known beforehand but are also read week after week and year after year And if by might and power any should be forc'd astray to worship God in that manner which is contrary to the Law of God in their consciences though highly esteemed amongst men would not even their Prayers be their sin for doth not Solomon say He that turneth away his ear from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination And he that causeth the Righteous to go astray by an evil way shall fall â—â— 28. â—0 into his own pit And is not their sin great and will not their stripes be many who either by force or subtilty are either drawn or driven to worship God after that manner which is contrary to their knowledge and conscience And if by the force of Might and Power any should be driven contrary to God's witness in their consciences will they not hereby be run into transgression and Rebellion against God and will not the Witness of God in them in their own consciences be their condemnation And is not Rebellion as the sin of Witchcraft and Transgression as Wickedness Idolatry And are their own consciences pure and without offence and tender and in the feeling of anothers conscience or rather are not their consciences reprobated without remorse and unsensible who by force would defile and offend and even wound and wrack the consciences of others And do not they sin against Christ the Head who so sin against his Body the Church and who grieve his Spirit and oppress his Members by imposing rigorously upon them heavy burdens which they are not able to bear even to the wounding of their consciences if they submit and as much as in them lyeth to destroy their souls for whom Christ died And if the doubtful thoughts of them that are weak in the Faith in things that are lawful in themselves are not to be judged as it is written Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weak in the Faith receive you but not to judg his doubtful thoughts see the margent Is the faith and certain knowledge of God's true Worshippers then to be judged as to the manner of God's Worship which they assuredly believe to be the will of God and certainly know to be of the Lord and required of them as his Law unto them Was the noise either of Hammer or Ax or of any Tool of Iron heard in the House of God whilst it was in building by Solomon And are the Laws of men then and their Penalties and Punishments to be the Foundations now on which God's Spiritual House is to be built or is the matter for the House of God now to be hewen out and hammered and prepared by armed-men and the noise of the clattering of Arms with which the peaceable Meetings of the Quakers have been often assaulted and broken up and their Bodies hurt and bruised Is Force and Violence exercised by men on the Body the way of God to save the soul Did not the Prophet in the power of God and in the might of his Spirit declare against them who built up Zion with blood and Ierusalem with wrong And is it not uncharitable among Christians and against the Law both of Love and Equity and that which they would not be done unto themselves for one to impose upon another as to their Faith and Conscience in the matters of Religion and Worship contrary to the Law which rules in their Consciences and to that which they believe to be the Will of God and to that in which they are not to themselves but to the Lord and to that in which the Lord hath received them and doth accept of them For doth not the Royal Law command to love thy neighbour as thy self and hath not Christ to his Disciples â—â— 2. commanded saying Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets â—att 2. Are not even Gainsayers by sound Doctrine both to be convinced and exhorted and in meekness are not they to be instructed who oppose themselves and are not even unbelievers and them that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be gathered by the Word of God preached and to be won by moderation and soberness and by the good conversation of them that believe And is not the Word of God of more force inwardly to execute the righteous Judgments of God for disobedience and to convince perswade and compel to obedience than all the force and strength of men for is it not therefore by the Lord likened to a Fire and to a Hammer which breaks the Rocks in pieces reader Ier. 23. 29. 20. 9. 6. 11. 5. 14. Isa 49. 2. 30. 30. 11. 4. And was not the Baptism of Repentance which by Iohn was preached as an Ax from God in his hand for the cutting down of fruitless Trees and were not they prickt in their hearts with the force of the Word and the authority of the Doctrine which by the Apostles was preached And did not Foelix tremble before Paul when he reasoned of Righteousness and Temperance and of Judgment to come And is not therefore the matter for the building of the Church of God to be prepared by the Ministry of his Word in God's Authority rather than by the force and terror of men And are not even those that oppose themselves to be subdued by the Gospel of Christ unto the obedience of God in his Spiritual Service and Worship For is not the Gospel of Christ the Power of God And is not the Authority of the Word and the Force of the Gospel in which the Power of God is made manifest the means by God appointed to satisfie doubts and to decide Controversies in matters of Religion and manner of Worship For is not the Word of God both quick and powerful and the Sword of the Spirit and sharper for the convincement of Gainsayers than the two-edged Swords of men for doth it not pierce to the discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart and inwardly force and compel where the Force of men can neither reach nor enter And if Power in Magistrates over the Faith and Consciences of God's faithful and true Worshippers in the matters of Religion and Worship be pretended unto as they are Magistrates may not then Antichristian or Heathen Magistrates pretend to the same power to over-rule the Faith of their Subjects and compel them to their Religion and by their penalties and punishments to force their Consciences to worship Idols And if such power in Magistrates be pretended unto as they are Christians are we not to distinguish between the Office or Authority of Magistrates in the administration of their Civil Power as Rulers and Governours and the Religion of Magistrates as they are Christians by which they have fellowship in the Church as Members of the Spiritual Body of which Christ only is the Head among them that
the Law of God in the conscience that so by Christians they may be obeyed for conscience sake And if the Laws of men do answer to the Law of God in the conscience will not every one then that resists the Power as well be made sensible of the wrath of God in his conscience as deserving of the wrath of men upon his outward man And by the opposite Commands of God and man are not the consciences of them that are required to obey deeply concerned and themselves greatly tryed for of necessity are not they forc'd into sore sufferings either by the wrath of God or by the wrath of man that is to say if man forbids that which God commands or if God forbids that which man commands must they not suffer either by God or man for in this case of necessity must not either God or man be disobeyed And if they obey the Laws of men contrary to the Law of God do they not then incur the wrath of God and if they obey the Law of God contrary to the Laws of men do they not then incur the wrath of men And although the Wrath of God be the greater yet is not the wrath of men very great and grievous to be born when it is executed But in this case must not the Lord be obeyed rather than man For as to Soveraignty is not the Lord higher than the highest and doth not the Lord regard the Oppressions of the Innocent who in their sufferings have none to flee unto but to himself only as it is written If thou seest the Oppression of the Poor and violent perverting â—les 8. of Judgment and Justice in a Province marvel not at the matter for He that is higher than the Highest regardeth and there be higher than they And doth not the wrath of man turn to the praise of God And the remainder of wrath will not he restrain And as to their eternal estate Are not the concerns of the soul greater than the concerns of the body and even in this life is not peace with God in the conscience more to be regarded than to be parted with to avoid sufferings by men For what is any man profited by ease liberty and pleasures in the body if to gain this he lose his soul and what would not a wise man part with or suffer to gain his soul And are not Magistrates as they are Christians prohibited by Christ from the exercise of authority and dominion over the Faith and Consciences of God's true Worshippers in the matters of Religion and the Worship of God as it is written Mat. 20. 25 26 27. The Princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be Great among you let him be your Minister and whosoever will be Chief among you let him be your Servant Which cannot be understood that Christians should not be subject to the just Government of their Christian Magistrates in Secular things because in Secular things even Christians are bound in conscience by God to be subject to the just Government even of Heathen Magistrates May not this prohibition viz. But it shall not be so among you therefore be rather understood the prohibiting by Christ of Secular Authority and worldly Dominion to be exercised among Christians for the government of his Church in the Heavenly and Spiritual things of God And also because in the Government of the Church The Greatest is to be their Mark â— 44. Minister and the Chiefest to be the Servant of all and is it so in the Government of the Church by Secular Powers For is not the Church of Christ a Spiritual Body and must not its Government therefore be Spiritual even by the Divine Authority and Heavenly Dominion of Christ himself as the alone Head and Governor of the Church which is his Mystical Body and the fulness of him that filleth all in all And may not this therfore be of caution as well to Christian Magistrates as to Heathen Magistrates to take heed of exercising that Authority and Dominion among Christians over the Spiritual Body of Christ in the matters of Faith and Worship and the things of God relating to the inward man which by Christ are distinguished from the things of Cesar which they exercise and which may be given them of God to be exercised by them for their Civil Policy and the Government of the Politick Body in things Secular and relating to the outward man For is not the Power by which the Church is to be governed by the Father given to Christ as the only Head of the Church and hath not Christ in himself kept the right of Soveraignty in the Government of his Church and is not Christ himself ever present in Spirit with his Church for the administration of his Authority and Supremacy over the Church and in the exercise of his Soveraignty for the Government of the Church And doth not Christ instruct them and rule among them by his Word and holy Unction and his Commands unto them and by the operation of his Power in them and doth he not teach and govern them by the motions and ministries and conduct of his Spirit which abideth with them and dwelleth in them and by the vertues and efficacy of the gifts of his Grace which by him are distributed to them And herein doth not Christ reign and rule and teach and govern his Church himself and hereby is not God glorified in the Church by Christ throughout all ages as it is written Unto him be glory in the Church by Christ Epheâ— 21. Jesus thorowout all ages world without end Amen And though Authority and Superiority and Magistracy and Power justly derived and lawful Dominion in the exercise of Civil Power for the Government of the Politick Body be the Ordinance of God yet doth it therefore follow that the same is ordained of God for the Government of his Church For are the motions of the Spirit of Christ in his Church and the operations of the Power of Christ in the Members of his Mystical Body by Magistrates to be bounded and limited through the exercise of their Dominion over them and of their Authority upon them Are the gifts which by God are given for the mutual edifying of the Church to be ordered and disposed of by Magistrates have they power over and the government of the manifestations of the Spirit of God and all those different Administrations which are by the same Lord and which by the working of one and the same Spirit operateth severally in all for the benefit of the Body and the profit of every member Or had the then Heathen Magistrates the same Authority over the Power and Spirit which operated in the Apostles and primitive Christians as they were the Ministers and Servants of God in the exercise of their Ministry and Service of the Church which they had over
Law of God compel any of his true worshipers to worship him by the force of Secular penalties punishments or is that worship acceptable to God which is by compulsion and force And to that which perhaps by some may be said That the penalties and punishments herein mentioned are the judgments and executions of the Law of the King I say are God's true Worshippers by the Laws and Prescriptions of men to worship God after that manner which is contrary to that which by the Law of God is prescribed for his Worship or are they by penalties and punishments to be forc'd as to the Worship of God contrary to their Faith and to what they believe to be the true Worship of God and against their Consciences And was not the Law of God then the Law of the King also when the King by his Decree had established it as his Law to be administred in their Judicature Is not therefore that part of the King's Decree which in Ezra 7. 25 26. is contained intended by the King of the exercise of his Civil Power for his reforming of the Magistracy and outward Judicature in the Province of Judah for the Civil Government of the Jews according to the Law of God as to their outward man as in the Wisdom of God Ezra should be guided to direct it and not for his reforming of the Church as to the Worship of God for as to what in his Decree related to the House of God and his Worship and to the Ministers thereof did not his Decree end as to the before-mentioned with the end of the 24th verse of that chapter or did the King at all reform the Church as to the Worship of God otherwise than as by his Decree he submitted the reformation of it to the Commandments of God himself and by his ordering that to be diligently done for the House of the God of Heaven which either was or should be commanded by the God of Heaven as in ver 23. and also as by his Decree he protected the Jews in the free exercise of their Liberty as to their Consciences in their obedience to the Commands of God as to his own Worship and Service And as to that which perhaps by some may be objected That these penalties and punishments may be executed as to the matters of Religion and Worship because the Law of God is as well there mentioned as the Law of the King viz. Whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King c. To which I answer Was not the Law of God by the Law of the King established to be administred in the outward Government of the Jews as to the things of their outward man and to be executed upon Offenders in their Civil Judicature according to the nature and degree of each transgression as by the judgement of the Judicature they were sentenced whether unto Death or to Banishment or to Confiscation of Goods or Imprisonment for were not the Jews in their liberty from Captivity to be judged and governed according to the Law of God even as to the things of the outward man and by Magistrates and Judges that knew the Law of God And were not the Kings of Israel therefore to have â—ut 17. 19 20 a Book of the Law of God and therein to read all the dayes of their lives that they might learn the fear of the Lord their God and keep the words of his Law and his Statutes to do them and that their hearts might not be lifted up above their Brethren nor they turn aside from the Command of God neither to the right-hand nor to the left And in order to the administration and execution of the Law of God in their Civil Judicature was not Ezra therefore after the wisdom of God as his guide by the King's Decree to settle Magistrates and Judges that knew the Law of God and to teach them that knew it not for had not Ezra prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord to do it and to teach in Israel Statutes and Judgments And did not the King direct his Commission to Ezra as to a Scribe of the â—ra 7. 11 12. Law of God and a Teacher of the words of the Commandments of God and of his Statutes to Israel And do not Statutes there relate to State-Government and Civil Judicature And was not Ezra by the King and his seven Counsellors sent to enquire concerning Judah and Ierusalem according to the Law of his God were not therefore these penalties and punishments in the administration of the Law of God by Magistrates and Judges which knew the Law of God to be executed upon malefactors for their capital or criminal offences against the Law of God rather than upon Innocent and regular people for the exercise of their Faith and Consciences to God in his Worship and Service And may not these penalties and punishments be annexed by the King to inforce his Decree and accordingly to be executed upon any of the Jews adversaries that at any time should oppose this his new Constitution of the Magistracy for the Government of the Jews according to the Law of God for had not the Jews many potent Adversaries nigh them who waited opportunities to mischieve them as in the case of the building of the Temple were not many exasperated against the Jews lest by it their Idolatrous High-Places should be clouded So in time might not their potent Adversaries be exasperated at this new Reformation of the Magistracy for their Civil Government according to the Law of God in which they had not the same opportunity as Lords of their own Rule to tyrannize over the Jews as formerly And withall may not these executions viz. unto Death or to Banishment or to Confiscation of Goods or to Imprisonment the rather be thus particularly signified and expressed thereby to demonstrate the greatness of their Authority by the King's Commission for the administration of the Law of God in their Civil Government and the ample Power which by the King's Decree was given them for the execution of Judgement in their Judicature as to the things of the outward man Which Power here thus largely extended was afterwards denied them by the Romans when under their Dominion it was not lawful for the Jews to put any man to death Iohn 18. 31. And as to that which in this kind is objected by some of the examples of the Kings of Israel and Iudah viz. That they exercised Authority in the matters of Religion c. and that therefore Christian Magistrates may now yea and that they ought so to exercise their Power and Dominion over Christians as even to force and compel them as to the maner of the Worship of God though it be contrary to their Faith and against their Consciences To which I answer first Do not the Statutes of several Kingdoms in Christendom differ as to the matters of Religion and their manners and
termed foolish men for what reason is there for just and righteous men to disown Government that to say just and righteous Government that are so obedient to the Government of God's Spirit ruling in them which Spirit of God is to govern Governours in their Governments as that their conversation is so according to good Government as that good Government hath no Law against them What reason is there for people that are subject to the Government of God to be against the Government of men if they rule according to God whose Kingdom is to rule over all and that administer their Government for the Lords sake for the punishment of evil-doers and for the praise of them that do well for although unrighteous Rulers who know not the Lord to rule over them and by them nor are subject to his Power in their Governments by their corrupt rule and misgovernment and abuse of their Power do persecute the Innocent that obey the Government of God for their Righteousness sake yet the Government of men by the Ordinance of God is not to push against the Government of God in his People that are of his own Houshold and Family and under his own Government in whom his Kingdom is come and his Will is done who know the Lord to be their Ruler and are subject unto his Power and Rule in them and over them and obey him as their King their Lawgiver and Judge who by their obedience to the Reign and Government of God do answer and fulfil the just and good Government of men and therefore there is no reason for the Quakers who are under the Government of God to be against the Government of men that rule according to the Ordinance of God Again Rulers are not to be a terror to good works but their Sword is to be turned against the evil and they are to minister their good to well-doers and therefore those who are redeemed from their evil-deeds which the Power of God in Rulers is God's Sword to punish they need not to fear the Power the occasion of the Sword being subdued in them by the Power of their Redeemer but the People called Quakers are redeemed from the evil deeds which the Sword of the Magistrate is to punish so that they are not chargeable by any to be conversant therein for they having renounced the hidden things of dishonesty are not found in criminal offences nor are they by the â—oberest of men charged with any ungodly or vicious living to which the Magistrate is to be a terrour And therefore the Quakers need not to fear the Power which to Magistrates is given by God for the punishment of evil-doers only and not to punish well-doers the occasion of the Sword being subdued in them by the Power of their Redeemer who breaks in pieces and hath broken in them the power and rule of darkness which keeps in transgression and subdues the transgressor and keeps out of transgression unto whose Power in them which is the Higher Power in which Rulers are to govern that over-rules and rules over the power and rule of darkness and that chains down the evil-doer and restrains his evil deeds their souls are subject Again Rulers by the Ordinance of God are to minister their good to well-doers and therefore those who are in the exercise of good-works by the power of their Head Christ Jesus working in them who is the Head of all Principalitie and Power of whom alone is all the just Authority and Rule that is derived unto the Rulers of all Nations and by whose Power Rulers are to govern his Power in their Governments is for their praise who by his Power in them are exercised in good-works which good-works are the fulfilling of good Government and unto which good Governours are a praise But the Quakers are a People that are exercised in good works by the power of their Head Christ Jesus working in them so as that they are an example of good works at this day in the Nation the proof of which they have in the consciences of all sober People and therefore Magistrates are to minister their good unto the Quakers as unto well-doers and to protect and encourage them in their well-doing For the Power of Christ as it rules in Government is for their praise who by his Power in them are exercised in good works which good works are the fulfilling of good Government and unto which good Governours are a praise as it is written Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do 13. that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same for he is the Minister of God to thee for good Those who in the Divine and Spiritual Light of their Creator are subject to the righteous Law of their Maker which in their hearts is written from their creation the Law of the Creation which from the beginning hath been given by God in common to all Nations before the Law of Moses to the Jews was given the Creators Law to his creatures and as their Sovereign Lord over all Sovereignty and Lordship his Law for the government of the Creation and so the Common-Law of all Nations according to which the Nations by their Rulers are to be governed as the Jews by their Rulers were to be governed according to the Law of Moses these by their obedience to the righteous Law of God they obey the righteous Laws of men for conscience-sake and submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lord's sake and so their obedience to the Laws of men and their submission to every Ordinance of man is without the force of the Law or the wrath of man for which they merit of the Magistrate his praise and the Laws protection for their encouragement in their wel-doing For in the Law of God is contained the true principles of all Law and Justice that by Rulers in their Governments is to be administred and every Ordinance of man viz. the Magistracy and Government of every Nation is to be composed and constituted according to the Law of God and by the Law of God as their principle and their inward guide their Laws their Judgments and Sentences are to be directed and regulated And therefore those who are subject to the righteous Law of God the record of which is written in their hearts they keep the Laws of men and every Ordinance of man that is according to the Law of God and his Ordinance for the Laws of men are not to derogate from the Law of God nor is any Ordinance of man so to be of man as not to be of God for the motive to submit to every Ordinance of man is for the Lord's sake and therefore every Ordinance of man in their original must be of God and of man only formally as by man composed and constituted And as every Ordinance is of man so every Ordinance must by man be ordained for the Lords sake that so every Ordinance of man may be
with their doors shut greater opportunities to contrive Insurrections if that only were the matter and also the intent of their Meetings than the publick Assemblies of the Quakers with their doors open and experience hath sufficiently shewed that the Quakers are no Plotters except against the Devil and his wiles and devices nor is their warfare against flesh and blood for their weapons are spiritual I say what can be laid to their charge except in the matters of the Law of their God and what relates to his Worship and Service And in the opposite Commandments of God and men must not God by them be obeyed rather than men for is there any power or administration of Law to be submitted unto against the Lord And shall man prescribe to God his Worship who should not prescribe his own but by God's permission Is not this to oppose their power to the Power of God and to set their Judgment-seats above the Throne of God For are Magistrates the Governours of the immortal Souls of the Righteous have they power over the Spirit for the Worship of God is â—n 4. â— 24. in Spirit Do not they intrench on God's Prerogative and usurp in his Dominion who in the matters of Religion and materials of God's Worship do intrude outward and worldly Domination over the inward and Spiritual man For is the Spiritual man which judgeth all things and is himself judged of no man the Kingdom and Regiment of the Secular Powers and is the Soul their Judgment-seat are they the Lords over Conscience have they the Dominion over the things of God which by Christ are distinguished from the things of Caesar Mat. 22. 21. Will they give Law to that in man which is not of man and which they can neither protect nor punish and from which in themselves their Laws should be given For is the hidden man of the heart punishable by man which is not corruptible by the Devil or can they either save or kill the Soul or can they protect them from the Wrath of God who to save themselves from the wrath of man do in the things of God fear and hearken unto man more than unto God And in the matters of Religion and the Worship of God are not people rather to be taught and led by the Spirit of God in God's Authority than to be driven by the power of Magistrates and forced by the penalties and punishments of outward Laws And is that Worship acceptable to God which for its authority hath only the force and fear of man without the faith and fear of God Is it the outward worship of the bodily presence and exercise only that is so well-pleasing to God for neither doth the force of man reach further than to â—k 12 the outward body nor can the wrath of man work the Righteousness of God or rather is it not the inward and spiritual Worship in the Living â—n 1. â— Faith and renewed Spirit of God's faithful and true Worshippers that pleaseth God If the former why then was not Cains Sacrifice accepted and if the latter how then can the Laws of men and their most severe executions make any to worship God acceptably because by all their force they cannot give men Faith nor make new their Spirit for Faith is the gift of God and to renew a right Spirit in man is the work of God And without Faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 13. And it was by Faith that Abel offered a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain Heb. 11. 4. And how can they whose Consciences are tender and not seared as with an hot Iron but be condemned in themselves if by the force and fear of men and their penalties and punishments they worship God in the way prescribed by man that is contrary to their Faith and against the judgment and feeling of their own Consciences and for which there is neither precept nor example in the Scriptures of Truth And if their own hearts and consciences condemn them God is greater 1 Joh. 3. 20. And so by the exercise of Force and Punishment in Religion and Worship are there not many made Hypocrites and are there not some made Hereticks For they are Hypocrites which appear to be that outwardly which they are not inwardly and they are Hereticks who by subversion sin and are condemned in themselvs so that their obedience is not for Conscience-sake but for Wraths-sake only And also by Force imposing things contrary to Faith and Conscience Are not many driven out from amongst them who cannot touch any unclean thing And when the Lord hath received them are they not then persecuted as Schismaticks and seditious Sectories And are themselves in the Faith which worketh by Love and which stands not in the wisdom and strength of men but in the power and operation of God who by mischievous Stratagems and the Force of men would wrack the Faith of others break their Peace and wound their Consciences who in their own hearts have the answer of a good Conscience in what they do and are in the Peace which passeth the understanding of them that hate and persecute them and are built up in the most holy Faith by which the Just live for their Meetings are in the singleness of their hearts and not under pretence as seditious Conventicles but in all simplicity and godly sincerity to worship God And is not to persecute for righteousness-sake Cains way for was not Cain the first Persecuter and was not Cain of that wicked one when in his wroth he slew his Brother because his own works were evil and his Brother 's righteous And are Revilings Menacings Striking Stocking Imprisoning and Banishing the Righteous for their Righteousness-sake are these the fruits of true and sincere Christians and the fulfilling of the Law of Love or are these Cruelties of the Lord for David saith The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and that he delighteth in his way Are these steps ordered by the Lord or Psâ— 2â— doth the Lord delight in this way And if the Devil be the original author of these immanities are not then raging foming Persecuters who travel with envy and mischief the Devil's Agents and the Executioners of his Wrath and Cruelties upon the Innocent for it is written Fear none of those things that thou shalt suffer Behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tryed And Satan dwelt and had his seat where Antipas God's faithful Martyr was slain Rev. 2. 10. 13. And is the Lord their strength and his Arm and Protection their trust and confidence who cannot trust a poor naked and harmless people to meet together to worship God without suspition of contriving Insurrections when no cause was ever given by the Quakers to suspect them but only as by machination they are rendred as dangerous and seditious Sectaries and disloyal persons
rightly of things that differ and approve of that which is most excellent and which is acceptable and well-pleasing in the sight of God yea and against the witness of God in them and the feeling of their own consciences And is not to rule by force the Lambs of Christ and to give law and rule to their faith and consciences by penalties and punishments contrary to what is written Zech. 4. 6. Not by Might nor by Power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts Is the strength of men then and their Force and Laws Penalties and Punishments the means appointed by God to teach people the knowledge and fear of God or Doth the Wrath of man accomplish the Righteousness of God or are these Jam 20. the weapons of the Spiritual-Warfare by which people are to be subject unto the Lord in his Spiritual-Worship and Service And is that Worship well-pleasing or acceptable to God which is forc'd only by the fear and punishment of men or doth God seek such Worshippers as by carnal compulsion worship him Nay are not these of the weapons with the which the many-headed Beast with his Horns and Crowns which rise out of the Sea have made War with the Saints for these many hundred years and have so overcome them as to their bodies as that many have lost their precious Lives in Prisons and Dungeons and at the Gibbet and the Stake Was the material Temple by Zerubbabel to be rebuilt without the help of Secular Force and must there be the exercise of Inhumane Cruelty for the building of the Spiritual-Temple and House of God which in the Lord is the Pillar and Ground of Truth Is not the Lord Jesus Christ now the builder of his Church and is not He only given as a Leader and the Commander of his People in Spiritual things for is not all Power in Heaven and Earth by his Father given unto him for the establishment of his Heavenly and Spiritual Kingdom and Government and as the Lord of his own House is it not to be left to him to order it and to govern it without the help of the force of man for is not the Spirit and Power of Christ of more efficacy for the government of his Church than might and power by men And how is God glorified in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages â— 3. world without end if the Church be gathered and governed by the Authority and force of men Is not the Law of God which by his Spirit is written in the hearts of his People and his Fear and the Dread which by him is put upon them the Covenant by which they are to draw near unto him in his holy Worship rather than the Laws and Penalties of men And is not the Lords Covenant with his People the only force that is to say without the force of men which by him is put upon them as to his own Spiritual Service and Worship And as to the Lord is not his Covenant sufficient without the force of men as it is written As for me this is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have 59. put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever And in the day of the Lord's Power are not his People willing without carnal compulsion by Secular force and violence And did not the Prophet Micah full of Power by the Spirit of the Lord and of Judgment and Might declare against the Heads of the house of Jacob and the Princes of the house of Israel who built â— c. 3. â— 10. up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity And what remains now in this day of tryal for the Quakers the true Successors of the holy Prophets and Martyrs of Jesus but to succeed them in their Sufferings and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ for his Bodies sake which is the Church for whilst Laws are made and executed upon them to limit them in their Meetings by which they are made offenders who otherwise are blameless and whilst their Meetings together in the fear of the Lord and in obedience to his Law and Commandment and in his Worship and Service are rendred as the Transgressions of the Laws they exceeding the limited number of Four c. which otherwise and without that limit are enjoyned by the Spirit of the Lord and strictly required not to be forsaken by any either wilfully after they have received â—b 10 the knowledge of the Truth or for fear of Man who when he hath killed the body can do no more lest greater sufferings from God may be expected to wit a certain fearful looking for of Judgement and the fiery Indignation of God who can both kill the body and cast the soul into Hell And what then now remains for the Quakers in these exercises and tryals of their Faith and Patience but to offer up their Bodies a living Sacrifice holy and acceptable to God as their reasonable service and patiently to suffer all these cruelties which men may be permitted to inflict upon them for of necessity must they not either suffer or flee their Testimony and deny Christ before men and expose him to open shame before his enemies and them that hate his appearance and that persecute him in his members And will not Christ deny them before his heavenly Father that deny him before men and will not Christ shame them when in the glory of his Father he is made manifest who are ashamed of him and of his Testimony when in his members he is despised and persecuted And though the Meetings of the Quakers are by men rendred unlawful because of the Laws that are made against them yet are they therefore sinful in the sight of God or unlawful by the Law of God or are their Meetings therefore displeasing to the Lord because they are envied and persecuted by men Would Daniel's praying to his God have been the transgression of a Law if there had not been a Law made purposely against it or was his praying then and his making supplications before the Lord his sin against the Lord even then when there was a Law made against it which they called a Royal Statute and a firm Decree which altereth not And although the Meetings of the Quakers are made transgressions before men because of the Laws that are made against them yet is it either a transgression in it self or a sin before the Lord for innocent Lambs and the harmless Flock of Christ in obedience to the Voice of their Shepherd to meet together and to be gathered in his Name and he in the midst of them to feed them and to fold them that they might be fed in his green Pastures and refreshed with his living Fountains of the
that knew them not And by the Kings Commission was not power to him given for their execution of the Law of God and the King's Decree upon Malefactors either unto Death or to Banishment or to Confiscation of goods or to Imprisonment that so the people all might be judged and governed even as to their outward man according to the Law of God and by Magistrates and Judges that knew the Law of God And as to that which perhaps by some may be alledged to prove Reformation as to the Worship of God by Artaxerxes the King viz. that both Artaxerxes the King and his Counsellers offered freely and bountifully of their Silver and Gold and that the King gave power to Ezra for Collections in the Province of Babylon and for the freewil Offerings of the People and the Priests and therewith to buy Bullocks and Ramms and Lambs c. for Sacrifices and with his Brethren to dispose of the rest after the will of God and as to what might farther be needful for the House of God that he ordered Ezra to bestow out of his Treasure-house and that he made a Decree for his Treasurers to give unto Ezra Silver and Wheat and Wine and Oyl and Salt to a great value if by Ezra it should be required of them To which I say are they not to distinguish between the exercise of Authority for the correcting altering or prescribing as to the Worship of God and the exercise of Authority for the encouragment and protection of God's true Worshippers in the Worship of God as by God himself it is prescribed and reformed And did not Artaxerxes the King herein like a Nursing-father even to the Church though otherwise reputed a Heathen exercise his Imperial and Kingly Authority for the encouragement and protection of the Jews in the Worship of God as by God himself it was prescribed and reformed rather than that he intruded his own Authority or Commands for reforming the Church as to the Worship of God in his holy Temple for as to all things which related to the Worship of God in his Temple did not Artaxerxes the King submit the sole Government and Reformation Psal 10 12. of the Church to God himself yea and that with fear and reverence to God as a consuming fire lest by the Wrath of God himself with his Realm and his Sons should be consumed in that which he saith Ezra 7. 23. Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be diligently done for the House of the God of Heaven for why should there be wrath against the Realm the King and his Sons And hereby is not their error made manifest or their malice or ignorance of the Scriptures who in their Pulpits before the Judges do make use of that which in Ezra 7. 26. is written Whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgment be speedily executed upon him whether it be unto Death or to Banishment or to confiscation of Goods or to Imprisonment with endeavour to incense the Judges to exercise cruelty upon the innocent by their misinterpretation and wrong application when the Quakers are to be tryed upon the Act for Banishment or Imprisonment for their meeting together in the fear of the Lord and in his Name to worship him And herein do they not wrest the Scriptures to oppress the Innocent that are more righteous than themselves And if by the judgments and executions of the Law of God and the Law of the King and the penalties and punishments in this Scripture mentioned here was intended by the King a compulsion as to the matters of Religion and a force as to the Worship of God in order to a uniformity in Religion and Worship among all those people over whom the Magistrates and Judges by the Kings decree were to be setled as in the Wisdom of God Ezra should be guided to direct must not all the people then have been forc'd as to their Religion and their Worship by those penalties and punishments that were beyond the River in which were several Provinces or at least should not all the people then by these judgments and executions have been compelled to be one with the Jews as to their Religion and with them to have worshipped in the Temple that were in the Province of Judah or in the Cities of Samaria c. in which there were of several Nations and they of several Religions and several manners of Worship for is not that which in this Scripture is said Whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King c. intended of all the people that were beyond the River as in the verse before and as much as to say Whosoever of all the people that are beyond the River c. And was Judgement ever so executed upon this people to force them as to their Religion and the several manners of the Worship of each Nation in which every Nation worshipped their own gods or were the several Nations mentioned Ezra 4. 9 10. ever compelled by those penalties and punishments to be of the Jews Religion or with them to worship in the Temple at Jerusalem Nay would not this rather have gratified the Nations who in those Countries were the Jews adversaries then the Nation of the Jews who publickly could have worshipped with the Jews in the Temple and also privatly have served their own gods for when the Jews laid the foundation of the Temple would not they have builded with them and did not they seem to inforce the accomplishment of their desire therein by arguments of unity with them in that which to Zerubbabel and to the chief of the Fathers they said viz. Let us build with you for we seek your â—â— 4. 2. God as ye do and we do sacrifice unto him c. And did not the Jews both deny them and account the Temple profaned by the presence of profane men in it and also both their worship and themselves defiled by their fellowship with Idolaters in it And must not then those penalties and punishments have been executed cheifly on the Jews if the speedy execution of Judgment spoken of in this Scripture extended to the setling of a uniformity in Religion and Worship among all those People and Nations over whom those Magistrates and Judges were to be setled And then would not the Jews have been the greatest sufferers in whose favour the Decree by the King was intended and granted for if they chose rather not to build the Temple than to admit of them to build with them could they at all communicate with them in the Worship of God who no otherwise feared the Lord but as every Nation also served their own gods Again Are not the penalties and punishments that are mentioned in this Scripture viz. unto Death or to Banishment c. both the Judgments and Executions of the Law of God and also Secular penalties and punishments and doth the
â—â—g â—4 â— 43. is it not recorded as their remisness that they were not by them demolished Howbeit they forc'd none no not to sacrifice to the true God in the high-places but suffered it in those that did And although Jehoash Amaziah Azariah and Jotham did many things that were right in the sight of the Lord yet did not they all leave standing the high-places and under their Reigns and Government did not the people still sacrifice and burn Incense in the high-places which by the Law of God was not lawful for them to do but in the Temple only And as to the courage and fidelity of Hezekiah and the zeal and piety of Josiah and their more thorow Reformation so much spoken of to wit their throwing down the high-places as well those which by the former Reformers were left standing as those which after were built and their breaking down the Altars and casting out the Images and their countenancing the true Worshippers and encouraging the Worship of God according to the Law and Covenant of God all which as aforesaid is objected by some as examples for Christian Magistrates to follow and for them therefore to exercise their Authority as to matters of Religion To which I answer If the Lord put it into the hearts of Christian Magistrates so far to tread in the steps of the good Kings of Judah as to encourage the true Worship of God which is in Spirit and in Truth and not after the inventions of men and to protect God's true Worshippers in their Worship of God and to exercise their Authority for the removing the heaps of high-places in Christendom which neither were built either by pattern or Command from God and for the demolishing of their eminent places with their Altars within them and Popish Images about them who of the Lord's People would be grieved therewith for which reade 2 Chron. 34. 3 4. 2 Kings 23. 18. 4. 2 Chron. 30. 14. Numb 33. 52. Deut. 7. 5. 12. 2 3. And as before it is observed Was it not recorded as the remisness of the former good Kings of Judah That the High-places were not removed though in them the people sacrificed to the true God only But did those good Magistrates and Reformers in the Church and Commonwealth of Judah at all prescribe to God his Worship or did they administer their Power for the execution of their own wills concerning the Worship of God Was not their Authority by them exercised for the establishment of the Law of God and his Ordinances for his Wolship and Service according as by Moses was declared and written before them and for the keeping of God's Testimonies which by God was testified in his Spirit by his Prophets and in their own consciences For did not Iosiah make a Covenant before the Lord To walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandments and his Testimonies 2 Châ—â— 34. â—â— and his Statutes with all his heart and with all his soul and to perform the words of the Covenant which were written in the Book that was found in the House of the Lord And of Hezekiah is it not said That 2 Kiâ—â— 18. â—â— he clave to the Lord and departed not from following him but kept his Commandments which the Lord commanded Moses And of Iehosaphat is it 2 Câ—â—â—7 4â— not said That he sought to the Lord God of his Father and walked in his Commandments and not after the doings of Israel And when Asa had taken away the Altars of the strange gods and the High-places c. did not he command Iudah or rather as it is in some Translation he 2 Châ— 14. 4â— said unto Iudah that they should seek the Lord God of their Fathers and do after the Law and Commandments And was not the uprightness of their hearts such as to the Lord his Law and Commands to them in what they did as that their Commands by the people were obeyed as the words and Commandments of God as it is written 2 Chr. 29. 15. And they gathered their Brethren and sanctified themselves and came according to the Commandment of the Kings by the words of the Lord c. for they in their Commands obeying the Word of the Lord the Hand of the Lord was so upon the people as that they obeyed their Commands as the Word of the Lord as it is written 2 Chr. 30. 12. Also in Judah the Hand of God was to give them one heart to do the Commandment of the King and of the Princes by the Word of the Lord. But to conclude both as to Christian Magistrates and also as to Heathen Magistrates If Heathen Magistrates command Christians even in the matters of Religion the Commandments of the Lord only and not their own against their Lords are they not even by Christians to be submitted unto for the Lords sake And if Christian Magistrates command Christians even as to the Worship of God the Commandments of Christ answering to the Witness of Christ in their consciences that are to obey and not by carnal compulsion or the force of man against their Faiâ—h and Consciences are they not by Christians to be obeyed yea and even for Conscience sake But if the Commands of Magistrates whetâ—er as to their profession they be either Heathens of Câ—ristians be contrary to the Commands of God and our Lord Jesus Christ and against the Faith and Consciences of Gods faithful and true Worshippers in this case is not the Lord rather to be obeyed than Men