Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Magiſtracy and perpetuall Lawes in the old Teſtament warrant the civill coercing of falſe Prophets.
Argument VII.
WHat the Patriarkes, Rulers, as Rulers, not as tipicall Rulers puniſhed falſe teachers with the ſword.and Godly Princes of Iſrael and Judah were obliged to doe, as Rulers and Princes, and not as ſuch Rulers who were priviledged types of Chriſt, that all Kings and Rulers under the new teſtament are obliged to doe. For quod convenit foreign what agreeth to Kings as ſuch, and to Rulers as ſuch, agreeth to all Kings, and to all Rulers.
But Patriarkes and Godly Princes, as Rulers commanded the putting away of ſtrange Gods, as Jacob, Gen. 35. 2, 3, 4. did, and the worſhip of the true God: as Abraham, Gen. 18. He being a Prince within himſelfe. So repenting Manaſſes, 2 Chron. 33. 15, 16. removed ſtrange Gods, and new A…ers. Aſa removed Idolatry and Queen-mother for her Idolatry, 2 Chron. 14. renewed the Covenant, and commanded that who ſoever ſhould not ſeeke the Lord God of Iſrael, ſhould be put to death whether ſmall or great, whether man or women: … is commanded, becauſe he tooke away the high …, and the duplicate page duplicate page groves, as other godly Kings are blemiſhed for not removing of them, 2 Chro. 19. 4. Nevertheleſſe there are good things found in thee, ſaith the Prophet, Jehu. Hezekiah removed the high places, the images, groves, brazen Serpent, reſtored the Paſſeover, worſhip, Prieſts. And Joſiah deſtroyed the high places, groves, carved, and molten Images, Idols, and Altars of Baal…m, the horſes dedicated to the Sunne, houſes of the Sodomites, Topheth, Baals Prieſts, 2 Chro. 34. Now that they did this as Princes, not as priviledged types of Chriſt, and that God requires this at the hands of king Charles, when God ſhall eſtabliſh him in his Throne, to take order with Arrians, Socinians, Antitrinitarians, Familiſts, …, Anabaptiſts, Seekers, &c. is evident.
1.Typicalneſſe did not priviledge all the Kings of Judah and Iſrael to compell the conſcience, and puniſh falſe teachers, as Libertines ſay. Their aſſertion, that all the Judges and Kings, were types of Chriſt, even Jeroboam, Jehu, Ahab, and the vileſt of them is ſaid, not proved.
2. That typicalneſſe inveſted all theſe Kings with a power over the conſcience, 2. to convert men to God with a ſword of ſteele.
3. To puniſh Idolaters, whereas they had none, if they had wanted this typicalneſſe, the contrary being evident in Cyrus, Artaxerxes, Darius.
4. That this typicalneſſe made Jeroboam, Ahab, and ſuch who ſold themſelves to wickedneſſe, infallible to judge who were true Prophets, and reward them, and who were ſeducers, to put them to death, the contrary of which is cleare in Ahab, and men of his ſtamp.
5. Wee require any ground from the word that they were types of Chriſt.
6. That the typicalneſſe of the land made the head, the King, a type of Chriſt, and not all the inhabitants types alſo.
7. That the typicalneſſe of the land made the King head of the Church, and yet he might not offer incenſe, but hee muſt be ſtrucken with leproſie as King Ʋzzah was.
9. That Church and State was one.
10. That the King was ſupreme Church-Judge above the Prieſts that handle the Law, and over both judicatures of Church and State, (11.) That they were all Prophets, and by an extraordinary typicall power removed the high places, killed Baals Prieſts; all which phancies taken for granted lyeth between them and this, That Princes now have nothing to doe with Chriſt and Religion more then Indians.
2. That they did this as Princes of common equity by the law of Nature; I prove 1. Darius who was undeniably no type of Chriſt to his great commendation makes a Law, Ezra 6. 11. I have made a decree that whoſoever ſhall alter this word, let timber be pulled from his houſe, and being ſet up, let him bee hanged thereon, and let his houſe bee made a dunghill for this; and this is commended by the Holy Ghoſt, v. 14. They proſpered through the propheſying of Haggai, &c. according to the Commandement of the God of Iſrael, and according to the commandement of Cyrus and Darius, and Artaxerxes King of Perſia. And Ezra chap. 7. Artaxerxes ſaith v. 26. Whoſoever will not doe the law of thy God, and the law of the King (injoyning obedience thereunto) Let judgement be executed ſpeedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or unto baniſhment, or to confiſcation of goods, or to impriſonment. And Artaxerxes was no type of Chriſt, yet Ezra addeth in the next verſe, 27. Bleſſed be the Lord God of our Fathers, which hath put ſuch a thing as this in the heart of the King, to beautifie the houſe of the Lord at Jeruſalem. If it ſtand good that patrons of liberty ſay, he was not to bleſſe God for this, he had cauſe to mourne, that the heathen King being no type of Chriſt, ſhould intermeddle with that which belonged not to him, to ſtraine the tender conſciences of men, and to force Religion upon them with the ſword; for chap. 10. v. 7, 8. this is ſet downe as a bleſſed decree which brought on an Aſſembly, for putting away ſtrange wives. The like is clear in the decree of Darius, Daniel 6. for worſhipping the God of Daniel, and of the King of Niniveb, for a generall faſt, Jon. 3. and Nebuchandnezar, Dan. 3. 28, 29.
3.How typicalneſſe priviledgeth men to ſuch and ſuch actions, how not. Typicalneſſe ſometime may be ground of doing what is extraordinary, as Sampſon killed himſelfe and his enemies, which he could not have done in ordinary, but he was in it a type of Chriſt, who ſlew more in his death, (and that moſt voluntary, Joh. 10. 18.) then in his life. And Solomon as a type married the daughter of the King of Aegypt, typifying Chriſt, who joyned himſelfe in marriage with the Church of the Gentiles▪ but it is no good conſequence, the Kings of Judah being types did puniſh Idolaters, therefore … … niſhing of Idolaters was extraordinary. For … the Ammonites and Philiſtimes, and ſo did Joſhua the … as types of Chriſt, who ſubdueth all our ſpirituall …, and makes the Gentiles his willing ſubjects, but it followeth not that therefore Chriſtian Kings may not … Joſhua and David in making warre with Nations that come againſt them in battell, as theſe did againſt the people of Iſrael, Joſh. 11. 26, 27. Pſ. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. For ſometime the ground of typicall actions is morall, as Joſephs brethren bowed to him by vertue of the fifth Commandement, becauſe Joſeph was a Prince ſecond to the King, yet both …ee and they were types, for theſe that deſpiſed and ſold Chriſt bowed to him; ſometimes the ground of typicall actions is an extraordinary impulſion, and then they binde not to imitation, as a man may not kill himſelfe, that he may kill his enemies, to follow Sampſon; in that extraordinary motion of the Spirit, in which he was a type of Chriſt. But if there be no more but naked typicalneſſe in the Kings of Iſrael and Judah in puniſhing Idolaters, except they did it by extraordinary impulſion, which cannot be proved, it concludes nothing againſt us.
Argument VIII.
WEE argue from examples of Seducers,Seducers puniſhed by bodily death. who have been puniſhed with bodily death or otherwiſe: As at the command of Moſes the Prince, three thouſand were ſlaine, Exod. 32. 26, 27, 28. for worſhipping the golden Calfe, that God might that day beſtow a bleſſing on them, 29. and Moſes might make atonement for them, verſ. 30. Numb. 25. Moſes commands all the heads of the people to be hanged before the …, that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Iſrael, becauſe they were joyned to Baal-peor, and the ſacrifice of the Gods of Moah, 1, 2, 3, 4. Phineas in his zeale turned away the … of God in that he thruſt through Zimri in the act of uncleanneſſe with Corby a Medianitiſh woman. And … ſlay the Prieſts of Baal, with the ſword. And Paul … Elimas the Sorcerer with blindneſſe, becauſe he laboured to pervert Sergius Pa…lus the deputy, from the faith, Act. 13. 8, 9, 10. the ſonne of the Iſraelitiſh woman, whoſe father was an Egyptian, while he did ſtrive with a man of Iſraell and ſo in paſſion and malice toward the man, as would appeare, curſed God, was ſtoned to death, and a law was made on it againſt the blaſphemer, Levit. 24. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. which is,Puniſhing of Idolators and blaſphemers of the law of nature. ver. 15, 16. Whoſoever curſeth his God ſhall beare his ſin, 16. And whoſoever blaſphemeth the name of the Lord hee ſhall ſurely be put to death; and all the congregation ſhall certainly ſtone him, as well the ſtranger as hee that is borne in the land, when her blaſphemeth the name of the Lord ſhall be put to death: there be two things here to me that proveth this was no judiciall temporary law binding Iſrael onelyonly.
1 His God, Holdeth forth, that nature abhorreth, and the ſum of the firſt command written in the heart is, hee that curſeth his maker whom he is to bleſſe, love, and ſerve with all his heart, ſhould dye.
2 This law obliegeth the ſtranger, and any heathen to be put to death, if hee ſhould blaſpheme God, ſaith it is the law of nature, and obliegeth us under the New Teſtament as being the firſt and higheſt ſin that nature crieth ſhame, and woe upon; and wee are to conceive it was a lawfull warre attempted by the ten tribes to goe againſt the tribe of Ruben, Gad and the halfe of Manaſſah, Joſh. 10. 11, 12. &c. to 34. becauſe they ſet up a new Alter to worſhip (as their brethren conceived) which if true, certainly was a cleare apoſtacy from the God of Iſrael. That Joſhua deſtroyed the Canaanites for their Idolatry, Joſh. 6. 21; 22. chap. 20, &c. I confeſſe will not warrant us to make warre, and deſtroy with the ſword, all the Indians, and Idolaters on earth, and to compell them to worſhip the true God in the Mediator Chriſt, without preaching firſt the goſpell to them▪ Nor can it warrant us to kil every ignorant blinded Papiſt with the ſword, nor can wee deny, but what Elias and Paul did againſt falſe teachers, was by extraordinary impulſion, becauſe the ordinary Magiſtrate would not, as … and Jezebell, and could not, through ignorance of the goſpell puniſh perverters of the truth: but ſure theſe examples prove corporal, and ſometimes capitall, puniſhment ought by the Magiſtrate to be inflicted on all blaſphemers, on all ringleaders of Idolatry and falſe worſhip, as Exod. 32. They forced Aaron to make the calfe, and Levit. 25. they were heads, rulers, and cheife offenders that were hanged, the manner of the puniſhment may bee exemplary and determined of God, for the example of after ages, whither by death, for ſimple hereſie in one ſeduced, which was no ring-leader, (which I finde hath not been done by God, in the old or new Teſtament) but ſeducers and ring-leaders by the law, ſuch as ceaſe not to ſubvert the faith of others ſhould dye, yet theſe examples clearly hold forth ſo much of the law of nature as bodily puniſhment, according to the meaſure of the offence is due: otherwiſe if Chriſt have freed falſe teachers from all puniſhment external, or that may be thought to worke any otherwiſe then by meer ſpirituall inſtructing in all meekneſſe, then by the liberty purchaſed by Chriſt they are freed from ſhame and reproach, for ſhame and the publickneſſe of ſuffering is an external puniſhment, and is another meanes, beſides meek inſtructing, as is clear from Judg. 8. 7. and from Souls calling Jonathan the ſonne of a rebellious woman, in which he handled him ſhamefully, 1 Sam. 20. 34. Iſa. 50. 6. Luk. 14. 9. Yea, by this way of Libertines, falſe teachers are not to bee rebuked, nor avoyded, that they may be aſhamed, Paul may not upbraid the Cretians, and call them idle bellies, and lyars, that they may be ſound in the faith: for that muſt be contrary to the liberty, wherewith Chriſt hath made them free. And a bodily puniſhment may be extraordinary in regard of the manner of doing, when done by miracle, and fire brought from heaven, and in regard of the perſons that inflict it,How wars that are extraordinary in the manner, and in ſome particular acts may be and are in the ſubſtance of the acts ordinary rules oblieg…ng us. as that which Phineas did being Prieſt, and Elias being a Prophet, and Paul being an Apoſtle, when the Magiſtrate will not do his part; and yet the puniſhment in the … and ſubſtance, may be according to an ordinary law of God that bindes us: Paul ſtrikes Elimas with blindneſſe; it is no rule for Miniſters to do the like to falſe teachers; but it is the rule for him that beares the ſword, to inflict bodily puniſhment upon perverters of the Goſpell, if this … not, Joſhua's warres with the Canaanits that were according to a morall and perpetuall rule of juſtice, and bindes us, Joſh. 11. 26, 27. ſhould not binde us to lawfull defenſive warres in the like caſe, contrary to the law of nature, Joſh. 11. 26, 27. becauſe Joſhua in theſe warres did many things extraordinarily, and killed all the cattle and women with childe, which we are not to doe. The anſwer of many is, Theſe were extraordinary, ergo, they binde not us. Is no anſwer, they were extraordinary in the manner, not in the ſubſtance and nature of the puniſhment, in which the courſe of juſtice warrants us, as a rule flowing from the Law of nature, though the manner and extraordinary accidents are before us, as no oblieging law, upon the ſame ground many argue; the Apoſtles, who were immediately inſpired, give out ſynodicall decrees, Acts 15. therefore Elders that are not infallible, may not give decrees according to the word of truth. Yea (ſay we) neither ſhould this be a good conſequence, the Prophets, and immediately inſpired Apoſtles preached and propheſied the will of God as the Lord taught them. Ergo, Miniſter, now, though not immediately inſpired may not preach the mind of God according to the proportion of faith, for we thinke the conſequence is moſt ſtrong, according to the word, wee are to follow the Prophets and Apoſtles in that, in which they followed the law of nature, which is, that every Ambaſſador relate faithfully his Princes will, though ſome have ordinary gifts, ſome extraordinary and rare gifts in relating the ſame embaſſage: So it is no good conſequence, ſome by extraordinary warrant did puniſh evill doers, ergo, the ordinary Magiſtrate hath not therefore power to puniſh ſuch evill doers.
Argument IX.
THE expreſſe law of God,The Law of God warranted by the Law teacheth that falſe teachers and hereticks are to be puniſhed with the ſword. and of nature written in the heart of al, proveth that the ſeducer ſhould die, Deut. 13. If a Prophet or a Dreamer ariſe, and ſay, let us goe after other Gods, he ſhall be put to death.
That is no temporary law oblieging the Jewes only, the Text ſayth.
1 Let us goe (ſaith the Dreamer) after other Gods is … them, this …in is againſt the firſt command, and that im…aculate principle of nature, graven in the heart of man, That there is one onelyonly true God, and he onelyonly to be ſerved.
2 It is againſt the love of God, ver. 2. The Lord tryeth you whether you love the Lord your God: if he be God our love is due to him.
3 It is againſt the fear of God, v. 4. Ye ſhall fear him: if he be God, he is omnipotent, infinitely great and dreadfull, therefore by the light of nature to be feared. And 5. cleaved to as the onelyonly happineſſe of men. Adde to theſe, that it is a morall tranſgreſſion, if Magiſtracy, and lawfull revenging of violence and unjuſtice by the Miniſter of God, and Government againſt higheſt ſoule-oppreſſion, be a naturall Remedy, not a temporary poſitive ſalve (as undoubtedly it is) then ſure he that ſeduces ſo, ſhould dye.
1. He ſpeakes averſion and turning away from God, and that is hell and the extremity of miſeries.
2. He thruſts thee out of the way, v. 5. a word of violence.
Then 3. he is evill and deſtructive to the ſociety of men, which the Magiſtrate by his office ſhould defend, v. 5. So ſhalt thou put away the evill from the midſt of thee.
4. He ſeeks to thruſt thee from the Lord thy God, that brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt. The word foreign is to remove from God, as from an unclean and curſed thing, and it expreſſeth excommunication, and then to thruſt men away from the Lord in Covenant with us, that can ſave from the greateſt of miſeries, muſt be the higheſt of injuries, and if the Lord proved a publicke avenger againſt the higheſt wrongs that can be done in a ſociety (as he doth) then certainly againſt this.
5. It is a wrong that God would have all Iſrael to feare, a wickedneſſe that ſtrikes at the root of ſociety. 11. And all Iſrael ſhall heare and feare, and doe no more any ſuch wickedneſſe as this among you. And v. 13. ſuch are children of Beliel, they make all things and perſons curſed they come among, and bring on the land, the fierce anger of the Lord, v. 17. the int… ſecall worke and end of the Magiſtrate is to avenge evill doing, and ſo to remove the fierce anger of the Lord from a land, that the people may feare and not do any ſuch wickedneſſe, as is cleare, Deut. 13. 10. 11. Exod. 32. 29. 30. Deut. 19. 20. Rom. 13. 3, 4, 5. 1 Pet. 2. 14. Now the falſe Prophet is ſuch as brings on all theſe evills, and therefore if Magiſtrates ſtand under the new Teſtament, and if there be ſuch a ſin now as thruſting away people from the Lord who hath, in Chriſt, delivered us from a greater bondage then that of Aegypt, this muſt be a perpetuall Law.
Deut. The law Deut. 17. 2, 3. for puniſhing of Idolaters.17. 2. If there …e found any among you within any of thy gates which the Lord thy God giveth thee, man or woman, that hath wrought wickedneſſe in the ſight of the Lord in tranſgreſſing his Covenant, and hath gone and ſerved other Gods and worſhipped them, either the Sunne or the Moone, or any of the hoaſt of heaven, which I have not commanded. 4. And it be told thee, and thou haſt heard of it, and the thing certaine that ſuch abomination is wrought in Iſrael. 5. Then ſhalt thou bring forth that man or that woman which hath committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man and that woman, and ſhall ſtone them with ſtones till they dye. 6. At the mouth of two witneſſes or three witneſſes, ſhall he that is worthy of death bee put to death.
Hence not ſimple Idolaters, nor all the Nations round about, nor all the Papiſts, that are educated in Idolatry, by this Law ſhall be put to death, but ſuch as are within the gates of Iſrael. 2. In Covenant with God. 3. It is wrought in Iſrael, and ſo Apoſtates to Judaiſme, to ſtrange Gods are to be puniſhed; ſo we teach not that Nations are to be converted by the ſword, or that the Idolatry of Indians, the blaſphemy of Jews, There was no conſulting with the or…cle who ſhould be put to death for his conſcience in the old Teſtament, but an ordinary way of trying ſuch evill do…rs by judicial proceeding and hearing of witneſſes.is a ſufficient ground to make warre againſt them, and cut them off with the ſword.
2. Apoſtates turning to falſe Gods, were by a written law judged. There is no conſulting of an Oracle by urim and th…mim here, as Libertines ſay, but juſt as the murtherer is to be judged under the New Teſtament, if it be told thee, the people or the Judge, and thou haſt …eard of it. v. 6. Ʋnder two witneſſes, hee ſhall be convinced. It were a vaine thing to goe and ſeek witneſſes, and follow reports and hear-ſayes, if they had an immediate Oracle to informe the Judge and ſay, Here the Idolatry, there the Idolater, binde him and lead him away to death, (as ſome Patrons of Liberty plead) we read not any ſuch conjecture.
3 He is not perſecuted for opinions, Becauſe be cannot c…me up to that meaſure of light in judgement that other Saints attain unto, but he is put to death for an externall act of Idolatry, that is ſeen, heard, proved by two witneſſes. and for externall abomination wrought in Iſrael, v. 5, 6. the Lord never puts a Judge to prove opinions, that remain within the walls of the heart, and are things of the minde, by witneſſes, nor is the end of putting to death to force, beat, or cudgell him to the ſound faith, with the ſword, but to be avenged on hi… ſin, to remove evill, to ſave the Iſrael of God from infection.
4 It is not ſingle Idolatry that is his death,The end of puniſhing of falſe teachers with the ſword is not their converſion to God (Miniſteis of the Goſpell onelyonly labour in that field) but the not perverting of ſoules and diſturbing the ſafety of humain ſocieties. but his Idolatry in ſeducing others by word or example, he work… ſuch abomination in Iſrael, v. 4. in the Church of God, which tendeth to ſeduce others.
Deut. 18. 18. I will raiſe them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, that is, Chriſt Act. 3. 22. ſo the Holy Ghoſt in the Apoſtles expounds it. And he adds ver. …0. But the Prophet that ſhall preſume (he muſt mean in the time of the Meſſiah, when the true Prophet ſhall riſe) to ſpeak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to ſpeak, or that ſhall ſpeak in the name of other gods, even that Prophet ſhall die. It is a prophecy of a New Teſtament Law, becauſe many were to come in Chriſts name, and ſay, Loe I am Chriſt, as many now doe, ſo Zach. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Levit.Sacrificing of children to Molech puniſhed with death by God… Law, not as murther but as ſpiritual whordome. 20. 2. Whoſoever of the children of Iſrael, or of the ſtrangers that ſojourn in Iſrael, that giveth any of his ſeed to Molech, … ſhall ſurely be put to death. This Law, if it did lye upon the ſtrangers and heathen, then; it was not judiciall, but it muſt lye on us Gentiles, now; Who can free us from it?
Object. But he was put to death not for falſe worſhip, but for …rthering of his Son.
Anſw. No Law of God or men, can judge that murther, which is done without hatred to the party murthered, as is clear Deut. 19. 11, 12, 13. chap. 4. 42. chap. 19. 4. but here, the dearer their ſons were to them, they the rather offe…ed them to their God.
…. The Text gives no reaſon why ſuch ſhould be put to death for murther, but for falſe worſhip, againſt the firſt Table, Ver. 3. He defiles my Sanctuary, be prophanes my holy name, ver. 5. the Magiſtrate muſt kill ſuch a ſeducer, for he commits whoredom with Molech.