decided be true and agreeable to the word of God of necessitie every mans private judgement must goe before otherwise it s an implicite faith Answ That any man should duely and as he ought beleeve and receive the decision of a Synod it must be both true and 〈◊〉 must believe and know that it is true but that it may oblidge him and doth oblidge him whether his conscience be erroneous or no is as true for then this Commandement Thou shalt not kill Honour thy father and thy mother should lay no 〈◊〉 on a man that believes it is service to God to kill the Apostâ—â— as Joh. 16. some doe For no man is exempted from an obligation to obey Gods Law because of his own sinfull and culpable ignorance for we speak not now of invincible ignorance of these things which we are not oblidged to know or believe But if our sinfull and erroneous conscience free us from actuall obligation to be tyed by a Law then our erroneous conscience freeth us from sinning against a Law and â—o from punishment for what ever freeth a man from actuall obligation freeth him also from actuall sinning for all sinne is a doing against a Law-obligation and if so then are none to be led by any rule but their own conscience the written Law and Gospel is not henceforth our rule any more Arminiars The last condition of a Synod is that the subject of a Synodical decision be ever left to a free examination and to a farther free discussion and revise The learned professours of Leyden answer that which is once true and fixed in the word of God is ever true and fixed in the word of God The Arminians reply what is true and fixed in the word of God is â—ver so and ought to remaine so for the word is beyond all danger of erring But what is believed to be fixed and fixed and Ratified in a Synod is not so because it is obnoxious to errour Answ They require that before we come to a Synod where fundamentall truths are Synodically determined we be as a razed table and as cleane paper in which no thing is written and so must we be after a Synod hath determined according to the word of God that is be still Scepticks and believe nothing fixedly and be rooted in no faith nay not in the faith of the fundamentals that are most cleare in the word of God for it is unpossible that we can beleeve the clearest fundamentals as that God created the world and Christ God-Man redeemed it but we must beleeve them by the intervening and intermediation of â—ur own sense or the Churches sense or the sense of some Godly Doctour now because all these senses are fallible and we see Familists put one sense on fundamentals Papists another sense and all private men may doe the like it is not possible that any man can be rooted in any faith at all by this way for all senses are fallible though the scripture giveth clear evident senses yet such is the Hereticall dulnesse of men that reject these infallible senses as false and those others that by their own confession are fallible and so can neither be established by the word nor by the interpretations of men though senses of Scripture rendered by Synods be fallible in the way they come to us because men delivering them may erre yet being agreeable to the word they are in themselves infallible And so the old and new Testament in the way they come to us may be fallible because Printers are not prophets but may miscarry and dreame but it followeth not they are not the infallible word of life in themselves when the Spirit witnesseth to us that God divinitie transforming glory are in these books as a spouse knoweth the hand-writstill lovelinesse of a letter from her husband to be certainly no counterfeit but true though the bearer be a rogue and can deceive Secondly this answer still supposeth that Synods do give senses contrary to the word of God and so we grant they are not onely fallible but false and erroneous and are to be examined of new again in that case but we hold when lawfull Synods convened in the name of Christ doe determine according to the word of God they are to be heard as Ambassadours who in Christs stead teach us and what is once true and ratified in Synods in this manner is ever true and ratified as the reverend professours say and never subject to any further examination and new discussion so as it must be changed and retracted as false For this is to subject the very word of God to retractation and change because a Synod did declare and truely determine it in a Ministeriall way to be the word of God For what Synods determine being the undenyable word of God iâ— intrinsecally infallible and can never become fallible though fallible and sinfull men that are obnoxious to errour and mistakes doe hold it forth Ministerially to others and it is false that we are to believe that what Synods determine according to the word of God we are to believe it is fallible and lyable to errour and may an untruth because they so determine for then when a Synod determines there is but one true God the principle of faith is believed to be subject to Retraction and falshood because a Synod hath determined it to be a truth But the truth is we are to believe truths determined by Synods to be infallible and never againe lyable to retractation or discussion because they are and were in themselves and without any Synodicall determination infallible but not for this formall medium because so saith the Synod but because so saith the Lord It is true new hereticks pretending new light may arise as Math. 24. 24. And call in question all Fundamentalls that are determined that are cleared in former Synods but it follows not but these truths are still in themselves fixed and unmovable as the Pole-star though evil men bring them under a new Synodicall examination as Familists doe now raze the foundations of Christianitie yet Daniel and Christ are Innocent though wicked men accuse them judicially as deceivers nor is it enough that Libertines say it may be the word of God and the infallible word of God which the Synod determineth but it is not so to us we are to believe it with a reserve because we cannot know it so to be But I answer this concludes not onely against a Synodicall determination but against all Scripture and all Propheticall and Apostolicall determinations in the Scripture for that there is one God not three as the Treithits dreame is believed by some to be false by others to be true Yet undenyably it is in it self true that there is but one God nor is it therefore to be believed with a reserve because the Synod hath so determined according to the word of God and this were some answer if we should teach
to be drawne against them but that of iron 3 How will Libertines prove that the second sort of seducers that were to dye for seducing Deut. 13. 6 7 8. the brother son daughter or wife that lyes in the bosome denyed God the Creator there is no warrant from the text to say they dreamed dreames and wrought wonders to seduce or that they professed the inspiration of a new Deity yet they were to dye and why not the Hereticks now by the same reason If they thrust people away from the Lord that hath ransomed them from Hell Yea 4 These acknowledge the Lord and the law and the Lords Priests and Prophets as some Hereticks doe now yet not standing to the sentence of the law that the Priest shall â—each but presumptuously rejecting it were surely to be put to death Deut. 17. 10 11 12 13. So he that speaks a word in the name of the Lord so confesseth and professeth both the Lord and his word as hereticks now do which the Lord commanded him not to speak or shal speak in the name of other Gods even that Prophet shall dye And did not Jeremiah and Vriah the son of Shemaiah and the Prophets that were killed and sâ—oned by the Jewes professed God and that the word of God came to them and that they had seen the visions of God yet they were condemned as false Prophets but for prophesying destruction on Israel Judah and Jerusalem and if the Lord had not sent them but they speake the visions of their owne head they had been false prophets as is cleare Jer. 14. 13 14. Jer. 23. 15 16. and so justly condemned 5 Are there not now under the New Testament who deny the word of God as many Antiscripturists in England and doth not Saltmarsh Del Beacon Randal and many Familists and Antinomians father their new lies upon the spirit and the pretious anoynting that teacheth all things aâ—â— not they like to those Prophets Deut. 13 have not some in France in Holland in England made defection to Judaisme and Turâ—isme and turned Apostates from Christ And yet they deny not God the Creator nor the Scriptures of the old Testament and by this answer they are free of all bodily punishment And does not Peter contradict this answer of Libertines that say our Hereticks are not as these Deut. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people as there shall be false teachers among you and our Saviour Mat. 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect A vive representation of the state of England this day 6 The formall and what is essentiall to a false prophet is now in our seducers they thrust men away from God and the way of Gospell that the Lord hath commanded us to walke in â—nd that is enough 7. From the practice of the Iewes when Heretickes and Seducers and blinde guides were in the chair and they tollerated themselves we draw rather the contrary argument ergo we are not to follow nor to suffer blinde guides now who deny the resurrection as Familists and other to lead souls into the ditch no more then we are to follow them in corrupting the Law and extolling the traditions of men CHAP. XV. Christs not rebuking tolleration and the â—aw Deut. 13. vindicated CHrists no when reproving Church and State for not punishing Sadduces and Hereticks denying the resurrection is 1. A poore argument to prove the lawfulnesse of tolerating them 1. The Sadduces were cheife Rulers themselves Act. 23. 6. And he that reproves a Judge for murther must in that same reprove him for tolerating murthers He that said the guide leading the blind led should fal in the ditch he reproved the mis-government and wicked toleration of the Rulers Nor read we that Elias reproved Achab for not killing Baals priests ergo Achab transgressed not the Law Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Deut. 17. 1 2 3. in tolerating false teachers Nor doth God Deut. 32. 6 7 8. reprove the Rulers for not punishing the worshiping of the golden calf or the making of it for worship because Aaron and the Rulers under Moses were guilty of it will it follow that the Rulers and the sonnes of Levi should tolerate it since the Lord commanded the contrary Nor does the man of God reprove Jeroboam for tollerating the people to worship the golden calves or because he suffered the lowest of the people to intrude themselves in the priests office against the word and law of the Lord because the lesse sin was swallowed up in the greater but it followes not that Jeroboam did the duty of a Magistrate in suffering the people to go to Dan and Bethel to such abominable Idolatry or in suffering the basest of the people to take onâ—them the Priests Office but the Prophets reproving Jeroboam's commanding of that Idolatrous worship and Priests which is a greater sinne must by consequence condemne his not punishing of it which is a lesse sin so David sinned as a Magistrate in suffering Bathsheâ—a to commit adultery and to wrong her husband and to violate Gods Law and should not onely as a Magistate have hindered her but should have put her to death for adultery he being the supreme Magistrate and there being an expresse Law of God that the adulterer man or woman should dye the death Levit. 20. 10. which David knew well yet the Prophet Nathan does not in expresse tearms condemne David for not putting Bathsheba to death though he faithfully reproved David because Nathan reproving David for the adultery it selfe committed in his owne person as the greater sinne must by consequence condemne Davids tollerating of Bathsheba an adulteresse to live which was a lesser sinne and it will not follow that David a King should tollerate knowne adultery in Bathsheba a subject because Nathan does no where in direct tearms nor any Scripture elsewhere that we read condemne David for not punishing with the sword the adultery of Bathsheba so Nathan Gâ—d and other Prophets no where reprove David sparing the life of Joab a murtherer When Christ reproved the Sadduces for denying the resurrection he reproves by consequence both Church and State for tollerating the denying of the Resurrection and supposeth the tolleration of it to be against the law of God 2. It is no argument at all from 1. A negative fact 2. In such a particular Scripture to prove the lawfulnesse of tolleration Let then answer this Christ that was a faithfull Preacher to State and Church no where reproveth in the Gospell the tolleration of the extortion of Publicans Sodomie murther the absolving of a murtherer at the feast a bloody tolleration denying of God blasphemy ergo it was lawfull for the Church and State to suffer all these 3. This answer inferreth that the Church should tollerate all false doctrines and the denying of the resurrection
providence God hath made the supreme Magistrate Judge of all murthers yet may this godly Prince and the generality of men be ignorant yea uncapable at least most unfit to judge how a bloody Physitian tooke away the life of such a childe by this vegetable or this herbe or this syrrope to the end his owne sonne might be heire dare we say with this Objecter therefore this providence in appointing such a godly Prince to be â—udge of murther because he is not a skilled Physitian is inconsistent with the wisdome and goodnes of God in the government of the world the like instances I may give in thousands of the like cases in which the Christian Judge may be ignorant And I cannot dissemble but it is a hard question how the Magistrate as a Magistrate doth punish Gospel-hereticks for so all Magistrates even heathen Magistrates who are invincibly ignorant of the Gospel in regard they never heard of the Gospel should be obliged to punish false-teachers and Gospel-hereticks which seems hard for it is a sinne against the Magistraticall duty of an Indian Magistrate not to punish Gospel-hereticks Answ It follows not for nothing follows but it s a sin in an Indian Prince and he sinneth against his Magistraticall office in that he punisheth not an Indian false-teacher who teacheth against the Law of nature because an Indian should not worship the Devill but the Indian Ruler invincibly ignorant of the Gospel sinneth not against his office as a Magistrate because he punisheth not a Gospel-hereticke for he is not obliged to every Magistraticall act as a Magistrate not to those of which he is invincibly and faultlessely ignorant as an Indian husband and Master invincibly ignorant of the Gospel sinnes not against the duty of a husband and head of a family though he teach not wife children and servants the principles of the Gospel which a Christian husband and head of a family is obliged to doe not as a husband and head of a family simply but as such a husband and head as heareth the Gospel and so either heareth and knoweth or may heare these Gospel principles if he were not thereof ignorant through his owne sinfull neglect Object But the Magistrate as the Magistrate punisheth Gospel-heretickes ergo All Magistrates even heathen Magistrates faile against their Magistraticall duty if they punish not Gospel-heretickes and their ignorance cannot excuse them Answ The Antecedent is not simply true every Magistrate as a Magistrate sinneth against his office if he punish not some false teachers if convened before him and convinced But every Magistrate as a Magistrate punisheth not every heretick against the Gospell but onely such a Magistrate as heareth the Gospell punisheth such a Gospell Heretick We say that Magistrates by vertue of their office make lawes for no transporting of monies out of England but you cannot inferre that if Magistrates did this by their Magistraticall power then Magistrates as Magistrates and so all Magistrates of India and all Heathen Magistrates ought to make lawes that no mony bee transported out of England it is no consequent at all for though English Magistrates make such lawes by their Magistraticall power yet they doe this as such Magistrates not as Magistrates thousands such wee may alleadge Object How then doth the Magistrate as the Magistrate serve Christ Mediator in punishing Gospell hereticks and bringing his Kingly honour to the new Jerusalem and casting his Crowne downe at the feete of the Lambe Answ The Magistrate as the Magistrate should wee speake accurately in such an intricate debate doth not serve Christ as Mediator for then all Magistrates Heathen and Indian were oblieged to serve him as the axiome proveth Quod convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the Magistrate as such a Magistrate lustred with Christianity punisheth Gospel Hereticks and sinneth against his Magistraticall office if hee doe not so for Christianity spiritualizeth the exercise of maritall paternall Magistraticall power and elevates them above their common nature in Christian Husbands Fathers Magistrates which it cannot do in all husbands as husbands fathers as fathers Magistrates as Magistrates even suppose they be heathens Quod non ni est non operatur Object But why then may not a Christian Magistrate as a Christian if not as a Magistrate be a Vicar of Christ Answ 1. Because Christ as Mediator hath no Vicars nor sub-mediators so the Minister or the Christian Magistrate as the Christian Magistrate cannot be the Vicar of Christ 2 Because the Christian Magistrate as the Christian Magistrate and even lustered with Christianity which is not in every Magistrate yet operatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in externals and onely can as a Christian Magistrate proceed according as the heresie is proved by witnesse or confessed and obstinately maintained by the Heretick and all this is externall and doth but externally and in external means promove the Churches spirituall good and the mediatory Kingdome and it is such a promoving as Christ may wel want though ordinarily he cannot want pastors and teachers Quest But doth not the Mediator Christ as Mediator promove his Mediatory Kingdome in and through the Christian Prince as his instrument subordinate to him as Mediator Answ Not at all for Christ useth the Christian Migistrate as his servant to beat the wolves from the flock but not as King mediator as God-man head of the Church for Christ Mediator as Mediator works not by externall violence or by the sword in his mediatory Kingdome Joh. 16 36. If my Kingdome were of this World mine owne would fight for mee Ergo it is but borrowed accidentall helpe and service that Christ hath in his mediatory Kingdome from Kings he workes not as Mediator by fighting Christ who is Mediator qui est Mediator acteth by beleeving Kings not quâ Mediator as he is Mediator the sword may procure good and peace to the mystical visible body and immunity from spirituall errors But this is a meanes to Christ as Mediator in the by and at some times not such as is the ministery of the word 2 Cor. 10. 5. which is spiritual not carnal though ministers be not sub-mediators yet Christ as Mediator workes and conquers in them and by them But I returne 6 To say the text speakes of evill doers which appertaines to the cognizance of the ordinary Magistrate if it were not as ordinary to the Magistrate to be an understanding Christian as another man is to begge the question for we say false teachers wolves in sheeps skins woorying the flock which may be knowne by their works as a figâ—ree is known from a thistle by its fruit are such evill doers The text and law distinguisheth not and mentioneth no more murtherers then false teachers Therefore the text meanes all evill doers that perâ—urbe humaine societies as spirituall wolves and lyons that devoure the flocke and those that thinke ill in their hearts to all men of sound sense are punishable onely by
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
14. Cavils against coercive judiciall Laws for punishing false Prophets in the old Testament removed Laws punishing false Teachers were morall not temporary and pedegogicall p. 189 Power of fathers and masters in the fourth Commandment coercive p. 190 Compelling to hypocrisie for fear of shame and reproaches as guiltie 〈◊〉 compelling men with the sword not to publish heresies nor sedâ—â—â— others p. 191 A third Answer p. 191 Blasphemers and Idolaters never were judged to die by consulting with the immediate oracle of God as John Goodwin imagineth Hagiomastix sect 34 35 36 37. ibid. We have as sure a word the Scripture as immediate consulting with the oracle of God p. 192 Want of infallibilitie should exclude all judges to judge pastors to preach or write Synods to advise because we cannot doe these with Propheticall infallibilitie p. 194 A twofold typicalnesse in the old Testament one meerly ceremoniall unreducible another typicall but of civill and naturall use the use of the latter ceaseth not because it was sometime typicall so is punishing of seducers p. 197 Seducers of old denied no other-waies God then our false Prophets now a-daies doe deny him p. 19â— Not only those who offend against the principles of nature but those that publish and hold Errors against the supernaturall principles of the Gospel are to be punished by the Sword p. 200 Such as slâ—w their children to Molech denied no more the word of God then our Hereticks now doe p. 201 There be false Prophets now under the new Testament as there were under the old Testament 202. Chap. 15. Christs not rebuking toleration and the Law Deut. 13. vindicated Christs not expresse rebuking of the Magistrates tolerating of heresies makes not for Christs approving of toleration of Heresies more then of tolerating the absolving of a murtherer at the time of the feast or other crimes against the second Table p. 203 The Laws Deut. 13. three in number explicated the first two were morall the third Ceremoniall for the most part p. 205 Thewars in the Old Testament warrant wars in the New according to the naturall equity in them but they bind not according to the Ceremoniall and temporarie typicalness annexed to them page 209 Chap. 16. Prophecies in the Old Testament especially Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. for punishing false Prophets vindicated The prophecies in the Old Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2 3 4 5 6 7. prove that false Teachers under the New Testament ought to be punished with the sword p. 209 So Joh. Goodwin answereth in his Appendix to Hagiomastix 210 The prophesie Zach. 13. and the house of David noteth not the Jewes only excluding the Gentiles ibid. Master Goodwins answer to Zach. 13. p. 211 Answer of Mr. Goodwin p. 213 It is not metaphoricall thrusting through that is spoken of Zach. 13. but really inflicted death and bodily punishment ibid. Chap 17. Places in the New Testament especially Rom. 13. for punishing of false Teachers vindicated So John Goodwin Hagiomastix p. 218 The ignorance of the Christian Magistrate in matters of Religion no ground why by his office he ought not to know so far truth and falsehood as to punish Heresies published and spread p. 219 Ordinary professors may know who are Hereticks and who false Teachers ibid. Magistrates as Magistrates cannot judge all evill doers for heathen Magistrates who never heard the Gospel cannot judge Gospel Hereticks p. 220 How Christ taketh service of a Christian Magistrate p. 2â—â— Master Joh. Goodwin p. 225 How Master Goodwin would elude the place Rom. 13. to 〈◊〉 that false Teachers are not evill doers p. 2â—â— Paul Rom. 13. speakes of Magistrates in generall what they ought to be not of Roman Magistrates as they were then ibid. Roman well-doing and ill-doing not meant in this Text p. 227 Chap. 18. The place 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. for coercive power 〈◊〉 false Prophets cleared The place 1 Tim. 2 1 2 3. explained p. 2â—9 We are to pray that Magistrates as Magistrates may not only 〈◊〉 but procure to us that we may live in godlinesse p. 2â—â— Rev. The ten Kings as Kings punish the whore and burn her 〈◊〉 for her Idolatrie p. 231 Extraordinarie punishing of Hereticks no case of the Magistrates neglect argueth that the Magistrate ought to punish them p. 232 Chap. 19. Exemption of false Prophets from coercive power is not Christian Libertie This Libertie of Conscience is not Christian Libertie p. 233 A Speculative Conscience no more freed from the Magistrate then â— practicall Conscience p. 235 Ecclesiasticall censures as compulsory as the Sword ibid. Chap. 20. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares discussed and cleared The scope of the parable of the Tares and the vindication thereof p. 236 The danger of punishing the innocent in lieu of the guiltie through â—â—â—stake is no argument that Hereticks should not be punished by 〈◊〉 magistrate p. 237 The Tares are not meant of Hereticks but of all the wicked who shall be burnt with unquenchable fire p. 238 The Parable of the Tares and of the sower most distinct parables 〈◊〉 matter and scope p. 239 Let them grow not expounded by Christ and what it meaneth p. 240 What is understood by tares p. â—â—â— Heresie may be known ibid. What is meant by plucking up p. â—â—â— What is meant by the field what by the wheat ibid. All the tithes of the parable must not be expounded nor the time exactly searched into when the tares were first 〈◊〉 p. 243 How sins are more haiâ—â—â—â— under the new Testament and 〈◊〉 God is now no lesse severe then under the Law and a Citie that will defend and protect a false Prophet against justice is to bee dealt with the same waies as under the Old Testament except that the typicalnesse is removed p. 244 What let them grow imports p. 245 How we are to bear permissive providences wherein evils of sin fall out ibid. Christ must mean by tares and wheat persons not doctrines good and ill p. 246 Whether false Teachers if they repent must be spared or because they may repent p. 247 Chap. 21. Of the Samaritam and of the non-compelling of Heathens how the Covenant bindeth us The not burning of the Samaritans doth prove nothing for the immunitie of Hereticks from the sword p. 249 How far we may compell other Nations or Heathens to imbrace the true faith p. 250 Of the Covenants obliging of us to the religions observance thereof p. 251 The word of God as it is in every mans Conscience no rule of Reformation in the Covenant p. 252 The equivocation of Sectaries in swearing the Covenant ibid. The Author of the Ancient bonds an ignorant provaricator in the Covenant p. 254 All morall compelling of Hereticks and refuting of false teachers by the word is as unlawfull as compulsion by the Sword according to the principles of Libertines p. 255 The Magistrate as the Magistrate cannot send Ministers but in a compulserie way p. 256 How Independents were insuared
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
Doctor Hamond saith to abstaine from a thing indifferent as Marriage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as from a thing abominable or unlawfull is by Scripture and Councels condemned as sinfull Why Because to Marrie or not to Marrie is indifferent But he may remember that Papists forbid Church-men to Marrie doe they forbid it because Marriage which to them is a Sacrament is an abominable and unlawfull Sacrament I thinke no. Yet all our Divines say not onely the Manichaans but also the Papists are these who teach a doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 2. while they forbid Marriage though not under the notion of a thing abominable So the Popish Doctor acquitteth the Papists and condemneth Protestants who so farre agree to have the adaequate rule of Conscience to be Gods will reveâ—led in his word that to make a religious Law to forbid Marriage and Meates and other things indifferent to them is a doctrine of Devils to all our Divines though they forbid them not as things unlawfull and under the notion of things abominable Vse If the conscience have an indictment against you from heaven and from the word of God which is the Law-booke of the Judge of all flesh Ergo We are to stand in awe of Conscience And looke how much goodnesse and true feare of God is in a Man as much feare of himselfe and reverence to his own conscience is within him For 1. to be holden even with the charges and writs of an erring conscience is obedience to the Law of nature as we would not be willing that a scout or a spie sent from a strange Land should see our nakednesse weaknesse folly securitie When the Conscience returneth to the Father of Spirits it can tell tales of men and can libell many pollutions of the flesh and spirit acted by the man while the Conscience lodged with clay and a polluted Spirit 2. Because Conscience is something of God a domestick little God a keeper sent from heaven a divine peece which is all eye all sense and hath the word with it in so farre it is to be reverenced and hath the reverenceth the King reverenceth the Ambassador in so farre as he carrieth along the Kings will he that honoureth the Lord must honour the servant 3. Salomon saith Prov. 15. 5. A foole despiseth his fathers reproofe but he that regardeth it is prudent Vers 10. He that hateth reproofe shall die To receive Instructions and rebukes from Conscience in so farre as they come from the Word of truth is spirituall prudence and he that turneth away his eare from his conscience shall die 4. As to submit to the Word is to submit to God so to offer violence to a divine truth is to wrestle with God and by the like proportion to stoope before Conscience carrying a message from God is to submit to God and to doe violence to the domesticke light and truth of God is all one as to wrestle with God 5. We count a tender Conscience such as was in Joshuah who did yeeld and cede to the Law of God and its threatnings a soft heart then to stand out as a flint-stone or an Adamant against the warnings of an inward Law must argue hardnesse of heart 6. There is nothing so strong and divine as truth a Conscience that will bargaine to buy and sell truth and will be the Lord and Conquerour not the captive and taken prisoner of the Gospel bearing it selfe on upon the soule in power and majestie hath his one foot on the borders of the sinne against the holy Ghost 7. It is like the man walketh not at randome but by rule who is not made all of stoutnesse and ventureth not inconsiderately on actions and wayes which undoubtedly are the seeds or eternity but feareth 〈◊〉 Paedagoge and teacher in so far as the law and will of the Judge of the world goeth along with him Vâ—e 2. Because the Word of God must be the rule of Conscience and Conscience is a servant and under-Judge onely not a Lord nor an Absolute and independent Soveraigne whose voice is a Law therefore an Iodolatrous and exorbitent rule of Conscience is here also to be condemned Conscience is ruled by Scripture but it is not Scripture nor a Canonicke book and rule of faith and conversation it often speaketh Apocriphâ— and is neither God nor Pope but can reele and totter and dream â—â—â—scribe more to conscience then is Just and to make new and hold opinions of God broad and venturous and daring affirmations the very Oracles of heaven because they are the brood as â—s conceived of an equall and unbyassed Conscience is presumption neere to Atheisme the grossest Idolatry is to make your selfe the Idol whâ—reas tender consciences suffer most persecution and are not active in daring there is extreame pride in such as lead families and are Christians in new heresies Some are extreamely sworne and devoted to Conscience as Conscience humility is not daringly peremptory Many weake ones pine away in feavours of sinistrous thoughts of Christ as if his love were cold to them Esa 49. 14. 15. and phancie an imaginary and a made-plea with Christ Oh he leveth any but me and because they make an Idol of the weak oracle of Conscience they make also an Idol of meeke Jesus Christ as if they would try if Christs love can be cold and his blood and bowels can act any more mercy to them The third is the office of Conscience in one generall It cometh under the name of Obligation But to come to particulars There be two sorts of operations of Conscience some illicite and imbred other imperate or commanded These which be Imbred are of two kinds 1. Such as conscience simply as conscience actethas in generall to oblige and in particular 1. To direct 2. To discerne 3. To exciâ—e Dirigere Discernere Impellere Others are such as issue from Conscience as good or ill as right or not right as these in well-doing 1. It approveth 2. It excuseth 3. It absolveth in ill doing it disalloweth and reproveth 2. It accuseth or chargeth 3. It condemneth These imperated operations of Conscience are such as Conscience acteth on the affections or commandeth the affections to act but are not properly acts of Conscience nor of the practicall understanding but acts of the affections resulting from the Consciences well or ill doing as to rejoice to grieve and check and the like But there be other acts that agree to Conscience in order to the assumption others in order to the Conclusion In order to the Assumption it specially doth beâ—re witnesse and testifie of its own acts both that the man hath done this fact And 2. of the quallitie of it that it is done against God the Mediator Christ free grace the word of reconciliation as a faithfull witnesse must not onely depone the fact but all the circumstances and quallities in so farre as they come under the senses of seeing and hearing and may
hypocritically peaceable chast content with their own true in their word as well as punishing false teachers and hereticks maketh many hypocritically sound in the faith So Augustine contra Petilian l. 3. c. 83. 2. There is no ground in Scripture to say that because the Canaanites erred against the duties of the first table onely that therefore israel was to destroy them in warre For Joshua 11. 26 27 28. the contrarie is clear Joshua made warre with them because God having hardened their heart they came out in battle against Israel and so the cause of the warre was not Religion and their madnesse of Idolatrie though on the Lords part it was a provoking cause but violence in invading an harmelesse and innocent people so Ioshua and Israel compelled them not to embrace the true Religion then from thence it cannot follow therefore no lawes were to be made against the false Prophets and blasphemer And if that consequence was null then it cannot be strong now So we say under the new Testament we cannot bring in to the faith the Heathen and Pagans by violence and the sword it follows not Ergo no blasphemer within the visible Church should be forced 3. violence and the sword is no means to work men to subjection to Christ it follows not Ergo because the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall 2 Cor. 10. 5. 6. the Apostle should not say shall I come unto you with the rod or in love or in the spirit of meeknesse 1. Cor. 4. 21. and therefore he should not deliver any to Sathan 4. nor is this a good consequence because the fear of bodily death or punishment by the sword cannot convert therefore it cannot terrifie men from externall blasphemie and tempting of others to false worship for the externall man his words solicitations doe ill by teaching and his actions not the inward man or the conscience and the soule is the object the Magistrate is to work on For neither under Moses more then now could the sword convert men to the true Religion yet bodily death was to be inflicted on the seducer then as now Deut. 13. 11. And all Israell shall hear and fear and shall doe no more any such wickednesse as this is among you and afflictions work the same way now Rom. 13. 3. for rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil wilt thou then not be afraid of the power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same There be five pull-backs that keep men even in heresie and in a false way as may be collected out of Augustines writings from which by the terrour of just lawes they may be affrighted from seducing of others as 1. fear of offending men especially those of their own way 2. an hardning custome in a false way 3. a wicked sluggishnesse in not searching the truth of God 4. the wicked tongues of enemies that shall traduce them if they leave heresies 5. a vaine perswasion that men may be saved in any Religion See Augustine epist 114. ad Vincent epist 48. epist 50. ad Bonifacium contra Petilianum l. 3. c. 83. lib. 3. contra Cresconium cap. 51. contra Guidentum l. 1. c. 19. lib. contra Parmen c. 10. contra Gaudent l. 1. c. 24. de unitate Eccles c. 20. epist 166. And so that which the Objector Mr. John Goodwine long agoe objected is easily answered that the Magistrate cannot in justice punish that which is unavoydable and above the power of free-will to resist but such are all heresies and errours of the minde For this might well have been objected against that most just law Deut. 13. why should God command to stone to death a seducer that tempts any of his people to worship false Gods because such a man is sick but of an errour in the minde he beleeves he does service to his God whom he beleeves to be the true God in so doing and had the heathen and Jews under Moses more strength of free-will and more grace to resist Apostacie Blasphemie wicked opinions against the true God then we have now under the Gospel And the Lord hath expressely said Deut. 13. 11. Israel shall feare bodily death and doe such wickednesse no more now this was not Ceremoniall or typicall fear but meere naturall feare sufficient to retract and withdraw men from externall acts of seducing and blaspheming which is all that the Magistrate can doe 2. this is the verie objection of Donatists and Augustine answers truely By this answer the Magistrate should not punish murtherers and adulterers for they have not grace to resist temptation to murther certainly the Spirit of Revenge and of whoredoms must be as strong above free will as the Spirit of errour and lies Achab then sinned not in beleeving the lying Prophets who deceived him and it was not in his power to resist the efficacie of lying inflicted on him for his former sins And what sinnes the Magistrate punisheth he doth punish as the formall Minister of God Rom. 13. and so this is the Pelagian Arminian and Popish objection against God and free Grace as much as against us 3. the wickedest seducer is punished for his externall acts of false teaching and seducing which may and must be proved by witnesse or confessed by the delinquent before he can justly punish him but not for any mind-error which is obvious neither to judge nor witnesse Then the true state of the question is not whether the sword be a means of conversion of men to the true faith nor 2. whither heathen by fire and sword are to be compelled to embrace the truth nor 3. whither violence without instruction and arguing from light of Scriptures should be used against false teachers nor 4 whither the Magistrate can punish the opinions of the mind and straine internall liberty But whither or no ought the Godly and Christian Prince restraine punish with the sword false teachers publishers of hereticall and pernicious doctrines which may be proved by witnesse and tends to the injuring of the souls of the people of God in a Christian societie and are dishonourable to God and contrary to sound doctrine and so coerce men for externall misdemeanours flowing from a practicall conscience sinning against the second table as well as from a speculative conscience to borrow these tearmes here when they professe and are ready to swear they performe these externalls meerely from and for conscience For since false teachers and hereticks in regard of the spiritualnesse of their sinne are the worst of evill doers and such as work abomination in the Israel of God and there is no particular lawes in the New Testament for bodily coercing of Sorcerers Adulterers Thieves Traitors false witnesses who but speak lies against the good name of their neighbour not against the name of God nor against Sodomites defilers of their bodies with beasts perjured persons Covenant breakers liars
Because he rebuketh them for being dull of hearing which is opposite to being teachers of the word of truth to others which must insinuate they were to have faith and not conjecturall and fluctuating opinions of the things they were to teach 2. He reproves them for that they had not their senses exercised to discerne good and ill and that they were unskilfull in the words of righteousnesse 3. He exhorteth them chap. 6. 1. to be carried on to perfection beyond the principles of the doctrine of Christ Now to be carried to know all except some fundamentalls and principles with a reserve and a doubting of the truth is not to have the senses exercised to discern good and ill nor to be skilfull in the word of truth nor to goe on to perfection but to stand still as in a horse-mill and be at the same perfection of knowledge in knowing and beleeving all even fundamentalls say some or all non-fundamentalls say other Libertines with a reserve and a resolution to judge them all falsehood and lyes 9. It argues the word of God of obscurity and darknesse as not being able to instruct us in all truths and renders it as a nose of wax in all non-fundamentals histories narrations c. in which notwithstanding the Scripture is as evident plaine simple obvious to the lowest capacities in most points except some few Prophesies as it is in fundamentalls and layes a blasphemous charge on the Holy Ghost as if hee had written the Scriptures upon an intention that we should have no assured and fixed knowledge no faith but a meere probable opinion a conjecturall dubious apprehension of truths with a reserve to beleeve the contrary as if the Lords purpose had beene that we should all be Scepticks and dye doubting and how then can God in justice punish any man for not beleeving and doing the will of our Master and Lord If it bee unpossible even by the light of the Spirit to know his will in whole as some say and in the most part as others say yea it must not be our sinfull darkenesse in that wee cannot beleeve most of the matters of God but with a reserve but it is the will and command of God we doe so and how shall we know the second faith contradictory to the former to be the minde of God and not the first and the third and not the second and the fourth and not the third and so to the end since we are to beleeve all the foure with a reserve and all to our dying day with a reserve for the word is alike dubious now as in Pauls dayes and since the Apostles charge us to beleeve and be comforted in beleeving the truths which they beleeved not as Apostles but as Christians and as fellow-Citizens with us we must say that the Apostles also beleeved with a reserve which is blasphemous 10 All our practises according to fundamentals or non-fundamentals must bee in faith that is with a perswasion that what we doe is according to the revealed will of God otherwise we sin Rom. 14. 23. and are condemned in all we doe But if this faith with a reserve be the rule of our practise we can do nothing in faith but with a resolve upon doubting so what you doe may as possibly be murther idolatry stealing lying as obedience to God yea you must beleeve that what you do to day is lawfull but yet so as to morrowyou must beleeve upon a new light that it is unlawfull and sin yea and this makes the erroneous conscience the rule of your faith and practise for if the holy ghost command you to beleeve such points with the faith of a reserve he must command you to practise according to the present faith that he commands you to have of those truths But the present you have may be the beleife of a lye and a blasphemous untruth and so the ten Commandements should bee a rule to no man But his erroneous conscience if then he beleeve that it is such acceptable worship as God craved of Abraham that you sacrifice your Sonne to God you beleeve it with a reserve and you are to practise it with a reserve and oblieged to practice what you are oblieged to beleeve but you are oblieged to beleeve with a reserve that it is acceptable service to God to sacrifice your child to him for it is a non-fundamentall not clearly determined in the word as least it is contraverted by many that goe for godly people Now if so God shall obliege men to sin and not to sin to doe his revealed wil and not to doe his revealed will in the same commandement which were blasphemous now that we are to practise according to our faith of reserve I prove by the doctrin of Libertines for they teach a man is to suffer death and any torment rather then that he say there bee three persons in one God and two natures and one person in Christ and that Presbyterian Government is lawfull that the Christian Prince is to punish false teachers if he beleeve in his conscience though hee is to beleeve with a reserve and doubt somely that these are truths contrary to the word of God then is his faith with a reserve which may be the faith of a lye his onely oblieging rule of his practise according to the way of Libertines I confesse hee is rather to suffer death then to professe any doctrine contrary to the dictates even of an erroneous conscience because he should choose afflictions rather then sin But when we are commanded faith with a reserve as they say we are commanded to beleeve a lye which is blasphemous and what we are commanded to beleeve by the Lord in his word that must be an oblieging rule to our practice and so must we be oblieged to sin nor can it be said to offer your child to God in a sacrifice is against the light and a cleare Law of nature and a fundamentall errour for in this dispute Libertines arguments are for a toleration of all whether they erre in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls nor can they determine what is of their owne naturall are controversall and disputable to humane reason and what not for we either speake what are de facto actually controverted in all the Christian world or what be those that in regard of their disproportion to humane reason of their owne nature may be controverted 2. Or we speake of those which are not controversall amongst Christians who acknowledge the Old and New Testament to be the word of God and what are not clearely determined in the word and touching the former there is nothing we know not controverted in the Christian world except that there is a God and that is also controverted two wayes Atheists so farre winke though nature cannot no not in devills and godlesse men run it selfe starke blinde as they deny there is a God out of malice 2. They cavill at all arguments brought to
for morall honesty qualifying the conscience as a rule is not able to render the conscience a streight and perfect rule in supernaturall duties since it is but a naturall principle in us and that a most corrupt one by reason of sin and how then should it regulate us in all the wayes of the service and worship of God should it ever oblige us to beleeve in him who justifieth the ungodly 2. Againe the Lord maketh the Law and his revealed will in the word the rule of all our actions Deut. 5. 31 32. Deut 12. 31 32. Ps 119. 9. 2 King 10. 31. 3. If that which is called Liberty of prophesying be examined it is either a liberty of beleeving and teaching what is intrinsecally true according to the word now this they will not say for we deny not liberty to prophesie truth to all that are called to publish it Or secondly it is a liberty to prophesie what is false which is conceived to be false that is devillish licence not liberty sure God hath allowed no such liberty to men to prophesie falsely and to destroy soules in this meaning God hath no more allowed us liberty of prophesying false things then liberty of killing whoreing robbing or lying Or thirdly liberty of prophesying is liberty of prophesying truths or falsehood which yet are conceived to be truth not falsehood by those who prophesie nor hath God given so a liberty of prophesying for every true liberty of prophesying God hath given to his Prophets and Apostles if it bee a lawfull gift the use thereof is commanded and injoyned to us as the Arminians say it is in these words 1 Thess 5. 19 20. Quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying for they say the meaning of these words are Quench not the spirituall sense of the word which any man saith and perswadeth himselfe he hath from the Spirit of God that is either by inspiration or suggestion of the Spirit or by the helpe of the Spirit of God in which sense the Apostles seeme to take the word 2 Thess 2. 2. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Now all the liberty of prophesying is here set upon a brazen pillar of so it seemes to be and we say so it seemes not to be but God certainly will not have Nathan David Samuel Ezechiel in either Old or New Testament to extinguish the Spirit or to despise prophesying but God gave no liberty nor entered it ever in his heart to command such liberty of prophesying to his Prophets of old except we say that God gave to Nathan liberty to say to David Doe all that is in thine heart build thou the Temple and the Lord shall be with thee which was an untruth and that God bad Samuel say of Eliah he is the Lords anointed and gave him liberty to prophesie that which was false whereas the Lord saith to Ezechiel ch 2. Heare the word of my mouth and Jeremiah c. 1. 17. Arise and speake unto them all that I command thee and thereby bindes them up and denyeth all liberty of preaching or prophesying their owne word or their owne perswasions even under the notion of the word of the Lord and doubtlesse when Nathan exhorted David to build the Temple and Samuel said that Eliah was the Lords anointed they spake not that as their owne word but were perswaded that God revealed himselfe to them though both were mistaken grossely so Christ saith to his Apostles Matth. 28. 19 20. Goe preach teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you he interditeth them upon the same reason to bring any of their owne Commandements flowing from their owne Spirit under any pretence though they thinke them right though Peter should conceive to Judaize a little Gal. 2. was the minde of Christ and hee might preach it and practise it as the minde of Christ yet Peter and all the Apostles Matth. 28. are bound up they have no liberty of conscience to preach their owne videtur so it seemes for then should our faith be ultimately resolved into mens phansies and so thinketh our Reverend Saltmarsh or Wil. Del and not into the word of God Libertines say their Goddesse their Diana is strangled and fettered and the spirit it quenched if this liberty of prophesying be denyed to them but to restraine liberty of sinning and lying is no violence done to the spirit of prophesie but this exposition calleth the phansies of men the spirituall sense of the word of God as Familists and Antinomians in England father their dreames upon the Spirit of God So Peâ— Stairie who ordinarily preacheth the rovings of his own phansie taught 29. Oct. 1647. before the House of Commons after the Houses passed a brave Ordinance for Liberty of Conscience and Prophesying that the House should not oppose or resist any thing that pretended to Christ Now if he spake this to the House as a Parliament he forbad to hinder a Simon Magus an Hymeneus a Philetus a Jezabel a Jesuite to preach what he pleased for Jesuites pretend to Iesus both name and thing all the Familists Sotinians Arrians Libertines and false teachers who deceive if it were possible the very elect pretend to Iesus Christ and to the anointing If he spake to the people they are not by the word of truth nor all the Ministers in England to refute the false Teachers that pretend to Christ for to refute them were to oppose and resist them for if they pretend to Christ you know not since yee are not infallible but they may be teachers sent of God though they bee the most errand seducers that ever spake and so they are no wayes to be resisted who resist the truth 2 Quench not the Spirit must have this meaning Quench not the dreames of Independents Libertines Antinomians for they perswade themselves they have the Spirit of God and minde of Christ in all they speak 3 But this Quench not the Spirit is cherish entertaine the gracious motions and inspirations of the Spirit in your selves and despise not that is highly reverence the preaching of the Gospel separate not the Spirit and the Word for it is a litote where lesse is spoken but more intended as Esay 50. 5. Ioh. 6. 37. but this glosse yeeldeth this sense Despise not the Spirit that is beleeve what ever a godly preacher saith be it his owne dreames and rovings to be the word of God and reverence it for he perswades himselfe it is so and speaketh them as the oracles of God though they be his owne wind-mils and sparkles of his own vaine-glory For this not to quench not to despise is undeniably to beleeve these prophesyings as the word of God how then are we to try all doctrines and spirits if we are to take all for fiâ—st that comes into the net But since you are not infallible say Libertines it is an extinguishing of the Spirit to account that to be the spirit of Sathan which agreeth not with your spirit if
the conscience of others the Church the learned and godly say for we make not the word of the Church the formal object of our faith but thus saith the Lord onely because the Church is but a company of men and so our faith should depend upon men even though holy and speaking ingenuously what their conscience dictates as true which is absurd ergo by the same reason what one mans conscience our owne or others say is not the formall object of our faith and practises for so also our faith should depend on man not on God And we say the conscience at its best is but Regula Regulata not Regula Regulans nor ought it to have the throne of God for God is only Regula Regulans If it were a rule it is to bee ruled by God and his word yea as we are to try all things and not beleeve with a blind faith what others say or their conscience proposeth to themselves and us as truth for then we make a Pope of the consciences of men under the notion of teachers and Church so we are not to be ruled without trying and absolutly by our owne conscience but to try its dictates by the word of God otherwise wee make a Pope and a God of our owne conscience Some say as a right informed conscience obliegeth to doe what it dictates so an erroneous conscience obliegeth to do according to its prescript Durandus and others saith â—gat non obligat it bindeth that yee cannot doe against it which some call negative obligation but non obligat it obliegeth not as a divine rule which is positive obligation Tannerus saith A Conscience that invincibly erreth both bindeth that we cannot doe against it and obliegeth that we should not follow it Which hath truth in the matter of fact a Judge invincibly ignorant of an accused mans innocency when two or three witnesses doe sweare hee is guilty doth lawfully condemne the innocent man having used all 〈◊〉 diligence to finde out the truth and not being 〈◊〉 to find it but this is rather error or ignorance of the fact than an erronious conscience for hee proceeds according to the law with a well-informed conscience following what the law saith by the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every thing be established The erroneous conscience so long as it remaineth by the law of nature layeth on an obligation on a man not to doe against it Rom. 14. 14. To 〈…〉 the esteemeth any thing to be uncleane to him it is uncleane vers 23. He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne So Ambrose our opinion layeth a law upon us Gammacheus saith it is a vain distinction of binding and oblieging Inter ligationem obligationem And that we are oblieged to follow an erroneous consciencesse long as it continueth erroneous because here saith hee 〈◊〉 dispute not concerning that which is good but that which is commanded But if the conscience dictate that something is to be commanded and to bee done under paine of sinne and yet we doe iâ— not we resist conscience and so we sin because the obligation is no mere 〈◊〉 good onely but rather to that which is commanded The Jesuite Mâ—lderus saith the same Contientiam erroneam ligare obligâ—re because an object materially considered is such an object by 〈◊〉 but it is an object per se kindly when it is proposed by practicall â—â—â—son for what is not of faith is sinne Gal. 5. 3. I testifie to 〈◊〉 one that is circumcised that hee is debter to doe the whole law Answ There can be no reason why conscience because conscience or because wicked more obliegeth then why Will because wicked will should obliege since in every wicked conscience actually drawing men to ill of either heresie or practise there is something of wicked Will and though there were nothing of will or of the affections in an erroneous conscience yet since conscience as a knowing faculty is under the law of God an erroneous conscience must bee a transgressing conscience and it is a contradiction that a faculty sinning should obliege to obedience to the law of God in the same consideration because it sinneth But these Schoole-â—â—â—ties doe not obliege us wee shall bee unwilling in any tearmes to say that God or which is all one the law of nature layeth on us an obligation to that which is sinfull or 〈◊〉 if any thinke he is oblieged to be circumcised sure he must thinke himselfe oblieged to eate the passeover also and to keepe the whole Ceremoniall law but that the law of nature obliegeth him either so to thinke and erroneously beleeve and practise the whole Ceremoniall Law is another thing It is true a doubting conscience that thinks hee is oblieged by the law to abstaine from eating swines flesh is either oblieged to eate swines flesh or not to eate for to eate or not eate are opposed by way of contradiction but there is no apparent contradiction but admiteth of some qualification and modification set the contradiction in an evangelicall sence as you must and then it shall be there be none in the visible Church but he must either eate in faith or not eate in faith he must either bee circumcised in faith and in a certaine perswasion that circumcision is acceptable to God or hee must not bee circumcised in faith c. For both the Law and Gospell obliege to the action and to all the manner way and requisite circumstances of the action to wit that it be done in faith sincerely for God in a due manner c. Now so wee say hee is neither to eate simply nor not to eate simply but either to eate in faith or to abstaine from eating in faith and without an erring and doubting conscience and we are not to do upon a supposition that the conscience stand erroneous nor hath the erroneous conscience any warrant at all nor commission from the Sovereigne Lord of conscience to command you to beleeve you must be circumcised or upon the supposall of that faith to obliege you to be circumcised more then any earthly judge hath a warrant from God to command murther or robery nor is it a law of nature or of God that you must do absolutely and without trying what an erroneous conscience indites you to do under paine of sin nor is it a sin to resist an eroneous conscience by not doing or suspending the action more then it is a sin not to obey an earthly Judge when he commandeth beside and contrary to the law of the supreame Law-giver No wonder they make a Pope of conscience who make the conscience of the Pope the supream court that obliegeth all men on earth The reason of this errour is Papists and Libertines joyn with them in this dreame hat as God doth command unerringly indeclinably so hte hath communicated to Popes and Heraulds and to every lawful 〈◊〉
under him and so to the conscience that they may â—â—errandly and indeclinably also command but they should remember when power of commanding comes out of God the fountain of authority now it looseth its absolute undeclinablenesse when it is in conscience or in any creature and it is onely conditionall and limited in the streames whereas it was absolute and soveraigne in the fountaine 2 In the case of an erroneous conscience standing in its vigorous thing the question is both what is commanded and what is good for these two are not contrary but agree well for the Lords command to Adam eate not of this fruit is to Adam the cause why the not eating is good and the cause of the obligation to what is commanded also but onely the obligation is ad modum facti non ad factum to the â—â—â—ner of doing that if we doe or abstaine we do it 〈…〉 in faith and perswasion without any jarring between the conscience and the object but there is no obligation to the fact On the regular way of doing I am never oblieged to obey God with an erring conscience or contrary to the inditement of an erring conscience 3 The material object being sin and forbidden by the law of God is an object by accident even when it is proposed by practicall reason if that reason be erroneous and misinformed as it is in this case the proposing of practicall reason doth not make that to bee good or commanded which of it selfe was neither good nor commanded but sinfull it may make it good in the manner of doing and obliege in the manner of doing but that is not our question but whether the practicall judgement and conscience remaining erroneous doth both ligare bind and obliege to the fact that is sinfull that is denied And though hee that is circumcised upon the supposall of a blind erring and Jewish conscience thinking the law of shaddowes obliegeth when the body Christ is come he is a debter to doe the whole Law and to eate the Passeover to sacrifice at Jerusalem to keepe the new-Moones c. But how is he debter He is this way debter what warrant he hath to be circumcised he hath the same warrant to keepe the Passeover to sacrifice that is he hath as good reason for to doe all or is as well obliged upon his false principles he goes on to keep all the law of ceremonies as to be circumcised or doe a part onely but he is erroneously and sinfully made by himselfe a debter to the whole Law but God made him a debter neither to the one nor to the other and in Gods Court though if he be circumcised he must be circumcised this way that is his conscience must dictate that Gods Law still in force commands him so to doe but this is but a necessity of supposition that falleth upon the manner of the doing not upon the fact for no Law of God warranteth him to be circumcised and no Law of God makes him debter to doe all the rest of the law of ceremonies he is obliged neither to be circumcised erroneously nor to abstaine from circumcision erroneously but to lay aside his erroneous conscience and to abstaine from circumcision according to the enditement of a well informed conscience So we easily answer that ignorant objection of phantasticall Sectaries in needlesse Pamphlets and Queries smelling of non-sense and selfe-conceit speaking they know not what If the sword be used against errours to suppresse them then must the Magistrate command and compell men of tender consciences to sinne and to doe against the light of their conscience for what is not of faith is sinne And the Spirit himselfe waites and violates not the liberty of the reasonable soule by superseding the faculties thereof but approves every truth to the understanding and moves the will without violence with a rationall force Shall man be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe God himselfe doth not force men but call them to repentance If the word calling be considered whether will it warrant any further meanes then arguments perswasions and intreaties make them as forceable us you can if you hold the feare of punishment over men it must be the feare of divine punishment c. Answ For 1. wee no where teach that the sword is a meanes of converting but the just vengeance that is inflicted by the Minister of God upon false teachers as upon other evill doers so it is not destinated by God for spiritual gaining and reducing of hereticks that may repent but for judiciall expiation of wrongs done to the flock and Christian society 2. This poore argument will conclude against all 〈◊〉 of Magistrates against murtherers bloody traitors for the Lawes of the Minister of God the King forbids the English Jesuit to stab his Prince and compells him to 〈◊〉 from King-killing and if this Jesuit abstaine from killing his Sovereigne Lord and abstain not in faith but against the light of his Jesuiticall and bloody conscience which dictates to him that he is a Protestant Prince and a heretick and he is obliged in conscience for the advancement of the Catholicke cause to stabbe him doth the supreme Magistrate compell this Jesuit to sin and doth hee force the Jesuits conscience for to doe in faith hath place in duties of the second Table as well as in the first and men out of conscience and in faith and moved by the Holy Ghosts gracious actings are to obey all lawfull commands of the Magistrate as to pay tribute to abstain from murther treason adultery robbing and stealing if they be subjects of tender consciences and why then should the Magistrate compell and force men to these duties which are to be done in faith and in a spirituall manner for sure the Spirit forces them not to doe these in faith so the command of the Magistrate moveth every Christian to practise and act of obedience to mens Lawes for conscience sake and the Spirit moves the whole powers of the soul both the understanding and the will without violence with a rationall force and why should the Magistrate then be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe and all this may be said against all Lawes in the Old Testament why should the Magistrate compell men against their faith and conscience not to beleeve not to practise any such seducing wayes as to say Come let us goe serve other Gods Should Moses be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe but the truth is the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not meddle with the conscience not the manner of obedience to Law whether they be obeyed in faith or against the light of conscience that is nothing to him he commands but the externall actions preach no heresie no Familisme Sociâ—â—nisme under the paine of corporall punishment if Pastors obey this charge hypocritically not in faith it is their sin not the Magistrates he neither commands thus preach no heresie in faith
Prophets and Apostles in that in which they followed the law of nature which is that every Ambassador relate faithfully his Princes will though some have ordinary gifts some extraordinary and rare gifts in relating the same embassage So it is no good consequence some by extraordinary warrant did punish evill doers ergo the ordinary Magistrate hath not therefore power to punish such evill doers Argument IX THE expresse law of God and of nature written in the heart of al proveth that the seducer should die Deut. 13. If a Prophet or a Dreamer arise and say let us goe after other Gods he shall be put to death That is no temporary law oblieging the Jewes only the Text sayth 1 Let us goe saith the Dreamer after other Gods is 〈◊〉 them this â—in is against the first command and that imâ—aculate principle of nature graven in the heart of man That there is one onely true God and he onely to be served 2 It is against the love of God ver 2. The Lord tryeth you whether you love the Lord your God if he be God our love is due to him 3 It is against the fear of God v. 4. Ye shall fear him if he be God he is omnipotent infinitely great and dreadfull therefore by the light of nature to be feared And 5. cleaved to as the onely happinesse of men Adde to these that it is a morall transgression if Magistracy and lawfull revenging of violence and unjustice by the Minister of God and Government against highest soule-oppression be a naturall Remedy not a temporary positive salve as undoubtedly it is then sure he that seduces so should dye 1. He speakes aversion and turning away from God and that is hell and the extremity of miseries 2. He thrusts thee out of the way v. 5. a word of violence Then 3. he is evill and destructive to the society of men which the Magistrate by his office should defend v. 5. So shalt thou put away the evill from the midst of thee 4. He seeks to thrust thee from the Lord thy God that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to remove from God as from an unclean and cursed thing and it expresseth excommunication and then to thrust men away from the Lord in Covenant with us that can save from the greatest of miseries must be the highest of injuries and if the Lord proved a publicke avenger against the highest wrongs that can be done in a society as he doth then certainly against this 5. It is a wrong that God would have all Israel to feare a wickednesse that strikes at the root of society 11. And all Israel shall heare and feare and doe no more any such wickednesse as this among you And v. 13. such are children of Beliel they make all things and persons cursed they come among and bring on the land the fierce anger of the Lord v. 17. the intâ—â—â—secall worke and end of the Magistrate is to avenge evill doing and so to remove the fierce anger of the Lord from a land that the people may feare and not do any such wickednesse as is cleare Deut. 13. 10. 11. Exod. 32. 29. 30. Deut. 19. 20. Rom. 13. 3 4 5. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Now the false Prophet is such as brings on all these evills and therefore if Magistrates stand under the new Testament and if there be such a sin now as thrusting away people from the Lord who hath in Christ delivered us from a greater bondage then that of Aegypt this must be a perpetuall Law Deut. 17. 2. If there â—e found any among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee man or woman that hath wrought wickednesse in the sight of the Lord in transgressing his Covenant and hath gone and served other Gods and worshipped them either the Sunne or the Moone or any of the hoast of heaven which I have not commanded 4. And it be told thee and thou hast heard of it and the thing certaine that such abomination is wrought in Israel 5. Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which hath committed that wicked thing unto thy gates even that man and that woman and shall stone them with stones till they dye 6. At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death bee put to death Hence not simple Idolaters nor all the Nations round about nor all the Papists that are educated in Idolatry by this Law shall be put to death but such as are within the gates of Israel 2. In Covenant with God 3. It is wrought in Israel and so Apostates to Judaisme to strange Gods are to be punished so we teach not that Nations are to be converted by the sword or that the Idolatry of Indians the blasphemy of Jews is a sufficient ground to make warre against them and cut them off with the sword 2. Apostates turning to false Gods were by a written law judged There is no consulting of an Oracle by urim and thâ—â—mim here as Libertines say but just as the murtherer is to be judged under the New Testament if it be told thee the people or the Judge and thou hast â—eard of it v. 6. Vnder two witnesses hee shall be convinced It were a vaine thing to goe and seek witnesses and follow reports and hear-sayes if they had an immediate Oracle to informe the Judge and say Here the Idolatry there the Idolater binde him and lead him away to death as some Patrons of Liberty plead we read not any such conjecture 3 He is not persecuted for opinions Because be cannot câ—me up to that measure of light in judgement that other Saints attain unto but he is put to death for an externall act of Idolatry that is seen heard proved by two witnesses and for externall abomination wrought in Israel v. 5 6. the Lord never puts a Judge to prove opinions that remain within the walls of the heart and are things of the minde by witnesses nor is the end of putting to death to force beat or cudgell him to the sound faith with the sword but to be avenged on hiâ— sin to remove evill to save the Israel of God from infection 4 It is not single Idolatry that is his death but his Idolatry in seducing others by word or example he workâ— such abomination in Israel v. 4. in the Church of God which tendeth to seduce others Deut. 18. 18. I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee that is Christ Act. 3. 22. so the Holy Ghost in the Apostles expounds it And he adds ver â—0 But the Prophet that shall presume he must mean in the time of the Messiah when the true Prophet shall rise to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak or that shall speak in the name of other gods even that Prophet shall die It is
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
these words that thou knowest not are the words of the Holy Ghost not that these Seduceâ—s so speake in so many syllables but the God they drew men after was an unknowne God for there is not a Caligula in the world can be a speculative and heart-Atheist or if these words whom thou â—ast not knowne be the Seducers they are spoken to heighten the new God and exâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 above Jehovah as not knowne by the blinde and ignoraâ—â— world yea and those that worshipped the golden Calves at Dan and Bethel worshipped other Gods and turned away themselves and others from the true God for Deut. 32. 16. They provoked him to jealousie with strange God with abominationâ— provoked they him to anger 17. They sacrificed unâ—â—â—evills not 〈◊〉 Gâ—d to Gods whom they know not to new Gods that newly come up wâ—om your fathers feared not 2 Chron. 11. 17. and Jeâ—oâ—â—am ordained himselfe Priests for the high places and for the devils and for the calves which he had made Psal 106. 19. They made a calfe in Horâ—â— and worshipped a molten image yet they denyed not God the Creator except practically Deut. 32. 18. Of the rocke that begat thee thou art unmindfull and hast forgotten God that formed tâ—ee Psal 106. 21. They forgâ—t God their Saviour which â—ad done great things in Aegypt Yea and those that worshipped these Gods denyed no otherwise God the Creator then hereticks now doe for both in profession asserâ— Jehovaâ— that made the heaven and the earth Exod. 32. they said of these calves as Jeroboam did v. 8. These be thy Gods O Israeâ— that brought thee up out of the Land of Aegypt 1 King 12. 28. and Exod. 32. 5. Aaron said to morrow shall be a feast to Jehovah then they denyed not in profession and in words the Jehovah that made them nor Christ their Saviour then by signes and wonders brought them out of Aegypt so a Hereticke or a Popish Idolater denyes not God in profession yet both worship strange Gods and the worke of mens hands and the devill not God Deut. 32. 16. 2 Chro. 11. 15. Nor did Jeroboam deny God in profession for he acknowledged that the Lord God the true God could heale his dryed up arme 1 King 12. 6. and sent his wife to enquire of Jehovah concerning his sicke childe 1 King 14. 1 2. and Jeâ—u who clave to Jeroboams calves 2 King 10. 29. And so by this same law of God ought to dye as is clear in that he worshipped and served other Gods as Deut. 32. 16. Ps 106. 19. compared with Exod. 32. cleareth for three thousand were slaine by the Magistrates sword for this sin Exod. 32. 27 28. yet these denyed Jehovah not in formall and expresse profession but by the genius and staine of their doctrine and the same way the Hereticke denyes the Lord that bought them these that worshipped Iehovah and Malcom Zeph. 1. by this law should dye the Priests of Malcom come under the law as well as the Priests of Baal the Priests of Baal and the false Prophets were slaine according to the law and yet they professed Jehovah as well as Micaiah 1 King 22. 24. and Achab who worshipped Baal professed he worshipped Jehovah and so did these who worshipped the Samaritan strange Gods and Iâ—hovah both together 2 King 17. Nor is it of weight that some say from Deut. 13. onely these are to be put to death who denyes God as knowne by the light of Nature not these that deâ—y the blessed Trinity or Christ the Mediator or the principles of the Gospel which are only known by the supernaturall light of faith and onely these that deny principles of Divinity that are by natures teaching in the heart for these sinne against Natures law and the Alphabet of naturall Theology This hath no warrant in the word the Law condemnes these to dye who blaspheme or draw men away from the true God as revealed in the Scriptures which is a supernaturall Revelation that flesh and blood taught not Moses but a Propheticall and â—mmediately inspiring Spirit as the reason which God insâ—uateth Exod. 32. 8. They have turned quickly aside out of the way that I commanded them Now the twilight and rude divinity of Nature revealed not this way as being supernaturall yet for this turning aside were three thousand killed v. 27 28. And it is cleare Deut. 13. the dreamer shall surely bee put to death not because he hath denyed the Creat or that is knowne by the light of nature but v. 5. because he hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God which brought you out of the Land of Aegypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage to thrust thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walke in Now this is not I conceive a naturall way nor written in mans heart by nature as this answer supposeth But yet it s also a sinne against the law of nature to deny the God who reveals himselfe in the Mediator Christ And these that were put to death by this law were such as denied God revealed in Christ for Christ saith Moses wrote of mee and to Christ all the Law and the Prophets bare witnesse 2 Nor did these that worshiped Idols and the false teachers and such as offered their children to Molech who were surely by the Law to be put to death deny the word of God more then the Heretick now and Jeremiah useth the weapon of the word of God against them as Moses was to use the sword against them Deut 17. 3 4 5 6. Lev. 20. 2. as we read Jer. 7. 13. And they have built the high places of Tophee which is in the vally of the sonne of Hinnon to â—urne their sonnes and their daughters in the fire and he useth an argument from the word of God to convince them which I commanded them not neither entred it in my heart Libertines might say why should Jeremiah speake of a command of God for though our Hereticks under the Gospell acknowledge the word of God yet the false teachers and Apostates that were to dye by the law doe but mocke the word of God and therefore the Lord should not use this argument which I command not But to mee is cleare they were so farre from denying the word of God as our Antiscripturists doe that for the offering of their sonnes to God they alledged both Abrahams example who was bidden offer Isaak his onely sonne to God and the Scripture for if we say they are to offer the best of the flock to God and its little enough to so great 〈◊〉 Lord farre more are we to offer the dearest thing we have to wiâ— our sonnes and daughters God answers What yee offer to mee must be commanded in my law but it never entred into my heart to bid you offer your children to mee Now if these had both denyed God their Creator and his word there had beene no other sword
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
Magistrates judges of what is truth and heresie since the generallity of Magistrates yea of men are ignorant thereof and uncapable in questions of doubtfull disputation 2 Say that the Synod were equally divided whether Presbytery or Independence be the way of God or say the major part which is ever the worst determine amisse what shall the Magistrate do and the evill doer Rom. 13. cannot be he that doth evill without limitation or thinks evill but pro subjecta materia But he that doth evil whereof ordinary Magistrates heathen or Christian are competent judges which is manifestly of politicall consideration as that which is contrary to the light and law of nature as whoredome adultery murther theft unjustice sedition treason Answ 1. This argument is against the wisdome of God in appointing Magistracy as well as against us for there be a world of questions of doubtfull disputation what is according or what contrary to the light and law of nature in murther medicine usury polygamy incest marriage contracts false witnesse and these are so controverted yea and there be matters too hard in judgement for ordinary men between blood and blood plea and plea stroake and stroake Deut. 17. 12. no lesse then in matters of Religion and to erre in taking the life of a guiltlesse man in any subject is as great misgovernment as can be though I dare not charge God with it as the Objecter doth 2. When the Holy Ghost forbiddeth the Master of every Christian family and there must be a far larger number of heads of families then Christian Magistrates to owne a hereticke as a guest or to salute him 2 Joh. 10. and commandeth Christians not to eat with an Idolator 1 Cor. 7. 11. to reject an heretick Tit. 3. 10. to avoyd false teachers that creep into houses 2 Tim. 3. 5 6. and such as cause divisions contrary to the doctrine of the Gospel Rom. 16. 17 18. sure he supposeth they have knowledge to judge what is error and heresie what is truth otherwise he commands us to turne our backs on such as the blinde man casts his club May not one say This is against the wisdome of God in the government of Christian families and societies to interpose our judgement in doubtsome disputations to judge who is the hereticke and to be avoyded who is the sound beleever 3. The uncapability of Magistrates and most men to judge here is the want of infallibility such as the immediately inspired Prophets had then it s against the wisdome of God that we try the spirits and doctrines and beleeve them for if the generality of men let alone Christian Magistrates be uncapable of fundamentall truths they cannot judge them to be truths nor heresies except they be infalibly and immediately inspired by this argument it is then against the wisdome of God to bid any beleeve the Gospel but the Prophets and Apostles 4. The Magistrate being a Christian should see with his owne eyes and judge the Presbytery worthy of his politicke sanction and though Synods divide or erre the error and uncertainties of men that are accidentall to all Ordinances are no rule to Magistrates on earth and by this reason which hath as much force against preaching the Gospell as against the Christian Magistrates politicall judging when Ministers are divided and the equall halfe or the major part preach Arrianisme Socinianisme Familâ—â—â—e c. and the lesser number sound doctrine the Objecter needs not aske under which of their shadows shall the Magistrate repose for peace and safety I inlarge the question and let the Objecter answer under which of their shadows shall all their hearers repose for faith and establishment in the truth And I answer call no man Rabbi let Magistrates and others receive the truth in love and let him answer when foure hundred Prophets say to Achab goe to Ramath Gilead fight and prosper and one Michajah saith goe not left thou be killed under which shall Achab repose shall then Achab heare the voice of the Lord in no Prophet because foure hundred speake lyes or shall not foure hundred Michajahs declare the minde of God to the Prince because so many false Prophets speake the contrary 5. It s true Ill-doers here must be such as Magistrates generally may judge but not all ill-doers false Prophets or the like Magistrates as Magistrates are to judge ill-doers but it followes not that all Magistrates whether Heathen or Christian are to judge all ill-doers whether Gospel-seducing teachers or murtherers for there wanteth a condition in heathen Magistrates for the want whereof they cannot actually and in the capacity of heathens judge false teachers Arrians Socinians and the like not because they are not essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Magistrates but because they want the knowledge of the Gospell even as inferiour Judges are as essentially Judges in Israel as the Priests and the great Sanedrim at Jerusalem and may judge of their office between blood and blood but if it be a controversie too hard for them between blood and blood and the party be willing to appeale these inferiour Judges cannot actually judg that controversie but it must go to the Sanedrim Deut. 17. 12. 13. So a father as a father whether heathen or Christian and a Master of a family by his place the like I say of a husband a Tutor a Doctor in their respective places are by their place and relation to teach their children and servants the principles of the doctrine of the Gospel by these places Gen. 18. 18 19. Exod. 12. 26 27. Ps 78. 4 5 6 7. Joel 1. 2. Prov. 4 3 4 5. Eph. 6. 4. 2 Tim. 3 14 15. Deut. 6. 6. 7. yet while they are heathen fathers and heathen masters they neither can nor are obliged actually to teach any thing of the Gospel they never hearing of the Gospel are obleiged not to beleeve in a Christ of whom they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. and those that Christ was never preached to are not condemned for Gospell-unbeliefe Joh. 15. 22. But for sinnes against the Law of nature Rom. 2. 12. 13 14 15. Rom. 1. 19 20 21 22. and the like must wee say of Judges whether heathen or Christian though in the state of heathenish they never having heard of Christ freeth them from an obligation of actuall punishing Gospell hereticks yet as Judges their office is to punish such but neither heathen Princes nor heathen fathers masters husbands tutors and teachers of Schooles are obliged to an actual exercise of all and every Magistraticall fatherly masterly maritall and tutory Gospell-duties toward their underlings and pupills if they live in a Countrey where they are invincibly ignorant of the Gospell if the Lord by no providence send Preachers of the Gospell to them And how shall they beleeve in him of whom they never heard And how shall they judge hereticks sinning against a Gospell of which they never heard Let no man stumble at this
him that knowes the heart not by Judges 7 To say the light and law of nature is the Judges only compasse hee must sayl by and that hee must punish no sinnes but such as are against the law of nature 1. It pulls the booke of the law of God yea the Bible out of the Kings hand that containes greater deepes then the law of nature can reach contrary to the word of God Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Deut. 17. 10. 11 12. For the King as the King should have the booke of the law with him on the throne to be his rule Deut. 17. 18. Josh 1. 8. 2. This rule hinders not but the King and Ruler may judge ill doers so farre as the light and law of nature will goe along with him Yet the Objector will be unwilling the Ruler take away the head of a seducer that should say and teach men with Caligula there is no God Chance made all and rules all we want not such blasphemous impostors as these But sayth the Objector by him that doth evill is not meant the spreading of errors or heresies 1. They had no reason to feare the Magistrate spoken of here Rom. 13. for spreading and publishing the most orthodox truths for they might without any danger at all from the Magistrate here spoken of have taught that the Roman Idols were true Gods They had ten times more cause to be affraid of the power of publishing orthodox truths as that there is but one God and the Roman Gods are dumbe Idols or speaking Devills 2. That doing of evill against which the Magistrate here spoken of IS THE MINISTER OF GOD to execute wrath is opposed to that subjection to higher powers ver 1. And of the same consideration with resisting of powers so sharpely reproved Vers 2. Then by it is only meant the doing of evill which was prohibited by the Roman lawes and edicts and no man resistes the power who lives in an orderly subjection and obedience to all their lawes now the Romans in their lawes never forbad the publishing of errour and heresies in Religion then doing of evill in spreading of heresies can be no resisting of the Roman powers and lawes Againe that doing evil ver 4. Is opposed to doing of good ver 3. Vnto which there is a premise of a reward promised even prayse from the magistrate 〈◊〉 the doing of good for which the Apostle undertakes they shall have prayse from the Roman magistrate was not the preaching and publishing the great and Orthodox truths of Christian Religion yea they were enemies to that good doing Answ All these leane upon a castle beyond the moone to wit that Paul speakes Rom. 13. of no powers but the Roman Magistrate and that hee is to bee obeyed at the onely minister of God and then having layd this most false and vaine ground he cryes out O England England make much of thy Scriptures but take heed of the glosses of thy teachers Which we may retort but this is an impious glosse For though Paul aymed at obedience to Magistrates even to persecuting Nero in things lawfull because some then as Anabaptists now said the Gospell freed Christians from subjection and obedience to lawfull Magistracy But I prove that the Apostle speakes of the Magistrate such as he is by Gods appoyntment and such as hee ought to bee whither hee bee Heathen or Christian and he speakes of a Magistrate in generall Now the Roman Emperor and Senate were not such powers in all their Government Lawes and Edicts as every soule should be subject unto For they made lawes in acts of the second Table and accordingly practised them with violence and unjustice to joyn not only house to house but not being provoked by any wrong Kingdome to Kingdome the Isle of Brittain and all the people of the world and in that every soule I conceive ought to be subject to supperiour powers If the Objector render this sense let every soule on earth be subject to the Roman Emperor Nero for he is the minister of God for thy good that is for the good and peaceable Government of all and every one that hath soules because hee would raise warre and tyrannically subject them all to him We wish England to beware of such glosses 2 Whatever people resisted the Roman Empire and their bloody Emperor Nero and others in all their bloody Edicts against innocent Christians for he is the Magistrate here spoken of sayth the Objector they receive not damnation not doe they resist the ordinance of God 3. The Roman Emperour and Senate in their Laws and Edicts were a terror to good workes not to evill they rewarded those that persecuted and killed Christians and those that shed the blood of innocent people that they might bee tyrannous conquerours of them and made them commanders in warre and hyred them so to doe then the Roman Magistrate as he actually governed and made neither Law◠nor Edicts against spreading of errors and heresies cannot be the Magistrate here spoken of 4. The Objector would be put in minde of the same Answer given to this place and others of the New Testament by the Anabaptists who say there is no warrant in the Old Testament that Christians should bee Magistrates because the use of the sword was then typicall and ceremoniall and this and all places of the New Testament doth command conquered Christians subjection to heathen Magistrates and not to raise Armes against them but warrants not Christians to take on them Magistracie because heathens should not be our patterne but the word of God 5. Most false it is and a begging of the question that evill doing is contracted and hampered in here to subjection to the higher powers that is to the Roman Laws and Edicts onely for it is opposed to the lawfull subjection due to the Parliament of England and to the King of Britaine and to all lawfull powers as well as to Roman Magistrates as is cleare for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God and Paul speaketh of all Magistrates Christian and heathen that are lawfull Magistrates and commandeth subjection to every power Roman and Christian in the Lord. What Are there no powers ordained of God but Roman Magistrates Then may Anabaptists well say wee owe not subjection to Christian Magistrates by this text but onely to the Roman Magistrate who made no Lawes against spreading of heresies and when the Apostle faith Let every soule bee subject to superiour powers shall every soule by this text be subject to none but the Roman Magistrate I am sure the Reformed Churches and all our Writers argue that as many as have soules Popes Prelates and Roman Clergy ought to be subject by this text to the good lawes of the Christian Emperours and that all men none excepted neither Clergy as they call them nor others but are obliged by this Scripture and 1 Pet. 2. and Tit. 3. to give obedience
and subjection to all lawfull Magistrates heathen and Christian and to their Lawes and to pay tribute and to be judged by them whereas Papists plead exemption to Churchmen and sure if no doing of evill be prohibited here and deserve the just vengeance of the Minister of God but only such which was prohibited by the Roman Laws and Edicts then must the Roman Laws and Edicts be as perfect as the word of God for then the Romans Laws must command reward and praise all good that the Ruler or any power ordained of God doth command this is most false they did not command the saving of the lives of the innocent British in this Island that never injured them but commanded to kill them they did not in their Laws command their under-Rulers Pilate and others to protect innocent Christians to justifie and absolve Jesus Christ but to condemn and murther them though they gave all that was due to Caesar and their Laws did not forbid all evill that the Judges and Ministers of God are to execute wrath against all murthering of innocent men in thousands and most unjust and bloody warres against Nations that never wronged them and they forbad not the spreading of errors and heresies against the Gospel that came to their eares and made them that they had no cloake for their sinne Joh. 15. 21 22. for Paul brought the Gospel to them and it is a begging of the question that the Roman Emperours ought not to have made Laws against spreading of heresie and they were a terror to those that preached the Gospel and had their conversation among the Gentiles blamelessely and so these Emperours did not as the Ministers of God ought to doe nor would the Apostle undertake or be surety for Nero the Objector undertakes for the text that in which the Holy Ghost will not bear him out that he shall give praise and reward for well-doing all the well-doing that the text saith the Minister of God by his office is to reward the Roman Magistrate did abhorre and persecute if the Apostle undertake those that doe well shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if hee doe as a lawfull Magistrate then cannot the text be meant of the Roman Magistrate as he actually misgoverned and abused his power for then hee was a terrour to those that preached orthodox truths and worshipped dumbe Idols and by Lawes and Edicts honoured and rewarded heathen Priests that were not so good as Baals Chaplaines and doth Paul undertake if the Saints at Rome would turne Priests and servers of the Roman Gods that they should doe well and have praise from the Roman Magistrate for by the Roman Law the Roman Rulers were to reward and praise such as did well in this sense 2. Nor doth Paul undertake they shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if they doe well according as the Roman Lawes speakes of well-doing for then Paul should undertake they should have praise from the Roman Magistrate for that which is evill-doing which Paul would never undertake because killing of innocent men in unjust warres to conquer and inslave free States by the Roman Lawes was well-doing and praised and rewarded by their Laws as wel-doing But this was to Paul and in it selfe evill-doing and robbery and makes the Holy Ghost to exhort to Romish and falsely so called well-doing CHAP. XVIII The place 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. for coercive power over false Prophets cleared Argument XII THat which we are to pray we may have from the Magistrate by his office that is his office to doe because prayers must be in faith and grounded on the word of God But we are to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority that with the sword they would guard Religion and the Church of God from wolves false teachers and those that think they do God service when they kill us Joh. 16. 1. that we may saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 2. lead a quiet a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Nor can a Magistrate procure a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and honesty as a Magistrate but by his sword nor can he with meer words of mouth onely exhort as a Magistrate the foxes not to destroy the vines and wolves not to slaughter 〈◊〉 sheep except he coerce false teachers and Idolaters because upon the occasion that Micah and his mother made a molten image and an Ephod and imposed it on their house the Holy Ghost saith Judg. 17. 1 2 3 4 5. v 6. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes hence it is cleare that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse a naked permission from the Magistrate to serve God is not enough or that he suffer no man to do theSaints violence but if wolves be permitted to teach what is right in their own erroneous conscience and there be no Magistrate to put them to shame Judg. 18. 7. and no King to punish them then godlinesse and all that concernes the first Table of the Law must be marred and the intrinsecall end of the Magistrate which is a peaceable life in all godlinesse is not attainable in an ordinary providence nor will it help to say Paul commandeth prayers to be made for the Magistrates that were then heathen who being ignorant of Christ could conferre nothing to godlinesse but meerly negatively that they persecute not the godly for their conscience nor permit others to persecute them for Paul will have us to pray for their conversion that they may become Christian Magistrates and come to the knowledge of the truth and then they doe more then negatively procure peace to the Church for as Magistrates now converted they are to praise and reward and promote to the dignity of Judges men fearing God Deut. 1. 17. yea and fearing God as the Scripture doth describe the fear of God and so to reward Christian well-doing Rom. 13. 3. therefore Christian Kings as Kings are to send such to promote them to bear rule over the people 2 Pet. 2. 14. That so they may be 〈…〉 by the King for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well 2. Nor is it true that Paul will have us in that place to pray onely for heathen Kings and that as heathen as Libertines suppose that wee may have negatively peace under them they being excluded from all exercise of their Magistraticall office in or about matters of Religion for Paul commands us to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority and it is cleare some in authority and divers in Neroes court were converted to the Christian faith Phil. 1. 13. Phil. 4. 22. Nor is the prayer for Kings to be restricted to the Kings and Rulers of that present age when Paul wrote that but for all Kings to be converted and who shall beleeve and
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
changed Yet let not us go on with Egid-Coninck to say that if it was lawfull to make war with any nation for wrongs done to men how much more for injuries done to God for making of war is an act of Magistracy and so suppose some jus some power and authority that we have either by the law of nature to defend our life peace liberties or for avenging of such heineous inâ—uries done to the Nation as cannot in justice be decided but by the sword So that sin as sin or as greatest sinnes are not the just cause of war but sinnes as most distructive to humane society for which by the Principles of the Law of nature they may be convinced of fearfull breaches Now these that are Idolators the nations that worship God in Idolatrous way and being of a strange Religion worship a strange God though they doe the greatest injury to God that can bee yet in regard they being other nations as independent on us as we are on them and doe it not in order to the destruction of our of our paece liberty and lives we have not jus over them nor authority to make Warre with them except God gave us a Command to destroy them nor is this a good consequence we may by war revenge injuries done to men ergâ— far more by war may we revenge injuries done to God for war is an act of revenging justice that supposeth some authority given of God over such a nation as we come out against in war 2 Every just war is some way defensive in regard every act of Magistracy is an act of defending of the peace life and liberty of the society or the members thereof and a propulsion of violence by violence and this is the intrinsecal and of Magistracy to hold off unjust violence by just and harmelesse violence for if the life of a murtherâ—r be not taken away by the sword of a Magistrate he will still take the life of another man qui semel â—alus semper malus presumitur â—e that is once wicked is still presumed to be wicked except his wickednesse be restrained and to offend a nation or person that hath not offended us must be unjust violence and unlawfull war and to make war against a nation that hath worshiped a strange God and injured God and not us supposeth that we must instruct them of a wrong done to God by teaching them and instructing them in the true Religion for suppose they worship the workes of mens hands and worship Sathan as some Indians do and so by their own conscience may be convinced and so are inexcusable in foro Dei before Gods tribunal yet are they not so inexcusable in foro humano before mans tribunall as we can make warre against them till we informe and instruct them positively of the true Religion But they that shed our blood and invade our peace and liberties are by the Law of nature convinced and by demands of reparation made to them quickly silenced and need not to be instructed in the principles of the law of nature which are written in their hearts But it may be said What if that Nation will not be informed of the true Religion and will go on contumatiously to dishonour God and reproach the true God Shall we not upon a meer quarrell for Religion make war against them and avenge the injuries done to God and defend his truth no lesse then with the sword we defend our own lives and liberties I Answer there is not the like reason for God and nature have given to the strongest a jus and authority over oppressors to repel unjust violence with innocent violence but that we should force the true Religion on Idolators we have not the like ground except they did attempt to obtrude their false ways upon us and injure our soules for there is a vast difference between a people never receiving the true Religion and a people who have imbraced and submitted to lawes that have inacted the profession of the true Religion those that never professed the true Religion cannot bee compelled to receive it by the Sword of another Nation except they first subdue them in a just warre and be masters of them and they may educate the posterity of the subdued people and discharge the duty of parents to them and impose lawes on themselves to cast away the Idols of their fathers house and to learn the knowledge of the true God but they cannot make the not receiving of the true Religion the ground of a war for we read not of any such cause of war in the Scripture It is true God did command his people to destroy the Canaanites but Idolatry was not the quarrell Josh 11. 19. There was not a nation that made peâ—â—â— with the Children of Israel save the Hittites the inhabitants of Gibe on all other they tooke in battell 20. For it was of the Lord to harden their heart that they should come against Israel in battell that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favor but that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses And those that they subdued in the Wildernesse denied them harmelesse passage through their Land It is true some Popish writers as Masius Cornelius a lapide Abulensis say if the Canaanites would have sought peace and imbraced the worship of the true God the Israelites would not have destroyed them but the Text Calvin and famous Papists as Cajetanus Swarez Gamachaâ—s and Augustine before them say plainly Israel made warre against them and Israel but defended themselves against the Canaanites Libertines say the teaching of the Gospell Mat. 28. and not the sword is a means to spread the Gospell so say we I see no warrant wee have to obtrude the Gospell in the purity thereof upon Papists in France and Ireland but we may lawfully avenge the blood of the people of God on Irish Murtherers who excercise extreame cruelty and Tyranny over persons and the Consciences of the Martyrs and the oppressed people of God amongst the Papists The question seemes harder when these of a false Religion in regard of their neernesse and vicinitie to a Kingdome professing the true Religion when as they may infect them or if they be in one Nationall Covenant and under the oath of God to indeavour the extirpation of all false religions and what is contrary to sound doctrin It is certain the Kingdom of Judah might justly have avenged the Apostacy of the ten Tribes from Davids house and from Jerusalem where the Lord had set his name for the worshipping of the Golden Calves if the Lord by his Prophet had not expresly forbidden them to fight against their brethren 1 Kings 12. And the children of Israel did justly attempt Warre against the two Tribes and the halfe because they erected a new Altar for worship as they conceived which was Apostacy from the Covenant of God and the true
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.
not hypocrisie and sin for this argument may as well prove the Magistrate should neither forbid nor punish murther nor command abstinence from murther to an unrenewed man for an unrenewed man cannot but abstaine from murther in a sinfull way and his abstinence from murther in order to the spirituall Law of God is no better then the oblation of Swines bloud and the cutting off of a dogs head to God Esa 66. 1 2. as is all externall obedience of either Tables of the Law first or second without faith and spirituall inward morall principles and heart-obedience and Mr. Williams cannot answer this argument but by the principles of Anabaptists Familists and Enthysiasts who say all outward Ordinances Ministery Preaching Sacraments yea Preachers and Magistrates who command outward obedience to God are unlawfull now under the New Testament So Mr. Dell denies all Reformation but heart-reformation Other reformation beside this in the heart I know none and Gospel-reformation onely mindeth the reformation of the heart then away with Preaching Laws the Sword Synods Gospel-reformation saith he is inward layes hold upon the heart soule and inner man and changes and renewes that doth not much busie it selfe about outward formes or externall conformity but onely mindes the conformity of the heart for when the heart is right with God the outward formes cannot be amisse Christ saith touching the worship of the New Testament God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth he speakes not one word of any outward formes so that God in the Gospel-reformation aimes at nothing but the heart So the father of the Familists impure H. Nicholas If I could give all my goods to the poor c. if I have not love it is not any thing to me that is whosoever hath not Christ he is without God and without righteousnesse in this world I mean the being like Christ which is conceived through the power of the Holy Ghost and not any ceremoniall Christ which one man speaketh to another or promiseth to another through his ceremoniall service which he out of his prudency according to his fleshly minde setteth up O no The worke or begetting of God commeth not so â—lenderly to passe as men now at this time teach each other out of their unregenerate Spirit he meaneth by men now at this time Protestants who conjoyne Pauls planting and the watering of Apollos with the working of the Spirit whereas this Impostor taketh him to the latter and railes against the former as a ceremoniall and fleshly Christ See more of this in Del Theologia Germanica Rise and Reigne of Antinomians Bullinger Calvin Towne the Antinoâ—ian Salâ—marsh Upon this ground Samuel Gortyn right down denies all Magistracy learning books Libraries Lawes and he hath reason so to do for Magistracy because it is a carnall Ordinance cannot produce inward and spirituall repentance therefore Magistrates upon the same ground cannot coerce nor punish hereticks since heresie is a spirituall evill which cannot be remedied by a sword of steal for God onely can enlighten the minde 3. If therefore this argument be good neither can the externall preaching of the word be a lawfull Ordinance for God onely gives repentance the preaching of the Word without the Spirit can but produce a carnall repentance and the Bounder may cry downe all preaching of the word if he but change the word Magistrate into the word Preacher or Ambassadour for this course of Preaching by men may lay a stumbling I speake in his words in every mans way to prophane the things of God by doing them out of obedience to men that are but earthen vessels not to God If he say that is by accident because men look to men as men and not to God whose word men carry So say I mens abstaining from doing violence and murther which the Magistrate forbids may infer God hath given no power to the Magistrate to forbid murther and adultery for men may so prophane the sixt Command and abstaine from murther because the Magistrate forbids it not because God forbids it in the sixt Commandement And the preaching of the word may be art downe errours so long as a man sound in the faith preacherâ— but when there ariseth a corrupt teacher a â—â—araâ—h that knew not Joseph errours shall walke on every side and that not by permission but by commandement Now this is the reasonlesse reason of the 〈◊〉 against the coercive power of Magistrates these men argue ever from the abused power of a Magistrate and from persecution to provâ— hereticks ought not to be punished as if punishing of false teachers were persecution which they can never prove But to goe on That cannot be the way of God which necessarily inferreth the darkeness inevidence and inextricable difficultie of understanding the Scriptures But such is the way of Libertie of Conscience Ergo. The Proposition is clear for if God hath not sufficiently cleared the way to heaven but left a Testament that men may expound to be the pathway to life eternall and the just contrary a pathway to life eternall then shall men know certainly no safe way to life eternall and the Scriptures shall not make men inexcusable contrary to Hos 5. 2. and 8. 12. Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. Ezek. 3. 5 6. Luke 16. 29 30 31. Joh. 20. 31. and 15. 22. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Psal 119. 9. Prov. 3. 21 22 23. Deut. 31. 28 29. Matth. 11. 21 22 23. 24. 2. Papists shall be in better case then we for though they say that the Scriptures are darke and obscure and admit of themselves divers and contrary senses so that we cannot bottome our faith on them yet the juridical interpretation of the Church is to men a ground of faith and that is the ground of faith which the Church giveth as the only true sense of Scripture The Assumption is clear because Libertines suppose that the sense of Scripture can be undeniably known to none what is to one saint a ground of faith the just contradicent to another is a ground of faith and what sense to one Saint is an Article of saving faith to another is a damnable Heresie and both are to be tolerated neither corrected nor punished for since neither are infallible neither can deserve rebukes or rods nor punishment civill or Ecclesiasticall because knowing of the word of God in Scripture is not in our freewill but natural and whatsoever sense the word offers to the understanding true or false the man cannot be guilty in receiving the false sense because he is not punishable therefore as Libertines argue and what then should hinder but Jewes may be saved in their sense of the old Testament who yet deny Christ to be come in the flesh nor are they to bee rebuked far lesse to be punished by God or man therefore because 2 Cor. 3. in reading of the Old Testament a vaile
am bâ— ye shall dye in your sins and he that beleeveth not is condemned already He chargeth no man guilty of unbeleefe that heareth the Gospel for simple not beleeving But then we are commanded to beleeve no truth that God speaketh to know no truth but onely to know it with an inclination of heart love and will toward the Commander and so the minde and understanding faculty the noblest and most excellent peece in the soule must be left lawlesse and free in its operations from all hazard of guilt or sinne 2. If this Argument be good sinnes of infirmities and of weaknesse must be no sin Idle words cannot come in reckoning in the last day contrary to Matth. 12. 36. for God forgives crimes Ergo he will not call us to an account for our venialls If this conclude any thing the strongest understanding cannot pretend immunity from being deceived Ergo simple ignorance of the things of God is no sin I may argue no man can pretend to be free of sin in the inclination of the heart and originall guiltinesse Job 4. 4. Ps 51. 5. Gen 8. 21. Prov. 20. 9. 1 Joh. 1. 8. 10. Eccles 7. 20. Ergo sin is no sin originall sin sins of infirmities are no sins Object No Christian is to be put to death for his opinion which doth not teach impiety or blasphemy If it plainly and apparently brings in a crime and himselfe doth act it or incourage it then the matter of fact is punishable according to its proportion and malignancy as if be preach Treason and Sedition his opinion cannot excuse because it brings in a crime a man is never the lesse Traytor because he beleeves it lawfull to commit Treason and a man is a murtherer if he kill his brother unjustly although he thinke to doe God good service in it matters of fact are equally judicable whether the principle of them he from within or without and if a man could pretend to innocency in being seditious blasphemous or perjured by perswading himselfe it is lawfull a gate were opened for all iniquity I deny not but certaine and knowne Idolatry or any other sort of practicall impiety with its principiant doctrine ought to be punished because it is no other but matter of fact but no matter of meer opinion no errours that of themselves are not sins are to be persecuted by death or corporall inflictions Answ 1. The Doctor mocketh when he saith No meer opinions are to be persecuted That was never in question a meer opinion is a meer act of the minde within the walls of the soule and can be knowne to no man for neither Magistrate nor Church can judge of invisible and hidden acts of the soule so he sayes nothing 2. The simple apprehension of God to be a fourfooted beast is by the Apostle Rom. 1. esteemed Idolatry and a mentall changing of the glory of the incorruptible God into the glory of a corruptible creature and the profession thereof must then be the profession of manifest Idolatry and so punishable yet it is a profession of a meer opinion but I confesse of a most Idolatrous opinion not of a fact otherwise by this learning of Libertines there can be no sin in simple apprehensions of God though most prodigious and monstrous what is blasphemy is as controverted and as unjudicable as simple errour Servetus his naming the blessed Trinity a Cerberus or three-headed dog blasphemed say we I thinke Doctour Taylor will not say so then by his way blasphemy must be as unjudicable as heresie and to him the formall of it is within in the heart 3. If matters of fact be punishable according to their proportion and malignancy then speaking lyes in the name of the Lord and teaching and professing malignant doctrine contrary to the doctrine of godlinesse that Christ thought it no robbery to be equall and consubstantiall to God that God is one in three persons and to teach any thing contrary to what God hath said in his word as that there were not eight persons in the Arke with Neah must be punishable the contrary whereof the Doctor saith here for every breach of a Commandement is malignancy and punishable when it hurteth humane society especially 4. Can a man be the lesse hereticall and his society the lesse detestable then that he thinks his heresie is sound doctrine for thoughts cannot change the nature of actions 5. To kill a man is indifferent of it self it may be done in justice it may be done in injustice but if a man kill his son and offer him to God neither hating nor envying nor grudging at the safety of his son only upon this meer opinion that he expresseth an act of love to God above that he beareth to his son as Abraham did then by this way he sinneth not this son-slaughter is not murther nor punishable but a simple errour For 1. It may be said by Libertines the act of killing is indifferent of it selfe 2. If he hate not his son and lye not in wait for him it is no murther Deut. 4. 42. Deut. 19. 46. He is not worthy of death for as much as he hated him not in times past Nor can killing be called a vertuall hating or essentially an hatred of our brother for then it were impossible for a Judge to kill a man and not to hate him As every breach of the Law of God is essentially an hatred of God and a vertuall hatred of God for simple killing of our neighbour is not murther by Gods reasoning but killing of him in hatred rage anger or desire of revenge Nor can it be said that hating forbidden in murther by the Law of God includes a loving of him and a saving of his life when it is in our power to save it as it is in the fathers power who sacrificeth his innocent Son to God to save his life Answer I deny not but it is murther for they teach that a man may publish that which by consequence destroyeth the faith of fundamentals and so subvert the faith of others which to do is a sin but because the man followeth the dictment of his erroneous conscience it is no sin to the man that so teacheth yea he may innocently suffer persecution for his conscience thus erroneous yea and dye a martyr for it Ergo if the following of an erroneous conscience shall make a lesse sin to be no sin but innocency it shall make a greater sin to wit killing of his son to his heavenly father no sin and so he may lawfully do it Nor wil it suffice to say to offer a man to God and kill him is against the light of nature and vincibly a sin what then if the man beleeve he is commanded to kill him his erroneous conscience must bind as the offering of whole burnt offerings to God to us is a sin against the light of nature in regard the law of nature can no more warrant it then it can
warrant Christ to offer up himself to God But upon the supposition of Libertines it 's no murther nor is it punishable at al because the father may yea lawfully ought to worship God according to the indictment of his conscience whither the conscience be right or bloody and erroneous and yet he is not punishable for blood-shed by their way for meerly and simply without any malignancy or hatred to the child he beleeves he ought to preferre his maker to his dearest childs life as well as Abraham and the conscience doth naturally and as under no Law simply beleeve it is the like service and worship that Abraham would have gratefully performed unto God if God in reward of that love had not forbidden him againe to kill his Sonne And this answer presupposes also that it is impossible for a father to have such a conscience as may stimulate and command to kill his son and that in the authority and name of God as he erroneously yea and as he invincibly holdeth as Socinians Familists Papists beleeve purgatory merits justification by workes who yet are not to be punished for their conscience according to Libertines Again there is no intrinsecall malignancy in the act of naticide or son-sacrificing but what it hath from the Lords Law forbiding to kill now those that killed their Sons to Molech yea to God as they thought strongly yea invincibly beleeved God commanded them to do him such bodily service as is clear from Jer. 7. 31. Jer. 15. 5. And that this is invincible ignorance I take the word invincible in the Libertines sense Libertines grant for in our condemning son-sacrificing they wil say we are not infallible Yea the understanding being spirituall cannot be restrained saith Dr. Taylor Sect. 13. n. 6. and no man can change his opinion when he will saith he ibid n. 7. and so should not be punished for it and n. 13. there is nothing under God Almighty that hath power over the soule of man so as to command a persuasion If hee be then perswaded that he ought to kill his Son he ought unpunishably so to do Lastly Doctor Taylor yeelds the cause when he saith that certaine known Idolaters may be punished with death or corporall inflictions For there is no Idolatry so grosse that strongly deluded consciences may not be carried invincibly I speake in the Libertine sense out of meer conscience to act Ergo some are justly punishable for their meer conscience and yet are not persecuted for conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If a man preach treason saith he his opinion doth not excuse If a man preach murther and preach that Christ was an impostor that the Scripture is a fable how can his opinion excuse in a great sin and not all sins CHAP. XXVIII Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration answered DOctor Taylor objects from the Arminians he that persecutes a disagreeing person doth arm all the world to persecuâ—â— himself if he say he is no Heretick he is as confidently beleeved to be an Heretick as he beleeves his adversarie to be an Heretick if it be said every side must take their venture this is to make the Christian world a shambles Ans 1. Because sound and orthodoxe Magistrates punish Hereticks they doe no more arm Hereticks against them to punish them then they arme murtherers to punish them because no law of Conscience teacheth that a seducer is obliged to publish to others his erroneous opinion touching mansacrificing the unlawfulness of Magistracie under the New Testament Libertie of Conscience Familisme and the 〈◊〉 for then the Law of nature must teach men are obliged in conscience to sin and pervert others 2. They are obliged to beleeve that their Conscience must be a rule to others which two the Law of nature cannot teach since it is the just law of God If yee argue what Hereticks doe unjustly they persecute the sound in the faith and there is reciprocation of persecution amongst false Religions its true the Christian world is a shambles through the corruption of mens nature But if yee argue what Christian Orthodox Magistrates ought to doe they ought to punish only Hereticks and Seducers but they do not justly 〈◊〉 Hereticks and those of false Religions reciprocally against themselves for by this argument those that are just Magistrates and take away the life of Pirates Robbers 〈◊〉 of other Nations doe they therefore justly arme all Pirates and Robbers to take away their Lives I thinke not Obj. 2. Where the Christ or his Messengers charge the Magistrate to establish by his arme of flesh and 〈…〉 worship of God the beast indeed gets the power of the earth Rev. 17. Bloodie Tenent Answ Kisse the Son O Rulers Psal 2. The Kings of the earth shall lick the dust before Christ Psal 72. The Kings shall bring their glory to the new Ierusalem Ergo They shall guard the Law of God from violence 2. The Beast gets the power of Kings to bear down truth but this power of Kings shall burn the whore Rev. 17. 16. and act for Christ and his ordinances 3. Where reads Mr. Williams that Christ and his Messengers are to charge the Magistrate to give libertie to Wolves Boares Lions Foxes Serve your consciences O beasts in wasting the Mountain of the Lords House and in not sparing the flock the Nurse-father grants you libertie to waste the mountain of the Lord. Obj. 3. Artaxerxes knew not the Law of God which he confirmed how then could be judge it 2. In such fits and pangs of a terrifying conscience what lawes have Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius Artaâ—erxes put forth for the Israel of God yet were they not charged with the spirituall crowne of governing the worship of God Answ That was their Error they knew not the Law of God but it was their dutie that they ratified it 2. Those Princes did their dutie as Magistrates in those Laws no matter what Conscience renewed or not renewed put them on to act the duties in the substance of the act were lawfull the corruption of nature they being unrenewed might vitiate the work and put them a working to act lawfully in the duties Saul as King did fight the battels of the Lord and led his people and that lawfully according to the substance of the work but God knowes his motives and end 3. This ignorant man never heares of a Magistraticall act to promote the worship of God in a civill way but he dreames of a spirituall tribunall given to the Magistrate which we abhorre as much as he for the materiall object of the Magistrates power though spirituall rendreth not his power spirituall as the Magistrate punisheth spirituall confederacie with Satan in Magitians and Sorcerers a Witch should not be suffered to live and Sodomie flowing from Gods judiciall delivering men up to a reprobate mind Rom. I. 28. and yet the Mastrates power is not spirituall nor terminated upon the consciences of men Not is this Argument
2. Will yee compell their consciences with the Sword c. Answer your owne arguments Libertines 10. Object Is not this Babels confusion to punish corporall or civill offences with spirituall or Church censures or spirituall offences with corporall or temporall weapons Bloody Tenet Answ To inflict bodily punishment for Sorcery makes not the Magistrate a Church-officer as he fondly phansieth all sinnes against God who is a Spirit or spirituall and by this reason the Church of Thyatira should not censure the fornication of Jezabel and her followers nor the Corinthians the Incestuous man with excommunication which is a corporall offence to speake so contrary to 1 Cor. 5. whereas all publicke sinnes as sinnes against God are punished by him with bodily and spirituall plagues as it pleaseth him 2. These same sinnes as they are scandalls that offend the Church are punished with Church-censures 3. These same as they disturbe the peace of the State doe also deserve to be punished by the sword though I take not on me to determine curiously whether the Magistrate punisheth sins formally under the reduplication as they trouble the peace of the State or as they dishonour God the highest Judge it may be there is something of both in this reduplication 4. These same sinnes are rebuked by private Professours as they are stumbling blocks to them Hos 2. 1. plead with your mother neither is it against the nature of perswasion to bee drawne to means of sound beleeving by mens Laws as I observed before from Augustine for feare of punishment may cause men to hear the word of truth which otherwise they would never have heard Epis ad Vincen. 48. Alii dicant nesciebamus sit esse veritatem nec eam discere volebamus sed nos ad eam eognoscendam metus fecit intentos quo timuimus ne fortè sine ullis rerum aeternarum lucris damno rerum eternarum feriremur gratias domino qui negligentiam nostram stimulo terroris excussit ut saltem soliciti quaereremus quod securi nunquam nosse curavimus 11. Object What if the Magistrate in punishing heresie differ from the Church and strike with the sword for that which the Church thinkes no heresie what shall the Church doe then and what if the Church judge that to be heresie and exhort the Magistrate to punish that as heresie which the Magistrate in his conscience judgeth to be no heresie What shall then the Magistrate doe Answ Though there be reciprocation of subordinations that the Magistrate in an Ecclesiasticke way be subject to the Church power yet not to an abused Church power and the Church in a Civill way be subject to the Magistrates power yet not to the Magistrates power tyrannically used but to the power that is from God and as used for God and common justice in the one Court and the word of God in the other is supreme Empire judge that either must follow 12. Object Did not the people of Israel suffer the Gentiles to stay in their land and enjoy their own Religion without troubling of them Answ It is like they did but if they did right in tolerating Idolatry for which the land spewed out the inhabitants is a question 2. They might 1. Suffer them till they were first instructed and then convinced that Religion might not be forced on them 2. They could not suffer them in that land to blaspheme the God of Israel lest a common guilt should fall upon all Jos 22. 16 17 18 19 20. 3. Since the people were never to partake of other mens sins they were to argue against them and rebuke them and endeavour the gaining of their soules 13. Ob. The Elect cannot finally and totally fall away from Grace and perish as the Scripture saith Joh. 6. 37. c. Why then should we be so fondly jealous lest the people of God should be carried away with every winde of doctrine as to suppresse each opinion supposed to be erroneous so as to run the hazard of sileucing the most saving truths of putting to death Gods dearest Saints reducing soules to such a posture as if we be in ignorance and errour we must be uncapable of ever comming out of either Answ A foolish argument without head or foot 1. We are to be afraid of every sinne our Lord hath bidden us beware of though the Elect cannot perish since he that chooseth to the end chooseth to the meanes and to both immutably and irrevocably without shadow or change else this argument will prove we need not be afraid to whore murther oppresse or the most hainous transgressions for these sinnes cannot more prejudge the chosen of their state of grace and certainty of glory then being carried about with every wind of doctrine and unsound opinions continued in and published to pervert others doe argue that we are of the number of those that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. and are unstable and unlearned perverting the Scriptures to our own destruction 2 Pet. 3. 16. given over to strong 〈◊〉 to beleeve a lye 2 Thess 2. and damned for not beleeving the truth v. 11 12. the heart not being stablished by grace Heb. 13. 9. like children tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men whereby they lye in wait to deceive not speaking and not professing the truth in love that so we may grow up in Christ even in him in all things which is 〈…〉 Eph. 4. 14 15. All which prove that to be finally seduced is a certaine marke of reprobation as Matth. 24. 23 2◠◠Tim. 2. 16 17 18. 19 20. and the Spirit that teacheth us 〈◊〉 are not to be afraid of falling from the state of grace 〈◊〉 salvation though we fall in such sins as the spirit of Antichrist and of curst Familists who turne the grace of God into wantonnesse who abuse the doctrine of election of grace 2. He makes God to bring us into an inevitable necessity of either being carried about with every wind of doctrine to beleeve lyes or then run the hazard of losing most saving truths and of putting to death Gods most dearest Saints But what warrant hath he thus to make God the author of sinne or to teach that divine providence doth lead us into an inextricable perplexity and necessity of sinning so that whether we do this or not doe it we must sin 3. What Scripture maketh the beleeving of lyes a certain hazard of losing most saving truths Is there no way of comming to the knowledge of the truth and the sparing of the lives of Gods most deare Saints but by beleeving truths which may be lyes and corrupt doctrine a word that eateth like a canker Is there no way to come to Gods harbour but by sayling in the Devills boat sure this is no way of Gods devising but of Sathans forging 4. Is then cursed Toleration a
sword or censures for let it be most false in it self yet it is to him Truth and if you persecute him he suffereth for the truth for the Gospel for righteousnes sake and the Ministers have no more to doe to labour to recall and gain him from his opinions to the Truth then he hath to labour to gain Ministers from their opinion Hence I argue what ever opinion maketh every manâ— dictate of his conscience the true word of God and as many Bibles divers and contrary Gospels and words of God and contrary rules of faith and practises as there be divers opinions fancies dictates and apprehensions of conscience is a Godlesse and Atheisticall way But such is this opinion of Libertie of Conscience and Toleration Ergo c. The Proposition is undoubtedly true there being but one Gospel one Faith one truth as there is but one Christ and one Lord Ephes 4 5. and the Scripture hath but one sense that is true and the ground of faith otherwise this There is but one God to us should have one sense to the Treitâ—ites to wit There be three Gods because three persons it should have a contrary sense to another To us there is but one God in nature and essence and yet both should be the same truth to each man as he apprehends The Assâ—mption is manifest to those that will see by the grounds of Libertines because to every man that is the word of God which he phansieth to be the Word of God for otherwise the truth should be monopolized to â—ut or some few persons and this is the sense of the word of God and so the very Gospel and truth which this man beleeveth and of you punish him for it the man suffers for the 〈◊〉 for the word of God and if his neighbour beleeve the contrary that is to him the Word of God and if you punish him for it the man suffers for the word of God also and there bee two contrary Gospels and sundry truths and if there be two there may be two and twentie Bibles and contrary truths and so we have not the Old and New Testament but the letters of it and as many senses by this there be of Scriptures as many Bibles and as many sundry heads and various opinions of men Hence libertie of prophecying is lawfull and so libertie of Faiths of contrary Bibles and from this it is that which tendeth to unitie of faith as one Confession of faith or uniformitie of beleef is mocked by these men and every one that suffereth for his supposed truth is persecuted for the Word of God and so blessed because persecuted for the Truth and if blessed as our Saviour meaneth Matth. â— v. 11 12. They have a great reward in Heaven for so they expound the place Matth. 5. 11 12. All men then are saved in their own Religion and to be rooted and grounded in the truth is common to all Sectâ— and Hereticks and iâ— is to bee rooted and grounded in opâ—â—ions such as every man shall fansie to be truth and not to be moved from the truth is not to bee moved from opinions and not to be carried about with every winde of doctrine is to adhere with pertinacie to opinions were it Arrianisme Manichisme and if so all Religions are alike safe and all Sects Saints and all Hereticks because they follow their erronious consciences are innocent godly grounded on Truth Neither needeth Mr. Williams to prove that the place Rom. 13. is meant of the duties not of the first but of the second Table of the Law which we grant with Calvin and Beza but it followeth not That the Magistrates punishing of ill-doers and so of seducing Teachers is excluded for that punishing is a dutie of the second Table of the Law though the Object be spirituall as sorcerie is against the first Commandment and punished as ill doing Rom. 13. though sorcerie be a sinne formally against the first Table of the Law and why should the Magistrate punish one sin against the first Table and not all in so far as they are against the peace and safetie of humane Societies FINIS Errata PAge 2. line 6. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 12. l. 22. them r. these p. 33. l. 5. but of all these r. but all these p. 23. l. 1. r. elicite acts p. 36. l. 13. And it is false that we are to beleeve that what Synods determine according to the Word of God must be fallible lyable to Error and an untruth because they so determine p. 56. in Margin r. thus The Magistrate may with the Sword coerce ibid. Five impediments that keep men from embracing the truth according to Augustine l. 10. for Guidentum r. Gaudentium p. 50. l. 19. Cyrillus p. 59. l. penult for worships r. Vorstius p. 62. for elect r. elicite p. 74. l. 2. for or r. are p. 82. l. 10. for this not r. this is not p. 101. l. 7. for now r. not p. 106. in margin for iâ—dicari r. judicare p. 109. r. religio p. 110. l. 28. for is r. are p. 199. l. 26. for thou r. that p. 201. l. 19. for is r. it s forâ—â—ssed â—â—ssed r. professe p. 206. l. 31. for abolish r. oblige p. 215. l. 17. for and father r. and the father p. 216. in margin r. confutaâ—unt p. 223. l. 32 for Quod nou in r. Quod non est p. 232. marg for no case r. in case p. 2â—0 l. penult r. impletionem p. 254. l. 6. r. redarguit p. 156. l. 13. r. Protestaâ—ts Fâ—â—ilists Arminians Seekers c. hold and beleeve must be the Dictates Gal. 2. 14. The name Conâ—â—â—ence Conscience the practical knowledge Conscience a power not an act or habit 〈…〉 Thomas 12. â— 19 aâ—t 5. Casetan ibid. Richard 2. â— 29. ar 1. 2. Grego de Valent. 12. q. 14. punct 4. Vasqu z. 12. disp 59 c. 1. Tannet tom 2 diâ—p 2. q. 4 dubâ— 4. What sort of knowledge is ascribed to the Conscience Of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Of Conscience in relation to the Major Assumption and Conclusion of a Practicall Syllogisme The object of Conscience Hamond of Conscience pag. 3. Sect. 9. Conscience to be revereâ—ced 〈…〉 of Consâ—â—â—nce and the acts 〈…〉 Of witnessing of Conscience and selfe-reflection The knowledge of our own state of grace may be had by the fruits of the Spirit of Sanctification â—olion Serm. an 1643 pag. 428. 429 430. c. Acts of Conscience in relation to the Conclusion A Conscience good or ill A good Conscience Conscience the â—arest peece that God made A tender conscience Amesius de consci l. 1. c. â—5 n. 11. Conscientiae huic malae vel cordi diero opponitâ—â— conscientia tenera quae facilè afficitur verbe Dei 2 Reg. 22. 19. Ut in Josia Who ingrosse the name of tender consciences to themselves Of a scrupulous conscience The causes of a scrupulous conscience How a Synod compelleth â— Remonsâ— Apo. c. 25.
ista imponebâ—t superbâ—ae discipliâ—m Augus Petitiano l. 2. c. 83. Noli diccre absit absit â—conscientia nostra ut ad nostram fideÌ„ aliqâ—em compellamus facitis enim ubi potestis ubi autem non facitis non pâ—â—testis sive legum sive 〈◊〉 timore sive resâ—entium muâ—â—tâ—d ne So were Marcis Presbyter Victoriensis and Mareitius Urgensis perâ—ecuted by Donatists Augus Epist 〈◊〉 Carwright 2 Joh 10. on Tit. 3. 10. Amesius de conscien l. 4. c. 4. An haeretici â—nt â— civilâ— Magistratu puniendi q. 6. Re. Râ—primendos esse haereticos abomnibus plit 〈◊〉 Rom 13. 4. 1 Tim. 2. 2. n. 15. Si vero etiam manifeste blasphemisint in illis blasphemus pertinaces ac praefracti pâ—ssint etiam affici supplicio capitali lex enim illa Levit. 24. 15. 16. quamvis non obligit Christianos quatenus est lex quatenus tamen est doctrina a Deop ofecta pertinet ad Christianorum directionem in ejusdem generis causis Joannes Clopenburâ—â—â— in Gangrena Anabaptis Tripaâ— histor l. 12. c. 9. Bullinger l. 1. c. 8. c. 9. Petition of Familâ—â—â— to K James an 1604 They commend King James in counselling Pr. Henry to punish Putitan Non-conformists and plead for liberty to themselves See Survey of the spirituall Antichrist pag. 343. Apolog. Remon Bloudy Tenet c. 11. p. 3. Libertines ought noâ— to suffer death for any truth Mimus Celsus Sect. 2 Fo. 62. Mimus Celsus denieth the coercing of Seducers upon Socinian principles Citech Racco vâ—d proph mu. 1. C. c. 1. Socinus in praelec c. 17. Com in 1 Joh. fo 134. praeâ—er Theol. c 5. f. 6. 7 Ostorodiâ—s Inst Chris Relig. c. 22. c. 23. c. 24. c 25 c. Smalcius de diviâ— C c 5. f. 17. Contra Smigâ—â—c c. 15 f. 136. Volkelius Episcopius dis 17 deâ—esâ—l c 2 Arm deleg Evan com the. 6. Ancient bonds of Liberty Reas 21 22. The Lords patience towards sinners in the old Testament was no argument of not coercing false Prophets in that Oâ—d Testament as the Author of Ancient bonds c. supposeth Acontius de Steatagematis Satanae l. 3. p. 155. 〈…〉 Hope of gaining blasphemers no more ground of sparing their life then hope of gaining Murtherers can be pretended as a ground why they should not be punished Whether to be persecuted for conscience true or false be a proper note of the truâ— Church as Iob. Baptist saith cap. 9. Necessiâ—y of Toleration Quar. 51. See Osterodius Iustit rel c. 5. f. 21. Smalcius praefat reâ—at frant Sociâ— praelect Theol. c. 17. Smalcius refut lib. de satisfact Christi c. 1 lib 1 de offic Christi 7. Jesus Christus est primus ac solus praeco hujus doctrinae ac multo perfectio is quam ea quae ante Christum in populâ— Dâ—i fuit Pâ—liander in concertat Socinian disp 27. thes 35 36 37. Peltiushâ—rmon Socin remonst art 292. art 21. Volkeâ—ius in verbis Christi illis testimoniâ—s inquit Exod. â—1 24. Lev. 24. 20. Deut 19. 21 â—am legis monâ—em fuisse comprobatur ut ultio ac vindicta fuisse permissâ— staâ—uatur modâ— per magistratum non autem proptiâ— authoritate fieret Cui quid em legi Christus sua verba opponens omnem non modo privatam sed etiam publicam vindictam abrogat suisque praecipit ut omnes perpessiones quae alterius maxiâ—â—ae obversione significantur omnemque bonorum jacturam quae pallii dimissione innuâ—tur omnem denique molestiam quae coactione ad unum milliare designatur ita ferant ut similem denuo injuriam subeant potius quam illatâ—m â—ive per se five per magistratum ulciscantur There be no New Commandements of Christ to love our enemies in the New Testament which were not commanded in the Old as Joh. Baptist saith c. 9. They that suffer for heresie and killing their children to Molech by Baptists way so they preserve conscience suffer for well-doing and according to the will of God in the Apostle Peters sense Joh. Baptist Preface to the Reader and c. 11. Necessity of Toleration by Samuel Richardson an 1647. Quer. 54. q. 55. and pag. 20 21. Ancient bounds p. 20 21 22. We judge not that hereticks seeming to be hereticks should be punished but those that are hereticks indeed ought onely to be punished Joh. Baptist condemns Joh. Baptist c. 5. Ancient bounds reas 5. p. 26. Storming of the Antichrist c 5. p. 14. Joh. Goodwin Hâ—giomas Baptist falsely chargeth on us that we teach a man should beleeve whether his conscience say so or not and should doe and pray without the Spirit of Adoption and that for these foregoing merits of congruity God will give us faith which doctine we detest Ancient bounds Preaching of the word without the Spirit is as unable to work faith as the sword and the argument from our impotencle to beleeve is as strong against the one as against the other The sword hath strength against only the outward mâ—n to cause him to abstain from seducing of souls not against the Conscience Argument 17. It s a false principle of toleration None are punishable for heresie because heresie is to God only knowable and to no mortal man Goodwins Sermon Theomachia Acts 5. 34. Saltmarsh Sparkles of glory Preface The Heretick is knowable by the Scriptures Impotency of beleeving being naturall in the Old Testament as in the New it was to the Jews as good a pleâ— against the Lords Law to punish seducers as to us Reasons against 1 forced and unwilling obedience 2 Against forced abstinence from murther particide at al times in the Old and New Testament do contend against Gods Laws of punishing seducing teachers Bloudy Tenet c. 40. p. 65. The Magistrate commandeth the outward man and yet commandeth not sin and carnall repentance How the Magistrate commandeth obedience to the Law of God to wit in reference onely to externall peace and the halfe and outside of obedience and yet not hypocriticall in its kind Del Sermon before the House of Commons p. 5 6. Epistle to the two Daughters of Warwick s 3 4. Del Serm p. 4. 5 Theol. Germa c. 28. 71 72. Rise Reign er 1 2. er 49. Bulliâ—ger adversus Anab. l. 1. c. 1. l. 2. c. 4. Calv Instruct adversus Liber c. 10. p. 442. Towns Assert of grace p. 4 5 6. S a'mâ—rsh Free grace 179 180. Bam. Gortyn Simplicities defence p. 22. 23. Ancientbounds c. 5. reas 3. Because man may abstaine from heresie and seducing upon false grounds to wiâ— the Magistrates commandment and not from conscience it follows no more that the Magistrate hath no power so to command then that the Pastor hath no power so to preach Argument 18. The Libertinisme of Toleration is grounded upon the pretended obscurity of the Scriptures The main pillar and ground of toleration makes the scripture a nose of waxe and puts on it a hundred senses and makes it a rule of faith to all