The Civil Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion, Answer 16 – Object 2
Anſ.
True, we have one onelyonly Law-giver, who is Abſolute, Supreme, and Infallable, which alone giveth us forth Laws, in matters of God, or the Church; Nor may any other give forth other Laws that way for ſubſtance, then what he firſt delivereth to them. Yet this hindreth not, but this onelyonly Law-giver having delivered his royall mind and will therein, that other Politicall Miniſters of his, and whom he ſubſtituteth under him, to look to it that theſe Laws be executed, ſhould, yea and ought, in their Politicall way to ratefie, and promulge theſe Laws of their Soveraign and ours, and improve their utmoſt power, Politically to incourage, ſuch as ſhall, Externally at leſt, obſerve the ſame, or diſcourage ſuch, as ſhall openly, and obſtinately tranſgreſs the ſame. Civill Magiſtrates are Earthly Gods, under the God of Heaven and Earth, Pſal. 82. and are according to God to improve all their power for God, and againſt open ſcandalous ſinners againſt him; And one chief part of their power, being Legiſlative power, they are in their Politicall way to improve that power for God, as well as to put forth their remunarative, or vindicative power, actually for God, in matters of God or man, of Religion or Righteouſneſs, of the firſt or ſecond Table, both Tables being committed to their keeping, as their Politicall charge.
2. God onelyonly gave Laws to his Church in matters of God, of old, and was the onelyonly Law-giver, yet alowed the name of Lawgiver, even in reſpect of Religion alſo to Moſes the higheſt Magiſtrate, Num. 21. 18.
Object.
True you will ſay, he was immediately inſpired by God that way, and ſo are not others.
Anſ.
Yea but this proveth, that Gods being the onelyonly Law-giver to his Church, it hindreth not but that the Civill Magiſtrate under him, and from him, may and muſt promulge his Laws, and that under penallties of Civill puniſhment; For God inſpired no other powers of old, than higheſt Civill power, to do that work Secondly, though God were the onelyonly Law-giver in matters of Religion and of the Church, yet that hindreth not, but that he allowed others in higheſt Civill Authority to make Laws, and Orders, and Edicts, reſpecting Religion, and that under penallty of Civill puniſhment. Honor that Order ſolemnly made, and ingaged unto by Aſah, and that Generall Aſſembly of the Heads, and Members of that Kingdom, that whoſoever would not ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael, ſhould be put to death, 2 Cron. 15. 13. Yet were not theſe immedtately inſpired, as was Moſes. Ioaſh alſo gave forth royal Edicts, and made Proclamction of it, concerning collections to be made for the houſe of God, Politically ratifying, and promulging a Law of Moſes in ſubſtance. Exod. 30. 13, 14, 15, 16. And 2 Cron. 24. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. &c. Albeit David might, from immediate Inſpiration from God, or direction from ſome Inſpired Prophet, make thoſe Decrees and Orders about Church matters, matters of Gods Worſhip, of the Miniſtery, of Diſcipline, and the like, mentioned 1 Chron. 16. 4, 5, 6, 7, &c. and chapter 23. & 24. & 24. & 2. Yet Hezekiah, who added his politicall Sanction to thoſe orders, he was not ſo inſpired, 2 Chron. 29. 25. God made a Law about Miniſters maintainance by Tyths and the like; But Hezekiah alſo addeth his Civill Sanction thereto, 2 Chron. 31. 4. and cauſeth his Edict to be ſpread, or publiſhed, or promulged, ver. 5. The like Magiſtraticall power did Nehemiah put forth, in making Orders about Miniſters Maintainance, Neh. 13. 13. and about the Sanctification of the Sabbath, threatning Civill puniſhment to the tranſgreſſors thereof, ver. 19. I commanded to ſhut the gates, and charged that they ſhould not be opened till after the Sabbath; and ver. 21. he threatens to lay hands on them that ſhall perſiſt to prophane the Sabbath; and ver. 22. he chargeth the Levites to look to the ſanctification of the Sabbath; and to make it appear, that though God had made a Law about Sanctification of the Sabbath, yet he as a chief Civill Ruler, did but his duty in making Politicall Orders about the ſame; he pleadeth with God, ver. 22. Remember me O my God for this. It was a Politicall Order and Decree which the State of Niniveh made for that penitentiall Faſting, and ſeeking of God, Jonah 3. 7. The King cauſed it to be proclamed and publiſhed throughout Niniveh (by the Decree of the King and his Nobles) ſaying, let neither man nor beaſt taſt any thing, let man and beaſt put on ſackcloth, and cry mightily unto God, let them every one turn from his evill way, &c. And how well God took this, ſee ver. 10. For hereupon he repented him of the evill that he had ſaid, &c. The like politicall Injunction of Faſting and Prayer by good King Jehoſhaphat, 2 Chron 20. And the like politicall Act in matters of Religion ſee in the State of Judah in Hezekiahs time, who having firſt called a Councill of State about it, 2 Chron. 32. 2. afterward, they, ver. 5. eſtabliſhed a Decree to make proclamation through all Iſrael, that they ſhould come to keep the Paſſeover at Ieruſalem; though upon juſt reaſon given, ver. 2. 3. it were not the very ſame monethmonth appointed in the Law of God; and how acceptably God took this, the ſequell ſhewed. Mordecai alſo having by Queen Eaſters means been advanced to higheſt Authority under Ahaſhuerus, he maketh a ſolemn Law, and ſtanding Decree, about ſolemn yearly dayes and exerciſes of the duties of Thankſgiving, to be obſerved by all the Jews, Eſt. 9. 30, 31, 32. and he ſent letters unto all the Iews, &c. to confirm thoſe dayes of Purim in the times appointed, according as Mordecai the Iew, and Eſter the Queen had injoyned them, &c. of which ſee more, ver. 21, 22, 23. and is commended for it, Eſt. 10. 3. It was a Law, a coerſive Law about matters of Religion, under Civill penalties to thoſe that tranſgreſſed it, which Artaxerxes made, Ezr. 7. 26. Whoſoever will not do the Law of thy God (which all know commands matters of Religion as well as Righteouſneſs) and the Law of the King (reſpecting it commanded by God, in reference to his houſe, the Temple, and Worſhip of it, &c. mentioned ver. 23.) let judgement be ſpeedily executed upon him, whether it be to death, or to baniſhment, or to confiſcation of goods, or to impriſonment. And leſt any ſhould ſay, that he did this of his own head, ver. 27. Its thankfully acknowledged to be of God; Bleſſed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put ſuch a thing as this into the heart of the King, to beautifie the houſe of the Lord, which is at Jeruſalem: Darius alſo maketh a politicall Decree reſpecting Religion profeſſed and practiſed by his ſubjects the Jews, and that under penalty of Civill puniſhment to ſuch as ſhall any way alter his Decree, Ezr. 6. 11. compared with ver. 8, 9, 10. this is recorded in his commendations. That was a politicall Order and Decree made by that other Darius the Mede, for which he is commended in Dan. 6. 23. [It is about matters of Religion] I make a Decree, that in eveery dominion of my Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. That was a coerſive Decree about matters of Religion which Nebuchadnezzar made, under the penalty of Civill puniſhment, and he is commended for it, Dan. 3. 28, 29. Bleſſed be the God of Shadrach, Meſhach, and Abednego, who hath ſent his Angell, and delivered his ſervants that truſted in him, &c. And therefore I make a Decree, that every People Nation, and Language which ſpeak any thing amiſs againſt the God of Shadrach, Meſhach and Abednego, ſhall be cut in pieces, and their houſes be made a dunghill, becauſe there is no other God that can deliver after this ſort. So that the Concluſion is but further ſtrengthened by this Argument. That which the Lord himſelf hath either put higher Civill powers upon, or hath owned, or commended either in ſuch as were within, or without the Church, in ſo doing; that muſt needs be according unto the Mind and Word of God: But the exerciſe of Legiſlative power, by higher Civil powers, about matters of Religion (yea and that in a coerſive way, and under Civill penalties) is that which God hath put into the hearts of ſuch higher powers, or hath owned, and commended in them (as the Inſtances before do declare) therefore the uſe of Legiſlative power by Civill power, about matters of Religion, yea in a coerſive way, it is according to the Mind and Word of God.
And this now ſayd, may help alſo to take off another Objection.
Obj. 2.
Some object, That then Heathen Kings, as they are Civill Magiſtrates, have right to make Laws about matters of Religion, and of the Church, although not able to doe it, not knowing the Matters of God or of Churches, and not Members of the Church, and ſo not cenſurable by the Church; which were to make a King-Pope to give out Laws to the Church, and not to be cenſured by the Church.