hypocritically peaceable chast content with their own true in their word as well as punishing false teachers and hereticks maketh many hypocritically sound in the faith So Augustine contra Petilian l. 3. c. 83. 2. There is no ground in Scripture to say that because the Canaanites erred against the duties of the first table onely that therefore israel was to destroy them in warre For Joshua 11. 26 27 28. the contrarie is clear Joshua made warre with them because God having hardened their heart they came out in battle against Israel and so the cause of the warre was not Religion and their madnesse of Idolatrie though on the Lords part it was a provoking cause but violence in invading an harmelesse and innocent people so Ioshua and Israel compelled them not to embrace the true Religion then from thence it cannot follow therefore no lawes were to be made against the false Prophets and blasphemer And if that consequence was null then it cannot be strong now So we say under the new Testament we cannot bring in to the faith the Heathen and Pagans by violence and the sword it follows not Ergo no blasphemer within the visible Church should be forced 3. violence and the sword is no means to work men to subjection to Christ it follows not Ergo because the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall 2 Cor. 10. 5. 6. the Apostle should not say shall I come unto you with the rod or in love or in the spirit of meeknesse 1. Cor. 4. 21. and therefore he should not deliver any to Sathan 4. nor is this a good consequence because the fear of bodily death or punishment by the sword cannot convert therefore it cannot terrifie men from externall blasphemie and tempting of others to false worship for the externall man his words solicitations doe ill by teaching and his actions not the inward man or the conscience and the soule is the object the Magistrate is to work on For neither under Moses more then now could the sword convert men to the true Religion yet bodily death was to be inflicted on the seducer then as now Deut. 13. 11. And all Israell shall hear and fear and shall doe no more any such wickednesse as this is among you and afflictions work the same way now Rom. 13. 3. for rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same There be five pull-backs that keep men even in heresie and in a false way as may be collected out of Augustines writings from which by the terrour of just lawes they may be affrighted from seducing of others as 1. fear of offending men especially those of their own way 2. an hardning custome in a false way 3. a wicked sluggishnesse in not searching the truth of God 4. the wicked tongues of enemies that shall traduce them if they leave heresies 5. a vaine perswasion that men may be saved in any Religion See Augustine epist 114. ad Vincent epist 48. epist 50. ad Bonifacium contra Petilianum l. 3. c. 83. lib. 3. contra Cresconium cap. 51. contra Guidentum l. 1. c. 19. lib. contra Parmen c. 10. contra Gaudent l. 1. c. 24. de unitate Eccles c. 20. epist 166. And so that which the Objector Mr. John Goodwine long agoe objected is easily answered that the Magistrate cannot in justice punish that which is unavoydable and above the power of free-will to resist but such are all heresies and errours of the minde For this might well have been objected against that most just law Deut. 13. why should God command to stone to death a seducer that tempts any of his people to worship false Gods because such a man is sick but of an errour in the minde he beleeves he does service to his God whom he beleeves to be the true God in so doing and had the heathen and Jews under Moses more strength of free-will and more grace to resist Apostacie Blasphemie wicked opinions against the true God then we have now under the Gospel And the Lord hath expressely said Deut. 13. 11. Israel shall feare bodily death and doe such wickednesse no more now this was not Ceremoniall or typicall fear but meere naturall feare sufficient to retract and withdraw men from externall acts of seducing and blaspheming which is all that the Magistrate can doe 2. this is the verie objection of Donatists and Augustine answers truely By this answer the Magistrate should not punish murtherers and adulterers for they have not grace to resist temptation to murther certainly the Spirit of Revenge and of whoredoms must be as strong above free will as the Spirit of errour and lies Achab then sinned not in beleeving the lying Prophets who deceived him and it was not in his power to resist the efficacie of lying inflicted on him for his former sins And what sinnes the Magistrate punisheth he doth punish as the formall Minister of God Rom. 13. and so this is the Pelagian Arminian and Popish objection against God and free Grace as much as against us 3. the wickedest seducer is punished for his externall acts of false teaching and seducing which may and must be proved by witnesse or confessed by the delinquent before he can justly punish him but not for any mind-error which is obvious neither to judge nor witnesse Then the true state of the question is not whether the sword be a means of conversion of men to the true faith nor 2. whither heathen by fire and sword are to be compelled to embrace the truth nor 3. whither violence without instruction and arguing from light of Scriptures should be used against false teachers nor 4 whither the Magistrate can punish the opinions of the mind and straine internall liberty But whither or no ought the Godly and Christian Prince restraine punish with the sword false teachers publishers of hereticall and pernicious doctrines which may be proved by witnesse and tends to the injuring of the souls of the people of God in a Christian societie and are dishonourable to God and contrary to sound doctrine and so coerce men for externall misdemeanours flowing from a practicall conscience sinning against the second table as well as from a speculative conscience to borrow these tearmes here when they professe and are ready to swear they performe these externalls meerely from and for conscience For since false teachers and hereticks in regard of the spiritualnesse of their sinne are the worst of evill doers and such as work abomination in the Israel of God and there is no particular lawes in the New Testament for bodily coercing of Sorcerers Adulterers Thieves Traitors false witnesses who but speak lies against the good name of their neighbour not against the name of God nor against Sodomites defilers of their bodies with beasts perjured persons Covenant breakers liars
mouth Zach. 13. Lastly Baptist is so charitable of all Saints that are not for liberty of conscience as that he makes it their doom to be cast out as Ishmael and to have no share in Christ or in the Gospel But Baptist if you judge us and be not infallible you take the Lords throne upon you and you judge us before our day which is to you a strong argument against liberty of conscience c. 3. pag. 14. Know ye we are selfe-condemned and saw you Gods secret book and saw our names dashed out of the book of life and that we are inrolled with Ishmalites Take the beam out of your own eye CHAP. XXVII Whether our darknesse and incapacity to beleeve and professe together with the darknesse and obscurity of Scripture be a sufficient ground for Toleration AS Mr. John Goodwin the Lord pardon his perverting of Soules led the way from Arminian principles who teach with Socinians that 1 To know is not in our power which he and they borrowed from Aristotle but wickedly understood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And 2 Arminians taught that God by an irresistible power works illumination in the minde So opinions not being in our power the Magistrate can have no power over men to coerce them from spreading of heresie Hence Baptist the Bounder the Stormer and other Libertines M. Goodwin speaks for That which is not in our power to doe or not doe and is wrought in us by supernaturall grace and by God onely we are not punishable by the Magistrates sword but to beleeve to repent to be sound in the faith is wrought in us by supernaturall grace and by God onely Baptist heaps together but eighteen Scriptures produced against Pelagians Papists Arminians and his brethren Socinians and old Anabaptists that no man can come to the Son except the Father draw him the naturall man understands not the things of God c. And I am sure he is ignorant of the conclusion for we professe the sword is to be drawn against no man because he repenteth not or beleeveth not c. Hence Baptist spitting out with other Antinomians his venome against us though no matter excepting the sin of it if he wronged not Christ and his truth For when a weak Christian a disciple of Servetus Socinus an Apostate denying the Lord Jesus to have come in the flesh and all the Scriptures to be the word of God tyred of longer imprisonment and death shall say You say well but how shall I prevaile with my selfe to beleeve what you say Thus reply these miserable comforters Yeeld obedience to what is taught you meditate on it often desire to beleeve it and God in time will bring you to beleeve it Then poore Popery why art thou evill spoken of and this is a lie why It is the Spirit that teacheth us to pray Abba Father This is merit and supererogations ground-stone Answ 1. What if a man void of the Spirit cannot pray ergo we should not advise him to pray Is it Popery to advise him so to doe or to pray when he wants the Spirit sure Peter taught no Popery to Simon Magus a man as void of the Spirit as any Socinian or Familist a man in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickednesse I conceive this is yeeld obedience to what is taught you and meditate on it and your evill wayes and change your minde and pray God though thou hast no Spirit of Adoption more then a Familist who makes you beleeve hony words or the very Spirit given to his Anointed ones such as they onely if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee and whom does the Lord command Ezek. 18. that they would make a new heart I conceive such as were as unable to doe it as to make one haire white or blacke as the Bounder saith and this is our advice not because we thinke they can do it without the Spirit of Christ more than those that move the question Act. 2. 37. What shall we doe to be saved Act. 9. 6. Act. 16. 30. But if unconverted they may be humbled and convinced that they are in a lost condition And I confesse if Antinomians will advise them to beleeve and pray though they have not the Spirit and to pray as they can and beleeve as they can and without any preparative work of the Law or sense or knowledge of sin or sicknesse for Christ immediately and forth with beleeve Christ dyed for thee obstinate Socinian and wrote thy name in the booke of life and beleeve thy election to life Baptist is a miserabâ—e comforter and how he censureth this Its Gods absolute will and pleasure you should beleeve and that you must necessarily beleeve upon perill of damnationâ— which he saith is our Catechisme I understand not except he shew us a conditionall Commandement to beleeve the Gospell and a conditionall election and reprobation suspending Gods decrees on what we are foreseen to doe and except he deny the threatnings in the Gospel which shall finde out an unbeleever Joh. 3. 18. 36. If the man be a weak Christian or a weak beleever when the advice of yeelding obedience praying desiring to beleeve is given him appearingly he would have weak Antinomians and all anointed ones loosed from all precepts rule of obedience and have them under no rule but the immediate impulsion of the Spirit which if it be his mind he should have set it down and must prove a miserable Comforter in so teaching 2. But are we in all these Scriptures that hold forth our impotencie to beleeve to thinke a good thought to doe the works of righteousness mercie truth chastitie sobrietie prescribed in the second Table unable only to conceive sound opinions of God and eschew Hereticall wayes and false Religions Are we not also unable to abstain from murther adulterie c. without the supernatural grace of God Yea all these places shall prove that the Ministerie of men Pastors and Teachers of the word are as unlawfull means of converting soules as the Magistrates Sword to beare down Heresiâ—â— O say they preaching is an Ordinance of Christ and a spiritual means ordained to convert soules the Sword is nothing but a carnall humane device I answer it is an humane device of converting souls to shed the blood of their bodie but it is to beg the question and not to prove it to call it a humane device to punish ill doers and false Teachers who pervert the souls of many 2. I speak to the Argument the only preaching of the word it alone without the Spirit can no more make an hair white or black or draw us to the Son or work repentance in sinâ—â—rs then the sword of the Magistrate can work repentance What can man doe saith the Bounder Is it not God that must give repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth So say I what
infallible beleeve it with a reserve say the Independents and with leaving place to a new light so as you must believe it to day to be a truth of God to morrow to be a lye the third day a truth the fourth day a lye and so a circle till your doomsday come so as you must ever beleeve and learne never come to a settlement and establishing in the truth but dye trying dye doubting dye with a trepedation and a reserve and dye and live a Scepticke like the Philosophers that said they knew nothing and I thinke Libertines cannot but be Scepticks and there is more to bee said for the Scepticisme of some then the Libertinisme of others 5. Would these Masters argue formally they must say what ever doctrine we are to try before we receive it that we may uncompelledly receive and beleeve it after tryall that ought to bee tolerated by the Magistrate in doctrine and practice or profession sutable thereunto before men I would assume But whether there be a God and but one God and all fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls be divine truths yea and whether fornication be sin and plurality of wives and community of goods and spoyling of wicked men of their wives and their lands and possessions as the Israelites spoyled the Aegyptians are such truths that we must try before we receive beleeve and accordingly beleeve and practice ergo the Magistrate is to tolerate fornication plurality of wives spoyling of men of their possessions and goods and community of goods but the conclusion is absurd and blasphemous and against the Law of nature for if there be no Magistracy nor violence to bee done to ill-doers under the New Testament neither must we defend our owne lives nor flye nor resist injuries but turne up the other cheeke to him that smites the one and if a man take your cloake give him your coat also according to the sense that Anabaptists put on the words yea and cut off your hands and feet plucke out your eyes if they cause you to offend and shed your owne blood which is the greatest and most unnaturall violence that is 6. The sense of this Try all and hold that which is good must be Try and search the true senses of divine truths and then having tryed and beleeved hold the truth and beleeve it for a day and yeeld to the light of the just contrary to morrow and having found a contrary light try that the third morrow and yeeld to another new and contrary light the third morrow Now the Holy Ghost must command doubting by that meanes and doubting till we lose faith and finde it againe and lose it againe in a circle and if we must try all things and try all spirits the Bereans must try their owne trying and their owne doubtings and beleeving and so into infinite and when they finde Christ to be in Pauls doctrine and that of Moses and the Prophets yet must they try and doubt and beleeve the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and of the Holy Ghost with the Libertines reserve waiting when the Holy Ghost shall give himselfe the lye and say I moved you to beleeve such a truth and such an article of faith the last yeare but now after a more deepe consideration I move you to beleeve the contrary yet so as yee leave roome to my new light 7. The sense also of these Lord enlighten mine eyes that I may know thee with a suller evidence not of Moon-light but of Day-light or as of seven dayes into one bee this Lord open my eyes and increase my knowledge grant that thy holy Spirit may bestow upon my darke soule more Scepticall conjecturall and fluctuating knowledge to know and beleeve things with a reserve and with a leaving of roome to beleeve the contrary to morrow of that which I beleeve to day and the contradicent of that the third day which I shall beleeve to morrow and so till I dye let me Lord have the grace of a circular faith running like the wheels of the wind-mill for the growing knowledge we seeke of God as in a way of growing ever in this life till grace be turned into glory 2 Pet. 3. 18. if our growth of knowledge stand as Libertines say in a circular motion from darknesse to light and backe againe from light to darknesse like the motion of a beast in a horse-mill so as I know and learne and beleeve this topicke truth of faith to day I unknow I unlearn and deny it to morrow as an untruth And againe I take it up the third day as a truth then we seeke in prayer not settled and fixed knowledge and a well-rooted faith of truths to beleeve them without a reserve or a demurre to senâ— way the opinion I have of this non-fundamentall or fundamentall truth as a grosse mistake and to welcome the just contrary opinion as a truth And againe to send it away upon a new light c. now this is but a mocking of God to pray for his Spirit that wee may barter and change opinions with every new Moone for our prayer for new light is not that the Holy Ghost would teach us faith and opinion of truths and falsehoods in a circle but that God 1. Would give the Spirit of revelation to see Gospel truths with a cleare revelation of faith 2. That hee would be pleased to cause that light by which we see the same ancient Gospel-truths shine more fully with a larger measure of heavenly evidence 3. That our light may so grow into the perfect day that we see new deductions consequences and heavenly new fresh conclusions from the former truthe of God But by scepticall faith we pray that God would give us a contrary new light to get a new faith of truths formerly beleeved contradicent to the word of God and to that faith which produced joy yea joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1. 7 8. and glorying in tribulation and sweetnesse of peace Rom. 5. 1 2 3. for this not the light of the Moone turned in the light of the Sun or of the Sun as seven dayes in one but light turned in night darkenesse the truth in a lye and the Spirit of truth made the father of lyes 8. The Apostles never bid us know any truth of God with a reserve Libertines biâ—lus the Apostles and the Holy Ghost in them bids us know assuredly that Jesus is Christ the Lord they exhort us to bee rooted and established in the faith Col. 2. to be fully perswaded of all both fundamentalls and the historicalls of the birth life miracles words facts death sufferings and buriall resurrection ascention c. of Christ as Luke exhorteth Theophilus Luke 1. 1 2 3. yea the Apostle clearely Heb. 5. exhorteth to the faith of many points concerning Christ beside the first principles of the Oracles of God that of Catecheticke points fit for babes who have not stomachs to beare stronger food v. 12. 13. 1.
Because he rebuketh them for being dull of hearing which is opposite to being teachers of the word of truth to others which must insinuate they were to have faith and not conjecturall and fluctuating opinions of the things they were to teach 2. He reproves them for that they had not their senses exercised to discerne good and ill and that they were unskilfull in the words of righteousnesse 3. He exhorteth them chap. 6. 1. to be carried on to perfection beyond the principles of the doctrine of Christ Now to be carried to know all except some fundamentalls and principles with a reserve and a doubting of the truth is not to have the senses exercised to discern good and ill nor to be skilfull in the word of truth nor to goe on to perfection but to stand still as in a horse-mill and be at the same perfection of knowledge in knowing and beleeving all even fundamentalls say some or all non-fundamentalls say other Libertines with a reserve and a resolution to judge them all falsehood and lyes 9. It argues the word of God of obscurity and darknesse as not being able to instruct us in all truths and renders it as a nose of wax in all non-fundamentals histories narrations c. in which notwithstanding the Scripture is as evident plaine simple obvious to the lowest capacities in most points except some few Prophesies as it is in fundamentalls and layes a blasphemous charge on the Holy Ghost as if hee had written the Scriptures upon an intention that we should have no assured and fixed knowledge no faith but a meere probable opinion a conjecturall dubious apprehension of truths with a reserve to beleeve the contrary as if the Lords purpose had beene that we should all be Scepticks and dye doubting and how then can God in justice punish any man for not beleeving and doing the will of our Master and Lord If it bee unpossible even by the light of the Spirit to know his will in whole as some say and in the most part as others say yea it must not be our sinfull darkenesse in that wee cannot beleeve most of the matters of God but with a reserve but it is the will and command of God we doe so and how shall we know the second faith contradictory to the former to be the minde of God and not the first and the third and not the second and the fourth and not the third and so to the end since we are to beleeve all the foure with a reserve and all to our dying day with a reserve for the word is alike dubious now as in Pauls dayes and since the Apostles charge us to beleeve and be comforted in beleeving the truths which they beleeved not as Apostles but as Christians and as fellow-Citizens with us we must say that the Apostles also beleeved with a reserve which is blasphemous 10 All our practises according to fundamentals or non-fundamentals must bee in faith that is with a perswasion that what we doe is according to the revealed will of God otherwise we sin Rom. 14. 23. and are condemned in all we doe But if this faith with a reserve be the rule of our practise we can do nothing in faith but with a resolve upon doubting so what you doe may as possibly be murther idolatry stealing lying as obedience to God yea you must beleeve that what you do to day is lawfull but yet so as to morrowyou must beleeve upon a new light that it is unlawfull and sin yea and this makes the erroneous conscience the rule of your faith and practise for if the holy ghost command you to beleeve such points with the faith of a reserve he must command you to practise according to the present faith that he commands you to have of those truths But the present you have may be the beleife of a lye and a blasphemous untruth and so the ten Commandements should bee a rule to no man But his erroneous conscience if then he beleeve that it is such acceptable worship as God craved of Abraham that you sacrifice your Sonne to God you beleeve it with a reserve and you are to practise it with a reserve and oblieged to practice what you are oblieged to beleeve but you are oblieged to beleeve with a reserve that it is acceptable service to God to sacrifice your child to him for it is a non-fundamentall not clearly determined in the word as least it is contraverted by many that goe for godly people Now if so God shall obliege men to sin and not to sin to doe his revealed wil and not to doe his revealed will in the same commandement which were blasphemous now that we are to practise according to our faith of reserve I prove by the doctrin of Libertines for they teach a man is to suffer death and any torment rather then that he say there bee three persons in one God and two natures and one person in Christ and that Presbyterian Government is lawfull that the Christian Prince is to punish false teachers if he beleeve in his conscience though hee is to beleeve with a reserve and doubt somely that these are truths contrary to the word of God then is his faith with a reserve which may be the faith of a lye his onely oblieging rule of his practise according to the way of Libertines I confesse hee is rather to suffer death then to professe any doctrine contrary to the dictates even of an erroneous conscience because he should choose afflictions rather then sin But when we are commanded faith with a reserve as they say we are commanded to beleeve a lye which is blasphemous and what we are commanded to beleeve by the Lord in his word that must be an oblieging rule to our practice and so must we be oblieged to sin nor can it be said to offer your child to God in a sacrifice is against the light and a cleare Law of nature and a fundamentall errour for in this dispute Libertines arguments are for a toleration of all whether they erre in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls nor can they determine what is of their owne naturall are controversall and disputable to humane reason and what not for we either speake what are de facto actually controverted in all the Christian world or what be those that in regard of their disproportion to humane reason of their owne nature may be controverted 2. Or we speake of those which are not controversall amongst Christians who acknowledge the Old and New Testament to be the word of God and what are not clearely determined in the word and touching the former there is nothing we know not controverted in the Christian world except that there is a God and that is also controverted two wayes Atheists so farre winke though nature cannot no not in devills and godlesse men run it selfe starke blinde as they deny there is a God out of malice 2. They cavill at all arguments brought to
avoyding of them is not of God But such is this pretended Toleration ergo It is not of God the major is evident of it selfe The assumption I thus prove Therefore the Magistrate should not punish Heretickes because hee cannot doe it in faith for he not being infallible hee cannot certainely and undeniably know that hee punisheth the man for that which is a Heresie or for that which is a truth and so while he is plucking up Tares hee may bee plucking up Wheat and so he cannot in faith punish him say they But this reason strongly evinceth according to the way of Libertines the gaine-saying hereticke is not to bee refuted nor to bee sharpely rebuked that he may bee sound in the faith nor to bee avoided as selfe-condemned contrary to Titus 1. 11 12 13. Titus 3. 10. Romans 16. 17. 2 Timoth. 2. 14 15. 1 Timoth. 6. 3 4. Matth. 22. 29 30 31 32. 1 Cor. 15. 1 2 3 4 c. because what ever my Christian Professour doth as well as the Christian Magistrate he must doe it in faith Rom. 14. 23. otherwise 〈◊〉 sinneth And it is no lesse sinne I speake not of 〈◊〉 degreeâ— to refute judge and condemne rebuke and avoid a brother as a selfe-condemned Hereticke when it is not evident to the conscience of Pastours Synods or any private Christians who may refute admonish and rebuke Heretickes by the word of God Titus 1. 11 12 13 Titus 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. that hee is an Hereticke for they may bee reproaching and speaking against such as are sound in the Faith and Wheat not Heretickes and Tares for ought they know who have not monopoliâ—ed the Holy Spirit to themselves onely more then these whom they refute admonish rebuke and avoid as Heretickes and so they cannot in Faith more 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghosts charge and rebuke Heretickes then the Magistrate can in Faith draw the Sword against them Argument VI. THe father commands the children now in the state of sinne to learn and heare the judgements and testimonies of God Gen. 18. 19. Exod. 12. 27. Psal 78. 3 5 6. Joel 1. 2 3. and that in order to the rod and bodily punishment Prov. 13. 24. Prov. 23. 13. With-hold not correction from the child for if thou beatest him with the rod he shall not die 24. Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soule from hell Damnable heresies bring swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1. The fourth command is given to the father of the house Exod. 20. in order to son servant and stranger to cause them to keep the Sabbath which Nehemiah as a father and a ruler practised by the sword Nehem. 13. 19 20 21 22. And the like Morrally layeth bands on all Magistrates and Ministers according to the power of the rod civill or ecclesiasticall committed to them Eli a father and a judge dispised God 1 Sam. 2. 30. in not correcting his sons for abusing of their priestly power his sonnes might have pretented conscience that they could not live upon the ordinary allowance for the priest and that the law of nature might beare them out in their practises yea every man is to take care that he and his house serve the Lord nor did Joshua as a Magistrate only chap. 24. 15. but as a master of a house so speake then must the Prince the Parliament the Magistrates say the like and take care according to their places as fathers of the Common-wealth to doe the same Hence we thus argue what ever coercive power to command threaten promise punish restraine reward God hath given to parents masters of families teachers tutors officers in war Kings and Princes is the good gift of God and a tallent to be imployed for the good of soules and in order to observe the duty of the first Table every one in order to their station Because Kings are to bring their glory and honour to the new Jerusalem it s either Kingly honour and power which is essentially coactive or then it is nothing but that holy rich men that bring their glory to it Rev. 21. 24. And Kings shall minister to the Church It is either royall service as Kings or then no more favour is bestowed on the Church then if private men ministered to the Church Esa 60. ver 10. And if it be not for the beautifying of the House of God at Jerusalem in obeying the Law of God and insticting death or banishment on the refusers of obedience as the Persian Monarch did Ezr. 7. 28. 26 27 28. it is not glory brought to Jerusalem But such a coercive power hath the Lord given as a talent and gift to parents masters teachers tutors officers Kings and Princes as these places evince And thus that which the master of a christian family may doe that the father of the Common-wealth the King in his place may doe But the master of a family may and ought to deny an act of humanity or hospitality to strangers that are false teachers who bring another Gospell 2 John 10. whom he must neither lodge nor bid God speed because he brings another Gospel which he otherwise owes by the law of nature to a Pagan and a man not knowne to him Heb. 13. 1 2. Job 31. 32. Gen. 18. 1 2 3 4. chap 19 1 2 3. The proposition is cleare upon the ground that David as an head of an house will cut off all lyers and wicked persons out of his house as a godly King he will also cut off early from the Church called the city of God 〈◊〉 wicked doers Psal 101. For if every Christian family of New England must refuse lodging to a false teacher must not the Governour and Judges who have power to command and regulate acts of hospitality joyn their civil authority to forbid any master of an house to lodg such a 〈◊〉 hereticke And what is this but the highest degree of banishment And if the Christian Magistrate who may in law dispose of Innes and lodging of strangers for the publique good should command any to receive such a man 〈◊〉 house should he not offer violence to the conscience of the master of the house And yet if the man were sound in the faith and should onely seeme a false teacher to the master of the house the adversaries would say the godly ruler may command an act of the law of nature to lodge a 〈◊〉 who onely upon mistake and an erronious 〈◊〉 is suspected to be an hereticke for they say the Ruler may 〈◊〉 his power in duties of the second Table 3 It appeares that the laws of both Kingdoms ordained English or Scotish seminary priests or Jesuits that come to either Kingdome to seduce men to the Romish faith to be hanged to have better ground in the word of God 2 Jo. 10. and which forbids any under paine of death to lodge such then the twelfth proposall for peace that licenceth Jesuits and Preists and so commandeth Protestants to lodge such if
of Reformation and the standing of the Covenant and treaties betweene the Kingdomes or shall they not remove till peace and truth be established in both Kingdomes because if they remove the English Army may say they undertooke the war not for Religion but to make a conqueste in England for the liberty of the Subject and sweare the Covenant in a sense The Army under Sir Thomas Fairfax may say that they did fight all this time for liberty of conscience against both Prelaticall and Presbyteriall thraldome of the consciences of the free born English and therefore though the Parliament command them to diâ—band they must have liberty of conscience up the Covenant downe and have a perpetuall standing Army c. For in war peace pursuing or forbearing in marching from one Kingdome to another in making treaties and Covenants with other Nations they were to consult with the oracle and immediatly inspired Prophets the opportunity wherof we have not and so we have no beâ—ter warrant for all these for peace and war then for killing of blasphemers who are known to God onely by this reason and that is no warrant at all 5. This is to say there was faith certainty and infallibility clearnesse light and more knowledge of God under the Jewes twilight law darknesse of ceremonies then we have and now since oracles ceased Sceptismes conjectures doubtings blinde and loose uncertainties is all ouâ— faith contrary to that the Scripture saith the Jewes for all their oracles were in the darke and now day springs from on hâ—gh and visiâ—s us and gives light to them that sits in darknesse Luke 1. 77 78 79. And now the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the sea is full of waters Esa 11. 9. And we have a more sure word of Prophesie the Scriptures yea surer then the Fathers voyce from heaven which was an immediate oracle indeed 2 Per. 1. 17 18 19 20 21. And the least of the Kingdome of God note is greater then the Baptist the greatest of Prophets Matth. 11. 11. If this satisfie not see Esa 54. 11 12. Jer. 31 31 32 33 34. Esa 30. 26. Joel 2. 28 29. Act. 2. 10 17 18 19. Col. 2. 2 3 5. 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16 17 18. 6. The argument that we cannot punish under the New Testament because the Magistrates and Ministers and Synods who condemne hereâ—ies errors schismes blasphemie are not infallible and they know not but they may plucke up wheat instead of tares and take away the life of elect men who might â—ive and be converted is of no weight for then the Iudge should not take the liâ—e of a murtherer adulterer the most bloody robber or paricide the Libertines teach and practice the contrary for must the Judge read in the Lambs booke whether the man be inrolled therein as an elect before he passe sentence on him in a Councell of warre for fellony robbery poligamy c 2. It is most strong against admonishing rebuking and warning one another I may condemne the innocent in these because I am not infallible it is against preaching beleeving writing of books of Divinity making warre peace borrowing lending buying selling in all these I am oblieged to do upon certaine perswasion of faith that what I doe is lawfull else I sinne Rom. 14. 23. and the word of God the most sure oracle to us must be my rule Now I may no more venture on the least sinne then a Christian Prince may condemne to death an Idolater and a blasphemer who is a sound beleever which is a greater sinne if I be not cleare as if an immediate oracle were speaking from heaven as Libertines say and the argument must bee thus what we cannot do with as great infallibility of not erring as the Priest that immediately consulted the oracle or the Prophet immediately inspired that we cannot do lawfully But the Christian Prince under the New Testament cannot with such infallibility punish Idolaters Blasphemers or any otherwise ergo The proposition is false for certaine knowledge is sufficient for the Holy Ghost would never bid us admonish and after admonition avoid an hereticke as Tit. 3. 10. nor would our Saviour bid us beware of men of false teachers and false Christs and avoid them and believe them not and try them by their workes and search the Scriptures and examine their doctrine nor would the Lord bid us try the Spirits and try the Antichrist and eate not with Idolaters as he doth Matth. 24. 23 24 25. Joh. 5. 39. Rem 16 17 18. 1 Joh. 5. 1. 1 Cor. 5. 11. If he laid this ground of Libertines heart-obstinacy only legible to God and knowable â—s none but to infallible Spirits makes an hereticke and a false Christ before men yet you are to admonish and eschew him this is as much as if the Lord should say If any man have such an opinion and heart-thought never manifested to men or Angel that knew whether the number of the starres were oddes or equall admonish such a man and avoid him and bid him not God speed neither receive him into your house Yea so no Minister of the Gospell should preach to his flocke fundamentall Gospell truths because hee is not infallible and hee may teach fundamentall lyes for truths Againe the assumption is false for the certainty a beleever hath is thus farre infallible which is enough that he is perswaded of the truth of it and may boldly and in faith seal it with his blood Nor should Libertines suffer for such truths as they hold for truths to wit that the Christian Magistrate hath nothing to do with Religion nor is he warranted now to use the sword against false teachers nor Presbytery is the way of Christ but Socinianisme Familisme Antinominiâ—me are the only true way because they will not say they themselves are in beleeving teaching or suffering for these truths infallible But the danger is not so in beleeving truth or a false opinion for another or for a true opinion as in taking a mans life when yee are not certainly perswaded by the Law of God hee ought to dye Answ That is no matter of greater or lesse great danger It is sinne in the Pharisees in heart and word of month to condemne the Lords Disciples of breach of Sabbath when they are innocent as to kill them for Sabbath-breach when they are innocent Matth. 12. 7. the one is a greater sinne the other lesse but if wee may not venture on a greater sinne of shedding innocent blood because of want of infallibility neither is it lawfull to venture upon the least sinne because of the want of that same infallibility nor is an infallible and immediate oracle our onely rule in judgeing the blasphemer Suppose a man should wilfully professe there is no God and raile against such as say there is a God as our Atheisticall age wanteth not a Caliguala and an Anaxagoras and the like now if the Parliament should punish
such a limb of hell The thirteenth Proposall of the Army will say the Parliament forces this man to sinne and to beleeve and professe a truth against his judgement and conscience and upon this ground for wee know not infallibly such a man to be a damned Atheist The 4 Answer to annull all these Lawes in the Old Testament is this punishment was bodily afflictive carnall and so typicall and prefigurative of those greater and more spirituall evils under the Gospell to wit of eternall damnation As the land was a type of heaven so to bee cut off by death out of that land was typicall Answer Had the Jewes no spirituall censures then as debarring from the Passeover the excluding of the uncircumcised and uncleane from the Congregation of the Lord 2 Was not the cutting off of the murtherer out of that good land as typicall as the cutting off of the blasphemer 3 Is there any bodily punishment but it is carnall and afflictive I trow none 4 Is punishment and cutting off from the Church by death typicall because bodily Then the avenging of 〈◊〉 doers under the New Testament must be typicall and is many hangings and headings of evill doers as many types under the New Testament If the punishment was typical because in such a way bodily as exclusion from a typicall land Then 1. How is not the killing of the murtherer typicall 2. Give us a warrant for this because we may not at our pleasure phancy types where the word gives no ground for them otherwise we shall with Anabaptists turne all the Old Testament and whole scripture into types upon our owne imagination 3. How shall violent death â—ypiâ—â—e damnation and hel that was existent then and not a thing to come and that because it was the cutting off of the blasphemer not of the murtherer 5 But say they were types as crucifying and hanging on a tree was Deut. 21. 23. of Christs crucifying Gal. 3. 10. What shall it follow that robbers and murtherers 〈◊〉 as Barraâ—â—s may not under the New Testament be 〈◊〉 Yea and by this argument nor may any bodily punishment be inflicted on robbers more then false teachers may bâ—â— killed or incurre any bodily punishment for that were â—â—y Libertines to rip up the grave of Moses because undoubtedly crucifying was a typicall death Gal. 3. 10 â—9 〈…〉 â—ut it is knowne there were two forts of typicall things in the old Testament 1. Some that were meerly typicall and had no use but in divine worship as sacrificing Bullocks and Lambs to God other things were so typicall that they had both a naturall and civill use at eating of manna when yee are hungry drinking water in the wilderneâ—se living in the holy land the former typicall things are utterly ceased and it were impious and meere judaisme to recall them or bring in againe sacrificing of Bullockes to God but the latter things may well remaine in their Naturall and Civill use though their typicall and religious use be abolished as it were lawfull for Jewes even now after Christ is come and ascended and hath put an end to all shadowes and types by the comming in the body to eat manna if they were in the wildernesse and drinke water out of the rocky mountaines if thirsty and dwell in their owne land if the Lord should restore them to it yet should they not Judaize nor recall the types of Moses for these they should doe for a naturall and physicall and for no Religious use Now granting that stoning of blasphemers were typicall and as typicall as hanging of robbers was Deut. 21. yet should it never follow that stoning of blasphemers were Judaizing and unlawfull because it hath a necessary civill use even of common and naturall equity that he that thus perverteth the right wayes of the Lord and seduceth others should dye the death Yea this may well infer that prophesying of lyes blaspheming were typicall sinnes against a ceremoniall and temporary law and so they are not now sinnes yea because it is a falling from Christ to observe Jewish shadows Gal. 5. not to blaspheme and not to prophesie lyes must be sinne and if that be blasphemy what more reason to remove the punishment of a sinne as destructive to society now as then if the sinne cease not to bee sinne but remaine yet a morall hainous transgression The fifth Answer is That the Lawes of Moses cannot reach the heretickes now under the Gospel 1. An hereticke denyes not God the Creator nor teacheth hee Let us goe after other Gods which thou hast not knowne as the Apostate Prophet Deut. 13. 2. Hee denyes not the word of God therefore you may use it as a weapon against him but yee can use no sword but that of iron against Apostates 3. Hereticks as Sadduces were tollerated among the Jews but blasphemers and Apostates were not 4. Scribes and Pharisees held many dangerous opinions yet neither they nor Sadduces were expelled the City or hindered to be Magistrates 5. Though the zeale of Gods house eat up Christ and he attempted a reformation yet he never charged Church or State as unfaithfull for not proceeding against them to imprisonment and death 6. These Deut. 13. would perswade they speake by the inspiration of some Deity and that their sayings were oracles hereticks doe not so so Io. Goodwin Hagiom Answ 1. The conclusion we hold is not hurt all this saith an Heretick that is not an apostate is not to be put to death Let it be so but wee hold by these places that bodily punishment is to be inflicted on him and yet the conscience is not strained nor he persecuted 2. Hereticks 2 Pet. 2. denyes the Lord that bought them and make shipwracke of faith and bring in damnable heresies and bring on themselves swift destruction they depart from the faith speake doctrines of devills lyes in hypocrisie 1 Tim. 4. 1. are condemned of their own conscience Tit. 3. 10. Lead the simple captive resist the truth as Jannes and Jambres did Moses are men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 6 7 8. which is a wilfull denying of the Lord that bought them Libertines have bowells of charity to Arch-hereticks as if God had made a law of sinnes if we are we are not capable under the Gospell whereas it is knowne there are though we need not call all false teachers Hereticks Seducers that say there is not a God nor a heaven nor a hell 3. How shall they prove that the Seducer Deut. 13. formally denyed God the Creator To deny him as Creator and say the world was eternall as Aristotle did is not to deny God for Aristotle and all his acknowledged there was a God but that those dreamers denyed the very existence of God any otherwise then as practicall Atheists and by consequence in their abominable doctrine they cannot prove for they professe a Religion and a God when they say Let us goe and serve other Gods and
hairy mantle to deceive as the 4. v. holds forth and so he pretends a calling from God when he hath none 2. He prophesies not errors only but lies that hee knowes or may know except he were wilfully ignorant to be lyes 3. He speaks them in the name of the Lord and sayes he hath seene the visions of God and the word of the Lord came to me when no such thing was but he utters his owne phancies and hee that does these three deserves bodily punishment and if they bee lyes striking at the root of the Christian faith hee deserves to dye the death 2 The text will not bear that his father and his mother with their owne hands shall thrust him through without addressing themselves to the Judge But it is an allusion to the Law Deut. 13. His father and mother shall not pity him but cause him to be thrust through So Elias said to Achab Hast thou killed and also gotten possession When Achab with his owne hands had not killed Naboth but by his command and letter had procured that others should doe it so 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Vriah but it is exponed David procured that the Ammonites should kill Vriah David with his owne hand did not thrust him through The Answer is because the objector is like to be cumbred with this text he saith for I repeate not what I answered before the best exposition and fullest is His father shall pierce him through that is shall indeavour to take him off and deterre him from such a practice by laying before him the sentence of the death out of the Law Exod. 20. 5. 7. threatning if thou goe on thou shalt not live with God but shall be condemned he shall pierce him through with sharp and piercing words the word of God is compared to a two edged sword Psal 149. â—7 c. and ver 12. There is that speaketh like the piercing of a sword so Turnovins And the predictions in Scripture are spoken as performances Jer. 1. I have set thee over the Nations to root out c. That is to foreshew or threaten rooting out so Chytraeus They shall confute their wicked opinions c. Answ Though Turnovius expound piercing through by preaching death from the Law and terrifying yet since the Objector weakly and groundlesly as we saw will râ—strict this Prophesie to the Church of the Jewes and a poore short time when this zeale endured It must with his leave be meant in that day that is in the time of the Gospel as in other places it must be taken as Ier. 50. 4. v. 20. Ier. 31. 29. Ier. 33. 15. 16. Ioel 2. 29. Zach. 8. 23. for so prophesies of Christs Kingdome are expounded to have their accomplishment in Christs Gospel-Kingdome and then the Law piercing through and terrifying must be in use under the Gospel which is all we crave therefore the Objector adds to the words of the threatning thou shalt not live to wit before God and so leaps from the threatning of the sword of the Magistrate Deut. 13. which hee saith is the sense of the place to the second death and a dying before God 2. But let us have an instance where piercing through dying and wounding is put for Metaphoricall wounding with words to gratifie the Objectors erroneous sense wee cannot quit this place so for all the Text cryes for a reall piercing and killing 1. It is I grant an easie way to answer places of Scripture that can but bear a literall sense to change them into Metaphors so you may give to the Magistrate with some Anabaptists Rom. 13. a Metaphoricall sword and pay him metaphoricall tribute and give him metaphoricall obedience what more reason to make this a morall slaying and piercing with words then a morall or metaphoricall Idol or a metaphoricall false Prophet a metaphoricall uncleane spirit and passing out of the land These words thou shalt not live are words of the Law and the piercing through metaphoricall but those words againe Thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord are not metaphoricall but containe a proper truth such a complication is not in all the Scripture 2. The words in their literall sense are faire and easie and not to bee wrested to a spirituall or borrowed sense without ground it much lesseneth the zeale foretold to be under the Gospel and turnes a reall zeale over into words of threatning the Text saith the contrary his father shall thrust him through and this works so upon him that others shall really leave their false prophecying and shall say I am no Prophet but a Herdman now if the words be a Prophecie to be fulfilled only in the Jewes excluding the Gentiles as the Objector saith then is it no zeale at all but a most sinfull and unjust dispencing with the Law and a zeale far below the Law for the Law saith Deut. 13. If the seducing Prophet which were as neer to thee as a Brother Son Daughter or Wife in thy bosome thou must not smooth him and oyle him with sharpe words and meer threatnings yea but thou must act against him v. 8. Thine eye shall not pitie him thou shall not spare him neither shalt thou conceale him 9. Thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Now this cannot be a metaphoricall putting to death but the Objectors metaphoricall and minatory piercing of him through with sharpe and piercing words imply necessarily that yee must conceale him and pitie him and not kill him nor stretch out any hand against him first or last to hurt him but only stretch your tongue against him and barely threaten him and terrifie him but let him live If the Prophecie be extended to Iew and Gentile under the Gospel which against the Text the Objector denies then it argues 1. That there is such a Law under the Gospel else if it be an unjust Law and out of date now under the Gospel the threatning and piercing through must bewith lying words and father must utter to the lying Prophet lies to terrifie him and say son if thou desist not from prophesying lies thou shalt be thrust through with the Magistrates sword and die according to the Law that is I foreshew and threaten according to the Law but it is an unjust and an out-dated Law to Libertines that obliegeth not under the New Testament that thou shalt be thrust through and die that is I fore-shew and prophesie a lie that thou ought to be put to death and persecuted for thy conscience whereas no such thing ought to be now when the Law Deut. 13. is worne out of vigor 2. It must follow that lying and false words uttered in a threatning manner must be the way to cause the false Prophet to bee ashamed of his vision and prophesying falsely no more but say I am no Prophet but an herdman Whereas the Holy Ghost sayth feare of thrusting through is the cause 3 If it
who wasted Thracia and was therefore carefull that Ambrose should draw up a short confession yet did he except from the Toleration the Manichees the Phocinians the Eunomians But see codice prima lege Cunctos populos de sum trinit Martianus ibid lege 4. Synod Chalcedo Leo imperator cons 15. C. Const 17. Heraclâ—us Imperator const 1. de fide Justinianus Novellus 123. c. 32. Novell 137. c. 6. Honorius l. 4. c. 55. Eccle. Valentinianus l. 9. de Episc cler Novell 123. c. 18. Novella 123. c. 29. c. Le. const 87. Novell 131. c. 4. Eusebius Pamphil de vita Constan l. 3. c. 13. Surius tom 2. Concil c. 20. p. 362. Codic l. 1. Tit. de heret lex 2. 1â—6 Justinian codex l. 1. Tit. 4. de sum Trinit lex 2. Surius concil tom 2. p. 469 421 494. tom 2. p. 668 669 670. Socra Scholastic his l. 2. c. 37. Nicepherâ— hist l. 9. c. 4. Contur Magdeburque 4 col 558. So for his power to conveene Councels as the Nicen by Constanti Euseb l. 3. c. 6. Sozom l. 1. c. 17. Soâ—rat l. 1. c. 6. Ruff. l. 10. c. 1. Theodor. l. 1. c. 7. the Councell of Tyre by Constant Eusebius de vit cons l. 4. c. 41. Sozom. l. 1. c. 9. Theodosius elder made a Law of death against the Anabaptists and banished Euâ—â—mius Socrat. l. 7. c. 12. It is true Constantinus and Licinius as Eusebius tels us l. 10. c. 5. say in a Law now therefore we freely will and command That every man have a free liberty to observe the Christian Religion and that without any griefe or molestation he may be suffered to do the same But the practice of heathen Emperous is no rule 2. God opened their hearts to make these Lawes in favour of Christians 3. They had experience of the favour of God by the prayers of Christians 4. The Heathen Law in the Letter would prove that none should be rebuked or argued against whatever Religion he chose Maximius proclaimed That all men should use what Religion they like best Eus l. 9. c. 10. But 1. Maximius out of naturall pity because he had before persecuted Christians did this 2. Dioclesian and Maximianus tooke Churches from them he restored them hence followed peace till an 130. The Councell of Constantinople 1. by Theodosius senior Theodoret l. 5â— c. 7. Socrates l. 5. c. 8. The Councell of Ephesus 1. By Theodos junior Evagrius l. 1. c. 2. So Imperator Iustinus l. 44. ad Maenam Patriarcham de Monachis Monasteriis separandis de Episc cler Eusebius de vita cons l. 3. c. 25. Epistolam libella ad Synoda constitutionem The Bishops of the second generall Councell if there was any of them generall writ to the Emperour Theodosius We desire your clemency that you by your Letters would confirme the Decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon and command that it be ratified and established which he did See also Constantius his power prescribing to the Councels of Arimimon and Seleucea the subject matter they should treat upon and commanded ten of each Councel to come and give him an account of their proceedings Sâ—zomen l. 4. c. 6. Toeodosius and Valentinâ— command the Councell of Ephesus to send them some Bishops to acquaint them with the causes and motives of their deliberations Relatio Synodi Ephesinae quae est tom 1. concil The second Councell of Nice which some call the seventh Generall Councell relate the like to the Emperour at Constantinople Theodoret l. 5. c. 8. Zonaras tom 3. anat There be two edicts of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian confirming the Councel of Chalcedon so act 3. Chalc. to 1. Conc. all which say the Emperours de facto commanded as Magistrates Church-men to determine according to the word and corrected such as contravened And though Picus Mirandula saith well No man hath power of opinions so as if hee will he may have another opinion which though it may beare that opinions fall not under free-will yet the venting of them to others is to Mirancula a free act and punishable We know the Edict of Valeâ—inian and Martian of capitall punishment against Such as shall attempt to teach things unlawfull Let false teachers according to Justinian have no leave to live and dwel in Roman bounds saith Pametius Augustine saith Hereticks kill soules let them be afflicted in body they bring on men death eternal and they complaine that they suffer temporall deaths And why saith Augustine should Sorcerers find the rigor of the Law from Emperors and Hereticks and Schismaticks go free Constantius gave out Edicts against Hereticks as Eusebius saith h. 2. c. 27. And also made lawes of pecuniary fines and mulcts against them Honorius made lawes against Donatists of fining and of banishing preachers of Donatisme Martianus did the like The like saith Nazianz of Theodosius the great Banishment and other punishment the Emperours inflicted upon Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Futiches and their followers Which the Arch-Bishop of Spalato Mâ—de dominis granteth though he sayes Augustine excepteth capitall punishment for such saith he he will not have to be inflicted for the conscience which is a manifest depraving of the mind of Augustine who will have such punishment according to the quality of the fault inflicted on them as upon Sorcerers and Murtherers Let Augustine be considered in these and other places after hee retracted his too meeke sentence That they should not be punished at all Alexander Alexandrinus said Arrius and his followers ought to bee punished with excommunication and a curse Theodoret. lib. 1. c. 4. But for the point in hand the Christian Magistrate is tyed and obliged to these punishments to bee inflicted for morall offences that the Law of God hath ordained at least in nature I prove 1 That which is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man must be determined by the revealed will of God in his word but the punishment of a seducing Prophet that ruineth the soule of our brother and makes him twofold more the childe of Sathan than before is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man Ergo such a punishing of a seducing Prophet must be by the revealed will of God in his word The Proposition is proved 1. Because God only not Moses nor any other law-giver under him taketh on him to determin death to be the adulterers punishment Levit. 20. 10. And the same he determineth to be the punishment of willfull murther Exod. 21. 12. of smiting of the Father or Mother v. 15. of Man-stealing vers 16. of Sorcery Exod. 22. 18. of Beastiality 19. Of sacrificing to a strange God vers 10. And upon the same reason God only not any mortall man must determine the punishment due to such as seduce soules to eternall perdition For what reason can be imagined why God can be the onely determiner of such a
punishment of killing and not for the ruining the soul and making him the childe of perdition Let not any say by this reason to tempt to any sin by any evill counsel â—â— provocation to immoderate anger or envy should deserve death for every tempting to sinne is a ruining of the soul of such as we give bad counsell unto and tempt to sin Answ If we do so tempt them by a sinfull way as a sinfull injuring and railing on them or by a wicked course it is sure it doth deserve punishment by the Magistrate but the act of so counselling and tempting to sin though Eâ—conditione operis it be soule-ruin yet it is not such as deserveth death Otherwayes killing adultery sorcery beastiality tempt also to sinne and soule-ruine besides the other injury in them against the life and châ—stity of men 2 The Proposition is proved because the will of God can be the Creator and first Author of nothing but which is morrally good For the Scripture is as full in the duties of the second table touching mercy and righteousnesse as in the duties of the first touching piety and religion and any thing pretended to be morrall hath God for its authour in either the first or the second table of the Law nor can the will of man be the author of any thing morrally good and will-righteousnesse is as unlawfull as will-worship or will-piety since the word is a perfect rule in matters of doctrine or faith or of life manners and conversation and teacheth the Judge what he should doe Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Psalm 119. 9. Psalm 19. 8 9. Prov. 3. 21 22 23 c. 3 What ever by order of justice doth concerne the life and death of our neighbour rewarding or punishing him in name body goods so as if it bee justly inflicted it is justice and if unduely and undeservedly it is unjustice and murther as wronging of him in his body by stripes wounding death in his liberty by prison in his goods by fines that must be determined in the word by him that is Lord of life death libertie of our name and goods otherwayes the word should not teach us when the Judge sinnes when not when he makes just Lawes when unjust when he exceeds in punishing when he is deficient I come to the assumption The punishing of a seducing Prophet is morrall In that it is commanded to father and mother not to pitty him Deut. 13. 6. holden forth as the zeale of God in father and mother under the Messiaâ—s Kingdome Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. and every one is forbidden To bid him God speed yea and commanded to deny him an act of humanity and hospitality and not receive him in his house 2 Joh. 1. If we be commanded to put any shame on him far more must the Ruler bee taught of God what shame he should put on him For what ever under the New Testament is capable of a command is morall And if morall what the Magistrate should doe to him can no more be determined by the will and wit of man than it can be determined what punishment the Magistrate must inflict upon the murtherer the adulterer the Sorcerer the Sodomite which all the wisdom of God hath determined in the word otherways God hath left the Magistrate in the dark that from the word he hath no direction when he committeth murther or when he doth acts of justice And that it is a morall act also to seduce soules is cleare in that 1. We are commanded to beware of such Matth. 7. 5. and avoid them Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. 2. That the Lord condemneth them in his word as such as make their followers the children of perdition Yea Matth. 22. 15. They subvert the hearers their word cate as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 15 17. Lead silly women Captive 2 Tim. 3. are Deceivers Tit. 1. 10. Now that God hath appointed a punishment for this of old and hath spoken against this sinne so much in the New Testament and bidden private Christians cry shame on Seducers and fly them and yet left the Magistrate under a discharge and inhibition to draw a sword against such who can beleeve it except that inhibition given to the Christian Magistrate wer written in the Testament of our Lord. To say the new Testament-dispensation is so spirituall that God wil have no remedying of seducing but by the spirituall armor of the word is said without ground when the New Testament-dispensation is as spirituall to gaine the Sorcerer the Theâ—fe the Sodomite the drunkard the Reviler as the Idolater by the spirituall aâ—mor of the Word Act. 19. 19. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. and by this reason the Magistrate may draw the sword against no theife Sodomite Drunkard Sorcerer contrary to Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Especially since the Magistrate is not indifferent towards ill-doers and well-doers since hee must punish the one as a Nurse-Father praise and reward the other 1 Peter 2. 14. gaining of soules is well-doing Matthew 25. 21 23. And seducing of soules is by the Law of Nature and Nations the worst of injuries done to men 2 Argument That which is perpetually morall and one act of Justice at all times and places must oblige us Christians and the Christian Magistrate as well as the Jewish Rulers But to punish the seducing Prophet is perpetually morall and an act of justice at all times and in all places as the rewarding of such as teach truth is a commendable act of justice Ergo The proposition is cleare in regard the morall Law doth therefore oblige us Christians because it is morally perpetuall and perpetually morall and that in all times and places as to serve God honour our parents not to murder c. is perpetually morall now as among Jewes with us as among the Indians and Tartarians but to punish the seducing Prophet is such 1. because the Heretick is condemned by his owne conscience Tit. 3. 10. in believing lies Ergo Farre more by his owne conscience by leading others into that same condemnation with himselfe and if he apprehend the vengeance of a God-head there must be a conscience naturally apprehending such as we see the conscience of murtherers and of Cain feare some revenging hand If therefore the Minister of God the Magistrate inflict this it must be nothing else but an act of naturall Justice which the naturall conscience doth apprehend But what acts of Justice the conscience naturally feares must be acts of Justice perpetually morall not respecting one man or Nation more than another 2. All Countries by an instinct apprehend a God and conceive their Priests and Prophets are to be entertained and rewarded as Egypt Gen. 47. 22. Midian Fâ—xed 2. 16. Exod. 18. 1. Judg. 17. 5. c. 18. 4. 2 King 15. 18. The Philistims 1 Sam. 5. 5. c. 6. 2. Baal and the Zidonians had their Priests 2 King 10. 8 19 Lycainia Act 14. 13.
to receive true Religion It is a token the man is scant and ebbe of proofes in Scriptures when he can prove liberty of conscience by no Scripture but one wing and tith of a Parable never expounded by Christ who yet expoundeth all the rest of the parts of the Parables and yet as I have said before the tares are not expounded by Christ to bee Heretickes but ver 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one and ver 41. all things that offend and doe iniquity Mr. Goodwin denies that Heretickes are ill doers Mr. Williams saith they do iniquity but if he would expound and apply all the tithes and joynts of the Parable then Mr. Williams must tell us what the sleeping of men v. 25. and what the springing up of the blade is and the bringing forth of the fruit is v. 26. and how men quarrell with God because of the prosperity of Hereticks when as Scripture extends the prosperitie that stumbles men to the most wicked who are fat and rich Psal 37. 1 2 3 4. Ier. 12. 12. Job 22. 1 2 3. and what the bundles are vers 30 since Mr Williams as all Libertines and Anabaptists are is bold with the word to expound tares otherwise then the word of God and our Saviour Christ doth who of purpose expoundeth the â—â—res to be workers of iniquity and ill doers now Hereticks to Master Williams and Libertines are no ill doers but innocent men men that fear God such as suffer persecution for conscience the children of light of the promise of the free woman persecuted by the children of this world and the sons of the bondwoman as all their Books say how doth Christ make these Hereticks that are named tares such as grow and flourish till harvest and then these innocent men that feared God are judged by God offenders in Christs Kingdome workers of iniquity cast into a furnace of fire where there shall bee wailing and gâ—ashing of teeth To conclude why doth Mr Williams say the Magistrate oweth protection to the true Church apart and met together and saith not that he owes protection to the false Church the same way apart and met together he must secretly insinuate that the Magistrate oweth some singular royall protection to the assemblies of Anabaptists and Seekers and the true Church which he oweth not to the Church of wicked men met and assembled for worship Yet when the wicked are assembled in the valley of the sons of Hinnon to burn their sons to Devils when they are met in the high places to offer and Sacrifice to the Sun and the Queen of Heaven and to adore the works of mens hands even then are these men Subjects under a lawfull Prince and this Prince must either in such abominable and bloodie worship defend their persons and estates from violence or then 1. Master Willams saith amisse 2. The Prince must by his office serve the Devil and countenance and defend a most wicked and bloodie service such as Son-slaughter and Idolatry and that against his conscience though he judge them a false Church 3. The Prince if hee withdraw his royall defence is wanting in his office and yet it is his conscience to neglect dutie to such 4. And must force the consciences of people in tempting them to deâ—ist from what they in conscience conceive to be the highest worship and expression of love fear and reverence to God in that he refuseth to protect them in man-slaughter and such service to God which they dare not venture on without his protection least men rise up against them and destroy them Mr. Williams addeth ib. p. 216 To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to doe her 〈◊〉 and yet the Magistrate must 〈◊〉 judge what that dutie is must be to play in spirituall things Answ That the Magistrate should compell godly men to keep peace and a David suppose he were a Subject not to kill not to commit adultery under the pain of civill punishment I suppose is not Heresie and yet I see not how the Magistrate is not to judge according to the word of God what is wilfull murder and so deserveth death by the Law of God what is accidentall killing and deserveth no death but a Refuge and Maneprize But the Magistrate say Libertiâ—es should not judge what is heresie what sound doctrine why because that is to be judged according to the word of God by Pastors But that is 〈◊〉 causa pro causa for the King is to judge what is murther what not and all matters belonging to a civill Judge what is morally good and evill and what is punishable by the sword what not by reading on the book of the Law when he sitteth on the throne Deut. 17 18 19. but this he judgeth in order to civill punishment and not in order to the gaining of souls and in so far as concerns his practice and the same way is he to judge what is heresie what not if this be not said then should we play indeed in spirituall matters Q. But is not the Christian Ruler then as a Ruler to judge whether Arrius ought to be banished and imprisoned who denieth the Son of God to be consubstantiall with the Father and so all Rulers are to judge of Heresies and Gospell Truths even Indian and Pugaâ— Magistrates who are essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Rulers for quod convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans There is a difference betwixt a Ruler and such a Ruler a Christian Ruler or a Heathen Ruler a Ruler aâ— a Ruler should judge of all civill businesses and of truths and falshood in Religion for all Nations have some God and some Religion but a Ruler as a Christian Ruler onely not as a Ruler as the notion of 〈◊〉 a Ruler doth 〈…〉 and the Christian Ruler ought 〈…〉 judge what is Gospel truth or Gospel untruth for then all 〈…〉 Pagan or what not should judge the Gospel truthe though they be not obliged to believe in Christ or to know the Gospel which they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. Now this is absurd But onely Rulers as Christian Rulers should judge of Gospel-truths Magistrates should judge but all Magistrates as Magistrates should not judge of all businesses and of all matters belonging to all Countries for then an Indian Magistrate should judge of all the matters of France England Scotland which cannot be said so a Magistrate as a Magistrate should judge of Religion but not all Magistrates of all Religions for Heathen Magistrates cannot judge nor ought not to judge whether Arrianisme be Heresie or not and whether it be punishable by the Sword or not whether Christ Mediator hath one will as the Monothelites said or two as the Catholike Protestants said because the Heathen Magistrate as we suppose never heard of Christ So we say a judge of France cannot judge as a judge of transporting of wooll out of England or of wax out of Scotland