consider that there had been thousands of those which thus rejected and violated the Gospel which then had not been punished with death according to the Note law of Moses and yet Paul for all this did not blame those Christians for omitting to doe corporall execution on them or leave any order that the civill Magistrate should afterwards have such power when they became Christian And if Paul tells Titus that a Bishop must not be soone angry nor a striker and Peter bids the Elders take the oversight Tit. 1. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. of Gods flocke not being Lords over Gods heritage but as ensamples to the flocke how shall a Presbyter that is a striker or that Lords it over the flocke of Christ be justified or how can he be said to be lesse then a striker that passes sentence of condemnation to banishment imprisonment and death or not to Lord it over the flock of Christ that imposes laws upon their consciences But did these persecuters of God and good men consider that to be persecuted is a mark and signe of the true Church and consequently to persecute an infallible character of unsound Christians and the Church malignant in charity we ought to thinke they might likely be reclaimed I shall therefore intreat them for their owne direction to call to minde what St. Paul saith to the Galathians viz. Now we Brethren Gal. 4. 28 29. as Isaac was are the children of promise but as then he that was borne after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the Spirit even so it is now This text declares how the true Church and true Beleevers are children of the promise figured out in Abel Isaac and Jacob persecuted by Cain Gen. 4. 8. cap. 16. 11 12. cap. 17. 41. Ismael Esau and their posterity children of the bond-woman teaching us in expresse words that as those which persecuted in the Old Testament were not the Elect or children of the promise so now the best servants of God were persecuted under the Gospel which will yet appeare more plainly to such as have their understanding darkned if they reflect likewise upon these other Scriptures He that loveth not his brother is not of God for this is the message that we heard from the beginning 1 Joh. 3. 10 11 12. that we should love one another not as Cain who was of the wicked one and slew his brother and wherefore slew he him because his works were evill and his brothers righteous And our Saviour told his Disciples Matth. 10. 16. Joh. 16. 20. I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves ye shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoyce But if the practise of persecution for difference in matters of Religion were a signe of the true Church then that Church were likeliest to be the truest Church that did most persecute others which I beleeve Note will be denied by all Protestants or else they must condemne themselves in suffering the Papists to go beyond them in persecuting others and secondly if persecution were a note of the true Church it would instigate and encourage all States and Churches to double and encrease their persecutions untill each of them had attained to the most exquisite degrees and height of cruelty and tyranny Againe though persecution for conscience sake be never so much practised it is condemned by all men in every body but themselves for who is there that blames himself for persecuting others or who would be contented to be persecuted himselfe and so far is persecution from propagating of the Gospel that nothing in humane appearance can possibly hinder it so much for the Papists having got the upper hand and greatest portion of the Christian world into their power by vigour of their persecution hinder the blessed Gospel from being truly taught in the simplicity and purity thereof and as it is well knowne that the best Churches have been in errours sometimes able to digest milke only not capable of strong meat so by the rules and principalls of persecution 1. Cor. 3. 2. it were impossible to grow stronger or come into the light of truth againe because that according to such discipline such as teach any new truth or but a further measure of former trut hs should be persecuted as it happened unto Paul and the other Apostles and Disciples under the calumnie of sedition heresie blasphemy or innovation for Acts 6. 13 Acts 24. 5 14 Object Paul himselfe was reduced to say I worship God after the manner which they call heresie And whereas some will object that the Churches in the Primitive times were weake as being newly planted but that Christians now adaies have attained to a larger measure of strength and knowledge in the truth I dare not subscribe thereunto and for whatever failings errours and false doctrines such men shall prove to Answ have been found in the Churches of Rome Corinth Jerusalem Antioch Ephesus Galatia or any of the rest during the Apostles times when through weaknesse and carnality they were said to have need of milke it will full easily appeare that as the infallibility of the Apostles their 1 Cor. 3. 2 3. Heb. 5 12. diversity and preheminencie of gifts and miracles which they wrought were far more efficacious means then at any time were since enjoyed so none of our Protestant Churches at present especially Nationall but will justifie the Primitive in our owne greater errours both for Discipline and Doctrine It is true that if liberty be given for men to to teach what they will there will appeare more false Teachers then ever yet it were better that many false doctrines were published especially with a good intention and out of weaknesse only then that one sound truth should be forcibly smothered or wilfully concealed and by the incongruities and absurdities which accompany erroneous and unsound doctrines the truth appears still more glorious and wins others to the love thereof Neither is this complying with weake consciences or the tollerating of severall opinions any other sort of Libertinisme then what Paul practised when he suffered all things lest he should hinder the Gospsl and 1 Cor 9. 12 21. 22. was made all things to all that he might save some at which very time hee professed himself notwithstanding to live not without law to God but under law to Christ And Peter tells us We must live as free but not using our liberty for a cloak of maliciousnesse but as the servants of God 1 Pet. 2. 16. And if you demand whether Hereticks then may not be reclaimed Object I answer That you both may and ought to endeavour their reclaiming Answ not by compulsive courses but with brotherly and Christian admonition and instructions by evidence of Scripture in demonstration of the Spirit and such other peaceable and quiet wayes as are warrantable by the Word of God but for such as say we have tried all saire means
submitting if it may be otherwise avoided untill he apprehend himselfe to have been equally proceeded with and yet the triall of Religion must still be more precise and equitable in that it must be voluntary on both sides Suppose then that a man have a controversie with another about land houses money merchandise or what ever earthly luggage else of a considerable valuation is any so simple as to think that such a one even whilest he is confident of his owne right and title will give it up unto his adversary upon entreaty menacies or compulsion and that willingly Is it not then a greater absurdity and incongruity of sense to thinke that a man should rest contented willingly to be forced against his will nay is it not a meer impossibility as absolute as the subsistance of contrarieties can a man in one the same respect about the self same thing and at same time too be both willing and yet unwilling can he at same time think he hath just cause to keep possession of such land or moveables and yet think he ought to render up possession of them how much more tenacious may we justly presume every man to be of his religion which he thinks to be the only true one and how much more backward and unwilling will every one be that makes conscience to part from his faith whereby he expects not some momentary profit and advantage but his wel-being and salvation unto eternity And if being confident in mine owne Religion I cannot possibly be brought to thinke otherwise by force what ever violence make me professe outwardly to the contrary then will it be necessary to proceed by fair meanes that all reasons and inducements being aledged with equall liberty and freedome on both sides the whole controversie may be fully stated and understood to the self-conviction of heresie and errour which if other Nations of different Religions may not be permitted and by that means freely declare and expresse the grounds where on they built their faith how false soever they be they cannot possibly be convinced thereof but will be so much more hardned in their opinions conceiving them the founder by how much you restrain the publishing thereof and when they see you intend to persecute them denying an equall and indifferent triall they will be gone again with a far more prejudiciall conceit of the Protestant Religion then they had before if you detaine them perforce you do contrary to St. Pauls doctrine 1 Cor. 7. 15. who gave order that even the unbeleeving wife might depart if she would depart and besides afright all such as hear of it from ever comming to you afterwards Thus does it appeare most evidently that if you will continue your Note rules and maximes of persecution besides the unwarrantablenesse thereof you cannot reasonably conceive a possibility to discharge our Saviours aforesaid Commission with sundry other Scriptures for teachching of all Nations Besides we finde how amongst other directions which our Saviour gave his seventy Disciples at their mission Luke 10. 5. 6. He bids them That into whatsoever house they enter they first say Peace be to that house and that if the son of peace be there their peace shall rest upon it if not it shall returne to them againe and by this instruction surely we may observe Note our Saviour did not intend that his Disciples whilest they went about preaching the Gospel should crie Peace Peace that they might more securely instill into their Proselites a doctrine of war and persecution and such Christian States and Churches as do since practise it go quite opposite to that command of our Saviours and his Disciples practise wherein we are so much more inexcusable in that he declared himselfe so plainly that his meaning was the Doctrine of Peace should be proffered to all and that if they and it were not received Their peace should Met. 10. 14. Mark 6. 11 Luke 9. 5. returne to them againe and they only shake of the dust from their feet as a witnesse against them at the day of judgement as if he had said so on purpose lest they meeting with such as would not receive them and their peace should be to seek what further course to take and thinke their labour lost unlesse they had compelled them to receive both whether they would or no. But notwithstanding our Saviours charging his Apostles to teach all Nations Matth. 28. 19. And St. Pauls saying Rom. 10. 17. That faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the word of God requiring Timothy to be instant in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. The Inquisitors are ready to say with the young man in the Gospel Matth. 19. 20. All these things have we done We have preached and such will not heare us some that heare will not beleeve us and such as beleeve us will not live accordingly Object what shall we do with such I answer this is no more then Answ St. Paul foretold when he said 2 Tim. 2. 3 4 5. The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their owne lusts shall they beap to themselves teachers having itching eares and they shall turne away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables but watch thou in all things endure afflictions doe the work of an Evangelist make full proofe of thy ministery v. 2. Reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine This aversenesse to the saving truth which St. Paul prophesied of was not so much to be discovered in the time of Timothy as afterwards in succeeding ages and St. Pauls directions in that behalfe to be applied to all Ministers successively To the Romans he saith Rom. 10. 14. concerning his brethren the Jews How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher But if he had lived in these dayes Paul himselfe must have been taught to say Do you expect they should goe to Church unlesse you whip them thither and how shall they beleeve unlesse you beat it into them This had been as easie for St. Paul to have prescribed in those times had it been but as good doctrine however the practise of some Christian Countries is so contrary to it that more care and watchfulnesse is used that Inquisitors be circumspect and diligent to require conformity of the outward man then that the word be sincerely taught or the Sacraments administred according to their due simplicity and purity to the comfort and edifying of the inward man these may make a great shew and bravery for the present surpassing in number like the Nationall Church of the Jews when it was most populous but being such spurious Christians chiefly as are begot by their illegall Inquisition and not nourished by the fincere milke of the word 1 Pet. 2. 2. they are never like to grow up and encrease in godlinesse untill they become perfect men in Christ
Jesus St. Paul writing to the Romans about meats which were lawfull to be eaten by such as beleeved they might eat them prescribes notwithstanding to forbeare rather then offend a weake brother but withall sayes Rom. 14. 22 23. Happy is he that condemneth not himselfe in that thing which he alloweth and he that doubteth is damned if he eateth because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin And in the same Chapter vers 5. he saies One man esteemeth one day above another and another esteemeth every day alike let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde according to which doctrine a mans owne conscience was both primarily and lastly to be resolved fully before he eat or dranke whether he keep holy-daies or no and not the Inquisition house or Bishops court If eating with a doubting conscience only be sinne what is it in such as eat contrary to their conscience how much greater sin is it in such as goe to Church or are present at worshipping of God in such a manner as they themselves hold to be flat Idolatry and then how comparatively greater is their sin that force others to doe that which damnes themselves so much against their owne wills and dispositions But perhaps it will be objected that they are not forced but may chuse whether they will come to Church or no so they pay one Object third part of their revenues or some easier fine To which I answer Answ That such fines imprisonment or lesser punishments whatsoever are justly to be accounted force and that in the highest nature when a man will rather resolve to hazard the losse of his own soule in going to Church with a double conscience according to his owne tenets and opinion then to submit to the said fines imprisonment or other punishments I need say no more then such going to Church is not of faith but of feare and faith comes by hearing not by fighting But it will be againe objected That the Apostles had no power or Object authority from the civill Magistrate to render into obedient unto their doctrine in a compulsive way otherwise they would in likelihood have made use of it there being no such probable meanes under heaven as such imagine to settle an uniformity as fining imprisoning banishing cutting off eares and 〈◊〉 if they see fit whereto I answer That the Apostles preaching baptizing and doing miracles were all Answ contrary to the authority and expresse commands of civill Magistrates and if they had had but equall 〈◊〉 from their Master having gained such multitudes of converts as our Saviour was fain to feed miraculously at one time about five thousand of them all men besides women and children at another time foure thousand men besides women and children Matth. 14. 24 and 15. 38. And in the Acts it is said Act. 2. 41. That through Peters preaching three thousand soules were added to them in one day we cannot justly thinke but having once gained so many Proselites and amongst those were souldiers to take leaders and commanders Luke 3. 12. 14. Act. 10. in the former part off they had through their numbers both means and reason rather to encourage them in adventuring to settle or at least to lay some ground-worke of their coercive discipline then with such boldnesse at first to travell from place to place from one City to another preaching Christ Jesus undauntedly when there was not so much as one to countenance and backe them against the civill Magistrate or persecution of the common people Why did the Apostles baptise or teach in the name of Jesus being expressely commanded by the civill Magistrate to the contrary this disobedience and offending of the higher powers had beene a sin in them unlesse our Saviour had given them expresse commission to teach all Nations and if coercive power had been as warrantable and more likely means to propagate the Gospel the Apostles were as much to blame in that they did not use it as they should have been if they had not preached the Gospel at all for Christ that commanded them the end must needs understand the means there to conducing to be comprehended in the same commission neither could they be said to want power for putting the meanes in execution so long as they had the gift of working miracles which doubtlesse they also practised so often as they had the divine Oracle for warrant and of this nature was Peters punishing Ananias and Saphira with sudden death because they had Acts 5. 5. 10. dedicated a certain possession unto the Lord and afterwards sought to rob his Saints of part thereof Paul likewise Chap. 13. 11. struck Elimas the forcerer blinde because he sought to turn away Paulus Sergius the Deputy his heart from the faith And his delivering of Himenous and Alexander unto Sathan that they might learne not to blaspheme 1 Tim. 1. 20. I suppose may be understood in the same manner Our Saviour having occasion to make use of an Asse that the Prophesie in Zachariah might be fulfilled Zach. 9 9. sent two of his Disciples to the village Belphage to fetch one giving them no other instructions but that if any body said ought unto them they should reply That the Lord had need of it Matth. 21. 3. Even so might the Apostles have done when they had met with obstinate people that would not receive their Gospel especially the Jews which the Roman Magistrate in likelihood regarded little whether they were Jews or Christians it had been but sending for a Centurian or other officer of justice with a little ticket that Domino opus est no body should have been able to resist their will as it is said in the Romans Rom. 9. 19. the proudest Pharaoh must have submitted and all his Subjects been willing to assist besides legions of Angels Matth. 26. 53. which would have been in readinesse if God had pleased to warrant them in such a course And whereas in the Scripture before alledged it is said Acts 2 41. That three thousand soules were added to the Church that day the Text declares also that they which gladly received the word were baptised insinuating that they which doe not willingly receive the word ought not to Note be baptised much lesse be forceibly baptised or being first baptised in their infancie when good hopes were conceived of them be afterwards compelled to receive the word and participate in the ordinances when their unwillingnesse is so well known and this to be the case of all such Christians as are forced into a Religion But how many souls soever were added to the Church at Peters preaching Acts 2 47. and whereas it is said That the Lord added daily to the Church such as should be saved it cannot be said so in such Countries where the Inquisition ruleth or people are forced to goe to Church upon penalties how small soever there is neither adding to the Church nor
much as possible to withstand and hinder such a separation for instead of preaching unto the true Beleevers according unto St. Pauls doctrine that they should separate themselves and not communicate with notorious sinners we quite contrary turne our speech and power too towards Papists Blasphemers Traitors and the mixt multitude in generall forcing them and the true Beleevers to assemble and communicate together to have one Faith one Baptisme one Church and whether it may involve us in one doome I leave to others to determine and at present only advertise that from hence arises a double inconvenience one to our selves by communicating with Atheists Papists Traitors Blasphemers and Reprobates of all sorts from whom we are commanded by St. Pauls Epistle to Timothy 2. Tim. 3. 5. to turne away whilest we notwithstanding force them whether they will or no to joyne with us in the most sacred Ordinances of God the other inconvenience is to those that are so forced by making of them hypocrites and time servers so much worse then they were before or as our Saviour saith Matth. 23. 15. Two times more the children of the divell when perhaps what they would have done of their owne good will though erronious might have been in part excused by ignorance and a good intention as St. Paul did when he persecuted the Church of God 1 Tim. 1. 13. and so far are we from building up the mysticall body of Christ by compelling the personall presence of Papists and such like at our spirituall exercises that it only hardens them so much more and alienates their mindes so much futher from being wrought upon by such arguments as are alledged from reason or from Scripture In a Sermon preached before the House of Commons the 27. of December 1643. I finde these words It feareth me that a great part of Mr. Alexander Hendersons Serpag 18. the people of this land are still fond of a formall service and a proud Prelacie and yet the Covenant which apparently professes a finall extirpation of them both had found such acceptance that I beleeve there is scarce one man in a hundred throughout all London but hath subscribed to it however I am fully of the same opinion and verily conceive that from the carriage and effect of this businesse only it may cleerly be observed how easily multitudes of men will permit shipwracke to be made of their soules and consequently how incongruous and dangerous a way of proceeding it is to joyne profit or preferment hopes or feares threats or force to worke upon the conscience for although the Covenant hath passed thus currantly I finde notwithstanding by discourse that the greatest part of people are little weaned from the present Service Booke and wish better to Episcopacie a little reformed I meane the rigour of it only with some small superfluities of the Lordlinesse and that it should still remain Diocesan rather then Presbyteriall or any other Church government whatsoever but for such as hold with independencie how their stomacks can throughly digest the Covenant I cannot any wayes imagine I know that much is said and done in many places in behalfe of uniformity a Nationall Church and Covenant which things indeed carry a great shew of wisdome in wil-worship as the Apostle saith Col. 3. 23. were it not that our Saviour told us That in vaine they worship him teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Matth. 15. 9. But wherefore such labouring in vaine and striving against the streame to obtaine a superficies and false lustre of a Nationall Church Doe we thinke that Gods salvation is also Nationall Surely if the seven thousand which never bowed knee to Baal had been in a body Eliah 1 King 19. 18. would have knowne them better we see indeed that they have all the face or shew of Mahumetans in Turkie Papists in Spaine and Lutherans in Germany but this is the worke of man and not of God and though the power of flesh is such to keep the purity and saving knowledge of the Gospel from them they will be sure enough to rise up in judgement and with their uncircumcised hearts and law of nature Rom. 2. 2â— condemne the tyranny of those that kept it from them And they allege also the great reformations wrought by Ataxerxes Ezra 7. 23. and other good Kings under the the Law who said Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven and many still crie out aloud upon a reformation of Religion or building up the mysticall Temple under the Gospel after the same manner by fire and sword never remembring that there was expresse order and direction from God himselfe concerning every thing Exod. 25. 40. 26. 30. Heb. 8. 5. Exod. 27. 19. about the first Temple not a pin excepted whereas many of latter times out of greater eagernesse to have the worke done then care and consideration to the well doing have put their owne commandment afoot instead of Gods requiring judgement to be executed speedily upon them that disobeyed whether it were to death or to banishment to confiscation of goods or imprisonment with as much confidence as though the Prophet Ezra had purposely recorded it not so much that God Cap. 7. 26. might be glorified in Artaxerxes great carefulnesse and just commands for beautifying of his Temple as to countenance their owne wil-worship and inventrons But did God ever say to any Christian people as he did to Abraham Gen. 17. 8. I will give unto thee and thy seed thy neighbours Country whose inhabitants were without the Covenant of workes for an everlasting possession How much lesse does God give thee the confiscation of thy brothers estate whom thou wilt perhaps acknowledge to be within and canst not possibly prove to be without the covenant of Grace because he differs from thee in opinion or some cases of conscience only Did God ever say to Christians as he did to Abraham v. 14. The uncircumcised man-childe shall be cut off from his people If Christians have any command equivolent hereunto why is it not impartially put in execution If they have not who shall answer for such as have beene persecuted or put to death without it But as whatsoever God hath commanded should be punctually done so what God hath not commanded ought not to be done the adding to in Deuteronomy Deut. 12. 32. and Johns Revelation Rev. 22. 18. is as much forbidden as the taking from it and Salomon sayes Prov. 30 6. Adde thou not unto the words of God lest he reprove thee and thou be found liar I am confident it cannot be denied but that the endeavouring and practice of coercive power to sway the conscience in any kinde is for the most part either expressively or by undeniable consequence quite contrary to the principall intention and letter throughout the whole Scripture in which respect if there were some few texts or passages which
the Lord come who will bring to light the 1 Cor. 4. 5. hidden things of darknesse and St. Paul saies Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest an other mans servant to his owne master he standeth or falleth yea he shall be upheld for God is able to make him stand We finde in Matthew Matth. 17. 5. that the Apostles heard a voice from heaven saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare ye him And our Saviour bid them tell no body thereof till he was risen again from the dead whence we may be informed that Hear ye him was not said so much to the Apostles themselves as to all Christians in their generations to the end of the world for if that vision and that doctrine of Heare ye Christ be not to be taught till after our Saviour be risen from the dead after which time he had but a few dayes to spend amongst them on earth then must it follow That it is Christ still that speaks to us in his Gospel and by the Ministers of his Gospel the power which the Ministers of the Church have is the power of Christ who is the head of the Church and though Christ as he is God hath power equall with God and all power was given unto him in Matth 28 18. Joh. 18 36 Heaven and in Earth yet as he said his Kingdom was not of this world so neither may the Church imploy the power of the world or use such coercive meanes in the government of his Kingdome as men be forced to performe outward obedience for feare and doe what they doe for the Church or civill powers sake and not for Christs like unto those people who are led to worship the Divell lest he should doe them hurt And as in a politicke State it is not safe to suffer a penny to be taken or forced from any man in an illegall way so much lesse may an Ecclesiasticall government and power or the Church of Christ extend their jurisdiction beyond the expresse and precise warrant of the Scripture Law for Christs power being unlimited as he was God and Man whosoever layes claim thereunto to exercise it according to any other rule subjects himself to the greatest temptation of becomming a boundlesse Tyrant and the people to be enthralled by the most arbitrary and wretched tyranny and vassallage of any under heaven 1. Because they that take upon them this supremacie of expounding Scripture whether in doctrine or discipline must say in effect or infer by their proceedings that their dictates are the infallible truths of God otherwise men will be apt to think they had as good beleeve their own Secondly that it is infallibly Gods wil to have those dictates of theirs to be forced upon mens consciences and thirdly that they are infallibly called thereunto guided by Gods Spirit to see them executed all which are the darling reasons and tenets of the Papacie to uphold the spirituall Scepter greater they cannot be the very Power and Spirit of God himselfe as they pretend and lesse would not be colour enough to force the people to receive them Now I shall leave it to every understanding Christian to thinke and judge whether such as exercise the same Note dominion and power over the conscience which the Pope does and not give the same or as good a reason for it may not be thought greater tyrants and usuâ—pers in requiting such obedience and implicite faith to their owne abilities and strength which the Pope is so modest as to acknowledge only due to an infallibility and that infallibility to be from God In civill affaires we see by experience that every man most commonly understands best his owne businesse and such as doe not but rely upon the managing and furelight of others 〈◊〉 they of what calling or condition soever in a few yeares run out at heels to the utter undoing of themselves and whole families besides we should thinke it a most grosse solecisme and extravagant course in any State which did make Laws and Statutes that the Subject might not goe about and dispatch his worldly businesse save in one generall prescript forme and manner as a thing most irrationall and inequitable because it cannot possibly be sutable to the infinite occasions and interests of a Kingdome or lesser people Nay why are not all Arts and Sciences thus manacled if Divinity may be so much improved thereby why have not each of them their respective theses positions and conclusions limited and assigned them why are Physitians permitted to make experiments and kill men after what fashion they please Surely this kinde of Inquisition Government and Discipline should first have practised upon other Arts and Sciences without daring to tamper with Theologie and Conscience before it had proceeded master of all the rest Besides as our Saviour in the Parable where the more early labourers murmured that the latter commers should have equall reward with them said Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine own So we know that every man is Matth. 20 15. desirous to doe with his owne as he thinks good himselfe especially when others receive no wrong thereby as in the said Parable and if it Ver. 13. thrive not in his owne way he may thanke himselfe and will like better of it and be content with what he does himselfe though it prove ill not so if others have the manage and ordering of it against his own desire but in spirituall matters it holdeth much stronger and concernes men to be more circumspect and warie as the good or ill there of readeth unto eternity wherefore since it is as possible for them or him to erre who take upon them to conduct me to heaven as I my selfe since it is granted that I must give account repent and beleeve for my selfe and Rom. 14. 12. 1 Cor. 2. 11. cannot doe either by proxie since no man knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of the same man which is within him since my salvation ought to be more deare unto my selfe then to any else since if I miscarry through mine owne choice and will I shall easier acknowledge my destruction to be from my selfe and declare Gods judgements to be just If I perish by mine own folly t is the losse of one but if misled by others we all fall into the ditch together with an aggravation of our condemnation to me that relyed finally upon others in a businesse of the greatest concernment that possibly could befall me without other possibility or aslurance of doing well than by an implicite faith and to them that tooke upon them to be guide and pilote unto others in a coercive way especially when they knew not how to save themselves For all these respects and infinite others which might be heaped up I desire every Christian heart in the feare of God to consider and revolve in his saddest and most retired
upon good will the one preach Christ of contention not sincerely supposing to adde affliction to my bonds but the other of love knowing that I am set for the defence of the Gospel what then notwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein doe rejoyce yea and will rejoyce for I know that this shall turne to my salvation through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ Yea will some say great shame it were if we should not rejoyce that Christ be truly preached in what manner soever but such as we silence and persecute though they confesse and preach Christ in words yet they hold certaine erronious tenets which strike at the foundation and overthrow Christianity I desire such to remember those Scriptures which say that Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is borne of God Whosoever ◠Joh. 3. 9. beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternall life And whosoever shall confesse that Jesus is the Sonne of God God dwelleth in him and he in John 3 13 〈…〉 4 15 God Now as we know that David though he committed adultery and murder was borne of God notwithstanding this text because it means only that God imputes not sinne unto them that are borne of God so he that beleeveth in God and confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God though he do together with this foundation hold certain points which may seem to crosse it and be in a great degree erronious but contrary to his owne intention it is both very possible and probable that such a one notwithstanding shall not perish but God dwelleth in him and he in God In the very Bible we finde severall texts and passages which seem to thwait and contradict themselves yet we are certaine that the whole Scripture being the inspiration of one and the same blessed Spirit cannot but be at unity within it selfe and all good Christians are fully assured thereof though they be not able sometimes to make it appeare so to their weake and carnall understandings and in such cases we have the example of St. Paul Rom. 11. 13. the great Apostle of the Gentiles who though he testified of himselfe that he gave his judgement as one 1 Cor. 7. 25. 40. that had obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithfull and thought that he also had the Spirit of God yet having waded into the mystery of Predestination so far as his owne reason could arive burst out into a most devout admiration O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge Rom. 11. 33. of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out In S. Pauls Epistle to the Romans chap. 3. 28. it is said Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And St. James saith James 2. 24. Ye see then how that by workes a man is justified and not by faith only Now as we are fully assured that these two Scriptures though they differ so much litterally are notwithstanding not only in their owne being reconcileable but even in our shallow capacities and apprehensions And as God had good cause why he counted Paul faithfull and put him into the Ministery who was before 1 Tim. 1. 12 13. a blasphemer and persecuter So we may safely thinke that God can much more after the manner of men be it spoken tell how to prosper their endeavours and bring unto salvation such as beleeve in him and confesse Jesus to be the Son of God for his word and promise are engaged and cannot be frustrated through their weaknesses and unsoundnesse in some points of Discipline Doctrine or of both But it will be objected Object why should such be suffered to preach Christ who withall mix unsound doctrine since there may be teachers enough besides who are all orthodox and unquestionable I answer That this is not the true state of the case for that the Puritans or other conscientious Christians Answ hold their owne teachers to be the soundest and if they be silenced conceive they are bound without power of dispencing with themselves to heare none at all rather then such with whom they cannot possibly joyne or be present without a doubting and condemning conscience Rom. 14. 23. Matth. 13. 29 30. so that at the very best this can be but a pulling up of good wheat together with the tares which as was said before our Saviour would not have so much as hazarded and endangered or a doing evill that good Rom. 3. 8. may come of it which is as absolutely forbidden I will therefore forbeare to make any further application of Pauls rejoycing so Christ were preached in whatsoever manner but beseech with meeknesse all such as read it to pause a little and consider that since Paul rejoyced in whatsoever way that Christ was preached whether of contention envy pretence or in truth how inexcusable will all those be that persecute or silence such as preach him in any other maner then they themselves prescribe whereby many eminent abilities and gifts have been smothered and lost To the same purpose is that place in St. Markes Gospel where John in the name of the Apostles tells our Saviour saying Master we saw one casting out divells in thy name and he followeth not us and We forbad him because he followeth not us but Jesus said forbid him not for there is no man which shall doe a miracle in my name that can lightly speake evill of me he that is not against us is on our part Marke 9. 38 39 40. Paul tells the Hebrewes how He that despised Moses law dyed without mercy under two or three witnesses and askes them how much sorer punishment Heb. 10. 28 29. they supposed such should be thought worthy of who have trodden under foot the Son of God and counted the bloud of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing which is a plain evidence that though such as live under the Gospel and neglect or despise the means of comming to the knowledge or yet speake against the truth thereof deserve greater punishment then those that violated the law of Moses which was certaine death in the mouth of two or three witnesses yet he saies not that it ought to be so under the Gospel but though he aggravate the crime as far more heynous under the Gospel yet he declines to say they should be punished corporally in this life and plainly insinuates that it must be left untill the day of judgement as appeares by the coherence with the words which follow where he brings the Lord in saying Vengeance is mine and I will recompence it and againe Ver. 30. 31. The Lord shall judge his people It is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God And this is yet more manifest if we