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 Captivity 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 (Psalms 2:10, 11, 12; Isaiah 49:23; Zechariah 13:2, 3). That the second Psalm is a prophecy of the days of the Gospel, after Christ's coming into the world is clearly demonstrated by (Acts 4:24, 25, 26, 27) where by Peter and John it is applied to those times, in which Psalm King David, foreseeing in Spirit that Heathen Kings would band themselves and assemble together against the Lord and his Christ, extends the same charge to the Gentiles which the Kings of Jury received before, and warned them all at once, Be wise you Kings, understand you Judges of the world: Serve the Lord; and it is to be observed in that second Psalm that Kings and Judges as such are to serve the Lord and kiss the Son, upon which words Augustine writes thus, All men ought to serve God: in one sort by common condition as men; in another sort by several gifts and offices, by the which some do this some do that; no private persons could command Idols to be punished clean from among men, which was so long before prophesied, therefore Kings besides their duty 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 do which are not Kings. For in this Kings (in respect they be Kings) serve the Lord (as God by David warns them) if in their Kingdoms they command that which is good, and prohibit that which is evil, not in Civil affairs only, but in matters also concerning divine Religion. That Isaiah 49:23 is a prophecy 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 your nursing Fathers, &c., now they could not be called the nurses of the Church if they had no care of Religion; but those of whom this prophecy was meant, and in whom fulfilled, did care for Religion, did care for the Faith, as Constantine, Gratian, Theodosius, and others, who by public Edicts did prohibit false Doctrines and did command all throughout the whole Empire, to embrace the true Faith; it is confessed by Master Burroughs himself, The protection of their Civil peace is not sufficient to give them such a denomination of nursing Fathers and Mothers. Upon which place Bilson writes thus, with this endeavour of Christian Princes God comforteth his Church by the mouth of Isaiah, Kings shall be your nursing Fathers, &c., what Isaiah says Princes shall do, that I conclude Princes must do, because God would not promise they should usurp another man's office but discharge their own. If you take the milk of Princes for temporal honours, Lands, and goods, the very Children will laugh you to scorn. The Church of Christ is no wanton Church, She lusts for no worldly wealth, which is rather harmful poison than wholesome food, God's provision for her is spiritual, not carnal, her delights are not outward in flesh, but inward in grace: The Prophet good man had no leisure to think on your farms, demesnes and Revenues; no remedy, you must needs yield us that Christian Princes, in respect of their office, not of their riches, have received an express commandment from God to show themselves Nurses to his Church. Now Nurses by nature must provide for their infants and defend them from danger, therefore Kings and Queens in the new Testament, are bound to tender the Church of Christ, and by their princely power and public Laws to defend the same from infection of Heresies, invasions of Schisms, and all other apparent corruptions of faith and good manners. Zechariah 13:2, 3 is a prophecy of the times and days of the Gospel, as the context is clear and is confessed by some Patrons of Toleration, though put off and evaded that it is allegorical and figurative, and meant of some one particular time only under the Gospel, with other such like, as the Postscript to Hagiomastix writes page 21, 22, all which evasions I had thought at this time to have fully taken off, and to have cleared this text by many passages and Phrases in the context, besides several reasons that it must needs be understood literally, and of all times under the Gospel, but the troubles of the times call me off from my intended thoughts and preparations in this kind, and shall reserve them (if God will) for a second part. Only I shall add that divers learned Interpreters ancient and modern as Theodoret, Calvin, and others hold the Prophet here alludes to Deuteronomy 13, where God required such strictness in maintaining pure Doctrine, that the Father should rise up against the Son whom he begat. God would have all the godly to burn with such a zeal of defending the true worship of God and piety, that no affinity nor consanguinity, nor any other carnal respect should prevail to hinder the requiring of punishment upon their nearest 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 been neglected, yes trodden under foot, Zechariah says that when the faithful should repent, they should be endowed with such a desire of true piety, as neither Father nor Mother should suffer wicked errors in their Sons. And here it is to be observed that this zeal is approved of under the Kingdom of Christ; for Zechariah does not here restrain this Doctrine to the time of the Law, but shows what shall be when Christ is come, namely that then again that zeal shall burn in the hearts of all the godly which was almost extinct. It follows therefore this Law was not given only to the Jews, as many fanatical men imagine, who would have a leave of disturbing the world, but that this Law extends to us also. Musculus speaking of things appertaining to the class of moral 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 Mosaic Law; and therefore Zechariah does here interpret that Law in Deuteronomy 13 concerning false Prophets and Seducers, to be in force under the Gospel. The Prophets in their writings do interpret and explain Moses' writings, as the Books of Moses do the Decalogue, written by God in two Tables of stone and delivered to Moses (Deuteronomy 5:22). That in Deuteronomy 13 is to be compared with this Zechariah 13:3, where we find the same things, almost the same words used in a prophecy 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 to condign punishment, even the taking away of his life. And so Master Cartwright speaking of this prophecy 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 Deuteronomy 17:7, where it is proved the Witness who accused should throw the first stone against the convicted persons, therefore they ascribe the killing of the guilty person, as belonging to the duty of the Accuser.