The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 20
THESIS 20.
In the Scriptures of the new Teſt, there are clear grounds & full proofes, that Hereticks and falſe Teachers, corrupters of Religion, deſerve to be puniſhed corporally, as well as ſpiritualy by excommunication, and that Magiſtrates ought to puniſh in caſes of Idolatry, Hereſie and ſuch like, as well as for tranſgreſſions againſt the ſecond Table; Now among many I ſhall lay down theſe following, 1. That Chriſt and his Apoſtles being accuſed before Magiſtrates about matters of Religion, as blaſphemy, being againſt the Law of Moſes, and ſuch like, they never pleaded for themſelves that it was not lawfull to puniſh any man for matters of Religion, but they defended their cauſes, that they had not taught any thing againſt the word of God and the Law of Moſes, were not guilty of Blaſphemy or Hereſie, ſo that they granted the major propoſition, namely that is was lawful for the Magiſtrate to puniſh Hereticks who taught againſt the Word of God, but they denied the minor that they were Hereticks: For out of the word of God they ſhowed they were not Hereticks, in that they taught nothing againſt the Word of God, yea nothing but what had a proof in the Word of God. But of this the Reader may ſee more in Zanchits Miſcellanies De Magiſtratu, page 173. 2. Chriſt in John 2. 14▪ 15, 16. made a ſcourge, and drove out of the Temple thoſe that made his Fathers houſe a houſe of merchandiſe, which now falſe Teachers are ſaid to doe, 2 Pet. 2. 3. and tis the more obſervable that Chriſt who let the woman taken in adultery go away and did not puniſh her; that would not divide an inheritance becauſe his Kingdome was not of this world; yet in the matter of his Fathers houſe did exerciſe coercive power with a high hand, ſcourging and driving out of the Temple thoſe that ſold Oxen, &c. and this he is ſaid to doe out of zeale, the zeale of thine Houſe hath eaten me up: and though this be not recorded for Miniſters to uſe a materiall whip, yet certainly this was an act of righteouſneſſe that ſhould have been done by the Magiſtrates of that time, & it had been a glorious action if they had done it, and however there might be ſomething heroical in it, yet doubtleſſe tis an act of righteouſneſſe and zeal that ought to be done by ſome in their ordinary calling, viz. by Magiſtrates. 3. Rom. 13. 4. Magiſtrates beare not the ſword in vaiue for them that doe evill, and they are revengers to execute wrath upon them that doe evill: Now Blaſphemers, Hereticks, falſe Teachers doe evill and are evill workers, Phil. 3. 2. 2 Epiſtle of John v. 11. Revel. 2. 2. and non diſtinguendum eſt ubi Scriptura non diſtinguit: upon which place Maſter Bilſon writes thus, Princes in the new Teſtament be Gods Miniſters to revenge malefactors, as they were in the old, and the greater the wickedneſſe, the rather to be puniſhed, ergo, the greateſt (as Hereſies Idolatries and Blaſphemies) are ſooneſt of all other vices to be repreſſed by Chriſtian Magiſtrates, whoſe zeale for Chriſts glory muſt not decreaſe, Chriſts care for their Scepters being increaſed. 4. 1 Cor. 12. 10. 29. foreign the Apoſtle ſhowes us that when Chriſtian Magiſtrates were wanting, beſides miracles, gifts of healing, &c. Chriſt gave a ſpeciall gift to the Church of reſtraining Seducers and obſtinate Hereticks by corporall puniſhment; There were ſome that had a ſpeciall gift of coercing ungodly men; this Paul exerciſed upon Elym…n the falſe Prophet and Seducer, Acts 13. 11. upon which place Peter Martyr writes fully, The Church then had not the Sword of the Magiſtrate by which offences might be reſtrained, therefore a power was given of puniſhing them corporally. The beſt Interpreters Ancient and Modern, as Chryſoſtome, Oecumenius, Calvin, Beza, Peter Martyr, Pareus, and divers others doe underſtand by Powers, thoſe who had ſuch a Gift, upon which place I intended to have inſiſted largely by comparing other Scriptures with it, and to have demonſtrated from it, the neceſſity and lawfulneſſe of a power of puniſhing corporally obſtinate Hereticks and Seducers, but I muſt take off. 5. Gal. 5. 12. Paul wiſhes that falſe Teachers and troublers of the Church were cut off: which place I intended to have enlarged upon to prove it meant of bodily cutting off, but cannot now. 6. 1 Tim. 2. 2. Paul ſhowes Kings and thoſe that are in Authoritie are to be prayed for, that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlineſſe and honeſty, in all godlineſſe, as well as honeſty: This is the end of prayers to be made for Magiſtrates, Now that which is the end of Prayers poured out for Magiſtrates ought to be the end propounded by the Magiſtrate in his duty, but the Apoſtle commands prayers to be made for Magiſtrates for that end, ergo it lyes upon the Magiſtrate to ſee to it, of which the Reader may ſee more in Meiſner. Polit. de Magiſtratu; and tis confeſſed by Maſter*Cap. 2. p. 35, 36. The prayers of the Church for 300. yeeres in the Primitive times, that Kings might come to the knowledge of the truth, and they lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godlineſſe and honeſty (which Saint Paul in Nero… time exhorted unto 1 Tim. 2. 2) were not anſwered nor accompliſhed til Conſtantines time, when the Church brought forth a manchild. Thomas Goodwin in his Returne of Prayers, this was a command to pray, that God would give Chriſtian Magiſtrates to the Church, the Anſwer of which was in giving Conſtantine a Chriſtian Emperor, who as the Eccleſiaſtical*Socrat. Schol. lib. 1. cap. 5. Hiſtories ſhow, did by Lawes and Edicts command the Chriſtian Religion, as alſo eſtabliſh the …icen… Creed touching the Faith of one Subſtance, baniſhing by his Edict Arius and his adherent…, 7. Revel. 17▪ 16. John prophecies, and ſpeaks of it as an acceptable work to God, for Chriſtian Kings and States by their Civil temporal power to deſtroy the Romiſh Religion: Now if the Romiſh Seducers and corrupters of Religion (upon that ground cald the Whore) may be puniſhed by Civil Magiſtrates, and dealt with by other weapons then preaching, admonition, excommunication, then ſuch as are certinly worſe then they, as Anti…rinitaria…s, Soc…nians. Libertins, may be alſo by Magiſtrates reſtrained. Maſter Robinſon writing againſt the Anabaptiſts, one Helwiſſe who interprets this place of Spirituall weapons, anſwers him this is a prophecie of Kings and Magiſtrates whoſe weapons and power are other beſides that of prayers which is common to all Chriſtians, tis ſpoken what they ſhal doe as Kings: Beſides tis contrary to the cleare meaning of the Holy-Ghoſt,Robinſ. againſt Helwiſſe of Magiſtracie, p. 129, 130. which is, that Kings ſhould firſt uſe their Civill power for the Beaſt and Whore, and after againſt them to their deſtruction, they ſhall give their power to the Lamb, as they before gave it againſt the Lamb: Now we know they uſed their Civil power under Poperie, as a means by which to ſuppreſſe the true Religion, and therefore Princes and States ſhall eſtabliſh the true by that means and deſtroy the falſe, of which I had thought to have enlarged further, as alſo upon the other New Teſtament quotations, to have anſwered the evaſions brought againſt them, eſpecially of Hagiomaſtix againſt Rom. 13. 4. and to have proved it cannot be reſtrained only againſt evils of the Second Table, but is to be underſtood of evil againſt the Firſt, but I muſt reſerve theſe things, and divers more to another opportunitie, and for a Second Part. If God wil. To God only wiſe, be glory through Jeſus Chriſt. Amen.
FINIS.
GOod Reader, among many other Errata of the Preſſe, upon running over the Book in haſt ſince printed (not having time to read and weigh every page, much leſſe ſentence or line) I finde theſe following,
ERRATA.
PAge 32 line 12, after ought to be r. alſo puniſhed. p. 30. l. 13 for they r. theſe, p. 33 l. 28 r. four and five fold, p. 55 l. 4. for latter r. letter, The figures of the pages which ſhould be 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64. are miſprinted, p. 64. l. 6. for mens r. means, p. 78. l. 23. for others r. other Divines, p. 167. l. 12. after put r. upon and.
Margin. Notes, p. 14. for diga r. digna. p. 61. for Egyptis r. Egyptii, bones r. boves, p. 130. r. c. 9 quae. 4. p. 189. for equas r. equus, p. 214. r. praceptorum, for Prophetam r. Prophetarum, for pl…niſqu… r. pleriſque, p. 216. r. after peccata r. coercerentur.
End of the text · Thomas Edwards, The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan (1647)