that men dare not blaspheme Christ nor sweare nor murder nor whore nor steale though the authority of God which is higher than any earthly Kings hath already forbidden blasphemy swearing killing Ergo by this reason all Lawes of men against evill doers should be cashiered because they cannot catch soules when as they are not ordained to catch soules but to binde the outward man in fetters that he prey not upon the soul and body and goods of his brethren yea by this reason men should not by Ministeriall Authority preach the Gospell to catch men for the Gospell is inacted already by an higher Authority than any on Earth King or Pastor can preach and will thy cob-web preaching poore Minister catch whom the net of God will not catch all these men sway to the Familist and Enthysiasts hand beware of them So does the bloody Tenet 1 The Magistrate should not send the Heretick to the Church to heale the Heretick why like mother like daughter perhaps he sends an Heretick to be healed by Hereticks Answ Master Williams cannot finde a Church on Earth but a false and hereticall Church to heale a Seeker Familist or Anabaptist But say it were so should not the Magistrate Hezekiah exhort the Priests to teach the People and deale with the People who think Baal to be the true God because the Priests do also thinke Baal perhaps the true God which if Hezekiah do sure he is a miserable Physitian But saith he the poore Heretick disputes with the Church that shall deliver him over to the bloody sword if he will not yeeld as the Lambe in the Lions paw being sure to be torne in pieces in the end Answ This Author makes ever the supposition of himselfe as if he were infallible we may suppose the Heretick is a ravening wolfe and that he obstinately and as a selfe condemned man disputes and that the Magistrate is the Lambe and the Minister of God who loves not to strike with the sword and the question is not whether he should yeeld reason and conscience up for feare of the sword but whether he should abstaine from prophecying lies in the name of the Lord and should say God sent him to contradict Ieremiah and to assure the Kingdome of Iudah they shall neither see sword nor famine Jer. 14. Notwithstanding the godly Prince we suppose such a King then in Iudah should assure him he should be stoned to death if he shall thus pervert the right wayes of the Lord should not the Magistrate be a terrour to all ill doers and to such a wolfe there can no argument be drawne from Magistrates that are Lions and Tygers persecuting the Saints of God for the truth as this author alwaies vainly supposeth CHAP. XXV Whether the Rulers by their Office in order to peace are to stand to the Lawes of Moses for punishing seducing Teachers JVdiciall Lawes may be judiciall and Mosaicall and so not obligatory to us according to the degree and quality of punishment such as is Deut. 13. the destroying the City and devoting all therein to a curse we may not do the like in the like degree of punishment to all that receive and defend Idolators and blasphemers in their City And yet that some punishment by the sword be inflicted upon such a City is of perpetuall obligation because the Magistrate beares the sword to take vengeance on ill doers and so on these that are partakers of his ill deeds who brings another Gospell 2 Ioh v. 10. 2. Though Sauls destroying of the Amalekites in that cause was morall in regard they lay in wait for Israel when they came out of Egypt and so of perpetuall obligation yet the destroying of them 1 Sam. 15. is temporary and obligeth not us 1. because that generation were their Sons not those same persons that oppressed Israel when they came out of Egypt and we may not punish the Sonnes for the sinnes of their fathers with death therefore Gods poâ—itive command to Saul and the reason I remember what Amalek did in Moses his time therefore kill them does not oblige us except we had the like command 2. Because the slaying of man woman infant and suckling oxe and sheep was temporary and cannot have a perpetually obligatory ground in the Law of nature or naturall justice obliging us 3. Where there is an injury done to God against the Law of nature and against our brethren in drawing them from serving the true God and a punishment commanded by God to be inflicted once that punishment or the like in substance and nature must ever be such as obligeth us in the like cases The Learned Professors in Leidon say They can see no reason but they must oblige under the New Testament I confesse when the fault is ceremoniall though the punishment be reall as the cutting off of an infant not circumcised and some punishments inflicted on the Leper it is not reason the Law should oblige us in the New Testament either as touching the punishment or the degree Because these punishments for typicall faults are ordained to teach rather than to be punishments and the Magistrate by no light of nature could make Lawes against unbaptised Infants 4. No man but sees the punishment of theft is of common morall equity and obligeth all Nations but the manner or degree of punishment is more positive as to punish Theft by restoring foure Oxen for the stealing of one Oxe doth not so oblige all Nations but some other bodily punishment as whipping may be used against Theeves Mr. Jo. Weemes vo 3. ca. 38. of the judiciall Law The determination saith he in Moses Law judiciall was divini juris and they had greater force to binde the Sonnes than any Municipall Lawes have to binde Subjects new in regard they were given by God himselfe yet these judiciall Lawes saith he commanded the outward man whereas the morall Law called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignea lex Deu. 33. This fiery law pierceth the heart Gamachaeus saith Iuditials and Ceremonials are immediately deduced out of the principles of the Law of nature by way of a more remote and obscure conclusion Aquinas saith by way of divine determination But the truth is the proposition might have some ground in the Law of nature but why 39. stripes not 40. not 38. only should be inflicted on such an evill doer and the assumption in many judiciall Lawes seeme to be an act of the meere positive will of God therefore Aquinas saith Ceremonials primo perâ—â—se first and chiefly were ordained to signifie things but Iudicials secundarie did signifie things to come And Swarez saith That judiâ—ials aecessarily and by accident did signifie things It is true Coriâ—thus 〈…〉 and â—erome saith and the Ebionits as Irenaeus saith and the Nazarer as Augustine tels us hold that Ceremoniais and Judicials do yet oblige Shoolemen deny their obligation as Soto Aquinas Medina Valentia Gamacheus because the Priesthood is
by Presbyterians to take the Covenant as the Author saith p. 258 How Independents swore to defend the Presbyterian government and with tongue pen and sword cry out at it as tyrannicall antichristian and Popish p. 261 Libertines make Conscience not the Word of God their rule p. 262 How appearing to the Conscience makes not the word of God to be the obliging rule but only as touching the right and due manner of 〈◊〉 obliged thereby p. 2â—3 Chap. 22. The pretended Liberty of Conscience is against the National League and Covenant the Ordinances of the Parliament of England ingaged by Oath for a reformation of Religion 265 Chap. 23. The place Acts 5. 34. to wit the counsel of Gamaliel discussed and found nothing for Libertie of Conscience Mr. Goodwins unsound glosse touching the counsel of Gamaliel Acts 5. p. 2â—â— Gamaliels argument proveth as strongly that murtherers and adulterers should not be punished as that men ought not to bee punished for their Conscience p. 28â— The Argument of Gamaliel owned by Adversaries rendreth all 〈◊〉 fundamentals of the Gospel uncertain and Topick Sceptismâ—â— all the most well setled beleevers p. 285 Gamaliels Argument doth conclude that we are not to oppose by arguments and Scripture any blasphemous way against the gospel 286 Immediate providence is not the rule of our actions 288 Chap. 24. Whether punishing of seducing Teachers be inconsisâ—â—â— with the meeknes of Christ place Luk. 9. 54 discussed The Lords not burning Samaria with fire from heaven Luk. 9. is no colour for pretended Toleration p. 288 The case of Elias calling for fire from heaven and of the Apostles much different p. 289 The meeknes of Christ being extended to Publicans Extortioners and Harlots doth as well conclude such ought not to be punished by the magistrate is that false teachers ought not to be punished by him 291 By places from the meeknesse of Christ Socinians labour to prove the Magistrate is to shed no blood under the new Testament 292 Christs not breaking the bruised reed would prove that Hereticks are gracious persons though weak in saving grace and lovingly cherished by Christ if the place Isa 42. Mat. 12. 19 20 help the adversaries p. 293 Christs meeknes not inconsistent with his justice ibid. Rash judgement condemned 1 Cor. 4. 5 6. is nothing for pretended toleration p. 294 That many through the corruption of their own heart render hypocriticall obedience because of the sword proveth nothing against the use of the sword to coerce false teachers p. 29â— Matters of Religion â—ught to be inacted by the law of Princes Christian Rulers that such as contravene may be punished p. 299 Lawes of Rulers in matters of religion 〈◊〉 only bind the outward man ibid. The false teacher is to be sent to the Church and Pastors thereof that he may be convinced before he be punished p. 297 Chap. 25. Whether the Rulers by their office in â—â—der to â—â—nce are to stand to the laws of Moses for punishing seducing teachers ibid. How judiciall Laws oblige to punishment 298 Judiciall Laws were deduced from the morall Law p. 299 True cause of War with other Nations p. 300 Two Kingdomes becoming one body by a religious Covenant if it be mutuall the one part may avenge the quarrell of the Covenant on the other in case of breach p. 302 The new Altar erected by the two Tribes and the half beyond Jordan Josh 22. how a just cause of war ibid. Christian Princes Laws against Errors and Heresies p. 305 As Constantine gave out severe Laws against Donatists so did Julianus the Apostate restore Temples to hereticks and granted liberty of conscience to them that so he might destroy the name religion of Christians as is before observed so Aug. Ep. 166. â—d Donat. 309 God only determineth punishments for sin ibid. The punishing of a seducing Prophet is morall 301 The punishing of seducing Teachers is an act of justice obliging men ever and every where p. 311 False Teachers in seducing others apprehend the hand of divine vengeance pursuing them as other ill doers doe and so it must be naturall justice in the Magistrate to punish them p. 312 The punishing of false Prophets is of the Law of nature ibid. Idolatrie is to be punished by the judge and that by the testimonie of Job c. 31. who was obliged to observe no judiciall law but only the law moral and the law of Nature p. 313 How the Fathers deny the sword is to be used against men for their Conscience p. 315 Church censures and rebukes for Conscience infer most of all the absurdities that Libertines impute to us p. 316 That there was an immediate response of Gods oracle telling who was the false Teacher is an unwarranted forgerie of Libertines 318 If Heresie be innocencie seducing hereticks ought to bee 〈◊〉 and rewarded 319 The Magistrate as a Magistrate according to prophecies in the Old Testament is to punish Seducâ—rs p. 〈◊〉 What Mr. Williams giveth to the Magistrate in Religion 〈◊〉 sufficient ibid. Christian Kings are no more Nurse-fathers Isai 49. 23. 〈…〉 true Churches of Christ then to the Synagogue of Antichrist according to the way of Libertines p. 〈◊〉 The mind of divers famous Authors touching the parable of the 〈◊〉 p. 〈◊〉 The parable of the Tares considered p. 〈◊〉 Mr. Williams holdeth that the Prince owes protection to all Idolâ—trous and bloodie Churches if they he his Subjects p. 32â— How the Magistrate is to judge of Heresie p. 329 A Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate are to be differenced 〈◊〉 can or ought all Magistrates to judge of or punish all Hereticks p. 330 Whether peace of Civill societies be sure where there is toleration of all Religions p. 33â— Peace is commanded in the New Testament no word of 〈◊〉 of divers Religions nor precept promise or practise thereâ—â—â—â— p. 〈◊〉 No ground for abolishing of judiciall Laws touching that point ibid Libertines give us heathenish not Christian peace under many â—â—ligions p. 3â—â— Chap. 26. Whether punishing of Seducing Teachers be persecution for Conscience There is a tongue persecution condemned by Libertines themselves p. 〈◊〉 Libertines persecute others for Conscience p. 〈◊〉 Libertines ought not to suffer death for any truth p. 3â—â— The Lords patience toward sinners in the old Testament no Argâ—â—â—â— of not coercing false Prophets p. 34â— Hope of gaining Hereticks no more a ground of sparing them then of sparing murtherers who also may be gained p. 345 Whether to be persecuted for Conscience true or false he a note of 〈◊〉 true Church ibid. No new Commandments under the New Testament p. 〈◊〉 They that suffer for Blasphemie suffer according to the will of God in Peters sense by Libertines way p. 34â— Chap. 27. Whether our darknesse and incapacitie to beleâ—ve and professe together with the darknesse and obscuritie of Scripture be a sufficient ground for Tolaration Our inabilitie to beleeve is no plan for Toleration p. 350 Preaching of the Word without the Spirit
if it have any life This Conscience is like the service Book or like the Masse or the Popish Image you but see these things they cannot speake nor act upon the soule 2. The nature of Conscience is further cleared by its office and object which are the second and third particulare proposed That we may the more distinctly speake of these it would be cleared what sort of knowledge is ascribed to the Conscience Conscience is not the simple judgement and apprehension of things as things are knowable this is the speculative understanding but it is the power to know things our selfe and actions in order to obey God and serve him 2. But the question is whether Conscience bee a simple practicall apprehension of things or a compounded and discoursive apprehension To which I answere 1. That as the speculative understanding knoweth many things without discourse as to a pure head the sunne heaven nature of motion and many things in its second operation and worke as to apprehend the Sunne to be an hundreth sixtie and seven times more then the Earth yet it referreth both the first and second operations of the mind to know things by discourse so the Conscience as conscience doth apprehend in its first operation God Christ sinne and in its second operation God to be infinite Christ to be the alone choisest of Saviours So it is consummate and perfected in a discourse or syllogisme by Conscience totally and compleatly in order to our practice and faith As He that killeth his brother hath not life eternall But I have killed my brother Ergo I have not life eternall So Caine. And He that beleeveth in him who justifieth the ungodly is justified and saved But I beleeve in him who justifieth the ungodly Ergo I am Justified and saved So David Paul The knowledge of the major by it selfe is an act of conscience as to deny and mis-beleeve the major Proposition is an act of a blinded and evill conscience but the compleatenesse of Conscience standeth in the knowledge of the whole syllogisme Hence they say that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Magezine and Thesaure-house of the conscience the habit or power that judgeth of the Law of nature is the major Proposition or the principles of right or wrong written in the heart by nature maketh the conscience in regard of the proposition to be called Lex the Law In regard of the assumption or the second proposition Conscience is a witnesse a spie sent from heaven to record all the facts in whiâ—h assumption are included both our facts actions words thoughts inclinations habits of sin or grace and the mans state and condition In regard of the conclusion or third proposition Conscience is a Judge and the deputie of God and it is but one and the same conscience acting all the three the acts of Law a Witnesse a Judge The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the conserving power of the soule is that facultie or power in which are hidden and laid up the morall principles of right and wrong known by the light of nature and so is a part of a naturall conscience and in it are treasured up the Scripture and Gospel-truths which are known by the light of a starre of a greater Magnitude to wit the candle shining in a divine revelation and this is part of the inlightened and supernaturall Conscience Of this intellectuall Treasure-house wee are to know these 1. That in the inner Cabinet the naturall habit of Morall principles lodgeth the Register of the common notions left in us by nature the Ancient Records and Chronicles which were in Adams time the Law of Nature of two volumes one of the first Table that there is a God that he createth and governeth all things that there is but one God infinitely good most just rewarding the Evill and the good and of the second Table as to love our Parents obey Superiours to hurt no man the acts of humanity All these are written in the soule in deep letters yet the Inke is dâ—mme and old and therefore this light is like the Moone swimming through watery clouds often under a shaddow and yet still in the firmament Caligulâ— and others under a cloud denyed there was any God yet when the cloud was over the light broke out of prison and granted a God there must be strong winds doe blow out a Torch in the night and will blow in the same light againe and that there be other seeds though come from a farre Land and not growing out of the ground as the former is cleare for Christ scattereth some Gospel-truths in this Chalmer as Joh. 7. 28. Then cryed Jesus in the Temple as he taught saying Yee both know me and whence I am Joh. 25. 24. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father 2. This is a part of the Conscience because by no faculty in man but by the conscience are these truths apprehended 2. And when any in ill blood deny such truths as that there is a God and Parents are not to be loved we all say such doe sin and offer violence to their conscience 3. Sins against these fundamentals cry vengeance with a more hiddeous shout and cry than spirituall sins that are spun with a smaller threed for such goe nearer to put off humanity The knowledge of the assumption is Conscience as a Booke or Witnesse and it is either considered as it is in habit and keeps a record of the mans facts or as in act it bringeth them forth and applyeth the Law to the fact and is called diâ—tâ—â—â—â— the enditement and charge given in This and this hash than done Now that Conscience bringeth good or ill out of the 〈◊〉 that containeth memoriall or Cronicle or the mans 〈◊〉 cleare as 1. The Conscience can looke back and laugâ—â—â— solace it selfe at that which is well done and bring it forth Psal 16. 2. O my soule thou hast said unto the Lord thou art 〈◊〉 Lord. Psal 140. 6. I said unto the Lord thou art my God 〈◊〉 Ezekiah like the man that cheareth himselfe with the sight of the gold in his treasure Esai 37. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Or 2. it can looke back and purge it selfe as David Psal 7. O my God if I have done this Job 16. 17. Job 29. 12 13 14. chap. 31. 5 6 7 8 9 c. 3. It can bring out evill deeds as Josephs brethren doe when they are in trouble This distresse is come on us for that when we saw the anguish of our brother and he besought us wee would not heare Gen. 42. 21. The knowledge of the conclusion is judgement and the sentence of a Judge 2. For the second point of Conscience which is its object this can be nothing but Gods revealed will expressed to us either in the Law of Nature or in the Law written or the Gospel
and that there should be no Church censure contrary to Mat. 18 yea Christ does no where rebuke the Pharisees Scribes and Priests because they did not by preaching admonish and convince their fellows the Sadduces of that hereticall doctrine that the dead shall not rise and by this there should be not onely a Physicall tolleration and a non punishing by the Magistrate of all heresies but a morall forbearing and a no-rebuking no preaching against false wayes and so not onely Church-censures are taken away contrary to Matth. 18. 15 16 17. Revel 2. 1 2 14 15 16 20. But it is not lawfull for Ministers or teachers to write or teach against Iezabel and these that hold the doctrine of Balaam by this reason of the Libertines Nor does Christ command the Rulers of the people to punish the false witnesses that rose against him Nor does he rebuke Church or State for tollerating the Publicans to extort the people nor Caesar and Pilate for oppressing the people nor the Scribes and Pharisees for not preaching against Herods beheading of Iohn Baptist or Pilates mixing the Gallileans blood with the sacrifice Luke 13. ergo Ministers are to tollerate bloody Magistrates and not to preach against them The sixth Answer to elude these Lawes is If these Lawes binde us in the New Testament then must you not adde nor diminish from the Law Deut. 13. and so must the whole City inhabitants and cattle be put to the edge of the sword and devoted to a curse v. 14 15 16 17. which ye cannot say beares any truth under the New Testament except we say that Papists and their babies should be put to the edge of the sword and their houses and land they dwell in execrable Answ There are three different Lawes Deut. 13. one against the seducing false Prophet to v. 5. a second against any seducing person if it were brother or wife to v. 12. a third to the end of the Chapter of a City State or society that will defend a false teacher Now we argue not from the third Law but there is no warrant to punish the sonne of a false Prophet Idolater Heathenish or Popish or of wife or brother that tempt us to Apostacy and to follow false Gods yea or to hurt land house or cattle that belongs to them the sonne shall not beare the sinne of the father except God by a positive Law command it But the third Law upon which we build not our arguments at least as touching any ceremoniall part of it belongs not much to us for to gather the spoyle of such a City and to burne it every whit for the Lord as a cursed and devoted thing or place is clearly ceremoniall and typicall because now every creature of God is clean Rom. 14. 14 and so are all the victualls or meats of Heathens or Papists now and good and sanctified 1 Tim. 4. 3 4. and what God hath cleansed we are not to esteem common or prophane Act. 10. 14. and the like must we say of places 1 Tim. 2. 8. Ioh. 4. 21. Zach. 14. 21. and by proportion of all creatures the creatures cannot now be typically cursed and execrable as then Deut. 13. 16. 18. For the holy Land and every City was made by the Lord typically and ceremonially holy and a pledge of a Heaven when therefore a Seducer fled to any City from the Judge if that City would partake with him in his sinne and save him from the hand of Justice that City forfeited its typicall holinesse and it and all things in it the spoyle cattle and goods made accursed and to bee burnt with fire and all the inhabitants young and old put to the edge of the sword and that not under the noâ—ion of false teachers but as open Rebells against God his holy law and the Judge the Minister of God was to avenge that blasphemy and the morall part is this If the Army now on foot in England will against the Laws of God and man protect blasphemers and false teachers and save them from the hand of Justice and will reward countenance and promote Seducers of soules our humble opinion is that they render themselves obnoxious to the sword of the Magistrate But the punishing of infants and burning of the spoyle was a meer temporary typical law that doth not abolish us in the New Testament Now Libertines bring this as an argument We cannot put to death false teachers by Deut. 13. for then should we by that Law kill their children and cattle which consequence we deny as false and vaine For our Divines strongly argue from the morall equity and the Law of nature â—arâ—anting Joshua to make warre with the Canaanites in the Old Testament to prove the lawfulnesse of warres under the New Testament upon the same morall equity as â—osh 1â— 19 20. Those that refused to make peace with Isâ—â—â—l and came against Israel in battle against those Israel might raise warre by the Law of nature in their owne defence But such were all the Canaanites except those of Gibâ—on Josh 11. v. 19. 20. And this argument holds strongly in the New Testament if any as some Anabaptists doe inferre this is no good argument because if the major proposition were true then should we also kill the women and sucking children as the Lord commanded Saul touching the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. and then should we destroy the cattle and burne the spoyle with fire for Joshua and Israel made such a war with Iericho c. and the rest of those Cities yea Israel destroyed them utterly and shewed them no favour Josh 11. 20. We with good ground deny the consequence because the warre with these seven Nations was warranted by the Law of nature but the warre tali modo to destroy utterly young and old cattle and all they had was from a ceremoniall and temporall law peculiar to the Jewes because God would have his Church neither inriched by their goods nor to make Covenants and marriages with them or to live in one society with them nor to see their groves lest they should bee insnared to follow their Religion and strange Gods CHAP. XVI Prophesies in the Old Testament especially Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. 5 6. for punishing false Prophets vindicated WE argue from the Predictions and Prophesies in the Old Testament touching the Magistrates zeale under the New Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2. Also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to cease out of the land 3. And it shall come to passe that when any shall yet Prophesie then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth 4. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Prophets shall bee ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied c. That which
be saved seeing God will have all men to be saved that they may promote godlinesse in a politicke way by their sword Hence those that have no more to doe to procure a peaceable life in all godlinesse by their office then heathens and pagans or if they were not in such an office yea those who have far lesse interest in Christian Religion then if they did not beare the sword at all can in no sort be the object of our prayers to God for the procuring of such a life in all godlinesse But the latter is contrary to the word of truth Argument XIII THat which is foretold to be a fruit of repentance and a casting off of the Antichristian yoke must be lawfull and praise-worthy but that the ten Kings who made war with the Lambe and agreed for a time to give their Kingdome to the beast should now turne their swords against Babylon under the notion of a whore for the Idolatrous worship and spirituall fornication of Rome and shall hate the whore as a whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burne her with fire is a fruit of the repentance of the ten Kings Rev. 17 12 13 14 15 16. therefore their turning of the sword against the Pope the whore of Rome for their whoredomes must be lawfull and praise-worthy the proposition is cleare for if to joyne in warre with the whore against the Lambe and his followers was a worke of the devill in giving their power and kingdome to the Beast when God inclines their hearts to the contrary and they joyne their power with the Lambe against the whore and destroy her and make her naked and desolate for her whoredomes it must be a worke of the Spirit of God and a fruit of the repentance of those Kings for when they repent and hate Babylon the Holy Ghost would not set downe their repentance in a worke of cruelty and bloody persecution for consciences sake as Liâ—ertines define punishing Idolaters to be Argument XIV THat which the servants of God doe in an extraordinary impulsion of the Spirit in the case of the sinfull neglect of the lawfull Magistrate or when there is no Christian Magistrate to doe it that must be the ordinary constant duty of the Magistrate especially when that turns away wrath from the Land and is taken as acceptable service to God as if the ordinary Magistrate had done it But the extraordinary punishing of those that violate the worship of God and pervert the wayes of God and the faith of others is such ergo to punish such as violate the worship of God and pervert the faith of others must be the ordinary constant duty of the Magistrate The proposition is evident because extraordinary acts necessary to bee done supply the want of ordinary acts as in morall acts acceptable to God is cleare when the under-Rulers doe not their duty Phineas is praised that he being a Priest not a Judge slew Zimri and Cosbey and Phineas did acceptable service to God in so doing Num. 25. 11 12 13. and Elias in his zeale killed the Priests of Baal when Achab the ordinary Magistrate sinfully neglected his duty and Samuel now being no Judge killed Agag â—â—go it was the duty of Saul as the ordinary Magistrate to doe it Now in the New Testament it is cleare the ordinary officers and porters should violently have casten out the buyers and sellers and tables of money changers out of the Temple our Saviour Christ doth it iâ— an extraordinary way and it was the zeale of the house of God that moved him Ps 69. 9. Job 2. So Armanias and Sapheira lyed to the Holy Ghost defrauded the Church in a matter of goods therefore Peter struck them dead then if there had been a Christian Magistrate he should have inflicted bodily punishment upon Annanias and Saphira so Paul strikes Eliâ—â—â— with blindnesse for attempting to pervert the faith of Sergius Paulus ergo the Magistrate if there had been any to procure a quiet life in all godlinesse to the Church should have punished Elimas and this is evident in acts of justice and sinfull omissions of men in ordinary places nor were these acts extraordinary in the substance of the act as I have observed but onely in regard of the efficient and manner of doing though there be required an extraordinary impulsion in the doer which in others in place should be ordinary for acts extraordinary in the manner and exigence of providence may be in the substance of the act ordinary duties and to neglect them is to sinne against a set command if David and his followers had refused to eat the Shew-bread because the Law made it lawfull to none to eat it but Priests they had sinned against Commandements of mercy injoyned in the Law of nature nor was that an extraordinary rule I will have mercy and not sacrifice when the Law of nature for the good of spirituall societies requires that the godly Magistrate drive away the Wolves and Lions from the flocke we may see a positive command is not necessary CHAP. XIX Exemption of false Prophets from coerâ—ive power is not Christian liberty Argument XV. THat doctrine is not to be held which maketh that a part of Christian liberty which the word of God maketh no part at all thereof For 1. If there be no bodily punishment to be inflicted on false teachers and blasphemers then must Christ by his blood repealâ— all those Lawâ—â— in the Old Testament but the Scripture shewes us all our parts of Christian liberty in these places of Scripture Titâ—â— 14. Rom. 14. 14. 1 Thess 1. 10. Gal. 3. 13. Gal. 1. 4. Gal. 1. 13. Act 26. 18. Rom. 6. 14. Rom. 8. 28 Ps 119. 71. 1 Cor. 15. 54 55 56 57. Rom. 8. 1. Gal. 5. 1. 1. Job 4. 18. Act. 15. 10. 11. Heb. 4. 14. 16. Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Col. 2. 15 16. 2 Cor. 3. 13. 17. 1◠〈…〉 Rom. 14. 4. Act. 4. 9. Act. 5. 29. 1 Cor. 7. 23. Math. 23 8 9 10. Maith 15. 9. and elsewhere in all which places nothing 〈◊〉 hinted of the false teachers patent under the seale of the blood of the eternall Covenant that he is freed from the Magistrates sword though he destroy millions of soules 2. Where the common place of subjection due to Kings and governours sent by them 1 Pet. 2. 11. 12 13 14. is hanâ—led c. freedome to sin and consequently freedome to heresies and teaching and spreading of false doctrines that eat as a gangreen and is no lesse a worke of the flesh then adultery murthers witchcrafts Gal. 5. 19. 10 11 12 â—â— judged false liberty for a cloake of maliciousnesse as if Christiâ—ns were so made free by Christ as subjects were loosed from subjection to Kings and servants from being buffeted for ill-doing 1 Pet. 2. 16. if some ill-doers and the worst of men even soule-murtherers be freed from punishment due to
perswasions and reasons but since the creation of the world to this day the understanding and will keep ever their naturall way of working 8. And that which our Saviour calleth the Law and the Prophets Mat. 7. 12. All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them was the Law of Nature and the Morall Law and the doctrine of the Prophets in the time of Moses and in the Kingdome of the Messiah though Libertines put a false glosse on it for I would not that others should punish me if I murther steal speake lyes in the name of the Lord though if I had authority I should will to punish others that are guilty of these crimes for so they expound it now if wee should not will to punish others for their conscience under the New Testament neither should the godly Magistrate in Moses and Davids dayes will to punish others for their conscience and if we should not will to rebuke and excommunicate hereticks now neither ought the godly Jewes to will to doe the same to others because of old men did not will to be punished with the Sword rebuked or excommunicated for their conscience 9. It was no lesse unlawfull for a Judge in Israel to domineere and tyrannize over the conscience of a false Prophet a Priest of Baal Dagon and to answer the arguments subverting the doctrine of Moses Law so shining with Divinity Majesty and the Wisdome of God with the bloody sword and throwing of stones then it is for the Christian Magistrate to labour to convert the false Prophet now by a Sword or an Axe domineering over his conscience so rendring him a Lambe disputing and trembling under the paw of the Lion And whatever arguments Libertines draw for pretended toleration from the Law of Nature making punishing for conscience contradictory to the light of Nature must inferre that the Judiciall Law of Moses for punishing false Prophets was not onely beside but contradictory to the Law of Nature which were a wronging of the wisdome of God and of the perfection of all his Laws Nor shall it helpe the matter to say the Law of punishing the false Prophet Deut. 13. c. was onely to be executed on such a man as 1. sinned against his conscience shewing him that to say other Gods beside the God that made the heaven and the earth were to be adored and worshipped was repugnant to the light of Nature 2. And on such as the infallible oracle of God fell and blacked as a heartblasphemer and to punish such a seducer was not to compell understanding and will nor to force the conscience nor to make stoning and the sword of steel the carnall weapons that produce spirituall repentance because there was foregoing conviction from the light of Nature perswading the man or which might have perswaded him that his blasphemy was against Nature whereas ye will have the godly punished meerly by the Magistrate because he cannot command his minde and conscience to be of the Magistrates Religion which he judgeth in his conscience to be a false superstitious and Idolatrous way for this containes many uncertainties and lyes For death was to be inflicted not on those onely that sinned against the Law of Nature but 2 Chron. 15. 13. Whosoever would not seeke the Lord God of Israel was put to death small or great man or woman now the seeking of the Lord God of Israel was to serve him according to the rule revealed in the supernaturall spirituall and holy Law of God contained in Moses his Books This I judge was some higher then the Law of Nature 2. Let us put Libertines to make this good that those who said the golden calves were the gods that brought them out of Egypt and adored them and were therefore put to death Exod. 32. since our Divines prove from the place that they made those Calves memorative objects of Jehovah onely did that against the light of their conscience and the manifest Law of Nature What if God had made Calves and Bullocks to represent God as there were Bullocks in the Temple and the sacrificed Bullocks were all types of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe to God And what if the Lord should command to adore himselfe before those Bullocks as he commanded to pray to him before the Arke and the face toward the Temple I conceive Libertines shall have to doe with the bottome of their wits to bring arguments from the Law of Nature to prove that every false instituted worship punished by the Sword of old was against the Law of Nature and that the Seducers were convinced in their conscience it was so 2. If there was an infallible Oracle to backe the false Prophet why was he judged Deut. 17. by the Law then why must witnesses two or three depose against him why must the people that stone him or concurre to execute the sentence of death against a City that will welcome and defend false Prophets know it by report and hear-sayâ— Deut. 13. 12. and enquire and make search and aske diligently if the thing be truth and certaine v. 14. what need of exposition of the written Law Deut. 17. 11. what need of witnesses Deut. 17. 6. here is shorter worke and we must be wiser then God Libertines save all the travell an immediate Oracle from heaven is both the Judge witnesse party and all and infallibly saith this man hath prophesied falsely in the name of the Lord good people rise and stone him Judge you need no witnesse 〈◊〉 a witnesse from heaven what needed the Priests and Pharisees trouble themselves to seek witnesses against Christ Mr. Goodwin and others are of the minde Caiaphas Priest and Prophet could have given a word from heaven whether he was a blasphemer or not But a Prophet of God being infallible might have infallibly informed them if the man were a false Prophet Yea but what shall be done when the Priest and Prophet of God himselfe is called in question shall he aske the Oracle whether he himselfe be the false Prophet or no 3. This answer layes ground that the Jewes might know the false Prophet and punish him but under the New Testament we cannot know him But I have proved under the 〈◊〉 Testament we may sufficiently know 〈◊〉 so as we may try him not beleeve him not bid him God 〈…〉 and avoid him and rebuke and excommâ—nicate him as many Libertines grant 4. As the Jewish Judge did not domineere over the conscience nor compell understanding and will because conviction by a cleare Law of God went before so say we upon the same ground we hold none under the New Testament to be punished by the Sword for false doctrine but he that is admonished convicted and selfe-condemned Tit. 3. 10. But your Arguments for Presbytery and against Toleration cannot convert us say they I answer nor could Pauls Arguments that convicted Sergius convict Elymas actu secundo God must
sacrilegas diffensiones liberas esse permittereâ— deinde Valentinianus legite quae contra vos jufferit Inde Gratianus Theodosius legite quando vultis quae de vobis constituerint Quid Ergo de filiis Theodosiâ— miramini quasi allud de hac causa sequi debuerint quam Constantini judicium per tot Christianos Imperatores â—â—â—issiâ—â— custoditum Christian Princes Lawes against errors and â—â—resies Eusebius in vita Coâ—stan c. 43 44. l. 4 c. 13. Ruffinus Histâ—r p. 1. c. 19. Iovian l. 10. c. 39. Nicephor l. 8. c. 33. Ruffinus c. 22. 25 26. Nicephor l. 12. c. 25. Socrates l. 1. â— 26. Theodoâ—us Anagnostes collect l. 2. The unconstancy of Timotheus Coton Bishop of Constantinople of Petr. Mongus Bishop of Alexandria Evagrâ—â—l 13. c 13. Picâ—s Mirandula in apoloq q. 8. Nemo sanae mentis ita opinatur Vt alio modo opinari posset quia ita vult opinare Edictum Valentiniani Martiani lex 8. Quicunque Cod. de heret Ultimo supplicio coerecantur qui illicita docere tentaverinâ— Pametius c. 18. de diversis religionibus non admittendis Augustinus Epis 50. ad Boniâ—â—â— Occidunt animas affligantur in tempore senipeternas mortes faciunt temporales se perpeti conqueruntur August contra Epist Parmenâ—ani c. 10. M Actinius de dominâ—s de Râ—p Eccles l. 7. c. 8. Augustin con Crescom Gra. l. 3. c. 5. Desid operib 148. 159 epist ad Marcâ—â—â—â—a Epist 150. As Constantine gâ—ve out severe lâ—ws against Dâ—natists so did Iulianus the apostate restore temples to heretickes and granted liberty of Conscience to them that so he might destroy the name and Religion of Christians as is before observed So Augustin Epâ— 166 ad Donatistas God only determineth punishments for sinne The punishing of a seducing Prophet is moral To punish the seducing teacher is an act of justice morally obliging men ever and every where False Teachers in seducing others apprehend thâ—â— hand of divine vengeance pursuing them as other ill doers do and so it must be naturall Iustice in the Magistrate to punish them The punishing of false Prophets is of the Law of nature Idolatry is to be punished by the Judge and that by the testimony of Job c. 31. Who was obliged to observe no Judicial law but only the law morall and the law of nature English divines â—n on Job 31. ver 11. Pagninus in verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mercerus ibid. LXX Chaldaica paraphras Hieronimus Hâ—eron transl Iob 31. v. 11. Hieron Trans Exod 21. 22. Biblia parisienâ— complutens LXX Syraica versio Samaritan Vatab. Iob 31. Iunius Iob 31. Piscator ibid. Pineda com in Iob 31. 28. Sanctius in Iob 31. v. 1â— Ier. Taylor Libertie of prophecying sect 14 p. 206 Spalato de Rep. Fâ—cles l 8. c. 8. which booke is wanting in the ordinary coppies Tayâ—ors liberty of prophecying sect 14. p. 207. How the fathers deny the sword is to bee used against men for their conscience Taylor liberty of prophecying sect 13. p. 13. Church censâ—res and rebukes for conscience inferiâ—â— most of all the absurdities that Libertines impâ—e to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spernere contenâ—â—â—re That there was an immediate response of Gods oracle telling who was the false teacher is an unwarranted forgery of Libertines If Heresie bee Innocency seducing hereticks ought to be praised and rewarded Liberty of prophecying The Magistrate as a Magistrate according to prophecies in the old Testament is to punish seducers Bloody Tenet c. 125. p. 214. What Master Williams giveth to the Magistrate in Religion is not sufficient Christian kings are no more nurse-fathers Isai 49. 23. to the true Churches of Christ then to the Synagogue of Antichrist according to the way of Libertines The mind of divers famous Authors touching the parable of the Tares Mr. Williams mis-interpreteth the parable of the tares Guliâ—l Parisâ—ensts on the parable of the tares Let them grow till harvest because tares may become wheat but that is uncertain but it is certain that wheat may become tares then let them grow till harvest to destroy the people of God is as if one should say let a few wolves continually eat and devoure the flock because God happily shall make these wolves sheep and lambs and let some fewâ— burning torches devour and consume the wood because God may make these fruitfull trees and let some few Lepers who continually infect most contagiously remain among whole people because God may save them Calvin advers Servetum if the words of the parable be precisely pressed all Magistrates must be interdicted of the use of the sword Châ—ker in Parenes the Parâ—ble speaketh not of â—udges â—eza nor none of the Fathers ever said that Hereticks should not be judged till the last day Chrysosâ— hom 47. on Matth. dâ—ssipate the Assemblies of Hereticks but kill them not Jaco Acontius by the wheat are meant the godly by the tares the ungodly if both godly and ungodly must be â—â—â—ered to grow all Magistracie and authoritie of discipline should be abolished Jacobus Simanca Tares are all wicked men then no wicked men must be punished most absurd Gaâ—acheus If reall danger be imminent the Church and the Christian Magistrate must abstain from discipline and the Parable saith 〈…〉 So Suarez Tannerus least ye pluck up c. â—ee gives a just and adequate reason of the permitting of evill Azorius by tares hereticks are not understood accoâ—ding to the mind of Chrysost Augustine Hieromâ— Euthymius Theophylact The Parable of the Tares considered Mr. Williams holdeth that the Prince oweth protection to all Idolatrous and bloodie Churches if they be his Subjects How the Magistrate is to judge of Heresie A Magistrate and a Christian Magistrate are to be dâ—fferenced nor can or ought all Magistrates to judge of or punish all Hereticks Bloody Tenet cap. 6. p. 24 25. Whether peace of civill societies be sure where there is toleration of all Religions and what peace Christians can have in Toleration Peace is commanded in the new Testament no word of toleration of divers Religions which are the Seminaries of discords between the seed of the woman and the Serpents seed in all the New Testament is to be found by precept promise or practice nor any ground of repealing judiciall Lawes for puniâ—hing seducing Teachers Libertines give us heathenish not Christians peace under many Religions Remonst Apo. c. 24. p. 268 Remonst Apo. c. 24. p. 2â—9 Bullingeâ— Adver Anabap. l. 5. c. 8 Bloudy Tenet c. 3. p. 19 20. Ancient bounds Scripturall persecution is only for truth Asser 1 There is a tongue persecuting by rebukes which is condemned by Libertines in matters of Religion as well as handpersecution Opeatus Mel. vitan l. 3. Episcopos gladio linguae jugulastis fundentes sanguinen non corporis sed honoris Bullinger adver Anabap. l. 5. â— 8 Augus Epist 50 Magis ancilla pâ—rsequebitur Satam superbiâ—nâ—o quâ—m â—llam Saâ—a coâ—â—cendo illa enim dominae faciebat injuriam
in the Kings of Israel and Judah in punishing Idolaters except they did it by extraordinary impulsion which cannot be proved it concludes nothing against us Argument VIII WEE argue from examples of Seducers who have been punished with bodily death or otherwise As at the command of Moses the Prince three thousand were slaine Exod. 32. 26 27 28. for worshipping the golden Calfe that God might that day bestow a blessing on them 29. and Moses might make atonement for them vers 30. Numb 25. Moses commands all the heads of the people to be hanged before the 〈◊〉 that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel because they were joyned to Baal-peor and the sacrifice of the Gods of Moah 1 2 3 4. Phineas in his zeale turned away the 〈◊〉 of God in that he thrust through Zimri in the act of uncleannesse with Corby a Medianitish woman And 〈…〉 slay the Priests of Baal with the sword And Paul 〈◊〉 Elimas the Sorcerer with blindnesse because he laboured to pervert Sergius Paâ—lus the deputy from the faith Act. 13. 8 9 10. the sonne of the Israelitish woman whose father was an Egyptian while he did strive with a man of Israell and so in passion and malice toward the man as would appeare cursed God was stoned to death and a law was made on it against the blasphemer Levit. 24. 10 11 12 13 14. which is ver 15 16. Whosoever curseth his God shall beare his sin 16. And whosoever blasphemeth the name of the Lord hee shall surely be put to death and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger as hee that is borne in the land when her blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death there be two things here to me that proveth this was no judiciall temporary law binding Israel onely 1 His God Holdeth forth that nature abhorreth and the sum of the first command written in the heart is hee that curseth his maker whom he is to blesse love and serve with all his heart should dye 2 This law obliegeth the stranger and any heathen to be put to death if hee should blaspheme God saith it is the law of nature and obliegeth us under the New Testament as being the first and highest sin that nature crieth shame and woe upon and wee are to conceive it was a lawfull warre attempted by the ten tribes to goe against the tribe of Ruben Gad and the halfe of Manassah Josh 10. 11 12. c. to 34. because they set up a new Alter to worship as their brethren conceived which if true certainly was a cleare apostacy from the God of Israel That Joshua destroyed the Canaanites for their Idolatry Josh 6. 21 22. chap. 20 c. I confesse will not warrant us to make warre and destroy with the sword all the Indians and Idolaters on earth and to compell them to worship the true God in the Mediator Christ without preaching first the gospell to them Nor can it warrant us to kil every ignorant blinded Papist with the sword nor can wee deny but what Elias and Paul did against false teachers was by extraordinary impulsion because the ordinary Magistrate would not as 〈◊〉 and Jezebell and could not through ignorance of the gospell punish perverters of the truth but sure these examples prove corporal and sometimes capitall punishment ought by the Magistrate to be inflicted on all blasphemers on all ringleaders of Idolatry and false worship as Exod. 32. They forced Aaron to make the calfe and Levit. 25. they were heads rulers and cheife offenders that were hanged the manner of the punishment may bee exemplary and determined of God for the example of after ages whither by death for simple heresie in one seduced which was no ring-leader which I finde hath not been done by God in the old or new Testament but seducers and ring-leaders by the law such as cease not to subvert the faith of others should dye yet these examples clearly hold forth so much of the law of nature as bodily punishment according to the measure of the offence is due otherwise if Christ have freed false teachers from all punishment external or that may be thought to worke any otherwise then by meer spirituall instructing in all meeknesse then by the liberty purchased by Christ they are freed from shame and reproach for shame and the publicknesse of suffering is an external punishment and is another meanes besides meek instructing as is clear from Judg. 8. 7. and from Souls calling Jonathan the sonne of a rebellious woman in which he handled him shamefully 1 Sam. 20. 34. Isa 50. 6. Luk. 14. 9. Yea by this way of Libertines false teachers are not to bee rebuked nor avoyded that they may be ashamed Paul may not upbraid the Cretians and call them idle bellies and lyars that they may be sound in the faith for that must be contrary to the liberty wherewith Christ hath made them free And a bodily punishment may be extraordinary in regard of the manner of doing when done by miracle and fire brought from heaven and in regard of the persons that inflict it as that which Phineas did being Priest and Elias being a Prophet and Paul being an Apostle when the Magistrate will not do his part and yet the punishment in the 〈◊〉 and substance may be according to an ordinary law of God that bindes us Paul strikes Elimas with blindnesse it is no rule for Ministers to do the like to false teachers but it is the rule for him that beares the sword to inflict bodily punishment upon perverters of the Gospell if this 〈◊〉 not Joshua's warres with the Canaanits that were according to a morall and perpetuall rule of justice and bindes us Josh 11. 26 27. should not binde us to lawfull defensive warres in the like case contrary to the law of nature Josh 11. 26 27. because Joshua in these warres did many things extraordinarily and killed all the cattle and women with childe which we are not to doe The answer of many is These were extraordinary ergo they binde not us Is no answer they were extraordinary in the manner not in the substance and nature of the punishment in which the course of justice warrants us as a rule flowing from the Law of nature though the manner and extraordinary accidents are before us as no oblieging law upon the same ground many argue the Apostles who were immediately inspired give out synodicall decrees Acts 15. therefore Elders that are not infallible may not give decrees according to the word of truth Yea say we neither should this be a good consequence the Prophets and immediately inspired Apostles preached and prophesied the will of God as the Lord taught them Ergo Minister now though not immediately inspired may not preach the mind of God according to the proportion of faith for we thinke the consequence is most strong according to the word wee are to follow the
a prophecy of a New Testament Law because many were to come in Christs name and say Loe I am Christ as many now doe so Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. Levit. 20. 2. Whosoever of the children of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel that giveth any of his seed to Molech 〈◊〉 shall surely be put to death This Law if it did lye upon the strangers and heathen then it was not judiciall but it must lye on us Gentiles now Who can free us from it Object But he was put to death not for false worship but for â—â—rthering of his Son Answ No Law of God or men can judge that murther which is done without hatred to the party murthered as is clear Deut. 19. 11 12 13. chap. 4. 42. chap. 19. 4. but here the dearer their sons were to them they the rather offeâ—ed them to their God â— The Text gives no reason why such should be put to death for murther but for false worship against the first Table Ver. 3. He defiles my Sanctuary be prophanes my holy name ver 5. the Magistrate must kill such a seducer for he commits whoredom with Molech CHAP. XIV Cavils against coercive judiciall Laws for punishing false prophets in the Old Testament removed THE first common Answer made to all these is That these were judiciall and Old Testament Laws when God dealt more strictâ—y with the Jews and hedged them in with severer laws penalties and a greater measure of bondage then now under the meek and gentle reign of the Messiah Answ More severity and a stricter tutory to be over the Church in non-age and under Pedagogie we grant Gal. 4. 1 2 3. But that is in regard of Ceremoniall hedges laws and dayes but it is to begge the question to say that morall transgressions are destructive if not more to Christian societies now as then such as blasphemy idolatry heresie that were punished with the sword then must now be more loosed from all bodily punishment in any kind then murther sorcery adultery perjury For the comparison of a milder Government under Jesus then under Moses cannot stand in fencing some moral transgressions utterly from the sword and in leaving others lesse weighty under as bloody punishments as ever they were When no reason from the word of truth can be given why the murtherer should dye by the sword now and then but blasphemy and offering the sons to Molech as the Indians doe now was then by the law of Nature a dis-worship or a false worship punishable in Jews and heathen but now it is not in any punishable by the sword at all 2. The sword did not force the conscience of any then more than now nor could it cudgell an Idolater or a blasphemer into the sound faith then more then now and weapons of the Prophets in the Old Testament as well as the Apostles in the New were not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God Prophets as Prophets no more used the sword against mens consciences of old than Christ his Apostles and Ministers doe now Mat. 28. 19 20. And as Christ saith now preach the Gospel but kill none use neither staffe nor sword nor miraculous power to destroy hereticks or burn Samaria so he said to his Prophets speake my word to Israel and Judah and the Nations to Ninive and others but kill none and use the sword against none of the rebellious who will not heare that they may bee converted Yet hee commanded the Magistrate to use the sword against the seduceing Prophet nor can the Libertines shew us of a Ceremoniall death inflicted for the transgression of a morall law which transgression is now made free from all bodily punishment indeed the man that refused to raise up seed to his brother was put to shame by the law and we are freed from both the law and the penalty thereof and the man that gathered sticks on the Sabbath was put to death by an answer from Gods mouth but the breach of the holy Sabbath instituted before the fall is no Ceremoniall transgression nor doe we thinke that every violation of the Sabbath was punished by death but that the Magistrate Masters and Fathers are not to punish with bodily coercive power the transgressours of the fourth command is most false For what the Magistrate commands the Subject the Master the servant the Father the sons and which they have warrant from the Morall law to command in these relations that they command in order to the sword and rodde if their commandements find no other welcome but rebellion for the power of Magistrate and Master yea and of the Father now in the state of sin is essentially coercive they may compell their inferiours by strong hand either to doe or suffer the will of God which is sufficient to prove our poynt Though it be true some morall transgressions Moses punished with death as Sabbath-breaking it followeth not therefore the godly Prince may now punish it with death but it followes not therefore such transgressors are made free through Christ of all bodily punishment as Libertines inferre for though the temporarines of the punishment be only in the measure of punishment yet not in the punishment it selfe 2 We desire a reason why the gentlenesse of the sonne of Gods government should free the blasphemer and the soul-murtherer from sadder yea from all bodily punishment and not free him that destroyes the body also Or how all the Sons of Levi saw by an immediate oracle that all that had worshipped the golden Calfe Exod. 32. had done it with such high presumption as made that Idolatry worthy of death which otherwise was not worthy of death and it is cleare the charge was without exception v. 27. slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour And the like I say of all that joyned to Baal-peor And when Asa compelled so many thousands both of Judah and Israel to sweare a Covenant and that they should be put to death that would not seeke the Lord 2 Chro. 15. whether Asa and all the under-Judges for Asa in his owne person could not doe it had a deputed dominion over the consciences to force them and whether he consulted the oracle to know who sought not the Lord and refused the Covenant out of meere weaknesse as not being able to see how Asa who was no Prophet and a Prince for eminency of conversing with God farre inferior to Moses was not a little wide in pretended zeale to urge the Law with an oath and no lesse then death on the refusers to seeke God and the breakers of the Covenant Nor could Asa see and know infallibly how out of heart-obstinacy or how out of sinlesse and faultlesse innocency refused the Covenant And Asa could not compell men to take the Covenant and professe seeking of the Lord against their judgements and consciences which the thirteenth Proposall of the Army does condemne And yet
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
of his enemies sowing of tares in his field when he is in a deep sleep as it may if all the joynts of the text be thus squeezed to blood it can prove that hereticks are to be tollerated and that onely tares are sowne when the husbandman sleeps in regard that Sathan sowes wicked men and corrupteth them beside and against the decree and irresistible will of God nor does the text beare that with every new sowing of wheat there goeth the immediate sowing of heresies and tares which though it may have a truth in it yet it hath no ground from this text and Celsus shall never prove it nor any Libertine for him Celsus If long agoe the City into which a false Prophet fled was to be burnt with fire cattle and all and if Angels killed many thousands at once why doth not God by Angels now kill many and destroy them City and cattle and if sinnes under the Gospel be more hainous and God not a whit meeker to sinners under the Gospel then under the Law and if the punishment of the Magistrate must grow as the sins grow more hainous why then as false Prophets were but stoned of old Papists and others doe well to burne them quicke with a slow fire for the more light and grace we have under the Gospel the more â—ainous the sinne is and the punishment must be more then death now else Christs death hath made God milder not to men but more severe and only meeker toward the walls of the Towne the cattle the spoyle Answ If a Becold flye to Munster and gather a number of robbers in to him and upon pretext of conscience kill and destroy and if that City will joyne with him and defend such bloody hereticks we thinke under the New Testament sadder punishment is due to him because the sinne is more hainous and the false Prophet so flying to a City is not onely a false Prophet but a publicke robbing murtherer And the punishment should be greater as the Lord augments punishment for greater sinnes as is cleare Heb. 2. 1 2. so should his deputy the Magistrate doe and no doubt the Lord slayeth millions of more with the destroying Angel of both pestilence and sword now as manifestly never such documents of saddest divine vengeance was seen on a City in the Old Testament as was to be seen in the City of Jerusalem by the sword of Titus Vespasian because they had slaine the heire Christ but Papists burning of men quicke because they adhere to the truth of Christ proves nothing and we thinke a Julian now deserves a rougher death at the hands of men then any seducer or blasphemer under the Old Testament and how ever men with their wit thinke Servetus got more then heaped justice because he was burnt for probabilities and nicities I doubt not but men void of the zeal of God if they had lived when the sonne of the Aegyptian was stoned and Baals Priests and the Idolaters Exod. 32. who both acknowledged Jehovah that brought them out of Aegypt and the Scriptures and ten Commandements which then were killed would say the same and many did say the same very thing of these that they say now of wicked Servetus but they but judge of sinne and measure divine justice with their owne yard 2. God was severer then in some Laws to things and to men also as in commanding the cattle and women with childe to be put to the edge of the sword because he would both give a document of morall justice for our imitation and of typicalnesse of Justice for our instruction but in the kinde of morall justice for all typicalnesse is now ceased the Lord is severer under the Gospell then under the Law as is evident Mal. 4. 1 2. Heb. 2. 1 2. Luk. 23. 28 29 30. and no lesse jealous of his owne glory now then at that time and his wrath rages against walls and houses and senselesse creatures more now then at that time see what desolation he hath wrought in Ireland what eating of horses of Infants and of killed souldiers hath beene in that land and in Germany And what vengeance shall lye upon the stones fields of Romish Babylon and this shall be done by lawfull Magistrates Kings and others Rev. 17. 12 13 14 15 16. God did then deale more rigidly with a people whom hee purposed to compell to flye to Christ But that his mercy ebbes or flowes increaseth or decreaseth with the Moone is new divinity And it is true God was more severe under the Old Testament in regard of typicall severity commanded by God to Magistrates as to Saul to kill the Amalâ—kites women and sucking children but in regard of justice inflicted by himselfe the impression of hell is more to be seen in destroying Townes that have been swallowed up by earthquake men women and children in extremity of famine pestilence and bloody warres now then under the Old Testament And cleare it is as in this Parable the Lord will not have us to murmure that the godly and wicked grow together so he will have us to know there cannot be an exact purging of the visible Church untill the day of judgement come Acontius and Celsus answer 1. But so hee forbids to purge the Church universall but if men shall be so diligent in purging all particular Churches what else should they doe but contravene the command of God who forbids to plucke up the tares 2. The Lord forbids the plucking up in either universall or particular Churches because this is a generall command let them grow till harvest Answ We constantly deny that let them grow is a command at all but only an inhibition to us that we quarrell not with God who suffers them to grow and yet it follows not that Magistrates and Pastors sinne in doing their duty so farre to plucke them out as the wheat be not also plucked up for as we are not to fret and impatiently grudge at the permissive will and providence of God in that he permits tares to grow so we may without sin both pray the contrary of that which the permissive will ordaines to be done and labour to doe the contrary and yet not sin the Disciples were not to grudge and fret at that decree of God when they heard Christ say I will smite the shepheard and the sheep of the flocke shall be scattered yet were they to pray the contrary as Christ commanded them that they might not be led into temptation and that they might never fulfill that permissive will of God in being scandalized at his suffering and in leaving and forsaking their Lord and Master and denying him when it was their duty not to be scattered and not to forsake him out of feare but to confesse and give a testimony before men Upon the same ground Magistrates and Pastors should do their duty not to suffer all the tares still to grow among the wheat and not to permit wicked men to
and envied that he should go to their enemies though I deny not that the Samaritans had too base and irreligious thoughts of Christ yet that was not all the injury they did to Christ 3. The Samaritans worshipping a false God They know not what Joh. 4 22. and no salvation being in their Religion cannot be called Hereticks and we confesse to burn Cities because the in-dwellers are of a false Religion is no fit way to convert them to the true Religion and because the Apostles to whom God hath not given the sword but onely the spirituall armour of the word 2 Cor. 10. 5. are not to use fire and sword and that out of a vindictive spirit against Samaritans who despise Christ and the Gospell it is no consequence Ergo Christian Magistrates by this place Luke 9. must not use the sword against false teachers and apostates 4. I grant Christ the Mediator and the Embassadors of peace whose office it is to save soules are not to kill men because they are of another Religion then they are or because they seduce souls nor are we to neglect what Beza saith against Monfortius p. 160. in opus de punien heret Elias did from Gods command what he did the Disciples call for fire from a wild spirit 2. It was not a proper function for the Apostles nor had they any extraordinary calling from God as Elias had 3. There is one consideration of Elias who came to restore Religion after great apostacy another of Christ who came to propagate the Gospell I see not much inconvenience in the answer of Swarez They were not to use violence and threatning against the Samaritans but to shake the dust of their feet against them for Christ and his Disciples bare not the sword as Magistrates Whatever arguments Libertines extort from these places which say Christ is so meeke as he shall not cry nor strive nor breake the bruised reede the Ministers must be so gentle that they must teach with meeknesse Isa 42. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 25. Not strike but be apt to teach and keepe themselves to the foolishnesse of the Gospell and onely shake the dust of their feet off against rejecters Acts 18. and not judge before the time 1 Cor. 4. 5. for the sword may make a whole Nation of hypocrites Isa 10. but can never recover them out of the hands of Sathan I say whatever arguments they throw by the haire from these places are but tokens of the prejudices of Libertines For 1. Is not Christ as meek to whores publicans the theife and robber on the crosse persecutors and to seducing teachers and hereticks and should not Ministers in all gentlenesse teach and instruct drunkards adulterers murtherers yea and as many as are taken Captives in the snare of the Devill at his will and are in such a case as God peradventure may give them repentance For of such speaketh the place 2 Tim. 2. 24 25. and must not Pastors be gentle patient apt to teach and labour the conversion of all drunkards whores bloody men as wel as hereticks What warrant have Libertines to straiten the meeknesse of our Saviour and his Embassadors in these Scriptures and confine and limit the sweet qualifications of Christ to onely seducing teachers whereas the word doth extend these to all sinners of what ever rank that are slaves of Sathan but especially if they be sin-sicke for Christ and bruised reeds such as seducing teachers and Wolves that worry the Lambs and lead silly women captives are seldome and such sinners as the Phisician came to cure whereas false teachers are all for the most part selfe righteous sonnes of pride Now make an argument from these Scriptures and it concludeth that it is against the meeknesse of Christ that murtherers drunkards adulterers be punished by the Sword for since Christ and his Ministers are no lesse with all patience gentlenesse forbearance to instruct these if at any time God shall give them repentance and this strongly sinels of Anabaptists and Socinians way who contend that the meeknesse of our Saviour hath deposed the Magistrate from his place of shedding any mans blood be he never so notorious an il-doer so saith Socinius Catechesis Raccoviensis Ostorodius Smalcius Meek Jesus warranteth no Magistrate to take away any mens life for any fault or to make warre for the Scripture wil have the meeknesse and mercy of Christ if it stand in not punishing with bodily violence evil-doers as these men suppose to bee extended to all sinners of whatsoever kind 2 The argument hath no foot except it so run That which is no means of the converting of soules Christ will not have to be used for the conversion of soules But such is bodily violence we grant al for the Sword avengeth hurting of soules but is not a meanes ordained of Christ for the converting of soules or if it doe it is by accident as afflictions doe as Hos 5. in their affliction they will seeke mee early 3 If Christ be merciful and meek and wil have his Ministers with gentlenesse and patience to instruct gain-saying sinners then wil hee not have the Magistrate to draw his Swordand be severe against seducing teachers D. Adam Stewart in his learned and solid answer to Mr. Goodwin of Right de jure denies the proposition and so doe the learned professors of Leyden answer Arminians objecting the same and say Christ is meek to repenting sinners but a severe judge and a revenger of ill-doers Re. 2. 6. 9. 14. 20 21 22 24. his garments are red died with the blood of his enemies he is so a Lambe as he is a Lyon 2. Nor is the meeknesse of Christ inconsistent with his justice and righteousnesse in commanding the nurse-fathers of his house the Rulers of the earth that which the Morral and perpetual standing Law of God requireth to wit that they use the Sword against il-doers of all sorts and degrees for they stand together in the person of Christ who is a meeke King Zach. 9. 9 and lowly and just having salvation and breaketh not the bruised reed nor quencheth the smoaking flax which is not meant of his forbearing the use of the Sword against grievous Wolves that spareth not the flock and Wolves in the skin and cloathing of Sheepe seducing hereticks for neither Calvin Musculur Gualther Junius Scultetus Marlorat nor any sound interpreter Protestant Lutheran or Papist save Socinians and Anabaptists professed parties render any such sense for not to breake or to quench by a figure Merosis or Litote is to cherish and deale meekly and tenderly with weak beleevers that have something of the life of God and saving light of grace in them as weake growing reeds and smoaking flaxes and it saith that Christ doth cherish saving seeds of grace in them â—ay 50. 5. The Lord God hath opened mine eare that I was not rebellious that is that I was very
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.
all the bloods and oppressions that the Saints suffer 3. The Apostle saith Heresies must bee our Saviour saith more of offences and sins in generall Matth. 18. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Luke saith more chap. 17. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s needfull scandalls shall come and its impossible but scandals must fall out then all the murthers parricides sorceries rapines for the which Christ saith there is a woe befalling the world fall out by necessity of a divine working decree yea the crucifying of the Lord of glory came to passe Acts 2. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Acts 4. 28. but yet the Magistrate is not to tolerate the shedding of innocent blood and all the offences that fall out in the Common-wealth though never so bloodie and atrocious 2. Varietie of judgements was no question a grief to Paul when he so pathetically exhorteth the Philippians to fulfill his joy and remove his grief and to be of one accord and one mind Phil. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Be of one mind 1 Cor. 1. 10. I beseech you be joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Heresies no question and errors in matters of God are not free nor can there be one spirit of grace and heavenlinesse in Arrius Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches no more then there can be one spirit of grace in sin nor see we a glasse of Gods manifold wisedome in many sundry phantastick opinions teaching God and his son Christ it is a spotted and broken glasse and he might say variety of sins are the expressions of Gods infinite wisdome for the scripture calls Heresies works of the flesh doctrines of devils gangrenes lies delusions corruptions of the mind perverse disputing deceits perverse things dreams of their own heads false dreams vain and foolish things false burdens which cannot be spoken of opinions in Philosophy and so these windmills and midnight fancies being the brats and the dunghill conceptions of mens corrupt head and heart must be contrary to that wisedome exprest in the word 1 Cor. 2. 6. Deut. 4. 6 Psal 37. 30. and they may bee for the declaration of the wisedome of God as for the finall cause but nothing from the wisedome of God formally being themselves meer fooles Object 15. If the Magistrate be above the Church and Head thereof and to judge their matters and if he have his power from the people to govern the Church will it not follow that the people as the people have originally as men a power to govern the Church to see her doe her dutie to reform and correct her Answ Though the Magistrate punish false Teachers by the Sword he is not for that a Church governour far lesse the head of the Church no more then hee is the head of the Church because he defends them against their persecuting enemies and by his sword procureth civill peace and protection to their assemblies persons and estates for doing any thing in favour of the Church doth not make Cyrus Artaxerxes Darius spiritual Officers and give them a headship over the Church 2. The Christian Magistrate having power from the peoples free election to imploy his sword for the external peace of the Church hath not therefore power of governing the Church from the people 1. Because the civill using of the sword for the outward peace of the Church is not a governing of the Church but the civil external and corporal sheilding of them 2. It no more followeth that the people as men have the ruling of the Church because they chose a godly Magistrate to watch over their external peace then the people as Christians can be said to have a power to preach the word and administer the Sacraments or Seals of the covenant because the people as Christian men choose ministers who have power from Christ to preach administer the Seals for to chuse a governor to rule over them is no act of government no more then the wives chusing of the Husband to be her head and govern the family is an act of the Headship and governing of the Family nor doe the people in chusing a King exercise an act of royall and Kingly power over themselves by such an act of chusing nor doth an Armie in chusing a Captain General over themselves in so doing exercise any act of a Captain Gerall over themselves 3. Neither doe the people as men but as Christian men walking by the rule of the Word which is a Catholike directorie to all men and all societies in all morall duties Psal 119 9 96 105 130. Ps 19. 7 8 9 choose such and such Christian Rulers who may procure the good of the Church and keepe and guard both Tables of the Law for the word of God giveth direction to the people that they should not as men or as Heathens choose any sort of Rulers but godly men fearing God and such Kings as read in the Book of the Law when they sit upon the Throne Deut. 11. c. 17. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Exod. 18. 21. Nor is it true which Vaticanus replyeth to Calvin thefts rapines and adulteriâ—e are punished by the Magistrate not to make up the Kingdome of Christ and to justifie men and make them godly as we say and Calvin saith the Magistrate punisheth Hereticks For where doth Augustine say that the Magistrate punisheth Seducers to convert them to God as if the intrinsecall end of the Magistrate were to conquer a spirituall Kingdom to Christ Calvin saith the just contrary in that same place verum quidem esse fateor utque vi armatâ erectum ab initi suisse regnum Christi neque armorum praesidio stare Evangelii enim pradicatione regnare Christum oportet Itaque Dominus quo illustrior esset vocis sua efficacia nudes inormes misit Apostolos nec modo destitui veluit terrenâ potantiâ sed totum faere mundum habere infestum ut calestem esse Evangelii victoriam omnibus constaret Obj. 16. But the Apostles sought not Laws from the Emperors by which Hereticks might be compelled to imbrace the sound faith Answ Gaudentius a Donatist Bishop objected the same to Augustine and Augustine answers Because Emperors were enemies to Christian Religion therefore Christians sought not their helpe Obj. 17. But the particulars of your directorie of worship are not in Scripture how then can the Magistrate punish for not following the Directorie Answ That there should be prayers preaching reading praising of God Sâ—craments in the publike worship is evident by the Scripture but for the ordering of these worships secundum prius posterius the words of prayer so they bee according to the pattern of sound doctrine the Preface of the Directorie is clear that no man is therein to be compelled though to transgresse the Holy Ghosts expresse order in the celebration of the Lords Supper and to break bread
potius videndum quid Deus nobis mandet vult autem maleficia a nobis coerceri in hunc finem instituit Magistratus eosque glâ—dio armavit Rom. 13. Piscator Nam 〈…〉 â—â—ones humano consilio audacia 〈…〉 dâ—ssoâ—v untur â—â—men 〈◊〉 Magistratus est operum dare ut alas conpescant prohibean hujusmodi Novatores pro merito puniant * Gualther Dubius ambigus in sermone apparet longe igitur alia illorum Magistratuum ratio est qui vâ—ritates vera cognitione illuminati illam ex officio tueri errores extirpare debent Vaticanus citeth Bullinger a contrary to Calvin in Gamaliels arguing but both commend the moderation of Gamaliel â—ut Bullinger saith Adversus Anab. lib. 5. c. 8. Nil adeo iniquum injustum de quo dici non potest si ex deo perficietur si non ex Deo sponte cessabit Gamaliels argument proves as strongly that murtherers and adulterers should not be punished as that men ought not to bee punished for their conscience The argument of Gamaliel owned by adversaries readers all the fundamentalls of the Gospell uncertain and topick Scâ—pticisme to all the most well settled beleevâ—rs Gamaliels argument doth coâ—cluâ—â— that wâ— are not to oppose â—y arguments and Scripturâ— aâ—y Blasphemous way agaiâ—â—t the Gospeâ— Immeâ—iate 〈…〉 is 〈◊〉 the rule of our actions The 〈…〉 burning 〈…〉 from 〈…〉 Lu. 9. 〈…〉 Ambroâ—â—us 〈…〉 tibi clementâ—â— ad 〈…〉 Samaritani a quibus 〈…〉 crediderunt Hieronimus in Locu ut Apostolicus sermo haberet efficientiam voluntatis est domini nisi enim ille jussetit frustra dicunt Apostoli ut ignis discendaâ— The case of Elias calling for fire from heaven and of the Apostles Luk. 9. much different Swarez com de virt Theo. disp 18. sect â— nu 2. Iohn Baptist or a necessity for liberty of conscience c. â— p. 10. n. 12. Bloody Tenet c. 29. p. 63 64. M. S. on Iohn Goodwin to 2. 5 p. 1. Antient bounds 5. p. 24. The meeknesse of Christ being extended to Publicans Extortioners and Harlots doth as well conclude such ought not to be punished by the Magistrate as that false Teachers ought not to be punished by him By places from the meeknesse of Christ Socinians labour to prove the Magistrate is to shed â—o blood under the New Testament Sâ—cinius defens verae sent de Magist polit adver Jac. Pal. bar 2. so 233. 235. Sed negant Raccovienses cum qui Christianus effe velit humanum sanguinem fundere posse sive privatus sit sive Magistratum gerat par 3. fo 288. Christianus Judex in sententia ferenda Christianae aequitatis clementiae non est obliturus Ostorodiâ—s inst Rol. c. 28. Praecepta Christi elementissimi non permittunt ulli homini ad amore vitam â—malcius contra Frantz dis 6 de â—on-oper Nec Christus praecepit homicidas morte plectere disp 6. de reb c v. semper Magistratus habenda est ratio legum Chriâ—ti Catech Raccoviensis de proph Mun. Chi. c. 2 fo 136 Somâ— defen vet sent de Magist poht. li. 1. fo 13. Smaltius disp 6 dereb eiv D. Stewart his 2 part in Answ to M. Goodwin p. 182. Censur Professores Leidenst 2. 24. sec ult p. 321. Christs not breaking the bruised reed would prove that hereticks are gracious persons though weak in saving grace and lovingly ch â—rrished by Christ if the place Is 42 Mat. 12. 19 20. helpe the adversaries Christs meeknesâ— not inceâ—sistent with his juâ—tice Rash Judgement condemned 1 Cor. 4. 5. 6 is nothing for pretended tolleraâ—â—on That many through the corruption of their own heart render hipocriticall obedience because of the sword proveth nothing against the use of the sword to coerce false teachers Antient bounds c. 5. p. 24. Matters of Religion ought to be inacted by the Law of Princes and Christian Rulers that such as contravene may be punished Lawes of Rulers in matters of Religion do only Finde the outward man c. c. 1. p. â—54 156. The false teacher is to be sent to the Church and Pastors thereof that he may be convinced before he be punished How Iudiciall Lawes oblige to puniâ—â—ment Profess Lâ—id in Synâ—p pair Theo. Disp 40. Gamachaeus in 12. q. 101. c. 7. Iudiciall Lawes were deduced from the Morall Law Thomas 22. q. 104. art 2. Swarez de legib p. 9. c. 11. n. 2. Epiphanius de heres 8 Augustinus de haeres 8. Irenaeus l 1. c. 26. Augus de her 9. Soto de insiâ—t Jurae l. 2 c. 5. Aquinas 12 q. 9. ar 5. Medina 12. q. 13. ar 3. q 100. ar 1. Valentia 22. dis 7. q 7 punc 2. Gamacheus 12. 104. c. 2. Conink de acti Supeâ—n dis 10. dub 12. no. 182. True causes of war with other Nations Mâ—sius Cornelius a Lapide Abulensis in Josh Cajetaâ—us in Josh c. 11 v. 2â— Swarez de vâ—r Theo. disp 18. sect 4. n. 3. Gamâ—chaeus in 12 q. â—o de infid q. 32. Augustinus q 4â— in Num in John q 3 10 Two Kingdoms becomâ—ing 〈…〉 a Reâ—igious Coâ—â—nant if it be 〈◊〉 the one part may aveâ—ge the quarrell of the 〈◊〉 on the othâ—r in case of brâ—â—ch The new Altar 〈◊〉 by the 2 Tribes â—â—â— the halfe 〈◊〉 Jordan Josh 22. how 〈…〉 cause of war Calvin comment in Josh 22 Non dubium quin sancto zelo excanduerint non omnibus quidam daâ—as glâ—dius in manum sed pro suâ— quisque vocatione officio viriliter constanter asserere studet purum religionis statum contra omnes corruptelas Calvin Ratiocinantur a minore ad majus Piscator in Cor. English Divines annot on Josh 22. Diodatie on Ios 22. 19. Genevâ— Notes Dutch Annotations Vatâ—bâ—us an in Josh 22. Cajetan com in Josh 22. Cornelius a lapide com in Josh 22. Venerunt ut dimicarent contra â—os quasi apostatas schismaticos Vide hic Zâ—â—um omnes enim duodecem Tribus faciebant unam Rempublicam unamque Ecclesiam Tostatus com 2. in Josh c. 22. q. 10. Necessitas autem pugnandi contra duas tribus incumbebat Lex Deut. 13. id jubebat Consilium autem est de contingentibus de modo Hugo Cardinal com in Josh 22. Masius in Iosh in loc Seâ—rar in loc Nicho. de lyra Menochius annoâ— in Iosh 22. v. 13. Ferâ—s in Declama in Iosh c. â—â— Utinam talis zelus in nobis esset quidem non unum altare erectum videmus sed innumera Swarez de vir the dis 18. sect 3. Augus Epist 166. ad donatistas Constantinus prior contra partem Donati severissimam legem dedit hanc imitati filii ejus talia praeceperunt Quibus succedens Iulianus deserâ—or Christi inimicus supplicantibus vestris Rogatiano Pontio libertatem perditionis partis donati permisit denique â—eddidit Basilicas hereticis quando templum daemoniis eo modo putans Christianum nomen posse perire de terris si unitati Ecclesiae de qua lapsus fuerat invideret