But did God put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, viz., to restrain upon pain of death all the millions of men under his dominion from the idolatries of their several and respective countries? to constrain them all, upon the like penalty, to conform to the worship of the God of Israel, to build him a temple, erect an altar, ordain priests, offer sacrifice, observe the fasts and feasts of Israel? Yea, did God put it into the king’s heart to send Levites into all the parts of his dominion, compelling them to hear? which is but a natural thing, as some unsoundly speak,[209] unto which all are bound to submit.
The duty of all civil states toward the consciences of their subjects.
Well, however, Ezra gives thanks to God for the king; and so should all that fear God in all countries, if he would please to put it into the hearts of the kings, states, and parliaments, to take off the yokes of violence, and permit, at least, the consciences of their subjects, and especially such as in truth make conscience of their worships to the God of Israel: and yet, no cause for Ezra then, or God’s Ezras and Israelites now, to acknowledge the care and charge of God’s worship, church, and ordinances, to lie upon the shoulders of Artaxerxes, or any other civil prince or ruler.
Christ needs no human confirmations.
Lastly. For the confirmation or ratification which they suppose magistrates are bound to give to the laws of Christ, I answer, God’s cause, Christ’s truth, and the two-edged sword of his word, never stood in need of a temporal sword or a human witness to confirm and ratify them. If we receive the witness of an honest man, the witness of the most holy God is greater, 1 John v. 9.
The sum of the examples of gentile kings decreeing for God’s worship in scripture.
The result and sum of the whole matter is this:—1. It may please God sometimes to stir up the rulers of the earth to permit and tolerate, to favour and countenance, God’s people in their worships, though only out of some strong conviction of conscience or fear of wrath, &c.: and yet themselves neither understand God’s worship, nor leave their own state, idolatry, or country’s worship.
For this God’s people ought to give thanks unto God; yea, and all men from this example may learn, not to charge upon the magistrates’ conscience—besides the care of the civil peace, the bodies and goods of men—the spiritual peace, in the worship of God and souls of men; but hence are magistrates instructed favourably to permit their subjects in their worships, although themselves be not persuaded to submit to them, as Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes did.
CHAP. XCVII.
Peace. The sixth question is this:—How far the church is subject to their laws?