to be disturbed as wholely to breake up and to be dissolved No matter saith the Discusser though they doe wholly breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing For neverthelesse the Peace of the Citty is not thereby in the least measure impaired or disturbed because the Essence or being of the Citty is Essentially distinct from those particular Societyes c. The Citty was before them and standeth absolute and Entire when they are taken downe c. Reply If by Peace be meant as in Scripture Language it is all welfare It would argue a man that liveth in the world to be too much Ignorant of the state of the world to say that in the breaking up and dissolving of such perticular Societyes the Peace of the Citty or Countrey is not in the least measure impaired or disturbed For 1. Though such Societyes of Merchants and other Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they be of the integrety of the Citty And if the defect of one Tribe in Israel was a great trouble to all the Common-wealth of Israel Judges 21.2 3. then sure the breaking up and dissolving of so many particular usefull Societyes cannot but much impaire and disturbe the Peace and wellfare of the Citty and Countrie 2. Though these Societyes of Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they are amongst the conservant causes of the Citty as without which the Citty cannot long flourish no nor well subsist Common sense will acknowledge so much Now then if all these particular Societyes and severall Companyes of Trades they and their peace and wellfare doe much concerne the wellfare and peace of the Citty and Countrey and therefore it behooveth the Civill Government to provide for their peace and wellfare I demand whether the Church also which is a particular Society of Christians whether I say the Peace and wellfare of it doe not concerne the Peace and wellfare of the Citty or Countrey where they live If it be denyed it is Easily proved First David saith they shall prosper that love the Peace of Jerusalem and seeke the good of it Psalm 122.6 c. And Solomon saith where the Righteous rejoyce there is great Glory Pro. 28.12 And what is the Church but a Congregation of Righteous men If the Rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation surely the disturbing and distracting and dissolving of the Church is the shame and Confusion of a Nation 2. Consider the Excellency and Preheminence of the Church above all other Societyes She is the fairest amongst women Cant. 1.8 and 6.1 She is the Citty and House of God Revel 21.2 Psal 48.1.1 Tim. 3.15 The world and all the Societyes of it are for the Church 1 Cor. 3.21 22. The world would not subsist but for the Church nor any Countrey in the world but for the service of the Church And can the Church then breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing and yet the Peace and wellfare of the Citty not in the least measure impaired or disturbed 3. It is a matter of just displeasure to God and sad greife of heart to the Church when Civill States looke at the estate of the Church as of little or no concernment to themselves Zach. 1.15 Lament 1.12 Object 1. Many glorious and flourishing Cittyes of the world maintaine their Civill Peace yea the very Americans and wildest Pagans keep the Peace of their Townes and Cittyes though neither in the one nor in the other can any man prove a true Church of God in these places Answ It is true where the Church is not Cittyes and Townes may enjoy some measure of Civill Peace yea and flourish in outward prosperity for a time through the Patience and Bounty and Long-sufferance of God The times of Jgnorance God winketh at Act. 17.30 But when the Church cometh to be Planted amongst them If then Civill States doe neglect them suffer the Churches to corrupt and annoy themselves by pollutions in Religion the the staffe of the Peace of the Common-wealth will soone be broken as the Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches The Common-wealth of Rome flourished five hundred yeares before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongst them and the decayes of the Common-wealth occasioned by the persecutions of the Church were Repaired by the Publick establishment of the Churches peace in Christian Emperors But when the Churches begun to pollute themselves by the Idolatrous worship of Images and the Christian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abuse in Churches the Lord sent in amongst other barberous nations the Turkes to punish not onely degenerate Churches but also the Civill State for this wickednesse And therefore the Holy Ghost upbraideth them for their continuance in Image worship though the Turke were let loose from the River Euphrates to scourge them for it Rev. 9.14.20 Goe now and say the estate of the Church whether true or false pure or corrupt doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate Object 2. The Peace of the Church whether true or false is spirituall and so of an higher and farre different nature from the peace of the Countrey or People which is meerely and Essentially Civill and humane Ans 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be spirituall and heavenly yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them even from Princes and Magistrates in a way of godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim. 2.1.2 But in a way of ungodlinesse and Idolatry it is an wholesome faithfulnesse to the Church if Princes trouble the outward peace of the Church that so the Church finding themselves wounded and pricked in the house of their friends they may repent and returne to their first Husband Zach. 13.6 Hosea 2.6.7 Ans 2. Though the peace of the Countrey or Common-wealth be Civill and humane yet it is distracted and cutt off by disturbing the spirituall purity and peace of the Church Jehu cutting short his Reformation God cutt short the coasts of the Civill State 2 King 10.31.32 Ans 3. Civill Peace to speake properly is not onely a peace in civill things for the Object but a peace of all the persons of the Citty for the Subject The Church is one Society in the Citty as well as is the Society of Merchants or Drapers Fishmongers and Haberdashers and if it be a part of Civill Justice out of regard to Civill Peace to protect all other Societyes in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of their Company is it not so much more to protect the Church-Society in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of the Word of Christ CHAP. 7. A Reply to his seventh Chapter Discussing what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practise in an Arrogant and impetuous way tending of it selfe to the disturbance of the Civill Peace HERE 2. Things he complaineth of 1. That I have not declared what this Arrogant and impetuous way is 2. That he cannot but expresse his sad and sorrowfull
wit whilest they remaine bad yet it is their worke to seek the changing of the bad into good ground that so they may come to prosper and flourish For is it not the proper work of the Church to bring on their children to become the sincere People of God as well as to keep themselves in that estate Is it not a maine Branch of their Covenant with God that as God giveth himselfe to be a God to them and to their seed so they should give up themselves and their seed to be his People Besides hath not God given Pastours and Teachers as well for the gathering together of the Saints as for the edification of the body of Christ And hath he not given the Church and the Gospel Preached in the Church to lye like Leaven in three Pecks of Meale till all be Leavened Mat. 13.33 Answ 4. There is not such resemblance between High-way-side ground and good ground as is between Tares and Whea nor would the servants of the Husbandman ever wonder that weeds should grow in the high-way-side ground as they do at the growing of Tares in the Field Nor would they ever aske the Question whether they should pluck up weeds out of the High-way-side or stones out of the stony ground or pluck up Thornes out of the Thorney CHAP. 23. A Reply to his Chapt. 23. Still touching the Tares Discusser These Tares I shall evidently prove to be Idolaters and in particular properly Antichristians For first these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the Children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifest ver 38. Defender Answ 1. These Tares are not such sinners as are contrary to the children of the Kingdome for then none should be opposite to them but they For contraries are such quorum unum uni opponitur But evident it is there be more wicked ones opposite to the children of the Kingdome then Idolaters and Antichristians to wit those notoriously scandalous wicked ones whom the Discusser nameth in the next Chapter Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons Answ 2. It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging of the Question to say that these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifested For the Tares were not discerned at first as hath been shewed above till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit Discusser These Tares are the Children of the wicked one which wicked one I take to be not the Devill for the Lord Jesus seemeth to make them distinct The Tares saith he are the Children of the wicked one or wickednesse the Enemy that sowed them is the Devill Defender Answ 1. The Devill and the wicked one may well meane one and the same Person For if the Devill sowed these Tares then these Tares were the seed and so the children of the Devill Why should they be called the seed of one and the children of another Answ 2. Suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated the children of the wicked one or wickednesse that style will agree to hypocrites as well as to other Persons Sure it is the Lord Jesus often calleth the Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites Mat. 23. and he calleth them also a wicked and adulterous Generation Mat. 16. And therefore still these Tares will not appeare to be others then Hypocrites CHAP. 24. A Reply to his 24. Chapter Still touching the Tares Discusser Though all Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons c. be opposite to Gods Children yet the opposition of the Tares here against the Children of the Kingdome is such an opposition as fights against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. It is manifest the Lord Jesus intendeth no other sort of sinners in this Parable then Antichristians unto whom here he saith let them alone in Church or State For then he should contradict other holy and blessed Ordinances for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State For 1. In the Civill State God hath armed Parents Masters Magistrates to punish evill doers Murderers Quarrellers uncleane Persons stealers extortioners such ought not to be let alone neither in lesser nor greater Families Townes Cities Kingdomes Rom. 13. but seasonably supprest c. 2. In the Kingdome of Christ whose Officers Lawes punishments weapons are all Spirituall and of a Soule-nature he will not have Antichristian Idolaters Extortioners Covetous c. to be let alone but the uncleane Lepers to be thrust forth c. Therefore if neither the Offenders against the Civill Lawes State and Peace ought to be let alone nor the Spirituall State the Church ought to beare with them that are evill Rom. 2. I Conclude that these Tares are sinners of another nature Idolaters false Worshippers Antichristians who without discouragement to true Christians must be let alone and permitted in the world to grow up untill the great Harvest Defender Answ 1. As all wicked Persons be opposite to Gods children for the children of the Kingdome of Light and the children of the Kingdome of darknesse cannot but be opposite so the opposition that is in all the wicked against the children of God doth fight against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus For such as stand for the Kingdome of Satan as all wicked men doe they stand in opposition to the Kingdome of Christ No man can serve two Masters If he cleave to the one he standeth in enmitie to the other Mat. 6.24 Answ 2. It followeth not that because Christ biddeth his Ministers Let the wicked alone in Church or State That therefore he intendeth no other then Antichristian Idolaters Neither should Christ contradict any Ordinance of his own for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State though he should command other offenders to be let alone besides Antichristians For no Ordinance or Law of God nor just Law of man commandeth the rooting out of hypocrites either by Civill or Church-censure though the Church be bound to endeavour as much as in them lyeth to heale their hypocrisie Answ 3. Neither is it true that Antichristians are to be let alone by the Ordinance of Christ till the end of the world For what if the members of a Christian Church shall some of them Apostate to Antichristian Superstition and Idolatry as often falleth out by the seduction of the Emissaries of Babel doth the Ordinance of Christ binde the hands of the Church of which they are Members to let them alone In chapter 19. The Discusser himself would not have the superstitious observation of Lent-Fasts to be let alone And surely Christ ordained by his blessed Apostle Paul that if any Brother proved an Idolater whether Pagan or Antichristian such an one should be cast out by excommunication 1 Cor. 5.11 Besides What if any Antichristian Persons out of zeale to the Catholick Cause and out of conscience to the command of their Superiours should seeke to destroy the King and Parliament
as hath more then once or twice been attempted should such an one by any ordinance of Christ be let alone in the Civill State Moreover if Popish Priests and Jesuites be rightly expounded to be the Rivers and Fountaines of water which drive the dead Sea of Antichristian pollution up and downe all Nations in Europe and if they by the Ordinance of Christ be in some cases to drinke bloud for they are worthy then they are not to be let alone but duely supprest and cut off from conveying up and downe their Idolatrous Hereticall and Seditious wickednesse Rev. 16.4 to 7. CHAP. 25. A Reply to his 25. Chapter Still discussing the meaning of the Tares THirdly The Tares cannot be hypocrites is as cleare as the Light because they when they are discovered and seene to be Tares are not to be let alone to the Angels in the end of the world but are to be purged out by the Governours of the Church with the whole Church Defender This objection hath been answered above and let it be againe denied till the Discusser prove the contrary which will never be That hypocrites when they appeare to be hypocrites and yet no worse then Tares are to be purged out by the Government of the Church It is true if Hypocrites having a forme of Godlinesse and yet denying the power thereof doe breake forth into such notorious scandalous Fruits of Hypocrisie as tend to the leavening of the whole lumpe they may then justly be proceeded against by the Government of the Church But otherwise if the Church proceed against an Hypocrite as such meerely for his hypocrisie for want of life and power of Godlinesse in his duties they may soone roote out sometime or other the best wheate in Gods Field and the sweetest Flowers in his Garden who sometimes loose their fatnesse and sweetnesse for a season Discusser Every Brother that walketh disorderly is to be with-drawen and separated from Defender True But who is a Brother that walketh disorderly Not every Hypocrite but onely such who either walke inordinately without a calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or idely and negligently in his calling For so the context carrieth it in the words alluded to 2 Thess 3.6 But that is not the case of every Hipocrite of whom their are many that follow their callings and are so farre from being burthensome to others by their idlenesse that they are even choaked with the cares and businesses of this world and yet are not behinde in liberall contributions to pious uses CHAP. 26. A Reply to his Chap. 26. Touching the danger of letting alone Anti Christians Discusser If any imagine that the Antichristians being let alone may doe a world of mischiefe before the worlds end by the infection of others I Answer 1. The Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword let Civill offences be punished and yet let their worship and Consciences be tolerated 2. The Church hath a thousand bucklers and weapons able to break downe the strongest hould 2 Cor. 10. and so to defend it selfe against the gates of earth or hell 3. The Lord knoweth who are his his chosen cannot finally be deceived Lastly the Lord Jesus himselfe in this Parable giveth 2. Reasons able to content and satisfie our hearts First least the good wheat be pluckt up out of the feild of the world Gods People the good wheat are generally pluckt and persecuted as well as the vilest Idolaters whether Jewes or Antichristians which the Lord Jesus seemeth here to foretell Second reason is when the world is ripe in sinne in the sinnes of Antichristianisme those mighty Angells of God will come with their sharpe sickles and downe with them and buildle them up for everlasting burnings then shall the man of sin be consumed by the breath of the mouth of the Lord Jesus c. Defender Reply 1. To his first Answer It is true the Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword if Civill offences be punished But when he would have their worship Consciences tolerated what if their worship and Consciences incite them to Civill offences How shall then the Civill State keepe it selfe safe with a Civill Sword As suppose a man that worshippeth the Beast and maketh Conscience of obeying his commandements shall thinke himselfe bound to subvert the Civill Prince or State who is excommunicated by the Beast If such a man must be tolerated in his worship and Conscience what sword can provide for the safety of such a Prince or State Reply 2. To his second Answer It is true the Church wanteth no Armories to defend it self and amongst others excommunication But if their members be leavened with Antichristian Idolatry and superstition and yet must be tolerated in their Idolatrous and superstious worship will not a little leaven so tolerated leaven the whole lumpe And how then is the safety of the Church guarded Reply 3. To his 3. Answ It is true the Lord knoweth who are his and none of his Elect shall perish But neverthelesse Is it not a tempting of God to presume upon Gods Election for our salvation and to neglect the meanes of our preservation In like case Paul knew by revelation that all his fellow passengers in the ship should be saved but yet he professed that if the Marriners went out of the ship they could not be saved Acts 27.24 with 31. So is it here The Elect of God shall be saved but yet if Idolaters and Seducers be tolerated as Jezabell was in Thyatira to seduce the servants of Christ to pollution and Apostacy the Church will stand guilty before God of the seduction and corruption of the people of God Reply 4. To his 4 Answer the 2. Reasons alledged by him out of the Text To the first There is no feare of plucking up the wheat by rooting out Idolaters and Seducers If any of Gods People should fall into Idolatry and Apostacy yea and should prove an instrument to seduce others also into the like wickednesse yet the censures inflicted on them would be blessed of God to their recovery healing yea and if they were cut off by the Civill sword yet the example and terrour of their punishment would be blessed of God to preserve their brethren who would all of them heare and feare and doe no more such wickednesse Neither is the just punishment of such any just pretence to punish the innocent lambs of Christ Reply To the Second Reason out of the Parable It may justly be Replyed that the charge given to the Angells to execute vengeance at the last day upon such Idolaters if that were sufficient to plead for the toleration of Idolaters It would as well plead for the toleration of Murtherers Robbers Adulterers Extortioners c. for all these will the holy and mighty Angells of God gather into bundles at the last day and cast them into everlasting burnings The place in 2 Thess 2. doth not say that the man of sin shall then be consumed with the breath
and goods of the Subject as the Spirituall-Officers of Christs City or Kingdome have the charge of their soules and soule-safety Defender Reply 1. If it were true That the Magistrate hath charge onely of the bodies and goods of the Subject yet that might iustly excite to watchfulnesse against such pollutions of Religion as tend to Apostacy For if the Church and People of God fall away from God God will visit the City and Countrey with publicke calamity if not captivity for the Churches sake The Idolatry and Image-worship of Christians brought in the Turkish captivity upon the Cities and Countryes of Asia and upon some of Europe also as hath been shewed above Reply 2. It is a carnall and worldly and indeed an ungodly imagination to confine the Magistrates charge to the bodies and goods of the Subiect and to exclude them from the care of their soules Did ever God commit the charge of the body to any Governours to whom he did not commit in his way the care of soules also Hath God committed to Parents the charge of their childrens bodies and not the care of their soules To Masters the charge of their servants bodies and not of their soules to Captaine 's the charge of their souldiers bodies and not of their soules shall the Captaines suffer false worship yea idolatry publickly professed and practised in the campe and yet looke to prosper in the Battell The Magistrates to whom God hath committed the charge of bodies and outward man of the Subiect are they not also to take care to procure faithfull Teachers to be sent amongst them Jehosaphat tooke faithfull care for the soules of his people in this kind 2 Chron. 17.7 8 9. Neither did he this as a Type of Christ but as a Servant of Christ Those things are said to be done as Types of Christ which being ceremoniall duties were afterwards done by Christ in his owne Person and so were in him accomplished and abolished And it would be sacriledge to performe the same after him But let the conscience of any sincere Christian iudge whether it would be sacriledge in a godly Magistrate to procure the sending forth of godly Preachers into all the blind corners of his countrey The truth is Church-Governous and civill-governours doe herein stand paralell one to another The Chuch-Governours though to them be chiefely committed the charge of soules as their adaequate obiects yet in order to the good of the soules of their people to dehort from idlenesse negligence from intemperancy in meates and drinkes from oppression and deceit and therein provide both for the health of their bodies and the safety of their estates So civill-governours though to them be chiefely committed the bodies and goods of the people as their adaequate obiect yet in order to this they may and ought to procure spirituall helpes to their soules and to prevent such spirituall evills as that the prosperity of Religion amongst them might advance the prosperity of the civill State Reply 3. I cannot but with griefe observe the sinfull guile of the Discusser who whilest he taketh off all charges of soules from the civill Magistrates and layeth it upon Church-Governours he taketh it off from Church-Governours too that so the whole charge of precious soules for whom Christ dyed might utterly fall to the ground For how shall Church-Governours take the charge of soules upon them if there be no Church-Governours And how shall there be Church-Governours where there be no Churches If Churches be all dissipated and rooted out from the face of the Earth by the Apostacy of Antichrist and none to be gathered againe till new Apostles or Evangelists be sent abroad for such a worke then there be now neither Churches nor Church-Governours nor Church-censures either to censure Hereticks or to fetch in those stray soules whom they have scatter'd And then rejoyce yee Hereticks and all yee Idolaters and Seducers and goe on and make havock of the sheep of Christ like ravenous Wolves you may now doe it impunè without feare or danger It is neither for Civill Governours nor Church-Governours to meddle with you Not for Civill Governours for they are not to judge nor punish in matters of Religion Nor for Church-Governours for there are neither Churches nor Church-Governours extant now upon the face of the Earth But woe be to you poore sheepe and Lambes of Christ Jesus you are now indeed truly become the sheep of the slaughter your Possessours may slay you and plead themselves not guilty Zach. 11.4 5. not guilty before the Civill Barre for their crime is exempted from civill cognizance not guilty before the Churches Tribunall for there be no Churches to call them to account CHAP. 35. A Reply to his 35. Chap. Discusser IF it were the Magistrates duty or office to punish Hereticks then is he both a Temporall and Ecclesiasticall Officer Defender It followeth not unlesse the Magistrate were to punish them with Ecclesiasticall censures which he neither doth nor may doe The punishments which he inflicteth on them are meerely Civill whether imprisonment banishment or death Discusser That Doctrine and distinction that a Magistrate may punish an Heretick civilly will not here avayle For what is Babell if this be not confusedly to punish Corporall or Civill offences with spirituall or Church-censures the offender not being a member of it or to punish soule or spirituall offences with Corporall or Temporall weapons proper to Delinquents against the Civill State Defender It is no Babell or Babilonish confusion to punish corporall or civill offences with Spirituall or Church-censures What if a Brother be a striker an oppressour a murderer a fornicator or Adulterer all these are corporall and civill offences But shall not therefore the Church punish these with spirituall and Church-censures Then the Apostle was mistaken who directeth so to doe 1 Cor 5.11 why the Discusser putteth in that parenthesis the offender not being a member of it I cannot tell sure I am it is nothing to the purpose For as the Church cannot punish any offendor unlesse he be a member of the Church so neither may the Civill Magistrate punish an Heretick or other spirituall offendor unlesse he be a member of his Common-wealth And if it be no confusion to punish civill offences with Church-censures it is no confusion to punish spirituall offences with civill censures And the reason of both these is the same there be sundry civill offences which are also transgressions of the Rule of the word and so offences to the Consciences of the Church and so justly subject to Church-censure There be also offences to the Order and peace of the Church which tend likewise to provoke wrath against a Civill State As the King of Persia said Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven for the House of God let it bediligently done for why should there bewrath against the King and his Sonnes Ezra 7.3 If offences to the Church doe provoke wrath against the Civill State it is no confusion in the Civill State to punish such
knew it was out of Question all persecution was unlawfull whether by the Church or the Magistrate an unjust excommunication is as true persecution as an unjust Banishment But if persecution be taken more largely and loosely as it is by the Author of the Letter and by the Discusser for any affliction or persecution for cause of Conscience whether good Conscience or evill whether rightly informed or erroneous If that be the intent of the Letter as it seemed to me to beare witnesse against that then any testimony of Scripture that justifieth a lawfull censure of false and erroneous Teachers doth evince the scope of the Letter to be erroneous which is against all persecution for cause of Conscience Let therefore the Discusser admire at his owne admiration and be astonished at his owne astonishment that wondereth to see an universall negative argued against by a particular affirmative The Letter denyeth the lawfulnesse of all persecution in cause of Conscience that is in matter of Religion I seek to evince the falshood of it by an instance of lawfull Church-prosecution in case of false Teachers Discusser But if the Churches and Angels thereof had sufficient power to suppresse Balaam and Jezabel then all power of Magistrates and Governours in Pergamus and Thyatira though they had been Christian must needs fall to the ground as none of Christs appointment Defender The power of the Churches and Angels of Pergamus and Thyatyra were sufficient for those ends for which Christ ordained Church-power to wit for the healing of the soules of such seducers if they belonged to Christ as also for keeping those Churches pure from the fellowship of the guilt of their Act in teaching false Doctrines whom they had duly censured But the power of those Churches and Angels was not sufficient to prevent the further spreading of the Leaven of their false Doctrines both in such as were out of the Church and in private amongst the members of the Church who might adhere to them Much lesse was the putting forth of the Church-power against them sufficient to cleare the Magistrates of a Christian State from the guilt of Apostasie in suffering such Apostates amongst them who would be ready to solicite many simple soules either to with-hold and with-draw themselves from the Fellowship of the Churches or in the Churches to withdraw from the Lord Jesus Discusser Lastly from this perverse wresting of what is writ to the Church and the Officers thereof as if it were writ to the Civill Officers and State thereof all may see how since the Apostacie of Antichrist the Christian world so called hath swallowed up Christianity how the Church and Civill State that is the Church and the world are now become one flock of Jesus Christ c. Defender Here is no wresting much lesse perverse wresting of any Scripture at all from the Church to the Civill State I intended to apply the Scripture written to the Churches and to the Officers thereof no further then to other Churches and their Officers The Scriptures upon which we call in the Magistrate to the punishment of Seducers are such as are directed to civill States and Magstrates of which divers have been mentioned and applyed before CHAP. 56. A Reply to his Chap. 58 and 59. Discussing the Testimony of some Princes Discusser I Proceed to the second Head of Reasons against persecution for cause of Conscience taken from the profession of famous Princes King James Stephen of Poland King of Bonemia Vnto whom the Answerer returneth a treble Answer 1. Wee willingly acknowledge saith he that none is to be persecuted at all no more then any may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Again we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his Conscience though misinformed unlesse his errour be fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of his Conscience that it may appeare he is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Furthermore we acknowledge none is to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in Judgement of the truth of it but yet restrayned he may be from blaspheming the Truth and from seducing any into pernicious errours This first Answer I believe I have sufficiently cleared the weaknesse of the Foundations thereof in the former discourse Defender And I doubt not but by the help of Christ I have formerly declared and convinced the feeblenesse of the opposition made against them and what firme foundations those Answers are built upon from the Scriptures of Truth Discusser His second Answer is this what Princes professe and practise is not a Rule of Conscience They many times tolerate that in State Policy which cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity Againe Princes many times tolerate Offendors out of very necessity when the Offenders are too many or too mighty for them to punish In which respect David tolerated Joab and his murder but against his will It may be here observed how the Answerer dealeth with Princes one while they are nursing Fathers to the Church not onely to feed but also to correct and therefore consequently bound to judge what is true feeding and correcting and consequently all men are bound to submit to their feeding and correcting Defender The Discusser doth partly falsly and partly fraudulently fasten upon me this dealing with Princes That I make them nursing Fathers of the Church I therein follow the footsteps of the Holy Ghost before me teaching what Princes should be and foretelling what they shall be in the latter dayes Isaiah 49.23 In which place It was not the intent of the Holy Ghost nor mine to threaten the Church with a red of Correction But to comfort the Church with a double blessing First of the Fatherly provision and protection of Princes for the Church Secondly of their subjection to the Church in respect of their spirituall Estate What Princes may doe in case the Church should Apostate and become no Church or in case they should breake forth into Sedition and Rebellion against the Civill State It is another Question which I have not medled with in all this Discourse Neither have I spoken of Princes as bound to Judge what is true feeding or correcting least of all have I said that all men are bound especially in Conscience to their feeding and correcting These are calumnies devised by the Discusser All I have said to my remembrance this way is that Princes are bound to be wise and Learned with holy knowledge that they may kisse the Sonne and be subject to him Psal 2.10.11 And therefore able to discerne of such corrupt feeding as destroyeth the Foundation of Religion and the soules of Gods people that they may be able to restraine such and to preserve the Church from such ravenous Wolves and I deny not that their Subjects are to submit to them herein when they judge according to the Word or howsoever patiently to suffer for well-doing without resistance
se and per Accidens of it selfe and by occasion be all one If the holding forth of Truth and Error be all one then this Discussion hath shaken the distinction of holding forth Error not in an humble and meeke way but in a way of Arrogance and Impetuousnesse But when he saith vigilant and faithfull Persons are not so troubled no not at the false Religion of Jew or Gentile If he meane not so much troubled at the false Religion as corrupt Sates be at the true Religion there may be truth in the speech but it onely argueth That corrupt nature is more zealous in the defence of its owne will-worship then the faithfull be in the defence of the Truth But surely the faithful are called to contend Earnestly for the Faith Jude 3. and have as much cause to be troubled at the holding forth of the Worship of Baal as corrupt States be at the holding forth of the Worship of Jehovah If his meaning be that vigilant and faithfull Persons are not so troubled at the false Religion of Jew or Gentile but that they can Tolerate them to live amongst them in a Civill Body we say so too And therefore the Indians who have submitted to the Government of this jurisdiction are not compelled to the Profession or acknowledgement of our Religion either by Force of Armes or Poenall Lawes But yet if Christians should seduce Christians to turne Apostates from the Faith and to imbrace Judaisme or Paganisme Or if Jewes or Pagans living amongst us should openly blaspheme the God of heaven draw away Christians to Atheisme or Judaisme I should not account them either vigilant or faithfull Christians that were not troubled at such a destroying of the true Religion and propagating of the false Paul blamed the false Teachers to be the Troublers of the Churches of Galatia Gal. 5.10 12. Acts 15.24 Discusser 2. Breach of Civill Peace may arise when false and Idolatrous practises are held forth and yet no Breach of Civill Peace from the Doctrine or Practise or the manner of holding them forth but from the wrong and preposterous way of Suppressing and preventing and extinguishing such Errors by weapons of wrath and Bloud Whips Stocks Imprisonment Banishment Death by which men are commonly perswaded to convert Heretickes and to cast out uncleane spirits which onely the finger of God can doe that is the mighty Power of the Spirit of the Word It is light alone that is able to dispell and scatter such mists and foggs of darknesse in the soules and Consciences of men Hence the Sonnes of men disquiet themselves in vaine and unmercifully disquiet others Defender Then it seemeth that if the Mariners of the Ship wherein Jonah sayled when he fled from the Presence of God if they I say did cast Jonah over board into the Sea this preposterous way of theirs in suppressing the Error of his way was it which raised the storme and Tempest whereby the Ship was tossed to and fro disturbed yea in jeopardy to be sunk and destroyed But the Text speakes to the contrary when they had cast Jonah forth into the Sea the Sea ceased from his raging Jonah 1.15 But what was the sinne of Jonah was it not some sinne against the second Table some act of unrighteousnesse against his Neighbour It was a direct and immediate breach of a rule of his Propheticall Office a sin against the second Commandement of the First Table But was not the Sea in which this tempest arose against Jonah and against the whole Ship for his sake was it not the Sea of Tiberias which being within the Confines of the Holy Land the Sea also was Holy and would not suffer such a sin unpunished No the Sea of Tiberias is within the Confines of Galilee and other parts of the Land of Israel But this was the Mediterranean Sea between Joppa and Tarshish Jonah 1.3 But were not these Mariners Israelites who might have some speciall charge from God to roote out all Idolatry and false Worship from amongst them which bindeth not us Gentiles No they were Pagans and Gentiles as appeareth in that every one of them cryed out unto his own God But why did not God send out the tempest to punish those Pagan Mariners rather for their Idolatry then Jonah for his Erroneous Practise in running away from the true God God in times past suffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes Acts 14.16 And so did his Vicegerents the good Kings of Israel doe the like David did not compell the tributary Nations to worship the God of Israel No more doth our Colony here compell the tributary Indians to worship our God But if an Israelite forsake God he disturbeth not onely the Common-wealth of Israel but the Barks of Pagans and Heathen states as Jonah did this Ship by his departure from God Therefore a Christian by departing from God may disturbe a Gentile civill State And it is no preposterous way for the Governours of the State according to the quality of the disturbance raised by the starting aside of such a Christian to punish both it and him by civill censure Nor doth the Civill State in such punishments attend so much how to procure the conversion of Heretickes or Apostates or such like scandalous turbulent offenders as how to prevent the perversion of their sounder people Gangraenam amoveas ne pars sincera trabatur or else to worke the subversion of such as doe subvert both truth and peace And yet as legall terrours are ordinary meanes blessed of God to prepare hard and stout hearts to conversion so such legall punishments God is in like sort pleased to blesse to the confusion and reformation of false Prophets as was foretold by Zacharie it should come to passe in the dayes of the new Testament Zach. 13.4 5 6. Object Yea but it is light alone that is able to dispell and scatter such mists and foggs of darknesse in the soules and Consciences of men Ans True But yet the judgements of God are as the Light that goeth forth Hosea 6.5 And the judgements of men executed according to the Word are sanctified of God to prevent the spreading of Idolatry and seducement to it All Israel shall heare and feare and doe no more presumptuously Deut. 13.11 Nor is the righteous proceeding in Civill States a disquieting of themselves or any unmercifull disquieting of others For it is no disquieting to a just man to doe Justice and the disquieting of men in sinne it is no unmercifull dealing but a compassionate healing either of themselves or others The false Prophet reclaimed by stigmatizing with wounds in his hands will freely acknowledge thus was I wounded in the House of my friends Zach. 13.6 Friends are not unmercifull disquieters Object The Judgements of God which goe forth as the light are not of the Judgements of his hand but of his mouth for so he explaineth himselfe in that place of Hosea I have hewen them by the Prophets
Chapter Onely 2. Things more remaine in this Chapter which may not passe without some touch 1. That he saith Gods People in all their awakenings acknowledge how sleightly they have listned to the checks of their owne Conscience This the Answerer pleaseth to call sinning against Conscience for which he may lawfully be persecuted to wit for sinning against his owne Conscience Wherein there is found a double falshood 1. That he saith I call the sleight listnings of Gods People to the checks of their Conscience their sinning against Conscience For I speake not of the sinning of Gods People against Conscience but of an Heretick subverted turned off from the Foundation much lesse doe I call their sleight listnings to Conscience to be Hereticall sinning against Conscience 2. Least of all doe I say that for such sleight listnings to the checks of Conscience he may lawfully be persecuted to wit as for sinning against Conscience Thus men that have time and leasure at will will set up Images of clouts and then shoot at them The 2. Thing in this Chapter which I said might not passe without some touch is that having fastned upon me a conclusion which is none of mine but an invention of his owne He addeth howsoever it be painted over with vermillion c. yet he hopeth to manifest it to be the overturning and rooting up of the roote of all true Christianity and absolutely denying the Lord Jesus to be come in the flesh Whereto I Reply no more but this If he doe manifest that which Magnanimously he undertaketh It may happyly be also manifested by the helpe of Christ that it will overturne no conclusion of mine But howsoever let him remember it was a proverb in Israel Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast himselfe as he that putteth it off 2 Kings 20.11 CHAP. 15. A Reply to his fifteenth Chapter touching the admonition and rejection of an Heretick THe first and second Admonitions in the place of Titus were not Civill or corporall punishments on mens persons or purses But they were the reprehensions convictions exhortations and perswasions of the word of the Eternall God charged home to the Conscience in the Name and Presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his Church Which being despised and not hearkened unto in the last place followeth rejection which is not a cutting off by heading hanging burning nor an expelling out of the Countrey and coasts but the dreadfull cutting off from the visible head and body Christ Jesus and his Church Spirituall cutting off by Excommunication Defender All this the proofes of this in this Chapter I willingly consent and subscribe unto nor doth this touch any conclusion of mine at all much lesse Discusse or shake it For though I said indeed that for an erroneous and blinde Conscience even in Fundamentall and weighty Points It is not lawfull to persecute any till after Admonition once or twice according to Tit. 3.10.11 Yet in alledging that place to prove that Conclusion I intended no other persecution but the Churches prosecution against such an Heretick by excommunication no syllable in my conclusion looketh at more If it be said but Excommunication or any other Church-prosecution cannot fitly be called persecution Yes verily excommunication is a persecution and a lawfull persecution if the cause be just offence as the Angell of the Lord is said to persecute the wicked Psalm 35.6 But the Excommunication is a cruell and bitter persecution If it be without just cause and due order yea and the more greivous persecution by how much the more greivous it is to a Christian man to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints then to be banished from a civill Society sure it is the Lord Jesus accounteth it a persecution to his Disciples to be delivered up unto the Synagogues and to be cast forth out of the Synagogues Luk. 21.12 with Joh. 16.2 CHAP. 16. A Reply to his sixteenth Chapter touching To leration in Points of lesse moment Discusser For a third Position or Conclusion the Answerer gave this that in things of lesse moment whether Points of Doctrine or Worship If a man hold them forth in a spirit of Christian meeknesse and love though with zeale and constancy he is not to be persecuted but tolerated till God may be pleased to manifest his truth to him This conclusion I acknowledge to be the Truth of God yet 3. things are very observeable in the manner of laying it downe 1. That such a Person may be tolerated till God may be pleased to reveale his truth to him upon the same ground the Apostle calleth for meeknesse and Gentlenesse towards all men and towards such as oppose themselves 2. Tim. 2. because it may be God may give them repentance Hence a soule that is lively and sensible of Gods mercy cannot but be patient and gentle towards the Jewes towards the Turkes yea to all the severall sorts of Anti-Christians yea to the Pagans and to the wildest sort of the Sonnes of men who have not heard of the Father and of the Sonne c. Yea not onely be patient to such but also to pray for such yea and to endeavour their participation of the same grace and mercy Defender This nothing shaketh no nor so much as toucheth our cause or defence we thinke it unlawfull for the Church to censure such as are out of the Church And for the Civill State we know no ground they have to persecute Jewes or Turkes or other Pagans for cause of Religion though they all erre in Fundamentalls No nor would I exempt Anti-Christians neither from Toleration notwithstanding their Fundamentall Errors unlesse after conviction they still continue to seduce simple soules into their damnable and pernicious Heresies as into the Worship of false Gods into confidence of their owne merits for Justification into seditious conspiracyes against the lives and States of such Princes as will not submit their Consciences to the Bishop of Rome Which if the Discusser shall in the sequell pluck off as the silken covering of an Image as he calleth it we shall further attend him Discusser 2. I observe from the Scriptures he quoteth for this Toleration Phil. 3. Rom. 14. how closely yet I hope unadvisedly he maketh the Churches of Christ at Philippi and Rome all one with the Cities of Philippi and Rome c. Defender No such matter I never thought these Scriptures to belong at all to the Cities of Philippi or Rome Paul writeth to both the Churches not only to tolerate but to receive their weake brethren who dissent from them in matters of lesse moment but to the Cities I never read any Epistle of his Who would ever imagine the Discusser should be so farre transported beyond all bounds either of reason or truth or candor as to surmise the Answerer should conceive That what those Churches must not tolerate in their holy communion that the Cities of Philippi and Rome must not tolerate within the compasse
Truth CHAP. 19. A Reply to his nineteenth Chapter Discusser That the Lord intendeth not Doctrines or Practises in this Parable It is cleare For 1. The Lord Jesus expresly interpreteth the good seed to be Persons those the children of the Kingdome The Tares also to signify men and those the children of the wicked one ver 38. Defender If the Discusser had cast his eye a little lower he might have found that Christ interpreteth the Tares not onely to be Persons but things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that offend as well as those that doe iniquity ver 41. But I shall not stick upon that at all let the Tares be Persons whether Hypocrites like unto true Christians or holders forth of scandalous and corrupt Doctrines and Practises like unto sound Discusser 2. Such corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated now as those Jewish observations were for a while Rom. 14. nor so long till the end of the world For can we think that though the Lord tendered the tender conscience of the Jews in the observation of the difference of meates and drinks which were sometimes his owne Ordinances that therefore Persons must be now tolerated in the Church for I speake not of the Civill State in superstitious forbearing and forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and superstitious Fridayes c. Defender Who can tell what this Discusser would have The Tares he would have to be Persons not corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet when he commeth to prove that corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated he proveth it from the unlawfulnesse of tolerating corrupt persons for can we thinke saith he that persons must be now tolerated in the Church in the superstitious forbearing or forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and Fridayes Such is the inconstancy of the spirits of men whose hearts are not stayed and steered by the Spirit of Truth that sometimes Tares must not be corrupt Doctrines and Practises but persons because Tares and so persons must be tolerated till the Harvest not so corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet all the reason given why corrupt Doctrines and Practises must not be tolerated is this because Persons that hold them forth must not be tolerated CHAP. 20. A Reply to his twentieth Chapter what is meant by Tares Discusser The Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those weeds which spring up with the Corne as cockle darnell Tares c. seemeth to imply such a kinde of people as are commonly and generally knowne to be manifestly differing from and opposite to the true Worshipers of God c. Defender 1. It is not true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth all those weeds that grow up with the Corne. For they be a speciall weed growing up cheifely amongst the wheat but when it commeth to the earing it groweth more like to Barley yet having a narrower leafe fatter and rougher and a leaner seed in a prickly barke bearing a purple flower as Dioscorides testifyeth Now this is farre from a description of all sorts of weeds that grow up with Corne. 2. Neither is it true that Tares are commonly and generally known assoone as they appeare For Hierom who for a time lived in Jury testifyeth that Inter triticum et zizania quod nos appellamus lolium quamdiu herba est et nondum culmus venit ad spicam grandis similitudo est et in discernendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distantia Comment Mat. Cap. 13. Yea the Text it selfe though the Discusser deny it holdeth forth as much For the servants of the Husbandman in whose Feild the Tares were sowen by the enemy did not discerne the tares from the wheat till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit for then it was and not till then that the Tares appeared to be Tares Mat. 13.26 what though the Text holdeth forth no such time wherein the servants doubted or suspected what they were It is like enough they did not suspect them at all by reason of the grandis similitudo the great likenesse that was between them whilest they were both in the blade Which still maketh good the Exposition that Tares are not bryars and thornes but so like to the wheat that till they come to earing the one cannot be discerned from the other Discusser The one appeared as soone as the other and when the wheat put forth its blade and fruite the Tares were as early they put forth themselves and appeared also 2. There is such a dissimilitude and unlikenesse between them that as soone as Tares and wheat sprung up to blade and fruite every husbandman could tell which is wheat and which is Tares Defender It s true the Tares put forth their blade assoone as did the wheat and appeared above ground one as early as the other but they were so like one to an other that the husbandmen could not tell which was wheat and which Tares till the blade was growen up and they both brought forth their fruite And though when they both brought forth their fruite there was no apparent dimissilitude yet still it is evident that at first the dimssilitude did not appeare The Tares may therefore still stand for Hypocrites who are so like at first unto good Christians that they cannot easily be discerned one from another till in processe of time the difference of the fruite discover them Discusser But when was it that the House-holder gave charge to let them alone was it not after they appeared and were knowne to be Tares which should imply by this interpretation of the Answerer that when men are discovered and knowne to be Hypocrites yet still such a generation of Hypocrites in the Church must be let alone and tolerated untill the Harvest or end of the world which is contrary to all Piety order and safety in the Church of the Lord Jesus as doubtlesse the Answerer will graunt Defender If the Answerer know his owne minde as well as the Discusser doubtlesse the Answerer will not graunt that it is contrary to all piety and order and safety that hypocrites knowne hypocrites be tolerated in the Church till the end of the world For though it be against the safety of the Church when the Officers or body of the Church prove hypocrites for that threatneth a dis-churching Rev. 2.5 yet till the fruits of hypocrisie grow notoriously scandalous and ripe for Church-Censure it is not contrary to all piety and order safety to suffer them but rather more safety to suffer them least some of Gods own Saints true wheat who for a time may degenerate and bring forth like fruit with the Tares be plucked up with them If foolish Virgins be cast out of the Church the wise Virgins may be sometime found sleeping as well as they Mat. 25.5 CHAP. 21. A Reply to his Chap. 21. VVhat is meant by the world and more of the Tares Discusser 2. The Tares cannot signifie hypocrites in the Church for
Text in Isai 49.23 Discusser 1. THat place of Isaiah 49.23 will appeare to be farre from proving such Kings and Queenes Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes And if not Judges they may not punish 2. In spirituall things themselves are subject to the Church shall licke the dust of the Churches feet as is there exprest How then shall those Kings and Queenes be Supreame Governours of the Church 3. Gods Israel of old being earnest for a King an Arme of flesh God gave them Saul in his anger and tooke him away in his wrath So God will take away such Princes in his wrath that so as David succeeded Saul so Christ Jesus in his spirituall Power may for ever be advanced Defender Reply 1. We doe not alledge that place in Isaiah to prove Kings and Queenes to be Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes but to be providers for the Churches well-being and protectours of it For so much the very phrase of nursing Fathers and Mothers doth necessarily import But if they be Protectours of the Church and providers of the well-being of it then are they also Defenders of the faith of it so farre as their defence in a way of God is dispensable So Magistrates are also called Shepheards of the people as well as Ministers Ezec. 34. Now it is a part of a Shepheards protection of his sheepe to drive away wolves from sheepe-folds And it is the like part of good Magistrates to drive away false Prophets from the Churches whom our Saviour calleth ravening wolves Matth. 7.15 But saith he Magistrates are not Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes and if not Judges they may not punish Answ There is a three-fold Judgement 1. A Judgement of private spirituall Discretion and so a spirituall man judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 and so may a Magistrate judge also if he be a spirituall man 2. There is Judicium Propheticum A propheticall Judgement whereby the Prophets having received a greater gift of spirituall discerning of the things of God and an office to declare the same doe judge of Doctrins with Authority Let the Prophets judge 2 Cor. 14.29.32 And this the Ministeriall Judgement of the Church but here the Magistrates Judgement doth not interpose as a Magistrate but as a Brother 3. There is Judicium Politicum the Judgement of civill power whereby a Magistrate being called of God to provide that his people may lead a peaceable life in godlinesse and honesty he therefore is called to discerne not onely what is honesty or righteousnes before men but what is godlinesse also before the Lord accordingly judgeth of godly ungodly doctrines practises so far as tendeth to the upholding of publicke Peace For it is evident in the Scriptures of the New-Testament that when Magistrates were so blindly devout and superstitious as to give their Kingdomes unto the Beast as Rev. 17.12 13. and so to tolerate the publicke worship of Images and other Idolls they thereby overthrew the civill Peace of their Common-wealth For to punish their ungodlinesse it was that God opened a way for the Turkes to breake out and destroy the 3d part of Christendome Rev. 9.14 to 21. Reply 2. Both these may well stand together that Magistrates may be subject to the Church and licke the dust of her feet yet be supreame Governours of the Church also In spirituall matters and in the right administration of them the Magistrates are subject to the Church But in civill matters and in corrupt administration of Church-Affaires so farre corrupt as tendeth to the disturbance of civill Peace there the Magistrates are supreame Governours even over Churches also in their owne Dominions Reply 3. It was no sinne in Israel of old to aske a King but to aske him before the time appointed and to aske him in a tumultuous manner with rejection of Samuel and to aske him for carnall and prophane ends that they might be like to all other Nations whom God did not approve they should affect to be like unto Otherwise had they tarried Gods time God had appointed to give them a King out of the Tribe of Judah Gen. 49.10 It is true God tooke away Saul in his wrath but not for exercising civill Power against spirituall wickednesse for he did justly exercise it against Witches but for other well-knowne notorious wickednesse And as for David we doe not reade that he did exercise any spirituall Power as a King but as a Prophet CHAP. 32. A Reply to his Chap. 32. Discusser THough for the present the punishment of corrupt Teachers as the Scribes and Pharises were be deferred yet their waiteth for them an higher pitch of punishment then any Corporall can reach unto As 1. Starke Blindnesse c. 2. Incurable Blindnesse c. 3. Their end is the Ditch c. 4. The Leaders of others into the ditch shall find their owne ruine horrible and the ruine of their followers eternally galling tormenting Defender The Discusser himselfe knoweth and accordingly expresseth himselfe in his next words That it is the like case of all sinners and of all malefactours their punishment in hell will be more horrible and full of torment then can be inflicted in this world And yet the State is often bound to punish them and in many cases by death it selfe Discusser Be it so But what is this to a blind Pharisee resisting the Doctrine of Christ who hapily may be as good a Subject and as peaceable and profitable to the civill State as any c. Defender But what is this to the question in hand we doe not hold it lawfull for a Christian Magistrate to compell by civill sword either Pharisee or any Jew or Pagan to professe the Religion or Doctrine of the Lord Jesus much lesse doe we thinke it meet for a private Christian to provoke either Jewish or Pagan Magistrates to compell Pharises to submit to the Doctrine or Religion of Christ Jesus And therefore all these Chapters from 29. to 35. seven Chapters in all tending to prove that Christs Disciples were to let the Pharises alone in this way are but so many empty flourishes beating the aire playing with a shadow And yet the rest of the Chapters which remaine must not passe without some Advertisement of such passages in them as doe corrupt the truth of Christ How the Pharises can be as good subjects and as peaceable and profitable to the civill State as any who yet destroyed the civill State by destroying Christ let any but a blind conscience judge CHAP. 33. Discusser IT is truth The mischiefe of a blind Pharises blind guidance is greater then if he acted treasons murders c. And the losse of one soule by his seduction is a greater mischiefe then if he blew up Parliaments or cut the throats of Kings and Emperours c. And therefore a firme justice that requires an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth life for life calleth also soule for soule But that no civill sword can inflict but the Lord
had been then but on his way to Ephesus which is a narrow point of time it is more then propable if Timothy had been then at Ephesus he would have said Tychicus have I sent to thee to Ephesus CHAP. 39. A Reply to his 39. Chap. Discusser BVt from this place in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.25 in particular I argue thus 1. If the Civill Magistrates be Christians or Members of the Church able to prophesie to the Church of Christ then they are bound by this command of Christ to suffer opposition to their Doctrine with meeknesse and gentlenesse waiting if God peradventure will give them Repentance So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becometh not the spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritans and unconverted persons whether in Ephesus or Creete with Fire and Sword Defender The Answerer is still of the same mind though he might strike in upon the advantage that if the Magistrate be also a Prophet he may doe some things as a Magistrate which he may not doe as a Prophet yet he willingly acknowledgeth that if a Magistrate be also a Prophet yea whether he be a Prophet or no he ought not to seeke to subdue and convert Aliens to the Faith by Fire and Sword Discusser Secondly if the Oppositions be within and the Church-members become scandalous in Doctrine I speake not of scandalls in the Civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish It is the Lord onely as the Scripture in Timothy implyeth who is able to give them Repentance and to recover them out of Satans snare c. It is true the civill Sword may make a whole Nation of Hypocrites as the Lord complaineth Isay 10. and as befell our Native Country in a few scores of yeares in the severall Reignes of Henry 7. Henry 8. King Edward Queen Mary Queene Elizabeth under whom our Nation was as ready to change the fashion of their Religions as of their Suits of Apparell which hath been their sinfull shame Defender If Opposition rise from within from the Members of the Church I doe not beleive it to be lawfull for the Magistrate to seeke to subdue and convert them to be of his mind by the civill Sword But rather to use all spirituall meanes for their conviction and conversion But if the Opposition still continue in Doctrine and Worship and that against the vitals and Fundamentalls of Religion whether by Heresie of Doctrine or Idolatry in Worship and shall proceed to seeke the Seduction of others I doe beleive the Magistrate is not to tolerate such opposion against the Truth in Church-members or in any Professours of the Truth after due conviction from the word of Truth Nor is it an Objection of any weight that neither the Magistrate nor his Sword can give Repentance unto such For neither can he give Repentance unto such persons as are scandalous to the civill State whom yet notwithstanding the Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth the civill Magistrate ought to punish Though the civill Sword should not make the opposers Hypocrites yet better tolerate Hypocrites and Tares then Bryars and Thornes In such cases the civill Sword doth not so much attend the conversion of wicked Seducers as the prevention of the seduction of honest minds by their meanes What the Kings and Queens of England have done in former or later times either by violent Persecution of the Truth or in preposterous maintenance of the Truth we have cause rather to bewaile it and so hath the Discusser too if he be an English man then to justifie it as also bewaile the like vanity justly complained of in sundry of our English Nation to be as ready to change the fashion of their Religion as of their Rayment And yet he cannot be ignorant that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe sundry faithfull witnesses out of that Nation who have continued stedfast unto the death in the Profession of the Truth and have not been carried away either with the feare of civill Sword or with the deceitfull insinuations of unstable but seducing Teachers to depart from the simplicity and Truth of the Gospel But howsoever wofull and wonderfull changes have been made of Religion in England in the Reigne of foure or five Princes yet it is no more then befell the Church of Judah in the dayes of Ahaz and Hezekiah Manasseh and Josiah yet the Prophets never upbraided them with the civill Magistrater Power in causes of Religion as the cause of it Better some vicissitudes in Religion then a constant continuance in Idolatry and Popery by Princes referring all causes of Religion to Church-men The Prophecie of Englands Revolt againe to Popery wanteth Scripture Light CHAP. 40. A Reply to his Chap. 40. Discusser BVt it hath been thought and said shall Oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous I answer as before concerning the blind Guides their case being incurable is rather to be lamented since none but the right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle Dispensing of the word of Truth can release them c. Defender So it is with all scandalous offenders against the civil State none can give them healing Repentance but the right hand of the Lord Jesus in the dispensing of the word of Truth yet that doth not restraine Magistrates from executing just Judgement upon them So neither doth it restraine them from executing the like just Judgement against these though not to procure the Repentance of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Idolaters yet to prevent the seduction and subversion of others What though a dead soule though changed from one Worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall suites of Apparell cannot please God Heb. 11.6 And what though Faith be that gift which proceedeth alone from that Father of Lights Phil. 1.29 Yet better a dead soule be dead in body as well as in Spirit then to live and be lively in the flesh to murder many precious soules by the Magistrates Indulgence And better he die without Faith then to live to seduce many honest minds to depart from the Faith Discusser I adde a civill Sword hardneth the followers of false Teachers by the sufferings of their false and Antichristian Seducers And secondly it begetteth in them an Impression of the falshood of that Religion which cannot uphold it selfe but with such Instruments of violence and wanteth the soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others Defender A civill Magistrate ought not to draw out his civill Sword against any Seducers Whether Hereticks or Idolaters till he have used all good meanes for their conviction and thereby clearely manifested the bowels of tender commiseration and compassion towards them But if after their continuance in obstinate Rebellion against the Light he shall still walke towards them in soft and gentle commiseration his softnesse and gentlenesse is excessive large to Foxes and wolves But his bowels are miserably straitned and hardned
his Elect out of their hands no more then now yet the attempt to pluck them out of Gods hand was a Capitall crime then Deut. 13.5.10 For speaking to turne away a soule from God ver 5. and seeking to thrust away a soule from God are but attempts Besides God putteth no difference of Elect and Reprobate in matter of murder either of foule or Body But the respect which God hath in this case is to his Covenant which God made with the visible members of his Church Now. if a man shall so farre violate his Covenant as to Apostate from God and to draw others away to Apostate from him the Lord avengeth this quarrell of his Covenant upon the lives of such And therefore the hainousnesse of this crime is expressed in that he spake or sought to turne away any of the people of God from the Lord their God Deut. 13.5.10 CHAP. 43. A Reply to his Chap. 43. Discusser FOurthly I aske were not these Elders and Ministers of the Church of Ephesus sufficiently furnished from the Lord Jesus to drive away these spirituall and mysticall wolves Defender They were furnished with sufficient power to cast them out of the Church but being cast out they had not sufficient power to drive them away from conferring with and corrupting the members of the Church or other Godly ones out of the Church It is no dishonor to Christ nor impeachment to th sufficiency of the Ordinances left by Christ that in such a case his Ministers of Justice in the Civill State should assist his Ministers of the Gospel in the Church-State Discusser Fiftly lastly I Aske whether as men deale with wolves these wolves at Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed their braines dasht out with stones staves Halberts Gunns c. in the hands of the Elders of Ephesus Defender No nor was it alledged by me for any such end nor indeed alledged by me at all but onely the Discusser is pleased to set up a marke to shoot at for his owne recreation Elders must keepe within the bounds of their calling But killing and dashing out of Braines which is all one with stoning was expresly commanded in such a case to the People of God by order from the Judges Deut. 13.10 Discusser But comparing spirituall things with spirituall things spirituall mysticall wolves should be spiritually and mystically slaine Defender So they should be by the spirituall Officers and members of the Church But in destroying Religion they are also disturbers of the Civill State and accordingly are to be dealt withall by Civill Justice Achan disturbed the Common-wealth as well as the Church of Israel by bringing a Babylonish garment into the Tents of Israel and was therefore troubledhimselfe for troubling the People of the Lord Josh 7.25 Discusser It is a most bloudy Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be drivenaway their braines knockt out and killed the poore sheep to be persecuted for whom Christ died Defender Belike it is a milkey and peaceable and Gospel like Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be tolerated not an haire to be struck off from their heads but for the poore sheep for whom Christ died let them perish unlesse Christ mean to preserue them himselfe alone with his own immediate hand no care of preserving them belongeth to the Civill Magistrate Discusser Is not this to take Christ and to make him a temporal King by force Joh. 6.15 Is not this to make his Kingdome of this world to set up a Civill and Temporall Israel to bound out new earthly holy lands of Canaan yea and to set up a Spanish Inquisition in all parts of the world to the speedy destruction of millions of soules and to the frustrating of the sweet end of the comming of the Lord Jesus which was to save mens soules and to that end not to destroy their bodyes by his owne bloud Defender Now of all these when the Kingdomes of the earth become the Kingdomes of the Lord Rev. 11.15 It is not by making Christ a temporall King but by making temporall Kingdomes nursing Fathers to his Church In the dayes of Christs Flesh it was Incompatible to his Ministery to make him a King as they went about to doe Joh. 6.15 Christ hath injoyed even as Mediator an everlasting Kingdome not onely in the Church but in the Government of all the Kingdomes of the earth by his glorious power and righteousnesse But the Kingdomes of the earth are then said to be the Kingdomes of our Lord when they submit their lawes to the lawes of his word But that neither maketh him a temporall King nor his Kingdome in the Church to be a Kingdome of this world The Church and Common-wealth are still distinct Kingdomes the one of this world the other of Heaven and yet both of them from Christ unto whom the Father hath committed all Judgement Iob. 5.22 Neither will this set up a Civill and temporall Israel an holy Canaan unlesse all the members of the Common-wealth were called to be members of the Church and subject to all the ceremoniall and all the judiciall Lawes of Moses not onely those of Morall and perpetuall equity but peculiar to that State as the Brother to marry his deceased Brothers wife Nor is it a Spanish Inquisition to preserve the sheep of Christ from the raven of wolves but this rather such is the practise of the Discusser to promote the principal end of the spanish Inquisition to advance the Romish tyranny Idolatry and Apostacy by proclaiming impunity to all their whorish and wolvish Emissaries Nor is it a frustrating of the sweet end of Christs comming which was to save soules but rather a direct advancing of it to destroy if need be the bodies of those wolves who seeke to destroy the soules of those for whom Christ died and whom he bought with his owne bloud CHAP. 44. A Reply to his Chap. 44. Discussing 2 Cor. 10.4 Discusser The next Scripture produced against such persecution was 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God c. To which it is Answered Paul speaketh of the weapons of Apostles and Church-Officers which are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God But this denieth not Civill weapous of Justice to Civill Magistrates But I here observe that the Scripture holdeth forth a two-fold State a Civill State and a Spirituall Civill Officers and spirituall Civill weapons and spirituall Civill vengeance and spirituall though the Spirit speaketh not here expresly of Civill Magistrates and their Civill weapons yet these States being of different natures and considerations as farre differing as flesh and spirit therefore Civill weapons are most improper and unfitting in matters of the spirituall Kingdome and State though in the Civill State most proper and suitable Defender The Discusser as often throughout his Discourse so here he looseth himselfe and the truth in ambiguityes Civill weapons are indeed improper and unfitting in spirituall matters to wit in the
dispencing and pressing of spirituall matters for the immediate producing of spirituall ends as for a Magistrate to draw his sword to compell all his Subjects to the obedience of the faith if Christ and to the profession of it But this is not unfitting nor improper That a Magistrate should draw his sword though not in matters spirituall yet about matters spiritual to protect them in peace and to stave off the disturbers and destroyers of them It were improper and unfitting for carpenters to bring their Axes and Hammers to build up the spirituall Kingdome and Church of Christ But yet their tooles are fitting to build up scaffolds that the people may draw neere to heare the Word by hearing be brought on to faith and salvation CHAP. 45. A Reply to his 45. Chap. Discusser TO Batter and take a strong Hold or Fort men bring not a first and second Admonition and after obstinacy Excommunication But they bring Canons Culverings Sakers Bullets Powder Musquets Swords Pikes weapons suitable and proportionable On the other side to batter downe Idolatry false worship Heresy out of the soule and spirit It is vaine Improper unsuitable to bring the usuall weapons of persecutors Stocks Whips Prisons Swords Gibbtts Stakes But against these spirituall sirong holds in the soules of men spirituall Artillery and weapons are proper and mighty through God to subdue every thought to obedience Defender Let this stand as it shall for me It nothing toucheth the Question in hand It is farre from me to allow the Civill Magistrate to make use of his Civill weapons to batter downe Idolatry and Heresy in the soules of men but for this end he is to use spirituall weapons and all Lenity and wisdome in the improvement thereof But if the Idolater or Heretick grow obstinate as the Apostle saith waxe worse and worse deceiving himselfe and others to the destroying or corrupting and disturbing of others now the Magistrate maketh use not of Stocks and Whipps for these doe not remove but exasperate the malady but of Death or Banishment that may cut him off from opportunity of spreading the leaven and Gangerne of his pernicious wayes whether in Doctrine or practise It is one thing to speake oâ— Heresie and Idolatry in the Abstract another in the Concrete Heresie Idolatry and all spirituall wickednesse cannot be rooted out of the hearts of the sonnes of men but by spirituall weapons But Hereticks and Idolaters may be restrained from the open practise and profession of their wickednesse by the Sword of Justice and such weapons of Righteousnesse Discusser But though these weapons were proper yet they are unnecessary For if spirituall weapons in the hand of Church Officers be able mighty and sufficient and ready for the Lords worke either to save or to kill the soule c. How doth the Magistrate come in to help but as if the Lord had no power Defender This is a meere pretence in the mouth pen of the Discusser For he having cut off all the Churches of Christ and all Church Ordinances and Church-weapons from off the face of the earth for these many ages past and I know not for how many yeares yet to come If Civill weapons be debarred from defending Religion upon pretence that Church-weapons are sufficient and and then no Churches nor Church weapons to be found upon the face of the earth then let all Seducers to Apostacy Idolaters Hereticks let them all rejoyce in an open doote of liberty safety which the Discusser hath set wide open before them If Civill States must not and Churches cannot come in to helpe the Lord shall the curse of Meroz be so avoided because the Lord wanteth not power to help himselfe But I might reply further that though spiritual weapons are mighty through God and sufficient to those ends for which the Lord appointed them which are to purge out leaven from their holy communion and to mortify the flesh of offendors yet that is not supersedeas to Civill Magistrates to neglect to punish those sins which the Church hath censured if the persons censured do proceed to subvert the truth of the Gospel or the peace of the Church or the salvation of the people The rest of the Discussers discourse in this chapter are as Jude speaketh clouds without water words without matter CHAP. 46. A Reply to his Chap. 46. Discussing Rom. 13. Discusser This Scripture Rom. 13. which it pleaseth the Answerer to quote how hath both himselfe and many excellent servants of God wrested not as Peter writeth of the wicked to their eternall yet to their owne and others tempor all destruction by civill warres and combustions in the world Defender This charge is a greivous crime if it be truly proved a greivous slaunder if it be not proved The rest of the Chapter proveth it not but that onely which I willingly graunt that this 13th Chapter to the Romans exhorteth unto subjection to Magistrates unto love to all men which are duties partaining to the second Table Howbeit though subjection to Magistrates and love to all men be duties which concerne the second Table a point which needed no proofe yet this inference will not here follow That therefore Magistrates have nothing to doe to punish any violation no not of the weightiest duties of the first Table It is a cleare case amongst the duties of the second Table people may be exhorted to honor their Ministers and children may be exhorted to honor their Parents But will it thence follow that therefore Ministers have nothing to doe with matters of Religion in the Church or parents in the Family CHAP. 47. A Reply to his Chap. 47. Discusser THere be excellent and precious servants of God in their time who have absolutely denyed the 13. of the Rom. to concerne any matter of the first Table Defender I will not stand upon the last use in that Chapter put you on the Lord Jesus Christ which I hope the Discusser himselfe will not deny much lesse say that any Excellent and precious servants of God doe absolutely deny that such a Duty concerneth the first Table But what is it that the servants of God say Discusser Calvin saith this whole Discourse concerneth Civill Magistrates and therefore in vaine doe they who exereise Power over Consciences goe about from this place to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny Defender Calvins Judgement herein as generally in other points is sound and agreeable to the Text but not at all favouring the Discussers Imagination This whole Disputation saith he is of Civill Governments whereupon this inference is according to his owne true meaning and scope therefore it doth nor concerne Church-Government Therefore such Church-Governours as upon pretence of this Text doe make Lawes without the word and besides the word to bind Conscience and to usurp power over Consciences they in vaine goe about to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny from this place But what is this to the point in hand Church-Governours
I have expresly said it and proved it before that it is and ought to be the care and worke of the Church also to suppresse and punish seducing Teachers and scandalous livers in a Church-way as well as the Magistrate in a civill way Discusser First this joyning of things of such different kindes is not an homogeneall but heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kinds Defender But these different kinds they agree in one common kind they are both of them evills and evills destructive in their severall wayes to the common good of Gods people which ought to be preserved both in Church and Common-wealth The Termes of Homogeneall and Heterogeneall are in this case only words of noyse and of an empty sound fit to take with simple people that know not the meaning nor use of them Discusser Who knoweth not that many seducing Teachers of the Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian Religion may be cleare and free from scandalous offences in their lives and from disobedience to the civill Lawes of the State Defender Now you may see the Discusser was willing to make use of founding words which himselfe it seemeth knew not well the use of For what if there were many seducing Teachers of all Religions that may be cleare from scandalous offences the distinguishing therefore of evills into these two sorts into seditious Teachers and scandalous offenders is so much the more allowable and accurate If a man shall say the worke of the Creation on the sixt day was either of man or of Beast shall a man goe about here to observe a great evill that here is not an homogeneall but an heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kind For who knoweth not that there are many Beasts Lyons Leopards Wolves Beares that never were men but are cleare and free from all humane nature Such a like reasoning is that of the Discusser here What if many seducing Teachers whether Jewish Paganish Turkish Antichristian were never scandalous livers but obedient to the civill State yet are they not all of them evill and accordingly to be restrayned by lawfull Authority And is the joyning of them together the great evill of an heterogeneall commixture Againe let the Discusser be pleased to observe that which hath been often touched afore that we looke at it as more tolerable for seducing Teachers to seduce those who are already in the same gall of bitternesse with themselves as Pagans to seduce Pagans Jewes to seduce Jewes Turkes to seduce Turkes and Antichristians to seduce Antichristians Though this also ought to be prevented by wise and wholsome meanes by a Christian Magistrate in all those that are under his dominion so far as there is power in his hand without the hazard of the publick State Lastly let me adde this Reply to the rest that it will be hard for the Discusser to finde Antichristian seducers cleare and free from Disobedience to the civill Lawes of a State in case that Antichrist to whom they are sworne shall excommunicate the civill Magistrate and prescribe the civill State to the invasion of Forrayners Discusser Again who knoweth not that a seducing Teacher properly sinneth against the Church against the Spirituall State and Lawes of it and therefore ought most properly and onely to be dealt withall in such a way Defender These twise-sod Coleworts the Discusser hath often set them before us heretofore but with as little savour now as before For what if a seducing Teacher having sinned against the Church be cast out by the Church and still continue seducing yea what a weake and guilfull evasion would this prove for the Discusser to referre a seducing Teacher to a Church-way when himselfe doth not acknowledge any Church of Christ extant upon the face of the Earth Discusser A second evill which I observe in coupling seducing Teachers with scandalous livers is a silent and implicit Justification of all unrighte us and cruell proceedings of Jewes and Gentiles against all the Prophets of God the Lord Jesus himselfe and all his messingers and witnesses whom their Accusers have ever so coupled and mixed with notorious evill doers and scandalous livers c. Defender Is this a silent and implicite Justification of all the injurious and cruell handlings by wicked men of the Lord Jesus and his witnesses to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority because the Lord Jesus himselfe and his witnesses have suffered under those names What if the wicked Jewes and Gentiles did injuriously and blasphemously put those names upon the Lord Jesus and his faithfull witnesses and upon pretence of such evils put them to death doth it therefore justifie such proceedings to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority If those who are indeed seducing Teachers and scandalous livers ought to be punished will it therefore justifie the like proceedings against them who are no such persons but falsly so called if a man should say a murderer is to be punished with death will it therefore justifie the Islanders of Melita to put Paul to death because amongst them he was so reputed doubtlesse a murderer Acts 28.4 yea let the Discusser seriously confider whether this kind of reasoning of his doe not more then silently and implicitely testifie that the Lord Jesus and his witnesses were seducing Teachers and scandalous livers CHAP. 55. A Reply to his Chap. 57. Discusser THe Scripture alleaged by the Answerer to prove that it would be an evill to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing Teachers or scandalous livers is written Rev. 2.14.20 Where Christ hath something against the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thyatira for tolerating Jezebel to teach and seduce Vnto which I may answer with some admiration and astonishment how it pleased the Father of Lights and most Jealous God to darken and vaile the eyes of such a man as not to seeke out and propose some Scriptures in the proofe of so weighty an assertion as at least might have some colour for the influence of the civill Magistrate in such cases For these Texts concerne neither the City nor the civill Magistrates of Pergamus and Thyatyra but the Churches and Elders c. Defender It was no part of my meaning to alledge those Scriptures to prove it unlawfull for Magistrates to tolerate seducing Teachers but unlawfull for Churches If the Discusser say there needed no proofe of that that was out of Question I may truly tell him that was more then I knew For the Letter which he intreated me to Answer so stated the Question as in generall to argue against persecution for cause of Conscience And if the Question be put in such generall Termes I knew the Church might as well be complained of for persecution for cause of Conscience as the civill Magistrate For if persecution be taken properly for affliction or oppression for righteousnesse sake I
of it For may it not justly be conceived That the Lord therefore hid the place of his buriall least the Children of Israel knowing it might goe a whoring after his Sepulchre and it may be offer sweet incense upon it and so such false worship against the law of Moses might come to be Tolerated for honor to the body of Moses But Christ hath abolished a Nationall State or Church which Moses set up in Canaan Though Christ abolished a Nationall church-Church-State and instead thereof set up a Congregationall Church yet Christ never abolished a Nationall Civill State nor the Judiciall Lawes of Moses which were of Morall equity but established them rather in their place and order He that shed his own bloud to plant his Church did never abolish that Law which enacted that his bloud should be upon him who should supplant his Church If Christs bloud goe to plant it let the false Christs bloud goe for supplanting it Discusser In the King of Bohemias speech the Answerer passeth by that Foundation in grace and Nature that Conscienee ought not to be violated and forced it is a spirituall Rape Defender This was not passed by but prevented in stating the Question where it was said it is not lawfull to censure any no not for error in Fundamentall points of Doctrine or Worship till the Conscience of the offendor be first convinced out of the word of God of the dangerous error of his way and then if he still persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.11 so he is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but punished for sinning against his Conscience Discusser The King observeth that most lamentably true experience of all ages That persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious c. Defender No experience in any age did ever prove it pernicious to punish seducing Apostates after due conviction of the error of their way Wherein did the burning of Servetus prove pernicious to Geneva or the just execution of many popish Preists to Queene Elizabeth or to the english State But the Kings speech may passe if it be meant of persecution properly so called to wit Oppression of the faithfull for the Truths sake yea if it be the punishment of any for error If not Fundamentally pernicious either to Religion or Church-order and that after conviction of Conscience persisted in with obstinacy Discusser Lastly the Kings observation of his owne time that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery reigned Implying as I conceive such practises commonly proceed from the great Whore whose Daughters are like their Mother all of a bloudy nature as commonly all wolves be Defender It is no marvell if I passed by this observation in the Kings speech For there is no such observation there to be found If the Discusser had well observed it himselfe he would have found it was not the speech of the King but of the Prisoner And the persecution he speaketh of was not of Antichristians or Hereticks or Idolaters but onely of such as the world nick-named Puritans or the like and of them too without conviction of the error of their way But in that the Discusser maketh England a Daughter of the great Whore and of a bloudy nature like her Mother he speaketh as some other of the rigid Seperation have done before him But I could never yet see awarrant from the rule either of Truth or Love for such a speech Did ever the holy Scripture call any Church an whore that worshipped the true God onely in the Name of Jesus and depended on him alone for righteousnesse and salvation Is it not the part of a base childe or at least a base pare of a childe to call his Mother whore who bred him and bred him to know no other Father but her lawfull Husband the Lord Jesus Christ CHAP. 60. A Reply to his 63. Chap. Discusser NOw Thirdly In that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperors they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian Whereas the good Emperors Constantine Gratian Valentian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arians and Donatists Let it be for an Answer It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous c. Defender This may goe for a truth but not for an Answer The Letter would Justifie Toleration of Religion from the judgement and speeches of three Kings I Answered that was no Argument for I could bring him Kings more in number and greater in the sight of God and man who judged it meet not to tolerate Hereticks nor turbulent Schismaticks To this the Discusser Answereth sometimes the Godly doe that which is evill and the wicked that which is good This I say is a Truth but doth not take away my Answer but by a Petitio Principij a begging of the Question That Kings alledged by him did that which was good but the Kings alledged by me though better persons did that which was evill CHAP. 61. A Reply to his Chap. 64. Discusser THe unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperors did more hurt to Christ Jesus his Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes In the persecution of those wicked Emperors Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded in Morters But those good Emperors persecuting some erroneous persons and advancing the Professors of some truthes and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword by this meanes Christianity was eclipsed The Professors of it fell asleepe Cant. 5. Babel was usher'd in and by degrees the Churches of the Saints were turned into the Wildernesse of whole Nations Rev. 12.13 untill the whole world became Christian or Christendome Those good Emperors intending to exalt Christ but not attending to the command of Christ Jesus to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the world all one c. Defender If the unknowing zeale of Constantine other Christian Emperors did more hurâ— to the Church then the raging fury of bloudy Neroes It was not because the raging fury of those Persecutors was more accepted of God then this unknowing zeale of the good Emperors For though the unknowing zeale of the one was finfull yet it was the friut of humane frialty Error Amoris But the rage of the others was divelish fury Amor Erroris Besides the unknowing zeale of the good Emperors lay not in punishing notorious Hereticall Seducers nor will the Discusser be ever able to shew that the Church of Christ suffered any hurt at all by that meanes The contrary is evident Constantius and Valens by Tolerating and favoring the Arians the whole world became Arian Ingemuit orbis Christianus et miratus est factum se esse Arianum
the Colledge that he might be trained up to knowledge for the help of his Country-men But no violent course taken with them at all to constraine them to the Faith or Profession of Christianity The time is hastning we hope when all the vials of Gods wrath will be poured out on the Antichristian State and then we looke for the fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in and with the Jewes multitudes of Pagans But till the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled wee cannot easily hope for the entrance of 〈◊〉 New multitudes of men into the Church according to the word of the Lord Rev. 15.8 No man that is no man out of the Temple no Pagan was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled But to returne to our Discusser he speaketh at randome when he intimateth that we walke not by Rule but partially as if we permitted not the like liberty of worship to our Country-men nor to the French Dutch Spanish Persians Turkes Jewes which wee doe to the Indians For we Neither constraine them to worship God with us nor restraine them from worshipping God in their owne way Persians Turkes and Jewes come not amongst us those of other Nations of Europe when they doe come amongst us their manner of Worship is not taken notice of amongst us Our Country-men worship God with us for the most part if some of them come not to our Assemblies by reason of the distance of their dwellings from us they have Liberty of publick prayer and preaching of the word a-amongst themselves by such as themselves choose without disturbance Discusser The Answerer addeth a further Answer to Tertullian for whereas Tertullian had said that one mans Religion doth neither hurt nor profit another the Answerer saith it must be understood of private Worship or of Religion professed in private Otherwise a false Religion professed in publick by the Members of the Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and Desolation of the Churches Rev. 2. Whereto I Answer 1. Those that are Members of the Church and those that have given their names to Christ are all one the distinction therefore is unsound Defender The Discusser must excuse me though I doe not take them for all one For men of yeares must give up their names to Christ before they can be received Members into the Church as is evident Isaiah 56.6 7. Therefore they are not all one the one precedeth the other Discusser I answer secondly that Tertullian doth not there speake of private but of publick worship and Religion Defender Tertullians speech may possibly be meant of either publick or private But as I said to make the speech true it must either be understood of private or if of publick profession of Religion it must be understood not of Christian but of Pagan and of Pagan during the time of Gods Patience and their ignorance But after God revealed the Truth of the Gospel-Religion to them it was not safe to continue a publick Profession of Pagan-Religion for after the White-Horse hath revealed the Gospel a Red and Black and pale-horse follow to avenge the rejection of it upon the Romane-Pagan-Empire Revel 6.2 to 8. Discusser I answer thirdly although it be true in a Church of Christ that a false Religion or Worship permitted will doe hurt according to those Threats of Christ Rev. 2. yet in two cases I beleive a false Religion will not hurt which is most like to have been Tertullians meaning 1. A false Religion out of the Church will not hurt the Church no more then weeds in the Wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Gardens nor poyson hurt the body when it is not touched or taken yea and Antidotes are received against it 2. A false Religion and worship will not hurt a Civill State in case the worshippers breake no civill Law And the Answerer elsewhere acknowledgeth that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Lawes are not broken And this onely is the point in Question Defender If this onely be the point in Question where then lyeth the controversie for if I say as the Discusser saith I doe that the Civill Peace is not broken when the Civill Law is not broken and if a false Religion or worship doe not hurt the civill State unlesse the Worshippers breake some civill Law then where lyeth the pinch of the controversie But I would not have the Discusser mistake himselfe I doe not remember that I have any where said that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Law is not broken He saith I say so elsewhere If he meane that I say so in the Modell drawn up by my Brethren the Elders of those Churches he wrongeth and polluteth himselfe much Crimine falsi when he saith that Mr. Cotton with the rest of the Ministers of New-England composed that Modell of Church and civill power It is no new thing with him to say I did that which I did not that Modell was drawen up by some other fellow-Brethren but not by me There is a Truth in the speech which they speak rightly understood but not as the Discusser here taketh it For first what if no civill Law be made for the establishment of Religion nor against the violation of the Fundamentalls of it this very defect of so needfull a Law may bring the wrath of God upon the civill State as did the defect of a King in Israel Judg. 21.25 Againe secondly there may be a Law made for the establishing of true Religion and it though it be violated yet the Discusser will say no civill Law is violated because no Law concerning the second Table is violated But that is his mistake to thinke the civill Lawes concerne onely the outward Estate of the People and not their Religion That is a civill Law whatsoever concerneth the good of the City and the propulsing of the contrary Now Religion is the best good of the City and therefore Lawes about Religion are truly called civill Lawes enacted by civill Authority about the best good of the City for the promoting and preserving of that good of the City But having thus spoken to his second case first wherein he saith a false Religion will not hurt a civill State I come now to his first which was that a false Religion will not hurt if it be out of the Church no more then weeds in the wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Garden But what if the Garden be inclosed in the midst of a wildernesse what if the weeds grow so neere the inclosure or hedge round about the Garden that they easily creep into the Garden what if every blast of wind blow the seeds of the weeds into the Garden which are ready to overspread the Garden and to choak the good herbes The Discusser will say they that keep and dresse the Garden should weed them out True so they ought to their best endeavour But
once and againe out of the Church of Alexandria once whist he was Deacon as Sozomene reporteth in Lib. 1. Ecclesiast Historia Chap. 14. And though afterwards he got into the Church againe yet he was againe excommunicated when he was Presbyter and cast out of his Presbytery as Socrates reporteth in his lib. 1. Ecclesiast Hastoria Cap. 6. of the Greek Edition Chap. 3. of the latine So that Hierome complaining of the great hurt which the sparke of Arius did because he was not timely put out he did not meane of putting out of the Church which was done timely enough and twice for failing but because he was not put out either out of the world or at least out of the Confines of Neighbour Churches Say not yet Paul doubtlesse spake of putting out of the Church For though that be true yet now the Question is not of Pauls judgement in this place but of Hieromes judgement which the Author of the Letter alledgeth as a witnesse for himselfe and the Discusser would maintaine it though Ieromes words will not beare it It argueth men are more led by will then judgement to uphold a cause when the witnesses which themselves produce beare witnesse against them Neither let any man say That this graunt of his That Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the spirit doth imply an absolute sufficiency in the Sword of the Spirit to cut it downe according to 2 Cor 10.4 5. For though Spirituall weapons be absolutely sufficient to the end for which God hath appointed them as hath been opened above to wit for the conviction and if he belong to God for the conversion of the offender for the mortifying of his flesh for the saying of his soule and for the cleansing of the Church from the fellowship of that guilt yet if an Hereticke still continue obstinate and persist in seducing creepe into Houses lead captive silly soules and destroy the faith of some it may be of many such Gangrenes would be cut off by another Sword which in the hand of the Magistrate is not borne in vaine Discusser But the eye of this Answerer could never be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of Iron and steele to help the Sword of the Spirit if the Sunne of righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him That a Nationall Church which elswhere he professeth against a State-Church whether explicite as in Old England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus Christ The Nationall typicall-state-Typicall-State-Church of the Jewes necessarily called for such weapons But the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the world consisting of Jewes and Gentiles is powerfully able to defend it selfe and offend men and Divells although the State and Kingdome wherein the Churches be had neither carnall Sword nor Speare as once it was in the Nationall Church in the Land of Canaan 1 Sam. 13. Defender I should think mine eye were very obscure indeed if I should run to a Smiths shop to fetch the Authority of the civill Magistrate from thence or if I should thinke his Authority could not be put forth against all evill doers and amongst others against Hereticks without a Sword of Iron or Steele If their be stones in the streets the Magistrate need not fetch a Sword from the Smiths shop nor an Halter from the Ropers to punish an Heretick A pleasant wit can play with a feather of every flying Fancy and yet which is to be lamented bring in such light conceits into grave Discourses and Disputes about the holy things of God But two things let the Discusser understand 1. That the Lord through his grace hath opened mine eye many a yeare agoe to discerne that a Nationall Church is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus And himselfe confesseth that elswhere I have profest against such a Church State nor will he ever be able to make it good that the Church in New-England is implicitely any Nationall or state-State-Church 2. Let him understand further that I should thinke mine eye not onely obscured but the sight of it utterly put out if I should conceive as he doth That the Nationall Church State of the Jewes did necessarily call for such weapons to punish Hereticks more then the Congregationall State of particular Churches doth call for the same now in the dayes of the New-Testament For was not the Nationall Church of the Iewes as compleately furnished with spirituall Armour to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells as the particular Churches of the New-Testament be Had they not power to convince false Prophets as Elijah did the Prophets of Baal Had they not power to seperate all evil doers from the fellowship of the Congregation what power have our particular Churches now which their Nationall Church wanted or what efficacy is their found in the exercise of our power which was wanting to them If it be said Their Nation was an holy Nation and an uncleane person might not live amongst them Ans It is true he might not enter into the Congregation with the rest of the Israelites to worship the Lord but he was permitted to live in the Common-wealth of Israel men uncercumcised both in heart and flesh It is therefore a Sophystical imagination of mans Braine to make a mans selfe or the world believe that the Nationall Church-State of the Iewes required a civill Sword whereas the particular Church-State of the Gospel needs no such help Why not I pray you Because particular Churches are powerfully able by the Sword of the Spirit to defend themselves and to offend men or Divells And was not the Nationall Church of Israel as powerfully able by the same Spirit to doe the same Surely it was both spoken and meant of the Nationall Church of the Iewes Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hostes Zach. 4.6 And doth not the Discusser himselfe observe that time was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan when there was neither carnall Speare nor Sword to be found 1 Sam. 13. And was not then the Nationall Church powerfully able by the Spirit of God to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells aswell as particular Churches now CHAP. 69. A Reply to his Chap. 72. discussing the Testimony of Brentius Discusser BRentius upon 1 Cor. 3. saith no man hath power to make or give Lawes to Christians whereby to binde their Consciences For willingly freely and uncompelled with a ready desire and chearfull minde must those that come run unto Christ To this the Answerer returneth Brentius saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly graunt you that man hath no power to binde Conscience but this hindereth not that men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde Conscience But the graunting this That men have no power to make Lawes to binde Conscience overthroweth such his Tenent and practise as restraine men from their worship
to the soules and Consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the Truth For this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted and compelled But this saith he hindereth not That Christians sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured of the Church by Excommunication and of the civill Magistrate also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules This Joynt-confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodyes and goods of their Subjects not over their soules who seeth not that hereby is given a cleare Testimony that either the spirituall and Church Estate the preaching of the word Baptisme Ministery Government thereof belongeth to the civill body of the Common-wealth that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemeth monstrous to Imagine or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his Office meddle with those spirituall Affaires Defender A man that is willing to open his eyes may easily see that though the Government of the civill Magistrate doe extend no further then over the bodies and goods of his Subjects yet he may and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods to the good of their soules yea and by promoting the good of their soules he may much advance the good of their outward man also The bodies and goods and outward Estates of men may expect a blessing when their soules prosper Though God may keep his Saints low in outward Estate that grow fastest in Godlinesse yet sure Godlinesse hath the Promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 And such as first seeke the Kingdome of God may expect all these outward things to be cast in upon them If it seeme a monstrous thing in the eyes of the Discusser to imagine that the good Estate of the Church and the well-ordering of the Ordinances of God therein should concerne the civill good of the Common-wealth it may well seeme monstrous to him to imagine that the flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the civill State and the decay of Religion is the decay and ruine of the civill State But such Virgine soules as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 would be loath to goe to live in such a Common-wealth to whom it should seeme monstrous that the things of God should belong to them And therefore the Magistrate need not to feare that he should exceed the bounds of his Office if he should meddle with the spirituall affaires of the Church in Gods way It is true if he shall meddle with the execution of a Ministers Office as Vzziah did or if he shall set up humane Inventions in Doctrine Worship Government in stead of Christs Institutions as David brought the Arke of God upon Oxen instead of the shoulders of the Levites Or if he shall thrust in Jeroboams Priests upon the Church and cast out faithfull Ministers or if he shall make Lawes to bind Conscience in all these or any such Like he exceedeth the bounds of his Office But if he shall diligently seeke after the Lord and read in the word of the Lord all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.19 that he may both live as a Christian and rule as a Christian if he shall seeke to establish and advance the Kingdome of Christ more then his owne If he shall incourage the good in a Christian course and discourage such as have evill will to Sion and punish none for matter of Religion but such as subvert the Principles of saving Truth which no good Christian much lesse good Magistrate can be ignorant of or at least such as disturbe the Order of the Gospel in a turbulent way verily the Lord will build up and establish the House and Kingdome of such Princes as doe thus build up his Discusser Againe necessarily it must follow that these two are contradictory to themselves which yet both of them are Mr. Cottons Positions the Magistrates Power extends no further then to the bodyes and goods of the Subject and yet The Magistrate must punish Christians for sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience and for corrupting the soules of men Defender If the Christian Faith and a good Conscience be a part and a great part a chiefe part of the good of Christians then these two are so farre from contradicting one another that they establish one another For if a Magistrates power extend to the preserving of the Goods of the Subject and to the punishment of the Impeachers or purloyners thereof then he falleth short of his duty if he suffer their Faith and good Conscience to be corrupted or dispoyled without revenge Againe this I say further which also will easily avoyde appearance of Contradiction suppose by Goods were meant onely outward Goods and that the Magistrates power extended no further then the bodies and goods of the Subjects yet though he have no power over Faith and Conscience he hath neverthelesse lawfull power to punish such evill doers in their Bodies and goods as doe seduce his people to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience For in seeking Gods Kingdome and Righteousnesse men prosper in their outward Estates Matth. 6.33 otherwayes they decay Besides I doe not remember that this Proposition is any of mine which yet the Discusser fastneth upon me that the Magistrates power extendeth no further then the bodies and Goods of his Subjects I doe not deny the Truth of it rightly understood but it seemeth to me somewhat too loose and confused for me to owne it as mine own For the Magistrates power may be said to extend no further then the bodyes and Goods of his Subjects either as the Subject of his power or as the end of his power If Goods be meant outward Goods and the Magistrates power be said to extend no further then to the body and Goods of his Subjects as to the Object of his power the Position is true But if it be meant of the end of his power as if a Magistrates power reached no further then to the preservation of their bodyes and outward Goods it is false For the Adequate end of the Magistrates power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè administrare Rempublicam well to governe the Common-wealth Now can it be well with a Common-wealth that liveth in bodily health and worldly wealth but yet without Church without Christ without God in the world But though God for a time may preserve a civill State in health and wealth through his Patience and bounty especially till meanes of Grace be offered to them yet after meanes of Grace be offered they cannot long expect bodily health or wealth to be continued to them if they neglect or despise or depart from so great salvation Witnesse the Romane Empire which though it
the Church be not nursed with poison in stead of milke And in so doing they keepe the first Table Reforme the Church judge in causes Ecclesiasticall Againe If the the same Princes shall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth and lick the dust of her feet as the same Text expresseth then they being members of the Church shall be subject also to Church-Censure In one word Princes sit on the Bench over the Church in the offensive Government of the Church yet may themselves being members of the Church be subject to Church-Censure in the offensive Government of themselves against the Rules of the Gospel The Examiner himselfe contesseth that in severall respects He that is a governor may be also a Subject Behold here are severall respects to wit severall objects of Judicature In the Mal-Administration of the Church the Magistrate sitteth as Judge and Governor in the Mal-Administration of a Church-Member-Magistrate contrary to the expresse rules of the Gospel he is subject to the power of Christ in the Church If it be said nay rather The Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall causes I Answer That easeth not the difficulty no more then the other For suppose the Magistrate a Church member live in Incest breake forth into murder and notorious oppression these are all civill causes belonging to the second Table If the Magistrate sit as Judge and supreme Governor in this case then must the Church tolerate him herein to the dishonour of the great Name of Christ to the leavening of the Church and to the perdition of his soule If it be granted that in such a case though civill the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magistrate and not to suffer sinne upon him let the like power be granted to the Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious transgressions of the first Table as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious transgressions of the second Table and the controversie is ended If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Magistrate the Supreme Judge and Governor in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as civill I doe not understand that the Ministers or Churches of Christ are called to acknowledge such a meaning Sure I am the Interpretation of that high stile which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth And the same Interpretation if no more be intended by that stile doth well stand with our defence But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harvest of my Brethren my Brethren who penned that Modell are richly furnished by Christ with ability to defend it I therefore leave it to them whom it cheifly concerneth to maintaine the Truth which themselves have witnessed in that Modell And the Lord Jesus Christ himself the God of Truth who came into the world that he might beare witnesse to the Truth be pleased to beare witnesse from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl … that peace a fraudulent and false peace which the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falshood in Religion to Heresie in Doctrine to Idolatry in worship to blasphemy of the great Name of God to Pollution and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces Amen Even So Come Lord Jesus A REPLY TO Mr. VVILLIAMS his EXAMINATION And Answer of the Letters sent to him by JOHN COTTON SUch a Letter to such a purpose I doe remember I wrote unto Mr. Williams about halfe a score yeares agoe But whether this printed Letter be a true Copie thereof or no I doe not know for the Letter being sent so long since and no Copie of it that I can finde reserved by me I can own it no further then I finde the matter and style expressing the judgement which I then had of his cause of Separation and the affection I bare unto his person And for ought I see the Letter doth not unfitly expresse both But how it came to be put in print I cannot imagine Sure I am it was without my privitie and when I heard of it it was to me unwelcome Newes as knowing the truth and weight of Plinies speech Aliud est scribere uni aliud omnibus There be who thinke it was published by Mr. Williams himselfe or by some of his friends who had the Copie from him Which latter might be the more probable because himselfe denieth the publishing of it and it sticketh in my mind that I received many yeares agoe a refutation of it in a brotherly and ingenuous way from a stranger to me but one as I heare well affected to him Mr. Sabine Staresmore To whom I had long agoe returned an Answer but that he did not direct me where my Letter might find him But I doe not suspect Mr. Staresmore nor Mr. Williams himselfe to have published it but rather some other unadvised Christian who having gotten a copie of the Letter tooke more libertie then God alloweth to draw forth a private Admonition to publick notice in a disorderly way But howsoever it was upon the publishing of this Letter Mr. Williams hath taken occasion as is observed by some who are acquainted with the Spirit of the man first to rise up against me the meanest of many in the examining and resuting of that Letter And then as if one Mordecai were too small a morsell to stand forth against all the Churches and Elders in New-England in his Bloudy Tenent And then as if New-England were but an handfull from thence to rise up against the choisest Ornaments of two populous Nations England and Scotland the reverend Assembly of Divines together with the reverend Brethren of the Apology and above them all to addresse himselfe according to his high thoughts to propound Quaeries of high concernment as he calleth them to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament So a Bird of prey affecting to soare aloft getteth first upon the top of a molehill and from thence taketh his rise from Pale to Tree till he have surmounted the highest Mountaines In this apprehension of him they are the more confirmed as having discerned the like frame of Spirit in his former walking amongst us Time was when of all Christian Churches the Churches of New-England were accounted and professed by him to be the most pure and of all the Churches in New-England Salem where himselfe was Teacher to be the most pure But when the Churches of New-England tooke just offence at sundry of his proceedings he first renounced communion with them all and because the Church of Salem refused to joyne with him in such a groundlesse Censure he then renounced communion with Salem also And then fell off from his Ministery and then from all Church-fellowship and then from his Baptisme and was himselfe baptized againe and then from the Lords Supper and
amongst them And this libertie he did use and might have used to this day without any disturbance to his Civill or Church-Peace save onely in a way of brotherly disquisition but it was his Doctrines and Practises which tended to the Civill disturbance of the Common-wealth together with his heady and busie pursuite of the same even to the rejection of all Churches here These they were that made him unfit for enjoying Communion either in the one state or in the other When he reckoneth me and me onely by name as one of the most incensed against him I reckon it as one of his usuall exorbitant Hyperboles unlesse by Incensed he meane one that with some others were most kindled and stirred up to endeavour his satisfaction And then his terme Incensed though it be not an Hyperbole yet it is an Acurology Neither doe I remember that he hath any cause to say that I gave him a Testimony of godlinesse For his godlinesse I leave it to him who is the searcher of hearts I neither attested it nor denied it Every brother in the Church though he may be called a brother in Christ as Christ is the Head of the visible Church and being cast out of the Church though he may be admonished as a Brother and so have some reference still to Christ yet godlinesse requiteth a Participation of the Divine Nature I speake in Peters sence 2 Pet. 1.4 by the power of the Spirit of Grace conforming us to fellowship with Christ and his Churches the which things have not so evidently appeared to me I speak it with griefe either in his spirit or in his way these many yeares And yet I deny not others may discerne more Power of Godlinesse in him then I doe and may speake of him accordingly But it was no uncharitable speech of Paul to tell the Galatians and that before all the Churches that he stood in feare of them Gal. 4.10 The life of faith from whence springeth both the truth and the Power of Godlinesse is very repugnant to Self-fulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith emptieth a man of self-confidence and maketh him apt to acknowledge with Agur Truely I am more foolish then any man Prov. 30.2 But the Lord help us to tremble before him If he leave us though but a while to our selves we can soone learne to reigne as Kings like the Corinthians without Church-Officers or the Ordinances of Christ 1 Cor. 4.8 TO CHAP. XII HIs 12th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a speech of mine That godly persons are not so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate from Christ Else they could not be godly persons His Answer is That this cometh not neere the Question which is not concernign personall godlinesse or Grace in Christ but the godlinesse or Christianitie of worship Whereupon he distinguisheth of Christ as considered two waies 1. Personally as God-man c. 2. As Head of his Church In the former sence he acknowledgeth they cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ in the latter they may Reply This distinction of Christ is inconveniently expressed as was the like once before For the membra dividentia the parts of the division are coincident Christ as God-man is the Head of the visible Church But his meaning I apprehend and accept Christ God-man is Head both of the invisible Church and of the visible As he is Head of the invisible Church so he is received by faith As he is head of the visible so he is received by profession of the true faith both of the grace of faith and of the Doctrine of faith The proper fruit whereof is holy worship and professed subjection to the Rule of the Gospel Now for his application of his Distinction in the generall I doe approve it and doe willingly acknowledge that a godly person may be through ignorance or negligence so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ taking Christ as Head of the visible Church For he may fall into such fundamentall Antichristian corruption in Doctrine or Worship or Government as either may justly prevent his admission into the Church or being in the Church and yet through pang of Temptation continuing obstinate in his corruption after conviction he may justly be excommunicate out of the Church But lest I may seeme to hover and so to vanish in Generalities whilest I onely speake of Antichristian corruptions in generall I shall willingly Instance in some Particulars which may give light to others of like nature It is an Antichristian corruption in Doctrine to accept any Propitiatory Sacrifices for our reconciliation but the death of Christ only It is a like corruption to look for Justification from sinne in the sight of God by our own works It is an Antichristian corruption in worship to worship Angels or Saints or Images It is an Antichristian corruption in Government to take the Pope to be the Head of the Church and such an Head as hath Power to make Laws to binde the Conscience to authorize Scripture to be Canonicall to adde other Books to Scripture with like Authoritie to be himselfe the onely Authenticall Interpreter of Scripture and Judge of Controversies These and the like corruptions are such as make Antichrist a Sonne of Perdition and them that are led by him to fall into like Perdition with him Of one of these Points Paul saith They that hold it hold not the Head Col. 2.18 19. Of another of these Paul saith They that hold it are abolished from Christ Gal. 5.4 The like wee may say of all the rest Yet in times of former darknesse some of the faithfull members of Christ might and were for a time entangled with a yoke of Bondage in some or most or all of these Particulars out of which the Lord at length rescued them by variety of Temptations and by some breaking forth of light in the mouths of some of his witnesses in every age But whilest any of them walked in these or like corruptions they might justly be debarred from admission into Church-fellowship or standing fast in them after conviction they might justly be cast forth out of Church-fellowship But there be other corruptions and Antichristian corruptions too which because they doe not subvert the Foundation neither of faith nor of Church-order I would not say that they separate from Christ no not as he is the Head of the visible Church For then if some whole Church were leavened with them they might soone cease to be a Church But we see the contrary in Scripture the High Places were tolerated in Judah and yet Judah ceased not to be a Church And by like proportion some more high and eminent Power may be given by some Churches to their Officers according to an Antichristian Patterne in some measure and yet they not cease to be a Church David and all the Congregation of Israel might bring up the Arke of God in a Cart after the manner of the
the field wherein they both grow is interpreted by Christ himselfe to be the world which lieth in wickednesse and is a wildernesse of wilde Beasts Fornicators Covetous Idolators c. In this world as soone as the Lord Jesus hath sowen the good seed the Children of the Kingdome true Christianitie or the true Church the enemy Satan presently in the night of Securitie Ignorance and Error soweth the Tares which are Antichristians or false Christians Those the Ministers and Prophets of God would straight runne to Heaven for fiery Judgements from thence to consume them But the Sonne of man commandeth a Permission of them till the end of the world when Goats and Sheep Tares and Wheate shall be eternally separated c. Defender Answ 1. It is true Christ expoundeth the Field to be the world ver 38. But he meant not the wide world but by an usuall Trope the Church scattered throughout the world as Christ is said to have loved the world Joh. 3.16 and to be the Propitiation of the sinnes of the world 1 Joh. 2.2 Reas 1. Else there had been no place for the servants wonder at the appearing of the Tares Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field from whence then hath it Tares ver 27. Did ever any of the servants of Christ wonder or saw any cause to wonder that the world should be full of Fornicators Idolaters Murderers Robbers c Was it ever otherwise since the world was replenished with Inhabitants Reas 2. What calling had the Ministers or Prophets of Christ to offer to pluck up all such notorious vicious persons out of the world Did ever any Ministers of Christ demand such a Question of Christ Wilt thou have us goe and gather up all notorious vicious Persons out of the world As they doe indeed demand the like concerning these Tares in Christs field ver 28. Reas 3. The Discusser himselfe reckoneth up Goats and Sheep as parallell with Wheat and Tares as generally Interpreters doe Now evident it is that Goats were cleane Beasts as well as Sheep cleane for food yea and cleane also for sacrifice and yet they were tolerated not onely to live in the same world but in the same Church For after the destruction of Antichrist when purest times of the Church shall come the Members of the Church shall all of them be Virgins none Idolaters though some wise and some foolish all of them servants though some thristie some unprofitable all of them cleane though some Goats some Sheep And therefore the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Church is at that time resembled to such a mixt state after the ruine of Antichrist and conversion of the Jewes untill the coming of Christ to Judgement Mat. 25.1 c. Answ 2. If the Field should be the world and the Tares Antichristians and false Christians it is true Satan sowed them in Gods Field but he sowed them in the Church The mystery of their Iniquitie did secretly work in the very bosome of the Church till in processe of time it grew so ranck and grosse as transformed the Churches that drunke it up into spirituall Babylon But if Antichrist be an Apostate and Antichristianitie Apostasie then it was first sowen in the field of the Church and not of the wide world Answ 3. It is not the will of Christ that Antichrist and Antichristians and Antichristianitie should be tolerated in the world untill the end of the world For God will put it into the hearts of faithfull Princes as they have given their Kingdomes to the Beast so in fulnesse of time to hate the whore to leave her desolate and naked and to burne her flesh with fire Rev. 17.16 17. And after this we reade of a visible state of a new Hierusalem which shall flourish many yeares upon Earth before the end of the world Revel Chap. 20. Chap. 21. Chap. 22. Neverthelesse I willingly grant that the first fruits of Antichristians and false Christians may be reckoned up amongst the Tares which Satan sowed in the field of the Church which afterwards grew to be Briars and Thornes and so destructive to the wheate that the wheat could not be suffered if discerned to live amongst them Discusser But Christ the wisdome of the Father would never in opening this Parable so farre obscure it or to call the Church the world Nor doth it agree with the nature of the Church or Garden of Christ to be styled the world Defender It is no impeachment to the wisdome of Christ to call his Elect Churches and Saints throughout the world by the Name of the world Else Paul spake not by the wisdome of Christ when he said God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 And though the Church within it selfe be a Garden and severed from the world yet all the Churches being scattered and dispersed throughout the world it is no more an improper speech to call the Church the world then to speake of Christ as dying for the world when he dyed for his Church CHAP. 22. A Reply to his 22. Chapter more of Tares Discusser In the former Parable the Lord Jesus compared the kingdome of Heaven to the sowing of seed The true Messengers of Christ are sowers who cast the seed of the word of the Kingdome upon 4. sorts of ground which 4. sorts of grounds or hearts of men cannot be supposed to be of the Church nor will it ever be proved that the Church consisteth of any more sorts or natures of ground properly but one to wit the honest and good ground And the proper work of the Church concerneth the prosperitie and flourishing of this sort of ground and not of the other three sorts In the field of the world then are all those sorts of grounds High-way-side stony thorney Hearers as well as the honest and good ground And I suppose it will not be said by the Answerer that these three sorts of bad grounds were Hypocrites or Tares in the Church Defender Answ 1. But what if the Answerer will say so It may be contrary to his supposall but not to the Truth For I demand did not Christ himselfe who was the chiefe Sower did not he Preach and sow the seed of the word to all those foure sorts of Hearers And yet he was the Minister of Circumcision Rom. 15.8 and Preached seldome to any but to Church-Members Members of the Church of Israel Answ 2. It 's an error to say The Church consisteth of no more sorts of Hearers but one the honest and good ground for if the children of Church-members be in the Church of the Church till they give occasion of rejection then they growing up to yeares become some of them like the High-way-side others like the stony others like the Thorney as well as others like the honest and good ground Answ 3. Though it be not the proper work of the Church to attend the prosperitie and flourishing of the three sorts of bad ground to
that they will doe it without some excitement from the Angells no more then the Angells powred out their vialls till they were stirred up by a great voice out of the Temple Revelations 16.1 It is an evasion as groundlesse as the former that Elijahs stirring up of Ahab to kill all the Preists and Prophets of Baal was figurative For all Figures in the old Testament have their Accomplishment â—n the New Now evident it is Ahab an Apostate Idolater was no Type of Christ nor was Israel after their Apostacy a Type of the true Church of Christ A Tabernacle it was but not a Tabernacle of Christ Aholah but not Aholibah To make this act in Israel a Type of Christs act in Christian State or Church is to make darknesse a type of light Ceremoniall Lawes were generally Typicall not so Moses his Judicialls especially those which had in them morall equity It is Morall equity That Blasphemers and Apostate Idolaters seducing others to Idolatry should be put to death Levit. 24.16 Deut. 13.5 Ahab forfited his owne life because he did not put Benhadad to death for his blasphemy 1 Kings 20.23 28. and ver 42. yet Benhadad was no Israelite nor was his blasphemy bleched out in the Land of Israel but the externall equity of that Judiciall Law of Moses was of morall force and bindeth all Princes to expresse that zeale and indignation both against blasphemy in such as fall under their just power which Ahab neglected and against seduction to Idolatry which Ahab executed or else Elijah or some others by his consent But before I leave this dispute touching the meaning of those words Let them alone let me add another Interpretation which I see doth rather more satisfie others and it may wel stand Let them alone is not a word of precept by way of Ordinance But a word of permission by way of Providence God in his Providence will permit some or other Tares ever to be found in his Church to the last Judgement Which yet he would not have his servants offended at For them he will pluck up by his Angells at the last Harvest CHAP. 28. A Reply to his 28th Chapter VVhich is a Recaptulation of what Points the Discusser supposeth He hath proved in opening this Parable Defender The Discusser in this Chapter is onely a Rehearser of what he conceiveth himselfe to have evidently demonstrated to the Conscience from Chap. eighteene to this Chapter twentieight Five Points Negatively and Five Points Affirmatively But because what he rehearseth hath been reversed in the Reply to those severall Chapters I will not Actum Agere nor Dictum dicere CHAP. 29. A Reply to his twentininth Chapter Discussing the Text in Matth. 15.14 Letter The second Scripture brought against such Persecution for Cause of Conscience is Matth 15.14 where the Disciples being troubled at the Pharises cariage towards the Lord Jesus and his Doctrine and relating how they were offended at him The Lord Jesus commaundeth his Disciples to Let them alone and giveth this Reason that the blinde lead the blinde and both should fall into the ditch Answ of the Letter Christ speaketh not there to publick Officers whether in Church or Common-wealth but to his private Disciples concerning the Pharises over whom they had no power And the command he giveth to Let them alone is spoken in regard of troubling themselves or regarding the offence which they tooke at the wholesome Doctrine of the Gospel As who should say Though they be offended at this wholesome saying of mine yet doe not you feare their feare nor be troubled at their offence which they take at my Doctrine not out of sound Judgement but out of blindnesse But this maketh nothing to the cause in hand Discusser To passe by this Assertion of the privacy of the Apostles in that the Lord Jesus commanded to Let them alone that is not onely to be offended themselves but not to meddle with them It appeareth it was no Ordinance of God nor of Christ for his Disciples to have gone further and have complained to and excited the Civill Magistrate to his duty Which if it had been an Ordinance of God and Christ either for the vindicating of Christs Doctrine or the recovering of the Pharises or the preserving of others from infection the Lord Jesus would never have commanded them to omitt that which should have tended to these holy ends Defender Reply 1. To passe by the Assertion of the Privacy of the Apostles It is not an Act of courtesie and loathnesse to strive but out of defect of just pretence to make any colourable exception against it For though the Apostles were called to a publique Ministery Math. 10. yet it seemeth not as then to a constant office but to a transient Administration pro illa vice for that time Their constant calling required to attend continually upon Christs Ministry to prepare and ripen them for the publique constant office which they were to be called to after Christs Resurrection Acts 1.21 22. Besides in that transient Administration they were not sent to the Scribes and Pharises who were no bitter then Wolves and Foxes but to the lost sheepe of the House of Israel Matth. 10.6 And therefore the Apostles not being sent to the Scribes and Pharises they had no power over them but stood as private men to them Reply 2. And as they had no calling nor power to correct or censure them themselves so neither had they a calling to excite the civill Magistrate against them For first it was no just cause for the civill Magistrate to punish the Pharises for that they tooke unjust offence against Christs wholesome doctrine For neither was the doctrine it selfe a fundamentall truth nor was their offence against it a fundamentall errour though it was dangerous Besides the civill Magistrates had no Law established about doctrines or offences of that nature And therefore they could take no judiciall cognizance of any complaint presented to them about the same Moreover our Saviour who sent forth his Apostles to preach to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel gave them a charge of caution to beware how they medled with Scribes and Pharises Behold saith he I send you forth as sheepe among wolves Be ye therefore wise as serpents innocent as doves Beware of men c. Mat. 10.16 17. The Apostles therefore having received this caution could not meddle with the Scribes and Pharises but trespasse against this rule of serpentine prudence as much as for a flocke of lambes to complaine to a kennell of wolves of the wolves out-rage Yea Christ himselfe was sparing to reprove them himselfe though called to a publicke Ministery till the last yeare of his Ministery when his houre was comming of departure out of the world as knowing they would not be able to beare it and their exasperation might have been some hinderance to the free passage of his Ministery before his houre was come CHAP. 30. A Reply to his Chap. 30.
aske whether or no such as may hold forth other Worships or Religions Jewes Turkes Antichristians may not be peaceable and quiet Subjects loving and helpfull neighbours faire and just dealers c. It is cleare they may in all experience and yet in spirituall and Mysticall Account they are ravenous and greedy Wolves Defender It hath been declared above that we doe not hold it lawfull to constraine by Civill Sword Jewes or Turkes or Antichristians to be of our Religion whether they be good Subjects loving Neighbours faire dealers yea or no. Nor doth the Apostle in that Text which the Discusser hath in hand speake of men out of the Church Jewes Turkes or Antichristians but of such as enter into the Church and are of themselves Now if Church-members should Apostate from Christ and of Christians become Jewes and Turkes and Antichristians and draw away Disciples after them I would demand of any man whose Conscience is not past feeling of the danger of damnable Heresies whether such Members may goe for peaceable and quiet Subjects for loving and helpfull Neighbours for faire and just dealers for true and Loyall to the civill Government If those be peaceable and quiet Subjects that withdraw Subjects from Subjection to Christ if they be loving and helpfull Neighbours that help men on to perdition If they be faire and just dealers that wound the soules of the best and kill and destroy the soules of many if such be true and loyall to Civill Government that subject it to the Tyranny of a forraine Prelate then it will be no advantage to civill States when the Kingdomes of the Earth shall become the Kingdomes of our Lord and they may doe as good service to the civill State who bring the wrath of God upon them by their Apostacie as they that bring downe blessings from Heaven by the Profession and Practise of the true Religion in Purity Discusser I querie secondly to whom Paul gave this charge to watch against them ver 31. They were not the Magistrates of the City of Ephesus but the Elders of the Church of Ephesus Defender Who doubteth of it Discusser Many of these charges and Exhortations given by Christ to the Shepheards and Ministers of the Churches be commonly attributed and directed by the Answerer in this Discourse to the Civill Magistrate Defender Cujus contrarium verumest For looke the Answer through and you shall find not one of these charges or Exhortations given to Ministers were ever directed by the Answerer to civill Magistrates the falshood of the Discusser in this charge upon the Answerer is palpable and notorious And this exhortation in this place the Answerer doth not so much as mention at all either as directed to Magistrates or to Elders Discusser I desire it may be inquired into whether in all the will or Testament of Christ there be any such word of Christ by way of Command Promise or Example countenancing the Governours of the Givill State to meddle with these wolves if in civill things peaceable and obedient Defender This Condition if in civill things peaceable and obedient implyeth a contradiction to the nature and practice of wolves How can Wolves be peaceable and obedient unlesse they be restrained and how can they be restrained and not medled with What Peace said Jehu so long as the whoredomes of Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so many 2 Kings 9.22 Yes may not spirituall whoredomes and witch-crafts stand with Civill Peace No verily the whoredomes and witch-crafts of the Jezabel of Rome tooke away civill peace from the earth and brought in the Turks to oppresse the peace both of Christian Churces and Common-wealths as hath been shewed above Revel 9.15.21 That dreadfull example of Gods vengeance upon Civill States for tolerating and practising Image-worship is a serious and loud warning to all Christian States to beware of such seducing spirits as beare them in hand they shall have peace though they tolerate Idolatrous and false worships in their Territoryes Besides for another example and that approved you find in the Lords Testament Revel 16.4 5 6 7. of which before And for a word of command from Christ to meddle with wolves that grand charter whereby Magistrates are established in the new Testament may abundantly suffice The Magistrate is the Minister of God an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Rom. 14.4 If the wolfe be an evill doer let him looke at the Magistrate as appointed of God to be an avenger and executor of wrath upon him Say not yea if the wolfe be an evill doer against the second Table but not so if against the first Table or if an evill doer against the bodies and estates of men not so if against their soules For who gave any man commission so to limit the word of God or the power of the Magistrate Besides it hath been often said that he that goeth about to subvert Religion and to destroy soules is an evill doer against the peace of the Civill State Discusser If God had given charge to Magistrates to punish evill doers in matters of Religion he would have given to Magistrates in the world ability to discerne and determine who are sheep and who are wolvish oppressors whom he is bound to punish and suppresse Yea they must be able to discerne this not with others mens eyes but with their owne c. Defender It hath been declared above that Magistrates ought to be so well accquainted with matters of Religion as to discerne the Fundamentall Principels thereof and the evill of chose heresies and Blasphemies as doe subvert the same Their ignorance thereof is no discharge of their duty before the Lord. Such wolvish oppressors and Doctrines and practises as they cannot discerne with their own eyes It will be their sin either to suppresse them because they cannot doe it of faith or to tolerate them because they are destructive to the soules of the people and enemies to the common salvation Gallio is justly censured as a prophane man not because he refused to be a Judge in matters concerning the Jewish worship and Religion for he had noe Law of Caesar whose Deputy he was to judge of it but because he rejecteth the cognizance of such causes of Religion as a Question of words and Names Which made him so â—ame regardlesse of causes of Religion that though the Civill peace was broken by the Jewes in pursuite of Paul the Jewes laying violent hands upon Sasthenes and that before the judgement Seate yet Gallio cared for none of those things Acts 18 15.16.17 Discusser In the third place I Quere Whether the Father who gave the sheep and the Sonne who keepeth them be not greater then all And who can plucke the Elect out of his hand which Answereth the common objection of the danger of devouring soules Defender It doth not Answer that Objection For the Father and Sonne were greater then all in the old Testament as well as in the New And none could then pluck
according to their Conscience and beleife and constraine them to such worships which their own soules tell them they have no satifaction nor faith in 1. It is an untruth that either we restraine men from worship according to Conscience or constraine them to worship against Conscience or that such is my Tenent and practise 2. Though it were true that wee did both yet this did not make Lawes to binde Conscience but the outward man onely nor would we thinke it meet to binde the ontward man against Conscience Discusser Againe where as the Answerer affirmeth That men may make Lawes to see the Lawes of God observed I Answer As God needs not the help of a materiall Sword of Steele to assist the Sword of the Spirit in the affairs of Conscience so those men those Magistrates yea the Common-wealth which makes such Magistrates must needs have power and Authority from Christ Iesus to sit Iudge and to determine in all the great Controversies concerning Doctrine Worship Government c. Defender God needeth not the help of a materiall Sword of Steele to assist the Sword of his Spirit of righteousnesse in the dutyes of the second Table no more then to assist the Sword of the Spirit of holynesse in the dutyes of the first Table The Law of Righteousnesse is as fully and plainly written by the Spirit of God in the hearts and Consciences of men as is the Law of holynesse yea and more too And yet the Discusser doth not for ought I know make it a needlesse matter for God to accept the helpe of the materiall Sword to assist the Spirit of Righteousnesse in the affaires of Conscience which pertaine to the second Table The truth is God needeth not the Arme of flesh to help him that is he needeth not any help which the wisdome or strength of the creature can invent or bring forth which himselfe appointed not But yet God thinkes it no dishonour to himselfe to make use of his owne Ordinances in their owne bounds to his owne ends Nor doeth he then need them when he useth them but wee need such helps for the performance of our duty both to God and man Which made it a cursed sin in Meroz not to come out to help the Lord Iudge 5 23. Nor will it hence follow that such Magistrates as are chosen to help forward the work of God in matters of Religion that either themselves or the Common-wealth that chooseth them must needs have power and Authority from Christ to sit Iudge and to determine in all great controversies of Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Government It is enough that they are called of God to be wise and learned in the service of Christ and in the wayes of his Kingdome Psal 2.10 11 12. which if they have learned they ought to rule with him and for him or else how shall it be fulfilled which is written of them The Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever Rev. 7.15 Yea in this case it is learning enough if they know the Principles and Foundations of Religion and can discerne the Arrogancy of a tumultuous spirit after conviction For such want not judgement to censure Apostacy to Heresie in doctrine to Idolatry in worship to Tyranny in Government Discusser But then I aske whether upon this ground it must not evidently follow that then either there is no Common-wealth nor Civill State of men in the world that is not qualified with this discerning and then the Common-wealth hath more light concerning the Church then the Church it selfe Or that the Common-wealth and Magistrates thereof must judge and punish as they are perswaded in their owne beleife and Conscience be their Conscience Paganish Turkish or Antichristian And what is this but to confound Heaven and Earth together and to take away not onely the being of Christianity out of the world but all civility yea the world out of the world and to lay all upon heaps of confusion Defender See what strange effects a strong fancy can produce would you not think it must be some strange and strong paradox that if it be graunted shall produce such strange and strong effects as to take away the being of Christianity out of the world yea and all civility yea and the world out of the world But when men have slept a while and strong fancyes are evaporated the world will stand where it is and civility stand in the world and Christianity in civility I say therefore that which no sober minde can contradict that though Magistrates be bound to become wise and learned to know Christ and to establish the Religion of Christ yet it will not as the Discusser saith evidently follow no nor follow at all That then there is no law full Commonwealth nor Civill State of men in the world which is not qualified with this spirituall discerning For though it be the duty of Civill States thus to be qualified yet their want of such qualifications doth not make them unlawfull States Many due qualifications are required in Husbands Wives Children Servants Magistrates Churches the want of which maketh them defective and sinfull but doth not make them unlawfull This will need no proofe to any sober minde Muchlesse will it follow upon the former Premises that the very Common-wealth hath then more light concerning the Church of Christ then the Church it selfe For it is a weake Church that knowes no more light then Principles And what light the Common-wealth hath it may have received from the Church Howsoever the Magistrates power to establish the Religion of Christ doth no way inferre That he that establisheth that Religion which is professed in the Church hath more light concerning that Religion or any part of it then the Church it selfe Albeit it is not impossible nor is it absurd that sometime the Magistrate may have more light in matters of Religion then the Church it selfe David for ought wee read was the first that discerned the disorder in Carting the Arke of God 1 Chron. 15.2 And Hezekiah was the first that prevented the Preists and Levits and the whole Church in the worke of Reformation from the Apostacy of Ahaz 2 Chron. 29.4 to 11. But there is no colour of consequence that because Magistrates are bound to discerne and know the will of Christ and to serve him with their power That therefore such as have no discerning of Christ nor of his holy will That they should punish and destroy Christ and Christians and seeke only to advance their owne Religion which is but Idolatry and Superstition CHAP. 70. A Reply to his Chap. 73. Discussing the Testimony of Luther Discusser LUthers Testimony saith the Answerer reacheth to two things neither of which we deny First that the Government of the civill Magistrate reacheth no further then to the bodies and goods of their Subjects not over their soules and therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes
abounded in worldly blessings till the Lord Jesus came riding forth amongst them upon a White Horse of the Gospel of his Grace yet after they neglected so great Salvation then followed a Red Horse of Warre and a black Horse of Famine and a Pale Horse of Pestilence and other Judgements which much impeached both the health and wealth of that State and would have ruined it had it not cast away her Idolls and advanced the Scepter of the Lord Jesus Now the God of all Grace be pleased at length to shake the heart of this Discusser that he may not thus delight to seduce himselfe and others against the Light of Grace and Conscience against Reason and Experience Discusser Againe in the Answerers Joynt-confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the Truth he condemneth as before I have observed 1. His former implication that they may be compelled when they are convinced of the Truth of it Defender This implication where it was formerly observed it hath been formerly cleared from implication of Contradiction I have never said that after men be convinced of the Truth they may be compelled to the Profession of it by any penalties but onely by withdrawing such favours as are not comely or safe for faithlesse persons Discusser 2. He condemneth their owne Practise who suffer no man of any different Conscience and worship to live in their Jurisdiction unlesse he depart from the Exercise of his owne Religion and worship differing from that allowed of in their civill Estate yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Defender This charge of the Discusser let him consider if it be not contradictory to his owne Relation chap. 60. where he saith wee permit and tolerate the Indians in their Paganish worship which wee might restraine Yet here he saith we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction Neither is it true that we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction For not to speake of Presbyterians who doe not onely live amongst us but exercise their publick Ministry without disturbance there be Anabaptists and Antinomians tolerated to live not onely in our Jurisdictions but even in some of our Churches Yea saith the Discusser but they must actually submit to come to our Church I cannot say nor doe I beleive that any man is compelled to come to our Church against his Conscience Nay we are so farre from that and that the Discusser is not ignorant of that our Churches doe not expostulate with our Members who heare in England no not then when there was more difference from us in manner of worship then through the mercy of God now there is The which the Discusser himselfe hath declared to have been no little Offence unto himselfe Which maketh me the more to marvell that he should now charge it upon us that we compell all to come to heare in our Churches against their Consciences when he is wont to be offended that we suffer them to heare in any true Church though polluted according to their Consciences Discusser Howsoever they cover the matter with this varnish that none are compelled further unto their Churches then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that Teaching and being taught in a Church Estate is a Church-worship as true-and proper a Church-worship as is the Supper of the Lord Acts 2.46 I cannot call to mind that either upon that colour or any other any man in this Country was ever compelled to heare the word of God in any of our Churches in this Country But there is indeed some colour for the varnish he speaketh of but not that which he pretendeth our compulsion of any man for to heare but a controversie with himselfe upon another occasion as I remember The Discusser sometimes endeavoured to draw away the Church of Salem whereof he was sometime Teacher from holding Communion with all the Churches in the Bay because wee tolerated our Members to heare the word in the Parishes of England Wee to satisfie him in that held forth that which here he calleth a varnish that hearing was a common Duty lying upon all men where the word of God was truly taught He replyed as he doth now that Teaching and hearing in a Church-Estate is Church worship Acts 2.46 To which we gave Answer as now againe That though Teaching and being taught in a Church-Estate be Church-worship according to Acts 2.46 yet it is not a Church-worship but to such as are in a Church-Estate To all it is an holy Ordinance of Gods worship and a Christian Duty And though Teaching and hearing doth imply a Relation yet not a Church-relation There is a relation between a Teacher and a Learner in any Art or Knowledge and there may be a nearer relation between a Preacher and an Hearer in case the Hearer be begotten to God by such a Sermon even the same relation as is between a spirituall Father and Sonne but this doth not amount to Church-relation and Communion till there passe some mutuall profession of Covenant explicit or implicit between them A Pagan Infidell may come into a Christian Church-Assembly to heare the word and may be convinced and converted by it as suppose he in Corinth 1 Corinthians 14.24 25. yet is he not therefore joyned in Church-Estate and Fellowship with them without profession of acknowledgement and acceptance Discusser Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are Conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to each others Church or meeting Defender It is too large an Hyperbole to affirme that all persons that are Conscientious whether Papist or Protestant have alwayes suffered upon this ground Are no men conscientious but such as have suffered upon this ground are there not many that were never put upon this Tryall and are not many conscientious that never scrupled this point and are there not many conscientious that have suffered upon other points that never suffered upon this point Besides though many conscientious Protestants and Papists doe refuse to heare in each others Assembly or Church it is not because such hearing doth implant them into their church-Church-State but out of feare to be leavened with their corrupt Doctrine or polluted with some other part of false worship CHAP. 71. A Reply to his Chap. 74. Touching the Testimony of the Papists against Persecution Discusser AS for the Testimony of the Popish Booke saith the Answerer wee veigh it not as knowing what ever they speake for toleration of Religion where themselves are under Hatches yet when themselves come to sit at Sterne they Judge and practise quite contrary as both their writings and judiciall proceedings have testified to the world these many yeares But for Answer to him though both their writings and practises have been such yet the
Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes which vanished at the appearing of the Body and substance of the Sun of Righteousnesse who set up another Kingdome or Church Heb. 12. Ministery and Worship In which wee finde no such Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men for Religion sake Defender Whether these shafts be taken from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes or no Sure this Answer is taken from no Law of God nor any Scripture ground but from the Topicks of humane invention Did ever any Apostle or Evangilist make the judiciall Lawes of Moses concerning life and death Ceremoniall or Typicall Time was when humane inventions in Gods Worship were accounted Superstition but now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for current Evangelicall Divinity It is true the Sunne of Righteousnesse hath set up another Church Ministery and Worship But did he ever set up another civill Righteousnesse or a M gistracy to walke by another rule of Righteousnesse then that which God gave by Moses If it be true that Christ gave no expresse Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men by materiall Swords for Religion sake It is as true that neither did he for any breach of civill Justice no not for murder nor adultry Which maketh it therefore evident that seeing he hath expresly authorized civill Magistracy in the New-Testament and hath given no expresse Lawes or Rules of Righteousnesse for them to walke by in Administration of civill Justice therefore either he leaveth them to act and rule without a Rule which derogateth from the perfection of Scripture or else they must fetch their rules of Righteousnesse from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets who have expounded him in the Old-Testament Discusser More particularly concerning Moses I Querie what Commandement or practise of Moses either Optatus or the Answerer here intendâ—th Probably that of Moses Deut. 13. If so I shall particularly Reply to that in Answer to the reasons here under mentioned Defender When Optatus speaketh that Macarius in putting Hereticks to death had done no more then Moses had done before him It appeareth he meant not that passage of Deut. 13. but of Exod. 32. where he put to death Idolaters and that of Levit. 24. where he put the Blasphemer to death For Optatus speaketh of what Moses had done not what Moses had commanded to be done But I shall God willing consider his Answer if it come in my way Discusser Concerning Phinehas his zealous Act. 1. His flaying the Jsraelitish man and woman of Midian was not for spirituall but corporall filthynesse Defender Was it for bodily or corporal filthinesse Surely for spiritual For the Israelites that committed whoredome with the daughters of the Land they were invited to the Sacrifices of their God And being invited they did eat and bowed downe to their Gods and so joyned themselves to Baal Peor this is plaine in the text Numb 25.1 2 3. Now I doe not know that corporall filthynesse betweene a young man and single woman was any Capitall Crime by the Law of Moses But the Discusser contenteth himself if any thing be said it may goe for an Answer Discusser 2. No man will produce this fact as Precedentiall to any Minister of the Gospel so to act in any Civill State c. Defender It is true it is no Precedent for Ministers but the fact so clearely acknowledged and approved and rewarded of God is doubtlesse an act of righteousnesse to have been done by some in their ordinary calling to wit by Moses and the Princes of Israel which Phinehas did by an extraordinary motion God is not wont to approve any act of holynesse or righteousnesse though never so extraordinary which doeth not fall under the ordinary Rule of holynesse and righteousnesse in the ordinary calling of some or other Function which himselfe hath ordained Therefore though Phinehas his fact be no Precedent for Ministers of the Gospel yet it is Precedentiall to such as beare not the Sword in vaine but for the punishment of evill doers Discusser Concerning Elijah There were two famous acts of Elijah of a killing nature 1. That of slaying 850. of Baals Prophets 1 Kings 18. 2. Of the two Captaines and their fiftyes by Fyre For the first It cannot figure or Type out any materiall slaughter of the many thousands of false Prophets in the world by any materiall Sword of Iron or steele for as that passage was miraculous so wee finde not any such Commission given by the Lord Jesus to the Ministers of the Gospel Defender It will doe the Discusser no hurt to take notice that he that is forward to take hold of any slip of Pen or memory is subject to the like slips himself The number of the false Prophets which he saith were slayne by Elijah exceedeth the Truth by halfe in halfe the Text numbreth them 450. and he numbreth them 850. Againe it is a vaine thing to inquire what this fact of Elijah should figure or Type out Acts of Morall Justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they are never accounted Typicall or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scripture into an Allegory Besides why should he call the fact Miraculous Is it a miracle for Elijah with the aide of so many thousand people of Israel â—o put to death 450. men whose spirits were discouraged being convinced of their forgery and Idolatry Moreover Though Christ gave no such Commission to Ministers of the Gospel to put false Prophets to death as Elijah did yet the same Answer holdeth here which was given to the fact of Phinehas though the hand which executed Justice was extraordinary yet the act of Justice was an ordinary duty of Morall Righteousnesse belonging to such as beare the Sword Discusser Lastly such a slaughter must not onely extend to all the false Prophets in the world but according to the Answerers grounds to the many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world Defender Such a slaughter being onely made of the false Prophets in Israel a people in Covenant with the true and living God the example of it will onely extend to the like execution of all the false Prophets in the Church of God who have turned the hearts of the People of God from Jehovah to an Idol What hath any Officer in the Church or Magistrate in the Common-wealth to doe to censure or punish all the false Prophets in the world when many hundreds of them if not thousands are exempt from their jurisdiction muchlesse will this example extend to the floughter of many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world For 1. many thousand thousands of them are exempt from the civill Magistracy of Christians 2. They were never in Covenant with God to whom onely the Law of Moses concerning the punishment of Idolaters
VI. THough my Letter expresseth That it may be the Court passed that sentence against Mr. Williams not upon that ground from Prov. 11.26 but for ought I know for his other corrupt Doctrines suitable to his Practises tending to the disturbance of Civill and holy Peace Yet I doe not therefore question as he saith I seeme to doe the sandinesse of such a ground as that place of Seripture to warrant such proceedings nor doe I therein confsesse that my selfe had no distinct knowledge of the causes of his Banishment For I did not alledge that place of Scripture as a ground upon which the Court proceeded to his Banishment and therefore I said in my Letter it may be they passed Sentence not upon that ground But I alledged it as a reason which provoked the Lord to moove the Court to proceed against Mr. Williams for such other offensive and disturbant Doctrines and Practises against the Patent and against the oath of fidelitie and against the Magistrates delay of the Petition of Salem which he himselfe knoweth I had distinct knowledge of before which maketh me the more to marvell at his wonder Where was my waking care in his behalfe Whereas he knoweth I spent a great part of the Summer in seeking by word and writing to satisfie his scruples in the former particulars untill he rejected both our callings and our Churches And even then I ceased not to follow him still with such meanes of conviction and satisfaction in that Point also as God brought to my hand whereof this very Letter which he examineth and answereth is a pregnant and evident demonstration What though in this Letter I did not name his other corrupt Doctrines and Practises nor any Scriptures to prove them corrupt His heart knoweth full well both the Points and the Scriptures that were charged upon him all that Summer And to have rehearsed them againe in this Letter it had been but actum agere neither was it the worke in hand For having done it before wee looked for some satisfactory answer but in stead thereof wee received onely a rejection of our callings and Churches so that there was nothing now left but to endeavour to satisfie his Conscience in the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he rejected communion with us TO CHAP. VII IN the 7th Chapter Mr. Williams examineth those words of my Letter wherein I say that were my soule in his soules stead I should accept it as a mercy of God to banish me from the Civill Society of such a Common-wealth where I could not enjoy holy Fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sinne For what should the daughter of Zion doe in Babel Why should shee not hasten to flee from thence To this the Examiner answereth that though his love bids him to hope that Mr. Cotton herein intended him a Cordiall yet if the Ingredients be examined there will appeare no lesse then dishonour to the Name of God danger to every Civill State a miserable comfort to him and a contradiction within it selfe Reply It is true what I wrote was in love to his soule but I intended not a cordiall of consolation to him for I did not conceive his Spirit at the present prepared for it but I intended onely a conviction to abate the rigour of his indignation against the dispensation of divine Justice And therefore presented before him the mercy of God in that Administration But he beginneth with the last first to shew me the evill of these Ingredients And first for the contradiction to my selfe in that I speake of the daughter of Zion in Babel If he call saith he the Land Babel how can it be Babel and the Church of Christ also As if Zion cannot be in Babel but it must be Babel or as if the Church cannot be in the world but it must be the world Or as if when I call the Land Babel I speake of it as it is in it selfe and not rather as it is in his apprehension the Churches in his imagination still holding communion with Antichristian Babylon Secondly He maketh it a dangerous Doctrine to affirme it a misery to live in that State where a Christian cannot enjoy the fellowship of the publick Churches of God without sinne Reply 1. Though I doe affirme it to be a mercy to be delivered out of such a State yet I doe not affirme it to be a misery to live in it It is a mercy to be translated not onely from misery to happinesse but from a lesse good to a greater It is a mercy to a faithfull soule to be translated from a Saint to a Minister and yet Saintship is no misery 2. It is some degree of misery and no small one to a spirituall minde for a Christian to live where he cannot enjoy the fellowship of Churches or else David complained without cause Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshek Psal 120 5. 42.4 What if there be many famous States wherein no Church of Jesus Christ is knowne Is it not a mercy to be dismissed from such a State to a Land of more liberty and piety What if God commanded his people to Pray for the Peace of materiall Babel whilest they were forced to abide in it Was it not therefore a mercy from God for Cyrus to deliver them out of Babel What if Sodom Aegypt Babel be spiritually understood Rev. 11.8 14.8 Is it not therefore a mercy when God calleth his People out of such Dungeons and sinkes of abomination What if there were a true Church in materiall Babel 1 Pet. 5.13 Let him remember what he spake a little before That if I speake not of Babel mystically I speake not to the Point Let him apply it to himselfe Wherefore doth he tell us againe of his being driven into the miseries of an howling Wildernesse 1. It was no howling Wildernesse when he came to it as hath been said above 2. He might have gone to other English Plantations Eastward Pascatoque and Agaminticus 3. Solomon telleth us It is better to live in a Wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman Prov. 21.19 And such he accounteth all our Churches and Courts to be Thirdly saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe would have counted it a mercy if he might have Practised in Old-England what he doth in New-England with the enjoyment of Civill Peace c. Reply True but what is that to the purpose The Question is if I could not enjoy the Fellowship of publick Churches without sinne as in those dayes I could not whether then I would account it a mercy to be removed Verily I doe so account it and blesse the Lord from my soule for his aboundant mercy in forcing me out thence in so fit a season But further saith he what if Mr. Cotton should dissent from the new English-Churches and joyne in worship with some other as some few yeares since he was upon the Point to doe in a separation from the Churches
me to despise his afflicted condition but the truest mercifull cordiall to his afflicted estate would be to perswade him that he is out of his way and still blesseth himselfe though God both crosse his estate and blast his spirit in such a way As for my being at ease as he calleth it had he been a little longer acquainted with the faithfull discharge of a Ministers office he would not judge it such a state of ease If I durst allow my selfe to seeke and take mine ease I should sooner choose a private solitary condition in his Wildernesse then all the throng of employment in this numerous society TO CHAP. VIII IN his 8th Chapter Mr. Williams rehearseth and examineth those words of my Letter wherein to helpe him to a serious sight of his sinne I said that it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against his corrupt wayes with the sword of his mouth in the mouths and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren Against whom when Mr. Williams over-heated himselfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his Truth it pleased the Lord to stop his mouth by a sodaine disease and to threaten to take his breath from him But he in stead of recoyling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in his way and to protest against all the Churches and Brethren that stood in his way c. In these lines the Examiner telleth us an humble and discerning Spirit may espie first a glorious justification and boasting of my selfe and others concurring with me secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable Censure of the afflicted Reply Whether is it a more glorious boasting to challenge to a mans selfe an humble and discerning Spirit as the Examiner doth here and elsewhere in this Treatise or to ascribe the glory to Christ in fighting with the sword of his mouth in the testimonies and labours of the Churches and Brethren against his corrupt wayes Surely when our glorying is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus we are allowed so to doe by the Holy Ghost Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Object But is it not a glorious boasting of our selves when as wee make the sword in our mouths and testimonies to be the sword of the mouth of Christ when as the holy Scripture putteth the sword of Christ in the mouths of such witnesses as himselfe and some others who in meeknesse and patience testifie the truth of Jesus against Antichrist and against all false Callings of Ministers And whether is Mr. Cotton swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of Persecution or himselfe and such other the witnesses of Christ most like unto Balaam Reply 1. The quicknesse of the Examiners wit over-runneth his judgement for I did not compare him to Balaam as like much lesse as most like but as unlike For that which Balaam would have done I said he would not doe 2. Let the light of the holy word of God discover and judge whether the sword of the mouth of the Lord Jesus be found in his mouth and his fellowes or in the mouths of the Churches and Brethren here and let the tryall be upon this very Point whether witnesseth for Christ or for Antichrist 1. We witnesse that Christ was never so farre overthrowne and overcome by Antichrist but that still the Lord Jesus hath preserved a Congregationall Church one or more especially since the Reformation of Religion by the Ministery of Luther and Calvin and other Ministers of Christ in the dayes of our Fathers The Examiner witnesseth that since the Apostasie of Antichrist Antichrist hath so farre prevailed against Christ and his Kingdome that he hath no Church nor Church-Officers left upon the face of the earth to this day 2. Wee witnesse the godly persons visible Saints confessing their knowne sinnes and professing their faith are fit materialls for Church-fellowship The Examiner witnesseth that the Churches which consist of such visible Saints are nullities unlesse they discerne every spot and pollution of Antichrist and forsake it for Instance unlesse they see the Antichristian pollution of the Ministery in England and doe refuse to heare the word from it 3. We witnesse that Persons qualified with a convenient measure of spirituall gifts fit to lead Gods people and chosen and elected by a Congregation of visible Saints and ordained and set apart unto the worke of the Ministery have received a lawfull calling from Christ to that office The Examiner witnesseth against this as a false Calling upon what pretence himselfe better knowes then I. 4. We witnesse that it is lawfull for the King of England to give a Patent to a certain number of his Subjects to transplant themselves out of England into America and to possesse such Lands as the Providence of God layeth open before them between such and such Degrees of the Horizon Provided that his Subjects adventure not upon such acts as the Patent never intended as to murther the Natives or to dispossesse them by violence or fraud of their lawfull Possessions but either to plant themselves in a vacuum Domicilium or if they sit downe upon the Possession of the Natives to receive the same from them by a reasonable Purchase or free Assignement The Examiner witnesseth against all such Patents and Preacheth it to be unlawfull for Magistrates to execute Justice upon the English by them and that it is necessary to repent of receiving such Patents and to returne them back againe into the hands of those Princes or of their Successors from whom they received them 5. We witnesse that it is lawfull for Magistrates especially in time of danger to offer to the Subjects under them an Oath of Fidelity whether they be regenerate or unregenerate Mr. Williams witnesseth it to be utterly unlawfull so to doe an Oath for confirmation of Office being peculiar to Christ and an Oath being a worship of God not meete for unregenerate Persons to take into their mouths 6. Wee witnesse that if a Church refuse to hearken to the voyce of Magistrates in delaying the Election or ordination of such an one to Office whom they finde to be troublesome to the State then it may be lawfull for Magistrates to delay the granting of the Petition of such a Church for Lands that lie convenient for them Mr. Williams witnesseth that in such a case the Church whose Petition is so delayed may write Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof such Magistrates are members to require them to grant without delay such Petitions or else to Proceed against them in a Church-way Now let the Churches of Jesus Christ and all the Saints on earth judge in whether sort of these witnesses the word and Spirit of Christ or Antichrist breatheth As for the deciphering which the Examiner maketh of Mr Cotton as swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and
Originall sinne an idle name Albeit I refuse not to learne from any man as being conscious to my selfe of mine own emptinesse But saith the Examiner whatsoever Mr. Smiths Temptations and Falls have been yet that opinion of Mr. Cotton or any is most grievous to God and man and not comparable to any that ever Mr. Smith could be charged withall nor is any sinne comparably so grievous in Gods Davids as a treacherous slaughter of the faithfull whom wee are forced to call Beloved in Christ Reply This is one of the Instances amongst many others upon which I was mooved to speake even now that the Examiner alloweth more liberty to his tongue then the Messenger of Justice a man of a tender Conscience of whom I spake durst use But when a man is delivered up to Satan and neither his minde nor conscience nor tongue nor pen are his own no marvell if he cast forth fire-brands and arrowes and mortall things which I suppose a Publican or Pagan would hardly utter without some more colourable pretence then the Examiner hath to say That Mr. Cotton is of opinion that it is lawfull to commit a treacherous slaughter of the Saints whom we are forced to call Beloved in Christ To the accusation I shall God helping make further Answer in his Place Meane while let the Examiner know that I was not forced to call him Beloved in Christ That I did so style him it was out of indulgence of charitie not out of any necessitie of dutie TO CHAP. X. THe residue of my Letter to Mr. Williams was taken up in remooving two stumbling blocks out of his way which turned him off from fellowship with us The former was the want of fit matter of our Churches The latter our disrespect to the separate Churches in England Our want of fit matter he acknowledged stood not in this that we wanted godly persons to be the visible members of our Churches for with joy he acknowledgeth that but in this that all godly persons are not matter fit to constitute a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building This exception of his seemed to me to imply a contradiction for if the matter of our Churches were such as himselfe acknowledged godly persons they were not then as Trees unfeld nor as stones in the Quarry unhewen for godlinesse cutteth men downe from their former roote and heweth them out of the Pit of corrupt Nature and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ and with his People The summe of his Answer is though delivered in other words obscurely and confusedly yet in sence thus much That he accounteth our members as Trees or Quarries not for that they are not yet cut our of the pit or roote of naturall corruption but for that they are not yet removed and clensed from actuall and Antichristian pollution In which case Noah Abraham Lot Sampson Job David Peter in their drunkennesse lying whoredomes cursings murders Perjuries though they were godly persons yet not fit members for Church estate And so our Church-members howsoever godly otherwise yet through ignorance and negligence lying under Antichristian pollutions ever since the Apostasie are not fit members for Church-estate Reply 1. I doe willingly allow him to be the Interpreter of his own meaning and doe easily grant him that with that distinction he salveth his contradiction But yet let him remember his words were very unproper to account godly Persons fallen into any actuall Pollution to be matter fitted for a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building Wee are not wont neither in common speech nor in proper speech to account such persons as have been already cut off from the roote and pit of naturall corruption to be no more then Trees and Quarries though they have since fallen into actuall pollution but we rather account them like Timber and Stones cut out and hewen yet fallen into some mire by the breach of the Axeltree of their Carriage and therefore fit to be washed before they be layed in the Building But leave that as it please him Reply 2. He may doe well to consider that the most of those Saints he nameth were not as rude Trees and Quarries unproportioned to the Building but as Trees of Righteousnesse and living Stones layed by God himselfe in the Building of his Church But I easily grant him that according to the Discipline of the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Gospel it were meete that godly persons falling into any grosse and scandalous and notorious pollution they should first give satisfaction to the Church by profession of their Repentance before they be received into holy fellowship with the Lord and his People in Church-communion In which respect if Christ be considered as head of the visible Church he who is a member of the Church and so a member of Christ may fall so foully into grosse sinne and be so enthralled to it as to be separate from the Church yea and from Christ too considered as the visible head of it And therefore the Examiner mistook himselfe and me too when he writeth that I affirmed that godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For I never denied that godly persons may fall as into other grosse and notorious sinnes so also into grosse and notorious Antichristian Pollutions so as to separate them from Church-Communion yea and from Christ himselfe as he is the Head of the visible Church Reply 3. But to cleare the point more fully and plainly Put the case that the Saints whom the Examiner setteth forth in their pollutions as Noah Abraham Lot Sampson Job David Peter suppose I say they had openly professed their Repentance for their open scandalls of drunkennesse lying incest murder c. and all their other knowne scandalls but had neither discerned nor bewayled the sinne of Polygamy yea suppose the Church with which they might joyne did neither discerne the necessitie nor dutie of acknowledging that sinne whether such Saints were to be refused from Church-communion as rude Trees and Quarries or if they were received as members into the Church whether was such a Church to be separated from If yea we must look for new Rules for it out of a new Gospel If no then will the Examiner want a Rule for his separation from all the Churches in New-England For this is the very state of the Question as the Examiner himselfe rehearseth it in this Chapter For he having objected that a necessitie lieth upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of the false Churches worship Ministery Government according to Scriptures Isai 62.11 2 Cor. 6.17 And this to be done not by a locall remoovall but by a deliverance of the soule understanding will judgement and affection c. He subjoyneth my Answer out of my Letter in these words 1. We grant that it
shape of an Answer but as little substance The greatest Question here saith he would be whether the Corinthians in their first Constitution were separate or no from such Idols Temples And this Mr. Cotton neither doth nor can deny A Church estate being a state of marriage unto Christ Jesus and so Paul professedly saith He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin unto Christ 2 Cor. 11. Reply 1. To put any substance into this Answer or any force pertinent to the cause in hand it must be no great Question but cleare out of Question that these Corinthians in their first constitution were cleane and absolutely separate from such Idolls Temples and that not onely locally but in their soule and iudgement minde and heart utterly cut off from such uncleane Touches so that they both undoubtedly saw the evill thereof and from their hearts abhorred it and forsooke it For all these Acts of coming off in a way of separation from the Churches of England he requireth from us as absolutely necessary to enter into a true Church-estate Now if he thinke that Mr. Cotton to use his words neither doth nor can deny that in their first constitution they were thus separate from Idolls Temples I must professe though not to him yet to all that love and seek the Truth without prejudice that I both can and doe deny it that in their first constitution they were locally separate from Idolls Temples it is likely enough or else I suppose the Apostlewould have admonished them thereof in their first Plantation But that in their minde and judgement they saw the evill thereof and did in heart and soule bewaile it and confesse it before the Apostle and their Brethren and so enter into solemne Covenant expresly against it this is altogether incredible to me For would not the Apostle then out of his faithfulnesse have reproved them as well for their Apostacy as for their Fellowship in Idolatry Would he not as well have rebuked the prevarication of their Covenant as their pollution of their communion with Pagans What though a Church-estate be a state of Marriage unto Jesus Christ May not a married Spouse of Christ be ignorant of some part of her marriage-dutie towards him And what though Paul professe He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin to Jesus Christ May not he call them a chaste Virgin who had seene and bewailed their former worship of Idolls though they neither bewailed nor saw the evill of feasting with their neighbours in Idolls Temples Reply 2. Though the Examiner make it a great Question whether a Church can be truely constituted that in her first constitution is not seperate from all uncleane Touches so as both to see them and come out of them howsoever they may fall into such sinnes afterwards yet I looke at it as an ungrounded distinction to require more purity to the being of a Church in her first constitution then is necessary to the being of it after it is constituted I should thinke the longer a Church hath enjoyed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ the more shee ought to grow both in knowledge and purity Where more hath been given the more will be required of the Lord. Yea I conceive it more agreeable to the word of Truth that God will sooner separate from a Church constituted for their whorish pollutions then deny them Church-estate for the like pollutions in their first constitution The people of Israel were not constituted a Nationall Church till the Lord gave them Nationall Ordinances and Nationall Officers and entered them together into a Nationall Covenant Exod. 19.5 6. Their Church-estate before was rather domesticall dispersed into severall Families When they were thus constituted a Nationall Church and afterwards fell into an Idolatrous crime the Lord directed Moses to breake the Tables of his Covenant between them and did also seperate his Tabernacle from them till upon their repentance he renewed communion with them Exod. 32.19 with Exod. 33.3 to 7. But yet the like Idolatry if not worse being found in the same People when they dwelt in Aegypt it did not hinder the Lord from accepting them unto a Nationall Constitution of a Church-estate To CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX HIs 17 18 19. Chapters are taken up in Examining and Answering my Answers to his second Objection which he made to prove a Necessitie lying upon Godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of false Churches Ministery Worship and Government To prove which his first Objection or Argument was taken from Isaiah 52.11 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Whereto we have returned a Reply in the former Chapters His second Objection was taken from the Confession made by Johns Disciples and the Proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church-fellowship Mat. 3.6 Act 19.18 Whence he gathered That Christian Churcher are constituted of such members as make open and plaine confession of their sinnes and if any sâ—â—â—es be to be confessed and lamented Jewish or Paganish then Antichristian drunkennesse and whoredome much more c. Yea every sipping of the Whâ—res Cup. To which Objection of his to passe by all verball velitations for I love not to take up time about words the substance of my Answer was two-fold 1. That it was not necessary to the Admission of members that they should see and bewaile the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores Cup as he called it though the Whores cup doe more intoxicate the minde then the drunkards Cup doth the Body because bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorious and grosse sinnes that no man having true Repentance in him cannot but be convinced of the sinfulnesse of them and of the necessitie of repentance of them in particular if he doe remember them But the whores Cup being a mystery of Iniquitie the sinfulnesse of every sipping of it is nothing so evident and notorious as that every repentant soule doth at first discerne it And therefore as the 3000. Converts Acts 2.37 to 47. were admitted into the first Christian Church upon the Profession of their repentance of the murther of Christ though they neither saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them so here c. Yea and the Disciples of John whom he instanceth in though they did confesse their sinnes the Publicans theirs the Souldiers theirs the People theirs to wit the notorious sinnes incident to their callings yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions And the Gentiles in Act. 19.18.19 Though they confessed their curious Arts and burnt their conjuring Bookes yet it doth not appeare that they confessed all their deeds Whereunto the Examiner returneth a two-fold Answer 1. That spirituall whoredome and drunkennesse is not indeed so easily discerned as corporall but yet not the lesse sinfull but infinitely transeendent as much as spirituall sobriety exceedeth corporall and the bed of the most High God exceedeth the beds of men who are but
is Christs feeding of his flock Cant. 1.8 Christs kissing of his Spouse Cant. 1.2 Christs embracing of his Spouse in the marriage bed Cant. 1.16 Christs nursing of his Children at his wives breasts Cant. 4. And is there no communion between the Shepheard and his sheep the Husband and the wife in chaste kisses and embraces the Mother and the child at the breasts Answer 1. The dispensing of the word in a Church-State that is by Church-Officers to Church-members united together in Church-State it is indeed an expression of familiar and deare Communion between Christ and his Church as between the husband and his spouse between the nursing mother and the child and between the shepheard and his flock But suppose Pagans and Indians should ordinarily frequent our Church Assemblies as they are wont to doe in hearing the word doth he think I would maintaine that there is the like spirituall and familiar Communion between Christ and them as between Christ and his Church Answer 2. Besides the question is not what communion Christ may have with a stranger in the hearing of the word in the Assembly of his Church but what communion there is between the Officer of the Church who preacheth the word and the stranger Christ out of his soveraigne grace may dispense himselfe to the stranger in what relation he pleaseth hee may make the word both as spirituall seed and as food to him and so may declare himself both a father and a Pastor and husband and a mother to him and yet no such Church-relation passe between the Church-Officer and the stranger Aâ—swer 3. Suppose there did grow some spirituall relation between the Church-Officer and the stranger as God might so blesse his Ministery as to make him a spirituall Father and feeder to the stranger yet this Relation is not between the Preacher and the stranger in respect of his Office but in respect of his gif as I declared above The reason of the difference is evident 1. Church-relation between a Church-Officer and Church-member is constant and permanent and not to be dissolved but by consent of the Church but this relation between the Preacher and stranger is transient and the intercourse of the exercise of their relation easily changeable at the discretion of the stranger without the consent or cognizance of the Church 2. Church relation between an Officer and a member carrieth on the duties of Church-worke between them unto full accomplishment If any offence grow between an Officer and a member the one hath power to deale with the other in a Church-way unto a perfect healing but there is not the like power or liberty either in preacher or stranger so to proceed one with another in case of any such offence The Examiners second Argument is taken also from mine own confession as if there were no waighty Argument to be found in this case but what might be gathered up from the weaknesse or unwarinesse of my expressions But thankes be to God that hath so guided my words that no such advantage can justly be taken from them as to countenance so ungodly an error Mr. Cotton saith he confesseth that the fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1.5 is a fellowship or Communion in the Apostles doctrine Community breaking of bread and prayer in which the first Church continued Acts 2.46 All which overthroweth the doctrine of lawfull participation of the word and prayer in a church-Church-state where it is not lawfull to communicate in the breaking of bread or seales Answ If this be all the Conclusion that he striveth for that participation of the word and prayer is not lawfull in a Church-estate where it is not lawfull to communicate in the seales I shall never contend with him about it I should never thinke it lawfull there to enter into a Church-estate where I thought it lawfull onely to partake in hearing and prayer and not in the seales also But this is that I deny A man to participate in a Church-estate where he partaketh onely in hearing and prayer before and after Sermon and joyneth not with them neither in their Covenant nor in the seales of the Covenant To CHAP. XXVII THe third part of the Examiners discourse touching English Preachers taketh up this 27. Chapter and it is concerning the calling and commission of the English Preachers Mr. Cotton himselfe saith he and others most eminent in New-England have freely confest First That notwithstanding their profession of Ministery in Old England yet in New-England till they received a Calling from a particular Church that they were but private Christians Secondly That Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as they practise in New England and therefore consequently that all other which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs As first a Calling and Commission from the Bishops Secondly From a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons Thirdly From some few godly persons yet remaining in Church-fellowship after the Parish way Fourthly That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting or preparing for a Call to an Office 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. All which premises duly considered he desireth that Mr. Cotton and all that feare God might try what will abide the fiery Triall in this particular when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire c. Reply It is a weake cause that is maintained onely by the testimonies of adversaries and them either mistaken or falsified It is in him either a mistake or a fraudulent expression of our mindes to say That notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet till we received a Calling from a particular Church we were but private Christians This speech may be so conceived as if notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet indeed we confest our Ministery there was no Ministery and this is a false expression of our mindes It may be also conceived that we confest we had no calling from a particular Church till we came to New-England And this is also a false expression of our mindes likewise Or it may be conceived that notwithstanding our former profession and exercise of Ministery in Old England yet being cast out from thence by the usurping power of the Prelacy and dismissed though against their wills by our Congregations save onely such as came along with us we looked at our selves as private members and not Officers to any Church here untill one or other Church might call us unto Office This sence of our profession is true but nothing availeable to the Examiners intendment Secondly It is in him another mistake or else a fraudulent expression of our mindes when he saith Wee hold and freely confesse that Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as we practise in New-England And that any other Calling to the Ministery which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs Though we doe
of the City State and Jurisdiction Discusser 3. From this Toleration of persons holding but lesser errors I observe the unmercifulnesse of such Doctrines and Hearts that he that is sleightly and but a little hurt shall be suffered meanes vouchsafed for his cure but the deep-wounded sinner the Leprous and Vlcerous c. must not be suffered untill peradventure God may give them Repentance c. Defender And why doth he not aswell observe the unmercifulnesse of such States and Lawes as suffer petty theives and liars to live in their Townes Cities but will not suffer willful murtherers violent robbers to live amongst them such as are tainted with lesser Errors and it may be whet them upon others they are but as petty theives and lyars but such as after conviction doe goe on to subvert the Foundation of Christian Religion and to subvert and destroy the soules of Gods People and stoutly robb them both of the meanes of Grace here and of the inheritance of glory hereafter they are worse then willfull murderers or violent robbers The Holy Ghost speaketh of false Teachers as bringing in damnable Heresies 2 Pet. 2.1 as overthrowing the faith of some 2 Tim. 2.18 as subverting their soules Acts 15.24 making merchandize of Gods People 2 Pet. 2.3 which being so me thinkes such as do more mischiefe are lesse tolerable then they that doe lesse It is true they that are more deeply wounded-sinners are more to be pittied suppose the depth of their wounds reach none but themselves but if they be infectious and Leprous and have Plague sores running upon them and thinke it their glory to infect others It is no want of mercy and charity to set such at a distance It is a mercilesse mercy to pitty such as are incureably contagious and mischeivous and not to pitty many scores or hundreds of the soules of such as will be infected and destroyed by the toleration of the other CHAP. 17. A Reply to his seventeenth Chapter touching the holding forth of Error with a boisterous and arrogant Spirit Discusser It is said by the Answerer He that holdeth forth Error with a boisterous and arrogant spirit to the disturbance of the Civill Peace he ought to be punished To this I have spoken too confessing that if any man commit ought of those things which Paul was accused of Acts 25.11 He ought not to be spared yea he ought not in such cases to refuse to die Defender I would not say That every man that holdeth forth Error in a a boisterous and arrogant spirit to the disturbance of Civill Peace ought to be punished with death This is too Bloudy a Tenet unlesse the boisterous Arrogancy were such as did disturbe the Civill Peace to the destruction of the lives and soules of men Discusser But if the matter be of a Spirituall and Divine nature I have written before in many cases and might in many more that the worship which a State professeth may be contradicted and preached against and yet no breach of Civill Peace c. Defender There is no Error that can be a matter of divine nature though it may be spirituall no such Points as are of a divine nature fall within the compasse of this dispute of persecution The many cases which the Discusser before wrote of are all of them allowed but none of them concerne holding forth of Errors which is the Point in hand Yet true it is that if a man hold forth Truth in some boisterous and arrogant way not with the Armour of the Spirit but with the Arme of flesh He may in so doing disturbe the Civill Peace and for such disturbance be justly punished according to the quality of the disturbance raised by him It is easily graunted what the Discusser further avoucheth that they doe break the Cities or Kingdomes Peace who cry out for Prisons and Swords against such who crosse their Judgements or Practise in Religion to wit unlesse their Religion be of God and the crossing of it be such as destroyeth and subverteth the Religion of God But when he saith such onely breake the Cities or Kingdomes Peace as call for Prisons and Swords against Hereticks It is too vast an Hyperbole as if Murderers Seditious Persons Rebells Traytors were none of them such as did breake the Cities or Kingdomes Peace at all but they onely who are too sharpe against corruptions in Religion It is also further easiely graunted which he alledgeth that many complaine most who are most in fault themselves as Josephs Mistresse of him The Lord helpe the Discusser to reflect upon his own way CHAP. 18. A Reply to his Eighteenth Chapter Examining the first Argument for Toleration from Mat. 13.30 38. Discusser First Mat. 13.30 38. Christ Commaundeth to let alone the Tares to grow up together with the wheat untill the Harvest Vnto which he Answereth That Tares are not Bryars and Thornes but partly Hypocrites like unto the Godly but indeed carnall as the Tares are like to the wheat but are not wheat or partly such corrupt Doctrines and Practises as are indeed unsound but yet such as come very neere the Truth as Tares doe to the wheat and so neere that good men may be taken with them and so the Persons in whom they grow cannot be rooted out but good wheat will be rooted out with them In such a case Christ calleth for Peaceable Toleration not for poenall Prosecution according to the third Conclusion But alas here is no evidence or demonstration of the Spirit nor argument from the place it selfe or from the Scriptures of Truth to prove such an Interpretation Defender Ans The Letter to which the Answer was given gave no reason of his exposition and who ever required more reason of an Answerer then of a Replyer 2. The Exposition I gave was consistent with that which the Letter gave Tares and wheat saith he some understand to be those that walke in the Truth and those that walke in lyes now when I say the tares are Hypocrites and some kind of corrupt Doctrines and Practises and such as walke in them are not these coincident with such as walke in lyes what need had I to give a reason of the exposition which he himselfe to whom the Answer was written acknowledgeth Discusser But those three Persons Doctrines and Practises are as a threefold cord and so a threefold strong snare to catch the feet of some or other Defender What hurt doe they get by being caught Hypocrites and corrupt Doctrines and Practises if they be found like unto good Christians or sound truthes what hurt doe they catch when I say such are to be tolerated to the end of the world But to prevent his feare of a threefold cord I shall easily acknowledge that which I meant that by Tares are meant such kinde of evill persons as are like unto the good whether they be Hipocrites men of unsound heartes or men of unsound Doctrines and Practises yet such as come neere the
Discusser Woe were it with the Civill Magistrate if together with the common care and charge of the Common-wealth the bloud of every soule that perisheth should cry against him unlesse he should say with Paul Acts 20. I am cleare from the bloud of all men c. Defender It is not the bloud of every soule that perisheth that can cry against a Magistrate unlesse the soule perish by some such neglect of duty in the Magistrate which God requireth of him for the good of the soules of his people Of which Duties there be two sorts 1. To seeke out and procure meanes of Grace for them so farre as they are capable in Gods way 2. To remove meanes of their corruption and pollution such as Idolls openly erected and Idolatrous false Teachers perverting the people If in both these the Magistrate be faithfull though thousands of soules may perish under his Government yet he is innocent from the bloud of them all and may so professe with Paul Discusser I acknowledge the Magistrate ought to cherish as a Foster Father the Lord Jesus in his Truth in his Saints to cleave unto them himselfe to countenance them unto the Death yea also to breake the Teeth of the Lyons who offer civill violence and injurie unto them But to see all his Subjects Christians to keep such a Church or Christians in the purity of worship and see them doe their duty this belongeth to the head of the body the Lord Jesus and such spirituall Officers as he hath to this purpose deputed Reply 1. What is said of Spirituall Officers deputed by Christ to see the Church to doe her Duty is but a pretence when he acknowledgeth no Church nor spirituall Officers in the Church deputed by Christ extant upon the face of the Earth Reply 2. What Reason can the Discusser give why the Magistrate should breake the teeth of the Lyons who offer civill violence to the Church and Saints and not breake the teeth of the ravenous wolves false Prophets who offer violence to their soules Doubtlesse those ravenous wolves that make havock of their soules are farre more mischievous then the Lyons be that offer violence to their bodies The Romane pagan Emperours who like Lions persecuted the Church 2 Tim. 4.17 they by persecution increased it though against their wills But the Romane Popish Bishops that like ravenous wolves devoured their soules left the Church of Christ scarce visible though visible and them a very small remnant though a remnant It may be matter of just wonderment why Antichrist should find more favours in the Discussers eyes then an ignorant Pagan when the one hateth Christ more bitterly and maketh farre more waste of the Church and Saints of Christ then doth the other Is it because his owne Spirit doth more symbolize with Antichrist then with Caesar Rather in secret supplanting then in open persecuting the Churches and Ordinances of Christ Beply 3. We doe not say that it is a part of the Magistrates duty to see all his Subjects to become Christians if they were Pagans before though wee say it is his Duty to neglect no good meanes to help them onward to the knowledge and faith of Christ Jesus But why doth the Discusser shake this duty out of the Magistrates to see that the Church and the Christians under his Government should walke in purity of worship at least not so farre to degenerate and apostate as to provoke Christ to depart from them Can he hope that such Christians will be faithfull and loyall to their Prince whom he seeth to grow false and disloyall to their God Surely the Land of Ismael though it had some peculiar and and typicall Holinesse belonging to it yet no other then what did prefigure the Holinesse of the Church which is as holy to Christ and ought to be as holy to us as the Land of Israel was to them If therefore it was the duty of Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Isaiah to reduce the people of Israel from their backslidings because they were an holy people 2 Chron. 19.4 Surely the like Duty lyeth upon all Godly Christian Princes to reduce their backsliding Churches to their Primitive Purity Let no man say that as the Holy Land of Israel was a Type of Holy Church So these Princes were Types of the Lord Jesus to whom alone it belongeth to see Churches and Christians to doe their duty in Purity of worship For though David and Solomon were Types of Christ and so the Scripture holdeth them forth yet the Scripture giveth no hint that the other Kings either of Israel or Judah were Types Not of Israel for they were all Apostates nor of Judah for if the Kings of Judah as Kings of Judah to wit in respect of their Regall Estate over the Church if they were all of them Types of Christ then Apostates from Christ were Types of Christ For many of the Kings of Judah were Apostates from Christ as well as the Kings of Israel Yea if they were all Types of Christ then Christ is the Antitype and by accomplishing such types hath abolished them all so that now it were sacrilegious and Antichristian usurpation for any Kings to be set over Christians or the people of God For the Body being come Types and shadowes vanish But what if they were all types of Christ in respect of their Kingly office over the Church alone were they therefore types of Christ in all the Kingly Offices which they performed Then it was typicall in Solomon to put Joab a Murderer to death and Adonijab a Traytor And then it will be unlawfull for Christian Princes to put Murderers or Traitors to death Or if you say these were civill crimes But Idolatry and Heresie which Asa Joash and Josiah punished with death were spirituall crimes and therefore the Kings of Judah in punishing these latter were types of Christ not so in the former this is spoken gratis For whatsoever the Kings of Judah did as types of Christ Christ being the Antitype might more full and lively performe it in his owne person But certaine it is he put no man to death in his owne person all the dayes of his flesh Why therefore may it not rather be said that whatsoever the Kings of Judah lawfully did whether against the Transgressours of the first or second Table they did it not as types of Christ but as servants of Christ betrusted with the care of the welfare both of Church and Common-wealth and therefore as patternes and examples to Christian Magistrates And indeed many of the Kings of Israel as they were Kings over a Common-wealth which was also a Church so they were Kings also over sundry Pagan Nations round about them as were David and Solomon Asa and Jehosaphat Joash and Josiah And though none of them compelled the Pagan Nations to become Proselites to the Church of Israel no more then Christian Kings may compell Pagans to become Christians or men without