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world_n	blasphemy_n	forgive_v	ghost_n	1,829	5	9.1420	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56215	The sword of Christian magistracy supported, or, A vindication of the Christian magistrates authority under the Gospell, to punish idolatry, apostacy, heresie, blasphemy, and obstinate schism, with corporall, and in some cases with capitall punishments ... by William Prinne of Lincolns Inne, Esquire.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1653 (1653)	Wing P4099; ESTC R15969	222,705	186

Princes to give their Judges power only to enquire of and punish offences against their Subjects but not at all to enquire after or punish Treasons Conspiracies and Rebellions against their own Persons Crowns Kingdoms and shall wee deem the most wise and just God guilty of such a Solecism Doubtless as God himself under the Old Testament commanded Idolaters Blasphemers Seducing Prophets and Achan himself to be stoned to death by all Israel and after that burnt with fire for breaking his covenant and medling with the accursed thing and thereby troubling and bringing Gods wrath upon all Israel so as they fled and fell before the men of Ai Josh 7. 25. 27. So by the like reason justice equity commands Christian Princes Magistrates and people under the Gospell to punish obstinate Heretickes Idolaters Blasphemers False Teachers and pernicious Schismaticks who dishonor his name despite his Spirit subvert his Truth corrupt seduce and destroy others trouble the States and Churches wherein they live and bring Gods wrath upon them with like capital punishments when milder remedies wil not prevail and these recited Texts wil be a sufficient Commission to justifie such their proceedings as all the subsequent Authors as wel ancient as modern Protestants as Papists assert My seventh Argument shal be from our Saviors own words Math. 12. 3● 32. Whosoever speaketh a word against the son of man it shal be forgiven him but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost and the BLASPHEMY against the Holy Ghost SHAL NOT BE FORGIVEN IN THIS WORLD nor in the World to come I have formerly proved from Levit. 24. 10. to 17. and other Texts That Blasphemy was to be punished with death by the Civil Powers under the Law Our Savior by this Expression Shall not be forgiven in this World which cannot be thought superfluous implies if not asserts That Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost should be thus punished by Christian Magistrates under the Gospel even in this world whence some conceive S. John in his first Epistle c. 5. v. 16. phraseth it in this respect among others A sin VNTO DEATH that is a sin to be punished with temporal as wel as eternal death And that our Saviors words Shal not be forgiven him neither in this world c. imply that the Christian Magistrates must not pardon such Blasphemy but punish it with death in this world as is clear by the next words Neither in the world to come So as the plain sense of these words is That Blasphemy and speaking of words against the Holy Ghost shall not bee forgiven by the Magistrates nor Ministers but punished by temporal death and delivery over to Satan the case of Hymenaeus and Alexander in part in this world nor yet pardoned by God but punished by him with eternall death in the world to come Which being the soundest Exposition of these Words in learned mens opinions which no ways prove a Popish Purgatory as the Papists dream will sufficiently warrant the punishment of such Blasphemy by the Christian Magistrate even with death under the Gospel as wel as under the Law My eighth Argument is drawne from Hebrewes 10. 26. to 31. For if wee sinne wilfully after wee have received the knowledge of the Truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sinne but a certaine fearefull looking for of Judgement and fiery Indignation which shall devoure the Adversary Hee that despised Moses Law DYED WITHOUT MERCY under two or three witnesses and that in case of Idolatry Apostacy and Blasphemy to which this Text relates Deutronomy 13. Verse 6 7 8 9. Chap. 17. 8 9 10. Leviticus 24. Verse 10. to 17. OF HOW MVCH SORER PVNISHMENT suppose yee SHALL HE BE THOVGHT WORTHY Who hath TRODEN VNDER FOOT the Sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the Covenant where with he was sanctified an unholy thing and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace For we know him that hath said Vengeance is mine I wil recompence saith the Lord And again The Lord wil judge his people It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God From this text as likewise from Heb. 2. 1 2. and cap. 6. 1. to 9. which are in some sort paralelled with it it is most apparent First that the sins of Apostacy Blasphemy Heresy contempt of Christ and his blood and despiting of his Spirit by Christians are far more heinous great and more unpardonable under the Gospel then they were under the Law Secondly that they are worthy of much sorer punishment under the Gospel then under the Law Wherefore since those who were guilty of them and despised Moses Law dyed without mercy by the hand of the Magistrate and people under two or three witnesses under the Law those who are guilty of them under the Gospel deserving much sorer punishment may likewise be put to death by the Christian Magistrate without mercy and punished with more severe temporal punishments then any were under the Law because their sin is more hainous and deserves much sorer punishment as the text expresly resolves which I wish our Opposites and all Christian States Magistrates would seriously consider who deem the times of the Gospel times of greater indulgence connivance and mercy towards such capital Transgressors then the times of the Law Thirdly that if Magistrates and others neglect or refuse to punish such enormious Transgressors under the Gospel God himself wil take vengeance on judge and recompence them and they shal fall into the hands of the living God which is a more fearful thing then to fall into the hand of men Now if any should hence infer as our Opposites do that such must be left wholy to the hands judgement and vengeance of God himself who reserves such for his own Tribunal and hath exempted them from the inferior Magistrates Jurisdiction by this text I answer that the text wil warrant no such inference For first it is but a bare recital of Gods own Words in the Old Testament Deut. 32. 35. 39 40 41 42 43. Now in the Old Testament the vengeance punishment inflicted by God himself upon Apostates Idolaters as on the Israelites Midianites Canaanites and others did not exclude but include the Temporal Magistrates Censures and the use of secondary Instruments as is most apparent by Exod. 32. 26. to the end Where Moses SLEW about three thousand men for worshipping the Golden calf and yet God plagued the people for the same sinn too and Numb 25. 3. to 16. Where Moses for the sin of Peor hanged up the heads of the people before the Lord against the Sun the Judges of Israel slew every one his men that were joyned unto Baal Peor and Phineas slew Zimri and Cozbi with a Javelin and yet God himself at the same time slew twenty four thousand more of the people with the Plague for the same sin And by Josh chap. 9. to 13. and Acts 13. 19. Where God himself useth the Israelites to destroy his

shal be ashamed of his vision and no more wear a rough garment to deceive but give over his false Teaching So that the Magistrates and others severe proceedings by corporal and capital censures against Idolaters and False Prophets is a principal means predicted and ordained by God even under the Gospel to extirpate Idolatry Heresie Errours False Prophets and reclaim such as have been seduced by them I wonder therefore how any man who pretends himself a Chistian a SAINT much more a transcendent NEW LIGHT should dare publikely oppose or privately deny the exercise of such corporall and capitall censures against Hereticks Fals-Teachers Blasphemers c. by Christian Princes and Magistrates under the Gospel which this prophesie so plainly both allows and prescribes upon meer whim●icall crotchets of their own warranted by no text We read Josh 1. 18. That the officers of the people with the Reubenites Gadites and half tribe of Manasseh spake thus to Joshua when God had appointed him to succeed Moses in the Government Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy Commandment and will not hearken unto thy words to do all that thou commandest him HE SHAL BE PVT TO DEATH If he who thus wilfully rebelled against the command of Joshua was to be put to death by the verdict of all the people much more then may such Idolaters Hereticks Apostates Blasphemers and obstinate Schi●maticks be put to death who rebell so publickly against the Command and Word of God himself by warrant of all the forecited Texts But some perchance wil object that these Arguments are all drawn from texts in the Old Testament to satisfie them I answer that all the Texts forecited are stil in force under and some of them relate only to the times of the New and so the objection is but frivilous yea exceeding derogatory to the Old Testament of which it seems they make no more account then of an old Almanack out of date Therefore to take away this cavil formerly Answered I shal propound this fifth Argument Apostacy Idolatry Heresie Blasphemy obstinate Schism False Teachers together with false Prophets who are guilty of them are as odious unto God as execrable to all godly Christians as infectious dangerous destructive to peoples souls as apt to provoke Gods wrath and bring down his severe judgements upon whole Churches Nations Kingdoms where they are tolerated perpetrated and are as carefully to be suppressed prevented under the Gospel as they were under the Law Yea Christian Princes Magistrates Republicks power under the Gospel is the same or as large as the authority of godly Kings and Magistrates under the Law Therefore consequently they are to be as severely punished with corporal if not capital punishments under the Gospel by Christian Princes Magistrates Republicks as they were by godly Kings and Magistrates under the Law The sequel is clear from its own light for where there is the self same reason there is ever the self-same law and equity both under the Law and Gospel See Mat. 7. 11 12. Luke 6. 30. to 35. Jam. 2. 10 11. as I have formerly proved p. 2. 3. 5. The Antecedent is undeniable First because the Gospel doth no ways mitigate but rather aggravate the hainousnes of these sins as being committed against greater light and mercy therefore certainly they are as odious as provoking unto God as execrable damnable destructive unto men as pernicious unto whole Churches Nations Kingdomes now as then and in some sence more now then formerly under the Law as is clear by Rom. 1. 18. to the end 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. cap. 10. 7. 9. 11. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Eph. 5. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16 17 18. Heb. 2. 2 3. cap. 6. 4. to 9. cap. 10. 26 27 28 29. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. 12 13. 17. Rom. 2. 10. to 28. Rev. 2. 14 15. 21 22. cap. 17. 16. c. 18. 4. c. 19. 20. compared together Secondly because that Hereticks False Prophets Teachers Schismaticks Seducers are as diligently to be avoyded suppressed under the Gospel as Law they being alike nay more infectious dangerous seducing and pernicious to mens souls now then under the Law as is apparent by all these serious admonitions to beware of them and their seducements which deceive the greatest part of the world and if possible would seduce the very Elect as you may read at leisure in these ensuing texts Mat. 7. 15. cap. 11. 14. cap. 24. 11. 23 24 25. Mar. 13. 21. Luke 17. 23 24. Rom. 16. 17 18. Acts 20. 28. to 32. 2 Thes 2. 3. to 16. EPH. 6. 13. to 19. PHIL. 3. 2. COL 3. 18 19. 1 TIM 4. 1. to 7. 2 TIM 2. 15. 16 17. c. 3. 1. to 10. TIT. 1. 9. to the end HER. 4. 1. 1 PET. 5. 2. 8. 2. COR. 11. 13 14 15. 2 PET. 2. 1. to 22. c. 3. 2 3. 17 18. 1 JOH 2. 18 19. c. 4. 1 2 3. 2 JOH 8. to 12. 3 JOH 10. 11. JUDE 3. to 24. REV. 13. 1. to 18. c. 16. 13 14. c. 17. throughout cap. 18. 9. to 24. c. 19. 20. c. 20. 8. 9. 10. 1 COR. 11. 19. TIT. 3. 10 11. These notable Texts so frequently so earnestly admonishing us to beware of Antichrists Hereticks False Teachers Wolves in sheeps clothing as also forewarning us of their extraordinary diligence power cunning stratagems to deceive and seduce men to their damnable Errors of the multitudes of men they shal seduce and of the extraordinary perilousnesse of the last times under the Gospel when many more erroneous spirits and seducing Hereticks transforming themselves into the Angels of light should arise and spring up every where then did in all former ages under the Law where we read of no such variety of Heresies Blasphemies Errors and dangerous Schisms as have sprouted up and over-spread the whole world under the Gospel is an unanswerable Argument to satisfie all mens consciences who have any care of their own or others souls that not only all godly Ministers and Christians by instruction and admonition but all Christians Princes Magistrates States by severe Laws yea corporal and capital Censures where need is should more diligently suppresse and cut off Heresie Hereticks False Teachers Blasphemers obstinate Schismaticks and Apostates under the Gospel then ever godly Magistrates Princes People did under the Law when these were not so dangerous so numerous so contagious and pernicious as now For as God in the Old Testament is most copious in admonishing men to beware of Idolatry and such False Prophets and Idolaters who would seduce them to worship Idol-gods which then abounded and as godly Princes Magistrates were then most diligent in punishing Idolaters and seducers even with death according to Gods Law which frequently enjoyns them to punish such with death because the sin of Idolatry which then over-spread the heathen world was at that time most common most dangerous and that to which Gods own people most frequently revolted by reason

examination beleeving it as an Oracle sent from Heaven because they vent it though there be no ground in Sctipture for it and cry it up for NEW LIGHT when in truth it is onely OLD HERESIE revived or NEW BLASPHEMY or Error guilded over with the name of Gospel-Light How many poor souls Master John Goodwin Master Peters Master Dell Master Saltmarsh Paul Hobson the Taylor now a shining light and their Confederates have thus captivated and led away with blind obedience is too well knowne to the world Ergo by Master D●i's owne Doctrine since they have brought men with their New light and Crotchets ●● beleeve and doe even what they please or prescribed though they know not whether it be with the Word or against the Word they must be from henceforth quite exploded out of the Church as well as the Magistrates coercive power prisons banishments losse of Goods or death or if they deny this consequence they must still admit of these in the Church to suppresse and punish Herefies Hereticks Schismes Blasphemies though they bring some into blind obedience as Ministers and their erronious New lights daily doe who produce more and farre worse blind obedience then the Magistrates coercive Lawes or Punishments Fiftly it is most evident that there alwayes hath been and ever will be much blind obedience in the Church of God arising principally from the Ignorance Idlenesse want of love to the truth and inconstancy of men and till God himselfe by his Spirit shall fully open the eyes of mens understandings to behold and their hearts to receiv● love and hold fast the Truth the happinesse of few or none but the Elect they will be still possessed more or lesse with such a Blindnesse This therefore being the misery and punishment of mankind for their originall disobedience to God in Adams sinne of two inevitable blind obediences it is farre better fafer for people to beleeve as the State and Councell shall please and what the Parliament Assembly after much fasting prayer seeking unto God studying and searching of the Scriptures settle then what Mr Dell shall decree who understood not the very meaning of his Text as Mr Love hath proved and scarce of any one Scripture he quotes as I have evidenced or what Master Goodwin Master Peters Master Saltmarsh Paul Hobson or any other New light shall prescribe and set up of themselves without and against Authority especially since they beleeve and prescribe all with a S●epticall Faith and reserve to change and alter at their pleasure and not to be bound by their present judgment or practice which for ought men know may alwayes ring the changes till their knels be rung they having been so variable heretofore and yet not fixed at the last certainly such a blind obedience to the Parliament State Councell and supreame Powers to whom God enjoynes Obedience in all lawfull and indifferent things will be farre more acceptable to God and all good men and freer from the brand of Popish Obedience then blind obedience to Master Dell or any other New Comet whatsoever with wilfull disobedience both to our Church State Parliament Lawes established Religion and Government the practice of the best and purest Churches of ancient and latter times from which these New lights vary out of affected singularity or to maintain a faction to bring about their owne worldly designes Finally the blind obedience of Hereticks Schismaticks false Teachers Sectaries and the like to Lawes and Punishments which would both restraine and reclaime them is farre more acceptable to God more profitable lesse hurtfull lesse damnable to themselves lesse pernicious to others lesse hurtfull scandalous to the Church and State wherein they live and more pleasing unto both then their obstinate Heresies Errors Schismes blasphemies are or can be and may through Gods blessing prove an effectall meanes of their reformation if not of their reall conversion to the Truth therefore ex duobus malis minimum the danger of ●lind obedience must neither exempt such from the Magistrates jurisdiction nor from his corporall or capitall punishments which are just and lawfull in themselves and may prove beneficiall or at lest lesse hurtfull to them of the two Finally the Magistrates compelling Hereticks and Schismaticks seduced to blind Obedience by their blind Leaders to come to the publick Ordinances where they may be truly informed instructed and converted to the truth is so farre from working blind obedience in them that it brings them to true and solid obedience upon just grounds of Scripture reason conviction and so is quite contrary to what is here objected And thus I have blowne up this strong Hold of this great Man of Warre as well as the former His next Objection is this 〈◊〉 Reformation or suppressing Heresies false Doctrines Blasphemies Schismes by externall Censures causes disturbances and tumults in the world when men are caused by outward power to act against their inward principles in the things of God what disturbances this hath bred in States and Kingdomes who knowes not So that they who lay hold on the power of men and goe abovt to reforme hearts and consciences by outward violence are never the cause of Reformation but alwayes of tumult And this renders the cause of the Gospel grievous and odious to the world rather then commendable and therefore let all that love the Gospel of Christ abstaine from outward violence for they that use the Sword in this kind shall in the end perish by the Sword This Argument and misapplication of our Saviours words is borrowed from the old Donatists and late Anabaptists as is evident by August Cont. Lit. Petilian Donatist l. 2. c. 88. Epist 48 50. Lucas Osiander Enchirid. contr cum Anabaptistis c. 9. qu. 1. p. 188. I answer first That this Argument is grounded on deduced from no Text of Scripture but meerly on and from worldly policy which Master Dell tels us must have no place in the Church of God no more then worldly power Secondly as we must not do evil that good may come of it so the Magistrate must not neglect to do justice and punish Hereticks Schismatick Seducers Idolaters and Blasphemers though outward mischiefes seditions tumults which they cause may ensue thereupon Master Dell I hope never preached this Doctrine either to our Victorious General or the Army that the taking up Armes against the King and his Malignant Forces in defence of our Parliament Religion Lawes Liberties would cause very great disturbances tumults murders and distractions in the Kingdome farre more far greater then the suppression of obstinate Hereticks or Schismaticks Ergo it was utterly unlawfull for them to take up Armes or fight or draw blood in this cause as Doctor Ferne and other Royallists argue from this very ground if he had preached any such Doctrine to them no doubt they would have casheered sequestred him longere this for such Malignant Divinity

coarguitur eorum stultitia qui vellent neglectà Dei cura juri inter homines dicundo tantum intentos esse Quasi verò praefectos Deus suo nomine constituerit qui terrenas controversias deciderent quod verò longè gravioris momenti erat praetermiserit ut ipse purè coleretur exLegis suae praescripto Sed huc turbulentos homines impellit impius omnia novandi cupiditas vt omnes violatae pietatis vindices è medio sublatos cupiant c. In his Comentary on Rom. 13. and elswhere he asserts the like and that Christian Princes and Magistrates are to suppresse and punish Heresies Schismes Blasphemies refuting the Anabaptists opinions and objections to the contrary Yea Master Calvin caused the Anabaptisticall Heretick Servetus to be put to death by the Magistrates of Geneva for his obstinate Heresie and Blasphemy for which being blamed by some Anabaptists he writ a particular Treatise wherein he demonstrates to the world Licitum esse in Haereticos gladio animadvertere that it was lawfull for the Christian Magistrate to put Hereticks to death as Beza records in his life and Bellarmine cites it too lib. 3. de Laicis cap. 21. Finally Master Calvin in his Praelectiones in Daniel cap. 4. ver 1. fol. 43. asserts the lawfulnesse of punishing Hereticks and Blasphemers even with death informing us what manner of persons they are and what they aime at who hold the contrary in these words Certum est quod cupiant Nam si quis ipsos respiciat SUNT IMPII DEI CONTEMPTORES not Saints saltem nihil vellent certum esse in Religione ideo labefactare quantum in se est etiam convellere nituntur omnia pietatis principia Ut ergò liceat ipsis evomere virus suum inde tant●●ere litigant pro impunitate negant poenas de Haere●icis Blasphemis sumendas esse c. Rodolphus Gualther in his 44. Homily in Epist ad Galatas c. 4. from these words of the Apostle I would they w●●● even cut off that trouble you proves at large That Magistrates may and ought to suppresse Hereticks with civill and corpor all punishments and the Ring-leaders of them with death and capitall censures even under the Gospel according to the Prophesie of Zech. 13. 2 3. meant onely of the times of the Gospel And in his 76 Homily in Epist ad Rom. cap. 13. he affirmes the same asserting That the Christian Magistrates under the Gospell ought to punish all those offences with the Sword which God himself hath thought worthy to he punished with capitall censures Inter quae cùm omnium gravissima sint quae adversus primam tabulam cum divini nominis contemptu cultus prophanatione multorum aliorum seductione designantur PROCUL DUBIO in eorum Authores quàm severissimè pro delicti ratione animadverti debet Minimè ergò illorum sententiam probamus qui adorandae Trinitatis hostes aeternae Jesu Christi Divinitatis blasphematores plectandos esse negant Dicunt illi Fidem donum Dei esse neque aliquem ad rect● sentiendum cogi posse Sed nos vicissim dicimus contineri posse poenarum metu impostores ne virus haeresium spargant pravis dogmatibus rudes imperitos rerum seducent He addes that by this reason no Malefactors whatsoever should be punished because they commit those crimes for want of faith and grace which are Gods gift Learned Peter Martyr not onely in his Common places Classis 2. cap. 4. sect 30 to 43 but in his Comentary on Rom. 13. asserts the like affirming That many wicked men and Hereticks have been by the force of lawes and punishements inflicted on them converted from their sinnes and errors and by degrees brought to a c●●diall love and embracing of Vertue and the true Religion and that upon this reason Saint Augustine who at first thought the Magistrate ought not to punish Hereticks changed his opinion Solid Paraeus in his Comentary on Rom. 13. asserts and proves at large That it is and alwayes hath been the chiefest care of godly Kings and Magistrates to abolish false worships take away Idols and all instruments of Idolatry and to preserve the purity of Religion and Gods worship That they ought not to suffer impurity in Religion or to give liberty to every one to teach and professe what Religion he like but onely to defend tolerate and establish the true Religion and that they ought Edictis poenis impedire Blasphemias Haereses Idola Sacrilegia c. by lawes and punishments to restraine Blasphemies Heresies Idolatries Sacriledges Schismes and the like Which he there proves at large quoting the Lawes of many Emperours to this purpose And also de Jure Principis circa Ecclesiastica The like in effect if not in terminis is asserted and proved at large by Bullinger Aretius Bucer Fayus Brentius Jacobus Grynaeus Musculu● Oleuian Piscator Scultetus and generally all Protestant Comentators on Rom. 13. and Papists too whose words for brevity I pretermit To these I might adde Brentius de Republ. administr Capito de Jure Magistratus in Religione Musculus Comment in Psal 2. cited by Master Beza as concurring in opinion with him Gerrardus Loci Com. de Magistratu Polit. num 5. 33. who are of the same opinion Benedictus Aretius in his Historia Valentini Gentilis asserts That Blasphemous obstinate Hereticks may justly be put to death by the civill Magistrate as Gentilis was at Berne and Problem Locus 59. de Scismatibus he asserts That the chiefe Ring-leaders of Schismes and obstinate Schismaticks may lawfully be suppressed and punished by the civill Magistate as the Donatists were and enforced to come to the publick Ordinances by penall lawes by which means many have been reformed and converted as experience manifests Phillip Melancton not onely in his forecited passages but in his Council de Officio Magistratus in Ecclesiarum Reformatione Loci Com. de Sacramentorum Numero where he makes the Magistracy a Sacrament in some sense Erit Magistratus hoc modo SACRAMENTUM quia est certum genus bonorum o●erum ornatum verbe Dei promissionibus Rom. 13. even for the punishment of evill doers in the Church Historia de Incendio Serveti by a namelesse Author Hartmannus Springelius de hodiernis Haeresibus Haereticis Joannis Wigandus de Exiliis Facinorosorum Pseudomartyrlis Cl. G. Praet de Regia potestate in Ecclesia Hadrianus Saravia de Imperandi authoritate Christiana obedientia l. 2. c. 52 53 54. Lu. Os●auder Enchir. Contr. Com. Anabap. c. 9. assert the Magistrates coercive power to restrain punish Idolaters Hereticks Schismaticks with corporal censuresand death Learned Zanchius affirmes Omnes ferè ex nostratibus hujus sunt sententiae QUOD HAERETICI SUNT GLADIO PUNIENDI That in his time almost all Divines were of this opinion That Hereticks were to be punished with the sword or put to death Of the same mind is learned