THE EXAMINER EXAMINED. Certain Questions proposed to the AUTHOR of Zeal examined concerning his PRINCIPLES. Whereby he endeavours to prove; That the MAGISTRATE by his Authority ought not to advance true RELIGION, but to give a Toleration to Idolatry and Heresy.  ESAY 49.22, 23. 
Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, etc. 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 eat her flesh, and burn 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 universal Love of all Truth. But if he propose things contrary to Truth or doubtful 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 errs by being certainly in the Dark; and may be stirred up to seek more clear Light in those things which he yet sees but in a Mist.  
Towards these Ends are these following Inquiries; which if they shake the Examiner's Principles and Pillars, and the House built thereon do fall, it will be no great loss nor wonder. No loss nor wonder, I say, if a House of Dagon fall, the receptacle and shelter of Idols and Idolatry, Heresy, and Blasphemy.   

Question 1. 
WHether a MAGISTRATE that knows the Doctrine of Salvation by Christ Jesus, do fulfil the Office of a Nursing Father, if he do not cause this saving Food to be given to his Children; and Poison, that is a contrary Doctrine to be kept from them?  2. 
Whether the Doctrine of GRACE. that bringeth Salvation, do 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 do 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 Godliness hath not the promise of this life and that to come? And whether these Promises do not contain in them all good and happiness? and if so, whether the Magistrate be not bound, to his power, to advance that godliness which gives all good and happiness 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 do so, if he do not put forth all his might in advancing Gods true worship and service, and the chief good of God's 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 godliness and honesty: Whether the Magistrate be not bound to do that which the People are bound to pray that he may do? And whether he be not also bound to give himself 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 keep 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 Household to go up to bethel to worship the true God? 
Sect. 10.  And whether Abraham and Jacob were merely Fellow Servants with their Servants (as this Examiner saith) and their Household might command Abraham and Jacob, as well as Abraham and Jacob command their Household?  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 keep a general Fast, and to turn from their evil ways, whereby he saved that great City? Or whether he might not have done better to have left them to a careless liberty, and so to destruction?  8. 
Whether any of the Prophets, Apostles, yea our Saviour himself did ever except at the Magistrate's Auhority, for questioning them in matters of Religion?  9 
If a believing Magistrate, as a nursing Father, Recommend to his Children the wholesome food of the Word, that is able to save their Souls, and encourage those that disperse and dispense it; and withal, forbidden others to give abroad the poison, 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 poison, and to forbid the delivering of the wholesome food that may save his people's souls?  10. 
Authority being given by God to Asa to advance true Religion and suppress Idolatry (which he did to the deposing of his Mother) Whether this were a ground for Manasseh, (one of his Successors) 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, do 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 job, who lived before the Law of Moses; Whether the Magistrate under the Gospel (which gives more light to the discovery of the sinfulness and guilt of Idolatry) may not also restrain and punish that sin?  14. 
Idolatry by the testimony of Paul, drawing down heavy Plagues upon a People, and delivering them up to grievous and abominable sins, 
Rom. 1.18 & seq.  the worst of Plagues, whereof he giveth a Catalogue; and actually causing the Land of Canaan to spew out the Inhabitants; Whether it do not concern 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 than it should cast out the People from the Land where he Governeth?  15. 
Whether this Examiner do not directly set himself to confute the Apostle Paul; 
Sect. 9  for the Examiner argues, that it is not easy to find that the Heathen should not make a graven Image, nor any marvel that they should by the form of some Creature represent the invisible Being, and worship him in the form of such a representation. But Paul just on the Contrary proveth, 
Rom. 1.  That by the things that are made and seen, the Invisible things of God, even his eternal power and God head are so manifest, that they are without excuse who knowing God do not glorify him as God, but change the glory of the Incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible Man, and to Birds and four footed Beasts. But this brings to mind 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 do not directly oppose that Law of God which punished Idolatry, and the execution agreeable to that Law; when those that worshipped the Calf were slain by the command of Moses; and the worshippers of Baal by jehu; 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 sins be of a heinous 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 punished, because both are not?  19 
Whether Asa did well in forbidding Idolatrous wroship, and bringing the People into a Covenant with God; 
Sect. 22.  since (as the Examiner saith) he might thereby have made many to turn Hypocrites; when yet the Scripture saith, 
2 Chro. 15.  That they swore withal their heart, and sought God with their whole desire? And though Hypocrisy should follow such holy Commands, whether the fault of Hypocrisy 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 contain Principles necessary to Salvation, 
Sect. 9  deserve to be called merely by the Name of Forms, and much less to be despised under that Name? And consequently whether the Examiner think it fit upon the Title of Forms to despise the Principles of the Doctrine of CHRIST mentioned by the Author to the Hebrews? 
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 Form, and so starve to death? Or in a desperate Sickness, whether he would refuse the receipt of a Physician that may save his life, because it comes in a prescript or Form? Or rather there being a substantial and saving Truth in that which he calls a Form; Whether the saving virtue of the substance be not of more value to gain acceptation, than the word Form 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 Laws for the advancement of true Religion; Whether he do not come near to a curse that would take out of the Heart of a Christian Magistrate the advancement of true Religion, and persuade him to give a Toleration to the chief Enemies of Religion, Idolatry and Heresy.   
FINIS.