there is no trusting to their Words Promises or Oaths VII My Seventh and last Argument shall be taken ab Authoritate Ecclesiae affirmativè from the Authority of Christians both ancient and modern the Antient Christians generally denied the Persecution of Hereticks for at least well nigh the first 400 years for which there are well-known Testimonies cited out of Tertullian Lactantius c. that Faith is to be perswaded not forced St. Austin is very express contra Cresconium Gra 〈…〉 maticum l. 3. c. 50. Nullis bonis in Catholicâ hoc placet 〈◊〉 usque ad mortem in quenquam licet haereticum saeviatur It pleaseth no good Men in the Catholick Church that Hereticks should be put to Death This Testimony sheweth not his private Opinion but the Judgment of the Universâ—l Church which no Man knew better than he and strongly proves that the Papists are neither the Catholick Church nor good Men for he saith Nullis bonis hoc placet in Catholicâ but it is no wonder for Apostates to alledg the whole Primitive Church as for them when it is all against them This place is quoted by Bishop Jewel Apol. c. 32. Div. 1. p. 431. who cites also Chrysostom Homil 19. in Matth. Num Ovis persequitur Lupum Christianus haereticum c. Doth the Sheep persecute the Wolf No but the Wolf doth persecute the Sheep Doth the Christian persecute the Heretick No but the Heretick doth persecute the Christian And again Whomsoever you see rejâ—icing in the Blood of Persecution he is the Wolf and wisheth that God would kill the Heretick with spiritual Darts and the two-edged Sword of the Spirit Eusebius relates in Vitâ Constantini that Constantine decreed that they which erred should have equal fruition of Peace and Quiet with the Faithful and that we may know Constantine was in earnest he puts it into his Prayer l. 2. c. 55. It is true he banished Arius but he banished likewise Athanasius and neither of them for their Opinions which he accounted trifling and Bp. Jewel saith in Apol. c. 3. Div. 2. p. 524. was thought to encline in his own Opinion rather to Arius but for other Causes and Immoralities and unchristian Contentions not to be reconciled by the Emperours Tears Letters and the Mediation of his Legate Hosius Bishop of Corduba This is certain that Athanasians Arians and Novatians were all suffered in the same Cities to have Churches and Bishops of their own whose Successions are delivered in Ecclesiastical History till Pope Celestine banished the Novatians out of Rome deprived them of their Churches and constrained Rusticula their Bishop to raise private Conventicles anno 425. Socrates Schol. l. 7. c. 11. For now he and Cyril of Alexandria were grown â—reat having gone beyond the Bounds of Priesthood and gotten the temporal Sword. He that would see more of Antiquity may consult Mr. Daillé of the right use of the Fathers and read the Comments of the Fathers upon the Parable of the Tares c. Ye know not what Spirit ye are of I shall add some modern Testimonies of our own Country-men The Apology of the Church of England set out by Authority p. 431. mihi As for us we run not to the Fire as these Mens Guise is but we run to the Scriptures neither do we reason with the Sword but with the Word of God. Indeed the Writ de Haeretico comburendo is now out of Doors and I hope his Fellow de Excommunicato capiendo will follow him ere long See Dr. Hammond in his Defence of my Lord Falkland who writes very fully to this Purpose but especially see his last Words about Paedobaptism in his six Queries His Words are And God forbid we that desire to reduce Dissenters should ever think of damning killing or persecuting any that dissent in this or any other particular And I think it but Duty to pray against that treacherous Prosperity which should be able to infuse any greater Degree of Unkindness or Roughness into the Minds of Men whether Sons or Fathers of the Church than what I here avow to be strict Duty in every Christian Dr. Taylour since Bishop of Down and Conner wrote a whole Book de Libertate Prophetandi the like hath been done by several Conformists in their Pleas for Nonconformists Mr. Hudson who rode with King Charles the first in Disguise in his Treatise of Monarchy c. dedicated to the King asserts Liberty of Conscience boldly and perhaps too boldly but that it was Mr. Hudson who carried his Life in his Hand and at last lost it in the King's Cause See what Dr. More in his Appendix to his Antidote against Idolatry saith p. 55. of Nadab and Abihu's offering strange Fire before the Lord Lev. 10. 1. where he compares it with Luke 9. 54. John 16. 2. and saith Whether Protestants or Papists that kill one the other for conscientious Difference in Religion as thinking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make an Oblation of Divine Worship to God thereby do turn the living God of the Christians who is Love it self into the foulest Idols of the Heathens who used to be worshipped with the bloody sacrificing of Men. This holds good in Proportion against Religious Robbery by Fines or Confiscation of Goods Mr. Day on Isa 1. 21. saith that to take away Mens Livelihood is there called Murther Lastly To name no more Dr. Burnet hath written very learnedly and solidly in Defence of Liberty of Conscience in his Preface to the History of the persecuting Emperours Now from what hath been said appears the Vanity of those Men who are content to give a private Liberty but noâ— to assemble which signifies little to many Men who think themselves bound to do so from Heb. 10. 25. and not to live like Atheists Others will give Men Liberty if they will hold their Tongues and distinguish betwixt the outward Exercise or Profession of Faith and the internal Acts of Faith which they say are not to be forced thank them for nothing did the primitive Church only tolerate the Thoughts of Hereticks and who can think any sober Man should dispute of Mens private Thoughts which as such no Man can know or if they be declared and punished yet cannot a Man certainly say that they are forced viz. that his Thoughts are altered for that may be dissembled but all Men have hitherto supposed that Mens Consciences are capable of being forced that is punished taking the inward and outward Acts together as they ought in this Question some I see would give such a Liberty as Antichrist never denied Now it may be fit to answer the principal Arguments which are produced by the Adversaries 1. From Rom. 13. where Magistrates are said to be a Terror to evil-Doers c. I answer that Text only authorizeth the Magistrate to punish civil Injuries and moral Evils He may punish Treason Rebellion Murther c. Such Heresies are Works of the Flesh and against the Light of Nature such
Soveraign Authority I see not how they could be justly blamed for such a Petition VI. My sixth Argument shall be drawn ab absurdo from the absurd Consequences which follow that detestable Opinion of forcing Mens Consciences to say nothing that the National Churches are yet very imperfectly reformed and therefore very unlikely to manage the Sword well some of them punishing one thing and some another and some of them in the same Church in divers times punishing diversly as several parties accidentally get into Authority The Sword will cut only the Honest and Consciencious who dare not dissemble the rest for the most part will temporize and run home again when they see their Opportunity and revenge themselves upon them who were so rough with them and shamed them so much and this temporizing and turning merely for lucres sake and to save themselves makes Religion very ridiculous and weakens the Repute and Authority of the Professors as but Atheists and Men of no real Religion as truly the Atheists have the Advantage of all Men in this Regard for to be sure their Consciences are not so scrupulous but they can subscribe to every thing they can dissemble and comply for their own ends with all Times and Parties yea and under the Disguise of Religion help to make all true Religion odious by persecuting Men as Hereticks and Schismaticks not because they have no Religion but because they have as they think too much and are religious in good earnest and then these Men applaud themselves and think they have got a great Argument for their Atheism when they see other Men make Religion but a Daunce after the Pipe of the Times Then to force Men to the Service of God makes often but Hyprocites whose presence there should be voluntary or else it is neither acceptable to God who requires the Heart nor to good Men who must needs desire the greatest Unanimity and Freedom of Consent that may be in their joynt Addresses to the Throne of Grace which in worldly things is otherwise for if a Man doth not pay his Debts with a good Will it matters not so the Creditor be paid he is satisfied Again except the Persecutions be more severe than good Natures can endure to execute and the Sectaries but few they either make Sects or make the Sectaries obstinate who otherwise might come to the publique Assemblies were they not exasperated by the Violence of them who would bring them thither and their Rigioties when they come there Now how should they worship God together who are Persecutors one of another who bite and devour each other and for that Reason can hardly think one another to be Christians as indeed a Persecutor will have much ado to defend himself to be a true Christian as great a Zealot as he may take himself to be for the Christian Religion Likewise Persecution gives way to the Rabble to deride and insult over Men much better than themselves and to other Men to get some part of a base Livelihood by informing or to vent their private Malice and Revenge upon old Grudges and the Heats and Inflammations of Disputation that so they may have their Wills over them whom they could not overcome in Controversy also to the Cruelty of covetous Men who are too timerous of losing their own Preferments or lurch a 〈…〉 other Mens Then it often makes Magistrates but the Ministers Executioners and that in things which they neither understand nor have reason to understand from their Age Sex manner of Education meanness of Parts Passion Employment c. and which they who study all their Lives and as far as we know without prejudice cannot agree about and in things which Magistrates have no reason to trust other Men as they may in Physick and Civil Causes In what a horrid manner was Q. Mary abused by the Priests And I have read in the Life of King Edward the 6 th that when Archbishop Cranmer urged him to sign the Warrant for the burning Joan Butcher an Arian the King vehemently refused but at last yielded through much importunity saying it was Cranmer's doing and he should answer for it which the Historian saith brought him under Censure he being afterward burnt himself for an Heretick If they make themselves suspicious who choose to sell their Wares in a dark Shop what do they do who sell them by the Light of such Fires The Lord Falkland and Dr. Hammond excuse the Protestants from much of this barbarous Cruelty confessing a little to be too much To this Head I may reduce an Argument ab incommodo as that it makes the Magistrates to make themselves parties in the Factions of their Subjects and many times run needless Hazards from the ill humours of their People and makes the several Parties to bandie against one another and against the Government which will make work enough for the wisest Man in the World to know how to govern such unruly People who are always striving to get the Civil Sword into their Hands not for common Defence but to oppress their Antagonists often quarrelling about Questions in themselves perhaps not very material to Religion which have been long disputed and may be disputed sine fine as the Controversies about Free-Will Election and Reprobation have been Nor is it for the Magistrates Interest that Men who might live usefully in the Common-Wealth should be kept in Jails for disciplinary notions in Religion which are uncertain or manifestly false supposing Men to be Churches or pure Churches which are not so like making Shoes for all Men by one Last and the same Prayers to serve for Men of contrary Tempers and in contrary Circumstances as we have lately experienced It destroys trading when Men cannot go freely about their business and lay out their Stocks with security nor dare Neighbours freely lend Monies to others for fear they should be beggared by Religious Fines Lastly It could not reasonably be expected that Reformation from such a huge mass of Errors and Confusion should be perfected simul semel but though all Reformers cannot agree in their Judgments about some weighty things in Doctrine and Discipline yet except they make account all to be destroyed by the common Enemy it is most certainly the Interest of all who have departed from the Roman Pontific to join all together as one Man so far should they be from persecuting one the other and say I am as thou art my Horses as thy Horses c. Which I say not to propagate the true Faith by Force but by such honest and lawful means as God hath wonderfully put into their Hands to defend themselves against their bloody and implacable Adversaries who have lately appeared in their Colours and gone about to destroy all the Northern Hereticks with a Vengeance as it is phrased by a late learned Author of a Treatise concerning Civil and Ecclesiastical Laws who hath displayed the Cruelty of their Decrees and Canons and clearly proved that
as the Apostle mentions Gal. 5. 20. and what they are may be known by their Companions there enumerated that the Apostle doth not speak of Errors in the Faith is plain because the Magistrates were then Heathens and he seems to speak of the present Powers when he saith The Powers that be c. though 't is true he speaks of them rather according to what they ought to be than according to what they were as may appear by those Words He is the Minister of God to thee for good which some in alledging this Scripture do little consider Doth the Apostle make Caligulâ— and Nero and Commodus with the whole Tribe of Usurpers Judges of the Faith of Christians and therefore Paul could appeal to Caesar only whether there was any Immorality or Crime in him deserving Death as the Jews caluminated 2. It is objected that the King is bound to serve God not only as a Man but as a King. I answer It is true and that may be done without Violation of Conscience in matters of Faith He may punish Immoralities Impieties and such as sin against their Profession and Conscience He may serve God by Protection of his Church by his Treasure Munificence praising and encouraging good Christians without bribing Men by extravagant Rewards and Wages which bear no Proportion to the Work by good Perswasions and Advice by his Wisdom in calling Councils and presiding in them and by defending even honest and well-meaning Hereticks from such cruel Men as put honest Men into Bear-Skins and then set the Dogs on them and care not what censure they pass upon Dissenters so lavish are they in calling every little thing Heresy Blasphemous and Damnable of which Chrysostom complains as too rife in his time in his Comment on Matthew but these Men learnt that Language of Antichrist the old Anathematizer Some urge the Power of the Kings of Israel in 2. Chron. 15. 13. That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to Death But this is already answered in Propos 2 d. 3. Some say if Liberty of Conscience be granted there will be Confusion I answer This is a Selfish Objection for I dare say the Objector would not use it if he stood in need of Liberty himself Unity and Uniformity are good things but we must come honestly by them I am for Unity but as Bp. Latimer said Unity in Verity and not in Popery There is Unity enough amonst Mahumetans in Spain and Muscovie and yet in Reality there is the greatest Babylonical Confusion that is mixture of Truth and Error which is the Mother of the greatest Dissension for whensoever the Force shall be taken off as is fit there must of necessity be the greatest Differences when Men shall use their own Judgments from proper Arguments and not as now one Judg for them all right or wrong at Adventures then it will appear that he who pretends himself most infallible and other Men to be Hereticks is most deceived and the greatest Dâ—ceiver and Heretick of all as 't is usual with them to be who most of all cry out upon other Men as Hereticks and Sâ—hismaticks to be indeed such themselves and if Hereticks were to be punished they deserve most of all to be punished 4. Some say If Liberty of Conscience be granted that then there can be no National Church I answer Was there then no National Church for the first three hundred Years before the Emperor received the Faith It is true there can be none with Coercion to it nor should there be any such What National Church can there be where the major part of the Nation are Infidels or Papists What Parochial Church where the major part of the Parish are such What National Churches can there be where the Soveraign Authorities are Infidel or Popish must they appoint the Bishops They are sure like to be good ones Constantine would set up no such National Church but suffered Arians Novatians and others to have their Churches and Bishops And Mr. Heylin saith there were Bishops in Poland but no Man forced by the Civil Sword and Bishops could uphold when the Emperours were against them but now we think as good no Bishop if all that live within such a part of the Country be not forced to be subject to him as being in his Diocess That Church may be said to be National when the most are of it and especially when the Soveraign Authority doth countenance it doth establish and encourage it by favourable Laws and Priviledges The best way to make a National Church was by such healing Principles as these For Magistrates to command as little as may be and People to obey as much as they can besides the Test against Popery to require as little to be subscibed to as is possible and that in the words of the Scripture To let the Parishes where the Fault is committed to examine and censure gross and notoriously scandalous Offendors and order the needful Rites and Ceremonies of their own Church without chargeable Travelling tedious Suits crafty Pleadings Quirks of Law and Pettefoggeries Fees and Charges Extortion and Barretry in forreign Courts who indeed have nothing to do in such matters not easily to impose a Pastor upon a Parish without their Consent nor a President Bishop upon his Clergy without their Consent And he with the chief of them to ordain Ministers and see that they who receive the Magistrates Maintenance do the Work accordingly I am so far from being against Bishops that where there is one I would there were many more 5. Others say Why do they then deny the Papists Liberty 1. Because the Papists are gross Idolaters against Natural Light. 2. Because the Papists will give no Liberty And if they do promise it and swear it by virtue of the Decrees of Popes and Councils they must not perform it longer than the Pope pleaseth if they will be true to their Religion 3. Because the Papists introduce a Foreign Power viz. the Pope with his Locusts to burthen the Land and emunge the People and cheat them of their Money and therefore no more tolerable than Regraters or Forestallers c. 4. Because the Papists where they get full Power are unmeasurably cruel Bishop Bramhall against Militeir saith that they have equalled if not exceeded the Heathens in Cruelty and now of late they have outdone themselves witness their Dragooning in France and Savoy and the like in other places Otherwise The Papists are not to be punished as Hereticks Queen Elizabeth and our Kings do expresly deny that they punished them meerly for their Religion Indeed our Laws were very cruel against them but never executed in any very high degree and as to any great Violence or Severity I wish they were so moderated as to be fit to be executed and with consideration of all mollifying Circumstances and not one Man to suffer for the Offence of another IV. My fourth and last Conclusion is this An
which some say of forcing the external not internal Acts of Faith I shall speak to that afterward V. My fifth Argument is drawn ab axiomate viz. from that received Axiom Dominium non fundatur in Gratiâ that Dominion is not founded in Grace which I know to be chieâ—ly understood of Soveraignty But there is a gradual Parity of the Reason upon which that Axiom is founded which may be reciprocally applied to Subjects for Pagans though they cannoâ— be lawful Dispensers of the Mysteries of Christ nor Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven yet they may be lawful Kings and lawful Subjects lawful Husbands lawful Masters and lawful Possessors of their Lives Liberties and Estates Christian Religion doth not allow Servants to deny Obedience to their Masters according to the Flesh except they may be made free nor Masters to turn away their Servants contrary to their Covenants nor ought Christian Magistrates to deny Protection to whom it is due though they be not Christians and perhaps was due before either of them was Christian What might a good moral Heathen say if your Christianity stirreth you up either to tyrannize or to rebel sor causes of mere Religion Malo Venusinam quam te Cornelia Mater Si cum magnis Virtutibus affers Grande Supercilium Indeed Errors in Religion may have such intolerable Injury mixt with them as may excuse if not free both the one and the other but I speak of merely Religious Errors It is true wicked Men want the Blessing of God to them upon what they possess they have not a sanctified use of things but they have a lawful Title and 't is as much Theft to steal from them as the best Godly Men in the World. And therefore Heresy can be no sufficient ground to dispossess any Man of what he hath for that can only denominate a Man not Godly or Gracious or to be no excellent Person but Men are not to be punished by the Civil Sword because they are not excellent Persons It is generally thought that Soveraign Authority be it as absolute as it will is founded at least in implicite pact or trust which was necessary in all Nations before Christianity came into the World and when it did it was not in the Christian Power to betrust that nor is it likely that the Community would trust their temporal Rights with the contingent Opinions of their Governours and therefore that bloody persecuting Opinion must needs it self be an Heresy with moral Impiety mixt with it and intolerable as being at Inlet to Thievery and Tyranny on the one Hand and Rebellion on the other And we see by Experience that the principal Hyperaspists and Defenders of the bloody Tenent I mean the Papists do not stick to rebel against to depose and murther Heretical Princes merely for Religion as they are encouraged to do by the Decrees of their Popes and Councils by which whether Kings or Subjects they are bound the one to persecute the other to rebel in case of Heresy though no Civil Injury be offered whatsoever Oaths they may have taken Here it may be objected that what Persecutors do now is according to Law. I answer no humane Authority can justly make such Acts of Sequestration or Confiscation or impose Fines much less such unreasonable Fines as they are wont to do for things merely Religious what is that else but to establish Iniquity by a Law then they say they do not force Men to embrace the Faith but punish Relapsers I answer that Men are forced into Opinions by Law and Fear of Punishment or are surprized by Education and Custom before they are able or fit to judg or are deceived by the plausible reasons of abler Men without hearing what other Men could say to the contrary And then if any Man was to be free from Punishment before he turned he ought to be as free to return except some sufficient cause in Nature or Reason could be shown to dissolve his Right in the one case more than in the other to relapse indeed for any by or worldly ends is a great Sin in the sight of God and fit for him to judg of whose Judgment is according to Truth There are a great many things both in Doctrine and Discipline for which some are very zealous but the greatest part do so little understand or apply their minds to understand that they may turn and return ten times over for what they know and yet the Zealots will engage them to be of their sides as for the great Persecutors their talk of Relapse is but a Pretence for they persecute all of all sorts Again it may be objected that now the Ministers Ecclesiastical Preferments may be endangered by Heretical Doctrine which Preferments are settled by Law. I answer that that Settlement cannot be good so far as it abridgeth any Man or deprives him of that Right which is vested in him by the Law of Nature which is for the Parishioner to have his Freedom in matters of Religion as well as the Rector of the Parish who turns a just Reward into Oppression and Bribery when he useth it to another Mans Wrong what ever Declamations or Defamations such Men may make for their own ends I answer further that the Ministers spiritual Title is founded in Grace viz. for a certain spiritual use which when the Office proves needless or vain the Title falls of it self because the Foundation is sunk away from it Now though in the present Objection we suppose the Office well founded and terminated in a good use yet in those Offices which are not essential to Civil Government in order to the temporal Weal of the Publique but founded in Grace for spiritual ends the Usefulness whereof is best judged by such as are spiritual the Right is likewise best judged by them also and to be reputed but as doubtful and disputable as to others and consequently it cannot be an Offence so great and of the same Nature to deny that Right to oppose it or undermine it as it is to oppose Civil Natural Right which is all the World over unquestionable especially when that Religious Right is but remotely endangered and not actually opposed by Sedition or other Endeavours without the Command of the Soveraign Authority paying all Dues in the mean time according to Law. If a Petition was preferred to the Parliament that our Prelates who in this Latitude of Diocess are indeed Arch-Bishops might be made without any new Ordination by Patent or Commission only and before they enter upon their Offices be bound to declare that they do not hold their Jurisdiction in that Latitude to be jure divino viz. as distinct from Presbyters or such parochial Bishops as watch over the Souls of the People and that the Means of the Church might be brought into a common stock and more equally distributed as they in their Wisdom shall think fit the Petitioner in the mean time paying their Duties till such Determination of the