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 practice 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 [sic] in Christian commonwealths and kingdoms both of a vniversal 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.

Title: 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 practice 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 [sic] in Christian commonwealths and kingdoms both of a vniversal 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.

Author: Edwards, Thomas, 1599-1647.

Collection: Early English Books Online

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Gradus non tollunt substantiam, Magis & Minus non variant spe∣ciem: Tis apparent by sense and experience that how much so∣ever spirituall blessings, and spiritual judgements in the dayes of the Gospel abound above the times under the Law, yet they take not away all temporal outward blessings, nor all temporal outward judgements, but God for all that gives ma∣ny outward blessings, and sends many temporal judgements on the earth, So supposing God should inflict more spiritual judgements on the soules of men under the new Testament, and the Church greater spiritual censures then under the old, it no way followes the Magistrates may inflict none at all, especially when all spiritual judgements on the soule are slited, and with a high hand contemned. Fourthly, Whereas punishment by the Magistrate and cutting off by death under the old Testa∣ment, in cases of Apostasie, Blasphemie, &c, is made a Cere∣monie and type of excommunication under the new Testa∣ment, cutting off of casting out, and of eternal damnation, I may truly Answer this is gratis dictum, said, but not proved, and therefore might deny it without giving any reason, and bid the Patrons of Toleration prove it, but that the Civill Magistrates punishing delinquents under the old Testament, was no Ceremonie nor Type, I shall give these reasons. 1. Ce∣remonies, shadowesZepper, Mo∣sai. Leg. Expla∣nas. lib. 1. cap. 7. ceremonia∣lia Typica re∣rum fuerunt aut praeterita∣rum recorda∣tiones ent fu∣turarum praefig∣nificationes, Re∣rum praeterita∣rum ut anima Paschatis cele∣bratio, manna in arca foederis asservata, a∣neus Scrpens. Futurarum ut Sacrificia, &c. Typical things under the old Law, were either of things past, or things to come, the remembrances of things already done, or the Praesignifications of future things, but Ceremonies and Types were not the signification of things present and existent: Now excommunication and eternal damnation were at that time under the old Law when those commands of punishing with death the Apostate, faise Prophet, &c, were given and in use. That excommunication and cut∣ting off from the Church were in the Church of the Iewe in the times of the good Kings and Magistrates punishing Ido∣laters, &c with the Civil sword, let the Reader Consult Aarons Rod blossoming 1 Book 4. 5, 6, 7. chapt. That there was Hell and eternall damnation under the old Law, as well as the new, both before those commands in Deut. 13. 17. were given, and all along after, many places of Scripture show, as Isaiah. 30. 33. 2 Pet. 4. Jude 5. 6, 7, that mention Hell for the evil An∣gels, 0