An Account of Cawdrys Triplex Diatribe, Chapter 5 · Section 4
Sect. 4. The Magiſtrates power acknowledged. Inventing new ways of worſhip. Davids appointing the Levites to waite from 20. years old, an act of a King, not of a Prophet. Davids laſt words.
IN the 4th. §. the main of this which I have now vindicated, is acknowledged by Mr. C. for ſaith he, the Apoſtle hath here no reflexion on the Magiſtrates making Laws in indifferent things (and if ſo, why was it judged a miſtake in the Doctor, when he ſaid, the Apoſtle doth not ſpeak of commands, but doctrines, i. e. not of the prohibition of the Magiſtrate &c. Certainly if the Doctor were then miſtaken, the Diatribiſt is now, who confeſſeth the ſame thing, which ſo lately he had reproved) All his quarrel is to the Magiſtrates inventing a new way of worſhipping God, and then I am ſure he hath no real quarrel to me, after all this pompous ſhew of writing exercitations againſt me, for I never was advocate for thoſe who invented new ways of worſhipping God, and if, as he ſaith, the Papiſts lie under that guilt, I have taken no fee from them, amunder no obligation to plead for them, they are of age, let them anſwer for themſelves.
No more am I entertained of counſel for thoſe falſe teachers, who any way impoſe antiquated worſhip on God's people, ſuch are ſacrificing, ſabbatizing, circumciſion, and the like, and ſo all this while the Diatribiſt fights with the aire, and confeſſes as much as his adverſarie deſires of him, and then all that I have to complain of, is the ad quid perditio haec? To what purpoſe was all this waſte of words and paper? I wiſh there were no more yet behind.
But in this 4th §. he is pleaſed to take notice of one inſtance of mine, that of David who appointed Levites to ſerve from the age of 20. years, whereas God by Moſes had appointed it but from 25. years old &c. And I wonder what can be replyed to this my inſtance, to hinder it from concluding the lawfulneſs of making humane Laws, in ſuch circumſtances of Gods worſhip, and thoſe different from the Laws of God. Why, 1. ſaith he, 'tis impertinent, for he brings it as an inſtance of the Magiſtrates power in a thing indifferent, whereas this was in a matter of religion, and more then ſo, in a matter formerly commanded by God.
Having given this firſt anſwer under form of a firſt, I was in reaſon to expect a ſecond to ſupply the defects, but the Reader will eaſily diſcern with me that there is no ſuch, and therefore this firſt muſt bear all the weight. And to it I reply, 1. From his own confeſſion, that it was in a matter of Religion and more then of Religion, then by the argument à majori, he muſt needs have power in the leſſe, i. e. in a thing indifferent, and then ſure my inſtance from David was more then home to my purpoſe (i. e. pertinent) it proved more then I pretended from it, and if the Diatribiſts arguments would do ſo too, I aſſure him, I ſhould be convinced by them, I will never object to them that they have abundantly proved his poſition, but ſuch acts of Supererogation he may well condemne (and will not probably be guilty of) who writes Diatribae againſt all actions that exceed, as well as thoſe that come ſhort of the Commandment.
But then, 2. His anſwer to the inſtance of David being this, that this action of Davids was againſt a former command of Gods, an altering of Gods appointment, and no way to be ſalved but by Davids being a Prophet, inſpired by God or directed by ſome other Prophet, and not imitable by any Magiſtrate now] What is it again but a remarkable inſtance what foreign can doe?
Tis true indeed David was a Prophet, inſpired by God in things belonging to that office, and yet as true that he was a wiſe and prudent King, and that he made this alteration upon prudential conſiderations ſet down in that place, 1 Chron. 23. 25. and 28. &c. viz. becauſe the burthens being not now ſo heavy, as formerly when they were to carry the Tabernacle, and all the inſtruments thereof, conſequently the full ſtrength of years was not ſo neceſſary to the undergoing them, and beſides, by this means there might be more Levites to ſerve in the Tabernacle, then formerly there had been.
And it is not imaginable why in a matter of this nature, in ſuch a meer circumſtance of the worſhip or ſervice of God, and that ſo far from a contrariety to God's command (for he that layes it upon the Levites from 20. years old, no way oppoſeth him that had impoſed it onelyonly from 25. and he that commanded it from 25. no way excluded thoſe of 20. from being added to the ſervice) David might not have power, as a King, or why any other Magiſtrate might not do the like, command what God had not before commanded, in a thing ſo perfectly indifferent as was the age of the Levites, wherein to begin and end officiating.
As for his proofes, that David made this change by the Spirit or inſpiration of God, as a Prophet, firſt from 1 Chron. 28. 19. All this the Lord made me to underſtand in writing by his good hand upon me, even all the workes of this pattern, aſcribing it to the Spirit of God, v. 12, 13. Secondly, by comparing, 1 Chron. 23. 27. with 2 Sam. 23. 2, 3. where, as by the laſt words of David the Levites were numbred from 20. years old, in the former place, ſo in the latter place it was ſaid of the laſt words of David, the Spirit of the Lord ſpake by me &c. Theſe are but a heap of miſtakes. For as the former place belongs onelyonly to the pattern of the Temple which Solomon was to build, deſcribed there particularly in the ſeverals of it, from v. 11. and that pattern affirmed v. 12. to be had from the Spirit of the Lord, and ſo the [all this] confined to that pattern, and with no equity, or ground in the text, to be farther inlarged, or applyed to Davids numbring the Levites from 20. years old, ſo the laſt words of David, 1 Chron. 23. 27. are clearly Davids laſt Will and Teſtament, but the laſt words, 2 Sam. 23. 1. are the laſt words of propheſie that he delivered, it being evident that he ſpake many other words after that, as appears in the Chapter, and the Book following, 1 Kin. and of his propheſies it is, and not of his other words, that it there follows, the Spirit of the Lord ſpake by me.