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A61509 Jus populi vindicatum, or, The peoples right to defend themselves and their covenanted religion vindicated wherein the act of defence and vindication which was interprised anno 1666 is particularly justified ... being a reply to the first part of Survey of Naphtaly &c. / by a friend to true Christian liberty. Stewart, James, Sir, 1635-1713. 1669 (1669) Wing S5536; ESTC R37592 393,391 512

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so must be a precedent example for judges and Magistrates in all time coming and by this example any member of the Council might lawfully rise up and execute judgment on this wicked wreatch and his cursed fraternity who have brought by their apostasy and defection from the Covenant and cause of God the wrath and curse of God upon the land 2. That Phineas was the High Priest's sone we know and that he was afterward High priest himself is truth but that he was at this time a publick Magistrate or a member of the great Sanhedrin we see not It is true there were some Princes of the tribes men of renowne Numb 1. ver 16. but he is not mentioned among those neither were these the great Sanhedrin So these princes of the assembly Numb 16 2. were not the Sanhedrin which did consist but of 70 Members Numb 11. Nor was Phineas one of them And that congregation of the children of Israel mentioned Numb 25 6. amongst whom Phineas was ver 7. was not the Sanhedrin which we never finde as I remember so called but the whole body of the People who were then mourning partly for the sin commited and partly for the execution when the heads of the People vvere hanged up and a thousand moe killed by the judges at Moses his command for Paul 1 Cor. 10 ver 8. sayes there died of the plague tvventy three thousand and here vve finde there fell in all tvventy foure thousand Againe it is remarkable that this single act of Phineas in killing two persons is so much rewarded and taken notice of by the Lord yea more then the many who were killed by the judges ver 5. So that it seemes he was no publick Magistrate and that he did it with the approbation of Moses is probable but that Moses did command him we see not only we finde that the Zeal of God moved him and therefore is he highly rewarded though he was but the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron Yea that which the Surveryer citeth out of Deodat rather confirmeth this for Deodat calleth it an act of extraordinary zeal motion of God's Spirit and he addeth that Moses the Supreme Magisstrate did approve it but what needed this if he had been a Magistrate seing there was a command given to the Magistrates ver 5. and a command is more then an approbation Aquinas and Gerhard call him it is true a judge but we see no proof unlesse they could evince that he was a member of the Sanhedrin of which Gillespy speaks in his Aarons rod. lib. I. c. I. The Dutch Annotat. on Psal 106 31. Suppose him to have been no Magistrate but say that this fact was beside his ordinary calling His 2. answere is Pag. III. That suppose he had been a meer private person yet it could prove nothing because he did it with the approbation and good liking of Moses and so he is but the executor of that unanimous sentence Answ But not only is this not written but the scripture giveth another ground of his fact then any warrand or command of Moses And so his answere in rebus facti a non scripto ad non factum non valet consequentia is not to the purpose Now I say the scripture giveth another ground viz. his zeal for his God which is not spoken of the other judges who ver 5. were commanded of Moses to execute judgment yea that word Psal 106 30. then stood up Phineas and executed judgment clearely hinteth at more then his being a meer satelles Magistratus and the ample reward which was given him and the Lord 's counting it to him for righteousnesse speak some other thing then that he had a call of the Magistrate and was his executioner In the 3 place he sayes The cases are different for then was horrible idolatry and villanous whordome committed avowedly and with a high hand in the sight of the Sun and in way of open doing despite to God but it is not so now Answ Prudence might have taught him to have concealed this for it were easy to draw such a parallel as would make him afrayed if any did intend to follow that example For I am sure what ever he account of the present apostasy and how ever he mince it as no doubt zimri would have minced his uncleannesse when he justified the fact before the Council as he told us Iosephus said yet the apostasy and perjury is open avowed abhominable and villanous committed in the sight of the Sun in despite of God and maintained as right and lawful howbeit it be such as the very heavens may be astonished at For such open avovved malapert vvickednesse defection and perjury all things considered vvas never heard of in any generation Hovv our reformation aud confession of faith is maintained vve have heard and albeit he make all the change to be only a change of the exterior forme of Church government yet when he is before his judge he shall finde in the cup of this iniquity manifest avowed perjury overturning of the work of God destroying of the interest of Christ blasphemy near unto that unpardonable sin if not the very same in fathering the works of the right hand of the Most high on Satan open and avowed persecution of godlinesse opening of a gap to all licentiousnesse horrid iniquity increase of idolatry villanous and avowed whordome Sodomy atheisme and devilry and more wickednesse then tongue can tell or pen can paint out but is on clear record before the Lord. 4. Sayes he Let it be so that he was a meer private man and had no warrand from the Supreame Magistrate to do what he did his fact cannot warrand Men to attempt the doing of such acts unlesse they can shew as good warr and and approbation from God as he could Answ That he had God's warrand and approbation vve do not doubt but that it was such an approbation as was peculiar to extraordinary un-imitable acts is the thing in question we grant with him That God is the Lord of all Magistrates and of all men's lives can when it pleaseth him crosse ordinary rules and apppoynt some to execute his judgments extraordinariely but the question is whether every thing which the Surv. accounteth extraordinary is so indeed He may sayes he send Moses to kill the Egyptian Eglon to kill Ehud he should say Ehud to kill Eglon Elias to destroy companyes of men with fire from heaven or to kill Baal's Priests He may command Abraham to kill his sone Isaac he may excite David to a bloody duëel Sampson to murther himself Ans Will the Surveyer account these instances alike extraordinary and unimitable Sure Royalists will think that Ehud's killing of Eglon may warrand any private person now to kill a tyrant without title But I lay more weight upon Iohn Knox his distinction in this matter in his debate with Lithingtoun hist. of reformation Pag. 390. edit in fol. And as touching sayes Mr.
they were Was there any masse monger fined to this day Yet we know that precious worthy Christians have been rigidly inhumanely handled and mulcted for hearing an honest and worthy Minister of the Gospel preaching the Gospel in a privat place Ay but now he thinks he hath exonered himself and discharged a piece of duty both for himself and all his fraternity by saying It were to be wished Rulers looked to it And is this all the remedy he prescribeth What will He do May he not dar he not grieve or vex his Elder Brethren What shall we then say of his inspection Is it lawful or is it of Gold which is wholly imployed and exercised in persecuteing of the honest seekers of God's face and countenanceth and encourageth Papists No certanely That power whose proper work is to root out piety as haveing that only in commission and which fostereth and incourageth profanity and Idolatry is a power of Satan tending to advance his work and interest in the Earth and to establish and enlarge his Kingdome What further But truely sayes he when she Spirit of such writeings as this is considered it will be found there is cause to feare unlesse the wisdome and goodnesse of Cod and the prudence of the King and Governours under him prevent it That as one way the Roman Antichrist may come in So some furious Successour of John of Leyden under pretence of a Phineas like Spirit come in another way upon our Church and Land to lay it waste and to make it a field of confusion and blood Answ Were there no Papists in Scotland or was there no appearance of the approaching of the Roman Antichrist before these books came abroad What a Spirit I pray is that which is in these books which can give any cause of feare that the Roman Antichrist may come in upon that account What tendency I pray hath any thing that is asserted in these books to the introduceing of Popery His needle head shall never be able to poynt this forth Yea let the true designe of these books be once obtained and I promise him that ere few weeks passe there shall be few or none in all Scotland who shall be so bold as to professe either Popery or Prelacy These must be strange books which open two contrary doors at once upon the one hand a door for the Roman Antichrist and upon the other hand a door for some furious Successour of Iohn of Leyden but both are alike true that is both are manifestly false Though his fear for the coming in of the Roman Antichrist be first named yet it is the least of the two with him for the thing which most affrighteth him is this last but he needeth not fear it let King and inferiour Governours joyne piety and true divine Zeal for God his glory with their prudence and set themselves to establish the covenanted Religion as it was reformed in Doctrine Worshipe Discipline Government purge out such things as offend especially that bitter root of Prelacy which we abjured and prosecute the ends of the Covenants and the vvisdome and goodness of God shall preserve both Church and State But so long as there is no repentance of the horrible Apostasy and defection vvhereof King and all ranks are guilty And particularly that Apostate pack which care neither for Church or State King or Coun●rey but in subordination to their ovvne bellies and bese lusts is not extirpated vvithall their adherents vve have no ground to expect that God shall preserve either Church or State from destruction and ruine Because vve have forsaken the Lord God of our Fathers vve can not but fear that he shall forsake us and cast our carcases upon the carcases of our idols and his soul shall abhorre us and he shall lay our cityes waste bring our Sanctuaryes into desolation and shall not smell the Savour of our sweet odours yea and shall scatter us among the heathen and draw out a sword after us and our Land shall be desolate and our Cityes waste c. Though we had all the security imaginable that never one of the furious brood of Iohn of Leyde should arise to lay the Land waste as indeed nothing asserted in these books may put rational Men in feares thereof from that hand though his lieing mouth addeth that the seeds of future miseries being too visibly sowne by this Man and his Complices whose mouths are full of blasphemies as their hearts and ●ands are full of blood and in so saying is like the whore in the common proverbe who calleth her honest Neighbour whose first whole mouths are more full of blasphemies their or ours all may judge who either read their writeings or heare their speaches in publick or in private And whose hearts and hands are more full of blood theirs or ours dayly experience will suffer no Man of common sense who marketh both once to put it to a question At length he apologizeth for his slowensse in comeing forth with his Survey telling us That this libel and like are not more quickly followed with meet animad vertsions is not to be marvelled at by any who knowes they are like the pestilence that walks in darkensse and that hardly do they come to the hands of any but such as are willing to be deceived by them being intended for the blinding of these not for the opening of the eyes of others But truly He might have for borne to have made such an Apology For it may be some who have most imployed him and rewarded him too for his paines will think that he hath but too quickly followed with his animadversions and possibly shall wish that they had never seen the light since he hath done so little good by them to the cause which he becometh a Patrone unto both in starting needlesse and dangerous debates for the Kings Throne and Kingdomes yea for his Life in managing these debates so poorly as he hath done to speak nothing of his weake defending of the maine cause controverted which is abundantly discovered by this vindication Whereby also he hath occasioned the more accurate ripeing up of that debate touching defensive armes and laying it open and naked unto the judgment and capacity of the meanest so that the truthes which he endeavoured to shake and overturne are now more firmly then ever riveted in the hearts of all vvho search after truth Yet sure had be been able he ●ight have brought forth this brood of his braine sooner to light for he had time enough after the publick Proclamation vvas made that such a book vvas come forth by the fire prepared of purpose at the crosse of Edenbr●ugh to consume it into asses before which time I suppose very fevv knevv of such a thing And by this solemne fiery Proclamation the curiosity of some was kindled to enquire after the book who othewise vvould have used no great diligence to have obtained one of them yea possibly would never have learned that there was such a book in the World and so could have been in no hazard to have been infected thereby And before this time that they met vvith this solemne recaption there vvas not as is sufficiently knovvn many of them abroad for it came but too soon into the hands of such as put that honour on it which vvas expected and thereby helped forvvard the Authors designe Is it any wonder that such pieces must keep themselves as long as they can out of such fiery hands Seing the first salutation they meet vvith is a brief sentence of condemnation by the Council and a 〈…〉 or execution rather by the hand of the Hangman in the ●●repared of purpose for that solemne Disput Let him if he ●ar or can procure a free imprimatur for such necessary and useful books and liberty for stationers to expose them to open sale and then it will be seen whether they or his shall hide themselves longest in the corner of shopes and be at lengh laid aside for other uses then at first they were intended for He sayes they were intended for the blinding of these into whose hands they come not for the opening of the eyes of others But he speaks like himself They were really intended for the opening of the eyes of all who would but read and seriously consider what is said and would not willingly shote out their owne eyes And as for his Pamphlet I verily beleeve what ever was his intention it shall deceive none but such as are already deceived or very willing to be deceived shall open the eyes of none unlesse per accidens by making them to apprehend more clearly then formerly they would truth upon the other side by discovering the childish frivolous and weak evasions and exceptions which he is necessitated to make use of In the last Page He giveth us a short hint of what he mindeth to do in the following part of this his elaborate work where we are like to finde him as impudent and shamelesse a Patron of perjury as here we have found him a pleader for Tyranny But we shall forbeare to say more at this time till God offer an opportunity of considering and answering what he shall say further upon these heads and digressions The Lord establish truth in the Earth visite his owne inheritance and send a plentiful raine to confirme the same when it is weary for his owne names sake AMEN FINIS