The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 73
CHAP. 73. A Reply to his Chap. 76. diſcuſsing the Teſtimony of Optatus.
Diſcuſſer.
THe Anſwerer alledgeth from Optatus his third Booke, that he juſtified Macarius, who had put ſome Hereticks to death, for that he had done no more herein, then what Moſes, Phincas, and Elias had done before him.
But theſe are ſhafts uſually drawen from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes, which vaniſhed at the appearing of the Body, and ſubſtance of the Sun of Righteouſneſſe, who ſet up another Kingdome, or Church (Heb. 12.) Miniſtery, and Worſhip: In which wee finde no ſuch Ordinance, Precept, or Precedent of killing men for Religion ſake.
Defender.
Whether theſe ſhafts be taken from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes, or no: Sure this Anſwer is taken from no Law of God, nor any Scripture ground: but from the Topicks of humane invention.
Did ever any Apoſtle or Evangiliſt, make the judiciall Lawes of Moſes concerning life and death, Ceremoniall, or Typicall? Time was, when humane inventions in Gods Worſhip, were accounted Superſtition: but now humane inventions in Doctrine, may paſſe for current Evangelicall Divinity.
It is true the Sunne of Righteouſneſſe hath ſet up another Church, Miniſtery, and Worſhip: But did he ever ſet up another civill Righteouſneſſe? or a M giſtracy to walke by another rule of Righteouſneſſe, then that which God gave by Moſes? If it be true, that Chriſt gave no expreſſe Ordinance, Precept, or Precedent of killing men by materiall Swords for Religion ſake: It is as true that neither did he for any breach of civill Juſtice, no not for murder, nor adultry. Which maketh it therefore evident, that ſeeing he hath expreſly authorized civill Magiſtracy in the New-Teſtament, and hath given no expreſſe Lawes or Rules of Righteouſneſſe for them to walke by in Adminiſtration of civill Juſtice, therefore either he leaveth them to act and rule without a Rule (which derogateth from the perfection of Scripture:) or elſe they muſt fetch their rules of Righteouſneſſe from the Law of Moſes, and from the Prophets, who have expounded him in the Old-Teſtament.
Diſcuſſer.
More particularly, concerning Moſes, I Querie what Commandement, or practiſe of Moſes, either Optatus, or the Anſwerer here intend…th. Probably that of Moſes, Deut. 13. If ſo I ſhall particularly Reply to that, in Anſwer to the reaſons here under mentioned.
Defender.
When Optatus ſpeaketh, that Macarius in putting Hereticks to death had done no more, then Moſes had done before him: It appeareth he meant not that paſſage of Deut. 13. but of Exod. 32. where he put to death Idolaters: and that of Levit. 24. where he put the Blaſphemer to death. For Optatus ſpeaketh of what Moſes had done, not what Moſes had commanded to be done. But I ſhall (God willing) conſider his Anſwer, if it come in my way.
Diſcuſſer.
Concerning Phinehas his zealous Act.
1. His flaying the Jſraelitiſh man and woman of Midian, was not for ſpirituall, but corporall filthyneſſe.
Defender.
Was it for bodily or corporal filthineſſe? Surely for ſpiritual. For the Iſraelites that committed whoredome with the daughters of the Land, they were invited to the Sacrifices of their God: And being invited they did eat and bowed downe to their Gods, and ſo joyned themſelves to Baal Peor: this is plaine in the text Numb. 25.1, 2, 3.
Now I doe not know, that corporall filthyneſſe betweene a young man and ſingle woman was any Capitall Crime, by the Law of Moſes. But the Diſcuſſer contenteth himſelf, if any thing be ſaid, it may goe for an Anſwer.
Diſcuſſer.
2. No man will produce this fact as Precedentiall to any Miniſter of the Goſpel, ſo to act in any Civill State &c.
Defender.
It is true, it is no Precedent for Miniſters: but the fact ſo clearely acknowledged, and approved, and rewarded of God, is doubtleſſe an act of righteouſneſſe to have been done by ſome in their ordinary calling (to wit, by Moſes and the Princes of Iſrael:) which Phinehas did by an extraordinary motion. God is not wont to approve any act of holyneſſe, or righteouſneſſe (though never ſo extraordinary) which doeth not fall under the ordinary Rule of holyneſſe, and righteouſneſſe, in the ordinary calling of ſome or other Function, which himſelfe hath ordained. Therefore though Phinehas his fact be no Precedent for Miniſters of the Goſpel: yet it is Precedentiall to ſuch as beare not the Sword in vaine, but for the puniſhment of evill doers.
Diſcuſſer.
Concerning Elijah, There were two famous acts of Elijah of a killing nature.
1. That of ſlaying 850. of Baals Prophets, 1 Kings. 18.
2. Of the two Captaines, and their fiftyes by Fyre.
For the firſt, It cannot figure or Type out any materiall ſlaughter of the many thouſands of falſe Prophets in the world by any materiall Sword of Iron, or ſteele: for as that paſſage was miraculous: ſo wee finde not any ſuch Commiſſion given by the Lord Jeſus to the Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Defender.
It will doe the Diſcuſſer no hurt to take notice, that he that is forward to take hold of any ſlip of Pen, or memory, is ſubject to the like ſlips himſelf. The number of the falſe Prophets, which he ſaith, were ſlayne by Elijah exceedeth the Truth by halfe in halfe: the Text numbreth them 450. and he numbreth them 850. Againe, it is a vaine thing to inquire what this fact of Elijah ſhould figure or Type out. Acts of Morall Juſtice, though they may ſometimes be extraordinary: yet they are never accounted Typicall, or Figurative: but by ſuch as would transforme all the Scripture into an Allegory.
Beſides, why ſhould he call the fact Miraculous? Is it a miracle for Elijah with the aide of ſo many thouſand people of Iſrael …o put to death 450. men, whoſe ſpirits were diſcouraged being convinced of their forgery and Idolatry?
Moreover, Though Chriſt gave no ſuch Commiſſion to Miniſters of the Goſpel to put falſe Prophets to death, as Elijah did: yet the ſame Anſwer holdeth here which was given to the fact of Phinehas: though the hand which executed Juſtice was extraordinary: yet the act of Juſtice, was an ordinary duty of Morall Righteouſneſſe, belonging to ſuch as beare the Sword.
Diſcuſſer.
Laſtly, ſuch a ſlaughter muſt not onelyonly extend to all the falſe Prophets in the world, but (according to the Anſwerers grounds) to the many thouſands of thouſands of Idolaters, and falſe worſhippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world:
Defender.
Such a ſlaughter being onelyonly made of the falſe Prophets in Iſrael (a people in Covenant with the true and living God) the example of it will onelyonly extend to the like execution of all the falſe Prophets in the Church of God, who have turned the hearts of the People of God from Jehovah to an Idol. What hath any Officer in the Church, or Magiſtrate in the Common-wealth to doe, to cenſure or puniſh all the falſe Prophets in the world, when many hundreds of them (if not thouſands) are exempt from their juriſdiction? muchleſſe will this example extend to the floughter of many thouſands of thouſands of Idolaters, and falſe worſhippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world.
For 1. many thouſand thouſands of them are exempt from the civill Magiſtracy of Chriſtians.
2. They were never in Covenant with God to whom onelyonly the Law of Moſes (concerning the puniſhment of Idolaters) extendeth.
3. Though the Iſraelites were Idolaters, yet Elijah ſpared them, as having bin lead aſide from the dayes of their Fathers, in their ſimplicity, and Ignorance, by theſe falſe Teachers. And for ſins of Ignorance God hath appointed other expiatory Sacrifices, then the ſlaughter of the off…nders. Nor hath the Anſwerer any grounds, or thoughts to the contrary.
As for the other fact of Elijah in ſlaying the Captaines of their fiftyes, as it is not pertinent to the puniſhment of falſe Prophets, nor of Idolaters (as ſuch:) ſo I doe not finde it alledged by any in this cauſe, but only by the Diſcuſſer, to make himſelf worke.
But when the Diſcuſſer is pleaſed to glory in his Anſwers to Auguſtine, before, and to Optatus here, That if Auguſtine were now living, he would be of his minde, and Optatus, and the Anſwerer himſelfe might reſt ſatisfied.
Let the Diſcuſſer reviſe againe what he hath written, and ſee if he can ſatisfie himſelfe (muchleſſe the Anſwerer, and leaſt of all Auguſtine, and Optatus) in ſuch Cobweb Evaſions.