the Lord instamped his divine Image of making just Lawes upon any nomethetick power of the most free and Independent Kingdome on earth so as the breach of lawfull promises Covenants Contracts which are against the Law of God of nature of nations should or can be the subject matter of any nomethetick power for God gives no power to make unjust decrees The pretended liberty is against the Articles matteâ— and ends of the Covenant a Parliamentary power interposed for the not punishing of deformity as touching many Religions must destroy the commanded nearest uniformity of the one only true Religion 2 Nor can they defend the one onely reformed Religion of Scotland commanding the Magistrate the Minister of God to use the sword against false teachers who give liberty to all Religions 3 Nor can the word of God bee our rule of Reformation except this rule be one and injoyne one only true Religion and forbid tolleration of all others 4 There can be no way so prevailing to promote cherish and foment Heresie and what is contrary to sound doctrine as for publique authority by law to permit it except wee would praise and reward such fleshly wayes 5 The Lord cannot be one nor his name one in both Kingdoms when by Law multitudes of names wayes and Religions are tollerated 6 Many Religions suffered must be contrary to the true religious liberty of Christian States and Churches when men are licenced to professe slavery and bondage to the efficacy and power of errour to beleeve professe and disseminate lies and blasphemies in the name of the Lord. 7 Many false wayes of religions doth in the Scripture argue a change of Gods for these that are no Gods which Heathens doe abhorre Jer. 2. 9 10 11. and a multiplying of Gods according to the number of each Sect and Societie Jer. 2. 28. and a manifest countenancing of Scepticisme of many Gods and of no God since then the Parliament not onely as Christian men but as a Parliament and as Magistrates have sworne the Covenant they must sweare each one of them to defend his owne Religion Familisme Arrianisme Antinomianisme which he beleeves to be the true religion and that as a Magistrate with the sword of God and so to oppose his fellow members with his Parliamentary power how then can the Parliament command others or ingage themselves to the Lord their God to indeavour the preservation of the one reformed Religion in Scotland that we and our posterity may live in faith and love for this is many faiths professedly different and that the Lord may delight to dwel in the midst of us and this is many Gods in the midst of us and that we shall indeavour the extirpation of heresie superstition prorpanenesse and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound doctrine It is not every Parliament man who by law may be of any Religion oblieged by the oath of God to endeavour the extirpation of the true Protestant Religion since to him who is a Familist and Antinomian it is heresie and contrary to sound doctrine Are not Papists though known Papists to be Judges and Members of Parliament why should they be debarred for their Religion and they must by this oath indeavour the extirpation of Heresies and Hereticks that is of Protestanâ—s 8 The foresaid licentiousnesse is contrary to the indeavour to preserve the Rights Liberties of Parliaments and just power and greatnesse of the King now both King Parliaments and all Rulers have the sword committed to them to defend the Church against Seducers Wolves Hereticks false Teachers and by the sword are to stand against the violation of mercy righteousnesse and the peace of humaine societies and so against such as from meere grounds of conscience serve God in sacrificing their children to God promiscuous use of wives a part of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free community of goods robing the just owners of their inheritances and possessions because the word saith the meeke shall inherit the earth lying and denying of our Religion before men For should the Magistrate kil the father whose only conscience nothatred which is the only essentiall ingredient to make killing of our neighbour without lawfull authority that murthering of our brother which by the law of God and Man is punishable with death Deut. 19. 11 12 13. c. 4. 42. c. 19. 4. and the sword of the Magistrate not any hatred I say or desire of revenge towards his sonne whom he loves as tenderly as Abraham did Isaack presseth out of meere religious obedience to God to offer his sonne to God in a sacrifice he should not punish a murtherer but offer violence to the conscience of his father since the word of God condemneth this as false worship not as murther yea as superstitious adding to the Word and as wil-worship Deu. 4. 31 32. Jer 7. 30 31. 9 Divers Religions being contrary to Christ and the one truth of the Gospell of their owne nature raise fire and sword betweene brethren and the mother against the daughter in law and must be a seminary of factions and devisions which is distructive to the unity in our Covenant Micah 7. 5 6. Matth. 10. 34 35. Luke 5. Verse 51 52. Gen. 3 16. 10 By which it cannot be possible we should defend one another in this common cause of Religion except a reconciliation be made betweene the seed of the woman and the serpent 11 And many being of divers Religions must need give themselves to a detestable indifferency and newtrality as touching the Common cause of God Since it cannot be the common cause of God but of Sathan and of forcing conscience by persecution to them Many men yea it s the cause of God to many to hate and persecute the Gospell by this 12 By which meanes every man may resile from this blessed union and conjunction so far must he be from zealous and constant continuing therein all the dayes of his life for Parliamentary authority frees them to imbrace any new Religion contrary to the Protestant Religion 13 And to what Church Sect or Religious societie can the Christian Magistrate be a nurse-father by his office is it not to the one onely true Church of Christ that professeth the sound faith certaine the Scripture saith as the sonnes of strangers shall build the wals of the true Church so Kings shall minister unto her Esay 60. 10. And she must sucke the brests of Kings Esay 6. 16. which evinceth that Kings as Kings are by their Office to doe some princely and royall acts of justice and favour for the good of the true Church and true Religion then must either the King by Office be indifferent and newtrall to all other Religions and Sects which must be inconsistent with his duty as nurse-father to the Church Esay 49. 23. whose part it is that according to his place he take care that the children sucke not poyson for milke or he must be newtrall to all Religions except to
Physitian who can whol broken consciences or the saddest enemie if sick it is like an aking tooth the more you touch it the more it paines you The Conscience of its owne nature is a knowing power of the practicall understanding aâ— therefore no ilicite acts of the foule can be compelled neiâ—â—er can Conscience act being muzled and forced but this 〈…〉 but that men and devills in their conscience 〈…〉 beleeve many things in some 〈◊〉 against their will 〈…〉 out of the naturall efficacie of conscience cannot 〈◊〉 but â—ee must beleeve that there is a God yet where there is a trembling there must be some reluctancie in the will and affections Judaâ— must beleeve his damnation was approuching when he hanged himselfe but against his heart The Balgick Arâ—iâ—iaâ—s who contend for libertie of conscience in all wayes Apol. 95. 〈…〉 say By determinations of Synods violence iâ— not offered to conscience as conscience signifieth a meere internall act of the mind immanent or byding within the mind but as conscience signifieth an act of the mind by which any doth beleeve 〈…〉 oblieged 〈◊〉 teach others which he per 〈◊〉 himselfe to 〈…〉 so the man is compelled by a Synods prescription to dissemble what he beleeveth he ought to professe and which he beleeveth to be false Answ Say that the decision of the Synod be agreeable to the word the Lord layeth on the coaction to all to beleeve and accordingly professe the truth and that by a Synod as Christ saith he that heareth you heareth me so the coaction such as it is must come principally from God instrumentally from the Synod but it floweth from both by accident and through mens abuse who receive not the truth in love but for feare of shame least they should by the godly goe for perverters of soules Act. 15. that they doe hypocritically professe what they ought sincerely to beleeve and professe May we not say many men of corrupt minds beleeved Circumcision to be necessary and yet for feare of the Apostles censure that they should be judged troublers of souls lyars and false teachers as they are judged to bee Act. 15. 24. would dissemble And they are no other wayes by a Synodicall truth compelled to lie and dissemble by shame and falling out of the hearts of the Apostles and of all the godly the one way than the other in that case than in this 〈◊〉 For there be but two wayes of working on the mind to drive men to bee of another opinion one by feare either of shame reproach or censures civill or ecclesiasticall another by meere teaching and instructing Now for the libertie of prophecying that Arminiaâ—s require and so the libertie of Synods let us inquire if it be true libertie 1. They require a full libertie to every man without scruple or feare of danger to declare his mind in Synods and to examine what is controverted Answ It is in some respect commendable that hereticks be candid and ingenuous to declare even what their hereticall judgement and inditement of conscience leades them to beleeve but a full liberty to question in the Synode whether there be a God or no or whether Christ dyed for sinners ought not to be for that is lycense and hereticall lycense a point controverted any may question and these that Act. 15. held necessitie of circumcision might seeke resolution of their arguments and doubts but under pretext of libertie free of feare and danger they have not libertie to sinne that is after they are or may be if wilfulnesse stood not in their way inwardly convinced they have not libertie obstinately to presse sophismes against the truth for this is an undenyable principle libertie to sinne is fleshly lycense not libertie Armin. In controversies of Religion which the Scripture doth not evidently decide what can certainely be determined by the Church which ever and in every thing which it determines is beleeved may erre Answ There is nothing that the Scripture hath left simple and in it selfe controversall Actâ—â— primo the Scripture hath determined of all things conteined in it whether fundamentals or not fundamentals onely in regard of our dulnesse and sinfull blindnesse some things are controverted and therefore the Church may determine from light of the word some thing that was a controversie to the Fathers ignorant of the originall tongues which is now no controversie Yea the fallible Church may determine infallible points This is a principle that Libertines proceed upon that men who are not infallible may erre and therefore can hold forth to others no infallible truth Which is most false for Prophets and Apostles Nathan Samuel David Peter being deserted of the immediately inspiring Spirit did erre as well as the Church and Pastors now deserted of the ordinary Spins can and doe erre For â—â—ll men Prophets and Apostles are 〈◊〉 Rom. 3. yet they may and doe carrie infallible truth to others 〈◊〉 blind man may hold a candle to others 3. By this reason Pastors can preach nothing certaine in fundamentals though faith come by hearing and faith is of a certaine and determinate fixed truth of God more permanent than heaven or earth why because by this reason Pastors in preaching fundamentals are not infallible 4. Nor is this a good reason it is beleeved the Church may erre in Synods ergo it doth erre and determines nothing that is infallible and certaine in Synods no more then this is a good consequence David may sinne in praying ergo he doth sinne in praying a potentia ad actum non valet consequentia Armin. A confession is not a rule of faith it hath not the lowest place in the Church Answ The Covenant written and sealed in Nehemiahs time was a secondarie rule of faith and a rule e'n so farre as it agreed with the Law of Moses for they enter in a curse and an oath to walke in Gods Law not to give their sonnes and daughters in marriage to the Heathen not to buy victuals from the Heathen on the Sabboth to charge themselves to give money to maintain the service of God Nehe. 9. 38. chap. 10. 1 2 3. 29 30. 31 32. Which written Covenant was not Scripture and Act. 15. the decrees of the Synod was not formally Scripture yet to bee observed as a secondary rule For so farre Arminians A Doctor as a Doctor beleeveth not a Doctor beleeveth as a sheepe not as a shepheard and his judgement of matters of faith is not publick but private and common to teachers with every one of the sheepe and there is a like and equall power in shepheard and every one of the flock of beleeving and the sheepe in matters of faith are no more obleiged to stand to the judgement of the shepherd than the teachers to the judgement of the sheepe the teachers have a priviledge of order and honor above the sheepe but no priviledge of Law and power Then the Church though she beleeve
changed Yet let not us go on with Egid-Coninck to say that if it was lawfull to make war with any nation for wrongs done to men how much more for injuries done to God for making of war is an act of Magistracy and so suppose some jus some power and authority that we have either by the law of nature to defend our life peace liberties or for avenging of such heineous inâ—uries done to the Nation as cannot in justice be decided but by the sword So that sin as sin or as greatest sinnes are not the just cause of war but sinnes as most distructive to humane society for which by the Principles of the Law of nature they may be convinced of fearfull breaches Now these that are Idolators the nations that worship God in Idolatrous way and being of a strange Religion worship a strange God though they doe the greatest injury to God that can bee yet in regard they being other nations as independent on us as we are on them and doe it not in order to the destruction of our of our paece liberty and lives we have not jus over them nor authority to make Warre with them except God gave us a Command to destroy them nor is this a good consequence we may by war revenge injuries done to men ergâ— far more by war may we revenge injuries done to God for war is an act of revenging justice that supposeth some authority given of God over such a nation as we come out against in war 2 Every just war is some way defensive in regard every act of Magistracy is an act of defending of the peace life and liberty of the society or the members thereof and a propulsion of violence by violence and this is the intrinsecal and of Magistracy to hold off unjust violence by just and harmelesse violence for if the life of a murtherâ—r be not taken away by the sword of a Magistrate he will still take the life of another man qui semel â—alus semper malus presumitur â—e that is once wicked is still presumed to be wicked except his wickednesse be restrained and to offend a nation or person that hath not offended us must be unjust violence and unlawfull war and to make war against a nation that hath worshiped a strange God and injured God and not us supposeth that we must instruct them of a wrong done to God by teaching them and instructing them in the true Religion for suppose they worship the workes of mens hands and worship Sathan as some Indians do and so by their own conscience may be convinced and so are inexcusable in foro Dei before Gods tribunal yet are they not so inexcusable in foro humano before mans tribunall as we can make warre against them till we informe and instruct them positively of the true Religion But they that shed our blood and invade our peace and liberties are by the Law of nature convinced and by demands of reparation made to them quickly silenced and need not to be instructed in the principles of the law of nature which are written in their hearts But it may be said What if that Nation will not be informed of the true Religion and will go on contumatiously to dishonour God and reproach the true God Shall we not upon a meer quarrell for Religion make war against them and avenge the injuries done to God and defend his truth no lesse then with the sword we defend our own lives and liberties I Answer there is not the like reason for God and nature have given to the strongest a jus and authority over oppressors to repel unjust violence with innocent violence but that we should force the true Religion on Idolators we have not the like ground except they did attempt to obtrude their false ways upon us and injure our soules for there is a vast difference between a people never receiving the true Religion and a people who have imbraced and submitted to lawes that have inacted the profession of the true Religion those that never professed the true Religion cannot bee compelled to receive it by the Sword of another Nation except they first subdue them in a just warre and be masters of them and they may educate the posterity of the subdued people and discharge the duty of parents to them and impose lawes on themselves to cast away the Idols of their fathers house and to learn the knowledge of the true God but they cannot make the not receiving of the true Religion the ground of a war for we read not of any such cause of war in the Scripture It is true God did command his people to destroy the Canaanites but Idolatry was not the quarrell Josh 11. 19. There was not a nation that made peâ—â—â— with the Children of Israel save the Hittites the inhabitants of Gibe on all other they tooke in battell 20. For it was of the Lord to harden their heart that they should come against Israel in battell that he might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favor but that he might destroy them as the Lord commanded Moses And those that they subdued in the Wildernesse denied them harmelesse passage through their Land It is true some Popish writers as Masius Cornelius a lapide Abulensis say if the Canaanites would have sought peace and imbraced the worship of the true God the Israelites would not have destroyed them but the Text Calvin and famous Papists as Cajetanus Swarez Gamachaâ—s and Augustine before them say plainly Israel made warre against them and Israel but defended themselves against the Canaanites Libertines say the teaching of the Gospell Mat. 28. and not the sword is a means to spread the Gospell so say we I see no warrant wee have to obtrude the Gospell in the purity thereof upon Papists in France and Ireland but we may lawfully avenge the blood of the people of God on Irish Murtherers who excercise extreame cruelty and Tyranny over persons and the Consciences of the Martyrs and the oppressed people of God amongst the Papists The question seemes harder when these of a false Religion in regard of their neernesse and vicinitie to a Kingdome professing the true Religion when as they may infect them or if they be in one Nationall Covenant and under the oath of God to indeavour the extirpation of all false religions and what is contrary to sound doctrin It is certain the Kingdom of Judah might justly have avenged the Apostacy of the ten Tribes from Davids house and from Jerusalem where the Lord had set his name for the worshipping of the Golden Calves if the Lord by his Prophet had not expresly forbidden them to fight against their brethren 1 Kings 12. And the children of Israel did justly attempt Warre against the two Tribes and the halfe because they erected a new Altar for worship as they conceived which was Apostacy from the Covenant of God and the true
is over their heart and if it be injustice in the Magistrate to punish men for Errors which they cannot eschew can the righteous judge of the world punish them therefore Ergo In such Errors they are innocent and sin not and if this bee said what should hinder others to be saved by beleeving the contrary sense of the old Testament and the like may be said of the new Testament and so all Hereticks and Sectaries receiving the Scriptures as Pharisees Sadduces Herodians Papists Socinians c. shall be saved every man in his own Religion and the sense of this Eschew an Heretick to a Saint must be eschew the company of an heretick to another Saint it is Adhere to and converse with the same saint for he is no heretick but sound in the saith and it falsely supposed to be an Heretick and the Scripture upon this ground hath two contradictorie senses which being beleeved and practised must save and revealeth two contradictorie wills of God and every man may take Scripture as his minde apprehends it and whereas the Scripture makes it self the judge and determiner of all questions and controversies in religion This way leaves all questions to every mans conscience to the conscience of a Jew of a Turk of an American of a Papist the old Testament as expounded by a Jew is his Conscience the old and new Testament as the popish Church expound it is their rule of faith and the Scripture lifting up Christ and casting down Christ and speaking with a hundred divers and contrary tongues is every mans obliging rule and because there is no man infallible in taking up the right sense of the Scripture if yee controll the Jew or put him off his sense of the old Testament which yeelds him this faith Maries son is a false lying Prophet the Apostles and all the martyrs are but cousening Impostors yea domineer over the Conscience and force his faith because yee are not infallible ye may not condemn the way of any for yee know not but they be the wheat and you the tâ—res for ought that Scripture saith on either side Never man in this life is sure of his faith and salvation from Scripture and since the Jew may be wheat if ye would go to raze his faith you go to pluck up the wheat before the harvest and suppose we and all the Jewes were converted to the Christian faith and if we conceive Pauls prophecie concerning them Rom. 1â— to be fulfilled they shall be converted yet 1. we are not infallible but live upon our fancies and conjectures touching the meaning of Rom. 11. say Libertines 2. Suppose the fulness of the Gentiles be converted to Christ and we among them and all the Jewes and that in our daies the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and that all the sons of Zion be taught of God and that the wildernesse blossome as a rose and the light of the moon be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun be seven-fold as the light of seven daies and that all the glorious prophecies in Isaiah Zechariah and the rest be fulfilled in our daies yet by the doctrine of Libertines all these are but to us for any certaintie we have night fancies and dreames of crazie and feaver-sick heads For Master John Goodwin undeniably the learnedst and most godly man of that way hath said in a marginall note of men for piety and learning I cannot admire enough The Vindicators call the denying of Scriptures to be the word of God a damnable Heresie and we have no certainty that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament which we now have either the English translation or the Originall of Hebrew and Greek copies are the word of God So then holding the Scriptures to be the Word of God in either of these two senses or significations of the words either translations or originall can with no tolerable pretext or colour be called a foundation of Christian Religion unlesse their foundations be made of the credit learning and authoritie of men Because there is need to wonder by the way at this Let the reader observe that Libertines resolve all our faith and so the certaintie of our salvation on Paper and Inke and Mr. John Goodwin will allow us no foundation of faith but such as is made of grammers and Characters and if the Scripture be wrong pointed or the Printer drunke or if the translation slip then our faith is goâ—e Whereas the meanes of conveying the things beleeved may be fallible as writing printing translating speaking are all fallible meanes of conveying the truth of old and new Testament to us and yet the Word of GOD in that which is delivered to us is infallible 1. For let the Printer be fallible 2. The translation fallible 3. The Grammer fallible 4. The man that readeth the word or publisheth it fallible yet this hindreth not but the truth it self contained in the written word of God is infallible I suppose four men who shall shew to a wife her Husband among ten thousands all four fallible and may mistake yet when they have brought the Husband to the wife it cannot follow that the Wife doth not certainly and as infallibly know her own Husband by his tongue voice countenance proportion of body and statute as one can know another without any danger of mistake so it comes to the eares of a man born blind Joh. 9. there is a Prophet called Iesus the Son of Marie who will infallibly and indeclinably restore sight to this blind man yet the fame and report by which this is carried to the mans notice and knowledge is fallible all men standing truly that which the Lord reporteth of them liars and such as can be deceived yet it is no consequence that Iesus doth restore the man to his sight in a way subject to miscarrying and declinably and upon a fallible hazard so as he may goe as blind from Iesus as he came to him Now in the carrying of the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles to our knowledge through Printers translators grammer pens and tongues of men from so many ages all which are fallible we are to look to an unerring and undeclinable providence conveying the Testament of Christ which in it self is infallible and begs no truth no authoritie either from the Church as Papists dreame or from Grammer Characters Printer or translator all these being adventitious and yesterday accidents to the nature of the word of God and when Mr. Goodwin resolves all our faith into a foundation of Christian Religion if I may call it Religon made of the credit learning and authority of men he would have mens learning and authoritie either the word of God or the essence and nature thereof which is as good as to include the garments and cloathes of man in the nature and definition of a man and build our faith upon a paper foundation but our faith is
he erre from the sense of the Holy Ghost the Scripture is no Scripture if it be believed in a sense contrary to the Scripture to him who so believes and so his faith is no faith but a vaine night-phancie and seeing the word of God gives us but one faith and one truth and one Gospel if interpretations be left free to every man these Libertines gives us millions of faiths with millions of senses and so no faith at all Secondly They give us two decisions one made by God and another by the Church contrary to Gods that has no rule but every mans private judgement and free phancie as if the decision of controversies made by the Church in Synods which we suppose is not divided from that of Gods were some other thing then the decision of the Holy Ghost speaking in the word and declared by the Church in a ministeriall way and if it be any other than this it is not to be received nor a lawfull decision ministeriall of a Synod but to be rejected Thirdly if there be no need of a decision to expone the word because the word is clear if we wrong the word of God if we think our words are clearer that Gods it is true if we had eyes to see and apprehend the minde of God in his word without an interpretation then all ministerie and proaching of the Gospel is cried downe by this what have any to doe to expone the first principles of the Oracles of God to the Hebrews c. 5 â— or what need they teach exhort preach in season and out of season What needeth the Eunuch a teacher or Cornolius Peter or Saul Ananias to teach them had they not the Scriptures if Timothie the preachers that speake the word of the Lord to the Hebrews Philip Peter Ananias think their words clearer than the word of God they doe a great injurie to the word of God or if they beleeved their words were clearer than the words of Esaiah and the Prophets and they did that which was not necessary if they opened and expounded the Prophets and decided controversies for they should have acquiesced to the decision of God as it lyeth in the Scripture and not have preached but read the Prophets and left it free to the hearers to put on the words of Scripture what interpretation and sense they thought best Fourthly That no Confessions ought to be but in expresse words of Scripture shall free all one and consequently all Churches from obedience to that which Peter commands 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be readie alwayes to give an answere to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with â—â—eeknesse and fear When Stephen Acts 7. and Paul Acts 26. were accused of heresie and speaking against Moses and the semple they made a confession of their faith not in words of Scripture but in deductions and necessary consequences drawne from Scripture and applyed to themselves and these in Nehemiahs time who wrote and sealed or subscrubed a Covenant did not write and seale the expresse Decalogne and ten Commandements 〈◊〉 the words of the Covenant of Grace I will be thy God and the God of thy seed but entered into a curse and into an Oath to walke in Gods Law which was given by Moses the servant of God and to observe and to doe all the Commandements of the Lord our God and his judgements and his statutes and that say they we would not give our daughters to the people of the Land nor take their daughters for our sons and if the people of the Land bring ware or victuals on the Sabbath day to sell that we would not buy it of them Nehemiah c. 10. v. 29 30 31 32 33 34. c. compared with Nehe. c. 9. v. 38. Which words are not a confession nor Covenant in expresse Scripture save that they are historically insetted in the Cannon of the Scripture by the Holy Ghost In which sense the law and decree of Nebuchadnezzar Daniel 6. And of other heathen Kings as Daniell 3. 29. 30. Ezra 1. 2 3. c. 7. 11 12 13 14. c. Are Scriptures but they are not the expresse words of the Law for there is nothing in the expresse Law touching the Sabbath of not buying ware and victual from the heathen of the land that Nehemiah speakes of which warranteth us to enter in the like Covenant and make the like Confession of faith to defend and stand to the Protestant Religion and that Christ was God and man and man in one person and that we shall not buy ware or victuals from the Anabaptist and Familists of England who trample on the Sabbath day though these be not expresse words of Scripture It is true Libertines say men have made Apologies and confessions of faith for their own defence as Steven and Paul but they injoyned not these by authoritie and command as a rule of faith upon others and wrote them not as a fixed standard of the faith of others and that warrants no Church to impose a faith upon others Answ 1. This will prove that as one man accused of heresie may publish a confession of his faith which may cleare his innocencie and the soundnesse of his faith to others and remove the scandall according to that of 1 Pet. 3. 15. And by the same reason Independents Libertines Familists Antinomians Anabaptists and all the Sects of England upon the same ground that the Albigenses went upon should by some Confession and Covenant give an account of their faith and hope with meeknesse and feare And what particular persons are obleiged to doe that Churches when they are slandered as unsound in the faith are oblieged to doe and so I looke at a forme or confession of faith as a necessary Apologie for clearing of the good name of a Church defamed with Heresies and new sects but for the imposing of this Confession upon others these others are either Neighbour-Churches or their own Members As concerning neighbour-Churches they have no Authoritie over them Yet may they declare that Familists who say Christ is not come in the flesh are the Spirit of the Antichrist and for these of their own Church if they goe out from them and separate to an Antichristian side after the example of the Apostles and Elders they may command them to abstaine from such and such hereticall opinions and after they have convicted them as perverters of souls proceed to excommunication against them as refusers to consent to the forme of wholesome words as may be prooved from Math. 18. 15 16 17. c. Rom. 16. 17 1 Thes 2. 13 14 15. And other Scriptures as Reve. 2. 1 2 3. v. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20. Now that it is not sufficient that they be put to subscribe a confession of faith in onely scripture words is cleare 1. because the Jews will sweare and seale the old Testament in their own sense but their sense makes the old
Testament to be the word of man not the word of God The Sadduces acknowledged the five books of Moses to be the word of God yet because they denyed the resurrection of the dead Christ argueth them Math. 22. 45. Ignorant both of the power of God asserted in the books of Moses and of the scriptures especially of that scripture which God spake out of the bush to Moses I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac c. Exod. 3. 6. Yet would the Sadduces have sworn and subscribed all the booke of Exodus as the undoubted word of God but when they denyed the resurrection sure these words I am the God of Abraham c. making the Covenant of grace to dye when Abraham dyed and Abraham to have perished in soule and bodie as they expounded it was not the word of God and Papists will subscribe the old and new Testament and the three Creeds the Nicene Creed the Creed of Athanasius and that which commonly is called the Apostles Creed Yet as they expound the word and these Creeds we say they transforme the word of God into the doctrine of devils and most abominable Idolatrie The greatest hereticks that were Arrius Nestorius Appolliuaris Macedonius the Treithite acknowledge the scripture to be the word of God and will sweare and subscribe the word of God and containe themselves intra sacra scripturae lâ—cutiones within the words of scripure But their faith is not the saith of the scripture and this makes ten thousand and millions of faiths where as the word faith there is but one faith For Arrius hath one faith Apollinâ—ris another Nestorius another and every heretick a faith according to the sense that he fallely puts on the scripture and all may sweare one Confession of saith in Scripture-words Arminians say no man after he hath received a decree of a Synod is longer oblieged to it nor upon any other condition but in so farre and so long as he judgeth in his conscience that it is true Answ This is meere Scepticisme and to make the conscience whether erroneous or not erroneous to be a bible and a rule of faith For though the erroneous conscience say it is service to God to kill the innocent Apostles John 16. 1. Yet the sixt commandement lyes upon these murtherers with equall strength thou shalt not kill otherwise they are nor guilty of murther For if a Synod decree to kill Peter and John because they preach that the Son of Mary is the Messiah is bloody persecution Then so soone as Scribes and Pharisees in their erroneous conscience for Libertimes make exceptions of no consciences an erroneous more than another nor erring in fundamentals more than of another shall judge it service to God to kill the Apostles they are loosed from the sixt commandement and no longer oblieged to this thou shalt not murther So the authour of the tractate called Armini Where mens scope is any way to remove controversies there is there no care or little at all of the trueth of God and where the externall peace of the Common-wealth is heeded precisely there peace of conscience is of none or of little value the truth is not there perswaded but crushed Ans The learned and renowned professors of Leiden answer the end of Synods is not by any means good or bad to remove controversies but to burie them by the power of the word 2. Onely externall peace separated from truth should not be intended but conjoyned with truth and peace of conscience 3. The end of Synods is not effectually and actu secundo to silence hereticks and gain-sayers of the truth nor is it Christs scope in convincing the Sadduces that the dead must rise Math. 22. to perswade the truth so as there shall never be on earth Sadducie again who denies the resurrection for in Pauls and in the Apostles time the Sadducies still denyed the resurrection after the Synod of Jerusalem Acts 15. There arose many that said we must keep the Law of Ceremonies but the end of Synods is to doe what may actu prime remoove controversies and silence Hereticks by clearing scripture and truth but the end is not to remove obstinacy that is not the scope of Synods nor of preaching nor of the scriptures but of all these are in the event as God blesseth them and concurreth with them the end of Synods is not to oppresse or deprive ministers the end of despised and obstinately refused truth is such Armini Synods should not ayme at setting up their own authoritie which in matters of faith is none at all such decisions are the heart of Poperie and makes all religion without Synods to be uncertain Ans Synods should take care that no man despise their Authority as Timothie is exhorted by Paul but their Authoritie in matters of faith is conditionall and so not nul 2. Synods are necessarie ad bene esse not absolutely for many are saved both persecuted Churches and believers who neuer had help of Synods to cleare their faith 3. But none more contend then Libertines doe for a faith as uncertaine as the weather which may change with every new moone The same also may be said of preaching and a ministerie which the Lord Jesus ascending on high gave for the edifying his body the Church that religion is uncertain without it For Pastors in publick should convince gainsayers and so remove heresies Tit. 1. 9 10 11. 1. Tim. 6. 3 4 as well as Synods and Libertines in their conscience know Protestant Synods Lord over the faith of none as if they took to themselves in fallibilitie as Popish Synods doe Armini Since Synods may erre how then place they religion in securitie Ans No otherwise then Doctors and Pastors doe place religion in security by teaching truth and refuting errors and yet they may erre Obj. But Pastours oblidge not men to receive what they say under paine of Censures as Synods doe Answ Vnder paine of divine if not Ecclesiasticall punishment and the one is that way as binding to the conscience as the other yea more for it is a greater obligation for Pastours to subject men to divine wrath if they receive not what they preach then for Synods to binde them onely to Ecclesiasticall censurers and yet none can say that Pastours exercise tyrannie over the conscience for the former Ergo neither can Synods justly he deemed Lords over the conscience for the latter Armin. Very often fewer and provinciall Synods doe 〈◊〉 mine more soundly then many and Occuminical Synods Answ That is by accident one Machaiah saw more that foure hundred prophets of Baal But this objection is against the saftie that is in a multitude of counsellers and in the excâ—llencie of two convened in the name of Christ above one Armin. Decision of Synods cannot oblidge men while they know that the decision was rightly made it is not enough to oblidge any to consent that that which is
holding opinions that slow from meer conscience when they publish preach and print them from no principle but meer conscience not for gain or a morsell of bread or for preferment in the state or Armie To this I answer lay aside opinions and answer me this how the Judges that are for libertie of conscience are not to punish some words except they would be guilty of persecution to wit such as these the Trinitie is but a fiction Christ is no more God then another holy man Yea Christ was but an Impostor and yet they punish words and deeds of the same kinde that come from meere conscience The answer must be the former words are from meere conscience and the publishers thereof will swear they hold them as the meere inforcing light and judgement of their conscience But these other words and deeds which the Magistrate censures are not from meere conscience But I beleeve these that acted in the late controverted Parliament and by vertue thereof yea and many Godly men of them that are punished by the Judges and many of the Godly that fled for fear act from meere conscience and will sweare they did so act according to their sworn covenant and to prevent a new warre and that they did it neither for gain nor for preferment in State or Armie And if it were referred to the consciences of most of the Armie why they disbanded not when the Parliament commanded them but doe by their practices treat a warre to themselves and the land a judgement of God of all others the saddest when they have none to fight against but shadows and enemies of straw and hay I judge they would swear that they judged the charge of the Houses against their conscience and unjust and that they hold up warres out of meere conscience and to vindicate the oppressed subjects and for preventing of a new warre and not for gaine or preferment So the question is not yet answered why some externall actions of words and deeds comming from meere conscience without any carnall pretext as they will swear cannot be punished but violence must be done to conscience so the men persecuted and others that doe the like and speak the like from no principle but pure conscience without any carnall pretext as they will sweare are punished and yet neither violence is done to conscience nor the men persecuted for acting according to conscience and a sworn Covenant But they justly punished if acting from meere Conscience be the formall cause why men are not to be punished it should hold in all such acts 4. They seeme to me sick in the braine who hold that it is an act of love and charity in the Magistrate to restrain 〈◊〉 Socinianisme c. and to discountenance such seducers and yet bring arguments against all externall 〈◊〉 in matters of Religion or compulsion in generall a discouâ—â—â—nancing and a keeping of men from places dignities offices is the highest compulsion of penaltie you can devise What arguments fight against any compulsion of the Magistrate positive or negative doth fight against all If it be lawfull for the Magistrate as for all other men to doe all hee can for the truth as some say and the Magistrates invitations recommendation exemplarie profession generall tuition excluding coercing are all nothing but words these agree to all Christians as Christians and are nothing peculiar to the Magistrate the Magistrate as a Magistrate cannot request he must command as a Magistrate and all his commands if disobeyed are in order to the sword 5. The question is not whether Religion can be inforced upon men by the Magistrate by the dint and violence of the sword or onely perswaded by the power of the word Wee hold with Lactantius that Religion cannot be compelled nor can mercie and justice and love to our neighbour commanded in the second table be more compelled then faith in Christ Hence give me leave to prove two things 1. That Religion and faith cannot be forced on men 2. That this is a vain consequence Religion cannot be forced but must be perswaded by the word and Spirit Ergo the Magistrate can use no coercive power in punishing Hereticks and false teachers For the first we lay hold on all the arguments that prove the word preached to be the onely means of converting the soule begetting of faith and that carnall weapons are not able yea nor were they ever appointed of God to doing down strong holds nor can they make a willing people and Lactantius said well What is left to us if anothers lust 〈◊〉 thâ—t by force which we must doe willingly And that of Tertullian It is of the law or right of man and of his natural power what every man worships what he thinks he should worship nor doth the Religion of one either doe good or doe evill to another man nor is it religion to compell religion which ought to be received by wâ—ll not by force since sacrifices of worship are required of a willing minde In which I observe 1. Tertullian speaks not of the true Christian Religion which is now in question but of Religion in generall as it is comprehensive of both true and false Religion Because he speakes of that Religion which by the Law of nature a man chooseth and is humani juris naturalis potestatis but it is not of the law of man or naturall power nor in flesh and bloods power to chuse the true Christian Religion that election is Supernaturall saith Tertullian there and else where often as also the Scripture Joh. 6. 44. Math. 16. 17. Math. 11. 25 26 27 2. Religion is taken two wayes 1. for the inward and outward acts of Religion as seen both to God and man as Lactantius Tertullian and others say so it is most true Christians ought not with force of sword compell Jews nor Jews or Pagans compell Christians to be of their Religion because Religion is not begotten many by perswasion of the minde nor by forcing of the man Again Religion is taken for the externall profession and acting and performances of true Religion within the Church or by such as professe the truth that are obvious to the eyes of Magistrates and Pastors and thus the sword is no meanes of God to force men positively to externall worship or performances But the sword is a means nâ—gâ—tively to punish acts of false worship in those that are under the Christian Magistrate and professe Christian Religion in so farre as these acts come out to the eyes of men and are destructive to the souls of these in a Christian society T is even so not otherwise punishable by the Magistrate for he may punish omissions of hearing the Doctrine of the Gospel and other externall performances of worship as as these omissions by ill example or otherwise are offensiveâ— to the souls of these that are to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie nor does it follow
of Aegypt Exod. 32. 4 5. Jeroboam who made two Gods and Jehu who was zealous for Jehovah 1 King 13. 6. c. 13. 1 2 3. 2 King 9. 25. 36 37. c. 10. 16. 20 21. and Joram 2 King 5. 7. acknowledged God could kill and make alive and was just in his promises and threatnings yet worshipped the golden calves those who cryed the Temple of the Lord must acknowledge there was but one true God yet they burnt incense to Baal and killed their children to Molech Jer. 7. 4 5 9. 30 31. They that asked of Jehovah the ordinances of their God and fasted to Jehovah Esa 58. 1 2 3 4. yet inflamed themselves under every green tree Esa 57. 5. and slew their children under the clifts of the rocks the heathen knew God and one God who made the heaven and the earth and worshipped him though ignorantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 20 21. Act. 17. 23. yet denyed and hated this logicall consequence that they had forsaken the Lord Jer. 9. 13 14. or Deut. 32. 18. forgotten the rocke that begat them Ps 78. 11. 41. Ps 107. 12 13. that they forsooke him dayes without number yea they did more then God required to keep God in their minde and not forget him as they said they changed him into the forme of corruptible things to be memorialls of God to them and the Lord said For all this they râ—fuse to know me they have said It is not the Lord yea they would have dyed for it rather then have said there is no God that made heaven and earth And they did erre indeed in a consequence against the light of nature yet the irreligious and wicked stopping of eyes and eares at naturall consequences in matters of Religion is no innocent 〈◊〉 as is cleare Esa 44. 18. They have not knowne nor understood for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot understand 19. And none considers in his heart neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say I have but in part of it in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coales thereof I have roasted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof aâ— abomination shall I fall downe to the flocke of a tree 20. He seedeth on ashes c. Now as Israel said ever the Creator of the ends of the earth is our God the tree is but a likenesse and resemblance of God Esa 18. 18. Esa 46. 5 6 7. so they denyed this consequence ergo a part of your God is burnt in the fire and with the coals of your burnt God you bake bread roast flesh and warme your bodies when you are cold and worship a lye and an abomination as the Papists say we adore very Christ in and under the accidents of the bread even the same God-man Maries Son who dyed on the crosse yet they deny this consequence ergo a part of your God and Saviour is baken in the oven eaten and cast out with the draught and a part thereof even of the same floore and dough is made a God by the Priest and ye say I will bâ—â— downe and worship the residue of that which the baker did bake and roast in the oven and so yee worship a lye and an abomination as the old Idolaters did Esa 44. yet the Papist will deny this consequence that he multiplyes Gods as loaves are multiplyed in an oven because as Esaiah saith he knoweth not he understandeth not God hath shut his eyes certainly that knowledge he denyes to the Idolator is the naturall knowledge of a naturall consequence if ye worship a bit of an ash-tree or a bit of bread ergo the halfe of your God or the quarter thereof is baken in an oven ergo there is a lye and an abomination in your right hand then the deniall of logicall consequences in Religion and the teaching thereof to others may be and is an heresie and punishable by the Magistrate as Deut. 13. and Exod. 32. so Christ rebukes Matth. 22. Saduces as ignorant of the Scripture when they denyed but the consequence or a logicall connexion as God is not the God of the dead but of the living ergo the dead must rise againe and Abraham must live and his body be raised from the dead And 2. the Idolaters who were to dye by the Law of God Exod. 32. Deut. 13. denyed not the true God more then our false teachers doe now We see no reason why none should be false teachers but such onely as deny fundamentals and that pertinaciously though these by Divines be called Heretickes 1. Rom. 16. 17. Paul saith Now I beseech you brethren marke them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them then as we are not to distinguish where the Law and the Word of God does not distinguish so we are to count them false teachers who lead in a faction in the Church contrary to any doctrine of truth whether fundamentall or not fundamentall and to avoid them as Seducers 2. Peters errour since he beleeved Christ was come Matth. 16. 17. was not fundamentall but consistent with faith yet Paul withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed and if he had pertinaciously gone on to walke not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel since Paul would not have given place by subjection to such no not for an houre Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14 15. he should have been worthy of more then rebuke yea of higher censure the like we must say of Barnabas and other Jewes who all sinned though in a farre inferiour degree with these who came in privily to spye out the Christian liberty of the Gentiles to bring them into bondage under the Ceremoniall law 3. Gal. 1. 8. Paul saith If we or an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel then that which we have preached let him be accursed which place with good warrant our Divines bring against the unwritten traditions of Papists of what kinde soever they be fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls whether they be obtruded as necessary points of salvation or not necessary but accidentalls or arbitrary points yet conducing for the better observing of necessary points for I have proved else-where that Papists esteem their unwritten traditions not necessary points of faith yea many of them to be accidentals serving onely ad mellus esse for order and decency yea and great Doctors of them say neither the Pope nor the Church can devile novum dogma fidei a new article of Faith or a new Sacrament nor can we say that the adding of Romish ceremonialls such as consecrating of Churches baptising of bells signe of the crosse are fundamentall errours and inconsistent with saving faith the text Gal. 1. 8 9. evinceth that they or some other Gospel or doctrine beside that the Galathians had learned for Paul taught the Galathians many points besides fundamentall onely
not punishable by man 2. All things that may be controverted is wide Nothing but it is converted except whether there be a God or not and many doubt of that There be even now who deny Jesus Christ God man the necessity of his death his offices the immortallity of the soule the resurrection last judgement a heaven a hell but al to Libertines are uncertaine and the denyall of any point not by the light of reason but by supernaturall revelation such as these articles that God is one in three distinct persons that Christ is God and Man in one person that he dyed to satisfie divine justice that we are saved by his righteousnesse imputed to us by faith c. Is no heresie but may consist with true godlinesse and therefore they give instance in fundamentals which are knowne by the light of nature as that theeves drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdome of God that God is to bee loved above all things now thâ—se are principles of naturall Theology known to heathens so that such godly men to which Libertines would yeeld an indulgence and liberty are good moral honest civil men who beleeve fundamentals known by the light of nature to Christians and Heathens equally for civill Heathens may have the sound faith of al such fundamentals and beleeving morall and naturall fundamentals though they know not Jesus Christ or possibly never heard of him may be saved and not be beholden to Christ knowne as a Saviour so some Libertines tell us not any man is to suffer death though he deny and malitiously oppose all the principles of the Gospell because these are knowne no ways but by supernaturall revelation and the light of faith which commeth from God but I take the ground of this to bee because supernaturall light is above us and not in our power but by this reason Christ should not have rebuked the Pharisees for not beleeving in him nor the Sadduces for denying the resurrection nor should Paul have smitten Eliâ—as with blindnesse for perverting Sergius Paulus from the faith for it was not in their power to know or beleeve otherwise of these Gospel fundamentals that are not beleeved but by supernaturall revelation then they did other Libertines say they are only Hereticks or at least punishable by men who deny fundamentals of Cbristian Religion but are sparing to tell us what fundamentals whether of law and known by the light of nature or of Gospel known onely by supernaturall revellation so that ere they finde the hereticke they must show you the point they deny is fundamental and its possible that is a difficil businesse whether it be fundamental or not if he go for a Sectarie he is a godly man and his godlinesse shal prove the poynt is not fundamental for this is the logick of our time such a people are godly therefore their opinions are against no fundamentall point whereas this is a better consequence such points are fundamentall ergo if men twice or thrice admonished doe yet wilfully goe on to maintaine opinions manifestly contrary they are not godly for the Apostle telâ— us of doctrine according to godlinesse then must the doctrine soundly beleeved make the person godly or argue him to be so but the man let him goe for a Saint cannot make or argue the doctrine to bee the doctrine according to godlinesse if it be not so in it self and we are inclined if the man be of our own tribe and sect to defend his tenets and not to judge them fundamental error 2. We wish much an argument to prove bodily violence or Ecclesiasticall co-action may be used against men erring in points fundamentall but not in non-fundamentals since God delivers his mind as clearly in non-fundamentals if not more clearely as in fundamentals and the authority of the Lord who commands faith is as great in non-fundamentals and our obligation to beleeve no lesse then in the most necessary fundamentals as therefore abstinence from adultery with Bathsheba and murthering of Vriah in David is as necessary necessitate precepts as the whole course of Davids repentance and turning to God yet it is not so necessary necessitate medii for David is a saved Saint though he abstaâ—â—â— not from that adultery and murther but without conversion from the state of sinfull nature to the way of saving grace it is unpossible David can be saved so to abstain from Idolatry and to demolish the high places and to punish those who resort to them is a godly practice yet though 〈◊〉 commit Idolatry with the golden Calfe yea and make the people naked also And Asa though he demolish not the high places all his reigne nor punish any for that Idolatry and did persecute the Seer yet Aaron was the faithfull Priest and the anointed of God and Asa and some other Kings heart were perfect before the Lord though they fell in these sins nor were these fundamentals sinnes in practice inconsistent with saving faith more then errours and teaching of errours in non-fundamentals to the ruine of many souls doth exclude a possibility of being in the state of saving grace but it cannot follow that because teaching and publishing of errours in non-fundamentals is consistent with saving grace that therefore these non-fundamentall sinnes of murther adultery tolerating of Idolatrous high places persecuting of faithfull Prophets making of a golden Calfe and hallowing of it to be adored as the God that brought Israel out of Aegypt are sins not to be tolerated in the truly godly such as Aaron David and Asa for then should they be tolerated in the wicked also for the toleration of such in the godly because they are not fundamental wickednesses inconsistent with saving grace is as destructive and more because of their extream scandalousnesse to all peace and safety of humaine societies and to the duty of the godly Magistrate as these same sins in the wicked upon the same grounds publishing of all errors non-fundamentall the toleration of the high places are as inconsistent with peace destructive and injurious to soules especially in the godly as scandalous to other false teachers as these non-fundamentall sins But say they the reason is not alike in non-fundamentall sinnes that are expresly condemned by all Aarons Idolatry Davids adultery Asaes persecution no man ever defended therefore they cannot bee tolerated by the Magistrate without sin though the acting of these sins may consist with sound faith But most of non-fundamentalls are not clearly determined in the word in regard of our dulnesse and naturall blindnesse and therefore the Magistrate cannot punish the non-fundamentall errours for these which be non-fundamentall errours to some godly and learned are non-fundamentall and seasonable truths to others as godly and learned as they are But to all the godly and learned Aarons Idolatry Davids adultery and murther Asa's tolerating the high places and imprisoning the Seer were sins unjustifiable and by the light of nature such as no godly Magistrate can
Commandement as it is probable it is true and acceptable and worship to God and though it were false worship it is as probable that to punish it is a sacrilegious invading of Gods place as it is an act of justice in the Magistrate 4. If the Magistrate must beleeve as the Libertine doth doth and teacheth him what he will if it were King and Parliament and all the Judges in Britain if they be of the faith of Libertines what conscience have they to take away the â—ead of a father who sacrificeth his onely childe to God upon meere religious principles what warrant have they before the tribunall of God to cut off his head as a peace-breaker rather then to spare his life as a sacrificer and a devout and zealous whether it be blinde zeal or no the Libertine Magistrate hath nothing to do to judge worshipper of God whether or no hath the Magistrate who in that case killeth aâ— innocent man according to his own libertine-conscience greater respect to false peace in a humane society then to true piety and innocent walking with God which forbids him to punish any thing that is onely to the subject he punisheth a meere devout worshipping of God 5. Upon the same ground should not the masse and all the broad worship on earth be tolerated since it hath farre lesse connexion with disturbance of peace then the Anabaptists children-killing worship of God 6. If the formall is ratio the onely formall reason and cause why the Magistrate is to use corporall coersion against none now under the New Testament but is to suffer every man to worship God as he best pleaseth because the worship of the New Testament is more spirituall the Law-giver Christ a meeker Mediator then Moses and there is no warrant now to hinder any man or lay bands and coactive violence upon Christs free subjects with force of sword to restraine them in one worship more then another what reason an Anabaptists offering his son a sacrifice to God should be restrained in his sacrificing more then in other acts of worship is not the man persecuted for his conscience is not this a carnall and no New Testament way of restraining him when he is restrained by the sword is not the onely word of God and no weapons that are carnall the way of rescuing men from all false worship and the onely way 7. Nor can the bloodinesse and cruelty of that worship be a sufficient ground why the Magistrate may restraine the conscience of the devout worshipper for who ought to sit as Lord Judge above the conscience of this father and sentence the worship as destructive to peace or the worshipper as a bloody man his conscience is under the New Testament and the Lord his onely judge But by the light of nature that the father kill the sonne to God 〈◊〉 murther and â—ruelâ—y But I answer if it be gratefull worship to God it is no more cruelty then to burne a beast to God and you are to suppose that a godly Anabaptist hath warrant from God for that worship as well for burning of beasts and offering yearely thousands of bullocks and sheep to God in memory of Christ once already sacrificed for sinners and that there is in it neither cruelty to beasts nor hurt to the Common-wealth that the Magistrate can restraine for though there be no reason at all for the worship ex natura rei if we consider the worship it selfe yet there is such reason to tolerate the worship so as if the Magistrate restraine he tyranniâ—eth over the conscience and a bloody conscience is a conscience as uncapable of violence and as immediately in the New Testament subject to God onely not to the sword as a good conscience then if the sword can straine no conscience as conscience how can it squeeze a conscience wading in bloody son-butchery more then any other conscience 8. If the Magistrates punishing of any for his conscience be a violent compelling of him to sin to worship or to forbeare worship against his conscience how will Libertines cleare Magistracy in the Old Testament from being intrinsecally a sinfull ordinance for the Magistrate in the Old Testament in stoning to death the seducing Prophet and the blasphemer must compell him to sin against his conscience and to professe Jehovah not Baal was the true God whereas the seducer believed in his conscience the contrary since to compell men to sin is intrinsecally sinfull let Libertines answer the query if God ever in Old or New Testament could command sin or if there was ever such a thing heard that a Magistrate might by his office command men to sin or then punish them 9. Let Libertines answer if Arminians extend not liberty of prophesying as farre as mens lusts can carry them in these words But to suffer every man say they to 〈◊〉 publickly in Religion every thing iâ— perilous Why for either that which 〈◊〉 asserteth is true or false if it be true why admit we is not why doe we imprison the Author thereof this injury reflects upon God the Author of truth if it be false the truth shall easily overcome â—â—ar of it self it shall melt like was before the Sunne if ye offer violence 〈◊〉 it yee strip Religion of its glory and furnish oyle to errâ—â—â— Whether is not reason as strong to refute errours fundamentall as non-fundamentall whether if ye offer violence to truth in fundamentalls as well as in non-fundamentalls yee strippe Religion and truth of its glory and furnish oyle to errour They goe on and tell us Wee need not ever bee in learning these that are clearely determined in the word for they are cleare open and of undoubled truths in the Scripture in other points not fundamentall a Christian is ever a disciple and a searcher not that he doth ever doubt and hesitate but because though for the present he neither doubt nor hath cause of doubting yet can he not be sure of these points with such a certitude which is free of all danger of errour and therefore he is often to examine these according to the rule that cannot erre and so it is enough before God that he may be said ever to learne and to come to the knowledge of the truth as far as frailty in this life can permit Answ 1. There is then no stability of faith but in two or three points in which all Papists Latherans Antiâ—â—niâ—arâ—ans Arrians Socinians Libertines Familists Sabellians Nestorians Macedonians Arminians Antinomians Seekers Fâ—thystasts Anabaptists c. agree and make one true Church beleeving what is necessary for salvation and holding the foundation Christ and we have no divine faith of the miracles that Christ wrought that the old world perished with waters which God speakes as clearly in the word as he doth fundamentalls But Libertines should distinguish the formall reason of beleeving truths which breedeth an obligation and the necessity of beleeving for the one onely
doe the like and others the like till Religions bee multiplyed and this wee must say except it be affirmed that under the New Testament The corruption of our nature is not so great through neglect of Magistracy to doe what seemes good in our owne eyes under the New Testament and to runne a whoring from God to other high places as they did and if so neither should there be a Magistracy under the New Testament to restraine us in wayes of conversation touching the second Table to wit to hedge men in from robbing and stealing from incestuous Marriages and Polygamie upon meere conscience for if the Saints be the onely â—ust owners of the earth as many now hold it is no more punishable by the Ruler as robbery that a Saint take the Oxe Asse Monies Possessions of his neighbour who is a carnall and wicked man then that he take of his owne goods for his use when he is naked and starving which by the Law of nature hee ought to use before hee famishâ— and incestuous Maâ—riages are to some consciences as unpunishable now as when Cain and Abel married their owne sisters and if conscience ought not to bee forced in one thing neither can violence bee offered to it in any thing that unfainedly pretends to conscience Argument III. THAT indulgence and forbearance of all from the Ruler which layes an undeniable ground for Scepticisme Fluctuation and doubting in matters of Religion is not of God But such is toleration of sundry Religions ergo The major is thus proved True Religion suggesteth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a perfect understanding Luke 1. 3. knowledge and perswasion of faith Rom. 14. 14. 23. faith by many infallible tokens Act. 1. 3. Full perswasion Rom. 8. 39. 2 Tim. 1. 12. 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All riches of the full assurance of understanding Col. 2. 2. The assumption I thus prove Because the Libertines say that speciall and principall ground of no indulgence to false Prophets under the Old Testament was because the Prophets were infallible God himself who onely knows the heart designed the false teacher and the blasphemer by immediate resolution from his owne oracle and made it out of question whether that was heresie or no and whether presumptuously against the light of conscience the man held professed and taught others so to doe and beleeve as he did So Arminian Libertines So Minus Celsus So Vaticanus So Jo. Goodwin and the English Libertines But now since the Prophets and Apostles fell asleepe no Magistrate no Synod is infallible all men are apt to deceive and be deceived for whether in fundamentals or non-fundamentalls none now can challenge Propheticall or Apostolicke infallibility the Synod condemning Socinians Familists as heretickes are not infallible but may as rather be the heretickes as those whom they condemne for they have not monopolized the Holy Spirit to them-themselves so say they wee have no immediate Oracle to determine heresie and what we beleeve in all except some few fundamentalls wee are to beleeve with a reserve leaving roome to a new contrary light say the Independents yea but it holdeth in beleeving fundamentalls as well as non-fundamentalls for in neither have wee Propheticall infallibility and immediate Oracles and Scripture shewes wee have as great darknesse blindnesse of minde naturall fluctuation to beleeve nothing in supernaturall fundamentalls in the Gospell as in non-fundamentalls but with trepidation and doubting of minde wee no more having monopolized the Spirit to us then Sectaries nor Sectaries more then we in the one then in the other in fundamentalls then in non-fundamentalls what ever wee beleeve upon this principle of Reciprocall Toleration both wee and Sectaries are to beleeve with a speciall reserve to change that faith with the next new Moone when contrary new light shall appeare so are wee taught to have faith of nothing but to bee tossed to and fro and to bee carried about with every wind of doctrine with wavering not rooted nor established nor fully perswaded of any thing contrary to Ephes 4. 14. Hebrewes 3. 19. Coloss 2. 2. 7. Roman 14. 2â— 2 Timoth. 1. 12. And this destroyes faith and makes it a meere conjecture and an unsettled opinion with a fluctuation of minde to waite the tyde of a new contrary light and send this old faith away and admit of another yet so as to lodge that new one with a moveable reserve and so must we live and dye doubting and meere nullifidians Argument IV. THat which destroyeth all our hope comfort of the Scriptures zeale constancy and rejoycing in suffering for the truth for Christ and the Gospel is not to be held nor is it from God But toleration of sundry Religions is such ergo The Proposition is cleare for the places of Scriptures placing these Christian graces in beleevers as Heb. 5. 19 20. 1 Pet. 1. 3. 1 Thess 5. 8. Rom. 15. 4. 5. Rom. 12. 11. Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Eph. 3. 1. Phil. 1. 12 13. Heb. 10. 33 34. Matth. 19. 29 30. Now Toleration layes this ground as a principle Men are not to be troubled for their conscience because they beleeve hold publish and reach what they do right or wrong according to their conscience be it erroneous or not erroneous and their zeale hope perswasion comfort carrieth them to undergoe the reproaches of Heretickes Seducers false Prophets imprisonment torture death burning quicke rather then they would sinne against knowne truth and offend against a conscience though erroneous yet because the sufferers are not infallible and it may be a lye they beleeve publish and suffer for their hope may be grounded on a lye their comfort not bottomed on the Scripture and so false hope and comfort their rejoycing in sufferings and undergoing torture and violent death but fleeting and counterfeit joy their zeale without knowledge a bastard zeale having nothing to doe with the word and Gospel-promises but in the bottome as contrary to them as light is to darknesse for what any Saint or Professour beleeves and publishes hee is to beleeve and publish and dye in it and for it with a faith that the contrary may bee a truth of God and so to bee tolerated and borne with now the hope of the hypocriâ—e is therefore compared to the spiders web to a broken tree to a blasted olive tree his joy to a night vision a dreame the cracking of thornes under a pot because both hope and joy and all his comfort is grounded on an erroneous conscience a lye an imagination not on the word of God Now so is the joy comfort and hope of all Religions which Libertines contend must be tolerated they confesse they may bee truths they may bee lyes yet if they bee punished for them they suffer persecution for righteousnesse for Christ for truth Argument V. THAT which taketh away all wayes of removing Heresies under the New Testament both by the Sword and refuting of gaine-sayers by the word all rebuking all
and subjection to all lawfull Magistrates heathen and Christian and to their Lawes and to pay tribute and to be judged by them whereas Papists plead exemption to Churchmen and sure if no doing of evill be prohibited here and deserve the just vengeance of the Minister of God but only such which was prohibited by the Roman Laws and Edicts then must the Roman Laws and Edicts be as perfect as the word of God for then the Romans Laws must command reward and praise all good that the Ruler or any power ordained of God doth command this is most false they did not command the saving of the lives of the innocent British in this Island that never injured them but commanded to kill them they did not in their Laws command their under-Rulers Pilate and others to protect innocent Christians to justifie and absolve Jesus Christ but to condemn and murther them though they gave all that was due to Caesar and their Laws did not forbid all evill that the Judges and Ministers of God are to execute wrath against all murthering of innocent men in thousands and most unjust and bloody warres against Nations that never wronged them and they forbad not the spreading of errors and heresies against the Gospel that came to their eares and made them that they had no cloake for their sinne Joh. 15. 21 22. for Paul brought the Gospel to them and it is a begging of the question that the Roman Emperours ought not to have made Laws against spreading of heresie and they were a terror to those that preached the Gospel and had their conversation among the Gentiles blamelessely and so these Emperours did not as the Ministers of God ought to doe nor would the Apostle undertake or be surety for Nero the Objector undertakes for the text that in which the Holy Ghost will not bear him out that he shall give praise and reward for well-doing all the well-doing that the text saith the Minister of God by his office is to reward the Roman Magistrate did abhorre and persecute if the Apostle undertake those that doe well shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if hee doe as a lawfull Magistrate then cannot the text be meant of the Roman Magistrate as he actually misgoverned and abused his power for then hee was a terrour to those that preached orthodox truths and worshipped dumbe Idols and by Lawes and Edicts honoured and rewarded heathen Priests that were not so good as Baals Chaplaines and doth Paul undertake if the Saints at Rome would turne Priests and servers of the Roman Gods that they should doe well and have praise from the Roman Magistrate for by the Roman Law the Roman Rulers were to reward and praise such as did well in this sense 2. Nor doth Paul undertake they shall have praise from the Roman Magistrate if they doe well according as the Roman Lawes speakes of well-doing for then Paul should undertake they should have praise from the Roman Magistrate for that which is evill-doing which Paul would never undertake because killing of innocent men in unjust warres to conquer and inslave free States by the Roman Lawes was well-doing and praised and rewarded by their Laws as wel-doing But this was to Paul and in it selfe evill-doing and robbery and makes the Holy Ghost to exhort to Romish and falsely so called well-doing CHAP. XVIII The place 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. for coercive power over false Prophets cleared Argument XII THat which we are to pray we may have from the Magistrate by his office that is his office to doe because prayers must be in faith and grounded on the word of God But we are to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority that with the sword they would guard Religion and the Church of God from wolves false teachers and those that think they do God service when they kill us Joh. 16. 1. that we may saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2. 2. lead a quiet a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Nor can a Magistrate procure a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and honesty as a Magistrate but by his sword nor can he with meer words of mouth onely exhort as a Magistrate the foxes not to destroy the vines and wolves not to slaughter 〈◊〉 sheep except he coerce false teachers and Idolaters because upon the occasion that Micah and his mother made a molten image and an Ephod and imposed it on their house the Holy Ghost saith Judg. 17. 1 2 3 4 5. v 6. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes hence it is cleare that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse a naked permission from the Magistrate to serve God is not enough or that he suffer no man to do theSaints violence but if wolves be permitted to teach what is right in their own erroneous conscience and there be no Magistrate to put them to shame Judg. 18. 7. and no King to punish them then godlinesse and all that concernes the first Table of the Law must be marred and the intrinsecall end of the Magistrate which is a peaceable life in all godlinesse is not attainable in an ordinary providence nor will it help to say Paul commandeth prayers to be made for the Magistrates that were then heathen who being ignorant of Christ could conferre nothing to godlinesse but meerly negatively that they persecute not the godly for their conscience nor permit others to persecute them for Paul will have us to pray for their conversion that they may become Christian Magistrates and come to the knowledge of the truth and then they doe more then negatively procure peace to the Church for as Magistrates now converted they are to praise and reward and promote to the dignity of Judges men fearing God Deut. 1. 17. yea and fearing God as the Scripture doth describe the fear of God and so to reward Christian well-doing Rom. 13. 3. therefore Christian Kings as Kings are to send such to promote them to bear rule over the people 2 Pet. 2. 14. That so they may be 〈…〉 by the King for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well 2. Nor is it true that Paul will have us in that place to pray onely for heathen Kings and that as heathen as Libertines suppose that wee may have negatively peace under them they being excluded from all exercise of their Magistraticall office in or about matters of Religion for Paul commands us to pray for Kings and all that are in Authority and it is cleare some in authority and divers in Neroes court were converted to the Christian faith Phil. 1. 13. Phil. 4. 22. Nor is the prayer for Kings to be restricted to the Kings and Rulers of that present age when Paul wrote that but for all Kings to be converted and who shall beleeve and
to receive true Religion It is a token the man is scant and ebbe of proofes in Scriptures when he can prove liberty of conscience by no Scripture but one wing and tith of a Parable never expounded by Christ who yet expoundeth all the rest of the parts of the Parables and yet as I have said before the tares are not expounded by Christ to bee Heretickes but ver 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one and ver 41. all things that offend and doe iniquity Mr. Goodwin denies that Heretickes are ill doers Mr. Williams saith they do iniquity but if he would expound and apply all the tithes and joynts of the Parable then Mr. Williams must tell us what the sleeping of men v. 25. and what the springing up of the blade is and the bringing forth of the fruit is v. 26. and how men quarrell with God because of the prosperity of Hereticks when as Scripture extends the prosperitie that stumbles men to the most wicked who are fat and rich Psal 37. 1 2 3 4. Ier. 12. 12. Job 22. 1 2 3. and what the bundles are vers 30 since Mr Williams as all Libertines and Anabaptists are is bold with the word to expound tares otherwise then the word of God and our Saviour Christ doth who of purpose expoundeth the â—â—res to be workers of iniquity and ill doers now Hereticks to Master Williams and Libertines are no ill doers but innocent men men that fear God such as suffer persecution for conscience the children of light of the promise of the free woman persecuted by the children of this world and the sons of the bondwoman as all their Books say how doth Christ make these Hereticks that are named tares such as grow and flourish till harvest and then these innocent men that feared God are judged by God offenders in Christs Kingdome workers of iniquity cast into a furnace of fire where there shall bee wailing and gâ—ashing of teeth To conclude why doth Mr Williams say the Magistrate oweth protection to the true Church apart and met together and saith not that he owes protection to the false Church the same way apart and met together he must secretly insinuate that the Magistrate oweth some singular royall protection to the assemblies of Anabaptists and Seekers and the true Church which he oweth not to the Church of wicked men met and assembled for worship Yet when the wicked are assembled in the valley of the sons of Hinnon to burn their sons to Devils when they are met in the high places to offer and Sacrifice to the Sun and the Queen of Heaven and to adore the works of mens hands even then are these men Subjects under a lawfull Prince and this Prince must either in such abominable and bloodie worship defend their persons and estates from violence or then 1. Master Willams saith amisse 2. The Prince must by his office serve the Devil and countenance and defend a most wicked and bloodie service such as Son-slaughter and Idolatry and that against his conscience though he judge them a false Church 3. The Prince if hee withdraw his royall defence is wanting in his office and yet it is his conscience to neglect dutie to such 4. And must force the consciences of people in tempting them to deâ—ist from what they in conscience conceive to be the highest worship and expression of love fear and reverence to God in that he refuseth to protect them in man-slaughter and such service to God which they dare not venture on without his protection least men rise up against them and destroy them Mr. Williams addeth ib. p. 216 To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to doe her 〈◊〉 and yet the Magistrate must 〈◊〉 judge what that dutie is must be to play in spirituall things Answ That the Magistrate should compell godly men to keep peace and a David suppose he were a Subject not to kill not to commit adultery under the pain of civill punishment I suppose is not Heresie and yet I see not how the Magistrate is not to judge according to the word of God what is wilfull murder and so deserveth death by the Law of God what is accidentall killing and deserveth no death but a Refuge and Maneprize But the Magistrate say Libertiâ—es should not judge what is heresie what sound doctrine why because that is to be judged according to the word of God by Pastors But that is 〈◊〉 causa pro causa for the King is to judge what is murther what not and all matters belonging to a civill Judge what is morally good and evill and what is punishable by the sword what not by reading on the book of the Law when he sitteth on the throne Deut. 17 18 19. but this he judgeth in order to civill punishment and not in order to the gaining of souls and in so far as concerns his practice and the same way is he to judge what is heresie what not if this be not said then should we play indeed in spirituall matters Q. But is not the Christian Ruler then as a Ruler to judge whether Arrius ought to be banished and imprisoned who denieth the Son of God to be consubstantiall with the Father and so all Rulers are to judge of Heresies and Gospell Truths even Indian and Pugaâ— Magistrates who are essentially Magistrates as well as Christian Rulers for quod convenit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ans There is a difference betwixt a Ruler and such a Ruler a Christian Ruler or a Heathen Ruler a Ruler aâ— a Ruler should judge of all civill businesses and of truths and falshood in Religion for all Nations have some God and some Religion but a Ruler as a Christian Ruler onely not as a Ruler as the notion of 〈◊〉 a Ruler doth 〈…〉 and the Christian Ruler ought 〈…〉 judge what is Gospel truth or Gospel untruth for then all 〈…〉 Pagan or what not should judge the Gospel truthe though they be not obliged to believe in Christ or to know the Gospel which they never heard Rom. 10. 14 15 16. Now this is absurd But onely Rulers as Christian Rulers should judge of Gospel-truths Magistrates should judge but all Magistrates as Magistrates should not judge of all businesses and of all matters belonging to all Countries for then an Indian Magistrate should judge of all the matters of France England Scotland which cannot be said so a Magistrate as a Magistrate should judge of Religion but not all Magistrates of all Religions for Heathen Magistrates cannot judge nor ought not to judge whether Arrianisme be Heresie or not and whether it be punishable by the Sword or not whether Christ Mediator hath one will as the Monothelites said or two as the Catholike Protestants said because the Heathen Magistrate as we suppose never heard of Christ So we say a judge of France cannot judge as a judge of transporting of wooll out of England or of wax out of Scotland
with humours mis-apprehending colours that are white and seeing them to be red when they are not so And for that way of trying the two missalls they are but doting fools that would chuse either of them for the word of God may judge them both to be corrupt and superstitious and their trying which of the two was best by a miracle was a foolish and phantasticall tempting of God much like Chilingsworths decyding of controversies of Religion by lotry because Scripture Reason Councells Fathers Doctors Tradition are all insufficient which sure is dâ—rogatory to the worth and perfection of Scripture which maketh the simple wise Ps 19. and must shew the man that erreth his errour if he shut not his eyes at light Dr. Taylor saith Covetousnesse is often is cause of heresie Thebulis quia rejectus ab Episcopatu â—ierosolymitano turbare capit Ecclesiam saith Egesippus in Eusebius Tertullian turned Montanist for missing the Bishopricke of Garthage after Aggrippinus and so did Montanus for the same discontent saith Nicephorus Novatuâ— would have been Bishop of Rome Donatus of Carâ—â—age Arriâ—s of Alexandria Aerius of Sebastia Socrates said Asterius did frequent the Conventicles of the Arrians nam Episcopatum nliquem ambiebat Let the errour be never so great if it be not against an arâ—â—cle of the Creed if it be simple and have no confederation with the personall iniquity of the man the opinion is as innocent as the person though perhaps as false as he is ignorant and therefore shall burne though he himselfe escape The man cannot by humane judgement be counted an heretick unlesse his opinion be an open recession from plaine demonstrative authority which must needs be notorious voluntary vincible and criminall or that there be a palpable serving of an end accidentall and extrinsecall to the opiâ—ion but these ends spirituall are hard to be discerned The opinion of Purgatory though false being neither fundamentally false nor practically impious is no heresie Ans 1. I am not so uncharitable of Tertullian as Dr. Taylor for Aerius he maintained no heresie I hope Episcopacy is no article of faith 2. I know no errour in the matters of God speculative but the Lord forbids it in his word If every thing written be written for our instruction fundamentall or non-fundamentall as all the Scripture 〈◊〉 we are under a commandement of God we I say who live in the visible Church are to know all and beleeve all things written be they fundamentall or no for God hath written them all for us Ergo the ignorance of any thing written is a sin and a breach of a command and so 〈…〉 errour Happy are these that know and do Now under doing I comprehend the faith of the Trinity and the most of articles touching Christ which do practically concern me because I sin if I doe not both know and beleeve them else they are written as Aristotles Acroamaticks the ignorance of which in an unletteâ—ed man I suppose is no breach of a divine command and I conceive the ignorance of the Stories in the old and new Testament of Pauls leaving his cloak at Troas is a sin in all within the visible Church for that the Holy Ghost hath written these not for the instruction of one but of all who heare or may heare of them within the visible Church 2. No error except of the Article of the Creed is arraigned as Heresie by the Doctor but he meaneth by error ignorance and mis-beleif both for I hope the Doctors charitis will not send all to hell many godlie there may be who have much ignorance of God who know not or are simply ignorant of some of the twelve Articles of the Creed and of some of the ten Commandements if therefore error here doth include not beleeving as heresie must necessarily doe the pertinacious mis-beleeving and denying of many Stories in the Bible as of the deluge dividing of the red Sea preserving of Ionah alive in the whales belly raising of Lazarus if obstinacie be added must be no lesse Heresie and an open belying of the God of truth then the denying of an Article of the Creed for the authoritie of God who commands us to know the one as well as the other is in both despised when we are ignorant of either 3. It is to beg the Question to say that any Error in the matters written to us in our Lords Testament which so much concerneth both our knowledge and practise can be simple Errors and have no confederation with personall iniquity for it is as much as if not to read our Husbands love-letter from end to end or to cause to read it if it comes to the wives hard were not our sin against our husband Christ whereas to be ignorant of any thing in it and mis-beleeve it is sinfull ignorance and naturall blindness so the Doctor makes sin so innocent as to have no consideration with sin 4. To say the opinion shall burne though himself â—â—cape is to expound the place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14. most corruptly in a nâ—w glosse of the Doctors own as if hay and stubbâ—â— that is vaine and unprofitable opinions that are builded upon the foundation Christ were not sinful opinions in the matters of God when as they are hay and stubble to be bâ—ent 1. Because they are against a Commandment that every man is to take heed how or what he is to build on the foundation v. 10. but he that builds hay and stubble obeyes not that Commandement but let every one take heed how hee buildeth thereupon 2. Building hay and stubble that is vain and fruitless opinions upon the foundation is privatively opposed to building of gold silver and precious stones vers 12. but that is a work of faith and such a work as shall abide and have a reward v. 14. 3. The work that shall be brought to judgement and made manifest so as it shall be burnt with fire and shall be judged to bee a fruitlesse work must be sin But the building of 〈◊〉 and stubble upon the 〈◊〉 Christ is such a work v. 13 14 15. And that the man himself shall be saved because that by faith he is builded upon the foundation Christ but the work burnt with fire will no more prove that the building of hay is not sin then that Peters jâ—daizing and Davids adulâ—â—ry and murther were not fins because Peter and David are saved for the Apostle there compares the Apostles to builders as before he compared them to 〈◊〉 v. 6 7 8 9. and the preaching of doctrine to a building and he makes Christ the foundation of the building and two sorts of super-structures good doctrine and that is gold and silver and vain and unedifying Toyes added to the doctrine of Christ 〈◊〉 hay and stubble Now he makes the judgement that trieth all doctrine to be fire whether it be the last judgement or fierie afflictions it is no great matter our good doctrine
all the bloods and oppressions that the Saints suffer 3. The Apostle saith Heresies must bee our Saviour saith more of offences and sins in generall Matth. 18. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Luke saith more chap. 17. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s needfull scandalls shall come and its impossible but scandals must fall out then all the murthers parricides sorceries rapines for the which Christ saith there is a woe befalling the world fall out by necessity of a divine working decree yea the crucifying of the Lord of glory came to passe Acts 2. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God Acts 4. 28. but yet the Magistrate is not to tolerate the shedding of innocent blood and all the offences that fall out in the Common-wealth though never so bloodie and atrocious 2. Varietie of judgements was no question a grief to Paul when he so pathetically exhorteth the Philippians to fulfill his joy and remove his grief and to be of one accord and one mind Phil. 2. 2. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Be of one mind 1 Cor. 1. 10. I beseech you be joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Heresies no question and errors in matters of God are not free nor can there be one spirit of grace and heavenlinesse in Arrius Apollinaris Nestorius Eutiches no more then there can be one spirit of grace in sin nor see we a glasse of Gods manifold wisedome in many sundry phantastick opinions teaching God and his son Christ it is a spotted and broken glasse and he might say variety of sins are the expressions of Gods infinite wisdome for the scripture calls Heresies works of the flesh doctrines of devils gangrenes lies delusions corruptions of the mind perverse disputing deceits perverse things dreams of their own heads false dreams vain and foolish things false burdens which cannot be spoken of opinions in Philosophy and so these windmills and midnight fancies being the brats and the dunghill conceptions of mens corrupt head and heart must be contrary to that wisedome exprest in the word 1 Cor. 2. 6. Deut. 4. 6 Psal 37. 30. and they may bee for the declaration of the wisedome of God as for the finall cause but nothing from the wisedome of God formally being themselves meer fooles Object 15. If the Magistrate be above the Church and Head thereof and to judge their matters and if he have his power from the people to govern the Church will it not follow that the people as the people have originally as men a power to govern the Church to see her doe her dutie to reform and correct her Answ Though the Magistrate punish false Teachers by the Sword he is not for that a Church governour far lesse the head of the Church no more then hee is the head of the Church because he defends them against their persecuting enemies and by his sword procureth civill peace and protection to their assemblies persons and estates for doing any thing in favour of the Church doth not make Cyrus Artaxerxes Darius spiritual Officers and give them a headship over the Church 2. The Christian Magistrate having power from the peoples free election to imploy his sword for the external peace of the Church hath not therefore power of governing the Church from the people 1. Because the civill using of the sword for the outward peace of the Church is not a governing of the Church but the civil external and corporal sheilding of them 2. It no more followeth that the people as men have the ruling of the Church because they chose a godly Magistrate to watch over their external peace then the people as Christians can be said to have a power to preach the word and administer the Sacraments or Seals of the covenant because the people as Christian men choose ministers who have power from Christ to preach administer the Seals for to chuse a governor to rule over them is no act of government no more then the wives chusing of the Husband to be her head and govern the family is an act of the Headship and governing of the Family nor doe the people in chusing a King exercise an act of royall and Kingly power over themselves by such an act of chusing nor doth an Armie in chusing a Captain General over themselves in so doing exercise any act of a Captain Gerall over themselves 3. Neither doe the people as men but as Christian men walking by the rule of the Word which is a Catholike directorie to all men and all societies in all morall duties Psal 119 9 96 105 130. Ps 19. 7 8 9 choose such and such Christian Rulers who may procure the good of the Church and keepe and guard both Tables of the Law for the word of God giveth direction to the people that they should not as men or as Heathens choose any sort of Rulers but godly men fearing God and such Kings as read in the Book of the Law when they sit upon the Throne Deut. 11. c. 17. 15 16 17 18 19 20. Exod. 18. 21. Nor is it true which Vaticanus replyeth to Calvin thefts rapines and adulteriâ—e are punished by the Magistrate not to make up the Kingdome of Christ and to justifie men and make them godly as we say and Calvin saith the Magistrate punisheth Hereticks For where doth Augustine say that the Magistrate punisheth Seducers to convert them to God as if the intrinsecall end of the Magistrate were to conquer a spirituall Kingdom to Christ Calvin saith the just contrary in that same place verum quidem esse fateor utque vi armatâ erectum ab initi suisse regnum Christi neque armorum praesidio stare Evangelii enim pradicatione regnare Christum oportet Itaque Dominus quo illustrior esset vocis sua efficacia nudes inormes misit Apostolos nec modo destitui veluit terrenâ potantiâ sed totum faere mundum habere infestum ut calestem esse Evangelii victoriam omnibus constaret Obj. 16. But the Apostles sought not Laws from the Emperors by which Hereticks might be compelled to imbrace the sound faith Answ Gaudentius a Donatist Bishop objected the same to Augustine and Augustine answers Because Emperors were enemies to Christian Religion therefore Christians sought not their helpe Obj. 17. But the particulars of your directorie of worship are not in Scripture how then can the Magistrate punish for not following the Directorie Answ That there should be prayers preaching reading praising of God Sâ—craments in the publike worship is evident by the Scripture but for the ordering of these worships secundum prius posterius the words of prayer so they bee according to the pattern of sound doctrine the Preface of the Directorie is clear that no man is therein to be compelled though to transgresse the Holy Ghosts expresse order in the celebration of the Lords Supper and to break bread
the false Religions of Jew Papist Indian American who receive the letters of it Mr Iohn Goodwin Hagiomast sect 28. p 38 39 denieth that any now living on earth hath the Scriptures or any ground of faith but that which is made of mens credit and learning Though the meanes of delivering to us Scripture be fallible yet it neither followeth that these meanes are the foundation on which our faith is resolved or that the Scripture it self is not infallible Tannerus disp 1. de fide c. 5. as 1 Bellarm. l. 2. de concil c. 12. Staplâ—ton doctrin princip l. 8. c. 21. ultima resolutio fidei non est in Deum revelantem simpliciter sed in Deum revelantem ut sic id est per ecclesiam c. Val. dis 1. de fide q. 1. p. 1. Sect 10. p. 38. col 1. Card. de Lugo de side spe dis 1 sect 5. n. 56. Malderus de object fidei q. 1. art 1. sect 10. p. 6. Suarez de fid disp 3. de object forma fidei sect 10 pag. 9. dis 9. dub 8. concl 4. Lod. Maratius tom 2. tract de fide dis 17. iect 2. n. 6. Duvilliusde object fidei l. 2. q. 1. litâ—e d. Fr. Silvius Professor Duaceâ—sis m. 22 q. 1. art 1. Lod Casâ—ensis Capucinus Curis Theol. tom post tract 15. dis 1. s 3. Reasons to prove that we have divine certaintie that the Books of the old and New Testament that we now have are the word of God contrary to Mr Goodwins Assertion That we have no warrant so to say but mans credit and authority As Matth. 2. 5. Matth. 4. 4 6 7 10. Matth. 11. 10. Matth. 21. 13. Matth. 26. 24. Mark 14. 21. 27 Mark 1. 2. Luke 2. 23. Luke 4. 4. 8. 10. Luke 7. 27. Luke 19. 46. Joh. 6. 31. 45. Joh. 12. 14. Act. 1. 20. Act. 7 42. Act. 13. 33. Act. 15. 15. Rom. 1. 17. Rom. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 4. 10. Rom. 4. 17. Rom. 8. 37. Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 11. 8. 1 Cor. 1 19. 31. â— Cor. 2. 9. 1 Cor. 3. 19. 2 Cor. 4. 13. 2 Cor. 8. 15. Rom. 12. 19. Rom. 15. 3. 1 Cor. 14. 21. Gal. 3. 10. 13. Gal. 4. 22. 27. Heb. 10. 7. 1 Pet. 1. 16. Luke 24. 14. Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 10. 7. 2 Cor 9. 9. Luke 4. 17. Joh. 2. 17. Rivet to 1. contra tract 1. 46. Whitaker to 2. de authoritate Scrip. l. 3. c. 7. Calvin Comment in Act. 17. Hagiomast Ser. 36. p. 47. Dr. Taylors liberty of prophesying Sect. 4. p. 73 74 75 c. Liberty of Prophesie Sect. 11. p. 171. The knowledge of God is commanded and the minde is under a divine Law as well as the will and the affections The trying of the two Missals of Gregory and Ambrose by a miracle was meer folly Liber of Prophe Sect. 12. p. 185 186. The causes of heresie All ignorance of things revealed in the word though most speculatively are sinfull errours The Place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13. expounded and vindicated from the glosses of Adversaries Dr. Taylors mistake of heresie What vinciblenesse must be in heresie Dr. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatory no heresie and groundlesly Of errours how they are sinfull in matters revealed in Gods word Liber of Proph Sect. 12. n. 6. Liber of Proph n. 6. N. 7. Simple errours of things revealed in Gods word are condemning sins Ob. 1. Sect. 13. How opinions are judicable and punishable For the Father to kill the son upon a meer religious ground is no murther nor punishable by Libertines way Sect. 13. n. 5. Bloodie Tenet c. 95. p. 145 146. The Magistrates ministry is civill not spirituall Bloodie Tenet 16. 148. The Laws of Artaxerxes Cyrus Darius Nebuchadnezzar ratifying the Law of God by civil punishments were their Magistraticall duties How fear of civill Lawes may work men to soundnesse in the faith Bloodie Tenet page 129. Artaxerxes made lawes by the light of nature to restrain men from Idolatry Bloody Tenet c. 97. p. 152. From punishing of false Teachers it followeth not that the Jewes and all the Idolatrous Heathen should be killed Bloodie Tenet c. 113. p. 107. Bloody Tenet cap. 98. The considerable differences between punishing such as rebell against the first Tables of the law in the old Testament and now in the new and their swearing of a Covenant and ours Obj. 8. Bloody Ten. c. 1â—8 p 197. Circular turnings from Protestanisme to Popery proves nothing against punishing of seducers Obj 9. Bloody Ten. c. 120. p. 202. Dr. Taylor Liber of pro. Sect. 13 n. 10. Ancient bounds c. 6. 1. p. sect 26. The objection of a carnall way by swords as no fit means to suppresse heresie answered The objection from carnall weapons and forcing of conscience and contradictions involved inforcing the elicit â—nâ—ernall acts of will and understanding c. as strong against laws in the old Testament as in the New The Law Deu. 13. Lev. 24 c. was not executed upon such onely is sinned against the light of his conscience and the Law of nature and upon whom the immediate response of the Oracle fell as false Prophets No need of a Law-processe judge witnesses accusers or inquiring in the written Law of God if an immediate oracle from heaven designed the false Prophet in the Old Testament Ecclesiasticall and civill coaction do both worke alike upon understanding and will Ancient bonds c. 2. page 7. Errors against supernaturall truth are not rebukeable because not punishable contra Vaticaâ—us contra libel Calvin â—n 12. Vaticanus coâ— libel calvi ad not So si interficis qua sic loquitur ut sentit intersieis propter veritatem â—am veritas est dicere quae senrits Psal 15. beatum pronunciat eum qui vere dicit quae habet in animo Libertines make all blasphemers all seducing Prophets of Baaâ— priests of Heathen Gods if they speakâ— what a conscience 〈◊〉 with a 〈◊〉 Iron doth 〈◊〉 unto them to be true Prophets and to dwell 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 of the Lords House 〈◊〉 15. Bloudy Tenco c. 35. p. 59. In four sundry considerations sins are censured Augus Epis 48 ad Vincen The Magistrate is subject to the just power of the Church and the Church to the just power of the Magistrate neither of them to abused power and the word of God in point of conscience supreme to regulate both How the Jews suffered heathen Idolaters to dwell amongst them Baptist c. 6. p. 3â— 35. Joh. Baptist would have us selfe selfe carefull of being carried 〈◊〉 with false and strange doctrines because we are elected to glory and the chosen cannot fall away then of other abominable sins Joh. Baptist and Libertines teach that liberty of conscience is a way to finde out truth When the holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs and to receive Antichristian teachers into our houses he bids us also receive them as Saints and beleeve them by the way of Libertines Libertines make the judging of Hereticks to be Hereticks a bold intruding into the Lords caâ—â—net counsell Ancient bounds cap. 6. sect 1. Reas 14. p. 30. Bloodie Tenet Mr. Nicholas Loâ—kâ—er ser 1. Col. 1. preface to the reader Liberâ—ines say God hath deâ—â—red Heresies to be Varietie of judgements in Gods matâ—eâ—s is a grief to Paul and the godly Ministers Gal. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 3. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 2 Thes 2. 17. 1 Tim. 6. 5. Rev. 2. 20. Acts 20. 30. Ier. 23. 27 32. Zach. 10. 1. Lam. 2. 14. Necessitie of Toleration 1647. qu. 53. Borrowed from Bloodie Tenet The punishing of heresies investeth not the Magistrate in a headship over the Church The intrinsecal end of the Magistrate or of his office is not the conversion of Souls August lib. 3. cont perm cap. to Quis enim tune in Christum crediderat Imperator qui ei pro pietate contra impietatem leges ferendo servitet quando adhuC illud propheticum esset quare fremueâ—unâ— Gentes c. Libertines make Preaching and commanding to receive and beleeve and professe the Truth a monopolizing of the truth A twofold obligation the word spoken or preached lay on the hearers one objective another ministeriall Private men have not the like warrant to prescribe what Ministers should beleeve and practice as Ministers have to prescribe to private men Argum 19. Libertie of conscience maketh every mans conscience his Bible and multiplies Bibles and sundry words of God and rules of faith All Hereticks are in a safe way of salvation according to the way of Libertines
Lord but the common protection of Subjects which they owe to limbes of Antichrist Jewes Mahometans Indians who worship the Devil if these be their Subjects is a very pleasant dream and uncredible for the place Isai 60. cryes to him that runs and will read that Kings shall minister something to the true Church which they doe in no sort to the false Church and it is most evident to the judicious Reader that the sucking of the breasts of Kings v. 10. 16. and the kissing of the Son Psal 2. must be more then common protection to Subjects that are open enemies to Christ and wasters of Zion yea it must be some protection to the Church as the Church and to the Laws and Ordinances of God in rewarding the well-doers and conserving the Ordinances and the correcting of wolves Impostors lying Prophets for if we come to Master Williams his way That the King owes protection from violence to the persons and estates of false Worshippers to those that serve Devils and because they are Subjects then those Texts say no more then Be glad Indians Popish Idolaters Mahometans for I will make Kings your nurse-fathers and Queens your nurse-mothers and Kingsâ—shall minister unto you and you shall suck the hreasts of Kings and Kings shall bring their glory and riches to you Nor need we prove that the place Isai 60. speaks of the true Church read it and it s proved v. 1. Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee c. Nor is the matter helped to say It is a great favour that the power of the Kings who lent their â—orne to the Beast is now lent to the Lambe and his followers for their comfort for then what power bring the Kings to the New Jerusalem but Royal power and what Royal power to protect the true Church in their persons and estates as they doe the false is this the breasts of the milk of Kings and their royall power as nurse-fathers and that power which they bring into the New Ierusalem when it is the same very power they brought into Babel and the same horn they lent to the beast 2. The Kings lent no royal and paternall power to the true Church but what they lent to Babel as yet nor doe they yeeld any royall power to hold up Christs throne and maintain his ordinances or convey the sincere milk of the word by their politick coactive power to the Church if our Adversaries Doctrine be received Againe permission to the false Church is proved by Matth. 13. 30. Let the tares grow â—ill Harvest Gulielmus Parisiensis part 1. hact de legibus p. 27. Vbi ergo impii in consumptionem populi dei vel diminutionem crescunt ibi nullatenus â—rescere sinendi sunt sed eradicandi Quod si quis dixorit quia ipsi sunt zizania possunt esse â—riticum quia converti possunt ad viam veritatis sed non hocâ— certum quod autem per ipses illi qui triticum sunt zizania siant hoc evidenter certum est Hoc enim est ac si diceretur ut paucis lupis in media gregis existentiâ—â—â— grâ—gâ—mque incessanter lacer antibus ac devorantibus parcaâ—â—â— quia forte deus faciet illos oves agnos dimitteâ—das pâ—â—eas faces ardentos in medio silv a lignorum germinantium ipsâ—â—que silvâ—â— incâ—ssanter ardentes quia Deus forsitan faciet illas arbores fructiferas paucâ—s leprosos dimittendos esse in medio sani populi assidue contagio ipsum corrumpentes inficientes quia forsitan Deus salvabit illos Calvin advers Servetum numb 597. si praecise nobiscum agant ex verborum formula non tantum prohibeantur magistratus ab usu gladii sed omnem disciplinam è medio tolli oportet Joan. à Châ—kier in Paraenesi ad haereticos c. 2. parabolam illam non loqui de judicibus Beza de haeret puniendis p. 136. Nemo patrum haereticâ—s ne quidem judicandos ante extremum diem asserit 229. zizaniorum appellatione intelligi arbitror non sols haereticos sed omnes qui vitae exemplo Ecclesiam offendunt Chrysost hom 47. in Mat. sinite crescere dissipate haereticorum conciliabula ora obstruite audacian loquendi concidite sed ne interficite item ibid. dogmata quidem impia arguite anathematizate sed hominibus ipsis parcite How far is Mr. Williams Bloody Tenet against all the power of the Ministery or so much as rebuking Hereticks for he saith c. 28. p. 53. Thirdly I have proved that the Ministers or Messengers of the Lord Jesus ought to let the tares or hereticks alone and to let them live in the world and neither seek by prayer nor prophecie to pluck them up before the harvest Enthymius and Theophylact follow Chrysostome puniendos non necandes Iacobus Acontius stratage Satan l. 3. p. 153. constat triticum esse pios zizania impios si sinendi sunt crescere tam impii quam pii tolleretur omnis magistratus authoritas omnisque disciplina page 157. Inter Pontificios Jacobus Simanca parisiensis Episcop in Enchyridio violatae religionis ti 1. p. 16. nu 12. parabolam loqui de punitione impiorum quando est periculum ne simul eradicetur triticum zizania sunt omnes filii nequam nullus igitur facinorosus puniendus absurdum non loquitur parabola de judicibus Phillippus Gamachaeus in 12. q. 10. de infidel q. 13. sinite crescere si verum ac reale non imaginarium damnum immineat debet tum Ecclesia debent tum Christiani principes à coactione abstinere Sic Suarez tom de vir theo dis 18. se 4. nu 9. ne forte eradicetis sie August l. 3. contra Parmen cap. 2. c. 33. Tannerus tom 1. dis 1. de fid q. 9. du 2. n. 30. ne forte â—radicetis ratio haec est communis adequata omnis justae permissionis malorum quando etiam Deus eb eandem causam mala permittit Azorius inst par 1. l 8. c. 13. per zizania haeretici intelliguntur secundum Chrysostimum Augustinum Hieronimum Enthymium Theopâ—ylactum sed respondet ex parabolis non semper sumi efficax argumentum generaliter per verba accipi hic pravos mores falsa dogmata Nor is it altogether to be condemned that Gregorius 9. Innocen 4. Paulus 3. Clemens 8. command the Talmudicall and Cabalisticall books containing Blasphemies against God to be burnt in the fire August Ep. 48. ad Vincen. retracteth ingeniously his opinion That Hereticks ought not to be punished mea primitus sententia erat neminem ad unitatem fidei cogendum Theodore Srackius in hist Anabap. c. 8. in notis p. 108. to the compelling of men to religion against their will that which some object out of Lactantius that Lactantius doth argue against such as being destitute of the word of God and sound reason would compell by the Sword only men