examples recorded in holy Scriptures bind our consciences in our worships and communion with God In particular The King of Nineveh his Proclaiming a Fast examined must there be a King and Nobles in London to Proclaim a Fast as we know there was in Nineveh must the Beasts also be kept from Food and Water as there must Man and Beast be covered with Sackcloth as there If one part of the Example bind us why not the other Or if we say that such practices were ceremonial and typical how will that be proved amongst the Ninevites st angers to the true God and his Servant Moses although probably they might light their Candle from the Example of that national Church of Israel which kept their National Fasts ordinary and extraordinary c. And if example be Rule for Gods Servants I ask Whether all Ship-masters or Magistrates in their respective stormes and tempests may exhort their Passengers and Sea-men and People to arise and call upon their several Gods and Deities as the Ship-master deales with Ionah in the first Chapter Secondly No Warrant in Christs Testament for a national muchlessm forced worship I ask Whether in the New Testament of Christ Jesus by which the National Church and the worship of that Church was abolished there be any Example or Rule for any such National worship of one sort or another for what cause sover And although it may be said Christ Jesus approves the Action yet I ask Whether he speakes one Tittle to the Decree of the King and his Nobles but onely to the Repentance of the People at the preaching of Ionah And upon the point Whether the scope of the Lord Iesus was not to upbraid the hardness of our hearts in not repenting at the threatnings of Gods judgements as the Ninevites did Thirdly I ask Whether this example of the King of Nineveh Many various Consciences and more will be in the Nations can be a proper and fit example for the imitation of all the Nations in the World whose Consciences like the various Meridians and Climates of Nations and places may wonderfully differ in one and the same Commonweal and Kingdom the Magistrates possibly may be of one Conscience and all or the greatest part of another And like as in a Ship where several Consciences of Seamen and Passengers happen how can there be an inforcing of all Consciences unto one worship without great Violence and Distraction and sometimes hazard of the whole in breach of Peace by mutinies c. Fourthly I ask Whether the holy Name of God hath not been mightily prophaned and the holy Eyes of his Jealousie mightily provoked in this Nation by the Fasts and Thanksgivings which the People of this Nation have been forced to observe even against their hearts and souls and consciences How did the Parliament at first inforce the People of this Nation to Fast and Pray for the defence of Religion King Parliament Lawes Liberties And how did the King at the same time command that party of the Nation under his command to Fast and Pray for his contrary Forces fighting upon the very same Grounds and Causes How did the Parliament command the People to give Thanks to God for those Victories for which the King commanded the People to give thanks for as his got over and against the Parliament How have thousands been forced to pray for the Parliament The wonderful prophaning of the name of God by the inforced Worshipe of Prayer and Thanksgiving in this Nation whose hearts and courses have rather joyned with the King against the Parliament and thousands commanded by the King to pray and fast for him whose hearts and causes have more adhered to the Parliaments cause and Interest Yea as to the Presbyterians whose cause of violence this was and therefore O that their Souls may see it as from God just upon them how have they been forced to such publike Actions of prayer and thanksgivings and especially in reference to the Scotch Nation and cause the which their Soules and Consciences have much abhorred O the infinite and unsearchable Treasure of the patience of God to such Worships such Violences c and therefore Lastly The duty of the Magistrates apprehending Gods Judgements I ask Whether the Governour of Ships artificial at Sea or mystical Commonweales on shore in their several stormes and tempests can do any more rightly and Christianly by the Testament of Christ Jesus then First Humble themselves in such waies of Worship and with such Societies and Communions wherein they have fellowship with God and one with another and to stand in the Gap by Humiliation by Righteousness and Mercy Daniel 4.27 c. Secondly Use all possible perswasions and exhortations to the several Passengers under their civil care and charge to turn to God to pray unto him Thus Peter exhorteth Simon Magus fearing Gods judgements to turne unto God by repentance and then to call upon him And thus Paul knowing the Terour of the Lord 2 Cor. 4. perswades men to be reconciled to God c. implying this to be the way for the prevention both of Temporal and Eternal Iudgements Thirdly The Duty of good Magistrates in publike Calamities Intreat the Prayers and Supplications of such whom they believe to be the People of God whose Prayers he professeth to be his Delight and hath promised to hear them while the Prayer of the wicked is an Abomination and therefore more provokes him Thus some good Emperours have used to desire the Intercessions of Gods People in times of danger and distress Yea and Paul himself so high in favour with God and so full of the Grace and Spirit of God yea and so ful of the Spirit of prayer as next to the Lord Iesus we read of no man more in the the New Testament yet no man do we read of that so frequently and earnestly begs the prayers of Gods people The eighth Question Whether any of the Prophets or Apostles Quest 6 yea our Saviour himself did ever except against the Magistrates Authority for questioning them in matters of Religion First I ask Answ Whether the Prophets and Christ Iesus and his Apostles are here so fitly joyned in this Witness The dispensation of the Prophets before Christ since the Prophets before Christs coming were under the dispensation of shadowes and figures in that National and typical Church of Israel and onely prophesied of that great High-Priest and King and Prophet to come Christ Iesus The Law and the Prophets were until Iohn saith Christ Iesus and their actions as relating to a National Church cannot be brought as witnesses with Iohn or Iesus Secondly I ask Did not all the Prophets foretel of this most absolute and independent King and Law-giver to his People the King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom onely God hath spoken in these last times Christ Jesus the onely King of Israel and that spiritually Heb. 1. Did not the Angel
such whose either consciences or necessities cannot permit them to practice that notorious Iudaism of Tythes The Nonconformers it 's true were sued and cast and paid but they were never so torn with the three-tooth'd Hook of Elies SOns the Treble da mages and oppressions I as therefore shat Grace what Godliness that is that teacheth us after all our our former sins and judgements and deliverances and vows to stop our Eares from the oppressed their Cries their Teares their Consciences and to imagine that our Commonweal our parliament our Counsel our Commonweal our parliament our Counsel our Army our Navy must prosper in our most knowne oppressings of Him whose is all power in Heaven and Earth the Son of God Christ Iesus The sum of the fourth Question Whether the Magistrate Quest 4 he not bound to love God and to advance his Glory true worship and service and the good of his people with all his might I ask Whether as before the Magistrate being the Civil officer of the People hath any Might Answ Authority or Power but what the People commit unto him And Whether any People will or can betrust such a Power to the civil magistrate to compel their Souls and consciences unto his Secondly Spiritual weapons and carnal compared Whether the Spirit of God speak not expresly that the Weapons of Christians are not Sword and Might but the Spirit and whether his Spiritual Weapons 2 Cor. 10. be not sufficiently and abundantly able and mighty to bring down every strong hold and every high thing and every imagination and thought to the obedience of Iesus Christ And Whether ever any carnal might ever did or can effect ought in Christianity but the storming of the Nations into an Antichristian Hypocrisie and Compliance Thirdly The woful effect of carnal weapons in Spirituals Whether this Principle of the Magistrates putting forth his carnal might in spirituals hath not constantly occasioned the Magistrate according to the mistakes of his owne conscience to promote Superstition and Idolatry And also hath rendred the strongest sword to be the measure and standard of all Religion in the World and the Magistrates thereof the Nimrods and mighty Hunters before the Lord Fourthly I ask Where Christ Iesus the onely Law-giver to Christians hath appointed in his holy Testament Christ Jesus not forgetful to furnish his kingdom with spiritual weapons the civil swrod the judge and defender of his Religion and Worship And why he hath not furnished his civil Magistrates of Iustice in the World with such hearts and spirits but contrarily hath call'd few of them to the profession of his Name And whether he hath not ever furnished and doth and will his spiritual Ministers and Messengers with spiritual might and power sufficiently and abundantly efficacious for the propagating of his holy Name and Truth and for the confounding of Antichrist and all Antichristians by the breath of his Mouth that two edged Sword of his Spirit Fifthly Whether Christianity did ever so flourish The sirst and last times of Constantine considered as when the people of God in the first 300 yers after Christ had no might but that of Christs spiritual weapons Ans when it pleased God to raise up Constantine to give some rest to his people from persecution whether Christianity did most flourish in the first time of Constantine when he with his Colleageue Licinius published the edict of Freedome of Religion to hissubjects or in his after-times when he compell'd all the World to Christianity but as is confest by many occasioned the World to put on the bare and empty name of Chrislian c. Lastly I ask Whether this Principle of the Magistrates employing the carnal sword or Might in spirituals The Carnal sword an Spirituats the occasion of so much bloodshed in former and in our late Wars have not in all Histories and Experience been the Firebrand which hath kindled such devouring flames of War about Religion in all both Popish and Protestant Countries And Whether it did not kindle our late Wars and occasion all the dreadfull Calamities between the Bishops and the Presbyters which proved fatal to the both And whether all these Experiences are not the voice of God out of the whirlwind to waken all the Magistrates of the World to keep within the Civil sphere of Civil Jurisdiction and Deminion The sum of the fifth Question Whether the people be not bound to pray for Magistrates Quest 5 that under them we may live a peaceable and quiet life in all Godliness and Honesty and whether the Magistrate is not bound to do that for which the People pray c. 1. I ask Answ Whether as some have urged these words godliness and honesty be rightly translated but rather upon a mistake in the Translation weakly made the ground for the Magistrates being the heeper of godliness in the first and honesty in the second Table 2. I ask The puring and pre-eminence the first Christian times To whom this direction of praying for Magistrates was given Whether they were not the first and purest Saints and those times the most glorious wherein the Saints enjoyed two such helps as no Christians ever since did First the presence of the holy Apostles or messengers of Christ Jesus amongst them Secondly the wonderful effusion of the holy Sourit of God in those rare and miraculous gifts and operations 1 Cor. 12. Now to imagine that those first Saints should pray for the Civil sword to defend I speak not of their persons but their godliness and suppress ungodliness c. doth it not imply this twofold strange and most unchristian Paradox First Two strange Paraderes that those Saints must imagine those Civil Magistrates to have a clearer sight in discerning and an higher Authority in judging of Godliness and Christianity then themselves and the Apostles of Christ Jesus who are call'd expresly the Ministerial Foundations of the Churches Fphes 2. Secondly That they being thus call'd of God and indued with the Spirit of God so savingly so miraculously yet should not be able to live in Godliness and the pure profession of Christ Jesus without the help of a carnal sword to preserve them pure establish and reform them c. Thirdly I ask therefore Whether the scope of the holy Exhortation be not this The scope of 1 Tim. 2. pray for Magistrates That those first Believers and all Believers in the Ages following should be much in prayer with God and not onely for themselves but for all men and especially for Magistrates the Chiefe of men 1. That such as were Gods Elect amongst them might be called 2. For the peace of the Nation and Cities wherein they lived and so consequently that God would gratiously guide the hearts of the Helms-men the Magistrates that the ships of the several states wherein the Saints as Passengers were imbarqued might Sail in peace and safety that in the peace thereof they might have peace according to the
and Paul the Tent-maker Further I ask Whether that Rule be not constant in the Christian Profession Not many Wise not many Noble not many Mighty And therefore Whether it be not against the purpose and designe of God and aaginst his declared will and course that his Servants should expect many Christian great or noble persons many Christian wife or learned men many Christian mighty men either for wealth or valour many Christian magistrates c. Hence though we finde the Saints in Caesars houshold Phil. 4. yet I ask How many Caesars Masters of those houshoulds do we finde believing in lesus for three hundred years together and therefore shether the poorest Saint in the Houshold or Court of these Caesars were not higher in Spiritual and Christian respects then those Emper ours of the World themselves Thirdly A true Christian who What is it that makes a Christian but the Spirit of Christ in a person manifested in the profession of his Name before the World Mat. 16. Rom 10. And if so I ask Whether that more of the Grace and knowledge of Christ render not persons more and more eminent and glorious in Christianity And consequently Whether the poorest Subject or Servant participating of more of the Grace and spirit of Christ be not invested with more of the Authority and Power of Christ Iesus What Christions the highnest in his affaires and Kingdome then the highest Magrstrates or Superiours that are not so indowed According to that Honour of all his Saints who especially bind Kings in chains c. And that charge from Heaven Iames 2.1 My Brethren have not the Faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of persons a Scripture that being read out in the following words seems at first blush to intrench upon civility and good manners except it be granted this in Christianity the greatest respect is not given to greatness of Place Birth Wealth Autherity Braverie c. but to the greatness of Humility and Grace of Christ according to that of the Lord Iesus Match 18. Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven We read of two mighty Princes professing the name of Christ meeting together in England Charles the Fifthe Emperour of Germany Two mighty Princes pretending to glorious Hights in Christianity and Henry the Eighth of England Their names then soar'd so high for Christianity that they were both in Letters of Gold set upon the very Gates of Guildhal in London Carolus Defensor Ecclesiae Henricus Fidei yet when Luther or the poorest follower of the truth of Christ iesus witnessed by Luther were condemned and persecuted by that Charles the Fifth the great defender of the Church I ask Who had the greatest Authority in Christs affaires the great Emperous Charles or the poorest true Christian Yet the poorest witness of any truth of Christ Jesus above them And when that glorious pretended Defendour of the Faith Henry the Eighth with all his Nobles and Bishops sat in person with so much Glory and Majesty Terrour and Authority in that famous Disputation and Condemnation of that faithful witness of Christ Iesus Iohn Lambert I ask where was in truth the true Autority and power of Christ Iesus Whether in the stately assembly of Kings Nobles and Bishops or in the two-edged Sword of the Word and Spirit of God in the mouth of that one single and yet most faithful witness of Christ Iesus Nay further I ask The Authority of reproving in the name of Christ If that rule of Christ Iesus Luk. 17. be not yet in force If thy Brother sin against thee reprove him if he repent for give him Consequently Whether a Magistrate eminent in the grace and knowledge of Christ yet if a Brother in Christ be not to be reproved for sIn by his lowest Groom or handmaid and that by way of Authority in hte Name of Christ Jesus Yea and I add Whether have not such inferiour persOns Authority from Christ upon Repentance to grant a true pardon to such a magistrates penitent Soul then all the Popes and Priests in the World can affoard him And in case of final obstinacy contradicting and blaspheming I ask Whether such a poor Believer in Christ Jesus hath not a power and priviledge to separate from such a Magistrate in spiritual respects and refuse to touch Spiritually sUch a Spiritually unclean person The sum of the seventh Question Whether Artaxerxes and the K. of Nineveh Quest 7 did well in making their decrees c. I ask Answ Whether these two Kings and the Instances be not ill coupled for the one Artaxerxes Ezra 7. gave free liberty of conscience to the Iewes Artaxerxes his decree examined whereas the King of Nineveh forced all his people to a positive Act of Fasting But more particularly as to Artaxerxes 1. Was not an Idolatrous King A Terror of God sometimes causeth dilaters to favour Gods people a stranger from the God of Israel one that held the people of God in slavery one that had no true love to the God of Israel nor his people but onely out of a fear of the wrath of the God of Israel she wed favour to his people granted them free liberty of their conscience to go up to Ierusalem to worship 2. He bountifully incouraged and assisted them 3. He furnished them with a Decree suiting to their National Estate and mixt condition of Church and Comonweal But Secondly I ask Did this Artaxerxes compel any of these Iewes to his owne Religion which he believed to be the onely true the Religion of the Persians Or did he compel the Persians to the worship of the God of Israel Or did he compel the Iewes themselves or any one man of them to go up to the worship of their owne God at ierusalem but verse 13. Let all which are minded of their owne free will go up c. Therefore Thirdly I ask Artaxerxes his edict freely made for soul freedom What Conclusion can be gathered from thence but that it sometime pleaseth God to affect the hearts of Idolatrous Kings with kindness to his people and forceth them to permit his people the liberty of their consciences yea and that with Countenance Incouragements and Authority for which mercy although the Nations where they live and the Princes thereof partake not of such mercies themselves yet ought Gods people to praise God as Ezra doth Fourthly I ask Whether this Instance of Artaxerxes do not absolutely condemn the forcing of all the people and consciences in a Nation to one way of worship whether Popish or Protestant or to any particular sect or way of either of them And Whether it do not absolutely make for Soul-Freedom in spiritual matters in that these very Iewes were not forced to their own Ierusalem but as every one was freely willing c. Secondly As to the proclamation of the King of Nineveh First I ask Whether all
princes of all nations and of this have not been the Gods of the Nations Kings Queens c. the Gods of people and Reliegions their pictures in which themselves are worshipped whom they have wershipped in and by the several Images and Representations of their mindes and wills which they have set up as ways of Worship and Religion to the Nations Thus Ieroboam pretends the Name of the God of Israel but upon the point Ieroboam was their God and robb'd the true God of his honour by the golen calves which Ieroboam had set up Thus Nebuchadnezzar pretends honour to his golden Image but himself was really the Deity which all Nations worshipped through the golden Image which he had set up Fifthly I ask Whether God people that is such as fear God in every nation Act. 10. be not the true and proper and only Antitype of that typical Nation the Jewes in that typical land of Canaan according to 1 Pet. 2. You are a chosen Generation as Abraham and his off-spring in the Type were a Kingly Priesthood and holy Nation c. A National Church is Judaism And therefore I aske Whether to modellize a Body or Church of Christ with Natural and National bounds and circuits after the pattern of the typical Land of Canaan be not to dwell in the old Levitical shadowes in the A.B.C. and Horn-book of Judaism and in the denial of Christ Iesus to be yet come To this end I ask Whether some Presbyterians in forraign parts come not neerer to the truth of the first Christian worship who admit not one of ten or twenty to be of their Churches And the Independents yet neerer who admit onely such in their Societies in whom they hopefully see the Spirit of Regeneration and Holiness sixthly I ask Whether there hath not been in all Ages of the world and are at this day many great and mighty Nations of the World some of some hundreds yea of some thousands of years continuance and flourishing in which the Doctrine of Grace Flourishing States of the World in which Christ Iesus is not heard of c. and the Doctrine of Godliness hath not been I am sure not nationally advanced And notwithstanding that Godliness hath promises belonging to this life as well as to the life approaching and the God of heaven is pleased to imprint a Character and Crown of his favour and love upon some Persons and Actions when his name is greatly engaged as in Queen Elizabeth her daies against the Spaniard and in our late Wars both against EnglisH Scotch and Irish yet whether it be not generally and ordinarily true that all that will live godly in Christ Iesus must be persecuted or hunted and the more Godly the more persecuted and according to the mystery of the fifth Seal the Souls under the Altar must rest but until the rest of their fellow-servants are slain c. Is it not upon the matter a Turkish argument The peate and prosperity of Gods people in this world is spiritual c. We have conquered so many Nations Kingdoms c. Therefore Mahomes is above Christ And also is it nota Popish plea All Nations have bowed down to our Church who sits as a Queen therefore it is the onely true c. God hath given the Western Mines of Gold and Silver to the Catholicks not to the Protestants and to the Spaniards before the English who had the first offer therefore c. Since then that National and typical holiness with all the annexed outward peace and prosperity promised upon condition is vanished and the Lord Iesus by his Birth in a stable and his Death on a Gallowes hath taught all his followers to despise this Worlds Goods and this Worlds Evils how should his Saints study the difference between the Tenour of the Old and New Covenant the Iewish and the Christian Canaan and at last finde out that peace and prosperity they speak of in those spiritual pleasures Beauties Honors Riches Ioyes which are even in this present life un speakable and full of Glory Eightly Since the Throne is upholden by Mercy Mercy to the persecuted the upholder of States Prov. 20. and both the holy scriptures and Histories tell us how many Thrones of Kings and States that seemed to have been placed among the stars are tumbled downe c. I aske if it be not at last the wisdome of this State to tremble at the shipwracks and downfull of our Predecessors and to learne not onely the song of judgement and Zeal as we judge for the doctrine of grace and godliness but the song of mercy also to such whose Consciences whether out of a slavish or child like awe of God are it my be Antipodes to ours To say nothing of all former examples are not two most wonderful before our eyes and feeâ— First shat was it that within the memory of man hath so wonderfully almost miraculously raised and advanced from the low valleys that poor fisher-town of Amsterdam now one of the gallantest of the Lady Cities of the world I say What was it but Mercy Mercy which that poor Fisher-town shewed to distressed and persecuted consciences who fled from Enchuysin and other persecuting parts thither Secondly The rise of this State and Commonweal What was it as before that pluckt up the roots and foundations of so many Thrones of late among our selves and lift up and exalted our present State and States-men but mercy to the long-oppressed souls of men amongst whom Christ Jesus who will not suffer a cup of water given to his to pass unpaid for hath been favoured and relieved Break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquitiess by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthing to thy tranquility For Are not false Worships as to God and Tyranny as to men the two Generals under whose bloody colours the most Sins and Plagues in all the Nations of the World Hollands greatest sin as to Engand have ever marched I question not but Ambition and Pride Covetuousness and Greedtness Ingratitude and Unthanfulness Excess and Drunkenness now lodge in the new-rais'd Towers of the aforesaid Fisher-Towne But 't is that Sin of Sodom the not strengthning the hand of the poor the Poor oppressed in England oppressed both in their spiritual and temporal liberties and their late notorious strengthning the hand of Oppressours the King and his Cavaliers that sin I say if any will staine the pride of all their rising Glory But are there not the cries of the oppressed ascending to the heavens against us also to say nothing of the many other particulars of Soul Violence and Oppression which some have reckoned up yet still in England I ask if ever such cries went up to Heaven in the late Kings Reigne or his Fathers The oppression of Tythes now greater in England then formerly I hope before their downfal or all the long tyranny of Elizabeth's Bishops from
which to their astonishment the Indians beheld and stumbled at Secondly I ask Doth Idolatry alone without a ripeness in other sins bring Plagues and Destructions 〈…〉 upon Lands and Peoples Sodome Were not other fins alleadged the cause of Sodoms destruction one of the most fearful and most famous Destructions since the beginning of the World and among other sins that of oppressing the poor and soul-oppression is still the highest Was not Egypt the wonder of the World for Plagues and Egypt and though most in famous for Idolatry yet was there not one Sin which especially unstoped the Vials of Plagues and Vengeance on them to wit their Oppressions indeed their Soul-oppressions on the Israel and people of God It is true and Israel Gods people were guilty of Religious Idolatry 1 Chron. 36. but yet there was a remedy until they mocked and despiled and misused the Messengers from God sent unto them Hence and Jerusalem destroyed for oppression and Soul-oppression chiefly What was the complaint of the Lord Iesus against Ierusalem when he wept over it foreseeing the Destruction of it shortly after his death in which Eleven hundred thousand Iewes Men Women and Children perished and were captivated What was his great complaint but this O Ierusalem Ierusalem Thou which killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee c. And if that second Wo Rev. 9. be the Plague of the Turks upon the Antichristian World beside their Idolatries read we not verse the last That neither repented they of their Murders nor of their Sorceries nor of their Fornications nor of their Thefts And when we read of the great Whore commonly interpreted the Church of Reme the greatest professed State of Christianity though most Whorish in all abominable worships and practices under the pretence of being the most chast and onely Spouse of Christ Iesus read we not also Oppression and Bloudy Persecution one chief cause of the downfall of the bloodie Church of Rome before the tearing of her Flesh and burning of her That she is a Where drunk with the blood of the Saints and the Witnesses of Iesus Rev. 17. And when Re. 18. three famous causes are assigned of her most famous downfal is not this among the rest a principal one that in her is found Bloody Oppressions to wit verse the last the blood of the Prophets and Saints and of all that were slain upon the earth Thirdly I ask Whether that place of Paul Rom. 1. speak not there onely of spiritual plagues Spiritual plagues follow abuse of light and not of Gods punishing sins with temporal plagues but of punishing sin with sin and implies no more but that God justly punisheth mankinde for his abuse of and not improving of all his Light though but moral civil natural with a spirit and conscience hardned and delivered up to further alienation from him into several degrees and sorts of sin and wickedness What hinders this but that such as have some convictions of a Deity and yet improve not these convictions to the highest but worship that Deity corruptly That such I say yet ought to be suffered to live and are not to be destroyed as Idolaters and Blasphemers yea and with meekness ought to be instructed if peradventure it may please God to give them repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil whereby they are taken captive as his will Tim. 2. Yea I pray leave humbly to ask without of offence What if some Edw. 3. or Her 5. should rise again and that in a Protestant profession and conquer France as those Kings did yea suppose that France should conquer England What should the Catholike conqueror do with so many thousand Protestant Hereticks so accounted And what should the Protestant conqueror do with so many hundred thousand Popish Idolaters in France and Spain yea suppose all the world over I know what some furious Zelots would say on either side I know what Superstition what self-interest what intemperate and unbridled Zeal heath done in former and and present times But I ask what Christ Iesus would do what the meek Lamb of God would do who tells his fiery Disciples in such cases Luke 9. you know not what Spirit you are of I came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Fourthly The Land of Canaan a figurative Land it and the people attended with miracles As to that particular cafe of the Land of Canaan I ask whether that Land and Nation the people of it whom the Land spued out and the people of Israel whom the Land recieved were not all of them typical and figurative and attended with extracrdinary supernatural and miraculouus Considerations Further may we not as well expect to pass over to Ireland France or Holland on dry land as Israel from Egypt toward Canaan-land and to tumble down City Wals and Castles with the sound of Rams-hornes c. at to think of a material or literal Antitype or parallel now in these Gospel-daies Hath not the irreconcileable Disproportion and Dissimilitude between that Land of Canaan and all others been alleadged by some against the most conscientious and able in this Controversie Master Cotton and that without any reply of his or any man else as unto that great Argument of the difference between the Land of Canaan and all other Lands that are or ever have been or shall be And since the Proposer of this Question is pleased to mention Lev. 20. I ask Is not this the Ground even of Israels ceremonial and typical holiness touching their not eating of Swines Flesh Israel a Nation separated from all Lands to God and all unclean Beasts and Fowl verse 25. I am Iehovah you God who have separated you from other people and verse 25. Therefore I have separated these unclean Beasts and Fowle from you as unclean and verse 26. You shall be holy unto me for I Iehovah am holy and have severed you from other People that you should be mine Did not all these unclean Beasts and Birds signifie men in Gospel-times from whom we ought not to separate in civil converse as the Iews did Act. 10. for then we must go out of the World 1 Cor. 5. but in spiritual communion and Worshipping of God 1 Cor. 6. Come out from among them and be ye separated and touch no unclean thing and I Will recieve you and be a Father unto you c. The Israel and people of God the onely type of Gods Israel in Canaan Doth not Master Cotton himself acknowledge that this punishing of the Idolater in the Land of Canaan was typical and that the Antitype is onely the Church of Christ which ought not to purge out Idolaters which Church whether Congregational as Master Cotton holds or National as others Yet I ask what weapons hath either the one or the other as Christs Church or Wise but Spiritual c. what can be then the Result from this
Bowells therefore of pity in us toward poor sinners like our selves If any sence of the mercies and pitie of Christ Iesus to our selves How should we compassionate the Captivated and sometimes the striving and relucting souls of thousands about these and the like Opinions How many thousands and ten thousands of Gods ancient Friends and Acquaintance The Iewes Conscientious plea from Scripture the Iewes will say unto us How can that Iesus whom you pretend be the true Messiah the anointed of God he whom all the Prophets told of whom all the Fathers lookt for How did he deliver us from the Roman yoakes how hath he redeemed us these 1600 years since from all our Enemies in the Lands of our Dispersions and Scatterings How many thousand Papists will tell us that Iesus the Son of Mary he is the blessed Messiah that was to come and why should we not believe him that plainly said This is my Body Is he not able to make good his word in a real and corporal presence Did he not say to Peter thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church To thee will I give the Keys of the kingdom of heaven How many thousand will tell us that the great and wonderful mystery of the holy Trinity is beyond their understanding and reach and they cannot believe and die for that which passeth their comprehension as also that the knots of holy Scripture besides those of Reason are very great and wonderful How many thousands are perswaded that the several Orders in the government of Christs House and Kingdom The several conscientious pleas of the more knowing and most godly persons in England are not manifested in vain unto us in the Word of God in particular the order of Bishops Nor are there thousands and then thousands wanting who will triumphantly ask us What that laying on the hands of the Presbytery was How many Consciences will ask how we can dare to say that Christ Jesus died not for all when so many Scriptures speak of the propitiation for the sins of the whole world And why say they shall the power of Nature be so slighted when Christ Jesus tells us that he would but Jerusalem would not And how is that doctrine say they so infallible of the impossibility of a final breach between Christ Jesus and Believers when so many Caveats Warnings Items are given us nor to fall and so many dreadful examples especially in these times of the departure of so many from Christ Jesus to the world with Demas and Judas to honour and preferment with Diotrephes to lusts and pleasures and many abominations with the stony ground How many are assaulted by Satan to question the Godhead of the Son of God and of the Holy Spirit and of the truth of the holy Scriptures Whether there are no more holy Scriptures but these and whether the Translations and infallible and which are to be rested or relied on Oh how merciful how pitiful are the bowels of the Lamb of God to poor wandring sinners And how sierce how cruel are the thoughts of his Corrival Antichrist who makes it so casie to be born againe to have Gods Spirit to the Orthodox to be truely Zealous against Idolaters Blasphemers Hereticks c. The sum of the sixteenth Question Whether Idolaters may not be punished Quest 16 because the Magistrate doth not know the heart of the Idolaters and whether this opposeth not the word of God by Moses and the punishment of the worshippers of the Calfe and Baal and the Prophets of Baal Unto which may be added the seventeenth Question viz VVhether Idolaters may not be convinced by Acts Quest 17 as well as a Murtherer and thereby the heart of the Idolater is discovered for the Murtherer is discovered guilty because of Malice in his heart As also the eighteenth VVhether of two sins Quest 18 that which is discerned ought not to be punished because the other is not punished for want of discerning First Answ Not to respect what hath been said as to the Distinction of Idolatry as to the nature of civil Magistracie and its power the different dispensations of God divers times and divers waies and at last by his Son To the Fathers in familes to Moses and the Prophets in the typical Land of Ganaan and at last all the world over by his most glorious and dear Son God blessed for ever I ask first Whether the Examiner can be fairly charged to bring it in as a reason that Idolatry should not be punished because the Magistrate doth not know the heart of the Idolater The Spaniards sacrificing millions of mtn to that grand Ido of the world the Indian gold And will all that the Examiner speaks there of the heart be fairly cast up and amount to more then the forementioned distinction of Religious and moral Idolatry and that opened by that so famous instance of the Spaniards in the West-Indies who cryed out against the poor Indians Idolaters Idolaters Heathens worshippers of the Sun and yet themselves did most notoriously bow down to the Golden God the Indians Gold as all Europes Nations and England more or less and in a sordid and bloody devotion did sacrifice to that Golden Images so many thousands yea millions of the Inhabitants It is incredible how many millions of mankind were there destroyed as their own Cardinal wrote to the Emperour Charles the fifth as Idolaters Blasphemers c. But it is very credible and easie to believe what stumbling blocks such their Covetousness and Cruelties were to the poor Indians insomuch that they abhorr'd to hear the Spanish Priests to talk of Heaven whither the Spaniards were said to go whose Covetousness and Cruelties they thought would never send them to a place of Blesedness Secondly I ask Whether those Examples of punishing the Worshippers of the Calfe and of Baal and of Baals Priests are presidential and binding unto all the Nations of the World And whether the Paralleling of all Times to that ceremonial Time The new piecing up of the vaile of the temple and all places to that typical and ceremonial place be not indeed upon the point a new piecing up of the vaile of the Temple which the right hand of the God of Heaven hath rent and a preferring of Moses the Servant before the Lerd Fesus the Son yea and consequently a denying of the Lord Iesus the great Messiah to be yet come Thirdly I ask If these Examples be now presidential The Bishops root and branch and all faise Ministers ought to be put to death Whether if there were such Civil Magistrates Monarchs of the world as formerly yea and however whether it be not the duty of all the Magistrates in the World to destroy even beyond all compare and Imagination the greatest part if not almost all the Inhabitants of the whole World for some false Worship Idolatry and one Golden Calf or another Yea I ask Whether by this rule the