The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Treatise · Chapter 1 · Thesis 5 – Thesis 8
5. THESIS.
Whereas a particular partiall Toleration offends againſt many particular places of Scripture, a Vniverſall Toleration is againſt all Scripture, goes againſt the whole current, ſcope and ſenſe of Scripture both in the Old and New Teſtament, both in matters of Faith and Manners, both in the generall rules and commands, and the particular, and that both in perſonall actions, and in all Relations to others: The ſum of the Scriptures is Faith and good life, and the end of the ſeverall ſtates appointed by God, both Politicall, Eccleſiaſticall and Oeconomicall, are to maintain and continue theſe: Now a generall Toleration of all Religions and conſciences is diametically oppoſite to all theſe, againſt the whole will of God overthrowing all that God in the Scripture expreſſes of ſins, duties and relations. I would have any thing in the Scripture named in point of faith, holineſſe, in the relations of Magiſtrates, Miniſters, Governours of Families, which this Toleration ſome way or other does not make void. Other Errors and Hereſies, as Arrianiſme, Anabaptiſme, &c. do not offend againſt all Scripture, but againſt ſuch and ſuch places; but this generall Toleration throws down all at once, it overthrows the Scriptures, in that it allowes a Liberty of denying the Scriptures to be the Word of God, in that it ſets up the conſcience above the Scriptures,☞ making every mans conſcience, even the polluted defiled ſeared conſciences the rule of faith and holineſſe, before the pure and unerring Word of God, crying out that men muſt do according to their conſciences, but never ſpeaking of going according to the Word of God; yea ſetting up mens fancies, humours, factions, luſts, under the name of conſcience, above the Word of God, which is to ſet up the creature, yea the corrupted defiled creature above God, and to make mans conſcience greater then God, whereas God is greater then mens conſciences, 1 John 3. 20.
6. THESIS.
The complaints, prohibitions, comminations, with the commands, directions, cautions againſt giving way unto, tolerating of and following many wayes in religion, and for contending for the Faith, buying the truth, &c. though delivered, and run in generall, they bind (as other Scriptures do) all the ſeverall ſorts of men, every one pro cujuſque officii ratione, ☞the Miniſter in his way according to his office, and the Magiſtrate in his way, and the Maſter of a family in his place, and every private Chriſtian in his way to ſuppreſſe Error, and promote the Truth; yea the commands and precepts which in the letter and primarily belong to men of ſuch a particular relation, the Father, Maſter, Miniſter as being directed by name to them, do alſo concern Magiſtrates, by the common rules of Interpretation of Scripture, given by Divi…es, of a Synecdoche, of Analogie and proportion, of common equity, and by the way of the Scripture it ſelfe in applying what's ſpoken at firſt hand to particular perſons in ſuch a ſpeciall relation to all Chriſtians, Joſhua 1. 5. compared with Heb. 13. 5. what to Magiſtrates, to Church Governours, Deu. 13. 11. Deut. 17. 6. compared with 1 Tim. 5. 19, 20. with many other ſuch inſtances that might be given, the commands of God being exceeding broad, as David ſpeaks, Pſal. 119. The fifth Commandment which in the letter mentions the naturall parents, as is evident by many other Scriptures, particularly that of Epheſ. 6. 1, 2, 3, 4. commands the duties of Magiſtrates to their ſubjects, of Miniſters to their people, as all Divines upon that commandment grant. The fourth Commandment that in the letter is directed to the Father of the family, for his family to keep the Sabbath, comprehends alſo the Magiſtrate: The Father of the family is a Synecdoche including the Magiſtrate; and therein the holy Ghoſt laies downe not only what lies upon the Maſter of every family, but alſo what is the Magiſtrates duty, as *Zanch. in quartum praceptum. Chemnitii loci Commun. De lege Dei in quartum praecept.Zanchius, Chemnitius, and many other learned Divines ſhow in their Expoſitions upon this fourth Commandement, all of them upon this Commandement writing of the publick worſhip of God, and the Magiſtrates duty to ſee it preſerved, and the prophanation of it puniſhed, and all under the name of the Father of the family.
7. THESIS.
What God in his Word commands or forbids private ſingle perſons for themſelves and their owne practiſe as conſidered perſonally, viz. to learne to know God, feare the Lord, follow him only, and not follow not ſerve any ſtrange God, to have no fellowſhip with Idols, not the unfruitfull works of darkneſſe, and ſuch like, unto all perſons whom he hath ſet over others, and in any Relation given them power and authority over them, as Miniſters, Parents, Maſters, Husbands, be commands and forbids the ſame not only for themſelves in their owne perſons (thats not all, that will not diſcharge them) but to them for all under their command, they muſt ſee to it and uſe their intereſt, power and authority to cauſe all under them to do ſo likewiſe, and not ſuffer them to go on in falſe wayes, as theſe Scriptures among many other prove, …. 18. verſe 19. Ezadus 20. verſe 28. Deut, 6. 45. 6, 7. Epheſ. 6. 4. Every private ſervant of God muſt keep the wayes of God; but Abraham who is ſet over others muſt command his children and his houſhold after him to keep the way of the Lord, every Iſraelite muſt keep the Sabbath day holy, but the Governour of the family muſt beſides his own keeping it, ſee to it that all in his family ſanctifie the Sabbath, 'tis the duty of all the Iſrael of God to love the Lord their God with all their heart, and to feare the Lord only, but parents muſt beſides their perſonal loving and fearing God, whet upon their children diligently and talk to them of the commands of God, and bring them up in the … and feare of the Lord; each perſon ſhould work out his own ſalvation, but a Miniſter muſt ſave others beſides himſelfe, and watch for other mens ſoules, uſe authority for edification; hence in many places we ſhall finde it written in Scripture of perſons in relations of authority to others, that they both undertake for their families, and that their families walked as they walked; ſo Joſhu…, I and my houſhold will ſerve the Lord; thus David, Pſal. 101. verſe 4, 6, 7. So the Centurion, a devout man and one that feared God with all his houſe; and in Timothy there was unfained faith which dwelt firſt in his Grandmother Loit, and in his mother E…ice, and then in him.
8. THESIS.
There can be no reaſon in the world given, that all other perſons in relations who have authority over others, as Maſters, Fathers, Mothers, Tutors, Husbands, Miniſters, ſhould be bound to have a care in matters of Religion over their children, ſervants, &c. and a power of commanding and making them outwardly to worſhip God and keep his way (So 'tis ſaid of Abraham, he will command his children, *Vide Maſter Cheynels ſermon before the Houſe of Commons on that text of Abrahams commanding his children pag. 11.make his children and ſervants know that he is their Father and their Maſter; ſo ſpeaks the fourth Commandement to the Father of the family, Thou, nor thy ſonne, nor thy daughter, thy m…n-ſervant, &c. Tis not ſaid, do thou remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day, but thou ſhalt admoniſh thy ſonne and thy daughter that they alſo ſanctifie it; God doth not ſay ſo, but thus, remember that thou ſanctifie it, and that all others that are thine, ſanctifie it) and that Princes and Magiſtrates who are the higheſt pow-powers, and have the greateſt authority on earth (who externally and politically have a power over Miniſters, Parents, Maſters, to rectifie their male adminiſtration (as is evident by many inſtances in Scripture) who can alſo help and remedy evils in caſes where Parents, Maſters, Miniſters cannot, and have many advantages to bring men to good above others) ſhould not have a power over their ſubjects to command them to the worſhip of God and reſtraine them from Idolatry and Hereſie. Hence 'tis a good ſaying of Zanchie on the fourth Commandement *Zanch. in quartum praecept. pag. 659, 660. Non enim ait tu mementout ſanctifices, monebis autem filium filiamve tuam, ut & ipſi ſanctificent; non ſic ait, ſed memento ut ſanctifices, & ut alii etiam tui ſanctificent. Adigere quiſ que Pater familias potest & debet ſuos domeſticos ad externum cultum; cur non etiam Mag…ſtratus ſuos ſubditos?Every Father of a family can and ought to force his family to the outward worſhip of God; why ſhould not the Magiſtrate alſo his ſubjects? I deſire ſome reaſon may be ſhowne why the talents of Authority and Power in all other hands muſt be made uſe of for God in reference to the ſouls of men, and not in the hands of the Magiſtrate; and why Parents, Maſters offend in not caring for their families in matters of Religion, and the Magiſtrate not.