John Trapp on Zechariah 13:3

Verſe 3. And it ſhall come to paſſe that when any ſhall yet propheſie] Here the Prophet ſheweth how God will effect the former promiſe. He will firſt give unto his people a ſpirit of judgement, and then a ſpirit of burning, as Eſay 4.4. ſo that they ſhall be able to diſcerne both good and evil,Heb. 5.14. 2 Pet. 2.17 and not be led away with the errour of the wicked, to fall from their own ſtedfaſtneſſe. they ſhall alſo be adeo percici zelo, ſo carried on by a zeal of Gods glory, and ſo bleſſedly blown up, as I may ſo ſay, in his cauſe, that they ſhall fall upon their deareſt relations in this caſe, and labour to bring their own children to condigne puniſhment, according to the Law of God in that behalf provided, Deut. 13.8, 9. Neither let any object here,Ob. Sol. that this is Old Teſtament: we find no ſuch thing in the Goſpel. For the Prophet here ſpeaketh of the times of the Goſpel (chap. 12.10.) and of the kingdom of Chriſt. Sequitur ergo, ſaith Mr. Calvin here well and worthily, non modò legem illam fuiſſe Judaeis poſitam, quemadmedum nugantur fanatici hemines, qui vellent hodie ſibi permitti orbis turbandi licentiam: ſed extenditur ad nos etiam eadem lex. It followeth therefore, that that Law Deut. 13.9. was not made for the Jewes onely (as ſome brain-ſick people conceit it, who would fain get leave to trouble the world with their fopperies) but the ſame law extendeth it ſelf even to us. For if at this day theeves, and witches, and adulterers, &c. are held worthy of puniſhment: how much more are heretikes, ſeducers, blaſphemers, who poiſon mens ſouls, rob God of his glory, confound the whole order of the Church, &c. See Rom 13.4. 1 Pet. 2.13, 14. and hold to that old Rule, Non diſtinguendum, ubi ſcriptura non diſtinguit, Men muſt not diſtinguiſh, where the ſcripture doth not.

that his father] In whoſe heart there is naturally an Ocean of love to his own child, as we ſee in David toward Abſalom, in old Andronicus the Greek Emperour, in our William the Conquerour, and Maud his wife toward their unnaturall ſonne Robert Curtuoiſe, whom ſhe maintained out of her own coffers, in his quarrell for Normandy: which the king her husband knew,Speed. 452. and took as a cauſe rather of diſpleaſure then of hatred; as proceeding from motherly indulgence for advancing their ſonne.

that begat him] This is twice here repeated for honours ſake to theſe zelots; who forgat all naturall and carnall reſpects for the vindication of Gods glory, and his ſincere ſervice. See Mat. 10.37. with the Note there.

thou ſhalt not live] ſc. to do more miſchief, and to draw more ſouls to the devil, Non Catilinae te genui ſed patriae, ſaid Aulus Fulvius, when he ſlew his, own ſonne taken in Catalines conſpiracie: I begat thee not for Catiline, but for thy countrey. More to be commended a great deal then Philip that bloody king of Spain, who ſaid openly, that he had rather have no ſubjects, then Lutheran ſubjects; that he would not leave a Lutheran in his dominions; that if he thought his ſhirt ſmelt of that hereſie, he would tear it from his own back: And out of a blind zeal he ſuffered his eldeſt ſonne Charles to be murthered by the cruel Inquiſition, becauſe he ſeemed to favour our profeſſion. For which noble exploit, that mouth of blaſphemy,Hieron. Catina. the Pope, gave him this commendation, Non pepercit filio ſuo, ſed dedit pro nobis. He ſpared not his own ſonne but gave hm up for us. O horrible.

for thou ſpeakeſt lies in the name of the Lord] Lies in hypocriſie, doctrines of devils,1 Tim. 4.12 Rev. 2.24 depths of Satan, that artificer of lies, and father of them, Joh. 8.44. which yet he would fain father, and faſten upon the God of Amen, or of truth, as he is called, Pſal. 31.5. like as varlets beget baſtards, and lay them at honeſt mens doors to be kept; Thou ſpeakeſt lies in the name of the Lord. This is to ſubſtitute the devil in the place of God, or to transform God, ſo as that he ſhould nothing differ from the devil. No wonder therefore, though he that break the leaſt commandement, and teach men ſo,Mat. 5.19 be called leaſt in the kingdom of heaven: eſpecially if he pretend Gods authority for it, as the falſe Prophets of old, and the Swenckfeldien heretikes alate entitle themſelves, The Confeſſours of the glory of Chriſt. For this is the higheſt indignity, or rather contumely, that can be put upon God: It is a more deteſtable evil, then to kill an innocent man; yea to commit parricide, or treaſon. Imo quaecunque poterunt numerare ſcelera non pervenient od hoc crimen, ſaith Calvin upon the text. Let Sectaries and Seducers look to it, thoſe harmleſſe, hornleſſe creatures, as they would be accounted.

ſhall thruſt him thorough when he propheſieth] As Phineas did that ſtinking couple, in the flagrancie of their luſt, Num. 25.8. and as Levi, in like caſe, conſecrated himſelf to the Lord, even every man upon his ſonne, and upon his brother, Exod. 32.29. He ſaid unto his father and mother (when Gods glory required it) I have not ſeen him, neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor know his own children, Deut. 33.9. All naturall relations and ſelf-reſpects ſhould be drown'd in the glory of God, and the good of our own and other mens ſouls. They ſhould be even ſwallowed up thereby, as the fuell is by the fire, and as the ſorcerers ſerpents were by Moſes ſerpent, or the fat kine by the lean.