one grand objection against punishing Hereticks and Blasphemers with death because God himself wil punish them if they repent not and we must wholy leave them to his judgement Fourthly that the best and speedyest course to remove Gods judgements brought upon a Nation for Idolatry Apostacy Heresie or Blasphemy is for the temporal Magistrates to execute speedy and exemplary capital punishments on those who are notoriously guilty of them and that fasting and prayer without such exemplary executions upon the most eminent Malefactors in this kind wil never pacify Gods wrath nor remove his judgements inflicted for these sins Fifthly that the executing of capital punishments upon such is an argument of true zeal to GOD And therefore it seems strange to me that those in this age who pretend themselvs the only Saints Zealots faithful ones paramount all others by head and shouldiers in grace and piety should be so voyd of Christian zeal for God as to plead preach write and print against the corporal and capital Punishment or Apostates Idolaters Hereticks and Blasphemers by temporal Magistrates and for a free Toleration of all Sects Heresies and Religions whatsoever under the pretence of Liberâ—â—y of Conscience Certainly this extream want of holy zeal for God against Apostates Idolaters Hereticks Blasphemers and pleading for their impunity at least with capital Censures argues them to be no real Saints because they have no true love to nor zeal for God which would make them as forward to thrust their Javelins or the sword of Justice through the Bowels of such transcendent offendors as Phineas was to thrust his Javelin through Zimri and Cozbi without any question or dispute Sixthly that the exemplary capital punishing of such is so far from being a persecution of the Saints or against the Clemency of God under the Law or Gospel that it is a most acceptable service to God and procures a special Blessing upon the persons and posterities of those who are most zealous and active in this service as appears by this example of Phineas registred for his eternal honor and our future imitation and encouragement in this kind The third Example is JOSH. 22. 10. to 34. Where we read that when the Children of Ruben Gad and the half Tribe of Manasseh had but built an Altar at the side of Iordan the children of Israel no sooner heard thereof but the whole Congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them to destroy them and the Cities wherein they dwelt as guilty of Idolatry Apostacy and False Worship apprehending the very building of this Altar to be a trespass committed against the God of Israel to turn them away from following the Lord that they might rebel against him and that it would prove like the sin of Peor and bring Gods wrath on the whole Congregation of Israel and not on themselves alone when as in truth they built it only for a memorâ—â—l but not to rebel against turn from the Lord or to be an Altar for burnt oâ—â—â—â—â—gs for meat offrings or for sacrifices like as the Altar of the Lord their God which was before the Tabernacle From which history I collect First that the whole Congregation of Israel when they were most sincere and best affected towards God deemed this supposed guilt of Apostacy Idolatry and Schism in these two Tribes and an half by building this New Altar a just ground of making a publick war against them to destroy both them and their Country for this crime though they were their dear brethren who assisted them to conquer the Land of Canaan by vertue of Gods Command forecited DEUT. 13. 11. to 17. Secondly that the Apostacy Idolatry and obstinate Schism of a few wil draw down Gods Judgements upon a whole Nation and Kingdom in case they tolerate or connive at them and do not speedily cut them off by the sword of Justice Thirdly that in such a case there is no way to prevent Gods wrath on all but to cut off the Malefactors by speedy execution of corporal punishments and death upon them The fourth Example is recorded in the 1 KING 18. 40. c. 19. 1 2. Where Elijah commands all the people after he had convinced them by a miracle from heaven that the Lord was God â—o apprehend the Prophets of Baal and not let one of them escape whereupon they took them and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and SLEW THEM there with the sword upon which â—ezeâ—el threatned to make his life as one of them By this it is apparent First that this holy zealous Prophet and all the people were of opinion That false Prophets and Idolaters ought by the Law of God to be put to death without any mercy and that Gods Judgement of drought then upon the whole Kingdom could not be removed before their execution as the History there manifests Secondly that the execution of those Idolatrous false Prophets was so necessary that rather then they should want capital punishment the Prophet Elijah himself would be their executioner His zeal then should shame our lukewarmnesse now The fifth President is in JUDGES 6.30 Then Ioash said unto all that stood against him Wil ye plead for Baal Wil ye save him he that wil plead for him LET HIM BE PVT TO DEATH whiles it is yet morning Compared with the second of KINGS 10. 18. to 29. Where Iehu by Proclamation having gathered all Baals Priests and worshippers into his temple appointed foursoore men without and said if any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape he that letteth him go his life shal be for the life of him And he said to the guard to the Captains go in SLAT THEM let none come forth and they smote them with the edge of the sword and the guard and the Captains cast them out and went to the City of the house of Baal and they brought forth the Images out of the house of Baal and burnt them and they brake down the Image of Baal and the house of Baal and made it a draught house unto this day so Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel Here the supream temporal Magistrate puts all the Idolatrous Priests and worshippers of Baal throughout the whole Kingdom to death at once without mercy for which God himself commends him saying That he had done wel in executing that which was right in his eys And by this means he destroyed Baal out of Israel to his eternal honor The sixth Example is thus recorded in the 2 KING 11. 17 18. and in the 2 CHRO 23. 16 17. And Jehoiada made a Covenant between him and between all the people and between the King that they should be the Lords people And all the people of the Land went into the house of Baal and brake it down his Alars and his Images brake they in peeces throughly and SLEW Mattan the Priest of Baal before the
ipsum errorem vestrum in vobis occidat nobiscum de veritate gaudeatis God so revenge our cause against you that he may kill the errours in you that you may rejoyce together with us of the truth This this is the REVENGE that we seek upon you as this day it may appeaer if you will be tractable yet we say again with the same Iewel of our Church We know well enough that the same Word which was opened by Christ and spread abroad by the Apostles is sufficient both for our salvation and also â—o uphold and maintaine all truth and to confound all manner of Heresie By that Word only doe we condemne all sorts of the old Hereticks whom these men say we have called out of Hell again As for the Arians the Eutycheans the Marcionites the Ebeonites the Valentinians the Carpocratians the Tatians the Novatians and shortly all them that have a wicked opinion either of God the Father or of Christ or of the Holy Ghost or of any other point of Christian Religion for so much as they be confuted by the Gospel of Christ wee plainly pronounce them for detestable and damned persons and defie them even unto the Devil Neither doe we leave them so but we also SEVERELY and STRICTLY HOLD THEM IN BY LAVVFVL AND POLITICK PVNISHMENTS if they fortune to break out any where and betweene themselves I shall close up all with the words of famous and religious M. Perkins a man formerly highly honoured by all our dissenting brethren who borrowed most of their true but none of their New-light from his industrious Works Every man is not left to his own conscience to teach and hold what Doctrine he will But ALL SVCH MEN OR WOMEN as teach erroneous doctrine are to be restrained by the Governours of the Church It is a grievous fault in any Church not to restrain the Authors and Paintainers of Sects and false Doctrines and of opinions which stand not with the truth of Gods Word And on the contrary I's a vertue and good gift in any Church when they restrain the authors and favourers of Sects and False-doctrines And in this regard our Church is to be commended and approved and the Common-wealth likewise for making lawes to restrain both Popish Recusants and some Protostants who depart from this our Church as being no Church of God but a member of Antichrist and of Babylon I hope his Resolution seconded with the conclusion of Gratian which he proves by many sentences of Fathers Vindicta haereticis schismaticis est inferenda non amore ipsius vindictae sed zelo justitiae non ut odium exerceatur sed ut pravitas corrigatur with the precedent Treatise justifying the lawfulnesse hereof in point of conscience will excite all godly Christians according to their duty solemne Covenant to put it into due and speedy execution in point of practise for the suppression of al present prevention of all future Heresies Errors Schismes Blasphemies whose licentiousnesse and impunity may justly expose us to more grievous publicke judgements of all sorts then any we have hitherto suffered from the avenging hand of our provoked God Augustine Epist 167. Quidigitur hîc faciat Ecclesiae medicina salutem omnium materna charitate conquirens tanquam inter Phreneticos Lethargicos aestuans Nunquid contemnere nunquid desistere vel debel vel potest Vtrinsque sit necesse est molesta quia neuâ—râ—s est inimica Nam Phrenetici nolunt ligari Lethargici nolunt excitari sed perseverat diligentia charitatis Phreneticum castigare Lethargicum stimulare ambos amare Ambo offenduntur sed ambo diliguntur ambo molestati quamdiu aegri sunt indignantur sed ambo sanati gratulantur FINIS Errata Gentle Reader I shall intreat thee to pardon and correct these Errors of the Printers PAg. 2. 14. l. read thought p. 15. l. 27. â— concitare p. 25. l. 1. r. he commands p. 32. l. 3. Rom r. Reu p. 65. l. 9. Townes r. Turnes p. 70. l. 28. A. contemtuous p. 72. l. 15. Curiae p. 79. l. 2. aâ—gue p. 81. l. 28. but p. 84. l. 18. mee r. wee p. 87. l. 18. dele in p. 106. l. 21. exorbitant p. 124 l. 15. times p. 125. l. 33. viuendi p. 126. l. 26. abjecerit l. 42. Dominus p. 127. l. 18 propter l. 19. caelorum p. l. 27. ca. lumniosi l. 35. dilectione p. 128 l. 7. humano p. 129. l. 19. affligendum l. 25. privatae l. 26 que inerant ablatis ipsi etiam laniati l. 37. aut p. 130 l. 11. nocturnis l. 21. dele l. 24. vehemenenter p. 132. l. 34. eum r enim p. 133. l. 37. Melhusum p 135. l. 42. intimating p. 136. l. 12. Amphilochius p. 143. l. 12. Gretseri p. 146. 26. porpetratis p. 147. l 21. sapientum l. 24. reddamur p. 150. l. 16. Cum. p. 89. l. 45. dele Lu. 1. p. 97. l. 21. Ergo p. 205. l. 6. Magistrates p. 106. l. 36. sensible p. 157 l. 15. groves p. 159. l. 1 for In the Margin p. 61. b. 49. r. Patavinus p. 110. l. 9. Antoninus p. 112. l. 2. Mr. p. 115. l. 5 Haereses l. 10. Beauxamis p. 136. l. 24. CT esiphontem P. 152. l. 12. dele the p. 138. l. 42. Surius l. 14. Annot. p. 86. l. 19. Lit p. 109. l. 1. Scorpiacum p. 110 l. 2. transiret p. 153. l. 10. brugius Argum. 1. * See the Harmony of Confessions Sect. 19. and Calvins Instit l. 4. c. 20. * See Zuinglius Explan Artic. 35. 37. 39 40. De utraque Justitia * Rom. 13. 3 4 5â— * Math. 13. â— Note Note Note Note Note Note * See Lucas Tudensis adv Albigensesâ— 22. 3. * Heb. 9. 27. Note Examples 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. * And Idolatrous Athalia too 7. * Deut. 13. 9. is quoted in margiu of our Bibles 8. Argum. 2. Argum. 3. * See the 1 Esd 8. 23 24. * Super Joannem Tract 11. * Causa 23. qu. 4. fol. 450. a See Eusebius de vita Constantini l. x. c. 11. 45. to 52 l. 2. c. 1. 2. 5. 57. b Cic de natura Deorum c 1. Caelius Rhodig Antiq. Lect. l. 22. c. 1. c De Beneficiis l. 3. c. 6. d Plutarchi Solon e Hist lib. 8. f Diodorus Sic. Bibl. Hist lib. 16. sect 14. c. g Hist lib. 1. De jure Belli l. 2. c. 20. sect 51. h Caelius Rho. Antiq. Lect. l. 22. c. 1. Diogen Lacit l. 1. Cic. de Natur. Deorum l. 1. i Iustin Flist p. 269. See p. 227. Variae Hist l. 5. c. 16. k Hist l. 1. p 16 l Numa Pompilius fol. 21. m Tit. Liv. Hist l. 4. p. 162. Argum. 4. * See Gualther in Locum Hom. 44. in Epist ad Gal. fol. 121. * This Master Burroughs himself confesseth in his Hearts divisions p. 20. 21 i De vita Constantini l. 2. c. 18. 43 44. l. 3. c. 52. to 57. Object
aliis sanis ut â—pâ—â— sanantur non toti pereant sed resipiscant Sed timor Dei aequitas prudentia judicis intelliget ex circumstantiis quomodo punienda sunt in â—â—ductoribus seductis prava dogmata pervicax rebellio aut stolida minimè malitiosa credulitas Admonitio seria diligens locum non habet in sceleribus nefandis jam perperratis ET GLADIO ELVENDIS Curet â—go Magistratus ut moneat in tempore monendos c. So he so we conclude Martinus Bucerus in his Book de Regno Christi dedicated to our King Edward the VI. hath many passages to this purpose which you may there read at large being the subject and scope of that Treatise And in his Eâ—arrat in Matth. c. 22. he deterâ—ermines thus Ex eo quod apud omnes rectè sentientes pridem modo habetur neminem ad fidem aut religionem compellendum quidam Officium Magistratus in totum à rebus fidei Religionis alienum faciunt nec quicquam illum circà eas vel constituere vel emendare aut etiam vindicare permittunt addicentes illum totum solis-rebus seculi Isti verò parum piè de sublimi potestatis munere sentire videntur Dii in Scripturis Vocantur Principes Magistratus Quare Deos quosdam praestare inter homines debent eoque sic mala amoliri bona provehere ut quae inter bona praecipua sunt in primis procurand tuendâ—curent quaeque mala nocentiora praecipuo studio avertant Quùm itaque Religio non solum bona alià universa excellat sed sine ea nihil sit jam humano generi bonum salutare certè consequens erit ut Magistratus PRIMUM DEBEAT RELIGIONI VINDICANDAE ET CONSERVANDAE CURAM IMPENDERE quaâ—doquidâ—m nihil potest populo accidere pestilentius quà â—â—â— haec illi violetur nihil salutarius quam si sarta-tecta persistat Hinc in lege Magistratibus persanctè praeceptum fuit ut praeter consultores Levitas Sacerdotes ipsi quoque legem Dei studiose legerent nimirum ut ficut Deus ante omnia diligi debet ità in primis operam daret ut illius cultus rectè haberet Hinc CAPITALIA fecit non solum adultera homicidia id genus atrociora scelera sed etiam si quis a cultu Dei docendo abduceret si quis sibiipsi tantum Idola aut aliam superstitionem statueret si ariolos consuleret si Deo convicium dicat hujusmodi quae propriè ad curam attinent Religionis Jam Deus non mutatur quare in haec eadem hodiè quoque Magistratum ANIMADVERTERE DEBET Nec enim minus apud priscos vera Religio cordi fuit atque hodiè aeque tum atque modo opus Spiritus Sancti illa exstitit Nihilominus quùm Doctrinae Caeremoniae externae sunt potestas publica in hoc à Deo rebus humanis praefecta sit ut illae optimè id est ex sententia ejus habeant ac ita ante omnia ipsius cultus vigeat neque possit nocentius quicquam accidere impia Doctrina superstitiosis Ceremoniis etiam apud nos Magistratus officium erit cavere ne quid in his palâ—m peccetur occulta Dei judicio relinquere oportet Nequaquam autem huc ire decet quoniam multi sunt qui potestate sua abuntantur maximè in rebus sacris ut proptereà curam religionis alienam a munere Magistratus faciamus quà m primum habere quicunque potestate funguntur non folum divinae sed simul omnium Sapientium leges sanxerunt Huldricus Zuinglius de Duplici Justitia Divina Humana towards the end writes That the Magistrate was instituted by God among other ends Ne blasphemi reddamus sed verbi Domini audientes Quod si ego blasphemias in Deum expuere non vereris Magistratus blasphemum te poenis coercet Religionem tuere debet provehere Quod si eos non puniat qui Deo inobedientes sunt Dei poenam non effugiet Magistratus in primis est ut omnia ea aboleant tollentque à medio quae cum divini verbi oraculis pugnant And elswhere he writes thus That the Magistrate must know himselfe to be nothing else but a Sword wherewith God doth cut off the worst and most hurtfull members of his Body but he is to take heed that he cut not off a sound member for a diseased one nor suffer a diseased one to live for a sound one That the Magistrate may lawfully put open Malefactors ' to death who are pernicious to the Body of Christ and hurtfull to the Common-wealth And though he holds That the Doctrine of Christ is not to be propagated with armes and the sword and blames the Papists the enemies of Gods Word Quod omnia vitentant non Scripturarum collatione Yet he addes Interim Magistratus officium est nihil ominus ut hostibus veritatis posteaquam satis sunt auditi verbo Dei convicti silentium imponant c. Quidam certè eorum tam blasphemè tamquè de Deo de Veritate deque Scripturis sacris loquuntur ut nihil mirum esset si Magistratus os ipsis comprimeret quandoquidem Scripturis omninò nihil possunt nec cessant tamen reclamare omnia vi tentare non veritate Praestaret inquam ut his posteaquam auditi essent edocti Pytagoricum imponeretur silentium So as in his opinion Magistrates ongot to punish Blasphemers to silence and suppresse Hereticks and Seducers who are obstinate and disturb the publick peace else God will certainly punish them for this neglect of their duty And in these places and elswhere he largely asserts the divine institution power lawfulnesse and necessity of the Christian Magistrate under the Gospel against the Anabaptists Master Calvin doth the like Institut lib. 4. c. 20. throughout Where he writes thus Sect. 3. That the Magistrate is to take principall care to suppresse and punish Idolatry Sacriledge Blasphemy and other publick offences against Religion and to take care that the true Religion contained in the Law of God he not publickly violated or contaminated by sacrilegious persons without punishment Sect. 9. he asserts That the Magistrates are the keepers of both Tables as we learn not onely by Scripture but prophane Authors too That it ought to be their chiefest care to defend and preserve true Piety and Religion and the honour of God whose Vicars they are and by whose benefit they reigne And he concludes thus against the Anabaptists and our Antagonists Hoc quoque nomine maximè laudantur Sancti Reges in Scriptura quòd Dei cultum corruptum vel eversum restiâ—erunt vel curam gesserent Religionis ut sub illis pura incolumis floreret Contra verò sacra historia inter vitia anarchyas ponit quod non esset Rex in Israel ideoque faceret quisque quod placebat Unde
when King Nebuchadnezzer erected an Image of gold as his god which he made choyce of for him and all his people to worship he made a publike Proclamation by an Herald that all people nations and languages assembled to its dedication should fall down and worship this golden Image and that who so fell not down and worshipped it SHOULD BE CAST INTO A BURNING FIERY FURNACE And for disobeying this Proclamation Shadrach Meshach and Abednego were cast into his furnace as Malefactors Thus ACTS 16. 16 to 35. The Idolatrous people of Thyatiâ—a after that Paul and Sylas had preached against their Idols and dispossessed the damosel there possessed with the spirit of divination rose up against Paul and Sylus and caught and brought them to the Magistrate saying These men being Jews do exceedingly trouble our City and teach customes which are not lawful for us to receive nor observe being Romans whereupon the Magistrates rent their clothes and commanded to beat them and when they had layd many stripes upon them they cast them into prison charging the goaler to keep them safely who having received such a charge cast them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks reputing them Hereticks Schismaticks Opposers of their false Deities and Religions So ACT. 19. 21. to 46. Demetrius the silver-smith who made shrines for Diana stirred up the people at Ephesus against Paul and his Associates by these speeches Moreover ye see and hear that not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia this Paul hath perswaded and turned away many people saying that they be no gods which are made with hands So that no only our craft is endangered to be set at naught but also that the Temple of the great goddesse Diana should be despised AND HER MAGNIFICENCE SHOVLD BE DESTROYED whom all Asia and the world worshippeth And when they heard these sayings they were full of wrath and cryed out saying Great is Diana of the Ephesians And the whole City was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus Pauls companions in travel they rushed with one accord into the Theatre and no doubt would have murdered them and Paul too could they have caught him as BLASPHEMERS of their Goddesse had not the Town-Clerk appeased the multitude and told them the matter should be deeâ—rmined in a lawful assembly So the Jews out of their blind zeal stoned Stephen as an Heretick and false Teacher for reproving them for persecuting and slaying the Prophets who had shewed before of the comming of the Holy One of whom they had been the betrayers and murderers ACT. 7. 7. Thus Paul before his conversion out of the like fals zeal made havock of the Church entring into every house and hailing men and women committed them to prison And yet breathing out threatnings and flaughters against the Disciples of the Lord he desired letters of the High Priest to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he found any of this way man or woman he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem ACT. 8. 1. 3. c. 9. 1 2. Yea he did shut up many of the Saincts in prison and when they were put to death gave his voyce against them and punished them oft in every Synagogue ACT. 26. 9 10 11 12. Thus the seduced Jews out of a blind zeal apprehending Paul to be an Heretick and Schismatick ACT. 21. 28 29. c. stirred up all the people and laid hands on him crying out Men of Israel help this is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people and the law and this place and farther brought Greeks into the Temple and hath polluted the holy place And all the City was moved and the people ran together and they took Paul and drew him out of the Temple and beat him And as they were about to kill him tydings came unto the chief Captain of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar who immediately took Souldiers and Centurions and ran down and took Paul and commanded him to be bound with two chains and brought him into the Castle After which he was brought before the Councel accused before Felix by the Iews and Tertullus for a mover of sedition among the Jews throughout the world and a ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazarens whom they took and would have judged according to their law but that the chief Captain Lysias rescued him out of their hands ACT. 24. 5 6 7 and all this for worshipping God after the way which they called HERESY ACT. 24. 14. So ACT. 12. 1 2 3 4. we read that Herod the King stretched out his hand to vex certain of the Church and KILLED James the brother of John with the sword and took and imprisoned Peter too intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people Yea our Saviour himself tells his Disciples JOHN 16. 2. The time cometh that WHOSOEVER KILLETH YOV shall think he doth GOD GOOD SERVICE as the Pagan Roman Emperors and other Heathenish Princes Magistrates Nations did in the Primitive persecutions recorded in all ancient and modern Ecclesiastical histories Now what was the ground of Nebuchadnezzers and these other Pagan Idolaters and seduced Jews corporal Censures and capitall Proceedings against the Servants Apostles and Saints of God but this they deemed them Hereticks false Teachers Opposers and Blasphemeâ—s of their Idol-gods and false Religions which they embâ—aced beleeved as the true For as the very light of Nature instructs all Nations that there is a God and instigates them to elect and adore some Deity or other as their God and Savior So it farther instructs them that that Deity they adore and that Religion they imbrace is no ways to be openly blasphemed reviled oppugned contemned under pain of the most severe capital punishments because such offences against the supreamest Majesty of God transcend any Treason against an earthly Soveraign whence most Laws and Nations have made them capital and by the light of Nature in all ages punished such whom they esteemed Atheists Hereticks Blasphemers of their gods or oppugners of their established Religion with no lesse then capital Punishments and the severest Censures as is evident by these Scripture instances and sundry other Hence is that notable saying of Seneca Violatarum Religionum aliubi atque aliubi diversa poena est SED VBIQVE ALIQVA as wel as of homicide parricide and poysoning Hence the Philosopher Plato in his 10. Book de Legibus condemns those to be put to death who are Violaters or Corrupters of Religion Hence the Amphictions by the advise of Solon raised a War against the Tirrhaeans for offring violence to the Temple of Delphos and Philip of Macaedon levyed War against the Phocians for their Sacriledge in spoiling the Temple of Delphos quod orbis viribus expiari debet writes Justin. This War continued eleven years til all who were guilty of this Sacriledge were utterly destroyed which Demophilus and Diodorus Siculus stiled Bellum
of the multitudes of Idolaters round about them of the many strong enticements and their own proneness thereunto So upon the like reason the New Testament is far more frequent in exhorting Christians under the Gospel to beware of Hereticks Schismaticks and False Teachers then of Idolaters and of Heresie and Errors in Religion then of Idolatry because Idolaters under the Gospel when most Idolatrous Nations should be converted and the vanity the false-hood of Idolatry fully discovered should be nothing so dangerous so infectious so numerous so diligent and cunning to seduce men as Hereticks Schismaticks False Teachers and Idolatrie nothing so apt to seduce men to it as heretical and erroneous Tenets which have a more specious shew of truth and greater colour of warrant from the Scriptures then Idolatry Wherefore godly Kings Magistrates States should be more severe and vigilant against obstinate Hereticks Seducers False Teachers Heresie c. then against professed Idolaters or Idolatry wherewith their people are seldom endangered seduced and the many reiterated Caveats against them in the Gospel will warrant them to proceed against such as capitally as severely under the Gospel as godly Magistrates and Princes proceeded against Idolaters and False Teachers under the Law That Christian Kings States Magistrates under the Gospel have the self-same Power and Commission as godly Kings States Magistrates had under the Law I have formerly manifested and is undeniably proved by ROM 13. 1. to 6. 1 TIM 2. 1 2. TIT. 3. 1 2. 1 PET. 2. 13 14 15. compared with 2 SAM 23. 3. 1 KING 10. 9. PSAL. 101. 8. PSAL. 78. 71 72. ISA. 16. 5. c. 32. 1. PROV 20. 2. 8. 20. c. 24. 21 22. c. 25. 5. c. 29. 4. 16. and other texts Yea it is a Maxime under the Gospel as wel as under the Law That a right hand must be cut off and a right eye pulled out any member especially the corrupt Members of a Christian Church or State destroyed by the Magistrate rather then the whole body infected endangered destroyed MAT. 5. 29. 30. c. 18. 8. MARK 9. 45. JOH 11. 50 51 52. c. 18. 14. ROM 5. 7 8. GAL. 5. 12. As therefore pious Kings and Magistrates under the Old Testament might lawfully cut off one or more Idolaters Seducers Blasphemers Apostates to preserve the whole Church and State from destruction infection ruine and avert Gods wrath DEUT. 7. 2. 4. c. 13. 7. 9 10 11. 15 16 17. NUM 16. 26. c. 25. 4. to 14. So by like reason may Christian Kings States Magistrates under the Gospel off rotten Hereticks Seducers Blasphemers and the like putred Members from the body of their Churches and States by capital punishments to ward off Gods Judgements from the rest as wel as Traytors Murtherers Theeves and other Malefactors as the fore-quoted texts together with the 1 COR. 5. 6 7. 13. ROM 13. 3. 4. fully evidence But lest this should not fully satisfie I shal next proceed to Arguments drawn from the New Testament only wherein I shal thus argue in the sixth place Magistrates Kings Rulers and the Higher powers under the Gospel it self are ordained continued by God and men for this very end among others to be a terror to evil doers and workers to be Gods Ministers Avengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil and not to bear the sword in vain being sent FOR THE PUNISHMENT OF EVIL DOERS Nay Christians themselves are to obey submit unto them and injoyned to pray for them that under them they may live a peaceable life IN ALL GODLINESSE and HONESTY they being the Ministers of God for their good ROM 13. 1. to 6. 1 PET. 2. 13 14. TIT. 3. 1. 1 TIM 2. 1 2 3. Yea Christ himself commands his disciples when they should be brought before them nay SCOURGED KILLED and PUT TO DEATH BY THEM not to dispute their power as some do now but to submit unto it as he did to Pilates MAT. 10. 17 18. 21. LUK. 22. 12. 17. JOHN 16. 2 3. Upon which grounds Paul being brought before Festus Felix Agrippa and accused by the Jews of HERESY stirring up of sedition among the Jews throughout the world teaching against the Law and defiling the Temple justified himself and denyed these accusations but demurred not to their Jurisdiction using this notable speech ACT. 25. 10. IF I BE AN OFFENDOR OR HAVE COMMITTED ANY THING VVORTHY OF DEATH IREFUSE NOT TO DYE BUT IF THERE BE NONE OF THESE THINGS VVHEREOF THEY ACCUSE ME NOMAN MAY DELIVER VNTO THEM I APPEAL VNTO CAESAR Where Paul appeals not from but to the Supream Civil Magistrate from the Jews even in a case of Religion yea of Heresie Schism Superstition as it was then accounted not refusing to dye IF HE HAD DONE ANY THING VVORTHY OF DEATH and were guilty of this charge Therefore by these Gospel Texts and Presidents Christian Magistrates Kings Rulers and the Higher Powers under the Gospel have right to inflict corporal pecuniary and capital Punishments upon notorious dangerous Idolaters Apostates Hereticks Blasphemers False Teachers and obstinate Schismaticks who are evil doers in the highest degree dishonoring and blaspheming God undermining Religion subverting the faith of many bringing upon themselves and others swift damnation disturbing the Peace Order Doctrins of the Church and bringing down Gods Wrath Judgements on the Churches States Kingdoms wherein they live and destroy the very stock and faith of Christ as much as in them lies Rom. 16. 17 18. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Phil. 3. 2 Mat. 7. 15. cap. 23. 14. 26. 27. 28. Acts 20. 29 30. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. Tit. 3. 10 11. 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3. Rom. 1. 18. to the end Revel 2. 15. to 24. 1 Cor. 5. 6 7. 13. Heb. 12. 15. I suppose our Oppositers are not so impudent to deny but that Christian Princes States Magistrates under the Gospel may punish Traytors Murderers Theeves Witches and other Idolaters with corporal and capital punishments because they are evill doers even by vertue of the forecited Texts then by the self same reason they must likewise punish all obstinate seducing Hereticks Blasphemers Schismaticks c. with the self-same punishments who are guilty of High Treason and Blasphemy against God himself the Father Son Spirit Gospel Christian Faith Destroyers Murderers of mens very souls and greater disturbers of the States and Churches wherein they live then any Theeves Felons Witches Can any rational Christian think that God would so severely punish Idolaters Blasphemers and seducing Prophets under the Law with inexorable death and yet let them and Hereticks scape unpunished under the Gospel there being no variablenesse nor shadow of turning in him That he would appoint Magistrates to punish only the smallest offences between man and man and not to correct and punish the most heinous offences and Treasons against himself being his own Avengers Ministers Vicegerents Would it not be deemed a grand absurdity in earthly Kings and
privato nefarii vestri conventus in unum coire audeant The effects of this Decree are thus expressed by Euseb in the next Ch. Ad hunc modum occultae quasi latebrae recessus eorum qui alienam ab Ecclesia catholica doctrinam opinionem tenebant Imperatorio edicto evoluti patuerunt bestiae etiam immanes quae hujus erant impietatis authores exactae Ex illis ver◠qui essent istorum impulsu in fraudem errorem inducti alii Imperatoris minis perterriti fallaci fucata specie in ecclesiam obrepere coeperunt temporum conditioni callide dissimulanter cedentes ac quoniam lex hominum libros perscrutari jusserat tandem manifesto deprehensi fuerunt hi qui vetitas interdictas illas artes ad hommum perniciem comparatas consectati fuissent qua de re omnibus ut dicitur opibus viribusque claborant ut simulatione sibi salutem adipiscerentur Alii forte ad spem quae in deo Opt. Max. poni debet verè ex animo se transferre quos cum ecclesiarum praesides accurate internoscere studerent alteros ovium pellibus obtectos adumbrata specie se insinuare conantes procul amandarunt alteros vero qui idem integra incorrupta mente instituerent ubi temporis longinquitate explorando de illis satis exquisite periculum fecissent in multitudinem ascititiorum ascripserunt Hoc modo cum illis qui alienam ab ecclesia opinionem doctrinam sequebantur actum est alios autem qui dum in eorum dogmatum disciplina versabantur nihil concepissent impietatis sed scismaticorum culpa se temerè a communi Ecclesiae congregatione frequentia sejunxissent abiecta omni cunctatione in Ecclesiam receperynt Hi igitur gregatim tanquam ex colonia revertentes suam recuperarunt patriam Ecclesiam matrem agnoverunt A qua diu aberrantes cum gaudio laetitia ad eam redierunt membraque cōmunis corporis fuere in unum coagmentata concordiae quasi compagibus firme copulata solaque catholica Dei Ecclesia in so coalescens tum resplenduit cum nusquam Gentium vel Haereticae vel Scismaticae factionis vestigium reliquum quidem esset Cujus praeclari facinoris causam Imperatoris Deo cui solus ex omnibus Imperatoribus qui aliquando extitissent curae erat acceptam plane retulit This was the good effect of this Emperors Edict a sufficient encouragement to others to imitate his Example who likewise suppressed the seditious tumults and attempts of Hereticks by banishing them into remote parts and punished the Jews with severe corporal punishments for their attempts against Christians and Christian Religion and endeavoring to repair the Temple at Jerusalem The Sons of Constantine the great prohibited under pain of death that none should be circumcised after the maaner of the Jews The Emperors Gratianus Valentinian and Theodosius the Elder and Yonger as they expelled the Arian Bishops and Ministers out of their Churches and placed orthodox Bishops Pastors in their stead so they made Laws against them prohibiting their meetings banishing them the City and interdicting their Ministry Which Laws are recorded by Justinian Codicis lib. 1. Tit. 4. Lex 1 2. Yea the Emperors Arcadius Gratianus Valentinian Theodosius Anastatius Marcianus and Justinian made sundry Laws against the Manichees Apollinarians Novatians Eunomians Valentinians Montanists Priscillianists Marcionists Eutichians Donatists Paulians Euchratists AND OTHER HERETICKS TO THIS EFFECT That they should neither preach nor speak of their Heresies nor exercise their Ministry nor vent any thing against the orthodox truth nor keep any assemblies in Churches or private houses under pain of confiscation of the places where they assembled and they were to forfeit an hundred pounds of gold to the Emperor and fifty to the President that all their goods Liberties Offices Titles should be forfeited that they should inherit no lands nor have power of buying selling or contracting after conviction nor to make any Will or Codicil IN MORTEM QUOQUE Inquisitio TENDATUR And that they should likewise be put to death their crime being greater then treason against the Emperor That the believers receivers defendors and favourers of Hereticks be excommunicated for the same and not conforming within one years space should be accounted infamous and not be admitted to any publick offices Councels Elections nor to give testimony in any case nor have power to make a Will nor to injoy Lands as heirs and successors to any person nor have power to implead any man in any Court nor to be Advocaters or Registers That those Hereticks should injoy no Military nor Civil Office that all their Heretical Books some of their Persons to should be publickly burnt that the Manichees VLTIMO SVPPLISIO traderentur quoniam his nihil relinquendum loci est in quo ipsis etiam elementis fiat iniuria And they further Enacted That if any condemned Hereticks gathered Churches or raised any tumults to the disturbance of the publick peace Vt seditionis auctores pacisque turbatae Ecclesiae ETIAM MAIESTATIS CAPITE AC SANGVINE SINT SVPPLICIA LVITVRI They were to be punished as authors of Sedition disturbers of the publick peace and guilty of Treason with the loss of their heads and blood These several Laws are more largely recorded in Justinian Codic lib. 1. Tit. 8. De Haereticis Manichaeis Codex Theodosij lib. 16. Tit. 1. 4. The self-same Emperor together with the Emperor Constantius Enacted the like Laws and inflicted the self-same punishments upon Apostates from the Orthodox Faith to Paganism to Heresie and Judaism registred at large by Justinian Cod. lib. 1. Tit. 10. De Apostatis where you may peruse them and in Codex Theodosii lib. 16. Tit. 6 7 8. These Emperors likewise Enacted severe Laws for the suppression of Idolatry and Pagan Religion and the Emperors Constantius and Julian Enacted this capital Law PAENA CAPITIS subjugari praeeipimus eos quos operam sacrifitiis dare vel colere simulacra constiterit Codex Theodosii lib. 16. Tit. 8. lex 6. These Edicts of theirs suppressed destroyed the Eutichian Nestorian with other of these Heresies as the historians of that age relate and Leo. Epist 38. 39. to the Emperor Marcianus and Pulcheria the Empress testify and Epist 91. The good effects of these Laws that they reclaimed converted many from their Heresies and Errors and made them real converts is at large recorded by Saint Augustin in his 48. 50. Epistles this experimental good fruit of them inducing him thus to retract his former opinion against punishing Hereticks with corporal punishments Sunt duo libri mei quorum titulus est Contra partem Donati in quorum primo libro dixi non mihi placere ullius secularis potestatis impetu Scismaticis ad communionem violenter vehementerque arctari Quod verè tunc mihi non placebat quia nondum expertus eram vel quantum mali eorum
auderet impunitas vel quantum eis in melius mutandis conferre posset diligentin disciplina Sed haec opinio mea nec contradicentium verbis sed demonstrantium superabatur exemplis Primò mihi opporrebatur civitas mea quae cum tota esset in parte Donati AD VNITATEM CATHOLICAM TIMORE LEGVM IMPERIALIVM CONVERSAEST quam nunc videmus ita hujus vestra animâ—fiâ—aâ—iâ— perniciem detestari vt in ea nunquam suisse credatur Ita aliae multae quae mihi nominatim commemorabantur vt ipsit rebus agnoscerem etiam in hac causa restè intelligi posse quod scriptum est Da sapienti occasionem sapientior erit c. which he seconds in the same Epistle and Epist 50. About the year of our Lord 430. Divert of the Schismatical Dotatists were slain and put to death for their Sedition Schisme and Violences which Saint Augustin deemed lawful and justified at the last when he perceived their Schism and mischeifs could not else be suppressed though he were formerly of another opinion The Emperors â— Honorius and Theodosius made a Law for the Ganishing and Punishment of Pelagius and Câ—lestius the Broachers of the Pelagian Heresy and their followers wherein there is this notable claus Hos ergo reperâ—â—â— ubicunque de hoc tam nefando scelere conferentes a quibuscunque jubemus corripi deductosque ad audientiam publicam promiscuè ab omnibus accusari ita vt probationem convicti criminis stilus publicus insequatur ipsis inexerati exilii deportatione damnatis Decet enim originem vitii a conventu publico sequestral nec in communi eos celebritate consistere qui non solum facto nefario detestandi verum etiam exemplo venenati spiritus sunt cavendi Juvat autem per omnem penè mundum qua Imperium nostrum extenditur hujusmodi proâ—â—â—lgata diffundi Ne scientiae fortasse dissimulatio pastum praestet errori atque impunè se quisque putet audire quod condemnatum rigore publico sese finxeret ignorare Datum pridie Callendas Maiias Ravennae D D. N N. Honorio XII Theodosio VIII Augustis Consulibus Whereupon Palladius in pursuance of this Law made this Edict Exemplar Edicti propositi a Palladio Praefecto Praetorio Junius Quartus Palladius Monaxius Agricola iterum Praefecti Praetotorio edixerunt In Pelagium atque Coelestium Catholici dogmatis fidem scaevis tractatibus destruentes sententia principalis invalnit vt venerabili Vrbe submoti bonorum concilio mulctarentur Hoc igitur omnes admoneri oportet Edicto ne quis sinistrae persuasionis erroribus praestet assensum Et si sit ille plebeius ac clericus qui in caliginis hujus obscaena reciderit â quocunque tractus ad Judicem sine accusatricis discretione personae facultatum publicatione nudains irrevocabile patietur Exilium Num superâ—a Majest as vt colligit ex secreti ignor atione reverentiam it a ex incepta disputationâ— injuriam Manes the Heretick a Persian born the first author of the Heresie of the Manichees about the fourth year of Aurelion the Emperor grew to that madnesse at last as to stile himself Christ and the holy Ghost and chose him twelve Disciples with whom he travelled over the Kingdom of Persia from whence being expelled as a manifest contemner of God he was at last apprehended by command of the King of Persia and subjected to a Persian punishment having his skin flayed off his body and then cast unto the dogs naked to be devoured of them An end suitable to his damnable Heresies and Blasphemies his skinne was afterwards stuffed with Reeds and kept for a monument to deterr others Justinian the Emperor condemned Severus by a promulged Law and appointed most grievous Punishments for his Followers The Emperor Justin caused the Arian Heresie and Arians to be extirpated and gave their Churches to the Orthodox Christians And the Heretick Priscillian was slain by Maximus the Emperor Theodoricus Apher inflicted Capital punishment upon his Deacon who being Orthodox at first Apostatized to the Arian Heresie hoping to gratifie his Lord saying If thou hast not kept thy faith to God how shalt thou keep a sincere conscience to man Constantine the Nephew of Constantius severely suppressed and punished both the Clergy and Laity Princes and Prelates infected with the Heresie of the Acephali and Monothelites And the whole Senate and City of Constantinople about his time banished Pirrhus a wicked and Hereticall Bishop King Reccaredus and the third Council of Toledo in Spain Decreed that if any Clergyman violated the Decrees of that Council which setled all the Churches belonging to the Arians upon the Orthodox among other things that he should be excommunicated if a Bishop or a Clergy-man by all the Council if a Lay-man of any rank or quality that he should forfeit half his goods to the King if a person of mean quality that he should forfeit all his goods and be banished King Eringius in his Edict for the confirmation of the thirteenth Council of Toledo Enacted That the enfringer of the Constitutions thereof should be excommunicated and likewise forfeit the tenth part of his goods and if he had not goods sufficient to pay his fine then hee was to bee publickly whipt and receive fifty stripes and to bee ever after reputed infamous In the Code of the Laws of the Wisigothes lib. 12. collected and published in the first year of the reign of King Eringius I find many Laws to suppress Judaism the impiety of the Jews and their contempts against Christian Religion under divers Corporal Capital Punishments besides Confiscation of their goods and among other of these Laws there is this capital one against such Christians as shal be circumcised and apostatize to Judaism Tit. 2. Lex 17. De Judaizantibus Christianis Sicut deflendum est a Christianis eorum scelus qui in Christo praevaricatores existunt ita modis omnibus decernendum ut nullus omnino veniam mereatur qui a meliori proposito ad deterius declinasse convincetur Quia ergo crudelis est stupenda praesumptio crudeliori debet extirpari supplicio ideo legis hujus edicto decernimus ut quicunque Christianus praesertim à Christianis parentibus ortus sexus scilicet utriusque circumcisionem vel quoscunque ritus Judaicos exercuisse repertus est vel quod Deus avertat potuerit ulterius reperire conspiratione zelo Catholicorum tam novis atrocibus poenis afflictus turpissima morte perimatur quà m horrendum execrabile malum est quod ab eo constat nequissimé perpetratum Eorum verò bona sibi proculdubio fiscus adsumat si haeredes vel propinquos talium personarum facri hujus error consentiendo commaculet And Tit. 3. Lex 4. Si quis Judaeorum ritu suo Pascha celebraverit centenis verberatur flagellis turpiter decalvaetus Exilio diutino mancipetur ejus res fisco adsociandae
authority upon the recited Lâ—ws Punishments and proceedings against obstinate seducing Heretickes 〈…〉 and Blasphemers First that they were generally made and seveâ—rely executed by the most pious Religious and zealous Emperors Kings Princes states in the ages when they lived out of their piety great zeale love to God and Christian Religion not by such as were irreligious prophane carelesse of Gods worship or of a persecuting disposition 2ly That they were made at the desire and earnestrequest of the most godly pious Orthodox Councells Bishops Ministers and zealous Christians living in the times wherein they were enacted witnesse the Epistles Decrees of the second generall Councell of Constantinople to Theodosius the Elder of the councell of Ariminum to the Emperor Constantius of the councell of Africk to the Emperor Honorius Can. 25. to 61. of the c Bishops and Clergy in the third generall Councell of Ephesus to Gallimar King of â—ersia and Theodosius the Emperor The Epistles of Lev the first to the Emperors Theodosius Martianus and others Epist 9. 13. 14. 38. 39. 23. 44. 50. 58. 91. Augustine Epist 48. 50. Gratian caus 23 â— 3. 4. with sundry others 3ly That they were generally applauded by all opposed and writ against by none for ought we find as contrary to the word of God and the Government under the Gospell but only by the â—actious and seditious Donatists 4ly That Gods blessing on these Lawes the severe putting them in execution was the principall meanes to suppresse extirpate the Heresies and Schismes of the Arians Pelagians Maniches Donatists Euticbeans and the like which abounded in those times when preaching and disputations would not do it yea that which stopped the propagation of them to posterity with the growth and spreading of them for the present in those ages as all Ecclesià sticall Hystoriaens evidence And although it be most certaine that all the Lawes and punishments in the world cannot suppresse the true faith and Doctrine of Iesus Christ nor hinder the prevailing progresse of it which commonly spreads fastest under the hottest persecutions yet it is most true that execrable Heresies Errors Blasphemies and Schismes contrary to Gods word may be and alwayes have beene suppressed yea extirpated by temporall Lawes and punishments in all Ages when no other meanes could prevaile to do it and where such Laws are most severely executed there Heresies Errors Schismes blasphemies either break not out at all or are soone suppressed and never grow Epidemicall or of long continuance From all which Lawes and considerations I shall deduce this Argument as auxiliary to the former Those things which the most pious zealous and devout Emperors Kings Magistrates States even at the prayer or request of the most holy Orthodox learnedest Councells Bishops Clergy-men and with the generall approbation and desire of the best and most Zealous Christians with very good successe to the publike tranquility peace of the Church and preservation of the Christian faith in purity have by their Lawes and sanctions punished with corporall or Capitall punishments in all or most Ages and Realmes where there were any Christian Emperors Kings States Magistrates all Christian Princes Magistrates Republikes may with safe consciences and good successe punish ' yea censure now and ought to do it But the most pious zealous devoutest Emperors Kings States Magistrates at the prayer and earnest request of the most holy Orthodox learnedest Councells Bishops Clergy-men and with the generall approbation desire of the best and most zealous Christians with very good successe to the settlement of the peace of the Church and preservation of the Christian faith in purity have by severe Lawes and sanctions punished Hereticks Apostates seducing false Teachers Blasphemers and obstinate dangerous Scismatiks with corporall or capitall punishments in all or most Ages Realmes States where there were any Christian Emperors Kings States Magistrates as the premises manifest Therefore Christian Princes Magistrates Republikes may doubtlesse with safe conscience and like good successe punish them in like manner now yea and ought to do it unlesse they will be reputed lesse pious zealous or devout then they or lesse carefull of the publike peace and peoples soules then they have bin And thus much for the affirmative part I now come to Answer the chiefe Objections lately made in Presse or Palpit to the contrary especially Mr. Dels which are freshest in memory and much relied on by his Independent party An Answer to the contrary Objections The Objections made to the contrary by our Opposite dissenting Brethren Libertins Sectaries Anabaptists are deduced partly from Scripture partly from reason Some of those from Scripture I have already answered in the premises as they lay in my way I shall now propound and answer those only which remaine taken almost verbatim from the Donatists and old Anabaptists The first Objection is from the Parable of the Tares Math. 13. 24. to 31. 36. to 43. Where when the Servants would have gone and gathered up the Tares out of the Wheate before the Harvest the houshoulder said Nay least whiles ye gather up the Tares ye root up also the Wheat with them Let both grow together Vntill the Harvest and in the time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers gather you first the Tares together and binde them in bundells to burne them but gather the Wheat into my Barne Which Harvest Christ interprets to be the end of the World and the Reapers to be the Angells v. 39. Whence they inferre that Hereticks Schismaticks false Teachers and Blasphemers being Tares must bee let alone to grow among the Wheat and not pulled up nor rooted out by the Majestrate till the Harvest at the end of the VVorld and then only to be gathered by the Angells into bundells and â—â—st into Hell fire but notto bee burnt or punished here by the civill Powers So the Donatists and Anabaptists To this I answer First that this being but a parable the whole scope of it must be observed else no lolid Argument can be deduced from it Now the whole drift of this Parable is only to shew there shal not be a total separation of all the Tares from the Wheat all the sheep from the Goates all the Reprobate from the elect all the Children of the wicked the Devill from the Children of the Kingdome till the day of judgement at the end of the World as is undenyable by Christs owne exposition of it v. 27. to 34. by that other Parable of the net v. 47. to 50. and by Math. 25. 31. to the end 2 Thes 1. 8. 9. 10. Iude 14. 15 Re. 20. 12. 13. 14. 15. c. 22. 14. 15. compared The only argument then which can be properly deduced from this Parable is this God will not make a totall separation of al wicked men from the good of all Tares and Children of the Devill from the VVheat and children of the Kingdome in this world nor gather together all
it then why do not Master Dell Master Salâ—marsh and Master Peters reprove reforme their preaching Souldiers and Captains as Colonel John Hewson Lieutenant John Web and others who violently intrude into our Ministers Pulpits against their wils and in a most tumultuous manner interrupt them forcibly in their Sermons preach in their places and offer violence to their persons threatning not to sheath their Swords till they have rooted out all the Priests and left never a Black-coat in England teach them this good Doctrine May these thus tumultuously forcibly against the Ordinances of Parliament use open force and violence without any check or exemplary punishment by a Counsell of Warre and yet must not the Magistrate use the Sword of Justice to punish such seditious riotous Schismaticks and Hereticall Sectaries without dishonouring the Gospel of peace Yea why have Master Dell Master Peters and Master Salâ—marsh themselves in some places endeavoured forcibly to intrude into the Ministers Pulpits as Master Bodens at Bath and elswhere against their wils and convented them for denying to admit them till they had recanted their erronious Doctrines Let them then for shame renounce this Objection which their own practice reâ—utes as heterodox or else reforme these their violent practises or deny this power to our Magistrates which themselves and their Saints usurp as peculiar to themselves Fourthly If this be true Why have the godliest Christians and most zealous Ministers of God in all Ages Churches invoked the Lawes Power Sword of Christian Magistrates Kings Emperours against obstinate Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers as I have already proved Yea why did the Christians in the 〈◊〉 Church desire the Heathen Emperour Aurelianus to suppresse expel correct that grosse insolent lascivious Heretick Paulus Samosatenus which he accordingly did at their request and why doe the Confessions the Diâ—â—nes of all reformed Churches beyond the Seas incite the Christian Magistrates to such a restraint and punishment of Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers asserting iâ— to be not onely lawfull but their duty too or why do some Independents confesse as much in print Either therefore all these were utterly mistaken as I am sure they were not or Master Dels Objection is absurd without any shadow of solid reason the rather because this forcible conversion of Hereticks and Schismaticks takes not place but when and where the Gospel of peace is first preached tendred refused and admoniâ—â—â—ns with other milder means will not prevaile Fiftly if forcible Reformation and violence be contrary to the Gospel of peacâ—â—â—â—en surely Warres and Armes are much more and utterly unlawfull â—â— Master Dels Masters the Anabaptists hold why then is Master â—ell a Chaplaine to and in our Army and so many of his Saints men of Warre and Blood of Force and Violence They must either renounce their Military Employments now or Master Dels Divinity unlesse they love the gaine of the â—â—arres more then the truth of Master Dels Gospel of Peace Sixtly if the Gospel be a Gospel of peace then it is most just the Christian Magistrate should forcibly suppresse and punish Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers and Seducers who make Warre against the Truth and Peace of the Gospel with corporall and externall punishments to preserve the Peacâ— Unity and purity of the Gospel when other meanes will notâ—… we shall neither enjoy the peace nor purity of the Gospel nor so much â—â— outward peace Hence Paul commands us to pray for Kings andâ—… Authority that under them we may live quiet and PEACEABLE LIVES in all 〈◊〉 and honesty As therefore those who break the civill Peaâ—e â— theâ—â— King â—nd State may be justly indicted imprisoned and bound to the Peaâ—e with sufficient sureties and sometimes to the good behaviour for it by the Justices of Peace and Civill Magistrate to preserve peace for the future so doubtlesse may those Hereticks Schismaticks Seducers Blasphemers who disturb the peace of the Church and Gospel be thus indicted and punished by them to preserve the peace of the Church the puriy of the Gospel and our Kingdomes peace thereby The eleventh Objection is this The Faithfull the Subjects of Christ's Kingdome are a willing people Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power The very day of Christs power is not to force men against their wils but to make them willing and what needs outward power to force a people made willing by the Spirit c. And to back this reason he to shew his great reading quotes the sayings of Melancton in Psal 110. 3. of Polanus Tyndall Luther and Vlriâ—hus ab Hutten in his Margin to this effect That Religion is not to be forced with the Sword nor Nations or People to be compelled to the Faith of Christ but mens hearts are to be drawne to the true Faith of Christ through preaching the Word of Truth Adding a saying of Luther but not citing the place nor yet of any of his other Authors but Melancton onely having taken them upon hearsay from others Christus non voluit vi igne cogere homines ad fidem And Hereticos comburere est contra voluntatem spiritus His other sentences touching the Popes worldly pompous Kingdome are like his arguments nothing to purpose and he prefaceth his quotations thus So you may see the Truth though it hath BVT FEW FOLLOWERS yet it hath SOME To this I answer first That Hereticks Blasphemers false Teachers and obstinate Schismaticks are no true Subjects of Christs Kingdome nor yet of the number of those people who shall be willing in the day of his power and I hope Master Dell dares not averre nor stile them such since they are a most obstinate refractory seditious stiffe-necked and rebellious Generation opposite and contradictory to the Faith Truth of Christ as is cleer by the 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 2 Pet. 2. 2 c. Jude 5. to 20. Tit. 3. 11 12. Rom. 16. 17 18. Whence Bernard asserts of them mori magis eligunt quà m converti Therefore this Text and Argument cannot be applied to them and is but this in substance The Faithfull the proper Subjects of Christs Kingdome are a willing people and so need no forcing Ergo Obstinate Hereticks Schismaticks false Teachers Blasphemers who are neither Gods people noâ— a willing people ought not to he punished with corporall or capitall punishments by the civill Magistrate for their heresies schismes errors blasphemies and Hereticks ought not to be burnt He might as well argue boyes that are willing to goe to Schoole and learne their bookes need not the rod to force them to it Ergo boyes that loyter and are unwilling to goe to School or learne their books need not the rod and must not be whipped A meer loytering School-boyes argument which deserves no answer but the whip Secondly no Church nor Congregation in the World consisteth only or altogether of Saints
willing people but the major part of them at least are unregenerate backward and unwilling to all that is good yea need upon occasion by Lawes and outward punishments to be constrained to resort to the pnblick Ordinances and to forsake their errors schismes To argue therefore against the coercive power of the Magistrate in Christian Churches States because the Saints are a willing people when as the most in the Church are neither Saints nor willing and so need coercive Lawes and punishments is most absurd Yet this is Master Dels Logick and Divinity He might as well conclude the Saints are a willing people Ergo the Magistrate cannot punish Traytors Murderers Theeves Rebels as Ergo they must not punish Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers Thirdly Admit the Saints to be a willing people and that some of them may be Hereticks and Schismaticks for a time will it therefore follow they need no Rods nor Spurs to stir them up reduce or punish them when or where they are dull negligent erronious or doe amisse Will you argue thus Christs Saints and People are a willing People Ergo they need not the exhortations preaching or instructions of Ministers of private Christians the exercise of holy duties the threats and terrors of the Law or Gospel to excite and stirre them up Doe not the willingest Christians Saints need Rods Spurs sometimes as well as others to quicken them and doth not God himselfe many times scourge excite them with outward and inward afflictions and chastisements of all sorts to make them mend their pace Did Master Dell or his Saints in the Army never spuâ—re nor whip their free Horses or doe Schoolmasters never whip or ferrula their Schollars that are most forwards to learne because they are willing Boyes No verily Their willingnesse at one time will not excuse their deadnesse dulnesse lazinesse much lesse their deviations at another Therefore though people be willing yet they need the Spurs the Rods both of the Minister and Magistrate to quicken or mend their speed and reclaime them when they erre ubi desinit Theologus ibi incipit Magistratus where the Ministry of the Word will not quicken and reforme Christians the Magistrates Sword must doe it Christs Power must make men willing when his Mercy and Gospel will not prevaile and Magistrates Lawes duly executed must bring Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers to conformity and our publick Congregations when the Word will not effect it And thus much for his Argument Fourthly for his Authorities cited That Faith is not to be forced but perswaded by the Word I grant it true in the Authors sence but not in Master Dels For first their meaning is not like his that Christian Magistrates may not by coercive Laws and punishments suppresse obstinate seducing Idolaters Heretickes false Teachers Schismaticks or Blasphemers which they all unanimously grant they may as I shall prove anon and is farie different from enforcing faith but their sence la that Christian Princes or Magistrates oughtâ— oâ— by force of warre or outward violence to compell Pagan Nationâ— who never embraced the Gosple to baptisme and externall profession of the Gospel against their wils without any previous instructions God having appointed his word not sword to convert such Matth 28 19 20. Mark 16. 15 16. Acts. 7. 8. This is all that Melanctons Master Tindiâ—â— or Polanus objected words import Which opinion I readily subscribe to asserted by Hugo Grotius De Jure Belli l. 2. c. 20. sect 48. where he affirmes Bella juste non inferri iis qui Christianam Religionem complecti nolunt to which he addes sect 50. Nec etiam his qui circa legis divinae imâ—erpretationem balluâ—inantur This he illustrates and proves by the Authorities of Tertullian Clemens Romanus Athanasius Chrysostome Lactantius Augustine Sâ—â—viarlus a French Synod Josephus Cyprian Gregory Nazianzen Antonius Valenâ—tinian the Emperour Ammianus Marcellinus and the Councel of Toledo with whom as touching the enforcing of Pagans in this manner to the Christian Faith Chytraeus Purchas and Master Rutherfurd concuâ—â—e though they all maintaine the Magistrates power to suppresse Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers by coercive lawes and civill punishments yeâ— the very popish Doctors and Jesuits themselves who are most violent â—oâ— the Magistrates suppressing and punishing Heresie Blasphemy and Schisme with severest lawes and punishments even to death it selfe assert it to be unlawfull for Christian Princes by warre and outward force to compell Pagan Nations to embrace the Christian Faith against their â—â—ls wâ—â—nesse Josephus Acosta De procuranda Indorum salute cap. 3. Vega de Fide Operibus qu. 3. Bartholomaeus â—e las Casas de Hispan Crudelitate â— Covaâ—â—vias in Reg. Peccati p. 2. sect 10. Tannerus the Jesuit Gregory de Valentia Gaâ—â—achous Malderus Alphonsus a Castro Hâ—nce Procopius blames Justinian for compelling the Samaritans by outward power to Embrace the Christian Religion and Chytraeusâ—â—xeth â—â—xeth the Archbishops of â—iga and Knights of the Teutonick Ordâ—â— instituted for that purpose for oâ—deavouring rather with force and Armes to compell the Pagan 〈…〉 and Laplanders to embrace the Christian Faith then by the Word and good Example to induce them to it Yet Master Rutherfurd Aegidius â—oâ—â—â—ck Lorca Aquinas Cajetan and others assert That a Christian Prâ—â—â—â— subdâ—ing a heathen Nation may compell them â—o deâ—â—st from blaspheming and dishonâ—â—â—â—g Christ from exteâ—â—all false â—oâ—ship of Idol goâ—s offering up their Children to 〈…〉 and from â—pposing and himdring Ministers to 〈…〉 the Gospâ—â— to such among them who are destrous â—â— beare them as the 〈…〉 Constaâ—… 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—â— Temples of that Pâ—gâ—ngâ—ds to be closed uâ— or 〈…〉 and Idols demâ—lâ—shedâ— which Act is commended both by Eusebius Ambrose and Augustus yea â—â—Wpanâ—â— and commanded all the Jeâ—â—â— who â—â—â—ld â—â—◠〈…〉 to be â—â—â—â—shed and removed out of Spaâ—… and we â—â—ad in the Spâ—… Hâ—stoâ—â—ds that divers Jewes Moâ—â—es have been compelled to be 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 and many Indâ—anâ—â—â— â—â— the West Indies even by 〈…〉 which divers of their Wâ—iâ—â—â—s approve as lawfull though others 〈…〉 iâ— However that act of Joviâ—â—â—n was most Christian and Heroical who being elected Emperour after the death of Julian the Apostate by the unanimous consent of all the Captaines Souldiers and People he absolutely refused the Empire saying That he being a Christian would not be an Emperour over Infidels But all were so well pleased with his election that they presently cryed out We are Christians and for his sake those who were not so before resolved to become Christians upon condition he would accept the Empire which thereupon he accepted Whereupon they all turned Christians and were by this meanes converted to the Christian Faith Secondly I answer that the Christian Magistrates may indirectly force men to beleeve in some sense though not directly As first they may enforce them to the outward Ordinances and meanes of Faith even
against their wils as Parents sometime enforce their children and Masters their Servants which by Gods blessing may work a right faith and beliefe in them by degrees and convert them from their errors Forced Physick and Potions oft timea recover sick men and so doe forced Ordinances and Conferences hereticall erronious sinfull men as experience manifests Secondly they may punish them for their obstinate heresies schismes blasphemies and thereby bring them to a serious examination reformation and discovery of them and so to a kind of forcible embracing of the Truth as Christ in a manner thus enforced Paul by outward violence to give over his persecution and beleeve professe the Gospel Acts 9. Thirdly tempests at Sea enforce Mariners and Merchants to be willing to cast all their Goods over-board to save their lives so may Magistrates penalties enforce Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers to cast away their errors heresies schisms Blasphemies and imbrace the Truth to save their lives liberties or estates Fourthly an erronious judgment and conscience in matters of Religion is not a Christians rule of faith or practice but the word of God the rule both of his judgment Conscience faith life and it is a dangerous yea damnable sin for any to be led by such a conscience or judgment contrary to the word If then a Christian Magistrate be fully perswaded in his conscience upon just grounds that he is bound to restraine and punish such Heretickes Schismatickes Blasphemers who follow their owne erronious judgments and consciences against the expresse word of God even to force them from their heresies errors schismes blasphemies when no other meanes will prevaile he may no doubt inflict corporall punishments on them as God himselfe oft times inflicts outward judgments thereby to enforce them to renounce their Heresies and embrace the Truth And in this sence Religion may lawfully be forced as will appeare by the examples of Manasseh Nebuchadnezzer and Paul forecited and by Deut. 13. 11. Jude 23. God himselfe appointing this externall violence as a meanes to work an inward change both of faith and life as I have largely proved Thirdly there is an affirmative and a negative beliefe Though the Magistrate cannot enforce men by externall punishments or censures to beleeve yet he may enforce them to come to the publick Ordinances whereby they may be allured converted to the true Faith and likewise negatively enforce or restrain them nor to preach nor yet to spred or propagate such an heresie error blasphemy or schismaticall opinion contrary to the Scripture and Religion established to the infection of others the disturbance of the publick peace and dishonour of Christian Religion yea punish such who shall transgresse because this is no forcing of mens faith consciences to beleeve or embrace what faith the Magistrate pleaseth but a restraining or punishing of an heresie error blasphemy which is a sinne in the party who is guilty of it punishable by the Magistrate and a sinne in him to connive at or tolerate the same without punishment Excellent to this purpose is that passage of Augustine recorded approved by Gratian Canonists and Schoolmen Petilian the Donatist objected against the Princes by whom he and other Hereticks were punished these two things among others which Master Dell and his Saints now object First That no man is to be compelled to faith Secondly That good manners are not to be chosen but onely out of Free-will and produceth all or most of Master Del s Arguments and Texts alleaged in his Sermon which is but meer old Donatisme and Petilianisme varnished over with the title of New Gospel-light to prove that Magistrates ought not to enforce any man to beleeve against his conscience or punish any Heretick or Schismaticks with corporall or capitall punishments as being contrary to and not warranted by the Gospel To which this Father gives this grave answer most suitable to our present times and to Master Dell and his new Donatists who make the selfe same Objections which I shall recite more fully because it will very much conduce to discover the practises and stop the mouths of our Opposites Petilianus dixit Quôd si cogi per legem aliquem vel ad bona licuisset vos ipsi miseri a nobis ad fidem purissimam cogi debuistis Sed absit absit à nostra conscientia ut ad nostram fidem aliquem compellamus Augustinus respondit Ad fidem quidem nullus est cogendus invitus sed per severitatem imo per misericordiam Dei tribulationum flagellis solet perfidia castigari Nunquid quia mores optimi libertate voluntatis eliguntur ideo mores pessimi non legis integritate puniuntur Sed tamen male vivendi ultrix disciplina praepostera est nisi cum praecedens bene vivenda doctrina contemnitur Si quae igitur adversus vos leges constitutae sunt non eis benefacere cogimini sed malefacere prohibimini dum benefacere nemo potest nisi elegerit nisi amaverit quod est in libera voluntate Timor autem paenarnm si nondum habet delectationem bonae conscientiae saltem intra claustra cogitationis coercet malam cupiditatem Qui tamen adversas leges constituerunt quibus vestra comprimatur audacia nonne hi de quibus dicit Apostolus Quia non sine causa gladium portant ministri Dei enim sunt vindices in iram ei qui malè agit Tota igitur quaestio est utrum vos non male agatis quibus tanti Schismatis sacrilegium objecit orbis terrarum Cujus quaestionis discussione neglecta superflua loquimini cum vivatis ut latrones mori vos jactatis ut Martyres Et quia vel ipsas leges vel invidiam formidatis vel ad resistendum impares estis non dico adversus tot homines sed adversus tot gentes catholicas etiam de mansuetudine gloriamini quod ad vestram partem neminem cogitis Isto modo milvus cum pullos rapere territus non potuerit columbum se nominat Ubi enim potuistis non fecistis Unde ostenditis quòd plura faceretis si possetis Quando Julianus vobis Christi invidons paci basilicas reddidit unitatis quae strages a vobis factae sunt quando vobiscum apertis templis suis etiam daemones exultabant Quis cōmemorare sufficiat bello Firmiano quae à vobis Rogatus Maurus pertulerit Ipsa Mauritania Caesariensis interrogetur tempora Gildoniani quia unus collega vester familiarissimus amicus ejus fuit Viderint Maximinianistae quae senserint nam Felicianum ipsum qui modo vobiscum est si ad jusiurandum liceret provocare utrum ad communionem vestram non invitum Optatus redire compulerit movere labia non auderet praesertim si ejus faciem populus Musticanus intueretur quo teste illa tunc facta sunt Sed isti ut dixi viderint quae passi fuerint ab eis cum quibus Rogato talia fecerant Ipsa
Vniversum Orbem qui sub Calo est a peccatis morte liberaret Eusebius highly commends and approves the Edict of Constantine the For sappressing and punishing Hereticks relating the good effects thereof Theodoret Eccle. Hist lib. 5. c. 2 3. l. 1. c. 10. Evagriuâ— Eccles Hist l. 4. c. 11. Russinuâ— Eccles Hist l. 1. c. 1â— Sozomenus Eccles Hist l. 3. c. 17. l. 7. c. 6 24. Nicophorus Eccles Hist l. 8. c. 18. l. 11. c. 30. l. 12. c. 15. l. 13. c. 17. Socrates Scholacticus Eccles Hist l. 5. c. 7. Cassiodor in his Tripartita Hist l. 1. c. 7. l. 2. c. 20. l. 4. c. 13 18 21 26 31 32 33. l. 7. c. 4 9. l. 9. c. 2 4 10 19 21 27 28 30 33 36. l. 10. c. 27. l. 11. c. 3. 17. Record and commend the Lawes and Procéedings of Christian Emperours both against Hereticks Pagans and Schismaticks as well for their punishment as suppression Leo the first writes thus of the Priscillianists and their Heresie Meritò Tatres nostri sub quorum temporibus haeresis haec nâ—sanda prorupit per totum mundum instanâ—er egere ut impius furor ab Vniversa Ecclesia pelleretur Quandò etiam mundi Princepes iâ—a hanc sacrilegam amentiam detestati sunt ut Authorem ejus ac plero que discipulos LEGVM PVBLICARVM ENSE PRO STERNERENT Videbant enim omnem curam honestatis auferri simulque divinum jus humanumque subverti si hujusmodi hominibus VS QVAM VIVERECVM TALI PROFESSIONE LICVISSET Et profuit diù ista districtio Ecclesiae Lenitati quae etsi sacerdotali contenta judicio cruentas refugit ultiones severis tamen Christianorum Principum constitutionibus adjuvatur dum ad spirituale nonnunquam recurrant remedium qui timent corporale supplicium Ex quo autem multas provincias hostilis occupavit irruptio executionem legum tempestates interdixere bellorum ex quo inter sacerdotes Dei difficiles commeatus rari caeperunt esse conventus invenit ob publicam perturbationem secreta perfidia libertatem ad multarum mentium subversionem his malis est incitata quibus debuit esse correcta our present deplorable condition And Epist 7. He commends Theodosius the Emperour for his most pious care of Christian Religion Ne scilicet in populo Dei aut Schismata aut Haereses aut ulla scandala convalescant Dâ—oscorus Archbishop of Alexandria though accused and convicted of Heresie and deprived for it in the great general Council of Calcedon Act. 1. cried out FLAMMIS DIGNOS HAERETCOS That Hereticks were worthy to be burned Non solum poenis dignus est Eutiches sed IGNE Optatus Milivetanus lib. 3. contr Parmenianum compares the deed of one Macarius who had SLAINE AND PUT TO DEATH Maradus and Donatus two Donatists to the deeds of Moses Phyneas and Elijah In slaying Idolaters and Idolatrous false Prophets justifying this Action of his Athanasius Epist ad Orthodoxos determines thus Si Acatius Ludoxius Patrophilus â—uâ— talia Scribant qui quaeso non OMNI SVPPLICIO DIGNIFVERINT Joannes Mâ—â—â—â—â—ius Resp ad Homisd Papam writes thus Nisi Christum Fiâ—ium Dei qui pro nobis passus est in carne unum esse sancta individua Trinitate suerit confessus Dioscorus PELAGO MANCIPETVR Gregory the first Epist l. 1. Epist 72 to Gennadius and in other places quoted by Gratian Causa 23. qu. 3 4. and Bernard Sermo 66. Super Cantica approve The suppressing and punishing of Hereticks by the Sword of the Civill Magistrate and by death it selfe though Bernard dislikes the Peoples tumultuous murdering of them in a malicious manner which Justine Martyr in his Epistle Ad Zenam Serenum Ambrose Epist 27. Severus Sulpitius sacrae Hist l. 2. Ivo Carnotensis Decret pars 13. c 114. doe likewise censure and Augustine justly blamed in the seditious Donatists and their Circumcellioes in his forecited passages Epist 48. Yea this Gregory the first thanks Gennadius for making warre upon obstinate Hereticks exhorting him to procéed therein Our owne venerable Beda in Cantica Cant. l. 3. Tom. 4. Col. 748. on these words Capite nobis vulpes pusillas quae demoliantur vineas determines That all men ought in their severall places to take and beat down Hereticks and Schismaticks Ne fidem Ecclesiae quam unam esse oporteâ— eorum infestatio scinderet atque in partes distraheret And he addes that he saith not capite vobis sed nobis vulpes pusillas for this reason Vt hinc magis OMNES qui possent ad debellandam sive corrigendam Haereticorum nequitiam accenderet quo eo sibi in hoc agendo deservire monstraret suamque esse vineam quâ—m defenderet ipse laborum piorum remuneratione ostenderet And Ecclesiasticae Hist Gentis Anglorum l. 1. c. 21. He both records and approves the Banishment of the Pelagians out of this our Island for their Heresie Isiodor Hispalensis quoted by Gratian Causa 23. qu. 5. writes thus Principes seculi nonnunquam intra Ecclesiam potestatis adeptae culmina tenent ut per eandem potestatem Disciplinam Ecclesiasticam muniant ut quod non praevalent sacerdotes efficere per doctrinae sermonem potestas hoc imperet per disciplinae terrorem Saepe per Regnum terrenum coeleste Regnum proficit ut qui intra positi contra fidem disciplinam agunt rigore Principum conterantur ipsamque disciplinam quam utilitas Ecclesiae exercere non praevalet cervicibus superborum potestas Principalis imponat c. I could adde many more Authorities of the Ancients to this purpose but these may suffice and you may read more of them in Gratian Causa 23. If any object the Authority of Hilary Contra Auxentium who forced men with armed power to embrace his Arrian opinions whereupon he thus checks him for it Ac primum misereri licet nostrae Aetatis laborem praesentium temporum stultas opiniones congemiscere quibus patrocinari Deo humana creduntur ad â—uendam Christi Ecclesiam ambitione seculari laboratur Ac nunc prob dolor divinam fidem fuffragia terrena câ—mmeâ—dant inopsque virtutis suae Christus duâ— ambitu nomini suae conciliatur arguitur Terret exiliis carceribus Ecclesia credique sibi cogit quae exiliis carceribus â—redita est c. I answer with Marsilius Patavinus who objects it that this was objected onely against Auxentius the Arrian as he was a Bishop or Clergy man to whom no coercive power nor externall forcible Authority by the Sword belonged or against the Clergies own using of externall force not against the Coercive and Penall power of Christian Princes and Magistrates to whom God hath given the Sword of Justice to suppresse and punish Hereticks as well as other Malesactors So as it makes nothing at all against my conclusion and yeelds our Opposites who never cite it but this Nonsequitur The
Arâ—ian Bishops are justly blamed by Hilary for using externall force violence prisons banishments death against the Orthodox Christians guilty of no Heresie nor Schisme Therefore godly Emperours Princes Magistrates are blame-worthy for imprisoning restraining or putting obstinate dangerous Hereticks to death All other Objections from the Fathers will receive the selfe same Answer If any object in the second place the 56. Canon of the fourth Councill of Toledo prohibiting the Enforcing of the Iewes to beléeve by externall violence in these words De Judaeis autem praecepit sancta Synodus nomini deinceps ad credendum VIM INFERRI Cui enim vult Deus miseretur quem vult indurat Non enim tales INVITI SALVANDI SVNT SED VOâ—ENLES Vt integra sit forma justitiae Sicut enim homo propria arbitrii voluntate serpenti obediens periit sic vocante gratia Dei propriae mentis conversione homo quisque credâ—ndo salvatur Vt NON VI sed liberâ arbitrii voluntate convertantur â—VADENDI SVNT NON IMPELLENDI Qui autem jampridem ad Christianitatem venire coacti sunt sicut factum est temporibus Religiosâ—â—imi Principis Sisubetis quia jam constat â—os Sacramentis divinis sociatos Baptismi gratiam suscepisse chrismate Vnctos esse corporis Dominici Sanguinis extitisse participes oportet ut fidem etiam â—uam VI VEL NECESSITATE SVSCIPERVNT TENERE COGANTVR ne nomen Domini Blasphemetur fides quam susciperunt vilis contemptibilis habeatur I answer first that the forcing and compelling of professed Jewes who never embraced Christianity to beleeve and be baptized against their wils is one thing and the punishing of Hereticks who have once embraced professed the Christian Faith and revolted from its sincerity another thing therefore this Councils prohibiting the former doth no wayes impeach the lawfulnesse of the later The one being an enforcement of an unbeleever the other a punishment of a wilfull misbeleever Secondly it is one thing to enforce Jewes to come to the outward Ordinances and Meanes of conversion that they may beleeve or be converted by them and another thing to enforce them to beleeve and be baptized before instruction or conviction the first this Council condemnes not but the later onely Thirdly there is a difference between compelling Jewes by outward violence to be baptized and professe themselves to be Christians and restraining of them by Lawes and punishments not to exercise their Jewish Ceremonies or vent their Blasphemies in contempt of Christ and Christian Religion the later whereof this very Council restraines Can. 58 â—â— 66. Fourthly this very Canon informes us that some Jewes were compelled to be baptized and embrace the Christian Religion in the Reigne of their most Religious Prince King Sysubet and those having once embraced the Gospel and received the Sacraments though by coertion are by like coertion to be enforced to perservere in this Profession by the determination of this very Canon Therefore by the selfe same reason Hereticks who have once embraced the orthodox Faith and revolt from it unto damnable Heresies are by this Councels resolution even by outward force and punishments to be compelled to renounce their errours and persevere in the orthodox Faith they once embraced professed or else they may be justly punished by the civill Magistrate least Gods name should be blasphemed c. Which is so far from making against that it is a direct determination for me especially if we consider the many penall coercive Lawes made against the Jewes in Spaine about and soon after the time of this very Council recorded at large by Fredericus Lindebrogus where you may peruse them Fiftly there is a wide difference between naturall borne Subjects and meer Forraigners or Aliens who are no Subjects but Sojourners in a Kingdome as the Jewes were in Spaine A Prince may compell the one being his Subjects and living under his Laws to such things as he cannot in justice enforce the other The King and State of England may compell all English Scottish Irish Subjects to repaire to our publick Assemblies and to submit to that Chuch-government which shall be established by common consent in Parliament but they cannot enforce a Jew a Turk or Spaniard who sojourne here as Factors to make publick profession of our Religion and submit to our Church-government though they may restrain their open Idolatry and blasphemy All which considered there is nothing in this Canon nor in any other ancient Council or Father that I have met with which well understood will any way contradict but ratifie and confirme my Thesis the contrary assertion being maintained onely by the schismaticall hereticall Donatists to uphold their faction in poynt of Thesis though directly contradicted by their practise as Augustine demonsttates and Optatus too who have largely refuted this their Anti-Magistraticall error in their forecited and succeeding Passages For popish Authors besides the Canonists already cited I could mention divers who assert and prove at large That obstinate Hereticks and Blasphemers ought to be suppressed imprisoned banished yea BURNT OR PUT TO DEATH by the Christian Magistrate I shall give you a Catalogue of some few of them instead of many as namely Vincentius Spec. Moral Par. 3. l. 3. Disti 31. De Haeresi Gulielmus Peraldus Summa Virtutum ac Vitiorum Tom. 1. De Justitia c. 7. p. 181 to 185. where this is largely proved Alexander Fabritius Destructorium Vitiorum pars 6. c. 4. 39. Lucas Tudensis Adversus Albigenses l. 3. c. 15 16 21 22. who copiously asserts it Reynerus Contr. Waldenses c. 9 10. Antoninus Histor pars 3. Tit. 19. c. 1. sect 4. Summae pars 2. Tit. 12. c. 4. Joannis Ferus in Matth. c. 13. Sermo c. 3. in Domin 5. post Epiphan p. 465 467. Thomas Waldensis Doctr. Fidei l. 2. Artic. 3. c. 71. Alexander Alensis Sum. Theologiae pars 2. quest 162 163 164. Lupoldus De Zelo German Veterum Principum cap. 2. Thomas Beauxamis Harmoniae Evangelicae Tom. 2. f. 406. where he proves The lawfulnesse of burning Hereticks from divers Scriptures as a prologue to their eternal burning in Hell fire hereafter if they repent not Alphonsus deCastro Adversus haereses l. 5. dePunitione haeret Jacobus Noâ—nera de Ecclesia Christi ab Haereticorum Conciliabulis Dinoscâ—nda l. 1 2. Paulus Windeck de Extirpandis Haereticis Paulus Grillandus De Haeereticis eorum poenis where this is fully proved That Hereticks may and ought to be punished and put to death by the Civill Magistrate Conradus Brunus De Haereticis l. 3. c. 13. John Fisher Bishop of Rochester in his Assertionis Lutheranae Confutatio in his Works in folio printed 1597. p. 272. Artic. 33. Col. 633 to 644. where he largely argues the lawfulnesse of putting Hereticks to death enforcing this argument among others in these termes Ego quidem Haereticos interimendos opinor ubi non potes aliter
coarguitur eorum stultitia qui vellent neglectà Dei cura juri inter homines dicundo tantum intentos esse Quasi verò praefectos Deus suo nomine constituerit qui terrenas controversias deciderent quod verò longè gravioris momenti erat praetermiserit ut ipse purè coleretur exLegis suae praescripto Sed huc turbulentos homines impellit impius omnia novandi cupiditas vt omnes violatae pietatis vindices è medio sublatos cupiant c. In his Comentary on Rom. 13. and elswhere he asserts the like and that Christian Princes and Magistrates are to suppresse and punish Heresies Schismes Blasphemies refuting the Anabaptists opinions and objections to the contrary Yea Master Calvin caused the Anabaptisticall Heretick Servetus to be put to death by the Magistrates of Geneva for his obstinate Heresie and Blasphemy for which being blamed by some Anabaptists he writ a particular Treatise wherein he demonstrates to the world Licitum esse in Haereticos gladio animadvertere that it was lawfull for the Christian Magistrate to put Hereticks to death as Beza records in his life and Bellarmine cites it too lib. 3. de Laicis cap. 21. Finally Master Calvin in his Praelectiones in Daniel cap. 4. ver 1. fol. 43. asserts the lawfulnesse of punishing Hereticks and Blasphemers even with death informing us what manner of persons they are and what they aime at who hold the contrary in these words Certum est quod cupiant Nam si quis ipsos respiciat SUNT IMPII DEI CONTEMPTORES not Saints saltem nihil vellent certum esse in Religione ideo labefactare quantum in se est etiam convellere nituntur omnia pietatis principia Ut ergò liceat ipsis evomere virus suum inde tantâ—â—ere litigant pro impunitate negant poenas de Haereâ—icis Blasphemis sumendas esse c. Rodolphus Gualther in his 44. Homily in Epist ad Galatas c. 4. from these words of the Apostle I would they wâ—â—â— even cut off that trouble you proves at large That Magistrates may and ought to suppresse Hereticks with civill and corpor all punishments and the Ring-leaders of them with death and capitall censures even under the Gospel according to the Prophesie of Zech. 13. 2 3. meant onely of the times of the Gospel And in his 76 Homily in Epist ad Rom. cap. 13. he affirmes the same asserting That the Christian Magistrates under the Gospell ought to punish all those offences with the Sword which God himself hath thought worthy to he punished with capitall censures Inter quae cùm omnium gravissima sint quae adversus primam tabulam cum divini nominis contemptu cultus prophanatione multorum aliorum seductione designantur PROCUL DUBIO in eorum Authores quà m severissimè pro delicti ratione animadverti debet Minimè ergò illorum sententiam probamus qui adorandae Trinitatis hostes aeternae Jesu Christi Divinitatis blasphematores plectandos esse negant Dicunt illi Fidem donum Dei esse neque aliquem ad rectâ— sentiendum cogi posse Sed nos vicissim dicimus contineri posse poenarum metu impostores ne virus haeresium spargant pravis dogmatibus rudes imperitos rerum seducent He addes that by this reason no Malefactors whatsoever should be punished because they commit those crimes for want of faith and grace which are Gods gift Learned Peter Martyr not onely in his Common places Classis 2. cap. 4. sect 30 to 43 but in his Comentary on Rom. 13. asserts the like affirming That many wicked men and Hereticks have been by the force of lawes and punishements inflicted on them converted from their sinnes and errors and by degrees brought to a câ—â—diall love and embracing of Vertue and the true Religion and that upon this reason Saint Augustine who at first thought the Magistrate ought not to punish Hereticks changed his opinion Solid Paraeus in his Comentary on Rom. 13. asserts and proves at large That it is and alwayes hath been the chiefest care of godly Kings and Magistrates to abolish false worships take away Idols and all instruments of Idolatry and to preserve the purity of Religion and Gods worship That they ought not to suffer impurity in Religion or to give liberty to every one to teach and professe what Religion he like but onely to defend tolerate and establish the true Religion and that they ought Edictis poenis impedire Blasphemias Haereses Idola Sacrilegia c. by lawes and punishments to restraine Blasphemies Heresies Idolatries Sacriledges Schismes and the like Which he there proves at large quoting the Lawes of many Emperours to this purpose And also de Jure Principis circa Ecclesiastica The like in effect if not in terminis is asserted and proved at large by Bullinger Aretius Bucer Fayus Brentius Jacobus Grynaeus Musculuâ— Oleuian Piscator Scultetus and generally all Protestant Comentators on Rom. 13. and Papists too whose words for brevity I pretermit To these I might adde Brentius de Republ. administr Capito de Jure Magistratus in Religione Musculus Comment in Psal 2. cited by Master Beza as concurring in opinion with him Gerrardus Loci Com. de Magistratu Polit. num 5. 33. who are of the same opinion Benedictus Aretius in his Historia Valentini Gentilis asserts That Blasphemous obstinate Hereticks may justly be put to death by the civill Magistrate as Gentilis was at Berne and Problem Locus 59. de Scismatibus he asserts That the chiefe Ring-leaders of Schismes and obstinate Schismaticks may lawfully be suppressed and punished by the civill Magistate as the Donatists were and enforced to come to the publick Ordinances by penall lawes by which means many have been reformed and converted as experience manifests Phillip Melancton not onely in his forecited passages but in his Council de Officio Magistratus in Ecclesiarum Reformatione Loci Com. de Sacramentorum Numero where he makes the Magistracy a Sacrament in some sense Erit Magistratus hoc modo SACRAMENTUM quia est certum genus bonorum oâ—erum ornatum verbe Dei promissionibus Rom. 13. even for the punishment of evill doers in the Church Historia de Incendio Serveti by a namelesse Author Hartmannus Springelius de hodiernis Haeresibus Haereticis Joannis Wigandus de Exiliis Facinorosorum Pseudomartyrlis Cl. G. Praet de Regia potestate in Ecclesia Hadrianus Saravia de Imperandi authoritate Christiana obedientia l. 2. c. 52 53 54. Lu. Osâ—auder Enchir. Contr. Com. Anabap. c. 9. assert the Magistrates coercive power to restrain punish Idolaters Hereticks Schismaticks with corporal censuresand death Learned Zanchius affirmes Omnes ferè ex nostratibus hujus sunt sententiae QUOD HAERETICI SUNT GLADIO PUNIENDI That in his time almost all Divines were of this opinion That Hereticks were to be punished with the sword or put to death Of the same mind is learned
Musculus Loc. Com. p. 1389. and Hugo Etherianus de Haeresibus Theodor Beza writes We teach that christian Magistrates ought to take speciall care that the pure and sincere worship of God may flourish and that they should RESTRAINE AND PUNISH Hereticks CAPITALI QUOQUI PENA SI NECESSITAS ET SCELERIS MAGNITUDO POSTUâ—ENT and that with capitall punishment if the necessity and the greatnesse of the crime so require rather then the Church should receive any dammage Which he elswhere asserts at large Operum Vol. 1. p. 83 to 171. in a particular learned Treatise De Haereticis a Civili Magistratu puniendis So Junius in Defensione 2. de Trinitate adversus Samotenianos Heidelb 1591. p. 40. Danaeus Ethicae Christianae l. 2. c. 13. elswhere are of the same judgment To whom I might adde Voetius de Tolerantia Anti-Trintariorum Becanus Locorum Com. Locus 49. the Professors of Leyden Censura Remonstr c. 24. sect 9. Spanhemius Diatribe Historica de Orig Progressu Sectis Num. Anabaptistarum with many other forraigne Divines whose names I spare all reformed Churches in forraigne parts concurring with me both in judgment and practice too Neither doe our owne Authors dissent but concurre jointly with these our Brethren witnesse Bishop Jewel and Master Perkins himself whose words I shall recite in the close of this Work Doctor Whitakers Adv. Campianum p. 234. Bishop Babington in his Comfortable Notes upon Exodus cap. 18. in his Works in Folio London 1622. p. 271 272 273. Doctor Fulke in his Answer to the Rhemist Testament on Apoc. sect 6. where he writes thus Though we allow the PUNISHMENT OF HERETICKS both in our owne and other Countries even with death yet we abhor the cruelty of Antichrist and his Church which condemne the Christians and murther them under the colour of Hereticks Doctor Robert Abbot de Suprema Potestate Regia Bishop Carlton of Jurisdiction Regall Episcopall and Papall John Bridges of the Kings Ecclesiasticall Supremacy Thomas Becon in his forecited works and Doctor Willet in his Sixfold Comentary on the Epistle to the Romans cap. 13. Controversie 4 5 6. Where thus he writes Princes ought not onely to take care about the affaires of the common-wealth and to be altogether carelesse of Religion but even unto Ecclesiasticall affaires and matters of Religion they ought to extend their Princely care and watchfulnesse First the Prince is the Minister of God for our good but the good of the Subject is not onely civill and temporall but spirituall concerning Religion Secondly Even the Heathen did ascribe unto their Kings a principal care even of Religion Wherupon the Emperors of Rome were stiled Pontifices Maximi the high Priests or Prelates and Aristotle writeth lib. 3. politic c. 10. that the Lacedemonian Kings had the command of War and rei divinae cultum exercuisse and did exercise divine worship unlesse they were such Sacrifices as were necessarily to be done by a Priest that therefore which by a common consent of Nations was given unto Kings ought not to be denied unto christian Princes Thirdly the care of Religion otherwise concerneth the Prince rather then private persons these onely are to wish well unto it and to accept of it but the Prince ought to be an Agent without whose power nothing can be effected publickly for the maintainance of Religion Secondly it belongeth to the Imperial power to maintain true Religion and see that no confused mixture of Religions be admitted for this is given as a reason in the time of the Judges why some followed Idolatry and strange worship because there was no King in Israel but every one did that which was good in his owne eyes Judges 17. 4. if there had been then a King they should not have been suffered every one to follow their owne fansies Thirdly Christian Princes are by their Lawes and Edicts to restraine all Blasphemy Idolatry Heresie Sacriledge and such like because Princes are to be feared for evill works their office is to restrain all evill works whatsoever such as these are and they are appointed to procure the good of their Subjects and consequently to take out of the way all impediments which may hinder their good such as these are The Romanists grant thus much that the Princes by their Lawes should provide against Heresie but they will exclude the Prince from all judgment of Heresie which must be in their opinion determined only by the Church c. Which all our Divines and Protestant Writers condemning is a strong evidence to me that Heretickes are properly triable onely by the Judges at the Common Law by way of Indictment not by the Clergy as their Heresie is criminall and capitall as well as Romish Priests and Jesuits This truth is very largely and learnedly asserted by Bishop Bilson in his True difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion by Bishop Davenant De Judice Norma Fidei cap. 15. p. 71 to 78. and other of the Episcopall Party whom I pretermit I shall conclude onely with such who have written since this Parliament The first of them is learned Master Samuel Rutherfurd in his Due Right of Presbyteries p. 352 to 370 where he propounds this Question Whether the Magistrate hath power to compell persons to a Church-profession For cleering whereof he layes downe and proves these five Conclusions I. The Magistrate may compell to the meanes and externall acts of worship and to restraine them from externall false worship of the false God or of the true God worshiped in a false way he cannot compell to internall acts of faith love and such like as hauing no power over the conscience II. There is one consideration of a Heathen or Pagan Nation which never received Christianity and the true Faith and another consideration of a Nation Baptized and professing Christ III. A Magistrate may compell a Heathen Nation to the negative reverence of Christ in an indirect way and that with the Sword though he cannot compell to the positive worshipping of him If a Christian Prince subdue a Pagan Nation he cannot force them with the Sword to a positive receiving of the Doctrine of the Gospel but if it be a Nation expresly blaspeming Christ as the Nation of the Jewes now doe he may compell them to an abstinence from a professed blaspheming of Christ because he is to use the sword against Blaspemy IIII. The compeling power of the Magistrate is terminated upon externall worship as abstracted from either hypocrisie or sincerity in worship V. Though no man resist the Magistrate in a matter of Religion except in a hypocriticall way save onely he who thinketh he hath reason to resist and is led by the judgment and inditement of conscience yet is not the judgment of conscience but onely the Word of God the rule of mans obedience or resisting in action purposes and conversation These five conclusions he there proves at large asserting That grosse Idolaters seducing Hereticks and universall
Vicegerents punish all high Treasons or Offences not the King alone in person committed directly against the King himselfe and that with greater care then any offences against other persons and Councels of Warre punish offences against the General himself more exemplarily then against inferiour Officers which if this hold good they could not intermeddle with We read John 19. 12. 13. That when Pontius Pilate would have released our Saviour Christ the Jewes cryed out saying if thou let this man goe thou art not Cesars friend whosoever maketh himselfe a King speaketh against Caesar When Pilate therefore heard that saying he brought Jesus forth and sate downe on the Judgment-seat and delivered him ever to the chiefe Priests to be crucified who said we have no King but Caesar Certainly I may much more truly say that those Princes Judges Magistrates who are Gods Deputies and sit upon his Throne of judgment are no friends at all to God and lesse zealous for him then Pilate was for Caesar if they doe not with all care and zeale punish such Atheists Blasphemers Hereticks most severely who sinne immediately against that God whose very Vicegerents and Avengers they are and it shall be more intolerable for them at the day of judgment then for any Judge or Viceroy who wilfully refuseth to punish high Treason against his earthly Soveraigne which is no lesse then high Treason in himselfe I shall say no more to this Objection but that it is fitter for Beasts then rationall men for incarnate Devils Atheists then spirituall Saints for God-dammee Cavaliers then Parliament-Troopers who deserve to be boared through the Tongue or rather to have their Tongues cut out for such blasphemous arguments in favour of blasphemy The thirteenth Objection is this Repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth being a special gift of God and man not capable of it nor of any divine supernaturall truth not revealed by the very light of nature it is very unreasonable that the want of it being a judgment upon a man from God and which withall no way proves hurtfull unto others at lest not necessarily or unavoydably hurtfull that it should expose him to further misery and punishment from among men a reasonable man will think it very hard and unreasonable to punish a man for not doing that which is onely proper and in the power of God alone to doe I answer that this is one of John Goodwins Atheisticall reasons against the Magistrates jurisdiction to punish Hereticks Schismaticks Antitrinitarians or Denyers of the Deity of Christ and the holy Ghost with corporall and capitall punishments borrowed from Petilian the Donatist warranted by no Text at all and directly contrary to the whole current of Scripture as I shall prove by these instances First if this argument holds good then no man can in any reason be punished or damned either for originall sinne or unbeliefe or want of repentance faith or any other saving grace because it it not in mans owne power industry or seeking to avoyd these sinnes or procure these saving graces but onely in the power of God to work them yet God punisheth these unavoydable sins and want of these spiritual graces with eternal death Secondly the want of the grace of God hardens mens hearts the defect of his fear before their eyes which is not in their power but Gods is one principall cause why men commit or fall into any capitall sins as Treason Murder and the like as well as coÌ„mit and fall into Heresie Schism Blasphemy Atheism Idolatry But the want of Gods grace or feare to prevent Treason or Murder will not excuse Traytors Murderers or other Malefactors from the Gallowes nor Children nor Servants from their Parents and Masters due correction therefore not Hereticks Idolaters Blasphemers Atheists Schismaticks from due punishments Thirdly admit it would be hard and very unreasonable for a Christian Magistrate to punish any Heathen who never enjoyed the meanes of Christianity nor professed the Christian Religion for not beleeving in Christ or the holy Ghost or for contradicting any truths revealed onely by the light of Scripture not nature since as many as have sinned without the written Law shall be judged without the written Law onely for breach of the Law of nature as Divines determine from Rom. 2. 12 to 17. Yet since Christians who professe Christianity have the light of the Scripture to direct them which by diligent reading hearing prayer meditating conference to which they are obliged and which lyes in their owne power they may fully understand so farre as to discerne between Heresie Error Blasphemy and the Truth it selfe it is as great reason justice that the Christian Magistrate should punish them with corporall and in some cases with capitall punishments as God with eternall for broaching damnable Heresies Errors Blasphemies and Schismaticall opinions against the written Word or as to punish Heathens or Christians for any offence committed by them meerly against the Law of nature which is nothing so cleere and perspicuous to Heathens as the Scripture is or may be unto Christians Fourthly admit the Objection solid yet it is nothing to purpose since the Magistrate never punisheth any man for his meer ignorance or unbeliefe as is pretended though Ecclesiasticall Officers doe by suspention from the Sacrament and I think Master Goodwin too against this very argument which holds as well in Ecclesiasticall as Secular punishments but onely for actuall maintaining or venting damnable Hetesies Errors Blasphemies and Schismaticall practises after admonitions and other meanes used to reclaime them Therefore the Objector might well have kept this rover in his quiver which comes not â—eer the mark Fiftly Heresies Blasphemies Errors Schismes are exceeding prejudiciall to others and Gods eternall punishing of them hereafter is no supersedeas to the Magistrates censures of them here as I have formerly evidenced Therefore this Argument is both false and idle The fourteenth Objection is this That power is very dangerous for a Magistrate to owne in the exercise whereof he may very easily and commonly doth run a hazard at lest of fighting against God or of plucking up that which he hath planted or of pulling downe that which God hath built up But such is that power of punishing Heresies Scismes Blasphemies c. which A. S. cum multis aliis are ready to fasten upon him Ergo. The proposition is too much every mans sense and consent to be A. S. his dissent The Assumption he proves because those practises in Religion which the Magistrate is borne in hand by those whose eyes be sees with in such cases to be schismaticall erronious and contrary unto God may very possibly be the wayes and truths of God because Synods Parliaments and Magistrates formerly have mistaken in this kind and may still mistake I answer first that the proposition is not onely without but against Scripture and might have been made against the Magistrates and
Objection is of the same stamp That power which in the use of it plainly and undoubtedly tends to the gratification of Satan of carnall and prophane men is not certainly derived from God But that power in matters of Religion to crush Heresies Schismes c. which A. S. and many others pinned upon the Magistrates sleeve is a power of this tendency and importance in the use of it Ergo The latter proposition shines cleere enough with its owne light first because a very great part of those who are like to suffer by it are men of good conscience and men truly fearing God it not being likely that ordinarily men of loose or no conscience should delight to swim against the streames either of greatnesse or plurality in matters of Religion therfore it cannot but be conceived a matter of solemn gratification to Satan who is a Murderer and bloody Enemy to the Saints to see them disgraced crushed c. Secondly because it is the impatient and important desire of all ignorant loose luckewarme and carnall professors to have all religions as they call them all wayes sects opinions and practises in Religion wholly silenced suppressed and abolished where they live except only that one way and practice which shall be authorized and practised by the State I answer first that the Minor is both false and absurd for the use of Magistrates legislative coercive and punitative power tends to no such ends as is objected but directly to the contrary and if any apply it to such ends it is meerly the abuse not use thereof and the abuse of this lawfull necessary power must not abolish nor blemish its lawfull use no more then the abuse of the very Scriptures of Preaching Food or Ecclesiasticall censures nullifie their use Secondly Hereticks Blasphemers or obstinate Schismaticks being the First-borne of the Devill and Heresie Blasphemy Schisme works of the flesh directly contrary to the Spirit and Word of God it is farre more probable that the not using this power of the Magistrate to punish them will farre more gratifie Satan and prophane carnall men then the exercise of it Thirdly all the godly Christian Emperours Kings States Ecclesiasticall Historians Councils and Authors forecited who have enacted Lawes against Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers and have pleaded for the use necessity of this power have been quite contrary minded yea the very Word and Spirit of God and God himselfe who hath given them such a power in expresse tearmes in the Old Testament and New contradict this Anarchicall if not Atheisticall proposition which hath neither Scripture nor reason to back it but the Objectors own bare assertion point-blank against Scripture and the concurrent suffrages of all Ages Fourthly I beseech you observe the impudency of these Objectors who deem themselves the onely Saints what Blasphemies they dare to vent in print That the Magistrates power to crush Heresies Schismes Blasphemies in the use of it plainly and palpably tends to the gratification of Satan and carnall and prophane men and those that are like to suffer by it are men OF GOOD CONSCIENCE AND TRULY FEARING GOD Ergo Hereticks Schismaticks and Blasphemers in their judgment are men of good conscience truly fearing God and those godly Christian Magistrates who out of good conscience and true feare of God shall restraine or punish them for their Heresies Blasphemies Schisms by the rule of contraries are men of no conscience nor truly fearing God but prophane carnall men yea ignorant loose lukewarme and carnall professors as he stiles them and none are pleased with their punishment but Satan and such men as these This is New-light indeed deserving to be hung up at Tyburne by the hands of the Hangman and such absurd Blasphemy as becomes none but Tyburne-Saints Fiftly I answer that it hath been the importunate desire of the true Saints and Ministers of God in all Ages not of ignorant loose lukewarme and carnall Professors as is falsly pretended without proofe or evidence to have all Religions Wayes Sects Opinions and practises in Religion suppressed excepting that one true way and practice which the Scripture warrants and the Christian States wherein they live upon good grounds approve as I have plentifully evidenced in the premises and is manifest by all Historians by the proceedings and Books written against Hereticks and Schismaticks in all Ages by the late Petition of thousands of godly People and Ministers to the Parliament and both Houses Answers thereunto Therefore this bare sottish false assertion to the contrary deserves no other answer but contempt and the Objectors merit no other character for it then that of Titus 1. 12 13. The Cretians are 〈◊〉 Lâ—ars evill Beasts This witnesse is true The eighteenth Objection is this That power which in the use of it directly tends to defile and pollute the consciences of men either by destroying the softnesse tendernesse or ingenuity of them or by disturbing the lawfull peace or comfort of them or by boâ—â— is a power from beneath not from above But such is the coercive power in matters of Religion to crush Schismes Heresies c. wherewith A. S. would faine befriend himself in the civill Magistrate Ergo. The truth of the Assumption appears in this consideration when the conscience of a man hath once broke the bounds and tye of its owne light and prostiâ—uâ—ed it selfe to the desires and lusts of men against the graine of its owne judgment and reclamation whereunto it is secretly tempted and urged when a man is threatned deep in case he shall not comply with the State in their Religion his judgment and conâ—cience being wholly averse to it one of these great evils commonly befals him First God takes no pleasure in such a conscience afterwards he withdraweth himselfe from it and leaves it unto it selfe whereupon it fals upon a course of hardening it selfe and by degrees contracts a boldnessâ— impudence and desperatnesse in sinning Secondly by reflecting on what it hath done in such a â—â—se and câ—sting it up between God and it selfe how grievous a sinne it is to trample upon its owne light upon any coâ—sideration whatsoever it brings it selfe into grievous Agoâ—â—es of Perplexities and Horror out of which it never recovers afterwards To this I answer first that this Argument is founded meerly upon false and carnall reason without and against all Scripture being of the same straine as the former Secondly the Assumption is a grosse falshood proved neither by Scripture nor Historicall Examples nor Experience but asserted onely by the Objectors Thirdly it confounds the abuse of the Magistrates coercive power with the lawfull use thereof as the two former Arguments did and makes the abuse to nullifie the use Fourthly it makes a casuall contingent effect of the use of this coervive power which seldom happens that through the parties own default who is restrained punished or onely frighted thereby to abolish the ordinary good use and effect
thereof to wit the reall conversion and reformation of Hereticks Schismaticks and Blasphemers not the pollution of their consciences a meer contingent not proper effect which effect I have proved at large it usually produceth and was ordained purposely to produce by Gods owne institution Fiftly the two objected inconveniences arising from the use of this coercive power are produced very rarely and that in few or none but the contrary effect ordinarily in many yea I dare assert it to be a lesse sinne to the party punished farre lesse dishonour to God and lesse mischiefe to a Christian Church or State for Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers to embrace the true Religion and worship of God established by the State to repair to join w th our Assemblies in all publick Ordinances contrary to the graine of his own seduced judgment erronious inclination then to persevere in damnable Heresies Schismes Blasphemies which his erronious conscience apprehends to be agreeable to the Truth Therefore this pretended mischief must vanish into smoak and can no wayes impeach the use of the Magistrates coercive power Sixtly I retort that the first of these two pretended effects not usually appearing in any one restrained Heretick Schismatick or Blasphemer is experimentally verified in the highest degree in many of the Objectors unrestrained unpunished Saints faithfull and anointed spirituall ones whom they so much exalt in a superlative manner for their transcendent holinesse their very impunity for three yeers space hath caused God so farre to withdraw himselfe from their formerly tender consciences and to leave them so farre unto themselves as he did the Circumcellioes among the ancient Donatists that they have many of them by degrees contracted such a boldnesse impudence and desperatenesse-in sinning inventing most damable execrable horrid Blasphemies Heresies Errors Tenets concerning the Father Sonne and holy Ghost and their respective Deity Unity the sacred Scriptures all Gods Ordinances almost the immortality of the soule the salvaâ—ion of all men and devils and the like committed such horrid outrages maintained the lawfulnesse of such prodigious sinnes practises and printed such scurrilous malicious railing slanderous Libels against both Houses of Parliament the Assembly Scots our Religion Worship Directory Minister Churches Ordinances Lawes and persons of greatest eminency and desert as all the Ages from Adam till 1642. are unable to paralleâ— as Master Edwards hath largely demonstrated in his Gangraenaes beyond contradiction All which such a severe execution of our Laws against Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers Sectaries Anabaptists would have prevented and crushed in the shell from which I may justly conclude That God will take no more pleasure in them or their consciences and if he ever give them grace to reflect upon these Enormities their Heresies Blasphemies Schismes it will bring them into such grievous agonies of perplexity horror as I doubt they will never recover out of them afterward and for which they are already for ever lost in the opinions of all truly pious and conscientious Christians who have been made acquainted with these their exorbitances And thus I trust I have unanswerably answered those Arguments which the Author of A Reply of two of the Brethren to A. S. to wit John Goodâ— in challengeth A. S. to answer solidly and thologue-like BY REASON he addes not Scripture which he excludes not by vote which he professeth himselfe unable to answer and to make him seperate in judgment from A. S. and others in the point in hand There is one grand Objection more much insisted on in former times by Donatists and Anabaptists and that is from the 1 Cor. 11. 19. For there must be also Heresies or Sects among you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you Whence they argue thus That which must needs be that they who are approved may be made manifest may not nor ought not to be punished nor suppressed by the civill Magistrate But such are Heresies and Sects as this Text defines Therefore they are not to be punished nor suppressed by the civill Magistrate I answer first that the proposition is meerly false in sundry particulars I. There is no absolute necessity that there should be Heresies and Sects in the Church of God nor yet in this or that particular or Nationall Church but it is meerly contingent through Gods permission Satans malice Mens pravity pride and corruption as Authors who have written of Heresies and Comentators on this Text accord II. This Text speaks not properly of Heresies but rather of Divisions and Sects as is cleere by comparing it with the next preceding words I heare there be Divisions or SCHISMES among you and I partly beleeve it for there must be also Sects as the margin of our new Translation and others render it among you not in every Church in every Age that those who are approved may be made manifest among you and with chap. 1. v. 10 to 17. Now there may be Schismes without Heresies properly so called as all accord though seldome or never any grosse Heresie without Schisme III. Admit there were an absolute necessity of Heresies in every particular or Nationall Church in all Ages more or lesse which this Text imports not yet it followes not thence Ergo they must be tolerated and not suppressed nor Hereticks punished and put to death for by such Logick and Divinity no sin nor wickednesse nor Malefactor whatsoever should be punished or suppressed but all tolerated without impunity There is as great a necessity in regard of mans corrupt nature since his fall that there should be Traytors Murderers Theeves Idolaters Sodomites and hainous capitall offences and offenders of all sorts in all Ages especially in the last times as well as Heresies and Hereticks as is cleer by Gal. 5. 19 20 20 21. Rom. 1. 26 to 31. 1 Cor. 5. 1 Tim. 3. 1. to 7. 2 Pet. 2. and daily experience will it therefore follow that Traytors Murderers Theeves Idoloters Sodomites and the most detestable crimes and Malefactors of all sorts must neither be restrained nor punished especially with death Impudency it selfe dares not assert it If therefore the necessity of these sinnes and hainous Malefactors will not excuse nor exempt them from punishment no more will the necessity of Heresies or Hereticks in the Church exempt them from suppression and punishment by the civill Magistrate and the Objectors may as well argue Men must not write preach pray nor dispute against them as that they must not punish them Our Saviour himself refutes this consequence as absurd Luke 17. 1 2. Matth. 18. 6 7 8 9. But whosâ— shall offend one of these little ones which beleeveth in me it were better that a Milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea Woe unto the world because of offences for IT MUST NEEDS BE THAT so Matthew or IT IS IMPOSSIBLE BUT THAT OFFENCES WILL COME so Luke but WOE to the man by
whom the offence commeth Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee cut them off and cast them from thee it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed rather then having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire c. If then the necessity of offences and impossibility but that they will come doth not excuse those by whom they come either from Woe Punishment or Hel-fire it selfe by Christs owne resolution and therefore we must cut off a right hand a right foot and pull out a right eye in case they offend us to preserve the whole body from hell and destruction then by the same reason the necessity of Heresies and Schisms will neither excuse nor exempt Hereticks nor Schismaticks from temporal or eternall Woes punishments or from being cut off and rooted out when incurable or incorrigible to preserve the whole body of a Church from infection and ruine IV. If this be no good Argument or consequent as all will grant There is a necessity that the earth by reason of Gods curse upon it should bring forth Bryars Thornes and Weeds which will and doe alwayes spring up in our Gardens Grounds and among our Corne Gen. 3. 17 18. Mat. 13. 25 26 c. Heb. 6. 7 8. Ergo we must not weed nor pull up such Thistles Bryars and Weeds out of our Gardens Grounds Corne but suffer them to grow without controll Nor this Foxes Wolves Beares and other Beasts of prey doe by a naturall instinct and necessity devour and pray upon Lambs Sheep and other Cattle therefore it is unlawfull to chase them away from the Sheep Heard Poultery or kill them for devouring them or to kill or drive away Rats Mice or Vermine from our Corne on which nature teacheth them to feed to preserve their lives Then certainly the Objection by like reason must be as absurd incoherent as these Arguments though there were a necessity of Heresies and Schismes V. Admit there were a necessity of Heresies and Schismes in generall yet there is no necessity that such or such a particular Heresie should spring up or that such a particular person should either be an Heretick or Schismatick and if any be such it is from their owne free choyce or love of Error and through their owne default not any inevitable necessity imposed on them by God therefore they may be justly punished for it both temporally and eternally as well as those who crucified Christ in pursuance of Gods owne Councell and Decree which neither mitigated nor extenuated their voluntary sin Act. 2. 22 23 58 ch 4. 26 27 28. 1 Thes 2. 15 16. VI. The necessity of Heresies and Schismes did not prohibit nor restraine Paul himselfe from smiting Elymas the Sorcerer with blindnesse Acts 13. 6 to 13. nor from delivering Hymeneus and Philetus who denying the Resurrection and subverted the faith of some to Satan â— Tim. 1. 19 20. 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. nor from casting out the incestuous Corinthian 1 Cor. 5. 5. nor from wishing those that troubled the Galathians to be cut off Gal. 5. 21. nor from opposing Schisme and Schiâ—maticks 1 Cor. 1. 8 to 17. Rom. 16. 17 18. 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 â— 2 Tim. 3. 1 to 7. Tit. 3. 10 11. Therefore it can no more exempt them from temporall punishments by the civill Magistrate then Ecclesiasticall by Church-Officers and the Apostle Paul himselfe Finally the contingent good which Hereticks and Schismaticks sometimes doe to those that are approved doth no wayes plead for their toleration or impunity because it is contingent Al Heresies and Schismes are in their owne natures evill dangerous destructive pernicious If Gods over-ruling providence turnes them to good to some yet they are dangerous and pernicious to most and therefore deserve both suppression and punishment by Gods own expresse precept Jude 3 4 c. Rev. 2. 13 4 115 20 21. 2 John 9 â—0 11. Rom. 16. 17 18. 1 Tim. 1. 19 20. The Devill himselfe and his malice is sometimes an accidentall occasion of good to the Saints yet they must resist him stedfastly else he would devour them James 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8 9. Eph. 6. 12 13. So ill humours diseases casually doe the body good sometimes but it is by purging of them out with Physick and Phlebotomy else they will become mortall so it is with Heresies and Schisms they will prove damnable and pernicious if not purged out of the Churches body All which considered the Argument from this objected Text will prove a meer inconsequent and absurdity As for the other Objection which the Independents and Sectaries of late cry up That no man now is guided with an infallible Spirit so as insallibly and certainly to define what is Heresie and Blasphemy what not Therefore men are not to be capitally punished for Heresie or Blasphemie They might adde by the like reason not for any other crime I answer briefly because answered at large by Master Beza heretofore and by Master Edwards now in his Treatise against Toleration and elswhere touched upon here but fully refuted in my Truth triumphing over Falshood pag. 152 to 156. First that this Objection proves our Sectaries and Independents who object it meere Nullifidians who beleeve not the very Principles of Religion with an infallible certainty of falth as indubitable Truths but onely as probable Tenets which may be false as well as true in which they are worse then Papists who though they plead for doubting of their owne salvation yet they doubt not at all of their Religion though erronious Yea worse then the veriest Turks and Pagans who beleeve their Idolatrous Religions to be infallibly true Secondly I wonder how these Objectors dare professe or embrace any thing in Religion which they beleeve not certainly to be an infallible truth since whatsoever is not of faith is sinne and he that doubteth is damned Rom. 14. 23. or how they can with comfort suffer for it Thirdly we have the true reason of our Sectaries and Independents ficklenesse and daily changes from one opinion to another till they become flat Schismaticks or Atheists because they beleeve nothing with certainty Fourthly we have here an infallible evidence that they are neither good Saints nor Christians much lesse the onely Saints and anointed ones as they stile themselves since the Saints are all rooted grounded in the true Christian Faith and led infallibly into all divine Truths necessary to salvation which they both beleeve and have been taught Col. 2. 7. 2 Pet. 1. 12 19. Ephes 3. 17. 18. chap. 4. 14 15 1 Cor. 15. 58. Luke 1. 1 2 4. James 1. 6 7 8. 1 Cor. 16 13. Phil. 1. 27. chap. 4. 1. John 15. 13. ch 8. 32. â— Tim. 4. 3. Fiftly there are some Principles in Divinity which all true Saints and Christians infallibly beleeve and know both concerning God the Father Christ the holy Ghost the divine Attributes the sacred Scriptures and