The Casting Down of the Last and Strongest Hold of Satan, Title page – Author to the reader
THE CASTING DOWN of the laſt and ſtrongeſt hold of Satan. OR, A TREATISE Againſt Toleration And pretended Liberty of Conſcience:
Wherein by Scripture, ſound Reaſon, Fathers, Schoolmen, Caſuiſts. Proteſtant Divines of all Nations, Confeſſions of Faith of the Reformed Churches, Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtories, and conſtant practiſe of the moſt pious and wiſeſt Emperours, Princes, States, the beſt Writers of Politicks, the experience of all Ages; yea, by divers Principles, Teſtimonies and Proceedings of Sectaries themſelves, as Donatiſts, Anabaptiſts, Browniſts, Independents, the unlawfulneſſe and miſcheif in Chriſtian Commonwealths and Kingdoms both of a Ʋniverſal Toleration of all Religions and Conſciences, and of a limited and bounded of ſome Sects only, are clearly proved and demonſtrated, with all the materiall Grounds and Reaſons brought for ſuch Tolerations fully anſwered.
By THOMAS EDVVARDS Miniſter of the Goſpel.
The Firſt Part.
2 Chron 34. 32, 33.
And Joſiah took away all the abominations out of all the Con… that pertained to the childre… of Iſrael, and made all that were preſent in Iſrael to ſerve, even to ſ…ve the Lord their God. And cauſed all that were preſent in Jeruſalem and Beniamin i…ſtand to it.
London, Printed by T. R. and E. M. for George Calvert, and are to be ſold at the golden Fleece in the Old-Change. 1647.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
GOod Reader, I fully intended, and accordingly had provided that this firſt Part of Anti-Toleration ſhould have come into thy hands more compleat and perfect then it does for the preſent: I prepared an Epiſtle Dedicatory to the Honourable Houſes of Parliament ſutable to the nature of Toleration and the Times, as alſo a Preface and Introduction to that Argument and Subject wherein laying down the Prolegomena & Praecognita of this Noble and famous Queſtion of Liberty of Conſcience, as certain Diſtinctions about Magiſtrates and their Power, of Errors and Opinions, of Perſons holding them, of Toleration and Liberty, as ſome Conceſſa, ſome Negata, certain miſtakes and miſrepreſentations of the ſtate of the Queſtion, with divers other Particulars, I drew up the true ſtate of the Queſtion both Theologically and Politically (it being a mixt queſtion) beſides I purpoſed to have added to this Part further proofs out of the New Teſtament againſt Toleration, and for the Magiſtrates power: But theſe Preparatives and Additionals amounting to about ſome …en ſheets, (the reviewing, perfecting, and printing whereof would take up at leaſt twenty dayes) and not knowing what a Day might bring forth, the Storm comming on ſo faſt, I thought it beſt, for fear this Book might be ſuppreſſed at the Preſſe and never ſee the Sun, to ſend it forth as it was, that the Church of God at home and abroad might have the benefit of it, and to reſerve the reſt for a ſecond Part (if God ſpare life and liberty.) In this preſent Tractate is handled the Scripturall part of Anti-Toleration (the beſt foundation and only ground-work to build on) wherein there are not only the Scriptures produced for proof, but made good by ſeverall reaſons from the text and context, with all the evaſions to clude and put them off, fully anſwered. The ſubject matter of this Book is the great Controverſie of the times, Toleration being that very thing for which God hath a controverſie with the Parliament and Land, having moſt juſtly, (however tis moſt unjuſt on their part) raiſed up that Generation not to ſuffer them, becauſe they have againſt the councel of God, yea againſt all ſenſe and reaſon, let them alone and ſuffered them to grow to this Head. I remember what God ſaid to his people Iſrael,Numb. 33. 52, 5. that if they did not drive out the Canaanites and deſtroy their pictures &c. they ſhould be pricks in their eyes and thorns in their ſides, and ſhould vex them with their wiles,… King 20. 42. What of the King of Iſrael, becauſe that he let go out of his hand a man appointed to deſtruction, therefore his life ſhould go for his life, and his people for that people; as alſo what of the Angel of Thyatira, that Chriſt had a quarrell with him for ſuffering that woman Jezabel to teach and to ſeduce his ſervants.Revel. 2. 20. And we may ſee how God hath now fulfilled this upon the Parliament, Miniſtry, City, Kingdome, vexing us and threatning heavy things againſt us by the Sectaries, puniſhing us wherein we have offended. In all ages and hiſtories of the Church we ſhall find that Hereticks and Sectaries, however whilſt weak and few, have pleaded for Toleration and Liberty, yet when they have come to grow ſtrong and to have power in their hands, they never would ſuffer the Orthodox, but have been the greateſt tyrants and perſecutors, as the Arrians, Donatiſts, Anabaptiſts, Arminians. It was the obſervation of*Aug. contra Petil. l. 2. c. 83. Noli dicere, inquit Petiliano Auguſtinus, Abſit, abſit à conſcientia noſtra ut ad noſtram fidem aliquem compellamus: facitis enim ubi poteſtis; ubi autem non facitis non pot…ſtis, ſive legum ſive invidiae tim…re, ſive reſiſtentium multitudine. Auguſtine many hundred yeers ago, and his anſwer to Petilian, That the Donatiſts (however they pleaded far be it from them to compell any one to their Tenets) where they had power, uſed to force the Orthodox violently; and where they did not, it was not for want of will, but becauſe they could not for fear of the laws or the multitude of refuſers; yea if any of their own party left them and came to the Orthodox, they would fall upon them and beat them, yea kill them; and that Sect of the Donatiſts which was ſtrongeſt, would implore the help of the Magiſtrate againſt their Schiſmaticks the Maximinianiſtae and Rogatiſtae: all which Auſtin ſhows. But for a concluſion, I ſhall turn my prayers unto God, that he would give us to ſee and know our ſin in our puniſhment, and to give him glory in ſaying. Righteous art thou O Lord, and juſt are thy judgements; And for the time to come to give Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and his People more zeal and wiſdome then to tolerate and ſuffer Errors, Hereſies, and Schiſmes. And ſo commending theſe labours to the bleſſing of Chriſt, who yet lives and raigns, (as*Luther epiſt. ad Wenceſ. Lin cum. Chriſtus meus vivit & regnat, & ego vivam & regnabo. Luther ſpeaks) and will raign till he hath made all his enemies his footſtool.
I remain, Yours in Chriſt, THOMAS EDWARDS.