and deserves much sorer punishment as the text expresly resolves which I wish our Opposites and all Christian States Magistrates would seriously consider who deem the times of the Gospel times of greater indulgence connivance and mercy towards such capital Transgressors then the times of the Law Thirdly that if Magistrates and others neglect or refuse to punish such enormious Transgressors under the Gospel God himself wil take vengeance on judge and recompence them and they shal fall into the hands of the living God which is a more fearful thing then to fall into the hand of men Now if any should hence infer as our Opposites do that such must be left wholy to the hands judgement and vengeance of God himself who reserves such for his own Tribunal and hath exempted them from the inferior Magistrates Jurisdiction by this text I answer that the text wil warrant no such inference For first it is but a bare recital of Gods own Words in the Old Testament Deut. 32. 35. 39 40 41 42 43. Now in the Old Testament the vengeance punishment inflicted by God himself upon Apostates Idolaters as on the Israelites Midianites Canaanites and others did not exclude but include the Temporal Magistrates Censures and the use of secondary Instruments as is most apparent by Exod. 32. 26. to the end Where Moses SLEW about three thousand men for worshipping the Golden calf and yet God plagued the people for the same sinn too and Numb 25. 3. to 16. Where Moses for the sin of Peor hanged up the heads of the people before the Lord against the Sun the Judges of Israel slew every one his men that were joyned unto Baal Peor and Phineas slew Zimri and Cozbi with a Javelin and yet God himself at the same time slew twenty four thousand more of the people with the Plague for the same sin And by Josh chap. 9. to 13. and Acts 13. 19. Where God himself useth the Israelites to destroy his
Lollards and such as they then deemed Hereticks but death it selfe in case they abjured not their Heresie upon a Conviction and sentence of Heresie before the Ordinary or his Commissary to whom all Sheriff Majors and other Civill Officers were enjoyned to be assistant and present at their Sentences of condemnation if required and upon their Sentence alone without any Writ de Haeretico comburendo or Order from the King they were to burne the persons condemned and not abjuring in a publique place to terrifie others as you may read in the printed Act it selfe which differs something from the record 7. H. 4. Rot. Parl. nu 62. there was a like Petition exhibited by the Prelates for a new and severer Law against the Lollards and that all might apprehend and enquire of such and no Sanctuary might be granted to them wherein the name of the Commons was used by meanes of Sir Iohn Ticketoft and others but this iâ— seemes miscaried and was never printed or published by the Prelates as the former was The next law against Heretiks is 2. H. 5. c. 7. which ratified the former Acts prescribed an Oath to Sheriffes and other Officers to assist and attend the Ordinaries in prosecution of Hereticks Lollards Added a confiscation of the lands Goods and Estates of such as were convicted of Heresie and delivered over to the secular power whether they were executed or burnt or not and of all hereditaments of Lands in others for their use and ordered Iudges of Assise and Iustices of Peace in their Sessions to enquire after Hereticks their fautors maintainers Bookes Writings Sermons Conventicles and to apprehend them to transmit their inquiries to the Ordinaries or their Commissaries to informe them but not to be used as evidence the Ordinaries being left to proceed according to the lawes of Holy Church This Act restrained the Iudges and Iustices power to punish Heretickes unpon Indictment by the Common Law and made Heresie no civill but an ecclesiasticall offence only for the present as some of our Law-Bookes stile it After this the Statute of 25. H. 8. c. 14. repeales the Statute of 2. H. 4. for these foure reasons mentioned in the Preface of it First because that Act doth not in any part thereof declare any certaine cases of Heresie contrary to the determination of Holy Scripture or the Canonicall Sanctions therein expressed whereby the Kings loving and obedient Subjects might be learned to eschew the dangers and paines in the said Act specified or to abhorre and detest that foule and detestable crime of Heresie 2ly Because these words Canonicall Sanctions and such other like contained in the said Act are so generall that the most expert and best learned man of this Realme diligently lying in wait upon himselfe cannot eâ—chew and avoid the penalty and dangers of the said Act and Canonicall Sanctions if hee should be examined upon such captious interrogatories as is and hath beene accustomed to be ministred by the Ordinaries of this Realme in cases where they will suspect any person or persons of Heresie 3ly For as much as it standeth not with the right order of Iustice or good equity that any person should be convict and put to the losse of his life good name or goods unlesse it were by due accusation and witnesses or by presentment verdict confession or Outlawarie since by the Lawes of the Realme for Treason committed to the perill of the Kings most royall Majesti upon whose surety dependeth the wealth of this whole Realme no person may or can be put to death but by presentment verdict confession or processe of Outlary 4ly For that there be many Heresies and paines and punishments for Heresies declared and ordained in and by the said Canonicall Sanctions and by the Lawes and Ordinances made by the Popes and Bishops of Rome and by their Authoritie for holding doing preaching or speaking of things contrary to the said Canonicall Sanctions Lawes and Ordinances which be but Humane being meere repugnant and contrarious to the Prerogative of the Kings imperiall Crowne regall jurisdiction Lawes Statutes and Ordinances of this Realme by reason whereof his people of the same observing maintaining defending and due executing of the said Lawes Statutes and Prerogative Royall by Authority of that Act of 2. H. 4. may be brought into slander of Heresie to their great infamy and danger and perill of their lives Neverthelesse for as much as the most foule and detestable crime of Heresie should not go unpunished but be utterly abhorred detested and eradicate nor that any Hereticks should be favoured but that they should have condigne and sufficient punishment for the repressing of Hereticks such erronious opinions in time comming It enacts That the Statutes of 5. R. 2. 2. H. 5. c. 7. for the punishment and reformation of Hereticks and Lollards and every provision therein not repugnant to this Act shall stand in full strength and that Sheriffes in their Townes and Stewards in their Leets Rapes and Wapentakes shall have power to inquire of Heretickes as of common Annoyances and to certifie their inquiries to the Ordinary in such manner as the Justices of Assise and of the Peace might doe by the Statute of 2. H. 5. c. 7. and that the Ordinaries after such presentment and indictment proved by the Oath of two lawfull witnesses at the least and not otherwise or by any other meanes might convict convent arrest and apprehend such persons presented or indicted of any Heresie And that he that happened to be lawfully convicted before the Ordinary in his open Court and in open place of the Heresie whereof hee was accused or presented shall abjure the same and if he refused and renounced the same then he should do such reasonable penance for his offence as shal be limited by the discretion of the Ordinaries And if he refused to abjure or after abjuration fall into relapse and were duely accused or presented and corvict thereof as aforesaid that then in such cases he shall be committed to Lay power TO BE BVRNED in open places for example of others as hath been accustomed the Kings Writ De Heretico comburendo first had and obtained for the same And it likewise provides that no manner of doing speaking or communication or holding against any Lawes made by the Bishops of Rome or by their Authority for the advancement of their owne worldly glory and ambition given them by humane Lawes or Policies and not by Holy Scripture contrariant and repugnant to the Lawes of this Realme and the Kings Prerogative Royall shall be deemed reputed accepted or taken to bee Heresie After this in 31. H. 8. c. 14. 34. H. 8. c. 1. 35. H. 8. c. 1. severall Lawes were made to punish certaine particular points of Doctrine commonly called the Six Articles with death and the losse of Goods as you may read at large in the Acts themselves the last whereof somewhat mitigates and explaines the former These Lawes proving very
in the least proportion but in such cases the Temporall Magistrate ought to proceed to corporall and in some cases to capitall punishments And this I shall cleare from the Text it selfe beyond contradiction This Councell whereof Gamaliel was a Member being cut to the heart with Peters Speech tooke Counsell to slay the Apostles as obstinate Hereticks and Schismaticks Gamaliel doubting and not being resolved that they were such disswaded them from it upon this ground because their way and Counsell in respect of the extraordinary miracles they had wrought and other particulars in the foregoing Chapter might very probably be of God and then they could not overthrow it and if they opposed it might hapily be found to be fighters against God whereas if he had deemed them absolute Hereticks Schismaticks and had not heard or seene their extraordinaty Miracles he would have readily consented with the rest to put them to death and not advised them to refraine from them and let them alone Therefore the application of this advise to undoubted Hereticks Idolaters false-Teachers Schismaticks and Blasphemers who never wrought such extraordinary Miracles as Gamaliel and the Counsell saw and knew the Apostles did is neither consonant to Gamaliels reason nor advise Finally it is observable that though upon Gamaliels advise the Councell spared the Apostles lives and set them free yet they left them not altogether alone or unpunished For first they did publikly beat them v. 40. a corporal punishment 2ly They laid a strict command upon them that they should not after that speake in the name of Iesus v. 40. Therefore there is direct warrant from this very Text to restraine such as we repute Herericks and false Teachers from preaching and private meetings and to punish them with corporall punishments though we doubt and conceive that hapily they may be right in some things Wherefore this Text is so farre from ayding that it utterly refutes and confounds the Objectors The 3. Objection is this in Esay 11. 9. God hath said concerning his Kingdome There shall be none to kill or hurt in all my holy Mountaine And againe Isay 60. 18. Violence shall no more be heard in thy Streets wasting nor destruction within thy borders Ergo the Temporall Christian Magistrate must use no outward force nor imprison kill banish Hereticks Blasphemers or obstinate Schismaticks I answer that this is a strange Independant Argument borrowed from the Anabaptists no wayes waranted by the objected texts here miserably perverted For in the first of them Isay 11. 7. to 11. there is a Prophecy that the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard shall lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe and the young Lyon and the suckling together and a little child shall lead them and the cow and the Beare shall feed together and the Lyon shall eat straw like the Ox and the sucking child shall play upon the hole of the Aspe and the weaned child shall put his hand upon the Cockatrice den They to wit the Wolfe Leopard young Lyon Beare Aspe Cockatrice all hurtfull and ravenous Creatures shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountaine Which is againe repeated Isay 65. 25. Now who are meant by these hurtfull creatures and who are they whom they shall not hurt nor destroy and in what manner is the only question Mr. Dell intimates that christian Princes States Magistrates are the Wolves Leopards Lyons Beares Aspes and Cockatrices meant in the Text let him then speake it out plainly and prove it from the Text which no wayes warrants such an Anabaptisticall or Anarchicall Interpretation both scandalous and destructive to christian Magistracy and directly contrary to Isay 49. 23. And Kings shall he thy nursing Fathers and Queenes thy nursing Mothers But if it be intended only of persecuting Sauls converted into Pauls of men of Wolvish aspish cruell ravenous dispositions like to these destructive or poysonous creatures converted and quite transformed from their naturall dispositions by the power of Christ and of the great peace and amity that shall be betweene all sorts of men of contrary humours and tempers when converted and brought into Christs holy Mountaine as all Expositors generally accord then it is nothing to purpose and miserably perverted by Mr. Dell the forme of whose argument must then be this Men who before their conversion were as contrary to Christs Sheepe Lambes Oxen and little Children as the Wolfe is to the Lambe the Leopard to the Kid the young Lyon to the Calfe the Beare to the Cow the Lyon to the Ox the Aspe and Cockatrice to the little Child that playes upon its hole shall after their conversion lye downe feed and converse together without hurting or destroying one another and live in a blessed sweet peace and unity together under the Gospell Ergo Christian Princes States Magistrates under the Gospell must not restraine imprison banish hurt destroy nor put to death notorious Hereticks Seducers Blasphemers Scismaticks Apostates as bad as Wolves Aspes c. Ridiculous Logicke and Nonsence Divinity But whom shall not these hurt nor destroy in all Gods holy Mountaine the Lambes Kiddes and little Children of Iesus Christ not Lyons Beares Aspes Cockatrices wolves such as Heretickes are here put in contradistinction to them Ergo Christian Magistrates must not hurt banish or destroy damnable obstinate Hereticks Seducers Blasphemers Schismaticks c. is as strange an inconsequent as the former yet this is all Mr. Dell can truly inferre from the genuine meaning of these words I shall only adde that this parabolicall Text saith the Wolves Lyons Leopards Beares Aspes Cockatrices shall not hurt Christs Lambes Sucklins and little Children in all his holy Mountaine but he adds not on the contrary that if they come as such to hurt and destroy his flock as Heretickes false-Teachers Schismaticks and Blasphemers do that then the Shepherds and Civill Pastors of Christs Lambes Sheeps may by no meanes hurt or destroy them the point in question This Text therefore is strangely misapplyed in all particulars by the objector Finally if this text be meant of the times of the Gospell and of that sweet peace and amity that shall be between all converted members of Christs Kingdome one towards another that they shall all feed eat and lye downe together one with another and not hurt nor destroy in all Gods Holy Mountaine then how comes it to passe that the Objector and those he frequently stiles the faithfull the Spirituall people the Saints the Anoynted ones c. doe not come to this Mountaine the Church but separate themselves from our Congregations and will not lye downe feed play eat nor pray together with those they deeme Wolves Lyons Leopards Aspes and Cockatrices contrary to this prophecy to the great disturbance of Christs Kingdome yea why do they all generally betake themselves to the Warres to kill hurt and destroy in all the holy Mountaine contrary to the very letter of this Text and
Altar A memorable example of zeal and reformation after their solemn Covenant And should not we be as zealous after our Covenant against Idolatrous Priests False Prophets Hereticks Apostates Blasphemers as they were against the Priests of Baal The seventh President is enrolled in the 2 CHRON. 15. 9 to 17. where godly King Asa having gathered all Juda and Benjamin and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh and out of Simeon to Jerusalem in the fifteenth year of his reign they all entred into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel SHOVLD BE PVT TO DEATH WHETHER SMAL OR GREAT MAN OR WOMAN And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shoutings and with trumpets and with cornets And all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest round about And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the King he removed her from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a grove and Asa cut down her Idol and stamped it and burnt it at the brook Kidron Whence we shal observe First that this godly King and all his people bound themselves by a solemn Oath and Covenant much like to ours TO PUT ALL Idolaters Apostates Hereticks and Blasphemers and whosoever would not seek the Lord of what quality or sort soever TO DEATH Secondly that this Oath and Covenant was so wel pleasing to God and agreeable to his Law that whereas immediately before their entring into it here was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were upon all the Inhabitants of the Countries and Nation was destroyed of Nation and City of City as they are now among us for God did vex them with all adversity Vor. 5 6. Yet no sooner was this Oath and Covenant taken but the Lord was found of them and gave them rest round about Verse 15. as no doubt he would do to us were we as zealous against Apostates Idolaters Hereticks Blasphemers against God and the sacred Trinity as they and would put the Ringleaders of such to death whether smal or great whether man or woman as they did Thirdly that Asa did depose his own Queen mother from being Queen for her Idolatry and cut down and burnt her Idol and her grove A memorable example both of zeal and justice to shame the luke warmness the partiality of our times which have connived at and countenanced Queen mother and Queen daughter too in their Idolatries yea erected publick Groâ—es and Chappels for their Idols and Idol-worship Eightly to these I might accumulate EXOD. 23. 23 24. 32. 33 c. 34. 12 13 4 15. NUM 21. 2 3. c. 31. 8. 17. DEUT. 7. 2 3 4 5. c. 12. 2 3. JOSM 23. 5. to 14. JUDG 2. 2. Where God commanded Moses Ioshua and the Israelites his own people when he should deliver the Hittites Gergasites Amarites Canaanites Perâ—zites Hivites Iebusites and Midianites into their hands to smite utterly destroy and slay them with the sword and to make no Covenant with them nor shew mercy unto them and to destroy break down and burn their Altars Groves Images and to make no marriages with their sons or daughters least they should turn them away from following him to serve other gods and so should the anger of the Lord be kindled against them and destroy them sodainly Whereupon they did utterly destroy all the Idolatrous Inhabitants of the Cities they took with the edge of the sword without sparing any but Rahab and her family JOSH. 6. 21 22 24. c. 8. 20. to 30. c. 9. 24 26. c. 10. 1. 10. to the end specially v. 40. c. 11 12. NUM 21. 2 3. c. 31. 16. 17. 2 CHRON. 31. 1 2. as the Lord commanded them From all which Precepts and Presidents as also from JOH 31. 26 27 28. EXOD. 22. 20. He that sacrificeth unto any other god save unto the Lord only HE SHAL BE VTTERLY DESTROYED that is by the Magistrates and people or in their default by God himself it is undeniable that godly Kings and Magistrates under the Law were by Gods own special command to punish obstinate Idolaters Apostates False Prophets and Teachers who seduced or endeavored to seduce the people from the ways truth and true worship of God were they Jews or Gentiles Israelites or Heathens with death and capital punishments to prevent or remove Gods wrath procure his favor and blessing and keep others from pollution and seduction to the ruine of their souls Secondly That they had power to punish Blasphemy and Blasphemers of God even with death by an express Commission from God himself is as clear as the Noonday Sun by these ensuing Texts LEVIT 24. 10. to 17. and the Israâ—litish womans sonne blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed and they brought him unto Moses and put him in Ward that the mind of the Lord might be shewed them And the Lord spake unto Moses saying bring forth him that hath cursed without the Camp and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head and let all the Congregation STONE HIM And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel saying whosoever shal curse his God shal bear his sin And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord SHAL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH and ALL THE CONGREGATION SHAL CERTAINLY STONE HIM as wel the stranger as he that is born in the Land WHEN HE BLASPHEMETH THE NAME OF THE LORD SHAL BE PUT TO DEATH A most punctuall Law extending to all blasphemers of God and his name be they Natives or Forraigners of what sex or quality soever coupled in the next Verse with this penal Statute Ver. 17. AND HE THAT KILLETH ANY MAN SHAL BE PVT TO DEATH so that those who at this day question or deny the Magistrates power to put Blasphemers or gross Hereticks who deny Christs Divinity c. whose very assentions are direct blasphemies to death may upon the self-same grounds and with equal reason deny the Magistrates power to put Murtherers to death the one Law being as moral as perpetual as the other Yea the equity of that other Law EXOD. 21. 17. and LEVIT 20. 9. Every one that curseth his father and mother shal SVRELY BE PVT TO DEATH his blood shal be upon him must hold more strongly of him that shal curse and blaspheme his heavenly then his earthy Father in as much as the one is infinitly greater and more to be reverenced feared honored obeyed then the other This Law was so obligatory and Authentick among the Israelites even in the reign of King Ahab and Jezebel that the Nobles and Elders upon Jezebels Letter and the witnesses testimony suborned by her condemned Naboth for that he did blalpheme God