A77854:511
Vindiciæ legis
Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.Vindiciæ legis: or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians. In XXIX. lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London. / By Anthony Burgess, preacher of Gods Word.
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1646
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The answer is, that all Magistrates, they are to take care for the Sol. salvation of the malefactors souls, as much as in them lieth; but if they do perish in their sins, this ariseth not from justice done, which is rather to bring them in mind of their sins, and to humble them, but it cometh from the frowardness, and obstinacy in their own hearts. And in that, we see a Magistracy confirmed in the Gospel, we need not require an express command in the ⟨p. 183⟩New Testament for the putting of some malefactors to death.
The answer is, that all Magistrates, they are to take care for the Sol. salvation of the malefactors souls, as much as in them lyeth; but if they do perish in their sins, this ariseth not from justice done, which is rather to bring them in mind of their sins, and to humble them, but it cometh from the frowardnesse, and obstinacy in their own hearts. And in that, we see a Magistracy confirmed in the Gospel, we need not require an expresse command in the ⟨p. 183⟩New Testament for the putting of some malefactors to death.
The third thing which they say was allowed in the Law, but 1forbid by Christ in the Gospel, is War: And certainly we may read in Antiquity, that the Christians did refuse war, but not universally; for there were Christian soldiers, only there were some peculiar causes, why in those times, the Christians might decline it; As, first, because in their military oath, 2there was a calling upon an heathen god, and their banners lifted up were polluted with idolatry. And secondly, because they should be forced sometimes to be instruments in accomplishing the Emperors Edicts against the Christians, which they would not do: Now if we bring places out of the Old Testament for the lawfulness of wars, they care not; for, say they, the laws of Nature, and of Moses are to be reformed by the Laws of Christ, God indeed (say they) gave the Jews in the Old Testament leave to fight, because they had a temporal inheritance and possession given them, which they could not keep but by force of arms: now under the New Testament, God hath not done so to his people. Thus they say, but this is a shift, for we know Abraham, by a mere law of nature, went to war, and delivered his nephew Lot, being oppressed by enemies.