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truth_n	call_v	church_n	word_n	4,868	5	4.3217	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78422	The depths of Satan discovered: or, the Jesuits last design to ruine religion. Being, some observations upon a pamphlet, called, The swords abuse asserted: by John Vernon. Presented to the consideration of the Armie. Citie. Kingdome. / By Philopatrius Philalethes.	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.	1649 (1649)	Wing C1625; Thomason E539_1; ESTC R205694	19,373	34

Lord of their Faith to coine new Articles of Faith without command from Christ Say the same of the prescribed Worship Nor is this to consent to the dethroning of Jesus Christ nor to take upon them to Sway the Conscience For wee suppose the Rule of Worship prescribed and the Magistrate to have power only upon the externall man to preserve from the violation of that worship not to Compell or Sway Consciences or Hearts to worship God aright with internall worship Therefore this Disputer whether ignorantly or fallaciously I know not deceives his disciples with a double false supposition First That there is no certaine * He cannot expect a concurrence of any partie considerable in the Nation in Principles of Christianitie pag. 8. determin'd cleare Rule of Faith or Worship in the Scriptures but all is doubtfull and uncertaine without Revelation Secondly That the Magistrate by this Restriction intends Compulsion and that of Conscience to beleeve or practise what it doth not beleeve to be the Rule of Faith or Worship And withall that those that grant him this power of Restraint give him a Power to Sway Conscience so to beleeve or practise which wee disclaime as much as himselfe Nor doth the Magistrate by this Restraint of Seducers or Idolaters take upon him to convert Soules the worke of Jesus Christ alone but to keepe them from infecting others by false Doctrine or false Worship and in the end to reduce the E●roneous to the right wayes of God 3. The instance of Pauls Restrictive Power on Mars-hill in quite beside the question He was a Minister not a Magistrate and the worke being Conversion of Heathens to the Faith for the Constitution of a Church not in a Church Constituted For I demand If after Paul had setled a Church and given them the Rule of Faith and Worship any Professour thereof should have Apostated from both or either whether he would not by his Apostolicall power have restrained him by Church censures If so his Texts and proofes falls as heavily upon the Ecclesiasticall power as upon the Civill and all his absurdities pretended here fall upon S. Paul He makes himselfe a Judge of Christianitie and consents to the dethroning of Christ takes upon him to Sway the Conscience and convert hearts which is peculiar to the Scepter of Christ c. But this Doctrine tends evidently to nothing but Skepticisme and Prophanesse that every man may not onely beleeve but publish and practise Errours and Idolatry without controle either of Magistrate or Minister And thither wee see it inclines apace and there wee feare it will end if not betimes prevented But further He gives a caution That if Christ send a Servant saying What I have revealed to you in secret preach you on the house tops Goe to the publique Synagoge in this Season of their assembling which otherwise you cannot procure Goe I say and reason with them for they are in all things too Superstitious Doe not you runne the hazard of restraining in this case under pretence of disturbance If their publique way be according to the way of Christ the priviledge of Disputing is according to the Directory of Christ 1 Cor. 14 22. It not c. To this wee say First This man seemes to be a meere Skeptick and as was said afore to suppose there is no Rule of Truth or Worship prescribed and the times to be as in the Apostles dayes before the New Testament was written And withall he seemes to be a Familist expecting Revelations which he insinuates in those words What I have revealed to you in secert And yet afore he calls the Armie to direct themselves by Christs proclaimed Law as their Line at least for the worke of his owne worsh●p and Temple pag. 3. and to measure their proceedings herein by the pattern of his Scriptures But it is no new thing for Errours to intersere and contradict themselves For if there be any certaine Rule of Truth or Wo●ship what reason is there that any man under pretence of New Light should have libertie to dispute it Is not this a plaine disturbance of the Church Suppose the publique way be the Way of Christ why should any man dispute it over and over againe What need he goe and reason with them who are in nothing Erroneous or Superstitious but observant of the way of Christ Will Christ send men to disturbe his Setled Truths and Worship And yet if every man that will pretend a new Revelation may have liberty to dispute the old wayes of Christ and by a subtile wrangling Jesuiticall wit puzzle weake Christians with new Skepticismes nothing will more disturbe the Peace of the Church as was evident once in the Church of Galatia and is in Ours at this day I would they were cut off that thus Trouble it The priviledge of Disputing which he pleads from 1 Cor. 14. was before the Rule was written when there was an extraordinarie gift of Prophesying and new Revelations were discovered concerning the Truths of the Gospell But the same Apostle censures this libertie after the Truth and Rule thereof was clearly delivered 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlinesse He is proud knowing nothing doting about questions and strifes of words whereof commeth Envie Strife Raylings evill Surmisings and mark that perverse Disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth from such withdraw thy selfe Where the Apostle meets just with the practises of our Times Supposing that when once the Forme of sound words as i● a called 2 Tim. 1.13 is delivered to the Church and the Doctrine according 〈◊〉 Godlinesse is once Setled no man may have the libertie to Dispute them And if he doe he is proud doting or sick and disturbes the Peace of the Church He that thus troubles the Church shall beare his judgement who ever be he Gal. 5.9 But wee proceed Thirdly The conviction of the understanding being the foundation of Conversion and that a facultie that cannot be forced nor satisfied without an over-comming Reason A powerfull Argument would soone subdue that noble part when civill Restraint would encrease prejudice and confirme obscuritie Therefore the way of God is rather Come let us reason together c. But this man dreames of such a Restraint as never came into any rationall mans head Was ever Restraint used as an argument to convince or convert men to make a man beleeve this or that without reason No The man shall be informed by the strength of Scripture-Reason and Light held forth to him if he be able or willing to receive it And if after all the best information he cannot or will not see that Light he shall not be forced to beleeve or practise what he understands not to be the way of Christ Onely if he be in an Errour in Doctrine or Worship as wee

Soules belongs primarily to Christ by the operation of his Spirit instrumentally to the Ministers of Christ But when men are converted to the faith and profession of the Gospell and have embraced the Truths and worship of it if then they shall blaspheme or corrupt those Truths or prophane that worship the Magistrate wee thinke hath power to restraine yea and to punish them for that violation 3. Conversion it selfe is two wayes considerable either with respect to the Conscience which wee may call the internall reall Conversion to the Faith 's being made thereby tru● beleevers and this is the worke of Christs Propheticall and Kingly Office or else with respect to the outward Profession of the Faith This latter is the object of the Magistrates power in regard of regulation of it according to the Rules of the word for he is made the Keeper of both Tables in regard of the externall acts and exercises thereof 4. It s one thing for the Magistrate to prescribe a Rule of Faith as the Pope presumes or a forme of worship of God another to look to the preservation of both prescribed by Christ from the corruption of Seducers and False Teachers or the violation of prophane men As he pag. 4. The ordering of the visible worship of God as he speaks and the ordaining of the Rule of Faith whereunto all are alike subject c. belonge entirely and solely to Jesus Christ 5. Wee note one notable fallacie all along this Dispute●● Pamphlet that is Petitio principii that he seemes to insinuate it as granted which many others of his way doe That there is no Rule of Faith or Worship determined or held forth in the word but all is now Skepticall Sure wee are there is scarcely one Truth but it is questioned in this Age. For if there be any one Fundamentall Principle of Truth or Rule of Worship held forth clearely in the Scripture the Blaspheming of that Truth and teaching men so the Prophaning of that Worship and practising so may be restrained by the Magistrate yea and punished too as wee think And yet this very Restraint or punishment is deceyed and beaten downe by the force of this mans Arguments which what strength they have shall now be considered First he sayes His capacitie cannot discerne the distinction betwixt the Compulsive and Restrictive Power being fully perswaded the former is sufficiently included in the latter And he who hath power for the latter shall by frequent restraining upon every frivolous occasion make mee restlesse till I read his pleasure That I worship as he worships and so I feele his power to the former c. To which I answer First Surely then his capacitie is very narrow and shallow the distinction is so cleare and evident An instance is readie in Nebem 13. concerning the fourth Commadement one of the first Table and a part of worship Nehemiah did not compell the Heathen Merchants to keepe the Sabbath in the prescribed manner yet did he restraine them from polluting of it Secondly It is so farre from Truth that the fromer is included in the latter as that instance and many more demonstrate that it is rather true backward that the latter Restriction is included in the former Compulsion not Compulsion in Restriction Thirdly The Jewish Magistrates did restraine Heathens from the Prophanation of the Sabbath and other Services yet never did nor might compell them to the observation of them till they voluntarily Proselyted And this Restraint was thus farre beneficiall that it prevailed to bring them to Proselyte to the Jewish Religion that they might enjoy the Priviledges of it And if Restraint of Seducers and false-Worshippers have the same effect upon them to bring them to embrace the true Faith and right Worship of God I know no hurt they have by it A Stranger said the Law shall not eat of the Passeover nor enter into the Temple till circumcised And this difference in partaking of many priviledges was a mercie to the Gentiles to win them to come in for the priviledge sake There are many such Lawes of Restraint in all States which yet never come to Compulsion as he cannot but know But Though the Restrictive may be different yet it ever cente●'d in the Compulsive and the most cruell of Tyrants have first appeared in the Restrictive c. But this if it be not a contradiction is contrary to what he said afore There he said Compulsion was included in Restriction Now Restriction centers in Compulsion Secondly That word Ever is false and contrary to manifold experience as afore And marke the Logick of these men they commonly conclude a generall from one or two particulars Tyrants as the Pharisees and Jewes have sometimes appeared in the Restrictive before the Compulsive no Restriction ever centers in Compulsion Thirdly Nor is the Restraint to force them that obey it not to the contrarie practise Nor does Compulsion come as the consequent thereof If any punishment follow it is for disobedience to the Law of Restraint E. G. Nehemiah restraines the Heathens for selling wares on the Sabbath dayes and threatens to lay them in durance if they did transgresse that Prohibition but he never intended by the Restraint or punishment to compell them to observe the Sabbath as the Jewes did in Religious Sanctification of it Lastly To prevent this consequent Compulsion let it be made a Law that no man shall openly Blaspheme the Truth of God or Prophane the worship of God and if he doe not he shall not be compelled to beleeve as the Magistrate beleeves or worship as the Magistrate worships And as this may suffice for his securitie against Compulsion so it clearely puts a difference between Restriction and Compulsion Consider the next Secondly Hereby sayes he I make the Civill Magistrate Judge of Christianitie which as none can assume without sinne 2 Cor. 1.24 So none can consent to without being guiltie of strong endeavours to dethrone the Lord Jesus to whom alone this judgement is committed and whose Scepter onely can sway the Conscience c. 1. Let him apply this to the state of the Jewes and see how in consequent it is The Magistrate then had power to judge of the Rule of Worship without sinne else how could he Restraine men or punish them for transgressing the Rule And if the Rule of Christian Truth and Worship be as clearly prescribed in the new Testament as it is why may not the Christian Magistrate be as competent a Judge of Christianity and Restraine from the violation of it 2. It is equivocall the word Judge and so he deludes us It is one thing to be a Law-maker which is as his Text hath it to have Dominion over their Faith by prescribing a Rule of Faith or Worship Another to be a Judge of the Violation of that prescribed Rule The Apostle Paul himselfe was a competent Judge of the Rule of Faith and so of the Violation of it though he was not the

suppose him to be in this Dispute he shall be restrain'd not from beleeving or practising secretly his owne Erroneous way but from venting his Error or practising openly his Idolatrous worship to the Infection of others and this was ever Gods way The Leaper suppose he did thinke himselfe cleane was not restrained to make him beleeve himselfe a Leaper but to prevent others infection The same God that said Come let us reason together said also Thou shalt not suffer Seducers or Idolaters or Sabbath-breakers within thy gates The same Apostle which said I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God c. said also of False Teachers whose mouths must be stopped who subvert whole houses c. and I would they were cut off that trouble you Oh but sayes he A noble Spirit a carnall Sword can never restraine who attempts it partakes of other mens Hypocrisie But this supposes that noble Spirit to be in the right way and the Magistrate to be in the wrong Whereas we suppose in this dispute the man to be in the wrong and the Magistrate in th●●ight Secondly It is not Restraint of which wee speake that makes Hypocrites but compulsion to make men beleeve or practise what they beleeve not to be the wayes of Christ which is not now the question 4. Humane restriction is inconsistent with the very name and nature of the Gospell that a man cannot mention such a thing without including himselfe amongst the enemies thereof It imparts nothing but a proffer of Peace Love c. even to the poorest Captives flat Idolaters c. Here wee must distinguish what this Disputer ignorantly or Jesuitically confounds For the Conversion or first gathering of a man or people to make a Church the Gospell knowes nothing but Peace c. But when a Church is Constituted it hath a Rod of Censures for the Immorige●ous Apostates or Seducers If be say that 's nothing to the Magistrate but belongs to the Ministers I answer let him looke to that For his Argument strikes at all Restriction as well as Civill and so do all his Arguments The Gospell imports sayes he nothing but proffers of Peace c. which in a constituted Church is utterly false But if the Civill Magistrate being a Christian should not interpose by a civill Restriction to restraine Seducers Idolaters c. they would little regard the Ecclesiasticall to the great not onely disturbance of the Peace ●ut utter subversion of the Church But sayes he If your Presid●nt be from the Law wherein indeed such restriction would better suit with litterall service especially the Restrainers b●ing as well Typicall as the Sacrificed you are debter to the whole Law to doe it● and Christ shall profit you nothing This is first an Antinomian fancie as may easily be observed or a conceit of one that denyes the authoritie of the Old Testament For though the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Lawes were Typicall and so farre voyd yet the Morall Lawes by which the Magistrates power is established is still in force as is abundantly proved by others The fourth Commandement gives Superiours power to restraine Sabbath-breakers and more then that to punish them if Jewes or Christians And the fifth Commandment gives Magistrates power to restrai●e and punish all wicked practises Sayes not the Gospell the same Rom. 13.4 He is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill who shall distinguish where the Law distinguishes not and say It respects wickednesses of the second Table not of the first 2. He would insinuate That the Services of the Old Testament were onely litterally and so Typicall whereas they had Morall services also and in them the power of the Magistrate apparently did interpose upon the Prophanation of them And 3. He would have his Reader beleeve The Restrainers were also Typicall as their Sacrifices were and only Typicall and in nothing Morall whereas they had Moral Lawes and exercised their Morall power in Restraining or punishing offenders accordingly as shall appeare It is therefore a Scandalous wicked Censure to say The desire after Civill Power to restraine c. is the character of men not yet reformed by the power of the Gospell when both Law and Gospell confirme that power But he hath Scripture proofe which cannot easily be evaded Mat. 13.28 You shall perceive a zealous servant for the honour of Christ discerning clearely the enemies of Christ and told they were such Idolaters for they were the visible children of the Divell compared to Tares c. Well the servant desires to destroy them No saith Christ least you pluck up the Wheat likewise but might be not restrain them No let them grow whence may be clearely and safely concluded That men may not pluck up the enemies of Christ or restraine them by an human● power c. This is the great place and grand Argument of all Seducers to plead their own Libertie and Toleration I shall therefore digresse a little and take into consideration what another subtile if not Jesuited Author argues in this point for Libertie of Prophesying The booke is very plausible and very taking as I perceive with some of good parts and great place especially in this particular I thinke it not amisse to set downe the summe of his discourse also upon this Text and to Antidote if possible the Poyson of both Thus hee proceeds The difficultie of Exposition of this Text D. Taylor Libertie of Prophesying p. 194. Mat. 12.24 c. is reducible to these two questions 1. What is meant by Gather not that is what kind of Sword is forbidden For the Spirituall Sword that is not forbidden to any sort of criminalls for that would destroy the power of Excommunication It lyes therefore against the Temporall Sword in cutting off some persons 2. What is meant by Tares or who those persons be They are either persons of ●ll lives inre practicâ or else faultie in re intellectuali in opinion there is no third The former is not meant because it would destroy all bodies politique which cannot consist without a compulsorie power of the Sword It must then he meant of the latter sort in opinions commonly called Heresies And the reason here given confirme this least you pluck up also the Wheat For 1. Heresie is of so nice a consideration that by our mistakes wee may root up Truths when wee thinke to root up Heresies 2. When a revolution of humane affaires sets contrary opinions in the Throne or Chaire they should root up and persecute Truths as they were persecuted before This is the summe and strength of his discourse I shall first joyne issue with the Doctor and shew you how farre hee agrees with our Author and how farre hee disagrees with the Truth it selfe 1. The Doctor and so our Author mistakes the scope of the Parable beyond which it is not Argumentative as Schollers say Beza in Loc. and others For that is onely this That there shall be a

mixture of good and bad in the Church to the end of the world Not to shew what censures are to be inflicted or what persons are to be censured or tolerated 2. Our Saviour himselfe tells us who the t●●es are vers 38. The children of the wicked and vers 41. All things that offend and doe iniquitie So that its apparently meant of ill livers as well as of ill opinioners 3. Of evill-livers it cannot be meant of open wicked men that they should be tolerated for that would destroy not onely Civill Government but the State it selfe and Common-wealth but of secret Hypocrites who are so like the Wheat that wee may easily mistake and root up one for another 4. It cannot be meant of all offenders in re intellectuali in opinion for some Heretiques are so grosse and so destructive of Religion Pietie and Government that the Doctor himselfe elsewhere grants yea proves they may and must be rooted up yet if his reason be of any force it pleads for toleration of all Heresies For the Text doth not so nicely distinguish as he does but speakes indefinitely if not universally of all tares ever clearly discovered so to be as our Author sayes and yet bids the servant not pluck them up nor restraine them but let them grow Therefore one of their glasses if not both is false and corrupts the Text instead of interpreting it 5. His second Reason from the Revolution of humane affaires revolves upon his owne head For he grants yea affirmes That those Heresies which destroyes Fundamentals or undermine Pietie or overthrow Government may be prosecuted prosecuted he sayes improperly Now if those Heretiques of those destructive opinions get into the Throne or Chaire no doubt but they will persecute the Orthodox as the Arrian● did and Papists doe Therefore by this reason the most grosse and ●eterodox Heresies must be tolerated lea● wee pluck up the Wheat that is give them occasion when Times turne to persecute the Orthodox This is new Divinity which the Jesuits themselves will scarcely owne I am sure where they have powe● they do not practise And now I re urn to my Author first observe his Logick who would conclude a Theologicall Proposition from a Parable not considering that it proves nothing besides the scope of it which is as I have said That these shall be in the purest Churches a mixt●● of bad and good till the great day of Discrimination the day of Judgement The rest is but a● the Lace or Trimmings of the Garment 2. Let him or let the Reader take notice that this Interpretation of his utterly destroy●s all Civill Government and Ecclesiasticall too Civill in that hee acknowledges these Tares to be wicked livers Idola ers children of the Devill visibly discovered and yet allowes neither plucking up nor restraining which besides must needs be the destruction of Common-wealths Ecclesiasticall in as much as the Text hath no destruction of Power Civill or Ecclesiasticall though speaking of the Church intentionally it rather respects the Ecclesiasticall then the Civill and saith ind●●●●●ly That none must pluck them up nor restraine them which not onely destroyes the Censure of Excommunication as the Doctor afore said but the Church it selfe which though Wolves and Foxes over-runne and wast it hath no power so much as ●o restraine them with out trespasse as this man sayes against the expresse command of Christ who hath reserved that worke to his harvest Is not this brave Di●initie 3. To give him or the Reader further satisfaction take the Parable in those particulars an Argumentative wee distinguish of the person● who may challenge the power of Restraining They are either private or publique A private person a servant as he was that a●ked the question whether he might pluck up or restraine the Tares hath not such power to punish or restraine Idolaters or wicked livers But if he say A publique person Civill or Ecclesiasticall hath not such power he begs the question and besides discovers an Anabaptisticall Spirit denying Magistracie and Ministry To which he speake very Suspiciously pag. 7. in prosecution of this in the next argument when he sayes the Magistrate so called marke so called as if there were none 4. One thing more even the letter of the Parable though it allow not plucking up the Tares yet in common practise the Husband-men doe restraine and keepe them downe by weeding Hooks least they over-grow the Wheat So which is our question there is allowed a Restraining of Idolaters and Heretiques from spreading their Infection to the destruction of the Church And now we come to his last Argument 5. It is the most usuall thing for Christians indeed to be plucked up and restrained though under other notions and that perhaps might be the Reason why Christ refused to suffer any restraining president though by a Tare discerning servant Nothing is more common then to put a Christian into a Beares skinne when men intend to bai● him This was in part the Doctors feare and reason If Heretiques get power they will prosecute the Orthodox Ergo the Orthodox having power must not prosecute Heretique● but suffer them to range and ravine and destroy Soules Put it in second Table wickednesses and see the absurdities If Theeves and Traytors get power they will persecute and destroy the just Magistrates Ergo the Magistrate may neither punish nor restraine Theeves c. for freare of Retalitation Againe There is nothing more usuall than for Tyrants and wicked Persecutors to pluck up and destry Godly Christians under other notions then are true Ergo Godly Magistrates may not prosecute persecution is for Truth and the Gospell sake damnable Heretiques under their own true Notions 2. This Doctrine well learn'd and practised would prevent any Persecution at all and so evacuate all those Prophesies of persecution all that will live godly shall suffer persecution c. and all those promises made to the persecuted and all preparations to it by suffering graces c. For if there be no prosecution for the vilest Heresies not so much as a Restraint but a Toleration of all Opinions I hope poore Truth shall have a Toleration granted her as well as others and then there will be no persecution by the publique Magistrate which yet is especially fore-told as the worst piece of persecution Yee shall be brought before Kings and Rulers for my names sake Scourged in Synagogues c. Had his Doctrine beene practised in the Primitive times it might have prevented much of persecution Had the Christians but said Wee will not prosecute you for your Idolatries or damnable Opinions if wee get into place and Power of Government doe not you persecute us Tolerate you us and wee will tolerate you If God call men to suffer under Tyrants and Persecutors under what notion soever he knowes how to deliver support crowne them for all their sufferings And men must not cry downe the Truths of God for feare that if Tyrants get the Throne they