The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 17 (1 of 4)

The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan · Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 17 (1 of 4)

p. 4417. THESIS.

Beſides all the proofes in the Old Teſtament of Magiſtrates power de facto in matters of Religion, with commands given to them to look to ſee the true Religion ſettled in their Countries (which I have given in former Theſes) there are many expreſſe commands given by God to the Magiſtrates to puniſh perſons in their Territories for matters againſt the firſt Table viz. Idolaters, Blaſphemers, falſe Prophets, Seducers, Witches and Wizards, Prophaners of the Sabbath, as in Exodus 22. verſe 20. He that ſacrificeth unto any God ſave unto the Lord only, he ſhall be utterly deſtroyed. Deut. 13. verſe 1, 2, 5, If there ariſe among you a Prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, ſaying, let us go after other Gods, which thou haſt not known, and let us ſerve them: Thou ſhalt not harken unto the words of that Prophet, &c. And that Prophet, or that p. 45dreamer of dreams ſhall be put to death, becauſe he hath ſpoken to turn you away from the Lord your God, which brought you out of the Land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the houſe of bondage, to thruſt thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded thee to walk in: So ſhalt thou put away the evill from the midſt of thee. Deut. 17. 2, 3, 4, 5. If there be found among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickedneſſe in the ſight of the Lord thy God, in tranſgreſſing, his Covenant, and hath gone and ſerved other gods and worſhipped them, either the Sun or Moon, or any of the hoſt of Heaven, which I have not commanded; and it be told thee and thou haſt beard of it, and inquired diligently, and behold it be true, and the thing certaine that ſuch abomination is wrought in Iſrael: then ſhalt thou bring forth that man or that moman (which have committed that wicked thing) unto the gates, even that man or that woman and ſhalt ſtone them with ſtones untill they die. verſe 12, 13. And the man that will doe preſumptuouſly, and will not hearken unto the Prieſt (that ſtandeth to miniſter there before the Lord thy God) or unto the Judge, even that man ſhall die, and thou ſhalt put away evill from Iſrael. And all the people ſhall heare and feare, and doe no more preſumptuouſly. Levit. 24. 16. And he that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, he ſhall ſurely he put to death, and all the Congregation ſhall certainly ſtone him: As well the ſtranger, as he that is borne in the Land, when he blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, ſhall be put to death. verſe 23. And Moſes ſpake to the children of Iſrael, that they ſhould bring forth him that had curſed out of the Camp, and ſtone him with ſtones: and the children of Iſrael did as the Lord commanded Moſes. Levit. 20. 2, 3, 4. And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes ſaying, Againe thou ſhalt ſay to the children of Iſrael, whoſoever he be of the children of Iſrael, or of the ſtrangers that ſojourne in Iſrael that giveth any of his ſeed to Molech, he ſhall ſurely be put to death. Exod. 22. 18. Levit. 20. 27. Thou ſhalt not ſuffer a Witch to live. A man alſo or woman that hath a familiar ſpirit, or that is a Wizard, ſhall ſurely be put to death; they ſhall ſtone them with ſtones: their bloud ſhall be upon them. Yee ſhall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it, ſhall ſurely be put to death: for whoſoever doth any work therein, that ſaule ſhall he cut off from among his people.

p. 46Deut. 18. 20. 22. But the Prophet which ſhall preſume to ſpeak … word in my name, which I have not commanded him to ſpeak, or that ſhall ſpeak in the name of other gods, even that Prophet ſhall die. When a Prophet ſpeaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to paſſe, that is the thing which the Lord hath not ſpoken, but the Prophet hath ſpoken it preſumptuouſly: thou ſhalt not be afraid of him, that is, afraid to put him to death, either for his threatning words, or for his ſignes, or for his ſhowes of holineſſe, or becauſe he hath the name of a Prophet of the Lord, and ſpeaks in the name of the Lord, or is indeed a Prophet, as that old Prophet was 1 Kings 13. 11, 18, 20, 21, 30. Ainſw. upon this place, ſaith, the Hebrewes, explain it, ſaying Whoſoever withdraweth himſelfe from killing a falſe Prophet, becauſe of his dignity, for that he walketh in the ways of Prophecy, behold he tranſgreſſeth againſt this prohibition, thou ſhalt not be afraid of him. And ſo he that with draweth himſelf from teaching concerning him what he is guilty of; or that dreadeth and feareth for his words, &c. Now in all theſe commands, as their ſubject matter conſiſts of things forbidden in the ten Commandements, as Blaſphemie, Apoſtaſie, Witchcraft, Prophanation of the Sabbath, &c. So that the commands for puniſhing ſuch (for the ſubſtance of them) are moral too of common reaſon and equity given to all Nations, and for all ages, as to the Jewes and their times, I ſhall prove by theſe following Reaſons; and for the moſt materiall things brought of old or of late by the grand Patrons of Toleration Minus Celſus Senenſis, Acontius, Bloudy Tenet, M. S. Hagiomaſtix to make void theſe places of Scripture, (as that theſe commands either are abrogated by Chriſt, the things commanded in thoſe lawes belonging to the Jewes only, but not the Gentiles nor Chriſtians, or if they be any way morall, yet they extend not to Hereticks and falſe-teachers, but concern only Apoſtates, Blaſphemers, ſuch falſe Prophets who endeavoured to perſwade men to the worſhip of a falſe God; and that by affirming that they ſpake by the inſpiration of ſome deity) to them alſo I ſhall returne aſatiſfying Anſwer.

For the firſt, let the Reader lay together theſe particulars. 1. that tis evident ſome of theſe commands, as againſt offering their children to Molech, as againſt dealing and contracting with p. 47a familiar Spirit deſerve puniſhing among Chriſtians and under the Goſpell now, as well as under the Law, and if theſe, why not the other of Blaſphemy, Idolatry, falſe-prophecie, &c? theſe latter are of moral things as well as the other; the firſt and theſe are delivered both by Moſes in the ſamebooks, time, propounded after the ſame tenor and way, upon the ſame grounds and reaſons. No difference at all, unleſſe that theſe latter concerning Apoſtaſie, Idolatry, falſe prophecie, be more ſtrictly commanded and further inlarged, which the Reader by comparing the texts ſhall obſerve. But if it be ſaid thoſe commands againſt offering their ſeed to Molech and of witches, are therefore puniſhed by the Magiſtrate, becauſe they offend againſt lives and eſtates of mankind, in killing the children, in cattell being killed, and mens bodies being hurt by Witches and Wiſards, which is not in the other of Apoſtaſie, Blaſphemy, &c. I reply, tis to be obſerved that in all thoſe places where the commands are given by God to the Magiſtrate about theſe, there's not one jota or tittle expreſſed about offending againſt the ſecond Table in life or goods, but all the reaſon formally declared, is, becauſe againſt God immediately, and the commands of the firſt Table: For giving the ſeed to Molech, Levit. 18. 21. this is the reaſon alledged by God againſt it, Thou ſhalt not let any of thy ſeed paſſe through the fire to Molech, neither ſhalt thou prophane the name of thy God: I am the Lord, Levit. 20. 3. the reaſon given againſt it, is the defiling of Gods Sanctuary, and prophaning his holy name, both which ſpake in reference to the worſhip of God only and matters of Religion, as Ainſworth in his Notes upon both theſe Texts, fully and excellently ſhows, as alſo the late Annotations of our Engliſh Divines. It is further proved by thoſe two Texts Jerem. 7. 31. Jerem. 19. 5, 6. where God ſpeaking againſt the Jewes offering up their children to Molech, layes open their ſinnes in theſe expreſſions, which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart, which I commanded not, nor ſpake it, neither came it into my minde, in which words God anſwers to what was in their hart, viz. that they did it as a worſhip to God, a thing commanded by him, and ſo out of conſcience, but God tels them, and that in theſe reiterated expreſſions it was never commanded by him among all the duties of his worſhip he never ſpake a word of any ſuch matter. p. 48and among all the places in Moſes Books, Prophets, the Books of Kings, Chronicles, where 'tis ſpoken of, we ſhall never find this condemned as murther, but ſtill ſpoken againſt as Idolatry, a corruption of Gods worſhip, and ſo recorded among ſuch tranſgreſſions: beſides according to Gods owne rule and way of acquitting ſome men of murther, by providing Cities of refuge, Deut. 19. in ſome caſes for men that had ſlaine their brethren, upon that ground, becauſe they hated them not in time paſt, twice expreſſed verſe 4. 6. the givers of their children to Molech will be found to be adjudged to death for their Idolatry rather then the killing their children: for it cannot be ſuppoſed that the worſhippers of Molech hated their children in time paſt, or at preſent, and out of that hatred offered them up in ſacrifice, but out of their blinde zeale and ſtrong deluſion, thinking therein they ſhould doe a high and extraordinary ſervice; Rabbi Bechai ſaith, that the Parents were perſwaded that by this ſacrifice the reſt of their children ſhould be delivered from death, and that they themſelves ſhould proſper for it all the dayes of their life. For ther's no queſtion but theſe Idolaters loved their children and had affections to them as might be proved by ſeverall reaſons, among others by the great noiſe made by beating upon Drums in the time of ſacrificing to drowne the cries of the children, left their cries working on their Fathers naturall affections ſhould make the Fathers ſpare them; whereupon the place of ſacrificing was called Tophet of Toph, which is a Taber or Drum. For the commands given to Magiſtrates againſt Witches, they are ſet down either without any reaſons at all of them, or elſe in thoſe places where any reaſons are aſſigned they relate wholly to God as a breach of the firſt Table, nothing at all as to men, as theſe Scriptures ſhow, Levit. 20. 6, 7. 26, 27. Deut. 18. 10, 11, 12, 13. and our Engliſh Divines in their late Annotations upon Exod. 22. 1…. write thus, Witchcraft in forbidden, and that upon paine of death. Some have thought Witches ſhould not die unleſſe they had taken away the life of mankind; but they are miſtaken, (the proof of which the Reader may finde ſet downe there) But why then muſt the Witch be put to death? Anſwer, Becauſe of the league and confederacie with the Devill, which is high treaſon againſt God, becauſe he is Gods chiefeſt enemie, and therefore though no … p. 49enſue this contract at all, the Witch deſerver preſent and certaine death for the contract it ſelfe. Secondly, theſe commands to the Magiſtrate concerning Idolaters, Blaſphemers, &c. were not for the puniſhing of Iſraelites, the Jewiſh people only, but of all ſtrangers in their Land, both of Proſelytes that dwelt among them, and of others that only travelled thorough, or were there a while upon trading or ſuch like occaſions, as theſe Scriptures ſhow Levit. 20. verſe 2. Whoſoever he be of the children of Iſrael, or of the ſtranger that ſojourne in Iſrael, that giveth any of his ſeed to Molech, he ſhall ſurely be put to death, Levit. 24. verſe 16. Hee that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord ſhall ſurely be put to death, as well the ſtranger, as he that is borne in the Land. Upon which places of Scripture and others, as the fourth Commandement, &c. beſides many reaſons that might be given why ſtranger is to be taken in the largeſt ſenſe, even for al ſtrangers coming among them though not Pro…elytes, it is the judgement of many learned men as Rabbins who were beſt skilled in the Cuſtomes of the Jewes, Maimonides with others, as moderne write…s Zanchius, Rivetus, our Engliſh Divines in their late Annotations on Levit, 20. verſe 1. and above all Maſter Selden in that learned Book De Jure Naturali & Gentium lib. 2. cap. 3. clearly ſhowes, 'tis underſtood of all Gentiles coming among them by accident, as thoſe workmen of other Countries, Tyrians, Phaenitians, &c. ſent by Kings to King Solomon for the building of the Temple, or thoſe who paſſed from place to place for traffique ſake, or any who paſſed through the Countrey. Maſter**Lib. 2. cap. 3. 154. 155, 156. De Jure Natur. & Gent. Lib. 1. cap. 10. Gentilis quilibet qui non in ſe receperat ſeptem praecepta Noachidis imperata ultimo ſupplicio aſſiciendus erat ſi inditione noſtra commoraretur. Selden in that Book of his alſo ſhowes, that when the Iſraelites were Sui Juris in their owne Countrey, had power over the Nations, and were in a flouriſhing eſtate under David, Solomon and other ſuch Kings, they denied all dwelling and habitation to the Idolatrous Heathen, or ſo much as to lodge them by way of Travellers or Gueſts, till they had given their names to the ſeven Precepts Juris Noachidarum ſeu Naturalis (as they are called) among which Idolatry and Blaſphemy De Cultu extraneo, De maledictione Nominis ſanctiſſimi ſeu Numinis, were the firſt. Nay further he proveth that every Gentile which had not received thoſe ſeven Precepts was to be puniſhed with death if he ſtayed in the Jewes Territories, and particularly in divers places of that Book ſhowes that Idolatry p. 50and Blaſphemy were puniſhed by death upon all that lived in the Iewiſh Common-wealth, though they were not Proſelyti Juſticiae; and on thoſe words Levit 24. And he that blaſphemeth the name of the Lord, he ſhall ſurely be put to death, writes thus, Id eſt ſive fuerit Proſelytus ſen peregrinus, ſive indigena aut civis, ex eo quod blaſphemaverit nomen Domini morte plectendus eſt, yea**Mr. Selden De Jure Naturali & Gentium. l. 2. c. 3. 156 lib. 2. c. 12. 162. lib. 3. cap. 1. 274. 275. De jure Gentium lib. 2. cap. 12 263. Ceterùm quoniam hac in re gravioribus coerceri volebant panis Gentiles ſeu Proſelytas Domicilii quam cives Ebraicos, ideo ex Iure Gentium interv… niente ſeu Proſelytis ejuſmodi ipſiſque ſuperinducto, tam cogneminis alicujus Blaſphemiam aut maledictionem quam nominis propri…, in Proſelyto domicilii ſeu Noachide ultimo plectebant ſupplicia. Maimonides, Noachides qui maledixerit Nomini, five id fecerit Nomine Proprio ſeu tetragrammato, ſive cognomine aliquo quocunque modo, reus eſt mortis, quod non ita obtinet in Iſraelita. he ſaith that the Gentiles or Proſelytes Domicilii, were puniſhed more ſeverely then the Iewes in this caſe of Blaſphemy, not only for blaſpheming the proper name of God, but the Cognomen. All which ſhowes clearly theſe puniſhments were not inflicted upon the Iewes qua Iewes, and qua a typicall people in a typicall Land, &c. but upon them as the nature of ſuch crimes calling for ſuch puniſhments, and that 'tis the Magiſtrates duty to reſtraine in Iews or Gentiles in all under their juriſdiction, Idolatry, blaſphemie, &c.

Thirdly, the reaſons and grounds of theſe Lawes and commands with the uſe and end of them upon which they are inforced, are of common reaſon and equity that concern us under the New Teſtament as well as the Iewes. I doe not finde one Ceremoniall or properly Iudiciall reaſon given of any one, but all of them are laid downe either abſolutely and ſimply without any reaſons at all, or elſe upon ſuch reaſons as are morall and perpetuall; and I judge that in all commands which are not typicall and ceremoniall, and ſo ſome other thing apppointed to come in upon the aboliſhment to make good their perpetuall end and uſe aſſigned, that rule of Divines holds univerſally true, Ratio immutabilis facit praeceptum immutabile, which by the way may ſerve to anſwer the Evaſions of Minus Gelſus Senenſis, and of Hagiomaſtix bringing inſtances in Circumciſion and ſuch like, which the Scriptures declare expreſſely to be aboliſhed, having ſubſtituted Baptiſme and other ordinances in their roome, but have not ſaid one word in the like kind of the commands in queſtion; beſides p. 51that Chriſt the ſubſtance of thoſe ſhadows is come, and ſo they are of no further uſe at all. And indeed Acontius though a great Libertine doth confeſſe that Law in the 13^th of Deuterenomy of the ſtoning of the falſe Prophet and Seducer is not confined only to the time before Chriſt having no place at all under the Goſpel, and to the ground and conjecture (as Acontius calls it) of that opinion, he ſaith that the reaſon ſet downe in the ſame is againſt it, viz. All Iſrael ſhall beare and feare, and ſhall do no more any ſuch wickedneſſe as this is among you, **Acontius De ſtratagem. Satanae pag. 150. 151. Eſt enim in lege ut omnis Iſrael audiens timeat &c: Quae certe ratio perpetuo viget, ut quanquam lex ipſa exſpiraverit, tam ſit tamen jus magistratui ſimilem aliam condendi quam … jus eſt in homicidas, adulteros alioſquae facinoroſos homines leges condere.which reaſon certainly abides alwayes, ſo that although this Law had exſpired, yet notwithſtanding by vertue of it the Magiſtrate hath a right and power of making another like it, as he hath of making Lawes againſt Murtherers, Adulterers and other flagitious perſons.

Fourthly, Before theſe Lawes in Deut. 13. and Deut, 17. for puniſhing Idolaters were given by Moſes, yea before Moſes time, or any Common-wealth among the Iewes was erected, in other Countries remote from the Land of Canaan, Idolatry in worſhipping creatures deſerved puniſhing by the Magiſtrate as I have ſhowed already fully in page 13, 14. of this Book; yea the particular kind of Idolatry inſtanced in Deut. 17. 3. of worſhipping the Sunne, or Moone, which among the Iſraelites was to be puniſhed by death, if it had been found in Job in the Land of Ʋz he had beene worthy of puniſhment from the Iudges for it Job 31. 26, 27. 28. And other Princes not Iewes, as Artaxerxes, Nebuchadonezar, &c. made Lawes and Edicts for puniſhing thoſe that blaſphemed the God of heaven, and tranſgreſſed his Lawes as the Scriptures teſtifie. Now the Lawes properly judiciall that were the Iewes civill Lawes ſimply belonging to them as ſuch a people in ſuch a Countrey, were in uſe only among themſelves, and not practiſed by other Nations and Countries; but ſuch Lawes and Cuſtomes uſed among them that were obſerved univerſally among all Nations, or by divers Nations (though not of all) ſtrictly ſpeaking were not Iudiciall Lawes, but the Lawes of Nature and Nations though according to the Diſcipline of the Iewes, that is, what was received in the Church and Common-wealth of the Iewes, and accordingly accounted by them as the Law of the world of all men and ages, or the Law of many Nations common to them with thoſe Nations, of p. 52all which the Reader may be further ſatisfied in that learned Peece of Mr. SELDEN'S, De jure Naturali, & Gentium juxta diſciplinam Ebraeorum; and particularly in the Preface of that Book, (where he ſheweth the reaſon of that Title, and gives the ſumme of his work and undertaking) and in his firſt Book. And among the Iawes of Naturall right, as diſtinguiſhed from the civil lawes of the Jews, or ſimply Iſraeliticall, thoſe commands of puniſhing for ſtrange worſhip, and Blaſphemie, are reckoned by the Jewes themſelves, as the Reader may find in the**Nam ubicun que ultimo ſupplicio punitur in foro Iſraelitico …ultus extraneus, ibi Noachides ob ſimilem cultum plectendus erat. Et ubicun que in foro Iſraelitico morte non punitur ejuſmodi cultus, ne que ob ſimilem gladio plectitur Noachides. pag. 132. Praeter Idololatriam at maledictionem Numinis, nihil omnino ex jure naturali ſeu hominum omnium communi pro crimine ſeu delicto circa ſacra, quatenus ſcilicet Noachidas ſolùm ea reſpitiebant, in foro, quoties ſistebatur Proſelytus Domicilii, ſeu Gentilis ejuſmodi ipſis eſt habitum▪ Pag 275. firſt book de Jure Naturali & Gentium, cap. 10. 2 book, cap. 1. 12. 3 book, cap. 1.

Fifthly, The Spirit of God under the New Teſtament, Hebr. 10. 28, 29. ſpeaking according to the common equity and juſtice of the matter, and not according to a Politicall law peculiar to one Nation, ſaith of the deſpiſers of Moſes law that died without mercy under two or three witneſſes, that they were worthy of it; as appears by the comparative, Of how much ſorer puniſhment ſuppoſe ye, ſhall he be thought warthy? Every comparative implying a poſitive: The ſorer puniſhment that he is worthy of, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, ſuppoſes the other worthy of the ſore puniſhment inflicted upon them by Moſes law for deſpiſing it. Now by Moſes law in this place, the breach whereof deſerved capitall puniſhment, muſt needs be meant ſins againſt the firſt Table rather then againſt the ſecond; and that becauſe the ſcope of the Apoſtle is to warne the Hebrews againſt Apoſtaſie and falling off from the Chriſtian religion, for which end he brings theſe words among others; and therefore would ſpeak ad idem. Beza upon … place, ſaith, that the Apoſtle ſpeaks not of the tranſgreſſion of any one command, but of the apoſtaſie and totall defection from the true Religion, of which Moſes in Deut. 17. 2. had ſpoken. So Calvin upon this text. The law under Moſes did not puniſh with death all ſins or tranſgreſſions committed, but p. 53Apoſtaſie. The Apoſtle had an eye to that of Deut. 17. 2. of ſtoning him that ſerved ſtrange gods. And Pareus upon Heb. 10. 28, 29. ſhewes, that temporall death from the Magiſtrate,☞ (for of that he ſpeaks, not of Gods judgements) was juſtly inflicted by Moſes law upon capitall tranſgreſſions, as Blaſphemie, Apoſtaſie; and therupon infers from the leſſe, that much greater puniſhment muſt abide Apoſtates who deſpiſe the Goſpel. Infert à minori, tanto gravius ſupplicium manere defectores illos. Si legis contemptoribus ſupplicium mortis, quo nihil eſt in hoc mundo acerhius, juſtè irrogabitur, uti que ſupplicium quovis morte atrocius Apoſtatae Evangelii contemptores incurrent? And 2 Heb. 2. in thoſe words For if the word ſpoken by Angels was firm, and every tranſgreſſion and diſobedience received a juſt recompence of reward the Apoſtle ſhews that the law of Moſes given by Angels, Gal. 3. 19. Act. 7. 30. had the breach and tranſgreſſion of it juſtly puniſhed mediately by the**Vide Pareu… in locum. Magiſtrates, to whom the execution of the laws was cōmitted by God, which juſt puniſhment is there cheifly underſtood of tranſgreſſions againſt the firſt Table.

Sixthly, Granting that 13. of Deut. with the other Texts of Scripture named, to be judiciall politicall lawes of the Jews, yet they may binde the Chriſtian Magiſtrate under the Goſpel. Indeed the Ceremoniall law being given for certain uſes, and for a certain time, till the comming of Chriſt, upon the ariſing of this Sun, all theſe ſhadowes vaniſhed away, as being but of one time. But now the Judicial lawes, however delivered to one Nation, yet were not of one time, never tied to one time only: ſo that had the commonwealth of the Jewes continued untill this day, excepting a few things belonging to the vindication of the ceremonies (which would have ceaſed with the ceremonies) they would have uſed their Political lawes ſtill, in regard the Goſpel neither changed nor took away any of them, as Beza obſerves in his Tractate de Haereticis à Magiſtratu puniendis, p. 154. And for the better underſtanding and proving that the Judicial lawes under the Old Teſtament are ſtill in force, I ſhall lay down two or three diſtinctions. 1. The judicial law may be conſidered, ſo far as concerns the diſtinction of the Iewes from the Gentiles, and the typical ſignification of the kingdome of Chriſt; or only ſo much as belongs to the forme of Civil government. Now the judicial law, according to the firſt acception, is abſolutely and p. 54ſimply abrogated; but, ſecundum quid, in part and ſome kinde only, in the latter: that is, Whatever was in the judicial law of particular proper right peculiarly concerning the Jewes, as of inheritances not to be transferred from one Tribe to another; of the Tribe of Levi having no inheritance among the other Tribes, Numb. 18. 20, 24. of the emancipation of an Hebrew ſervant or handmaid in the ſeventh yeer; a mans marrying his brothers wife, and raiſing up ſeed to his brother; the forgiving of debts at the Jubile; marrying with one of the ſame tribe, with other ſuch like, all of this kind is ceaſed: But what was of common right, common to other Nations with them, according to the common law of nature; of which ſort are lawes concerning the puniſhment of Moral tranſgreſſions, and other ſuch; that all remains, and is in force. Of which diſtinction the Reader may find more in Piſcator's Appendix to his Obſervations upon the 21, 22, 23, chap. of Exodus;**Bulling. lib. 4. adu. Anabapt. cap. 4. Aliae praeterea pars legis eſt politica quae verſatur in judiciis, haeredetatibus, contractibus poenis & ſuppliciis & in adminiſtratione Rei publicae Quoniam vero non habitamus Cha…anaeam regionem, ad quā multae leges accomodatae ſunt abrogata quo que eſt lex quoad hanc partem: interim pax & judicia & alia bonae non to…luntur. Bullinger; and in Altingius his common places, par. 1. loc. 7. de lege Dei, p. 112. Lex judicialis ſimpliciter abrogata est quoad diſtinctionem Judaeorum à Gentibus, & typicam regni Chriſti ſignificationem; ſecundum quid verò, quantum attinet formae gubernationis civilis. Nam quod juris in ea fuit particularis, Judaeos peculiariter concernans, qualis fuit lex de officio Levitarum, item alia de haereditatibus de tribu in tribum non tranſferendis, id omne ceſſavit. Quod autem juris ſuit communis, ſecundum legem naturae omnibus communem ſancitum, cujuſmodi ſunt leges de paenis ſcelerum, aliae que id totum manet. 2. The Iudicial lawes may be conſidered according to their ſubſtance and equity, or according to many acceſſories, circumſtances, forms, & manner of them. Now though the Magiſtrate under the Goſpel is not bound unto theſe lawes ſimply, that is, to every circumſtance and particular of them for form, manner, time and place; as for example, not to the ſame kinds and formality of puniſhments ſet down in thoſe lawes; for thoſe forms are acceſſions of the law; and therfore out of the nature of perſons, times, places, and conſtitution of common-wealths, mutable: Yet he is bound to the ſubſtance & equity of them, ſo as not to derogate from the right of thoſe lawes. Of this diſtinction the Reader may find much ſaid by Cartwright, in his 2. Reply to Dr. Whitgift, p. 98, 99. Beza de Haereticis â Magiſtratu puniendis, p. 154, 155. Tremellius and Junius, in their p. 55Preface before the five Books of Moſes. Thirdly, theſe Lawes may be lookt upon as containing doctrine from God of puniſhment, i. e. that thoſe who ſeduce, blaſpheme God, &c. be reſtrained, yea and by death in ſeverall caſes, or elſe as in their latter according to the great rigor and ſeverity expreſſed in them, as in Deut. 13. &c. by ſmiting the inhabitants of the City with the ſword, deſtroying it utterly and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof with the edge of the ſword, and by gathering all the ſpoyle of it into the midſt of the ſtreet thereof, and burning with fire the City, and all the ſpoyle of it every whit; in not ſparing them though they ſhould have truly repented, in enjoyning the ſonne, the wife of a mans boſome, to bring forth the father, husband, and to ſtone them with ſtones. Now though to the degrees and meaſures of puniſhment, the ſeverity and utmoſt rigor the Magiſtrate is not now tied, yet to the thing in caſes of Idolatry, ſeduction, falſe propheſying, ſpeaking lies in the name of the Lord he is bound, and in ſome caſes of groſſe and high Idolatry and Blaſphemy committed preſumptuouſly, to inflict capitall puniſhment: of this diſtinction alſo let the Reader conſult theſe**Synopſ. Puri. Theolog. cap. 50 Ameſ. Caſ. Conſcient. l. 4. c. 4. lib. 51 cap. 26. quaeſt. tertia. Authors. And of this queſtion that the Iudiciall Lawes of Moſes in the ſenſe now given, doe yet laſt and are in force, beſides the Reſolution of many great Divines in the caſe, Beza, Calvin, Cartwright, Tremellius and Junius, Bullinger, Zinchius, Peter Martyr, Henricus Altingius, and more eſpecially**Appendix ad, Exodum, Piſcator, who by eight Arguments proves the Queſtion in controverſie, beſides anſwering two and twenty Arguments brought againſt it; I ſhall deſire the Reader to obſerve theſe few Reaſons. 1. The Iudiciall Law differs from the Decalogue, the Law of the ten Commandements, in this, that whereas the**Beza de Haereticis à Magistratu puniendis paſia 54. Decalogue comprehends in a few words all righteouſneſſe and equity, in all kind of duties to God and man, the Iudiciall explains only that part of righteouſneſſe and equity which ſtands in thoſe things of which judgements are appointed; and therefore ſeeing the judicialls preſcribe the equity of judgements which is a part of the Decalogue we muſt be bound to that as we are to the reſt of the Decalogue, viz. ſo farre as they containe a generall equity though we are not tied to the formes of the Moſaicall politie; Now Chriſt ſaith, Matth. 5. 17. he came not to deſtroy the Law, but p. 55to fulfill it; which words are comprehenſive of the Judiciall Law as for the ſubſtance a part of the Moral Law, (the Iudicial being indeed an Appendix and a more particular explication of that part of the Morall Law concerning matters of Iuſtice and judgement) and therefore muſt be underſtood by Chriſt to be eſtabliſhed. 2. Though there be many pregnant proofs in the New Teſtament for aboliſhing the Ceremoniall Law, yet we nowhere read in the New Teſtament of making void the Iudiciall Law concerning the puniſhing of ſinnes againſt the Morall Law, in the number of which are Idolatry, Hereſie, Blaſphemy. Now theſe**See Cartwr-ſecond Reply to Dr. Whitgift pag. 98. 99. Iudiciall Lawes being the Lawes of God and by his revealed will once ſettled, they muſt needs ſo farre forth remaine as they appeare not by his will to be repealed. They who hold the Magiſtrate under the Goſpel is not bound to puniſh for ſuch ſinnes, muſt prove from the Scripture thoſe Lawes of God revoked and cancel'd, which none of the Patrons of Toleration have ever yet done. 3. The ſubſtance and equity of the Iudiciall Law remains in that Chriſt and his Apoſtles make uſe of, tranſfer and prove by ſome Iudicial laws divers things under the New Teſtament. Chriſt makes uſe of a Iudiciall Law concerning puniſhment, Matth. 5. 38, 39. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, viz. that of poena talionis, Exod. 21. 24. and frees it from the falſe gloſſe and interpretation of the Phariſees, in which he teaches the Iudiciall Lawes of Moſes underſtood in their right ſenſe are to be obſerved in the New Teſtament: For if Chriſt in that Sermon, of which this is a part would teach the Decalogue belonged to Chriſtians, by his vindicating it from the falſe interpretations of the Scribes and Phariſees; then it followes hee meant to teach the Iudiciall Lawes of Moſes concerning the puniſhment of Morall tranſgreſſions belonged to them alſo, becauſe he vindicated alſo one of them, of which particular with the proof of the conſequence the Reader may finde more in Piſcators Appendix to Exodus. The Apoſtle Paul 1 Cor. 9. 9. 1 Tim. 5. 18. among other proofs brought by him from fimilitudes fetched from the common uſe of men, that the Miniſter of the Goſpel ought to be maintained of the Churches charge, whereas they might object thoſe were but humane reaſons, he alleadgeth as the eternall Law of God one of the Iudiciall Lawes of p. 49Moſes, which was, that a man ſhould not muzle the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the corne: where 'tis manifeſt he doubteth not to bind the conſcience of the Churches unto the equity of that Law which was judiciall, likewiſe from the 13. verſe, of thoſe that miniſter about holy things, and wait at the Altar, living of the things of the Temple, and being partakers of the Altar hee concludes that they which preach the Goſpell ſhould live of it: Now this maintainance of the Prieſts albeit in the manner of proviſion it be held by many ceremoniall, yet as it was a reward of their ſervice due by men (as the puniſhments alſo if they failed in their duties) was meerly judiciall. So the equity of that judiciall Law, Exod. 22. 2.**Ameſ. …Caſ. lib 5 cap. 52. quaeſt. 6. Of the ſmiting of a theife in the night that he dye,) is approved by Chriſt, Matth. 24. 43. So Chriſt and Paul both transferre that judiciall Law of having two or three witneſſes in judgement, Deut. 19. verſe 15. to bind Chriſtians in their Eccleſiaſticall cenſures and judgements, Matthew 18. verſe 16. 2 Cor. 13. verſe 1. 1 Tim. 5. verſe 19. By which inſtances and ſome other particulars that might bee given 'tis evident that in thoſe judicialls to all the circumſtances whereof we are not bound, wee are notwithſtanding bound to the equity, of which the Reader may read more in Cartwrights ſecond Reply to Doctor Whitgifts ſecond Anſwer, pag. 98, 99, 100. 4. That God appointed under the Law, Blaſphemie, Apoſtaſie, Idolatry, Prophecying lies in thename of the Lord to bee puniſhed by the Magiſtrate, proceeded from Gods holineſſe, juſtice, infinite hatred of ſuch ſinnes, and from their nature, being ſo contrary to his nature, ſo derogatory to his honour and glory, high treaſon againſt the Supreme Majeſty, ſo deſtructive to the precious ſoules of men, ſo dangerous to Common-wealths and Kingdomes, as the Scriptures in divers places where theſe Lawes of puniſhing are ſet down, aſſignes theſe cauſes and reaſons: Now I would know of the Patrons of Toleration whether under the Goſpel theſe finnes of Blaſphemy, Apoſtaſie, &c. be not as much againſt Gods holineſſe, juſtice, glory, as pernicious and damnable as they were under the Law? yea and in ſome reſpects p. 50duplicate page p. 51duplicate page p. 50more, as being againſt the Declarations of the Sonne of God Hebr. 2. 2, 3. and a treading under foot the Sonne of God, and counting the bloud of the Covenant an unboly thing, which being granted, puniſhment by the Magiſtrate muſt needs continue. The rule of juſt and unjuſt in God and in his Law is alwayes the ſame and immutable: It is as equally juſt to puniſh evill things as to forbid evill things, and therefore the right and Law of puniſhments is alſo immutable: Where and of what things the cauſes are perpetuall,☜ there alſo the right is eternall and immutable, but the grounds and cauſes why ſuch offences were puniſhed, as Gods juſtice, holineſſe, glory, &c. are perpetuall and eternal: God is alwayes like to himſelfe, the morall tranſgreſſions of men doe alike at all times diſpleaſe him, no good reaſon can be given why the Majeſty of God ſhould be of leſſe account with us then heretofore among the Iewes, and therefore by the like reaſon to be puniſhed now as well as then: But the further proof of this the Reader may finde in ſome learned Divines, Beza de Haereticis à Magiſtratu punie… 155. and in Tremellius and Juni… Preface before the Books of Moſes. 5. The Iudiciall Law concerning the puniſhments of …i… kedneſſe, for the ſubſtance, viz. that it ſhould be puniſhed remains under the Goſpel, becauſe it comes within the nature of the Morall Law, and was preſcribed to the Iewes, not quae Iewes or a people peculiarly taken into Covenant, but qua men ſubject to the Law of nature as other Nations were: For the proof of which beſides the judgement of divers learned Divines, Philip Melancto…, Peter Martyr, Zanchius, A…tingius, the reaſon of common right, from the proper peculiar right of the Iewes is known and diſtinguiſhed by theſe following particulars. 1.**Henr. Alting. loc. commun. per 1. loc. 7. de leges Dei. Cognoſ…itur autem Juris communis ratio, ſi idem ab aliis: quoque legiflatoribus ex luce naturae c…nr…ſu m, ac ſanatum fuiſſe; vel ad tuendā Preceptorum Decalogi obedientiam facere corriperiatur. If the ſame things have beene alſo found to be concluded, and by civill ſanction eſtabliſhed by other Law-givers from the light of nature. 2. If found to make for the defence and preſervation of the obedience of the Decalogue. 3. If appear as uſefull and neceſſary now for the glory of God, the ſalvation of mens ſoules, the peace & ſafety of the Church and State as then. Now all theſe do moſt clearly appear in puniſhments of ſins immediately againſt God, as Apoſtaſie, Idolatry, Blaſphemy, p. 51&c. For firſt, theſe commands are of the light of nature, tha… he who is in place and power ſhould forbid and puniſh the ſpeaking evill of God. This ſentence (asaaPhil. Mela. De Magiſtr. Civil. & Dign. Rerum Politic. Haec ſententia omnibus hominibus, imo omnibus creaturis intelligentibus concionatur. Suo quiſqu… loco prohibere manifeſtas Dei comumelias debet. Quare & Magiſtratus prohibere & puni…e debent Epicureos ſermones, Idolorum honores, faedera Daemonum, profeſſionem impior… dogmatum. Vt omnes politiae ſanxerunt paenas adverſus perjuros, mult… etiā apud Ethnicos ſanxerunt paenas adverſus perj…ros multae etiam apud Ethnicos ſanxerunt paenas adverſus Epicuraeos ſeu Atheos qui palam dixerunt nihil eſſe Deum, aut nullam eſſe providentiam Dei. Melancton writes) is preacht to all men, yea to all reaſonable creatures, every one in his place ought to forbid and hinder the manifeſt reproaches and diſhonours of God. And therefore Magiſtrates ought to forbid and puniſh Epicurean ſpeeches, worſhips of Idols, profeſſion of wicked doctrines. Many Common-wealths among the Heathens have made Lawes againſt Epicures and Atheiſt…, who have openly held there was no God, or that there was no providence of God. bbPeter Martyr loc. commun. Claſſ. 4. cap. 13.Peter Martyr in his Common Place…, that Heathen Princes uſed to care for Religion, and have puniſhed men even to death for the matters of Religion. Thus Socrates was condemned at Athens for no other cauſe but for teaching of new gods, I and for with drawing the youth from their old worſhip of the gods.ccZanchius in quarr. praecept. loc. 5. De officio principium in Religione, pag. 790. Hoc liquet primum à lege naturae: omnes enim principe inter Gentes judicarunt ad ſe pertinere curam Religionis. Zanchius on the fourth Commandement writes, that by the Law of nature all Princes among the Heathen judged that the care of Religion belonged to them. The Athenians judged ſo, the Romans alſo, and thereupon made Lawes and puniſhed for violation of religion.ddBeza de Hereticis à Magiſtrat. puniendis. Beza gives three inſtances of puniſhments inflicted by heathen Magiſtrates upon three cheif Philoſophers for matters of Religion, Socrates, Theodorus, Protagoras, the laſt of which was by the Athenians baniſhed out of their Territories, and his books burnt for writing contemptuouſly of the gods in theſe words, De diis neque ut ſint, neque ut non ſint habeo dicere eeMuſculus De Magiſtrat. 627. Agnoverunt hoc Ethnicorum quoque ſapientes qui primum locum in Republicae Inſtitutione Religioni dederunt. Fuerunt quidem illi homines Ethnici, viam Dei ignorantes, & ab Eccleſia illius alieni: in eo tamen haud quaquam errarunt, quod ſine pietatis ac Religionis obſervantia, nullam cujuſcunque Reipublicae politiam feliciter inſtitui regique poſſe ſenſerunt: cum ergo ſententiae hujus veritas tam ſit manifeſta ut ne Ethnicos quidem latere potuerit: an non magis agnoſcenda nobis & amplectenda qui cognitione Dei non gentes modo ſed & populum legis longe ant…cellimus.Muſculus in his Common Places ſpeaking of Magiſtrates having the care of Religion, ſaith, the wiſe men among the Heathen acknowledged it, and that the truth of this opinion p. 52was ſo manifeſt as that it could not lie hid from the Heathen, it was jus gentium, dictated by the light of nature, and therefore ought to be much more acknowledged and embraced by us, who in the knowledge of God go farre beyond, not only the Gentiles, but the Iewes.ffMr. Selden De Jure Naturali & Gentium, lib. 1. cap. 8. cap. 10. lib. 2. cap. 1. cap. 2. cap. 3. cap. 12. cap. 13. l. 3. c. 1. Praeter Idololatriam ac maledictionē numinis, Nihil omnino ex Jure Naturali, ſeu hominum omnium communi p…o Criminc ſeu Dilecto circa ſacra, qua…enus ſcilicet Noachidas ſolùm ea reſpiciebant, in foro, quoties ſiſtebatur Proſelytus domicilii, ſeu Gentilis ejuſmodi ipſis eſt habitum. Caeterum ex alia lege ſacra obtinuit apud aliquos opinio (quae hic non praetermittenda) Gentilium nemini licuiſſe, Numini patrio, ſeu quod ipſe velut patrium coluerit, maledixiſſe. Hac locutioris formula, Levit. 24. 15. volunt nonnulli non ſolum cunctis mortalium Numinis ſanctiſſimi, ac Vnici maledictionem interdici; verum etiam Gentilibus apud Ebraeos, maledictionem Deorum quos ſibi adſciverant.Lev 24:15 Maſter Selden in divers places of that learned Book De Jure Naturali & Gentium proves that thoſe commands De Cultu Extraneo and De Maledictione Nominis ſanctiſſimi ſeu Numinis, were Jus Naturalis, common to all men, were indeed the cheif and firſt Heads of the Law of Nature, and that in thoſe precepts, viz. for the negative part, all the Gentiles who lived or but paſſed through the Land of Judea were puniſhed by the Magiſtrate for Idolatry and blaſphemy as well as the Iewes, and that from Lawes common to the Iewes with the Gentiles, though the kinds of the puniſhments, viz. this or that, as whether ſtoning, &c. were not of the ſame nature, but more proper to the Iewes; yea, he ſhowes it was an opinion held by ſome learned men, that it was not lawfull for any Gentile to ſpeak evill of and blaſpheme his God which hee worſhipped as the God of his Countrey; and ſaith it was founded upon thoſe words. Levit. 24. 15. Whoſoever curſeth his god ſhall heare his ſinne, (the blaſpheming the name of the Lord being ſpoken of after in the 16. verſe, as if it were diſtinct from that in the 15. verſe) In which forme of ſpeech divers learned men both Rabbins, Fathers and others would have forbidden to all the ſonnes of men not only ſpeaking evill evill of the moſt holy and only God, but alſo the ſpeaking of thoſe gods which they had choſen to themſelves: So as none of the Gentiles might blaſpheme their falſe God, which yet they had not renounced, without the violation of that Law, Whoſoever curſeth his god ſhall beare his ſinne.

Maſter Burroughs in his Irenicum, though he be for a Toleration in a great meaſure, as in things controverſall and doubtfull amongſt godly and peaceable men, and that with a liberty of declaration of difference of judgement, and ſome different practiſe, p. 53page 55. yea brings ſuch Arguments for that Toleration, that if they prove any thing, they prove a generall Toleration, yet confeſſes page 23. of that Book, Tis the dictate of nature, that Magiſtrates ſhould have ſome power in matters of Religion. The generality of all people have ever thought it equall. It hath ever been challenged of all Nations and Common-wealths. The Heathens would never ſuffer their gods to be blaſphemed, but puniſhed ſuch as were guilty thereof by the power of the Magiſtrate. Socrates was put to death for blaſpheming their multiplicity of gods. And Maſter Burroughs in page 19. of the ſame book affirmes, that Principle, That Magiſtrates have nothing to doe with matters of Religion is abhorring to nature. Is it not an abhorring thing to any mans heart in the world,☞ that men ſuffer that God to be blaſphemed whom they honour? and that nothing ſhould be done for the reſtraining any, but to aske them why they doe ſo, and perſwade them to doe otherwiſe? There hath ever been as great a conteſtation amongſt people about Religion, as about any thing. Exod. 8. 25, 26. Pharaoh hade Moſes ſacrifice in the Land: But Moſes ſaid it is not meete ſo to doe, for we ſhall ſacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians: Lo, ſhall we ſacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not ſtone us? Though they had leave of the King, yet the people would not endure it. By which place of Scripture 'tis evident that the Egyptians who were heathens, by the light of nature would not endure the diſhonour of their gods to ſee thoſe creatures they worſhipped foreeVide Ainſworrh. late Annotat. of our Engliſh. Divines. Piſcat. in Exod. 8. 26. Quod abominationi est Egyptiis. Hoc eſt animalia à quorum caede abhorrent Egyptis, quippe quae ipſi adorant: ut bones ant vitulos▪Exod 8:26 gods to be killed, as Oxen and Sheep the principall ſacrifices of the Hebrewes, but they would kill the Iſraelites for ſo doing. And laſtly, Maſter Prynne in that late Book of his, The ſword of Chriſtian Magiſtrates ſupported, doth largely and excellently ſhow that by the light of nature in all ages Heathen Magiſtrates have made Lawes againſt, and puniſhed ſuch whom they eſteemed Atheiſts, Hereticks, Blaſphemers of their Gods, or oppugners of their eſtabliſhed Religion, and that with no leſſe then Capitall puniſhments, unto which Book from page 14. to 19. I referre the Reader, where he ſhall finde many examples of Heathen Kings and Nations recited, and ſhall conclude this with that ſaying of Seneca, De Benefic. lib. 3. cap. 6. Violatarum Religionum aliubi atque aliubi diverſa p…na eſt; Sed vbique Aliqua; as well as of homicide, paricide, poyſoning p. 54Secondly, the Magiſtrates ſword in matters of Religion in puniſhing Blaſphemies, Idolatries, Hereſies, hath been found by good experience in all ages to make greatly for the defence and preſervation of the firſt Table, to ſtirre men up to obedience and deterre them from the contempt and violation thereof, whereas on the contrary, for the want of this, all Blaſphemies, Hereſies and Errors have abounded, of which I could give many inſtances, but ſhall referre them to the more proper place of handling, viz. to the Reaſons for Magiſtrates puniſhing men for Idolatries, Blaſphemies, Hereſies, Schiſmes; only for the preſent ſhall hint, that God himſelfe ſaith twice, once in Deut. 13. 11. the other Deut. 17. 13. the Magiſtrates puniſhing in ſuch a caſe ſhall cauſe all the people to heare, feare, and to do no more preſumptuouſly: the Lord gives this bleſſing unto the puniſhment of ſuch offendors, that others not only which ſee, but heare of them, have the bridle of feare put upon them whereby kept from the like. Thirdly and laſtly, this coercive power of the Magiſtrate will be found every whit as uſefull and neceſſary now for the glory of God, ſalvation of mens ſoules, peace of Church and State as it was then, yea and in ſome reſpect… more neceſſary, there being in our dayes not only the ſame reaſons and cauſes for that power of the Magiſtrate, but others alſo: Were there under the Law many incorrigible preſumptuous offendors againſt God and his worſhip, that could not be otherwiſe reclaimed, and are there not ſuch now? were there then many groſſe ways of falſe worſhip and Religion deſtroying foundations, broacht among the people? were they then infectious drawing away and ſeducing many ſoules? were they then provoking the wrath of God cauſing it to waxe hot againſt his people? Ought the glory and Name of God to bee then dear to Magiſtrates? Why, behold under the Goſpel there are as incorrigible deſperate perſons broaching all kind of damnable Hereſies, making it their work to lay waſt all Religion, whom no Admonitions, Church Cenſures can do any good upon: Hereſies and Errors now are as infectious, ſpreading, ſubverting whole houſes, eating as a Ga…grene, and ſo in the reſt. Maſter Burroughs in his Irenicum page 23. confeſſes there is a p. 55neceſſity of the Magiſtrates power in matters of Religion … truth now, as there was then, and ſhowes though we cannot argue the being of ſpirituall Ordinances from our need of them, but from their inſtitution, yet in naturall and civill things this way of arguing is ſtrong enough; there is need of ſuch a help, and therefore we ſhould ſeeke to have it. And the neceſſity of the Magiſtrates coercive power under the Goſpel he ſets down as follows. Now ſure the need we have of ſuch a power is exceeding great, we were in a moſt miſerable condition if we had no externall civill power to reſtraine from any kind of Blaſphemies and Seducements. The condition of the Jewes, O how happy was it in compariſon of ours, if this were denied us! for if any of theirs did blaſpheme God, or ſeeke to ſeduce any from him, they knew what to doe with him beſides perſwading of him to the contrary; but if any ſhould ſeeke to ſeduce the wives of our boſomes, children of our bodies, friends as deare to us as our owne lives into thoſe wayes that wee thinke in our conſciences will und…e their ſoules to all eternity, yet we muſt only deſire them they would not doe ſo, we muſt only admoniſh or ſeeke to convince them or remove them, but reſtraine them we cannet: If the deliverance of us from the Pedagogy of the Law hath brought us into this condition,☞ our burden is greater in this thing then any that the Law laid upon our forefathers; Hath Chriſt delivered us from one burden to lay a greater upon us? Muſt we now ſee thoſe who are deareſt to us drawne into the way of eternall deſtruction, and ſtand and looks on, but no way left to help them or our ſelves, unleſſe we can perſwade to the contrary? Surely our condition is very ſad: Have we not cauſe to ſay, Lord let any burden of the Ceremoniall Law be laid upon our necks, rather then this; If there were a company of mad men running up and downe the ſtreets with knives and ſwords in their hands, endeavouring to miſcheif and kill all they meet with, and we muſt doe nothing to reſtraine them; if we could perſwade them to doe otherwiſe well and good: but that is all we can doe for helpe; what a dangerous thing were this? The caſe is the ſame, when thoſe who are mad with damnable Hereſies, run from place, to place, ſeeking to draw all they can from the truth: If we have no meanes of helpe but …, it is ill with us; Surely God hath not put his people …to ſuch a ſad condition or this is, be hath provided better p. 56for his people then thus. And I appeale to the conſciences and experience of men, whether this power of the Magiſtrate of puniſhing Blaſphemies and Hereſies be not found to be uſefull and neceſſary both for the honour of God, the ſafety of other mens ſoules, the peace of Church and State? and whether all other mens without this (when this might have beene had) have made good theſe ends? or whether this coming upon other means, as Admonitions, Inſtructions, Synods, Church Cenſures, hath not ſuppreſſed Hereſies,☜ Schiſms, vindicated the honor and truth of God, recovered many ſouls, ſetled the peace of Churches and States, as among the Donatiſts of old, and the Arminians in Holland of late. Any mans reaſon, yea ſenſe may tell him, that in this ſinfull corrupted condition of man there is in coercive power a naturalneſſe and ſutableneſſe to work upon the outward man for the furtherance of ſpirituall good, and that when no other means can, this power removes outward things that hindered, keeps from outward evils, applies outward means. And yet further, beſides the ſame reaſons and grounds now of the neceſſity of the Magiſtrates coercive power, as well as under the Old Teſtament, there ſeemes to be new reaſons under the Goſpel over and above that plead for the neceſſity of this power. As that under the Goſpel ſo many outward viſible judgement… are not inflicted by God upon offenders as were under the Law, whereupon Maſter**Cartwrights ſecond Reply to Dr. Whitgifts ſecond Anſw. pag 98, 99. Cartwright ſpeaks, Certainly if ever there had beene any time wherein the Magiſtrates ſword might have reſted in the ſheath, the time of the Law had of all beene fitteſt when the Lord did ſo viſibly ſit in his judgement ſeat, and himſelfe in proper perſon held the Aſſiſe and Gaile delivery. For as the Lord doth not now by outward bleſſings give ſo plentifull teſtimony to the obedience of the Goſpel as the Law, ſo doth he not with ſo many and ſo ſevere puniſhments revenge the breach of it as in the time of the Law, for in theſe outward puniſhments the diſpenſation of God under the Law is divers from that under the Goſpel, in that be did more terribly revenge diſobedience, and therefore God not ſtriking now ſo often immediately Blaſphemers, Seducers, falſe Prophets, Schiſmaticks as under the Law, the Magiſtrates have the more need not to beare the ſword in vaine, leſt Hereticks and falſe Teachers go on the more deſperately, corrupting and deſtroying p. 65all, but of theſe Reaſons I intend to ſpeak more in the next Theſis.

Seventhly, ſuppoſing all theſe commands ſimply Judiciall, given to the Jewes only (which yet I have proved not to be ſo) there are other commands and examples recorded in the Old Teſtament diſtinct from the Judiciall, which cannor be counted Judiciall, but are Morall and perpetuall, as the fourth Commandement (one of the ten Commandements) given to the Magiſtrate, that by his authority true Religion be preſerved, take place, and all falſe Religion ſuppreſſed (the proof of which is laid downe in the 15. Theſis) as that command Pſal. 2. 10, 11. given to Kings and Judges, which cannot be Judiciall nor Ceremoniall for ſeverall reaſons, neither have the Patrons of Toleration ever ſaid ſo of it (of which place I ſhall ſpeak fully in the 19. Theſis) as thoſe examples of Abraham and Jacob, not ſuffering thoſe under their power & command to commit Idolatry, which were long before thoſe commands in the 13. & 17. chap. of Dut. ſaid to be judiciall, and that theſe examples were not judiciall, beſides what the Reader ſhall finde in the ninth and 12. Theſes, Muſculus in his Common Places De Abrogatione Moſaicae Legis, even in that Common Place where his Authority is moſt urged by theaaMinus Ceſſus Senenſis Sect. tert. p. 183. Patrons of Toleration for the abrogation of all Moſaicall Lawes,bbAbraham utique non fuit ſub Paedagogi… Moſis. Muſcul. loc. Commun. De Abrogat. Moſaic. leg. p. 142. affirms that as a Chriſtian is not under the Maſterſhip of Moſes; ſo likewiſe Abraham was not under the Pedagogie of Moſes. And ſo much for the firſt particular, that the commands for puniſhing Idolaters, Blaſphemers, falſe Prophets, &c. were of common reaſon and equity given for the times of the Goſpel.

Secondly, as to the grounds brought by the Patrons of Toleration, Minus Celſus Senenſis, Hagiomaſtix, &c. that theſe commands doe… not binde now becauſe they wereccSee Hagiomaſtix from Sect 34. to Sect 41. and Minus Celſus Senenſis from p. 183. to 192. and compare them together. Moſes Lawes, Iewiſh and abrogated by Chriſt, that we may by theſe commands as well prove the man Moſes is now alive, becauſe hee was alive under the Old Teſtament, that if the commands be in force for inflicting of death, they be in force in all other particulars commanded by the ſame Authority with this, as that the offenders muſt be put to death with ſtones onelyonly, as that the p. 66whole City muſt be put to death, as the cattle muſt be ſlain as well as the inhabitants, as that the City muſt be a heap for ever and never built again, that there's clear particular reaſons why the Old Teſtament Law for putting falſe Prophets, Blaſphemer… and Seducers to Idolatry to death ſhould not now be in force becauſe the Iewes to whom this Law was given in all difficult caſes about matters of Religion had the opportunity of immediate conſultation with God himſelf, who could & did from time to time infallibly declare what his own mind and pleaſure was in them, becauſe that corporall puniſhment was a Type and pre ſignificative of ſpiritual puniſhments, cutting off then, of caſting out now, as alſo of eternal damnation: to theſe with divers ſuch like I give theſe following anſwers, which I deſire the Reader to obſerve. Firſt, beſides the Reaſons already given that Moſ… Lawes (in the ſenſe expreſſed) for the puniſhment of Apoſtates, Blaſphemers, &c. are not abrogated by Chriſt, lets con…ider that Chriſt by his coming hath not aboliſhed that Law which containes the love of God, his glory and honour, and the love of our neighbour, and therefore neither thoſe things which do neceſſarily belong unto and make for the love of God and our neighbour; nor ſecondly thoſe Lawes in the Old Teſtament, which the New Teſtament for the times of it approves of; not laſtly, thoſe commands which are of the light of nature and the Law of nature dictates, all which becauſe they are ſo cleare and generally confeſſed, I ſhall forbear adding the proofs, and refer the Reader for further ſatisfaction to Zanchius De Magiſtra… Queſt. ſecunda. An Magiſtratui Chriſtian… liceat capitales … de haereticis ſumere, page 170. Bullingers Hiſtor. adverſ. Anabaptiſt. liv. 5. cap. 5. pag. 176. Muſculus Common Places de Magiſtratibus, pag. 627. Mr. Burrough Irenicum page 23. But now the Magiſtrates reſtraining and puniſhing falſe Prophets, Apoſtate…, Blaſphemers, &c. is an act of the love of God and his glory, of love to their brethrens ſoules, of ſafety and good to Commonwealths, is very uſefull and neceſſary for vindicating the glory of God, and good of the Church (the glory of God, and the ſalvation of our neighbour being by that meanes preſerved) is … proved of alſo in the New Teſtament for the times of the Goſpel, and is the dictate of nature. For the proof of this Aſſumption p. 67I ſhall make it evident in all the three parts of it. For the firſt that tis an act of the love of God and his glory and of love to our neighbour, beſides the aſſertion of many great Divines, as**Zanchius … magiſtrat… p. 170. Zanchius, Calvin, Beza, Bullinger, A…eſ…u…, &c. 'tis apparent thus, Becauſe in the commands given by God, Deu…. 13. Deut. 17. for the Magiſtrates puniſhing falſe Prophets, Idolaters, and thoſe who would not hearken unto the Preiſt, the reaſons of his ſo doing and the ends of thoſe puniſhments imply as much, and have reference all along to the honour of God, the vindicating his name, and keeping others from doing the like, as theſe phraſes ſhow, That Prophet, or that dreamer of dreames ſhall be put to death, becauſe he hath ſpoken to turne you away from the Lord your God to thruſt thee out of the way which the Lord thy God commanded the… to walke in. And thou ſhalt ſtone him with ſtones that he di…: becauſe he hath ſought to thruſt thee away from the Lord thy God, And all Iſrael ſhall heare and feare, and ſhall do n… more any ſuch wickedneſſe as this is among you. If there be found among you man or woman that hath wrought wickedneſſe in the ſight of the Lord thy God, in tranſgreſſing his Covenant, and hath gone and ſerved other gods, then ſhall thou bring that man or that woman (which have comm…tted that wicked thing) unto thy gate…, and ſhalt ſtone them with ſtones till they die: So thou ſhalt put away the evill from among you. And the man that will d…e preſumptuouſly, and will not hearken unto the Preiſt, &c. even that man ſhall die, and thou ſhalt put away evill from Iſrael. And all the people ſhall heare and feare and do no more preſumptuouſly, which paſſages fully hold out the Magiſtrates puniſhing Blaſphemers, Idolaters, &c. to be an act of love to God: and the people, yea of zeale to his glory and the ſalvation of the people: that ſentence, ſo thou ſhalt put the evill away from among you, ſaith**In lege Moſes punitionū ſons illa vox au… fer…s malum de media … Pet. Martyr loc. common. p 647. Peter Martyr, is in the Law of Moſes the fountain of all puniſhments of wickedneſſes againſt the ſecond Table, as of tranſgreſſions againſt the firſt; And therefore if the Magiſtrates puniſhing of Murther, Theft, Adultry, &c. for the taking away of the evill from amongſt the people, be an act of love to God and man, a vindication of the glory of God, then the puniſhing of Blaſphemie, Idolatry, and ſuch like for the taking away of the evill is an act of love to God and our p. 68neighbour: The puniſhing of menbers of the Church under the Goſpel by excommunication is held an act of zeale to the glory of God, and love to the Church: the Reaſons why ſuch a cenſure ought to bee in the Church, are refer'd to, thoſe heads by**Zanchius Dediſciplina. Synopſ. purior. Theolog De Diſcipl. Eccleſ. Divines, yea by the Separatiſts and Independents themſelves, as**Robins Justifi. cat. of Separat. Catechiſme. Mr. Robinſon and others, and thoſe very reaſons and ends ſpoken of in Deut. of putting away the evill from among you, as the people ſhall heare and feare and doe no more preſumptuouſly, are in the new Teſtament by Paul given as the reaſons of Excommunication, 1 Cor. 5. 2. 13. 1 Tim. 5. 20. 1 Tim. 1. 20. (Thoſe very phraſes there uſed by Paul being alluded unto, and taken from thoſe in Deut…ronomie) and therefore if love to God and men ſtands in theſe ſentences under the Goſpel borrowed from the Law, of putting away the evil, of others fearing and doing no more ſo, then certainly love to God and men is contained in thoſe reaſons and ends under the Law, the originall and fountaine from whence the Goſpell took them; nay, yet further, excommunication (which I have ſhewed is founded on the reaſons expreſſed in Deut. 13. 17.) is made by Chriſt an act of brotherly love Matth. 18. 15, 16, 17. compared with Levit. 19. 17. Secondly, becauſe thoſe Kings Magiſtrates and Perſons recorded in Scripture above others for loving God and the people, for being moſt zealous of Gods honour and glory uſed moſt this coercive power againſt Idolaters, Seducers, Blaſphemers, &c. of all others, and more eſpecially at ſuch times when they were at beſt for grace and goodneſſe and commended by the ſpirit of God for their zeale and forwardneſſe, as Moſes in the buſineſſe of the golden Calf, as the children of Iſrael in the caſe of the two Tribes and a halfe building an Altar, as Aſa, Jehoſhaphat, Hezekiah, Joſiah, then ſpoken of eſpecially for zeale, courage, perfect hearts, when they moſt exerciſed the power of the ſword againſt Idolatry, Apoſtaſie and all Wil-worſhip: When Jehu and Jehoaſh were at beſt, had moſt zeale, they deſtroyed Baal and his worſhippers; Manaſſes upon his converſion in his firſt love and zeale commanded Judah to ſerve the Lord God of Iſrael, and took away the ſtrange gods and all the Altars, and caſt them out of the City: Nebuchadnezar, Darius, upon their hearts affected by the p. 69ſight of the great works of God make Lawes for Gods honour againſt Blaſphemy, &c. Chriſt out of his zeale of his Fathers. Houſe and love to his glory, uſed coercive power upon thoſe who made his Fathers Houſe a houſe of Merchandiſe (though he never uſed it in matters of the ſecond Table but declined it) John 2. 15, 16, 17. compared with Pſal. 69. 9. of which I ſhall ſpeak more in the 20. Theſis. Paul out of love and zeale to the glory of God, and the ſalvation of the Galathians prayes for corporall capitall puniſhment upon falſe Teachers, Gal. 5. 12. which place that tis ſo …o be underſtood, I ſhall prove it in the 20. Theſis. And I deſire the Patrons of Teleration to anſwer this queſtion, whether in their conſciences they think not thoſe godly Magiſtrates under the Old Teſtament,☞ as Moſes, Joſiah, &c. puniſhed Idolaters, &c. out of love to God and their Brethren, whether love and zeale ſet them not awork? which if they did, certainly they were to continue under the Goſpel: For I would willingly know**Baz… de Haeret. a Magiſtr. puniendis. Nullae idone… ratio afferri poteſt cur Dei majeſtas minoris apud nos ponderis eſſe debeat quam olim apud Judaeos fuerit; imo vero Chriſtiani ſi veram religionem minore ſtudio tueant…r quam olim Judaei, imo minus excuſari poſſint quo clari…s ſeſe Dominus per filiu… ſuum quā per prophetas patefecit. what good reaſon can be given that Magiſtrates under the Goſpel ſhould not have as much zeale and love to God and the publike, as they had under the Law, and if under the Law it made them reſtraine Blaſphemers, Idolaters, &c. if their zeale and love workt ſo, why not now alſo when the glory of God and the ſafety of the Church requires it, the Magiſtrate after other remedies uſed in vaine, ſhould draw the ſword againſt Hereticks, Apoſtates and Blaſphemers. Ameſ. Caſus Conſc. lib. 4. cap. 4. do Haereſi.

Thirdly, the Magiſtrates puniſhing with the ſword Traytors, murtherers, theeves, adulterers, that ſo God may not be diſhonoured by thoſe ſinnes, nor the Common-wealth and our neighbours hurt, is an act of love to God and men as is evident by the Office, Rom. 13. verſe 3, 4. compared with 8, 9, 10. verſes and by other reaſons that might be given if it were needfull. Bullinger in his fifth Book, chapter 6. page 177. againſt the Anabaptiſts, ſhowes that the puniſhing of offenders is according to Chriſtian love, that the Magiſtrates puniſhing is not only profitable for one man, but for the whole Common-wealth, the puniſhment of one guilty perſon preſerving many alive, and that juſt puniſhment is not againſt love, neither doth true love abrogate puniſhments. Zanchi… in his. Tractate De Magiſtrat… p. 70Quaeſt. ſecunda, writes to this effect, that to puniſh offenders who are injurious to God and our neighbour, is a work of charity, which requires that we ſhould defend the glory of God and the ſafety of our neighbour by all meanes that may be; As when theeves, robbers, murtherers, are by the Magiſtrate taken away, leſt the City and our neighbour ſhould be hurt, this certainly is a work of charity: So doubtleſſe thoſe obſtinate Hereticks who go on to blaſpheme the name of God, who overthrow religion and piety, who corrupt the true and ſound Doctrine, who diſturbe the peace of the Churches, who ſteak from their neighbours the members of the Church not their eſtates neither kill their bodies, but endeavour to deſtroy their ſoules, doe moſt of all wrong God and their neighbour, therefore to puniſh them is the greateſt work of love to God and their neighbour. ☜Now if the reſtraining of thoſe who ſpoyle men of their goods, temporall lives, outward dignities, that corrupt and embaſe coyne bee a work of love to God and man, then to hinder Blaſphemies, Treaſons immediately againſt the Supreame Majeſty of God and his Kingdome, the ruining of immortall ſoules and the eternall lives of men, the adulterating the truth of God and the Faith once delivered to the Saints is an act of higher love to Gods glory and our Brethren, in as much as ſuch offences immediately againſt God tranſcend any Treaſon againſt earthly Kings, and the killing of ſoules is a greater evill then the killing of bodies, and the corrupting the truth more dangerous then counterfeiting or mixing baſer mettals with Gold or Silver. Wolphius in Deut. 13. Si quis human at Tabulas depravatet magnum eſt: quid de Divinis. In a City if any one ſeeke to draw away perſons from the Prince and government, and to draw men to their ſide, they are puniſhed, and ſhould they eſcape unpuniſhed for drawing men away from the King of Kings? As alſo becauſe thoſe reaſons and ends appointed for puniſhments of the ſecond Table, as to take away the evill, as that others ſhall bears and feare, &c. (which ſhowes puniſhments are acts of love) are given for a ground of puniſhing Idolatry, falſe Propheſying, &c. yea ſet downe more expreſſely in thoſe commands then in the others, with other reaſons too, as of turning th…t away from the Lord thy God, which implies alſo love to God and our Brethren. What followes hence then? Therefore p. 71thoſe preceps which God hath given Magiſtrates of puniſhing Offenders, Hereticks, ſubverters of Religion are not abrogated by the coming of Chriſt, becauſe by that meanes the glory of God and the ſafety of our neighbour are preſerved. Commands to Magiſtrates for puniſhing in matters of Religion, being no more againſt Chriſtian charity then puniſhment of Traytors, ſeditious perſons, theeves, &c. and therefore as they are not abrogated by the coming of Chriſt, ſo neither are theſe. The old Anabaptiſts (as**Bulling. ad verſes Anabapt. lib. 5. cap. 5. 175. 176. cap. 6. 177. 178. cap. 8. 184. Bullinger ſhows at large in that excellent book of his) who were againſt Magiſtrates puniſhing in matters of Religion, and that al thoſe commands in Deut. 13. &c. were meerly Moſaical and abrogated, held as wel thoſe commands for puniſhing murtherers, theeves, &c. to be abrogated, and that among Chriſtians no offences ſhould be puniſhed with priſons, mulcts, death, but only Excommunication, and among other reaſons they gave this, becauſe it was againſt brotherly love, which they urged equally againſt bodily puniſhments for tranſgreſſions againſt the ſecond Table as they did for puniſhments againſt the firſt; and indeed**Oſiand. Enchi…id De Magiſtratu Polit. quaeſt. 4. Lucas Oſiander with others who write againſt Anabaptiſts for denying that Chriſtians may be puniſhed with outward puniſhments for any offences, ſhow they bring the ſame Arguments, as that in Matthew 13. of the Tares, &c. which the Patrons of Tolaration doe now againſt the Magiſtrates coercive power in matters of Religion, but Bullinger ſhowes very well at large, that thoſe commands given in Exod. Deuter. Levit. of puniſhing capitally in ſome tranſgreſſions againſt the firſt and ſecond Table, were according to the Law of love, and that by the ſame reaſon by which the puniſhing by the Magiſtrate in matters of Religion, is againſt Chriſtian charity, the puniſhing of theeves, ſeditious and flagitious perſons will bee ſo to. And Bullinger askes the queſtion whether it had not beene more agreeable to love, if in the beginning of the tumult of Mu… ſter in Weſt-phalia, a few ſeditious kn…ves had beene put into priſon, and according to their demerit puniſhed, then that whilſt no man is puniſhed for his conſcience, ſuch a horrible ſlaughter of many ſhould follow, and the Anabaptiſts ſhould farre and … deſtroy all with fire and ſword. Secondly, that the Magiſtrates puniſhing of Apoſtates and falſe Prophets is approved p. 72of for the times of the Goſpel, I ſhall ſpeak to it fully in the 19. and 20. Thees, and therefore will not anticipate my ſelfe, onelyonly ſay this, that in Zac. 13. v. 2, 3. a Prophecie of the times of the Goſpel we finde the ſame thing, almoſt the ſame words which are in Deut. 13. 6.

Thirdly, tis the dictate of nature, tis of the law of nature and of all Nations to puniſh…men for violations in Religion as well as for matters of life and goods: I will not here enter into a large diſcuſſion of that queſtion what's requiſite, and how many ingredients go to make a thing of the Law of nature, and how Jus Naturale and Jus poſitivum differ. I ſhall referre the Reader in this queſtion to many learned Tractates and Diſcourſes of it by the**Alexander Alenſis paar 3. quaeſt. 26. Thomas Aqinas 1, 2. quaeſt. 94 Eſtius in lib. S…ntent. lib. 3. Diſtinct. 36. Suarez. de legib. lib. 1. cap. 3. lib. 2 c. 6. Molina Tractat. 1. De Jure & Juſtitia, Alphonſus a Caſtro de lege paenali lib. 2. cap. 14. Azor. Inſtitut. Moral. Muſcul. loc. commun. de lege naturae. Schoolmen and Caſuiſts, to Popiſh and Proteſtant Divines, particularly to Amiſius Caſes of Conſcience, Book 5. firſt Chapter De Jure, Voetius Theſes De vecat. Gentium part. ſecund. De Jure & Juſtitia Dei. Maſter SELDENS De Jure Naturali & Gentium firſt book throughout, eſpecially the third and eight chapters. Maſter Burges Vindiciae Legis 6. 7. and 8. Lectures. Maſter Cawd. Maſter Palm. Sabbatum Redivivum cap. 1. pag. 11, 12, &c. I will build only upon that which all learned men who have written of the Law of nature grant, viz. that to hold there is a God, and that that God is to be adored and worſhipped is of the Law of nature, yea it is principium juris naturalis. Muſculus in his Common Places, de lege nature, p. 36. and de legib. pag. 139. ſhowes tis of the Law of nature to have a ſenſe of a Deity, and that this Deity is to be worſhipped and feared: So that from the beginning among all men ſome Religion hath alwayes beene received. So Purchas Pilhrimage chap. 6. p. 26, 27. Among all the leſſons which nature hath taught, this is deeplieſt indented Religion: The falſhoods and variety of Religions are evidences of this truth, ſeeing men will rather worſhip a Beaſt, ſtock or baſeſt creature, then profeſſe no Religion at all. It is manifeſt then that the Image of God was by the fall depraved, but not uttrerly extinct; among other ſparks this alſo being raked up in the ruines of our decaied nature, ſome ſcience of the God-head, ſome conſcience of Religion.

Now all thoſe Nations whom the Law of nature inſtructed to beleeve and worſhip a Deity, it inſtructed alſo not to p. 73ſuffer their God and the Religion they embraced to be openly blaſphemed and ſpoken againſt; and I doe not beleeve any inſtance can be given of any Nation or body of people among the Heathen formed into a Common-wealth who puniſhed not A theiſts and Blaſphemers of their Gods. The beſt Writers and Hiſtorians among Heathens, and of Heathens, as Cicero, Seneca, Plato, Ariſtotle, Plutarch, Livie, Juſtin, Diogenes Laertius, Caelius Rhodiginus, Diodorus Siculus, Herodotus, Xenophon, aſſure us of Lawes and puniſhments enacted by Princes and States in matters of Religion; And other Hiſtorians who write Hiſtories of the World, of all ages and times, as Sir Walter Rawleigh, Purchas, &c. give us many inſtances in this kind among all ſorts of Religions and people. Whence 'tis that ſo many learned men, Zanchius, Muſculus, Peter Martyr, Beza, with divers others finding lawes and puniſhments of this nature ſo common and generall among Commonwealths and Kingdomes, and that in ſo many examples recorded in the old and new Teſtament and in other Authors, make puniſhments by Magiſtrates for violation of religion to bee of the light of nature as they doe the knowledge of a God, and that hee is to bee feared and worſhipped. Bullinger in his fifth book againſt the Anabaptiſts fifth chapter, in anſwer to the Anabaptiſts affirming the commands of puniſhing in matters of religion belong to Moſes ſword, are moſaicall from which Chriſtians are now freed, ſaith that this coercive power was not by Moſes then inſtituted as being never before, and as a ceremoniall law which ſhould ceaſe in the time of Chriſt, but from the beginning this law as natural and neceſſary was appointed by God. For all the old Magiſtrates before Moſes, from this command of God uſed this ſword. And this law therefore God inſerted in the Iſraelitical laws, which is not now taken away by Chriſts coming as a moſaicall coaction, becauſe Chriſt abrogated not the policie and law of nature. Muſculu… in his common places De Magiſtratibus ſhewing the Magiſtrates coercive power in matters of religion to be ſo manifeſt a truth as that the heathen could nor be ignorāt of it, concluds tis to be much more acknowledged by Chriſtians,**Nec eſt ut dicat quiſquam non est nobis Chriſtianis …ttendendum in religione quid dictitet lumen naturae, ſed quid nobis ſanctae Scripturae praeſcribant quae ad hoc ſunt datae, ut ad omne bonum opus inſtructi red daemur. licet … in iis quae fidei noſtra myſteria concernu… non ſit c…aſulendu lex naturae, ſed magis ſacrae Scriptura: ſimul tamen conte…i … debent, quae divi…oconſilio … …eſtric naturaliter …ſure… inſcripta qualis eſt lex illa, quam naturae vocamus; cuj… nobis directionem & Prophetae, & Chriſtus & Apoſtoli commendant. neither is it that any man ſhould ſay its not for us Chriſtians to harken in points of religion what the light of our nature dictates unto us, but what the Scripture ſpeaks to us p. 74of which are given for that end, that we may be inſtructed to every good work. For although in thoſe things which concerne the myſteries of our Faith, the Law of nature is not to bee conſulted with, but rather the Scriptures, yet alſo-thoſe things ought not to be contemned which by God are written in our …earts by nature, as is that law of nature whoſe direction both the Prophets, Chriſt and his Apoſtles, commend to us. Is not that power which fathers have over their children of the law of nature which the Scripture alſo confirms. And who wi…l deny that it ſpecially belongs to Parents to bring up their children in true religion and the feare of God? In Abraham this was praiſed Gen. 18. Now if wee conſider the Magiſtrate, what is hee otherwiſe to be accounted of, then the ſupreme Father of all his ſubjects, whoſe power is much greater, then of a Father over children, and therefore it belongs more to him then to a Father, that be ſhould take upon him the care of Religion and among …is ſubjects ſet it up. As for Muſculus Authority which is ſo much urged by Minus Celſus Senenfis Sect tertia page 183. that all the judiciall lawes are by the Goſpell wholly antiquated, and therefore thoſe of Deut. 13. Deut. 17. &c. concerning the killing of falſe Prophet…, Blaſphemers: I anſwer, tis evident that is not Muſculus meaning that under the Goſpell Magiſtrates may not make lawes or puniſh for points of Religion: for in many of his writings he pleads for this coercive power, as in the ſecond Pſal. verſe 11. Serve the Lord with feare. Let them note this place who deny kingly and ſaecular power that the Magiſtrate b…th to doe in the cauſe of religion. The ſpirit of God admoniſhes Kings and Judges of the earth to ſerve the Lord. But hee underſtands it of that ſervice which is due to the Sonne of God. Let them anſwer here in what thing, Princes ought to ſerve Chriſt if in religion there be nothing at all which ought to be done by them. When therefore Princes by their power doe care that the Doctrine of Gods word be kept in the Church, Idolatry and falſe worſhips taken away, Miniſters conveniently provided for, and adverſaries ſuppreſſed, forbidding alſo that the name of God be blaſphemed, and …aring that thoſe who live godly may be ſafe, but the wicked and turbulent may be puniſhed, do they not ſerve Chriſt then?

So in his commentaries on the**O Ʋtinam & bodie amputentur omnes illi falſi Doctores ac Paſtores qui …pus Eccleſiarum Chriſti ſic occupant, ut inde avelli non poſſe videantur niſi quemadmod…m ves…es ferro exciduntur & abjiciuntur, i…a ipſi quoque forti …anu p…r Chriſtianos, Magiſtratus …mputentur, qu… ſalus fidelium quae peri…litatur recuper…tur. fifth of the Gal. 12. verſe he is for cutting off falſe Teachers by the Chriſtian Magiſtrate, which Mr. Goodwi… page 74. of his H…giomaſtix confeſſes of him. p. 75So in his Common Places De Magiſtratibus and De Haereſi hee pleads for at large the coercive power of the Magiſtrates in matters of Religion, and**De Haereſi. p. 611, 612. De illis here…icis loquer, qui et ſi graviter errent haud tame… blaſphemi ſunt adverſus Deum. Blaſphemum lex Dei vivere non patitur. particularly of reſtraining and impriſoning Hereticks, yea, in caſe they be blaſphemous againſt God of cutting them off by death. For ſaith hee, the law of God doth not ſuffer a Blaſphemer to live. By which teſtimonies of Muſoulus and divers others that might be taken out of his writings tis apparent whatever his meaning was of the Abrogation of the whole judiciall law, it could not bee that all the commands concerning the Magiſtrates coercive power againſt Hereticks, falſe Prophets, Blaſphemers, were by the comming of Chriſt wholly taken away: For whereas Muſoulus his expreſſe judgement is (though againſt the Magiſtrates cutting off by death a ſimple Heretick) for putting to death blaſphemous Hereticks, his proof is, the law of God doth not ſuffer a blaſphemer to live, which law was given by Moſes as well as thoſe in the 13. and 17. chapter of Deut. and I find no law ſpoken of, or example recorded in the new Teſtament for putting Blaſphemers to death, but what hath immediate reference to that law in L…vit. 24. 16. or was founded on the law of nature common to all Nations. Now for that abrogation of the moſaicall law in Muſ…ulus common places de legibus ſpoken of by Minus Celſus Senenſis, tis not of the abrogation of the judiciall law only but of the morall alſo, which is equally pleaded by Muſculus in that chapter; and yet tis well known that Muſculus was no Antinomian, So that however, he differed in the way of his expreſſions from other great Divines about the manner how the morall law in the ten commandements binds us Chriſtians, viz. not as delivered by Moſes legally to the Iſraelites, but as agreeing with the law of nature, juſtice and equity, commanding good juſt, and holy things, ſo far tying all men to obſervance.**Muſculus in qu…tum praecept. pag. 81, 82. non dico ſimpliciter ad ſolos Iſraelitas pertinere Decalogi hujus obſervantiam, ſed quate…us pertinet ad legem Moſaicam & tabulas …abet foederis à Deo cum Iſraele initi Hacte…us utique neque Gentes neque Chriſtian…s conſtringit ſed ſolos Iſraelitas, quos legis hujus diſpenſatio peculiariter & nominatim concernit. Interea tamen ſciendu… est, quae in hoc Decalogo … nentur, quatenus in ſeſunt bona, juſta aequa & pia, & ad legem naturae pertinent, hactenus illorum obſervantiam pertinere ad omnes. Quatenus Iſraelitis per Moſem legaliter est traditus, ſolos Iſraelitas legaliter conſtringit: quatenus vero cum lege naturae juſtitia & equitate conſentit, non ſolos Iſraelitas, ſed omnes homines ad ſui obſervantiam habet obnoxios. Muſcul. de legibus 141, 142. Muſculus explains his own meaning, that the obſervation of the Decalogue did not belong ſimply to the Iſraelites alone, but ſecundum quid in ſome reſpects as given by Moſes upon Mount Sinai, and as it contained the Tables of a Covenant made by God with Iſrael. So farre it binds not Heathens nor Chriſtiens but only Iſraelites. But the things containe… in the Decalogue, the matter of it concernes all. The Decalogue ſo farr as to be under Moſes, and his p. 76Paedagogie doth not binde Chriſtians, but as it contains things agreeable, or contrary to righteouſneſſe and the law of Chriſt tis in force to, and therfore cōmands the one and forbids the other. Muſculus ſaith he is ſo farre from condemning the uſe of the ten Commandements in the Church of God, that he greatly praiſes their ſtudy and diligence, who firſt brought that in for a part of the Catechiſme of the Church. So that notwithſtanding any thing Muſculus hath of the abrogation of the moſaical law, Moſes Laws for puniſhing Idolaters, falſe Prophets Blaſphemers, are in force now for the generall equity and reaſon of them as containing matter agreeable to the rules of reaſon and juſtice as well as the Decalogue; and indeed confidering what Muſculus in his Tractate de legibus writes of the judiciall lawes that they are Appendixes of the morall commands, inſerted here and there in Moſes writings and added for expoſition of the Decalogue, as alſo what he ſaith De Magiſtratibus that the Magiſtrates power in matters of Religion is of the light of nature, nature dictates it, and that the law is ſtill in force againſt Blaſphemers, then wee cannot underſtand the abrogation of theſe lawes of Moſes of puniſhing in matters of the firſt Table, to be any otherwiſe meant by Muſculus then in his ſenſe of the abrogation of the Decalogue formerly expreſſed.

2. The reaſons of thoſe commands expreſſed in the 13. and 17. chapters of Deut. concerning putting to death falſe Prophets, Apoſtates, &c. whether taken from the nature of the things themſelves to which drawn, or the nature of the perſons guilty, Seducers, or the common condition of the ſons of men, ſhall feare and do no more ſo, &c. or the end of puniſhments, putting away evill, to which of them ſoever we look, they have been, were, and are ſtil the ſame, always of a like nature and force both before the commands were given by Moſes, in Moſes time, and now under the Goſpell, and therefore the reaſons of thoſe lawes being perpetuall and univerſall not abrogated by Chriſt, neither are the lawes themſelves (of which though I gave a touch of it in pag. 50.) yet I ſhall here further cleare it. Tis a rule given by many Divines in ſuch ſentences as theſe, Tale praceptum qualis ratio praecepti. Ratio immutabilis p. 77facit praceptum immutabile. Epiſcop. Winton. opuſc. pag. 145. Ameſ. lib. 5. caſ. conſc. cap. 1. Mepul. lib. 2. cap. 13.Ʋbi ratio legis redditur moralis, ibi …ex ipſa eſt moralis. Officia illa omnia ſunt moralia et immutabilia, quae rationes morales & immutabiles habent ſibi annexas. Now though this rule is liable to Exceptions and holds not univerſally as in Levit. 11. 44. Some ſpeciall determination may be confirmed by a generall reaſon; and the immutable nature of the law-giver hath its place and vertue in appointing mutable commands. Yet where the reaſons of a law ex natura rei & not meerly ex inſtituto are perpetual and univerſal, and the duties following from thoſe reaſons founded thereon, the ſpecial inward and proper reaſon of ſuch a command being morall and perpetual; there alwayes it followes that law is morall and perpetual, of which the Reader may bee further ſatisfied in Ames Caſes Conſc. lib. 5. cap. 1. Quaeſt. 9. and his Medulla l. 2. c. 12.

Now the ſpeciall inward and proper reaſon of that command Deut. 13. ſo ſhalt thou put the evill away from the midſt of thee, is juris moralis & naturalis, and therefore ſo is the command itſelfe. For a concluſion of this that theſe lawes of puniſhing Idolaters, falſe Prophets, &c. were not properly judiciall lawes, nor abrogated by Chriſts comming, lets take notice that that diſtinction of the judiciall law from the morall, viz. the morall law was given of God publikly declared by his voice twice writ in tables of ſtone, but the judiciall was afterwards delivered to Moſes, and by Moſes to the people without any ſuch ſolemnity, is no exact nor perfect one. For many of the laws not expreſſed in the Decalogue, but delivered afterwards among the judiciall, as about reſtoring the pledge, of weights and juſt meaſures, of giving the hire to the laborour, and many other ſuch like, are no more judiciall or leſſe morall then thou ſhalt not ſteal, Yea ſuch commands are transferred to the times of the Goſpell, as that of Levit, 19. 17. to Matth. 18. 15. and Luke 17. 3. and therefore though theſe commands of puniſhing Blaſphemers, Apoſtates, falſe Prophets, &c. bee not expreſſed in the Decalogue, but added after, yet they may bee no more judiciall then the third and fourth Commandement. And therefore the moſt accurate diſtinction that is given by Divines between judiciall lawes properly ſo called, and thoſe lawes numbred among the judiciall, is this, thoſe were properly judiciall lawes p. 78which had a ſingular reſpect to the people of the Jewes, ſo as the reaſon cauſe and foundation of them was placed in ſome peculiar condition of that people: But thoſe lawes which were wont to be reckoned among the judicials, and yet in their reaſon had no ſingular reſpect or relation to the condition of the Jewes more then to other people, all thoſe are of morall naturall right common to all people, of which diſtinction with ſome other particulars about the nature of the judiciall law, and how farr it binds Chriſtians under the Goſpell I referre the Reader to**Judi…iales le…es proprie illae fuerunt quae cum non fuerunt, caremoniales, ſingularem populum Judaicum reſpectum habuere, ita ut ratio cauſa & fundamentum earū poſitū fuerit in illius populi peculiari aliqua çonditione. Leges igitur illae quae judicialibus annumerari ſolent & tamen in ratione ſua nullu… ſingularem reſpectum habuerunt ad conditionem Judaeo…um, magis quā aliorum populorum, illae omnes ſunt juris moralis ac naturalis, omnium populorum communes. Ameſ. Caſes of conſcience the fifth Book, chapt. 1. De Jure and to Zepperus explanation of the moſaicall lawes, chap. 5. who ſhewes two extreams of men in that point, one in the exceſſe holding all the judiciall lawes promiſcuouſly in force, others in the defect holding them all and wholly aboliſhed, but holds the middle way between both, viz. what ever in the moſaicall lawes hath an immutable and perpetuall reaſon and nature by common right, immu…ably and alwayes as by an adamantine chaine binds all men in all times and places: But whatſoever hath an implied reaſon and condition of change, does no longer bind the conſciences of Chriſtians. Zepperus alſo in his firſt Book chapt. 12. of the moſaicall lawes, anſwers at large the places brought by Minus Celſus Senenſ. and others, out of Muſculus, Luther, Calvin. Zanchius and others, for the abrogation of theſe lawes, ſhowing they are underſtood only of thoſe things that peculiarly belonged to the commonwealth of the Jewes, and as given by Moſes to the Iſraelites, and not of ſuch judicialls which either in the law of nature or Decalogue have their reaſon founded. Now of this latter ſort, are all thoſe commands for the ſubſtance of them, for puniſhing the falſe Prophe…, Apoſtate, &c. as appears in the nature of thoſe laws and the reaſons of them: for what ſingular reſpect or relation to the condition of the Jews, hath taking the evill away, fearing and doing no more ſo, turning away from the Lord their God, more, then to the condition of Chriſtians.

Thirdly, As to Hagiomaſtixs affirmation page 43 that to prove by the law of God in the old Teſtament, Deut. 13. &c. that falſe Prophets Blaſphemers, &c. may be bodily puniſhed under the New Teſtament is all one as if a man ſhould go p. 79about to prove that the man Moſes is now alive, by this argument viz. becauſe hee was alive under the old Teſtament, I anſwer, 1. Moſes is alive under the new Teſtament, as God ſaid in the buſh to Moſes, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Iſaac, and the God of Jacob, ſo God is the God of Moſes as well as of Abraham, &c. Now God is not the God of the dead but of the living. Matth. 22. 32. compared with Mark 12. 26, 27. 2. Though Moſes body be dead and buried by God in a Sepulcher that no man knowes of, yet his Doctrine may be alive, tis a groſſe non ſequitur, that their Doctrine muſt be dead and buried whoſe bodyes are dead, for then Davids Doctrine in the Pſalmes, the Prophets Doctrine, yea the Evangeliſts and Apoſtles Doctrine ſhould be dead, they being now all dead as well as Moſes, and ſo all proofes brought for any Doctrine, from Davids Pſalmes, the Prophets, the new Teſtament may be thus evaded, by ſaying, we may go about to prove David, the Prophets, Evangeliſts and Apoſtles are now alive by this arguments, becauſe they were alive ſome of them thouſands, and others of them many hundred yeares agoe. Thirdly beſides this falſe conſequence, tis evident upon many grounds that Doctrines are alive, doe bind when the Publiſhers and writers of them are dead, yea they are written for that end, that they may teach and bee a rule when the men who writ them are dead, that being dead, by theſe they may yet ſpeak as the Apoſtle …om. 15. 4. tells us; yea many things are ſpoken and written to be a rule of direction to the Church, intended to take place rather after their death then in their life time, as the Prophecies of the Prophets, and ſome Prophecies alſo of the Apoſtles, ſo that it may be ſaid as Z…ch. chapter 1. verſe 6. Your Fathers, where are they, and the Prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my Statu… which I commanded my ſervants the Prophets; did they no… take hold of your Fathers? though Pen-men and writers of Scripture die, yet their words and Doctrine take hold and place when they are dead. Fourthly by this reaſon of holding Moſes is now alive, if the law of God in the old Teſtament binds, it will follow that all Moſes Doctrine, the ten commandements and all he writ in the Pentatench, Geneſis, &c. are void as well p. 80as theſe commands about puniſhing falſe Prophets, &c. for they were made known and written by Moſes when hee was alive, and to bee found in his Books together with theſe lawes termed judiciall: So that the Antinomian may as well ſay the ſame againſt the morall law under the Goſpell, when the ten Commandements are preſſed, and the Socinian and Anabaptiſt againſt thoſe commands to put to death murtherers, which now Maſter John Goodwin doth againſt theſe lawes in Deut. 13. &c. that men may as well prove the man Moſes is now alive, by theſe commands, becauſe he was alive under the old Teſtament, as bring thoſe places of Scripture written by Moſes to prove the morall law in force, and thoſe commands who ſo ſheddeth mans bloud, by man ſhall his bloud bee ſhed. Fifthly whatever Hagiomaſtix by way of ſcoffe hath ſpoken thus of proving as well Moſes may be now alive, tis evident, beſides the new Teſtaments Confirmation in many places of the Evangeliſts and Epiſtles, of the old Teſtament being in force in the dayes of the Goſpell (of which I ſhall ſpeak in the 18. THESIS and ſo will pare the Reader here) it by name particularly ratifies the Doctrine and Authority of Moſes writings, and proves and urges ſeverall things upon men under the Goſpell from texts taken out of the five Books of Moſes, as theſe places in the new Teſtament unanſwerably ſhow, Matth. 23. 2, 3. Matth. 28, 29, 31, 32. Mark 12. 26. Luke 16. 29, 30, 31. Luke 24. 27. John 1. 45. Acts 3. 22. Act. 26. 22. Acts 28. 23. Rom. 9. 7, 9, 15, 16, 17. Rom. 10. 6, 8. Rom. 13. 8. 9. Epheſ. 6. 2. 3. yea ſeverall particulars of the judiciall lawes, are brought to prove duties required in the new Teſtament as page 56, 57, 60. of this Book ſhowes; and laſtly Moſes Authority and writings are of ſuch ſacred account under the new Teſtament, that in the P…lation the Book that concludes and ſhuts up the Canon of the new Teſtament, the Book that ſpeaks of things that ſhall be in the Church of the new Teſtament till the end of the world, Moſes his name and writing are joyned with the Lamb, and that to be made uſe of by the moſt eminent and faithfull ſervants of God, that have gotten the victory ever the beaſt, and over his Image, and over his marke, and over the number of his name, theſe ſtanding on the ſea of glaſſe having the harp of God, ſing the ſong of Moſes p. 73the ſervant of God, and the ſong of the Lamb, ſaying, great and marvellous are thy works Lord God almighty, &c. So that all theſe things being laid together, I ſuppoſe by this time every ingenuous Reader muſt needs ſee, that by this Anſwer to Deut. 13. &c. Hagiomaſtix intended rather to ſpread a table of mirth for himſelfe and his Church to feaſt on, then to give any ſatisfaction to the Reverend Author of the Vindication of the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance for the preventing of Hereſies, &c. and the reſt of the Presbyterians.

Fourthly, as to that anſwer of Hagiomaſtix p. 48. 49. they that will have the ancient law for putting Blaſphemers & Idolaters to death to be now in force, muſt conſequently hold tis in force not ſimply only as to the inflicting of death upon the offenders, but in all other particulars commanded by the ſame Authority, as not be killed after any māner, nor with any kind of death, but with ſtones, not only the ſeducer but the ſeduced themſelves, though whole cites, not only the inhabitants, but the cattel alſo, with divers other particulars named in that of Deut. 13. For if men will urge this law as being ſtill in force, they make themſelves debters to urge the execution of the whole in all the particularities and circumſtances thereunto belonging. For who hath any power to make an Election or Reprobation amongſt the Commandements of God, where God himſelf hath made none. I reply, it followes not: tis no good conſequence that all circumſtances, acceſſories, particularities muſt bind becauſe the ſubſtance of a command binds; or that the ſubſtance and ſumme of a command muſt be taken away, becauſe ſome circumſtances, formes and particularities are not in force.

To argue a thing it ſelfe aboliſhed, becauſe the modus of it binds not alwayes, or that the ſubſtance and eſſentials muſt ceaſe, becauſe divers acceſſories, circumſtantials and formes wherewith it was clothed moſt ſuitable to ſuch a time, Countrey condition of ſuch a people, are ceaſed, is a fallacie a dicto ſec…ndum quid ad dictum ſimpliciter, which all Logitians know is no good reaſoning: If I, or any other Presbyterian had argued thus, ſuch a mans bond binds not now, or this is not ſuch a man, hee is dead, becauſe his apparell, haire, place of abode, with ſome other ſuch acceſſories are changed antiquite altered, p. 82we ſhould certainly have ſpread a table of mirth for the Independents, and therfore I judge, for Hagiomaſtix thus to reaſon ſhows no great ſtrength, and I doe deſire Mr. John Goodwin, but to rub up his old**Kekerman lib. 1. cap. 7. D… praedicam. Substantiae & lib. 1. cap. 21. Burgerdiſ. Inſtitut. Logic. l. 1. c. 13. c. 4. Seton. Log. De Subſtantia. Subſtantia quà ſubſtantia non variatur gradibus ſeu non recipit magis & minus. Subſtantia eadem numero permanens, poteſt contraria accidentia in ſe ſuſcipere. Accid. communia recipiunt gradus. Accidens eſt quod adeſt & abeſt ſine ſubjecti interitu. Accidentia ſunt ſeperabilia à ſubjecto. Logick of the nature and difference of Subſtance, and Accidents, and then I know he will confeſſe (though for him to confeſſe any thing as manifeſt as the light wherein he is miſtaken in writing, is as rare as a black Swan) that Accidents may be varied and taken away ſalva ſubſtantia. And that I may ſhow the weaknes of this reaſoning, that this 13. of Deut. is therfore not in force becauſe then the manner of puniſhing with ſtones, and the perſon tempted to Idolatry, though never ſo deare, ſtoning him, with divers other particulars muſt ſtil bind, I ſhal give inſtances in the old and new Teſtament of morall and Evangelicall commands, and examples, that the things themſelves are in force, and yet many acceſſories, acccidentals, circumſtantials accompanying them at ſuch a time in ſuch places, and ſuch a condition of the Church, not binding; And certainly if commands and rules confeſſed to bee morall and Evangelicall had ſuch acceſſories, accidentals, circumſtantials, formes and manner of expreſſions accompanying them, to which wee are not now tied though wee are to the commands and duties themſelves, then the commands cald judiciall in Deut. 13. 17. becauſe conſiſting in judgements and matters of puniſhing offences, may eaſily bee conceived upon ſeverall reaſons, to have for the manner and forme of proceeding with the kinds and extent of puniſhments, many acceſſories & accidentals to which the Church of the new Teſtam. is no ways bound▪ although not free from the ſubſtance of the commands, or thoſe Iawes as containing ſuch a Doctrine that in their generall nature and proportion of equity give us the beſt determination naturalis juris, as**Caſ. Conſ. lib. 5. cap. 1. De Jure. Ameſius ſpeakes. The Decalogue is in force and binding for the matter and ſubſtance of the commands of all Chriſtians under the N. Teſtament as is confeſſed even by them that hold the judicial lawes totally abrogated, and yet many of them plead that in divers reſpects, and in ſeverall particular things, viz. acceſſories & appendixes attending that time and that people, the Jewes, as under ſuch conſiderations, that law binds not us: Now though the judgement of the generality of Orthodox Divines goes not along with them p. 83all their expreſſions about the māner of the abrogation, yet al confeſſe that even in the Decalogue there are ſome things, acceſſories accommodated to that time & condition of that people the Jews, which have the nature of ceremonials & judicials, as that clauſe in the preface which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt, out of the houſe of Bondage, upon which the ten commandements are inforced to the Jewes, as that clauſe in the**Zepperi Moſaic. Leg. Forenſ. explanat. l. 1. c. 6 de varia legum moſaicarū compoſit. pag. 36. 37. Decalogus ſane ut nt mere moralis, immutabilis, & perpetuus videri queat, aliquid tamen & cereminiale & forenſe admixtū habet. Quintum praeceptū morale est quatenus parentibus a liberis honorem exhiberi vult; judiciale & politicum quatenus terrae Chanaan & benedictionis in illa promiſſionem continet. Ceremoniale in ſuper aliquid, quatenus Chananaea terra typus erat caeleſtis illius patriae. vid. ibi plura. Rivet. explicat. Decal. p. 12. promiſſio enim addi…a praecepto quinto expreſſe loquitur de terra-quam Deus erat daturus populo quae hoc tempore nos non reſpieit. fifth command that thy dayes may be long upon the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, was ſpecially meant and had particular relation to the Land of Canaan, though in the generall equity it was meant of a good and long life upon earth, as is evident by Epheſ. 6. 3. where the Apoſtle changes it from dayes being long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth, to this, that it may be well with thee and thou maieſt live long on the earth, as ſomething in the fourth commandement, which that Coloſ, 2. 16, 17. ſhowes, and ſo ſome other phraſes might be inſtanced in, which bind not; and yet from hence to reaſon againſt the Decalogues binding Chriſtians under the new Teſtament, as Hagiomaſtix in page 48, 49. againſt that command in Deut. 13. and to ſay as he does were frivilous and abſurd: Now if it be ſo in the matter of the Decalogue, then the ſame reaſon holds more in Deut. 13.