ground is manifested in this Dialogue following wherein is shewed their palpable ignorance in that they know not the Mystery of God and therefore have they made this Canon in flattery to the King only to support their Pride and Cruelty For if the Kingdom or Land of Israel or Canaan now under the Gospel be an earthly Kingdom or Land or Israel now a worldly or fleshly Israel as both were under the Law Then we would confess there should be an earthly King thereof But if the Kingdom of Israel now be not earthly but heavenly Joh. 18.36 and the Israelites now not of this world Joh. 15.19 Then the King thereof is not of this world as they are not of this world Joh. 17.16 And if these spiritual Lords confess that Christ is King now of the Land and People of Israel but yet he hath left our Lord the King his Deputy to make such Laws and Lords over the Church as pleaseth him the Word of the Lord is against them There is but one Lord 1 Cor. 12.5 and one Law-giver Jam. 4.12 over his Church Nay his Majesty himself is against them who saith There is no earthly Monarch over the Church whose word must be a Law And saith further Christ is his Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputy alledging Luk. 22.25 The Kings of the Gentiles bear rule one over another c. but it shall not be so among you Saying further Christ when he ascended left not Peter with them to direct them in all truth but promised to send the holy Ghost to them for that end c. If any will be rebellious against the Word of the Lord herein yet let them not be rebellious against the word of the King Oh that any thing would prevail with them to make them leave off these cruel courses of persecuting poor souls that desire truly to fear God and are most faithful Subjects to the King and desire also the salvation of the souls of these their cruel Persecrutors who do seek their utter undoing by all the fore-named Persecutions only because they cannot of faith offer up such Worship to God as these spiritual Lords command and the rather let them leave off persecuting seeing the Kings Majesty acknowledgeth It is a sure Rule in Divinity That God loves not to plant his Church by Violence and Bloodshed And if it be a Law for all Christians That in indifferent things one must not offend another but the strong to forbear rather than offend his weak brother otherwise he wounds the weak conscience and sins against Christ 1 Cor. 8. Then how much less hath any man power to be Lord over the weak conscience forcing it to practise that it hath not faith in bringing it thereby unto sin and unto condemnation Rom. 14. We do unfainedly acknowledge the Authority of earthly Magistrates God's blessed Ordinance and that all earthly Authority and Command appeartains unto them let them command what they will we must obey either to do or suffer upon pain of Gods displeasure besides their punishment But all men must let God alone with his Right which is to be Lord and Law-giver to the soul and not command obedience for God where he commandeth none And this is onely that which we dare not but maintain upon the peril of our souls which is greater than bodily affliction And only for the maintenance of Christs right herein do false Prophets and Deceivers who by that craft are cloathed in fine apparrel and fare deliciously every day labour to make us odious in the ears and eyes of Prince and People knowing well that if they had not power by Persecution to force men to dissemble to believe as they their kingdom and gain would soon come to nought the wickedness of which course is discovered in this Writing following For the manner being Dialogue-wise we thought it the fittest in two respects First for the understanding of the simple to whom especially Gods Mysteries appertain more than to the wise and prudent of the world Secondly Because all the Objections that we have met with might be set down and the plainlyer answered And because we have faith and assurance that many will see and acknowledge the unlawfulness of tyrannizing over the Conscience by persecuting the bodies of such as cannot be subject We have also though it meet to manifest the fearful estate of such subjection that they may deliver their souls if they will be saved and also have set down the beginning of that old and good way that John Baptist Christ Jesus and his Apostles have left unto all that will be saved unto the end of the world Beseeching that Almighty worker that he would work in the hearts and consciences of men that they may enquire for it and that out of the Scriptures and walk therein then shall they find Rest unto their souls although Afflictions to their bodies Oh it is time for the Lord to work for they have destroyed his Law and have set up in many Nations such Worship for God as best pleaseth them that are in Authority and have power to persecute the contrary-minded Let all Gods People cry How long Lord when wilt thou come to destroy Antichrists cruel Kingdom and establish Christs meek and peaceable Kingdom As thou hast begun even come Lord Jesus by the Spirit of thy Mouth and the Brightness of thy Coming even come quickly Amen By Christs unworthy Witnesses his Majesties faithful Subjects Commonly but most falsly called ANA-BAPTISTS PERSECUTION for RELIGION JUDG'D and CONDEMN'D In a DISCOURSE between an ANTICHRISTIAN a CHRISTIAN Antichristian VVHy come you not to Church Christian VVhat should I do there Antich Worship God Chr. I must worship God as he requireth and not as any mortal man requireth Ant. True but the Worship that we require you to offer up is the Worship God requireth Ch. If it be so I will with all willingness assent unto it but my conscience must be satisfied thereof by the Word of Truth that I may have faith in it otherwise it is my grievous sin Rom. 14.23 For I may not believe it so to be because you affirm it Ant. Well you must go to Church otherwise you are disobedient to the Law and will fall under punishment Ch. But still remember that you would have me worship God as you pretend therefore let us agree what Worship God requireth Christ saith Joh. 4.24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth Here we see what Worship God requireth viz. That we worship him with our Souls and Spirits and also that we worship him according to the Truth of his Word And therefore for your book-Book-worship if it were according to Truth from the which it is as far as light is from darkness yet if I cannot offer it up with my spirit it is not acceptable to God but most abominable Ant. Well you must come to Church Ch. I pray let me ask you a
God let him require what he will I must in conscience obey him with my body goods and all that I have But my soul wherewith I am to worship God that belongeth to another King whose Kingdom is not of this World Joh. 18.36 Whose People must come willingly Psal 110.3 Whose weapons are not carnal but spiritual 2 Cor. 10.4 c. Ant. Is this all the Authority that you will give to the King Ch. VVhat Authority can any mortal man require more than of body goods life and all that appertaineth to the outward man The heart God requireth Prov. 23.26 He commanded to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and to Himself the things that are His Luk. 20.25 Now if all the outward man be Caesars and the inward man too so that he must be obeyed is his own matters and in God's matters also then tell us what shall be given to God If you or any man will give him more Power or Authority than I give him then you give him more than his Majesty requireth as shall be shewed Ant. We do not say that the King can compel the soul but only the outward man Ch. If he cannot compel my soul he cannot compel me to worship God for God cannot be worshipped without the soul Joh. 4.24 If you say he may compel me to offer up a worship only with my body for the spirit you confess he cannot compel To whom is that worship not to God Then consider you who they worship that are thus compelled say you by the King Let it well be here observed that you make the King a commander of such worship as is not to God contrary to his Majesties own mind manifest in his Writings But this you do not to advance Gods Glory nor the Kings Honour but your own cursed kingdom of darkness which you hold by flattery and falshood For if this compelled worship which is not to God were taken away then your kingdom would fall to Hell from whence it came and therefore all men may here see it is supported only by wickedness Ant. I confess the Kings Authority is earthly but he is Head over the Church under Christ Ch. God forbid that any mortal man should so equalize himself with Christ who alone is Head of his Church as the Husband is of the Wife Eph. 5.23 and hath left no Vice-gerent in that his Office for he is never absent from his Church Mat. 18.20 amd 28.20 All that any mortal man can be is to be a subject of his Kingdom for there is but one Lord 1 Cor. 12.5 and one Law-giver Jam. 3.12 And that this is so his Majesty confirmeth by his own testimony in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 46 47. But as I well allow of the Hyrarchy of the Church for distinction of Orders for so I understand it so I utterly deny that there is any earthly Monarch thereof whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre in his sentence by an infallibility of spirit because earthly Kingdoms must have earthly Monarchs it doth not follow that the Church must have a visible Monarch top For the World hath not one earthly temporal Monarch Christ is his Churches Monarch and the Holy Ghost his Deputy The Kings of the Gentiles reign over them but ye shall not be so Luk. 22.25 Christ did not promise before his Ascension to leave Peter with them to direct and instruct them in all things but he promised to send the Holy Ghost unto them for that end These are his Highness own words whereby it evidently appeareth his Majesty challengeth no supremacy over the Church but laboureth to overthrow that abominable exaltation of that Man of Sin in the Romish Profession for Christ hath given no Supremacy in or over his Church to any mortal man but expresly commanded the contrary as that place of Luke mentioned by his Majesty plainly declareth His Highness is supream Head and Governour over all his Subjects Bodies and Goods within his Dominions and therein I detest and abhor all forreign Powers whatsoever But now for the thing in controversie betwixt you and me of compelling men by Persecutions to do service to God as is pretended wherein they have not Faith it shall be manifest not to be of God in that Christ Jesus himself the only Lord and Law-giver to the soul neither had any such Power and Authority neither taught any such thing to his Disciples but the contrary First Mat. 28.18 19. All Power is given me in Heaven and in Earth Go therefore and teach all Nations And 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to cast down strong Holds c. Here we see Christ hath no worldly power nor worldly weapons Secondly He practised and taught the contrary When the Samaritans would not receive him going to Jerusalem Luke 9. his Disciples would have had Fire come down from Heaven and devoured them but Christ rebuked them and said Ye know not of what spirit ye are of for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them And the Apostle by the Spirit of Christ 2 Tim. 2.24 commandeth the Servants of the Lord not to strive but to be gentle towards all men apt to teach suffering the evil-men patiently instructing them with meekness that are contrary-minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may know the truth and come to amendment out of the Devils snare c. These Scriptures need no explanation for this most evident Truth Ant. Well yet notwithstanding all this it is manifest in the Scriptures by the Example of the Apostle Peter smiting Ananias and Saphira to death Act. 5. and of the Apostle Paul striking Elymas the Sorcerer blind Act. 13.11 and also by delivering Hymeneus and Alexander unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that punishment upon the body may be used and the flesh destroyed For if it were lawful for them to smite to death and the like though by extraordinary means then it must be lawful for us by ordinary means since extraordinary means now fail If you say it be not lawful for us then you must say it was not lawful for them and that were to accuse them of laying a false foundation which none fearing God will affirm Ch. I dare not once admit of such a thought as to disallow the truth of that Foundation which the Apostles as skilfull Master-builders have laid But for your Argument of Peters extraordinary smiting of Ananias and Saphira he neither laid hand upon them nor threatned them by word only declared what should befall them from God and therefore serveth nothing to your purpose Also that of Paul to Elymas he laid no hands upon him but only declared the Lords hand upon him and the judgment that should follow If you can so pronounce and it so come to pass upon any do it and then it may be you may be accounted
Persecution for Religion JUDG'D and CONDEMN'D In a DISCOURE between an ANTICHRISTIAN and a CRHISTIAN PROVING By the Law of God and of the Land And By King James his many Testimonies That no man ought to be Persecuted for his Religion so he Testifie his Allegiance by the Oath appointed by Law Proving also That the Spiritual Power in England is the Image of the Spiritual Cruel Power of Rome or that Beast mentioned Rev. 13. Manifesting the fearful Estate of those who subject to such Powers that Tyrannize over the Conscience And shewing the Unlawfulness of Flying because of the Trouble men see or fear is coming upon them To which is added An humble SUPPLICATION to the Kings Majesty Wherein among other things is proved 1. That the Learned usually Erre and resist the Truth 2. That Persecution is against the Law of Jesus Christ 3. Against the Profession and Practice of famous Princes 4. Condemned by ancient and later Writers 5. Freedom in Religion not hurtful to any Common-wealth and it depriveth not Kings of any Power given them of God 2 Cor. 10.4 For the Weapons of our Warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Printed in the years 1615. and 1620. And now Reprinted for the Establishing some and Convincing others 1662. To all that truly wish Jerusalem's Prosperity and Babylons Destruction Wisdom and Understanding be multiplyed upon you IN these dayes if ever that is true which the Wiseman said Eccl. 12.12 There is no end in making many books and much reading is a weariness to the flesh yet considering how heinous it is in the sight of the Lord to force men and women by cruel Persecutions to bring their bodies to a Worship whereunto they cannot bring their spirits we thought it our duty for Gods Glory and the reformation thereof in this our own Nation to publish this little Writing following wherein is manifestly proved by the Law of God the Law of our Land and his Majesties own divers Testimonies That no man ought to be persecuted for his Religion be it true of false so he testifie his faithful Allegiance to the King What shall men do striving about matters of Religion till this be ended For if this be a truth that the Kings of the Earth have power from God to compel by Persecution all their Subjects to believe as they believe then wicked is it to resist and the Persecutions of such is justly upon them and the Magistrates that execute the same are clear from their blood and it is upon their own heads but if the Kings of the Earth have not power from God to compel by Persecution any of their Subjects to believe as they believe seeing Faith is the work of God then no lesse wicked is it in the sight of God to disobey and the Persecutions of such are upon the Magistrates and the blood of the Persecuted cryeth unto the Lord and will be required at the Magistrates hands Wherefore in all humility reverence and loyalty we do humbly desire of our Sovereign Lord the King and all Gods Ministers under him as Judges Justices of Peace c. by whom this Persecution is executed themselves to consider not whether herein they please Lord Bishops but whether they please the Lord Jesus Christ who after a little while shall judge all Judges according to their works without respect of persons and therefore are commanded to kiss the Son lest he be angry and they perish in the way Psal 2. Our humble desire is that they would consider what is testified in the Scriptures That the Kings of the Earth shall give their power unto the Beast till the words of God be fulfilled then shall they take their power from her If it be granted as it is that the Kings of this Nation formerly have given their power unto that Romish Beast it shall evidently appear that our Lord the King and all Magistrates under him do give their power to the same Beast though the Beast be in another shape For as that spiritual Power or Beast of Rome sets up a Worship as they pretend for God and force all thereto by cruel Persecutions the Kings of the Earth giving their Power thereunto So this spiritual Power or Beast of England sets up a Worship as they pretend for God and force all thereto by cruel Persecutions the Kings Majesty giving his Power hereunto Oh that all that are in Authority would but consider by the Word of God which shall judge them at the last day what they do when they force men against their souls and consciences to dissemble to believe as they believe or as the King and State believe they would withdraw their hands and hearts therefrom and never do as they have done partly through inconsideration and partly to please Lord Bishops being in favour with the King It cannot but with high thankfulness to God and to the King be acknowledged of all that the Kings Majesty is no blood-thirsty man for if he were bodily destruction should be the portion of all that fear God and endeavour to walk in his wayes as may be seen in the primitive time of this spiritual Power or Beast of England after that K. Henry the eight had cast off the Romist Beast and since so far as leave hath been granted them by hanging burning banishing imprisoning and what not as the particulars might be named Yet our most humble desire of our Lord the King is That he would not give his Power to force his faithful Subjects to dissemble to believe as he believes in the least measure of Persecution though it is no small Persecution to lye many years in filthy Prisons in hunger cold idleness divided from Wife Family Calling left in continual miseries and temptations so as Death would be to many less Persecution seeing his Majesty confesseth that to change the mind must be the work of God And of the Lord Bishops we desire that they would a little leave off persecuting those that cannot believe as they till they have proved that God is well-pleased therewith and the souls of such as submit are in safety from Condemnation let them prove this and we protest we will for ever submit unto them and so will thousands and therefore if there be any spark of grace in them let them set themselves to give satisfaction either by word or writing or both But if they will not but continue their cruel-courses as they have done let them yet remember that they must come to Judgment and have their Abominations set in order before them and be torn in pieces when none shall deliver them And whereas they have no other colour of ground out of the Scriptures than that they have canonized a Law viz. That whosoever shall affirm that the Kings Majesty hath not the same power over the Church that the godly Kings of Israel had under the Law c. Let him be excommunicate ipso facto The unsoundness of which
man would not be deceived by them nor plead for them but because they teach many Truths people receive them But first for whatsoever they teach they neither could nor should teach publickly their mouths should be stopped if they received not that their power to teach such Truths from those the Dragon sends and therefore none can receive those Truths from them but they receive the Devil by whose power they teach for as our Saviour saith Mat. 10.40 He that receiveth you receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me So he that receiveth those the Beast sends receiveth the Beast and he that receiveth the Beast receiveth him that sent him that is the Devil Further. Did not that Southsayer Balaam teach excellent Truths Numb 23 24 chapters Yea the Southsayers of the Philistims the like 1 Sam. 6. Yea Those in the Gospel preach in Christs Name Mat. 7.22 As many moe testimonies might be manifested And secondly For their bringing of people to Reformation and therein doing great works Did not the Southsayers before recited 1 Sam. 6. shew the Princes their sin in detaining Gods Ark and the judgments against them for the same exhorting them to send it away and not to harden their hearts as Pharoah and the Egyptians hardned their hearts And was not Reformation wrought hereby And did not they that preached in Christs Name cast out Devils and do many and great works of whom our Saviour testifieth he never acknowledged them But let us a little consider wherein the Reformation consistech procured by their preaching in Drunkenness Whoredom Swearing c. moral duties which things whosoever is not reformed in shall never see Gods Kingdom yet which things many of the Philosophers that knew not God abounded in as they that know the Stories cannot deny But do they teach their hearers to hate vain inventions and love God's Law In a general manner of teaching they may but if it come to particular practice you shall see what they will do Do they teach any to submit to that one Law-giver Christ Jesus for the guidance of his Church and not to Antichrists Abominations No they will tell you you must sigh and groan till the Magistrate will reform for you are a private person and must be subject And if the powerful working of Gods Word and Spirit prevail in you to let you see that the Magistrates not reforming will not excuse you at the day of account but that that soul that committeth abomination shall dye and that rather than you will worship the Beast or his Image you will suffer with Christ peaceably separating your self from such open prophanation as neither can nor will be reformed endeavouring to square your self both in your entrance and walking in Christs way unto that golden Rule that he hath left for direction then the best of all those Preachers and Reformers will be hot and bitter labouring with all the turning of devices to turn you and withhold you from Reformation And if they cannot prevail hereby then publish you in their priviledged Pulpits where none may answer them You are a Schismatick Brownist Anabaptist and what not to make the multitude abhor your doings and not to follow you therein and some of them if not all under a colour procure your Imprisonment and trouble by their Canonized Lords or some of their hellish Pursevants And such Preachers of Reformation are the best of them all Indif Oh how have we been besotted in these things for want of true knowledge and understanding from the Scriptures how have I and others satisfied our selves with these things in that our estate was happy perswading our selves thereof when alas our fear towards God was taught by the inventions of men but the reason thereof was we judged our selves by our own perswasions and not by Gods Word Ch. I pray you let not that seem strange unto you that people should perswade themselves of their good estate with God when it is not so The Israelites Gods People thought their estate good many times when alas it was otherwise as the Prophets declared unto them yea our Saviour testifieth that they boasted of God being their Father when they not so much as knew him Joh. 8.19 yea when they were of their father the Devil ver 44. The five foolish Virgins thought their condition good enough and that they should have been let in but it was otherwise Luke 20. The wicked thought they did God service that killed Christs Disciples Joh. 16.2 Mans heart is deceitful Jer. 17.9 Who are more confident of their good estate with God than the Papists notwithstanding all their gross abominations Even so have you and I God pardon us thought beyond all that we were in a good estate having such zealous Teachers that teach so many excellent Truths under the title of Christs Ministers till we came to examine them as the Church of Ephesus did Rev. 2. then we found them to have no other Ministry than that they received from the Beast and his Image which the Dragon gave Rev. 13. Indif Are all without exception in this fearful estate to be case into the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Ch. All that submit obey or worship the Beast without exception for there is no respect of persons with God So saith the Lord If any man worship c. These worshippers under the Beast's Image may be divided into two sorts First those that ignorantly perswade themselves that all that is practised is good and acceptable to God Secondly those that see and acknowledge many things to be evil which they would gladly have removed but because they cannot without the Crosss of Christ partly for that and partly by the perswasion of their Prophets that the things are not fundamental and the like pretences all submit and teach men so Indif Some affirm There be thousands in England that never worshipped the Beast c. but be careful to keep the Commandments of God and Faith of Jesus Ch. Such are not under these Judgments but if their meaning be of any that submit to these Ordinances appointed for these Assemblies such Teachers preach peace when there is none strengthen the wicked that they cannot return from their wicked way by promising them life whose reward shall be according to the reward of such false Prophets Ezek. 13.1 and chap. 14.10 because they follow their own spirit and have not received it from the Lord for thus saith the Lord Such shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God Indif It is also affirmed by some That in respect of personal graces some of the Professors as they are called are the Children of God and may be communicated with privately though in respect of their Church actions they are members of Antichrists body to whom are Judgments of God appertaineth Ch. This opinion proceedeth not from Gods Word but from man's vain heart by the suggestion of the Devil which that it may evidently appear let us
as Joh. 11.48 And because their fear towards God was taught by mens precepts and because they looked to their own way and to their own advantage and had rejected the Word of the Lord and because they builded their Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity and sought their own honour and not Gods as before is proved So the cause of the blindness of the learned Papists in denying the Scriptures the only Rule of Faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but their winding with their eyes lest they should see that that would bring them from their honours and profits and all the forenamed in the Jews And also as the Protestants well observe Whit. pag. 18. First That they might make themselves Judges in their own cause For who seeth not that if the Church be the Rule of Faith and their be the Church which way the verdict will go Next for that the greatest points of their Religion have no foundation on the Scriptures c. So that take away the Scriptures and establish their Religion but establish the Scriptures and their Religion vanisheth and that Mother of Whoredoms that glorified her self as a Queen Rev. 18. shall be consumed and her Merchants that were waxed rich through her pleasures and profits shall wail and weep the which they now seeing shut their eyes lest they should see that which would bring them from these honours profits and pleasures In like manner it may easily be judged by every indifferent man that the cause why the Learned of this Land will not see or at least practise that seeing there is but one Lord Eph. 4.5 and one Law-giver over the Conscience Jam. 4.12 Therefore no man ought to be compelled by persecution to a worship wherein he hath not Faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but their winking with their eyes lest they should see that that would take away their honours and profits For if Bribes blind the eyes of the Wise Deut. 16.19 then Honours and Profits much more For who seeth not if none should be compelled by persecution to worship God in Spirit and Truth such only worship Him and none but such are required to worship Him Joh. 4.23 that these Learned would lose their Honours Profits in being Lords and Law-makers over the conscience souls of men although your Majesty might lawfully give them what temporal Honours and Profits your Highness liked of These are the true causes of the blindness of the Learned For so Christ saith How can ye believe when ye seek honour one of another and seek not the Honour that cometh from God alone Joh. 5.44 And how can men but be blind in gods Mysteries when they look to their own way for their own advantage and for their own purpose for having rejected the Word of the Lord what wisdom is in them they have no answer of God that build up their Sion for so they account their Churches and Professions with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity as before is proved If these Learned could free us from the Lords wrath or if they might answer for us and we be free it were safe for us to submit our selves and captivate our judgments and practice to them but seeing they cannot so much as deliver their own souls And that if the blind lead the blind both must fall into the Ditch Mat. 15.14 and Every one must give account of himself to God and be judged by his own works done in the flesh and that the soul that sinneth shall dye We dare not follow any mortal man in matters of salvation further than we know him to agree with the meaning of God in the Scriptures Paul the holy Apostle of Jesus Christ taught That we should follow him no otherwise than he followed Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 Yea Christ himself sent men to the Scriptures to try his Doctrine The Apostles suffered their Doctrine to be tryed and commend them that try it And the Protestants confess Whit. pag. 127. This Doctrine was never misliked till a Church rose up whose Silver being Dross and whose Milk Poyson could not endure the tryal which being true that we may try why may we not also judge and practise according as Gods Spirit shall direct us in our tryal If a man should drink poison and know it to be poison were he not in a worse estate than he that should drink it ignorantly not knowing thereof even a murderer of himself in the highest degree So he that drinketh spiritual poison knowing it for according unto mens faith it is unto them he is in a worse estate and a murderer of his own soul in the highest degree And therefore that Church or those Learned that will suffer their Doctrine to be tryed and yet constrain men to receive and practise it when upon examination their consciences are convinced of the falshood thereof are worse and do more highly sin than they that constrain a blind conscience though both be evil We despise not Learning nor Learned men but do reverence it and them according to their worthiness only when it is advanced into the seat of God and that given to it which appertaineth unto the holy Ghost which is to lead into all Truth than ought all as Ezekiah did unto the brazen Serpent detest it and contemn it CHAP. 6 Persecution for cause of Conscience is against the Doctrine of Jesus Christ King of Kings 1. CHRIST commanded that the Tares and Wheat which are those that walk in the Truth and those that walk in falshood should be let alone in the world and not plucked up until the harvest which is the end of the world Mat. 13.30 38 c. 2. The same commandeth Mat. 15.14 That they that are blindly led on in false Religion and are offended with him for teaching true Religion should be let alone referring their punishment unto their falling into the Ditch 3. Again Luke 9.54 55. He reproved his Disciples who would have had Fire come down from Heaven and devoured those Samaritans that would not receive him in these words Ye know not of what spirit ye are the Son of man is not come to destroymens lives but to save them 4. Paul the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2 Tim. 2.24 That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men suffering the evil men instructing them with meekness that are contrary-minded proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of the snare of the Devil c. 5. According to these aforesaid Commandments the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdom be established then all carnal weapons should cease Isa 2.4 Micah 4.3 4. They shall break their Swords into Mattocks and their Spears into Sithes c. And Isa 11.9 Then shall none hurt nor destroy in all the Mountain of my Holiness c. And when he