The Dying Mans Testament to the Church of Scotland, Part 3 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. What is required of Magistrates for restraining of seducing spirits.
THe second thing that we proposed to speak to in this remedy, was, as it relateth to Magistrates, to wit, Whether any thing be? or what it is that is called-for by the Word of God from them, to be performed in their stations for the drying up of such a floud▪ and removing of such a plague? It is not our mind to insist so much in this as in the former, Yet it is fit that we say something: And who knoweth but it may fall in the hand of some Magistrate, who may be desirous to hear and know his duty? which we shall lay down in an Assertion, or two, thus,
Assert. 1. Although God hath not made Magistrates, as such, Church-officers, nor intrusted them with the Ecclesiastick Government of His Church; yet doth he allow them, and call them to improveThey are called according to their places to interpose. their civil power for the good of His Church in Ecclesiastick things in some respect, as well as in civil things. And therefore if a Magistrate see not to the providing of Ministers for a people, and of maintenance to them, and such like, that are necessary for the being of a Church, as well as he provideth Officers, and furnisheth them that are needfull in the State, he is faulty and unfaithfull to his trust. For, the Lords design in setling of Societies, and appointing of Magistrates, is to be expounded as subservient to that great end of mens glorifying of God, and enjoying him. And certainly, Magistrates are to have that as their own end, even in the actions of their station, and to endeavour to promove that amongst these over whom for their good they rule. This is clear in all the Governments and Commonwealths that the Lord did immediately model Himself, Magistrates had this for a speciall part of their task, to keep His Ordinances pure, and to restrain the corrupters of them: This is expressed in the Morall Law, where Masters are no lesse to oversee their servants, that they work not on the Sabbath, from respect to the Lord, than to direct their work all the week from respect to themselves; and by the rules of interpreting of these commands, what belongeth to a Master to be done by him as a Master, in reference to these over whom he hath power according to his station, that doth belong to all Magistrates in reference to these under their charge, according to their stations. Also, where one instance is named, all of that kind are comprehended. And therefore as this Ordinance of sanctifying the Sabbath, is to be overseen by Superiours, so also are all others: yea, it is acknowledged also, that what is expressed in one command, in respect of the extent thereof, is to be understood in all. And therefore this obligation lyeth on Superiours, to make inferiours observant of Gods Ordinances in reference to all the commands; this is not doubted of the duties in the second Table: yet there is no expression in it inferring the same▪ so expresse as is in the first; and this is a common assertion, Magistrates have both Tables of the Law committed to their keeping. This is fully made out by many godly and learned men, and we need not to insist upon it; for, readily, no Magistrate doth question his own power, but that he may do what is fit, all the matter is to consider what that is.
Assert. 2. It is not a Magistrates duty in the case ofAnd not meerly to look to outward order. overspreading delusion, meerly to look to outward order and civil peace and enjury, and to give liberty to any o… many sorts of dangerous errours and delusions to spread; or, to give toleration unto the maintainers thereof, in their spreading the same. For, 1. such errours, are ill deeds, and such spreaders, are ill doers, bringing great prejudice to people, Gal. 5. 20. 2 Epist. of Iohn 11. 2. Magistrates ought to be a terrour to evil doers indefinitly; and, I suppose, if the sword be born in vain in reference to them, the conscience will not have ground of quietnesse in the day of judgement, upon a distinction of evil doers▪ when the Lord hath made none such in their commission. 3. They ought to be zealous of His honour who is their Superiour, that His name be not blasphemed: and can such be tolerate without this construction, upon the matter, that men have liberty to blaspheme the Name of God, to abuse His truth, reproach His Ordinances, and to take His Name in vain as they will? Would any supream Magistrate take it well, to have some inferiour officer, or Magistrate of a Town or Province, to give such liberty to these under his jurisdiction in reference to him? And is there any such distance between the supream and inferiour Magistrate, as there is between the Majesty of God, and the most supream power on earth? And what if He judge between Him and them out of their own mouth, and, according to the measure that they met out to others, met out to them? 4. Are they not to seek the peoples good? And is there any such good, as their spirituall good? Or, are there any such enemies to that as seducers? We conceive therefore▪ it will not be found agreeable to the intent of their office and scope which they ought to aim at therein, that Magistrates should give this liberty or connivance to men, to vent and propagate such errours as may destroy souls, and actually overturn the face of a visible Church, so that if something overspread universally, (as Popery, and some other grosse errours and delusions have done in some places of the world) there should be no visible Church within such dominions; And indeed, upon these principles, men cannot impute it to their own care, that it is other wayes. Also, such loosnesse may overturn Ordinances, and set up abominations in the room thereof, remove all Ministery, Sacraments, Discipline and Preaching, and all upon pretext of conscience: such delusions have been in the world; and if by Magistrates connivance, they should overspread a Nation, so as there could be no remedy applied, would it be satisfying or comfortable to him (supposing him to have a conscience) to see his people under him in such a posture? What if under pretext of conscience, Magistracie should be denied to be an Ordinance of God, and he put therefrom, upon that account, that the people thought it unlawfull to obey him? Would not readily his conscience say, That seing he restrained not others from casting at these Ordinances, in which the honour of God, and good of souls were so much concerned, that it was just with God to permit them to cast at that Ordinance also, wherein he is so mainly concerned? And indeed, this hath not been unfrequently seen, that these who have begun to cast at Church-ordinances, have come at length (as if they had been thereto disposed by the former) to cast at Civil Ordinances (to speak so) also; and what wonder is it, seing there is no more clear warrant from God for the one than for the other?
If it be said, that what hath been spoken in theThat the grounds against toleration concern Magistrates as well as Ministers. doctrine, and on these places, Rev. 2. concerning the not suffering of corrupt teachers to vent their errours, doth belong to Ministers and Church-officers, and not to Magistrates. Answ. 1. If thou be a Magistrate that moveth this objection, pose thy own heart, if that which is so displeasing in Ministers and Church-officers, to wit, toleration of corrupt men to spread their errours; If, I say, that will be well pleasing and approven in Magistrates, when Christ Jesus shall come to judge both in reference to this thing; Or, if in that day when the great Judge will Sentence Ministers for tolerating in such a case, He will take another rule to proceed by, with the Magistrate? Or if it be like, that Christ out of love to His Church, shall peremptorily require Ministers, not to suffer false teachers, but to restrain them, according to their stations, and not to endure them to teach and seduce His Servants, and yet, that the same Lord, for the good of His Church, should require Magistrates to tolerate and maintain the same. 2. Consider if the grounds and reasons that bind this duty on Ministers, will not equivalently and proportionably bind all men according to their stations; for, the grounds are in sum, love to God, and love to the edification and salvation of others, which are the substance and fulfilling of the morall Law. 3. If in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, or in History since▪ these two be not ever joyned together, the most commended Magistrate, and one who is most zealous against corrupt teachers; the fathers of old were no… to spare their children, Deut. 13. nor suffer them to teach or seduce to the dishonour of God, and hazard of souls; and can it be said that souls now are lesse precious, or errour now lesse infectious and dangerous, or these things lesse to be cared for now in the dayes of the Gospel than formerly, that concern the glory of God, and edification or destruction of souls? 4. Consider if in the Book of the Revelation, the suffering of Antichrist to delude souls, be not mentioned as reproveable; and if the destroying of that beast, and putting him from corrupting the earth, be not spoken of as a main piece of the commendation of such as shall be instrumentall therein. Now in the Scripture-language, all deluders and seducers are Antichrists, being led with the same spirit, and driving the same design against the Kingdom of Jesus Christ; Can there be therefore any reason to make such difference, where the Lord hath made it? 5. Consider if it can be accounted single zeal, that perswadeth to permit the Name of God to be dishonoured, when any reflection upon our own, doth so much move us; for, it doth infer, that either there is an indifferency as to truth and errour, So that in the one, the Lord is not more dishonoured than in the other, which will be found exceeding contrary to His own expressing of Himself in Scripture, and will not, I suppose, be pleaded in the day of judgement, when He will avenge Himself on such seducers; or, it must infer, that men are not to take notice of what dishonoureth Him, even though many things be within their reach to impede it. And indeed, if a conscience seriously pondering the thing, will not be provoked out of zeal to God, whose glory suffereth, out of respect to the salvation of many souls, that are hazarded and destroyed by such means, and to prevent the many offences that wait necessarily upon such ills, and the many inconveniencies, divisions, jealousies, rents, &c. that follow in Families, Congregations, Cities and Nations, and the great prejudice that the Commonwealth suffereth, by the distracting of her members amongst themselves, the incapacitating of many for publick trust, the fostering of diverse interests and contrary principles in one body, to the marring of honest publick designs: If by these, I say, the zeal and conscience of these who are concerned, be not provoked, by what will, or can, they be?
If it be said, That it looketh more Gospel-like,That totall forbearance is not like the Gospel. and for the furtherance of Christs Kingdom, that Magistrates should leave men to follow their light, and to be dealt with by the preaching of the Gospel, and force thereof. We shall propose these Considerations in reference to this, 1. Consider if it looketh christian and tender-like, for men so to stand by in the Lord's Cause, and to let Him do (as it were) for Himself: It was indeed once said of B…al, Iudg. 6. If he be a god, let him plead for himself: But will a tender heart think or speak so reproachfully of the Majesty of God? He indeed can and will plead for Himself; and it is not for defect of power He maketh use of men, to defend His truth, or to restrain errours; yet it is His good pleasure to make use of Magistrates therein, (and thereby to honour them) as He doth of Gideon in that same place. 2. Consider if it look christian-like, to give the devil equal accesse to follow his designs with Jesus Christ in the setting up of his kingdom: Now absolute toleration doth this, and more, because there is but one Truth, and there are many Errours, and each of these hath that same liberty and indemnity (to say so) that Truth hath, and may with the same confidence come forth to the open light as Truth may, in respect of any Civil restraint. 3. Consider the case of Antichrist, there is no errour against which the Lord hath more directly engaged Himself to fight with the sword of His mouth, than against this of Popery, and yet we suppose none will think that Kings might warrantably suffer it to be spread and preached to the infecting of their People, without adding or injoyning any restraint by their Civil power; certainly their hating of the Whore, and making her desolate, doth imply some other thing: And where-ever true hatred of Errour is, there will be more effectuall streatching of mens power and places for restraining the same. 4. We may adde this Consideration, That hitherto toleration of Errours and diversity of corrupt opinions have ever been looked upon, and made use of, as a most subtil mean for undermining and destroying of the Church. It is marked of that skilfull enemy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, Julian, That having improven his subtility to the utmost to find out means to destroy the Church by craft, which his predecessors by violence could not obtain▪ amongst other means he concluded this Not to raise open persecution but to give liberty to all the differing Bishops and Teachers (which then, after the Council of Nice and Constantins death, were very many and bitter in their differences) to follow their own way, and to vent their own opinions without all fear of any restraint: and therefore did call them that he might make intimation thereof to them for their further encouragement therein; The words which he used to them, as they are marked by Ammianus and cited by Lodovicus Molineus, pag. 560 are, Ut consopitis civilibus discordiis, suae quisque Religioni serviret intrepidus, that is, in sum▪ That every one forbearing Civil discords, should worship in his own Religion without controle or fear: And is it like, that this shall prove a mean usefull for the good of the Church, which that expert childe of the devil did make use of to destroy the same?
Our third Assertion then is, That Magistrates inIt's Magistrates duty to prevent the infection of the people under them. their places ought to prevent the infection of their people under them by corrupt doctrine, and the recovery of them when they are insnared: and that therefore they ought to restrain and marre corrupt teachers from spreading of their errours to seduce others. This Assertion we suppose, is clear from the former two: for, if Magistrates be allowed to improve their power for the good of the Church, and if it be not their duty to give common protection to Errour, and the venters thereof, with Truth: Then this will follow, that they ought to use their power to restrain the same, and, by the exercise thereof, to procure the good of their people, in preserving of them from such a great evil.