pronounced but as it was according to the Law There is an expresse limitation in the text in verses 10. 11. thou shalt doe according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee In the Hebrew text t is twice written juxta os legis according to the mouth of the Law and the ordinary Glosse upon that place notes that t is not said unto them thou shalt obey unlesse they teach according to the Law these words according to the sentence of the Law doe signifie a condition not a promise as if God did promise the Priests they should never depart from the Law which our Divines observe against Bellarmine and other Papists yea Master Goodwin himselfe Sect. 107. of his Hagiomastix speaking of this place to be meant only of such a sentence which the Priest did upon enquiry by Vrim receive immediately or however infallibly from the mouth of God himselfe grants it and puts in the same Section this sentence of the high Priest under the Law and saith the command in that Scripture is with that Caution and limitation of going according to the sentence of the Law for proofe of which I shall quote his own words verbatim Thirdly nor doth God in this passage of Scripture speaking of Deut. 17. 12. expresly command without caution and limitation that even in this Controversie it selfe he that would not stand to the sentence of the Iudge or high Priest should be put to death but only then when the Priests the Levites and the Iudge should give sentence or informe them according to the sentence of the Law And for the Readers further Satisfaction of the Scope and meaning of Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. to free it from Master Goodwins sense of only such a sentence which the Priest did upon enquiry by Vrim receive immediately by which he would evade all punishment from the Magistrate in matters of Religion though I have said much upon the place already I refer him to the first Tractate eight Question page 127. 128 129. of Rivets Catholious Orthodoxus 2. Then by miracles t is a saying of Chrysostome God hath left us the Scriptures more firme then any miracle where the word of God is for such a thing that thing is most true and certain the word of God standeth and ahideth for ever It is easier for heaven and earth to passe then one title of the Law to faile t is impossible for God to lie miracles accompanying Doctrines are not alwayes infallible proofes of the truth of them for false Prophets teaching false Doctrines may doe miracles and come with signs and wonders Deut. 13. 1 2 3. showes that false Prophets who say let us goe after other Gods may give signs and wonders and the signe or wonder may come to passe Matth. 7. 22 23. Christ tels us that many who prophecied in his Name plead they have cast out Devils and done many wonderfull workes were workers of iniquity upon which place * Maldonate though a Iesuite confesses those false Prophets of which Christ speakes wrought true miracles truely Prophecied truely Prophecied truely cast out Devils neither doth Christ answer them that they lied but that he knew them not although they had done such miracles and thereupon he grants there can be no necessary argument taken from true miracles to prove the truth of Doctrine So Matth. 24. 24. 2 Thes 2. 9. Revel 13. 13 14. fully set forth how false Prophets and Anti-Christ shall doe great miracles by means of which they shall deceive many In Augustines time the Donatists would alledge miracles done by them to prove the truth of their Church and Doctrine and so doe the Papists now against the Protestants making the glory of miracles a note of their Church but Augustine against the Donatists of his time and learned Protestants against the Papists upon that Question of the notes of the Church doe prove the word of God a surer note and Argument of the true Church and Faith then miracles as whoever consults the writings of * Augustine Whitaker Cameron Rivet Ames Willet Whites way to the Church and especially of learned Gerard shall find 3. The proofe of Doctrine by the Scripture is more infallible then the testimonie of one coming from the dead Luk. 16. 29 30 31. Mases and the Prophets for perswading to beleeve are preferred before one arising from the dead They who elude and wrest the Scriptures interpreting them according to their own iust if one should arise from the dead they would not believe him in what he said against their Opinions but would put off all one way or other Experience hath taught that as Maldonâ—ie observes Christ raised up Lazarus from the grave who as t is to be thought told the Scribes and Priests many things agreeable to those which Christ taught them and yet they were so farre from beleeving him that they would have killed him John 12. 9 10 So the Scribes and Pharisees after Christs resurrection from the dead beleeved him never a whit more then before 4. Then an Apostle for the Apostles notwithstanding the prerogative of infallibilitie their certaine and infallible knowledge of the Gospel by the immediate inspiration of the holy Ghost being infallible in their writings to the Churches and in those Doctrines of faith they preached to those to whom they were sent were in some things at some times subject to mistakes or errors Peter that great Apostle of the circumcision after the holy Ghost was given Acts 2. erred and mistooke in accounting the Gentiles at that time common and unclean as Acts 10. 13. 14 15 18 24 compared together fully showes and in the Doctrine of Christian Libertie compelling the Gentiles to live at the Jewes and not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel for which Paul withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. But the Scriptures erre not at all are all fine gold without any drosse cannot deceive be perfect and glorious the Apostles themselves in their preachings and writings appealed to the Scriptures made them the chiefe rules of their Doctrines Acts 3. 21. Acts 4. 25 26. Acts 17 2 3. Acts 26. 22 23. Acts 28. 23 24 25 26 27. Rom. 1. 2. Rom. 3. 4. with many other places to the same purpose The 〈◊〉 are commended for that when Paul the Apostle preached to them they searched the Scriptures whether those things were so John the Baptist was sent from God 1 John 6. immediately inspired by the holy Ghost as well as the Apostles and yet Christ prefers the witnesse of the Scriptures before the Testimonie of John John 5. 34 36. 39. The Testimonie of the Scriptures is greater then the record of John of which see Willets Synops first general Controvers concerning the Scriptures quest fourth 5. Then an Angel Gal. 1. 8. But though wee or an Angel from heaven c. Paul prefers the Scriptures
very uncertain doubtfull other things absurd and untrue As first that to be a Type of Christ is a sufficient ground of a Politicall Civill power over the Church and that typicalnesse qua typicalnesse gives those persoâ—s a power who otherwise have none the contrary unto which is in severall Reasons proved by Doctor Stewart in the second part of his Duply to M. S. page 22. and never yet answered by M. S. or any other though M. S. and many of his Brethren have written upon that argument since Secondly that he who was Head of the State was Head also of the Church in a typicall way whereas many great Divines are of another judgement and show that the Kings of Judah and the civill judicatures were formally distinct from the Ecclesiasticall and that he who was cheif in the State over civill matters was not cheif Iudge and Officer in the Church in an Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall notion of which point Master Râ—â—herford and Master Gilâ—espie having written so fully lately I shall spare to speak any thing and referre the Reader to their learned Books entiâ—uled The Divine Right of Church Government Aarons Rod Blossoming Thirdly that the people of the Iewes were interchangably a Church and a Nation so that whoever was a member of the Church was a member of the Common-wealth and vice versa of which see the Book entituled The Antient Bounds or Liberty of Conscience seated page 60. Now Master Gillespie in his Aarons Rod blossoming Book 1. chap. 2. proves strongly that the Iewish Church was formally distinct from the Iewish State and that in seven particulars as in respect of distinct Lawes distinct Acts distinct Officers so in respect of distinct Members there being Members of the Church among them who had the name of Proselyti Iustitiae and were initiated into the Iewish Religion by Circumcision Sacrifice c. that neverthelesse were restrained and secluded from Dignities Government and Preferment in the Iewish Common-wealth and from divers matriages which were free to the Israelites Master SELDEN also in that learned Book of his De Jure Natur. Gentium lib. 2. cap. 4. lib. 5. cap. 20. speaks as much of those Proselytes Proselytus justitiae utcunque novato patriae nomine Iudaeuâ— diceretur non tam quidem ciâ— is Iudaicus simpliciter censendus esset quam peregrinus sempeâ— cui jura quamplurima inter cives Secondly how do they prove that Iehu Ioash Manasseh Asa Hezekiah Iebosophat Iosiah were Types of Christ and did execuâ—e typically the kingly office of Christ in his Church were Kings in an Ecclesiasticall notion an extraordinary way not ruling only for the Church but in the Church and over it as they say Moses Ioshua David Solomon were in their persons places and actions expresse types of Iesus Christ as 't is evident in the New Testament Pen-men also of Scripture besides Prophets as well as Magistrates and so were extraordinary men that every thing they did in Religion is not a binding example to Magistrates now as many Reformed Divines have showen against the Arminians and Erastians but that Asa Iosiah Hezekiah Iehosaphat were is gratis dictum not yet proved neither were these Pen-men of holy Scripture or Prophets extraordinarily inspired but these foure great Reformers as Kings were stirred up enquiring after and directed by Prophets as the Reader may finde clearly in the stories of them in the Chronicles and Kings Besides I finde not among Divines who have written of the Types of Christ or who grant Moses David Solomon to be expresse Types that they make Asa Iosiah c. to be Types Again of Types of Christ as Divines distinguish there are particular persons types of him as Adam Noah Isaac Joseph Moses Joshua Samson David Solomon Jonah and there are such rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets c. Now though all of the first sort are speciall particular Types of him so that the speciall things done by them do typifie and set forth Christ in many particulars of his person actions and sufferings yet the rancks and orders of men as the First-born Kings Prophets may not be typicall in all the particular persons of those ranks and orders at least to the particular acts they do in those ranks and orders but 't is enough for many in those orders to agree in common as in being Kings and Prophets as Christ was there being some in all those orders and ranks appointed of God especially and peculiarly to be the Types which others are not and for whose sakes in those orders and ranks such orders of men were instituted by God to be Types of which many instances might be given with the Reasons thereof in some of the First-born Kings c. but I shall reserve the further handling of that to a second part upon this Subject Lastly supposing Asa Josiah and those godly Kings to be Types of Christ may it not be doubted whether Jehu Ieboash Ammon Ieroboam c. were Types of Christ and did execute his kingly office who yet were commended viz. the two firâ—t for destroying false worship and reproved for not doing it constantly besides could those Kings of Israel and Iudah who yet were lawfull Kings that apostatised from all the whole worship of God the Ceremoniall Law that ordained the Types that destroyed Gods service and the Priesthood made Priests of the lowest of the people be Types of Christ and I desire to be resolved or M. S. the Author of the Antient bounds of Liberty of Conscience stated whether any wicked men were speciall Types of Christ and whether all persons who were Types of Christ were not saved Thirdly suppose these Kings of Iudah were Types of Christ in setting on the Thron of David and ruling over Iudah in Christ the King of his Church coming out of their loines yet they were temporall Kings had Civill authority Now how does it appear that what they did in punishing idolatrous Priests commâ—nding their subjects to the true worship of God they did only as Types by vertue of that Notion and not as they were temporall Kings which must be proved before their examples can be made null and I am sure the Scripture no where faith that the Kings of Iudah and Israel in what they commanded in matters of Religion they did as Types of Christ and not as Civill Magistrates 'T is one thing to be a Type and another thing to doe such things meerly qua Types and what if Christian Magistrates leaning upon this broken staffe suffering all Herefies Blasphemies and Idolatries in their Kingdomes Christ at the last day when they stand before the judgement feat they objecting for themselves the Kings of Israel and Iudah were Types of Christ and all they did was by vertue of their typicall notion shal tell them no but as Magistrates entrusted by God with a power and authority how will they be then confounded will this distinction and notion
cases too hard and difficult for them are commanded to goe higher to some superior Court and Assembly as those words cleerly show thou shalt arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse This place afterwards was Jerusalem as t is said Psal 122. 5. there were set thrones of judgement and in Ierusalem did Iehoshaphat set of the Levites and of the Priests and the chiefe of the Fathers of Israel for the judgement of the Lord and for Controversies 2 Chron. 19. 8. 9. 10. Ainsworth upon the place writes that by the Iudge that shall be in those dayes is understood the high Councell and Senate of Iudges which were of the cheif of the Fathers of Israel as they who are called Priests verse 9. are called verse 12. Priest so many Iudges are called Iudge only as among the Priests one was cheife so among the Iudges one was Prince 2 Chron. 19. 11. The Hebrew records say when any doubt aâ—ose in any case to any one of Israel hee asked of the judgement Hâ—ll that was in his Citie if they knew they told it him if not then hee that enquired together with the Synedrion or with the messengers thereof went up to Jerusalem and inquired of the Synedrion that was in the Mountaine of the Temple if they knew they told it them if not then they all come to the Synedrion that was at the door of the Court yard of the Temple if theâ— knew they told it them and if not they all came to the chamber of hewen stone to the great Synedrion and enquired and Interpreters generally understand these verses of Iudicatures and Courts in Israel and of the lower Courts going to the highest the great and high Synedrion Now I find no command noâ— example recorded in Scripture of any of the Iewish Courts Ecclesiast or Civil enquiring by Vrim of morall transgressions of what sort they were and what punishments the Committers of such sins should have but still they determined according to the Law and Iudgements Ezek. 44. 24. I never read of the high Synedrion either in Scripture or any other writers of it that they were wont to give their Answer by Vrim and Thummim If we observe those instances in Scripture of enquiring by Vrim wee shall see they are inquiries made of particular persons by the Priest not by a Court and of the high Priest not as sitting in Court nor as alwayes at Ierusalem nor of Criminall cases but of going in and out to warre and such like and whoever doth but consult with the Annotations of Ainsworth Diodate and Luther English Divines the Commentaries of Lyra Piscator and others on this place will confesse t is quite another thing is here spoken of then the judgement of Vrim 3. Amesius in his Cases of Conscience in his Answer to that question whether that Law Deut. 17. 12. of putting him to death who would not hearken to the Iudge and the Priest was just resolves it was and faith the equity of that Law will easily appeare and among other reasons gives this because that place speaks of disobedience in those things which out of the Law of God are cleerly and manifestly determined verse 11. so that wee see Ames judgement in the resolution of that case is that the Answer of the Iudge or Priest was made out of the Law of God and not by Vrim and it seems that learned men never dreamt of any such thing in this Deut. 17. for among all his reasons he mentions no such thing and certainly if that were the meaning of the place which Hagiomastix puts upon it that had been such a strong reason for the equity of putting those to death who would not hearken to the Priest giving them councell immediately and infallibly from God as that Dr. Ames could not have omitted it For if Mr. Goodwin who is so kind and charitable to all Atheists Antiscripturists Blasphemers Idolaters c in his Queries upon the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance against Heresies and his Hagiomastix as that he would have no coercive power made use of against them doth yet grant there was an equity in that Law that sentence of death should passe on such that would not hearken to the Priest speaking immediately and infallibly from God and saith that for his part if the Inquisitors now can give any satisfying account of any sentence awarded against Blasphemers Hereticks that comes by infallible Revelation from God hee shall thinke it equall and meet that hee that shall doe presumptuously and not hearken unto it should be put to death then Dr. Ames who was fully for the Magistrates coercive power in matters of Religion and for putting Blasphemous Hereticks to death could not have forgotten this reason Fourthly on Deut. 17. 8 9 10 11 12. is founded by the judgement of many great Divines that which is called the Councell the great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem the Seventy Spanhemius in his third part Dubiorum Evangelicorum page 800. 801. showes that by the command of the Law this very place Deut. 17. 8 9. to this supreame Tribunall of the Synedrion were referred all things whatsoever that could not be determined of the inferior Courts or were doubtfull and had tried the severall judgements of the inferior judges Gersom Bucerus in his Dissertat de Gubernat Ecclesiae page 62. quotes this Deut. 17. 8. 9. for the generall Convention at Ierusalem to which the hardest things were brought which could not be determined in the lower judicatories Walaeus in his Tractate de Discrimine muneris politici Ecclesiastici brings this place to prove the Synedrion or Colledge at Ierusalem that if among the Iudges or Priests in the lesser Cities and Townes there fell out some things of greater moment or if any one would not rest in their sentence the cause was devolved to higher Iudges who after Davids time had their Synedrion at Ierusalem as the cheife Metrapolis of Iudâ—â— Mr Gillespie in his Aarons rod blossoming 1. Book 3. chapt writeâ— thus T is agreed upon both by Iewish and Christian Expositors that this place holds forth a supream civill Court of Iudges and the Authority of the civill Sanhedrim is mainly grounded on this very text And as the high civil Synedria is founded here so many Divines show a supream Ecclesiast Sanhedrim distinct from the Civill is held forth in this very place to which the People of God weere bound as to the supream Ecclesiasticall Court to bring all the difficult Ecclesiasticall causes which could not be determined in the lower Assemblies in which Court they were determined without any other appeale of which the Reader may find more in Walaeus Gerson Bucerus Apollonii jus Magistratus circa sacra first part page 374. and second part second chapter page 48. and aboue all others in Mr. Gillespie his Aarons Rod blossoming Book 1. chapt 3. who at large handles this point that the Iewes had an
in the name of Christ cannot erre in those things which are of any great moment For we truly willingly confesse many Councels not to have erred yea wee confesse Lawfull Churches as in the sense above is explained by us that are truely gathered in the name of Christ not to erre in necessary things and of Baron in that acute and learned Reply of his to Turnebull the Iesuite wee doe not simply and absolutely condemne that which the Doctors of Paris doe teach of the infallibilitie of Councels For it may be piously and probably beleeved that Councels truely generall and Lawfull that is Lawfully gathered and proceeding to be so governed and directed by the holy Spirit that they may not erre in fundament all points I say this may be beleeved because t is certaine such Councels have never hitherto erred in Doctrines fundamentall Secondly although the Authoritie and Power of Synods and Councels is not of it selfe infallible neither appointed of God that it should be the supreme and principall Rule of our Faith and therefore cannot by it selfe and of its owne Authoritie bind the faithfull to beleeve whatever is determined in a Synod or Councell yet there is in them the supream Ecclesiastical Power of judging and determining Controversies of Faith and that appointed by God to avoid confusion and rents in the Church Hence the Authoritie of Lawfull Councels hath a speciall force and singular efficacie before many other motives of faith to beget a peswasion in the minds of men of the truth of the Doctrine agreed on in the Councell And because in our times the best Synods and Councels are rejected and flighted and every private person takes upon them a boundlesse Libertie of contradicting all Synodicall Decrees I shall therefore lay downe briefly out of divers learned Authors what preeminencie there is in Synods and Coâ—ncels towards the compounding of Controversies and doubts in Religion above what is in private Christians or single particular Ministers 1 There is an Authorite given them by God they are an Ordinance of Jesus Christ to judge of and determine Controversies of faith which no man of a sound mind affirmes of private Christians or particular Ministers Secondly they have a power of subjecting those to excommunication and other Ecclesiasticall censures who openly contradict their Decrees Thirdly they have a more peculiar assistance of the Spirit so greater then that which particular Ministers judgeing apart have Fourthly They have surer means of finding out the truth viz. The Prayers Fastings Disputations c. of the cheifest Pastors of the whole Church For as Cameron speaks In a Councell if there be present piouâ— and learned men they open things which before were shut by their mutual disquisition which cannot be so easily done of particular men apart Fifthly A better ground of knowing what is the judgement of the whole Church concerning any Question in Controversie and what the Churches have observed in such cases Sixthly A more easie way of reducing the Decrees and Determinations of the Church to practice Seventhly greater Reverence Respect and Obedience is owing to the Determinations and Decrees of Synods and Councels then of particular Persons or Churches the Authoritie of Synods in their place and degree is so to be looked upon that particular Ministers or private Christians should not lightly or easily for every probable Reason or conjecture reject their determinations Hence Cameron speaking of Councels well observes So oft as any thing is decreed by an Assembly of men who are put into Anthoritie in the Church that should be a ground that such a thing should not rashly nor without a great deale of accurate and serious observation be rejected For first of all we owe Reverence to a Synod even then when we judge it decrees false things A pious sonne of the Church doth not vainely insult over her but with a kind of Reverentiall shamefastnesse departs from her Secondly wee owe outward obedience unlesse wee doe evidently perceive the Synod to prescribe and determine false and wicked things for t is not Lawfull upon light and probable Reasons to oppose the judgement of the Pastors of the Church the certaine manifest Authoritie of God commands us to obey the decrees of the Church and when wee have only uncertaine conjectures and probable Reasons then that common rule is to be followed Hold that which is certaine leave the uncertaine And therefore they who doubt of the truth of the Decrees of a Synod or upon light and probable Reasons think their Opinion false but doe not certâ—inly know it to be such are bound by the Synodicall decrees to performe such an obedience as is agreeable to order comelinesse and peace which obedience is nothing else but the observance of Christian humilitie and modestie by which the faithfull in such cases abstaine both from a publike open profession of their Opinion and a condemning and confuting of the Synods Opinion and in the meane time by diligent searching of the Scripture do enquire out the truth and pray to God to manifest his truth to men and to discover the errors of the Synod that so they being knowne contrary Doctrine may be established in another Councel Of which seven particulars and divers others of Synods whoever would see more let them read Baron against Turnebull Tract 5. De Authorit Ecclesiae cap. 17. Camerons Praelect De Eccles Infallibilitate 292. 293. Apollon Jus Magist circ sacra first part cap. 4. 247. 248 249. Fourthly there is a greater degree of infallibilitie and certaintie in matters of faith and religion to be attained by means of the Scriptures then was by the high Priests answers by Vrim or then is to be had by miracles by one arising from the dead and comming to us then by an Apostle or an Angel from heaven yea or from a voice comming from heaven of each of which I will speake something briefly 1. There was more certaintie even under the old Testament in the word written in the Law then in the high Priests Answer which appeares thus because the Law was made by God himselfe the cheife rule and measure of the high Priests Answer and in difficult cases wherein the Iewes were commanded to come to the high Priest for resolution the last reference is made to the Law That very place Deut. 17. 9. 10 11 12. brought by Hagiomastix page 130. to prove the sentence there spoken of only such a sentence which the Priest did upon enquiry by Vrim and Thummim receive immediately or however infallibly from the mouth of God himselfe and by the Iesuits Bellarmine Lorinus Bailius c brought to prove the Pope the supreame infallible Iudge of Controversies and not the Scriptures showes cleerly whatever answers the high Priest gave in matters of judgement they are limited expresly to the word of God and that is made the supreme Iudge The Iewes were not simply to rest in the judgement of the high Priests whatever they
Prophets does not only signifie Prophets as Arias Montanus observes upon that place but foolish speakers and vaine talkers such namely who are the cunning devisers of vaine discourses and by the subtil illusious of words doe catch the people such as Peter speaks of 2 Pet. 2. false Teachers among the people who with fained words deceive among others such especially who when they are confuted by learned men by plain places of Scripture being destitute of all abilitie and means by which to defend them errors that they may delude weak people insolently hoast they have the Spirit all their discourses being full of the boasting of the Spirit their prayers disputations speeches to the People all full of that for which they thinke they should be more beleeved then for all reason testimonies imitating therein Mahomet that Prince of Hereticks who when be could not prove the things he taught then he fled to the authoritie of the Spirit saying the Spirit revealed those things to him Now all sorts of Hereticks and false Teachers besides those Prophets who say let us goe after other Gods are vain talkers and deceivers as they of the circumcision and others Tit. 1. 10. 3 In this place is understood Hereticks and false Teachers as well as false Prophets who teach the following after other Gods from the effects that follow upon the thrusting thorow in the 4. 5. 6. verses so Gualther upon the place saith that it ought to be understood of false Teachers out of what followes it shall be manifest as from saying I am no Prophet I am an but bandman for man taught me to keep cattell from my youth c. That is they shall ingenuously confessé their ignorance that they ought to be sent to the Plaw-taile and to keep cattel rather then to continue any longer in the Ministrie of the Church And this is fulfilled in our age in many Papists who have left many fat Livings and preferments to embrace the pure Doctrine of the Gospel and â—â—bet in the Church of Christ by the labor of their hands to get their living then in the tents of Anti-Christ to enjoy the greatest means Now Papists and such others however they are false Teachers venâ— corrupt unsound Doctrine yet they are not of those who deny the true God and Christ and perswade to serve strange Gods So that by all these places of Scripture opened wee may see fully proved against Hagiomastixs assertion by warrant of Scripture many corruptions in matters of Religion besides false Prophets publickly teaching Apostasie to false Gods outwardly and bodily punished as private Seducers though they pretend not to be Prophets as persons seduced not seducing as those who would not hearken to but contemne the sentence of the supreme Ecclesiasticall Assembly as Hereticks and false Teachers and whoever would see more of these instances of Magistrates punishing for corruptions of religion in points of wil-worship Sabboth breaking c let them look back to page 27. 28 29 of this present Tractate Secondly Supposing there had been no other commands nor examples for Magistrates under the old Testament putting to death for matters of Religion then those named by Hagiomast of false Prophets Apostates Blasphemers which is not true as I have now shown in this first Answer and page 28. of this present Book yet these were sufficient grounds to justifie the Magistrates punishing in like cases and that upon these Reasons 1. In all Laws and commands for the better knowing their nature what they require and would have t is good looking into the causes and reasons of them why such Lawes were given by God from the cause of making the Law the mind of the Law-giver is to be understood T is a knowne maxime Ratio legis est mens legis the reason of the Law is the mind of the Law Now the reasons and causes of both those commands both against false Prophets as also private Seducers in Deut. 13. from 1. to the 12 are 1. the seeking to turne men away from the Lord their God and thrusting them out of the way which the Lord commanded them to walke in 2. The putting away the evill from the midst of them that others may hear and fear and do no more any such wickednes among them these are the Spirit and substance of these commands that those are to bee punished who when they fal from God themselves tempt others to the like defection and therefore are to bee made examples that others may not doe the like And therefore whoever seeks to turne men away from the Lord God and thrust them out of the way which the Lord hath commanded them to walke in they come within the compasse of these commandements although they doe not tempt to goe after the false Gods of that time and those Countries which the false Prophets then enticed them to for the reason of the Law is expressed in a universall forme against those who seek to turne men away from the Lord their God and to thrust them out of the way which the Lord commanded them to walke in as Beza observes and therefore to be in force against those in generall who doe fal from the true Religion and enticers also which is done other wayes then by falling to the strange Gods in those times that Moses writ in yea the command it selfe verse 5. in the letter mentions as speaking to turne men away from the Lord their God so to thrust out of the way which the Lord their God commanded them to walke in which certainly in the Scripture sense and acception includes other Apostafie and Idolatrie then of other Gods and I aske whether Israels worshipping the golden calfe and the ten Tribes worshipping the golden calfe at Dan and Bethel though they worshipped Iehovah in and by them were not a going out of their way which the Lord their God commanded them to walke in Secondly It is common and usual that in the commands concerning the worship of God and in other places of Scripture where the worship of God is spoken of there are Synecdochicall speeches intending and containing many other things of like kind and nature although not formally and literally expressed Eliah whe he complained of the whole Covenant of God violated by the Israelites expresses it by a part thrown down thine Altars and slaine thy Prophets The Prophet Isaiah prophecying of Egypts embracing the true religion saith Egypt shall sweare to the Lord of hosts under that expressing the whole worship of God The commands of God are exceeding large and broad comprehending many things under one Rivet in his explication of the Decalogue among other Rules hee gives for understanding of the commandements hath this that in all the Precepts of the Decalogue we must acknowledge a Synecdecâ—e in which one kind being propounded all under the same genus are understood But that that Synecdoche may be rightly explained before all things the Scope of the Law-giver in
his other wicked Opinions M. Goodwin what Answer wil you make to God for these pretences brought against Scripture can you think against such expresse texts such poor shifts wil serve or wil hold water in the day of judgement what if these then prove but Adams fig-leaves meer shifts and tricks of wit to put off the word and bee not real what wil you then doe for all the dishonour of God ruine of precious souls occasioned by your means wil not Gods wrath sweepe away these Cobwebs I say no more thinke upon it Master Goodwin and be not deceived God is not mocked 18. THESIS Whereas the Patrons of Toleration commonly plead that all places of Scripture both of examples and commands for Magistrates punishing in matters of Religion are only from the old Testament and t is confessed by them that under the Law before Christs comming good Magistrates both did and might exercise coercive power on false Prophets Apostates Blasphemers but now since the new Testament t is otherwise It being the Will and Command of God that since the coming of his Son the Lord Jesus a Permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Anti-Christian Consciences and Worships be granted to all men in all Nations and Countries and they only to be fought against with that sword which is only in soule matters able to conquer to â—it the sword of Gods Spirit the word of God I lay downe this Thesis That all things concerning Religion and pietie constantly practised by the godly and by God commanded under the old Testament and by him never declared to be repealed bind as firmely under the new Testament although there be no particular command nor example a new approving them as they did under the old and that in such cases the comming of Christ into the world and his death are so far from giving any dispensation or Libertie that quite contrary some things before permitted to the Jewes are by Christ now taken away and all matters in reference to Religion and Holinesse upon the comming of Christ into the world are spoken of by the Scriptures as to be kept and done with greater exactnesse and strictnesse For proof of which I lay downe these following grounds First That the Scripture of the old Testament is the Canon and Rule of faith and Practice as well as the Scripture of the New and that it equally belongs to Christians as the Books of the New which point besides that it hath been held by the Orthodox in the Church of God in all times since Christ and denied only by Hereticks as the Simoniani the Maniches Socinians Antinomians Anabaptists I shall give these reasons 1. That Christ and the Apostles all along in the new Testament prove their Doctrine by the Scriptures of the old Testament Moses and the Prophets still referring the People in all Controversies of Faith and Practice to the Scriptures of the old Testament as is evident by these places Luk. 16. 29. John 5. 39. Rom. 15. 4. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16 17. 2 Pet. 1. 19. cum multis aliis which are all understood of the Scriptures of the old Testament as besides many things in those texts showing as much no Scriptures of the new Testament being then extant when Christ gave those exhortations to search the Scriptures and when Timothy was a child of which Scripture the Apostle speaks which Timothy learned of a child as Chrysostome well expounds Now that was the Scripture of the old Testament because the new was not as yet committed to writing then when Timothie was a child Nay further all the texts by way of Scripture prooâ—e brought in the new Testament to prove any thing in matter of faith and manners are all quoted out of the old Testament and not the new whereupon wee see how frequently Moses the Psalms and Prophets are cited by Christ and his Apostles but to my best remembrance I doe not find in all the new Testament any place of Scripture brought to prove any thing from the new Testament but that one passage out of Pauls Epistles 2 Pet. 3. 15 16. 2. The Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 3. 16. saith All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproofe for Correction for instruction in righteousnesse Now if all Scripture be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Scripture of the old Testament is so to and as given by inspiration is with all reverence to be acknowledged and received by Christians Againe if all Scripture be profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for Correction for instruction of righteousnesse therefore Doctrines of faith and Practises of life may be profitably fetched from thence and when things are laid downe in the old Testament they are commanded in the Scriptures they being the Scriptures too although not mentioned in the new But who so desires to be further satisfied in this question of the Scripture of the old Testament being of the same Authoritie with Christians as that of the new let him consult Bullingers Books against the Anabaptists lib. 4. cap. 4. 5 6 and Spanhemius his Disputations against the Anabaptists De usu Script V. Testaments in Ecclesia Christiana Secondly every command of God made knowne in the old Testament and never afterwards repealed nor revoked by him nor expiring in the nature of it is perpetual and in force whatever God once commands til he declares either particularly that t is not his will such a Law should any longer bind or at least generally in equivalencie obliges So that t is no good argument to say against a Practice as long as t is commanded in the old this cannot be proved out of the new Testament and therefore may not be done but rather on the contrary wee may inferre that the silence of the new Testament concerning a Law expresly and clearly delivered in the old Testament is a confirmation rather then an abrogation of it or an intimation that it is expired There are many particulars might be instanced in some expressely commanded and others forbidden in the old Testament which are not spoken of at all in the new Testament unlesse in general that yet are held by Orthodox Divines and I suppose by Hagiâ—mastix too binding under the new as many degrees of Marriages forbidden usury as Magistrates putting to death murderers and some other Malefactors with divers others that might be named Upon which occasion Master Cotton answers Master Williams If it be true that Christ gâ—ve no expresse Ordinance Praecept or President of killing men by material Swords for Religion sake It is as true that neither did he for any Breach of Civil Justice no not for murder nor Adultery And so supposing there were no new Testament proofes for the Magistrates punishing Apostates Blasphemers c. yet the old Testament affording such a cloud of witnesses is testimony abundant especially remembring what I have at large proved in divers pages of the last Thesis concerning
God and Christ his Sonne standeth in as full strength under the Gospel as ever it did under the Law For Princes in the new Testament be Gods Ministers to revenge Malefactors as they were in the old and the greater the wickednesse the rather to be punished ergo the greatest as Heresies Idolatries Blasphemies are soonest of all other vices to be repressed by Christian Magistrates whose zeale for Christs glory must not decrease Christs care for their Scepters being increased and those monuments of former Kings left written for their instruction were not this sufficient as in truth t is to refute your evasion yet King David foreseeing in Spirit that Heathen Kings would â—and themselves and assemble together against the Lord and his Christ extendeth the same charge to the Gentiles which the Kings of Jurie received before and warned them all at once Be wise ye Kings understand yeâ— Judges of the world Serve the Lord. And so in another place of this Book the Jesuits saying these were Kings of the old Testament and they had the Law of God to guide them he answers Then since Christian Princes have the same Scriptures which they had and also the Gospel of Christ and Apostolick writings to guide them which they had not why should they not in their Kingdomes retaine the same power which yee see the Kings of Iudah â—ad and used to their immortall praise and joy Againe Christ came not to abolish or diminish the power of Kings and States but to save their souls they are no way loosers but gainers by Christs comming Christs Kingdome is not of this world it alters not the Power and Preeminence God once gave to them as Kings and Magistrates Lastly If Magistrates under the new Testament should have this power taken from them the Church of God should be in a farre worse condition and more uncomfortable then it was under the old Law the Church should lose a great helpe it sometimes enjoyned neither can that helpe the matter to say that we have now Excommunication and other spirituall weapons to supply that losse For the Church of the Jewes had excommunication and the word of God yea extraordinary Prophets many miracles answers by Vrim and Thummim in all difficult cases about religion as Hagiomastix faith which we have not and yet they had need of Magistrates coercive power in matters of religion for all that To conclude there can be no reason in the world showen or given why Magistrates under the new Testament should not have power to restraine and punish Apostaâ—ies Blasphemies c as well as under the old but many might be given why their power rather should be continued and enlarged under the new and in this wee have Master Burroughs himselfe a witnesse what a sad condition the Church of Christ would be in if we had no externall power to restraine from any kind of Blasphemie and Seducements which passage having quoted before and having spoken something on that occasion page 63. of this Treatise of Toleration I referre the Reader thither and to Master Burroughs Irenicum page 23. 24. Fourthly God is unchangeable the Covenant of life under the old and new Testament is one and the same for the essence and substance as our Divines show against the Socinians Antinomians Anabaptists and the rule of righteousnesse and holinesse is the same under the new that it was under the old and therefore God hating corruptions of Religion so as to command his Vice-gerents to punish them then and to prevent their spreading he being unchangeable and the punishing of violations of Religion and impieties being acts of holinesse and righteousnesse must needs stand firmâ— and bind Magistrates under the new Testament And if the Magistrates restraining and suppressing the dishonors of God ruine of souls by his sword be altered and changed by God in the times of the Gospel then that power of punishment was either truely Ceremonial or else judicial belonging properly to the Poliâ—ie and Paedagogie of the Jewes but it was neither First Not Ceremoniall it was no type of any thing which was to come as I have showen before page 168. 169. of this Treatise Secondly Not properly judiciall in the sense laid downe page 53. 54. of this Treatise but morall of common right used by other Nations and that both before the judicial Law was given and after of which having spoken so much in divers pages and places of this Booke I shall onely adde this viz. that Zeppâ—rus in his fourth Booke de Legibus mosaicis excellently showes these Lawes to be Appendixes of the Decalogue and in stead of a just Commentarie upon them particularly of the first commandement whereupon he handles that question of punishing false Prophets and Hereticks and showes how many Errors and Opinions be Blasphemies as Servetus Opinion against the Holy Trinitie and Opinions against the Attributes of God c which abominations whosoever denies ought to be punished capitally he overthrowes all pietie and showes himselfe to be a stranger to all Religion and faith where among other reasons brought by him why false Teachers and Hereticks should be punished by the Civil Magistrates as the expresse Lawes of God given by Moses and not antiquated he gives this No substantial sufficient reason can be brought why the Majesty of God and the Authoritie of the Church ought to be of lesse moment and waight among Christians then in times past it hath been amongst the Jewes Yea by how much God hath more clearely manifested himselfe by his Sonne then in times past by his Prophets by so much the lesse can that coldnesse and luke-warmenesse be excused if wee be carried with a lesse study of our Religion and do lesse defend it then they Fifthly It cannot upon any reasonable ground be presumed that Idolatries Heresies Blasphemies c commanded by God to be punished by the Civil Magistrate under the old Testament should by Christs comming be set at libertie and absolutely freed from punishment For 1. Besides that the old Testament prophecying of Christs comming speaks of those dayes as times of greater holinesse and strictnesse and that in reference to the commands of the first Table as these Scriptures show Isaiah 35. 8 9. there shall be a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse the uncleane shall not passe over it no Lion shall be there nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon that is no enemie of God hurtfull to the Church among which false Teachers are chief cald by Christ and Paul ravening Wolves and greivous Wolfes not sparing the flock Matth. 7. 15. Acts 20. 29. Zach. 13. 2 3. prophecies that in the day in which the Messiah shall come into the world he shall overthrow Idolatrie false Doctrine and whatsoever is contrary to the word of God and true Religion The Prophet comprehends all under three Heads 1. I will out off the names of the Idols out of the Land and they shall no more
sets up the conscience above the Scriptures making every mans conscience even the polluted defiled seared consciences the rule of faith and holinesse before the pure and unerring Word of God crying out that men must do according to their consciences but never speaking of going according to the Word of God yea setting up mens fancies humours factions lusts under the name of conscience above the Word of God which is to set up the creature yea the corrupted defiled creature above God and to make mans conscience greater then God whereas God is greater then mens consciences 1 John 3. 20. 6. THESIS The complaints prohibitions comminations with the commands directions cautions against giving way unto tolerating of and following many wayes in religion and for contending for the Faith buying the truth c. though delivered and run in generall they bind as other Scriptures do all the severall sorts of men every one pro cujusque officii ratione the Minister in his way according to his office and the Magistrate in his way and the Master of a family in his place and every private Christian in his way to suppresse Error and promote the Truth yea the commands and precepts which in the letter and primarily belong to men of such a particular relation the Father Master Minister as being directed by name to them do also concern Magistrates by the common rules of Interpretation of Scripture given by Diviâ—es of a Synecdoche of Analogie and proportion of common equity and by the way of the Scripture it selfe in applying what 's spoken at first hand to particular persons in such a speciall relation to all Christians Joshua 1. 5. compared with Heb. 13. 5. what to Magistrates to Church Governours Deu. 13. 11. Deut. 17. 6. compared with 1 Tim. 5. 19 20. with many other such instances that might be given the commands of God being exceeding broad as David speaks Psal 119. The fifth Commandment which in the letter mentions the naturall parents as is evident by many other Scriptures particularly that of Ephes 6. 1 2 3 4. commands the duties of Magistrates to their subjects of Ministers to their people as all Divines upon that commandment grant The fourth Commandment that in the letter is directed to the Father of the family for his family to keep the Sabbath comprehends also the Magistrate The Father of the family is a Synecdoche including the Magistrate and therein the holy Ghost laies downe not only what lies upon the Master of every family but also what is the Magistrates duty as Zanchius Chemnitius and many other learned Divines show in their Expositions upon this fourth Commandement all of them upon this Commandement writing of the publick worship of God and the Magistrates duty to see it preserved and the prophanation of it punished and all under the name of the Father of the family 7. THESIS What God in his Word commands or forbids private single persons for themselves and their owne practise as considered personally viz. to learne to know God feare the Lord follow him only and not follow not serve any strange God to have no fellowship with Idols not the unfruitfull works of darknesse and such like unto all persons whom he hath set over others and in any Relation given them power and authority over them as Ministers Parents Masters Husbands be commands and forbids the same not only for themselves in their owne persons that 's not all that will not discharge them but to them for all under their command they must see to it and use their interest power and authority to cause all under them to do so likewise and not suffer them to go on in false wayes as these Scriptures among many other prove 〈◊〉 18. verse 19. Ezadus 20. verse 28. Deut 6. 45. 6 7. Ephes 6. 4. Every private servant of God must keep the wayes of God but Abraham who is set over others must command his children and his houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord every Israelite must keep the Sabbath day holy but the Governour of the family must besides his own keeping it see to it that all in his family sanctifie the Sabbath 't is the duty of all the Israel of God to love the Lord their God with all their heart and to feare the Lord only but parents must besides their personal loving and fearing God whet upon their children diligently and talk to them of the commands of God and bring them up in the 〈◊〉 and feare of the Lord each person should work out his own salvation but a Minister must save others besides himselfe and watch for other mens soules use authority for edification hence in many places we shall finde it written in Scripture of persons in relations of authority to others that they both undertake for their families and that their families walked as they walked so Joshuâ— I and my houshold will serve the Lord thus David Psal 101. verse 4 6 7. So the Centurion a devout man and one that feared God with all his house and in Timothy there was unfained faith which dwelt first in his Grandmother Loit and in his mother Eâ—â—ice and then in him 8. THESIS There can be no reason in the world given that all other persons in relations who have authority over others as Masters Fathers Mothers Tutors Husbands Ministers should be bound to have a care in matters of Religion over their children servants c. and a power of commanding and making them outwardly to worship God and keep his way So 't is said of Abraham he will command his children make his children and servants know that he is their Father and their Master so speaks the fourth Commandement to the Father of the family Thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy mâ—n-servant c. T is not said do thou remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day but thou shalt admonish thy sonne and thy daughter that they also sanctifie it God doth not say so but thus remember that thou sanctifie it and that all others that are thine sanctifie it and that Princes and Magistrates who are the highest pow-powers and have the greatest authority on earth who externally and politically have a power over Ministers Parents Masters to rectifie their male administration as is evident by many instances in Scripture who can also help and remedy evils in cases where Parents Masters Ministers cannot and have many advantages to bring men to good above others should not have a power over their subjects to command them to the worship of God and restraine them from Idolatry and Heresie Hence 't is a good saying of Zanchie on the fourth Commandement Every Father of a family can and ought to force his family to the outward worship of God why should not the Magistrate also his subjects I desire some reason may be showne why the talents of Authority and Power in all other hands must be made use of for God in
other such ought to be restrained and if they commit Idolatry or other corruptions not so great or so grosse yet by way of proportion and equity such ought to be though in a lower kind and way And 't is evident by many instances that the Iewish Magistrates Kings and others as Iosiah Nehemiah c. did punish in a proportion though not with death those who violated the worship of God and the first Table though they were not guilty of Idolatry and Apostafie to worship other gods nor of worshipping the true God by Idols as by the golden Calves of Jeroboam And if that be good Divinity which M. S. the Father of that Evafion of Idolatry and Idolaters being the adaequate object of the coercive power of the Kings of Judah in matters of Religion hath pag. 89. of the same Book That God prohibiting all manner of violence oppression and hard measure among his people one towards another though such Lawes as those in the letter of them respected only Civil transfactions and dealings betweene men yet the equity and spirit of them extends to spirituals also men being every whit as liable to violence oppressionâ— and hard measure from men for their conscience sake as in any other respects or upon any other grounds whatsoever then from that command Deut. 13. 5 6 7 8 9. and from those examples of Asa Iosiah to inferre an equity of punishing other offences in the same kinde though not named in the letter must needs be better Divinity because every one cannot but conceive that the equity and spirit of a Law may upon better grounds extend to things in the same kinde and of the same nature from one spirituall thing to another from Idolatry to Wil-worship or Heresie then from civill things to religious which differ totâ— genere But setting aside M. S. Concession is there not all the equity and reason in the world from those commands forementioned though granting according to the letter of those Lawes no man should be put to death for any thing lesse then that kind of Idolatry with Apostasie worshipping false gods that those who worship the true God by graven Images by making likenesses of him and that corrupt the doctrine of Faith and Religion should also by the Magistrates bee punished as well by suppressing their Conventicles putting them out of places of power c. though not so much as the others Or is there any equity and proportion in this that God should command punishing with death the highest kinde the Magistrate can inflict for Idolatrie in worshipping strange gods and should forbid any punishment or restraint at all of Idolatry and corruption of his worship in the next degree to that According to degrees of faults to have degrees of punishments is of the light of nature and right reason but to have a higher degree of an offence to bee punished with death and all others not to bee punished at all is against the light of nature and all reason Le ts but look into the Scriptures for the violation of other commands of God as in the 6 7 and 8th Commandements and wee shall finde that where the higher degrees and violations had greater punishments the others went not scorfree For example when adultery was punished with death fornication was punished with fifty shekels of silver and witâ—â— paying of money according to the dowry of virgins Exod. 22. 16. 17. compared with Deut. 22. 22. 28 29. So when stealing of men was death stealing of oxen and sheep was restoring five and foure-fold Exod. 21. 16. Exod. 22. 1. Seventhly there is a great agreement between the false Prophets under the old Testament and the false teachers under the New between Idolatry under the old Testament and Heresies now many Heresies being grosse Idolatries as is evident by many Scriptures of the New Testament which lively parallels and resembles these to each other so that it cannot bee upon any good ground conceived that the first sort should bee punished with death and the latter not punished at all but I referre the fuller clearing of this to the 17. Thesis where upon occasion of opening that 13. of Deuteroâ—omiâ— I shall speak more 15. THESIS Besides the full concurrent testimony and judgement of the most learned Protestant Divines Calvin Philip Melancton Beza Peter Martyr Zanchius Bullinger Musculus Chemnitius Gerardus Bucanus Bilson Cartwright Professores Leydenses Voetius Triglandus that the care of Religion and Gods worship belongs to the Magistrate that God hath given him a power and authority objective and externall in Ecclesiasticall causes to look to Religion as to Civil Justice so as he is bound to see the true Religion and service of God set up and maintained in his Dominions being therupon generally by all Divines cal'd Custos Curator utriusque Tabulae God himself in the Scriptures showes at much annexing the care of Religion and keeping the Law the first Table as well as the second to the Magistrate Deut. 17. 18 19. God there appoints that the King over his people when he comes to the Throne of his kingdome should have a Copie of the Law written out of that which was before the Priests the Levites to be alwayes with him Now the Law there spoken of is meant the whole Law of God the first Table as well as the second that which concerned God as well as man because it was a Copie of that Originall which was kept in the Tabernacle for the Priests and Levites whose office was principally about matters of the first Table and then the end expressed in the 19. verse that the King might learne to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law showes as much that by the name of the Law must be understood the whole Systeme of the Divine Law so that by this place of Scripture 't is evident that not only the second Table of the Morall Law that contains justice and righteousnesse is committed to the Magistrate but the first also concerning the worship of God is given to his custody And as t is understood of the whole Law so the custody of the Law of God is not here a Custodia legum personalis privata meant only of a personall private keeping as the Pleaders for Toleration evade saying that the King in his person as well as others was to keep the Law but also and cheifly of a Custodia Officialis publica quod Rex curare debeat ut Lex Domini pure doceatur ut cultus instituatur a publike keeping out of office it being the Kings office to care that the Law of God should be purely taught and his worship set up and that it must be so understood consider these following Reasons First this King verse 15. was to be one from among themselves a Brother not a stranger who was to know the Law of God and to keep it personally as well before he was a King as after the Law of God being
found to make for the defence and preservation of the obedience of the Decalogue 3. If appear as usefull and necessary now for the glory of God the salvation of mens soules the peace safety of the Church and State as then Now all these do most clearly appear in punishments of sins immediately against God as Apostasie Idolatry Blasphemy c. For first these commands are of the light of nature thaâ— he who is in place and power should forbid and punish the speaking evill of God This sentence as Melancton writes is preacht to all men yea to all reasonable creatures every one in his place ought to forbid and hinder the manifest reproaches and dishonours of God And therefore Magistrates ought to forbid and punish Epicurean speeches worships of Idols profession of wicked doctrines Many Common-wealths among the Heathens have made Lawes against Epicures and Atheistâ— who have openly held there was no God or that there was no providence of God Peter Martyr in his Common Placeâ— that Heathen Princes used to care for Religion and have punished men even to death for the matters of Religion Thus Socrates was condemned at Athens for no other cause but for teaching of new gods I and for with drawing the youth from their old worship of the gods Zanchius on the fourth Commandement writes that by the Law of nature all Princes among the Heathen judged that the care of Religion belonged to them The Athenians judged so the Romans also and thereupon made Lawes and punished for violation of religion Beza gives three instances of punishments inflicted by heathen Magistrates upon three cheif Philosophers for matters of Religion Socrates Theodorus Protagoras the last of which was by the Athenians banished out of their Territories and his books burnt for writing contemptuously of the gods in these words De diis neque ut sint neque ut non sint habeo dicere Musculus in his Common Places speaking of Magistrates having the care of Religion saith the wise men among the Heathen acknowledged it and that the truth of this opinion was so manifest as that it could not lie hid from the Heathen it was jus gentium dictated by the light of nature and therefore ought to be much more acknowledged and embraced by us who in the knowledge of God go farre beyond not only the Gentiles but the Iewes Master Selden in divers places of that learned Book De Jure Naturali Gentium proves that those commands De Cultu Extraneo and De Maledictione Nominis sanctissimi seu Numinis were Jus Naturalis common to all men were indeed the cheif and first Heads of the Law of Nature and that in those precepts viz. for the negative part all the Gentiles who lived or but passed through the Land of Judea were punished by the Magistrate for Idolatry and blasphemy as well as the Iewes and that from Lawes common to the Iewes with the Gentiles though the kinds of the punishments viz. this or that as whether stoning c. were not of the same nature but more proper to the Iewes yea he showes it was an opinion held by some learned men that it was not lawfull for any Gentile to speak evill of and blaspheme his God which hee worshipped as the God of his Countrey and saith it was founded upon those words Levit. 24. 15. Whosoever curseth his god shall heare his sinne the blaspheming the name of the Lord being spoken of after in the 16. verse as if it were distinct from that in the 15. verse In which forme of speech divers learned men both Rabbins Fathers and others would have forbidden to all the sonnes of men not only speaking evill evill of the most holy and only God but also the speaking of those gods which they had chosen to themselves So as none of the Gentiles might blaspheme their false God which yet they had not renounced without the violation of that Law Whosoever curseth his god shall beare his sinne Master Burroughs in his Irenicum though he be for a Toleration in a great measure as in things controversall and doubtfull amongst godly and peaceable men and that with a liberty of declaration of difference of judgement and some different practise page 55. yea brings such Arguments for that Toleration that if they prove any thing they prove a generall Toleration yet confesses page 23. of that Book T is the dictate of nature that Magistrates should have some power in matters of Religion The generality of all people have ever thought it equall It hath ever been challenged of all Nations and Common-wealths The Heathens would never suffer their gods to be blasphemed but punished such as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magistrate Socrates was put to death for blaspheming their multiplicity of gods And Master Burroughs in page 19. of the same book affirmes that Principle That Magistrates have nothing to doe with matters of Religion is abhorring to nature Is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world that men suffer that God to be blasphemed whom they honour and that nothing should be done for the restraining any but to aske them why they doe so and perswade them to doe otherwise There hath ever been as great a contestation amongst people about Religion as about any thing Exod. 8. 25 26. Pharaoh hade Moses sacrifice in the Land But Moses said it is not meete so to doe for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians Lo shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and will they not stone us Though they had leave of the King yet the people would not endure it By which place of Scripture 't is evident that the Egyptians who were heathens by the light of nature would not endure the dishonour of their gods to see those creatures they worshipped for gods to be killed as Oxen and Sheep the principall sacrifices of the Hebrewes but they would kill the Israelites for so doing And lastly Master Prynne in that late Book of his The sword of Christian Magistrates supported doth largely and excellently show that by the light of nature in all ages Heathen Magistrates have made Lawes against and punished such whom they esteemed Atheists Hereticks Blasphemers of their Gods or oppugners of their established Religion and that with no lesse then Capitall punishments unto which Book from page 14. to 19. I referre the Reader where he shall finde many examples of Heathen Kings and Nations recited and shall conclude this with that saying of Seneca De Benefic lib. 3. cap. 6. Violatarum Religionum aliubi atque aliubi diversa pâ—na est Sed vbique Aliqua as well as of homicide paricide poysoning Secondly the Magistrates sword in matters of Religion in punishing Blasphemies Idolatries Heresies hath been found by good experience in all ages to make greatly for the defence and preservation of the first Table to stirre men
Lords holy One the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God among the Jewes by which they inquired and consulted immediately and received Sentences and Answers immediately and infallibly from the mouth of God to be appointed of God or ever made use of by the Priest upon the desire of the Magistrates and Elders in cases of resolving doubts whether this or that was Blasphemie Idolatry false prophecying and thereupon putting to death Blasphemers false Prophets Seducers to Idolatry Hagiomastix gives no place of Scripture at all for proof and upon serious perusall of all places of this kind both of commands and examples for punishing false Prophets Idolaters c I doe never find the Magistrates were commanded in those cases to enquire by Vrim or ever practised it Let Deut. 13. Deut. 17. Levit. 20. 2. 3 4 5. Deut. 18. 20 21 22. Levit. 24. 16. with the examples of Asa Josiah and others bee lookt into and wee shall not finde a word spoken of concering the deciding who were or who were not or killing false Prophets and Idolaters upon receiving an Answer from God by Vrim and Thummim but stil the grounds expressed of proceeding against them are upon the Law of God the nature of the sins and other reasons of a common nature and among the signes and marks by which false Prophets are to be known this discovery by the glorious Oracle is none of them but the thing following not nor comming to passe which was spoken in the name of the Lord their prophecying in Baal and causing the people to erre their strengthening the hands of evill doers that none returns from wickednesse their saying unto them that despise God Ye shall have peace and unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his owne heart no evill shall come upon you with divers such like as is evident by Deut. 18. 22. Jerem. 23. 13. 14 17. and many places out of Moses and the Prophets In Joshua 22. when the children of Israel heard of the two tribes and a halfe building an Altar they did not before they gathered themselves to goe up to warre enquire by Vrim and Thummim whether it was Idolatry or not and when an Answer was given to Phinebas and the ten Princes that they had not built an Altar to turne from following the Lord but only for a witnesse between them and the rest of the Tribes that it might not besaid to their children in time to come ye have no part in the Lord Phinehas the Priest and the Princes of the congregation did not consult the Oracle spoken of to be resolved in this Controversie Thus Asas and the Peoples entring into Covenant to put to death men or women for matters of religion was not founded on an Answer by Vrim and Thummim but upon whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel and for Asa's putting down Maachah his Mother from being Queen because she made an Idol in a grove there is not the least hint expressed of his consultation beforehand with that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God whether she was such a kind of Idolater and her Idolatry of such a nature as she was to be punished with that punishment of being removed from being Queen Josiah in all the exercise of his coercive Power upon the Violators of the first Table 2 King chapt 23. in sacrificing some of them upon Altars and burning their bones in putting down others c never enquired by Vrim whether those he killed were such kind of Idolaters as God by the Law intended should be put to death and whether the others were not such So the Priests Prophets and People in taking Jeremiah and saying he shall surely die and that he is worthy to die they pretend not to passe sentence upon enquiring by Vriâ— but upon his prophecying in the name of the Lord This house shall be like Shiloh and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant Jerem. 26. 8 9 11. which they judged a Prophecying falsly upon mis-underst anding some Scriptures as appears plainly by those words why hast thou prophecied in the name of the Lord saying This House shall bee like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant For because of Gods promise concerning the Temple that he would abide ever there Psal 132. 14 They presumed that it could never perish and accounted all preaching that looked that way blasphemous Matth. 26. 61. Acts 6. 13. of which see more in the late Annotations of our English Divines upon the 9. verse And Jeremiah in his judicial defence to the Court and Councell for so it appears it was a Court by verse 10. 16 17. speaking of certaine Elders of the Land rising up and speaking to the Assembly of the People pleading his immediate call from God to prophecie against the Citie as his Answer against their accusation and in all the contestation and Controversie that was between the Princes and certaine of the Elders and the Priests Prophets and People concerning Jeremiah's being worthy to die neither Jeremiah nor the Priests Elders and People that were for his being put to death or against it once offer for deciding this difficult case and doubtfull matter to propound the enquiring by Vrim and Thummim but both sides plead the case upon Scripture Grounds and examples as hee who reads the chapter may easily see and certainly if enquiring by Vrim and Thummim had been appointed of God and practised by the Church as the Oracle to which in all difficult cases about matters of religion the Iewes were to repaire by which to judge whether such things were Blasphemie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly yea or no and whether the persons were such kind of Blasphemers false Prophets Idolaters as the Law intended should be put to death it is strange that in all this sharpe contest and great Controversie about accusing Jeremiâ—h for prophecying falsly and arraigning him upon his life neither himselfe nor his enemies none of the Priests Princes Elders People nor Jeremiah should once move to enquire immediately from the mouth of God by Vrim and Thummim the infallible Resolution of this question whether Jeremiah prophecied falsly in the name of the Lord and deserved to dy And therfore from this and all the Premises yea upon serious searching into all places of Scripture that speak of Vrim and Thummim and of those who enquired of the Lord in that way and comparing them together with the helpe of many judicious and learned Interpreters besides consulting Divines who have written of Vrim and Thummim I cannot find the least Ground that the Iews either were commanded or ever made use of enquiring by Vrim to bee satisfied in judiciall Proceedings whether this or that was Idolatry or Blasphemie or this man an Idolater or false Prophet or no but they proceeded in those things by the Law of God given to them and in difficult cases too hard they were enjoyned to goe to the Priests by way of consultation
the campe and let all that heard him lay their hands on his head and let all the Congregation stone him Thirdly the declaration of the mind of the Lord in these two examples was no Answer by Vrim for besides that there is no mention in the text of the high Priest being spoken to put on the Ephod to enquire by Vrim neither doe any Interpreters understand it so both the texts are against it in those words And the Lord spake unto Moses saying bring forth him that hath cursed And the Lord said unto Moses The man shall surely bee put to death the declaration of Gods mind being to Moses immediately whereas in the judgement of Vrim it was to the Priest immediately so that these Answers of God were the Answers of a Law-giver giving Lawes and Penalties by the hand of Moses but not any new Interpretations and declarations of the meaning of the Law upon controversies and doubts arising and besides Gods way of answering Moses and answering by Vrim were different things as the Rabbins and other learned men who write of those things show Gods answering Moses and giving him Lawes and Commandements being by voice but answering by Vrim being in an other way by beholding the Breast-Plate and seeing therein by the Vision or Inspiration as these Scriptures Exod. 25. 22. Numb 7. 89. Exod. 28. 30. with Ainsworths Annotations expresse As for the immediatenesse of these Answers from God to Moses though not by the judgement of Vrim there were speciall reasons thereof God in an immediate way communicating to Moses all his Laws morall and judiciall Exod. 25. 22. and Moses being such a Prophet whom the Lord knew face to face and such an extraordinary man in severall respects as there was none like unto him Numb 12. 6 7 8. Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 34. 10 11. But for the Magistrates and Iudges that came after Moses to whom the morall Law and the Appendix of it the judiciall Law was given and delivered they were to proceed according to the written Law and there were in hard matters higher Courts consisting of a greater number more able to go to to determine what the lower could not then the highest of all the Synedrion at Jerusalem who were in all their judgements aboue morall transgressions to goe according to the Law of Moses as many Scriptures testifie Deut. 17. 11. c But no such Grounds after the whole Law morall ceremoniall and judiciall was published of immediatenesse of Answers from God to any of their Courts no not to the high Synedrion as to Moses who was to receive all for the first constituting of their policie according unto which all Courts and Iudicatures higher and lower were bound to goe Fourthly In these great and weighty cases of the Blasphemer and Sabbath-Breaker Moses did not presently passe sentence but made delayes put them in Prison till he knew the mind of the Lord and as for other reasons before alledged so for these following 1 to teach Iudges in matters of great weight of life and death not to be too sudden and hastie 2 in causes that are very hard to aske councell and to use all means to be well satisfied before they doe any thing In Ainsworths Annotations upon Numb 15. 34. the Reader may find the Chaldee paraphrazing thus This judgement was one of the foure judgements that came before Moses the Prophet which he judged according to the word of God Some of them were judgements of lesser moment and some of them judgements of life and death In the judgements of lesser moment of pecuniary matters Moses was readie but in judgements of life and death bee made delayes And both in the one and in the other Moses said I have not heard viz what God would have done For to teach the Heads or cheife of the Synâ—drions or Assises that should rise up after him that they should bee ready to dispatch inferior causes or money matters but not hasty in matters of life and death And that they should not be ashamed to inquire in causes that are too hard for them seeing Moses who was the Master of Israel had need to say I have not heard Therefore hee imprisoned him because as yet it was not declared what sentence should passe upon him Babington in his comfort Notes on Levit. 24. writes Moses although such a man yet will doe nothing hastily in judgement and especially touching life but he will be advised by God who then spake from betwixt the Cherubims Exod. 25. and Numb 7. But it followes not because Iudges and Courts of Iustice were to learne to be cautious and carefull in matters of religion for what they punish especially with death that therefore they may punish no violations in religion though expresly and directly against the word of God unlesse God doe immediately from heaven declare them Blasphemies c and such kind of Blasphemies which the Law intends death to And for a conclusion of my Answer to this Evasion of Master Goodwin of the judgement by Vrim in the cases of Blasphemie Idolatry Prophecying falsly the cleare reason why then they were punished with death but may not be so now that being ceased under the new Testament I shall say no more but this I challeng him among al the examples recorded in Scripture of punishing men with death imprisonment or banishment c for Blasphemie Idolatrie Prophecying falsly prophaning of the Sabbath marrying Idolatrous wives and other transgressions of Gods worship to produce any one Instance that by the Iudges or by the high Sanhedrin God was enquired by Vrim whether such and such facts were Blasphemie Idolatrie c and of that kind and nature intended by the Law as punishable with death or among all Classicall Authors Rabbins and others who have written of the customes of the Iewes of Vrim and Thummim of the Sanhedrin at Ierusalem to cite me out of them any passages that affirme the Iudges or the high Councel of Seventie at Ierusalem or the high Priest for them were wont in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c. to enquire by Vrim and to passe sentence upon persons according to that Answer and not according to the law which if he cannot doe as I am confident upon serious search he cannot then the Reader may easily see what poor shifts this great Champion of the Sectaries is put unto to uphold his damned cursed cause of Toleration of all Religions and to elude the commands of God fore-named for punishing Blasphemers Apostates Idolaters and false Prophets Now among all who have written of the high Priest and of Deut. 17. 11 12. I find only some Papists going Hagiomastixs way as Tostatus Lorinus who from all places of Scripture of the high Priest drawing matter to the Pope for establishing his Authoritie doe from this place also that they may establish his Authoritie above the Scriptures and appeals to him in cases of Controversie as the sole infallible Judge speake of the
high Priest in matters of morall transgressions giving Answers by Vrim and not by the sentence of the Law So Lorinus upon the 11. verse according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee saith that by the name of the Law in this place is neither necessarily understood the Mosaicall Law nor the holy Scripture but the sentence it selfe of the Judge as the pronounâ— infinuates the Hereticks would have it to bee a conditionall command of hearâ—â—ning to the Priests according to the Law that they might take away the Authoritie of Traditions and appeale to the Scripture alone Luther long since writing upon this place observed as much of the Papists And the Papists with a great deale of endeavour have drawn this place to their Idol that they might set up the Papacie So that by this it seems the Papists and Sectaries are agreed upon the same Mediums to set up the Pope and his Infallibilitie and a Toleration and Dispensation to beleeve and professe whatsoever men please Thirdly this cleere reason of Master Goodwin in his 36. Section of Hagiomastix against the old Testament Law being now in force for putting of false Prophets Blasphemers and Seducers to Idolatris to death upon which hee vapours and triumphs so exceedingly over the Anti Quaerists certaine striplings of the Assembly as hee by way of scorne terms them is so farre from fighting against the Magistrates punishing even by virtue of that old law for matters of Religion where hee is sure and certaine the things hee punishes for are Apostasies Idolatries Heresies Blasphemies and that hee is not mistaken as that in all such cases of certaintie and infallibility it establishes the Magistrates coercive power in matters of the first Table and is indeed a strong reason for it For if that were the formall cause and reason why Magistrates might then punish Idolatrie false Prophecying c. because they might infallibly know such a thing was Idolatrie c. and so bee out of danger of fighting against God then what things may bee as certainly known under the Gospel to bee Idolatrie false Prophecying Apostasie c the Magistrate may as well restraine I shall not need to prove the consequence because besides its own evidence that it necessarily follows Master Goodwin in expresse terms grant and confesses page 130. that for his part hee shall thinke it equall nd meet hee that shall doe presumptuously and not hearken unto what is by infallible Revelation from God should be put to death and the only ground brought by him in this 36. Section of denying this power to Magistrates now is their uncertaintie in matters of Religion the best Oracles that Magistrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull cases about matters of Religion being men of very fallible judgements and every way obnoxious unto error and mistake and therefore to goe about to prove that the old Law is now in force because it was once given to the Iewes is as if one should prove that a man may safely and without danger walke among bogges and praecipices at midnight because he may well do it at noone day So that by Hagiomastixs owne confession what 's certainly and infallibly known to be Error Idolatrie Blasphemie Heresie may and ought to be punished by the Magistrate under the new Testament which is indeed a yeelding the question that Magistrates may punish under the Gospell in matters of Religion for that 's not the question what is truth and what is Error what is Heresie and what is Idolatrie and whether any thing can bee known certainly under the Gospell to be truth or no and how the Magistrates come to know it and who shall tell them which is truth that is quite another question but the question in hand about Toleration and the Magistrates coercive Power in points of Religion is supposing and granting there are many things certaine in Religion which he certainly knows and beleeves whether then the Magistrate may punish which upon this very question whether Princes have full Power to command for truth was well observed by Bishop Bilson long since in his answer to a Jesuite making this objection Yea But who shall tell Magistrates which is truth That is not this question When wee reason whether Princes may command for truth and punish error you must not cavill about the meanes to know truth from error but suppose that truth were confessed and agreed on and in that case what may Princes doe for truth If I should aske you whether Princes may revenge Murthers and punish thefts were this an Answer to say but how shall they know what Murther is and who be theeves No more when we demand what duty Princes owe to God and his truth should you stand quarrelling what truth is or how truth may be known The Princes dutie to God is one question which wee now handle the way to discerne truth from error is another which anon shall ensue when once this is ended But first let us have your direct Answer whether Princes may command for truth or no And then the Iesuite answering for truth they may but if they take quid pro quo they both hazard themselves and their whole realms Bilson replies you slide to the second question again before the first be finished stay for that till this be tried Now then to bring this point to ahead and issue Hagiomastixs clear reason grants that in cases about matters of Religion sure and certaine the Magistrate may punish in the times of the Gospel which directly overthrowes that universall Toleration so much pleaded for in divers of his Books so that Master Goodwin by his own cleer reason is forced upon this Dilemma either to hold no points in matters of Religion and Doctrine of faith can be certainly and infallibly known under the Gospel or if they can then the violations of such may by the Magistrate be lawfully censured And here in this matter I doe appeale from Master Goodwins wanton wit great applause among his Seduced Members and from all others his ingagements to the Sectarian partie to his conscience if so bee in this point of pretended libertie of conscience he hath any conscience at all left to resolve me this question whether Christian Magistrates under the Gospell may not by the Scriptures and other meanes that God hath given and appointed in his Church infallibly and certainly know that there is a God that this God is but one that the Scriptures are the word and mind of this God that this God is holy just good wise eternall omniscient omnipotent mercifull perfect that this one God though but one in essence is three in persons the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost that the Son was manifested in the flesh became man that he died for our sinnes according to the Scriptures that hee rose again from the dead ascended into heaven sitteth at the right hand of God shall come to judge the world that
exercise it were infallible and not subject to error which that t is so may be demonstrated by these following reasons First In the Churches of the new Testament in the Apostles dayes when they had men amongst them immediately inspired who could dictate the mind of Christ infallibly and tell them the certaine meaning of any Scripture notwithstanding all that Infallibilitie and Immediatenesse of Inspiration such Persons Tenets and Practises though erroneous and mistakes as by the rules of faith and love could and might be tolerated and suffered were tolerated and the Apostles in those things so far from giving any directions to the Churches for withdrawing or excommunicating that they give commands to the contrary namely to receive bear with please such and not our selves follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another and whereto we have already attained to walk by the same Rule as these Scriptures Rom. 14. 1 2 3 4 13 19. Rom. 15 1 2 3. Phil. 3. 15 16. with divers of the like kind show The holding the day of Christ to be at hand was an error and Paul writes pathetically to disswade the Thessalonians from it 2 Thes 2. 1 2 3. yet for all that hee accounts them brethren and so I might instance in other such particulars whereas on the contrary in damnable Heresies Scismes and such like as denying the resurrection of the dead holding Circumcision necessary to Iustification in denying Jesus Christ to be come in the flesh in teaching the Doctrines of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans in separating themselves and going out from the Church the Apostles are against all suffering bearing with receiving of and for rejecting delivering up to Satan and cutting of all such as these Scriptures testifie 1 Tim. 1. 20. Tit. 3. 10. Gal. 1. 8 9. Gal. 5. 12. the second Epistle of Iohn 7. 9 10. Jude 19 23 v. Revel 2. 14 15 20. with many more Now in the Tenets Opinions and Practises of the first sort the Apostles could have resolved the Romans Philippians as infallibly who held the truth and who in the error in those particulars as in the latter of Heresies This is acknowledged by Master Burroughs himselfe in page 59 60 61. of his Heart divisions even where he pleads for a Toleration in all points doubtfull and controverted among godly men who writes thus all these people spoken of in Rom. 14 were not in the right for a man not to eat flesh out of conscience when the thing was not forbidden certainly was a sin or to make conscience of a Holy Day which God required not was a sin Now the Apostle did not come with his Authoritie and say I will make you leave of keeping such dayes or you shall eate or to abstaine thus as you doe is evill and it must not be suffered in you No the Apostle layes no Apostlicall Authoritie upon them but tels them That every man must bee fulâ—y perswaded in his owne mind in what he doth and who art thou that judgest another mans servant the Lord hath received him And yet the Governours of the Church in the Primitive times might upon much stronger grounds have stood upon such a Principle then any Governours of the Church now can there was lesse Reason why they should suffer any difference in Opinion or Practise amongst them then why wee should suffer differences amongst us for they had men amongst them immediately inspired who could dictate the mind of Christ infallibly they could tell them the certaine meaning of any Scripture And yet we see plainly the Apostle applies himselfe both in the Romans and Philippians rather to presse mutuall forbearance and keeping the Vnitie of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace using all arguments of that kind as God hath received him be that regardeth a day regardeth it to the Lord and hee that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it he that cateth eateth to the Lord c. Neverthelesse whereunto wee have attained let us walk by the same Rule and if in any thing you be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you then from God immediately and infallibly to declare who were in the right and truth in those particulars wherein they differed and thereupon to command the others to be of their mind and Practise in all the particulars or else upon such an infallible resolution to declare they ought to be cast out of the Church and no communion hold with them By all which t is evident that Infallibility and opportunitie of immediatenesse of consultation with God is not the formall Ground of censure but the nature of the things themselves being destructive to faith Godlinesse and edifying for if the power of punishing had beene founded on infallibilitie seeing the Apostles were as able and infallible to give certaine resolutions in the matter of dayes meate and drinks and such like as in matters of faith they would have given other manner of Rules then they did in Rom. 14. Phil. 3. And indeed if Hagiomastize infallibilitie were good what reason can be given why the Apostles did not proceed with all errors and all persons as with Hymeneâ—s Alexander and the woman Iesable which cleerly showes the lawfulnesse of censures lay not in the infallible knowledge of the Governours of the Church but the Apostles in persons and things themselves the one sort weak peaceable Christians holding the head and communion with the body the other turbulent wilful holding Doctrins subverting in the foundation the precious soules of men and godlines And certainly if infallibility were not the just ground and formall reason of censuring but some other thing then fallibility a possibility of mistaking in some things cannot be a just cause of taking away all power of punishing from Governors and that in all points though never so destructive to Gods glory and the soules of men Secondly in the new Testament there are many commands given and many â—â—â—les laid down both for those times wherein they were written and for all times till the comming of Christ unto persons who were not infallible nor immediately inspired concerning Heresies and Hereticks Scismes and Scismaticks to beware of folk Prophets and false Teachers to avoid reject and turne away from them not to beleeve every Spirit but to try the Spirits whether they are of God not to receive into house neither to bid God speed those that trasgresse and abide not in the Doctrine of Christ not to suffer those who teach false Doctrine and sedâ—ce the servants to God to countend â—arnestly the faith to hold fast the truth and sound Doctrine show was these Scriptures to whole Churches and particular Persons both private Christians and Pastors and Teachers not Apostles and Prophets the extraordinary Officers Rom. 1. 16 17 18. Phil. 3. 2. 1. Tim. 6. 5. 2 Pet. 3. 17. 1 John 4. 3. 2. Epist John 9. 10. Judâ— 3. Revel 2. 14 20. Revel 3. Now however the
before Apostles yea Angels and anathematizes them if they bring any other Gospel then what the Apostles had preached which in many places he declares was according to the Scriptures Chrysostome saith that the Scripture is to be preferd before the Angels in the matters of faith The word of God is the cheife and highest rule of faith for as learned Chamier writes The word of God is God speaking therefore look what is the authoritie of God speaking the same is of the word of God and therefore above Angels And by the way I desire the Reader to observe against Hagiomastix who makes such a do of infallibilitie that not whatsoever is infallible is the supreme rule of faith for that is a grand mistake to make every thing that is infallible the ground of beleeving or the cheife rule of it but this is the ground of being the supreme Rule of faith that it be summae suaeque authoritatis of supreme authoritie of it selfe and not from another which is apparent because Angels are infallible the Apostles also were ex particulari assistutia Spiritus and yet neither of them are nor have been the supreme Rule of the Church This Paul hath taught us in Gal. 1. 8. how Apostles and Angels are to be anathematized if they bring any other Gospel But these things are unworthy to be affirmed of the Rule of faith and especially of the supreme Rule which ought not to be so resembled to any thing that by that it should be corrected and ordered for then it ceases to be a Rule but rather that by the Rule especially the highest all things else are to be judged wherefore besides infallibilitie there is something else necessary to a thing that it should become a Rule namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is that it be of cheife and of its owne Authoritie not of a subordinate and borrowed Authoritie from another but whoever would be further satisfied in this point let him read learned Chamier 6. Then Gods owne voice from heaven the Apostle Peter tels us 2 Pet. 1. 17 18 19. of that voice of God from heaven which came to Jesus Christ This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased which Peter Iames Iob◠heard when they were with Christ in the holy mount Matth. 17. 5 6. and yet Peter speaking of the Scriptures and comparing them with this voice from the excellent glory writes thus We have also a more sure word of prophecie whereunto you doe well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place until the day dawne and the day starre arise in your hearts upon which words Interpreters on the Place and other learned men show however that voice from heaven being from God as the written Prophecies were was in it selfe as sure yet the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken either for a most lure or very sure word a comparative for a superlative so used in other places of Scripture so setting forth to us the Scriptures being founded on the firmest and greaest authoritie or more sure or more firme So the word in the Greek properly signifies to the Christian Jewes to whom the Epistle was written which by long use and experience were more setled in their hearts and so sooner beleeved then the voice from heaven although that were sure also Christ in Joh. 5. from verse 31. to the 40. speaking of the many Testimonies concerning him as his own Johus testimony the Testimony of his works instances in the voice from heaven witnessing to him Matth. 3. 17. 17. Matth. 5. and then Christ goes to the Scriptures as the highest and cheifest Search the Scriptures for in them you thinke you have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me wee may observe the gradation of the witnesses Christs works greater then the Testimony of John the Fathers witnessing from heaven above that of his workes and the Scriptures testifying of him the last and greatest of all and for a conclusion of this Gods speaking to his Church under the new Testament especially since the Canon was sealed and confirmed as Divines speake that is by his Sonne making known the whole Evangelical Doctrine and Will of God concerning mans salvation is by the holy Ghost preferred far before the divers manners and wayes of Gods making known his will before as that of dreams visions Vrim and Thummim voice from heaven Angels c as is evident by Heb. 1. 1 2 3. compared with the second of Heb. 1. 2 3 4. In a word they who are so wicked to wrest and pervert manifest plaine places of Scripture would not if they had lived in those dayes have rested satisfied in the Sentences of the high Priest by Vrim in one comming from the dead in the Doctrine of an Apostle or Angel or in a voice from heaven but would have made cavils and sound pretences to have eluded and evaded all or any of those as well as the Scriptures in all which I might give particular instances but for present I shall instance only in the voice from heaven of which voice from heaven John 12. 28 29 30. though it was so plain and distinct testifying Christ to be sent of God and the Messiah yet t is perverted and misinterpreted as much as the Scriptures of which voice from heaven how perverted I referre the Reader to learned Rollock Calvin and other Interpreters on that place of Scripture and so much for this seventh Answer Eightly Supposing all Hagiomastix saith in page 46. 47. and 130 to be true that that sentence of the Priest or Iudge against which hee that would doe presumptuously was to be put to death was only a sentence upon enquiry by Vrim and Thummim and that the Iewes opportunitie of immediatenesse of consultation with the mouth of God himselfe was a cleer reason why that old Testament Law for putting of false Prophets c to death was given to them yet it followes not these Laws cannot be in force now unlesse that can be made apparence to have been the only reason and ground of the Magistrates punishing for if there were other reasons as well under the old Testament of those Lawes and that by God formally and particularly declared and expressed as t is evident there were and I have proved page 70. 76. and divers other pages of this Treatise then they being in force still the Lawes bind though one particular reason or more proper to that time bee ceased I might instance in many morall things commanded under the old Testament that unquestionably I suppose in Master Goodwins judgement are in force under the new of which among other reasons given there was some one particular reason proper to the Iewes that holds not now but for this I refer the Reader to page 83. of this Book and to put an end to these eight Answers to the sixth evasion of Hagiomastix page 46. 47 130 I shall only mind him
contemned Fourthly Whereas punishment by the Magistrate and cutting off by death under the old Testament in cases of Apostasie Blasphemie c is made a Ceremonie and type of excommunication under the new Testament cutting off of casting out and of eternal damnation I may truly Answer this is gratis dictum said but not proved and therefore might deny it without giving any reason and bid the Patrons of Toleration prove it but that the Civill Magistrates punishing delinquents under the old Testament was no Ceremonie nor Type I shall give these reasons 1. Ceremonies shadowes Typical things under the old Law were either of things past or things to come the remembrances of things already done or the Praesignifications of future things but Ceremonies and Types were not the signification of things present and existent Now excommunication and eternal damnation were at that time under the old Law when those commands of punishing with death the Apostate faise Prophet c were given and in use That excommunication and cutting off from the Church were in the Church of the Ieweâ— in the times of the good Kings and Magistrates punishing Idolaters c with the Civil sword let the Reader Consult Aarons Rod blossoming 1 Book 4. 5 6 7. chapt That there was Hell and eternall damnation under the old Law as well as the new both before those commands in Deut. 13. 17. were given and all along after many places of Scripture show as Isaiah 30. 33. 2 Pet. 4. Jude 5. 6 7 that mention Hell for the evil Angels Sodomites the unbeleeving Israelites that came out of Egypt and the wicked Kings of Israel and Judah and therefore that which Hagiomastix saith that cutting off from his People under the Law it exchanged for casting out from his people under the Gospel is very false for there was casting out from the Church as well then as now yea cutting off spoken of in the old Testament in many places means nothing else but casting out of the Church by excommunication for full proofe of which I referre the Reader to Aarens rod blossoming 1. Book cap. 5. pag. 55. 56 57 58 59 As also that passage is not true that the expression of cutting off where ever t is found in the Gospel is mâ—tephorical and allusive only for cutting off is used in the new Testament for cutting of by bodily death as in Gal. 5. 12. and else where the proof of which I referre to the 20. Thesis where I shall handle it fully Secondly The same things may be said with as much reason against bodily outward punishments for breaches of the second Table Adultery Murder Theft as against outward punishing for Apostasie c and if they hold not good against the second Table neither do they against the first Thirdly The Civil Magistrates punishing for moral transgressions is no Ceremonie nor Type acts of morall justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they never were accounted Typical or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scriptures into an Allegory and Master Cotton answering such a like evasion in the Bloudy Tenet saith Did ever any Apostle or Evangelist make the judicial Laws of Moses concerning life and death ceremonial and Typical Time was when humane inventions in Gods worship were accounted superstition But now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for currant Evangelical Divinity And in another place To make a judicial Law a figure without some light from some Scripture is to make a mans selfe wise above that which is written Fifthly the making these expresse commands of God concerning punishing Idolaters false Prophets Blasphemers types and figures of spiritual and eternal punishments of excommunication damnation c is by turning the Scriptures into an Allegory and forsaking their literal sense against the rules of interpretation given by the most Orthodox Divines as Augustine and others a making them utterly void and as opening a wide doore to all errors and foolish conceits that as often as men know not how to answer the Scriptures that crosse their Opinions and lusts and yet have a mind to keepe their Opinions they may still fly to this and say This Scripture is not to be taken litterally but mystically and Allegorically Beza in that judicious Tractate of his De Haereticis a Magistratu puniendis in Answer to Montfortius a grand Patron of Toleration in those times who in many places of his writings made use of this Invention that corporall punishment under the old Law as stoning was no figure of any bodily punishment to be now inflicted but of eternal to which we ought to leave Hereticks or else of that punishment which is inflicted not by a corporal sword but a spiritual the lively word of God writes thus For this was the speciall subtiltie of Sathan of old which yet not one almost of the ancient Fathers observed that when he could not cast the Scripture out of the Church wholly yet by vaine Allegories he made the whole Scripture unprofitable and fabuloùs so as truely there was not one peice of Scripture left free of being contaminated with these Allegories which very course also the Anabaptists and Libertines take at this day But this I would that they should at length show us out of what place of Scripture they have learned that invention and device of the shadowes and figures of the judiciall Lawes Per in Ceremonies and so in some Histories from the Authoritie of Scripture I acknowledge these things But of judicial Lawes or corporall Idolatrie which might shadow out spirituall I remember not that I have ever read any thing But for further satisfaction in this particular I refer the Reader to the Tractate of Beza page 156. 167. Sixthly supposing all Hagiomastix saith were true that those bodily punishments commanded by God under the old Law to be inflicted upon false Prophets Idolaters Seducers Blasphemers had been in some sense typical and Praesignificative of those greater and more spiritual under the Gospel yet it followes not that they are ceased now and may not be lawfully practised for they may remaine and be made use of though the other sense intended be fulfilled too there is a compound sense of some Places of Scripture litteral and historical figurative and spirituall as Weems in his Christian Synagogue second Book page 223. 224 225 226 227 228 showes in which cases when the spiritual is fulfilled eminently the literal is not abolished of which I might give many instances but shall onely name one viz. that of Deut. 25. 4. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corne. Now though the spiritual sense of that place be the not muzling the mouth of the Ministers who labour in the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 9. yet the litteral sense holds stil that a man should forbeare to muzzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corâ—â— or at least t is not unlawfull to forbeare besides by the
on this place showes that the Prophecies here spoken of are different from those in Deut. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. they being of faith but these of facts and events which are not foretold particularly from the Canon of the Scripture but only from the speciall revelation of God Ainsworth in his Annotations upon the Place showes v. 22. the Prophet there speaking of things is meant of praedictions foretelling things to come as also he reckons up severall sorts of false Prophets others then the false Prophet spoken of Deut. 13. 1 5. The false Prophet is to be strangled to death although he Prophecie in the name of the Lord and neither addeth nor diminisheth whether he Prophecieth that which he hath not heard by propheticall vision or who so hath heard the words of his fellow Prophet and saith that his word was said unto him and he prophecieth thereby hee is a false Prophet and is to be strangled to death And t is evident by Jerem. 26. 8 9 11 12 15 16. in the Priests and Prophets proceeding against Jeremiah pretending him to be a false Prophet and therefore to be put to death for saying this house shall bee like Shiloh and this City shall be desolate without an inhabitant Whereas Jeremiah still makes his defence The Lord sent me to prophecie against this house and against this City all the words that yee have heard that other false Prophets were to be put to death then those who taught men to worship other gods upon which law they would have put Jeremiah to death against whom they never so much as suggested that he caught revolt from the Lord and worshipping strange Gods Deut. 19. 16 17 18 19. gives a ground in case of private seducing to revolt upon proofe to punish with death or in case of perjurie testifying falsly upon oath against one for seducing a sinne against the first Table too to doe the like both which showes other persons for matters of Religion may be punished then the false Prophet spoken of in Deut. 13. 1â—5 viz. private Seducers to Apostasie and perjured persons of which place of Scripture let the Reader see what I have said before in this Tractate page 108. and further consult Junius in his Analytical explication of Deut. 19. where we shall find that both wayes the matter here spoken of is belonging to the first Table and Religion If the accusation be true t is enticing secretly to Apostasie if false t is matter of Religion because the oath of God is set to it especially in the cause of Apostasie and therefore the Priests in that an oath is a point of Religion are commanded to be present and to take cognizance of it And by the way least this place may be thought to favor the Priests enquiring by Vrim for the resolving of the controversie because t is said Then both the men between whom the controversie is shall stand before the Lord before the Priests and the Iudges I shall to what I have already answered to this place pag. 108. adde a passage out of Junius to show the contrary The parties between whom the controversie is are commanded in these words to stand befor Jehovah that is not before the Temple of the Lord but before Iudges given of the Lord before whom when men appeare they are said to stand before the Lord and whom consulting with they are said to consult the Lord Exod. 18. Dent. 1. The verse also next following showes it cannot be meant of the judgement of Vrim for the resolution of it depends upon the Iudges making diligent inquision verse 18. that is their questioning and searching into the parties and all circumstances whereas if it had been by Vrim it would have been attributed to the Priests rather then the Judges and it would have come from God without that diligent inquisition and exact enquiring of men as the words imply So Junius on the place saith But the knowledge and judgement of this thing properly belongs to the Judges and therefore to the Judges only the diligent enquiring and thorough searching out is principally commanded Lastly Zach. 13. 2 3. God by the Prophet showes that in the dayes of the Gospel prophecying falsly as distinct from Idolatrie for so t is made and also I wil cause the Prophets is to be punished bodily which text that t is both meant of the time under the Gospel and to be understood litterally of civil outward punishment by those in Power and Authoritie and not figuratively and spiritually that I may not anticipate my selfe nor create trouble to the Reader to read the same thing twice I shall by the grace of God prove in the 19. Thesis where I shall at large speak of that Scripture and take of Hagiomastix's evasions and whither I refer the Reader Now by Prophets there and those who prophecie and speak lies in the name of the Lord are not meant only Prophets whose doctrine is to go worship false gods but al sorts of false phets 1. Illiterate mechanick men who run but are not sent and that whether they preach true or false which that they are included the fift verse showes because when the false Prophets spoken of shall repent and be ashamed among the rest one is brought in saying I am no Prophet I am an Husbandman for man taught me to keep cattell from my youth 2. Prophets who take upon them in the name of the Lord as by revelation from God to foretell things to come such Prophets as are spoken of in Deut. 18. 20. Ezek. 13. 6 7. Jerem. 14. 14. 15. 3. Such who preach false Doctrines and Heresies wresting the Scriptures to maintaine them though they doe not formally teach another God and Christ neither pretend to speak by the inspiration of some deitie but only by perverting the Scriptures which is a speaking lyes in the name of the Lord Now that Heretieks and false Teachers are understood in this place of Scripture as well as Apostates besides the judgement of many learned and Orthodox Interpreters as Galvin Ariâ—s Montanus Gualther Fabritius Diodate Annotations of English Divines there are these Reasons 1. all such are meant who speak lyes in the name of the Lord and that is made formalis ratio why not live and to be thrust thorow for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord. Now false Doctrines and Heresies are speaking lyes cald lyes in many places of Scriptures 1 Tim. 4. 2. 2 Thes 2. 11. Revel 2. 2. and fables 2 Tim. 4. 4. and when men pretend God hath revealed them unto them by inspiration or urge the Scriptures to make them good this is to speake lyes in the name of the Lord hence Calvin upon this place gives this reason that t is cleere the Prophet Zacharie speaks altogether of false Teachers because of those words for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord. 2. The word in this text used viz. Nebüm and translated
to punish for Murther Adulterery Theft more then for Idolatrie Blasphemie Hereâ—ie 2. Hagiomastix brings in the Church again as well as the State surely he is for a Toleration of all Heresies Blasphemies c in the Church as well as the State to have no man punished for his religion with any censure of Admonition Excommunication or Non-Communion In his M. S. he was for spiritual censures but in these 3. yeers last past the man is well improved belike to reason against any Church censure as well as State Punishment And by the way I desire the Reader to observe whatever reason in the wisedome of God there might be that nothing is set down in the Gospels of Christs charging the State with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces c that cannot be the reason to show the unlawfulnes of Magistrates punishing Hereticks because Hagiom confesses the same of the Church that Christ charged not the Church nor the Officers with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces and yet I suppose Hagiomastix will not openly professe t is a good Argument that no Church censures may be used against any Heretick however I am sure many of his Compeers in handling the question distinguish of a Toleration and censures granting Ecclesiastical censures though denying Civil And I am sure if Christs never charging the church nor those that bore office in her with sin for not proceeding against the Sadduces be no good argument to take away all Church censures neither is it to lay wast all Magistrates punishing in such cases 3. Christ did to the Scribes Pharisees Sadduces speak and reason against their errors yea reproved and threatned them for those errors which also is granted by Hagiomastix in doing of which he did equivalently and really presse upon them the suppressing and punishing of Heresies in persons under their power whilst he spake to men in Authoritie and denounced the judgements of God because of them He that preaches to a Prince against Idolatrie and showes the evils that will come upon a King and his Kingdome for it preaches to him to restraine Idolatrie though he doe not particularly in expresse words call upon him not to suffer any man to practice Idolatrie and therefore Christ speaking to the Scribes and Pharisees the Rulers and Elders that knew the Laws of God how Magistrates in Israel were to punish false Teachers in speaking so against false Prophets Hereticks and Sectaries as Sadduces c that was a charging them such a thing being spoken to such men to doe their duties against them which by the Law was more then if private persons and being spoken to qua such as Scribes c was a commanding them according to their places to proceed against them For t is a rule among Divines that in many things recorded in Scriptures which are delivered only in common and in general they are to be taken by every one according to their relations and places by the Magistrates according to their relation the Ministers according to theirs and the People according to their Sphere of which many instances may be given in the new Testament 4. Supposing it could be proved Christ never reproved the Jewish Church and State for suffering the Sadduces c yet it followes not Magistrates therefore should tolerate Hereticks and Sectaries and that both because Gods declaration of his mind in other parts of Scripture though not in the Gospel is a sufficient as also because there might be some particular reasons proper to the Iewish State as that Christ saw the Iewish State and Magistracie it selfe that then was to be leavened and corrupted with those errors and opinions to be either Sadduces Pharisees Scribes Herodians and such like so that to have spoken against Toleration and for punishing Sadduces c had been to have spoken to the State not to have suffered it selfe as if one should preach to the Parliament now not to tolerate but to punish themselves So was it for Christ to have urged those commands in Deut. 13. c and those examples of Iosiah Nehemiah c upon the Iewish State then 2. That in the times of Christs preaching the Civil Power of the Common-Wealth of the Jewes was much weakned if not wholly taken away from them by the Romans of which I have spoken something before page 30. and doe now adde that the Iewes had no power at all of capitall punishments then and therefore to what end should Christ charge them with those Lawes of putting false Prophets c to death for full prooâ—e of which I refer the Reader to Master Gillespies Aarons rod blossoming Book 1. chapt 3. page 29. 30 31 32 33 34 35. who learnedly proves that point both from Scripture and the Testimonies of many learned writers who have written of the Iewish Antiquities and Customes and Answers the contrary objections 3. Christ knew that Church and Common-wealth were to be certainly shortly dissolved the Christian Church to be set up and though he warned the People of those errors and wayes and denounced the judgements of God against them yet because he knew the purpose of God was to destroy the Iewish Common-wealth he might not speake for that and the other Reasons forenamed to the Magistrates as otherwise he would of which the Reader may read more in pag. 30. of this present Book And now for putting a Period to this 17. Thesis and to all the Answers given by me to those evasions brought against â—hose old Testament Lawes of Deut. 13. Deut. 17. and the rest I shall briefly adde 3 things First To cleare a little further some passages of Deut. 13. Secondly show the slightnesse and weaknesse of Hagiomast exceptions against those old Testament Laws Thirdly Show the excessive pride and folly of the man in boasting and glorying in such poor weak things as he brings against the Vindicator of the Ordinance for preventing the groth and spreading of Heresies in Sect. 34. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41. First As I shall adde two places more out of Moses Law before omitted in the beginning of the 17. Thesis to prove the Magistrates power of punishing in matters of the first Table viz Deut. 19. 16 17 18 19. and Numb 15. 30 31. the former in case of Apostaâ—ie the latter in case of blaspheming God so to all I have said of Deut. 13. I desire the Reader to observe that God having in the former chapter commanded the worshipping of the ture God and forbidden that of Idols which unquestionably is morall this 13. chap. is fitly added to it as an appendix in which God gives direction for removing the impediments opposite to his worship commanded particularly he commands the Authors of Apostasie not to be hearkned unto nor tolerated but to be punished with death and for that end that such who are obstinaâ—e and will not be amended nor regard their own salvation may be hindred at least from being an impediment to the salvation of
Apostles and Prophets in those Primitive times were infallible and immediately inspired of whose immediate infallibilitie how farre and in what way whether only in penning the holy Scriptures or how else whether ex hubituali asseâ—â—entia Spiritus or only de particulere assistantia Spiritus I shall speake at large in the second part of my Anti-Toleration in answering that Objection we have now no externall infallible Iudge yet all those they wâ—â—t unto in their Epistles every particular beleever man and woman were not neither are infallible not the Elect Lady and her children not all the beleeving Romans nor all those Christians to whom the Epistle generall of Iohn and Iude were written nor those Angels of the Churches of Pergamus and Thyatira nor Christians in our times to whom those commands and Rules are written and given by the Apostles as well as those who then lived for the Epistles did not concerne the times and the particular Churches and persons only to whom they were written as some wickedly affirme and yet these are commanded to stand fast in the Faith to avoid those who cause divisions contrary to the Doctrine which they have learned to prove al things are reproved found fault with by the Spirit of God for not censuring of Heresie false Doctrine c. which fully proves true Doctrine may be known from false false Teachers may be discovered and censured by persons not infallible and so the judging of what is Heresie Scism and who is a Heretick or a Scismatick and the punishing or not punishing of them depends not upon infallibilitie or fallibilitie of Spirit infallibilitie is not the ground of censure nor fallibilitie of non censure Thirdly The Apostles who were infallibly and immediately inspired yet in cases of Controversie arising in the Church and in censures and determinations thereupon did not act from infallibility and immediatenes of Answers from God but from Scripture grounds by way of reasoning and disputation deduced and in a Synodical way by the joint common resolution of Elders as well as themselves as is evident by Acts 15. Acts 21. 18 19 20 21. In that dissention that Paul and Barnabas had with certainemen that came downe from Judea about circumcision Paul and Barnabas were able to have determined it without their and others going up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and Elders Paul by his Apostolicall infallible Spirit could have determined as in Gal. 5. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing but the whole businesse is debated decreed and the decrees sent forth by Synodicall Authoritie determined according to the word of God and not by extraordinary immediate infallible inspiration of the Spirit the proofe of which seing the Reader may find so fully and largely in many learned Authors I shall spare to write anything of it So upon Pauls comming to Hierusalem Acts 21. and the offence that many thousands of the Iewes which beleeved and were zealous of the Law took at him Paul went not upon his own infallibilitie of Spirit or immediate Revelation but upon the joint councell and direction of Iames and all the Elders verse 18. 20 21 23 24 25 26. Now if the Apostles in judging of false Doctrine and Scisme censuring the Authors of these and imposing upon the Churches their Decrees to be kept all which are spoken of in Aâ—ts 15. proceeded not in the way of infallible immediate Revelation from God laid it aside as it were but in an ordinary way by Scripture reason experience upon and after much debate as is apparent from verse 6. to verse 30. then t is evident that immediatnesse of Revelation with infallibilitie of Spirit is not the sole judge of Heresies and Errors and the only just reason of inflicting punishments upon Hereticks and Scismaticks Seventhly besides the other false Suppositions laid down by Hagiomastix in his 36. Sect. as the enquiring by Vrim and Thummim in cases of Idolatrie Blasphemie as that Inallibilitie is the ground of coercive power c this also is false that he supposeth under the new Testament there is no Infallibilitie nor certaintie to be had in difficult doubtfull matters of Religion but that in those things we walk at midnight in comparison of those under the old Law who walked at noon day which assertion of the uncertaintie and darkenesse of the Church in points of Religion under the new Testament compared with the old is contrary to these grounds First to many prophecies of the state of the Church after Christs comming which speak that then the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea and the light of the Moon shall bee as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sun shall be seven sold as the light of seven dayes and unto the manner of the Administration of the Covenant of Grace under the new Testament which however for substance was but one and the same under the Law and the Gospel yet for manner of Dispensation and Application differed and is various as many Divines show and one of the main differences between them in manner of Administration stands in this that the Covenant of Grace under the new differs from the old in Cleernesse and Evidence in that the Doctrine of grace and salvation by Christ and of faith in him together with the Appendixes is more distinct and expresse then before it was not being now under a vaile but beheld with open face 2 Cor. 3. 12 13 17 18. Secondly then the Church of Christ under the new Testament should be in a far worse condition then the Iewes were under the old for whereas they were sure and certaine in their Religion and had an infallible way of being resolved in all doubts Christians now should be in continuall doubts and uncertainties in matters of faith not knowing what to doe or whether to turne themselves which must needs be a most miserable condition and the Iewes case in the time before Christs comming in the flesh was to be much preferred before ours for the burden of being under the Pedagogy of the Law with a certaintie and infallibilitie of knowing what to hold and beleeve is a light burden in comparison of being freed from the Ceremoniall Law and in the meane time to be without all certaintie and assurance in points of faith and worship Who would not chuse rather to undergoe some burden with an infallibilitie and certaintie of Religion then to enjoy a Libertie from a Yoake with an uncertaintie and continuall feares Is not the bondage of feare worse then a bondage of ceremonies and many outward Legal observations If the deliverance of us from the Pedagogie of the Law hath brought us into this condition out burden is greater in this thing then any that the Law laid upon the Iewes Hath Christ delivered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us Have wee
not cause to say Lord let any burthen of the Ceremoniall Law be laid upon our necks rather then this Thirdly unto the end of Christian Religion and the knowledge of it as it is written in the Scriptures particularly of the new Testament which is that Christians may have consolation and hope in life and death Rom. 15. 4. 1 Epist John 1. 4. Now there can be no solid comfort without certaintie and assurance of the truth of the thing in it felse at least which wee professe but in doubts fears uncertainties the soule must needs be in perplexities anxieties as upon the rack Feare hath torment 1 Iohn 4. 18. But Secondly the infallibilitie and certaintie under the old Testament by Vrim and Thummim of the Priest so much spoken of and magnified by Hagiomastix above that under the new was as much liable to questioning and doubts by cavilling and contentious Spirits as the way under the new and many exceptions might be made and Controversies to arise whether those who were to give sentence in cases of Religion upon the Answer by Vrim did according as they received it from God or according to their own corrupt affection and interest which considering what many of the Priests were under the old Testament corrupt and partiall and the silent manner of Gods Answer by Vrim might give occasion of questioning yea Hagiomastix himselfe supposes and implies in some cases a possibilitie of a wrong Answer and doing injustice after consultation with the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God as these words show So that except those that were to give sentence in cases of Religion had been desperately wicked end set upon bloud and had despised the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongst them they could not doe injustice Now t is evident there were high Priests among them and such who had power of sentence in cases of Religion that were desperately wicked who either might passe sentence without enquiring by Vrim or else not goe according to Gods Answer by Vrim but according to the lusts of their owne hearts Whosoever does but consider these examples following recorded in Scripture both of the Priests and other men going flat contrary to the mind of God and immediate Answers from him will not wonder but be satisfied The Priests in Ieremiahs time were desperately wicked and set upon bloud even upon having Ieremiahs bloud pronouncing sentence upon him This man is worthy to die and Thou shalt surely die Jerem. 26. 8 11. and there were many complaints by Ieremiah Ezekiel and other Prophets of the Priests and cheife Priests being out of the way through strong drink erring in vision and stumbling in judgement saying to a stock Thou art my Father and to a stone Thou hast brought me forth c offering violence to the Law and Prophaning of holy things putting no difference between the holy and prophane hiding there eyes from the Sabbaths the chiefe of the Priests transgressing very much and polluting the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Ierusalem Esay 28. 7. Ierem. 2. 27. Ezek. 22. 26. 2 Chron. 36. 14. Now if the Priests would doe all this when they degenerated offer violence to the Law say to a stock thou art my Father pollute the house of the Lord and much more that is recorded in the Scripture of them then there is no question to be made but they might pervert the sentence by Vrim and give an Answer quite contrary to what they received immediately and infallibly from God therby condemning the innocent and clearing the guiltie making that prophecying falsly as in Ieremiahs case which was Prophecying truly making that Blasphemie which was none Yea they are particularly taxed for erring in vision and stumbling in judgement which words probably may be meant of their judgement by Vrim the Priests Answers in that way being cald the judgement of Vrim and judgement in divers places of Scripture as Numb 27. 21. Exod. 28. 15 29 30. So that for all Hagiomastixs cleer reason if the Priests were corrupt and partiall under the Law as some good Priests in some particular cases might be and were as Aaron in the golden calse Eli in the matter of his sonnes Hophni Phinehas and wicked ones would certainly be the Iews might be in danger in matters of Religion to be punished unjustly then in those dayes notwithstanding their Priests had immediate and infallible Answers from God as well as Christians now under the new Testament besides if we consider what the way of Answering by Vrim was and that as distinguished by Rabbins and other Divines from some other wayes of Gods Answers not by a loud voice that all who came to enquire might heare the Answer as well as the Priest but in a silent way and manner revealed only to the Priest either by inspiration or by looking into his breast-Plate upon the darknesse or brightnesse of his Iewels by which he knew or by some letters in the breast-Plate in which he read the will of God and so by the Priest communicated to the Iudges and standers by but if the Priests would pretend other Answers from God then he gave how should the Iewes disprove them and what more certaintie had those who in difficult doubtfull cases came to the high Priest to enquire by Vrim seing they received the Answers not from God immediately but from the high Priest and the Priest might possibly deceive them in cases falling out about their own children or neer bloud showing partialitie and affection then may be had by us now in these times nay going according to Master Goodwins Principles that the sentence of the high Priest was by Vrim and not by the Law the judgement of Vrim from the Priest was the supreme and last Iudge in case the Priests would be false as in some particular cases they might the Iewes were in a more uncertaine and worse condition then if to be judged by the Law or wee in these dayes who if our Magistrates and Iudges should degenerate might appeale to the Scriptures and urge them to them whereby to convince them but so could not the Iewes according to Hagiomastixs Doctrine the Priest by Vrim being appealed to in cases where they suppose the Law could not helpe and lastly if wee consider how Prophets under the old Testament who were as immediately and infallibly inspired as the high Priest by Vrim yet in all their Answers and Dictates were not without all possibilitie of mistake as is evident by Nathans Answer to David 2 Sam. 7. 4 5. c nor without all danger of deceiving those they spake to as is to be seen in that example of the old Prophet in Bethel 1 Kings 13. 11 17 18 21. and divers other places of Scripture speaking of Prophets wee may easily conceive how Magistrates and Iudges then might be liable to error as well as now especially if they tooke all the Priests and Prophets said without comparing and examining