Request of the generall Councel of Nice Banished Arius with some of his fellowes Ecclesiast Histor l 1. Cap. 19.20 The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian Theodosius as Augustine reporteth in Epist 166. onely Julian the Apostate graunted liberty to Hereticks as well as to Pagans that he might by Tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitalls of Christianity Which was also the practise and sinne of Ualens the Arian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her government as most of the former It is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists Yea and King James one of your owne Witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for Conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the Malignant world calleth Puritans men of more Conscience better Faith then the Papists whom he Tolerated Discusser First for mine owne part I would not use an Argument from the number of Princes witnessing in profession or practise against persecution for cause of Conscience c. Truth and Faith must not be received with respect of persons pretious pearles are found in muddy shells The most High chooseth the poore of this world to be witnesses to his Truth and Buchanan dying was going thither whether few Kings were comming Defender This Chapter then might have been spared for it neither maintaineth his cause nor refuteth my answer to his friends Argument but yeeldeth up the invalidity of the Argument from such a Topick place As from the number and votes of Princes But by his leave the answer which I gave to his argument is not taken from the like number of Princes but from the greater piety and presence of God with those Princes who have professed and practised against Toleration It is truly said Suffragia non sunt numeranda sed ponderanda Heroicall wisdome magnanimity and zeale is not the lesse to be esteemed because it is found in the spirit and counsel and practise of Princes CHAP. 59. A Reply to his Chap. 62. Discusser Secondly I observe how inconsiderately I hope not willingly the Answerer passeth by the reasons and grounds urged by these three Princes In King James his speech he passeth by that golden Maxime that God never loved to plant his Church by bloud Defender The Discusser is mistaken when he saith I passed over their reasons and grounds inconsiderately though he hopeth not willingly for indeed I passed them over willingly but not inconsiderately For I well considered either the reasons wanted weight or else did not impugne the cause in hand For instance this speech of King James That God never loved to plant his Church by bloud though it be a Truth of weight yet it doth not touch this cause It is farre from us to defend the planting of Churches by bloud that is to compell men to yeeld themselves to the fellowship of the Church by bloudy Lawes or poenalties the Church of Christ admitteth no members but a willing people Psal 110.3 Neverthelesse that hindereth not but as the Church was purchased and planted by the bloud of Christ so he that shall goe about to supplant and destroy the Church of Christ his bloud may justly fall upon his owne head Discusser Secondly That civill obedience may be performed by Papists this was another reason of King James passed over by the Answerer Defender No marvell that I passed it over for I did not finde it in the Letter For though the King say as the Letter reporteth him I onely declared to be secured for civill obedience which for Conscience cause they were bound to performe yet the King doeth not say That civill obedience may be performed by Papists standing stedfast to the rules of their owne Religion For if the Bishop of Rome upon pretence of hereticall pravity shall excommunicate a Protestant Prince dissolve the Subjects Oath of Allegiance to him depose him dispose of his Kingdome In this case which often falleth out how can civill obedience be performed by the Papists Discusser Thirdly The Kings third ground is his observation in Revel 20. That persecution is a true certaine note of a false Church The wicked are Beseigers the faithfull Beseiged Defender I subscribe to the King that persecution properly so called that is the oppression of any for righteousnesse sake is a note of a false Church but nor a certaine note For againe I say that persecution properly so called may be sometime found in the true Church For which of all the Prophets did not the Church of the old Testament persecute Acts 7.52 And yet that persecution was not the true and certaine note of a false Church For then God had left no true Church upon the face of the earth But this I graunt That such persecution where ever it is found It is a degree of falshood and A postacy in that Church But what a vast distance is there between the just censure of Apostasticall and Hereticall seducers and disturbers of the Churches peace and truth and between persecution As for the other speech The wicked are beseigers the faithfull are beseiged It may well be said of the seige spoken of in that 20. of the Revelation But if it should be put for a universall Maxime Royall Authority cannot make it good Divinity When the ten Christian Kings shall hate the Whore of Rome and eate her flesh and burne her with fire Rev. 17.16 I suppose the Discusser will not say the wicked are Beseigers the faithfull are beseiged Discusser In King Stephens speech of Poland he passeth by the true difference between a civill and a spirituall Government I am said Stephen a civill Magistrate over the bodyes of men not a spirituall over their soules Defender King Stephens speech may well stand and the cause still untouched The Magistrate is a Ruler over the Bodies of men not over their soules He cannot command their soules nor binde their Consciences nor punish their spirits It is the Lord alone can reach them That which the King or Magistrate can doe or doeth in this case is to punish the bodyes of men for destroying or disturbing Religion Discusser To confound these is Babel and Jewish to seeke for Moses and bring him from his Grave c. Defender It is Babel indeed for civill Magistrates to make Lawes to binde Conscience and to excommunicate transgressors of those Lawes But to punish false Prophets and Seducers of Gods people to Idolatry was never the practise of Babel but it was and is their practise not onely to Tolerate them but to advance and encourage them If it were a Jewish seeking of Moses and a bringing him from his Grave to punish Seducers for Idolatry then after Moses was buried that Law Deut. 13. was abrogated But his buryall and Gods hiding of the place thereof was rather a confirmation and establishment of it then any Abrogation or Impeachment
against my person which might weaken the fruit of my counsell to him I told him I had not hasted forward the sentence of his Civill Banishment and that what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde was neither done by my Counsell nor consent Whereto he answereth first That he observeth I cannot but confesse that it is hard for any man to doe good or to speake effectually to the soule or Conscience of any whose body he afflicteth and persecuteth and that onely for their soule and Conscience sake Reply All that can truely be observed from my words is That it is hard for any to take good from those against whom they have conceived a prejudice whether justly or unjustly But when he subjoyneth a Serpentine that is a subtile and venomous insinuation as if I had afflicted and persecuted his body and that onely for his soule and Conscience sake Answ I have been so farre from afflicting or persecuting his body especially for his soule or conscience sake that in very truth whilest I had any hope of prevailing for him I may say as David said for himselfe against a like slander Psal 7.3 4. I have sought to deliver him who without cause reproacheth me Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe as he doth in this Paragraph in comparing the dealing of the Elders with him here to the Persecutions of the Bishops against the godly Preachers in England If the Bishops had dealt no worse with the godly Preachers there and upon no more unjust causes then the Elders dealt with him here they might with good conscience and good countenance have looked with comfort and confidence both God and man in the face even now when God hath laid their carnall pompe and worldly honour in the dust Neither let him please himselfe as he doth in the next Paragraph in his undoubted Assertion That what Mr. Cotton and others did in procuring his sorrowes was not without some regret and reluctancy of Conscience and affection as David in procuring Uriah's death or Asa in imprisoning the Prophet For neither was he so innocent as was Vriah and that Prophet nor had my selfe the like hand in his sufferings as David and Asa had in the other nor did I ever see cause of regret and reluctancy of conscience for any act of mine own about his sufferings Onely I confesse I had as he saith some regret and reluctancy of affection and of compassion to see one who had received from God stirring and usefull gifts to bestirre himselfe so busily and eagerly to abuse them to the disturbance of himselfe his family the Churches and the Common-wealth That I consented not to his Banishment he in part admitteth For what need was there saith he of that being not one of the Civill Court As if I might not have consented to it though I needed not to have done it I might have drawn up Articles against him I might have come in as a witnesse against him I might have solicited and stirred up the body of the Magistrates against him to rid the countrey of him and then I had consented before-hand to what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde though my selfe had been none of the Court but none of all these acts nor any such like were done by me But be it that I consented not yet I counselled it and so consented and to prove that he saith He will produce a double and unanswerable Testimony for it First That I publickly taught and still doe Teach except lately Christ hath taught me better that body-killing soule-killing and State-killing Doctrine of Persecuting all other Consciences and wayes of worship but mine own in the Civill State and consequently in the whole world if the Power or Empire thereof were in mine hand Reply Were it not that I have learned from the word of truth that when men are cast out of the Church of Christ they are delivered up unto Satan and so neither their wits nor their tongues are their own I could not easily have beleeved that Mr. Williams could so confidently and openly have avouched such a notorious slander Since the Lord taught me to know any thing what conscience or the worship of God meant it hath been my constant judgement and doctrine and practise to the contrary Besides To teach the killing of the bodies of all such Consciences and wayes of worship as are not mine own is to make mine own conscience and way of worship the infallible Rule and soveraigne Standard by which all consciences and wayes of worship throughout the world were to be regulated yea and as if this were a light measure of arrogancy and usurpation I make it a capitall crime a body-killing offence for any man to swerve from my conscience and way of worship even in such Points wherein the Holy Ghost hath given expresse charge that we should not judge nor condemne one another Rom. 14.3 But I durst appeale even unto the conscience of Mr. Williams himselfe if it were now in the gracious keeping of Christ or of himselfe as in former times that himselfe knoweth I doe not thinke it lawfull to Excommunicate an Heretick much lesse to persecute him with the civill Sword till it may appeare even by just and full conviction that he sinneth not out of conscience but against the very light of his own conscience Sure I am such a Point he reporteth is received from me to the very same purpose and he reporteth it truely in his Bloudy Tenent pag. 8. This Answer may suffice to his first as he calleth it unanswerable Testimony His second unanswerable Testimony is That some Gentlemen that did consent to his Sentence have solemnly testified and with teares since confessed to himselfe that they could not in their soules have been brought to have consented to the Sentence of his Banishment had not Mr. Cotton in private given them advice and counsell proving it just and warrantable to their Consciences Reply I might here justly plead the equitie of the Romane Custome to excuse my selfe from this accusation untill the accusers come before me face to face And truely if Apocryphall witnesses may goe for unanswerable Testimonies it is an easie matter to oppresse any innocency I might also plead the incompetency of such a witnesse as haply lying under some censure from our Church and removing himselfe from our fellowship might take more liberty to speake against me in a pang of passion what he would be loath to justifie in cold bloud I might likewise alledge that one or two Magistrates makes not a Court nor was his Sentence cast by the vote of one or two So that if I had counselled one or two to it it would not argue that the act of the Magistrates and of the Deputies which is the body of the Court had been done by my counsell or consent And indeed it was the very true meaning of my speech that for the hastening of the Sentence of the Court against Mr. Williams that act of the
THE BLOUDY TENENT WASHED And made white in the bloud of the Lambe being discussed and discharged of bloud-guiltinesse by just Defence WHEREIN The great Questions of this present time are handled viz. How farre Liberty of Conscience ought to be given to those that truly feare God And how farre restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons that not onely raze the foundation of Godlinesse but disturb the Civill Peace where they live Also how farre the Magistrate may proceed in the duties of the first Table And that all Magistrates ought to study the word and will of God that they may frame their Government according to it DISCUSSED As they are alledged from divers Scriptures out of the Old and New Testament Wherein also the practise of Princes is debated together with the Judgement of Ancient and late Writers of most precious esteeme Whereunto is added a Reply to Mr. WILLIAMS Answer to Mr. COTTONS Letter BY JOHN COTTON Batchelor in Divinity and Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in New-England LONDON Printed by Matthew Symmons for Hannah Allen at the Crowne in Popes-Head-Alley 1647. THE BLOODY TENET WASHED AND MADE WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMBE OR The Bloody Tenet discust and discharg'd of bloud-guiltinesse by Just defence CHAP. I. THE Bloody Tenet I meane the booke stiled by that name tending to discusse an holy wholesome truth of God slanderously stiled the Bloudy Tenet was put forth against the Royall Law of the love of the Gospel Mr. Williams sent me about a dozen yeares agoe as I remember a letter penned as he wrote by a Prisoner in Newgate touching persecution for Conscience sake and intreated my judgement of it for the satisfaction of his friend I wa not willing to deny him any office of Christian love and gave him my poore judgement in a private letter This private letter of mine he hath published in Print after so many yeares and there with a Resuration of it If my letter was Orthodoxall and tending to satisfaction and edification why did he refute it If corrupt and erronious especially if bloudy why did he publish it The letter and so the error contained in it if it was an error it was private and so private that I know no man that hath a coppy of it no not my selfe who penned it for ought I could find but himselfe onely if I did offend him by the writing of such an error to him though by himselfe intreated to expresse my judgement let him remember he pleadeth for libertie of conscience I wrote my conscience and the truth of God according to my conscience in the sight of God Why should he punish me with open pennance and expose me as much as in him lieth before the world to open shame as a man of bloud for the liberty of my conscience How will it stand with his owne principles to plead for liberty of conscience and yet to punish it Besides let him remember if I did offend him with such an error it was but a private offence and the rule of the Gospel required he should first have convinced and admonished me privately of it and so have proceeded upon my contumacy at length to have told the Church before he had published it to the world But such as seeke for new Apostles must seeke also for new Gospel before this manner of dealing can be justified by the Gospel of Christ That booke of his therefore being thus begun against the rule of the Gospel no marvell if it swarve from the truth of the Gospel all a long He that setteth forth out of his way in the first entrance of his journey no marvell if he wander all the day after CHAP. 2. Of the title he prefixeth to my answere of the prisoners letter IN printing my answer to the prisoners Letter he prefixeth thititle The answer of Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-Englands professedly maintaining Persecution for cause of Conscience This Title trespasseth not onely against the Creator of Christian love which is wont to take even doubtfull things in the fairest sense but even against the Law of truth For in the whole purport of my Answer to the Letter both in stating the Question and in answering Objections I expresly professe 1. That no man is to be persecuted at all much lesse for Conscience sake because all persecution is oppression for Righteousnesse sake 2. I Professe further That none is to be punishâ—d for his Conscience sake though Erroneous unlesse his Errors be Fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of Conscience That it may appeare he is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Thus whilest he pleadeth for Liberty of Conscience he taketh Liberty to his Conscience openly to publish That I do professedly maintaine Persecution for cause of Conscience When I doe in expresse tearmes professedly Renounce it This Liberty of Conscience setteth the Conscience at Liberty Calumniandi audacter Object But it may be by consequence I doe maintaine Persecution for cause of Conscience though in expresse tearmes I professedly Renounce it Ans 1. What if such a thing might be inferr'd by consequence mens judgements and professions are not to be taken up from every unwary consequence against their owne positive and expresse Declarations and Professions It is iustly taxed in Bellarmine as a slanderous Calumny that he bringeth in Luther Calvine Martyr Bucer makeing God the Authour of sinne which all of them in expresse tearmes doe auoyde yet he would fasten such a blasphemous Tenet upon them forsooth by consequences In like sort by the like consequences is the Bloudy Tenet fastened upon me When the eyes are bloud-shotten or looke through a red glasse all things about them will appeare red and bloudy But if this Tenet have any appearance of blood in it It is because it is washed in the Bloud of the Lambe and sealed with his bloud And then though it may seeme Bloudy to men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth as Paul seemed to such to be a Pestilent fellow yet to faithful and upright soules such things as are washed in the Bloud of the Lambe are wont to come forth white as did the followers of the Lambe who washed their Robes white in the Bloud of the Lambe Rev 7.14 CHAP. 3. A reply to the third Chapter of the Bloudy Tenet discust what is a cause of Conscience in generall IN stateing of the Question I propounded some distinctions for clearing of the Point The 1. was this in mine Answer to the Letter of the Prisoner By Persecution for cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of Doctrine which you beleive in Conscience to be the Truth or for practising some worke which you beleive in Conscience to be a Religious duty Discusser This distinction is not full and compleate For besides both these a man may be persecuted for cause of Conscience because he dare not be constrained to
doe in vaine goe about from this place to establish their Sacrilegious Tyranny by giving Lawes without the word and beside the word to bind Conscience Therefore Civill Magistrates of whom this whole Discourse is shall exercise a sacrilegious Tyranny over the Conscience and in vaine goe about to establish it from this place when from the word of God they establish true Religion and goe about to punish the Fundamentall subverters of the same But how farre off Calvins Judgement was to restraine Civill Magistrates from medling in matters of Religion let him interpret himselfe in his own words in his opuscula in his Answer to Servetus who was put to Death for his Heresies at Geneva by his procurement Hoe uno saith he contentus sum Christi adventû nec mutatum esse Ordinem Politicum nec de Magistratuum officio quicquam Detractum A gedùm quod Paulus docet Rom. 13.4 Non frustra ah ipsis Gladium gestari an ad speciem unam restringi debet Fatentur isti quibuscum nunc Discepto ad alia crimina plectenda Judices diviniâ—ùs esse amatos moâ—◠â Religione abstineani ut libera ipsis tacentibus Impietas lasciviat verirm reclamat innumeris locis Spiritus Sanctus c. This one thing saith he sufficeth me that by the coming of Christ neither was the State of Civill Government changed nor any thing taken away from the Magistrates Office Goe to then that which Paul teacheth Rom. 13.4 that he beareth not the Sword in vaine ought it to be restrained unto one kind onely they themselves confesse with whom I have to deale the Magistrates are armed of God to punish other crimes so that they abstaine from matter of Religion that so ungodlynesse may runne riot by their connivance But the Holy Ghost crieth out against this in many places c. Discusser Againe Calvin speaking of sulfilling the Law by Love writeth thus on the same place Paul hath not respect vnto the whole Law he speaketh onely of those duties which the Law commandeth us towards our neighbours And after Paul only mentioneth the second Table c. And that he repeateth Love is the fulfilling of the Law understand it as before of that part of the Law which concerneth humane Society for the former Table of the Law which is of the worship of God is not here touched So Beza upon the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if there be any other Commandement it is summed up in this thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe the whole Law saith he commandeth nothing but the love of God and our Neighbour but since the Apostle in this place discourseth of the mutuall Duties of men one to another I thinke this Terme Law ought to be restrained to the second Table Defender And so think I too yet without the least prejudice to the cause in hand For if the Question be of the dutyes which Subjects owe to Magistrates they pertaine to the second Table or if the Question be of the vertu eof love one to another That it is the fulfilling of the whole Law It is meant cheifely of the second Table though withall it be true the second Table cannot be fulfilled without fulfilling of the first Table also These things are out of controversie But what is all this to the point in hand The Apostle in calling love the fulfilling of the Law speaketh of the Law of the second Table Ergo the Magistrate who is spoken of in the same chapter hath no power to punish the crimes against the first Table or thus further in the 13. of the Romans the Apostle speaketh of the Duties of Subjects to Magistrates which is a Duty of the second Table therefore Magistrates have no power to punish their Subjects for crimes against the first Table The Discusser might as well argue that the duties of Subjects to Magistrates are duties of the second Table therefore it is not the Dutie of Subjects to pray for their Magistrates which is a Duty of the first Table The Truth is though Prayer be a Duty of the first Table yet to pray for Magistrates is a Duty of the second Table In like sort though Idolatry and Blasphemy and Heresie be sinnes against the first Table yet to punish these with civill penalties is a Duty of the second Table For let it be considered in the feare of God are not all Duties of Righteousnesse to man commanded in the second Table as well as all Duties of Holinesse to God commanded in the first Table If so I demand againe whether it be not a Duty of Righteousnesse belonging to the people of God to enjoy the free passage of Religion Truth of Doctrine Holinesse of worship Purity of Church-Government I demand yet further if it be not an injurious dealing to the people of God to disturb the Truth of Doctrine with Heresie the holinesse of worship with Idolatry the Purity of Government with Tyranny If all these be granted then it unavoydably followeth that all these wayes of unrighteousnesse are justly punishable by the second Table Let not therefore the Discusser please himselfe in deluding himselfe and the world that Beza and Calvine did absolutely denie the 13. of the Romans to concerne any matter of the first Table For though the Duties of Loyalty to Magistrates and of love to all concerne the second Table yet it was neither the word nor Judgement of Calvine or Beza so to interpret Rom. 13. As to exempt Magistrates from Power of punishing Heresie and Idolatry Calvines Interpretation of Rom. 13.4 and his Argument from thence against Servetus is declared above in this chapter Heare now how Beza interpreteth the same Text in his Booke entituled De Haereticis â Magistratu puniendis Testatur Paulus Magistratum esse Dei Ministrum qui Gladium gerat ad eas ulciscendas qui malè agunt Rom. 13.4 Quamobrem alterutrum necesse est si in Haereticos Magistratus jus nullum habet vel ipsos malè non agere quod Refutatione indigere non puto vel quod in genere Paulus ait ad certum maleficiorum genus revocandum eorum videlicet quae corporalia peccata vocant de quo malificiorum discrimine copiosius ut spero posteà suo loco Disseram That is Paul witnesseth saith he that the Magistrate is Gods Minister who beareth the Sword to take vengeance on them that doe evill Rom. 13.4 wherefore one of these two must needs be If Magistrates should have no just power over Hereticks either that Hereticks are not evill doers which is so grosse that I thinke it needs no Refutation or else that Pauls speech is to be restrained to a certaine sort of evill deeds to wit such as they call corporall sinnes of which distinction of evill deeds I shall dispute more largely I hope in his due place hereafter So Beza CHAP. 48. A Reply to his Chap. 48. Discusser THe higher powers in this Rom. 13. were amongst others the Roman Emperours and subordinate Magistrates
is evill c. Defender But not simply because it is evill unlesse it be also notorious and evident and convicted by sufficient witnesses and held forth with publick offence and disturbance Neither doe the Elders take away from the Magistrates the cognizance of the complaints of Children Servants wives against Parents Masters Husbands Unlesse they be meerely private and easily healed in a private way by Domesticall Government what need houshold Government if every Family-offence should be brought to the cognizance of the publick Magistrate one Ordinance of God doth not swallow up another CHAP. 53. A Reply to his Chap. 53 54 and 55. Discusser THe Author of the Letter proceeded to a last Reason from Scripture to prove that the Disciples of Christ should be so farre from persecuting that they ought to blesse them that curse them and pray for them that persecute them and that because of the freenesse of Gods grace and deepnesse of his Counsels calling home them that be Enemies persecutors no people yea some at the last houre Vnto this Reason the Answerer is pleased thus to Reply First in generall we must not doe evill that good may come thereof Secondly in particular he affirmeth that it is evill to tolerate seditious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous livers and for proofe of this quoteth Christs Reproofe of the Angels of Pergamus and Thyatira for tolerating Balaam and Jezabel to teach and seduce Revel 2.14.20 Defender The Discusser forgetteth himselfe through Incogitancy if not through guile when he maketh this to have been my first Reply that we must not doe evill that good may come thereof For he is not ignorant that I gave two Answers or Replyes as he calleth them before in the same place First when Christ commandeth his Disciples to blesse them that curse them and persecute them he giveth not therein a Rule to publick Officers whether in Church or Common-wealth to suffer notorious sinners either in Life or Doctrine to passe away with a Blessing but to private Christians to suffer persecution patiently yea and to pray for their Persecutors Againe it is true Christ would have his Disciples to be farre from persecuting for persecution is a wicked oppression of men for Righteousnesse sake but that hindereth not but that he would have them execute upon all Disobedience the Judgement and vengeance required in the Word 2 Cor. 10.6 Rom. 13.4 Both these Answers the Discusser passeth over in silence For looke as Children where they cannot read thinke it best to skip over so men of riper yeares when they are loath to stoop to the Authority of the Truth they thinke it best to passe it over in silence But what is it the Discusser is pleased to answer to Discusser In this Proposition that it is evill to tolerate notorious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous livers I observe two evills First that this Proposition is too large and generall because the Rule admitteth of exception and that according to the will of God Defender And to prove that this generall Proposition admitteth some exception the Discusser spendeth the rest of this 53. chapter as also the 54 th chapter and 55 th But because I would not spend time nor weary the Reader with following the Discusser in impertinent and copious digressions I returne briefly this Reply First it is wholly impertinent whatsoever the Discusser is pleased to discourse of Gods permission or toleration of any evill For first God is his owne Rule and what he doth is good because he doth it Not his Act but his word is a Rule to us He may tolerate Cain a Murtherer to live but that is no precedent to a Civill Magistrate Secondly I willingly grant it may be lawfull for a Civill Magistrate to tolerate notorious evill doers in two cases under which all the Examples will fall which the Discusser alleadgeth in any word of Truth As first in regard of the efficient cause of punishing when the Magistrates hand is too weake and feeble and the offendors Adherents so great and strong that Justice cannot be done upon him without manifest perill to the whole State there the Magistrate may tolerate a notorious evill even murther it selfe as David upon this ground did tolerate in Joab and Abishai the murther of Abner 2 Sam. 3.39 And secondly in regard of the finall cause an evill may be tolerated to prevent other greater evills As Moses tolerated divorce of unpleasing Wives to prevent the murder or other hard and cruell usage of them In either of these cases I would not deny but a murderer may be tolerated if either the Magistrate want sufficient Power with safety of the State to cut him off or if a forraine State be so affected and addicted to the Murderer that in case the Magistrate here cut off him they will cut off sundry of our innocent and necessary members whom they have gotten into their custody in revenge of him And if either of these be the case I easily grant that it is not evill to tolerate a notorious seducing false Teacher or other scandalous liver But such an extraordinary doth not hinder the due largenesse and generality of the Proposition that it is evill to tolerate seditious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous Livers As in a paralell case this Proposition is not too large nor too generall it is evill to tolerate a bloudy murderer notwithstanding in some cases such as have been named but those are extraordinary it may be lawfull to tolerate him Now that in ordinary cases it is not lawfull to tolerate a seducing false Teacher the Commandement of God is cleare and strong Deut. 13.8 9. Thine eye shall not pity him neither shalt thou spare him neither shalt thou conceale him but thou shalt surely kill him If the Discusser shall except that strict Commandement was in force in Israel because their Land was typically holy or their Magistrates were Types of Christ The Reply is plaine and just God himselfe alledgeth no such reason of his Law But another quite different but common with them to all Nations professing the worship of the true God Thou shalt put him to death because he sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God ver 10. Neither can any instance be given of any Capitall Law of Moses but is of Morall that is of generall and perpetuall Equity in all Nations in all Ages Capitalia Mosis Politica sunt aeterna CHAP. 54. A Reply to his Chap. 56. Discusser I Come now to the second Evill which I observe in the Answerers former Position that it would be evill to tolerate seducing Teachers scandalous Livers In two things I shall discover the great evill of this joyning and coupling seducing Teachers and scandalous Livers as the proper and adaequate object of the Magistrates care and worke to suppresse and punish Defender I no where make it the proper and adaequate object of the Magistrates care and worke to suppresse and punish seducing Teachers and scandalous livers For
Common Prayer Booke which though they then seemed sandy to me yet since I have acknowledged to be rocky and have seene cause so to publish to the world in my Discourse to Mr. Ball against set formes of Prayer For a reply let me begin where he leaveth How ready he is to build upon sandy grounds may appeare by this very Passage where he maintaineth his rockinesse For here he avoucheth I have seene cause to publish to the world the rockinesse of his grounds in a Discourse to Mr. Ball against set Formes of Prayer What rocky ground doe you thinke this Assertion of his standeth upon I know no other but this He findeth such a Discourse published to the world and he thence concludeth for other Grounds he hath none that I published that Discourse and that I saw cause to publish it both which hang upon that ground like ropes of sand The truth is I did not publish that Discourse to the world much lesse did I see cause to publish it upon the Grounds he speaketh of A briefe Discourse in defence of set formes of Prayer was penned by Mr. Ball much briefer then that which since is put forth in Print That briefe Discourse a religious Knight sent over whether to my selfe or to a Gentleman of note then dwelling in my house I remember not but with desire to heare our judgement of it At his request I drew up a short Answer and sent one Copie of it to the Knight and another to Mr. Ball divers yeares agoe How it came in processe of time to be published to the world or by whom I doe not know And yet Mr. Williams doubteth not to affirme it that I published that Discourse to the world and saw cause to doe it Rocky spirits can expresse all their conceits in rocky firmnesse though upon sandy conjectures Besides when he saith That himselfe discovered to me and to other servants of God his grounds against our using of the Common Prayer which then seemed sandy to us but now in New-England I have acknowledged to be rocky in my Discourse to Mr. Ball. I could have wished he had expressed what grounds those were which he discovered to us For my selfe I can call to minde no such matter that ever I heard or received from him either by word or writing any solide grounds against that Practise But this I am sure of that the grounds of altering my judgement touching that practise did chiefly stand upon the exposition of the second Commandement which if I should say I received from him I should greatly feare my forehead were more rocky then his grounds were I thinke it no disgrace to change either my judgement or practise upon better grounds then I formerly discerned Nor would I thinke it a disgrace to learne any grounds of truth and to professe that I had learned them from himselfe if so I had done But sure I am it hath not been wont to be the manner of the servants of God to upbraid their Brethren with their Retractations of their former Aberrations I have read of the Churches of Judea that when they heard Paul now preached the Faith which once he destroyed they glorified God for him Gal. 1.23 24. but I never read that any of the Churches of Christ or any sincere member of the Churches did ever upbraid Paul for his former Persecution or for his present change The other part of the Chapter he spendeth in relating the grounds of the sentence of his Banishment and in the avouchment of his confidence of the firmenesse of them The grounds of the sentence of his Banishment some whereof He saith I am pleased to discusse in the Letter and others not to mention He saith were rightly summed up by one of the Magistrates after his publick Tryall and Answers Mr. Williams said that publick Person holdeth forth these foure particulars 1. That we have not our Land by Patent from the King but that the Natives are the true owners of it and that we ought to repent of such a receiving it by Patent 2. That it is not lawfull to call a wicked Person to sweare to pray as being actions of Gods worship 3. That it is not lawfull to heare any of the Ministers of the Parish-Assemblies in England 4. That the Civill Magistrates Power extends onely to the bodies and goods and outward state of men c. These particulars he hopeth that as he maintained the rockie strength of them to his own and other Consciences satisfaction So through the Lords assistance he shall be ready not onely to be bound and banished but to dye also in New-England as for most holy Truths of God in Christ Jesus It was not my intent in that Letter which he examineth to discusse the Grounds of his Civill Banishment at all neither did I discusse one or other of them And it is a preposterous shifting of the State of the Question to put it upon me to give account of the causes of his Banishment who neither did banish him nor provoked the Court to banish him out of the Countrey The Magistrates and Deputies of the Common-wealth who were then the Members of that Court are all of them of age and able themselves to give account of their own actions To them or some of them he should in reason have addressed himselfe for satisfaction in this case if any were due and not to me who am as seldome present at any Civill Court if not more seldome then any man of our calling in Towne or Countrey where the Courts are kept It were more then Aegyptian bondage to me and more then Pharaonicall tyranny in him to exact of me an account of all the capitall or notable sentences of Judgement which passe in all the Civill Courts of Justice in the Countrey unlesse I had a calling to sit amongst them But why did I then endeavour in my Letter to shew him the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he had banished himselfe c. If I did not meane to declare and discusse the causes of his Banishment He doth very well and wisely to expresse the Grounds upon which I said he banished himselfe with an c. For he knows that if he had related my whole sentence in my own words he had cut off himselfe from all opportunitie of pleading with me the causes of his Civill Banishment My words are plaine I endeavour to shew you the sandinesse of those grounds upon which you have banished your selfe from the fellowship of all the Churches in these Countreyes It is one thing to banish ones selfe or to be banished out of the fellowship of all the Churches in the Countrey another thing to banish ones selfe or to be banished out of the Countrey There be at this day that banish and separate themselves from all the Churches in the Countrey and yet are not banished out of the Countrey and there be that are banished out of the Countrey and yet are not banished out of the
yeild obedience to such Doctrines and worships as are by men Invented and Appointed As the three famous Jewes were cast into the fiery Furnace in a non-conformity to the whole conforming world before the Golden Image Dan. 3.21 c. Defender Thus a man may find a knot in a Bulrush yea thus a man that were disposed might find fault with the Comforts of God for not being full and Compleate with the Affirmative Comforts because they doe not expresse the Negative and with the Negative because they doe not expresse the Affirmative He that maketh it persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for professing such Doctrine which he beleiveth in Conscience to be the truth he maketh it a Pari Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for Renouncing such Doctrines which he beleiveth in Conscience to be Erroneous And he that maketh it Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for practising such a worke which he beleives in conscience to be a Religious duty He maketh it no lesse Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for not practising such a worke which he beleiveth in Conscience to be a sin CHAP. 4. A Reply to his fourth Chapter touching the distinction of Doctrines Some fundamentall others circumstantiall and lesse Principall IN points of Doctrine I said in my Answer to the Prisoners Letter some are Fundamentall without right beleife whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall and lesse Principall wherein one man may differ from another in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part Discusser To this distinction He saith Truth dare not subscribe for then thousands ten thousands should everlastingly be condemned yea the whole Generation of the Righteous who since the falling away have and doe erre fundamently concerning the true matter Constitution Gathering Governing of the Church And yet farre be it from any pious Breast to Imagine that they are not saved c. Defender Fundamentall Doctrines are of two sorts Some hold forth the foundation of Christian Religion as the Doctrines of salvation by Christ and of faith in his Name Repentance from dead workes Resurrection from the dead and the like Others concerne the Foundation of the Church as the matter and forme of it and the proper Adjuncts accompaning the same The Apostle speaketh of both these sorts of Foundations together Heb. 6.1.2 I speake of the former sort of these onely namely the Foundation or fundamentall points of Christian Religion which who so subverteth and Renounceth he renounceth also his owne salvation The other sort I looke at as lesse principall in comparison of these though some of them have a fundamentall vse in Church order It was pertinent to the Question propounded in the Prisoners Letter to expresse how farre I allowed Toleration even in such fundamentall Errors as subverted the Foundation of Christian Religion And in other Errors lesse dangerous such as neither subverted Religion nor Salvation It would easily be conceived that Toleration might more easily be allowed How farre New English Churches partake with the Old English Parish Churches in any of the Ordinances of God and upon what ground hath been declared in the Reply to the Answer of the other Letter Where also it hath been cleared how farre off the Churches here have been from persecuting or oppressing any of their Brethren for presenting light to them about this point which may prevent and still the lamentation of peace in the beginning of this fith Chapter CHAP. 5. A Reply to his fifth Chapter Concerning a distinction of Points of Practise IN Answer to the Prisoners Letter I said in points of Practise some concerne the weightier Duties of the Law as what God we worship and with what kinde of Worship whether it be such as if it be right Fellowship with God is held If false Fellowship with God is lost Discusser It is worth the Inquiry what kinde of worship he intendeth whether in generall acceptation the Rightnesse or Corruptnesse of the Church or the Ministery of the Church or the Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. And because it pleaseth the Spirit of God to make the Ministery one of the foundations of Christian Religion Heb. 6.1.2 and also to make the Ministery of the Word and Prayer in the Church to be two speciall workes even of the Apostles themselves Acts 6.2 I shall desire it may well be considered in the feare of God 1. Concerning the Ministery of the Word If their new Ministery and ordination be true then the former was false And if false then will it not follow according to this distinction that fellowship with God was lost 2. Concerning Prayer the New English Ministers have disclaimed and written against that Worship of God by Common or set formes of Prayer which yet themselves practised in England And though they were faithfully admonished for vseing the Common Prayer yet at that time they satisfied their hearts with the practise of the Author of the Councell of Trent c. But now I aske whether or no fellowship with God in such Prayers was lost c. 3. Gods People may live and die in such kinde of worship notwithstanding light presented to them able to convince yet not reaching to a conviction and to forsakeing of such wayes which is Contrary to his Conclusion That Fundamentalls are so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience after once or twice Admonition And therefore such a person not being convinced he is condemned of himselfe and may be persecuted for sinning against his Conscience 4. I Observe here that Mr. Cotton herein measureth to others that which himselfe when he lived in such practises would not have had measured to himselfe As 1. That it might have been affirmed of him that in such practises he did sin against his Conscience having sufficient light shinning about him 2. That he should or might have been cut off by death or Banishment as an Hereticke sinning against his Conscience c. Defender 1. It needs no inquiry what worship I meanes whether Church and Minister or Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. For I meane none of these as they are dispenced in the Churches of England Though there have been corruptions in the order and dispensations of these things amongst them especially in the times when we lived there yet neither their Churches nor Ministry nor Ministrations were such or so false that fellowship with God could not be held of them not onely inwardly and secretly but also outwardly and visibly not onely in inward conversion and conviction but also in outward and visible Reformation according to light received Take my words as I wrote them and as he relateth them and my meaning is plaine enough I speake of such worship which if false fellowship with God is lost which cannot truly be avouched of any part of the Worship of God in England It is not truly said