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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80614	The controversie concerning liberty of conscience in matters of religion, truly stated, and distinctly and plainly handled, by Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-England. By way of answer to some arguments to the contrary sent unto him, vvherein you have, against all cavils of turbulent spirits, clearly manifested, wherein liberty of conscience in matters of religion ought to be permitted, and in what cases it ought not, by the said Mr. Cotton.	Cotton, John, 1584-1652.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6420; Thomason E364_10; ESTC R201241	11,124	16

THE CONTROVERSIE Concerning Liberty of Conscience IN Matters of Religion Truly stated and distinctly and plainly handled By Mr. JOHN COTTON of Boston in New-England By way of answer to some Arguments to the contrary sent unto him VVherein you have against all cavils of turbulent spirits clearly manifested wherein liberty of conscience in matters of Religion ought to be permitted and in what cases it ought not by the said Mr. COTTON London Printed for Thomas Banks and are to be sold at his shop in Black-Fryers on the top of Bride-well Staires 1646. Scriptures and Reasons written long since by a witnesse of Jesus Christ close prisoner in Newgate against persecution in cause of conscience and sent some while since to Mr. Cotton by a friend desiring to be instructed whether persecution for conscience be not against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ The Scriptures and Reasons are these which were alledged against persecution 1. BEcause Christ commands that the Tares and Wheat which some understand are those that walke in the truth and those that walke in lies should be let alone in the world and not plucked up till the Harvest which is the end of the World Math. 13.30.38 c. 2. Because Christ commandeth Math. 15.14 that they that are blind as some interpret led on in false Religion and are offended with him for teaching true Religion should be let alone referring their punishment to their falling into the ditch 3. Because Christ reproved his Disciples Luke 9.54 who would have had fire come down from Heaven to devour those Samaritanes which would not receive him in these words Ye know not of what spirit ye are of the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them 4. Because Paul the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2. Tim. 3.24 That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evill men instructing them with meeknesse 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 Devill c. 5. According to these commandements the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdome be established Esay 2.4 Micah 4.3.4 that they should break their swords into mattocks and their Spears into Sithes and Esay 11.9 Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountain of my Holinesse c. And when he came the same he taught and preached as before and so did his Disciples after him for the Weapons of his warfare are not carnall saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 And he charges his Disciples straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that should not be of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray Math. 5. when they were cursed they should blesse c. And the reason seems to be because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who now are blind may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the Devils snare by adversenesse from the truth may hereafter come to repentance they who are now persecuters and blasphemers as Paul was may in time become faithfull as he did they that are Idolaters as the Corinthians once were 1 Cor. 6.9 may hereafter become true worshippers as they and they that are now no people of God nor under mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2.20 may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they Some come not till the 11. houre Math. 20.26 if those that come not till the last houre should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented Thus for the Argument from Scripture But a. Because this persecution for cause of conscience is against the profession and practises of famous Princes First you may please to consider the Speech of King James in his Majesties Speech in Parliament 1609. He saith It is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed And in his Highnesse Apology page 4 speaking of such Papists who took the oath thus I have good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience sake but only desired to be secured for civill obedience which for conscience sake they are bound to performe And page 60. speaking of Blackwell the Arch-Priest His Majestie saith It was never my intention to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And in his Highnesse exposition on David 20. printed 1588. and after 1603. His Majesty writeth thus Sixtly The compassing of the Saints and the besieging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certain note of a false Church to be persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are them that are ●●●ght the wicked are the besiegers the faithfull are the besieged Secondly The saying of Stephen King of Poland I am King of 〈◊〉 not of consciences a Commander of bodies not of soules So the King of Bohemia writeth thus And notwithstanding the successe of later times wherein sundry opinions have been hatched about the subject of Religion may make one cleerly discern with his eye and as it were to touch with his finger that according to the verity of holy Scriptures and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no set to be violated urged er constrained And whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret means the issue hath been pernitious and the cause of great and wonderfull innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries of all Christendome And further his Majestie saith So that once more we professe ●●●●● God and the whole World that from this day forward wee are truly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or ●●lested any person whomsoever for matter of Religion us not they 〈◊〉 professe themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble 〈◊〉 disturbe them in the exercise of their Religion so they live confornable to the Lawes of the States c. And for the practise of this where is persecution for cause of conscience except in England and where Popery raignes and there neither in all places as appears by France Poland and other places nay it is not practised amongst the Heathens that acknowledge not the true God as the Turke Persian and others 3. Because persecution for cause of conscience is condemned by the ancient and latter writers yea even Papists themselves Hillary against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted and lamentable it is to see the great folly of these times and to sigh at the foolish opinion of this world in that men think by humane

And when the enemies of the truth raised up to 〈◊〉 the wisdome of the Magistrate most wisely appeased them A●s 18.14 and 19.35 The Answer of Mr. John Cotton of Buston in New-England to the aforesaid Arguments against persecution for cause of conscience THe question which you put is whether persecution for cause of conscience be not against the doctrine of Jesus Christ the King of Kings Now by persecution for cause of conscience I conceive you mean either for professing some point of doctrine which you believe in conscience to be a truth or for practising some work which in conscience you believe to be a Religious duty Now in points of Doctrine some are fundamentall without right beliefe whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall or lesse principall wherein men may differ in judgment without prejudice of salvation on either part In like ●o●● in points of practise some concern the weightier duties of the Law as what God we worship and with what kind of worship whether such as if it be right Fellowship with God is held if corrupt Fellowship with him is lost Again in points of Doctrine and Worship lesse principall either they are held forth in a meek and peaceable way though the King be erroneous or unlawfull or they are held forth with such arrogance and impetuousnesse as tendeth and reacheth even of it selfe to the disturbance of civill peace Finally let me add this one distinction more when we are persecuted tor conscience sake it is either for conscience rightly informed or for erronious and blind conscience These things premised I would lay down my answer to the question in certain conclusions First It is not lawfull to persecute any for conscience sake rightly informed for in persecuting such Christ himselfe is persecuted in them Acts 9.4 Secondly for an erroneous and blind conscience even in fundamentall and weighty points it is not lawfull to persecute any untill after admonition once or twice and so the Apostle directeth Titus 3.10 and giveth the reason that in fundamentall and principall points of Doctrine or Worship the Word of God is so clear that he cannot but be convinced in conscience of the dangerous error of his way after once and twice admonition wisely and faithfully dispensed And then if any one persist it is not out of conscience but against his conscience as the Apostle saith Ver. 11. he is subverted and sinneth beidg condemned of himselfe viz. of his own conscience So that if such a man after such admonition shall still persist in the errour of his way and be therefore punished he is not persecuted for cause of conscience but for sinning against his own conscience Thirdly in things of lesser moment whether points of Doctrine or Worship if a man hold them forth in a spirit of Christian meeknesse and love though with zeal and constancy he is not to be persecuted but tolerated till God may be pleased to manifest his truth to him Phil. 3.17 Rom. 14.1 2 3 4. Fourthly but if a man hold forth or professe any errour or false way with a boisterous and arrogant spirit to the disturbance of civill peace he may justly be punished according to the quality and measure of his disturbance caused by him Now let us consider of your reasons or objections to the contrary 1. Object Your first head of Objections is taken from the Scripture because Christ commandeth to let alone the tares and wheat to grow together till the harvest Mat. 13.30 c. Answ Tares are not briars and thorns but partly hypocrites like unto the godly but indeed carnall as the tares are like the wheat but are not wheat or partly such corrupt doctrine or practises as are indeed unsound but yet such as come very near the truth as tares do to the wheat and so near that good men may be taken with them and so the persons in whom they grow cannot be rooted out but good will be rooted up with them And in such a case Christ calleth for toleration not for penall prosecution according to the third conclusion 2. Object In Mat. 15.14 Christ commandeth his Disciples to let the blind alone till they fall into the ditch therefore he would have their punishment deferred till their finall destruction Answ He there speaketh not to publike Officers whether in Church or Common-wealth but to his private Disciples concerning the Pharisees over whom they had no power And the command he giveth to let them alone is spoken in regard of troubling themselves or regarding the offence which they took at the wholsome Doctrine of the Gospel as who should say though they be offended at this saying of mine yet do not you fear their fear nor be troubled at their offence which they take at my Doctrine not out of sound judgment but out of their blindnesse But this maketh nothing to the matter in hand 3. Object In Luk. 9.54 Christ reproveth his Disciples who would have had fire come downe from heaven so consume the Samaritans who refused to receive him And Paul teacheth Timothy not to strive but to be gentle towards all men suffering evill patiently Answ Both these are directions to Ministers of the Gospel how to deal not with obstinate offenders in the Church that sin against conscience but either with men without as the Samaritans were and many unconverted Christians in Creet whom Titus as an Evangelist was to seek to convert or at best with some Jewes or Gentiles in the Church who though carnall yet were not convinced of the error of their way And it is true it became not the spirit of the Gospell to convert Aliens to the faith of Christ such as the Samaritans were by fire and brimstone nor to deale harshly in publike Minist●● or private conference with all such contrary-minded men as either had not entred into Church-fellowship or if they had yet did hitherto sin of ignorance not against conscience But neither of both these doe hinder the Ministers of the Gospell to proceed in a Church-way against Church-Members when they become scandalous offenders either in life or doctrine much lesse do they speak at all of the civill Magistrates 4. Object From the prediction of the Prophets who fore-told that carnall weapons should cease in the daies of the Gospell Esa 2.4 11.9 Micah 4.3.4 And the Apostle professeth the weapons of our warfare are not carnall 2. Cor. 10.4 and Christ is so far from persecuting those that would not be of his Relgion that he chargeth his Disciples when they are persecuted themselves they should pray when they are cursed they should blesse the reason whereof seemed to be that they who are now persecutors and wicked persecutors may become true Disciples and converts Answ Those predictions in the Prophets do only shew first with what kind of weapons he will subdue the Nations to the obedience of the faith of the Gospel not by fire and sword and weapons of war but by the power of the Word