to performe the Covenant Fourthly he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to the Covenant and made all that were present in Israel to serve even to serve the Lord their God 2 Chron. 34. 32 33. that is all that were under his jurisdiction he kept them in such awe by his regall authority and penall lawes as they durst not but stand to the Covenant 10. THESIS As de facto 't is evident in the examples related besides divers others recorded in Scripture that good Magistrates did alwayes meddle for God and his truth against false worship and seducers so that they did it de jure and ought to do so is as clear from the approbations speciall testimonies promises rewards and blessings given by God of them made to them and bestowed by God on them for so doing There 's hardly any place mentioning what the Patriarchs Judges Kings Magistrates did in this kind but there 's some commendation some blessing some speciall testimony from God for so doing recorded in those places 2 Chron. 14. 2 3 4. Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God For he took away the Altars of the strange gods and the high places c. So 't is said of Jehosophat Hezekiah Josiah they did that which was right in the fight of the Lord are highly commended have many blessings upon themselves and their Kingdoms and all for commanding by their Princely power their subjects to good and removing all false worship and the means of it God will not hide from Abraham the thing that he was doing concerning Sodom and the reason is given because he will command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. Iacob took away the strange Gods from his houshold and all that were with him and God manifests his approbation of it the terror of God was upon the Cities round about Iacob and they did not pursue after the sonnes of Iacob yea God gives such testimony to Princes and Magistrates suppressing false Prophets and false worships that he hath rewarded with temporall blessings wicked Kings for so doing as is evident in Iehu who for destroying Baal out of Israel though he departed not from the finnes of Ieroboam yet his children of the fourth generation should sit on the throne of Israel 2 Kings 10. 28 29 30. 11. THESIS Those Magistrates Judges and Princes even the dear servants of God who being in place of authority and power that out of carnall respects to wives children and other interests have suffered and tolerated Idolatry and other evils though they in their owne persons never practised much lesse commanded any such things nay disswaded from them and not used their power to restraine and hinder them have been both sharply reproved and severely punished by God for it King Solomon having power to hinder his wives from Idolatry and not doing it but suffering them God is provoked to bring wrath upon him and his family 1 King 11. 4 5 6 7 8 9. 10 11 12. to rend the Kingdome from him to stirr up an adversary unto Solomon Hadad the Edomite T is the opinion of many good Divines and that upon the first of Kings ch 11. and in answer to the Arminians upon that Article of falling from Grace that Solomon did not bring or admit Idols into the house of God neither did he command the people that either they should forsake the true worship of God or worship Idols neither can it be proved that he did in his owne person worship Idols This is only certaine that being bewitched by his Idolatrous wives he suffered them to build Altars and high places or at most commanded them to be built and this the word in the Hebrew vers 11. with thee not of thee implies as much for as much as this is done with thee implying done in his Kingdom and neer Ierusalem though not by Solomon himselfe Eli being a Judge because when his sonnes made themselves vile ht restrained them not redressed not their corruptions and abuses about the Sacrifices though he reproved and disswaded them from their wayes by many strong arguments therefore God brought fearfull ruine upon him and his house cutting off his arme and the arme of his fathers house c. as in 1 Sam. 2 3 4. chap. 't is laid down at large 12. THESIS Whereas the Patrons of Toleration except against the instances of the Judges Magistrates and Kings of Iudah and Israel as no sufficient proof for Magistrates power in suppressing falshood and commanding men to receive the truth because they were typicall Kings types of Christ as King of his Church and the Land of Canaan a typicall Land which no other Magistrates or Land beside ever were or are I desire that it may be remembred that other Magistrates Judges and Princes who were before the common wealth of Israel was erected and the judiciall lawes given and of other Common-wealths and Kingdoms did take away and punish Idolatry Blasphemy and command men under their power to worship God and some such examples are not only barely related in the Scripture but approved of Abraham Jacob and Job were before the time of Moses and Aaron before the judiciall Lawes or the Leviticall Priesthood for the Government and worship of the Jewish Church and Common-wealth were given For Abraham and Jacob that 's evident by the Book of Genesis and for Job that he lived in the time between Abraham and Moses is the judgement of many good Divines and Interpreters upon Job and that upon severall reasons given by them of which the Reader may read more in Bucolcerus Pineda Junius and Tremellius Mercerus Master Carylls Expositions on Job and divers others Now of Abraham and Iacobs commanding their children servants and all that were with them to keep the way of the Lord I have spoken of in the tenth Thesis And that in Iobs time and that out of the Land of Canam in the Land of Vz no typicall Land Idolatry and false worship were to be punished by the Magistrates is apparent by Iob 31 26 27 28. where Iob speaks of himselfe If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightnesse And my heart hath been secretly intised or my mouth hath kissed my band This also were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge for I should have denied the God that is above the meaning of which place according to the judgement of the best Interpreters Mercer Merlinus Iunius Pineda and others is that Idolatry and worshiping the creatures as Sun Moon and the Heavens a worship much in use in the East where Iob lived was an iniquity worthy to be taken notice of and punished by the Judges so Mercer reads it digna est it deserves and ought to be punished by the Judges and then observe the reason for I should have denied the Lord that is above So that all false
reference to the souls of men and not in the hands of the Magistrate and why Parents Masters offend in not caring for their families in matters of Religion and the Magistrate not 9. THESIS The holy Patriarchs good Judges godly Kings and other pious Magistrates spoken of in Scripture did de facto make use of their power and authority over others to suppresse false Doctrine false Worship false Prophets Seducers and to bring those under them to the true feare and Worship of God they thought it their duty not only in their owne persons to keep to the Word of God and to serve him and to bring their children to it but to command all under their Government to the true worship of God forbidding and suppressing all other It would fill a Book to relate and open all the particulars concerning Religion in commanding the true destroying the false and punishing false Prophets Idolaters Apostates recorded in the Scriptures of Abraham Jacob Moses Joshua Gedeon Jehosaphat Asa Hezekiah Josiah Manasseh after his conversion Nehemiah with many others I shall set downe some particulars of some of them Abraham the Patriarch was a Magistrate a great Prince that had three hundred and eighteene servants armed trained men borne in his house he had not only the Covenant in his owne flesh but he made all that were borne in his house and all that were bought with his money to be circumcised Genes 17. he cast also out of his Familie Hagar the bond-woman and scoffing persecuting Ismael born after the flesh Genes 21. compared with Galath 4. 29 30. and Genes 18. God saith of him I know that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord upon which place Master Cheynel a learned Divine of the Assembly writes thus Abraham did not leave his children and servauts to their owne genius their owne Councels their owne lusts though 't is certaine that divers of them would have thancked him for such a Liberty for they had been nursed up in Superstition and Idolatry as Abraham was and might have pretended that they were not satisfied in point of Conscience but Abraham knew how to distinguish between Liberty of Conscience and liberty of lust and therefore would not allow them such a Liberty as would have enticed them into the worst kind of bondage * Pareus also God uses the word command that Parents and Superiours may understand that they are not overly and slightly but diligently and with authority to do their duty to bring their inferiours to the feare and obedience of God Jacob the Patriarch Genes 35. 2 3 4. said to his houshold and to all that were with him all under his power protection put away the strange Gods that are among you and be cleane and change your garments And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their Land and all their ear-rings which were in their eares and Jacob hid them under the Oake which was by Shechem Pareus upon the place showes that they that were with Jacob made distinct from his houshold were those Sichemits that were taken captive by the sonnes and servants of Jacob who had brought their Idols with them and observes that as 't is the office of a good Master of a family in his house so of a Magistrate in the Common-wealth to take away Idols and instruments of Idolatry and other lets of true conversion to God Jehosaphat Asa Hezekiah Josiah those excellent Princes made use of their power and the authority of their places in their Kingdomes and Territories to put down and suppresse false worships and wayes to punish false Prophets Idolatrous Priests and the people who went after them to establish the true faith and worship of God and to command and cause all their people by Lawes and their Authority to stand to their Reformations yea Manasseh who had been so wicked presently upon his conversion 2 Chron. 33. 15 16. rested not in his own repentance that he knew that the Lord was God but he took away the strange Gods all the Altars and cast them out of the City and repaired the Altar of the Lord and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel as before he had made them to erre by his place and power verse 9. so now he made them to serve the Lord God of Israel Asa that good King 2 Chron. 14. and 15. chap. by his kingly power took away all Idolatry and false worship and that not only out of the Land of Judah and Benjamin but out of the Cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim the strangers of Ephraim Manasseh and out of Simeon all under his power and jurisdiction though of the ten Tribeâ— and accounted strangers after the revoult yea hee destroyed the Idoll of his Queene Mother Secondly hee setled and renewed the true worship of God renewing the Altar of the Lord and entring into a Covenant to seek the Lord God Thirdly he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God and to do the Law and the commandment and to enter into a Covenant to bind themselves more to the right seeking of God Fourthly he punished those under his government who went contrary viz. they should be put to death who would not enter into this Covenant or having entred into it should fall from it and his Queen Mother he removed from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove that is he deprived his mother of all dignity and authority which she had by custome Jehosophat used his Authority when he came to be King to take away the high places and Groves out of Judah and from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim from South to North from one end of his Kingdome to another he brought his people unto God from whom they had fallen for the Kingdome of Judah from the dayes of Asa was extended to Mount Ephraim Hezekiah when he came to the Kingdome remoued the high places and Images cut down the Groves broke in pieces the brazen Serpent he and his Princes gave out a commandment and established a Decree for the keeping of the Passeover and for the turning of the people unto God and he restored the true worship of God and commanded the Priests and the people to do their duties in their severall places Josiah that godly Prince First he removed and destroyed the high places Groves carved Images molten Images the Altars of Baalim and all the Idols out of all the Land he took away the horses given to the Sun he defiled Topheth brake down the houses of the Sodomites and purged the Land of all the abominations Secondly he put down all the idolatrous Priests and all other Priests that had burnt Incense upon the high places and slew all the Priests of the high places upon the Altars Thirdly he restored the true worship of God made a Covenant with God to that end and commanded the people to keep the Passeover and
in Samson and divers others Secondly when done upon morall grounds and reasons motives drawn from mercies blessings evils and judgements commands and messages from God experiences of God upon Gods convincing and converting men Thirdly when they of such an Order and office are reproved and punished for not doing such things or for not thoroughly doing them whereas I suppose persons typicall and whose actions are intended to be meerly typicall will and shall do such things though they may not know the meaning of them of which many instances might be given in some actions of Samson Jonas and others Fourthly when as their actions are sutable to those qualifications titles and descriptions given in Scripture of Magistrates and that office in generall Fifthly when what they do is agreeable and sutable to the commands and directions given by God to all of that order and rank and they do in the matter of Religion in commanding to good and suppressing evil what all other Magistrates have done in all times and ages who have cared for any Religion at all as Heathen Princes before they knew the true God and others after they have known him however through ignorance or superstition they might mistake about the true way and worship Now let the Reader but consider of all these notes of distinction and others of the like nature that might be given and he will find them agree to those Kings Joâ—iaâ— Hezekiah Manasseh Asa c. for the substance of all they did in commanding their people to the right way and suppressing the false and so much for answering of this evasion of the practise of the Kings of Israel and Judah which I have been the larger in because so great a weight of this controversie on all the Sectaries part lies on this typicalnesse both of the Jewish Magistrates and people 14. THESIS As for that which is said by M. S. pag. 51. that Idolatry and Idolaters were the adaequate object of the coercive power of the Kings of Judah in matters of Religion and that Idolatry meant not of those who worshiped the true God though in a false manner with the violation of the second Commandement but of such who Apostatized from the God of Israel to serve strange gods the gods of other Nations those neither simply as such but as drawing others away unto the same Idolatries with them but we never read of any coercive power or punishment inflicted upon Hereticks or Sismaticks which abounded in great variety and numbers amongst them as the Pharisees Herodians c. I answer First Idolatry and Idolaters were not the adaequate object of the Kings and Magistrates coercive power under the Old Testament but generally the matter of the Covenant the whole worship and truth of God as is apparent by the examples of Josiah Hezekiah Asa and Jehosaphat in putting downe and suppressing other evils besides Idolatry as will-worship things abused to Idolatry prophanation of the Sabbaths marrying of strange wives abuses in Discipline and Church Government prophaning chambers in the Courts of the house of God in commanding to keep the Passeover which though their subjects had not kept they might not have been Idolaters in punishing those who were guilty only of wilworship not of Idolatry as also those who married strange wives who did common works on the Sabbath day who dealt with familiar spirits and Wizards of al which the Reader may find proofs at large in these following Scriptâ— 2 Cro. 34. 31 32 33. There 's a Covenant made to keep al the Testimonies and Statutes of God and the people are made to stand to it From 2 Kings 23. verse 8 9. compared with 2 Chron. 14. 3. 5. 2 Chron. 15. 17. 2 Chron. 33. 17. 't is evident there were in Judah two sorts of high places some on which was God worshipped others on which Idols were worshipped the one sort was the high places of Idolatry the other the high places of will-worship yet the Priests of the latter as well as of the former were punished by Josiah though not with the punishment of death as they were for he caused them to go out of all the Cities of Judah and to cease from the Priests office so that they durst not come up to the Altar of the Lord at Jerusalem So Nehem. 13. 7 8. 15 16 17. 25. 28. 30. Ezra 10. 3. 5. 2 Kings 23 24 25. Secondly the Idolatry removed and punished by the Jewish Kings and Magistrates was as well of worshipping the true God in a false manner as of those who worshipped false gods the gods of the Nations and were Apostates from the true God to other gods as is evident by the instances of worshipping the golden Calfe made by Aaron and worshipping of the golden Calves at Dan and Betâ—el set up by Jâ—roâ—oam called Idolatry as in severall places of Scripture by Moses and some of the good Kings as Josiah removed and the Worshippers punished and yet the people of Israel in worshipping these did not go serve the gods of the Nations but served the God of Israel as appears by those speeches of theirs Exod. 32. 4 5 6. To morrow is a Feast to the Lord not to the golden Calfe 1 Kings 12. 27 28. It is too much for you to go â—p to Ierusalem behold thy gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the Land of Egypt and our most learned Protestants in their writings against the Papists do prove the Papists to be formall Idolaters from their adoration of God and Christ in Images though they do not worship false gods the gods of the Heathen by these two examples of Aarons golden calfe and Ierâ—â—oams golden Calves showing the people of the Jewes were not so mad as to beleeve those Calves to be their God or that brought them out of the â—and of Egypt being brought up hundreds of yeeres before but only outward representations and remembrancers of God to them in which they worshipped the true God their worship being terminative related to God and not to the Image Ioshua 22. 11 12. All the children of Israel gathered themselves together to go up to warre against the children of Ruben the children of Gad and the halfe Tribe of Manasseâ— upon supposition of their building an Altar not to strange Gods but for burnt offerings or for sacrifices besides the Altar of the Lord God that was before his Tacernacle verse 21. 26. 28 29. which they were diverted from upon being satisfied it was not an Altar for burnt Offerings c. but for a witnesse betweene them and the rest of the Tribes that the Lord is God verse 17. 34. Thirdly the Scripture is contrary also to that that the grosest Idolaters were not to be punished if not Sedâ—cers drawing others away from the true God to strange gods for we read that Moses was so angry with the people that were seduced unto a lower kind of Idolatry viz. worshipping the true God by a Calfe that besides the three thousand
contemned Fourthly Whereas punishment by the Magistrate and cutting off by death under the old Testament in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c is made a Ceremonie and type of excommunication under the new Testament cutting off of casting out and of eternal damnation I may truly Answer this is gratis dictum said but not proved and therefore might deny it without giving any reason and bid the Patrons of Toleration prove it but that the Civill Magistrates punishing delinquents under the old Testament was no Ceremonie nor Type I shall give these reasons 1. Ceremonies shadowes Typical things under the old Law were either of things past or things to come the remembrances of things already done or the Praesignifications of future things but Ceremonies and Types were not the signification of things present and existent Now excommunication and eternal damnation were at that time under the old Law when those commands of punishing with death the Apostate faise Prophet c were given and in use That excommunication and cutting off from the Church were in the Church of the Ieweâ— in the times of the good Kings and Magistrates punishing Idolaters c with the Civil sword let the Reader Consult Aarons Rod blossoming 1 Book 4. 5 6 7. chapt That there was Hell and eternall damnation under the old Law as well as the new both before those commands in Deut. 13. 17. were given and all along after many places of Scripture show as Isaiah 30. 33. 2 Pet. 4. Jude 5. 6 7 that mention Hell for the evil Angels Sodomites the unbeleeving Israelites that came out of Egypt and the wicked Kings of Israel and Judah and therefore that which Hagiomastix saith that cutting off from his People under the Law it exchanged for casting out from his people under the Gospel is very false for there was casting out from the Church as well then as now yea cutting off spoken of in the old Testament in many places means nothing else but casting out of the Church by excommunication for full proofe of which I referre the Reader to Aarens rod blossoming 1. Book cap. 5. pag. 55. 56 57 58 59 As also that passage is not true that the expression of cutting off where ever t is found in the Gospel is mâ—tephorical and allusive only for cutting off is used in the new Testament for cutting of by bodily death as in Gal. 5. 12. and else where the proof of which I referre to the 20. Thesis where I shall handle it fully Secondly The same things may be said with as much reason against bodily outward punishments for breaches of the second Table Adultery Murder Theft as against outward punishing for Apostasie c and if they hold not good against the second Table neither do they against the first Thirdly The Civil Magistrates punishing for moral transgressions is no Ceremonie nor Type acts of morall justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they never were accounted Typical or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scriptures into an Allegory and Master Cotton answering such a like evasion in the Bloudy Tenet saith Did ever any Apostle or Evangelist make the judicial Laws of Moses concerning life and death ceremonial and Typical Time was when humane inventions in Gods worship were accounted superstition But now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for currant Evangelical Divinity And in another place To make a judicial Law a figure without some light from some Scripture is to make a mans selfe wise above that which is written Fifthly the making these expresse commands of God concerning punishing Idolaters false Prophets Blasphemers types and figures of spiritual and eternal punishments of excommunication damnation c is by turning the Scriptures into an Allegory and forsaking their literal sense against the rules of interpretation given by the most Orthodox Divines as Augustine and others a making them utterly void and as opening a wide doore to all errors and foolish conceits that as often as men know not how to answer the Scriptures that crosse their Opinions and lusts and yet have a mind to keepe their Opinions they may still fly to this and say This Scripture is not to be taken litterally but mystically and Allegorically Beza in that judicious Tractate of his De Haereticis a Magistratu puniendis in Answer to Montfortius a grand Patron of Toleration in those times who in many places of his writings made use of this Invention that corporall punishment under the old Law as stoning was no figure of any bodily punishment to be now inflicted but of eternal to which we ought to leave Hereticks or else of that punishment which is inflicted not by a corporal sword but a spiritual the lively word of God writes thus For this was the speciall subtiltie of Sathan of old which yet not one almost of the ancient Fathers observed that when he could not cast the Scripture out of the Church wholly yet by vaine Allegories he made the whole Scripture unprofitable and fabuloùs so as truely there was not one peice of Scripture left free of being contaminated with these Allegories which very course also the Anabaptists and Libertines take at this day But this I would that they should at length show us out of what place of Scripture they have learned that invention and device of the shadowes and figures of the judiciall Lawes Per in Ceremonies and so in some Histories from the Authoritie of Scripture I acknowledge these things But of judicial Lawes or corporall Idolatrie which might shadow out spirituall I remember not that I have ever read any thing But for further satisfaction in this particular I refer the Reader to the Tractate of Beza page 156. 167. Sixthly supposing all Hagiomastix saith were true that those bodily punishments commanded by God under the old Law to be inflicted upon false Prophets Idolaters Seducers Blasphemers had been in some sense typical and Praesignificative of those greater and more spiritual under the Gospel yet it followes not that they are ceased now and may not be lawfully practised for they may remaine and be made use of though the other sense intended be fulfilled too there is a compound sense of some Places of Scripture litteral and historical figurative and spirituall as Weems in his Christian Synagogue second Book page 223. 224 225 226 227 228 showes in which cases when the spiritual is fulfilled eminently the literal is not abolished of which I might give many instances but shall onely name one viz. that of Deut. 25. 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corne. Now though the spiritual sense of that place be the not muzling the mouth of the Ministers who labour in the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 9. yet the litteral sense holds stil that a man should forbeare to muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corâ—â— or at least t is not unlawfull to forbeare besides by the
very uncertain doubtfull other things absurd and untrue As first that to be a Type of Christ is a sufficient ground of a Politicall Civill power over the Church and that typicalnesse qua typicalnesse gives those persoâ—s a power who otherwise have none the contrary unto which is in severall Reasons proved by Doctor Stewart in the second part of his Duply to M. S. page 22. and never yet answered by M. S. or any other though M. S. and many of his Brethren have written upon that argument since Secondly that he who was Head of the State was Head also of the Church in a typicall way whereas many great Divines are of another judgement and show that the Kings of Judah and the civill judicatures were formally distinct from the Ecclesiasticall and that he who was cheif in the State over civill matters was not cheif Iudge and Officer in the Church in an Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall notion of which point Master Râ—â—herford and Master Gilâ—espie having written so fully lately I shall spare to speak any thing and referre the Reader to their learned Books entiâ—uled The Divine Right of Church Government Aarons Rod Blossoming Thirdly that the people of the Iewes were interchangably a Church and a Nation so that whoever was a member of the Church was a member of the Common-wealth and vice versa of which see the Book entituled The Antient Bounds or Liberty of Conscience seated page 60. Now Master Gillespie in his Aarons Rod blossoming Book 1. chap. 2. proves strongly that the Iewish Church was formally distinct from the Iewish State and that in seven particulars as in respect of distinct Lawes distinct Acts distinct Officers so in respect of distinct Members there being Members of the Church among them who had the name of Proselyti Iustitiae and were initiated into the Iewish Religion by Circumcision Sacrifice c. that neverthelesse were restrained and secluded from Dignities Government and Preferment in the Iewish Common-wealth and from divers matriages which were free to the Israelites Master SELDEN also in that learned Book of his De Jure Natur. Gentium lib. 2. cap. 4. lib. 5. cap. 20. speaks as much of those Proselytes Proselytus justitiae utcunque novato patriae nomine Iudaeuâ— diceretur non tam quidem ciâ— is Iudaicus simpliciter censendus esset quam peregrinus sempeâ— cui jura quamplurima inter cives Secondly how do they prove that Iehu Ioash Manasseh Asa Hezekiah Iebosophat Iosiah were Types of Christ and did execuâ—e typically the kingly office of Christ in his Church were Kings in an Ecclesiasticall notion an extraordinary way not ruling only for the Church but in the Church and over it as they say Moses Ioshua David Solomon were in their persons places and actions expresse types of Iesus Christ as 't is evident in the New Testament Pen-men also of Scripture besides Prophets as well as Magistrates and so were extraordinary men that every thing they did in Religion is not a binding example to Magistrates now as many Reformed Divines have showen against the Arminians and Erastians but that Asa Iosiah Hezekiah Iehosaphat were is gratis dictum not yet proved neither were these Pen-men of holy Scripture or Prophets extraordinarily inspired but these foure great Reformers as Kings were stirred up enquiring after and directed by Prophets as the Reader may finde clearly in the stories of them in the Chronicles and Kings Besides I finde not among Divines who have written of the Types of Christ or who grant Moses David Solomon to be expresse Types that they make Asa Iosiah c. to be Types Again of Types of Christ as Divines distinguish there are particular persons types of him as Adam Noah Isaac Joseph Moses Joshua Samson David Solomon Jonah and there are such rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets c. Now though all of the first sort are speciall particular Types of him so that the speciall things done by them do typifie and set forth Christ in many particulars of his person actions and sufferings yet the rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets may not be typicall in all the particular persons of those ranks and orders at least to the particular acts they do in those ranks and orders but 't is enough for many in those orders to agree in common as in being Kings and Prophets as Christ was there being some in all those orders and ranks appointed of God especially and peculiarly to be the Types which others are not and for whose sakes in those orders and ranks such orders of men were instituted by God to be Types of which many instances might be given with the Reasons thereof in some of the First-born Kings c. but I shall reserve the further handling of that to a second part upon this Subject Lastly supposing Asa Josiah and those godly Kings to be Types of Christ may it not be doubted whether Jehu Ieboash Ammon Ieroboam c. were Types of Christ and did execute his kingly office who yet were commended viz. the two firâ—t for destroying false worship and reproved for not doing it constantly besides could those Kings of Israel and Iudah who yet were lawfull Kings that apostatised from all the whole worship of God the Ceremoniall Law that ordained the Types that destroyed Gods service and the Priesthood made Priests of the lowest of the people be Types of Christ and I desire to be resolved or M. S. the Author of the Antient bounds of Liberty of Conscience stated whether any wicked men were speciall Types of Christ and whether all persons who were Types of Christ were not saved Thirdly suppose these Kings of Iudah were Types of Christ in setting on the Thron of David and ruling over Iudah in Christ the King of his Church coming out of their loines yet they were temporall Kings had Civill authority Now how does it appear that what they did in punishing idolatrous Priests commâ—nding their subjects to the true worship of God they did only as Types by vertue of that Notion and not as they were temporall Kings which must be proved before their examples can be made null and I am sure the Scripture no where faith that the Kings of Iudah and Israel in what they commanded in matters of Religion they did as Types of Christ and not as Civill Magistrates 'T is one thing to be a Type and another thing to doe such things meerly qua Types and what if Christian Magistrates leaning upon this broken staffe suffering all Herefies Blasphemies and Idolatries in their Kingdomes Christ at the last day when they stand before the judgement feat they objecting for themselves the Kings of Israel and Iudah were Types of Christ and all they did was by vertue of their typicall notion shal tell them no but as Magistrates entrusted by God with a power and authority how will they be then confounded will this distinction and notion
and therefore in the present case the vindicating of and promoting of the glory of God the punishing of evill doers which Blasphemers Hereticks and Scismaticks are the commanding good being Morall-practicall things of perpetuall reason and equity bind all those in authority and government according to their places though they be no Types nor extraordinary persons Fifthly if this evasion of the kings of Israel and Iudah about Typicalnesse be good by the same reason it may hold against Magistrates punishing under the Gospel for matters of the second Table murther adultery c. for may not the Socinians and Anabaptists who deny Christian Magistrates may punish capitally for murther treason c. say the same thing against all the examples of Magistrates and kings under the old Law punishing with death for such offences that they were Types and that people and Land typicall which no Magistrate nor people are now and what ever can be said upon this ground against Princes meddling in matters of Religion may as well be said against their punishing in Civill matters and Anabaptists and Socinians may as well say those Kings were Types of Christ in respect of their power over the State as over the Church and if they should affirm it how would it be disproved And the Bloudy â—Teneâ— pag. 209. grants that in the Land of Israel all things their civils morals and naturals were carried on in Types as well as their Spirituals and Ecclesiasticals yea by this ground what ever shall be brought out of the Old Testament to show the duty of Magistrates or the qualifications of them as that they that rule over men must be just fearing God hating covetousnesse courageous c. it may be answered that was required of those who were typicall and their people typicall but it concerns not Magistrates now and yet higher by this evasion men may reason against all instances out of the Old Testament brought from Fathers Masters to bring up their children in the feare of God c. because the first-borne such Fathers and Masters of families were typicall and their children typicall which Fathers are not under the Gospel Sixthly if this answer of typicalnesse may hold all those Kings and Princes actions and practises in other things of Morall particular duties as prayer mourning for sinne giving God thanks for deliverances c. are taken away from binding now as well as their acts of power and authority and when Ministers bring these examples of David Iosiah Hezekiah c. in such things it may be said they were Types of Christ and did them as Types of something to come the Antinomian may upon this ground answer the example of Davids praying so often and constantly and of mourning for his sinnes by saying David was a Type of Christ Seventhly by this Answer all the Scriptures of the Old Testament Moses Psalms Prophets with whatever of any duty coÌ„manded or sin spoken against in any of these are at once made void for it may be said the Pen-men were Types and given to a typicall people written in a typicall Land It may be said of the whole Morall Law that as Moses in his person was a Type of Christ in many particulars so in delivering the Law he shadowed Christ the Mediatour Moses being a mediator betweene God and his people in giving the Law Galat. 3. 19. the Law was delivered in the hand of a Mediator that is Moses Acts 7. 38. and therefore not binding to Christians And so it may be pretended of all things written in the Psalms Prophets and the other Books that they were viz. the Oracles of God committed to the Jewes and the Circumcision Rom. 3. 2. Rom. 9. 4. which people and Nation of Israel were typicall of the true Israel the Israel of God Galat. 6. 16. So the Land of Canaan was typicall of rest from 〈◊〉 and of true rest and the heavenly inheritance Hebr. 4. 1 2 3 8 9 10 11. vers And indeed what was not typicall some way or other in the Jewish Church and State as the first-borne the Priests Kings Prophets the Land the people their worships with many more particulars so that if this Answer stand good all the Scriptures of the Old Testament are overthrown and all Hereticks whatsoever Socinians Antinomians Familists c. may evade any Scripture brought from thence as well as the pleaders for Toleration the examples of the Kings of Israel and Judah 8ly All the actions and practises done by persons and things typicall are so farre from nothing concerning them who live under the Gospel that the Scriptures of the New Testament tell us that many things under the Old Testament were made Figures and Typeâ— for the admonitions and example of those in like cases under the New and did teach to the uttermost as the 1 Cor. 10. from the sixth verse to the twelfth and that clause of promise in the fifth Commandement That thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee is meant of the Land of Canaan a typicall Land which yet did teach Christians under the New Testament that obedience to their Parents would bring a being well with them and living long upon the earth though they had not the Land of Canaan as Ephes 6. 1 2. 3. fully showes Saint Paul also tells us Rom. 15. 4. that whatsoever things were written 〈◊〉 were written for our learning and so those Magistrates and Princes of Israel and Judah how ever they might typifie Christs Kingdome they were such Types spoken of in 1 Cor. 10. viz. examples to Christian Magistrates to teach them to do so likewise as Fathers then were to teach Fathers now to instruct their children and therefore though such an order of men as Kings in Israel might be intended to typifie Christs Kingdom yet that no way hinders but what they did as Kings in ruling and ordering of their subjects they performed as the proper works of their places common to them with other Princes without any reference to their being Types or doing them as Types God in Scripture recording all along what they did as going upon common morall grounds and speaking nothing of them in their Reformations as in a figurative typicall notion And in the close of my Answer to this evasion of the instances of the Kings of Judah I shall hint to the Reader to consider some notes of distinction between actions meerly typicall and fulfilled in the Antitype done only to represent and shadow forth what Christ was to do and mixt actions morall and typicall too or at least the actions of one who by person or order is a Type and upon search it will be found that all the notes of actions morall not meerly typicall will be found in the practises of those Ks of Judah and Israel before named As first when their practises and wayes are not barely related but commended and praised by God wheras actions meerly typical are only related and set down as
Evangelists and Apostles are now alive by this arguments because they were alive some of them thousands and others of them many hundred yeares agoe Thirdly besides this false consequence t is evident upon many grounds that Doctrines are alive doe bind when the Publishers and writers of them are dead yea they are written for that end that they may teach and bee a rule when the men who writ them are dead that being dead by these they may yet speak as the Apostle â—om 15. 4. tells us yea many things are spoken and written to be a rule of direction to the Church intended to take place rather after their death then in their life time as the Prophecies of the Prophets and some Prophecies also of the Apostles so that it may be said as Zâ—ch chapter 1. verse 6. Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever But my words and my Statuâ—â— which I commanded my servants the Prophets did they noâ— take hold of your Fathers though Pen-men and writers of Scripture die yet their words and Doctrine take hold and place when they are dead Fourthly by this reason of holding Moses is now alive if the law of God in the old Testament binds it will follow that all Moses Doctrine the ten commandements and all he writ in the Pentatench Genesis c. are void as well as these commands about punishing false Prophets c. for they were made known and written by Moses when hee was alive and to bee found in his Books together with these lawes termed judiciall So that the Antinomian may as well say the same against the morall law under the Gospell when the ten Commandements are pressed and the Socinian and Anabaptist against those commands to put to death murtherers which now Master John Goodwin doth against these lawes in Deut. 13. c. that men may as well prove the man Moses is now alive by these commands because he was alive under the old Testament as bring those places of Scripture written by Moses to prove the morall law in force and those commands who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud bee shed Fifthly whatever Hagiomastix by way of scoffe hath spoken thus of proving as well Moses may be now alive t is evident besides the new Testaments Confirmation in many places of the Evangelists and Epistles of the old Testament being in force in the dayes of the Gospell of which I shall speak in the 18. THESIS and so will pare the Reader here it by name particularly ratifies the Doctrine and Authority of Moses writings and proves and urges severall things upon men under the Gospell from texts taken out of the five Books of Moses as these places in the new Testament unanswerably show Matth. 23. 2 3. Matth. 28 29 31 32. Mark 12. 26. Luke 16. 29 30 31. Luke 24. 27. John 1. 45. Acts 3. 22. Act. 26. 22. Acts 28. 23. Rom. 9. 7 9 15 16 17. Rom. 10. 6 8. Rom. 13. 8. 9. Ephes 6. 2. 3. yea severall particulars of the judiciall lawes are brought to prove duties required in the new Testament as page 56 57 60. of this Book showes and lastly Moses Authority and writings are of such sacred account under the new Testament that in the Pâ—â—lation the Book that concludes and shuts up the Canon of the new Testament the Book that speaks of things that shall be in the Church of the new Testament till the end of the world Moses his name and writing are joyned with the Lamb and that to be made use of by the most eminent and faithfull servants of God that have gotten the victory ever the beast and over his Image and over his marke and over the number of his name these standing on the sea of glasse having the harp of God sing the song of Moses the servant of God and the song of the Lamb saying great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty c. So that all these things being laid together I suppose by this time every ingenuous Reader must needs see that by this Answer to Deut. 13. c. Hagiomastix intended rather to spread a table of mirth for himselfe and his Church to feast on then to give any satisfaction to the Reverend Author of the Vindication of the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance for the preventing of Heresies c. and the rest of the Presbyterians Fourthly as to that answer of Hagiomastix p. 48. 49. they that will have the ancient law for putting Blasphemers Idolaters to death to be now in force must consequently hold t is in force not simply only as to the inflicting of death upon the offenders but in all other particulars commanded by the same Authority as not be killed after any maÌ„ner nor with any kind of death but with stones not only the seducer but the seduced themselves though whole cites not only the inhabitants but the cattel also with divers other particulars named in that of Deut. 13. For if men will urge this law as being still in force they make themselves debters to urge the execution of the whole in all the particularities and circumstances thereunto belonging For who hath any power to make an Election or Reprobation amongst the Commandements of God where God himself hath made none I reply it followes not t is no good consequence that all circumstances accessories particularities must bind because the substance of a command binds or that the substance and summe of a command must be taken away because some circumstances formes and particularities are not in force To argue a thing it selfe abolished because the modus of it binds not alwayes or that the substance and essentials must cease because divers accessories circumstantials and formes wherewith it was clothed most suitable to such a time Countrey condition of such a people are ceased is a fallacie a dicto secâ—ndum quid ad dictum simpliciter which all Logitians know is no good reasoning If I or any other Presbyterian had argued thus such a mans bond binds not now or this is not such a man hee is dead because his apparell haire place of abode with some other such accessories are changed antiquite altered we should certainly have spread a table of mirth for the Independents and therfore I judge for Hagiomastix thus to reason shows no great strength and I doe desire Mr. John Goodwin but to rub up his old Logick of the nature and difference of Substance and Accidents and then I know he will confesse though for him to confesse any thing as manifest as the light wherein he is mistaken in writing is as rare as a black Swan that Accidents may be varied and taken away salva substantia And that I may show the weaknes of this reasoning that this 13. of Deut. is therfore not in force because then the manner of punishing with stones and the person tempted to Idolatry though never so deare stoning him with divers other
Ecclesiasticall Sanhedrin distinct from the Civill and among other grounds from this of Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. But none of these learned men not any but Papists that ever I met with give the least hint of any judgement by Vrim to bee meant in this place neither do I find in all the Authors that I have read concerning the way of passing sentence in the highest Synedrion at Jerusalem and determining the difficulties about the Law brought to them whether the Ecclesiasticall of which the high Priest was president or the Civill that ever for the satisfaction of the parties and giving the true sense of the Law thus controverted and so putting an end to all controversies they were wont in that Court to enquire by Vrim nay there are severall things written in the Scriptures and by learned men who write of the customes of the Iewes and proceedings in that Court which show the contrary as those words imply as much Deut. 17. the Priest and the Iudge that shall be in those dayes from whence the Hebrews gather that if the high Synedrion had judged and determined of a matter as seemed right in their eyes and after them another Synedrion rose up which upon reasons seeming good unto them disannulled the former sentence then it was disanulled and judgement passed according as it seemed good unto these latter thou art not bound to walke save after the Synedrion that are in thy generation Now if it were a sentence by Vrim immediate and infallible from God no following Synedrion might have disannull'd it So those words according to the sentence which they shall teach thee showes the sentence was to be according to the Law the word written and not by a voice from heaven as also that instance of Ierem. being condemned to die by the supreme Court at Ierusal the Court of the Priests doing their part judging him a false Prophet and worthy to die the Court of the Princes acquitting him as a true Propheâ— of which see more in Aarons Rod blossom p. 18. 19. both of them going upon Scripture Grounds as I have shown p. 99. but in this great Controversie never appealing to the judgement of Vrim and so in their way of trying false Prophets they went not by the Priests putting on the Ephod to enquire of the Lord but therein all say the Iewes was this If he had threatned a judgement to come although it came not yet hee was not a false Prophet for that God say they is gracious as hee was to the Ninivites and to Hezekiah But if hee promised a good thing and it came not to passe then hee was a lyar For every good thing which God promiseth he performeth so Ieremiah tried Ananias to be a false Prophet because hee promised a good thing to Zedekiah and it came not to passe Fifthly the current of the Scripture both in the Law and Prophets still speaks of going to the Law and according to that making that the last resolution of Practise and Controversies in all morall things both of duties and sins and that for private and publick persons Esaiah 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Deut. 30. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. the Iewes must hearken to the commandement written in the Book of the Law t is not hidden neither is it farre of t is not darke that it cannot be attained to It is not in heaven that it should be said who shall goe up for us to heaven and bring it unto us that wee may heare it and doe it But the worde is very nigh c Deut. 17. 18. v. the Law of God is to bee for the direction of the King and of the Priests and Levites The Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moses 2 Cron. 34. 15 19 30 31. compared with 2 Kings chapter 22. 8 11. v. chapter 23. 2 3. was that by which Josiah made his Reformation both in the removing of persons and things not once enquiring by Vrim whether he should slay Idolatrous Priests put downe others keep such a solemne passeover c and t is observable that the King commanded Hilkiah the high Priest and Shaphan the Scribe c to goe and enquire of the Lord for him and for the People concerning the words of this Book what judgement hanged over their heads and when it was like to fall and whether there were any means or whether it was not too late to appease his wrath and accordingly they went unto Huldah the Prophetesse yet he commanded not Hilkiah to enquire by Vrim neither did Hilkiah the high Priest put on the Ephod but went to the Prophetesse which is to me a great argument that the judgement of Vrim was only in some particular set cases as going in and out to war and such like but not for inquiry in cases of the Law what Reformation to be made or what transgressions of the Law to bee punished by death As for those other two places Deut. 19. 17 18. 21 and 5. I shall not spend many lines in clearing them as being not brought to prove the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle least I should be charged by Hagiomastix to show my valour in fighting with men of clouts of my owne setting up For the first t is understood of a single witnesse accusing one for seducing to Apostasie and revolt so Junius reads it ad testificandum in â—um Apostasiam and Ainsworth to testifie revolt against him not civill wrong as the English translation seems to carry it and the meaning is this although in all other causes two witnesses atleast are required by the Law yet in the businesse of religion one witnesse is sufficient to make a questioÌ„ of the partie by which God shows be would have the preservation of Doctrine commended to the Magistrate for this is an appendix of that Law which is spoken of Deut. 17. 2. So Iunius Diodate also on the place writes thus in case of a secret Seducement from Gods true service he that had been sollicited though hee were alone ought to detect the Seducer Deut. 13. 6. 8. and the Judges ought to proceed therein as upon an advice and denunciation not as upon a formall accusation which had required two witnesses And if the calumny was made to appeare unto them they were to observe this Law if it were truth that of Deut. 13. 9. So then this place holds forth no more then what Deut. 17. 8 9. does which hath nothing to doe with the judgement of Vâ—im as I have already showen at large and yet if this place had any thing in it more for enquiring by Vrim then the former it could doe Hagiomastix no good nor is to the point at all brought by him because this enquiring by Vrim is not to know from the Lord what kind of Idolatrie and Idolater this is whether that for which
the campe and let all that heard him lay their hands on his head and let all the Congregation stone him Thirdly the declaration of the mind of the Lord in these two examples was no Answer by Vrim for besides that there is no mention in the text of the high Priest being spoken to put on the Ephod to enquire by Vrim neither doe any Interpreters understand it so both the texts are against it in those words And the Lord spake unto Moses saying bring forth him that hath cursed And the Lord said unto Moses The man shall surely bee put to death the declaration of Gods mind being to Moses immediately whereas in the judgement of Vrim it was to the Priest immediately so that these Answers of God were the Answers of a Law-giver giving Lawes and Penalties by the hand of Moses but not any new Interpretations and declarations of the meaning of the Law upon controversies and doubts arising and besides Gods way of answering Moses and answering by Vrim were different things as the Rabbins and other learned men who write of those things show Gods answering Moses and giving him Lawes and Commandements being by voice but answering by Vrim being in an other way by beholding the Breast-Plate and seeing therein by the Vision or Inspiration as these Scriptures Exod. 25. 22. Numb 7. 89. Exod. 28. 30. with Ainsworths Annotations expresse As for the immediatenesse of these Answers from God to Moses though not by the judgement of Vrim there were speciall reasons thereof God in an immediate way communicating to Moses all his Laws morall and judiciall Exod. 25. 22. and Moses being such a Prophet whom the Lord knew face to face and such an extraordinary man in severall respects as there was none like unto him Numb 12. 6 7 8. Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 34. 10 11. But for the Magistrates and Iudges that came after Moses to whom the morall Law and the Appendix of it the judiciall Law was given and delivered they were to proceed according to the written Law and there were in hard matters higher Courts consisting of a greater number more able to go to to determine what the lower could not then the highest of all the Synedrion at Jerusalem who were in all their judgements aboue morall transgressions to goe according to the Law of Moses as many Scriptures testifie Deut. 17. 11. c But no such Grounds after the whole Law morall ceremoniall and judiciall was published of immediatenesse of Answers from God to any of their Courts no not to the high Synedrion as to Moses who was to receive all for the first constituting of their policie according unto which all Courts and Iudicatures higher and lower were bound to goe Fourthly In these great and weighty cases of the Blasphemer and Sabbath-Breaker Moses did not presently passe sentence but made delayes put them in Prison till he knew the mind of the Lord and as for other reasons before alledged so for these following 1 to teach Iudges in matters of great weight of life and death not to be too sudden and hastie 2 in causes that are very hard to aske councell and to use all means to be well satisfied before they doe any thing In Ainsworths Annotations upon Numb 15. 34. the Reader may find the Chaldee paraphrazing thus This judgement was one of the foure judgements that came before Moses the Prophet which he judged according to the word of God Some of them were judgements of lesser moment and some of them judgements of life and death In the judgements of lesser moment of pecuniary matters Moses was readie but in judgements of life and death bee made delayes And both in the one and in the other Moses said I have not heard viz what God would have done For to teach the Heads or cheife of the Synâ—drions or Assises that should rise up after him that they should bee ready to dispatch inferior causes or money matters but not hasty in matters of life and death And that they should not be ashamed to inquire in causes that are too hard for them seeing Moses who was the Master of Israel had need to say I have not heard Therefore hee imprisoned him because as yet it was not declared what sentence should passe upon him Babington in his comfort Notes on Levit. 24. writes Moses although such a man yet will doe nothing hastily in judgement and especially touching life but he will be advised by God who then spake from betwixt the Cherubims Exod. 25. and Numb 7. But it followes not because Iudges and Courts of Iustice were to learne to be cautious and carefull in matters of religion for what they punish especially with death that therefore they may punish no violations in religion though expresly and directly against the word of God unlesse God doe immediately from heaven declare them Blasphemies c and such kind of Blasphemies which the Law intends death to And for a conclusion of my Answer to this Evasion of Master Goodwin of the judgement by Vrim in the cases of Blasphemie Idolatry Prophecying falsly the cleare reason why then they were punished with death but may not be so now that being ceased under the new Testament I shall say no more but this I challeng him among al the examples recorded in Scripture of punishing men with death imprisonment or banishment c for Blasphemie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly prophaning of the Sabbath marrying Idolatrous wives and other transgressions of Gods worship to produce any one Instance that by the Iudges or by the high Sanhedrin God was enquired by Vrim whether such and such facts were Blasphemie Idolatrie c and of that kind and nature intended by the Law as punishable with death or among all Classicall Authors Rabbins and others who have written of the customes of the Iewes of Vrim and Thummim of the Sanhedrin at Ierusalem to cite me out of them any passages that affirme the Iudges or the high Councel of Seventie at Ierusalem or the high Priest for them were wont in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c. to enquire by Vrim and to passe sentence upon persons according to that Answer and not according to the law which if he cannot doe as I am confident upon serious search he cannot then the Reader may easily see what poor shifts this great Champion of the Sectaries is put unto to uphold his damned cursed cause of Toleration of all Religions and to elude the commands of God fore-named for punishing Blasphemers Apostates Idolaters and false Prophets Now among all who have written of the high Priest and of Deut. 17. 11 12. I find only some Papists going Hagiomastixs way as Tostatus Lorinus who from all places of Scripture of the high Priest drawing matter to the Pope for establishing his Authoritie doe from this place also that they may establish his Authoritie above the Scriptures and appeals to him in cases of Controversie as the sole infallible Judge speake of the
Malefactors for offences against the second Table should not bee in force now and whatever is said by Hagiomastix in this reason against all bodily and civill punishment for transgressions of the first Table holds in all respects as strongly against the Magistrates punishing for killing stealing c and the Anabaptists Socinians and other Hereticks who wholly deny the Christian Magistrates sword or at least the use of it in point of death under the N. Testament against any transgression viz. Treason Murder adulterie c as well as Blasphemie Idolatrie may say the same for themselves and among all other Arguments brought by them against the Christian Magistrates killing or punishing Murder Theft Adulterie c they may adde this new one of Master Goodwins There is this cleere Reason why the old Testament Law for punishing of Murtherers Theeves Adulterers c should not now be in force upon any such terms as it was when and where it was given because in all difficult cases that happened about matters of the Second Table the Jewes to whom this Law was given had the opportunitie of immediate consultation with the mouth of God himselfe who could and did from time to time infallibly declare what his owne mind and pleasure was in them So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of bloud theft c had been desperately wicked and set upon bloud and had despised that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle amongst them they could not do injustice because God himselfe was alwayes at hand to declare unto them what was meet to be done and what kind of man-slayer was to be put to death and whether the person killed the man casually or wilfully c whereas now the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of life estate c are men of very fallible judgements and the Lawes they are to proceede by of doubtfull Interpretation in many cases and therefore to goe about to prove that the Law for punishing Murtherers Theeves c is now or amongst us in force because it was once given unto the Jewes is as if men should prove that a man may safely and without danger walk among â—ogs Praecipices and ditches at midnight because he may well doe it at noon day I will undertake to make it good against Master Goodwin that whatsover he saith in this his cleere Reason for the Magistrates punishing in matters of Religion under the old Testament but against it now to show it was the same in matters of Iustice and Right among men then and is as strong against Magistrates coercive Power now in those things as in matters of Religion yea upon that head of difficult and doubtfull cases and danger of Magistrates erring and mistaking in judgement thereupon to give severall Reasons of the danger of Magistrates mistaking rather in difficult cases of the second then of the first Table Whoever hath but read and observed the Scriptures yea but the five Books of Moses must acknowledge there were many difficult and doubtfull cases under the old Law upon the commandements of the second Table as well as of the first and therefore superior and higher Courts divers one above another were appointed by God under the Law to which in hard matters concerning the second Table as of the first they might resort for advice and resolution Whoever doth but consider the many Questions and cases handled and written upon by the School-men Casuiâ—ls Canonists Civilians upon matters of the second Table as well as of the first together with the errrors and diversitie of Opinions that have been in the Church from the Apostles dayes down to this time upon every one of the commandements of the second Table as about Magistracie Polygamâ—e Communitie of Wives and Communitie of Goods about Christians being Magistrates the Lawfulnesse of Christians going to war about the Lawfulnesse of Lying dissimulation and aequivocation in divers cases c must confesse there are many Controversies and doubts about the Contents of the second Table That place in Deuteronomy 17. from the eigth verse to the twelfth brought by Master Goodwin for the judgement of Vrim in difficult cases about matters of Religion and so made the ground of Magistrates punishing for Religion then but not now speaks as well of hard matters in civill things betweene man and man as in the things of God There are some Divines who understand the Place wholly or Principally of hard matters and Controversies about the second Table so Luther upon the place laboring to free it from the corrupt Interpretation and sense put upon it by the Papists saith Moses doth here deale not concerningâ— the word or Doctrine or as they speake of the questions of faith which they would have referd to the Pope but of the sentence of Publick and Prophane Crimes So Aâ—â—sworth and our English Divines on the Place by blood and blood understand Murder of which the Iudges may be doubtfull and unable to find out whether it were wilfull which deserved death or unwilling for which exile into the Cities of Refuge was appointede by Plea and Plea pleading for and against in the same cause some accusing some denying as in 1 Kings 3. 16. 17. 18. by stroake and stroake may be also meant stroaks and Wounds that one man gave unto another whether of Malignitie or Casualtie and Hagiomastix in Section 107. in Answer to the Vindication of the Ordinance against Heresies which brought Deut. 17. 12. for a proofe of God making controverted points in Religion a matter of death or imprisonment carries his first and second Answers so as if that place were understood wholly or Principally of Controversies about the second Table between blood and blood between stroake and stroake Plea and Plea and if he meant not so those Answers are nothing to the Position of the Vindicator affirming that God in the old Testament gave Authority to make a controverted point in Religion for of Religion he speaks a matter of death or imprisonment But all Divines generally who write upon the place by way of exposition or who have written of the Judicatories among the Jewes and of Appeales from lower Courts to higher and of the distinction between Civill and Ecclesiasticall Courts do understand the hard matters in judgment and the matters of Controversie within the gates to bee meant of criminall matters in Civill things belonging to the second Table as sixth and eight Commandement as well as of Ecclesiasticall things the matter too hard between blood and blood between Plea and Plea is interpreted by learned Jâ—nius in his Analysis upon Deuterononie of shughter and killing and of contention in Civill causes about such things as belong to the accommodations of life as between stroak and stroak is of diseases as of the plague of Leprofie which was in an Ecclesiasticall and ceremoniall way according to the Law to be distinguished and therefore in this place the argument
to punish for Murther Adulterery Theft more then for Idolatrie Blasphemie Hereâ—ie 2. Hagiomastix brings in the Church again as well as the State surely he is for a Toleration of all Heresies Blasphemies c in the Church as well as the State to have no man punished for his religion with any censure of Admonition Excommunication or Non-Communion In his M. S. he was for spiritual censures but in these 3. yeers last past the man is well improved belike to reason against any Church censure as well as State Punishment And by the way I desire the Reader to observe whatever reason in the wisedome of God there might be that nothing is set down in the Gospels of Christs charging the State with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces c that cannot be the reason to show the unlawfulnes of Magistrates punishing Hereticks because Hagiom confesses the same of the Church that Christ charged not the Church nor the Officers with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces and yet I suppose Hagiomastix will not openly professe t is a good Argument that no Church censures may be used against any Heretick however I am sure many of his Compeers in handling the question distinguish of a Toleration and censures granting Ecclesiastical censures though denying Civil And I am sure if Christs never charging the church nor those that bore office in her with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces be no good argument to take away all Church censures neither is it to lay wast all Magistrates punishing in such cases 3. Christ did to the Scribes Pharisees Sadduces speak and reason against their errors yea reproved and threatned them for those errors which also is granted by Hagiomastix in doing of which he did equivalently and really presse upon them the suppressing and punishing of Heresies in persons under their power whilst he spake to men in Authoritie and denounced the judgements of God because of them He that preaches to a Prince against Idolatrie and showes the evils that will come upon a King and his Kingdome for it preaches to him to restraine Idolatrie though he doe not particularly in expresse words call upon him not to suffer any man to practice Idolatrie and therefore Christ speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees the Rulers and Elders that knew the Laws of God how Magistrates in Israel were to punish false Teachers in speaking so against false Prophets Hereticks and Sectaries as Sadduces c that was a charging them such a thing being spoken to such men to doe their duties against them which by the Law was more then if private persons and being spoken to qua such as Scribes c was a commanding them according to their places to proceed against them For t is a rule among Divines that in many things recorded in Scriptures which are delivered only in common and in general they are to be taken by every one according to their relations and places by the Magistrates according to their relation the Ministers according to theirs and the People according to their Sphere of which many instances may be given in the new Testament 4. Supposing it could be proved Christ never reproved the Jewish Church and State for suffering the Sadduces c yet it followes not Magistrates therefore should tolerate Hereticks and Sectaries and that both because Gods declaration of his mind in other parts of Scripture though not in the Gospel is a sufficient as also because there might be some particular reasons proper to the Iewish State as that Christ saw the Iewish State and Magistracie it selfe that then was to be leavened and corrupted with those errors and opinions to be either Sadduces Pharisees Scribes Herodians and such like so that to have spoken against Toleration and for punishing Sadduces c had been to have spoken to the State not to have suffered it selfe as if one should preach to the Parliament now not to tolerate but to punish themselves So was it for Christ to have urged those commands in Deut. 13. c and those examples of Iosiah Nehemiah c upon the Iewish State then 2. That in the times of Christs preaching the Civil Power of the Common-Wealth of the Jewes was much weakned if not wholly taken away from them by the Romans of which I have spoken something before page 30. and doe now adde that the Iewes had no power at all of capitall punishments then and therefore to what end should Christ charge them with those Lawes of putting false Prophets c to death for full prooâ—e of which I refer the Reader to Master Gillespies Aarons rod blossoming Book 1. chapt 3. page 29. 30 31 32 33 34 35. who learnedly proves that point both from Scripture and the Testimonies of many learned writers who have written of the Iewish Antiquities and Customes and Answers the contrary objections 3. Christ knew that Church and Common-wealth were to be certainly shortly dissolved the Christian Church to be set up and though he warned the People of those errors and wayes and denounced the judgements of God against them yet because he knew the purpose of God was to destroy the Iewish Common-wealth he might not speake for that and the other Reasons forenamed to the Magistrates as otherwise he would of which the Reader may read more in pag. 30. of this present Book And now for putting a Period to this 17. Thesis and to all the Answers given by me to those evasions brought against â—hose old Testament Lawes of Deut. 13. Deut. 17. and the rest I shall briefly adde 3 things First To cleare a little further some passages of Deut. 13. Secondly show the slightnesse and weaknesse of Hagiomast exceptions against those old Testament Laws Thirdly Show the excessive pride and folly of the man in boasting and glorying in such poor weak things as he brings against the Vindicator of the Ordinance for preventing the groth and spreading of Heresies in Sect. 34. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41. First As I shall adde two places more out of Moses Law before omitted in the beginning of the 17. Thesis to prove the Magistrates power of punishing in matters of the first Table viz Deut. 19. 16 17 18 19. and Numb 15. 30 31. the former in case of Apostaâ—ie the latter in case of blaspheming God so to all I have said of Deut. 13. I desire the Reader to observe that God having in the former chapter commanded the worshipping of the ture God and forbidden that of Idols which unquestionably is morall this 13. chap. is fitly added to it as an appendix in which God gives direction for removing the impediments opposite to his worship commanded particularly he commands the Authors of Apostasie not to be hearkned unto nor tolerated but to be punished with death and for that end that such who are obstinaâ—e and will not be amended nor regard their own salvation may be hindred at least from being an impediment to the salvation of
his other wicked Opinions M. Goodwin what Answer wil you make to God for these pretences brought against Scripture can you think against such expresse texts such poor shifts wil serve or wil hold water in the day of judgement what if these then prove but Adams fig-leaves meer shifts and tricks of wit to put off the word and bee not real what wil you then doe for all the dishonour of God ruine of precious souls occasioned by your means wil not Gods wrath sweepe away these Cobwebs I say no more thinke upon it Master Goodwin and be not deceived God is not mocked 18. THESIS Whereas the Patrons of Toleration commonly plead that all places of Scripture both of examples and commands for Magistrates punishing in matters of Religion are only from the old Testament and t is confessed by them that under the Law before Christs comming good Magistrates both did and might exercise coercive power on false Prophets Apostates Blasphemers but now since the new Testament t is otherwise It being the Will and Command of God that since the coming of his Son the Lord Jesus a Permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Anti-Christian Consciences and Worships be granted to all men in all Nations and Countries and they only to be fought against with that sword which is only in soule matters able to conquer to â—it the sword of Gods Spirit the word of God I lay downe this Thesis That all things concerning Religion and pietie constantly practised by the godly and by God commanded under the old Testament and by him never declared to be repealed bind as firmely under the new Testament although there be no particular command nor example a new approving them as they did under the old and that in such cases the comming of Christ into the world and his death are so far from giving any dispensation or Libertie that quite contrary some things before permitted to the Jewes are by Christ now taken away and all matters in reference to Religion and Holinesse upon the comming of Christ into the world are spoken of by the Scriptures as to be kept and done with greater exactnesse and strictnesse For proof of which I lay downe these following grounds First That the Scripture of the old Testament is the Canon and Rule of faith and Practice as well as the Scripture of the New and that it equally belongs to Christians as the Books of the New which point besides that it hath been held by the Orthodox in the Church of God in all times since Christ and denied only by Hereticks as the Simoniani the Maniches Socinians Antinomians Anabaptists I shall give these reasons 1. That Christ and the Apostles all along in the new Testament prove their Doctrine by the Scriptures of the old Testament Moses and the Prophets still referring the People in all Controversies of Faith and Practice to the Scriptures of the old Testament as is evident by these places Luk. 16. 29. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 2 Pet. 1. 19. cum multis aliis which are all understood of the Scriptures of the old Testament as besides many things in those texts showing as much no Scriptures of the new Testament being then extant when Christ gave those exhortations to search the Scriptures and when Timothy was a child of which Scripture the Apostle speaks which Timothy learned of a child as Chrysostome well expounds Now that was the Scripture of the old Testament because the new was not as yet committed to writing then when Timothie was a child Nay further all the texts by way of Scripture prooâ—e brought in the new Testament to prove any thing in matter of faith and manners are all quoted out of the old Testament and not the new whereupon wee see how frequently Moses the Psalms and Prophets are cited by Christ and his Apostles but to my best remembrance I doe not find in all the new Testament any place of Scripture brought to prove any thing from the new Testament but that one passage out of Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3. 15 16. 2. The Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 3. 16. saith All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproofe for Correction for instruction in righteousnesse Now if all Scripture be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Scripture of the old Testament is so to and as given by inspiration is with all reverence to be acknowledged and received by Christians Againe if all Scripture be profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for Correction for instruction of righteousnesse therefore Doctrines of faith and Practises of life may be profitably fetched from thence and when things are laid downe in the old Testament they are commanded in the Scriptures they being the Scriptures too although not mentioned in the new But who so desires to be further satisfied in this question of the Scripture of the old Testament being of the same Authoritie with Christians as that of the new let him consult Bullingers Books against the Anabaptists lib. 4. cap. 4. 5 6 and Spanhemius his Disputations against the Anabaptists De usu Script V. Testaments in Ecclesia Christiana Secondly every command of God made knowne in the old Testament and never afterwards repealed nor revoked by him nor expiring in the nature of it is perpetual and in force whatever God once commands til he declares either particularly that t is not his will such a Law should any longer bind or at least generally in equivalencie obliges So that t is no good argument to say against a Practice as long as t is commanded in the old this cannot be proved out of the new Testament and therefore may not be done but rather on the contrary wee may inferre that the silence of the new Testament concerning a Law expresly and clearly delivered in the old Testament is a confirmation rather then an abrogation of it or an intimation that it is expired There are many particulars might be instanced in some expressely commanded and others forbidden in the old Testament which are not spoken of at all in the new Testament unlesse in general that yet are held by Orthodox Divines and I suppose by Hagiâ—mastix too binding under the new as many degrees of Marriages forbidden usury as Magistrates putting to death murderers and some other Malefactors with divers others that might be named Upon which occasion Master Cotton answers Master Williams If it be true that Christ gâ—ve no expresse Ordinance Praecept or President of killing men by material Swords for Religion sake It is as true that neither did he for any Breach of Civil Justice no not for murder nor Adultery And so supposing there were no new Testament proofes for the Magistrates punishing Apostates Blasphemers c. yet the old Testament affording such a cloud of witnesses is testimony abundant especially remembring what I have at large proved in divers pages of the last Thesis concerning
sermon before the House of Commons on that text of Abrahams commanding his children pag. 11. * Zanch. in quartum praecept pag. 659 660. Non enim ait tu mementout sanctifices monebis autem filium filiamve tuam ut ipsi sanctificent non sic ait sed memento ut sanctifices ut alii etiam tui sanctificent Adigere quisque Pater familias potest debet suos domesticos ad externum cultum cur non etiam Magâ—stratus suos subditos * A Sermon before the house of Commons cald A Plot for the good of Posterity ☞ Pareus in Gen. 18. 19. * Vide Junium in 2 Chron. 19 4. and the late Annotations of the English Divines on that place * Vide late Annot on 2 Cron. 34. 32 33. Regia sua auctoritate obstrinxit quaÌ„vis propensos JudaeoruÌ„ animos compescuit ne ipso vivo ab externo Dei cultu deficerent tantam adhibuit severitatem disciplinae Tremellius Junius in locum * Meisnerus Sect. 2. Contro quaest Politic. de Magist pag. 841. Vituperatur autem Solomon idololatrica sacra permittens Ames Animad in Remonstrat Synod Script super 5. Artic. de Perseverant cap. 7. de Solomone Certum est Solomonem non introduxisse aut admississe idola in domum Dei neque adegisse populum ut vel Dei verum cultum desererent vel colerent Idola neque probari potest eum in sua propria persona coluisse idola Hoc tantum certum est de ejus idololatria quod infatuatus a mulieribus idololatricis permiserit eas construere aut ipsemet jussit consâ—rui fana erigi altaria * Mercer Praefat in Job sane diligentius omnia consideranti mihi videtur Job antiquissimus fuisse ac sub Patriarcharum tempus vixisse * Hagio mastix pag. 55. sect 43. * Aug. 50. Epist ad Bonifac. Sicut servivit Rex Ninivitarum vniversam civitatem ad placandum Dominum compellendo sicut servivit Nabuchadonazar omnes in Regno suo positos a blasphemando Deo lege terribili revocande Secondly because it haâ—â— no influence upon civill authority of which see aâ—orâ— there * First then the Priests some Prophets as Ionah should have had this power yea Adam Isaac c. for they were all types of Christ z The 〈◊〉 bâ—unds or Liberty of constiâ—â— stated p. â—â— * There â—eâ—e â—â—â—o Supreaâ—â— two Highest powers both supreaâ—e in their owne kind sphere one Civill another Ecclesiasticalâ— Moses above â—Aaronâ— as the supâ—eâ—m Judge in the power of the sword 〈◊〉 above Moses In sacrificing in burning 〈◊〉 in judging betwen the clean and unclean Mr. capâ—â—34 â—34 〈◊〉 â—quaest 〈◊〉 38â— 387 388 389 390 cap. 15 quaest 11. cap. 16. quaest 12. p. 418. Mr. Gillespies Book cap. 3. that the Jews had an Ecclesiasticall Government distinct from the Civill * The Antient Bounds or Liberty of Conscience stated pag. 59 60. * Trigland de potest Civil Eccles pag. 233 234. Walaei Tâ—actat de manere Ministr Eccles Inspectione Maâ—istratus circa illud from p. 21. to p. 35. Apollon Ius Majestat circa sacra part pri 67 68. * See Dr. Taylors Treatisse of the Types and shadowes of Christ contained in the Scriptures * Triglandus de potestat Civil Ecclesiastica Jehosaphat Hiskia Josiah similes nil nisi reges fuere non Prophâ—tae p. 237. A great difference is made by learned Divines for Types and Prophets between Moses David Solomon Joshua and Josiah Hezekiah c. The Bloâ—dy Tenet page 179 ☞ ☞ * See Dr. Taylors Treatise of Types c. 6. p. 33 34 35 36. ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜ ☜ * Bellarm. De laicis lib. 3. cap. 19. * Gabriel Powell Refutat of an Apologet. Epistle â—eâ— Toleration page 40. ☜ * Meisnerus Sect. 2. Controvers quaest Politic De Magistr pag. * Bilsons difference between Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion part 2. pag. 178. * August Epist 50. * Vide Late Annotations of English Divines on the place Vide Pet. Mart. in locum * Phil. Melaâ—c de Magistrat Civilibus dignitate Rerum Politic. a Triglanduâ— de potest Civili Eccles c. 13. p. 258. 259 * Amesius Medul lib. 2. cap. 17. pag. 551. Magistratuum est politicis mediâ—â— potestate coerciva procurare bonum communâ— tam spirituale quam corporale omnium corum quoâ— habent suae jurisdictioni commissos * Bilsons difference between Christian subjection and unchristian Rebellion part 3. page 308. Zanch. in quaâ— praecept 659. * Zanchius in quart praecept 659 660 Quia vero Synecdoche est sub Patresamilias complectens Magistratum ideo tacite etiam docet non solum quid incâ—â—bat cuique Patrifamilias sed etiaâ— quodnam sit Magistratus officium in religione nempe ut primo intelligat ex lege Dei quae sit ejus voluntas deinde eam faciet ipse curet ab aliis etiam fieri Sabbatumque ex ejus voluntatâ— sanctificâ—â—i vide ibi plura * Chemnitius loc com de lege Dei in quart praecept p. 144. Manifestum est a Parentibus Patribus familias Magistra tibus exigi non tantum ut ipsi Sabbatum sanctificent sed ipsorum officii esse ut curent a reliquis etiam sanctificari prohibeant puniant prophanationem Et oftendit Deus Magistratum debere curare ut peregrini habitantes in portis conforment se religioni verae ne inde oriantur scandala * Rivetus in Decal pag. 112. Zanch. in quar prâ—cept p. 600. ☜ ☜ * Magistratus omnis taâ— Christianus quam non Christianus potest debet Vide plura Rom. 1. 19 20 21. * Vit. Num. Pompil De Reverent Dei hoe age Numa also forbad the Romans to beleeve that God hath either forme or likenesse of beast or man so that in Rome there was no Image of God neither painted nor graven Vide ibi plura * De Republ. Eccles cap. â— 579 580. Quod si praeter nudum lumen naturae naeturalis solius rationis dictamen adsit in Rege terreno ex Dei beneficio etiam lumen fidei adeoque dictamen hoc rationis supernaturalibus etiam virtutibus infusis dirigatur tunc similiter ex â—odem regis officio religionis queque Custes ita suam debet ordinare Politiam primum negative ut illa cum fide moribusque fideli homini digniâ— noâ—s pugnet deinde positive per actus externos qui soli ad ipsius spectant potestatem externam divinum cultum foveat promoveat c. Vide ibi plura Zanch. de Magistr 553 554. * Lib. 2. cap. 3. 154. 155 156. De Jure Natur Gent. Lib. 1. cap. 10. Gentilis quilibet qui non in se receperat septem praecepta Noachidis imperata ultimo supplicio assiciendus erat si inditione nostra commoraretur * Mr. Selden De Jure Naturali Gentium l. 2. c. 3. 156 lib. 2. c. 12. 162. lib. 3. cap. 1. 274. 275. De jure