The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 19
THESIS 19.
Beſides all the old Teſtament proofes both of commands and approved examples before the Law, and under the Law, before the Captivitie of Babylon and after, for the Magiſtrates coercive power in the matters of the firſt Table, laid down in this Treatiſe, together with Anſwers to all the evaſions brought againſt ſuch commands and examples, as alſo to that of proofs out of the old Teſtament, I deſire the Reader to conſider this Theſis, that place of Scripture ſpeaking of the days of the new Teſtament and what ſhould be then done, approves of and commends this power of the Magiſtrate, as among other theſe three places of Scripture Pſal. 2. 10, 11, 12. Eſay 49. 23. Zach. 13. 2, 3. That the ſecond Pſalme is a Prophecie of the dayes of the Goſpel, after Chriſts comming into the world is clearely demonſtrated by Act. 4. 24, 25, 26, 27. where by Peter and John tis applyed to thoſe times, In which Pſalme King David, foreſeeing in Spirit that Heathen Kings would hand themſelves and aſſemble together againſt the Lord and his Chriſt, extendeth the ſame charge to the Gentiles which the Kings of Jurie received before, and warned them all at once, Be wiſe ye Kings, underſtand ye Judges of the world: Serve the Lord; and tis to be obſerved in that ſecond Pſalme that Kings and Judges quatomes tales are to ſerve the Lord and kiſſe the Son, Upon which words Auſtin writes thus, All men ought to ſerve God: in one ſort by common condition as men; in another ſort by ſeverall gifts and offices, by the which ſome doe this ſome doe that; no private perſons could command Idols to be puniſhed cleane from among mert, which was ſo long before prophecied, Therfore Kings (Beſides their dutie to ſerve God common with all other men, have in that they be Kings how to ſerve the Lord in ſuch ſort as none can doe which are not Kings. For in this Kings (in reſpect they be Kings) ſerve the Lord (as God by David warneth them) if in their Kingdomes they command that which is good, and prohibite that which is evill, not in Civil affairs only, but in matters alſo concerning divine Religion. That Eſay 49. 23. is a Prophecie to the Gentiles under the new Teſtament, as is evident by verſe 22. Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers, &c now they could not be cald the nurſes of the Church if they had no care of Religion; but thoſe of whom this prophecie was meant, and in whom fulfilled, did care for Religion did care for the Faith, as Conſtantine, Gratian, Theodoſius, and others, who by publick Edicts did prohibit falſe Doctrines and did command all throughout the whole Empire, to embrace the true Faith; tis confeſſed by Maſter*Ʋid. Bulling. aduerſ. Anabapt. 5. Book 3. chapt. Burroughs himſelfe, The protection of their Civil peace is not ſufficient to give them ſuch a denomination of nurſing Fathers and Mothers. Upon which place*Barroughs Heart-Diviſions. pag. 25. B…lſon writes thus with this endeavour of Chriſtian Princes God comforteth his Church by the mouth of Eſay, Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers, &c what Eſay ſaith Princes ſhal do, that I conclude Princes muſt doe, becauſe God would not promiſe they ſhould uſurpe another mans office but diſcharge their owne. If you take the milke of Princes for temporall honours, Lands, and goods, the …ery Children will laugh you to ſcorne. The Church of Chriſt is no wanton Church, She luſteth for no worldly wealth, which is rather harmful poiſon then wholeſome food, Gods proviſion for her is ſpiritual, not carnall, her delights are not outward in fleſh, but inward in grace: The Prophet good man had no leaſure to thinke on yo… farms, demeans and Revenues; no remedy, you muſt needs yeeld us that Chriſtian Princes, in reſpect of their office, not of their riches, have received an expreſſe commandement from God to ſhow themſelves Nurſes to his Church. Now Nurſes by nature muſt provide for their infants and defend them from danger, ergo Kings and Queens in the new Teſtament, are bound to tender the Church of Chriſt, and by their princely power and publick Laws to defend the ſame from infection of Hereſies, invaſions of Sciſmes, and all other apparent corruptions of faith and good manners. Zach. 13. 2, 3. is a prophecie of the times and dayes of the Goſpel, as the context is cleare and is confeſſed by ſome Patrons of Toleration, though put off and evaded that tis allegorical and figurative, and meant of ſome one particular time only under the Goſpel, with other ſuch like, as the Poſteript to Hagiomaſtix writes page 21. 22. all which evaſions I had thought at this time to have fully taken of, and to have cleared this text by many paſſages and Phraſes in the context, beſides ſeverall reaſons that it muſt needs be underſtood literally, and of all times under the Goſpel, but the troubles of the times call me of from my intended thoughts and preparations in this kind, and ſhall reſerve them (if God will) for a ſecond part, only I ſhall adde that divers learned Interpreters ancient and moderne as Theodoret, Calvin, and others hold the Prophet here alludes to Deut. 13. where God required ſuch ſtrictneſſe in maintaining pure Doctrine, that the Father ſhould riſe up againſt the Sonne whom he begat. God would have all the godly to burne with ſuch a zeal of defending the true worſhip of God and Pietie, that no affinitie nor conſanguinitie, nor any other carnall reſpect ſhould prevail to hinder the requiring of puniſhment upon their neereſt friends in caſes of violating the worſhip of God and corrupting ſound Doctrine. This was the Preſcript of the Law: But whereas for a time, Religion had beene neglected, yea troden under foot, Zacharie ſaith that when the faithfull ſhould repent, they ſhould bee endowed with ſuch a deſire of true Pietie, as neither Father nor Mother ſhould ſuffer wicked errors in their Sons. And here tis to be obſerved that this zeale is approved of under the Kingdome of Chriſt; for Zacharie does not here reſtraine this Doctrine to the time of the Law, but ſhowes what ſhall be when Chriſt is come, namely that then again that zeale ſhall burne in the hearts of all the godly which was almoſt extinct. It followes therefore this Law was not given only to the Jewes, as many fanatical men imagine, who would have a leave of diſturbing the world, but that this Law extends to us alſo.*Muſcul. de legibus Ad claſſem hanc moraralium pra…ceptorium pertinentia multa quidem in literis Prophetam quoque leguntur. Fuerunt enim illi in pleniſque Moſaicae legis interpretes Muſculus ſpeaking of things appertaining to the Claſſis of morall commands, ſhows that many things in the Prophets writings belong thereunto, and he gives this reaſon; That in moſt things they were Interpreters of the Moſaicall Law; And therefore Zacharie does here inter …t that Law in Deut. 13. concerning falſe Prophets and Seducers, to be in force under the Goſpel, The Prophets in their writings doe interpret and explaine Moſes writings, as the Books of Moſes doe the Decalogue, written by God in two Tables of ſtone and delivered unto Moſes, Deut. 5. 22. That in Deut. 13. is to be compared with this Zach. 13. 3. where we find the ſame things, almoſt the ſame words uſed in a Prophecie of the times of the Goſpel, the meaning of which is not that his Father or Mother ſhould preſently run a Knife into him, but that though they begat him, yet they ſhould be the means to bring him unto condigne puniſhment, even the taking away of his life, and ſo Maſter Cartwright ſpeaking of this prophecie writes thus. No power is given to one private man to kill another, nor for the Private man to kill his children, but this manner of ſpeech is grounded on Deut, 17. 7. where tis proved the Witneſſe who accuſed ſhould throw the firſt ſtone againſt the convicted perſons, ergo they aſcribe the killing of the guilty perſon, as belonging to the duty of the Accuſer.