The Civil Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion, Answer 27 – Answer 31
Anſw.
1. If this prove any ſuch matter of Toleration, it muſt prove immunity of all the children of the wicked one, of all that are to be caſt into hell, of all that offend, verſ. 38. 41. All theſe as well as Heretiques, which are but ſome of that ſort, muſt be let al…n…, they muſt alſo all be free, not alone from the Civil ſword, but from Church-cenſures: yea whether the perſons, thoſe tares, and wicked ones, within the field of the viſible Church, doe ſin againſt the firſt Table, by profeſſed Atheiſme, Blaſphemy, Idolatry, Perjury, Witchcraft, &c. Or againſt the ſecond Table, by Murther, Adultery, Treachery, Robbery, or the like: yet both Church and Common-wealth, muſt let theſe Tares in the viſible Church-field alone to the laſt day, and dare any ſay ſo? Obſervable it is, that Chriſt Expounding all the reſt of the Parable, cometh not over that ſentence againe [Let them alone to the Harveſt] as practically appliable thereunto, or enjoyning any ſuch to be rationall,
2. The drift and ſcope of the Parable is to ſhew, what by Gods providence will be ordered, not in this or that particular religious State or Church in it, but what will fall out in the field of the whole viſible Church, thorow out the world, over which no one Civil State, or Church, hath power: that even in this great field, taken in from the reſt of the world, and this field ſown by God, and which in a more ſpeciall manner is his Kingdome, there will be mixtures of good and bad; and the rooting up, not of this or that Tare, or wicked perſon, but of all the Tares in generall, or of all the children of the Devil, within the pale of the Church; will never be, till the generall day of Judgement, which will be an univerſall and infallible kind of ſevering, ſorting, and cenſuring; and when there ſhall be a totall and finall ridding of them from amongſt the Children of the Kingdome, or the righteous: Although God in the mean ſpace, by his own hand, immediately, and by the hands of men ſometimes, mediately, will be cutting off this or that Child of the Devil, this or that Witch, Traytor, Atheiſt, Blaſphemer, Murderer, or the like: As he will be gathering in many particular godly ones, as good wheat and ſeed into his Garner, leaving the generall ſevering and gathering of both good and bad, wheat and tares, unto that generall, laſt, and great harveſt day. The like is held forth in that Parable, Matth. 13. 48, 49, 50.
Object.
That ſpeech of Gamaliel, Acts 5. is objected, Let theſe men alone, &c. if of God, yee cannot reſiſt, if of men, it will come to nothing.
Anſw.
1. He ſpake this in a doubtfull, newtrall way, not cloſing with either; hence he ſaith, If it be of God, and if it be of men, is this therefore a ground to godly, wiſe, or regulated Rulers, either to be of Gamaliels doubtfull ſpirit in matters of God, or of the Church, when all Chriſtians are required to be eſtabliſhed in the Faith? Yea in that Doctrine of God, which reſpecteth Church-order alſo, Col. 2. 5, 6, 7. in which they are to be men of underſtanding, 1 Cor. 14. 20. ſheep who know Chriſts voyce, John 10. 4. Or is this any ground that they ſhould be of a newtrall ſpirit, leaving all to God, either to determine the right therein, or to maintaine his owne cauſe, and to ruinate the contrary, which was Gamaliels ground of his newtrality, If this thing be of men, it will come to nought, God himſelfe by his providence will bring them to ruine. Upon which ground, what need is there for Magiſtrates to puniſh Adulterers, or fraudulent dealers, or the like; for God profeſſeth himſelfe to be an Avenger of ſuch evils, Heb. 13. 4. 1 Theſſ. 4. 10. Yea but Rulers (ſay we) are Gods Miniſters, to avenge ſuch like evils. And ſo in matters of God, it is alike as was ſhewed, in theſi it might be truly ſaid, What is of God, cannot be reſiſted, what is of men will come to nought, and God is an avenger of ſuch things, he can defend his owne worſhip and wayes, and his truth is able to defend it ſelfe, elſe who would regard either, yet God alſo would have Moſes to promulge Lawes, and to look to the due execution of Lawes, providing for Civill puniſhment of perſons who came with their own lying fancies, though in his Name, to thruſt his people away from God, Deut. 13. or draw away his people from his inſtituted worſhip to idolatrous worſhip, Deut. 17. and in the times of the Jewes coming home to Chriſt, Chriſt and his truth will be able to defend themſelves, he will be the chiefe avenger of evil, yet ſhall falſe Prophets be puniſhed differently according to their demerits, by the Civill Magiſtrate, Zech. 13. Gamaliel might rather have added, that yet ſuch ſeducers as Theudas and Judas, with their obſtinate abettors, doe juſtly periſh by the ſword of the Civill State, as himſelfe intimateth, verſ. 37, 38. and ſo are not, in ſuch pernicious wayes which come from beneath, to be left onelyonly to Gods judgement: to be ſure Chriſts ſentence, He that is not with me is againſt me, Matth. 12. 30. requireth more of his people then ſuch a newtrall ſpirit.
2. Theſe of whom good Gamaliel ſpake, howſoever thought of by the blind bemiſted world, yet were ſuch as in the judgements of the whole body of the Saints then, who were of diſcerning eyes and ſpirits, did indeed preach the truth; and ſo no faſt ground hence, that ſuch which both really and in the judgement of the moſt diſcerning Saints and Servants of God, doe hold forth falſhoods and blaſphemies, ſhould be let alone in any ſuch ſcandalous or miſchievous courſes.
Object.
That alſo 1 Tim. 1. 4. is objected; That the Law is not for the righteous: and ſo mans Lawes, if according to Gods Law, ſhould not provide to reſtraine and puniſh ſuch, for their Opinions, &c.
Anſw. 1.
The Law is not for the righteous, as righteous, and regular (through grace) to it: nor is there any Law againſt the fruits of Gods Spirit, Gal. 5. 23. yet if he that is either really or ſeemingly a righteous man, commit murther or adultery, or if any ſuch Members of the Jewes Church commit idolatry, or blaſpheme the name of his God, by the Law, promulged by Moſes that Magiſtrate, he was a man of death, and that by the hand of the Civill Magiſtrate.
2. The Law being ſaid in this quoted place, to be for whatſoever is contrary to ſound doctrine, ſurely the politicall keepers of the Law of God are rather in duty bound to make Lawes, ratifying that ſum and ſcope of the Law of their Soveraigne, and their Lawes, as conſonant to their pattern Law of God, are to be for whatſoever is openly and groſly held forth and acted contrary to ſound doctrine.
Object.
That alſo 1 Cor. 13. 4, 5, 6, 7. Charity ſuffereth long, thinketh no evill, beleeveth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, is objected as a ground of ſuch liberty.
Anſw.
That will not follow, becauſe we ſhould doe nothing of malice againſt any perſon, nor raſhly, and upon bare ſurmiſes, nor without a due diſtinction and conſideration of the matter of fact in judgement, or the like, therefore we muſt not call evil, evil, therefore a godly Ruler, as a Ruler, muſt endure all things how ſcandalous ſoever, or hurtfull, without reſpecting either ſecond or firſt Table, and how palpably evill or groſſe ſoever it be, yet that he muſt hope the beſt of it, and how dangerous ſoever to State or Church, yet he muſt let it goe unpuniſhed. Suffer long, even defer a righteous ſentence upon an evidenced evill doer, contrary to Eccleſ. 8. 11. Becauſe ſentence againſt an evill doer is not executed ſpeedily, therefore the hearts of the ſons of men are fully ſet in them to doe evill.
Object.
That of Moſes politically tolerating divorce is urged, that therefore all ſorts of errors, and the like are to be tolerated and not in an ordinary way puniſhed.
Anſw.
We Anſwer, that that concluſion ſpeaks of that which is to be done in a way of ordinary uſe of Civill Authority, and in caſes ordinary, and not as that of Moſes in ſuch like politick permiſſion of things otherwiſe evill, of an extraordinary nature, nor may any reaſon, becauſe Moſes tolerated a ſin againſt the ſecond Table, or 5th, 7th, and 9th Commandement (as was the divorce of Moſes, for every cauſe, even every ſlight cauſe, Mat. 1. 9.) therefore Civill States in an ordinary way and caſe may tolerate in the groſſer ſence, againſt the firſt Table, as Blaſphemy, Perjury, the Maſſe, Witchcraft, &c. or againſt the ſecond Table, as Robbery, Adultery, &c. Nay, if Moſes his toleration be urged for a ground of toleration, it muſt be rather a toleration of ſins againſt the ſecond Table, then for Toleration of ſins againſt the firſt Table. David in an extraordinary caſe let murther a time unpuniſhed in Joab and Abiſhai all his dayes, but it will not follow that therefore godly Princes and Rulers may in an ordinary way and caſe let another alone unpuniſhed.
Now to the High, Eternall, Immortall, Inviſible, the OnelyOnly wiſe God, be Honour and Glory for ever.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Cobbet, The Civil Magistrates Power in Matters of Religion (1653)