judge the other in spirituall matters if the Magistrate then he is above the Church and so the head of the Church and he hath his power from the People to govern the Church whether it will not follow that the People as a People have originally as men a power to governe the Church to see her do her duty to reform correct her and so the Spouse of Christ the wife of Christ must be corrected according to the pleasure of the world who lye in wickednesse 1 Iohn 5. What power a Church hath over a Magistrate if he be a Member of the Church if members they may be excommunicated if so discerning Reason 1. Because Magistrates must be subject to Christ but Christ censures all offendors 1 Cor. 5. 4 5. 2. Every brother must be subject to Christs censure Mat. 18. 15 16 17. but Magistrates are Brethren Deut. 17. 15. 3. They may censure all within the Church 1 Cor. 5. 12. 4. The Church hath a charge of all the souls of the Church and must give account of it Heb. 13. 17. 5. Christs censures are for the good of soules 1 Cor. 5. 6. but Magistrates must not be denied any priviledge for their soules else they by being Magistrates should lose a priviledge of Christs 6. In which priviledges Christians are all one Gal. 2. 28. Col. 3. 11. Sins of Magistrates are hatefull and condemned Esay 10. 1. Mich. 3. 1. It s a Paradox that a Magistrate may be punished by the Church and yet that they are Judges of the Church 50 Whether every man upon that Religion which in his conscience he is perswaded is true whether he doth not upon the truth thereof venter his soule If that Religion the Magistrate be perswaded be true he owes a three-fold duty First Approbation Esa 49. Rev. 21. with a tender respect to the truth and the Professors of it Secondly Personall submission of his soule to the power of Jesus his government Matth. 18. 1 Cor. 5. Thirdly protection of them and their estates from violence and injury Rom. 13. to a false Religion he owes 1. Permission for approbation he owes not to what is evill as Mat. 13. 30. for publike peace and quietnesse 2. Protection of the Persons of his subjects though of a false worship that no injury be offered to the persons or goods of any Rom. 13. Object The Kings of Inda compelled men to serve the Lord ergo Kings may now compell c. Answ They who lived under the Jewish worship only were compelled strangers were not Secondly they were not compelled to any thing but what they knew and confessed was their duty 2 Chron. 16. 12 13 14 15. Thirdly if they did compell their actions were not morall to obliege other Kings to doe so May not the Prelates by the same reason alleadge the Order of the Priest-hood for their Episcopacy as you for the Kingly Fourthly the Kings of Israel did not imprison Schismatikes Pharices Herodians c. Fifthly the Kings of Israel had extraordinary profits to direct them what to do infallibly these Kings have none such to direct them Sixthly If the Law be morall where is it set down in Christs Testament which is to be our Rule that the Magistrate shall compell all to his Religion for to another he will not Object Then every man may live as he list Answ Had not he as good live as he list as live as you list Object Then it seemes errours may be suffered Answ If truth may be suffered also it will prevaile against Errors It s no more in their power to hinder Errors then it was in the power of the Prelates to hinder mens preaching writing and speaking against them If you can hinder Sathans suggestions and the vain imaginations of mens hearts and expell the darknesse in men and place light in stead thereof and hinder men from speaking each to other then you can suppresse erors else not the Lord only can surprise Errors by the mighty power of his spirit with his word and we believe he will certainly do it in his time to his glory and the comfort of his people amen One thing more I desire to know why the Priests of England asume to themselves the title of a Divine is it because they are exercised in Divine truths or because they pertake of the Divine nature or both if so then many Tradesmen may as well have the title of Divine given them as well as they because they pertake of the Divine nature and are as much exercised in matters Divine as the most of them but it is a question to me whether the title Divine is to be given to any man but only to God alone whose being is onely Divine FINIS Cor. 1. 9.
CERTAIN QUESTIONS PROPOUNDED To the ASSEMBLY to answer by the Scriptures whether corporall punishments may be inflicted upon such as hold Errours in Religion 1. that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the Beast or the number of his name Rev. 13. 17. See Rev. 14. 8 9 10. 2 Ye are bought with a price be not the servants of men 1 Cor. 7. 23. 3. Ye suffer fooles gladly 2 Cor. 11. 19. and yet I may not be suffered By S. R. LONDON Printed Anno Dom. 1646. To the impartiall READER IF in this life only we had hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable for almost every man thinkes himself most happy that can doe us the most mischiefe so that scarce any place can hardly be found in which we can be let alone notwithstanding we eat our own bread and wear our own cloathing to say no more live quietly do no man wrong We are dayly unjustly accused and lyable to be stripped of outward comforts because we will not believe and practise that which is in our understandings a lye And is it not strange that some dare affirme that to be truth and would have others compelled to believe it notwithstanding they cannot read it unto us out of the holy Scriptures Neither can they prove themselves to be our spiritual masters If they can we are content to be their spiritual servants and believe and practice what and how much of any Religion they please to appoint But untill they can prove to us to have such power it will be to no purpose for theÌ„ to appoint us what to believe c. that that which is truth may more clearly appear I desire they would give a plain and full answer to these Questions I have propounded according to the Scriptures That so if we be mistaken we trust we shall be glad to see it and embrace it c. Certaine QUESTIONS propounded to the SYNOD QUEST 1. VVHether corporall punishments can open blind eyes and give light to dark understandings 2 Whether carnall punishments can produce any more then a carnall repentance and obedience 3 Whether the destroying of mens bodies for errors be not a means to prevent their conversion seeing some are not called untill the eleventh houre and if they should bee cut off for their errors the seventh houre how should they have come in Mat. 20 6. 4 Whether those who would force other mens consciences be willing to have their own forced 5 Whether it be wisdome and safe to make such sole Judges in matteâ—s of Religion who are not infallible but as liable to erre as others 6 If a a Father or Magistrate have not power to force a virgin to marry one shee cannot love whether they have power to force one where they cannot believe against the light and checks of their own consciences 7 Whether the Scripture makes the Magistrate Judge of our faith 8 If the Magistrate may determine what is truth whether we must not beleeve and live by the Magistrotes faith and change our Religion at their pleasures And if nothing must bee preached nor no bookes of Religion printed nor be allowed to passe unlesse certain men may please to approve and give their allowance thereto under their hands whether such do not by this practice tell God that unlesse hee will reveale his truth fitst to them they will not suffer it to be published so not known to be even with him notwithstanding the Magistrate may and ought to hinder the printing and publishing of that which shall be against the safety and welfare of the State But we must distinguish between matters civill and religious wee question their power in the latter Also whether the Licencer setting his hand to the book to licence it he being a Priest by his ordination and from the Pope be not the mark of the Beast spoken of Revel. 13. 17 And whether all such as have gone to them to licence the truth ought not to repent of it and do so no more Also whether these men be fit to be Licencers of the truth who when the truth hath been tendered them to be licensed they have confessed the truth of it as they have been free to licence it but refused because they durst not And whether it can be made appeare that God hath revealed his truth first to these Ministers of England and so the first spreaders of it Instance who opposed the Prelats the Ministers or the people first And so of the rest 9 Whether it be not the command of Christ that the tares those that walk in lies and the wheat those that walk in the truth should be let alone and the blind led in a false Religion which are offended at the declaring of the truth should be let alone Mat. 13. 30. 38. Mat. 15. 14 10 Whether hee was not reproved that would have fire from heaven to devoure those that reject Christ Luke 9. 54 55. 11 Whether the servants of the Lord are not forbidden to strive but to be gentle towards all 2 Tim. 4. 2. 12 Whether the Saints weapons against errors be carnall or no 2 Cor. 10. 4. 13 Whether it was not Christs command that his Disciples when they were persecuted they should pray and if cursed blesse 14 Whether the Scriptures declare that the Saints should persecute others and whether the gentle lambs of Christ can serve the Wolves so seeing hee sent his as sheep among wolves and not as wolves among sheep to kill and imprison Matth. 10. 16. 15 Whether Christ hath said He will have an unwilling people compelled to serve him 16 Whether ever God did plant his Church by violence and blood-shed 17 Whether tares may not become wheat and the blind see and those that now oppose and resist Christ afterwards receive him and he that is now in the Divels snare may get out and come to repentance and such as are Idolaters as the Corinthians were may become true worshippers as they that are strangers may become Gods people 18 Whether to convert an heretick and to cast out unclean spirits be done any other way then by the finger of God by the mighty power of the Spirit in the word 19 Whether he that is not conformable to Christ may not at the same time bee a good subject to the State and as profitable to it as any 20 Whether men that differ in Religion may not be tollerated seeing Abraham abode among the Canaanites along time yet contrary to them in religion Genes 13. 7. 16. 13. and he sojourned in Gezer and King Abimelâ—ch gave him leave to abide in his land Gen. 20. 21. 23. 24. And Isaac dwelt in the same land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 31. The people of Israel were about 430. yeares in Egypt and afterwards in Babylon all which time they differed in Religion from the State Exod. 12. 2 Chron. 36. Christ and his Disciples differed from the
common religion of the State Acts 19. 20. and when the enemies of the truth raised up any tumults the wisdom of the Magistrate most wisely appeased them Acts 18. 14. 19. 15. 21 Wether it be not better for us that a patent were granted to monopolize all the corne and cloath and to have it measured out unto us at their price and pleasure which yet were intollerable as for some men to appoint and measure out unto us what and how much we shall beleeve and practice in matters of religion 22. Whether there be not the same reason that they should bee appointed by us what they shall believe and practice in religion as for them to doe so to us seeing we can give as good grounds for what wee beleeve and practice as they can doe for what they would have if not better 23 Whether men heretofore have not in zeale for religion persecuted the Son of God in stead of the son of perdition 24 Whether it is not a burden great enough for the Magistrate to govern and judge in civill causes to preserve the subjects rights peace and safety 25 If the Magistrate must judge and punish in matters of religion the Magistrate must ever be troubled with such persons and such causes if after his conscience be convinced he had no such power or see that it was truth hee punished what horrors of conscience is he like to possesse 26 Whether hee is fit to appoint punishments that is not fit to judge 27 If the Magistrate must punish errors in religion whether it doth not impose a necessity that the Magistrate is to have a certainty of knowledge in all intricate cases and whether God calls such to that place whom he hath not furnished with abilities for that place And if a Magistrate bee in darknesse and spiritually blind and dead bee fit to judge of light of truth and error and whether such be fit for the place of the Magistracy then whether it be not a scruple to a tender conscience to submit to such in civill causes because not appointed to that place by God whereas if the Magistrates power be onely civill the doubt is resolved because such as may be fit for Magistrates and men ought in conscience in civil things to submit unto them 28 Whether there bee any Scripture that saith that any mans conscience is to be constrained and whether the Magistrate can reach mens consciences and whether he be fit to make a law to conscience who cannot know when conscience keeps it and that cannot reward conscience for keeping it nor punish the conscience for the breaking of it 29 Whether it be not in vain for us to have Bibles in English if against our souls perswasions from the Scriptures we must beleeve as the Church beleeves 30 Whether the Magistrate be not wronged to give him the Title of Civill Magistrate onely if his power be spirituall 31 Whether lawes made meerly concerning spirituall things be not spirituall also 32 Whether if no civill law be broken the civil peace be hurt or no 33 Whether in compulsion for conscience not onely the guilty but the innocent suffer also As if the husband be an heretick his sufferings may cause the innocent wife and children shall suffer as deeply also 34 Whether such as are spiritually dead be capable to be spiritually infected 35 Whether God will accept of a painted Sepulcher a shadow a meere complement of obedience when the heart is dead and rotten and hates God and all that is good God hath no need of hypocrites much lesse of forced ones God will have those to worship him as can worship him in spirit and truth John 4. 36 Whether the Scriptures appoint any other punishment to be inflicted upon Heretickes then rejection and excommunication Tit. 3. 10. 37 Whether freedome of conscience would not joyn all sorts of persons to the Magistrate because each shared in the benefit 38 Whether those States as the Low-Countries who grant such liberty do not live quietly and flourish in great prosperity 39 Whether persecution for Conscience doe not harden men in their way and make them cry out of oppression and tyranny 40 Whether some Corporall punishments would not make thousands in England face about to Popery as it did in Queen Maries time 41 Whether lawes made concerning religion have not alwayes catched the most holy men witnesse Daniel and the three children the rest will be of what religion you will 42 Whether the Saints crave the help of the powers of this world to bring Christ to them or feare their powers to keep him from them 43 If no Religion is to be practised but that which the Common-wealth shall approve on what if they will approve of no Religion shal men have no Religion at all 44 Whether the Saints ought not to continue their Assemblies of their worship of God without or against the consent of the Magistrates they being commanded to do so Mal. 28. 18 19 20. Heb. 10. 25. By an Angel from God Acts 5. 20. It was the Apostles practice who were not rebellious nor seditious Act. 4. 18 19 20 23. and 5. 22 28. 45 Whether Vniformity in Religion in the State do not oppresse millions of soules and impoverish the Saints bodies 46 Whether Gods people have not disputed and taught a Religion new and worship contrary to the State they lived in and spread it in travelling and open places as appears Act. 17. 2. 17. and 18. 48. yet no origancy and impetuousnesse Yea contrary to publike authority in the Nations Vniformity in false worship Dan. 3. the three children so the Apostle Act. 4 5. The Saints have opēly witnessed that in matters spirituall Jesus was King Act. 17 7. and for this Christ suffered as appeares by his accusation Iohn 9. 19. Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews Psal. 2. 6. Act. 2. 36. Gods People have seemed the disturbers of the civill State upon the Apostles preaching there followed uprores and Tumults and uprores at Iconium at Ephesus at Ierusalem Act. 14. 4. Act. 19. 29 40 Act. 21 30 31. 47 Whether Jesus Christ appointed any materiall Prisons for Blasphemers of him Whether notwithstanding the confidence of the truth they have to which they would force others whether the Bishops their Fathers c. have not been as deeply mistaken for now they are found to be Antichristian 48 Whether it be not a natural Law for every man that liveth to worship that wch he thinketh is God as he thinketh he ought to worship and to force otherwise will be concluded an oppression of those persons so forced Whether it be best for us to put out our eyes and see by the eyes of others who are as dim-sighted In my judgment your judgment is a lye will ye compell me to believe a lye compell ye a man to be present at a worship which he loaths 49 Either the Civill or the Spiritual State must be supream which of these must