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to my present apprehension. However, for the present, I remove such from this debate.
5. The like to this also may be said concerning blasphemy, the law whereof is likewise commonly urged in this cause. The establishment for the punishment of a blasphemer is in Lev. xxiv. 16. Given it was upon the occasion of the blas- pheming and cursing of the son of an Egyptian, upon his striving and contending with an Israelite. Being, probably, in his own apprehension, wronged by his adversary, he fell to reviling his God. The word here used to express his sin, is 3p3 signifying also to pierce, and is twice so rendered, Isa. xxxvi. 6. Hab. iii. 14. Desperate expressions ! piercing the honour and glory of the Most High, willingly and wil- fully, were doubtless his death-deserving crime. It is the same word that Balak used to Balaam, when he would have persuaded him to a deliberate cursing and pouring out of the imprecations on the people of God ; Numb, xxiii. 13, 14. A resolved piercing of the name and glory of God, with cursed reproaches, is the crime here sentenced to death. The schoolmen tells us, that to complete blasphemy, the perverse affection of the heart, in detestation of the goodness of God, joined with the reproaches of his name, is required.? Which how remote it is from error of any sort (I mean within the compass of them whereof we speak), being a pure misap- prehension of the understanding, embraced (though falsely), for the honour of God, I suppose is easily conceived ; and so consequently that the argument for the death of a person erring, because he came off no easier of old who blasphemed, is a ' baculo ad angulum.'
If any shall say that blasphemy is of a larger extent, and more general acceptation in the Scripture, I shall not deny it. But yet that that kind of blasphemy which was punish- able with violent death, was comprehensive of any inferior crime, I suppose cannot be proved. However, blasphemy in the Scripture is never taken in any place, that I can re- member, for a man's maintaining his own error; but for his reviling, and speaking evil of the truth, which he receiveth not: and so Paul before his conversion was a blasphemer.'' Now if men, to whom forbearance is indulged in by-paths
P Thorn. 22ae. g. 13. a 1. ad lura. 1 Acts xviii. 6. xxvi. 11. 1 Tim. i. IS.
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of their own, shall make it their work to cast dirt on the better ways of truth, it is to me very questionable whether they do not offend against that prime dictate of nature, for the preservation of human society, ' Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feceris :' and for such I will be no advocate. Neither can indeed the law of blasphemy be impartially urged by us in any case of heresy whatsoever. For,
(1.) The penal sanctions of the laws of God are not in England esteemed of moral equity, and perpetually indispen- sable : for if so, why do adulterers unmolested behold the violent death of stealers?
(2.) The blasphemer by that law was not allowed his clergy : die he must without mercy, no room being left for the intervention of repentance, as to the removal of his tem- poral punishment : when once the witnesses garments were rent he was anathema. But in case of any heresy repent- ance, yea, recantation is a sure antidote (at least for once, so it is among the Papists) against all corporal sufferings.
6. Neither doth that place in Zechariah, chap. xiii. 3. con- cerning the running through of the false prophet, more prove or approve of the punishment of death to be inflicted for misapprehensions in the matters of religion (and if it proves not that, it proveth nothing; for slaying is the thing ex- pressed, and certainly if proofs be taken from the letter, the letter must be obeyed, or we force the word to serve our hypothesis) than that place of John x, 1. 'He that entereth not by the door is a thief and a robber;' which Bellarmine strongly urgeth to this very purpose, because thieves and robbers are so dealt withal righteously.'' If such deduc- tions may be allowed, it will be easy to prove ' quidlibet ex quolibet,' at any time.
If the letter be urged, and the sense of the letter as it lies ('indeed the figurative sense of such places is the pro- per, literal sense of them) let that sense alone be kept to. Let parents then pass sentence, condemn, and execute their children, when they turn seducers ; and that in any kind whatsoever, into what seduction soever they shall be en-
f Bell. lib. de Laicis. cap. 21. » August, de util. creden. cap. 3. Thoin. pp. q. 1 a. 10. Zanch. de SS. q. 12. cap. 2. reg. 10. Tileii. Syiitag. Tlieol. de interpret. S. thes. 8. Whitak. de SS. qu. 5. cap. 2. Arniin. disput. pri. Thcs. 9. 1. Ames. Med. Theol. cap. 34. Thes. 22.
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gaged, be it most pernicious, or in things of" less concern- ment. The letter allows of none of our distinctions ; be they convinced, or not convinced ; obstinate, or not obsti- nate, all is one ; so it must be, thrust through, and slain by their parents, must they fall to the ground. Only observe, his father and his mother that begat him must be made magistrates, prophets with unclean spirits be turned into heretics, only thrusting through, that must be as it is in the letter ; yea, though plainly the party, of whom it is said, * Thou shalt not live,' ver. 3. is found alive, ver. 6. Surely such an Orlean's gloss is scarce sufficient to secure a con- science in slaying heretics. But when men please, this whole place shall directly point at the discipline of the churches, and their spiritual censures under the gospel, curing deceivers, and bringing them home to confession and acknowledgment of their folly. See the late Annot. of the Bible.