THE EXAMINER EXAMINED. Certaine Questions proposed to the AUTHOR of Zeale examined con­cerning his PRINCIPLES. Whereby he endevours to prove; That the MAGISTRATE by his Authority ought not to advance true RELIGION, but to give a Tole­ration to Idolatry and Heresie.

ESAY 49.22, 23.

Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, &c. And Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers, and their Queens thy nursing Mothers.

REVEL. 17.12, 16.

The ten Horses which thou sawest are ten Kings. These shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eate her flesh, and burne her with fire.

Printed at London for John Wright, at the Kings-head in the Old Bailey, 1652.

[...] be given up to strong Delusions not to receive the Love of the Truth; yea, an universall Love of all Truth. But if he propose things contrary to Truth or doubtfull things for re­solved Truths (as indeed he is very cloudy in many of his Assertions) herein he may be Que­stioned, That so he may receive Light in those things wherein he erres by being certainly in the Darke; and may be stird up to seeke more clear Light in those things which he yet sees but in a Mist.

Towards these Ends are these following Enquiries; which if they shake the Exami­ners Principles and Pillars, and the House built thereon doe fall, it will be no great losse nor wonder. No losse nor wonder, I say, if a House of Dagon fall, the receptacle and shel­ter of Idols and Idolatry, Heresie, and Blas­phemie.

Question 1.
WHether a MAGISTRATE that knowes the Do­ctrine of Salvation by Christ Jesus, doe fulfill the Office of a Nursing Father, if he doe not cause this sav­ing Food to be given to his Children; and Poyson, that is a contrary Doctrine to be kept from them?
2.
Whether the Doctrine of GRACE that bringeth Sal­vation, doe not teach Men to live godly, righteously and soberly; and more particularly, to obey Magistrates, and to Live in Love and Peace among themselves; and whether such a Doctrine doe not advance the peace and prosperity of a Nation; and consequently, whether a Magistrate be not bound to advance this Doctrine, which doth advance the peace and prosperity of a Nation?
3.
Whether Godlinesse hath not the promise of this life and that to come? And whether these Promises doe not containe in them all good and happinesse? and if so, whether the Magistrate be not bound, to his power, to advance that godlinesse which gives all good and hap­pinesse to a Nation?
4.
Whether the Magistrate be not bound to love GOD with all his Might, and accordingly to advance his Glory with all his might? And whether he doe so, if he doe not put forth all his might in advancing Gods true worship and service, and the chiefe good of Gods People committed to his care?
5.
The People being bound to pray for Magistrates, that under them they may lead a peaceable & quiet life in all godlinesse and honesty: Whether the Magistrate be not bound to doe that which the People are bound to pray that he may doe? And whether he be not also bound to give himselfe up to God to be his servant and Instru­ment, when he granteth this Prayer?
6.
Whether Abraham, and the Heads of other Families before the Law,
Gen. 18.19.
were not Magistrates in their Families? And whether Abraham did not command his Family to keepe the way of the Lord? And whether God did not commend him for doing so?
Gen. 35.2.
and whether Jacob did not purge his House from Idols, and caused his Houshold to goe up to Bethell to worship the true God?
Sect. 10.
And whe­ther Abraham and Jacob were meerly Fellow Servants with their Servants (as this Examiner saith) and their Houshold might command Abraham and Jacob, as well as Abraham and Jacob command their Houshold?
7.
Whether Artaxerxes did well in making a Decree for the advancement of the true worship of the true God,
Ezra 7.
and in causing Ezra to teach them the Law of God? And whether the King of Niniveh did well to command his People to keepe a generall Fast, and to turne from their evill wayes, whereby he saved that great City? Or whe­ther he might not have done better to have left them to a carelesse liberty, and so to destruction?
8.
Whether any of the Prophets, Apostles, yea our Savi­our himselfe did ever except at the Magistrates Auhority, for questioning them in matters of Religion?
9.
If a beleeving Magistrate, as a nursing Father, Recom­mend to his Children the wholsome food of the Word, that is able to save their Soules, and encourage those that disperse and dispense it; and withall, forbid others to give abroad the poyson, contrary to it? Whether the Examiner hath just cause to say, that this is a Ground for another Magistrate to command the giving abroad of poyson, and to forbid the delivering of the wholsome food that may save his peoples soules?
10.
Authority being given by God to Asa to advance true Religion and suppresse Idolatry (which he did to the de­posing of his Mother) Whether this were a ground for Manasseh, (one of his Successours) to set up Idolatry, and a principle of Persecution, whereupon he might kill those that would not worship his Idols?
11.
When God made a Law, that Blasphemy proved by two Witnesses, should be punished with Death; Whe­ther he therein did lay a principle of Persecution or Murder, whereby Jesabel by two false Witnesses might unjustly put Naboth to death?
12.
Whether Paul commanding Christian Fathers to bring up their Children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, doe hereby lay a Principle,
Eph. 6 4.
whereupon Idolatrous Parents may bring up their Children in the nurture and and Doctrine of Idolatry; that is, in the doctrine of De­vils?
13.
Idolatry being against the Light of Nature,
Job 3.28. Rom. 1.
and there­fore punishable under the Law of Nature, and so ac­knowledged by Iob, who lived before the Law of Moses; Whether the Magistrate under the Gospell (which gives more light to the discovery of the sinfulnesse and guilt of Idolatry) may not also restraine and punish that sinne?
14.
Idolatry by the testimony of Paul, drawing downe heavie Plagues upon a People, and delivering them up to grievous and abominable sinnes,
Rom. 1.18 & seq.
the worst of Plagues, whereof he giveth a Catalogue; and actually causing the Land of Canaan to spue out the Inhabitants; Whe­ther it doe not concerne the Magistrate to deliver his People from those Plagves,
Levit. 20.2, 3, 22, 23.
by taking away Idols, the cause of them, and to cast out Idolatry, rather then it should cast out the People from the Land where he Go­verneth?
15.
Whether this Examiner doe not directly set himselfe to confute the Apostle Paul;
Sect. 9.
for the Examiner argues, that it is not easie to finde that the Heathen should not make a graven Image, nor any marvell that they should by the forme of some Creature represent the invisible Be­ing, and worship him in the forme of such a represen­tation. But Paul just on the Contrary proveth,
Rom. 1.
That by the things that are made and seene, the Invisible things of God, even his eternall power and God head are so manifest, that they are without excuse who knowing God doe not glorifie him as God, but change the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made [Page 7]like to corruptible Man, and to Birds and foure footed Beasts. But this brings to minde that saying concern­ing Idols; They have Eyes and see not, and they that worship them are like them, and so are those that plead for them?
16.
Whether Idolatry may not be punished;
Sect. 5.
because the Magistrate doth not know the heart of the Idolaters? And whether this reason doe not directly oppose that Law of God which punisht Idolatry, and the executi­on agreeable to that Law; when those that worshipt the Calfe were slaine by the command of Moses; and the worshippers of Baal by Iehu; and the Prophets of Baal by Elias?
17.
Whether Idolaters may not be convicted by outward actions, professions and confessions;
Sect. 5.
and thereby the Heart of an Idolater discovered, as well as the Heart of a Man-killer? For such a one is condemned be­cause of Malice in his heart; without which it were not Murder nor he a Murderer?
18.
If two sinnes be of a haynous nature and both de­serve punishment, Whether one that can be discerned should be spared, because the other is not punished for want of discerning; yea, whether if both may be discerned and punishable, yet neither should be punisht, because both are not?
19.
Whether Asa did well in forbidding Idolatrous wro­ship, [Page 8]and bringing the People into a Covenant with God;
Sect. 22.
since (as the Examiner saith) he might thereby have made many to turne Hypocrites; when yet the Scripture saith,
2 Chro. 15.
That they sware withall their heart, and sought God with their whole desire? And though Hypocresie should follow such holy Commands, whe­ther the fault of Hypocrisie be not from the Corrupti­on of the Hypocrite,
Rom 7.12, 13
and not at all from a holy and good Command?
20.
Whether the parts and portions of Scripture that con­taine Principles necessary to Salvation,
Sect. 9.
deserve to be called meerely by the Name of Formes, and much lesse to be despised under that Name? And consequently whether the Examiner thinke it fit upon the Title of Formes to despise the Principles of the Doctrine of CHRIST mentioned by the Author to the He­brewes?
Heb. 6.1.
21.
If the Examiner were ready to starve, and the Ma­gistrate (as Pharaoh did to the Priests) would give him an allowance of Bread in a Portion,
Sect. 9.
Whether he would despise that Bread, and call it a Forme, and so starve to death? Or in a desperate Sicknesse, whether he would refuse the receit of a Physitian that may save his life, because it comes in a prescript or Forme? Or rather there being a substantiall and saving Truth in that which he cals a Forme; Whether the saving vertue of the substance be not of more value to gaine acceptati­on, then the word Forme considerable to the casting a­way of the substance that is able to save?
22.
If God was to be Blest,
Ezra. 7.27.
for putting into the Heart of a Heathen Magistrate to make Lawes for the ad­vancement of true Religion; Whether he doe not come neere to a curse that would take out of the Heart of a Christian Magistrate the advancement of true Re­ligion, and perswade him to give a Toleration to the chiefe Enemies of Religion, Idolatry and Heresie.
FINIS.

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