Kings that have power and authority shall destroy Antichrists Kingdom and nourish and cherish Christs Kingdom Ch. Most true it is the Lord hath spoken it and therefore it ought to be a great comfort to Gods People but what is this to the purpose in hand namely That Kings may persecute the contrary-minded The words of the Prophet Isaiah prove that Kings and Queens that have formerly persecuted and destroyed the Church their hearts shall be turned by the power of Gods Word to be lovers and preservers of the Church And the other place Rev. 17.16 proves that Kings shall make that Whore desolate c. not by their temporal Authority or Sword as some say that make more shew of Religion than you do although themselves be now persecuted yet if Kings were of their minds would be as cruel as you for they maintain the same thing but by the Spirit of the Lords mouth and the Brightness of his coming 2 Thess 2.8 For this kingdom of Antichrist shall be destroyed without hand Dan. 8. 25. only by the Everlasting Gospel the true Armour indeed wherewith the Witnesses fight against the Antichrist As the Kings Majesty acknowledgeth Apol. pag. 93. Ant. You are so stiff against using of outward weapons in Church matters Did not our Saviour make a Whip of small cords and whip the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple And why may not we follow his example Ch. In this and many other actions of Christ our Saviour we are to consider him as the fulfiller and ender of the Law as in the action of the Passover and sending him that was clensed of his Leprosie to offer to the Priest the gift that Moses commanded in which things we are not to imitate him for by him the Ceremonies are fulfilled and abolished and the everlasting Gospel established in the which we are to walk and it were more than foolish to reason thus Christ whipped wicked men out of Gods Temple made with hands with whips made of cord therfore we may whip wicked men out of Gods Temple made without hands with whips made of cord There is a wholsom doctrine to be collected from the Type to the Truth as thus Christ drove out wicked men out of the Temple made with hands by a carnal or worldly whip So Christ by his People must drive wicked men out of the Temple made without hands by a Spiritual whip even his Word which is called a Whip or Rod. Rev. 2 27. and Psal 2.9 So is Excommunication 1 Cor. 4.21 Ant. If freedom of Religion should be granted there would be such Divisions as would breed Sedition and Innovasion in the State Ch. Thus when your shews out of the Scripture are answered then you run to conceits and imaginations of Sedition Innovasion and the like thinking thereby to disswade Princes and all that are in authority therefrom knowing else your kingdom of iniquity would fall But that it may appear to all that you deal deceitfully herein let us consider first the Scriptures secondly behold the success of suffering of Religion free in other Countries And first Christ our Saviour who is that Prince of Peace Isa 9.6 not of Sedition hath taught Mat. 10 and Luk. 12. That he came not to send Peace on the earth but Debate to divide five in one house two against three and three against two the father against the son c. And a mans enemies shall be they of his own houshold And his desire is that the fire of such Sedition should be kindled Where we see this Prince of Peace putteth difference in Religion by preaching his Gospel which some receive as the savour of life unto them others refuse it and so become enemies unto the Truth and witnesses thereof as they did to Christ Jesus himself and his Disciples and as you do to me and others Secondly behold the Nations where freedom of Religion is permitted and you may see there are not more flourishing and prosperous Nations under the Heavens than they are Indif The Convocation of Bishops and the rest have made a Canon That whosoever shall affirm that the Kings Majesty hath not the same power in Causes Ecclesiastical under the Gospel that the godly Kings of Israel had under the Law let him be excommunicated ipso facto Ch. Yes they have so In the beginning of his Majesties Reign when they had gotten him sure unto them of the which they so much doubted as with my own ears I heard some of their chief followers say when his Highness was coming into England Now must Steeples down and we shall have no more High Commission with a lamentation they spake it then they made this Canon because their consciences are convinced that they stand only by his Power and if his hand be turned their spiritual power of darkness falleth to the pit of darkness from whence it came and whither it must go though there be never so much means used for the supporting of it for the strong Lord hath spoken it Revel 18. As for their sending men to Hell as they suppose with their ipso facto Excommunications if they had no stronger weapons for the supportting of their kingdom it would stand but a short space If Israel now were of this world as it was under the Law then they said something but if it be not of this world as it is not John 17.14 then the King of Israel is not of this world for when this King came the worldly Israel knew him not Indif I see evidently that all are but cavels and that no mortal man can make any man offer Sacrifices under the New Testament until he be a Believer and converted for he must be in Christ before he may offer Sacrifices for in Christ only the Father accepteth us But what say you Have they not power to compel men to come to the place where the Word is publickly taught that they may be converted Ch. Well then you see that the example of the Kings of Israel who had power to compel them to Sacrifice or to cut them off applyed to earthly Princes is gone as a meer doctrine of man and not of God And for compelling men to hear that they may be converted we can learn of no better than of Him who if we hear not we shall have a dreadfull recompence He had all power in Heaven and in Earth for converting souls given unto him and sent his Disciples as his Father sent him Joh. 20.21 charging them that when they should come into a City c. if they would not receive them nor their Word to shake off the dust of their feet for a witness against them saying it should be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for that City or house And so the Apostles went from City to City accordingly Here were no Temples made with hands nor worldly power to compel all to come unto them to hear the Word of the Lord but they were commanded to go
as Joh. 11.48 And because their fear towards God was taught by mens precepts and because they looked to their own way and to their own advantage and had rejected the Word of the Lord and because they builded their Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity and sought their own honour and not Gods as before is proved So the cause of the blindness of the learned Papists in denying the Scriptures the only Rule of Faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but their winding with their eyes lest they should see that that would bring them from their honours and profits and all the forenamed in the Jews And also as the Protestants well observe Whit. pag. 18. First That they might make themselves Judges in their own cause For who seeth not that if the Church be the Rule of Faith and their be the Church which way the verdict will go Next for that the greatest points of their Religion have no foundation on the Scriptures c. So that take away the Scriptures and establish their Religion but establish the Scriptures and their Religion vanisheth and that Mother of Whoredoms that glorified her self as a Queen Rev. 18. shall be consumed and her Merchants that were waxed rich through her pleasures and profits shall wail and weep the which they now seeing shut their eyes lest they should see that which would bring them from these honours profits and pleasures In like manner it may easily be judged by every indifferent man that the cause why the Learned of this Land will not see or at least practise that seeing there is but one Lord Eph. 4.5 and one Law-giver over the Conscience Jam. 4.12 Therefore no man ought to be compelled by persecution to a worship wherein he hath not Faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but their winking with their eyes lest they should see that that would take away their honours and profits For if Bribes blind the eyes of the Wise Deut. 16.19 then Honours and Profits much more For who seeth not if none should be compelled by persecution to worship God in Spirit and Truth such only worship Him and none but such are required to worship Him Joh. 4.23 that these Learned would lose their Honours Profits in being Lords and Law-makers over the conscience souls of men although your Majesty might lawfully give them what temporal Honours and Profits your Highness liked of These are the true causes of the blindness of the Learned For so Christ saith How can ye believe when ye seek honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God alone Joh. 5.44 And how can men but be blind in gods Mysteries when they look to their own way for their own advantage and for their own purpose for having rejected the Word of the Lord what wisdom is in them they have no answer of God that build up their Sion for so they account their Churches and Professions with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity as before is proved If these Learned could free us from the Lords wrath or if they might answer for us and we be free it were safe for us to submit our selves and captivate our judgments and practice to them but seeing they cannot so much as deliver their own souls And that if the blind lead the blind both must fall into the Ditch Mat. 15.14 and Every one must give account of himself to God and be judged by his own works done in the flesh and that the soul that sinneth shall dye We dare not follow any mortal man in matters of salvation further than we know him to agree with the meaning of God in the Scriptures Paul the holy Apostle of Jesus Christ taught That we should follow him no otherwise than he followed Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Yea Christ himself sent men to the Scriptures to try his Doctrine The Apostles suffered their Doctrine to be tryed and commend them that try it And the Protestants confess Whit. pag. 127. This Doctrine was never misliked till a Church rose up whose Silver being Dross and whose Milk Poyson could not endure the tryal which being true that we may try why may we not also judge and practise according as Gods Spirit shall direct us in our tryal If a man should drink poison and know it to be poison were he not in a worse estate than he that should drink it ignorantly not knowing thereof even a murderer of himself in the highest degree So he that drinketh spiritual poison knowing it for according unto mens faith it is unto them he is in a worse estate and a murderer of his own soul in the highest degree And therefore that Church or those Learned that will suffer their Doctrine to be tryed and yet constrain men to receive and practise it when upon examination their consciences are convinced of the falshood thereof are worse and do more highly sin than they that constrain a blind conscience though both be evil We despise not Learning nor Learned men but do reverence it and them according to their worthiness only when it is advanced into the seat of God and that given to it which appertaineth unto the holy Ghost which is to lead into all Truth than ought all as Ezekiah did unto the brazen Serpent detest it and contemn it CHAP. 6 Persecution for cause of Conscience is against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ King of Kings 1. CHRIST commanded that the Tares and Wheat which are those that walk in the Truth and those that walk in falshood should be let alone in the world and not plucked up until the harvest which is the end of the world Mat. 13.30 38 c. 2. The same commandeth Mat. 15.14 That they that are blindly led on in false Religion and are offended with him for teaching true Religion should be let alone referring their punishment unto their falling into the Ditch 3. Again Luke 9.54 55. He reproved his Disciples who would have had Fire come down from Heaven and devoured those Samaritans that would not receive him in these words Ye know not of what spirit ye are the Son of man is not come to destroymens lives but to save them 4. Paul the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2 Tim. 2.24 That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evil men instructing them with meekness that are contrary-minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the Devil c. 5. According to these aforesaid Commandments the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdom be established then all carnal weapons should cease Isa 2.4 Micah 4.3 4. They shall break their Swords into Mattocks and their Spears into Sithes c. And Isa 11.9 Then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the Mountain of my Holiness c. And when he
extends no further than over the body or goods and to that which is external for over the Soul God will not suffer any man to rule only He himself will rule there Therefore wheresoever the Civil Magistrate doth undertake to give Laws unto the Soul and Consciences of men he usurpeth that Government to himself which appertaineth to God c. The same upon 1 King 6. In building of the Temple there was no sound of Iron heard to signifie that Christ will have in his Church a free and willing People not compelled and constrained by Laws and statutes Again he saith upon Luke 22. It is not the true Catholick Church which is defended by the Seculare arm or Humane power but the false and feigned Church which although it carries the name of a Church yet it denyes the power thereof And upon Psal 17. he saith For the true Church of Christ knoweth not Brachium Seculare which the Bishops now a dayes chiefly use Again in Postil Dom. 1. post Epiph. he saith Let not Christians be commanded but exhorted for he that will not willingly do that whereunto he is friendly exhorted he is no Christian Therefore those that do compel them that are not willing shew thereby that they are not Christian Preachers but worldly Beadles Again upon 1 Pet. 3. he saith If the Civil Magistrate would command me to believe thus or thus I should answer him after this manner Lord or Sir look you to your Civil or worldly Government your Power extends not so far to command any thing in Gods Kingdom therefore herein I may not hear you For if you cannot suffer that any man should usurp Authority where you have to command how do you think that God should suffer you to thrust him from his seat and to seat your self therein The Puritans as appeareth in their Answer to Admonit to Parl. pag. 109. That Papists nor others neither constrainedly nor customally communicate in the mysteries of Salvation Also in their Supplication printed 1609 pag. 21 c. much they write for Toleration Lastly the Papists the inventers of Persecution in a wicked Book lately set forth thus they write Moreover the means which Almighty God appointed his Officers to use in the conversion of Kingdoms and People was Humility Patience Charity c. Saying Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves Mat. 10.16 He did not say I send you as wolves among sheep to kill imprison spoil and devour those unto whom they were sent Again ver 7. he saith They to whom I send you will deliver you up in Councils and in their Synagogues they will scourge you and to Presidents and to Kings shall you be led for my sake He doth not say You whom I send shall deliver the people whom you ought to convert into Councils and put them in Prisons and lead them to Presidents and Tribunal Seats and make their Religion Felony and Treason Again he saith ver 12. When ye enter into the house salute it saying Peace be to this house He doth not say You shall send Pursevants to sansack and spoyl the house Again lie saith Joh. 10. The good Pastor giveth his life for his sheep the Thief cometh not but to steal kill and destroy He doth not say the Thief giveth his life for his sheep and the good Pastor cometh not but to steal kill and destroy c. So that we holding our peace our Adversaries themselves speak for us or rather for the Truth CHAP. 9. It is no prejudice to the Commonwealth if freedom of Religion were suffered but would make it flourish BE pleased not to hearken to mens leasings but to what God and Experience teacheth in this thing Abraham abode among the Canaanites a long-time yet contrary to them in Religion Gen. 13.7 and 16.3 Again He sojourned in Gerar and King Abimelech gave him leave to abide in his Land Gen. 20 21.33 34. Isaac also dwelt in the same Land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 26. Jacob lived twenty years in one house with his uncle Laban yet differed in Religion Gen. 31. The People of Israel were 430 years in that famous Land of Egypt and afterwards 70 years in Babylon all which times they differed in Religion from the States Exod. 12. and 2 Chron. 36. Come to the time of Christ where Israel was under the Romans where lived divers sects of Religions as Herodians Scribes and Pharifees Saduces Libertines Theudaeans Samaritans besides the common Religion of the Jews Christ and his Apostles all which differed from the common Religion of the State which is like was the Worship of Diana which almost the whole world then worshipped Act. 19.20 All these lived under the Government of Caesar being nothing-hurtfull to the State and Commonwealth for they gave unto Caesar that which was his and for Religion to God he left them to themselves as having no dominion therein And when the enemies of the Truth raised up any Tumults the wisdom of the Magistrates most wisely appeased them as Acts 18.14 c. and 19.35 c. Again be pleased to look into the neighbour Nations who tolerate Religion how their Wealths and States are governed many sorts of Religions are in their Dominions yet no trouble of State no Treason no hinderance at all of any good but much prosperities brought unto their Countries they having all one harmony in matters of State giving unto Caesar his due and for Religion they suffer one another If any object the Troubles of France Germany c. We answer They are such as have been procured by the learned but most bloody Jesuites who seek to establish their Religion by blood for subversion of whom your Wisdoms are wise to deal in Yet be pleased not to let faithful Subjects be punished for their wickedness But let most severe Laws be made for the maintenance of Civil and humane Peace and Welfare as to your Majesty and others shall seem expedient And if it be well observed it is the Learned that raised up all the bloody Wars among the Princes of the Earth CHAP. 10. King are not deprived of any Power given them of God when they maintain Freedom for cause of Conscience WE know the Learned do perswade that Kings have power from God to maintain the Worship and Service of God as they have power to maintain Right and Justice between man and man For Christian Kings say they have the same power that the Kings of Israel had under the Law For answer to which First let it be observed the Kings of Israel had never power from God to make new Laws or set up new Worships which Gods Word required not nor to set high Priests or Spiritual Lords for the performance of the Services other than such as God by Moses expresly had commanded and therefore the power of the Kings of Israel will warrant to Kings to make or confirm Canons set up new Worships and appoint Spiritual Lords and Law givers to the
Conscience and persecute all that submit not to them 2. Let it be well observed only the Kings of Israel had this power but no other Kings whose Commonwealths did flourish to them and their seeds after them to many generations and it must be granted that he that is King of Israel now which is Jesus Christ the truth of those typical Kings of Israel he hath the power according to the proportion the temporal Kings had temporal power to compel all to the observation of those carnal or temporal Commandments Heb. 7.16 and 9.10 So Christ the Spiritual King hath Spiritual Power to compel all to the observation of his Spiritual Commandments For when he came himself said Joh. 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father requireth even such to worship him If Christ be only King of Israel that sits upon Davids Throne for ever as he is Acts 2.30 far be it from any King to take Christs seat from him The Wisdom of God foresaw that seeing the Misteries of the Gospel are such spiritual things as no natural men though they be Princes of this world can know them he left not Kings and Princes to be Lords and Judges thereof seeing they are subject to erre but he left that Power to his beloved Son who could not erre and the Son left his only Deputy the holy Ghost and no moral man whatsoever as your Highness worthily acknowledgeth in Apol. pag. 46. I utterly deny that there is any earthly Monarch over the Church whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre by an infallibility of spirit Because earthly Kingdoms must have earthly Monarchs it doth not follow the Church must have a visible Monarch too Christ is the Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputy The Kings of the Gentiles reign over them but you shall not be so c. Luke 22. Christ when he ascended left not Peter with them to direct them into all truth but premised to send the holy Ghost unto them for that end c. Further these Learned alledge the Commandments Exod. 23.33 Deut. 7. and Deut. 13. where Israel are commanded to destroy all the Inhabitants of the Land lest they intice them to serve their gods and to slay all false prophets c. These they collect from the time of the Law for in the time of the Gospel they have nothing to alledge for Rom. 13. maketh nothing for their purpose Caesar being a Heathen King For answer unto the places of Moses first The sins of this people the Canaanites were full and the Lord would destroy them and give their possessions unto the Israelites but the sins of the refusers of Christ are not full until the end or last hour as before is proved 2. The Children of Israel had a special Commandment from the Lord to destroy them but the Kings of the Nations have no Command at all to destroy the bodies of the contrary-minded nay they are expresly forbidden it Mat. 13.29.3 The Canaanites would have rebelled against Israel and have des troyed them but the contrary-minded will not rebell against their Kings but give unto them the things that belong unto them not so much for fear as of conscience and of this the GOD of Gods is Witness 4. The Heads and Rulers of Israel could command and compel the people to observe those carnal Rites and Ordinances of the Law even as CHRIST the Head and Ruler of Israel can compel to the observations of his spiritual Ordinances of the Gospel but the Heads of the Nations cannot compel their Subjects to believe the Gospel for Faith is the gift of God which Faith if they want all they do in Gods Worship is sin Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 Therefore they cannot compel any to worship because they cannot give them Faith for which cause the Lord in wisdom saw it not meet to charge Kings with a duty which they cannot perform God will never require it at their hands the blood of the faithless and unbelieving shall be on their own heads He that will not believe shall be damned Mark 16.16 Again Seeing it is true as your Majesty well observeth in your Highness speech at Parl. 1609. That the Judicials of Moses were only fit for that time and those persons And also it is confessed the Law for Adultery Theft and the like is not now to be executed according to the Judicials of Moses nor directions for the Magistrates of the Earth to walk by Why should these be any directions for them seing also our Savior and his Apostles have taught the contrary as before hath been proved If all false Prophets should be now executed according to Deut. 13. the Kings of the Earth would not onely be deprived of many of their Subjects but the Cities of their habitation with all the Inhabitants of the Cities must be destroyed with the edge of the sword the cattel thereof and all the spoyl thereof must be brought into the midst of the City and the City and all therein by burnt with fire be made a heap of stones for ever and never be built again which God forbid such execration should ever be seen And if these Judicials of Moses be not now directions for the Kings of Nations we reade not in all the Book of God any directions given to Kings to rule in matters of Conscience and Spiritual Worship to God But often we reade that the Kings of the Nations shall give their power to the Beast and fight against the Lamb Rev. 16.14 and 17.2 12 13 14 18. and 18. 3 9. and 19.19 as lamentable experience hath plainly taught it Thus all men may see there is only deceit in these Learned mens comparisons of the Kings of Israel in the Law with the Kings of Nations in time of the Gospel in matters of Religion Much might be written to prove that Kings are not deprived of their power by permitting of Freedom of Religion but are rather deprived thereof by using compulsion to the contrary-minded and do sin grievously in causing them to sin for want of Faith but this may suffice the Almighty blessing it with his blessing which we humbly-beseech Him for his Christs sake for his own Glory sake for the prosperity and welfare of these Kingdoms and for the comfort of your faithful and true-hearted Subjects that are now distressed by long and lingring Imprisonments and otherwise who of conscience give unto Caesar the things which are his Which is to be Lord and Law-giver to the Bodies of his Subjects and all belonging to their outward-man for the preservation of himself and his good Subjects and for the punishment of the evil In which preservation the Church of Christ hath a special part when their outward Peace is thereby preserved from the fury of all adversaries in which respect Princes are called Nursing Fathers as many are at this day blessed be our Lord. Oh be pleased to consider why you should persecute us for humbly beseeching you in the words of the King of kings Mat. 22.21 To give unto God the things which are Gods which is to be Lord and Law-giver to the soul in that Spiritual Worship and Service which he requireth If you will take away this from God What is it that is Gods Far be it from you to desire to sit in the Consciences of men to be Law-giver and Judge therein This is Antichrists practice perswading the Kings of the Earth to give him their power to compel all hereunto But whosoever submitteth shall drink of Gods fierce wrath Revel 14.9 10. You may make and mend your own Laws and be Judge and Punisher of the transgressors thereof but you cannot make or mend Gods Laws they are perfect already Psal 19.7 You may not adde nor diminish Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 19. Nor be Judge nor Monarch of his Church that is CHRISTS Right he left neither you nor any mortal man his Deputy but only the holy Ghost as your Highness acknowledgeth And whosoever erreth from the Truth his Judgment is set down 2 Thess 1.8 c. Rom. 2.8 c. and the time thereof Matth. 13.40 and 25.31 c. Rom. 2.16 This is the Sum of our humble Petition That your Majesty would be pleased not to persecute your faithful Subjects who are obedient to you in all Civil Worship and Service for walking in the practice of what Gods Word requireth of us for his Spiritual Worship as we have Faith knowing as your Majesty truly writeth in your Medit. on Mat. 27. pag. 69. in these words We can use no Spiritual Worship or Prayer that can be available to us without Faith This is the sum of our most humble Petition thus manifoldly proved to be just O LORD GOD of Glory raise up in this High Assembly the heart of some Nehemiah of some Ebed-melech That may open their mouthes for the Dumb that cannot speak for themselves in a Truth so apparant as this is lest it be said as Isa 59.16 And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himself Therefore his Arm did save it and his Righteousness it self did sustain it And now we cease not to pray for the King and his Son and his Seed and this whol High and Honourable Assembly now and alwayes Calling the all-seeing God to witness that we are your Majesties loyal Subjects not for fear only but for Conscience sake Unjustly called ANA-BAPTISTS