speake de genere singulorum or did those that took the Covenant speak or meane that tolleration of all these Sects and Reformation and nearest uniformity can consist or that he and all these had this sense under-hand of these words according to the word of God that is as Socinians Libertines Familists Antinomians c. expound the word of God If so we must justifie the Jesuits equivocation and their oaths with mentall reservation for the sense of Prelaticall men and of those that goe for Heretickes and Schismatickes now as then to wit Socinians Libertines Arrians Familists and the rest were knowne Heretickes and Schismatickes and their Socinian Arrian Familisticall c. sense of the word of God was excluded in the second Article of the Covenant in these words We shall endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme c. by this Jesuiticall sense we all sweare we shall endeavour to be perjured and to reforme each mans Religion according to his owne sense of the word and whereas in former times it was beleeved that Christ was God-man We Familists sweare to reforme Religion in the three Kingdomes in that part and to teach and professe that every Saint is so Godded and Christed that there is as much of the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in every Saint as in Christ so that there be as many Saints as many Christs and as many Gods manifested in the flesh as there be Saints for since liberty of conscience was then not professed and was a point holden by no Reformed Church yea not by the Church of New England the best Reformed Church as this man saith but detested by all it was presupposed that the true sense of the word of God was against it and Independents who then did sweare the Covenant knew our minde and did sweare the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship and discipline against the common enemy and they knew Presbyteriall Government approves both of the censures of the Church and of the Magistrates sword against heretickes and therefore Turkes and Pagans would never have sworne a Covenant to endeavour uniformity in one Religion according to the word of God and after petition the Parliament to set up in England the widest multiformity that Sathan can devise and say they have sworne to endeavour the nearest uniformity in Religion and yet to preach and print and endeavour by the same Covenant and the word of God the rule of sworne Reformation the widest multiformity and that the Lord should be one and his name one in both Kingdomes and yet that the Lord be two or ten and his name that is the maners and kinds of Religions be two and twenty that Gods name may be divided amongst Socinians Arrians Familists Antinomians Anabaptists Seekers Antiscripturists Libertines Scepticks Enthysiasts Brownists Independentsâ— this is worse then a Popish implicit faith which we disclaim The other thing saith he left out which yet referres to all The Covenant is that hee that sweares shall by all lawfull wayes and meanes and according to his place and calling endeavour to performe the Covenant v. 13. to bring the Churches to uniformity and to extirpate heresie As for instance it is the godly Magistrates duty their place and calling to send forth Ministers to the darke places of the land and to set up lights to guide mens feet into the wayes of truth and peace and reclaime them from errors and he cannot be urged upon his calling to punish or compell gainesayers And the Minister is to doe it in his place by exhorting rebuking instructing but he is to goe no further he is not to deliver men up to judge and be an executioner Answ The words by all lawfull meanes and wayes which this man puts in Italian letters and says are left out by the Authour whom he refutes may soon be left out for they were never in the Covenant The man will defend the Covenant and apparently hath sworne it but I thinke he hath scarce read it for these words are not in the Covenant let him read againe Turpe est doctori cum culpa redarnit ipsum 2 He sweares to bring the Churches to nearest uniformity according to his place but when this man defends the tolleration of all the sects in England Socinians Arians Familists for he writing anno 1645 when above twenty sundry Religions in England came to the streets he excepts not one in all his Treatise but calls them all the godly party Saints Brethren the Godly and ownes them so in his preface and whole booke He must grant there is no uniformity in faith discipline worship by the word of God for if all these be Saints Godly and holy Brethren they have all one faith and are saved but let him tell me by the next if he can answer whether there is a nearest or any uniformity in faith worship and government betweene Presbyterians and Socinians Familists Antinomians and Seekers yet this man sweares to indeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity amongst all the Saints who are to be tollerated but let him say if he hath in this case ingenuity or learning what nearest uniformity hee knowes amongst all these whether the Covenant should not obliege a Libertine to indeavour the widest contrariety and deformity of religious amongst these and to plead for forbearance of them all as he expoundeth it 3 But wee are saith he to indeavour by all lawfull meanes and wayes the nearest uniformity among the Churches and the onely lawfull way as he thinks is not by force but by rebuking instructing exhorting and by no weapons but onely by the word of God But since this Authour and all the Nation of Libertines goe upon this principle Religion is not to be compelled by force for we are not infallible and those whom we force as hereticks may be no hereticks for ought we know but as sound in the faith as our selves Then we have no faith nor any well-grounded perswasion of the word of God to refute them by the word and we refute them not of faith but sinfully and erroniously for they may be as sound in the faith as we our selves for ought wee know and this is a strong argument against morall wayes of gaining hereticks by the power of the word for if they may be sound in the faith and we the hereticks though we refute them by the word we may be perverting the right wayes of God and â—ight against Christ as Elimâ—s for Eliâ—â—s onely by morall wayes not by force or violence laboured to pervert the faith of Sergius Paulus and it is not apparent that Elimas was perswaded in his conscience that the Gospel Paul preached was the truth of God and so by no meanes lawfull or unlawfull by force or by the word of God are we to indeavour uniformity for our indeavouring is not of faith nor from the real grounds of the word but from meere opinions
God appeared once satisfactorily to your conscience to be according to the word of God for you tooke the Covenant yet ye say it is Antichristian it drives men in droves to the Sacrament it is the Bishops Courts and Consistories continued But yee did sweare to endeavour the preservation of their Reformed Religion according to the word of God the onely rule But if it was sworne to as the Reformed Religion was it not according to the word of God is it reformed and not according to the word of God or was these words according to the word of God A condition insinuating what is in the doctrine and discipline of the Reformed Religion of that Church not according to the word of God to that you did not sweare But so if the Turke should come and wage warre against Papists for their Religion and a heathen people that maintaines there bee more Gods then one and that the Old Testament is not the word of God should raise Armes against the Jewes you might as well swear you should defend the doctrine of the Church of Rome and the Religion of the Jewes against the Turke and those heathen people according to the word of God for sure these fundamentalls that Jewes and Papists hold in doctrine are according to the word of God and so you did swear no otherwise to defend the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland then that of the Church of England before these troubles arose for that ye swore to defend in so far as it agrees with â—â—e word of God yea so ye did sweare to defend any Religion of any Nation you never heard of according to the word of God if you say But we knew the Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland therefore ye might sweare to it but yee know not all the Religions of any Nation you never heard of But if so then yee knew the Reformed Religion of Scotland to be according to the word of God then it appeared satisfactorily to your conscience so to be But did their fundamentalls against Familists Antiscripturists Socinians Arrians so appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God and their Antichristian and tyrannicall Presbyteries that are but as you say Episcopall Courts and Consistories appear to be so and that satisfactorily to your consciences if so why judge ye Familists Socinians such as deny the Trinity and such as make all the Saints to be Christ and Godded with the indwelling fulnesse of God to be Gods manifeâ—â—ed in the flesh to be Saints brethren the godly party to be indulged then you must question the fundamentalls of the doctrine of Scotland and they did not satisfactorily appeare to your conscience to be according to the word of God And why did you simply without any limitation sweare to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion you should have said truly Reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland and why did you sweare simply to the doctrine worship discipline and government of the Church according to the word of God when yee knew then as now their government was Antichristian and not according to the word of God and their doctrine even in fundamentalls not so sure but Socinians Arrians and the Saints your brethren the Familists may hold the contrary and bee tollerated as Saints and their doctrine though opposite in fundamentalls to ours may be as satisfactory truths to your conscience as ours of Scotland Confesse and glorifie God you sware the Covenant in a Jesuiticall reserved sense kept up in your minde as you insinuate pag. 66 67. and such as the words cannot beare 3. There is here a new Tricke put on the Covenant it bindes to no truth but what shall appeare satisfactorily to the conscience of each swearer to be according to the word of God If a Merchant promise and swear to a simple man to give him for such wares an hundred pounds he gives him but an hundred pounds Scotch whereas the wares are to the man as dear as an hundred pounds Starling is the Merchant absolved of his oath and promise if he pay him but an hundred pounds Scotch and say it appeares satisfactorily to my Antinomian conscience the 〈…〉 of no more value then a hundred pound Scotch and my oath and promise obligeth me to no more then satisfactorily appeareth to my conscience the onely rule of my obligation to be according to equity and justice and so you are fully paid with an hundred pounds Scotch So this Authour absolves us from all oaths and covenants though we sweare not to kill a captive taken in warre and sweare to adhere to the fundamentalls that there is one God Christ is the one onely Mediator God and man consubstantiall with the father yet if after you have talked with Saâ—marsh or put your faith in the power of the sophismes oâ— a cunning Jesuit he makes it satisfactorily appeare to your conscience that it is according to the word of God that the captive â—e killed â—e is a murtherer and there be as many Mediators as there be Saints in heaven and as many Christs Godded with the fulnesse of the Godhead as there be Saints of the family of love and so your oath to your fundamentalls obligeth you not and you are guilty of no perâ—ury though first you sware to the necessary truths of God and now ye turne apostate from both faith and oath Libertines infuse such a magick in your erroneous conscience that it is your onely rule and displaceth the Law of nature from all obligation or the word of God the onely rule of faith and manners you are tyed no longer by the oath of God then your weather-cock-conscience with this new Moon hath catched a new light you are as if there had been no such outward Covenant obliging you take it upon the word of this Gamaliel dormii securd in utramque aurem But though it be true nothing doth oblige but it must appeare to be according to the word of God that it may oblige in the right and due manner and way yet it is most false that it obligeth as it shall appear or quaâ—â—nus because it doth appear to the conscience to be the word of God for a quatenus ad omne valet consequentia Then every thing obligeth as it appears to be the word of God to the conscience most erroneous then are some obliged to murther the innocent Apostles for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience to be the word of God and service to God so to doe Joh. 16. 1. and some are obliged to sacrifice their sons to God though they did vow and covenant the contrary in Baptisme for it appeares satisfactorily to their conscience it is according to the example of Abraham to offer their sonnes to God except God from heaven forbid them as he did Abraham 5. To Libertines no Covenants nor Oaths of the most lawfull things layes on any more obligation to performance then if these Oaths
new Blasphemies now on foot in England are all these blasphemies the Gospel and whosoever suffer for monstrous heresies must they suffer as the Apostles did and must they lay claim to all the comforts that our Saviour hath bequeathed in his Testament to his Disciples who were to suffer for Christs sake and for righteousnesse then surely an erronious and a blaspheming conscience must be righteousnesse and to suffer for blasphemy and Satan must be to suffer for righteousnesse and for Christs sake for these Libertines say the Assembly of Divines teach Blasphemies Popery murthering of Saints for conscience So Baptist so Necessity of Toleration so Ancient Bounds 3. If such as are persecuted and disclaime totally persecution for conscience be the onely true Church and none but they then these Papists in England in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth who were onely persecuted in your sense of the word Persecution and wrote and petitioned against Persecution and totally disclaimed it are the onely true Church The like I may say of the Arrians in the Emperours times against whom most severe Laws and Edicts were made which to M. Baptist was direfull persecution and yet they totally disclaimed persecution for conscience and pleaded for Toleration So say I of the Arminians in Holland who alwayes plead for liberty of Prophesying and of Anabaptists and all the Sectaries in Germany when they first arose of the Familists and most rigid Anabaptists in New England and of all the vilest Sects Anabaptists Antiscripturists Socinians Familists c. in Old England Yea we may suppose all Papists Iewes and the most abominable Sects living where there are strict Lawes for the onely one true Religion to hold the opinion of totall disclaiming persecution for conscience for sure they are most capable of this opinion hence it shall follow that all these wretched Hereticks shall be the only true Church and body of Christ 4. This monopolizeth the nature and name of the true Church to onely Sectaries that professe they are ready to suffer for their conscience and doe totally disclaime persecution that is for liberty of conscience so this opinion shall be the only essential not and constituent form of the true Church and shall exclude the sound faith of all fundamentalls and the doctrine of the Law and Gospell The vilest Hereticks living holding this one Article of Baptists faith shall be the onely true Church and this opinion shall unite men and societies formally to Christ their head and yet it is no matter of faith except Libertines say none are capable of faith and salvation but such as hold this opinion Hence it must follow all these named Calvinists all the Reformed Churches all the Churches and Saints in New England all the ancient Brownists the old Non-conformists who all disclaimed toleration and licence of conscience must not onely not be the true Church but the malignant Church of such as professe that which they cal Persecution yea and since they detest and abhor liberty of conscience as Atheisticall All these Saints must be uncapable of saving faith and necessarily damned because being professed persecutors and totâ—â—ly disclaiming toleration they are in the judgement of this Baptist such as have no capacity without Gods infinitâ— mercy and dispensation converting them to such Libertinisme to be hewne out and squared to such a head as Christ for contrariorum eudem est ratio 5. Forme an Argument Mr. Baptist from your two Scriptures If to persecute for conscience be essentiall to such as are borne of the flesh and to be persecuted for conscience be essentiall to such as are born after the Spirit then to be thus persecuted and to disclaim totally persecution for conscience is an essentiall note of the true Church This Proposition can never be proved in your sense for to be persecuted for conscience that is for a well informed conscience which is sound in the faith of Articles of saving knowledge is indeed such an essentiall note and so we yeeld all but it is nothing for toleration but much against it but to be persecuted for conscience though erroneous and holding Judaisme Turcisme Arrianisme Papisme Familisme c. to be the true and saving way which is the sense of Baptist is no wise a note of such aâ— are born after the Spirit not doth any place of Scripture by the thirteenth consequence prove the same for Isaac was not persecuted by Ishmael for his erroneous conscience The Text sayes no such thing except Baptist make Isaac an Heretick and a false Prophet If Ishmael persecuted Isaac for his conscience which yet Baptist cannot prove from Scripture sure it was not for the hereticall conscience of Isaac nor will it help Baptist to say in the minde and conception of Ishmâ—â—l Isaac was an Heretick Answ How is that proved the Text sayes no such thing 2. We teach no such thing as that men should be punished by the Magistrate not because they are but because they seem only to â—e Heretickes or because Isaacs and Saints are Hereticks in our mind and conception but because they are so indeed as the Magistrate punisheth not justly a murtherer because he seems in the minde and conception of the Magistrate to be a murtherer but because he is a murtherer and is proved by faithfull witnesses to be a murtherer so is the Heretick proved to be a Heretick by the Magistrate and so convicted that he is self-condemned for we never make the Magistrates thoughts and his conception to be the rule of punishing an Heretick even as we are not to avoid an Heretick after admonition because he is an Heretick in our conception onely for our conception must not be the rule or formall ground of casting out any man from our society and avoiding of him but we avoid him because he is an Heretick in himself nor exhorts Peter any man to suffer for well-doing that is for his conscience or for his erroneous and hereticall conscience that is but an abusing of the word of God for he speaks not of suffering directly for onely Religion true or false though he exclude it not but saith 1 Pet. 4. 15. But let none of you suffer as a murtherer as a theefe as an ill-doer and in so saying he means that no man should as Elimas suffer blindnesse for perverting the faith of Sergius Paulus and I beleeve it will be a peece of labour for Libertines to prove that such opposers of the Gospel as Elimas and Hymeneus who suffered as ill-doers did yet know in their conscience the Gospel to be the onely saving truth and way of God and that against the warning of an illuminated conscience Elimas perverted the right wayes of God However to suffer here as a well doer by Baptists way is to suffer for an hereticall conscience defending and teaching lies in the name of the Lord If so such a well-doer if blasphemously unsound is to be thrust through and stabbed as an Impostor by the Lords
endeavour the extirpation of Schisme and whatsoever shal be found contrary to â—ound doctrine c. be levelled onely against the Congregational men it was not faâ—re to draw them into a Covenant to destroy themselves It s disservice to the State to spoyle the State of so many Godly and brave men and seemes to be but the birth of that challenge against these men to bee the Sanballets and Tobia's of this present worke and is the highest breach of love Answ It is apparent the Congregationall men he meaneth are the Independents who would have their Churches gathered out of true Churches Who will not be called Schismaticks as if ensis and gladius were not one thing then this Author levelled these words against Presbyterians as the Schismaticks for where ever one Church is rent from another true Church one of the two is the Schismatick Church sure but the Author will not have Independents the Schismaticks then was it faire to levell these words in the Covenant against Presbyterians and draw them in a Covenant to destroy both their soule and body 2 The Congregationall men were not drawne but they came to another Kingdome with faire words to draw Presbyterians in a Covenant and said and swore to indeavour uniformity and yet practise this day multiformity of Religions and have put to the saile the blood of many gallant men in Scotland that so they may buy with their lives cursed Liberty of Conscience But will it not be bitternesse in the end 3. The Author hints at a story that fell out in the Assembly of Divines where I was witnesse Mr. Phi. Nye having sworne to endeavour the preservation of Presbyterian government in the Covenant was pleased in the face of the Assembly in the hearing of that renowned Generall of England for the time the Earle of Essex and many other honourable and noble persons to declaime against Presbyteriall government as formidable to States and free Kingdomes as of old some called Jerusalem the rebellious City and the Prelates the same way burdened the Generall Assembly of the Church of Scotland but Mr. Alexander Henderson a man for piety learning prudency and singular moderation from zeale not from the spirit of gall and wormewood as the Authour slanderously speaketh said they were the words of Tobiah and Sanballet to hinder the worke of Reformation now whether that worthy man spake what hath now come to passe let the godly Divines of the Assembly be judge 4. We know no service to the State done by these men but that they set up with the sword all the blasphemous and hereticall Sects and Religions that Th. Muncer or John of Leydon phancied contrary to the oath of God for they all professed they were for the Covenant many of them did sweare it with what conscience to perfome let Crumwel and others speake God will not be mocked which is such disservice to the State of England as cannot but draw downe from heaven the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple upon the land or was it fair when the Congregationall men did hide their conclusion of liberty of conscience would keepe that intended Idoll in the bottome of their heart and joyne in Covenant with Presbyterians and sweare against multiformity of Religions in words known to be contrary to the sense of those who drew up the Covenant contrary to sense and reason and the same words of the Covenant and now obtrude on us multiformity for uniformity 5. The Authour insinuates as much as not to give them liberty of conscience as a reward of their valorous fighting is disservice to the State But ingenuous workmen speake of their wages before they ingage in the work but to keepe up any word of liberty of conscience untill the worke bee ended and it come to disbanding is no fair bargaining but rather in plaine English either sell to us Law Liberties Religion and give them to us beside our arreares or we must be a perpetuall standing Army to governe England and manage Religion with the sword and to set up all Religions and destroy the Covenant and the Protestant faith and live upon the sweat of other mens browes The Covenant with a faire interpretation may be urged against Presbyterians and for the Congregationall way as well as otherwise The Covenant binds no man nor number of men to State or Church for their parts respectively to any paterne or degree of Reformation conformity or uniformity with other Churches but what shall satisfactorily to them and each of their consciences appeare to be according to the word of God and such a Reformation doe the Congregationall men desire pray preach endeavovr for and after in the pursuance of the Covenant as if there had beene no such outward Covenant obliging them would yee have men driven in droves to the Sacrament still and the pretious and the vile mixed and Idol-shepheards suffered and Bishops Courts and Consistories continued had these beene beaten downe had not we under God as a forlorne hope first given them battell how can ye say we hinder Reformation when we are for a further and purer Reformation your selves being judges you would â—it down on this side Jordan we would advance Siâ— you quiet if you will not helpe us as we helped you Answ When you of the Congregationall way that is of the Church way for none are Churches but you we are excommunicated and all else but your selves did sweare to endeavour the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in doctrine worship discipline and government which to your consciences and all the Reformed Churches is Presbyterian can the Covenant be turned against Presbyterians as well as against you 2. You write and preach that the government Presbyterian is Popish Antichristian more tyrannicall then that of Babel of Aegypt so all your way and particularly Mr. Burton in his conformities deformity and your Independents in the Assembly yet you did sweare to endeavour its preservation and all the Independents in both Houses spake against it as tyrannicall and have voted to clog it with Erastianisme I would beleeve Erastus if he had sworne to endeavour the preservation of it better then your oath I think Pagans would not sweare to endeavour the preservation of any religious way which with tongue pen lawes and sword they endeavour to undoe and extirpate see if distinctions will defend it against the common enemy and whether these words according to the word of God expounded by you will save you from the quarrell and wrath of God for a broken Covenant Passe over the Isles and goe to Turkey to America and see if such a thing as this hath been 2. The Covenant bindes no man saith he to any degree of Reformation but what shall satisfactorily appeare to each mans conscience to be according to the word of God 1. Then the Reformed Religion in Scotland in doctrine worship and government according to the word of
the onely true Religion though he himselfe be an Arrian or Socinian or of opinion that all Religions are to be tollerated by the Christian Magistrate in which regard it would seeme such are not capable to be Magistrates in a Christian society 14 Nor can the Magistrate promote Reformation against all lets and impediments No not heresie which is a worke of the flesh if both he may take and give licence to all under him to professe what ever way shall seeme good to the dictates of an erronioâ—s conscience 15 No Church can indeavour according to our Covenant for the power and purity of Religion if any Jezabel any that shall seduce and tempt the flocke or any of them to Idolatry or abominable Heresies or make defection to Judaisme to Familisme which denyeth as the Antichrist doth that Christ is come into the flesh if they purge not out such leaven and withdraw not from them and deny not to them lodging as the word of God teacheth us Revel 2. 14. 20 21 22. Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16 v. 17 18. 2 Thess 3. 14 15. 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 5 6 11 12. 2 Joh. 10. 16. Nor can we give a more publicke scandall and just offence to the best Reformed Churches with whom we are to endeavour the nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion then to cry against both their doctrine and constant practise in that they teach a necessity of both Civill and Ecclesiasticall censures against ravenous wolves who spare not the flocke and cease not with Elimas the Sorcerer to pervert the right wayes of the Lord. 17. And we dare appeale to the consciences of our brethren in England when we did willingly enter in the Covenant of God to dye and live sinke and swim give our lives with and for them in this common cause of God if they did not conceive our downeright and ingenuous sense and meaning of the Covenant to be against all such pretended liberty of Conscieâ—ce for which cause sundry of them joyning with us as friends yet did refuse to take the Covenant or if by the liberties of the Kingdomes or the true publicke liberty or any like word they did understand liberty of professing Socinianisme Prolacy Popery Familisme Heresie or any thing contrary to sound doctrine or if they did beleeve their brethren who in the simplicity of their hearts did rather chuse to suffer affliction with the people of God then injoy their owne pleasures and peace for a season or that the honourable Honses had any such sense when in the returne of the Parliament of England p. 6 7. in their Letters and Declarations they invited us to joyn in Covenant to endeavour an uniformity of Doctrine Worship and Discipline with them which senâ—e if any had for we shall beleeve the honourable Honses invited not us to ruine our selves and the Reformed Religion with any such argument shall not the Lord search out such double equivocation and jugling in the sacred Oath and Covenant of God nor doth the word of God evidence to the consciences of men that there be some few fundamentalls in which Arrians Familists Socinians Seekers Arminians Anabaptists c. agree and that the Magistrate is to punish such as professe and teach false doctrine in these but in all these other points that border with these fundamentalls both magistrates and Church are to leave men to their owne conscience to waste and destroy soules as they thinke good without any controle except in such smooth rebukes as Eli gave to his sonnes or exposing of the word of truth to mockery after admonition an hereticke is not to be instructed at all by the word nor doe we by our doctrine more make the sword of the Magistrate a spirituall meanes as touching mens consciences by which they are converted to the sound faith as concerning the duties of the first Table and doctrine of the Gospel because the Magistrate punisheth false teachers then Libertines doe make it a spirituall way of converting soules from murthers rapes sodomies robbery lying to a sound conversation in matters of the second Table who doe hold that the Magistrate beareth the sword for punishing of murtherers adulterers and such as faile against the second Table for in either the sword hath no spirituall influence on the conscience nor is it any thing an ordinance of God for converting of heretickes but to hinder perverting of the right wayes of God and for our externall right walking as touching the outward man in all the duties of both Tables that we hurt not one another in civill societies This new liberty destroyes all that the Parliament hath done said suffered for the Hononourable Houses doe professe before the everliving God the safety of Religion Laws and liberties to be the chiefe end of all their counsells and resolutions also that Scotland had lovingly invited them to a nearer and higher degree of union in matters of Religion and Church-government which we say they most willingly embrace and intend to pursue The Honourable Houses declare they have for the just and necessary defence of the Protestant Religion his Majesties person Crowne c. taken up Armes and appointed and authorised Robert Earle of Essex to be Captaine Generall The same was the end of the Kingdome of Scotland Now can it be dreamed that the end of either Kingdomes united by Covenant and compact in this warre was to spend lives and fortunes for liberty or licence to many Religions or can any say but the intent of the Houses at that time was to oppose never to countenance and tollerate as now professedly they do Brownists Anabaptists Familists Antinomians Socinians Arrians Seekers and Libertines who are for all Religions should not we have had bowells of iron if in charity wee had not beleeved our brethrens words oaths proâ—essions The Honourable Houses ingage the whole Kingdome of England to take the Covenant by their Commissioners in a Treaty betwixt the two Kingdomes which Treaty was ratified in the Parliament of England and both Kingdomes agree that no meanes was thought so expedient to accomplish and strengthen the union as for both Nations to enter into a solemne League and Covenant and a forme thereof drawne and presented to the Convention of Estates and Generall Assembly of Scotland and the two Houses of the Parliament of England and hath accordingly beene done and received their respective approbation and I. Proposition It is agreed and concluded that the Covenant presented to the Convention of Estates and Generall Assembly of Scotland and sent to both Houses of the Parliament of England to their brethren of Scotland and allowed by the Committee of Estates and Commissioners of the Generall Assembly be sworâ—â— and subscribed by both Kingdomes 〈◊〉 most 〈◊〉 and conjunction betwixt them for their mutuall defence against the Papist and Prelaticall faction and their adherents in both Kingdomes and for pursuance of the ends
as unable to work 〈◊〉 as the Sword p. 351 Heresies are knowable p. 353 Forced Conscience as strong an argument against Deut. 13. as against us p. 355 The Magistrate commandeth the outward man and yet commandeth not carnall repentance and hypocriticall turning to God p. 356 Because we may abstain from Heresie upon false grounds it follows not that the Magistrate hath not power 〈◊〉 punish heresie p. 359 Libertinisme of toleration is grounded upon the pretended obscuritie of Scripture p. 360 Toleration putteth a hundred senses on the Scripture and makes many rules of faith p. 361 John Goodwin denieth that we have Scriptures or any ground of Faith but that which is made of mens credit and learning p. 362 The means of delivering of Scripture to us may be falliâ—le yet the Scripture infullâ—ble ibid. Reasons to prove that the Scriptures our non have are the very Word of God p. 364 The knowledge of God is commanded and the â—ind is under a Law as well as the will and affections p. 371 The trying of the Missals of Gregory Ambrose was meer foolery 372 Speculative ignorance of things 〈…〉 p. 373 The place 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13. cleared and vindicated ibid. Doctor Taylors mistake of Heresie ibid. What vinciblenesse must be in Heresie p. 374 D. Taylor maketh the opinion of Purgatorie no Heresie 376 Simple errors of things revealed in the 〈…〉 sins 378 How opinions are judicable and punishable p. 379 Son-sacrificing upon a meer religious ground is not murther punishable according to Libertines way p. 380 Chap. 28. Divers other Arguments for pretended Toleration answered p. 381 The Magistrates ministerie is civill 〈◊〉 spirituall p. 384 The Laws of 〈◊〉 Cyrus Danius the ratifying the Law of God by civill punishments were the dutie of Magistrates ibid. Artaxerxes made laws by the light of nature to restrain men from idolatrie page 385 From punishing of false teachers it followes noâ— that Jewes and the Idolatrous Heathens should be killed p. 〈◊〉 Differences betwixt punishing of false teachers in the Old and 〈◊〉 New Testament p. 387 Circular turnings from Protestanisme to Poperie proveth nothing against the punishing of Seducers p. 388 The objection That the sword is a carnall way to suppresse heresie answered p. 390 Most of the objections from forcing of Consciences conclude against the Laws of God in the Old Testament as well as against us ibid. The Law Deut. 13. Levit. 24. c. was not executed upon such only as sinned against the Law of nature p. 392 No need of a Law processe Judge witness accuser or inquiring in the written Law of God p. 393 Ecclesiastical and civill coaction doe both worke alike upon understanding and will p. 394 Errors against supernaturall truth are not rebukeable because not punishable contra p. 395 Libertie of Conscience makes false Prophets to be true and such as shall dwell in the mountain of God p. 〈◊〉 Four sundry considerations by which sins are censured p. 397 The Magistrate is subject to the just power of the Church 〈◊〉 Church to the just power of the Magistrate neither of them 〈◊〉 abused power p. 398 How the Jews suffered heathen Idolaters to dwel amongst 〈◊〉 Joh. Baptist would have us lesse careful of thereticall doctrines 〈◊〉 cause we are elected to glory then of other vile sins p. 3â—9 Joh. Baptist and Libertines teach that libertie of Conscience the way to find out truth ibid. When the Holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs or to 〈◊〉 Antichristian teachers be bids us also beleeve and receive them 〈◊〉 Saints by the Libertines way 400 Libertines make the judging of hereticks to be hereticks a bold intending into the counsell of God p. 402 Libertines say God hath decreed Heresies to be ibid. Variety of judgements in Gods matters a grief to the godly p. 403 The punishing of Heresies investeth not the Magistrate in a beadâ—â—â—â— over the Church 404 CHAP. I. Of Conscience and its nature ACTS 24. 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have 〈◊〉 a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward man THis is a part of Pauls Apologie which hee brings out before Festur the Governour he dare bring out his conscience before his accusers the subject of this part is conscience In which we have 1. the subject Conscience 2. The qualitie of it Free of offence 2. The intâ—â—â—nesse and perfection of it in the first Table as a religious man toward God as one of a sound conversation in the duties of the second Table toward man 3. And that not aâ—starts when 〈◊〉 good blood of godlinesse came on him but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alwayes at all times 4. This was not a conscience to lie beside him is the wretches Gold which for many yeares feeth neither sâ—nne nor winde but it is a Conscience walking in the streets and fraction Herein that is in this religion and hope of the restriction do 〈◊〉 or exercise my selfe this field doe 1 plow 5. There is considerable Grammer in the object of this exercise I labour to have to be a Lord a Master and anowner of a good conscience a conscience is one thing and to have a conscience another thing often the conscience hath the 〈◊〉 and Lords it over him or rather Tyrannizeth over the Judas and the man hath not the conscience And these five doe 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the length and breadth of a good conscience Therefore of conscience 2. of the good Conscience Of conscience a little of the Name 2. Of the thing The Habrewes expresse the name by the name of heart 〈◊〉 which I grant does signifie the minde understanding will and by a figure it noteth the heart 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him Salomon saith to Shimei 1 King 2. 44. Thou knowest all the evill that thy heart thy conscience is privie to Conscience is but knowledge with a witnesse it s observed that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conscience a Word used about 32. times in the New Testament is but once by the Translators in the Old Testament Eccles 10. 20. Hence it noteth that a Man hath a fellow or to speake so a College-observer with him and that is God who knoweth first and perfectly the wayes and thoughts of a man and his conscience is an under-witnesse and an observer with God but a dimme and blind beholder in comparison of God 2. It is a knowledge not as large as that of the whole understanding facultie but restricted and in order onely to the mans actions words thoughts the condition or state hee is 〈◊〉 in Christ or not in Christ It so signifieth practicall knowledge that there is a Verbe Nifhal that signifieth to have a heart or 〈◊〉 be practically wise Joh 11. 12. Vaine man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would have a heart or be hearted and wise and Cont. 4. 9. Thou hast taken away my heart or unheartned me my sister my 〈◊〉 2. The heart goeth also for a word that
that men should believe because so saith a Synod But all the mysterie is though a Synod should determine a truth an hundred times according to the word yet if the conscience say it is no truth the determination of a Synod doth not obliedge at all say Libertines because the conscience according to the minde of Libertines is the nearest obleidging rule but any thing obleidgeth not to obedience and faith as it appears either true or good to our conscience for to kill the Apostles appears lawfull to commit adulterie and murther appeareth good to many yet are not men obleidged to kill the Apostles or to commit adulterie Armini If a thing be determined out of the word of God by a Synod then was that thing before determined in the word of God and yet that must be examined in a Synod which is supposed to be decyded in the word what need is there of a Synodicall examination of that which is supposed to be lyable to no errour for so must the word of God be examined Answ What the Bereans heard the Apostle Paul preach Act. 17. 11 12. was the verie Gospel determined in the Scriptures of the Prophets what then needed they try the Gospel or examine what is infallible in private among themselves more then in publick Synods this argument is against the Apostles rule Try all things and try the Spirits whether they be of God or not for sure these rules warranted them to examine Paul Peter and Johns doctrine and Spirits and finding them to be truths decyded in the word to receive them therefore after there is a Scripturall decision it doth not follow that there should not be a Declarative or Ministeriall decision by Synods and by pastours preaching the Gospel For this doth close subvert all Ministery and Preaching and all trying of the Spirits nor is it hence concluded that we examine the word of God as if it could be false but that we are both in private and in publicke to examine and try whether that which is proposed to us as the word of God be the word of God or no But wee examine and suspect the credit of men who may and can lye Secondly but this supposeth that what ever is brought under a Synodicall discussion is false or at least fallible which is a most false principle of Libertines and that nothing which is the word of God should fall under a Synodicall discussion to be tryed which is true thus farre the word of God as it is the word of God is not to be tried nor determined but in reference to messengers who are but sinfull men and can deceive and to our dulnesse and sinfull ignorance there is need that a Ministerie and Synods help us with declarative and misteriall declarations untill we be where they shall not need a Temple And what Libertines say the same said Anabaptists so Buâ—â—inger saith Anabaptists taught that the Evangelist should be recited without words casting it that is without preaching and that every man was free to interpret the Scripture as he will and that the interpretation of Scripture is not the word of God So that the peoples conscience and private sense is their Scripture and rule of faith we need not then Scripture every mans sense is his Rule which yet is not so good divinity as the heathen Melytus accused Socrates of and thought Socrates was worthie to die for that such as the people beleeveth to be gods he believeth to be nothing such but thinketh there be some new Dieties and was it a crime that Socrates thought the peoples lust was no good rule in divinitie Armini All should be admitted to Synods because Religion concerneth the Conscience of all or if it be confusion to admit all to come yet should no decision be except first all the Church be acquainted with the businesse Answ God never appointed all and every one to lay burdene and Directories or Lawes upon themselves as is cleare Act. 15. God keeps ever that order in his Church of some to teach and some to be taught of some to obey and some to be over others in the Lord that before Lawes bee made that concerne the conscience there should be a reference of all made to the people and they acquainted with reasons from the word of God before a decision we shall not condemn but it is nothing against us Armini These that come to Synods ought to be ingaged to be Church or to no Confession But every way free Answ Then such as convened in a Synod in the Church of Pergamus and Thyatira should not be principled in the faith of Christ and his truth against the deeds of the Nicolaitanes with whom fornication went for a thing indifferent or against such as hold the doctrine of Balaam or Jezabel they must all come as indifferent to absolve as to condemn the Nicholaitanes and the false Prophetesse Jezabel But Paul and Barnabus came to the Councell of Jerusalem as Members thereof being fore engaged to condemn Circumcision as not necessary to salvation and had preached against such a necessitie and yet were not byassed Voters in the Assembly and by this reason if Fundamentals be to be established in a Synod and the contrary errours to be refuted when Doctours come to a Synod they must leave faith and soundnesse of faith at home and come to the Synod with purpose to buy and bargain there for a new faith And let all men come thither as Scepticks and Nullifidians and goe so also away believing with a reserve that that the Synod hath determined may be a lie But as Arminians take true libertie of free-will to be an absolute power to doe ill or well stand or fall eternally so they judge that Libertie of prophecying is a Liberty to teach and believe Indifferently either lies or truth heresies or sound doctrine whereas libertie to doe ill in any sense is licentiousnesse not libertie Armini The question is not whether a man when he judges right can erre for who can affirme that but whither either a man or a Church who judgeth rightly according to the word of God have any law or power to command and injoyn others to receive and believe what they have rightly Judged and that without controversie for no man is obleidged to receive and beleive a truth which a Synod unanimously or for the most part hath truely judged because the Synod hath so judged or sayth so Answ But Libertines make such a question for they affirm that a Synod doth never judge so rightly but we must believe what they judge with a reserve and so that what they determine is false or may the next day be false Secondly we conceive that God hath given to some one single Pastour and farre more to a Synod of Pastours and Doctors a power to rebuke teach exhort with all authoritie 2. Tim. 41. 2. To charge Tit. 2. 14. them before the Lord. 1. Tim. 6.
that may hinder love but let this wrangler answer whither it be more reall love to the murtherers soul to informe against him and more glory to God more peace to the familie or to be silent and let his brother run to hell and wrath lye upon the whole land It is but a losse of time to refute such weak foolerie against naturall reason far more contrary to sound Divinitie for if pastors informe against evil doers out of desire of revenge malice or hatred they ought not upon these grounds to rebuke any sins at all and we condemn the doing of good duties upon evill motives and principles CHAP IIII. The state of the question of compulsion of Conscience and tolleration THe question touching Libertie of conscience was never by us nor any man save Libertines themselves and ignorant Anabaptists both of old and late moved concerning internall libertie remaining within the soule as libertie to think understand judge conclude whither the Magistrate can force men with the sword to opinions and cudgell them out of some into other contrary judgements in the matters of God for the Magistrate cannot take on him yea nor the Church under the paine of censures compell any to think well of Christ or ill or Antichrist Yet most of the senslesse arguments of the times are drawn from the immediate subjection of the conscience to God from the nature of conscience Religion faith fear and the elicit acts of the soul which cannot be compelled yea in this meaning we think God can neither offer violence to minde understanding will or affections of love fear joy because all these clicit acts cannot slow from any principle but the internall and vitall inclinations of the soul though the devils be said to beleeve against their will yet not against the inclination of the understanding or desiring facultie All the question is concerning the imperated acts and these externall that is not touching opinions and acts of the minde but that which is visible and audible in these opinions to wit the speaking professed holding of them publishing teaching printing and known and externall perswading of others to be of our minde So that the question will come to this whither the Magistrates sword be to regulate our words that concerns our neighbour as that we lie not we forsweare not to the hurt of the life and credit of our neighbour that we slander not raile upon no man farre lesse against the prince and ruler of the people but whether the words we utter or publish of God though never such blasphemies and lies because they come from the conscience as if truths or words we speak for or against our neighbour did not slow from a conscience either good or ill be above or beyond all swords or coercive power of men It is clear the question must be thus stated for all the lawes of the old Testament which we hold in their morall equitie to be perpetuall that are touching blasphemies heresies solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses and which husband and wife are not to conceale and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment Deut. 1â— 8 9 10 11. Deut. 17. 5 6. Levit. 20. 1 2 3 4 5. But opinions in the minde acts of the understanding can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrate nor Church can censure Then we referre to all the Godly if Libertines and Anabaptists deal brotherly in affirming that Presbiterians persecute them because out of tendernesse of conscience they cannot come up to the light and judgement of their brethren in all opinions 2. There is a tolleration pollitick and Civil and spirituall or Ecclesiastick shame and fear in punishing heresies either by the Judge or the Church whither in civil or Ecclesiasticall censures rebukes Excommunication is an evil of punishment in both as is evident if we compare Judg. 18. 7. Where it is said There was no Magistrate in the land that might put them so shame in any thing Deut. 13. 11. With these places that speaketh of spirituall censures in the feare and shame of them as 1. Tim. 5. 19. Receive not an accusation against an Elder but before two or three witnesses then an Elder that is scandalous may incur shame of being accused and Mat 18. 17. let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publicane 1 Tim. 5. 20. them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear So the avoiding of Idolaters and Hereticks 1 Cor. 9. 11. Tit. 2. 10. â— Joh. 10. Gal. 1. 8. brings publicke shame on them 2. Thesse 3. 14. then looke what forcing power the shame the Magistrates can put Hereticks to and what compulsory 〈◊〉 it hath on the conscience and so should not be inflicted on men for their conscience and holding of heresies as Libertines say the same compulsorie power hath concionall rebukes of Pastors or private Christians and of admonition excommunication or the avoiding of the societie of false teachers either by the whole Church or by private Christians and the arguments proving the Magistrate cannot punish for conscience in his politick Spheare doe also prove that hereticks should be rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the faith contrary to Tit. 1. 13. and that we should neither admonish them nor avoid their company which is absurd so they be more ingenious Libertines who free false teachers and hereticks from both civil and ecclesiasticall censures than these who free them from civil and subject them to Ecclesiasticall censures for Ecclesiasticall compulsion hath no more influence on the conscience by way of teaching then politick or civil and the arguments taken from the nature of conscience is as strong to prove that the Church of Pergamâ—â— Ephesus Thyatira should suffer lyars false Apostles and seducers such as hold the doctrine of Balaam and Jezabel the deceiving Prophetesse who teach and professe according to their erroneous conscience contrary to Rev. 1. 2 3 14 20. as that the Godly Prince should suffer them nor can it be said that Church-censures are spirituall punishments and so work on the spirit and have instructing rebuking and exhorting going before but the sword is a bodily punishment and hath not instructing going before For I answer though these two punishments differ yet they agree that formally both are alike compulsory of the conscience and neither of them act upon the spirit by teaching and instructing as the word doth so as excommunication of a heretick should have instructing and convincing going before so should also the Magistrate presuppose before he strike with the sword that the false teacher hath been instructed and convinced and so he doth formally punish him with the sword for his pertinacious perverting of souls 3. Nor can it be replyed that men should not be punished for either opinions or for
c. What reason in nature can there be to punish the one and not the other for it may with as good colour of reason be said that all the Lawes in the old Testament for drawing of the sword against Sodomites Adulterers and such like were typicall and temporary and are done away now in Christ for Christ will have these converted in as spirituall a way by the onely power of the word of God as the other and no where in any expresse law in the New Testament doth God command to use the bloody sword against them more then against blasphemers And to remove these grosse sins out of Christian societies by the sword is no lesse a carnall and a bodily afflictive way of dealing with their consciences as to deal so with seducers and it s enough to that negative argument that no where it is expressed as a dutie of the Magistrate under the New Testament to use the sword against false teachers nor does our Saviour or the Apostles rebuke the Magistrate for omitting of their dutie in this Yea Paul 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. when he shewes that some of the Corinthians abused their body with mankinde were theevâ—s drunkards extortioners he no where saith that it was the Magistrates dutie to take away their head for Sodomie which certainly it was and that by the verie law of nature but he was Gods instrument for their conversion by the power of the word ver 11. and 1 Cor. 4. 15. as he laboured to convert the Galdehians who sometimes worshipped dumb Idols and the Ephesians who worshipped the vaine Idol Diana Act. 19. yea nor is there any New Testament law for taking away the life of a murtherer for that of our Saviours Math. 26. 52. all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword except we say it was so a Judiciall law among the Jews as it was a law of nature Gen. 9. before there was a Common wealth erected among the Jews cannot be called a new Testament law to Peter and John and the disciples who were obliged at that same verie time to keepe the passeover and to be subject to all the Jewish laws CHAP. V. Of Fundamentals A Foundation saith Pareus Iren. c. 9 is that which is in the lowest place of the building to beare up that which is built upon it and without which the building cannot stand That then must be the foundation of faith and salvation which is precisely necessary to be believed by all that are saved Alardas Valek gives us four fundamentals facienda vitanda things to be done and eschewed in the Decalogue 2. credenda to be believed in the Creed 3. roganda to be sought from God in prayer 4. â—surpanda things to be practised as the Sacraments How the repenting thiese knew all these I see not yet a taste of some of them ye may see and with the infused life of God he was ready to believe and doe the rest For the first he knew robberie and violence to be damned in the Decalogue we are justly here and repented 2. for the second he believed in Christ as a King the Son of God and a Saviour Christ was accused that he called himself the Sonne of God and a king when the man saith of Christ this man hath done nothing amisse he believes him to be the Sonne of God and the Saviour who had the keyes of paradice at his girdle 3. he prayes to him Lord remember me when thou comes to thy Kingdome 4. for externall worship or Sacraments it is like he knew little yet he confessed Christ a King when his disciples denyed him and fled and the world persecuted him Cycillus Hyerosolymitian reduceth them to two the knowledge of points of faith 2. the doing of good works Had he added according to the new covenant it were good Calvin saith epist 182. I refuse not the Augustine confession Cui pridem volens libens subscripsi sicut eam Author interpretatus est Yet in the 10. article thereof the substantiall bodie and blood of Christ is said to be really present under the spece of bread and wine Ambrose in cap. 9. Lu. negat Christum qui non omnia qua sunt Christi confitetur It is onely thus farre true the that hath sufficient meanes of believing what the word saith may confesse all truths of Christ and doth not denie Christ but as some doe not all the good they may yet have a saving disposition to it though either they through infirmities leave it undone or through want of oportunitie yet believing are saved So these that want means of knowing and confessing all truths yet have the habit of faith to believe them though they never actually confesse them doe not deny Christ Though Irenem l. 1. c. 3. Tertullian de Virginibus velandis Augusti to 10. de Tempore sar 2. and Russiâ—â—â— in the exposition of the Creed say that which is called the Apostles Creed came from the Apostles yet there is no sufficient ground for us to believe the authentick Authoritie of it Conrad worships while he was yet sound de pausis just it necessariis deserendi papatus par 1. dis 1. the 29. saith of these points that are contained in the Apostles Creed some things are simply necessarie for salvation without which faith and repentance cannot be 2. some not so necessarie yet profitable and of themselves saving 3. other things by consequence and by accident are necessarie not of themselves and separate from the fundamentals the Church of Rome erres in the fundamentals in the doctrine of our Saviour and his offices in the doctrine of merit humane satisfactions indulgences the Scriptures the Church In the 2. they erre about baptisme the Lords supper confirmation unction pennance though of themselves they happily deprive not of life eternall yet because the subject about which the matter is versed is most necessary they are pernicious errors These of the third sort touching creation providence mortification though of themselves they might be called errours simple ignorance yet for the dangerous consequences they are pernicious heresies Mr. John Durie in his Theological consultation maketh three sort of necessary points 1. these without the knowledge of which Christ cannot be known in the covenant of grace nor by faith retained which are comprehended in the paction of the covenant 2. saving points which secretly lurk in these necessirie points yet by just and evident consequence may be deduced there from though they be not in the expresse words of the covenant 3. some things that are profitable the expresse knowledge whereof conduceth to the fuller knowledge and faith of these things necessarie yet are not such but Christ may be believed by simple soules and rested on for salvation without such a precise forme of speaking Augusti de Trinit l. 14. c. 1. It is one thing to know what we are to believe another thing how or with what certaintie we
of Aegypt Exod. 32. 4 5. Jeroboam who made two Gods and Jehu who was zealous for Jehovah 1 King 13. 6. c. 13. 1 2 3. 2 King 9. 25. 36 37. c. 10. 16. 20 21. and Joram 2 King 5. 7. acknowledged God could kill and make alive and was just in his promises and threatnings yet worshipped the golden calves those who cryed the Temple of the Lord must acknowledge there was but one true God yet they burnt incense to Baal and killed their children to Molech Jer. 7. 4 5 9. 30 31. They that asked of Jehovah the ordinances of their God and fasted to Jehovah Esa 58. 1 2 3 4. yet inflamed themselves under every green tree Esa 57. 5. and slew their children under the clifts of the rocks the heathen knew God and one God who made the heaven and the earth and worshipped him though ignorantly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 1. 20 21. Act. 17. 23. yet denyed and hated this logicall consequence that they had forsaken the Lord Jer. 9. 13 14. or Deut. 32. 18. forgotten the rocke that begat them Ps 78. 11. 41. Ps 107. 12 13. that they forsooke him dayes without number yea they did more then God required to keep God in their minde and not forget him as they said they changed him into the forme of corruptible things to be memorialls of God to them and the Lord said For all this they râ—fuse to know me they have said It is not the Lord yea they would have dyed for it rather then have said there is no God that made heaven and earth And they did erre indeed in a consequence against the light of nature yet the irreligious and wicked stopping of eyes and eares at naturall consequences in matters of Religion is no innocent 〈◊〉 as is cleare Esa 44. 18. They have not knowne nor understood for he hath shut their eyes that they cannot see and their hearts that they cannot understand 19. And none considers in his heart neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say I have but in part of it in the fire yea also I have baked bread upon the coales thereof I have roasted flesh and eaten it and shall I make the residue thereof aâ— abomination shall I fall downe to the flocke of a tree 20. He seedeth on ashes c. Now as Israel said ever the Creator of the ends of the earth is our God the tree is but a likenesse and resemblance of God Esa 18. 18. Esa 46. 5 6 7. so they denyed this consequence ergo a part of your God is burnt in the fire and with the coals of your burnt God you bake bread roast flesh and warme your bodies when you are cold and worship a lye and an abomination as the Papists say we adore very Christ in and under the accidents of the bread even the same God-man Maries Son who dyed on the crosse yet they deny this consequence ergo a part of your God and Saviour is baken in the oven eaten and cast out with the draught and a part thereof even of the same floore and dough is made a God by the Priest and ye say I will bâ—â— downe and worship the residue of that which the baker did bake and roast in the oven and so yee worship a lye and an abomination as the old Idolaters did Esa 44. yet the Papist will deny this consequence that he multiplyes Gods as loaves are multiplyed in an oven because as Esaiah saith he knoweth not he understandeth not God hath shut his eyes certainly that knowledge he denyes to the Idolator is the naturall knowledge of a naturall consequence if ye worship a bit of an ash-tree or a bit of bread ergo the halfe of your God or the quarter thereof is baken in an oven ergo there is a lye and an abomination in your right hand then the deniall of logicall consequences in Religion and the teaching thereof to others may be and is an heresie and punishable by the Magistrate as Deut. 13. and Exod. 32. so Christ rebukes Matth. 22. Saduces as ignorant of the Scripture when they denyed but the consequence or a logicall connexion as God is not the God of the dead but of the living ergo the dead must rise againe and Abraham must live and his body be raised from the dead And 2. the Idolaters who were to dye by the Law of God Exod. 32. Deut. 13. denyed not the true God more then our false teachers doe now We see no reason why none should be false teachers but such onely as deny fundamentals and that pertinaciously though these by Divines be called Heretickes 1. Rom. 16. 17. Paul saith Now I beseech you brethren marke them that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them then as we are not to distinguish where the Law and the Word of God does not distinguish so we are to count them false teachers who lead in a faction in the Church contrary to any doctrine of truth whether fundamentall or not fundamentall and to avoid them as Seducers 2. Peters errour since he beleeved Christ was come Matth. 16. 17. was not fundamentall but consistent with faith yet Paul withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed and if he had pertinaciously gone on to walke not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel since Paul would not have given place by subjection to such no not for an houre Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14 15. he should have been worthy of more then rebuke yea of higher censure the like we must say of Barnabas and other Jewes who all sinned though in a farre inferiour degree with these who came in privily to spye out the Christian liberty of the Gentiles to bring them into bondage under the Ceremoniall law 3. Gal. 1. 8. Paul saith If we or an Angel from heaven should preach any other Gospel then that which we have preached let him be accursed which place with good warrant our Divines bring against the unwritten traditions of Papists of what kinde soever they be fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls whether they be obtruded as necessary points of salvation or not necessary but accidentalls or arbitrary points yet conducing for the better observing of necessary points for I have proved else-where that Papists esteem their unwritten traditions not necessary points of faith yea many of them to be accidentals serving onely ad mellus esse for order and decency yea and great Doctors of them say neither the Pope nor the Church can devile novum dogma fidei a new article of Faith or a new Sacrament nor can we say that the adding of Romish ceremonialls such as consecrating of Churches baptising of bells signe of the crosse are fundamentall errours and inconsistent with saving faith the text Gal. 1. 8 9. evinceth that they or some other Gospel or doctrine beside that the Galathians had learned for Paul taught the Galathians many points besides fundamentall onely
the world As if a robber arraigned upon his head before a judge would say there is no such thing in the world as Robbery it is a meere fiction or their reasons partinary which we say is the formal reason and essence of heresie is onely in the heart and knowne to God onely and therefore since neither the Church nor the Magistrate know the heart we must leave it to God all mens judgements of the heart are uncertain and deceiving conjectures no man of set purpose desires to doe evill but when hee knowes he does evill no man perswades himselfe that he erreth when the matter is about eternall salvation therefore it is not lawfull to charge any heretick that he acts malice against his light charity perswadeth another thing and who knowingly saith Minus Celsus and willingly sinnes against the knowne truth his crime is not properly heresie but the sin and blasphemy against the holy ghost for whom we are not to pray and is a sin that shall never be pardoned and therefore it is in vaine to accuse this man of heresie Answ This vaine argument of foolish men is against the Holy Ghost not against us for charity then must forbid us to judge evill of our brother or to beware of him to avoide him to admonish or rebuke him for heresie for a sin knowne to God onely or to reject him or to refuse him lodging in our house or to bid him God speed for you condemn him and flee and avoyd him as an Heretick and in so doing ye take Gods office on you to judge the heart now when the Holy Ghost bids us admonish rebuke instruct with meeknesse Heretickes if they wil not be gained reject and avoid them doth he not clearly hold forth that Hereticks may be knowne When Solomon saith goe not by the doore of the whore make no friendship with an angryâ—man be not companions with theeves and robbers doth he not insinuate that the whore and the angry man and the theefe may be known or would he say the whore is onely knowne to God and charity forbids you to judge any womâ—n a whore or any teacher who saith he would show you the strâ—ight way to heaven and the way that he himselfe walketh in and no man perswades himselfe that he erreth when the matter is concerning his owne eternall salvation and it is onely knowne to God whether he be an Hereticke or no yet admonish him at an Heretick and reject him and avoid his company as a Heretick This is as much as if a Phisitian would say it is impossible to any man to know save God onely what houses are infected with the pestilence yet I councell you for your health goe not into any pest-house 2 It is most false that pertinacy is knowne to God only that pertinacy that evidenceth it selfe to us by such markes and outward evidences is knowne to us as such a Familist a Socinian leadeth silly women captive and subverteth the faith of many and causeth simple people to beleeve the God manifested in the flesh and crucified is nothing but a Saint-suffering and having much of God and saving grace evidenced in him and he is ones and twice by word and writing admonished but he still goeth on and seduceth many then he is so farre pertinacious as ye may judge him an Heretick and having tryed that hee is an hereticall spirit avoid him and bid him not God speed doth not Paul exhort the Elders of Ephesus to take heede of ravening Wolves that should arise and speake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perverse things to draw away disciples after them and they should not spare the flock Act. 20. 29 30. Yea but our abâ—ominable Libertines come in and say Elders of Ephesus be charitable judge them not to be grievous wolves least ye condemn them for wolves before men who are the redeemed sheepe of Christ in the high court it is true they speake perverse things as yee apprehend but Elders are you infallible now when Paul and the Apostles are departed this life they judge that you speake perverse things and ye are the grievous wolves You heare them speake new doctrines it is true but you know not whether they be pertinacious pertinacy is in the heart onely be charitable for only God knowes the heart say not 〈◊〉 the flocke they are ravening wolves seducers and that knowingly and willingly they sin against the knowne truth no man erreth dediâ—â— opera of set purpose nor perswades himselfe that he erres when the matter is concerning eternall salvation charity forbids you to ascribe malitiousnesse of erring to men who erre not with their will and you Church and Angell of the Churches of Pergamus and of Thyatâ—ra be charitable and judge not those that teach the doctrine of Balaam and Jezabell to be false Prophets you heare their words but God only tryeth the reignes and the heart you know not whether they teach what they teach with pertinacy all judging of the minde and heart of others are uncertaine conjectures neither they nor any other doe give beleeving and being perswaded that they erre when the matter is of such concernment as eternall salvation 3. Nor is the crime the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost when any doe maliciously resist the truth 1. When there is not a high measure of illumination and perswasion going before which is not in every hereticke 2. When pertinacy is bent against a side and party of godly men not so much for despite and malice against them as they are godly or out of despite to the Spirit of grace as out of a minde puft up with love-sicknesse of their owne learning and great parts and undervaluing of a contrary faction as they suppose for there be divers branches of opposing the knowne truth as from fleshly lusts 2 Pet. 2. 17. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 3. from pride 1 Tim. 6. 3 4 5. from avarice and love of the world v. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 3. 15 16. and yet all maliciously that are not to be judged the sin against the Holy Ghost except it be such an opposing of the knowne truth as comes from the spirituall malicious opposing of God and his knowne truth as the devills did and it may be also that some heretickes sin the sin against the Holy Ghost in teaching lyes in hypocrisie as the Pharisees did who leave not off for that to be hereticks and false teachers 4. Where men are savingly and soundly perswaded that the businesse is a matter of salvation they will not finally and totally erre but that there is such a perswasion in heretickes is utterly denyed by us and where there is a perswasion in great measure but literall and historicall and faith thereunto answerable that the matter is eternall salvation and damnation that they doe not erre and lead other captives to their error is denyed and it is more charity of hereticks who are selfe-condemned by their owne heart Tit. 3. 10. and are willingly
your authority were infallible as that of the Apostles was the answer would have some colour though the Apostles used not that authority to crush liberty of prophesying but they commend the trying of the Spirits and since our judgement is not infallible reason requires that we should not desire other spirits pious and good to be oppressed and suffocated Answ We reject no Spirit because it agrees not with ours for our Spirit is not the rule as Libertines contend but because it swerves from the oracles of God if any man speake let him speake as the oracles of God let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith 2. This answer saith that no man now in the Christian Church can try all things doctrines and spirits and refuse the evil and deluding spirits hold fast that which is good and beleeve the spirits speaking from God because it is to extinguish the Spirit say our Libertines since we are not infallible Apostles to judge these Spirits for mad phansies that agree not with our Spirit we say its impossible to try all things and hold that which is good but we must judge false spirits to bee false spirits not because they agree not with ours that is the calumny of Libertines but because they swerve from the word of truth though we be not infallible as the Apostles were but this reason supposeth that because of want of Apostolick infallibility we should try all spirits and all doctrines but condemn reject and refuse none as spirits of the devill for that is to extinguish the spirit and pitch and settle our faith upon no doctrine but like Scepticks sail about the coasts of truth all our life and dye in no beliefe at all 3 It is false that the Apostles did not crush your liberty of prophesying for Paul 2 Thess 2. 2. extinguisheth those spirits who would shake the faith of the Thessalonians to make them beleeve that the day of Christ was at hand for he forbids to beleeve them and John extinguisheth the Familistical and Antichristian spirits who denied Câ—rist to be come in the flesh O but say Libertines these false spirits knew what they preached to be lyes and yet preached them as from God and wee stand for no such liberty of prophesying nor such spirits as these Answ This is a conjecture that they beleeved the day of Christ was not near hand and yet preached it was near there is not one shaddow in the text or colour hinteth that way for Familists and Seducers now have not so much to say for their dreams as they had yea they had much to say that made them beleeve that day was near hand since Christ had said these were the last days and the Apostles do writ it that new were the last times and that the end of the world was fallen on them and they preached al they wrote and so it is rather like they beleeved the day of Christ was near and the Antichrist in Jobus time had as much as seducers now have to make them beleeve that Christ was not come in the flesh since the blinded Jewes alleadged all the prophesies of the old Testament as not fulfilled in the son of Mary and sure they had more to make them beleeve it then Gortin Saltmarsh and other Familists whom Libertines I beleeve call a part of the godly party if they speake according to their conscience can alleadge for their new false and fleshly visions they preach and print 4 Though we be not infallible as the Apostles were yet reason will not say we should not desire that pious and good spirits that is those that call themselves so but are lyers to bee extinguished For wee are to pray that God would cause the unclean spirit and the false Prophet Libertines and others to cease out of the land and so faith requires wee should try them by the word and pray and desire they were crushed and extinguished I mean not in their person but as touching their false doctrine But present your selfe say Arminians before the tribunal of Papists and they will condemne you of Heresie and if you alledge the spirit teacheth you they will answer is that the spirit which corrupt and madde reason teacheth you the spirit of the Devill said the spirit of Christ was the spirit of Beelzebub Answ What inferre Libertines hence against us this is to place no more power in Synods but directive Sir if it please you this is Gods will But wee hold lawfull Synods which is not in the Synagogue of Rome or Papist may as wel rebuke exhort and instruct with all Authority as Timothy or any one particular pastor and this is more than the directive and sceptick teaching of one private Libertine teaching with a reserve convincing and condemning another in a Scepticall way But all tends to this Protestant Synods convened in Christs name can say no more but wee teach what our judgement is it may be true it may be false yeeld a Sceptik consent with a reserve to it that is all and why because Protestant Synods convened in the name of Antichrist can peremptorily and tirannically condemn the truth as heresie and say they are infallible and their Synodicall decrees are the very word of God Ergo Protestant Synods may not authoritatively command you in the name of Christ to beleeve and receive their lawfull decrees conditionally after yee finde them agreeable to the word of God there is no consequence here Prelates condemned the truth as heresie and schisme Pharisees condemned Christ as a Samaritan ergo Protestants sound in the faith cannot condemne Popery Familisme and ergo Paul cannot condemne 〈◊〉 as a perverter of the waies of righteousnesse this is as if you would say a robber cannot by law jure condemne a traveller to render his purse ergo a Judge cannot compell this traveller to pay just debt 2 We do not instance from the teaching of the spirit but from the cleare word of God CHAP. X. Of indulgence in fundamentall or non-fundamentall errors BUt say the Arminians the question is of Hereticks not of those who dare deny the things openly decided in the Scripture but of those who call in question those things that are or may be contraverted There was never an Heretick who called in question whether theeves drunkards robbers railers Idolaters shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven or whether God be to beloved above all things he is not a Christian he is not an hereticke but worse than a hereticke who denyes those things that are plain and obvious in scripture But he that layeth a law upon others which he must follow under pain of death imprisonment or banishment in things belonging to liberty of prophecying which are conjoyned with the reverence of God and the scripture trampleth all prophesies under foot Answ 1 This definition of an Hereticke is in quesion there be in England who deny all scriptures as no word of God yet are judged by Libertines
to be drawne against them but that of iron 3 How will Libertines prove that the second sort of seducers that were to dye for seducing Deut. 13. 6 7 8. the brother son daughter or wife that lyes in the bosome denyed God the Creator there is no warrant from the text to say they dreamed dreames and wrought wonders to seduce or that they professed the inspiration of a new Deity yet they were to dye and why not the Hereticks now by the same reason If they thrust people away from the Lord that hath ransomed them from Hell Yea 4 These acknowledge the Lord and the law and the Lords Priests and Prophets as some Hereticks doe now yet not standing to the sentence of the law that the Priest shall â—each but presumptuously rejecting it were surely to be put to death Deut. 17. 10 11 12 13. So he that speaks a word in the name of the Lord so confesseth and professeth both the Lord and his word as hereticks now do which the Lord commanded him not to speak or shal speak in the name of other Gods even that Prophet shall dye And did not Jeremiah and Vriah the son of Shemaiah and the Prophets that were killed and sâ—oned by the Jewes professed God and that the word of God came to them and that they had seen the visions of God yet they were condemned as false Prophets but for prophesying destruction on Israel Judah and Jerusalem and if the Lord had not sent them but they speake the visions of their owne head they had been false prophets as is cleare Jer. 14. 13 14. Jer. 23. 15 16. and so justly condemned 5 Are there not now under the New Testament who deny the word of God as many Antiscripturists in England and doth not Saltmarsh Del Beacon Randal and many Familists and Antinomians father their new lies upon the spirit and the pretious anoynting that teacheth all things aâ—â— not they like to those Prophets Deut. 13 have not some in France in Holland in England made defection to Judaisme and Turâ—isme and turned Apostates from Christ And yet they deny not God the Creator nor the Scriptures of the old Testament and by this answer they are free of all bodily punishment And does not Peter contradict this answer of Libertines that say our Hereticks are not as these Deut. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 1. But there were false Prophets also among the people as there shall be false teachers among you and our Saviour Mat. 24. 24. For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect A vive representation of the state of England this day 6 The formall and what is essentiall to a false prophet is now in our seducers they thrust men away from God and the way of Gospell that the Lord hath commanded us to walke in â—nd that is enough 7. From the practice of the Iewes when Heretickes and Seducers and blinde guides were in the chair and they tollerated themselves we draw rather the contrary argument ergo we are not to follow nor to suffer blinde guides now who deny the resurrection as Familists and other to lead souls into the ditch no more then we are to follow them in corrupting the Law and extolling the traditions of men CHAP. XV. Christs not rebuking tolleration and the â—aw Deut. 13. vindicated CHrists no when reproving Church and State for not punishing Sadduces and Hereticks denying the resurrection is 1. A poore argument to prove the lawfulnesse of tolerating them 1. The Sadduces were cheife Rulers themselves Act. 23. 6. And he that reproves a Judge for murther must in that same reprove him for tolerating murthers He that said the guide leading the blind led should fal in the ditch he reproved the mis-government and wicked toleration of the Rulers Nor read we that Elias reproved Achab for not killing Baals priests ergo Achab transgressed not the Law Deut. 13. 1 2 3. Deut. 17. 1 2 3. in tolerating false teachers Nor doth God Deut. 32. 6 7 8. reprove the Rulers for not punishing the worshiping of the golden calf or the making of it for worship because Aaron and the Rulers under Moses were guilty of it will it follow that the Rulers and the sonnes of Levi should tolerate it since the Lord commanded the contrary Nor does the man of God reprove Jeroboam for tollerating the people to worship the golden calves or because he suffered the lowest of the people to intrude themselves in the priests office against the word and law of the Lord because the lesse sin was swallowed up in the greater but it followes not that Jeroboam did the duty of a Magistrate in suffering the people to go to Dan and Bethel to such abominable Idolatry or in suffering the basest of the people to take onâ—them the Priests Office but the Prophets reproving Jeroboam's commanding of that Idolatrous worship and Priests which is a greater sinne must by consequence condemne his not punishing of it which is a lesse sin so David sinned as a Magistrate in suffering Bathsheâ—a to commit adultery and to wrong her husband and to violate Gods Law and should not onely as a Magistate have hindered her but should have put her to death for adultery he being the supreme Magistrate and there being an expresse Law of God that the adulterer man or woman should dye the death Levit. 20. 10. which David knew well yet the Prophet Nathan does not in expresse tearms condemne David for not putting Bathsheba to death though he faithfully reproved David because Nathan reproving David for the adultery it selfe committed in his owne person as the greater sinne must by consequence condemne Davids tollerating of Bathsheba an adulteresse to live which was a lesser sinne and it will not follow that David a King should tollerate knowne adultery in Bathsheba a subject because Nathan does no where in direct tearms nor any Scripture elsewhere that we read condemne David for not punishing with the sword the adultery of Bathsheba so Nathan Gâ—d and other Prophets no where reprove David sparing the life of Joab a murtherer When Christ reproved the Sadduces for denying the resurrection he reproves by consequence both Church and State for tollerating the denying of the Resurrection and supposeth the tolleration of it to be against the law of God 2. It is no argument at all from 1. A negative fact 2. In such a particular Scripture to prove the lawfulnesse of tolleration Let then answer this Christ that was a faithfull Preacher to State and Church no where reproveth in the Gospell the tolleration of the extortion of Publicans Sodomie murther the absolving of a murtherer at the feast a bloody tolleration denying of God blasphemy ergo it was lawfull for the Church and State to suffer all these 3. This answer inferreth that the Church should tollerate all false doctrines and the denying of the resurrection
and that there should be no Church censure contrary to Mat. 18 yea Christ does no where rebuke the Pharisees Scribes and Priests because they did not by preaching admonish and convince their fellows the Sadduces of that hereticall doctrine that the dead shall not rise and by this there should be not onely a Physicall tolleration and a non punishing by the Magistrate of all heresies but a morall forbearing and a no-rebuking no preaching against false wayes and so not onely Church-censures are taken away contrary to Matth. 18. 15 16 17. Revel 2. 1 2 14 15 16 20. But it is not lawfull for Ministers or teachers to write or teach against Iezabel and these that hold the doctrine of Balaam by this reason of the Libertines Nor does Christ command the Rulers of the people to punish the false witnesses that rose against him Nor does he rebuke Church or State for tollerating the Publicans to extort the people nor Caesar and Pilate for oppressing the people nor the Scribes and Pharisees for not preaching against Herods beheading of Iohn Baptist or Pilates mixing the Gallileans blood with the sacrifice Luke 13. ergo Ministers are to tollerate bloody Magistrates and not to preach against them The sixth Answer to elude these Lawes is If these Lawes binde us in the New Testament then must you not adde nor diminish from the Law Deut. 13. and so must the whole City inhabitants and cattle be put to the edge of the sword and devoted to a curse v. 14 15 16 17. which ye cannot say beares any truth under the New Testament except we say that Papists and their babies should be put to the edge of the sword and their houses and land they dwell in execrable Answ There are three different Lawes Deut. 13. one against the seducing false Prophet to v. 5. a second against any seducing person if it were brother or wife to v. 12. a third to the end of the Chapter of a City State or society that will defend a false teacher Now we argue not from the third Law but there is no warrant to punish the sonne of a false Prophet Idolater Heathenish or Popish or of wife or brother that tempt us to Apostacy and to follow false Gods yea or to hurt land house or cattle that belongs to them the sonne shall not beare the sinne of the father except God by a positive Law command it But the third Law upon which we build not our arguments at least as touching any ceremoniall part of it belongs not much to us for to gather the spoyle of such a City and to burne it every whit for the Lord as a cursed and devoted thing or place is clearly ceremoniall and typicall because now every creature of God is clean Rom. 14. 14 and so are all the victualls or meats of Heathens or Papists now and good and sanctified 1 Tim. 4. 3 4. and what God hath cleansed we are not to esteem common or prophane Act. 10. 14. and the like must we say of places 1 Tim. 2. 8. Ioh. 4. 21. Zach. 14. 21. and by proportion of all creatures the creatures cannot now be typically cursed and execrable as then Deut. 13. 16. 18. For the holy Land and every City was made by the Lord typically and ceremonially holy and a pledge of a Heaven when therefore a Seducer fled to any City from the Judge if that City would partake with him in his sinne and save him from the hand of Justice that City forfeited its typicall holinesse and it and all things in it the spoyle cattle and goods made accursed and to bee burnt with fire and all the inhabitants young and old put to the edge of the sword and that not under the noâ—ion of false teachers but as open Rebells against God his holy law and the Judge the Minister of God was to avenge that blasphemy and the morall part is this If the Army now on foot in England will against the Laws of God and man protect blasphemers and false teachers and save them from the hand of Justice and will reward countenance and promote Seducers of soules our humble opinion is that they render themselves obnoxious to the sword of the Magistrate But the punishing of infants and burning of the spoyle was a meer temporary typical law that doth not abolish us in the New Testament Now Libertines bring this as an argument We cannot put to death false teachers by Deut. 13. for then should we by that Law kill their children and cattle which consequence we deny as false and vaine For our Divines strongly argue from the morall equity and the Law of nature â—arâ—anting Joshua to make warre with the Canaanites in the Old Testament to prove the lawfulnesse of warres under the New Testament upon the same morall equity as â—osh 1â— 19 20. Those that refused to make peace with Isâ—â—â—l and came against Israel in battle against those Israel might raise warre by the Law of nature in their owne defence But such were all the Canaanites except those of Gibâ—on Josh 11. v. 19. 20. And this argument holds strongly in the New Testament if any as some Anabaptists doe inferre this is no good argument because if the major proposition were true then should we also kill the women and sucking children as the Lord commanded Saul touching the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15. and then should we destroy the cattle and burne the spoyle with fire for Joshua and Israel made such a war with Iericho c. and the rest of those Cities yea Israel destroyed them utterly and shewed them no favour Josh 11. 20. We with good ground deny the consequence because the warre with these seven Nations was warranted by the Law of nature but the warre tali modo to destroy utterly young and old cattle and all they had was from a ceremoniall and temporall law peculiar to the Jewes because God would have his Church neither inriched by their goods nor to make Covenants and marriages with them or to live in one society with them nor to see their groves lest they should bee insnared to follow their Religion and strange Gods CHAP. XVI Prophesies in the Old Testament especially Zach. 13. 1 2 3 4. 5 6. for punishing false Prophets vindicated WE argue from the Predictions and Prophesies in the Old Testament touching the Magistrates zeale under the New Testament especially that Zach. 13. 2. Also I will cause the Prophets and the unclean spirit to cease out of the land 3. And it shall come to passe that when any shall yet Prophesie then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him thou shalt not live for thou speakest lyes in the name of the Lord and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth 4. And it shall come to passe in that day that the Prophets shall bee ashamed every one of his vision when he hath prophesied c. That which
be onely a piercing meerly minatory by threatning and rebukes these doe not change the Prophet and gaine him to the truth as the Objector would imply for refutation in a doctrinall and instructing and teaching way only doth that no rebukes no law-threatnings doe change the false Prophet for threatnings and rebukes doe suppose the seducer seeth that hee seduceth and that he proprophesieth lyes which yet the false Prophet cannot see till hee bee convinced of the errour of his way and rebukes will not doe that But I would put to the Objector his owne quere is it fit to rebuke a man who can doe no other but publish lyes because he lacketh supernatural grace which would make him a true Prophet These words v. 6. What are those wounds in thy hands hold forth a visible and reall piercing through of the hands for some false doctrine hee hath preached according to the merit of his heresie then it must bee some other thing then a verball threate or a metaphoricall piercing through with words which are transient and not parmanent and visible as wounds and print of stroakes cicatrices in the hands so I cannot but think the Objector hath strained his light to find a violent exposition to elude the place It s true that Da. Chytreus and Melanthon acknowledge a confutation of errours by words but Chytreus in the same place on this text goeth farther they shall confute false teachers saith he as Asa removed his owne mother from worshipping of Idols But how 2 Chron. 15. 16. He removed her from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a grove This removing was not a morall confutation by words but a compulsory by royall authority which is essentially coactive and in order to the sword Deodate and the English Divines call it a representation of the spirit of knowledge and discretion but they adde and zeale in Christs true Church to discerne false doctrines and to oppose them how By not onely refuting them by the word but by censures of excommunication and rebukes The Objector might have read forward ver 6. One shall say if it appeare that he hath passed through the Churches discipline because he hath been a seducer hee shall confesse it and give God the glory approving of the Churches severity used for his correction The Objector as we have heard rejects ecclesiasticall coercing of false teachers as wel as civill Which Diodate and those Divines acknowledge nor doe they exclude the Magistrate as he doth he addeth Grotius a reconciler and an apostate and calleth the number of five very late writers the best expositers on the place of Zachary With his leave Calvin Gualther Piscator Junius Daneus five for five and twenty and twenty and foure as good many of them esteemed better have written the contrary I have not time now to levy Hoasts and Armies of writers But it s the Objectors best to bee silent of Divines and to quit the cause too for he sayeth nothing to a purpose But what Socinians and Sectaries joyning with Serveiur Castalio Minus Celsus Vaticanus Acontius Episcopius and the Belgick Arminians against Calvin and Beza hath said with favour of his learning twice better if they were translated into the English tongue Nor must wee with sharpe rebukes and piercing words like sharpe swords pierce through Hereticks for our Libertines tell us Christ spake words of hony and butter to apostate Samaritans and the servant of the Lord must be gentle Then must we not speake fire and hell to the Godly Saints to Paul Best to Tyndal that denyeth the Scripture to be the Word and blasphemeth the trinity and Independents though they persecute Presbyterians nurse them if they were Samaritans are so far from piercing the Familists Antinomians Enthysiasts through with piercing words that they advance them to highest places of dignity To this prediction I adde The prophesies touching Kings Those that are by office to bee Nurse-fathers to the Church to minister to her and lend their royall brests to bee sucked by her and as godly Kings are to praise the Lord as godly Kings are to bring gifts presents to Christ are to be wise serve the Lord and kisse the mediator and to bring their Royall honour to the New Jerusalem and by whom Kings reigne they and their Royall sword cannot be excluded from commanding the Priests Prophets and Teachers to befriend the bride and decor and dâ—â—â— her for her Lord and husband to give wholesome milke to the children as they would be rewarded of Princes as wel doers or punished as ill doers and would be protected from grievous wolves not sparing the flock nor can they bee excluded from all royall and politicke guarding of both Tables of the Law as if they were but fleshly Ordinances But such are Kings and Princes ergo c. Non is it my mind that Kings are sub-mediators or Vicars of Christ mediator as Erastiâ—â—â— dream but what ever Kings do in or about matters of Religion they do it in a politick way not as commanding the conscience but in order to civill and temporary rewards and punishments It s true Christianity addes no new Magistratical power to a King it being only a gratious accident without which a man may be a King yet it spiritualizeth the exercise of Royall power and Christianity is no accident of a Christian King but a Christian King kindly and as a Christian King is to serve Christ the Lord and to conserve with his royall dignity all Gospell-ordinances in an externall politick way and so he owes Royall service to Christ as such a King so graced of God and in this consideration he brings his glory to Christ and tutors the bride the lambes wiâ—e Justice is an accident of a man but not of a just man CHAP. XVII Places in the New Testament especially Rom. 13. for punishing of false teachers vindicated Argument XI THose who are powers ordained of God and a terror not to good workes but to evill and Ministers of God for good are revengers and to execute wrath on evill doers are Kings and supreame or governours sent by the King for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well are to punish all false teachers and such as ruine the soules of others and waste the Church But the King and all lawfull â—ulers Parliaments or others are such Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 13. 14. Tit. 3. 1. Matth. 22. 21. And false teachers are evill workers evill doers dogges Phil. 3. 2. They rub the â—ontagion of their evill deeds upon others for those that receive them into their houses and bid them God speed are partakers of their evill deeds 2 Joh. ver 10. 11. then must such teachers be evill doers they subvert whole houses Divers answers to little purpose are given to this argument As 1. It is against the wisdome of God in governing the World to make
blaspheme murther betray and destroy the Saints and the innocent among which they live but according to their places they are to punish and hinder and impede the growing of tares but withall they are not impatiently to grudge and censure providence but to let them alone that is to let God alone and suffer him in that admirable disposall of affaires though wicked men be not fully purged out of Church and State till harvest and here is an argument to me that by the tares Christ must not meane corrupt doctrines but wicked men for it is a frigid and vaine interpretation to ascribe to our Saviour such a sense that he must suffer heresies till the harvest and when the harvest is come hee must send his Angells to gather heresies and binde them in a bundle and cast them into hell and so must he gather sound doctrines upon the same ground and send them to heaven whereas the words clearly beare that they be persons that doe offend and worke inquity that the Lord thus judgeth at the end of the world nor is the conceit of Celsus of worth that by a figure he understands by tares hereticks that are horne of corrupt doctrine for then Celsus shall first have no ground from the former Parable to expound the seed to be the word and the tares to be corrupt doctrine for then these words a certaine sâ—wer went to sow seed and as he sowed some fell by the side must have this sense if Celsus make this parable to agree with that in the signification of the word seed that the preacher of the Gospel went forth to sow seed that is to sow true and false teachers and some seed that is some false teachers fell upon the 〈◊〉 side c. which is non-sense 2 It is against the justice of God that Hereticks since they but simply erre and are innocent holy and so feare God that they had rather suffer torment and burning quicke and are commiseratione digni as say the Belgick Arminians Celsus and other Libertines should be for meer innocency and godlinesse gathered by the Angels in the harvest of the world and casten into the fire and furnace of everlasting vengeance I grant out of imitation of the fathers and particularly of Augustine who retracted his opinion touching hereticks and the coercing of them Divines use this expression hereseon zizania tares of heresie but aluding to rather then expounding the parable Celsus fol. 52. 53 Magistrates correcting faults doe not purge the Church of tares but punish the haiâ—ous crimes of wicked men and though ill doers repent and confesse their errour yet the Magistrates doe punish but if hereticks abjure their false doctrine the Magistrate pardons them Answ Nor do we expound the field to be the Church with Celsus but like better to follow our Saviour who expoundeth it to be the world and so the Magistrates punisheth societies 2 Nor is it inconvenient that the Churches nurse-father purge the Church in a politick way as his place may bear 3 It is true some crimes as murther the Magistrates punish with death and is to accept of no satisfaction Num. 35. 30. 31. because the taking away lifâ— It among things that cannot be repaired but it is not universally true in all cases that the Magistrate is not to forgive if the guilty man repent And though we could not determin that case of conscience whether the Magistrate should punish a blasphemer and a false teacher if he repent yet it follows not that he should not be punished who willfully goes on And the reason why hereticks repenting are to be pardoned by the Magistrates is because obstinatious persisting in an heresies makes a man an heretick punishable by death but if a blasphemer have perverted many soules and have presumptuously dishonoured the Majesty of God to me it is a question if the Magistrates ought to pardon him and though he be not put to death it is sure he ought by the Magistrate to be punished which is the thing we prove now Celsus Tares may bee turned into wheat and converted if the man bee killed hee is gone and past recovery Hereticks doth no ill but good to the wheate hee lives saith Augustine that either hee may repent or that a good man may bee exercised by him Some say variety of opinions in Religion are expressions of divine wisdome Answ A murtherer may be converted as well as a heretick and is nearer conversion then a man of a corrupt mind and a heretick that is to be rejected and no more taught and admonished as concerning the faith he is reprobate Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 5. 2 Nor doth he good to a beleever but as a gangreene and a pest to a wholesome body 3 And if he doe Good and be an expression of the wisdome of God by being an heretick why is he as chaffe casten in unquenchable fire as Libertines expound the Parable 4 If he should live that he may exercise the faith and patience of the Saints then should not the Kings of the earth burne the flesh of the whore nor the Magistrate take vengeance on murtherers for the faith and patience of the Saints is seen in their oppressions but no thanks to oppressors if hereticks must not be killed why did Muâ—cer Becold and our Anabaptists now in armes and having no enemy kill all the godly because they judge them wicked should they not be letter grow till the last harvest also CHAP. XXI Of the Samaritans and of no compelling of Heathens How the Covenant bindeth us LIbertines alledge Luke 9. 51 52 53. c. When Christ by a village of the Samaritans was rejected and denied lodging James and John say Lord wilt thou that we command 〈◊〉 come downe from heaven and consume them even as 〈◊〉 did But Christ rebuked them and said yee know not what manner of spirit yee are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them Then are we to spare the lives of those that refuse the true and sound doctrine of the Gospel yea who oppugne it and to admonish them Celsus saith this example is not proposed to compare the Samaritans with hereticks or the Apostles with the Ministers and the Magistrate but that the benigne and meeke engine of Christ in matters of Religion may be cleare and that we should abhorre cruelty in matters of Religion for if the Apostles had moved the same question touching heretickes at that time Christ would have given the same answer The Holland Arminians say if Christ suffered not his Disciples to conceive a desire of revenge from heaven from the onely love and zeale of Religion against the Samaritans that denyed lodging to him farre lesse must we beleeve that he will suffer that in matters of Religion for meere conscience any manifest violence should be exercised for Christ saith the spirit that leads you is raging vehement fiery the
and conjectures for it may be say Libertines that all those whom wee refute as hereticks be sound in the faith and we not they the hereticks and those whom we refute are as much oblieged in faith to refute us as we to refute them So I see not how Libertines can use so much as morall compelling of Hereticks For 1. They cannot compell them with the sword to forsake their heresies because the sword bearer being fallible knoweth them not to be heresies they may be necessary truths for him Ergo because the Pastor is no more infallible then the Magistrate the Pastor with certainty of faith cannot say thus saith the Lord. Jezabel is a false Prophetesse Hymaeneus and Phyletus depart from the faith for Jezabel Hemaeneus and Philetus may be sound in the faith and this Pastor who refuteth them the false heretick for there is no peremptory and imposing decision of any of these till the last judgement since now the infallible Prophets and Apostles are dead 2. Upon this ground yee cannot eschew any as a heretick after twise admonishing him of his hereâ—ie for ye have no faith nor divine certainty it is an heresie that he holdeth it mâ—y be you who admonish him are the heretick only upon opinion you admonish him 3 You cannot rebuke any Heretick sharpely that hee may be sound in the faith for you are not infallible in the bestowing of the lashings of your tongue on a heretick more then the Magistrate in beating him with the sword and your rebuking of him may be heretical and unjust and he the man sound in the saith 4. Upon the same ground you cannot admonish and instruct him in faith Nor 5. Call the opinion of the Magistrates coercing of men with the sword for their conscience a bloody tenet and persecution of the Saints Nor 6. Can you in faith refuse him lodging in your house and all your 7. Saying in the pulpit such a way of Familisme is a way of heresie is not resolved in thus saith the Lord by such a preacher but such a preacher so thinketh possibly phancies that the Lord sayth such a way is heresie And by the same reason what ever pastors preach especially except it be two or three fundamentalls which all Christians Papists Socinians Lutherans Protestants Familists Arminians Seekers c. Is but the dictates of their own conscience and so they preach so they beleeve and so they professe not because God so saith but because their conscience so dictates to them And here is the Libertines Creed Me thinks Christ died for sinners the dead shall be raised c. And so Libertines are very Papists in this and resolve our faith into the testimony of men the conjectures of the conscience So he goes on Hee expounds uniformity and nearest conjunction to be absolute conjunction and identitie If we be agreed of the same Church Officers with the reformed Churches and have cast out the old Vsurpers cashiered the Common-prayer booke Ceremonies Alters Crucifixes all which we have don by the Covenant do we not save our Covenant though we cast not our Churches into such Classicall provinciall or nationall formes Answ Nor do we plead for absolute identitie in doctrine and worship but indeavour it we ought But how I pray you doth the Magistrate for that I had almost forgot send Ministers to rebuke exhort and reclaime men from their errors but not compel gainesayers The Magistrate I am sure sent not Paul and Barnabas it was not so from the begining in the Apostilick Church there were no Parliament-Ministers But it may be the Authour meanes a politicall civill sending of Ministers to extirpate heresies But be it so all Magistraticall sending of Magistrates is a commanding of them by the sword in a compulsive way that they goe preach against Familisme Socinianisme Arrianisme But if so good Sir remember your selfe the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not request and morally by the power of the word for he hath not any such spirituall armour I conceive for his warfare intreat and say good Pastors I beseech you go preach against Del Randal Saltmarsh and other Familists and extirpate their heresies private men so send Pastors but as a Magistrate he must say I command you goe preach against these heresies under the paine of bearing the vengeance of my sword now if the Pastors reply Good Master Judge we cannot doe that for we think Familisme a new glorious discovery of spirit and Mr. Saltmarsh hath beaten out of the Scriptures new sparkles of glory and flowings of free grace Familisme is no heresie If the Magistrate notwithstanding by his place and calling send these and command them to goe and extirpate Familisme doth he not compell the consciences of these pastors he sends what doe ye then talke of no compelling for what ever the Magistrate by his place doth command which is lawfull if Ministers or any other refuse to obey he may use the sword against them Ye cannot say if it be a matter of conscience he cannot compell them to doe it by his place then say I by his place hee cannot command them neither Beside that this answer is directly against the words of the Covenant if every man in like manner Art 2. Be to endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme in his severall places and calings as the Author saith this referres to the whole obligation of each person respectively Then is the Magistrate according to his place and calling which is to beare the sword to compell with the sword the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Heresie and Schisme and what hath the Author gained by this glosse which I conceive is the true glosse except he mean the Magistrate as the Magistrate should lay aside his sword and fall to prayers requests obtestations that hereticks would lay aside their errours and preach sound doctrine but now he doth so pray and request not according to his place as a Magistrate but according to his vocation as a Saint and a Christian which yet crosses the Covenant and makes the Parliament not as the supream Court of Judges to take the Covenant but as so many private Christians 2 If so the Judges are not in their respective places to take the Covenant nor endeavour the extirpation of heresie because that is against the word of God but then by what authority or calling did the Parliament cast out old Vsurpers the Prelates casheire the Service booke Ceremonies Alters and Crucifixes Either as a Parliament and so by the sword is not here yet the Prelates conscience squeezed to the blood is not here highest violence done to the consciences of high alter men and adorers of crucifixes Why to them more then to Familiâ—s But if this was done by requeâ—â— and wordâ— of butter and oyl from the Parliament and Committee-men then are Ordinances of Parliament but meer requests to the Subjects But it is protestatio conâ—raria facto He addeth if these words we shall
Taylors sentence we are not rest much upon the Fathers whether they be for or against liberty of conscience For course to be taken with Pagans to speake by the way all that Lactantius l. 5. c. 20. Tertulli ad Scapâ—lam c. 2. Augustine ser 6. de verb. dom c. 7. cont lite Petitian lib. 2. c. 83. we approve and what famous Schoolmen 〈◊〉 Thomas Bannes Durandus Paludâ—â—â— Richardus 〈…〉 Paluda and that of Augustine sâ—â— 6. de verb Dom. c. 7. Glandiendum est Paganu ut audiant veritatem in Christianis vero secanda putredo Pagans must be allured and not compelled by Warres to the faith Because the just cause of Warre must either be an open breach of Nations against the Law of nature for it must be a finne of which a multitude may easily be or are convinced of as is cleare in the Aâ—â—lekites and all the Nations who invaded Israel Josh 11. v. 19 20. or then in a visible Church it must be for manifest Apostacy from the Covenant of God and 〈◊〉 Religion as the new Altar supposed to be erected by the two Tribâ—â— and the halfe against the only one Altar commanded by God See Cavarruvias in Regnum paccatum part 2. sect 4. Setus in 4. distin 5. 4. 1. art 10. Molina de Justitia disp 106 and Bannâ—s 11. g. 10. art 11. saith that Paul the third defined well that the Westerne Indians being capable of life eternall were true Lords of their possessions and could not be justly deprived thereof To tollerate Jewes openly blaspheming Christ or to receive them in the Common-Wealth cannot be allowed or to suffer them to have Synagogues In regard they blaspheme the God we are in Covenant with and doe no lesse deny him then Goliah and Senacharib did 2. But simply seduced Jewes are to bee instructed for there is a peculiar prophecy touching the Jewes Rom. 11. Jer. 50. 5 6. That they shall bee brought in to know Christ and beleeve in him 3 Argument That which was a meere judiciall law and not onely in no force now as touching any obligation to bodily punishment from the Christian Magistrate is now under the Gospell either a sin offensive to humane society Or 2. No sin but innocency as some say Or then 5. â— thing lndifferent If it be a sin offensive to humane society and the people of God to drive them away from the Lord their God and an abomination that Israel should feare to doe in the dayes of Moses and before Christ came as is cleare Deut. 13. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. It must be so now for since it is not a Typicall but a morall sin it is at all times and in all places to us and now and to them and then an abomination Ergo the Argument of the holy Ghost being perpetâ—all that it is destructive to humane society the Lord must provide the same or as effectuall means for the remedying thereof But if the Christian Magistrate have no place or power to represse such abominations but Isreal may seduce men after false gods and not feare the stroke of 〈◊〉 sword then hath the Lord left the Church to the lust of â—avenous Wolves that destroy the flocke and hath left these wolves to the Lords immediate hand of judgement for rebukes Church-censures are not to be used against them upon the same ground that the sword should not be drawne against them by the ground of Libertines for rebukes and Church-censures doe 1. Force the conscience no lesse than the sword 2. They beget Hypocrites 3. Are as contrary to the law of meeknesse and gentlenesse of Christ and his servants who used no such way to gaine the Samaritans and other gaine-sayers as the sword is repugnant to Christs meek administration who did not use either sword crying rebukes or excommunication against broken reeds though both these may be used against Seducers in great gentlenesse and tendernesse toward their soules by fathers in State or Church 4. They are no lesse against liberty of prophecying beleiving with a reserve to beleeve the contrary than the sword For how can we in the name of the Lord rebuke threaten eterned wrath deliveto Sathan seducers more than the Magistrate can use the sword against them yea or refute their errors in the name and authority of Christ or strike with his rod since wee are not infallibly perswaded more than these we call Seducers for they may upon the same grounds call us Seducers threaten us with eternall wrath and deliver us to Sathan in the same name and authority that the sound Church proceedeth against them for neither side had the infallibility of divine authority in a reflex knowledge more than others by the Doctrine of Libertines 5. They are no lesse contrary to growing up in knowledge and new light for contrary reasons and rebukes and threatnings are as apt to expell new light and to reduce the Seducer to old darknesse for any certainty of perswasion any of the sides have for both may see beside their book and dreame the moone is made of wax by this way and instructing of teachers that see but on this and the yonder side of truth with eâ—â—s of flesh as they say is as uneffectuall a remedy against Teachers as the sword 6. Since the sword and stoning when used by the Jewes Deut. 13. presupposeth infallibility What warrant doe our Lords of licence of conscience give us that all the Commons and Lads and Girles that lifted a stone against the Seducer had Prophâ—ticall infallibility or that every wife to whom her husband might say Let us go and follow Baal and Dagon for sure the Zidâ—nians and Philistines are a people taught of God as well as we was infallible in her knowledge and unerrable and the husband an erring Seducer according to the principles that masters of licence would lead us on for there must be a response given to all and every one to beleeve this is the Seducer from the light of Moses law else they had no more right to stone the Seducer then the Seducer to stone them For as wee may erre in persecuting true Prophets I hope so did the people kill the Prophets and stone them that were sent Matth. 23. 27 and 2 Chron. 36. 16. they mocked and misused the Prophets of God and did as foully erre in persecuting as now we under the Gospell Yet Mr. Goodwin gives to the Jewes an infallibility of an Oracle to tell them who was the man to be stoned as a Seducer But let him answer these Queries 1 Did the Oracle speak immediately to all the actors in the stoning I thinke no then the Oracle spake to the Priest only To Pashur then the Officers had but the word of Peshur to put Jeremiah in the stockes and the people had but the Priests word for stoning the man 2 Query Were the people infallible in discerning the Priest to be a true relater of the mind of God
Lord but the common protection of Subjects which they owe to limbes of Antichrist Jewes Mahometans Indians who worship the Devil if these be their Subjects is a very pleasant dream and uncredible for the place Isai 60. cryes to him that runs and will read that Kings shall minister something to the true Church which they doe in no sort to the false Church and it is most evident to the judicious Reader that the sucking of the breasts of Kings v. 10. 16. and the kissing of the Son Psal 2. must be more then common protection to Subjects that are open enemies to Christ and wasters of Zion yea it must be some protection to the Church as the Church and to the Laws and Ordinances of God in rewarding the well-doers and conserving the Ordinances and the correcting of wolves Impostors lying Prophets for if we come to Master Williams his way That the King owes protection from violence to the persons and estates of false Worshippers to those that serve Devils and because they are Subjects then those Texts say no more then Be glad Indians Popish Idolaters Mahometans for I will make Kings your nurse-fathers and Queens your nurse-mothers and Kingsâ—shall minister unto you and you shall suck the hreasts of Kings and Kings shall bring their glory and riches to you Nor need we prove that the place Isai 60. speaks of the true Church read it and it s proved v. 1. Arise shine for thy light is come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee c. Nor is the matter helped to say It is a great favour that the power of the Kings who lent their â—orne to the Beast is now lent to the Lambe and his followers for their comfort for then what power bring the Kings to the New Jerusalem but Royal power and what Royal power to protect the true Church in their persons and estates as they doe the false is this the breasts of the milk of Kings and their royall power as nurse-fathers and that power which they bring into the New Ierusalem when it is the same very power they brought into Babel and the same horn they lent to the beast 2. The Kings lent no royal and paternall power to the true Church but what they lent to Babel as yet nor doe they yeeld any royall power to hold up Christs throne and maintain his ordinances or convey the sincere milk of the word by their politick coactive power to the Church if our Adversaries Doctrine be received Againe permission to the false Church is proved by Matth. 13. 30. Let the tares grow â—ill Harvest Gulielmus Parisiensis part 1. hact de legibus p. 27. Vbi ergo impii in consumptionem populi dei vel diminutionem crescunt ibi nullatenus â—rescere sinendi sunt sed eradicandi Quod si quis dixorit quia ipsi sunt zizania possunt esse â—riticum quia converti possunt ad viam veritatis sed non hocâ— certum quod autem per ipses illi qui triticum sunt zizania siant hoc evidenter certum est Hoc enim est ac si diceretur ut paucis lupis in media gregis existentiâ—â—â— grâ—gâ—mque incessanter lacer antibus ac devorantibus parcaâ—â—â— quia forte deus faciet illos oves agnos dimitteâ—das pâ—â—eas faces ardentos in medio silv a lignorum germinantium ipsâ—â—que silvâ—â— incâ—ssanter ardentes quia Deus forsitan faciet illas arbores fructiferas paucâ—s leprosos dimittendos esse in medio sani populi assidue contagio ipsum corrumpentes inficientes quia forsitan Deus salvabit illos Calvin advers Servetum numb 597. si praecise nobiscum agant ex verborum formula non tantum prohibeantur magistratus ab usu gladii sed omnem disciplinam è medio tolli oportet Joan. à Châ—kier in Paraenesi ad haereticos c. 2. parabolam illam non loqui de judicibus Beza de haeret puniendis p. 136. Nemo patrum haereticâ—s ne quidem judicandos ante extremum diem asserit 229. zizaniorum appellatione intelligi arbitror non sols haereticos sed omnes qui vitae exemplo Ecclesiam offendunt Chrysost hom 47. in Mat. sinite crescere dissipate haereticorum conciliabula ora obstruite audacian loquendi concidite sed ne interficite item ibid. dogmata quidem impia arguite anathematizate sed hominibus ipsis parcite How far is Mr. Williams Bloody Tenet against all the power of the Ministery or so much as rebuking Hereticks for he saith c. 28. p. 53. Thirdly I have proved that the Ministers or Messengers of the Lord Jesus ought to let the tares or hereticks alone and to let them live in the world and neither seek by prayer nor prophecie to pluck them up before the harvest Enthymius and Theophylact follow Chrysostome puniendos non necandes Iacobus Acontius stratage Satan l. 3. p. 153. constat triticum esse pios zizania impios si sinendi sunt crescere tam impii quam pii tolleretur omnis magistratus authoritas omnisque disciplina page 157. Inter Pontificios Jacobus Simanca parisiensis Episcop in Enchyridio violatae religionis ti 1. p. 16. nu 12. parabolam loqui de punitione impiorum quando est periculum ne simul eradicetur triticum zizania sunt omnes filii nequam nullus igitur facinorosus puniendus absurdum non loquitur parabola de judicibus Phillippus Gamachaeus in 12. q. 10. de infidel q. 13. sinite crescere si verum ac reale non imaginarium damnum immineat debet tum Ecclesia debent tum Christiani principes à coactione abstinere Sic Suarez tom de vir theo dis 18. se 4. nu 9. ne forte eradicetis sie August l. 3. contra Parmen cap. 2. c. 33. Tannerus tom 1. dis 1. de fid q. 9. du 2. n. 30. ne forte â—radicetis ratio haec est communis adequata omnis justae permissionis malorum quando etiam Deus eb eandem causam mala permittit Azorius inst par 1. l 8. c. 13. per zizania haeretici intelliguntur secundum Chrysostimum Augustinum Hieronimum Enthymium Theopâ—ylactum sed respondet ex parabolis non semper sumi efficax argumentum generaliter per verba accipi hic pravos mores falsa dogmata Nor is it altogether to be condemned that Gregorius 9. Innocen 4. Paulus 3. Clemens 8. command the Talmudicall and Cabalisticall books containing Blasphemies against God to be burnt in the fire August Ep. 48. ad Vincen. retracteth ingeniously his opinion That Hereticks ought not to be punished mea primitus sententia erat neminem ad unitatem fidei cogendum Theodore Srackius in hist Anabap. c. 8. in notis p. 108. to the compelling of men to religion against their will that which some object out of Lactantius that Lactantius doth argue against such as being destitute of the word of God and sound reason would compell by the Sword only men
doe that who onely hath the key of the heart nor could Gospel-arguments that convinced many that the resurrection was not passed convince Hymeneus Phyletus Alexander actu secundo Therefore Paul might not deliver them to Sathan nor is excommunication being a meer punishment an argument to prove that the resurrection is not passed any other way their the sword or banishment both of them are compelling and penall arguments the one spirituall the other corporall but both work co-actively as evills of punishment and privations of comfort neither of them give light to this conclusion The Resurrection is not past for these two have both alike inconsequences logicall The Church will excommunicate you Ergo beleeve not that the Resurrection is past And the Christian Magistrate will punish you Ergo beleeve not that the Resurrection is past There must either be other arguments to sway the conscience to the faith of this That the Resurrection is not past then either sword or excommunication or these cannot worke nor settle the conscience As Christ is risen in his body from the dead Ergo his members that are sleeping in the dust must rise God is the God of Abraham who is dead and buried Ergo Abraham and the dead must rise againe This I observe to prove that those arguments of Libertines at least for the most part that they bring against punishing of false Prophets with the Sword doe also conclude against all Church-censures and excommunication and the truth is we are not warranted to gaine the Jewes the Indians the Papists over-sea to the truth either by the sword or by excommunicating and delivering them to Sathan for we cannot judge those that are without But to returne to all those kinde of Argumentations that Libertines bring against opinions from the nature of opinion faith perswasion which are all internall acts of the minde which neither Church nor Magistrate can punish they are nothing against our conclusion who maintain that publishing and teaching and professing of erroneous and false Doctrines are punishable by the Magistrate for externall acts that come from meer Conscience as the sacrificing of innocent children to God by all the Arguments we hear are not punishable by the Magistrate for sure the Magistrates punishing of unlawful practises coming from meer Conscience do no lesse force the Conscience and domineer over it then when he punisheth erroneous opinions and therefore the Bounder draweth the question to acts and facts externall as he saith the Magistrate 〈◊〉 punish Polythesme and Atheists worshipping of Images and of the breaden God blasphemie for these saith he fight against the light of nature but if you judge only professed opinions against the light of nature not against the Gospel punishable because we may by freewill master professed opinions against nature but we cannot master opinions against the supernaturall truths of the Gospel these require supernaturall grace then good masters why doe you rebuke 〈◊〉 against the Gospel more then you can punish them 〈◊〉 what is of its own nature unrebukeable is unpunishable 〈◊〉 what is unpunishable as being above our nature is unrebukeable and falleth not under exhortation as we cannot exhort rebuke or punish a stone because it descendeth or fire because it ascendeth But the Papist saith nay but they fight not against the light of nature for to adore Christ under the accidents of bread is my conscience and indeed Doctor Taylor saith you must beleeve it is his conscience and reallities and pretences are 〈…〉 here though he contradict himself and in another place say 〈◊〉 some blasphemies are punishable by the Magistrate But Libertines are 〈◊〉 of Babel and almost as many Heads so many sundry opinions Mr. Willams goes one way Mr. Goodwin another the Bounder a third way John Baptist a fourth way Doctor Taylor a fift way The Belgick Arminians a sixt way None of them please Mr. Jeresiah Burroughes nor Mr. Philip Nye yea and Mr. Sadr Simpson is as grosse as any of them so Socinians have a way of their own Anabaptists another way Seekers and Familists as Saltmarsh a far different way Mr. Oliver Cromwell calls all Religions things of the mind Vaticanus tells us si Deum negent si blasphemant si palam de sanct à Christianorum doctrinâ maledicunt quo crimine reus est ipse Castalio si sanctam piorum vitam detestantur eos ego relinquo Magistratibus puniendos non propter religionem quam nullam habent seâ— propter irreligionem But the Bounder and Castalio must be bloodie persecuters by this For 1. What the Magistrate calleth truth and godly doctrine that these men whom the Bounder and Castalio call Atheists judge in their conscience to be Idolatrie and Blasphimie and if yee kill a man because he speakes as he thinketh yee kill him for the truth for it is truth to speak what â—â—â— think for the 15. Psalm pronounceth him blessed who speakes 〈◊〉 what is in his heart But Castalio may read righter if he please and he is blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who speaketh truth not falsely from his heart nor doth the Psalmist speak of the doctrine of truth so as he should blesse Mattan and Pashur or any false Prophet or the King of Assyria because he saith No God can deliver out of the hand of that Tyrant but the God of the Assyrians for so I conceive he thinketh when he relates what false experiences he had of that Bastard God but he speaks of truth of facts between man and man Psal 15. in speaking whereof there may be invincible and so excusable error whereas men sin grievously in false apprehensions of Gods truth when as God reveals himself sufficiently to us in his works and word but thus do Libertines leave the first simple apprehensions of the mind because they are naturall not under the stroak of free-will free from all Law and guiltinesse so as the Egyptians sin not in apprehending the Godhead to be a Cow the Persians to be fire or the Sun Israel to be a Calfe the Philistines to be a Fish for certain it is all Idolaters who worship the God that made the Heavens and the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ignorantly Acts 17. in the creature or in the works of mens hands should have by this way no sinfull nor unlawfull apprehensions of God when shamefully they apprehend the Creator of the world to be a Beast 2. They must be blessed then and speak truth from their heart by the Exposition that Vaticanus putteth upon Psal 15. who say that God is a cow a calf a fish why because their erroneous conscience dictateth so to them But why should they be punished then who blaspheme commit Idolatry for it is the conscience and the meer conscience of Baals Priests to speake of God and worship him as they doe they had rather dye as not doe that which you call Blasphemy and 1. It is not in their will to think what they will
way to spare the bloud of the Saints and not resisting the blessed Spirit in them then we cannot punish hereticks and men of corrupt mindes but we are in hazard to resist the Saints and kill the Spirit in them then when the Holy Ghost forbids us to beleeve false Christs Matth. 24. which is a resisting of their spirit we know not but he bids us beleeve the word of truth in Gods dearest Saints since for any knowledge we can have not to beleeve these false Christs it may be they are Gods dearest Saints whose words we refuse to beleeve then in one and the same Commandement of Christ which is beleeve them not he bids us beleeve their word and resist not the Spirit of truth in Gods dearest Saints and when Tit. 3. 18. he forbids us to keep company with an heretick but avoid him and 2 Joh. 10. receive not an impostour into your house he bids us run the hazard of avoyding a Saint and of refusing to lodge in your house Gods deare childe 5. What if Gods dearest Saints beleeve and publish an heresie and the doctrine of Familisme then they are to be pardoned because they are dear Saints But let Libertines answer the Query why should Indulgence and Toleration be yeelded to a Saint that speaks lyes in the name of the Lord more then to a wicked man who also doth prophesie lyes if both may fall in the same heresie with the like pertinacy for a time if we be not respecters of persons they no lesse deserve both to be punished then when both commit adultery and murther 2. Why lying of God and speaking words that eat like a gangrene and beleeving a lye deserveth rather an indulgence in a Saint then murthering whoring oppressing And why but we may tolerate all the Saints because they are Saints as well as some sinne no lesse yea more dangerous then these that are not to be tolerated for to infect the flocke with lying doctrine is more hurtfull to the Church then the example of adultery or murther in a Saint if toleration of all wayes and liberty of professing or publishing whatever tenets or doctrines seem good to a man in his owne eyes though to the perverting of the faith of many be a means of finding out many precious truths as Libertines say then hath God commanded all men to speake all kind of lies against God his Son Christ heaven hell the resurrection the last judgement the immortalitie of the soul though most pernicious to soules for God commandeth all meanes of finding out truth for it cannot be said he commands all lawfull meanes for Libertines hold that to professe and publish what the most erroneous conscience dictates to be the truth of God though it be black heresie is to speak the truth as an Indweller in the Lords holy hill Psal 15. so saith Vaticanus and all the Libertines who make the conscience right or erroneous the rule of the Christian mans walking not the word of God and in so doing the Lord must by the Libertines doctrine command men to speak lies in the Name of the Lord and must command Hereticks and Saints to pervert the soules and the faith of one another and make one another children of perdition and not spare the flock but devour and hunt soules and so shall the Lord command sinne 6. How doth non-toleration and libertie of beleeving every spirit seeming to us to be of God bring men in a posture of uncapabilitie of being delivered from error and ignorance the word never maketh a libertie to beleeve lies a way to be delivered from error The way to be delivered from error is to be humble and fear God and he shall teach us his waies Psal 25. 9. 14. Joh. 7. 17. 2 Thes 2. 11 12. Baptist ibid. God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light and knowledge that he may be fully perswaded in his own conscience and no man knowes Gods cabinet counsell Ergo We cannot be competent judges of other mens consciences who are Hereticks who not Answ God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light I distinguish according to his own light and conscience as a necessarie condition that must be in all right judging it is most true for he sins grievously who in judging goeth contrary to the inditement of his own conscience and so God will have the meanes used by every man according to his own light and conscience as his obliging rule which layeth a law and a tie upon him to beleeve and professe that is most false for the word of God not every mans conscienceis the obliging rule of his actions as is proved 2. The conclusion is most false for though we are not to judge who are elect and who reprobate because we are not upon Gods Cabinet counsell yet do we not intrude upon Gods secrets to judge who is an Heretick or a false Teacher or who sound in the faith by his doctrine examined by the law and the Testimonie for how can God say Beware of the false Prophet Matth. 7. 15. if it were arrogancie and an intruding upon Gods Cabinet counsel to judge a false Prophet by his doctrine to be a false Prophet how can we avoid an Heretick more then a Saint if we may not lawfully judge an heretick to be an Heretick Obj. 14 The Holy Ghost not only foresaw there would but determines there must be heresies and its expedient for the exercise of love and the discoverie of truth and the Professors thereof are not Errors as well as afflictions a part of Christs discipline then let it have its perfect work till it be cured by its proper remedie the sword of the Spirit It s not said there must be murtherers as it is said there must be Heresies Some seem so to be in love with new opinions as they extoll them one a very worthy Preacher saith variety of faces is not an affliction but matter of much admiration to behold So varietie of judgements simplie considered is not a grief but a glorie to me to behold when one spirit of grace and heavenlinesse is in them all for I count it a glasse of Gods own making wherein to behold his manifold wisedome Answ 1. There is no question but God hath wise and noble ends why he permits Heresies but we no more can Orthodoxly say That God determines Heresies then that God determines that sin must be for Heresies are sins now wee say not soundlie That God determines or decrees sins shall be sine adjecto he determines to permit sin 2. God determines Heresies must be so he determines that murthers adulteries oppressions must be it then shall follow the Christian Magistrate by this Argument does tolerate murthers oppressions as he tolerates heresies but the conclusion is grosse because Heresies are the Churches affliction and so are bloods and oppressions of the Saints shall then Christian Magistrates tolerate