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spirit_n	john_n	truth_n	worship_v	7,049	5	9.1128	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A83437	The casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Or, A treatise against toleration and pretended liberty of conscience: wherein by Scripture, sound reason, fathers, schoolmen, casuists, Protestant divines of all nations, confessions of faith of the Reformed Churches, ecclesiastical histories, and constant practice of the most pious and wisest emperours, princes, states, the best writers of politicks, the experience of all ages; yea, by divers principles, testimonies and proceedings of sectaries themselves, as Donatists, Anabaptists, Brownists, Independents, the unlawfulnesse and mischeif [sic] in Christian commonwealths and kingdoms both of a vniversal toleration of all religions and consciences, and of a limited and bounded of some sects only, are clearly proved and demonstrated, with all the materiall grounds and reasons brought for such tolerations fully answered. / By Thomas Edvvards, Minister of the Gospel. The first part.; Casting down of the last and strongest hold of Satan. Part 1	Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.	1647 (1647)	Wing E225; Thomason E394_6; ESTC R201621	211,214	231

learned men well setled in the faith may understand and beleeve certainly and not be led away with their error to fall from their stedfastnesse as that place in 2 Pet. 3. 16 17. implies That Controversie in Acts 15. about keeping the Law of Moses and circumcision was hard and difficult considering that time and state of the Church as appeares by many passages in that chapter and yet from the Scriptures by the means of a Synod after much disputation and debate the truth was certainly resolved on and so received by the Churches who when they heard it rejoyced in it Asts 15. 21. Secondly The Spirit of God in and by the Scriptures doth infallibly and certainly assure and perswade the heart of the truth of the Doctrines of faith t is a good saying of Luther The holy Spirit is no Sceptick neither doth it write doubts or opinions in our hearts but assertions more certaine and firme then life it selfe and all experience The illumination inward Teaching and Perswasion of the Spirit certainly assures us of the truth of the Doctrines of faith John 16. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. 1 Ioh. 2. 20 27. 1 John 5. 6. The Spirit of truth guides into all truth It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse because the Spirit is truth which Spirit as it seals and confirmes in our consciences the truth of all the Doctrines of faith and salvation so also it certainly perswades us those Books to be Canonicall from whence all those Doctrines of faith are drawn But concerning these points of the Scriptures being the infallible inflexible Rule and the Spirit of God speaking in and by the Scripture being the supreme infallible Iudge in Controversies of Religion and of the Plerophorie wrought in the minds of the faithfull concerning the Scriptures and the Doctrines of faith therein contained by the illumination and inward perswasion of the Spirit and that every mans private Spirit is not thereby made the Iudge of Controversies I referre the Reader for full satisfaction to the learned writings of Whitaker against the Papists upon that Controversie of the Scriptures De Scripturae Authoritate perspicuitate Interpretatione of Rivet in his Catholicus Orthodoxus first Tract Question 8. 17. and his Isagoge ad sacram Scripturam cap. 19. 20 21. of Davenant De Judice ac norma Fidei cap. 13. 30 32 33. and Cameron de ecclesiae constantia in retinenda veritate 291. 292. 3. Besides the certaintie and Infallibilitie by the Scriptures and the Spirit of God there is a certaintie in points of Religion even points controverted for Christian Magistrates to attaine unto by means of the Ministerie of the word in the preaching of Pastors and the Advice and resolutions of Synods and Councels for next after the absolute supreme judgement of the Scriptures and the Spirit in questions of faith God hath appointed a publick Ministeriall judgement of Pastors and Synods who have a delegated power from the supreme Iudge that what the Law hath defined in general they should according to the rule of the Law apply to particular cases Controversies and Persons Now however these Ministeriall Iudges are subject to error and mistake Synods and Councels may erre as the most earned Protestants hold against the Papists yet for all that they may certainly and infallibly judge in matters of faith yea and have A man may certainly know some things and yet not be infallible in all things A Physition is not infallible in judging of the nature of all drugs herbes c yet he may certainly know the nature of some drugs and that such a thing is ranck poison of which the Reader may find more in the Vindication of the Ordinance against Heresie Blasphemie c to which Hagiomastix answers never a word in his pretended Answer T is one thing to be subject to error posse errare and another thing actually to erre de facto errare it followes not because Ministers and Synods may erre that therefore in all particular Articles of faith propounded by them they do erre T is a knowne Axiome in the Schooles Aposse ad esse non valet consequentia And therefore Ministers and Synods in their Interpretations and Decisions going according to the word of God which is infallible judge infallibly and may be said to be infallible in their determinations in those points Hee that is directed by an infallible truth in his determinations he determines infallibly although he be a man of a fallible judgement Thus many Orthodox Councels and Synods in great Controversies and maine points of faith have determined the truth certainly and infallibly and so propounded them to the Churches to be certainly beleeved not that they thought their judgement to be infallible but that they knew the word of God according to which they judged to be infallible Doctor Davenant in his learned Tractate de judice ac norma Fidei in answering the Arguments of the Papists that General Councels cannot err and among others this that if all Generall Councels can err then it certainly followes that all Councels have admitted intolerable error answers T is one thing posse errare another thing de facto errare every particular Pastor mayerre as also every particular Councell yet therefore they doe not admit intolerable error as often as they propound to the People that which is drawn from the word of God where he further showes how a man may be said to judge infallibly that yet is fallible and for conclusion of this I desire the Reader to observe two things First that Synods and Councels however in themselves fallible and subject to erre yet being Lawfull quoad id quod requiritur intrinsecus and going according to the Scripture their results and determinations are from the holy Ghost and so infallibly and certainly true as that of Acts 15. 28. demonstrates It seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us which words a Synod having like cleare evidence of Scripture may without presumption use as well as that Councell at Jerusalem did for proofe of which kind of infallibilitie besides what I have already said p. 140 141 of this Booke I shal adde the judgement of learned Whittaker upon the words Other Lawful Councels may in like manner lassert their Decrees to be the Decrees of the holy Ghost if they shall be like to this Councel and shall keep the same rule which in this Councell the Apostles did keep and follow For if they shall decree and determine nothing but from Scripture which was done in this Councell and if they shall examine all Questions by the Scriptures and shall follow the voice of the Scriptures in all their Decrees then they may assert that the holy Ghost so decreed of learned Cameron in his Tractate De Infallibilitate Ecclesiae We doe easily grant Lawfull Councels Lawfull in respect of what is inwardly required in them that is Councels truely gathered together without all fallacie and deceit

men that were put to the sword the Seducers and the Ringleaders he burned the Calfe ground it to pouder strowed it upon the water and made the children of Israel drink of it causing the Idol to passe from them among their excrements So 2 Chron. 15. 13. They that would not seek the Lord God of Israel whether small or great the little ones who could not be in●i●ers of Idolatry were to be punished Deut. 13. When one of the Cities of Israel was withdrawn to serve other gods then the inhabitants of the City the children as well as the grown men who could not withdraw from God were to be smitten And we shall finde it all along in the Book of the Kings and Chronicles among the Idolaters and false worshippers that there 's no such distinction made but some of whom no such thing expressed are removed and punished as those who may be supposed were inticers to Idolatry Fourthly As for that the Kings of Judah Asa Iosia c. never punished Pharisees Herodians or any other Sect in the profession of the Jewish Religion the reason is manifest because there was none such till many hundred of yeeres after these Kings for these Sects of Pharisees c. began very late not long before the coming of Christ and as for Herodian● they sprung up after Herod was King which showes the great ignorance of M. S. speaking as if there had beene Herodians in the dayes of Asa H●z●kiah c. but by the way if M. S. ●lias Cretinsis can prove there were such in the dayes of those good Kings I will undertake to prove that they used their co●rcive power towards them as well as towards Idola●ers and ●ndeed 't is evident by many passages that all kind of corruption and declination from the way of God was the object of Josiah● and other Magistrates Reformation and had there beene Sadduces Herodians c. viz. men that had held those Errors and wayes in those Kings times they could not have escaped their hands and this is thus proved because the high places not of Idolatry but of will-worship where they sacrificed to the Lord only as t is 2 Chron 33. 17. were put down and the worshippers and Priests suppressed and those good Kings who did not are upon record blamed which kind of worshipping was not so bad as the Herodians and Sadduces who held Herod for the Messias and denied Angels and Spirits and that I may come up yet more close to M. S. objection who saith nothing was done against Sectaries or Scismaticks I conceive they were to the Church of the Jewes as Sectaries and Scismaticks are now and their worship a Scisme worshipping the true God in a separated way apart from the publike place and Assemblies of Gods people as our Sectaries do now Fifthly the true reasons why when the Herodians Sadduces c. sprung up among the Jewes they were not suppressed not punished First in regard Religion was then mightily corrupted all things were out of order the Church of the Jewes did then hasten to their destruction and so no wonder if Heresies and false Doctrines were suffered in such a State as well as other things Secondly the Jewes were not then a free people neither had they the Civill power absolutely in their hands they had no truly Iewish King who cared for those things but Herod the Idumean and the High Priest then could do nothing Thirdly God permitted Iury to abound with diversity of Sects in the dayes of Herod as the Sadduces Essenes the Pharisees the Herodians because he had a purpose to destroy the Iewish Common-wealth and to bring all into subjection to Christ and the Toleration of divers Religions among them was the forerunner and preparer of the way for the ruine of the Iewish State as it hath beene of many States 6ly supposing the Kings of Iuda● and Israel de facto had never exercised any coercive power on any other objects but Idolaters and Idolatry and that all the commands in the Old Testament given to the Iewish Magistrates had beene in the letter of the text onely against Idolaters and Idolatry which is not true yet by vertue of those very commands and examples Magistrates might exercise a coercive power against evills of the like kind though not in the letter specified and the reason is this because the commands of God and the examples of good men accordingly recorded in Scripture might in the letter at least for the generality be expressed only against those evills and that kind and sort of them which were most in use in that age and time when they were given and yet other kinds of those sins or other sinnes as bad or worse which should arise afterwards were by just Analogie common equity by a Synecdoche usuall in such commands forbidden also As for example the second Commandement forbids only in the letter and by name graven Image and the likenesse of any thing and yet in that command all mediums of worships invented by men though not graven Images nor likenesse are forbidden under the title of graven Images and likenesse and that by a Synecdoche common in the Decalogue which because in those times of Moses they were the chiefe inventions of m●n corrupting the worship of God they are fitly put in the place of all humane inventions brought into the worship of God of which the Reader may finde more in Doctor Ames Medul Theolog. 2. Booke 13. chap. De Cultu Instituto So because Idolatry and Idolatry with Apostafie to serve strange Gods the Gods of those Nations whom God had cast out of the Land of Canaan there being many Cananites c. among them were the corruptions the Israelites were most in danger of the Idolatries most in use in those times and by the Nations round about them when they should come to Canaan as is evident by many places of Deutr. and the false Prophets and Seducers then went most about to seduce men in that way therefore God in the letter as it was most needfull spoke by name against such Prophets and such Idolatry as were most stirring in those times under which commands are forbidden by a Synecdoche and by Analogie other depravations of Gods worship and name that might arise in after ages for by the rules of Interpretation of Scripture given by Divines where a thing is forbid there all of that nature and sort are forbidden also as for example greater sinnes of that kinde then those expressed in the letter must needs be forbidden and so lesser also Now certainly where God hath given a command to Magistrates in the letter to punish such offences if his subjects commit greater and higher against God and his worship by the equity of this command he is to punish them if none in the letter for those as if there had been no command but against Idolatry of such Nations yet worshipping the Devill offering up children to Moloch blaspheming God and his worship with

not cause to say Lord let any burthen of the Ceremoniall Law be laid upon our necks rather then this Thirdly unto the end of Christian Religion and the knowledge of it as it is written in the Scriptures particularly of the new Testament which is that Christians may have consolation and hope in life and death Rom. 15. 4. 1 Epist John 1. 4. Now there can be no solid comfort without certaintie and assurance of the truth of the thing in it felse at least which wee professe but in doubts fears uncertainties the soule must needs be in perplexities anxieties as upon the rack Feare hath torment 1 Iohn 4. 18. But Secondly the infallibilitie and certaintie under the old Testament by Vrim and Thummim of the Priest so much spoken of and magnified by Hagiomastix above that under the new was as much liable to questioning and doubts by cavilling and contentious Spirits as the way under the new and many exceptions might be made and Controversies to arise whether those who were to give sentence in cases of Religion upon the Answer by Vrim did according as they received it from God or according to their own corrupt affection and interest which considering what many of the Priests were under the old Testament corrupt and partiall and the silent manner of Gods Answer by Vrim might give occasion of questioning yea Hagiomastix himselfe supposes and implies in some cases a possibilitie of a wrong Answer and doing injustice after consultation with the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God as these words show So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desperately wicked end set upon bloud and had despised the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them they could not doe injustice Now t is evident there were high Priests among them and such who had power of sentence in cases of Religion that were desperately wicked who either might passe sentence without enquiring by Vrim or else not goe according to Gods Answer by Vrim but according to the lusts of their owne hearts Whosoever does but consider these examples following recorded in Scripture both of the Priests and other men going flat contrary to the mind of God and immediate Answers from him will not wonder but be satisfied The Priests in Ieremiahs time were desperately wicked and set upon bloud even upon having Ieremiahs bloud pronouncing sentence upon him This man is worthy to die and Thou shalt surely die Jerem. 26. 8 11. and there were many complaints by Ieremiah Ezekiel and other Prophets of the Priests and cheife Priests being out of the way through strong drink erring in vision and stumbling in judgement saying to a stock Thou art my Father and to a stone Thou hast brought me forth c offering violence to the Law and Prophaning of holy things putting no difference between the holy and prophane hiding there eyes from the Sabbaths the chiefe of the Priests transgressing very much and polluting the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Ierusalem Esay 28. 7. Ierem. 2. 27. Ezek. 22. 26. 2 Chron. 36. 14. Now if the Priests would doe all this when they degenerated offer violence to the Law say to a stock thou art my Father pollute the house of the Lord and much more that is recorded in the Scripture of them then there is no question to be made but they might pervert the sentence by Vrim and give an Answer quite contrary to what they received immediately and infallibly from God therby condemning the innocent and clearing the guiltie making that prophecying falsly as in Ieremiahs case which was Prophecying truly making that Blasphemie which was none Yea they are particularly taxed for erring in vision and stumbling in judgement which words probably may be meant of their judgement by Vrim the Priests Answers in that way being cald the judgement of Vrim and judgement in divers places of Scripture as Numb 27. 21. Exod. 28. 15 29 30. So that for all Hagiomastixs cleer reason if the Priests were corrupt and partiall under the Law as some good Priests in some particular cases might be and were as Aaron in the golden calse Eli in the matter of his sonnes Hophni Phinehas and wicked ones would certainly be the Iews might be in danger in matters of Religion to be punished unjustly then in those dayes notwithstanding their Priests had immediate and infallible Answers from God as well as Christians now under the new Testament besides if we consider what the way of Answering by Vrim was and that as distinguished by Rabbins and other Divines from some other wayes of Gods Answers not by a loud voice that all who came to enquire might heare the Answer as well as the Priest but in a silent way and manner revealed only to the Priest either by inspiration or by looking into his breast-Plate upon the darknesse or brightnesse of his Iewels by which he knew or by some letters in the breast-Plate in which he read the will of God and so by the Priest communicated to the Iudges and standers by but if the Priests would pretend other Answers from God then he gave how should the Iewes disprove them and what more certaintie had those who in difficult doubtfull cases came to the high Priest to enquire by Vrim seing they received the Answers not from God immediately but from the high Priest and the Priest might possibly deceive them in cases falling out about their own children or neer bloud showing partialitie and affection then may be had by us now in these times nay going according to Master Goodwins Principles that the sentence of the high Priest was by Vrim and not by the Law the judgement of Vrim from the Priest was the supreme and last Iudge in case the Priests would be false as in some particular cases they might the Iewes were in a more uncertaine and worse condition then if to be judged by the Law or wee in these dayes who if our Magistrates and Iudges should degenerate might appeale to the Scriptures and urge them to them whereby to convince them but so could not the Iewes according to Hagiomastixs Doctrine the Priest by Vrim being appealed to in cases where they suppose the Law could not helpe and lastly if wee consider how Prophets under the old Testament who were as immediately and infallibly inspired as the high Priest by Vrim yet in all their Answers and Dictates were not without all possibilitie of mistake as is evident by Nathans Answer to David 2 Sam. 7. 4 5. c nor without all danger of deceiving those they spake to as is to be seen in that example of the old Prophet in Bethel 1 Kings 13. 11 17 18 21. and divers other places of Scripture speaking of Prophets wee may easily conceive how Magistrates and Iudges then might be liable to error as well as now especially if they tooke all the Priests and Prophets said without comparing and examining

others not only which see but which heare of them have the bridle of fear put upon them whereby they are kept from the like that must needs follow that whosoever maketh our Saviour Christ Author of this loosenesse in punishing such offenders maketh him forthwith to loose the bridle whereby others are afraid from running into wickednesse and what is this but to make Christ a Troubler of Common-wealths Besides if Christ by his comming loosed these civil punishments and purchased this grace of his Father for Blasphemers Idolaters Hereticks that they should escape civil punishments which the Law of God adjudged them to how comes it to passe that the Apostles to whom Christ committed the publishing of all the pardon he obtained for us did never make mention of the releasing of these punishments If Christ had obtained this libertie it was worth the Preaching and therefore unlesse they can show out of the writings of the Apostles to warrant this Sanctuary which they would build to the support of Blasphemers Hereticks that followes that the Apostles have not answered the trust committed to them but in that the Apostle puts a sword in the hand of the Magistrates and in the use of it makes him a Minister of the justice of the Lord against sin he confutes this opinion 3. And Lastly we see clearly that some things that were permitted under the old Testament to the Jewes are not to Christians under the new but expresly and formally declared against by Christ as Polygamie mens putting away their wives giving bils of divorce and marrying others Mat. 5. 31 32. Mat. 19. from v. 3. to the 10. and usury Matth. 5. 42. Luke 6. 34 35. Learned Cameron in his lectures of divorce upon Matth. 19. 3. puts this question why the bill of divorce takes not place in the times of the new Testament and why does not God permit the same thing in the new which he suffred in the old unto which he answers That although there is the same reason of mans nature in the times of the old and new Testament yet there is not the same reason of grace which is much more plentifully and clearly laid open and explained in these last times then before Therefore our lives ought to be ordered in these times much more strictly and holily Those Elders under the old Testment were bound truely to follow the same holinesse of life but we much more for by how much any one hath received more then nnother by so much he owes more Chemnitius in his common places de paupertate cap. 6. de vsura showes though there were two permissions cheifly in the old Testament of Divorce and Usurie yet Christ under the new opposes to either of these permissions the perpetual rule of righteousnesse in God Matth. 5. 32. 42. also cap. 19. verse 8. Luke 6. verse 34. 35. In which place he discourses of this how God under the old Testament may be considered as a Divine and as a Legislator in some places of the old Testament laying down how we must serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse in others prescribing certaine political constitutions to that people for the externall societie of Civil life in the Jewish Common-wealth Now in those political Laws which God gave the People of Israel Holinesse and Righteousnesse of the conscience before God was not alwayes prescribed but they were fitted to the preservation of outward and civil societie in that Common-wealth according to the condition and dispositions and manners of that people to whom God himselfe gives the Epithite of a stiffe neck So the Bil of Divorce in the Common-wealth of Israel was permitted but now in the new Testament though Moses suffred it for the hardnesse of their hearts yet Christ declares against it t is not lawfull to be permitted though there were the same manners of men there being now under the Gospel more powerfull remedies of such an evil and a fuller declaration and communication of the grace of God This Distinction may not be allowed now under the new Testament of Theologus and Legislator of jus fori jus poli for all Lawes given by God in the new Testament prescribe the puritie of conscience before God and doe not look particularly to the outward preservation of the Civil societie of one Common-wealth of people pe●uliarly And so much for the 18. Thesis THESIS 19. Besides all the old Testament proofes both of commands and approved examples before the Law and under the Law before the Captivitie of Babylon and after for the Magistrates coercive power in the matters of the first Table laid down in this Treatise together with Answers to all the evasions brought against such commands and examples as also to that of proofs out of the old Testament I desire the Reader to consider this Thesis that place of Scripture speaking of the days of the new Testament and what should be then done approves of and commends this power of the Magistrate as among other these three places of Scripture Psal 2. 10 11 12. Esay 49. 23. Zach. 13. 2 3. That the second Psalme is a Prophecie of the dayes of the Gospel after Christs comming into the world is clearely demonstrated by Act. 4. 24 25 26 27. where by Peter and John t is applyed to those times In which Psalme King David foreseeing in Spirit that Heathen Kings would hand themselves and assemble together against the Lord and his Christ extendeth the same charge to the Gentiles which the Kings of Jurie received before and warned them all at once Be wise ye Kings understand ye Judges of the world Serve the Lord and t is to be observed in that second Psalme that Kings and Judges quatomes tales are to serve the Lord and kisse the Son Upon which words Austin writes thus All men ought to serve God in one sort by common condition as men in another sort by severall gifts and offices by the which some doe this some doe that no private persons could command Idols to be punished cleane from among mert which was so long before prophecied Therfore Kings Besides their dutie to serve God common with all other men have in that they be Kings how to serve the Lord in such sort as none can doe which are not Kings For in this Kings in respect they be Kings serve the Lord as God by David warneth them if in their Kingdomes they command that which is good and prohibite that which is evill not in Civil affairs only but in matters also concerning divine Religion That Esay 49. 23. is a Prophecie to the Gentiles under the new Testament as is evident by verse 22. Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers c now they could not be cald the nurses of the Church if they had no care of Religion but those of whom this prophecie was meant and in whom fulfilled did care for Religion did care for the Faith as Constantine