This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
Whether any of the Prophets, Apostles, yea our Saviour himselfe did ever except at the Mngistrates Authority, for questioning them in matters of Religion?
1. The Prophets and Christ are ill coupled in this Question, because the Law & the Prophets were until John,
and so their Actions cannot be brought in as witnesses with Christ.
2. Whether Christ did not except against the Magi∣strates power in Religion, in that distinction, Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, &c. was not giving Caesar his due, a giving God his due, what difference can there be between Gods due and Caesars due, but onely that of mat∣ter of conscience Spirituall and Religious which Caesar had no power over.
3. The Apostles not only refused to obey ungodly com∣mands, but even to owne the Courts of the highest in mat∣ters of Religion, Act. 4.5.
4. If Christs Followers should owne any Trybunall questioning them by Authority, but Christs in matters of Religion, it would be Blasphemy.
Ad. 1. 1. Its true the Prophets Prophecyed of Christs comming untill John, Mat. 11.13. but the substance of their Doctrine is not antiquated by Christs coming, Mat. 5.17.
2. I aske, why the Prophets Testimony may not be cou∣pled with Christs, seeing that the same Spirit that was in Christ, was in the Prophets, 1. Pet. 1.11.
Ad. 2. I cannot conceive what objection against the Ma∣gistrates Power can be gathered out of Mat. 22.21. the scope of the place is no more then that the maintaining of Gods service, must not excuse them from maintaining the ci∣vill power, for they were Caesars Subjects, and therefore must pay Tribute to Caesar: And though in giving Cae∣sar his due, in some sence they gave God his due (because Magistracy is an ordinance of God) yet this was not Gods whole due (for the Ministry is likewise an ordinance of God) and I thinke the payments towards the maintain∣ing of Gods service were easily to be discerned from Caesars Tribute, and might be called Gods due in a peculiar man∣ner. But none so blind as those that will not see.
Ad. 3.1. I aske, whether the Apostles were not often accuse
of Heresie before the Magistrates, did they ever plead the Magistrates had no power to judge of such cases.
Nay, is not Gallio branded for his indifferency and care∣lesnesse in such cases.
2. I'es false that the Apostles Act. 4.5. refused to own the Court, for they pleaded Non-guilty, and made a defence for them selves which is a full owning of a Court.
Ad. 4. Whether the Apostles by Answering to Courts that questioned them concerning their Religion were guil∣ty of Blasphemy.
Whether Paul counting himselfe happy in that he should Answer before Agrippa counted it a happy thing to speake Blasphemy.