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Show 82. 0 How farre the Ul14giftrates m~.y;roreed fcandalous to the civilr State, whom yet nocwithfhnding the Vifou.fle• hirnfelfe acknowledgeth the civill. Magiflrate ought to punifh. Though the civill Sword fhou~d not make the oppofen Hypocrite•, yet better tolerate Hypocnces and Tares , then Bry• ars and Thomes. In fuch cafe• the civill Sword doth not fa much attend theconverfion of wicked Seducers, as the prcven• cion of the fedul:tion of honefl minds by their meanes. What the Kings and Q!!eens of England have done in former, orla.ter times, eith•~ by violent Perfecution of the Truth , or in pre.poflerous m•intenance of t~e Truth , vye have caufe r~ther to• bewaile it : (•nd (o hath the Difcuffer too, 1fhe be an Englifh· m.n) then 10 jufhfie it: as alfo bewaile the like vanity jullly complai· ned of i11 fun.1ry of 'lUr Englifh Nation, to be as ready to change· the.:"lhion of their Religion , as of their Rayment. And yet he canno1 be ignoranr, that ch.: Lord hath chofen to himfelfe fun• dry f•ithfuH wimclfe• out oj that Nation, who have continued ftedfalt untu <he death in the Profeffion of the Truth , and have notbeenoarrieJ away, either with the feare of civill Sword, or with the deceit full infinuations ofun flable but feducing T eachen, to depart from the firnplicity and Truth of the Gofpel. But how· foever. wofoll, and wonderfull changes have been made of Religi· on in EnglanJ, in the Reigne of foure or five Princes, yet it is no more then befell the Church of Jud~h, in the dayesof .Ahazand Hezek,iah, ManaJ!ih,.and Jofiah; yet the Prophets never upbrai· ded them with the civill MagHlrates Power in caufes of Religion, as.the caufeof it. Better fome vicitfrmdes in Religion, then a con• ftant continuance in Idolatry, and Popery , by Princes referring all caufes of Religion to Church-men. The Prophecie of Ent; land! Revolt againe to Popery, wan tech Scripture Light. CHAp. 40. .A 'R,Jply to hil Chap. f<lo Difculfer. BVt it hath been thoNght and [aid, JbaU OppofitionJ againjl tbl Truth efcap< unpunifhed l wiU they not pro~emifchievom l I iJII• jwer aJ before, coNcerning tbeblindGuide~, their cafe being iwcurabk i;s rather to be lamented, ftnce none hMtthe right hand of the Lml, i• .. tbl agatAjt feducttJg Heretteki... -------- the meeke alld gemle DzJPenfing of the word of Truth, can releafe them, &c. Defender. So it is with all fcandalous uffenders againfl the civil State: none can give them healin~ Repentance, but the right hand of the Lord J dfus, in the difpenfing of the word of Truth : yet that doth not reflraine Ma!!,iflrat<S from execating J••fl Judgemenl upDO them. So neither doth it reflrainc them from executing the like jufi.Judgcrnent againfl thefe, though not to procure theRepentance of incurable obflinate Here ticks , and Idolaters·: yet to prevent the fedutl:ion and fubverlion of others. Wh•t though a dead foule, though chan~cd from one Worfhip to another, ( Jik!, a dead man fhifted into [ever aU [uiteJ of App"e/1 ) cat~flot ple.je G,J! H·b. 11.6. A"dwhatthoMghF~ith be that gift, which proceedetb •fo11e[rom that Father of Light!.? Phil. 1. 29. Y e< better a dead foule be dead in body, as well as in Spirit, , then to live, and be lively in the flefh , to murder many precious foules by the Magiflrates Indulgence. And better he die without Faith, then to live to feduce many honefl minds to depart from the Faith. Difculfer. , I adde, ~ civill Sword hardneth the foll"werJ of jal[e Te~chert, by the [ujfering1 of their fJ/fe aHd ANtichrijlian Seducer!. And ft c.mdly, it begetteth in them an Tmprejfion of the f•lfhoodofthat Religion, which can~ot uphold it felfe, but with fi"h Injlrumtntl of violence, and wantelh fhe foft , and gentle commiforation of the blindmjfe of 01her~. Defender. A civill Magiflrate ou!!.ht not ro draw out his civill Sword againfl any Seducers ( Whether Here ticks, or Idol•ters) till he ha~e ufed all good meanes, for their conviction, •nd the reby clear~ly manifefled the bowels of tender ccm&miieration a&td conipaffion tpwards thern. But if after their continuance in obflinate Rebelllon againfl ~he Ligh r,he fh11l fli ll w.tlke towards them in loft and gentle cummiferation, his foftneflf:.and gentlenelfe is exceflive large to Fbxes, and woiY<s : But his bowels arc miferabiy fl raicned and hatdned againfl the poor~ !htepe and Lambs uf Chrifl. If any be hard ned M ~ by .· |