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.
not only have brought wrath upon themselves but also upon all the People So the wickednesse of Hophny and Phinehas was part of the cause of that sad discomfiture that the People of Israel did meet with 1 Sam. 2 ver 12. comp with Cap. 3 ver 11. and with Cap. 4 ver 10 11. So Esai 43 ver 27 28. because the Teachers had transgressed against the Lord. Therefore was Iacob given to the curse and Israel to reproaches So Lam. 4 v. 13. among other provocations the sinnes of her Prophets are mentioned and the iniquities of her Priests So Micah 3 v. 11 12. Because the Heads did judge for reward and the Priests did teach for hire and the Prophets did divine for money Therefore Zion was to be plowed as a field and Ierusalem to become heaps and the mountaine of the house as the high places of the forest 2. That the sinnes of a few have procured judgments unto the whole multitude or put them in hazard thereof So Deut. 13 v. 12 17. the Apostate city would kindle the fiercenesse of God's anger against the whole People For it is said The Lord would not turne from the fiercenesse of his anger and shew them mercy and compassion and multiply them until it were destroyed and all that was within it So Num. 25. for the sinne of these who joyned with Baal peor the anger of the Lord was kindled against the whole congregation So when Moses was speaking unto the two Tribes and halfe Num. 32 14 15. he sayeth And behold yee are risen up in your Fathers stead to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord toward Israel for if yee turne away from after him he will yet againe leave them in the wildernesse and yee shall destroy all this People So Ios 7 ver 5. for one Ahan's sin all Israel was troubled and Ios. 22 v. 17. 18. say the commissioners of the whole congregation unto the two Tribes and half And it will be seing ye-rebel to day against the Lord that to morrow he will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel And it was this which moved all the Tribes to goe against Benjamin Iudg. 20 3. That the Subjects have suffered sad and dreadful judgments for the sinnes of their Rulers As Micah 3 9 10 11 12. formerly cited Abimelech's sin Gen. 20. was like to hazard himself and all his Kingdome ver 7 9. For Pharaoh's refusing to let Israel goe not only he and his Princes but his Subjects through all his coasts did smarte Exod. 6 and 7 8 and 9. and 10 Cap. Neh. 9 v. 10. So Saul's sin in seeking to destroy the Gibeonites brought on three yeers famine on the land in the dayes of David 2 Sam. 21 v. 1. So David's sin of numbering the people cost the lives of three score and Ten thousand 2 Sam. 24 v. 1 2 15. 1 Chron. 21 1 2 14. So the Lord threatned by the Prophet 1 King 14 ver 16. that for the sins of Ieroboam who did sin and who made Israel to sin he would give up Israel And for Ahab's sin of letting Benhadad goe the Man of God told Ahab 1 King 20 ver 42. Because thou hast let goe out of thy hand a man whom I appoynted to utter destruction therefore thy life shall goe for his life and thy People for his People So for Manasseh's sin Ier. 15 ver 4. The Lord sayes I will cause them to be removed into all King domes of the Earth because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah King of Iudah for that which he did in Ierusaelem So it is also spoken 2 King 21 ver 11 12 13. Because Manasseh King of Iudah hath done these abhominations therefore thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing such evil upon Ierusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his eares shall tingle c. And notwithstanding of the reformation that was in the dayes of Iosiah Yet this judgement came to be accomplished and the Lord sent the bands of the Caldees and of the Syrians surely so it is said 2 King 24 v. 3 4. at the commandement of the Lord came this upon Iudah to remove them out of his sight for the sinnes of Manasseh according to all that he did and also for the innocent blood that he shed which the Lord would not pardon And 2 King 23 26. Though there was a great work of reformation done in the dayes of that non-such King v. 25 Iosiah yet it is sayd notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fiercenesse of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him with all Yea so did this sin of Manasseh provoke the Lord against the land that how beit Manasseh himself repented and found mercy 2 Chron. 33 v. 12. and questionlesse many of the People turned with him yet these same sinnes of Manasseh are mainly taken notice of as the procureing cause of that final stroke Out of these particulars these few things are very obvious to any 1. That People combined into a society have great cause not only to look to their owne carriage but also unto the carriage of others Since the carriage of others will bring them in hazard of God's judgments and hasten downe vengeance wrath from God on all sure they have need to look about them 2. Especially they have reason to take notice of the publick carriage and deportment of Princes and Pastors seing in a special manner those highten the wrath hasten the judgments of God as hath been shewed 3. If these sinnes in Princes Pastors and others were not committed those plagues and judgments which are threatned and at length executed upon that account would have been prevented 4. If People considering their hazard by reason of these publick transgressions had actively bestirred themselves interposed as that these iniquities had not been committed they had not smarted so for as they did not had they felt the weight of the hand of Gods anger as they were made to do 5. It was not enough for them to have keeped themselves free of these actual transgressions whereof others were really guilty for we finde some punished for that iniquity of others which could not be laid to their charge as actors 6. How ever such as were so punished were not free of inherent transgressions and other sinnes which deserved judgment at the hands of the Lord yet when the Spirit of the Lord is pleased to make no mention of these as the Procureing cause of these plagues but seemeth to lay the whole or maine stresse of the businesse upon that sin committed by others we must thinke that that hath had no small influence but rather a mine causality in the procureing of these plagues and it becometh us to be sober in inquireing after other causes hid from us and rest satisfied with what the Spirit of the Lord is pleased particularly and evidently to poynt
and resolved not to returne to their owne houses ver 8. until these Children of Belial in Gibeah had been executed and evil was put away from Israel Cap. 13 v. 2. To say that this speaks not to our case is but to wrangle for sure if we should suppose that Benjamin had been maintaining their integrity and the true worshipe of God against the generality of the People who had turned idolaters and had raised war against them because they would not depart from their profession would he have condemned the minor part for standing to their defence in this case Or if they should have joyned together to have hindered the defection of the major part or removed the corruptious that were prevailing would he have condemned them Sure this is not improve Scripture a right but rather to elude it for there is not the least shaddow that the stresse of the matter is laid on this that they vvere the major part Finally he cometh to Achan's case Jos 7. and tells us That there is nothing in it to justify private persones rising against the Magistrates and plurality of the people to avert the judgments of God for what was done to Achan was done by the Supreame Magistrat Josua Answer But Naphtaly only maketh use of this place to shew that our reformers had great reason to feare and tremble lest the manifest toleration of proud cruel flattering Prelats and idolatrous Priests whose wickednesse and idolatry had corrupted the whole land might involve the whole Nation in destroying indignation since the wrath of God for the hidden and secret sin of one poor Achan suddenly and fearfully overtook the whole People and all the congregation of Israel so that that man perished not alone in his iniquity Now can any body deny this consequence But our Surveyer layeth downe againe his peremptory assertions without further proof and we have spoken to them already and need not repeat things so oft as he gives us occasion so to do otherwise we should follow this fool in his folly and weary the reader as he doth in repeating almost whole pages verbatim let any look and he shall finde the whole 61 page except some groundlesse jibes which do not help his cause nothing almost but repetitions We shall then goe on and draw forth our arguments from what is said to shew that the late act ought rather to be praised then condemned For 1. Thereby they were endeavouring according to their power and places as that exigent required when all doores were closed from essaying any other meane not only to defend themselves against manifest and intolerable injury and oppression but to save themselves their posterity and the whole land so far as lay in their power from the wrath and vengeance of God and the dreadful plagues and judgments that were and are to be expected for the dreadful and unparallelable apostasy and defection of a corrupt ministry Did God threaten that Zion should be plowed as a field and Ierusalem become as a heape That Iacob should be given to the curse and Israel to reproaches for the sinnes of a corrupt ministry and when our eyes did never see a more corrupt company who have partly apostatized from their sworne profession and partly are thrust in over flocks to the ruineing of their souls the corrupting of the truthes of God and to be a standing occasion of dreadful persecution unto them and when for this cause nothing could or can be looked for from the hands of a just and jealous God but wrath without remedy and judgment after judgment till we become as plowed fields and as heaps Can or ought these to be blamed who standing to their sworne profession were labouring in the integrity of their hearts to purge the land of these plagues and locusts that we might become a holy and pure Church unto the Lord and that the Lord might delight to dwell among us and for this end tooke their lives in their hands and essayed that now sole remedy seing there was no other meane left unto them whereby to attaine this noble End 2. When one Apostat city not taken course with according to the command of God would provoke God to anger against the whole assembly of God's People so that till it was destroyed he would not have mercy or compassion upon them was there not much more reason to feare that God's anger should burne against Scotland his covenanted People and that he should have no more mercy on us since there was such a dreadful defection in it whereof not only one city but many cities were in an eminent manner guilty having so foulely departed from their sworne truth and profession and openly and avowedly revolted from God and his wayes and since there was no other way imaginable to prevent this heavy indignation of God Shall any condemne these who our of Zeal to God's Glory and for the good of the poor land whereof they were members took their lives in their hands and did what lay in their power to have that corruption and apostasy removed and God restored to his honour and the land to it s Covenanted integrity 3. Since the backslideing and defection of a few members of a Society joyned together in a Covenant to God as his People brings vvrath upon the vvhole if timeous remedy be not used as the forecited places shevv Shall any condemne these vvho endeavoured according to their povver to prevent the destruction that vvas and is to be feared for the defection not of a fevv not of one poor Achan but of multitudes and that of all ranks and conditions 4. Did the people of Israel goe out as one man to prevent apostasy when they heard some rumore thereof in a part of their number and to take course with and purge the land of a crying evil that was committed in one of their cities who shall condemne these who lately went out with one heart and spirit to do what in them lay to remove the far-carryed-on defection and the dreadful evil of perjury and many other hainous crimes that did yet do abound whereof Many of all rankes were guilty even such as should have been by their publick places and stations eminently appearing on the head of these worthyes for the glory of God and the good of the whole Church and Kingdome 5. Seing the publick transgressions of Kings and Princes do hazard the whole Realme and Commonwealth as the instances formerly adduced do cleare How much reason have People of all rankes qualityes and conditions to be doing what lyeth in their power either to prevent and hinder that these iniquities be not committed which prove destructive unto the Land or labour by all meanes to have them done away when committed before the fierce anger of the Lord break forth And since it is not our and undenyable how our Kings and Nobles and other judges have revolted from a sworne Covenant Truth and Profession and openly and avowedly renunced the
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 Counâ—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 â—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 â—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 Edenbrâ—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 â—â—repared of purpose for that solemne Disput Let him if he â—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