The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 96 – Chapter 97
CHAP. XCVI.
Peace.
O What mysteries are these to Flesh and Blood! how hard for flesh to forsake the Arme thereof! But passe on (deare Trutly) to their proofe propounded, Ezra 7. 23. Wherein Artaxerxes confirmed by Law what ever was commanded by the God of Heaven.
Truth.
…zra 7. 23. discussed.In this Scripture I mind first the people of God captivated under the dominion and government of the Kings of Babel and Persia.
Secondly, Artaxerxes his favour to these Captives,
1. Of freedome to their Consciences.
2. Or bountie towards them.
3. Of exempting of some of them from common charges.
Thirdly, Punishments on offenders.
Fourthly, the ground that …aries him on to all this.
Fifthly, Ezra praising of God for putting this into the heart of the King.
Concerning the people of God the Iewes, they were as Lambes and Sheep in the jawes of the Lyon, Gods people not subject to …he Kings of Babell or Per… in Spirituals.the dearely beloved of his Soule under the devouring Tyrants of the World, both the Babylonian and the Persian, farre from their owne Nation, and the Government of their own anointed Kings, the figures of the true King of the Iewes the Lord Iesus Christ.
In this respect it is cleere, that the Iewes were no more subject to the Kings of Babylon and Persia in Spirituall things, then the Vessels of the Sanctuary were subject to the King of Babels use, Dan. 5.
Concerning this King I consider, first his person, a Gentile Idolater, an oppressing Tyrant, one of those devouring Beasts, Da…. 7. & 8. An hand of bloody Conquest set the Crown upon the lead of these Monarchs; and although in Civill things they might challenge subjection, yet why should they now sit down in the throne of Israel, and governe the people and Church of God in Spirituall things?
Secondly,Tyrants hearts sometimes wonderfully mo…ified towards Gods people. consider his acts of Favour, and they will not amount to a positive Command, that any of the Iewes should goe up to build the Temple, nor that any of them should practice his own worship, which he kept and judged the best for his owne Soule and People.
'Tis true, he freely permits them, and exerciseth a bounteous assistance to them: All which argues no more, but that sometimes it pleaseth God to open the hearts of Tyrants greatly to favour and further his people. Such favour found Nehemiah, and Daniel, and others of Gods people have and shall finde, so often as it pleaseth Him to honour them that honour Him, before the Sonnes of Men.
Peace.
Who sees not how little this Scripture contributes to their Tenent? but why (say some) should this King confirme all with such severe punishments? and why for all this… should Ezra give thankes to God, if it were not imitable for aftertimes?
Truth.
The Law of God which he confirmed, he knew not, and therefore neither was, nor could he be a Judge in the Case.
And for his Ground, what was it but the common terrours and convictions of an aff…ighted Conscience?
In such sits and pangs, what have not Pharaohs, Sauls, Ahabs, Herods, Nabuchadnezzar, D…ri…us, and A…ta …erxes th…ir decrees examined.Agrippa's spoken? and what wonderfull decrees have Nabuchadnizzar, Cyrus, Darius, Artaxerxes put forth concerning the God of Israel, Dan. 3. & 6. & Ezra 1 & 7 &c. and yet as farre from being charged with (as they were from being affected to) the Spirituall Crown of Governing the Worship of God, and the Conscience of his people.
…Tis true, Ezra most piously and justly gave thankes to God for putting such a thing into the heart of the King: But what makes this pattern for the Laws of Civil Governours now under the Gospell?Ezra's thanksgiving for the Kings decree examined. It suited well with that Nationall state of Gods Church, that the Gentile King should release them, permit them to returne to their own Land, assist them with other favours, and enable them to execute punishments upon offenders according to their Nationall State.
But did God put such a thing as this into the heart of the King, viz. to restraine upon paine of Death all the millions of men under his Dominion from the Idolatties of their severall and respective Countries? to constraine them all upon the like penaltie to conforme to the Worship of the God of Israel, to build him a Temple, erect an Altar, ordaine Priests, offer sacrifice, observe the Fasts and Feasts of Israel? yea did God put it into the Kings heart to send Levites into all the parts of his Dominion, compelling them to heare; which is but a naturall thing (as some unsoundly speake) unto which all are bound to submit?
Well however, Ezra gives thankes to God for the Kings, and so should all that feate God in all Countries,The duty of all Civill States toward the Consciences of their Subjects. if he would please to put it into the hearts of the Kings, States and Parliaments, to take off the yoakes of Violence, and permit (at least) the Consciences of their Subjects, and especially such as in truth make Conscience of their Worships to the God of Israel: and yet no cause for Ezra then, or Gods Ezra's and Israelites now, to acknowledge the care and charge of Gods worship, Church and Ordinances, to lie upon the shoulders of Artaxerxes, or any other Civill Prince or Ruler.
Lastly for the Confirmation or Ratification which they suppose Magistrates are bound to give to the Lawes of Christ,Christ needs no humane confirmations. I answer, Gods cause, Christs Truth, and the two-edged sword of his Word, never stood in need of a temporall Sword, or an humane Witnes to confirme and ratifie them. If we receive the witnesse of an honest man, the witnesse of the most holy God is greater, 1. Iohn 5.
The result and summe of the whole matter is this: 1. It may please God sometimes to stir up the Rulers of the Earth to permit and tolerate, to favour and countenance Gods people in their worships, The sum of the Examples of Gentile Kings decreeing for Gods Worship in Scripturethough only out of some strong conviction of conscience or feare of wrath, &c. and yet themselves neither understand Gods worship, nor leave their owne state, Idolatry or Country worship.
For this Gods people ought to give thankes unto God; yea and all men from this example may learne not to charge upon the Magistrates conscience (besides the care of the Civill peace, the bodies and goods of men) the Spirituall peace in the worship of God and soules of men: but hence are Magistrates instructed favourably to permit their subjects in their worships, although themselves bee not perswaded to submit to them, as Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes did.
CHAP. XCVII.
Peace.
THe sixt question is this: How far the Church is subject to their Lawes?
All those (say they) who are members of the Commonweale are bound to be subject to all the just and righteous Laws thereof, and therefore (membership in Churches not cutting men off from the membership in commonweales) they are bound to be subject, even every soule, Rom. 13. 1. as Christ himselfe and the Apostles were in their places wherein they lived, and therefore to exempt the Clergy (as the Papists do) from Civill subjection, and to say that generatio Clerici, is corruptio subditi, is both sinfull and scandalous to the Gospel of God; and though all are equally subject, yet Church members are more especially bound to yeeld subjection, and the most eminent most especially bound, not only because conscience doth more strongly binde, but also because their ill examples are more infectious to others, pernicious to the State, and provoke Gods wrath to bring vengeance on the State.
Hence if the whole Church or officers of the Church shall sin against the State or any person by sedition, contempt of Authority, heresie, blasphemy, oppression, slander, or shall withdraw any of their members from the service of the State without the consent thereof, their persons and estates are liable to Civill punishments of Magistrates according to their righteous and wholsome Lawes, Exod. 22. 20. Levit. 24. 16. Deut. 13. 5. & 18. 10.
Truth.
What concernes this head in civill things, I gladly subscribe unto: what concernes heresie, blasphemy, &c. I have plentifully before spoken to, and shall here only say 2 things:
First, those Scriptures produced concerne only the people of God in a Church estate, and must have reference onelyonly to the Church of Christ Jesus, which (as Mr. Cotton confesseth) is not Nationall but Congregationall of so many as may meet in one place, 1 Cor. 14 & therefore no Civ…ll State can be the antitype and parallell; to which purpose upon the 11 Question I shall at large shew the difference betweene that Nationall Church and State of Israel,The Law of putting to death blasphe… of Christ cuts off. I hopes from the Jewes of part ki…g in his blou…. and all other States and Nations in the World.
Secondly, If the Rulers of the Earth are bound to put to death all that worship other gods then the true God, or that blaspheme (that is speake evill of in a lesser or higher degree) that one true God; it must unavoidably follow that (the beloved for the Fathers sake) the Jewes whose very Religion blasphemeth Christ in the highest degree, I say they are actually sonnes of death, and all to be immediately executed according to those quoted Scriptures: And
Secondly, the Townes, Cities, Nations and Kingdomes of the World must generally be put to the sword, if they speedily renounce not their Gods and Worships, and so cease to blaspheme the true God by their Idolatries: This bloody consequence cannot be avoided by any Scripture rule, for if that rule be of force Deut. 13. & 18. not to spare,The dir…full effects of sighting for conscience. or shew mercy upon person or City falling to Idolatry, that bars out all favour or partiality; and then what heapes upon heapes in the slaughter houses and shambles of Civill Warres must the world come to, as I have formerly noted, and that unnecessarily, it being not required by the Lord Jesus for his sake, and the Magistrates power and weapons being essentially Civill, and so not reaching to the impiety or ungodlinesse, but the incivility and unrighteousnesse of tongue or hand?