by neglect of his own duty Salomon is charged for going after Ashtaroth because he gave his wives leave to do it and joined therein afterwards himself The Toleration of the High-places though they were for worship to God only 2 Chron. 33. 17. yet it was the sin of those Princes that suffered it a long time being contrary to Gods Law Deut. 12. 11 12 13. God charges it even on godly eminent Reformers as Asa Jehoshaphat c. till Josias Gamaliels counsel pleaded by some will prove a poor shelter of fig-leaves to cover such a sinfull nakedness of permitting known evil with such a neutrall spirit What wickedness might not be pleaded for by the same reason A Christian indeed should be meek and patient 1 Cor. 13. in a good way but not to the neglect of his duty against evil which was Eli's great sin who therein honoured his sons more than God 1 Sam. 2. 29. it cost him them and all Israel dear for a warning to us all Eccl 8. 11. Sinfull Tolleration brings wofull augmentation of evil still We must do to others it 's true as we would be done to so that Gods will and mans duty be not neglected The Law indeed is not to the righteous or against the righteous as righteous but it 's laid against all unrighteousness whether reigning or remaining in any Paul himself was not without the Law but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9. 21. Jam. 2. 8. We should have a tender care of tender consciences but a most tender care of Gods pleasure and honour the sole rule and source of mans duty and good Vnfaithfull tenderness is cruell pity both to the patient and others The Magistrate is Lord of the externall man for good though not of any mans faith mans soul being above his reach whereof faith is a speciall act He infringes no Christian liberty when he checks sinfull Libertinism miscalled liberty prosecution of evil is no persecution of good If Papists and others take occasion to abuse any from hence so do they abuse and pervert Scripture and all good things We must not think to do Jews or others good by doing or tollerating evil Gods cause needs not be beholding to the devils help nor will it be furthered thereby White witches are alwaies most mischievous in the conclusion The Magistrates authoritative owning of the truth is not like to hinder the progress thereof he may possibly mistake and therefore needs all meet help being accountable to God for the matter and manner of his work What other Objections are moved against this Truth may be more fully answered in the following Resolves Decemb. 22. 1656. C. G. THE Libertine School'd OR A VINDICATION OF THE Magistrates Power in matters of RELIGION IN Answer to the Fallacious Queries of a Nameless Author lately spread about the City of Limrick For Detection of those Mysterious Designs so vigorously fomented if not begun among us by Romish Engineers and Jesuitick Emissaries under Notionall Disguises Thus begins our Querist Qu. 1. WHether it be not better for us that a Patent were granted to Monopolize all the Corn and Cloth and to have it measured out unto us at their price and pleasure which yet were as intollerable as for some men to appoint and measure out unto us what and how much we shall believe and practise in matters of Religion Ans. 1. The whole may be granted without danger as it 's expressed 2. If we may guess that their meaning by their scope is to shew by this comparison the unreasonableness of the Magistrates inforcing in Religious matters then we answer by shewing the fallacy of the comparison in setting forth the true parallel The Lord is the absolute Sovereign of all things Civil and Sacred man is not so in neither yet is the Magistrate the Lords servant to enforce by Civil power the disposall of things in both as God hath appointed in his Word For things Civil it 's easily granted for Sacred matters besides many other signall instances given in both Testaments by way of precept and promise prefiguration and president see Deut. 13. 5. Deut. 17. 2 3 4 5 6. Ezra 6. 11. 12. Ezra 7. 6 11 25 26 27. compare those verses together proving the Kings grant to be an answer to Ezra's request for constituting Magistrates with coercive power in Religious things in Gods Name Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. Zech. 13. 3 4 5 6. a Prophesie of Gospel times 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. Isa. 49 23. applicable especially to later daies Qu. 2. Whether there be not the same reason that they should be appointed by us what they shall believe and practise in Religion as for them to do so to us seeing we can give as good ground for what we believe and practise as they can do for what they would have if not better Ans. It 's not reasonable that either they or we should appoint to each other what is to be believed or practised in Religion but it 's most reasonable that Christs Law given to us both should be inforced by the Magistrate the Civil substitute of Christ The former proofs do fully clear this and many other such places as also 2 Chron. 15. 12 13. 2 Chron. 19. 2 3 4 c. 2 Chron. 34. 4 5. Neh. 13. 19 21 22 c. We might easily bring in many instances for each command of the first Table how the godly Magistrates acted for God according to his command were it necessary Qu. 3. Whether they that would force other mens consciences be willing to have their own forced Ans. No man may or can force another mans conscience but the Magistrate is bound by his Office as the Lords Deputy to oblige and force the externall man to the observance of Gods will manifested in his written word though he be unwilling and pretend conscience Besides the former proofs clearing this see 1 King 18. 40 41 c. though Baals Priests pleaded conscience for Idolatry yet were they put to death by Elijahs command which execution was attended with speciall blessings Joh. 16. 2. They that plead conscience for putting Christians to death it excuses not but they should suffer for it according to that indispensable Law Genes 9. 6. Asa 2 Chron. 14. 4. commanded all to seek the Lord and to do the Law Nehemiah contended with the Nobles and threatned strangers about their abuses in Tithes and the Sabbath Neh. 13. 11 17 19 21. Qu. 4. Whether Christ hath said he will have an unwilling people compelled to serve him Ans. Though he hath not said those very words yet hath he said in effect so much in those many Scriptures that testifie the Magistrates duty to that end either by precept commanding it or by presidents commended for it or rewarded in it or by the contrary forbidden reproved threatned and punished for neglect contempt or abuse of that duty The Scriptures forementioned do fully prove this as also very many more were it needfull to
for the manner yet in effect he did shew what should be done in the like case by the Magistrate in his place as also by the Church in their place as in the case of Phinehas Numb. 14. of Elijah 1 King 18. 40. of Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 33 c. those malefactours were extraordinarily executed by the Lords servants for breach of the first and second Table because the Magistrates duty was neglected therein 2. That Law of Christ which authorizeth the Magistrate to act for him under him and like him in punishing the breaches of every command whether of the first or second Table doth also regulate him in that execution 1. Declaring his power to be Civil not Ecclesiasticall by civil orders proceedings and censures not by such means as he appoints to his Church Indeed the Magistrate may also be a Church-member but in this he acts not as such but as a civil Officer yet under Christ 2. His power reaches to things that concern the outward man whether verball or actuall not mentall and secret 3. In those externals he must have a clear rule of Gods Word either expresly or by sure consequence not his own conceit or any mans will 4. Therein he must proportion the punishment to the nature of the transgression whether lighter or heavier for matter or manner to avoid foolish pity and rigorous cruelty 5. His end must be a godly peace 1 Tim. 2. 2. that thereby all may be quickned to a peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Thus the Magistrate is given as an Ordinance of God Rom. 13. 12. being a power ordained of God for a terrour to all evil works v. 3. yea the Ministry of God for mans good v. 4. and that for conscience sake v. 5. to be done and obeyed Thus acted pious Job ch. 29. declaring corruption of worship in covetous idolaters to be punishable by the Judge Job 31. 24 28 c. Thus Moses the Magistrate by Gods command punished the breaches of the Sabbath abuse of Gods Name Idolatry c. Thus Joshua that noble conquering Protector of Israel resolved himself and advised others Josh. 22. 23. 24. chap. Thus Abraham that faithfull Prince ordered his charge and was so favoured of God for it Gen. 18. 18 19. Thus victorious David wise Solomon valiant Asa zealous Jehoshaphat heroicall Josias noble Nehemiah acted Gods part in ordering the affairs of Gods house directing his people punishing the abuses of his worship c. which the Lord records for a monument and Crown of glory to them Thus for the New Testament God himself promiseth Isa. 49. 23. to give such nursing fathers and mothers of a Royall bloud and spirit who shall instrumentally build up Zion in mercy and pull down Babylon in justice Rev. 12. compared with Rev. 17. ch. 18. ch. 19. When Christ is Generall of the field his followers Jews and Gentiles the two Armies portraied out Cant. 6. 13. Zach. 12. 6 7 8. shall be more zealous for his house than for their own But our Querist pekes Qu. 2. Whether persecution for conscience doth not harden men in their way and make them cry out of oppression and tyranny Ans. Persecution of good is evil but persecution of evil is good 2. A good conscience must be preserved an evil conscience must be renewed 3. A godly conscience will abhorre every evil but a pretended conscience will plead for evil 4. A true conscience will thank the Physician that cures it though with smart a false conscience will cry out against the Physician and smart to retain its evil 5. A wise conscience will cry up the judicious care of Gods servants for good against evil but a foolish conscience will cry down both for evil against good 6. God gives not over his care of mens souls for causless out-cries neither will his servants neglect their duty for groundless calumnies Qu. 3. Whether to convert an heretick and to cast out unclean spirits be done any other way than by the finger of God by the mighty power of Gods Spirit in the Word Ans. 1. Heresie is described Tit. 3. 10. to be a self condemning errour perverting Gods truth and mens souls What course is to be taken by the Church with a member pertinaciously offending is there also declared It 's a work of the flesh and what course is to be taken with a member of the State by the Magistrate for such an evil work we reade also Hereticks in all ages have troubled the Church and very few were ever reclaimed For 300 years after Christ Satan employed many such Engineers to undermine Religion and disparage the profession of Christ Thus Simon and Cerinthus Menander and Ebion disturbed the Apostolicall daies Sabellius and Marcion Priscillian and Samosatenus Arrius and Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches with many more succeeded them in opposing the Person and Office the Nature and Grace the Spirit and Truth the Sabbath and Ordinances of Christ The Roman Antichrist contracted the substance of all them and no sooner did Reformation dawn but all parts of Europe were infested anew with that poisonous vermine Mans dunghill heart yielded still matter and help to such a hellish brood What the Gnosticks did of old and the ranting crue of Germany in the last age we finde sadly revived among us now The conversion of such is very rare and difficult witness the Apostle such being given up to the raign and vigour of delusion Those spirituall judgements that give up mens consciences to that efficacious power of hell are the most dreadfull judgements bringing most of them to that sin unto death which puts them into an impossibility of repentance and salvation It 's indeed the finger of God by the mighty power of his Spirit in his Word that must do the work when ever it s done There is the more need therefore that all means should be used with diligence in subordination to that powerfull Spirit and Word of his Thereby some German and Brittish Jesuites have been converted and Indian * Pawawes reduced to Christian faith The Magistrates help hath often been found very effectuall thereto if not to convert the seducers yet to prevent their infection from spreading and plucked many as brands out of the fire Their mouth is to be stopped from biting and their hands to be kept from abuse whilst their phrensie rages and ranges like a gangrene A Bedlam may cure many such mad pranks or at least tame them The prudent zeal of one Magistrate doth often in such a case more good than the labours of many Ministers To be plucked out of the devils snares is a mercy that God affords by blessing the endeavours of his servants as by his Word Ecclesiastically so by his Sword Magistratically Such seducers being reclaimed by those censures sanctified to them will bless God and man for these healing wounds received in the house of friends 2. Unclean spirits denote in Scripture sometimes
devils sometimes wicked men the devils instruments sometimes wicked mens lusts serving the devils purpose All societies are too often pestered therewith and their ejection is chiefly to be minded The principall efficient of that cure is indeed the mighty Spirit of God His powerfull Word is the principal Instrument Yet are men and means appointed and blessed of God in subserviency thereto Christ himself told his Disciples that their unbelief hindered such a cure from being perfected upon that famous patient some of them being so tenacious that they go not out but with prayer and fasting It 's dreadfull to see mens bodies possessed with such guests but their souls possession more frequent and terrible is not so much dreaded because less sensible The sad symptoms of such a Possession are so wofully manifested in the Quaking crue that it infests all parts among us It concerns all sorts among us if ever to observe Christs method for their ejection They fume and foam they range and rage tossed they are from one extream to another sometimes cast into the fire then into the water first ranting then quaking The filthy excrements of these unclean spirits boil so excessively within them that they do enormously work out at every part of their bodies Their feet ramble their tongues rail all the faculties of their souls testifie the strangeness of their inmate He that but observed within these few years what horrid things have appeared before multitudes of people from that miserable generation cannot but wonder at Gods patience the devils malice and those wretches wofull state The poison hath seized on their brains and spirits as the pestilence is wont to do and casts many into Phrensies others into Lethargies The Ranters were merrily the Quakers are melancholically mad those had more of the fire The Legions that possess them shew varieties of tricks and are shifting daily that they may best sute the various complexions of men and seasons Ranting Paracelsus and fanatick Behmen are out stripped in their horrid jugglings by these up-start disciples of theirs David George and the rest of those German Impostors came short of these The great Patrons of Quakers Mahomet with his Dervis in the East the Romish Dominick and Francis Benedict and Ignatius Katharine of Siena and Bridget in the West can hardly parallell them Yea the Brachmans of the Eastern and the Pawawes of the Western India's can hardly out-match them When so many spirits are abroad to represent the Tragedy of hell let loose doth it not concern all Superiors in civils and spirituals to look narrowly to themselves and to their respective charges Should not that warning be cautiously improved which Christ himself gives in such a juncture They are indeed spirits nimble and supple shifting and active crafty and restless hardly discern'd but wofully felt easily piercing hardly removed soon infecting difficult to cure But they are unclean spirits bearing their fathers image lying spirits in every word and act As the devil of old by his Pythons and Oracles so do these still speak ambiguities Slippersy spirits that easily shift off the strength of Scripture and reason by equivocations and roving about Scarce a Scripture word do they understand in a Scripture sense but use that language only to deceive the simple Their Christ their light their heaven and hell their perfection and righteousness when brought to the touch prove but Chimaera's and fanatick conceits That pure convincement of the Ranters as the Quakers call it of God being all things and all things God appears to be their grand Principle but trimm'd anew to please the better They finde no fault with the Ranters principles though they blame something of their practise witness their books complaining that they had a pure convincement but they sank in the flesh and grew too loose Atheism in a word the bottom of all evil is the spawn and substance of these unclean spirits Their venom like that of the * Tarantula kils suddenly in the midst of pleasing dreams making their disciples dance about the brims of eternall wo What think you of these things ye sober Christians do not these Nations need good Physicians and utmost care to prevent the subversion of all Do not our State-Physicians finde work enough among such a variety of Bedlams Is not this Calenture to be looked after with all diligence Are not we all bound to sollicit heaven day and night that such unclean spirits may be cast out Could you but conceive what direfull spectacles the stage of Germany felt and saw at the breaking loose of such a hell among them for near twenty years space you would fast and pray to better purpose than you have hitherto done These unclean spirits do most storm at those spirituall Physicians that would gladly be helpfull to them What hope then of a cure that way They will not they cannot hear them with sense patience or manners What hopes of help below but in a Bedlam or Bridewell for such Who can tame these but the Magistrates power under God In bodily phrensies we finde still hard usage to be the best means of cure to the patient and safety to the rest The like hath been found often in this very case witness that blasphemous villain of Andover who stiled himself the Bridegroom and his Trull enticed by him away from her friends Mary the Lambs Wife The Justice of the Bench and the executionlash reclaimed them out of their madness by the sense of shame and pain to bewail their folly and publickly curse their seducers To be sure if the Magistraticall Rod appointed for the fools back do not convince their folly and teach them it will teach others wisdom and prevent that horrid confusion which otherwise is like to overflow all our banks If these Bears cannot be tamed they had need be chained except we love to see them do mischief Qu. 4. Whether if no Civil Law be broken the Civil Peace be hurt or no Ans. 1. Where there is no Law there is no transgression For sin is opposition to the Law both privative and adversative habitual and actual The Law of God is the revelation of the Divine will touching mans duty The Civil Law then must be the rule set among men by authority in conformity That is understood in its large signification comprising all sorts of humane Orders for in a strict sense the Civil Laws signifie the imperial Law called Civil in distinction from our Municipal Law which is either Common or Statute Law the standard of good manners in this Commonwealth This Law of ours being the quintessence and extract of the best Laws known among the Brittains and Romans Saxons and Normans refined for English use by the Saxon Wittagen-Mots or General Assemblies and English Parliaments is indeed the choice Rule and Fountain the Mother and Nurse of our Civil Peace when execution answers their Institution and Constitution Peace in general
sense is the harmonious agreement of things attending their orderly composure and motion Peace with God by Christ conjugally embraced produces peace of conscience in man and civil peace among men Our civil peace must still then have reflexion upon our Civil Law and that upon the Divine Law Whilst the Law is thus kept peace is not hurt so the Querist is answered But would not he insinuate that the Quakers and corrupters of our Religion break not the Law and therefore not the Peace Ingenuity it self can make no other construction of his dubious Query compared with his title and scope If so then we Answer 2. Our Lawyers can more exactly acquaint him with the many branches of our Common and Statute Laws which are continually broken by this lawless brood They that make so light of the Divine Law indited by the Spirit of God penned by the Prophets and Apostles of Christ and given to man for his eternal good in conforming him through grace to the Lords Image whose extract and representation it is are not like to be very carefull of mens Law in any sense The beams of that good just and holy Law which do shine through the several parts of our English Laws carry too much light for such birds of darkness who can like and will own none but their light within The light above and about them is so offensive to them and so little valued of them that the brightest beams of Scripture light finde no credit nor favour with them if not suted to their phantasticall light Their own light is their Law as it 's their God their Christ their perfection their righteousness their All All the Laws of God and men must be reduced to that standard They judge themselves still observers of the Law in the most egregious breaches thereof for indeed what Law can they break whose will is their only Law Sometimes they pretend that Will in them not to be their own but Gods Will But that easily appears to be but a cunning shift to father their will on God as they do their light and all As then their Law is in their breast though they be daily convinced by every one that speaks with them who hath not lost his reason and Religion at once and particularly by Authority of their foul transgressions yet are they still faultless They witness perfection You do but mistake them They cannot sin They cannot break the Law All Authority is tyrannical that humours them not The best Ministers are fools and knaves to them None knows and keeps the Laws but themselves and followers Dare you then after this charge or punish these men for breach of any Law No by no means They are but misunderstood Their railing and cursing their slandring and wandering their idleness and irreverence their disobedience and seducing their errors and blasphemies against God and Christ against the Divine Trinity and holy Spirit against the Scriptures and Ordinances of the Gospel their contempt and scorn of all goodness and good men not dancing after their pipe These are no breaches of Law but degrees and signes of their perfection Their pride and passion their malice and hatred their choler and rage their Atheism and ignorance their deceits and charms are but conformities to the light within Yea their Pharisaicall abstinence and fastings their formalities and ostentations their disorderly speeches and carriage their opposing of Orders from God and his servants their self-conceitedness and self-confidence must not be thought breaches of Law but fulfillings thereof In a word if you think they can break the peace by breaking the Law you are much mistaken for they are a Law to themselves and the utmost mischief they can do to us all that comply not with them is but the fulfilling of that Law Qu. 5. Whether corporall punishment either by imprisonment or otherwise for errours is not a means sometimes to destroy mens bodies and possibly prove a prevention of their conversion seeing some are not called till the eleventh hour and if they be cut off the seventh hour for their errours how shall they come in Matth. 20. 6. Ans. Errour is a crooked deviation of a mans judgement from the Truth of God That Truth is considerable either in the Divine Being or in the Emanation thereof Truth in Gods Essence is Essentially and Personally considered Essential Truth is God himself in the eternal Unity of his Divine Excellency Truth Personally expressed sets forth each of the three Divine Persons subsisting in the Divine Essence distinguished by their personal properties the Father is Truth Begetting the Sonne is Truth Begotten the Spirit is Truth Proceeding from the Father and from the Son Truth in the Emanation of the Divine Being or the Truth of God is the conformity of Gods expression to himself which is considered Intentionally Verbally and Actually in his Thoughts Words and Works I. The Truth of his Thoughts is called his Purpose and Decree pleasure and good will to signifie his eternal Councel fore-ordaining all future things This is an absolute entire perfect and unchangeable Act of the Divine Will about the good and evil of future Beings as of themselves especially about rational creatures men and Angels This Divine Truth or Act as it respects evil is called Permission and Regulation as it respects good it 's called fore-ordination As it respects the objects of Divine Benevolence it 's called Election and Predestination Election chusing them in Christ to glory Predestination fore-appointing them to conformity and Adoption by Christ Election called also his fore-knowledge which in the Hebrew imports affect and effect regarding chiefly the End and Predestination the Means to that End That eternal purpose as it regards the objects of Gods disowning is called Reprobation and Predamnation Reprobation being properly an Act of Sovereignty we cannot speak of God but after the manner of men with distinctions and denominations extrinsecal though he be one pure Act all the change being in the creature is also called Preterition non-Election and non-Predestination properly regarding their State and End absolutely Predamnation being an intended Act of Justice properly considers the Means with tendency to that End viewing such under the consideration of future sinners The like denominations may be given to Divine Purpose about Angels consideratis considerandis Thus of Intentional Truth II. The Verbal Truth of God is called his Word which is the declaration of his Mind and Will revealed to man concerning himself and all his creatures This he did manifest to Adam in his Creation writing it upon his soul in the characters of his own Image in perfect knowledge righteousness and holiness and by positive significations of his pleasure After his fall and successively to others this Truth of God about the salvation of his Elect in and by Christ alone with all things else needfull to be known he did variously reveal unto men
6. 1. But if it be an evil conscience a corrupt a seared a blinde conscience that is a dreadfull evil indeed Tit. 1. 15 16. 1 Tim. 4. 2 3. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. Such are not to be dallied with no more than the leprous poysoned and ulcerous bodies that call for purging dieting and looking to narrowly 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. Tit. 3. 10 11. Can you think a licentious liberty profitable to any man Is it for the Patients good that he be forsaken of his Physician or Chirurgion and left alone undressed unlooked to Is it profitable to any family or society that the members thereof should be left in a disordered disjointed posture Is it for the profit of Church or State that their severall members should be left to their own fansie and will to move as they list Will not such dreadfull convulsions prove most deadly symptoms in the Body Politick and Ecclesiasticall as they do in the Body Naturall and Oeconomicall Is this your egregious method of joining all Inferiors to their Superiors Is such a confusion the way to settlement Is this Libertinism the way to any true good spirituall or temporall Are not Officers like to command bravely when their souldiers must be left to their own will Are not Magistrates like to speed well when their subjects shall own no Law no Rule no Charge but as they think good Are not Parents and Governours of families in a hopefull case when the reins are laid on the neck of children and servants Is not every man naturally full of evil and bent to evil empty of good and backward thereto Are not the best still minded of their emptiness insufficiency selfishness and unworthiness that Paul himself is feign to cry out Rom. 7. 21. Oh miserable c. No wonder if the world be set on fire when young giddy Phaeton gets into his fathers seat Could your Rhetorick prevail what a Metamorphosis should we have in every relation and condition How soon should we see the liberty of Christianity turn'd into the liberty of Bestiality first perswade men that darkness is light and hell better than heaven Qu. 16. Whether those States as the Low-Countries who grant such liberty to souldiers and others do not live quietly and flourish in great prosperity Ans. Your last shews more of the Scorpions tail in your Serpentine eloquence you spread your poisonous spawn in plausible Queries still Later anguis in herba Thus the old Serpent began and ended with our first Parents to delude and destroy them You would fain make us believe that your pretended liberty is the way to quiet to flourishing to prosperity Ad populum phaleras Do you think so indeed Why then do not your ghostly Fathers in Italy and Spain study to promote this excellent art Do they want contrivers and engines that have so many thousands of Jesuites in every corner that can spare such swarms of unclean spirits and Romish locusts to darken and devour all the budding hopes of Truth and Peace among us Do they want a minde to attend their own interest who spend all their skill and strength about it No no they know the nature and issue of that forbidden fruit as the devil knew it in perswading Eve on the like account It will teach you the worth of good things by the loss thereof you shall see your nakedness and shame by sad experience Have you forgot what Amsterdam Arnheim and other Cities of Holland were like to have gotten by such a liberty in 1535. a while after Munsters Tragedy Were not those famous places like to have fared as bad as Munster it self by the prodigious excess of the fanatick Anabaptists if the wisdom and extraordinary care of their Magistrates had not prevented it If you doubt of it reade Conrad Erestachii historiam Anabaptist cum notis Theodor Strackii Lambert Hortens Amsterod 1637. Did you never peruse the wofull Tragedies that were acted in Germany and Switzerland from the year 1522 till 1534 to the destruction of 50000 say the least of 100000 say many of 150000 say others If you doubt of the truth thereof reade your friend Cassander confirming what Bullinger Sleidan Nicolas Blediskio in histor. Davidis Georgii Guy de Bres Cloppenburgius and other godly discreet Writers have recorded of those times and places wherein they lived Were not those superlative villains the fruits and effects of your desired licentious freedom Do you long to try it and put us on the triall Felix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum But Holland flourishes yet say you under such a liberty If they flourish the more beholding are they to that Divine providence who preserved them so wonderfully from that ruine threatned in 1534 1535 and other times by stirring up their Rulers in a singular manner to watch against the pernicious issue of the liberty then too much indulged They have smarted deeply of late and are like to smart more yet God hath not done with them Neither is that liberty pretended such there in all parts as you would make us beleeve But if we should grant you all were it not a sad reasoning to argue from an externall accidentall prosperity to the good estate or well-doing of the persons Might you not as easily prove the excellency of the Mahometan Religion of the great Mogul or Tartarian Prince because of their great pomp and victorious success Do not the worst of men enjoy often most of the world being fattened for the slaughter Confusion and desolation are the genuine fruits of Libertinism promiscuously granted in Religious mattters as well as in Civil if it be for a while retarded it will but aggravate sinne and judgement Stoppage will be found no paiment at the last reckoning After the captious Queries answered we meet next with more insinuating Questions about the toleration of Quakers first generally expressed thus Whether imprisonment or other corporall punishment may be inflicted upon such as hold errors in Religion and whether that be the best way to prevent their increase and recover them Ans. This next Enquiry is it seems about the Quakers the most notorious Impostors that ever appeared whose principles and practises are sufficiently discovered as by their actings so by their multitudes of railing blasphemous Libels scattered daily in all parts What desperate mysteries of iniquity they drive on hath been abundantly demonstrated 1. By the recantations of divers of them 2. By the severall discoveries in every part of these Nations witness the Magistrates and Ministers in every County as you may see particularly in the many Books printed of that subject the summe of their Religion being Popery and Paganism yea Atheism refined is on design driven on by numerous Jesuites Friars and other Romish Engineers to make a distraction and party fit to serve their own ends that having lost our Truth and Peace we may be fitted for their will The many Jesuites and Friars that have been already
that juncture of affairs required It will be the joy of all Gods friends to see more of the like among us Their success mentioned so remarkably in the context will not be far from us whilst we keep close to God in their way But how farre are our Querists friends from following that good example Do they labour still to disgrace and discourage faithfull Magistrates and Ministers from promoting it Is it not their business day and night every where to obstruct and disturb it what they can If they seem of late to be grown more mild and reserved we may thank the care of such Magistrates who have given them cause to fear the deserved lash Their poyson is but refined by this change and made more taking Ans. 3. He answers again The Kings of Israel had extraordinary Prophets to direct them infallibly Our Kings and Governours have none such to direct them Reply We reply Though many of them had such yet even then the Standard of all Doctrine and Worship was the Law and the Testimony thereby all spirits and pretended Prophets were to be tried The like have we now in Gospel-daies even a more sure word of Prophesie a word surer than the greatest Revelations mentioned in that context of Peter a word sufficient every way to compleat the man of God in the knowledge and doing of his will This is our Doctrinal foundation our infallible Judge whereby all spirits and Doctrines are to be tried If any teach otherwise though he should be an Angel from heaven he is accursed We need then no infallible Prophets or Apostles seeing we have that sure word of theirs which the Spirit of Truth spoke and writ by them confirmed by their miracles and hath infallibly made the perfect rule of our faith and life all differing interpretations thereof may and must be reconciled by the light of that unerring spirit which is inseparable from his Word Though fallible men mistake often yet the sense of Christs Spirit in his Word is clear and sure still Though blind eyes see not at all and sore eyes see but dimly though blood-shot eyes will see amiss the light of that Sun is alwaies clear and sure Though some expressions may seem obscure yet the rest duly compared will sufficiently clear them Though the self-conceited and proud will wrest and mistake it yet the humble will God teach Though a corrupt mind will extract poyson as a spider out of flowers errour out of truth by poysoning it yet Christs Spirit will lead his people thereby into all Truth needfull for them to know Though the carnal heart will still be ignorant yet the teachable heart by that anointing from above will be taught all things gradually proportionably and seasonably so that he shall not need to be taught by any Sect master or Pharisaical Teacher or infallible Pope as too many have been and are still Though this Gospel be hid to them that perish whose eyes are blinded by sin and Satan yet is it plain to him that understands and is tractable in the School of Christ Though it may prove a savour of death to reprobate consciences yet is it still the sweet savour of Christ to his Disciples Though worldly spirits will slight and abuse the simplicity thereof yet spiritual hearts will admire and improve still the Majesty of it Though the perverse minde will account it a self-contradicting word yet the rational Christian will find it still most harmonious in its whole composure Though a vain soul will finde it to be a killing letter yet the wise heart will finde it experimentally to have a most quickning Spirit Though the superficial Reader will finde its shell and bark to be hard and knotty yet the studious Christian will tast the sweetness and tenderness of its kernell and marrow Though deluded Impostors will pervert it still to the taking off the Magistrate from his duty about the first Table yet the Lords servants shall finde every part thereof to be an eminent motive to quicken direct and enable all Superiours to the faithfull preserving and vindicating of it Ans. 4. He answers fourthly The Kings and Rulers of Israel did not imprison Schismaticks Pharisees Herodians Reply 1. The Law of God directed his servants then to dispense all censures in a way proportionable to the nature of the offence and condition of the offender which faithfull Magistrates observed as hundred instances might demonstrate The King to that end was commanded to have a Copy of the Law by him to direct him still daily Reply 2. As there were divers sorts of Hereticks which the Lords Word bound over to just penalties so was there variety of Schismaticks raised up by Satan to rend the Church as the Hereticks work was to poyson it for a just execution on the spirits of such as had not received the Truth in the love thereof that they might be saved God gave them up to strong delusions to beleeve lies as he doth daily Because they voluntarily separated from God and his Truth to give up themselves to the service of sinne and Satan he justly gave them up to a perverse spirit to break them into fractions and factions both in Church and State even as he doth now by sad experience Because they would not be separated from the evil of men he permitted them to follow those seducers that drove on their own interest by separating from good men Doth he not so still Because they wilfully chose heaps of Teachers self-called to serve their fansies and lusts God also chose their delusions to give them up to the efficaciousness of deceit Is it not so still Because they refused and abused the lights of his own setting up was it not just with him to leave them in darkness to abuse themselves and others even as it 's now Thus Gods refusals are still the devils choice and they that forsake his waies cannot escape the devils crooked paths Whilst Authority kept all in their places close to the Word and Waies of God Jerusalem the Metropolis of Church and State was a glorious and harmonious City But as fast as they declined in their zeal of Gods house towards worldly Politicks they ushered in as fast all sorts of discords and discontents Civil and Ecclesiastical Josephus their Historian and many others compared with Scripture Records will fully demonstrate this to the judicious Reader As before their Babylonian Captivity so after it they gradually lost Purity then Peace inclining still towards Errour and Discord Thence the direfull separations of Pharez and Sadock the Ringleaders of so many Myriads into Pharisaism and Sadducism followed close by the Monkish Essens and the Politick Herodians those State separatists The like befell the Christian Churches in the very Apostles daies and successively more and more The sinfull separations of the Novatians Acesians Donatists c. with
the multiplying Heresies and Blasphemies of that monstrous brood which swarmed every where made way for that grand Apostasie of the Roman Church and advanced that man of Sin into Christs Throne to make him and his the sons of perdition {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Was not the like course revived by Satan ever since the Reformation was revived by Christ formerly and lately Our wofull experience will give a sad though clear answer thereto Is it not high time then for all Superiours and others to hearken to Christs voice speaking from heaven to us as he did to languishing Ephesus Remember we now before it be too late whence we are fallen and repent lest our Candlestick be removed suddenly If our complexion be still Laodicean what is our condition like to prove but like to theirs They were overthrown with an Earthquake that despised Christs warning if the quakings of Church and State prognosticating the like now effect not our overthrow the treasures of Divine grace will be the more magnified Obj. 3. The Querist objects again to himself Then every one may live as he lists Ans. He answers Had he not as good live as he lists as live as you list Reply Mans List is not his Rule but Gods revealed Will in his Word of Scripture By that measuring line of the Sanctuary all men and all their actions are to be measured That is the perfect Copy that Gods people in all ages have learned to write after That 's the ballance of the Sanctuary that must weigh us all That 's the Touchstone that will try our Alloy By that Standard godly Magistrates have been in all ages taught to govern happily in promoting good and punishing evil So farre as they keep close to that Rule all their commands are to be obeyed for conscience sake in matters of Religion as of Morality That 's the bridle of evil and the spur to all good Libertines therefore in all ages have shewed most spight against it by reproaches and gross abuses thereof The Roman Antichrist to set up his own Traditional List blasphemes it many waies charging it with imperfection obscurity defects insufficiency and corruption The Quaking Libertines their bastard brood hath done what they could to defame deface and destroy it At their first stirring they wholly denied the need and use thereof But because they lost credit thereby on a sudden in all places they agreed upon the owning of it at least verbally that they might the better abuse it and others by it That sudden change observed by the Judicious so unanimously carried on in all parts may discover much of that strong design which is so notably fomented if not begun among them by the Pontifician brats Now that in words they profess to own the Scripture how deal they with it Just as the Romanists that give it as little credit as they can Both Originals Hebrew and Greek must be slighted and slandered as corrupt the Vulgar Translation exalted above them Then there is no absolute need of it they can live well enough without it by Traditional and Enthusiastical help Then it must have a Competitor the Popes infallible Chair or the Councils determination and the Quakers Oracle written or verbal Then it must be wrested to patronize their grossest and wildest extravagancies No blasphemy so horrid no Ceremony so ridiculous no Doctrine so vile but a Scriptural varnish must be got to set it out But what 's the end of all That man may not be taught or ruled as God lists but as they list Thence such specious Pleas against the need and use of the Ministerial Function under many taking pretences That Gods Will may be determined by every ones list Thence such reasonings with plausible Sophisms against the Magistrates power in Religious matters that they may be taken off from attending the Lords Will therein Thence also such painted Arguments drawn from the very dregs of Pelagianism revived by Popery and Arminianism for the sufficiency of the light within that all things at last may be brought to their list Obj. The Querist again Objects to himself Then it seems Errours may be suffered Ans. He answers If truth may be suffered also it will prevail against Errours It 's no more in your power to binder Errours than it was in the Prelates to hinder preaching speaking and writing against them If you can hinder Satans suggestions and the vain imaginations of their hearts and expell the darkness in men and place light in stead thereof and hinder men from speaking to each other then you can suppress Errour else not The Lord alone by the mighty power of his Spirit with his Word can suppress Errours and we beleeve he will certainly do it in his time to his glory and the comfort of his people Amen Reply This is the upshot of our Querists attempt in this Serpentine way of ambiguous Queries pleasingly dressed for the stomack of this Libertine age for answer whereto we grant That truth will indeed prevail against errours as surely as God the Author thereof is sure to prevail against Satan the father of errours Truth will seasonably prevail whether suffered or opposed it being still like to the Palm tree that will not be suppressed though much oppressed But is suffering of errours a good way to that end Is the Patronage of lies a friendly help to Truth when Truth doth rife it will be with the fall and ruinous shame of all its oppressors wherein neutral spirits will finde little comfort and as little excuse Are not errours the diseases of mens souls and is there no way to cure them but by letting them alone Your instance from the Prelates is to little purpose unless you intend to plead their cause or can demonstrate the case in hand to be like theirs It 's not our work to revive now that Controversie which so many able pens have sufficiently cleared from mistakes Their Persons we leave for account to their only Judge Their Ministerial Office though corrupted many waies we can own so farre as therein they owned Gods institution whilst we sever from it all humane inventions and corruptions Their Lordly Pomp and Tyrannical carriage we heartily renounce hoping that all good men among them have done the like Their usurped Jurisdiction and self advancing Authority above their Brethren of the Ministry we also finde in Scripture Reason and Antiquity sufficient cause to disclaim The many endeavours of many among them to obstruct the Truth and abuse her friends we suppose to have been one chief means of hastning their ruine Too many of them shewed too much compliance if not cordial friendship to the Popish Arminian errours which are now put into a more fashionable garb by our Notionists Seekers and Quakers As then the friends of Truth prevailed at last though after much â—…ugging against that Van-Guard of the Romish Camp the good hand of heaven
Cornet Cock Humphrey Norton and William Ames Barbary Blaydon and Sarah Bennet with divers others of that Gang have been so extreamly troublesome that our Governor was forced to take the best course he could for their conviction and others safety I my self had spent divers hours at divers seasons with the chief of them and perused their Papers and Books full of absurd and vile Notions No means attempted could do them any good Their sugard stuffe was easily swallowed down by such whose mind was seeking still where to settle their Circean cup pleased distempered Palats To take of the zeal off our Rulers if they could the aforesaid Queries were secretly dispersed here the perusal where of stirred up my Spirit to the detecting of that cheat I had also thought to have answered the Quakers Queries sent me before which they importunately pressed in to their usual Rhetorick having an eye to that of the Wise man of answering a fool effectually though not in his way But finding the said Queries to be the very same in substance if not verbatim which as a common Babble they had formerly been sent to Mr Eaton Mr Baxter Mr Farmer and others by their consorts already fully answered I desisted not willing to mispend so much precious time The multiplicious Work whereto I am necessitated in this City by my Ministerial Call affords me not many hours of respite and may sufficiently Apologize for any defect in this book whether for matter method or expression yet could not my heart rest till it had breathed forth its oppressing troubles in this weak manner that all such who own the Lords honor and the Publike Weal might have this warning to awaken The noise of a few despised creatures were once instrumental to the saving of a famous State by saving their Capitol The sounding of Rams horns by Gods appointment was instrumentally blessed from above to the pulling down of Jericho's Walls Maximus Deus et in minimis A weak crooked tool in the Lords hand may serve his turn for the greatest work at his pleasere If either by this or any thing else any benefit accrew to Christs friends let him have the Glory and forget not in thy best Addresses him whom the Lord hath made in any degree serviceable to thy good It 's his hearts desire to be made faithful to God and his people that he may spend and be spent aâ—ight in the finishing of his course with joy That Christ may be All in All things to thee is his longing desire and shall be still his constant prayer Decemb. 30. 1656. Μόνῳ σόφῷ θεῷ διὰ Ιησου χÏιστου ἡ δόξα εἰσ τοὺσ αἰῶνας Ἀμὴν FINIS Isa. 49. 23. Psal. 82. 1. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 82 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Psal. 47. 9. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Ezra 1. Ezra 2. c. Hag. 1. Zech. 1. Zech. 3. Zech. 4. 10. Rev. 13. 1 7 8. Rev. 13. 11 12. Rev. 11. Jer. 3. 14 15. Jer. 30. 21. Sisidan Comment. Bullinger Cloppenburg Guy de Bres 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4. Psal. 106. 13. Numb. 16. 3 4 16. 25. Psal. 106. 19 20 28 29. Numb. 16. 32 Psal. 106. 17. Numb. 16. 35. Psal. 106. 18. Psal. 106. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 6 11 Joh. 1. 14 16. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Ephes. 1. 23. 1 Sam. 2. 30. Exod. 19. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Pet. 2. 9. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Chro. 15. 2. Hag. 2. 6 7 8. Ezek. 21. 27. Heb. 1â— 26 27 28 29. Jer. 10. 7. Revel. 15. 4. Exod. 17. 11 12. Besides the Greek and Latine Fathers See Bullinger Paraeus Calvin Beza Tossanus Marlorat Muscul. Snecan c. Mr Tho. Cobbet of N E 1653. Eph. 4. 1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 16. 17 18. Jud. 19. 2 King 17. 2 Thess. 2. 2 Tim. 4. Dan. 11. 36 37 38. Rev. 18. 4. Zech. 8. 16 19. There were also some mixt Types in morall things which were occasionally Representers of Evangelicall substance as Davids and Salomons acts of Justice Piety and authoritatively done which having a Morall ground Rule and end are still to be imitated in the like case as the Scripture clears both in first and second Table as Psal. 69. 9. with Joh. 2. 17. Ephes. 6. 1 2 3. compared with Exod. 20. Gen. 18. 18 19 c. Guildas Dr Ushers Brittish Antiquit. Nath. Bacons Hist. of Engl. Govern Bedae Histor. Matth. Westm. Matth. Paris Engl. Histor. Fox Monum. Concil. Tom. Morn. Myster. Iniquit Magdeburg Centur. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Plutarc Riligio propugnaculum potestatis legnm honesta disciplinae vinculum Plato humanae societatis fundamentum Religio Cicer. Heu primae scelerum causae mortalibus a gris naturam nescire Dei Silius Italic Clem. Alexand. Stromat * J. Parisions Victoria Widrington Judg. 17. 6. Judg. 21. 25. 1 Cor. 9. 21. Hi dà libertà à mala conscientia da licentia a l'humo furioso è pestilente Axiom Italic Mark 10. 5. When David was forced to suspend the punishment of Joabs and Abishai's murther all his life it was because the sons of Serviah were too strong for him as they often prove too hard for good men and good Laws 1 Tim. 5. 22. 1 King 11. 1 Tim. 1. 9. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Veritas Index ac Judex sui obliqui Act. 17. 11. 1 Joh. 4. 1. Isa. 8. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. Rom. 14. 19 20 21 â—2 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Rom. 13. 5 6. Rom. 13. Circa res Ecclesiasticas {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Euseb. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 13. 1 3 4 5 6. Gal. 5. 20. 2 Joh. 11. Tit. 3. 10. Rom 13. 4. Anno 330. Anno 383. Anno 440. Anno 454. Concil. Tom. Euseb. Chron. Socrat. Zonar Myster. Iniquit Morn Isa. 60. 3 10 11. Isa. 62. 2. Rev. 11. 15. Dan. 3. 29. Dan. 4. 36. Ezra 6. 7. Ezra 7. Nehem. 1. Jer. 29. 21. Socrat. lib. 2. c. 22. Joseph de bell Judaic. Eresbach hist. Annal. Sleidan Bullinger Melancthon Luther Bledisk c. Calvin contr. Libert. Beza de haeret pun Junius c. Sleidan Comm. Hornebeck de haeretic Guy de Bres contre les Anab. Cloppenburg Gan. Anabapt. Spanhem disput. contr. Anabapt. Bulling adv. Anab. Bledskin Hist. David Georg. Apocalyps Haeref arch. c. Fiat Justitia ruat Caelum aut pereat mundus Ferdinan See Engl. Hist. Camden Elizab. See their Letters Courtiers and Councils in severall books abroad pictured out to the life out of their own papers and bosom Favorites Parliaments remonstr. Roâ—…es Master-piece Popish favorite Cabala Scrinia sacra Motus Britaun Engl. Histor. The Romish superstitions stirred then apace as you may see in Clav. Apocalyp by a Germ Author Rev. 12. 14. Med. Clav. apocalypt. Brightman c. Myster. Iniquit Morn Carion Chron. Then was Rome taken many