The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 17 (2 of 4)

The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan · Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 17 (2 of 4)

p. 83The Government, Diſcipline, and order of the viſible Church laid downe in the new Teſtament for the eſſentials and ſubſtantials binds all Churches to the end of the world, as the Reformed Churches hold, and divers Miniſters of that way as Gerſom Bucerus, Parker, Danaeus, Cartwright, &c have written, and yet they doe not hold all acceſſories, circumſtantials, occaſionals, &c of Diſcipline ſpoken of in the new Teſtament to bind, but diſtinguiſh of things, ſhowing what's immutable and perpetuall, and what not, of which the Reader may conſult Parker, De Politia Eccleſiaſtica, **Danaus in Tim. 2. Epiſtol. Dedicat. in cap. 3. v. 15. cap. 5. v. 14.Danaeus on the firſt of Timothie, who ſhowes in divers places of that Book that the fundamentals, eſſentials and ſubſtantials of Eccleſiaſticall Diſcipline cannot bee increaſed nor diminiſhed by any new conſtitutions of men: but for acceſſories and accidentals they may be diminiſhed, increaſed and moderated according to the various circumſtances of places, things, perſons and times. For Diſcipline being as a comely garment fitted to things, perſons and times, as theſe may p. 76be changed viz times, &c ſo Diſcipline alſo in acceſſories and lighter things may be altered, and if out of a foliſh zeal of obſerving all things practiſed in the Apoſtles times men will imitate all things then done without conſidering a difference of times, places and ſtate of things, they muſt needs doe that which will bee to the great evill of the Church and detriment of conſciences. **Apologet Narration. Meere circumſtances we except, or what rules the Law of nature doth in common dictate.Independents themſelves though they hold the ſubſtantials of Church Government and order ought to bee the ſame in our times, that they were in the Apoſtles, yet they doe not in all circumſtantials nor accidentals judge Diſcipline now binds; and I ſuppoſe if Hagiomaſtix had thus reaſoned againſt their Independent Government and order, that if that tied us in theſe dayes, then wee are bound to all circumſtances and acceſſories, as to the number of ſeven Deacons, &c as to widowes juſt of ſuch an age, &c or elſe the office of Deacons and widowes are ceaſed in the Church, they would have laughed at him for his folly, and yet this is the way of the mans reaſoning againſt the command of God, Deut. 13. 17. the command it ſelfe muſt be wholly abrogated, or elſe all acceſſories and formalities accompanying it Chriſtians are tied unto. Baptiſm, the Lords Supper, Preaching of the word to ſpeak properly are not points of Government and order, but the worſhip of God: Love, Humility, Hoſpitality, are graces and morall duties commanded under the Goſpell, and yet all theſe with many others of the like kind that I could inſtance in, had in the Apoſtles dayes thoſe Primitive times, ſome acceſſories and appendixes, wayes of manifeſtations of them which are now ceaſed, as the feaſts of Love, the Kiſſe of love, waſhing the Saints feet, &c. in which humility, brotherly love, kindnes to ſtrangers were expreſſed, as proper & peculiar to that condition the Church was then in, & the cuſtomes of thoſe Countries, &c. Now if any Seeker ſhould reaſon with Hagiomaſtix that theſe Ordinances were all antiquated, or any Antinomian that theſe graces were not to be exerciſed by us now, becauſe theſe acceſſories and appendixes were laid aſide, or would inforce from the Practiſe of them a neceſſity of waſhing feet, the Kiſſe of love, and all other things proper and peculiar to the ſtate of the Apoſtles, I ſuppoſe he would laugh at them, and in his anſwer jear them to purpoſe. Now therfore if in p. 77Evangelicall Ordinances and Commands, in points of worſhip and graces under the time of the new Teſtament, where there is ſtill one and the ſame manner of adminiſtration of the Coveenant of grace, there may be ſuch a non obligation in reſpect of acceſſories and accidentals, though yet the Ordinances and graces themſelves remain in full force and vigor, we may then eaſily conceive in commands concerning puniſhments of ſin againſt the firſt Table, how under the new Teſtament being a divers manner of adminiſtratiō from the old (though the ſame in ſubſtance) there may well be a great change of acceſſories, accidentals, formes, and manner of proceeding, which nevertheleſſe give no ground for the taking away things and commands themſelves, but only clearly ſhow there may bee a ceſſation of all ſuch forms, acceſſories, manner of proceeding, which were peculiar to that time and people. And if wee do but obſerve and conſider the compoſition of moſt of the moſaicall lawes, how they are mixt of morall,☞ judiciall, and ceremoniall, how lawes judiciall have ſomething morall, and ſomething ceremoniall in them, and ceremonials have ſomething judiciall and morall in them, and how that thoſe things which in their nature are moral and perpetuall, have yet ſomewhat judiciall and ceremoniall annexed to them, of all which we may be further ſatisfied in Zepperus his explanation of the moſaicall lawes, we may eaſily conceive how in theſe moſaicall lawes, a command the thing it ſelfe may be binding for the ſubſtance, and yet ſeverall particulars accompanying as being properly judiciall and ceremoniall may ceaſe, among which now the form and kinds of puniſhments, the extent with rigor and ſeverity of puniſhing to the cattell, the making the city a heap for ever, &c may be reckoned; And that theſe are but acceſſories and appendixes of theſe lawes for puniſhing Idolaters, falſe Prophets, which therefore may not bind, though the commands for the ſubſtance be ſtill in force, may appeare thus, becauſe inflicting death ſimply upon Apoſtates, falſe Prophets, &c is commanded without any of theſe acceſſories of deſtroying the cattel, and making the city an heap, &c as theſe places Exod. 23. 20. Deut. 17. 2, 5, 6. and Deut. 18. 20. ſnow, which is worthy to be taken notice of; beſides in the commands to puniſh p. 86thoſe who offer up their children to Molech, and that Blaſpheme God, Levit. 20. 2. Leuit. 24. 16. the inflicting of death upon them is required, but none of thoſe particulars mentioned Deut. 13, 15, 16, 17. In the new Teſtament alſo, though the puniſhing by death according to Moſes law of Apoſtates be approved of, as in page 52, 53. of this Book I have ſhowen, and ſeverall judiciall Lawes for the ſubſtance ratified page 56, 57. yet the formalities, acceſſories, with all particularities of ſuch Lawes never are ſpoken of; and laſtly, though ſevere puniſhment by the Magiſtrate the ſubſtance of that command in Deut. 13. be both before Moſes Lawes as in Jobs time, and after Moſes times by Artaxerxes, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius in caſes of Apoſtaſie, Idolatry, Blaſphemie, approved of; yet there is not a word ſpoken of deſtroying Cattell, the whole Cities, &c. And to ſtop Hagiomaſt. mouth for ever, I wiſh him to conſider this, that by vertue of commands under the old Teſtament, Apoſtates, falſe Prophets, Idolaters, may be now put to death, and yet the Magiſtrates under the Goſpel not bound to deſtroy whole Cities, cattell, nor fulfill the reſt of his inferences: For it will appeare by many inſtances in the old Teſtament, even in that time of Adminiſtration of the Covenant, wherein the 13. of Deut. was written, that the Magiſtrates held not themſelves bound to àll thoſe particulars of deſtroying all the inhabitants, cattell, &c. though they inflicted puniſhments, yea death upon ſome Idolaters, and Apoſtates, as theſe inſtances fully ſhow, viz. in Moſes Exod. 32. commanding in the worſhip of the Golden Calfe three thouſand to be ſlaine, not all the people, nor the cattell, Numb. 25. 2, 3, 4, 5. commanding for the bowing downe to the gods of Moab, the heads of the people to be hanged up, not all the people, neither the cattell to be killed, in Eliah killing the Prophets of Baal only, 1 Kings c. 18. not the people; in Aſa, entring into Covenant that whoſoever would not ſerve the Lord the God of Iſrael ſhould be put to death, and in depoſing Machah, his Mother for making an Idoll in a Grove 2 Chron. c. 15. but not entring into Covenant to deſtroy all the Cattell and the Cities where ſuch perſons lived; in Joſiah ſacrificing all the Prieſt of the high places in Samaria that were there upon the Altars 2 Kings. chapt. 23. but not ſacrificing the people nor the cattell; and ſo in others p. 87which might be given. And therfore if Magiſtrates under the old Teſtament, though all thought it their duty to puniſh… Idolaters and Apoſtates, were not tied to all the particulars in Deut. 13. then certainly the Magiſtrates under the new are leſſe tied to thoſe acceſſories and formalities of that Law, by all which tis apparent thoſe things laid down in**The ſtoning to death with ſtones Idolaters, falſe Prophets, was not eſſentiall as Zach. 13. 3. ſhowes who there prophecies they ſhall be thruſt through, not ſtoned.Zech 13:3 Deut. 13. 15, 16, 17. are only acceſſories & accidentals of that cōmand of puniſhing with death thoſe that goe after other Gods, and not of the nature and eſſence of it; yea holding only in ſome particular caſes, time, but not generall to the Iewes themſelves, which in what caſes and how, I ſhall forbeareſpeaking of now for feare of inlarging this part beyond its proportion intended.

And for a concluſion of this; the conſideration of this mixture and compoſition of the Lawes of God under the old Teſtament is exceeding uſefull for this purpoſe, viz. that thereby wee may judge more eaſily of the mutabilitie or immutabilitie of them, whether they be temporary or perpetuall, and ſo whether they bind all men, or only ſome. In commands alledged out of the old Teſtament, this is to bee carefully lookt into whether they be meerly and purely morall or ceremoniall or judiciall;☞ or whether mixt and compounded, and how, of what lawes mixt. If the command bee pure and ſimple the thing is evident, where morall is binds, where ceremoniall or judiciall it binds not. But if it bee mixt of judiciall, ceremoniall and morall, or of ceremoniall and morall, the morall remains and is in force: by all which wee may ſee the weaknes of Hagiomaſtixs inference, that if that command in Deut. 13. does at all bind Chriſtians, it muſt binde in every particular there ſpoken of: for whats morall in Deut. 13. abides, and yet whats properly judiciall and ceremoniall is taken away: look as that were no good argument againſt the fifth commandement being in force under the new Teſtament, becauſe then what was judiciall and ceremoniall in it as containing the promiſe of the Land of Canaan, and a bleſſing in it &c. muſt remaine under the Goſpel, ſo neither is this of Hagiomaſt. For as a command morall may have ſomewhat judiciall mixed with it, ſo may a command judiciall have much of morall in it; but now what judiciall lawes and how mixed are temporary and changeable, and upon what p. 80rules and grounds, and what judiciall lawes are immutable and perpetuall, and how to bee known, I referre the Reader for ſatisfaction to Zepperus explanation of the Moſaicall Lawes, 1. Book chapt. 7, 8, 9, 12. And as for thoſe commands in queſtion of Magiſtrates puniſhing in caſes of Apoſtaſie, Idolatry, Blaſphemie, they are upon all occaſions reckoned by learned Divines among the immutable and perpetuall, as by Zanchius De Magiſtratu Quaeſt. Secunda p. 170, 171. Beza De Haereti…is a Magiſtratu… puniendi…, p. 152. 154, 155. and by Zepperus in his explanation of the moſaicall judiciall laws, firſt Book c. 10. page 72. and 4. Book chapt. 2. p. 243. where hee makes the lawes againſt the falſe Prophet teaching publikely, the private Seducer, the publike defection of the whole City, &c to bee appendixes of the firſt command and of common right, and particularly in the third chapter of that fourth Book proves by ſeverall Reaſons the puniſhing of falſe Teachers, Hereticks, Blaſphemers, ought to bee perpetuall, which learned Authors notwithſtanding, grant the kinds of puniſhments, the particular forms of thoſe lawes, and as they were given of Moſes to bee conſtitutive of the Jewes pollicy, to be changeable and not binding: The kinds of puniſhments are taken away, Chriſt would not have the Gentile Magiſtrate to be bound to thoſe lawes for the kind of puniſhments which were given to the Jewiſh Magiſtrates, but notwithſtanding puniſhments in generall are not taken away, but commanded. In the conſtituting the kind of puniſhment, there ſeems a peculiar reaſon to have been had of that Nation. There were certaine peculiar things in thoſe lawes that doe not now belong to us which particulars being taken away, there are two things by vertue of thoſe lawes remaine. Firſt, that defection from the true Religion, and ſeducing to tha defection ſhould be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate no…. Secondly, that Capitall puniſhment ſhould be inflicted according to the greatnes of the Blaſphemy and wickedneſſe upon factious and ſeditions Apoſtates. For of ſuch account ought the Majeſty of God to be among all men in all ages of the world, that whoſoever ſhall deſpiſe and mock at that, be who ſpeakes evill of the Author of life, is moſt worthy to have his life taken away. So Zanchius De Magiſtratu Quaeſt, ſecunda page. 170. 171, 172, and Beza De Haereticis a Magiſtrat… p…niendis page 154, 155. ſpeake and p. 89therfore according to that three-fold diſtinction laid down page 53, 54, 55. of this Treatiſe, this law in Deut. 13. may be in force, 1. according to the ſubſtance and equity of it, according as there is a common right in it,**Beza De Haeret. a Magistr. Page 154. Judicialis autem L…xeam duntaxat juſtitiae & aequitatis partē ſigillatim explicat, quae in iis rebus verſatur de quibus judicia constituta ſunt. common to other Nations with the Jew…, and ſecondly, as it contains a Doctrine made known by God for puniſhing ſuch offences (though wee Chriſtians are not tied to the particular formes of that command according to the Moſaicall law or politie, nor as it was given by Moſes to one people, nor to the utmoſt vigor and ſeverity of it expreſſed in every particular) which being in force under the Goſpel but in this ſenſe & thus far, fully makes good that which tis brought for the Magiſtrates coercive power under the new Teſtament to puniſh falſe Prophets, Apoſtates, &c: neither does the abating ſomewhat of the rigor of the Law ſutable to the Moſaical Paedagogie, or the releſiang of the particular forms of that Law the kind and manner of puniſhing, abrogate all puniſhment and reſtraint: For we may eaſily conceive and wee often ſee it in experience, the rigor and utmoſt ſeverity of a Law in regard of ſome circumſtances abated, and yet not all puniſhment, neither the ſubſtance of it taken away; and indeed if wee conſider what the judiciall Law concerning puniſhing in criminall matters is, as tis laid downe by divers learned men,**Ameſ. lib. 5. Caſ. Conſc. cap. 1. de jure iſta Lex judicialis quae per Moſen traditae fuit Iſraelitis ut eorum propria, fuit ipſis accuratiſſima determinatio & accommodatio juris naturalis ſecundum illius populi ſingula…em determinationem. Iſta Lex ad Chriſtianos pertinet tantum ſub ratione doctrinae quatenus vel generali ſua natura, vel proportionis aquitate, exhibet ſemper nobis optimam naturalis juris determinationem. Beza. Zepperus, Ameſius, viz. that law which doth peculiarly explicate that part of righteouſneſſe and equitie concerning executing juſtice and judgement, or the moſt accurate determination and fit application of the naturall right according to the ſpeciall and ſingular condition of that people, it muſt needs follow that though thoſe circumſtances which were proper to that ſpeciall eſtate of the Jewes are ceaſed, as of neceſſity they muſt, the State of the Jewes being changed, yet the things themſelves as abſtracted from their relation to the Jewiſh Church and ſtate, cannot be aboliſhed, as being naturalis juris, which ſtill doe hold forth to us the beſt determination of naturall right as Ameſius ſpeaks, as the changing of the faſhion forme and proportion of a mans clothing and apparell cannot alter a mans ſubſtance and perſon, ſo neither can the forms and manner of the judiciall Law by which it was fitted for the Jewes condition as a garment is to a mans body, take away the Law it ſelfe; ſo that judicias being p. 90…othing elſe but naturals and morals clothed for a time after ſuch a manner to fit the nature and manners of ſuch a people, that time and people being paſſed away,☜ the ſubſtance, viz. whats naturall and morall muſt needs remaine.

Fifthly, as to thoſe other inferences added by Hagiomaſtix page 50. 51, 52. to the former, that if the obligation of the Moſaicall Law for putting Blaſphemers, Idolaters, &c to death, was intended by God to continue under the new Teſtament, why was the Apoſtle Paul ſo farre from enjoyning a beleeving brother to detect, or to put to death his Idolatrous wife, that hee doth not permit him ſo much as to put her away from him? if the Law in queſtion was to continue in force under the Goſpel, then was every perſon in an Idolatrous ſtate and kingdome whilſt it remained Idolatrous, bound to ſeeke the death one of another, yea to deſtroy one another with their own hands. Yea the civil Magiſtrate was bound to ſentence all his ſubjects that practiſed Idolatry to death without exception, and to make a bloudy deſolation throughout all his dominions: then were beleevers in Idolatrous ſtates and kingdomes upon their reſpective Converſions to the Chriſtian faith, bound to accuſe their neighbours, being Idolaters and Blaſphemers, round about them before the Magiſtrate, eſpecially if hee were a Chriſtian, and to require the execution of this Law of God upon them to have them put to death. I anſwer M. Goodwins If… & Thens proceed either out of the groſſe ignorance of the ſtate of the queſtion of Toleration, and ſcope of Deut. 13. or elſefrom a deſigne to delude and abuſe the people with a ſhow of ſome reaſon, which though hee knowes in his conſcience very well hath no waight at all, yet he thinks will ſerve to miſlead his followers who takes ſhadowes for men. For whereas the queſtion about puniſhing men with death, or other ſevere puniſhments in caſes of Idolatry and falſe Doctrine is underſtood by all Divines who write of the Controverſie, in caſe of Apoſtaſie and defection, meant of thoſe who have once known and received the Chriſtian faith, and not of Jewes, Turks, and Pagans; of Magiſtrates alſo in their owne juriſdiction and Territories, not others; and when it may bee with the ſafety, and for the good of a Nation and Kingdome, & not to the manifeſt deſtruction and p. 91ruine of a Kingdome, as he may find in the writings of many learned men who have writ upon the Queſtion Calvin, Beza, Zanchius, Bullinger, Danaeus, Muſculus, Gerardus, Baldwins caſes of conſcience, Zepperus, Videlius, Voetius, Maſter Rutherfurd, &c and is evident by the ſtate of the queſtion laid down in the Prolegomena, as alſo Deut. 13. is underſtood of Apoſtates who having profeſſed the Law are fallen from it, and of perſons in the territories and power of the Jews, not that they ſhould doe ſo to all neighbouring Nations round about them, as theſe phraſes imply, If there ariſe among you a Prophet, If thy brother, or thy Son, or thy Daughter, entice thee ſecretly, ſaying, lets go ſerve other Gods. If thou ſhalt hear ſay in one of thy Cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, ſaying, certaine men, the children of Belial are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city. Deu…. 17. 2. If there bee found among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickedneſſe in the fight of the Lord thy God, in tranſgreſſing his Covenant; If it be true that ſuch abomination is wrought in Iſrael, then ſhalt thou bring forth that man or that woman unto thy gates, and ſtone them with ſtones till they die: On which place * Calvin obſerves in his handling that queſtion whether it be lawfull for Chriſtian Judges to puniſh Hereticks,Calvin. Refut…t errorum Serveti, in Quaeſt. an Chriſtianis Judicibus H…reticos punire liceat. p. 59… that the puniſhment of ſtoning in Deut. 13. was not commanded to be inflicted upon forraine Nations, but upon Apoſtates from the Jewiſh Religion who had perfidiouſly fallen from it: by which ſaith hee is anſwered that objection made by ſome, who aske whether Jewes, Turkes, and the like are by the ſword to be forced to the Faith of Chriſt? Neither doth God command the ſword to be drawn promiſcuouſly againſt all, but Apoſtates who have wickedly with drawn themſelves from the true worſhip and have endeavoured to draw others to the like defection, he hath ſubjected to juſt puniſhment: Yet for all this Hagiomaſtix makes Ifs and Ands, brings inſtances of Suppoſitions in Heathens, and of States wholly Idolatrous, nothing at all to the queſtion in hand; for the Apoſtle ſpeaks in 1 Corinthians and the ſeventh chapter, of a Heathen and infidell that never received the faith of Chriſt, but being borne and brought up in Heatheniſme continues ſo, however one of the married perſons, p. 92husband or wife was converted to the Chriſtian faith, beſides that queſtion put by Hagiomaſtix, why was the Apoſtle Paul ſo farre from enjoyning a beleeving brother to detect, or to put to death his infidell or Idolatrous wife that he doth not permit him ſo much as to put her away from him, is abſurd and ridiculous, and a man would wonder that ſuch a great champion as**Cretenſis p. 11. Cretenſis would be taken for, that dares challenge all Presbyterians in England, Scotland, and France, aſſembled and not aſſembled, and ſo cryed up and deified by the Sectaries in divers**A letter by way of Anſwer to a letter of Mr. Vicars. A candle to ſee the Sunne. Apolog. for ſome paſſages in Hagiomaſtix by divers Independents. Pamphlets, ſhould bring ſuch weak poore ſtuffe; for the Corinthian State and Magiſtracie being then heatheniſh, and infidels, (as the Apoſtle in the chapter going before 1 Cor. 6. 2. ſhows, only many particular private perſons living in Corinth being converted who were not the civill Government) it had been to no end for Paul to direct the beleeving husband to complaine to the Magiſtrate of his Idolatrous wife, that had been the way for himſelfe to have been puniſhed, that had been all one as to have complained to the civill Magiſtrates of themſelves; and certainly the Apoſtle that blamed the beleeving Corinthians for going to law one with another before their Magiſtrates who were unbeleevers, though he would not, if they had been Chriſtian Magiſtrates, had no reaſon to ſtirre up Chriſtians to complaine unto unbeleevers in matters of Religion and Chriſtianity. Maſter Goodwin might with as much reaſon have ask… why the Apoſtle Paul did not enjoine the unbeleeving wife or husband to complaine of the beleeving wife and husband, as why hee did not enjoine the beleeving wife to detect her Idolatrous husband; and might as well, nay better▪ reaſon it unlawfull for Chriſtians to goe to law now under Chriſtian Iudges, becauſe they might not under Heathens, as to argue againſt Chriſtians complaining and detecting of Chriſtians that turne Apoſtates, Hereticks, Idolaters, &c becauſe Chriſtians did not complaine in Pauls time to Heathen Magiſtrates of Heathens; yea this is ſo unreaſonable a queſtion to build an argument upon againſt an expreſſe**Viz. that of Deut. 13. 5. 9Deut 13:5Deut 13:9 command of God, and that with a triumph in the cloſe of it, ſaying Certainly this Doctrine of the Apoſtle …olds no tolerable correſpondency with the opinion of our ſevere Inquiſitors, about the non a brogation of the Law for putting Idolaters p. 93to death, that though I read in Eccleſiaſticall Hiſtories of Chriſtians complaining to ſome Heathen Emperors favorers of Chriſtian Religion, of Chriſtians when they turned Herrticks, as to**Euſebii Eccleſ. Hiſtor. lib. 7. cap. 29. Aurelianus of Paulus Samoſetenus the Heretick, and of **Rivet explicat Decal. p. 209.Heathens ſeeking to Heathen Princes, againſt Prieſts that were very wicked under the ſhow of Religion, being guilty of ſacriledge and corrupting the chaſtity of Matrons; Yet I never read of any complaining of and deſiring Princes to puniſh Heathens of the ſame Religion with themſelves; ſo that by all this the Reader may eaſily perceive beſides the diſſimilitude in the inſtance of 1 Cor. 7. from that of Deut. 13. the one ſpeaking of an Heathen Idolater, the other of a Jewiſh Apoſtate, there was very great reaſon why the Apoſtle enjoyned not the beleeving wife to ſeek to take away the life of her unbeleeving husband; for in ſo doing ſhe might have hazarded her owne, but could have done no good to the hindring of his Idoll worſhip: But however Paul enjoyns nothing to the beleeving husband and wife about detecting their unbeleeving Yoke-fellowes upon the grounds already given, yet I make no queſtion had Paul lived in a time wherein the Corinthian Magiſtrates had received the faith, he would have given both them and beleeving husbands in their places, injunctions to have demoliſhed Idoll Temples and their worſhips, not to ſuffer Blaſphemies againſt Chriſt, but on the contrary to have ſent preachers among them, and to countenance and honor thoſe who received the faith; of which in the practiſes of Conſtantine, Theodoſius and other Emperors, I might give many inſtances De inhibitis pagan… rum ſacrificiis, and of the ſhutting up, yea**Theod. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 5. cap. 20. pulling down the Temples of the Heathen Gods, of their removing from Offices and Places thoſe who were not Chriſtians. There is no queſtion but Paul who dehorted ſo earneſtly the beleeving Corinthians from going to the Idols Feaſts in the Idols temples, and from eating of the ſacrifices in their Temples, 1 Cor. 10. 2 Cor. 6. would if the State of Corinth had been Chriſtian have exhorted them to put down the Idoll Temples, to forbid thoſe Idolatrous ſacrifices, to ſuppreſſe their Prieſts; as alſo Chriſtian husbands in caſe their wifes would have gone after Idolatrous Prieſts, worſhipped Images brought to them, they would have p. 94deſired their Magiſtrates helpe againſt ſuch Seducers and Corrupters. And for concluſion of my anſwer to this fifth Head, if I would give liberty to my pen to writefully againſt every particular paſſage in the 39. and 40. Section of Hagiomaſtix, as I have done of ſome of them, I ſhould make his folly and weakneſſe manifeſt to all, but having hinted already his miſtakes, and the utter diſſimilitude betweene that command in Deut. 13. and all his inſtances of an Idolatrous ſtate, and a Magiſtrate bound to make a bloudy deſolation throughout al his Dominions, &c. I ſay no more but here is a great cry and a little wool, and ſo come to the fixt head to give Anſwer to ſomething that ſeems more materiall.

Sixthly, to that Hagiomaſtix ſaith page 46. There is this cleer reaſon why that old Teſtament law for putting of falſe Prophets, Blaſphemers and Seducers to Idolatry to death, ſhould not now bee in force upon any ſuch terms as it was when and where it was given; becauſe in all difficult caſes that happened about maters of Religion, the Iewes to whom this Law was given, had the opportunity of immediate conſultation with the mouth of God himſelfe, who could and did from time to time, infallibly declare what his own mind and pleaſure was in them. So that except thoſe that were to give ſentence in caſes of Religion had been deſperately wicked, and ſet upon bloud and deſpiſed that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God amongſt them, they could not doe injuſtice, God being alwayes at hand to declare unto them, what kind of Blaſphemer and what kind of Idolater it was that hee by this Law intended ſhould be put to death. Whereas now the beſt Oracles that Magiſtrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull caſes about matters of Religion are men of very fallible judgemēts, and every way obnoxious to error and miſtake. Yea confident I am, that the wiſeſt & moſt learned of them are not able cleerly or demonſtratively to informe the Magiſtrate what Blaſphemie or what Idolatry it was which was by God ſentenced to death under the Law: Therefore the going about to prove that the Law for putting Blaſphemers and Seducers to Idolatry to death, is now, or amongſt us in force, becauſe it was once given to the Jewes, is as I ſhould prove that a man may p. 95ſafely without danger walk among bogs praecipices & ditches, at midnight becauſe he may well do it at noon day. I anſwer in the generall, this Section is full of many unſound and dangerous paſſages, very prejudicial to the perſpicuity, perfection and certainty of the Scriptures, very derogatorie to the ſtate of the Church under the new Teſtament, preferring the old before it for cleerneſſe and light as much as noon day before midnight (which is contrary to many Prophecies in Scripture of the times under the Goſpell and to divers texts in the new Teſtament 2 Cor. 3. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 18. 2 Cor. 4. 4, 6.) and tending to bring in with a high hand, Scepticiſme and Pyrronian uncertainty in all poynts of Religion into the Church of God, paſſages becomming a Ieſuite and an Atheiſt, but altogether unbeſeeming a Proteſtant Miniſter and**Appendix to Hagiomaſtix Apolog. of ſome of Mr. Goodwins Church, for Hagiomastix A Candle to light the Sun. one who would bee accounted to have laboured more abundantly in vindicating the Authority of the Scriptures and building men on a rock then all other men: Whoever does but compare the Ieſuits & Papiſts writings, Stapleton, Bellar. Turnebull, Fiſher, &c with learned Whittaker, Chamier, Rivet, Cameron, Doctor White, Whitak. diſput. de ſacra Script. contra Bellarm. & Staplet. De Scripturae authoritate, perſpicuitate, interpretatione, & perfectione. John Whites way to the true Church. Rob. Baron. Apodixis Catholica ſive Apologia pro Disput. d… Firmali objecto Fidei. Rivet. Cathol. Orth… dox. Tractat. Prim. de Scriptura.Baron, Willet and other Proteſtant Divines who have written of the Authority, perſpicuity perfection, &c of the Scriptures againſt the Papiſts, and then look but upon this Section, hee muſt needs ſay Higiomaſtix writes as one brought up in the Schools of the Ieſuits, and had ſucked their breaſts; as alſo he that reads but Minus Celſus Senenſes, and the Socinians with the Netherland Arminians will confeſſe theſe lines are the very breathings and actings of that Spirit which dwels in that generation of men: I could out of the writings of our Orthodox Divines written againſt Papiſts, Socinians, Arminians, upon thoſe heads of the authority, perfection, perſpiculty, certainty of the Scriptures and points of Chriſtian faith at large confute him, but theſe belong not properly to this Controverſie about Toleration, and therefore I ſhall not inſiſt on them: and further I deſire the Reader to obſerve what followes, that this cleere reaſon (as Hag…omaſtix termes it) may be reſolved in that common evaſion of Socinians and Arm…nians and all our Sectaries of Infallibility and Fallibility: Whoever well weigh… that 36. Section of Hagiomaſtix with that part of the 107. Section page p. 96130. fifth Anſwer, will find the Summe and ſubſtance of all that diſcourſe to be nothing elſe but the uſuall Plea of the Patrons of Toleration, in their late Libertine Pamphlets, as Bloudy Tenet, Storming of Antichriſt, Compaſſionate Samaritane, Juſtification of Toleration, With divers Pamphlets of Saltmarſh and walwyn for liberty of Conſcience.Quaeres upon the Ordinance for preventing of Hereſies, &c. that there is no infallible Iudge now, all men are fallible, ſubject to error or miſtake, and therefore the proper place of ſpeaking to this, will be in anſwering their Grounds for Toleration and pretended liberty of conſcience, where I hope by the grace of God to ſpeak ſo fully to that particular of Infallibility and Fallibility, that I doubt not to promiſe the Reader ſuch ample ſatisfaction to that grand Argument, as by the bleſſing of God all men who have not ſold themſelves to Libertiniſme will never againe after that object it: yet however for the preſent I ſhall hint theſe things by way of Reply.

1. This very point of Infallibilitie and Fallibilitie was the main riſe and cauſe of ſetting the Pope in his chair, of making one that muſt be an infallible judge in the Church, and ſo is the ground work of the Popes Authoritie and Tyrannie over the Church,☜ which all who underſtand the Controverſies between the Papiſts and the Reformed Churches De Papa doe well know: And on the other hand tis made the foundation of bringing in all Anarchie and Libertiniſme into the Church to overthrow all power of Magiſtrates, and of Synods and Councels in matters of Religion: ſo that at on the one hand it hath exalted the Pope and given him an unjuſt Domination and uſurpation, ſo on the other it caſts down the uſe of all civil and Eccleſiaſticall power for the good of the Church, ſo that the ſame thing that ſet up the Pope and made Antichriſt, ſets up a Toleration and univerſall libertie of conſcience, which is a new and worſe Pop…. But as the want of infallibility was no good ground for …etting up the Pope (as I ſuppoſe Hagiomaſt. and all the Sectaries will grant) ſo will it be found no good argument for a generall Toleration of all Religions, a farre greater evill then a Pope.

Secondly, I deny that which Hagiomaſtix takes for granted, the reaſon it ſelf upon which he founds why the old Teſtament law for the putting of falſe Prophets, Blaſphemers, and Seducers to Idolatry to death, ſhould not now be in force; I deſire p. 97him to prove the Vrim and Thummim of the Lords holy One, the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God among the Jewes by which they inquired and conſulted immediately and received Sentences and Anſwers immediately and infallibly from the mouth of God, to be appointed of God, or ever made uſe of by the Prieſt upon the deſire of the Magiſtrates and Elders in caſes of reſolving doubts whether this or that was Blaſphemie, Idolatry, falſe prophecying, and thereupon putting to death Blaſphemers, falſe Prophets, Seducers to Idolatry: Hagiomaſtix gives no place of Scripture at all for proof, and upon ſerious peruſall of all places of this kind both of commands and examples for puniſhing falſe Prophets, Idolaters, &c I doe never find the Magiſtrates were commanded in thoſe caſes to enquire by Vrim or ever practiſed it. Let Deut. 13. Deut. 17. Levit. 20. 2. 3, 4, 5. Deut. 18. 20, 21, 22. Levit. 24. 16. with the examples of Aſa, Joſiah and others bee lookt into, and wee ſhall not finde a word ſpoken of concering the deciding who were or who were not or killing falſe Prophets, and Idolaters upon receiving an Anſwer from God by Vrim and Thummim, but ſtil the grounds expreſſed of proceeding againſt them are upon the Law of God, the nature of the ſins, and other reaſons of a common nature, and among the ſignes and marks by which falſe Prophets are to be known, this diſcovery by the glorious Oracle is none of them, but the thing following not, nor comming to paſſe which was ſpoken in the name of the Lord, their prophecying in Baal and cauſing the people to erre, their ſtrengthening the hands of evill doers that none returns from wickedneſſe, their ſaying unto them that deſpiſe God, Ye ſhall have peace, and unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his owne heart, no evill ſhall come upon you, with divers ſuch like as is evident by Deut. 18. 22. Jerem. 23. 13. 14, 17. and many places out of Moſes and the Prophets. In Joſhua 22. when the children of Iſrael heard of the two tribes and a halfe building an Altar, they did not before they gathered themſelves to goe up to warre, enquire by Vrim and Thummim whether it was Idolatry or not; and when an Anſwer was given to Phinebas and the ten Princes that they had not built an Altar to turne from following the Lord, but only for a witneſſe between p. 98them and the reſt of the Tribes, that it might not beſaid to their children in time to come, ye have no part in the Lord, Phinehas the Prieſt, and the Princes of the congregation did not conſult the Oracle ſpoken of to be reſolved in this Controverſie: Thus Aſas and the Peoples entring into Covenant to put to death men or women for matters of religion, was not founded on an Anſwer by Vrim and Thummim, but upon whoſoever would not ſeek the Lord God of Iſrael, and for Aſa's putting down Maachah his Mother from being Queen, becauſe ſhe made an Idol in a grove, there is not the leaſt hint expreſſed of his conſultation beforehand with that glorious Ordinance of the Oracle of God, whether ſhe was ſuch a kind of Idolater and her Idolatry of ſuch a nature, as ſhe was to be puniſhed with that puniſhment of being removed from being Queen. Joſiah in all the exerciſe of his coercive Power upon the Violators of the firſt Table, 2 King. chapt, 23. in ſacrificing ſome of them upon Altars and burning their bones, in putting down others, &c never enquired by Vrim whether thoſe he killed were ſuch kind of Idolaters as God by the Law intended ſhould be put to death, and whether the others were not ſuch. So the Prieſts, Prophets, and People in taking Jeremiah and ſaying he ſhall ſurely die, and that he is worthy to die, they pretend not to paſſe ſentence upon enquiring by Vri…, but upon his prophecying in the name of the Lord, This houſe ſhall be like Shiloh, and this city ſhall be deſolate without an inhabitant, Jerem. 26. 8, 9, 11. which they judged a Prophecying falſly upon miſ-underſt anding ſome Scriptures, as appears plainly by thoſe words, why haſt thou prophecied in the name of the Lord, ſaying, This Houſe ſhall bee like Shiloh, and this City ſhall be deſolate without an inhabitant. For becauſe of Gods promiſe concerning the Temple, that he would abide ever there Pſal. 132. 14, They preſumed that it could never periſh, and accounted all preaching that looked that way, blaſphemous, Matth. 26. 61. Acts 6. 13. of which ſee more in the late Annotations of our Engliſh Divines upon the 9. verſe. And Jeremiah in his**Juuius in locū Narratio de litis conteſtatione, qua accuſatur Jeremia v. 11. & ſeipſum defendit, Defenſio Jeremiae juridicialis abſoluta (ut vocant Rhetores) incipiens & concludens a vocatione dei & jure ab ipſo factū afferens. judicial defence to the**See in Mr. Gilleſp. Aarons rod bloſſoming, p. 18, 19, 20. Court and Councell (for ſo it appears it was a Court, by verſe 10. 16, 17. ſpeaking of certaine Elders of the Land riſing up and ſpeaking to the Aſſembly of the People) pleading his immediate p. 99call from God to prophecie againſt the Citie as his Anſwer againſt their accuſation and in all the conteſtation and Controverſie that was between the Princes and certaine of the Elders and the Prieſts, Prophets, and People concerning Jeremiah's being worthy to die, neither Jeremiah, nor the Prieſts, Elders, and People that were for his being put to death, or againſt it, once offer for deciding this difficult caſe and doubtfull matter to propound the enquiring by Vrim and Thummim, but both ſides plead the caſe upon Scripture Grounds and examples, as hee who reads the chapter may eaſily ſee; and certainly if enquiring by Vrim and Thummim had been appointed of God, and practiſed by the Church as the Oracle to which in all difficult caſes about matters of religion the Iewes were to repaire, by which to judge whether ſuch things were Blaſphemie, Idolatrie, Prophecying falſly, yea or no, and whether the perſons were ſuch kind of Blaſphemers, falſe Prophets, Idolaters, as the Law intended ſhould be put to death, it is ſtrange that in all this ſharpe conteſt and great Controverſie about accuſing Jeremi…h for prophecying falſly and arraigning him upon his life, neither himſelfe, nor his enemies, none of the Prieſts, Princes, Elders, People, nor Jeremiah ſhould once move to enquire immediately from the mouth of God by Vrim and Thummim the infallible Reſolution of this queſtion whether Jeremiah prophecied falſly in the name of the Lord, and deſerved to dy. And therfore from this and all the Premiſes, yea upon ſerious ſearching into all places of Scripture that ſpeak of Vrim and Thummim and of thoſe who enquired of the Lord in that way, and comparing them together with the helpe of many judicious and learned Interpreters, beſides conſulting Divines who have written of Vrim and Thummim, I cannot find the leaſt Ground that the Iews either were commanded, or ever made uſe of enquiring by Vrim to bee ſatisfied in judiciall Proceedings, whether this or that was Idolatry, or Blaſphemie, or this man an Idolater, or falſe Prophet, or no, but they proceeded in thoſe things by the Law of God given to them, and in difficult caſes too hard they were enjoyned to goe to the Prieſts by way of conſultation to be informed of the true ſenſe and meaning of Gods law; and the Prieſts, as the great Lawyers among the People, practiſed in the meaning p. 100of Gods Law according to which judgement was to be given, gave them Reſolutions out of the Law, and never in thoſe caſes upon conſulting by Vrim, as many Scriptures-ſhow. The reſolution of the Prieſts upon enquiring of them in hard matters was to eaccording to the ſentence of the Law Deut. 17. 8, 9, 10, 11. Ier. 18. 18. the Law ſhall not periſh from the Prieſt, the meaning is (though falſly applied againſt Jeremiah) that the Prieſts keeping to the Law are the Oracles of truth, and therefore Jeremiah is a falſe Prophet, ſeing they who have Authoritie in the Church, and underſtanding of the Law contradict him. Mal. 2. 7. For the Prieſts Lip. ſhould keep knowledge, and they ſhould ſeeke the Law at his mouth; he Prieſts lips keeping knowledge, and ſeeking the Law at hi… mouth, not new immediate Revelations from the mouth of God, are here ſet downe to be looked after. In queſtions about morall things, ſins and duties, the Prieſts are to give anſwer from the Law. As for that ju…gement of Ʋrim ſpoken of in Numb. 27. 21. which was by way of Oracle, the high Prieſt having Vrim and Thumim about him giving anſwers in Gods name, which were of infallible truth, and made a ſupreame determination, that was for the reſolution of doubtfull and difficult buſineſſes and enterpriſes in matters of events and ſucceſſes of things, for direction and counſell from God what courſe to take in diſtreſſes and ſuch and ſuch caſes as about going to warre, &c. for diſcovery and revelation of hidden and ſecret cauſes of judgements; but never was upon occaſion of queſtions of things forbidden in the Morall Law, and for determination of who or what was an Idolater or Idolatry, a falſe Prophet, or propheſying falſely, a Blaſphemer, or Blaſphemy; and if we conſult the Scriptures where the judgement of Vrim is ſpoken of, w… ſhall finde as much, which I deſire the Reader well to obſerve. All the places I have taken notice of that ſpeak of enquiring of God by Vrim are th…ſe following, Exod. 28. 15. 30. Numb. 27. 21. Joſh. 9. 14. Judg. 1. 1. and 20, 18, and 20. 1 Sam 23. 9, 10, 11, 12. 28. 6. 30. 7, 8. 2 Sam. 21. 1. all which ſpeak only of enquiring of God in the caſes forementioned, and not in the leaſt of controverſies ariſing upon Morall tranſgreſſions againſt the firſt Table, and of what puniſhments ſhall be inflicted upon men for them: unto p. 101which conſidering the judgement of divers learned men in their**Aainſworth Annot. on Exod. 28. 30. Numb. 27. 21. Eleazar ſhal aske councell of God for Joſhua in all doubtfull caſes in all their warre, &c. Diodates Annot. on Numb. 27. 21. 2 Sam. 21. 1. Annor. of our Engliſh Divines on Exod. 28. 30. Iuni… Annot. in Num. 27. 21. 1 Sam. 28. 6.Exod 28:30Num 27:212 Sam 21:11 Sam 28:6 Commentaries upon moſt of theſe places of Scripture concerning the enquiring by Vrim, and**Petr. Mart. loc. commun. Claſſ. 1. cap. 7. Weems Chriſtian Synagogue. chap. 4. Theodoret. Quaest. in Exod quaest. 60. Suara pectus erat: Indumenti genus quod Rationale vecabatur, tegens cor partem ration alem. Quo quidem veſtimento cognoſcebatur, victoria ne an clades bello immuneret: ut perſpicuum eſt ex Hiſtoriam Regnorum. others in their writings going this way, of enquiring in caſes of of warre, diſtreſſes and for publick perſons enquiring not hereby for a common man, but either for the King, or for him on whom the affaires of the Congregation lay, but not giving any one inſtance in matters of Idolatrie, Blaſphemy, Prophecying falſly, or any other corruption in Religion, I confeſſe I am much confirmed that the judgement of Vrim was not appointed for that uſe to reſolve what violations of Religion were, and what were not puniſhable by death. Now that the judgement of Vrim was of any ſuch uſe to enquire of God by the Prieſt in points of Idolatrie, Blaſphemie, &c I ſee not the leaſtcolor for it, unleſſe in theſe places of Scripture Deut. 17. 8, 9, 12. (which place is urged by Hagiom. p. 130. the ſentence of the Prieſt againſt which hee that ſhould doe preſumptuouſly in not hearkening to it was to be put to death, was only ſuch a ſentence, with the Prieſt did upon inquirie by Vrim and Thummim receive immediately from the mouth of God himſelfe) Deut. 21. 5. Deut. 19. 16, 17, 18. and in thoſe examples of him that blaſphemed the name of the Lord, being put in ward that the mind of the Lord might be ſhowed …h…m Levit. 24. 11. 12. and of him that gathered ſticks, put i…ward till the Lord ſhould declare what ſhall be done to him. But for Anſwer, in none of theſe places or examples is there any thing ſpoken, of conſulting by Vrim; For the firſt place, only urged by Maſter Goodwin, to ſay nothing that theſe verſes are quite another thing from that command in the beginning of the chapter about putting to death for ſerving other gods, and worſhipping the Sun and Moon, there being in that caſe not a word tending that way (which yet is the point in queſtion) of going to the Prieſt and enquiring of him, and upon this judgement putting to death, beſides this command being of things of another nature as …erſe 8 ſhowes, here is no direction in this place to enquire by Vrim, but the matters here ſpokenof being difficult, councell is given to goe to the Prieſts skilled in the meaning of the Law, and in anſwering of doubts ariſing, to be informed by them of the meaning of the Law, many paſſages in thoſe verſes ſhow as much (and whereas in the caſe of enquiring by Vrim in all places) expreſſions are uſed of enquiring p. 102of the Lord, the Lords anſwering and ſuch like, here ſtill all is put upon the Prieſt or Iudge, and upon the ſentence and judgement that they ſhall ſhow, and they ſhall tell; and that this place cannot be meant of the judgement of Vrim tis evident thus, becauſe that Vrim and Thummim belonged only to the Prieſthood Deut, 33. 8. and particularly to the high Prieſt Numb. 27. 21. Exod. 28. 30. Now he who would have God to bee inquired of concerning ſome great buſineſſe, did come to the Prieſt and the Prieſt putting on the Ephod to which the breaſt Plate of Vrim and Thummim was faſtned verſe 28. ſtood before the Arke of God, and ſo God gave anſwers which were of infallible truth, (of which, with a more particular relation of the manner of inquiry, and the way of Anſwer by Vrim and Thummim, the Reader may ſee more in Ainſworth Annotat. on Exod. 28. 30. and Numb. 27. 21. Diodate Annotat. on Exod. 28. 15, 30. Numb. 27. 21. 1 Sam 23. 6, 28, 6. the Annotations of our Engliſh Divines on Exod. 28. 15. 30. 1 Sam. 23. 6.**Petr Mart loc. commun Claſſ. 1. cap. 7. Hic ut inquit Chambi mos erat interrogandi Deum. Qui volebat de publico, vel alioqui de gravi negotio percontari, veniebat ad ſacerdotem: Is indutus Ephod, ſtabat coram arca Domini. In Ephoa ſine in pectorali, erant incluſi duo decim lapides pretioſi, in quib us nomina duodecim tribuum erant inſcripta. Interrogantem oportuit faciem ob vertere ad ſacerdotem & interrogare non quidem tam aperte ut vox audiretur, nec ita etiam obſcure, ut tantum in anima cogitaret, quae petebat. Deinde ſacerdoti hoc pacto reddebatur oraculum. Spiritus ſanctivi literae quaedam in pectorali eminebant idque vel loco vel fulgore, in quibus ſacerdos oraculum & voluntatem Dei legebat. Haec Chimb… Cui quantum fidei fit tribuendum neſcio. Potuit enim fieri ut ſpiritus Dei abſque literis oracula ediderit per vocem ſummi ſacerdotis, cujus animum vaticinio afflaſſe…. Weems Chriſtian Synagogue Prolegomena cap. 4. The Revelation by Vrim and Thummim is not expreſſely ſet down: Ioſephus thinks when they were to go to battell, the Prieſt putting his Ephod upon him, if they were to march, then the ſtones did ſhine, but if the ſtones did not ſhine, then they were to ſtay: but this ſeems not to have been a ſufficient way to have directed them in other caſes. Wherefore tis moſt probable that the Prieſt having theſe ſtones upon his breaſt, that the Lord inſpired him by his Spirit what anſwer to make to every queſtion asked him. Peter Martyrs common places and Weems Chriſtian Synagogue) but never was the judgement of Vrim by a Iudge and Magiſtrate who was a Perſon diſtinct from the Prieſt: Now tis evident Deut. 17. 9. 12. that the Prieſt and the Iudge are**Junius in Deut. 17 9, 12. Conjunctionem disjuctivam eſſe apparet ex verſ 12. ut reipſa munera eſſe disparata constat ad quae haec officiorum nomina reſpiciunt. Mr. Gilleſpies Aarons rod bloſſoming c. 3. 11. Here are two Judicatories diſtinguiſhed by the disjunctive Or v. 12. which we have both in the Hebrew, Chaldee, Greek, and in our Engliſh tranſlation.Deut 17:9Deut 17:12 diſtinct and divers perſons there, and the man that will not hearken unto the Iudge, even that man ſhall die, as well as hee that will not hearken p. 103unto the Prieſt, which fully ſhowes that what Hagiomaſtix writes page 46. 47. and 130. of death inflicted only upon ſuch who would not hearken to the Prieſt enquiring by Vrim, to be an untruth. Secondly the ſenſe and meaning of this place from verſ.**Vide Mr. Gil leſp. Aaronsrod bloſſoming, Book 3. c. 11, 12. ſhowing fully in this Scripture a tranſmitting difficult caſes from inferior courts to thoſe at Ieruſalem, and to the ſupreme court there. Vid Luther & Piſcat. in locu…. In judiciis conveniens ordo obſervandus eſt, ut ſc. judices inferiores quū iis oblata eſt cauſa difficil…c ex qua expedire ſe non poſſunt cauſam illam deſerant ad judices ſuperiorestanquā juris peritiores. 3. to the 13. is that inferior Courts and Aſſemblies in caſes too hard and difficult for them, are commanded to goe higher to ſome ſuperior Court and Aſſembly, as thoſe words cleerly ſhow, thou ſhalt ariſe, and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God ſhall chuſe. This place afterwards was Jeruſalem as tis ſaid Pſal. 122. 5. there were ſet thrones of judgement, and in Ieruſalem did Iehoſhaphat ſet of the Levites and of the Prieſts, and the chiefe of the Fathers of Iſrael, for the judgement of the Lord and for Controverſies, 2 Chron. 19. 8. 9. 10. Ainſworth upon the place writes, that by the Iudge that ſhall be in thoſe dayes, is underſtood the high Councell and Senate of Iudges which were of the cheif of the Fathers of Iſrael, as they who are called Prieſts verſe 9. are called verſe 12. Prieſt, ſo many Iudges are called Iudge; only as among the Prieſts one was cheife, ſo among the Iudges one was Prince. 2 Chron. 19. 11. The Hebrew records ſay, when any doubt a…oſe in any caſe to any one of Iſrael, hee asked of the judgement H…ll that was in his Citie; if they knew they told it him: if not, then hee that enquired, together with the Synedrion or with the meſſengers thereof went up to Jeruſalem, and inquired of the Synedrion that was in the Mountaine of the Temple; if they knew they told it them; if not, then they all come to the Synedrion that was at the door of the Court yard of the Temple: if the… knew they told it them; and if not, they all came to the chamber of hewen ſtone to the great Synedrion and enquired; **Nicol. lyra in Deut. 17. 8, 9, 10. Surge & aſcende i. e. in his caſibus & conſimilibus recurrendum est ad ſuperiores judices ſ…. ad ſummum ſacerdetem & Judicem populi.Deut 17:8Deut 17:9Deut 17:10and Interpreters generally underſtand theſe verſes of Iudicatures and Courts in Iſrael, and of the lower Courts going to the higheſt the great and high Synedrion: Now I find no command no… example recorded in Scripture of any of the Iewiſh Courts Eccleſiaſt. or Civil enquiring by Vrim of morall tranſgreſſions of what ſort they were, and what puniſhments the Committers of ſuch ſins ſhould have, but ſtill they determined according to the Law and Iudgements. Ezek. 44. 24. I never read of the high Synedrion either in Scripture or any other writers of it, that they were wont to give their Anſwer by Vrim and Thummim. If we obſerve thoſe inſtances in Scripture of p. 104enquiring by Vrim, wee ſhall ſee they are inquiries made of particular perſons, by the Prieſt, not by a Court, and of the high Prieſt not as ſitting in Court, nor as alwayes at Ieruſalem, nor of Criminall caſes, but of going in and out to warre and ſuch like, and whoever doth but conſult with the Annotations of Ainſworth, Diodate, and Luther Engliſh Divines, the Commentaries of Lyra, Piſcator, and others on this place, will confeſſe tis quite another thing is here ſpoken of then the judgement of Vrim. 3. Ameſius in his Caſes of Conſcience in his Anſwer to that queſtion, whether that Law, Deut. 17. 12. of putting him to death who would not hearken to the Iudge and the Prieſt was juſt, reſolves it was, and faith the equity of that Law will eaſily appeare; and among other reaſons gives this becauſe that**Caſ. Conſc. lib. 4. cap. 4. pag. 122. Si igitur haeretici ſint manieſti, & publice noxii, debent a Magiſtrrtu publica poteſtate coerceri. Si vero …tiam manifeſtè blaſphemi ſunt & in illis blaſphemiis pertinaces praefracti, poſſint etiam affici ſupplicio capitali. place ſpeaks of diſobedience in thoſe things which out of the Law of God are cleerly and manifeſtly determined. verſe 11. ſo that wee ſee Ames judgement in the reſolution of that caſe, is, that the Anſwer of the Iudge, or Prieſt was made out of the Law of God, and not by Vrim, and it ſeems that learned men never dreamt of any ſuch thing in this Deut. 17. for among all his reaſons he mentions no ſuch thing; and certainly if that were the meaning of the place which Hagiomaſtix puts upon it, that had been ſuch a ſtrong reaſon for the equity of putting thoſe to death who would not hearken to the Prieſt, giving them councell immediately and infallibly from God as that Dr. Ames could not have omitted it: For if Mr. Goodwin who is ſo kind and charitable to all Atheiſts, Antiſcripturiſts, Blaſphemers, Idolaters, &c in his Queries upon the printed Paper entituled an Ordinance againſt Hereſies, and his Hagiomaſtix, as that he would have no coercive power made uſe of againſt them, doth yet grant there was an equity in that Law, that ſentence of death ſhould paſſe on ſuch that would not hearken to the Prieſt ſpeaking immediately and infallibly from God, and**De in obedientia in illis rebus quae ex lege Dei manifeſto & clare determinantur. ſaith that for his part if the Inquiſitors now can give any ſatisfying account of any ſentence awarded againſt Blaſphemers, Hereticks that comes by infallible Revelation from God, hee ſhall thinke it equall and meet that hee that ſhall doe preſumptuouſly and not hearken unto it ſhould be put to death, then **Hagiomaſtix page 130.Dr. Ames who was fully for the Magiſtrates coercive power in p. 105matters of Religion, and for putting Blaſphemous Hereticks to death, could not have forgotten this reaſon. Fourthly, on Deut. 17. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. is founded by the judgement of many great Divines, that which is called the Councell, the great Sanhedrin at Jeruſalem, the Seventy: Spanhemius in his third part **Ad hoc tribunal referebantur quaecunque non poterant definiri ab aliis vel ambigua erant, & varia judicia inferiorum judicum experiebantur ex praeſcripto legis Deut. 17. 8, 9.Deut 17:8Deut 17:9Dubiorum Evangelicorum page 800. 801. ſhowes, that by the command of the Law this very place Deut. 17. 8, 9. to this ſupreame Tribunall of the Synedrion were referred all things whatſoever that could not be determined of the inferior Courts, or were doubtfull, and had tried the ſeverall judgements of the inferior judges. Gerſom Bucerus in his Diſſertat. de Gubernat. Eccleſiae page 62. quotes this Deut. 17. 8. 9. for the generall Convention at Ieruſalem to which the hardeſt things were brought, which could not be determined in the lower judicatories. Walaeus in his Tractate de Diſcrimine muneris politici & Eccleſiaſtici brings this place to prove the Synedrion or Colledge at Ieruſalem, that if among the Iudges or Prieſts in the leſſer Cities and Townes there fell out ſome things of greater moment; or if any one would not reſt in their ſentence, the cauſe was devolved to higher Iudges, who after Davids time had their Synedrion at Ieruſalem as the cheife Metrapolis of Iud…. Mr: Gilleſpie in his Aarons rod bloſſoming 1. Book 3. chapt. write… thus. Tis agreed upon both by Iewiſh and Chriſtian Expoſitors, that this place holds forth a ſupream civill Court of Iudges, and the Authority of the civill Sanhedrim is mainly grounded on this very text. And as the high civil Synedria is founded here, ſo many Divines ſhow a ſupream Eccleſiaſt. Sanhedrim, diſtinct from the Civill, is held forth in this very place, to which the People of God weere bound as to the ſupream Eccleſiaſticall Court to bring all the difficult Eccleſiaſticall cauſes, which could not be determined in the lower Aſſemblies, in which Court they were determined without any other appeale, of which the Reader may find more in Walaeus, Gerſon Bucerus, Apollonii, jus Magiſtratus circa ſacra, firſt part, page 374. and ſecond part ſecond chapter, page 48. and aboue all others in Mr. Gilleſpie his Aarons Rod bloſſoming Book 1. chapt. 3. who at large handles this point, that the Iewes had an Eccleſiaſticall Sanhedrin diſtinct from the Civill, and among other grounds from this of Deut. p. 10617. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. But none of theſe learned men not any (but Papiſts) that ever I met with, give the leaſt hint of any judgement by Vrim to bee meant in this place, neither do I find in all the Authors that I have read concerning the way of paſſing ſentence in the higheſt Synedrion at Jeruſalem, and determining the difficulties about the Law brought to them, whether the Eccleſiaſticall of which the high Prieſt was preſident, or the Civill, that ever for the ſatisfaction of the parties, and giving the true ſenſe of the Law thus controverted, and ſo putting an end to all controverſies, they were wont in that Court to enquire by Vrim; nay there are ſeverall things written in the Scriptures, and by learned men who write of the cuſtomes of the Iewes and proceedings in that Court, which ſhow the contrary, as thoſe words imply as much Deut. 17. the Prieſt and the Iudge that ſhall be in thoſe dayes: from whence the Hebrews gather, that if the high Synedrion had judged and determined of a matter, as ſeemed right in their eyes, and after them another Synedrion roſe up, which upon reaſons ſeeming good unto them, diſannulled the former ſentence, then it was diſanulled, and judgement paſſed according as it ſeemed good unto theſe latter; thou art not bound to walke ſave after the Synedrion, Ainſworth Annot. on the place.that are in thy generation. Now if it were a ſentence by Vrim immediate and infallible from God, no following Synedrion might have diſannull'd it. So thoſe words according to the ſentence which they ſhall teach thee, ſhowes the ſentence was to be according to the Law, the word written, and not by a voice from heaven; as alſo that inſtance of Ierem. being condemned to die by the ſupreme Court at Ieruſal. the Court of the Prieſts doing their part judging him a falſe Prophet and worthy to die, the Court of the Princes acquitting him as a true Prophe…, of which ſee more in Aarons Rod bloſſom. p. 18. 19. both of them going upon Scripture Grounds, as I have ſhown, p. 99. but in this great Controverſie, never appealing to the judgement of Vrim; and ſo in their way of trying falſe Prophets, they went not by the Prieſts putting on the Ephod to enquire of the Lord, but therein, all (ſay the Iewes) was this If he had threatned a judgement to come, although it came not, yet hee was not a falſe Prophet for that: God (ſay they) is gracious, as hee was to the Ninivites, and to Hezekiah. But if hee promiſed a good thing, and it came not p. 107to paſſe, Weems Chriſtian Synagogue pag. 171.then hee was a lyar. For every good thing which God promiſeth, he performeth, ſo Ieremiah tried Ananias to be a falſe Prophet, becauſe hee promiſed a good thing to Zedekiah, and it came not to paſſe.

Fifthly, the current of the Scripture both in the Law and Prophets ſtill ſpeaks of going to the Law and according to that, making that the laſt reſolution of Practiſe and Controverſies in all morall things, both of duties and ſins, and that for private and publick perſons, Eſaiah 8. 20. To the Law, and to the Teſtimony: if they ſpeake not according to this word, it is becauſe there is no light in them, Deut. 30. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. the Iewes muſt hearken to the commandement written in the Book of the Law, tis not hidden neither is it farre of, tis not darke that it cannot be attained to, It is not in heaven, that it ſhould be ſaid, who ſhall goe up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that wee may heare it and doe it? But the worde is very nigh, &c Deut. 17. 18. v. the Law of God is to bee for the direction of the King and of the Prieſts, and Levites. The Book of the Law of the Lord given by Moſes 2 Cron. 34. 15, 19, 30, 31. compared with 2 Kings chapter 22. 8, 11. v. chapter 23. 2, 3. was that by which Joſiah made his Reformation both in the removing of perſons and things, not once enquiring by Vrim whether he ſhould ſlay Idolatrous Prieſts, put downe others, keep ſuch a ſolemne paſſeover, &c and tis obſervable that the King commanded Hilkiah the high Prieſt and Shaphan the Scribe, &c to goe and enquire of the Lord for him and for the People concerning the words of this Book, what**Vide Diodate & Engliſh Diviues Annotations on the place. judgement hanged over their heads and when it was like to fall, and whether there were any means, or whether it was not too late to appeaſe his wrath, and accordingly they went unto Huldah the Propheteſſe, yet he commanded not Hilkiah to enquire by Vrim, neither did Hilkiah the high Prieſt put on the Ephod, but went to the Propheteſſe; which is to me a great argument, that the judgement of Vrim was only in ſome particular ſet caſes, as going in and out to war, and ſuch like, but not for inquiry in caſes of the Law, what Reformation to be made, or what tranſgreſſions of the Law to bee puniſhed by death. As for thoſe other two places Deut. 19. 17, 18. 21, and 5. I ſhall not ſpend many lines in clearing them, p. 108as being not brought to prove the glorious Ordinance of the Oracle, leaſt I ſhould be charged by Hagiomaſtix to ſhow my valour in fighting with men of clouts of my owne ſetting up; For the firſt, tis underſtood of a ſingle witneſſe accuſing one for ſeducing to Apoſtaſie and revolt, ſo Junius reads it ad teſtificandum in …um Apoſtaſiam, and Ainſworth to teſtifie revolt againſt him, not civill wrong, as the Engliſh tranſlation ſeems to carry it, and the meaning is this**Junius in locum. Et ſi in omnibus aliis cauſis ad minimum duo teſtes ex lege requiruntur: tamen in religionis negotio unus teſtis ad Queſtionem habendam ſufficit. adeo vult Deus Magiſtratibus conſervationem doctrinae commendatam eſſe. Eſt autem appendix legis quae habetur ſupr. 17. although in all other cauſes two witneſſes atleaſt are required by the Law, yet in the buſineſſe of religion one witneſſe is ſufficient to make a queſtiō of the partie; by which God ſhows be would have the preſervation of Doctrine commended to the Magiſtrate, for this is an appendix of that Law which is ſpoken of Deut. 17. 2. So Iunius, Diodate alſo on the place writes thus, in caſe of a ſecret Seducement from Gods true ſervice; he that had been ſollicited, though hee were alone, ought to detect the Seducer. Deut. 13. 6. 8. and the Judges ought to proceed therein, as upon an advice and denunciation; not as upon a formall accuſation which had required two witneſſes. And if the calumny was made to appeare unto them they were to obſerve this Law, if it were truth, that of Deut. 13. 9. So then this place holds forth no more then what Deut. 17. 8, 9. does, which hath nothing to doe with the judgement of V…im, as I have already ſhowen at large; and yet if this place had any thing in it more for enquiring by Vrim then the former, it could doe Hagiomaſtix no good, nor is to the point at all brought by him, becauſe this enquiring by Vrim is not to know from the Lord what kind of Idolatrie and Idolater this is, whether that for which death is to bee inflicted, but whether this be a falſe or a true witneſſe, as the words cleerly ſhow; the queſtion is not about matter of Law, whether ſuch a thing be Idolatrie, or not, what kind of Idolatry, but of matter of fact, whether the partie did commit ſuch a thing or no, of which he is accuſed. And the Iudges ſhall make diligent inquiſition: and behold if the witneſſe be a falſe witneſſe and teſtifieth falſly againſt his brother: then ſhall ye doe unto him, as he had thought to have done to his brother: ſo ſhalt thou put the evill away from amongſt you. As for that place Deut. 21. 5. the coherence and ſcope of the place ſhowes it cannot be meant of the judgement by Vrim, but thoſe verſes from the ſecond to the tenth, containe a direction from p. 109God, of what courſe is to bee taken for the expiation of an unknowne murther, and among other things that are to bee done for the putting away the guilt of innocent bloud from the Land, as the Elders and Judges muſt doe according to the verſe 2. 3, 4. ſo the * fifth verſe ſhowes what the Prieſts are to do for the freeing the people of Iſrael from innocent bloud being laid to their charge, namely in the audience of the people to pray for atonement and expiation, that prayer in verſe 8. The Elders were to waſh their hands and ſay; Our hands have not ſhed this bloud, and the Prieſts ſaid, Be mercifull O Lord, and lay not innocent bloud unto thy People Iſraels charge, and if any thing elſe were to be decided about that buſineſſe, by the words of the Prieſts, as expounders of Gods Law, it ſhould be determined; not that they had any abſolute or arbitrary power of themſelves, but by their word, meaning the word of God which they ſhould ſhow, as Deut. 17. 11. The ſubject matter of this Scripture, is not to enquire of the Preiſts whether this were a caſuall or a wilfull Murther, and for them to tell who were the murtherers that had ſlaine this man (the reſolution of which queſtions by the Prieſts might indeed imply ſome colour for the Prieſts by enquiring by Vrim) theſe things are not once named, but all the matter is, whats to be done to expiate the bloud of a man ſlain in the Land, it being not knowne who hath ſlaine him; thats ſuppoſed, and is the caſe upon which all the direction both for Elders, Prieſts and People is built. Laſtly as to thoſe examples in Levit, 24. 11, 12, 13. and that of Numb. 15. 33, 34, 35, of the Blaſphemer and Sabbath-breaker put into ward that Moſes might receive an Anſwer immediately from God what to doe with them, & accordingly the Lord ſpake unto Moſes that they ſhould be ſtoned, I anſwer, Firſt, the**Theodoret Quaeſt. in Levit. Quaeſt. 33. Deprthenſus eſt quidam qui Deum omnium blaſphemauerat. nondum autem Lex erat ſcripta De Blaſpemia propterea legiſlator hanc legem ſervari juſſit. Law concerning blaſphemie was not yet given publickly to the Jews, the mind of God declared what ſhould be done to them that blaſphemed the name of the Lord, & therfore no wonder the Blaſphemer was put in ward, that the Lord might be conſulted with, what kind of puniſhment ſhould bee inflicted upon him; by the light of nature and the Law of the Decalogue, the people of the Jewes knew hee was to bee puniſhed for it, though the particular kinde and forme was not yet made known by God; and p. 110therefore bring him to the ſupreame Magiſtrate Moſes, and make him faſt, till the mind of God for the particular kind of puniſhment ſhould be made known, upon which**Vide Nicol. Lyram, Babingt. in locum, Lev. 24. 15, 16.Lev 24:15Lev 24:16 occaſion God doth not only declare what ſhall be done to that particular man, but gives them a Law concerning all Blaſphemers in the 16. verſe, taking an occaſion from this as hee did from other tranſgreſſions committed, and his peoples ill manners, to publiſh judiciall lawes, the appendixes of the morall Law in matters of juſtice and judgement: But though God was immediately conſulted with before there was a law (for that is the caſe here) of which there was all the reaſon in the world, how doth it follow that after an expreſſe Law is given, and ordinary means and wayes appoynted by God, for the full knowing and executing of that Law, now Perſons muſt immediately upon all occaſions have immediate Anſwers from God whether and how they may puniſh upon that Law? and indeed to what end were expreſſe laws written & made known, and knowing able men in thoſe laws deputed by God to judge according to them, if immediate and infallible Anſwers were to be ſought from God upon all occaſions, and perſons not to be judged by thoſe Lawes? And for the Sabbath Breaker in Numb. 15, however the**Vid. Lyram in Num. 15. Neſciebant tamen qua morte dehebat mori, quoniam modus mortis non fuit determinatus Exod. 13. 14. Ergo recluſerunt eum quo uſque ſcirent hoc per revelationem Domini.Num 15Exod 13:14 Law had ſaid the Breaker of the Sabbath ſhould die Exod. 31. 14. yet it was not declared by what kind of death hee ſhould die, as Ainſworth, Diodate, and our Engliſh Divines in their Annotations upon the place obſerve, ſaying, though there were a Law to put to death a Sabbath breaker, yet it was not declared what manner of death hee ſhould die; and of that the queſtion being propoſed, the Anſwer is made by declaring the kind of death he muſt ſuffer which is ſet down in the next ver. Solo. Jarchi ſaith it was not declared what manner of death the Sabbath Breaker ſhould die; but they knew he that prophaned the Sabbath was to die: Now the Iſraelites were to receive directions from God, as well for the manner and kind of their Lawes and puniſhments as for the puniſhments themſelves, and ſome of them being not declared, no wonder that Moſes ſtayed till hee enquired of God; but whats all this to make good Hagiomaſtix… aſſertion that becauſe Moſes who was to receive Lawes from God both for matter and forme for that people, did wait upon God by ſpeciall immediate inquiring in caſes of ſome tranſgreſſions p. 111that accordingly all things might bee done, therefore after God had given all Lawes both for matter and forme in caſes of Idolatry, Blaſphemie, prophecying falſly, as in Deut. 13. Deut. 17. 2. Levit. 24. 16. the Judges and Magiſtrates following muſt doe ſo too.

Secondly, in both theſe inſtances alleadged, the men were put into ward, not to enquire of God, concerning their ſins committed whether they were Blaſphemie, and Sabbath-breaking, there was no queſtion in that kind, both the people and Moſes were ſatisfied in that, as appeares by the ſtories and by putting them in ward, but only in what manner they ſhould be proceeded againſt, God not having before declared his mind particularly in thoſe caſes, ſo that theſe inſtances helpe Hagiomaſtix nothing at all, as not ſpeaking to the matter in hand: For whereas Hagiomaſtix makes this ground of the Iews putting to death Blaſphemers, Idolaters, their enquiring and Gods declaring by Vrim what kind of Blaſphemer, and ſo what kind of Idolater particularly it was, that be by his Law intended ſhould be put to death, Moſes and the people neither inquired any ſuch thing, what kind of Blaſphemie it was, nor did God ſpeake to Moſes in that kind; but, bring forth him that hath curſed in the campe, and let all that heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the Congregation ſtone him.

Thirdly, the declaration of the mind of the Lord in theſe two examples, was no Anſwer by Vrim; for beſides that there is no mention in the text of the high Prieſt being ſpoken to put on the Ephod to enquire by Vrim, neither doe any Interpreters, underſtand it ſo, both the texts are againſt it in thoſe words, And the Lord ſpake unto Moſes, ſaying, bring forth him that hath curſed; And the Lord ſaid unto Moſes, The man ſhall ſurely bee put to death, the declaration of Gods mind being to Moſes immediately; whereas in the judgement of Vrim, it was to the Prieſt immediately, ſo that theſe Anſwers of God were the Anſwers of a Law-giver, giving Lawes and Penalties by the hand of Moſes, but not any new Interpretations and declarations of the meaning of the Law upon controverſies and doubts ariſing; and beſides Gods way of anſwering Moſes, and anſwering by Vrim were different things, as the Rabbins and other learned men p. 112who write of thoſe things ſhow, Gods anſwering Moſes and giving him Lawes and Commandements being by voice, but anſwering by Vrim being in an other way by beholding the Breaſt-Plate, and ſeeing therein by the Viſion or Inſpiration, as theſe Scriptures Exod. 25. 22. Numb. 7. 89. Exod. 28. 30. with Ainſworths Annotations expreſſe. As for the immediateneſſe of theſe Anſwers from God to Moſes, though not by the judgement of Vrim, there were ſpeciall reaſons thereof, God in an immediate way, communicating to Moſes all his Laws morall and judiciall Exod. 25. 22. and Moſes being ſuch a Prophet whom the Lord knew face to face, and ſuch an extraordinary man in ſeverall reſpects as there was none like unto him. Numb. 12. 6, 7, 8. Exod. 33. 11. Deut. 34. 10, 11. But for the Magiſtrates and Iudges that came after Moſes, to whom the morall Law and the Appendix of it the judiciall Law was given and delivered, they were to proceed according to the written Law, and there were in hard matters higher Courts, conſiſting of a greater number & more able to go to to determine what the lower could not; & then the higheſt of all the Synedrion at Jeruſalem who were in all their judgements aboue morall tranſgreſſions, to goe according to the Law of Moſes, as many Scriptures teſtifie Deut. 17. 11. &c But no ſuch Grounds after the whole Law, morall, ceremoniall and judiciall, was publiſhed, of immediateneſſe of Anſwers from God to any of their Courts, no not to the high Synedrion as to Moſes who was to receive all for the firſt conſtituting of their policie, according unto which all Courts and Iudicatures higher and lower were bound to goe.

Fourthly, In theſe great and weighty caſes of the Blaſphemer and Sabbath-Breaker, Moſes did not preſently paſſe ſentence, but made delayes, put them in Priſon, till he knew the mind of the Lord, and as for other reaſons before alledged, ſo for theſe following, 1 to teach Iudges in matters of great weight of life and death not to be too ſudden and haſtie, 2 in cauſes that are very hard to aske councell and to uſe all means to be well ſatisfied before they doe any thing. In Ainſworths Annotations upon Numb. 15. 34. the Reader may find the Chaldee paraphrazing thus; This judgement was one of the foure judgements that came before Moſes the Prophet, which he judged according to p. 113the word of God: Some of them were judgements of leſſer moment and ſome of them judgements of life and death. In the judgements of leſſer moment (of pecuniary matters) Moſes was readie; but in judgements of life and death bee made delayes. And both in the one and in the other, Moſes ſaid, I have not heard, [viz what God would have done] For to teach the Heads (or cheife) of the Syn… drions (or Aſſiſes) that ſhould riſe up after him, that they ſhould bee ready to diſpatch inferior cauſes (or money matters) but not haſty in matters of life and death. And that they ſhould not be aſhamed to inquire, in cauſes that are too hard for them; ſeeing Moſes who was the Maſter of Iſrael, had need to ſay I have not heard, Therefore hee impriſoned him, becauſe as yet it was not declared what ſentence ſhould paſſe upon him. Babington in his comfort: Notes on Levit. 24. writes, Moſes although ſuch a man, yet will doe nothing haſtily in judgement, and eſpecially touching life, but he will be adviſed by God, who then ſpake from betwixt the Cherubims Exod. 25. and Numb. 7. But it followes not becauſe Iudges and Courts of Iuſtice were to learne to be cautious and carefull in matters of religion for what they puniſh eſpecially with death, that therefore they may puniſh no violations in religion, though expreſly and directly againſt the word of God, unleſſe God doe immediately from heaven declare them Blaſphemies, &c, and ſuch kind of Blaſphemies, which the Law intends death to: And for a concluſion of my Anſwer to this Evaſion of Maſter Goodwin of the judgement by Vrim in the caſes of Blaſphemie, Idolatry, Prophecying falſly, the cleare reaſon why then they were puniſhed with death but may not be ſo now that being ceaſed under the new Teſtament: I ſhall ſay no more but this, I challeng him among al the examples recorded in Scripture of puniſhing men with death, impriſonment or baniſhment, &c for Blaſphemie, Idolatrie, Prophecying falſly, prophaning of the Sabbath, marrying Idolatrous wives and other tranſgreſſions of Gods worſhip, to produce any one Inſtance that by the Iudges, or by the high Sanhedrin God was enquired by Vrim, whether ſuch and ſuch facts were Blaſphemie, Idolatrie, &c, and of that kind and nature intended by the Law as puniſhable with death, or among all Claſſicall Authors, Rabbins and others who have written of the cuſtomes of the Iewes, of Vrim and Thummim, of p. 114the Sanhedrin at Ieruſalem, to cite me out of them any paſſages that affirme the Iudges, or the high Councel of Seventie at Ieruſalem, or the high Prieſt for them were wont in caſes of Apoſtaſie, Blaſphemie, &c. to enquire by Vrim, and to paſſe ſentence upon perſons according to that Anſwer,☜ and not according to the law; which if he cannot doe as I am confident upon ſerious ſearch, he cannot, then the Reader may eaſily ſee what poor ſhifts this great Champion of the Sectaries is put unto, to uphold his damned curſed cauſe of Toleration of all Religions, and to elude the commands of God fore-named for puniſhing Blaſphemers, Apoſtates, Idolaters and falſe Prophets.

Now among all who have written of the high Prieſt, and of Deut. 17. 11, 12. I find only ſome Papiſts going Hagiomaſtixs way, as Toſtatus, Lorinus, who from all places of Scripture of the high Prieſt drawing matter to the Pope for eſtabliſhing his Authoritie, doe from this place alſo that they may eſtabliſh his Authoritie above the Scriptures, and appeals to him in caſes of Controverſie as the ſole infallible Judge, ſpeake of the high Prieſt in matters of morall tranſgreſſions giving Anſwers by Vrim, and not by the ſentence of the Law. So Lorinus upon the 11. verſe according to the ſentence of the Law which they ſhall teach thee, ſaith, that by the name of the Law in this place is neither neceſſarily underſtood the Moſaicall Law, nor the holy Scripture, but the ſentence it ſelfe of the Judge as the pronoun… infinuates: the Hereticks would have it to bee a conditionall command of hear…ning to the Prieſts according to the Law, that they might take away the Authoritie of Traditions, and appeale to the Scripture alone. **Lutherus in Deu. 17. 8, 9, 10 11. Et h…nc locum miro conatu Papiſtae ad ſuum Idolū …raxerunt, ut Papatum ſtatu…rent.Deut 17:8Deut 17:9Deut 17:10Luther long ſince writing upon this place obſerved as much of the Papiſts, And the Papiſts with a great deale of endeavour have drawn this place to their Idol, that they might ſet up the Papacie: So that by this it ſeems the Papiſts and Sectaries are agreed upon the ſame Mediums to ſet up the Pope, and his Infallibilitie, and a Toleration and Diſpenſation to beleeve and profeſſe whatſoever men pleaſe.

Thirdly, this cleere reaſon of Maſter Goodwin in his 36. Section of Hagiomaſtix againſt the old Teſtament Law being now in force for putting of falſe Prophets, Blaſphemers and Seducers to Idolatris to death, upon which hee vapours and triumphs p. 115ſo exceedingly over the**One of the Members of the Aſſembly was the ſole Author of the Vindication of the printed paper, entituled An Ordinance for the preventing of the growth of Hereſies, and not 3. or 4. which worthy Member could hee get any time from his often preaching and conſtant attendance on the Aſſembly, wold (I doubt not) make Hagiomaſtix not only a ſtripling, but a very child. Anti Quaeriſts, certaine ſtriplings of the Aſſembly (as hee by way of ſcorne terms them) is ſo farre from fighting againſt the Magiſtrates puniſhing (even by virtue of that old law) for matters of Religion, where hee is ſure and certaine the things hee puniſhes for, are Apoſtaſies, Idolatries, Hereſies, Blaſphemies and that hee is not miſtaken, as that in all ſuch caſes of certaintie and infallibility, it eſtabliſhes the Magiſtrates coercive power in matters of the firſt Table, and is indeed a ſtrong reaſon for it: For if that were the formall cauſe and reaſon why Magiſtrates might then puniſh Idolatrie, falſe Prophecying, &c. becauſe they might infallibly know, ſuch a thing was Idolatrie, &c. and ſo bee out of danger of fighting againſt God, then what things may bee as certainly known under the Goſpel to bee Idolatrie, falſe Prophecying, Apoſtaſie, &c, the Magiſtrate may as well reſtraine: I ſhall not need to prove the conſequence, becauſe, beſides its own evidence that it neceſſarily follows, Maſter Goodwin in expreſſe terms grant and confeſſes page 130. that for his part hee ſhall thinke it equall nd meet, hee that ſhall doe preſumptuouſly, and not hearken unto what is by infallible Revelation from God ſhould be put to death, and the only ground brought by him in this 36. Section of denying this power to Magiſtrates now, is their uncertaintie in matters of Religion, the beſt Oracles that Magiſtrates and Iudges have to direct them in doubtfull caſes about matters of Religion being men of very fallible judgements, and every way obnoxious unto error and miſtake, and therefore to goe about to prove that the old Law is now in force, becauſe it was once given to the Iewes, is as if one ſhould prove that a man may ſafely and without danger walke among bogges and praecipices at midnight, becauſe he may well do it at noone day. So that by Hagiomaſtixs owne confeſſion, whats certainly and infallibly known to be Error, Idolatrie, Blaſphemie, Hereſie, may and ought to be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate under the new Teſtament, which is indeed a yeelding the queſtion that Magiſtrates may puniſh under the Goſpell in matters of Religion, for thats not the queſtion what is truth and what is Error, what is Hereſie, and what is Idolatrie, and whether any thing can bee known certainly under the Goſpell to be p. 116truth or no? and how the Magiſtrates come to know it, and who ſhall tell them which is truth, that is quite another queſtion, but the queſtion in hand about Toleration and the Magiſtrates coercive Power in points of Religion, is, ſuppoſing and granting there are many things certaine in Religion, which he certainly knows and beleeves, whether then the Magiſtrate may puniſh? which upon this very queſtion, whether Princes have full Power to command for truth, was well obſerved**Bilſons true difference between Chriſtian ſubjection and unchriſtian Rebellion part 2. p. 277. by Biſhop Bilſon long ſince in his anſwer to a Jeſuite, making this objection, Yea, But who ſhall tell Magiſtrates which is truth? That is not this queſtion: When wee reaſon whether Princes may command for truth, and puniſh error, you muſt not cavill about the meanes to know truth from error, but ſuppoſe that truth were confeſſed and agreed on, and in that caſe what may Princes doe for truth. If I ſhould aske you whether Princes may revenge Murthers and puniſh thefts, were this an Anſwer to ſay, but how ſhall they know what Murther is, and who be theeves? No more when we demand what duty Princes owe to God and his truth, ſhould you ſtand quarrelling what truth is or how truth may be known? The Princes dutie to God is one queſtion which wee now handle; the way to diſcerne truth from error is another, which anon ſhall enſue when once this is ended; But firſt let us have your direct Anſwer whether Princes may command for truth or no? And then the Ieſuite anſwering, for truth they may: but if they take quid pro quo they both hazard themſelves and their whole realms, Bilſon replies, you ſlide to the ſecond queſtion again before the firſt be finiſhed, ſtay for that till this be tried. Now then to bring this point to ahead and iſſue, Hagiomaſtixs clear reaſon grants that in caſes about matters of Religion ſure and certaine, the Magiſtrate may puniſh in the times of the Goſpel, which directly overthrowes that univerſall Toleration ſo much pleaded for in divers of his Books: ſo that Maſter Goodwin by his own cleer reaſon is forced upon this Dilemma, either to hold no points in matters of Religion and Doctrine of faith can be certainly and infallibly known under the Goſpel,☜ or if they can, then the violations of ſuch may by the Magiſtrate be lawfully cenſured. And here in this matter I doe appeale from Maſter Goodwins wanton wit, great applauſe among his Seduced Members, and from all others his ingagements to the Sectarian p. 117partie, to his conſcience (if ſo bee in this point of pretended libertie of conſcience, he hath any conſcience at all left) to reſolve me this queſtion, whether Chriſtian Magiſtrates under the Goſpell may not by the Scriptures and other meanes that God hath given and appointed in his Church infallibly and certainly know that there is a God, that this God is but one, that the Scriptures are the word and mind of this God, that this God is holy, juſt, good, wiſe, eternall, omniſcient, omnipotent, mercifull, perfect, that this one God though but one in eſſence, is three in perſons the Father, the Sonne, and the Holy Ghoſt, that the Son was manifeſted in the fleſh became man, that he died for our ſinnes according to the Scriptures, that hee roſe again from the dead, aſcended into heaven, ſitteth at the right hand of God, ſhall come to judge the world, that there is a Hell and eternall Death for all wicked impen…tent perſons, and a Heaven, and eternall life for the Elect and true beleevers, that for a Chriſtian to worſhip and ſerve the Sun, Moon, and ſtarres, or foure-footed Beaſts and creeping things is Apoſtaſie and Idolatrie, that to revile, ſcoffe at and ſpeak reproachfully of God is to blaſpheme God, that for a man to ſay God revealed to him the day of judgement ſhould bee on ſuch a day, or ſuch and ſuch things ſhould come to paſſe at ſuch a time, when the contrary is manifeſted to all, be not to prophecy falſly, and ſo I might inſtance in many more: Unto which queſtion, if Maſter Goodwin anſwers affirmatively that Magiſtrates may in theſe and ſome other points of Religion infalliblity and certainly know the truth, then the univerſall Toleration pleaded for by him in M. S. Some modeſt and humble Quaeries concerning a printed Paper entituled an ordinance for the preventing of the growing and, ſpreading of Hereſies, &c Hagiomaſtix, Appendix … Hagiomaſtix and other his Pamphlets falls to the ground, and the Ordinance preſented to the Honorable Houſe of Commons for preventing Hereſies and Blaſphemies, may take place, and the Inflicters of heavy cenſures upon ſuch who broach Doctrines contrary to theſe, viz. that there is a God, that he is perfectly holy, …ternal, that hee is one in three perſons, &c may infallibly know ſuch Opinions are not the ſacred Truths of God and the c…eer reaſon of Hagiomaſtix in this 36. Section againſt the old Teſtament p. 118Law for putting falſe Prophets, &c to death now, is of no force at all; for in theſe Principles of religion named, and divers others, as the reſurrection of the dead, that Chriſt is God, that Chriſt according to his humane nature was borne without ſin, &c Chriſtian Magiſtrates walke no more at midnight, but at noon day, then the Iewiſh Magiſtrates in caſes of Blaſphemie, Apoſtaſie, Idolatrie, Prophecying falſly, &c. are as certaine and ſure as they who received Anſwers under the old Law in matters of Religion of Idolatrie, Blaſphemie (ſuppoſing there had been any ſuch) from the Prieſts by the judgement of Vrim; But now if Maſter Goodwin dare anſwer negatively, that there is no infallible certaine knowledge in any point of Religion under the new Teſtament, no man infallibly and certainly knowes that there is a God, or that this God is holy, perfect, eternall, that there is a Ieſus Chriſt who died for our ſins and roſe againe from the dead, that there is a reſurrection of mens bodies, and a day of judgement, &c, tis all opinion and probabilitie, the**Maſter Goodwins Modeſt & humble Queres about the Ordinance, Quere 2. contrary may be the Sacred Truths of God, and therefore there may be no puniſhing by death or other bodily puniſhment for holding any Doctrines or Opinions in Religion, ſuppoſe contrary to admonition, which for ought the ſaid inflicters know, except they make themſelves infallible, may be the ſacred Truths of God, I ſay, and am ready to prove it againſt him, that he overthrowes the Scriptures, all Chriſtian Religion, all Faith, yea all the comfort and ſalvation of Chriſtians, hee is a Sceptick, an Antiſcripturiſt, a Newtrall in Religion and an Atheiſt: Hee juſtifies the worſt of the Papiſts in all they have written againſt the Scriptures, calling it a noſe of wax, a dumb judge, inkie Divinity, &c. for to hold nothing can bee known certainly and infallibly by the Scriptures, is to make them a noſe of wax, an imperfect weak rule, a doubtfull Oracle, like that of Apollo's; For if the Trumpet give an uncertaine Sound, who ſhall prepare himſelfe to the battell? ſo likewiſe, except the Spirit of God have by the holy pen-men uttered words that may bee underſtood, how ſhall it be known what is written? for this would make the Scriptures be as a ſpeaking into the aire; but as concerning that point of the Church under the new Teſtament knowing infallibly and certainly p. 119the Chriſtian Religion, and matters neceſſary to ſalvation both in faith and worſhip, as the Church under the old by Vrim, I ſhal ſpeak fully to it in the ſeventh anſwer to this Reaſon; only for a concluſion of this third Anſwer, I adde, I much wonder ſeeing under the new Teſtament according to Hagiomaſtix Doctrine, no Magiſtrates nor Synods can be certaine in doubtfull caſes about matters of Religion, but the beſt Oracles Magiſtrates have to conſult with, are every way obnoxious unto error and miſtake, and that the wiſeſt and moſt learned of them are not able cleerly or demonſtratively to informe the Magiſtrate what blaſphemy, or what idolatry it was which was by God ſentenced to death under the Law (though by the way I muſt check Maſter Goodwins confidence, for I who am the leaſt of all the Miniſters of Chriſt and not to be named with the wiſeſt and moſt learned of them, am able cleerly and demonſtratively out of Deut. 17. 2. 3. 4. 5. to informe the Magiſtrate and Maſter Goodwin too, if he will bee informed, what Idolatrie it was which was by God ſentenced to death under the Law, viz for a Iew to goe ſerve and worſhip the Sun or Moon) how Maſter Goodwin and divers Members of his Church come to be in many controverted points, doubtfull caſes about matters of Religion, ſo confident and certaine as they make themſelves,☞ certain that Presbyteriall Government is not Jure Divino, certaine that Chriſtian Magiſtrates may not exerciſe their coercive Power in any matters of Religion, no, not to the reſtraining of Blaſphemie, Idolatrie, Hereſie, Sciſme, moſt certaine that foreign credere faith in a proper ſenſe is imputed to juſtification, and not Chriſts Righteouſneſſe, certaine that the way of the Congregation is the truth, and ſo I might inſtance in divers other points: To be confident, as confidence it ſelfe can make a man, to bee as ſure as twice two makes four, to have abundant ſatisfaction from God for what a man holds in pregnant, ſtrong, cleer and rational demonſtrations on the one hand, and diſtinct clear and home Anſwers to all objections to the contrarie on the other hand, that if light be light, reaſon reaſon, ſenſe ſence, Scriptures Scriptures, then ſuch a Doctrine is truth, that though the whole world ſhould riſe up as one man to oppoſe, yet that ſhould not ſhake nor unſettle a man in it, is to attaine to a high meaſure of certaintie p. 120and infallib…litie; Now whoever hath but read with due conſideration Mr. Goodwins writings cannot but take notice in them of many high ſtrains and profeſſed ſolemne**Anapologeſiates Antapologias, The Preface to the Reader. But for thoſe opinions wherein I diſſent from Mr. Edwards, and the generality of thoſe whom he calls his godly Orthodox Preſbyterian Miniſters, I have beſtowed ſo much labour and travell of ſoul ſeverall wayes to ſatisfie my ſelfe in the truth of them, and withal have received ſuch abundant ſatisfaction from God for what I hold in them, in pregnant, ſtrong, cleare and rationall demonſtrations on the one hand, in diſtinct, cleare and home Anſwer to all objections to the contrary that ever I met withall on the other hand, that if light be light, reaſon reaſon, ſenſe ſenſe, Scriptures Scriptures, I ſuppoſe I ſhall never be unſetled or ſhaken in them, though the whole world ſhould riſe up as one man to oppoſe me. And therefore being fully perſwaded, reſolved, and poſſeſt in my judgement ſoule and conſcience that the way of the Congregation is the Truth. A Quere concerning the Church Covenant, pag. 1. Firſt, confident we are (as confidence it ſelfe (an make us) that there is no commandement given to the Churches for exact…ng any ſuch Covenant to thoſe that are to be admitted into Church Fellowſhip with them. A Letter of Maſter John Goodwins ſent to Maſter Thomas Goodwin, pag. 12, 13. Confident I am that there is a light beyond your light in theſe matters, and which you are very capable of if your eyes by your long ſlumber be not over heavy to open. I profeſſe in the ſight of God, and in as great ſingleneſſe and ſimplicity of heart as ever n… an in this world ſpake word unto you, that I doe as clearly apprehend Error and miſtake throughout the greateſt part of your way, as I doe in this concluſion that twice two makes foure. The neceſſity of your Covenant, Prolix confeſſion of faith, putting men to deliver their judgements in points of doubtfull diſputations upon and before their admiſſion into your Churches, the power of the Keyes and of Ordination of Paſtors to be the right and inheritance of the whole body of the Congregation, and of every member indifferently, and promiſcuouſly the divine inſtitution or peremptory neceſſity of your Ruling Elders, the neceſſity of Widowes as Officers in the Church, the abſolute neceſſity of one and the ſame governmant or Diſcipline in all particulars whatſoever for all Churchès in all times and places, a full and peremptory determination of all things whatſoever appertaining to the worſhip of God, with divers ſuch like poſitions (which are the very life, ſoule, and ſubſtance of your way) I am at perfect peace in my thoughts, that you will never be able to demonſtrate or prove from the Scriptures to any ſober minded or confidering man. Maſter Goodwins Appendix in his Preface to the Reader, If the ſoules and conſciences of men have any cauſe at all to bleſſe me, it is becauſe I have clothed them with ſtrength and confidence of the royall parentage and deſcent of the Scriptures, and ſubdued their fears and jealouſies of any ſubornation (in that kind) under their feet. (Nay did I not verily beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of God, I would not for their ſakes expoſe my ſelfe as now I doe: But that beleif I ſpeak of, which hath reigned in me, and over me hitherto, and hath bleſſed me with ſuch an abundance of peace of comfort in ſufferings for it will not, &c. An Apologeticall Account of ſome Brethren of the Church whereof Maſter Goodwin is Paſtour, pag. 5. 6. The Doctrines of the Father and of the Sonne, the involving whereof in the clouds of uncertainty, the ſaid Vindication moſt falſely and mal…tiouſly charges upon him, hath he brought into ſo cleare and open view, that we have ſeen the peace and everlaſting ſalvation of our ſoules in them. Every one of thoſe fundan entail Principe… of Chriſtian Religion, which this gangren'd pen would perſwade the world he denies or doubts of, hath he not only aſſerted in our hearing againe and againe, but proved them with ſuch evidence and demonſtration of the ſpirit, that our conſciences were forced to fall flat before them, and to confeſſe that of a truth God was in them. Declarations of his abſolute certaintie, and full demonſtrative knowledge of many Points of Religion, yea of ſome more doubtfull controverted, as of Church-Governement and the way of the Congregation, and yet I ſuppoſe hee hath no better Oracles to conſult with, then Chriſtian Magiſtrates have; There is no Prieſt with Vrim for him to enquire by, unleſſe the Sectaries have ſet him up as their Oracle to conſult with in ſtead of the Scriptures; and I think he will not yet plead Revelations and viſions for feare of his fate, who ſaid it was revealed to him the day of judgement ſhould be on ſuch a day in Aprill laſt, now long ſince paſt.