to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous Abraham Iacob David Salomon c. as well as Lamech Saul c. lived in constant transgression against the institution of so holy and so ratified a Law of Mariage c. and this not against the light and checks of conscience as other sinnes are wont to be recorded of them but according to the dictate and perswasion of a Resolved Soule and Conscience David out of zeale to God with 30 thousand of Israel and Majesticall solemnity carries up the Arke contrary to the Order God was pleased to appoint the issue was both Gods and Davids great offenceâ— 2 Sam. 6. David in his zeale would build an house to entertaine his God what more pious and what more in shew serioâ—sly consulted when the Prophet Nathan is admitted Councellour 2 Sam. 7. And probable it is that his slaughter of Vriiah was not without a good end to wit to prevent the dishonour of Gods name in the discoverrie of his Adulterie with Bathsheba yet David was holy and precious to God still though like a jewell fallen into the dirt whereas K. Ahab though acting his fasting humiliation was but Ahab still though his Act in it selfe was a duty and found successe with God CHAP. LXIV Peace I Have often heard that Historie reports and I have heard that Mr. Cotton himselfe hat affirmed it that Christianitic fell asleep in Constantines bosome and the laps and bosomes of those Emperours professing the name of Christ. Truth The unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperours did more hurt to Christ Iesus his Crowne and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloody Neroes In the persecutions of the later Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded and beaten in morters But those good Emperours persecuting some erroneous persons Arrius c. and advancing the professours of some Truths of Christ for there was no small number of Truths lost in those times and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword I say by this meanes Christianity was ecclipsed and the Professors of it fell asleep Cant. 5. Babel or confusion was usher'd in and by degrees the Gardens of the Churches of Saints were turned into the wildernesse of whole Nations untill the whole World became Christian or Christendome Revel 12. 13. Doubtlesse those holy men Emperours and Bishops intended and aimed right to exalt Christ but not attending to the Command of Christ Iesus to permit the Tares to grow in the field of the World they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the World to be all one and might not onely sometimes in their zealous mistakes persecute good wheat in stead of Tares but also pluck up thousands of those precious stalkes by commotions and combustions about Religion as hath been since practised in the great and wonderfull changes wrought by such Wars in many great and mighty States and Kingdomes as we heard even now in the Observation of the King of Bohemia CHAP. LXV Peace DEare Truth before you leave this passage concerning the Emperours I shall desire you to glance your eye on this not unworthy observation to wit how fully this worthy Answerer hath learned to speake the roaring language of Lyon-like Persecution far from the purity and peaceablenesse of the Lambe which he was wont to expresse in England For thus he writes More and greater Princes then these you mention saith he have not tolerated Hereticks and Schismaticks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their arrogating the Crown of Martyrdome to their suffâ—ings Truth Thy tender eare and heart sweet Peace endures not such language 'T is true that these termes Hereticks or wilfully obstinate and Schismaticks or Renders are used in Holy Writ 't is true also that such pretend conscience and challenge the crowne of Martyrdome to their suffrings Yet since as King Iames spake in his Marke of a false Church on Revel 20. the Wicked persecute and besiege and the Godly are persecuted and besieged this is the common clamour of Persecuters against the Messengers and Witnesses of Iesus in all Ages viz. You are Hereticks Schismaticks factious seditious rebellious Have not all Truths witnesses heard such reproaches You pretend conscience You say you are persecuted for Religion You will say you are Martyrs Oh it is hard for Gods children to fall to opinion and practice of Persecution without the ready learning the language thereof And doubtlesse that Soule that can so readily speake Babels language hath cause to fear that he hath not yet in point of Worship left the Gates or Suburbs of it Peace Againe in blaming Iulian and Valens the Arrian for tolerating all weeds to grow he notes their sinfull end that thereby they might choake the vitals of Christianity and seemes to consent in this and other passages foregoing and following on a speech of Ierome that the weeds of false Religions tolerated in the world have a power to choake and kill true Christianity in the Church Truth I shall more fully answer to this on Ieromes speech and shew that if the weeds be kept out of the Garden of the Church the Roses and Lilies therein will flourish notwithstanding that weeds abound in the Field of the Civill State When Christianity began to be choaked it was not when Christians lodged in cold Prisons but Downe beds of ease and persecuted others c. CHAP. LXVI Peace HE ends this passage with approbation of Q. Elizabeth for persecuting the Papists and a reproofe to King Iames for his persecuting the Puritans c. Truth I answer if Queene Elizabeth according to the Answerers Tenent and Conscience did well to persecute according to her conscience King Iames did not ill in persecuting according to his For Mr. Cotton must grant that either King Iames was not fit to be a King had not the essentiall qualifications of a King in not being able rightly to judge who ought to be persecuted and who not or else he must confesse that King Iames and all Magistrates must persecute such whom in their Conscience they judge worthy to be persecuted I say it againe though I neither approve Queen Elizabeth or K. Iames in such their persecutions yet such as hold this Tenent of persecuting for Conscience must also hold that Civill Magistrates are not essentially fitted and qualified for their function and office except they can discerne clearly the difference betweene such as are to be punished and persecuted and such as are not Or else if they be essentially qualified without such a religious spirit of discerning and yet must persecute the Hereticke the Schismaticke c. must they not persecute according to their conscience and perswasion And then doubtlesse though he bee excellent for Civill Government may he easily as Paul did ignorantly persecute the Son of God in stead of the Son of perdition Therefore lastly according to Christ
obedience Which doctrine all such must necessarily hold however most loath to owne it that hold the Magistrate Guardian of both Tables and consequently such an one as is inabled to judge yea and to demonstrate to all men the worship of God yea and being thus Governor and Head of the Church he must necessarily be a part of it himselfe which when by Heresie he falls from though it may be by Truth miscalled Heresie he falls from his calling of Magistracy and is utterly disabled from his pretended guardianship and government of the Church Lastly we may remember the practice of the Lord Iesus and his followers commanding and practising obedience to the Higher Powers though we finde not one Civill Magistate a Christian in all the first Churches But contrarily the civill Magistrate at that time was the bloody Beast made up as Daniel seemes to imply concerning the Romane State Dan. 7. 7. of the Lion the Beare and the Leopard Rev. 13. 2. CHAP. CXV Peace BY these waights wee may try the waight of that commonly received and not questioned opinion viz. That the civill state and the spirituall the Church and Commonweale they are like Hippocrates twinnes they are borne together grow up together laugh together weepe together sicken and die together Truth A witty yet a most dangerous Fiction of the Father of â—ies who hardned in Rebellion against God perswades Gods people to drinke downe such deadly poison though he knowes the truth of these five particulars which I shall reminde you of First many flourishing States in the World have beene and are at this day which heare not of Iesus Christ and therefore have not the presence and concurrence of a Church of Christ with them Secondly there have beene many thousands of Gods people who in their personall estate and life of grace were awake to God but in respect of Church estate they knew no other then a Church of dead stones the Parish Church or though some light be of late come in through some cranny yet they seeke not after or least of all are joyned to any true Church of God consisting of living and beleeving stones So that by these New English Ministers principles not onely is the doore of calling to Magistracy shut against naturall and unregenerate men though excellently â—itted for civill offices but also against the best and ablest servants of God except they be entred into Church estate so that thousands of Gods owne people excellently qualified not knowing or not entring into such a Church estate shall not be accounted fit for civill services Thirdly admit that a civill Magistrate be neither a member of a true Church of Christ if any bee in his dominions nor in his person feare God yet may he possibly give free permission without molestation yea and sometimes incouragement and assistance to the service and Church of God Thus wee finde Abraham permitted to build and set up an Altar to his God wheresoever hee came amongst the idolatrous Nations in the Land of Canaan Thus Cyrus proclaims liberty to all the people of God in his Dominions freely to goe up and build the Temple of God at Ierusalem and Artaxerxes after him confirmed it Thus the Romane Emperours and Governours under him permitted the Church of God the Iewes in the Lord Christs time their Temple and Worship although in Civill things they were subject to the Romanes Fourthly the Scriptures of Truth and the Records of Time concurre in this that the first Churches of Christ Iesus the lights patternes and presidents to all succeeding Ages were gathered and governed without the aid assistance or countenance of any Civill Authoritie from which they suffered great persecutions for the name of the Lord Iesus professed amongst them The Nations Rulers and Kings of the Earth tumultuously rage against the Lord and his Anointed Psal. 2. 1. 2. Yet vers 6. it hath pleased the Father to set the Lord Iesus King upon his holy Hill of Zion Christ Iesus would not be pleased to make use of the Civill Magistrate to assist him in his Spirituall Kingdome nor would he yet be daunted or discouraged in his Servants by all their threats and terreurs for Love is strong as death and the coales thereof give a most vehement flame and are not quenched by all the waters and flouds of mightiest opposition Cant. 8. Christ Church is like a chaste and loving wife in whose heart is fixed her Husbands love who hath found the tendernesse of his love towards her and hath been made fruitfull by him and therefore seekes she not the smiles nor feares the frownes of all the Emperours in the World to bring her Christ unto her or keep him from her Lastly we finde in the tyrannicall usurpations of the Romish Antichrist the 10 hornes which some of good note conceive to be the 10 Kingdomes into which the Romane Empire was quartred and divided are expresly said Revel 17. 13. to have one minde to give their power and strength unto the Beast yea ver 17. their Kingdome unto the Beast untill the Words of God shall be fulfilled whence it followes that all those Nations that are guilded over with the name of Christ have under that mask or vizâ—rd as some Executioners and Tormentors in the Inquisition use to torment persecuted the Lord Iesus Christ either with a more open grosse and bloody or with a more subtle secret and gentle violence Let us cast our eyes about turne over the Records and examine the experience of past and present Generations and see if all particular observations amount not to this summe viz. that the great whore hath committed fornication with the Kings of the Earth and made drunke thereof Nations with the cup of the wine of her fornications In which drunkennes and whoredome as whores use to practice she hath robbed the Kings and Nations of their power and strength and Iesabel like having procured the Kings names and seales she drinks drunk Revel 17. with the blood of Naboth who because he dares not part with his rightfull inheritance in the land of Canaan the blessed land of promise and salvation in Christ as a Traitour to the civill State and Blasphemer against God she under the colour of a day of humiliation in Prayer and Fasting stones to death CHAP. CXVI Peace DEare Truth how art thou hidden from the eyes of men in these mysteries how should men weep abundantly with Iohn that the Lambe may please to open these blessed sealeâ— unto them Truth O that Men more prized their makers feare â— then should they be more acquainted with their Makers councells for his Secret is with them that feare him Psal. 25. I passe on to a second Difference The Kings of Israel and Iudah were all solemnly annointed with oyle Psal. 39. 20. I have found David my servant with my holy 〈◊〉 have I annointed him Whence the Kings of Israel and Iudah were
of State policy tolerate what suits not with Christianity and out of State necessity tolerate â—s David did Ioab against their wils To which I answer First that although with him in the first I confesse that Princes may tolerate that out of State policy which will not stand with Christianity yet in the second he must acknowledge with me that there is a necessity sometime of State Toleration as in the case of Ioab and so his former affirmation generally laid downe viz. that it is evill to tolerate seducing Teachers or scandalous livers was not duly waighed in the Balance of the Sanctuary and is too light Secondly I affirme that that State policy and State necessity which for the peace of the State and preventing of Rivers of civill Blood permits the Consciences of men will bee found to agree most punctually with the Rules of the best Politician that ever the World saw the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in comparison of whom Salomon himselfe had but a drop of wisedome compared to Christs Ocean and was but a Farthing Candle compared with the All and Ever glorious Son of Righteousnesse That absolute Rule of this great Politician for the peace of the Field which is the World and for the good and peace of the Saints who must have a civill being in the World I have discoursed of in his command of permitting the Tares that is Antichristians or false Christians to be in the Field of the World growing up together with the true Wheat true Christians CHAP. LXI Peace HIs third Answer is this For those three Princes named by you who tolerated Religion we can name you more and greater who have not tolerated Heretickes and Schismatickes notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings Constantine the Great at the request of the Generall Councell at Nice banished Arrius with some of his Fellowes Sozom. lib. 1. Eccles hist. cap 19 20. The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists and the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius as Augustine reports in Ep. 166. Onely Iulian the Apostate granted liberty to Heretickes as well as to Pagans that he might by tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitals of Christianity which was also the practice and sinne of Valens the Arrian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her Government as most of the former it is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists yea and K. Iames one of your owne Witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for Conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the malignant World calls Puritans men of more Conscience and better Faith then the Papists whom he tolerated Truth Unto this I answer First that for mine owne part I would not use an argument from the number of Princes witnessing in profession of practice against Persecution for cause of Conscience for the truth and faith of the Lord Iesus must not bee received with respect of faces be they never so high princely and glorious Precious Pearles and Iewels and farre more precious Truth are found in muddy shells and places The rich Mines of golden Truth lye hid under barren hills and in obscure holes and corners The most High and Glorious God hath chosen the poore of the World and the Witnesses of Truth Rev. 11. are cloathed in sackcloth not in Silke or Sattin Cloth of Gold or Tissue and therefore I acknowledge if the number of Princes professing persecution bee considered it is rare to finde a King Prince or Governour like Christ Iesus the King of Kings and Prince of the Princes of the Earth and who tread not in the steps of Herod the Fox or Nero the Lyon openly or secretly persecuting the name of the Lord Iesus such were Saul Ieroboam Ahab though under a maske or pretence of the name of the God of Israel To that purpose was it a noble speech of Buchanan who lying on his death-bed sent this Item to King Iames Remember my humble service to his Majestie and tell him that Buchanan is going to a place where few Kings come CHAP. LXII Truth SEcondly I observe how inconsiderately I hope not willingly he passeth by the Reasons and Grounds urged by those three Princes for their practices for as for the bare examples of Kings or Princes they are but like shining Sands or guilded Rockes giving no solace to such as make wofull shipwrack on them In K. Iames his Speech he passeth by that Golden Maxime in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by Blood Secondly that Civill Obedience may be performed from the Papists Thirdly in his observation on Revel 20. that true and certaine note of a false Church to wit persecution The wicked are besiegers the faithfull are besieged In K. Steven of Poland his Speech hee passeth by the true difference betweene a Civill and a Spirituall Government I am said Steven a Civill Magistrate over the bodies of men not a spirituall over their soules Now to confound these is Babel and Jewish it is to seek for Moses and bring him from his grave which no man shall finde for God buried him in setting up a Nationall state or Church in a land of Canaan which the great Messiah abolished at his comming Thirdly he passeth by in the speech of the King of Bohemia that foundation in Grace and Nature to wit that Conscience ought not to be violated or forced and indeed it it is most true that a Soule or spirituall Rape is more abominable in Gods eye then to force and ravish the Bodies of all the Women in the World Secondly that most lamentably true experience of all Ages which that King observeth viz. that persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious being the causes of all those wonderfull innovations of or changes in the Principalitiesâ— and mightiest Kingdomes of Christendome He that reads the Records of Truth and Time with an impartiall eye shall finde this to be the Launcet that hath pierc'd the veines of Kings and Kingdomes of Saints and Sinners and fill'd the streames and Rivers with their blood Lastly that Kings observation of his own time viz. that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery raigned implying as I conceive that such practises commonly proceed from that great whore the Church of Rome whose Daughters are like their Mother and all of a bloody nature as most commonly all Whores be CHAP. LXIII NOw thirdly in that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperours they that did not persecute were Iulian the Apostate and Valens the Arrian whereas the good Emperours Constantine Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arrians Donatists c. Answ. It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men
Iesus his command Magistrates are bound not to persecute and to see that none of their subjects be persecuted and oppressed for their conscience and worship being otherwise subject and peaceable in Civill Obedience CHAP. LXVII IN the second place I answer and aske what glory to God what good to the soules or bodies of their subjects shall Princes did these Princes bring in persecuting c. Peace Mr. Cotton tells us in his discourse upon the third Violl that Queene Elizabeth had almost fired the world in civill combustions by such her peâ—secuting For though hee bring it in to another end yet he confesseth that it raised all Christendome in combustion raised the Warres of 88. and the Spanish Invasion and he addes both concerning the English Nation and the Dutch that if God had not born witnesse to his people and their Laws in defeating the intendments of their enemies against both the Nations it might have beene the ruine of them both Truth That those Lawes and Practices of Queene Elizabeth raised those combustions in Christendome I deny not That they might likely have cost the ruine of English and Dutch I grant That it was Gods gracious worke in defeating the Intendments of their enemies I thankfully acknowledge But that God bore witnesse to such persecutions and lawes for such persecutions I deny for First event and successe come alike to all and are no Arguments of love or hatred c. Secondly the Papists in their warres have ever yet had both in Peace and War victory and dominion and therefore if successe be the measure God hath borne witnesse unto them It is most true what Daniel in his 8. and 11. and 12. Chapters and Iohn in his Revel 11. 12. and 13. Chapters write of the great successe of Antichrist against Christ Iesus for a time appointed Successe was various betweene Charles the fift and some German Princes Philip of Spaine and the Low Countries The French King and his Protestant Subjects sometimes losing sometimes winning interchangeably But most memorable is the famous history of the Waldâ—nses and Albingenses those famous Witnesses of Iesus Christ who rising from Waldâ— at Lyons in France 1160. spread over France Italy Germany and almost all Countries into thousands and ten thousands making separation from the Pope and Church of Rome These fought many Battels with various successe and had the assistance and protection of divers great Princes against three succeeding Popes and their Armies but after mutuall slaughters and miseries to both sides the finall successe of victory fell to the Popedome and Romish Church in the utter extirpation of those famous Waldensian witnesses Gods servants are all overcommers when they war with Gods weapons in Gods cause and Worship and Revel 2. and 3. Chapters seven times is it recorded To him that overcommeth in Ephesus To him that overcommeth in Sardis c. and Revel 12. Gods servants overcame the Dragon or Devill in the Romane Emperours by three weapons The blood of the Lambe The word of their Testimony and The not loving of their lives unto the death CHAP. LXVIII Peace THe Answerer in the next place descends to the third and last Head of Arguments produced by the Authour taken from the judgement of ancient and later Writers yea even of the Papists themselves who have condemned persecution for conscience sake some of which the Answerer pleaseth to answer and thus writeth You begin with Hilarie whose testimony without prejudice to the Truth we may admit For it is true the Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted But to excommunicate an Hereticke is not to persecute that is it is not to punish an innocent but a culpable and damnable person and that not for conscience but for persisting in errour against light of conscience whereof he hath beene convinced Truth In this Answer here are two things First his confession of the same Truth affirmed by Hilarius to wit that the Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted suâ—ing wiâ—h that foâ—egâ—ing observation of King Iames from Rev. 20. Peace Yet to this he addes a colour thus which saith he wee may admit without prejudice to the truth Truth I answer if it bee a marke of the Christian Church to bee persecuted and of the Antichristian oâ— false Church to persecute then those Churches cannot be truly Christian according to the first institution which either actually themselves or by the Civill power of Kings and Princes given to them or procured by them to fight for them doe persecute such as dissent from them or be opposite against them Peace Yea but in the second place he addeth that to excommunicate an Heretick is not to persecute but to punish him for sinning against the light of his own conscience c. Truth I answer if this worthy Answerer were throughly awaked from the Spouses spirituall slumber Cant. 5. and had recovered from the drunkennesse of the great Whore who intoxicateth the Nations Revel 17. It is impossible that he should so answer for First who questioneth whether to excommunicate an Heretick this is an obstinate Gainsayer as we have opened the word upon Tit. 3. I say who questioneth whether that be to persecute Excommunication being of a spirituall nature a Sentence denounced by the Word of Christ Iesus the Spirituall King of his Church and a Spirituall killing by the most sharpe two-edged Sword of the Spirit in delivering up the person excommunicate to Sathan Therefore who sees not that his Answer comes not neere our Question Peace In the Answerers second conclusion in the entrance of this Discourse he proves persecution against an Heretick for sinning against his conscience and quotes Tit. 3. 10. which only proves as I have there made it evident a Spirituall rejecting or excommunicating from the Church of God and so comes not neer the question Here again he would prove Churches charged to be false because they persecute I say he would prove them not to be false because they persecute not for saith he Excommunication is not Persecution Whereas the Question is as the whole discourse and Hilaries own amplification of the matter in this speech and the practice of all Ages testifies whether it be not a false Church that doth persecute other Churches or Members opposing her in Spirituall and Church matter not by Excommunications but by imprisonments stocking whipping sining banishing hanging burning c. notwithstanding that such persons in Civill obedience and subjection are unreproveable Truth I conclude this passage with Hilarius and the Answerer That the Christian Church doth not persecute no more then a Lilie doth scratch the Thornes or a Lambe pursue and teare the â—olves or a Turtle dove hunt the Hawkes and Eagles or a chaste and modest Virgin fight and scratch like whores and harlots And for punishing the Heretick for sinning against his conscience after conviction which in the second conclusion he affirmeth to be by a
and purgings Are not all the Nations of the Earth alike cleane unto God or rather alike uncleane untill it pleaseth the Father of mercies to call some out to the Knowledge and Grace of his Sonne making them to see their filthinesse and strangenesse from the Commonweale of Israel and to wash in the bloud of the Lambe of God This taking away the difference between Nation and Nation Country and Country is most fully and admirably declared in that great vision of all sorts of living creatures presented unto Peter Acts 10. whereby it pleased the Lord to informe Peter of the abolishing of the difference between Iew and Gentile in any holy or unholy cleane or uncleane respect Fifthly not only to speake of all but to select one or two more This people of Israel in that Nationall State were a type of all the Children of God in all ages under the profession of the Gospel who are therefore called the Children of Abraham and the Israel of God Gal. 3. Gal. 6. A Kingly Priesthood and holy Nation 1 Pet. 2. 9 in a cleare and manifest Antitype to the former Israel Exod. 19. 6. Hence Christians now are figuratively in this respect called Iewes Rev. 3. where lies a cleare distinction of the true and false Christian under the consideration of the true and false Iew Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Sathan that say they are Jewes and are not but doe lie Rev. 3. But such a typicall respect we finde not now upon any People Nation or Country of the whole World But out of all Nations Tongues and Languages is God pleased to call some and redeem them to Himselfe Rev. 5. 9. And hath made no difference betweene the Iewes and Gentiles Greekes and Scithians Gal. 3. who by Regeneration or second birth become the Israel of God Gal. 6. the Temple of God 1 Cor. 3. and the true Ierusalem Heb. 12. Lastly all this whole Nation or people as they were of one typicall seed of Abraham sealed with a shamefull painfull Ordinance of cutting off the fore-skin which differenced them from all the World beside So also were they bound to such and such solemnities of figurative worships Amongst many others I shall end this passage concerning the people with a famous observation out of Numb 9. 1 3. viz. All that whole Nation was bound to celebrate and keepe the Feast of the Passeover in his season or else they were to be Put to death But doth God require a whole Nation Country or Kingdome now thus to celebrate the spirituall Passeover the Supper and Feast of the Lambe Christ Iesus at such a time once a yeare and that whosoever shall not so doe shall bee put to death What horrible prophanations what grosse hypocrisies yea what wonderfull desolations sooner or later must needs follow upon such a course T is true the people of Israel brought into covenant with God in Abraham and so successively borne in Covenant with God might in that state of a Nationall Church solemnly covenant and sweare that whosoever would not seeke Iehovah the God of Israel should be put to death 2 Chron. 15. whether small or great whether man or woman But may whole Nations or Kingdomes now according to any one title exprest by Christ Iesus to that purpose follow that patterne of Israel and put to death all both men and women great and small that according to the rules of the Gospel are not borne againe penitent humble heavenly patient c. What a world of hypocrisie from hence is practised by thousands that for feare will stoope to give that God their bodies in a forme whom yet in truth their hearts affect not Yea also what a world of prophanation of the holy Name and holy Ordinances of the Lord in prostituting the holy things of God like the Vessels of the Sanctuary Dan. 5. to prophane impenitent and unregenerate persons Lastly what slaughters both of men and women must this necessarily bring into the world by the Insurrections and Civill Warres about Religion and Conscience Yea what slaughters of the innocent and faithfull witnesses of Christ Jesus who choose to bee slaine all the day long for Christ his sake and to fight for their Lord and Master Christ onely with spirituall and Christian weapons CHAP. CXIV Peace IT seemes deare Truth a mighty Gulfe betweene that people and Nation and the Nations of the world then extant and ever since Truth As sure as the blessed substance to all those shadowes Christ Iesus is come so unmatchable and never to bee paralleld by any Nationall State was that Israel in the Figure or Shadow And yet the Israel of God now the Regenerate or Newborne the circumcised in Heart by Repentance and Mortification who willingly submit unto the Lord Iesus as their onely King and Head may fitly parallell and answer that Israel in the type without such danger of hypocrisie of such horrible prophanations and of firing the Civill State in such bloody combustions as all Ages have brought forth upon this compelling a whole Nation or Kingdome to be the antitype of Israel Peace Were this Light entertained some hopes would shine forth for my returne and restauration Truth I have yet to adde a third consideration concerning the Kings and Governours of that Land and people They were to be unlesse in their captivities of their Brethren members of the true Church of God as appeares in the History of Moses the Elders of Israel and the Iudges and Kings of Israel afterward But first who can deny but that there may be now many lawfull Governours Magistrates and Kings in the Nations of the World where is no true Church of Iesus Christ Secondly we know the many excellent gifts wherewith it hath pleased God to furnish many inabling them for publike service to their Countries both in Peace and War as all Ages and Experience testifies on whose soules hee hath not yet pleased to shine in the face of Iesus Christ which Gifts and Talents must all lye buried in the Earth unlesse such persons may lawfully be called and chosen to and improved in publike service notwithstanding their different or contrary Conscience and Worship Thirdly if none but true Christians members of Christ Iesus might be Civill Magistrates and publikely intrusted with civill affaires then none but members of Churches Christians should be Husbands of Wives Fathers of Children Masters of Servants But against this doctrine the whole creation the whole World may justly rise up in armes as not onely contrary to true Piety but common Humanity it selfe For if a Commonweale bee lawfull amongst men that have not heard of God nor Christ certainly their Officers Ministers and Governours must be lawfull also Fourthly it is notoriously knowne to be the dangerous doctrine profest by some Papists that Princes degenerating from their Religion and turning Heretickes are to be deposed and their Subjects actually discharged from their
the Greeke signifie no more then the Gentiles or Nations of the Earth which were without and not within the true typicall nationall Church of the Iewes before Christ and since his comming the Gentiles or Nations of the World who are without that one holy Nation of the Christian Israel the Church gathered unto Christ Iesus in particular and distinct congregations all the World over Translatours promiscuously render the words Gentiles Heathens Nations whence it is evident that even such as professe the Name of Christ in an unregenerate and impenitent estate whether Papist or Protestant are yet without that is Heathen Gentiles or of the Nations CHAP. CXXXIII Peace DEare Truth it is now time to cast your eye on the second part of this Head or picture uncomely and deformed Truth It containes two sorts of Religious meetings or assemblies First more extraordinary and occasionall for which he quotes the practice of Iosiah An. Iosiah was in the type so are not now the severall Governours of Commonweales Kings or Governours of the Church or Israel whose state I have proved to be a None-such and not to bee parallel'd but in the Antitype the particular Church of Christ where Christ Iesus alone sits King in his owne most holy Government Secondly they propound meetings or assemblings ordinary stated and constant yearly and monthly unto which the civill Magistrate should give liberty For these meetings they propound plausible arguments from the necessity of them from Christian fellowship from Gods glory from the experience of the benefit of them and from the good report of them as also those two Scriptures 1 Cor. 10. 32. 2 Cor. 11. 38. To these I answer If they intend that the civill Magistrate should permit liberty to the free and voluntary Spirituall meetings of their Subjects I shall subscribe unto them but if they intend that the Magistrate should give liberty only unto themselves and not to the rest of their subjects that is to desire their owne soules only to be free and all other soules of their subjects to be kept in bondage Secondly if they intend that the Magistrate should inforce all the Elders of such Churches under their Iurisdiction to keepe correspondencie with them in such meetings then I say as before it is to cause him to give Libertie with a partiall hand and unequall Ballance for thus I argue If the Civill State and Civill officers be of their Religion and Conscience it is not proper for them to give libertie or freedome but to give honourable testimonie and approbation and their own personall submission to the Churches But if the civill State and Officers be of another conscience and worship and shall be bound to grant permission and libertie to them their consciences and meetings and not to those of his own Religion and Conscience also how will this appeare to be equall in the very eye of Common peace and righteousnesse For those yearely and monthly meetings as we find not any such in the first Churches So neither will those generall arguments from the plausible pretence of Christian fellowship Gods glory c. prove such particular wayes of glorifying God without some precept or president of such a kind For those Scriptures 1 Cor. 10. 33. 2 Cor. 11. 38. expressing the Apostle Paul his zeale for glorifying God and his care for all the Churches it is cleere they concerne such as are indeed Pauls successors sent forth by Christ Iesus to preach and gather Churchesâ— but those Scriptures concerne not the Churches themselves nor the Pastours of the Churches properly least of all the Civill State and Commonwealth neither of which the Churches the Pastours or Commonwealth doe goe forth personally with that commission Matth. 28. to preach and baptize that is to gather Churches unto Christ. For as for the first the Churches are not Ministers of the Gospel the Angels or Messengers of the Churches and the Churches themselves were distinct Revel 2. 3. As for the second the pastours and Elders of the Church their worke is not to gather Churches but to governe and feed them Acts 20. 1 Pet. 5. As for the civill Magistrate it is a Ministry indeed Magistrates are Gods Ministers Rom. 13. but it is of another Nature and therefore none of these the Churches of Christ the Shepherds of those Churches nor the civill Magistrate succeeding the Apostles or first Messengers these Scriptures alleadged concerne not any of these to have care of all the Churches Peace Deare Truth who can heare this Word but will presently cry out Who then may rightly challenge that commission and that promise Math. 28. c. Truth Sweet Peace in due place and season that Question may be resolved but doubtles the true successours must precede or goe before the Church making Disciples and baptizing as the Apostles did who were neither the Churches nor the Pastors and fixed Teachers of them but as they gathered so had the care of the Churches CHAP. CXXXIV Peace I Cease to urge this further and in the last place marvell what should be the reason of that Conclusion viz. There is no power of determination in any of these meetings but that all must be left to the particular determination of the Churches Truth At the meeting at Ierusalem when Paul and Barnabas and others were sent thither from the Church of Christ at Antioch the Apostles and Elders did not only consult and advise but particularly determined the Question which the Church of Antioch sent to them about Acts 15. and send their particular determinations or decrees to the Churches afterward So that if these Assemblies were of the nature of that pattern or president as is generally pretended and had such a promise of the assistance and concurrence of the Spirit as that Assembly had they might then say as that Assembly did Acts 15. It seemeth good to the holy Spirit and to us and should not leave particular determinations to the particular Churches in which sometimes are very few able Guides and Leaders Peace But what should be the Reason to perswade these worthy men to conceive the particular Congregations or Churches to be more fit and competent Iudges in such high points then an Assembly of so excellent and choice persons who must only consult and advise c. Truth Doubtlesse there is a strong conviction in their Soules of a professed promised presence of the Lord Iesus in the midst of his Church gathered after his mind and will more then unto such kind of Assemblies though consisting of far more able persons even the flower and creame of all the Churches Peace It is generally conceived that the promise of Christs presence to the end of the World Matth. 28. is made to the Church Truth There is doubtlesse a promise of Christs presence in the midst of his Church and Congregation Matth. 18. but the promise of Christs presence Matth. 28. cannot properly and immediately belong to
Permission of the Tares in the field of the world for a twofold good 1 Of the good Wheâ—e 2 Of the whole world â—he field it selfe Seducing teachers either Pagan Jewish or Antichristian may yet be obedient subjects to the Civill lawes Scandalous livers against the Civill state who they are Toleration Rev. 2. 14. 20. examined Christ Ministers Churches have power sufficient from Christ to suppresse Balaam and Iesabel seducing to false worship The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity The second head of Reasons against such persecution viz. the profession of famous Princes K. James Steven of Poland and K. of Bohemia Isa. 40 6. 2 Pet. 2. Mr. Cottons unequall dealing with Princes The Answerer a knowledgeth a necessiâ—y of some tolâ—ration Christ Jesus the deepest politician that ever was and yet he commands a toleration of Antichristians The Princes of the world seldome take put with Christ. Princes not persecuting are very rare Buchanans Item to King Iames. King Iames his sayings against persecution King Steven of Poland his speech against Persecution Forcing of Conscience is a Soule rape Persecution for conscience the Launcet that letteth blood Kings Kingdomes All spirituall Whores are bloody The Godly somotimes evill actors and the Ungodly good actors Poligamie or the many wives of the Fathers Davids advancing of Gods Worship against Gods Order Constantine and the good Emperours are confest to have done more hurt to the name and crown of the Lord Jesus then the persecuting Neroes c. The Garden of the Church and Field of the World made all one by Antichrististianisme The language of Persecuters the wolves and hunters of the World Christs Lilies may flourish in his Church notwithstanding the abundance of weeds in the world permitted The persecution of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames compared together In his opening of the 7. Viols in print Mr. Cotton confesseth that Queen Elizabeth her persecuting the Papists had almost ruined the English Nation The Wars betweene the Papists and the Protestants Eventus omnis 〈…〉 The wars and successe of the Waldenâ—â—an witnesses against three Popes and their popish Armies Gods people victorious overcommers and with what weapons The third head of Arguments from ancient and later writers The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted Persecuting 〈◊〉 cannot be Christs Churches The nature of excommunication What persecution or hunting is Christs Spouse noâ—ser â—tcher or fighter Who cannot be won by the Word must not be compelled by the Sword Constraine upon Consciences in Old and New England Tertullian his speech discussed The Indians of New England permitted by the English not only to continue â—n their unbeleâ—f which they canâ—â—â—â—ure but also in their fâ—lse worshâ—p which they might by the civil sworrestraine In a cases a false Religion will not hurt the true Church or the State The seducing or infecting of others discussed The Answerer trusâ—eth not to the sword of the Spirit only in Spirituall causes The absolute sufficiencie of the sword of the Spirit The Church of Christ to be kept pure A Nationall Church not instâ—â—â—tâ—d by Christ Jesus The nationall Church of the Jewes 1 Sam. 13. Man hath no power to mâ—ke lawes to binde conscience Desperate consequences unavoidable Luthers testimony in this case discussed Mr. Cottons positions evidently proved contradictory to themselves Hearing of the Word of God in a Church estate a part of Gods worship Papists plea for toleration of conscience The Protestants partiall in the case of persecution A false balance in Gods matters abominable to God Sheep cannot hâ—nt no not the wolves Pills to purge out the spiâ—it of persecution Superstition persecution have had many votes from Gods owne people Austins saying for persecution examined Soul-killing Punishments provided by Christ Jesus against Soule-killers and Soule-wounders Men dead in Sin cannot be Soule kill'd A Nationall enforced Religion or a Civill War for Religion the two great preventers of soule conversion and life Soule killers prove by the grace of Christ Soule savers Optatus examined Persecuters leave Christ flie to Moses for their practice Phineas his act discussed Eliaâ—s slaughters examined Eliahs consuming the 2 Captaâ—nes and their companies by â—iâ—e discussed Dangerous consequences flowing from the Civill Magistrates judging in Spirituall causes The World turned upside down The wonderfull answer of the Ministers of the Church of New England to the Ministers of the Church of Old England Lâ—mentable differences even amongst them that â—ear God Betweene the Presbyterians and Independants Covenanters and Noncovenanters of both which many are truly godly in their persons The doctrine of persecution necâ—ssâ—râ—ly and most commonly falls 〈◊〉 viâ—st upon he â—â—ost godly persons The doctrine of persecution drives the most godly persons out of the world The bloody Tenent Warres for Conscience The blessed Magna Charta A strange Modell of a Church and Common-weale after the Mâ—sâ—call and Jewish pattern Mat. 16. 19. with â—oh 20. 23. Rom. 13. 1. Mat. 10. 18. T it 3. 1. Acts 15. 20. Isa. 49. 2â— Gal. 3. â—8 Christs power in his Church confest to be above all Magistrates in 〈◊〉 all things Isa. 49. 23. lamentably wrested The first head examined John 18. 36. Jâ—r 29. 7. Ezta 7. 23. Rom. 1. 2. 3. Tim. 2. 2. The Civill Commonweal and the Spirituall Commonweale the Church not inconsistent though independent the one on the other Christs Ordinances put upon a whole City or Nation may more civilize and moralize but â—ever Christianize them The second head concerning superiority of each power Rom. 13. 1. 5. 6 Isa. 49. 23. Isa. 49. 23. Luc. 12. 14. Joh. 8. 11. And that judicium of the church in law suits 1 Cor. 62 is only arbitrarium not coastiâ—â—m Ans. Truth A contradiction to make the Magistrate supreme judge in spirituall causes and yet to have no spirituall power The Civill Magistrate confest to have no Civill power over the soules of men Nor spirituall The Magistrate and the Church by the Authors grounds at one and the same time in one and the same cause made the Judges on the Bâ—â—â—h and Dâ—â—â—quents â—â—â—th Bâ—â—re An illustration demonstratâ—ng thâ—â— the Câ—vill Magâ—stâ—atâ— câ—nnot hâ—ve power over the Church 〈◊〉 spirituâ—ll or Church causes The punishments Civill which the Magistrate insticts upon the Church for Civill crimes lawfull and necessary The true way of the God of Peace in differenâ—es between the Church the Magistrate Châ—mer de Ec. lâ—s p. 376. Park part polit lib. 1. cap. 1 The Gâ—rden of the Church and the Wildernesse of the World maâ—e all one The Commonweale more charged by these Authors with the Wâ—â—shâ—p and Ordinances then the Church The authors of these Positionâ— never yet sâ—w a true dâ—fference betweene â—he Church of Châ—â—â—t â—nd the world in poâ—â—t of worshâ—p 1 Tim 2. 1. discussâ—d The word honesty in this place of Timothy cannot signifie here the honesty or righteousnesse of the second Table The scope of Gods Spirit in this place of
to be violated urged or constrained And whensover men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret meanes the issue hath beene pernicious and the cause of great and wonderfull innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries c. It cannot be denied to be a pious and prudentiall act for Your Honours according to your conscience to call for the advice of faithfull Councellours in the high debates concerning Your owne and the soules of others Yet let it not be imputed as a crime for any suppliant to the God of Heaven for You if in the humble sense of what their soules beleeve they powre forth amongst others these three requests at the Throne of Grace First That neither Your Honours nor those excellent and worthy persons whose advice you seek limit the holy One of Israel to their apprehensions debates conclusions rejecting or neglecting the humble and faithfull suggestions of any though as base as spittle and clay with which sometimes Christ Iesus opens the eyes of them that are borne blinde Secondly That the present and future generations of the Sons of Men may never have cause to say that such a Parliament as England never enjoyed the like should modell the worship of the living eternall and invisible God after the Biâ—â— of any earthly interest though of the highest concernment under the Sunne And yet saith that learned Sir Francis Bacon how ever otherwise perswaded yet thus he confesseth Such as hold pressure of Conscience are guided therein by some private interests of their owne Thirdly What ever way of worshipping God Your owne Consciences are perswaded to walke in yet from any bloody act of violence to the consciences of others it may bee never told at Rome nor Oxford that the Parliament of England hath committed a greater rape then if they had forced or ravished the bodies of all the women in the World And that Englands Parliament so famous throughout all Europe and the World should at last turne Papists Prelatists Presbyterians Independents Socinians Familists Antinomians c. by confirming all these sorts of Consciences by Civill force and violence to their Consciences To every Courteous Reader VVHile I plead the Cause of Truth and Innocencie against the bloody Doctrine of Persecution for cause of conscience I judge it not unfit to give alarme to my selfe and all men to prepare to be persecuted or â—â—nted for cause of conscience Whether thou standest charged with 10 or but 2 Talents if thou huntest any for cause of conscience how canst thou say thou followest the Lambe of God who so abhorr'd that practice If Paul if Iesus Christ were present here at London and the question were proposed what Religion would they approve of The Papists Prelatists Presbyterians Independents c. would each say Of mine of mine But put the second question if one of the severall sorts should by major vote attaine the Sword of steele what weapons doth Christ Jesus authorize them to sight with in His cause Doe not all men hate the persecutor and every conscience true or false complaine of cruelty tyranny c. Two mountaines of crying guilt lye heavie upon the backes of All that name the name of Christ in the eyes of Iewes Turkes and Pagans First The blasphemies of their Idolatrous inventions superstitions and most unchristian conversations Secondly The bloody irreligious and inhumane oppressions and destructions under the maske or vaile of the Name of Christ c. O how like is the jealous Iehovah the consuming fire to end these present slaughters in a greater slaughter of the holy Witnesses Rev. 11. Six yeares preaching of so much Truth of Christ as that time afforded in K. Edwards dayes kindles the flames of Q. Maries bloody persecutions Who can now but expect that after so many scores of yeares preaching and professing of more Truth and amongst so many great contentions amongst the very best of Protestants a fierie furnace should be heat and who sees not now the â—ires kindling I confesse I have little hopes till those flames are over that this Discourse against the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience should passe currant I say not amongst the Wolves and Lions but even amongst the Sheep of Christ themselves yet liberavl animam meam I have not hid within my breast my souls belief And although sleeping on the bed either of the pleasures or profits of sinâ—e thou thinkest thy conscience bound to smite at him that dares to waken thee Yet in the middest of all these civill and spirituall Wars I hope we shall agree in these particulars First how ever the proud upon the advantage of an higher earth or ground or ' clooke the poore and cry out Schismatickes Hereticks c. shall blasphemers and seducers scape unpunished c. Yet there is a sorer punishment in the Gospel for despising of Christ then Moses even when the despiser of Mâ—ses was put to death without mercie Heb. 10. 28 29. He that beleeveth not shall bee damned Marke 16. 16. Secondly what ever Worship Ministry Ministration the best and purest are practised without faith and true perswasion that they are the true institutions of God they are sin sinfull worships Ministries c. And however in Civill things we may be servants unto men yet in Divine and Spirituall things the poorest pesant must disdaine the service of the highest Prince Be ye not the servants of men 1 Cor. 14. Thirdly without search and triall no man attaines this faith and right perswasion 1 Thes. 5. Try all things In vaine have English Parliaments permitted English Bibles in the poorest English houses and the simplest man or woman to search the Scriptures if yet against their soules perswasion from the Scripture they should be forced as if they lived in Spaine or Rome it selfe without the sight of a Bible to beleeve as the Church beleeves Fourthly having tried we must hold fast 1 Thessal 5. upon the losse of a Crowne Revel 13. we must not let goe for all the â—lea bitings of the present afflictions c. having bought Truth deare we must not â—ell it cheape not the least graine of it for the whole World no not for the saving of Soules though our owne most precious least of all for the bitter sweetning of a little vanishing pleasure For a little puffe of credit and reputation from the changeable breath of uncertaine sons of men For the broken bagges of Riches on Eagles wings For a dreame of these any or all of these which on our death-bed vanish and leave tormenting stings behinde them Oh how much better is it from the love of Truth from the love of the Father of lights from whence it comes from the love of the Sonne of God who is the way and the Truth to say as he Iohn 18. 37. For this end was I borne and for this end came I into the World that I might be are witnesse to the Truth A Table of
the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2 Tim. 24. 2. That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle toward all Men suffering the Evill Men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentanco that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of that snare of the devill c. According to these blessed Commandements the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdome be established Esa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3 4 They shall breake their Swords into Mathookes and their Speares into Sithes And Esa. 11. 9. Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountaine of my Holinesse c. And when he came the same he taught and practised as before so did his Disciples after him for the Weapons of his Warfare are not carnall saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10 4. But he chargeth straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that would not bee of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray Matth. 5. when they were cursed they should blesse c. And the Reason seemes to bee because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who are now blinde may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the devils snare in adversenesse to the Truth may hereafter come to repentance they that are now blasphemers and persecutors as Paul was may in time become faithfull as he they that are now idolators as the Corinths once were 1 Cor. 6. 9. may hereafter become true worshippers as they they that are now no people of God nor under mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2. 20. may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they Some come not till the 11. houre Matth. 20. 6. if those that come not till the last houre should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented All which premises are in all humility referred to your godly wise consideration Because this persecution for cause of conscience is against the profession and practice of famous Princes First you may please to consider the speech of King Iames in his Majesties Speech at Parliament 1609. He saith it is a sure Rule in divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed And in his Highnesse Apologie pag. 4. speaking of such Papists that tooke the Oath thus I gave good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to bee secured for civill obedience which for conscience cause they are bound to performe And pag. 60. speaking of Blackwell the Arch-priest his Majesty saith It was never my intention to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And in his Highnesse Exposition on Revel 20. printed 1568. and after 1603. his Majesty writeth thus Sixthly the compassing of the Saints and the besieging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certaine note of a false Church to be Persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are them that are sought the wicked are the besiegers the faithfull are the besieged Secondly the saying of Stephen King of Poland I am King of Men not of Consciences a Commander of Bodies not of Soules Thirdly the King of Bohemia hath thus written And notwithstanding the successe of the later times wherein sundry opinions have beene hatched about the subject of Religion may make one clearly discerne with his eye and as it were to touch with his Finger that according to the veritie of Holy Scriptures and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no sort to bee violated urged or constrained and whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret meanes the issue hath beene pernicious and the cause of great and wonderfull Innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries of all Christendome And further his Majesty saith So that once more we doe professe before God and the whole World that from this time forward wee are firmly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or molested any person whosoever for matter of Religion no not they that professe themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble or disturbe them in the exercise of their Religion so they live conformable to the Lawes of the States c. And for the practice of this where is persecution for cause of conscience except in England and where Popery reignes and there neither in all places as appeareth by France Poland and other places Nay it is not practised amongst the Heathen that acknowledge not the true God as the Turke Persian and others Thirdly because persecution for cause of conscience is condemned by the ancient and later Writers yea and Papists themselves Hilarie against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted And lamentable it is to see the great folly of these times and to sigh at the foolish opinion of this world in that men thinke by humane aide to helpe God and with worldly pompe and power to undertake to defend the Christian Church I aske you Bishops what helpe used the Apostles in the publishing of the Gospel with the aid of what power did they preach Christ and converted the Heathen from their idolatry to God When they were in prisons and lay in chaines did they praise and give thankes to God for any dignities graces and favours received from the Court Or do you thinke that Paul went about with Regall Mandates or Kingly authority to gather and establish the Church of Christ sought he protection from Nero Vespasian The Apostles wrought with their hands for their owne maintenance travailing by land and water from Towne to Citie to preach Christ yea the more they were forbidden the more they taught and preached Christ. But now alas humane helpe must assist and protect the Faith and give the same countenance to and by vaine and worldly honours Doe men seek to defend the Church of Christ as if hee by his power were unable to performe it The same against the Arrians The Church now which formerly by induring misery and imprisonment was knowne to be a true Church doth now terrifie others by imprisonment banishment and misery and boasteth that she is highly esteemed of the world when as the true Church cannot but be hated of the same Tertull. ad Scapulam It agreeth both with humane reason and naturall equity that every man worship God uncompelled and beleeve what he will for it neither hurteth nor profiteth any one another mans Religion and Beleefe Neither beseemeth it any Religion to compell another to be of their Religion which willingly and freely should be
imbraced and not by constraint for as much as the offerings were required of those that freely and with good will offered and not from the contrary Ierom. in proaem lib. 4. in Ieremiam Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit let us strike through with the Arrowes of the Spirit all Sonnes and Disciples of mis-led Heretickes that is with Testimonies of holy Scriptures The slaughter of Heretickes is by the word of God Brentius upon 1 Cor. 3. 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 cheerfull minde must those that come run unto Christ. Luther in his Booke of the Civill Magistrate saith The Lawes of the Civill Magistrates government extends no further then over the body or goods and to that which is externall for over the soule God will not suffer any man to rule onely he himselfe will rule there Wherefore whosoever doth undertake to give Lawes unto the Soules and Consciences of Men he usurpeth that government himselfe which appertaineth unto God c. Therefore upon 1 Kings 5. In the building of the Temple there was no sound of Iron heard to signifie that Christ will have in his Church a free and a willing People not compelled and constrained by Lawes and Statutes Againe he saith upon Luk. 22. It is not the true Catholike Church which is defended by the Secular Arme or humane Power but the false and feigned Church which although it carries the Name of a Church yet it denâ—es the power thereof And upon Psal. 17. he saith For the true Church of Christ knoweth not Brachium saeculare which the Bishops now adayes chiefly use Againe in Postil Dom. 1. post Epiphan he saith Let not Christians be commanded but exhorted for He that willingly will not doe that whereunto he is friendly exhorted he is no Christian wherefore they that doe compell those that are not willing shew thereby that they are not Christian Preachers but Worldly Beadles Againe upon 1 Pet. 3. he saith If the Civill Magistrate shall command me to believe thus and thus I should answer him after this manner Lord or Sir Looke you to your Civill or Worldly Government Your Power extends not so farre as to command any thing in Gods Kingdome Therefore herein I may not heare you For if you cannot beare it that any should usurpe Authoritie where you have to Command how doe you thinke that God should suffer you to thrust him from his Seat and to seat your selfe therein Lastly the Papists the Inventors of Persecution in a wicked Booke of theirs set forth in K. Iames his Reigne thus Moreover the Meanes which Almighty God appointed his Officers to use in the Conversion of Kingdomes and Nations and People was Humilitie Patience Charitie saying Behold I send you as Sheepe in the midst of Wolves Mat. 10. 16. He did not say Behold I send you as Wolves among Sheepe to kill imprison spoile and devoure those unto whom they were sent Againe vers 7. he saith They to whom I send you will deliver you up into Councells and in their Synagogues they will scourge you and to Presidents and to Kings shall you be led for my sake He doth not say You whom I send shall deliver the people whom you ought to convert unto Councells and put them in Prisons and lead them to Presidents and Tribunall Seates and make their Religion Felony and Treason Againe he saith vers 32 When ye enter into an House salute it saying Peace be unto this House he doth not say You shall send Pursevants to ransack or spoile his House Againe he said Iohn 10. The good Pastour giveth his life for his Sheep the Thiefe commeth not but to steale kill and destroy He doth not say The Theefe giveth his life for his Sheep and the Good Pastour commeth not but to steale kill and destroy So that we holding our peace our Adversaries themselves speake for us or rather for the Truth To answer some maine Objections And first that it is no praejudice to the Common wealth if Libertie of Conscience were suffred to such as doe feare God indeed as is or will be manifest in such mens lives and conversations Abraham abode among the Canaanites a long time yet contrary to them in Religion Gen. 13. 7. 16. 13. Againe he so journed in Gerar and K. Abimelech gave him leave to abide in his Land Gen. 20. 21. 23. 24. Isaack also dwelt in the same Land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 26. Iacob lived 20 yeares in one House with his Unkle Laban yet differed in Religion Gen 31. The people of Israel were about 430 yeares in that infamous land of Egypt and afterwards 70 yeares in Babylon all which time they differed in Religion from the States Exod. 12. 2 Chron. 36. Come to the time of Christ where Israel was under the Romanes where lived divers Sects of Religion as Herâ—dians Scribes and Pharises Saduces and Libertines Thudâ—ans and Samaritanes beside the Common Religion of the Iewes Christ and his Apostles All which differed from the Common Religion of the State which was like the Worship of Diana which almost the whole world then worshipped Acts 19. 20. All these lived under the Government of Caesar being nothing hurtfull unto the Common-wealth giving unto Caesar that which was his And for their Religion and Consciences towards God he left them to themselves as having no Dominion over their Soules and Consciences And when the Enemies of the Truth raised up any Tumultsâ— the wisedome of the Magistrate most wisely appeased them Acts 18. 14. 19. 35. THE ANSWER OF Mr. IOHN COTTON of Boston in New-England To the aforesaid ARGUMENTS against Persecution for Cause of Consciene Professedly mainteining Persecution for Cause of Conscience THe Question which you put is Whether Persecution for cause of Conscience be not against the Doctrine of Iesus Christ the King of Kings Now by Persecution for Cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of Doctrine which you believe in Conscience to be the Truth or for practising some Worke which in Conscience you believe to be a Religious ' Duty Now in Points of Doctrine some are fundamentall without right beliefe whereof a Man cannot be saved Others are circumstantiall or lesse principall wherein Men may differ in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part In like sort in Points of Practice some concerne the waightier Duties of the Law as What God we worship and with what kinde of Worship whether such as if it be Right fellowship with God is held if Corrupt fellowship with Him is lost Againe in Points of Doctrine and Worship lesse Principall either they are held forth in a meeke and peaceable way though the Things be Erroneous or unlawfull â— Or they are held forth with such Arrogance and Impetuousnesse as tendeth and reacheth even of it selfe to the disturbance of Civill
for righteousnesse sake but that hindreth not but that he would have them execute upon all disobedience the judgement and vengeance required in the Word 2 Cor. 10. 6. Rom. 13. 4. Though it be true that wicked persons now may by the grace of God become true Disciples and Converts yet we may not doe evill that good may come thereof And evill it would bee to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing teachers or scandalous livers Christ had something against the Angel of the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that held the doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thiatira for tolerating Iesabel to teach and seduce Rev. 2. 14. 20. Your second Head of Reasons is taken from the profession and practice of famous Princes King Iames Stephen of Poland King of Bohemia Whereunto a treble answer may briefly be returned First we willingly acknowledge that none is to be persecuted at all no more then they may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Againe we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his conscience though mis-informed as hath been said 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 beleeve or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in judgement of the truth of it but yet restrained he may from blaspheming the truth and from seducing any unto pernicious errours 2. Wee answer what Princes professe or practise is not a rule of conscience they many times tolerate that in point of State policy which cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity Againe Princes many times tolerate offendours out of very necessity when the offenders are either too many or too mighty for them to punish in which respect David tolerated Ioab and his murthers but against his will 3. We answer further that for those three Princes named by you who tolerated Religion we can name you more and greater who have not tolerated Heretickes and Schismatickes notwithstanding their pretence of conscience and arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings Constantine the Great at the request of the Generall Councell of Nice banished Arrius with some of his fellowes Sozom. lib. 1. Eccles. Hist. cap. 19. 20. The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists And the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius as Augustine reporteth in Epist. 166. Only Iulian the Apostata granted liberty to Heretickes as well as to Pagans that he might by tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitals of Christianity which was also the practice and sin of Valens the Arrian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her government as any of the former it is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists Yea and King Iames one of your own witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the malignant world calleth Puritanes men of more conscience and better faith then he tolerated I come now to your third and last argument taken from the judgement of ancient and later Writers yea even of Papists themselves who have condemned persecution for conscience sake You begin with Hilary whose testimony we might admit without any prejudice to the truth for it is true the Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted But to excommunicate an Hereticke is not to persecute that is it is not to punish an innocent but a culpable and damnable person and that not for conscience but for persisting in errour against light of conscience whereof it hath beene convinced It is true also what he saith that neither the Apostles did not may we propagate Christian Religion by the Sword but if Pagans cannot be won by the Word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not but if they or any others should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought to be severely punished and no lesse doe they deserve if they seduce from the truth to damnable Heresie or Idolatry Your next Writer which is Tertullian speaketh to the same purpose in the place alledged by you His intent is onely to restraine Scapula the Romane Governour of Africa from the persecution of Christians for not offering sacrifice to their gods And for that end fetcheth an argument from the Law of Naturall Equity not to compell any to any Religion but to permit them either to beleeve willingly or not to beleeve at all Which wee acknowledge and accordingly permit the Indians to continue in their unbeleefe Neverthelesse it will not therefore be lawfull openly to tolerate the worship of devils or Idols or the seduction of any from the truth When Tertullian saith Another mans Religion neither hurteth nor profiteth any it must be understood of private worship and Religion professed in private otherwise a false Religion professed by the Members of a Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and desolation of the Church as appeareth by the threats of Christ to the Churches of Asia Revel 2. Your next Authour Hierom crosseth not the truth nor advantageth not your cause for we grant what he saith that Heresie must bee cut off with the Sword of the Spirit But this hindreth not but that being so cut downe if the Hereticke still persist in his Heresie to the seduction of others he may be cut off by the civill sword to prevent the perdition of others And that to bee Hieromes meaning appeareth by his note upon that of the Apostle A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe therefore saith he a sparke as soone as it appeareth is to be extinguished and the Leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough rotten peeces of flesh are to be cut off and a scabbed beast is to be driven from the 〈◊〉 leâ—t the whole house masse of dough body and flocke be set on fire with the sparke bee sowred with the Leaven be putrified with the rotten flesh perish by the scabbed beast Brentius whom you next quote speaketh not to your Cause We willingly grant him and you that Man hath no power to make Lawes to bind Conscience But this hindreth not but that Men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe bind Conscience The like Answer may be returned to Luther whom you next alleadge First that the Government of the Civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the Bodies and Goods of their Subjects not over their Soules And therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes 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 Faith or profession of the Truth for this is to be done by Spirituall weapons whereby
of thy Witnesses that dare to plead thy Cause how are they charged to be mine Enemies contentious tarbulent seditious Secondly Thine Enemies though they speake and raile against thee though they outragiously pursue imprison banish kill thy faithfull Witnesses yet how is all veâ—illion'd o're for Iustice 'gainst the Hereticks Yea if they 〈◊〉 and blow the 〈◊〉 of devouring Warres that leave neither Spirituall nor Civill State but burns up Branch and Root yet how doe all pretend an holy War He that kills and hee that 's killed they both cry out It is for God and for their conscience T is true nor one nor other seldome dare to plead the mighty Prince Christ Iesus for their Authour yet both both Protestant and Papist pretend they have spoke with Moses and the Prophets who all say they before Christ came allowed such holy persecutions holy Warres against the enemies of holy Church Truth Deare Peace to ease thy first complaint t is true thy dearest Sons most like their mother Peace-keeping Peace-making Sons of God have borne and still must beare the blurs of troublers of Israel and turners of the World upside downe And t is true againe what Salomon once spake The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore saith he leave off contention before it be medled with This Caveat should keepe the bankes and sluces firme and strong that strife like a breach of waters breake not in upon the sons of men Yet strife must be distinguished It is necessary or unnecessary godly or ungodly Christian or unchristian c. It is unnecessary unlawfull dishonourable ungodly unchristian in most cases in the world for there is a possibility of keeping sweet Peace in most cases and if it be possible it is the expresse command of God that Peace be kept Rom. 13. Againe it is necessary honourable godly c. with civill and earthly weapons to defend the innocent and to rescue the oppressed from the violent pawes and jaws of oppressing persecuting Nimrods Psal. 73. Iob 29. It is as necessary yea more honourable godly and Christian to â—ight the â—ight of faith with religious and spirituall Artillery and to contend earnestly for the faith of Iesus once delivered to the Saints against all opposers and the gates of earth and hell men or devils yea against Paul himselfe or an Angell from heaven if he bring any other faith or doctrine Iude vers 4. Gal. 1. 8. Peace With the clashing of such Armes am I never wakened Speake once againe deare Truth to my second complaint of bloody persecution and devouring wars marching under the colours of upright Iustice and holy Zeale c. Truth Mine eares have long beene filled with a threefold dolefull Outcry First of one hundred forty foure thousand Virgins Rev. 14 forc'd and ravisht by Emperours Kings and Governours to their beds of worship and Religion set up like Absalems on high in their severall States and Countries Secondly the cry of those precious soules under the Altar Rev. 6. the soules of such as have beene persecuted and slaine for the testimony and witnesse of Iesus whose bloud hath beene spilt like water upon the earth and that because they have held fast the truth and witnesse of Iesus against the worship of the States and Times compelling to an uniformity of State Religion These cries of murthered Virgins who can sit still and heare Who can but run with zeale inflamed to prevent the destowring of chaste soules and spilling of the bloud of the innocent Humanity stirs up and prompts the Sonnes of men to draw materiall swords for a Virgins chastity and life against a ravishing murtherer And Piety and Christianity must needs awaken the Sons of God to draw the spirituall sword the Word of God to preserve the chastity and life of spirituall Virgins who abhorre the spirituall defilements of false worship Rev. 14. Thirdly the cry of the whole earth made drunke with the bloud of its inhabitants slaughtering each other in their blinded zeale for Conscience for Religion against the Catholickes against the Lutherans c. What fearfull cries within these twenty years of hundred thousands men women children fathers mothers husbands wives brethren sisters old and young high and low plundred ravished slaughtered murthered famished And hence these cries that men â—ling away the spirituall sword and spirituall artillery in spirituall and religious causes and rather trust for the suppressing of each others God Conscience and Religion as they suppose to an arme of flesh and sword of steele Truth Sweet Peace what hast thou there Peace Arguments against persecution for cause of Conscience Truth And what there Peace An Answer to such Arguments contrarily maintaining such persecution for cause of Conscience Truth These Arguments against such persecution and the Answer pleading for it written as Love hopes from godly intentions hearts and hands yet in a marvellous different stile and manner The Arguments against persecution in milke the Answer for it as I may say in bloud The Authour of these Arguments against persecution as I have beene informed being committed by som then in power close prisoner to Newgate for the witnesse of some truths of Iesus and having not the use of Pen and Inke wrote these Arguments in Milke in sheets of Paper brought to him by the Woman his Keeper from a friend in London as the stopples of his Milk bottle In such Paper written with Milk nothing will appeare but the way of reading it by fire being knowne to this friend who received the Papers he transcribed and kept together the Papers although the Author himselfe could not correct nor view what himselfe had written It was in milke tending to soule nourishment even for Babes and Sucklings in Christ. It was in milke spiritually white pure and innocent like those white horses of the Word of truth and meeknesse and the white Linnen or Armour of righteousnesse in the Army of Iesus Rev. 6. 19. It was in milke soft meeke peaceable and gentle tending both to the peace of soules and the peace of States and Kingdomes Peace The Answer though I hope out of milkie pure intentions is returned in bloud bloudy slaughterous conclusions bloudy to the souls of all men forc'd to the Religion and Worship which every civil State or Common-weale agrees on and compells all subjects to in a dissembled uniformitie Bloudy to the bodies first of the holy witnesses of Christ Iesus who testifie against such invented worships Secondly of the Nations and Peoples slaughtering each other for their severall respective Religions and Consciences CHAP. III. Truth IN the Answer Mr. Cotton first layes downe severall distinctions and conclusions of his owne tending to prove persecution Secondly Answers to the Scriptures and Arguments proposed against persecution Peace The first distinction is this By persecution for cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of doctrine which you
or unrighteous Ier. 37. 38. chapters and yet in Ieremy no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse 6. Lastly Gods people by their preaching disputing c. have beene though not the cause yet accidentally the occasion of great contentions and divisions yea tumults and uproares in Townes and Cities where they have lived and come and yet neither their Doctrine nor themselves Arrogant nor Impetuous however so charged For thus the Lord Jesus discovereth mens false and secure suppositions Lukeâ— 1. 51. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth I tell you nay but rather division for from hence forth shall there be five in one house divided three against two and two against three the father shall be divided against the sonne and the sonne against the father c. And thus upon the occasion of the Apostles preaching the Kingdome and Worship of God in Christ were most commonly uproares and tumults where ever they came For instance those strange and nonstrous uproares at Iconium at Ephesus at Ierusalem Acts 14. 4. Acts 19. 29. 40. Acts 21. vers 30 31. CHAP. VIII Peace IT will be said deare Truth what the Lord Jesus and his Messengers taught was Truth but the question is about Errour Truth I answer this distinction now in discussion concernes not Truth or Errour but the manner of holding forth or divulging I acknowledge that such may bee the way and manner of holding forth either with railing or reviling daring or chalenging speeches or with force of Armes Swords Guns Prisons c. that it may not only tend to breake but may actually breake the civill peace or peace of the Citie Yet these instances propounded are cases of great opposition and spirituall hostility and occasions of breach of civill peace and yet as the borders or matter were of gold so the speckes or manner Cautic 1. were of silver both matter and manner pure holy peaceable and inoffensive Moreover I answer that it is possible and common for persons of soft and gentle nature and spirits to hold out falshood with more seeming meeknesse and peaceablenesse then the Lord Jesus or his servants did or doe hold forth the true and everlasting Gospell So that the answerer would be requested to explain what he means by this arrogant and impetuous holding forth of any doctrine which very manner of holding forth tends to breake civill peace and comes under the cognisance and correction of the Civill Magistrate Lest hee build the Sepulchre of the Prophets and say If we had been in the Pharises daies the Romane Emperours dayes or the bloody Marian dayes we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets Mat. 23. 30. who were charged with arrogance and impetuousnesse CHAP. IX 2. Ob. Peace IT will here be said Whence then ariseth civill dissentions and uproares about matters of Religion Truth I answer When a Kingdome or State Towne or Family lyes and lives in the guilt of a false God false Christ false worship no wonder if sore eyes be troubled at the appearance of the light be it never so sweet No wonder if a body full of corrupt humours be troubled at strong though wholsome Physick If persons sleepy and loving to sleepe be troubled at the noise of shrill though silver alarums No wonder if Adonijah and all his company be amazed and troubled at the sound of the right Heyre King Salomon â— King 1. If the Husbandmen were troubled when the Lord of the Vineyard sent servant after servant and at last his onely Sonne and they beat and wounded and kill'd even the Sonne himselfe because they meant themselves to seize upon the inheritance unto which they had no right Matth. 21. 38. Hence all those tumults about the Apostles in the Acts c. whereas good eyes are not so troubled at light vigilant and watchfull persons loyall and faithfull are not so troubled at the true no nor at a false Religion of Jew or Gentile Secondly breach of civil peace may arise when false and idolatrous practices are held forth yet no breach of civil peace from the doctrine or practice or the manner of holding forth but from that wrong and preposterous way of suppressing preventing and extinguishing such doctrines or practices by weapons of wrath and blood whips stockes imprisonment banishment death c. by which men commonly are 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 in the Word Hence the Towne is in an uproare and the Country takes the Alarum to expell that fog or mist of Errour Heresie Blasphemy as is supposed with Swords and Guns whereas t is Light alone even Light from the bright shining Sunne of Righteousnesse which is able in the soules and consciences of men to dispell and scatter such fogges and darknesse Hence the Sons of men as David speakes in another case Psal. 39. disquiet themselves in vaine and unmercifully disquiet others as by the helpe of the Lord in the sequell of this discourse shall more appeare CHAP. X. Peace NOw the last distinction is this Persecution for Conscience is either for a rightly informed conscience or a blinde and erroneous conscience Answ. Truth Indeed both these consciences are persecuted but lamentably blinde and erronious will these consciences shortly appear to be which out of zeale for God as is pretended have persecuted either And heavie is the doome of those blinde Guides and Idoll Shepherds whose right eye Gods finger of jealousie hath put out who flattering the ten Homes or worldly Powers perswade them what excellent and faithfull service they performe to God in persecuting both these consciences either hanging up a rightly informed conscience and therein the Lord Jesus himselfe betweene two malefactors or else killing the erroneous and the blinde like Saul out of zeale to the Israel of God the poore Gibeonites whom it pleased God to permit to live and yet that hostility and cruelty used against them as the repeated judgement yeare after yeare upon the whole Land after told them could not be pardoned untill the death of the persecutor Saul his sons had appeased the Lords displeasure 2 Sam. 21. CHAP. XI Peace AFter explication in these Distinctions it pleaseth the Answerer to give his resolution to the question in foure particulars First that he holds it not lawfull to persecute any for conscience sake rightly informed for in persecuting such saith he Christ himself is persecuted for which reason truly rendred he quotes Act. 9. 4. Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Truth He that shall reade this Conclusion over a thousand times shall as soone finde darknesse in the bright beames of the Sunne as in this so cleare and shining a beame of Truth viz. That Christ Jesus in his Truth must not be persecuted Yet this I must aske for it will be admired by all sober men what should be the cause or
And if a breach follow it is not made by such doctrines but by the boysterous and violent opposers of them Such persons onely breake the Cities or Kingdomes peace who cry out for prison and swords against such who crosse their judgement or practice in Religion For as Iosephs mistris accused Ioseph of uncleannesse and calls out for civill violence against him when Ioseph was chaste and her selfe guilty So commonly the meeke and peaceable of the earth are traduced as rebells factious peace-breakers although they deale not with the State or State-matters but matters of divine and spirituall nature when their traducers are the onely unpeaceable and guilty of breach of Civill Peace Peace We are now come to the second part of the Answer which is a particular examination of such grounds as are brought against such persecution The first sort of grounds are from the Scriptures CHAP. XVIII FIrst Matth. 13. 30 38. because Christ commandeth to let alone the Tares to grow up together with the Wheat untill the Harvest Unto 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 Wheat but are not Wheat or partly such corrupt doctrines or practices as are indeed unsound but yet such as come very near the truth as Tares do to the Wheat and so neer that good men may be taken with them and so the persons in whom they grow cannot bee rooted out but good Wheat will be rooted out with them In such a case saith he Christ calleth for peaceable toleration and not for penall prosecution according to the third Conclusion Truth The substance of this Answer I conceive to be first negative that by Tares are not meant persons of another Religion and Worship that is saith he they are not Briars and Thornes Secondly affirmative by Tares are meant either persons or doctrines or practices persons as hypocrites like the godly doctrines or practices corrupt yet like the truth For answer hereunto I confesse that not onely those worthy witnesses whose memories are sweet with all that feare God Calvin Beza c. but of later times many conjoyne with this worthy Answerer to satisfie themselves and others with such an Interpretation But alas how darke is the soule left that desires to walke with God in holy feare and trembling when in such a waighty and mighty point as this is that in matters of conscience concerneth the spilling of the bloud of thousands and the Civill Peace of the World in the taking up Armes to suppresse all false Religions when I say no evidence or demonstration of the Spirit is brought to prove such an interpretation nor Arguments from the place it selfe or the Scriptures of truth to confirme it but a bare Affirmation that these Tares must signifie persons or doctrines and practices I will not imagine any deceitfull purpose in the Answerers thoughts in the proposall of these three persons doctrines or practices yet dare I confidently avouch that the Old Serpent hath deceived their precious soules and by Tongue and Pen would deceive the soules of others by such a method of dividing the word of truth A threefold Cord and so a threefold Snare is strong and too like it is that one of the three either Persons Doctrines or Practices may catch some feet CHAP. XIX Peace THe place then being of such great importance as concerning the truth of God the bloud of thousands yea the bloud of Saints and of the Lord Iesus in them I shall request your more diligent search by the Lords holy assistance into this Scripture I shall make it evident that by these Tares in this Parable are meant persons in respect of their Religion and way of Worship open and visible professours as bad as briars and thornes not onely suspected Foxes but as bad as those greedy Wolves which Paul speakes of Acts 20. who with perverse and evill doctrines labour spiritually to devoure the flocke and to draw away Disciples after them whose mouthes must be stopped and yet no carnall force or weapon to be used against them but their mischiefe to bee resisted with those mighty weapons of the holy Armoury of the Lord Iesus wherein there hangs a thousand shields Cant. 4. That the Lord Iesus intendeth not doctrines or practices by the tares in this Parable is cleare for First the Lord Iesus expresly interpreteth the good seed to be persons and those the children of the Kingdome and the tares also to signifie Men and those the children of the Wicked one ver 38. Secondly such corrupt doctrines or practices are not to bee tolerated now as those Iewish observations the Lords owne Ordinances were for a while to be permitted Rom. 14. Nor so long as till the Angels the Reapers come to reape the Harvest in the end of the world For can we thinke that because the tender Consciences of the Iewes were to be tendred in their differences of meats that therefore persons must now bee tolerated in the Church for I speake not of the Civill State and that to the worlds end in superstitious forbearing and forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and superstitious Fridayes c. and that because they were to be tendred in their observation of Iewish Holidayes that therefore untill the Harvest or Worlds end persons must now be tolerated I meane in the Church in the observation of Popish Christmas Easter Whitsontide and other superstitious Popish Festivals I willingly acknowledge that if the members of a Church of Christ shall upon some delusion of Sathan kneele at the Lords Supper keep Christmas or any other Popish observation great tendernesse ought to bee used in winning his soule from the errour of his way and yet I see not that persons so practising were sit to be received into the Churches of Christ now as the Iewes weake in the Faith that is in the Liberties of Christ were to be received Rom. 14. 1. And least of all as before that the toleration or permission of such ought to continue till Doomes day or the end of the world as this Parable urgeth the Toleration Let them alone untill the Harvest CHAP. XX. AGaine Hypocrites were not intended by the Lord Iesus in this famous Parable First the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those Weeds which spring up with the Corne as Cockle Darnell Tares c. seemes to imply such a kinde of people as commonly and generally are knowne to bee manifestly different from and opposite to the true worshippers of God here called the children of the Kingdom as these weeds tares cockle darnell c. are commonly and presently knowne by every husbandman to differ from the wheat and to be opposite and contrary and hurtfull unto it Now whereas it is pleaded that these tares are like the wheat and so like that this consimilitude or likenesse is made the ground of this interpretation
viz. That tares must needs signifie hypocrites or doctrines or practices who are like Gods children Truth c. I answer first The Parable holds forth no such thing that the likenesse of the tares should deceive the servants to cause them to suppose for a time that they were good wheat but that as soone as ever the tares appeared ver 26. the servants came to the housholder about them ver 27. the Scripture holds forth no such time wherein they doubted or suspected what they were Peace It may be said they did not appeare to be tares untill the coâ—ne was in the blade and put forth its fruit Truth I answer The one appeared as soone as the other for so the word clearly carries it that the seed of both having been sowne when the wheat appeared and put forth its blade and fruit the tares also were as early and put forth themselves as appeared also Secondly there is such a dissimilitude or unlikenesse I say such a dissimilitude that as soone as tares and wheat are sprung up to blade and fruit every husbandman can tell which is wheat and which are tares and cockle c. Peace It may be said true So when the hypocrite is manifested then all may know him c. but before hypocrites be manifested by fruits they are unknowne I answer search into the Parable and aske when was it that the servants first complained of the tares to the housholder but when they appeared or came in sight there being no interim wherein the servants could not tell what to make of them but doubted whether they were wheat or tares as the Answerer implies Secondly when was it that the housholder gave charge to let them alone but after that they appeared and were known to be tares which should imply by this interpretation of the Answerer that when men are discovered and knowne to be Hypocrites yet stilâ—â—uch 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 order piety and safety in the Church of the Lord Iesus as doubtlesse the Answerers will grant so that those Tares being notoriously knowne to be different from the Corne I conclude that they cannot here be intended by the Lord Iesus to signifie secret Hypocrites but more open and apparent Sinners CHAP. XXI THe second reason why these tares cannot signifie hypocrites in the Church I take from the Lord Iesus His own Interpretation of the field in which both wheat and tares are sowne which saith he is the World out of which God chooseth and calleth His Church The World lyes in wickednesse is like a Wildernesse or a Sea of wilde Beasts innumerable fornicators covetous Idolaters c. with whom Gods people may lawfully converse and cohabit in Cities Townes c. else must they not live in the World but goe out of it In which world as soone as ever the Lord Iesus had sowne the good seed the children of the Kingdome true Christianity or the true Church the Enemy Sathan presently in the night of security Ignorance and Errour whilest men slept sowed also these tares which are Antichristians or false Christians These strange Professours of the Name of Iesus the Ministers and Prophets of God beholding they are ready to runne to Heaven to fetch fiery judgements from thence to consume these strange Christians and to pluck them by the roots out of the world But the Son of Man the meek Lamb of God for the Elect sake which must be gathered out of Iew and Gentile Pagan Antichristian commands a permission of them in the World untill the time of the end of the World when the Goats and Sheep the Tares and Wheat shall be eternally separated each from other Peace You know some excellent Worthies dead and living have laboured to turne this Field of the World into the Garden of the Church Truth But who can imagine that the Wisdome of the Father the Lord Iesus Christ would so open this Parable as He professedly doth as that it should be close shut up and that one difficulty or locke should be opened by a greater and harder in calling the World the Church contrary also to the way of the Light and Love that is in Jesus when he would purposely teach and instruct His scholars contrary to the nature of Parables and similitudes And lastly to the nature of the Church or Garden of Christ. CHAP. XXII IN the former Parable the Lord Iesus compared the Kingdome of Heaven to the sowing of Seed The true Messengers of Christ are the Sowers who cast the Seed of the Word of the Kingdome upon foure sorts of ground which foure sorts of ground 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 worke of the Church concernes the flourishing and prosperity of this sort of ground and not the other unconvertedâ—â—ree â—â—ree sorts who it may be seldome or never come 〈◊〉 the Church unlesse they be forced by the Civill sword which the paternâ— or first sowers never used and being forced they are put into a way of Religion by such a course if not so they are forced to live withoutâ— Religion for one of the two must necessarily follow as I shall prove afterward In the field of the World then are all those sorts of ground high way hearers stony and thorny ground hearers as well as the honest and good ground and I suppose it will not now be said by the Answerer that those three sorts of bad grounds were hypocrites or tares in the Church Now after the Lord Iesus had propounded that great leading Parable of the Sower and the Seed He is pleased to propound this Parable of the Tares with admirable coherence and sweet consolation to the honest and good ground who with glad and honest hearts having received the word of the Kingdome may yet seem to be discouraged and troubled with so many Antichristians and false Professours of the Name of Christ. The Lord Iesus therefore gives direction concerning these tares that unto the end of the World successively in all the sorts and generations of them they must be not approved or countenanced but let alone or permitted in the World Secondly he gives to His owne good seed this consolation that those heavenly Reapers the Angells in the harvest or end of the World will take an order and course with them to wit they shall binde them into bundles and cast them into the everlasting burnings and to make the cup of their consolation run over He addes vers 4. Then then at that time shall the Righteous shine as the Sun in the Kingdome of their Father These tares then neither being erronious doctrines nor corrupt practises nor hypocrites
Conviction and any other scandalous and heynous offender may be tolerated either in the Church without Excommunication or in the Common-weale without such punishment as may preserve others from dangerous and damnable infection CHAP. LXXIX Truth I Here observe the Answerers partiality that none but such as truly feare God should enjoy Libertie of Conscience whence the Inhabitants of the World must either come into the estate of men fearing God or else dissemble a Religion in hypocrisie or else be driven out of the World One must follow The first is only the gift of God the second and third are too commonly practised upon this ground Againe since there is so much controversie in the World where the name of Christ is taken up concerning the true Church the Ministrie and Worship and who are those that truly feare God I aske who shall judge in this case who be they that feare God It must needs be granted that such as have the power of suffring or not suffring such Consciences must judge and then must it follow as before I intimated that the Civill State must judge of the truth of the Spirituall and then Magistrates fearing or not fearing God must judge of the feare of God also that their judgement or sentence must be according to their conscience of what Religion soever Or that there is no lawfull Magistrate who is not able to judge in such cases And lastly that since the Soveraigne power of all Civill Authority is founded in the consent of the People that every Common-weale hath radically and fundamentally in it a power of true discerning the true feare of God which they transfer to their Magistrates and Officers Or else that there are no lawfull Kingdomes Cities or Townes in the World in which a man may live and unto whose Civill Government he may submit and then as I said before there must be no World nor is it lawfull to live in it because it hath not a true discerning Spirit to judge them that feare or not feare God Lastly although this worthy Answerer so readily grants that Libertie of Conscience should be suffred to them that feare God indeed yet we know what the Ministers of the Churches of New-England wrote in answer to the 3 Question sent to them by some Ministers of Old England viz. that although they confest them to be such persons whom they approved of far above themselves yea who were in their hearts to live and die together yet if they and other godly people with them comming over to them should differ in Church constitution they then could not approve their Civill cohabitation with them and consequently could not advise the Magistrates to suffer them to enjoy a Civill being within their Iurisdiction Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth yea let the Heavens be astonished and the Earth tremble at such an Answer as this from such excellent men to such whom they esteeme for godlinesse above themselves CHAP. LXXIX Peace YEa but they say they doubt not if they were there but they should agree for say they either you will come to us or you may shew us light to come to you for we are but weak men and dreame not of perfection in this life Truth Alas who knowes not what lamentable differences have beene betweene the same Ministers of the Church of England some conforming others leaving their livings friends country life rather then conforme when others againe of whose personall godlinesse it is not questioned have succeeded by conformity into such forsaken so called Livings How great the present differences even amongst them that feare God concerning Faith Iustification and the evidence of it concerning Repentance and godly sorrow as also and mainly concerning the Church the Matter Forme Administration and Government of it Let none now thinke that the passage to New England by Sea or the nature of the Countrey can doe what onely the Key of David can doe to wit open and shut the Consciences of men Beside how can this bee a faithfull and upright acknowledgement of their weaknesse and imperfection when they preach print and practise such violence to the soules and bodies of others and by their Rules and Grounds ought to proceed even to the killing of those whom they judge so deare unto them and in respect of godlinesse far above themselves CHAP. LXXX Peace YEa but say they the godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience c. Truth Sweet Truth if the Civill Court and Magistracy must judge as before I have writâ—en and those Civill Courts are as lawfull consisting of naturall men as of godly persons then what consequences necessarily will â—ollow I have before mentioned And I adde according to this conclusion it must follow that if the most godly persons yeeld not to once or twice Admonition as is maintained by the Answerer they must necessarily be esteemed obseinate persons for if they were godly saith he they would yeeld Must it not then be said as it was by one passing sentence of Banishment upon some whose godlinesse was acknowledged that he that commanded the Iudge not to respect the poore in the cause of judgement commands him not to respect the holy or the godly person Hence I could name the place and time when a godly man a most desirable person for his trade c. yet something different in conscience propounded his willingnesse and desire to come to dwell in a certaine Towne in New England it was answered by the Chiefe of the place This man differs from us and wee desire not to be troubled So that in conclusion for no other reason in the world the poore man though godly usefull and peaceable could not be admitted to a Civill Being and Habitation on the Common Earth in that Wildernesse amongst them The latter part of the Answer concerning the Hereticke or obstinate person to be excommunicated and the scandalous offender to be punished in the Commonweale which neither of both come neere our Question I have spoken I feare too largely already Peace Mr. Cotton concludes with a confident perswasion of having removed the grounds of that great errour viz. that persons are not to be persecuted for cause of conscience Truth And I beleeve deare Peace it shall appear to them that with feare and trembling at the word of the Lord examine these passages that the charge of errour reboundeth backe even such an errour as may well bee called the bloody tenent so directly contradicting the spirit and minde and practice of the Prince of Peace so deeply guilty of the blood of soules compelled and forced to â—â—ypocrisie in a spirituall and soule rape so deeply guilty of the blood of the Soules under the Altar persecuted in all ages for the cause of Conscience and so destructive to the civill peace and welfare of all Kingdomes Countries and Commonwealths CHAP. LXXXI Peace TO this Conclusion deare Truth
I heartily subscribe and know the God the Spirit the Prince the Angels and all the true awaked Sons of Peace will call thee blessed Truth How sweet and precious are these contemplations but oh how sweet the actions and fruitions Peace Thy lips drop as the Honey-combe Honey and Milke are under thy Tongue oh that these drops these streames might flow without a stop or interruption Truth The glorious white Troopers Rev. 19. shall in time be mounted and he that is the most High Prince of Princes and Lord Generall of Generalls mounted upon the Word of Truth and Meeknesse Psal 45. shall triumph gloriously and renew our meetings But harke what noise is this Peace These are the dolefull drums and shrill sounding trumpets the roaring murthering Canons the shouts of Conquerours the grones of wounded dying slaughtered righteous with the wicked Deare Truth how long how long these dreadfull sounds and direfull sights how long before my glad returne and restitution Truth Sweet Peace who will beleeve my true report yet true it is if I were once beleev'd blest Truth and Peace should not so soone be parted Peace Deare Truth what welcome hast thou found of late beyond thy former times or present expectations Truth Alas my welcome changes as the times and strongest swords and armes prevaile were I beleeved in this that Christ is not delighted with the blood of men but shed his owne for his bloodiest enemies that by the word of Christ no man for gainsaying Christ or joyning with his enemy Antichrist should bee molested with the civill sword Were this foundation laid as the Magna Charta of highest liberties and good security given on all hands for the preservation of it how soone should every brow and house be stucke with Olive Branches Peace This heavenly invitation makes mee bold once more to crave thy patient eare and holy tongue Errourâ—s impatient and soon tyred but thou art Light and like the Father of Lights unwearied in thy shinings Loe here what once againe I present to thy impartiall censure A MODEL of CHURCH and CIVIL Power Composed by Mr. COTTON and the MINISTERS of NEW-ENGLAND And sent to the CHURCH at SALEM as a further Confirmation of the bloody Doctrine of PERSECUTION for cause of CONSCIENCE Examined and Answered CHAP. LXXXII Truth VVHat hast thou there Peace Here is a combination of thine owne Children against thy very life and mine Hâ—re is a Modell framed by many able learned and godly hands of such a Church and Common-weale as wakens Moses from his unknown Grave and denies Iesus yet to have seene the Earth Truth Begin sweet Peace read and propound My hand shall not be tyred with holding the ballances of the Sanctuarie doe thou put in and I shall weigh as in the presence of Him whose pure eyes cannot behold iniquitie Peace Thus then speakes the Preface or Entrance Seeing God hath given a distinct power to Church and Common-weale the one Spirituall called the Power of the Keyes the other Civill called the Power of the Sword and hath made the members of both Societies subject to both Authorities so that every soule in the Church is subject to the higher powers in the Commonweale and every member of the Commonweale being a member of the Church is subject to the Lawes of Christs Kingdome and in him to the censures of the Church the Question is how the Civill State and the Church may dispence their severall Governments without infringement and impeachment of the power and honour of the One or of the Other and what bounds and limits the Lord hath set betweene both the Administrations Truth From that conclusion deare Peace that every memâ— of the Commonweale being a member of the Church is subject to the Lawes of Christs Kingdome and in Him to the censure of the Church I observe that they grant the Church of Christ in Spirituall causes to be superiour and over the highest Magistrates in the World if members of the Church Hence therefore I infer may she refuse to receive and may also cast forth any yea even the highest if obstinate in Sin cut of her Spirituall society Hence in this Spirituall society that soule who hath most of Christ most of His Spirit is most spiritually honourable according to the Scriptures quoted Acts 15. 20. Isa. 49. 23. Gal. 3. 28. And if so how can this stand with their common tenent that the Civill Magistrate must keep the first Table set up reforme the Church and be Iudge and Governour in all Ecclesiasticall as well as Civill causes Secondly I observe the lamentable wresting of this one Scripture Sometimes this Scripture must prove the Power of the Civill Magistrates Kings and Governours over the Church in Spirituall causes c. Yet here this Scripture is produced to prove Kings and Magistrates in Spirituall causes to be censured and corrected by the same Church â—Tis true in severall respects he that is a Governour may be a subject but in one and the same spirituall respect to judge and to be judged to sit on the Bench and stand at the Bar of Christ Iesus is as impossible as to reconcile the East and West together CHAP. LXXXII The first head That both Iurisdictions may stand together Peace VVHereas divers affecting transcending power to themselves over the Church have perswaded the Princes of the World that the Kingdome of Christ in His Church cannot rise or stand without the falls of those Common-weales wherein it is set up we do beleeve and professe the contrary to this suggestion the government of the one being of this World the other not the Church helping forward the prosperity of the Commonweale by meanes only Ecclesiasticall and Spirituall the Commonweale helping forward her owne and the Churches felicity by meanes politicall or temporall the falls of Commonweales being knowne to arise from their scattering and diminishing the power of the Church and the flourishing of Commonweales with the well ordering of the people even in morall and civill virtues being observed to arise from the vigilant administration of the holy Discipline of the Church as Bodin a man not partiall to Church Discipline plainely testifieth The vices in the free estate of Geneva quae legibus nusquam vindicantur by meanes of Church Discipline sine vi tumultu coercentur the Christian liberty not freeing us from subjection to Authority but from inthrallment and bondage unto sinne Truth Ans. From this confession that the Church or Kingdome of Christ may be set up without prejudice of the Commonweale according to Iohn 18. 36. My Kingdome is not of this World c. I observe that although the Kingdome of Christ the Church and the Civill Kingdome or Government be not inconsistent but that both may stand together yet that they are independent according to that Scripture and that therefore there may be as formerly I have proved flourishing Commonweales and Societies of menâ— where no
that judgement declare themselves never to have seene a true difference betweene the Church and the World and the Spirituall and Civill State and howâ—oever these worthy Authours seeme to make a kinde of separation from the World and professe that the Church must consist of spirituall and living Stones Saints Regenerate persons and so make some peculiar inclosed Ordinances as the Supper of the Lord which none say they but godly persons must taste of yet by compelling all within their Iurisdiction to an outward conformity of the Church worship of the Word and Prayer and maintenance of the Ministry thereof they evidently declare that they still lodge and dwell in the confused mixtures of the uncleane and cleane of the flock of Christ and Herds of the World together I meane in spirituall and religious worship Truth For a more ful and clear discussion of this Scripture 1 Tim. 2. 1. 2. on which is weakly built such a mighty building I shall propose and resolve these foure Quaeries CHAP. LXXXVII First what is meant by godlinesse and honesty in this place Secondly what may the scope of the holy Spirit of God be in this place Thirdly whether the civill Magistrate was then custos utriâ—â—sque Tabulae keeper of both Tables c. Fourthly whether a Church or Congregation of Christians may not live in godlinesse and honesty although the civill Magistrate be of another conscience and worship and the whole State and Country with him To the first What is here meant by godlinesse and honesty Answ. I finde not that the Spirit of God here intendeth the first and second Table For how ever the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie godlinesse or the worship of God yet the second word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I finde not that it signifies such an honesty as compriseth the duties of the second Table but such an honesty as signifies solemnity gravity and so it is turned by the Translatours Tit. 2. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in doctrine incorruptnesse gravity which doctrine cannot there bee taken for the doctrine of the civill state or second Table but the gravity majesty and solemnity of the spirituall doctrine of Christianity So that according to the Translatours owne rendring of that word in Titus this place of Timothy should be thus rendred In all godlinesse or worshipping of God and gravity that is a solemne or grave profession of the worship of God and yet this mistaken and misinterpreted Scripture is that great Castle and strong Hold which so many â—lye unto concerning the Magistrates charge over the two Tables Secondly what is the scope of the Spirit of God in this place I answer first negatively the scope is not to speake of the duties of the first and second Table Nor secondly is the scope to charge the Magistrate with forcing the people who have chose him to godlinesse or Gods worship according to his conscience the Magistrate keeping the peace of externall godlinesse and the Church of internall as is affirmed but Secondly positively I say the Spirit of God by Paul in this place provokes Timothy and the Church at Ephesus and so consequently all the Ministers of Christs Churches and Christians to pray for two things First for the peaceable and quiet state of the Countries and places of their abode that is implyed in their praying as Paul directs them for a quiet and peaceable condition and suits sweetly with the command of the Lord to his people even in Babel Ier. 29. 7. Pray for the peace of the City and seeke the good of it for in the Peace thereof it shall goe well with you Which Ruie will hold in any Pagan or Popish city and therefore consequently are Gods people to pray against Warres Famines Pestilences and especially to bee far from kindling coales of War and endeavour the bringing in and advancing their conscience by the sword Secondly they are here commanded to pray for the salvation of all men that all men and especially Kings and Magistrates might be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth implying that the grave or solemne and shining profession of godlinesse or Gods worship according to Christ Iesus is a blessed meanes to cause all sorts of men to be affected with the Christian profession and to come to the same knowledge of that one God and one Mediatour Christ Iesus All which tends directly against what it is brought for to wit the Magistrates forcing all men to godlinesse or the worshipping of God which in truth causeth the greatest breach of peace and the greatest distractions in the World and the setting up that for godlinesse or worship which is no more then Nebuchadnezzars golden Image a State worship and in some places the worship of the Beast and his Image Dan 3. Rev. 13. CHAP. LXXXVIII THirdly I quaerie whether the Civill Magistrate which was then the Roman Emperour was keeper or guardian of both Tables as is affirmed Scripture and all History tell us that those Caesars were not only ignorant without God without Christ c. but professed worshippers or maintainers of the Roman gods or divells as also notorious for all sorts of wickednesse and lastly cruell and bloudy Lions and Tygers toward the Christians for many hundred yeares Hence I argue from the wisdome love and faithfulnesse of the Lord Iesus in his house it was impossible that he should appoint such ignorant such Idolatrous such wicked and such cruell persons to be his chiefe Officers and Deputy Lieutenants under himselfe to keep the worship of God to guard his Church his Wife No wise and loving father was ever knowne to put his childe no not his beasts dogs or swine but unto fitting keepers Men judge it matter of high complaint that the Records of Parliament the Kings children the Tower of London the Great Seale should be committed to unworthy keepers And can it be without high blasphemie conceived that the Lord Iesus should commit his Sheep his Children yea his Spouse his thousand shields and bucklers in the Tower of his Churchâ— and lastly his Great and Glorious Broad Seales of Baptisme and his Supper to be preserved pure in their adminstrations I say that the Lord Iesus who is wisdome and faithfulnesse it selfe should deliver these to such keepers Peace Some will say it is one thing what persons are in â—act and practice another what they ought to be by right and office Truth In such cases as I have mentioned no man doth in the common eye of reason deliver such matters of charge and trust to such as declare themselves and sinnes like Sodome at the very time of this great charge and trust to be committed to them Peace It will further be said that many of the Kings of Iudah who had the charge of establishing reforming and so consequently of keeping the first Table the Church Gods worship c. were notoriously wicked Idolatrous c. Truth I must
I finde not a little in the Testament of Christ Iesus I finde the Church of Christ frequently compared to a Schoole All Beleevers are his Disciples or Scholars yea women also Acts 9. 36. There was a certaine Disciple or Scholar called Dorcas Have not the Universities sacrilegiously stole this blessed name of Christs Scholars from his people Is not the very Scripture language it selfe become absurd to wit to call Gods people especially Women as Dorcas Scholars Peace Some will object how shall the Scriptures be brought to â—ight from out of Popish darknesse except these Schooles of Prophets convey them to us Truth I know no Schooles of Prophets in the New Testament but the particular Congregation of Christ Iesus 1 Cor. 14. And I question whether any thing but Sinne stopt and dried up the current of the Spirit in those rare gifts of tongues to Gods sons daughters serving so admirably both for the understanding of the Originall Scriptures and also for the propagating of the name of Christ. Who knowes but that it may please the Lord againe to cloath his people with a spirit of zeale and courage for the name of Christ yea and powre forth those fiery streames againe of Tongues and Prophecie in the restauration of Zion If it be not his holy pleasure so to doe but that his people with daily study and labour must dig to come at the Originall Fountaines Gods people have many wayes besides the Universitie lazie and Monkish to attaine to an excellent measure of the knowledge of those tongues That most despised while living and now much honoured Mr. Ainsworth had scarce his Peere amongst a thousand Academians for the Scripture Originalls and yet he scarce set foot within a Colledge walls CHAP. CVIII Peace I Shall now present you with their 10. Head viz. concerning the Magistrates power in matters of Doctrine That which is unjustly ascribed to the Pope is as unjustly ascribed to the Magistrates viz. to have power of making new Articles of Faith or Rules of Life or of pressing upon the Churches to give such publike honour to the Apocrypha writings or Homilies of men as to read them to the people in the roome of the Oracles of God Truth This Position simply considered I acknowledge a most holy truth of God both against the Pope and the Civill Magistrates challenge both pretending to be the Vicars of Christ Iesus upon the Earth Yet two things here I shall propose to consideration First since the Parliament of England thrust the Pope out of his chaire in England and set downe King Henry the 8. and his Successours in the Popes roome establishing them supreme Governours of the Church of England since such an absolute government is given by all men to them to be Guardians of the first Table and worship of God to set up the true worship to suppresse all false and that by the power of the Sword and therefore consequently they must judge and determine what the true is and what the false And since the Magistrate is bound by these Authours principles to see the Church the Church officers and members doe thair duty he must therefore judge what is the Churches duty and when she performes or not performes it or when she exceeds so like wise when the Ministers performe their duty or when they exceed it And if the Magistrate must judge then certainly by his owne eye and not by the eyes of others though assembled in a Nationall or Generall Councell Then also upon his judgement must the people rest as upon the minde and judgement of Christ or else it must be confest that he hath no such power left him by Christ to compell the soules of men in matters of Gods worship Secondly concerning the Apocrypha writings and Homilies to be urged by the Magistrate to be read unto the people as the Oracles of God I aske if the Homilies of England contain not in them much pretious and heavenly matter â— Secondly if they were not 〈◊〉 at least many of them by excellent men for learning holinesse and witnesse of Christs Truth incomparable Thirdly were they not authorised by that most rare and pious Prince Ed. 6. then head of the Church of England With what great solemnity and rejoycing were they received of thousands Yet now behold their children after them sharply censure them for Apocrypha writings and Homilies trust into the roome of the Word of God and so falling into the consideration of a false and counterfeit Scripture I demand of these worthy men whether a servant of God might then lawfully have refused to read or heare such a false Scripture Secondly if so whether King Edward might have lawfully compelled such a man to yeeld and submit or else have persecuted him yea according to the Authors principles whether he ought to have spared him because after the admonitions of such pious and learned men this man shall now prove an Hereticke and as an obstinate person sinning against the light of his owne conscience In this case what shall the conscience of the subject doe awed by the dread of the most High What shall the conscience of the Magistrate do zealous for his glorious Reformation being constantly perswaded by his Clergy of his Lieutenantship received from Christ Again what priviledge have those worthy servants of God either in Old or New England to be exempted from the mistakes into which those gloâ—ious Worthies in K. Edwards time did fall and if so what bloudy conclusions are presented to the World perswading men to plucke up by the Roots from the Land of the living all such as seem in their eyes hereticall or obstinate CHAP. CIX Peace DEare Truth What darke and dismall bloudy paths doe we walke in How is thy name and mine in all ages cried up yet as an English Flag in a Spanish bottome not in truth but dangerous treachery and abuse both of Truth and Peace We are now come to the 11 Head which concernes the Magistrates power in worship First they have power say they to reforme things in the worship of God in a Church corrupted and to establish the pure worship of God defending the same by the power of the sword against all those who shall attempt to corrupt it For first the reigning of Idolatry and corruption in Religion is imputed to the want of a King Iudges 17. 5 6. Secondly Remissenes in Reforming Religion is a fault imputed to them who suffered the High Places in Israel and in Gallio who cared not for such things Acts 18. Thirdly Forwardnesse this way is a duty not only for Kings in the Old Testament but for Princes under the New 1 Tim 2. 2. Rom. 13. 4. Esay 49. 23. Neither did the Kings of Israel reforme things amisse as types of Christ but as Civill Magistrates and so exemplary to all Christians And here Reformation in Religion is commendable in a Persian King Ezra 7.
roots and foundations of all common societie in the World to turne the Garden and Paradice of the Church and Saints into the Field of the Civill State of the World and to reduce the World to the first Chaos or confusion CHAP. CXXXVIII Peace DEare Truth thou conquerestâ— and shalt triumph in season but some will say How answer you those Scriptures alleadged Truth I have fully and at large declared the vast differences between that holy Nation of typicall Israel and all other Lands and Countries how unmatchable then and now and never to be parallel'd but by the true Israel and particular Churches of Christ residing in all parts and under the severall civill Governments of the world In which Churches the Israel of God and Kingdome of Christ Iesus such only are to be chosen spirituall Officers and Governours to manage his Kingly power and authoritie in the Church as are according to the Scriptures quoted not Pope Bishops or Civill powers but from amongst themselves Brethren fearing God hating coveâ—ousnesse or filthy lucre according to those golden Rules given by the Lord Iesus 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. The want of discerning this true parallel between Israel in the type then and Israel the antitype now is that rock whereon through the Lords righteous jealousie punishing the World and chastising his people thousands dash and make wofull Shipwrack The second branch viz. that all Freemen elected be only Church members I have before shewne to be built on that saudy and dangerous Ground of Israels patterns O that it may please the Father of Lights to discover this to all that fear his name I then would they not sin to save a Kingdome nor run into the lamentable breach of civill peace and order in the world nor be guilty of forcing thousands to Hypocrisie in a State worship nor of prophaning the holy name of God and Christ by putting their Names and Ordinances upon uncleane and unholy persons nor of shedding the blood of such Hereticks c. whom Christ would have enjoy longer patience and permission untill the Harvest nor of the blood of the Lord Iesus himselfe in his faithfull Witnesses of Truth nor lastly of the blood of so many hundred thousands slaughtred men women and children by such uncivill and unchristian wars and combustions about the Christian faith and Religion Peace Deare Truth before we part I aske your faithfull helpe once more to 2 or 3 Scriptures which many alleadge and yet we have not spoken of Truth Speake on here is some sand left in this our houre glasse of mercifull opportunitie One graine of Times inestimable sand is worth a golden mountaine let 's not lose it Peace The first is that of the Ninevites fast commanded by the King of Ninevie and his Nobles upon the preaching of Ionah succeeded by Gods mercifull answer in sparing of the Citie and quoted with honorable approbation by the Lord Iesus Christ Jonah 3. Math. 12. Truth I have before proved that even Iehosaphats fast he being King of that Nationall Church and people of Israel could not possibly be a type or warrant for every King or Magistrate in the World whose Nations Countries or Cities cannot be Churches of God now in the Gospel according to Christ Iesus Much lesse can this patterne of the King of Ninevie and his Nobles be a ground for Kings and Magistrates now to force all their Subjects under them in the matters of Worship Peace It will be said why did God thus answer them Truth Gods mercy in hearing doth not prove an action right and according to rule It pleased God to heare the Israelites cry for Flesh and afterward for a King given both in anger to them It pleased God to heare Aâ—abs prayer yea and the prayer of the Devils Luc. 8. although their persons and prayers in themselves abominable If it be said why did Christ approve this example I answer the Lord Iesus Christ did not approve the King of Ninevies compelling all to Worship but the men of Ninevies repentance at the preaching of Ionah Peace It will be said what shall Kings and Magistrates now doe in the plagues of sword famine pestilence Truth Kings and Magistrates must be considered as formerly invested with no more power then the people betrust them with But no People can betrust them with any spirituall power in matters of worship but with a Civill power belonging to their goods and bodies 2. Kings and Magistrates must be considered as either godly or ungodly If ungodly his own and peoples duty is Repentance and reconciling of their persons unto God before their sacrifice can be accepted Without Repentance what have any to doe with the covenant or promise of God Psal. 50. Againe if Godly they are to humble themselves and beg mercles for themselves and people Secondly upon this advantage occasion they are stir up their people as possibly they may to Repentance but not to force the consciences of people to worship If it be said What must be attended to in this example Two things are most eminent in this example First the great worke of Repentance which God calls all men unto upon the true preaching of his Word Secondly the nature of that true repentance whether Legall or Evangelicall The people of Ninevie turned from the violence that was in their hands And confident I am if this Nation shall turne though but with a Legall repentance from that violent persecuting or hunting each of other for Religion sake the greatest violence and hunting in the wildernesse of the whole World even as Sodome and Gomorrah upon a Legall repentance had continued untill Christs day so consequently might England London c. continue free from a generall destruction upon such a turning from their violence untill the Heavens and the whole World be with fire consumed Peace The second Scripture is that speech of the Lord Christ Luc. 22. 36. He that hath not a sword let him fell his coat and buy one Truth For the cleering of this Scripture I must propose and reconcile that seeming contrary command of the Lord Iesus to Peter Mat. 26. Put up thy sword into his place for all that take the sword shall perish by it In the former Scripture Luc. 22. it pleased the Lord Iesus speaking of his present trouble to compare his former sending forth of his Disciples without scrip c. with that present condition and triall comming upon them wherein they should provide both scrip and sword c. Yet now first when they tell him of two swords he answers It is enough which shewes his former meaning was not literall but figurative foreshewing his present danger above his former Secondly in the same case at the same time Mat. 26 commanding Peter to put on his sword he gives a threefold Reason thereof 1 vers 52. from the event of it for all that take the sword shall perish by it 2 The needlesnes of it
for with a word to his Father he could have 12 legions of Angels 3 The councell of God to be fulfilled in the Scripture Thus it ought to be Peace It is much questioned by some what should be the meaning of Christ Iesus in that speech All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Truth There is a threefold taking of the sword First by murtherous crueltie either of private persons or secondly publike States or Societies in wrath or revenge each against other Secondly a just and righteous taking of the sword in punishing offenders against the Civill peace either more personall private and ordinary or more publike Oppressors Tyrants Ships Navies c. Neither of these can it be imagined that Christ Iesus intended to Peter Thirdly There is therefore a 3. taking of the sword forbidden to Peter that is for Christ and the Gospels cause when Christ is in danger which made Peter strike c. Peace It seemes to some most contrary to all true Reason that Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 it selfe should not be defended Truth The foolishnes of God is wiser then the wisedome of Man It is not the purpose of God that the Spirituall battailes of his Son shall be fought by carnall weapons and persons It is not his pleasure that the World shall flame on fire with civill combustions for his Sons sake It is directly contrary to the nature of Christ Iesus his Saints and Truths that throats of men which is the highest contrarietie to civill converse should be torne out for his sake who most delighted to converse with the greatest sinners It is the councell of God that his servants shall overcome by 3 weapons of a spirituall nature Revel 12. 11. And that all that take the sword of steele shall perish Lastly it is the Councell of God that Christ Iesus shall shortly appeare a most glorious Iudge and Revenger against all his Enemies when the Heavens and the Earth shall 〈◊〉 before his most glorious presence Peace I shall propose the last Scripture much insisted on by many for carnall weapons in spirituall cases Revel 17. 16. The 10 hornes which thou fawest upon the Beast these shall hate the whore and shall make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and shall burne her with fire Truth Not to controvert with some whether or no the Beast be yet risen and extant Nor secondly whether either the Beast or the Hornes or the Whore may be taken literally for any corporall Beast or Whore Or thirdly whether these 10 Hornes be punctually and exactly 10 Kings Or fourthly whether those 10 Hornes signifie those many Kings Kingdomes and Governments who have bowed down to the Popes yoake and have committed fornication with that great Whore the Church of Rome Let this last be admitted which yet will cost some work to cleer against all opposites Yet First can the Time be now cleerly demonstrated to be come c Secondly how will it be proved that this â—atred of this Whâ—re shall be a true chaste Christian hatred against Antichristian whorish practices c Thirdly or rather that this hating and desolating and making naked and burning shall arise not by way of an ordinance waranted by the institution of Christ Iesus but by way of providence when as it useth to be with all whores and their lovers the Church of Rome and her great lovers shall fall out and by the righteous vengeance of God upon her drunke with the blood of Saints or holy Ones these mighty fornicators shall turne their love into hatred which hatred shall make her a poore desolate naked Whore torne and consumed c. Peace You know it is a great controversie how the Kings of the Earth shall thus deale with the Whore in the 17 Chap. and yet so bewaile her in the 18 Chapter Truth If we take it that these Kings of the Earth shall first hate and plunder and teare and burne this Whore and yet afterward shall relent and bewaile their cruell dealing toward her Or else that as some Kings deale so terribly with her yet others of those Kings shall bewaile her If either of these two answers stand or a better be given yet none of them can prove it lawfull for people to give power to their Kings and Magistrates thus to deale with them their subjects for their conscience nor for Magistrates to assume a title more then the people betrust them with nor for one people out of conscience to God and for Christ his sake thus to kill and slaughter and burne each other However it may please the Righteous Judge according to the famous types of Gideous and Iehosaphats battells to permit in Iustice and to order in Wisdome these mighty and mutuall slaughters each of other Peace We have now deare Truth through the gracious hand of God clambered up to the top of this our tedious Discourse Truth O 't is mercy unexpressible that either Thou or I have had so long a breathing time and that together Peace If English ground must yet be drunk with English blood O where shall Peace repose her wearied head and heavy heart Truth Deare Peace if thou finde welcome and the God of peace miraculously please to quench these all-devouring flames yet where shall Truth finde rest from cruell persecutions Peace Oh will not the Authority of holy Scriptures the Commands and Declarations of the Sonne of God therein produced by thee together with all the lamentable experiences of former and present slaughters prevaile with the Sons of Men especially with the Sons of Peace to depart from the dens of Lyons and mountaines of Leopards and to put on the bowels if not of Christianitie yet of Humanitie each to other Truth Deare Peace Habacacks Fishes keep their constant bloody game of Persecutions in the Worlds mighty Ocean the greater taking plundring swallowing up the lesser O happy he whose portion is the God of Iacob who hath nothing to lose under the Sun but hath a State a House an Inheritance a Name a Crowne a Life past all the Plunderers Ravishers Murtherers reach and furie Peace But loe Who 's here Truth Our Sister Patience whose desired company is as needfull as delightfull 'T is like the Wolfe will send the scattered Sheep in one the common Pirate gathers up the loose and scattered Navie the slaughter of the Witnesses by that bloody Beast unite the Independents and Presbyterians The God of Peace the God of Truth will shortly seale this Truth and confirme this Witnes and make it evident to the whole World That the Doctrine of Persecution for cause of Conscience is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Iesus the Prince of Peace Amen FINIS Errata PAge 23. line 28. for this reâ—d that p. 31. l. ult his soule p. 32. l. 12. read month â—bid r. person p. 35. l. 16. r. turned off or loosed from p. 37. l. 8. for to read doc p. 38. l. 2. dele affirme p. 41.
all parts of the World Christianitie adds not to the nature of a Civill Commonweale nor doth want of Christianitie diminish it Rom. 13. evidently proveâ— the Civill work and wages of the Civill Magistrate Most strange yet most true consequences from the Civill Magistrates now being the Antitype of the Kings of Israel and Judah If no Religion but that which the Common-weal approves theÌ„ no Christ no God but at the pleasure of 〈◊〉 world â— Ep. Jo 9. The true antitype of the â—â—ngs of Israel and Judah A fourth difference of Lawes and Statutes from all others Moses a type of Christ. The Lawes of Israel unparallel'd Gods owne finger penn'd Lawes for Israel Fift difference Temporall prosperity most proper to the temporall Nationall State of the Jewes The spirituall prosperity of Gods people now the antitype What Israels excommunication was The corporall stoning in the Law typed out spirituall sâ—oning in the Gospell The rewards or punishments of the Lawes of Israel not to be parallel'd The wars of Israel typicall Israels Enemiâ—s round about The Enemies of mysticall Israel Enemies against Israel in her owne bowells The famous typically captivities of the Jews Their wonderfull victories The mysticall battells of Gods Israel now The mysticall Army of white troopers R. 19. Whether the Civill state of Israel was presidentiall The true Christendome Great unfaithfulnesse in Ministers to câ—st the â—hiefest burden of judging and establâ—shâ—ng true Christiâ—nity upon the Commonweal or worlâ— it selfe To governe judge in civill affâ—â—â—es load enough on the Civill Magistrate Magistrates can have no more power then the common consent of the people shall betrust them with Thousands of lawfull Magistrates who never heare of the true church of God The Spirituall and Civill Sword cannot be managed by one and the same person The Lord Jesus refused so manage both Nero and the persecuting Emperours not so injurious to Christianity as Constantine and others who assumed a power in Spirituall things Under Constantine Christianity fell into corruption and Christians fell asleep Who force the consciences of others yet are not willing to be forced themselves Constantine and others wanted not so much affection as information of conscience Sad consequences of charging the Civill powers with the care of Spiritualls Civill Rulers giving and lending their Horns or Authority to Bishops both dangerous to the truth of Christ. The Spirituall power of the Lord Jesus compared in Scripture to the incomparable horne of the Rhinocerot A time when Gods people are wholly at a losse for Gods worship Nursing fathers and mothers The Civill horne or power being of a humane constitution cannot but be of a humane operation The Civill power owes 3 things to the true Church of Christ. 1. Approbation 2. Submission 3. Protection The Civill Magistrate owes to false worshippers 1. Permission 2. Protection The Civill Magistrates conscience torne and distracted between the divers and contrary affirmations even of the most godly Reformers The Authors of these positions deal with the Civill Magistrate as the souldiers dealt with the Lord Jesus The rise of high Commissions c. Pious Magistrates and Ministers consciences are perswaded for that which other Magistrates consciences condemne To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to her duty and yet must not judge what that is what is it but to play in Spirituall things An apt similitude discussed concerning the Civill Magistrate First quaerie what if the 〈◊〉 command the Mr. or Pilot to steere such a course which they know will never bring them to the harbour 2. Quaerie If the Mr. of the Ship command the 〈◊〉 thus the Prince command the contrary who is to be obeyed If the Prince have as much skill as the Mr. or Pilo c. 4. Quaerie 5. Quaerie Whether the meanest saylor in respect of his skill and service be not to be preferred before the Prince himself 6. Quaerie Whether if the Mr. of the ship gratifie the Prince to the casting away of the ship and Prince c. he be not guilty and 〈◊〉 to answer The application in generall of the ship to the Church c. The meanest Christian according to his knowledg and grace to bee preferred before the highest who have received none or lesse grace of Christ. A true Minister of Christ ought to walk by another rule then the command of Civill Authority in Spirituall causes Former positions compared with this similitude and found to contradict each other The similitude of the Magistrate prescribing to the Physician in civill things but the Physician to the Magistrate concerning his body The 12 Head examined To give the government of the Church to the Civill Magistrate as before and yet to abridge his conscience what is it but to sport with holy things c. An evident contradiction An excellent confession of the proper end of Civill Government When Civill Lawes are not broken it is confest that Civill Peace is not hurt A grievous charge against the Christian Church and the King of it A strange law in New England formerly against Excommunicate persons A dangerous doctrine against all civill Magistrates Many sins prohibited to be punished by the Magistrate and yet they also charge him to punish all sin Rom. 13. Originall sin charged to hurt remotely but falsely the civill state Magistrates strangely forbidden to hear civill complaints Thousands of Common-weales where no true church of Christ. The complaints of families properly fall into the cognizance of the civill Mastrate They who give to Magistrates more then is due are most apt to disâ—o to be them of what is theirs 13. Head A strange double picture The great priviledges of the true Spouse or Church of Christ. To hold with Iâ—ght and walk in darknesse The Magistrate lift up to be the chief 〈◊〉 of the Church and yet cast downe not to have power to appoint the place or time of meeting 2 Similitudes illustrâ—ting the Magistrate 〈◊〉 be â—oth governor of the Church and yet usurpâ—r in commanding If a Church may assemble without and against the Magistrates consent as is assiâ—â—ed then much more constitute and become a Church c. Grosse partiality If the Civill Magistrate be to build the Spirituall or Christian house he must judge of the matter A close and faithfull intergatory to the consciences of the authors of these positions A sad quaerie to some concerning their practice A marvallouâ— challenge of more Libertie to Christians under a Christian Magistrate then under the Heathen If Magistratesâ— were appointed by Christ Jesus Governours of his Kingdome it were not reasonable that Christians should more freely breake the commands of the Christian then of the Heathen Magistrate The necessry of Civill government in generall of God but the speciall kindes of men 1 Pet. 2. 13. Civill Magistrates are derivatives from the fountaines or bodies of people A beleeving Magistrate no more a Magistrate thâ—n an unbeleeving The excellenâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Christs 〈…〉 The Magistrate like a Pilot in the Ship of the Common-weale Christianitie steâ—â—es a Christian Pilots course The Christian Pilot hath no more power over the soules of his Mariners or passengers then the unchristian or Pagan Pilot. The tearmes Heathen and Christian Magistrate All out of Christ are heathens that is of the Nations or Gentiles Josiah a type of Christ Jesus the King of the Church An unjust and partiall desire of liberty to some coâ—sciences bondage unto all others The Commission Mat. 28. of preaching and baptizing not properly directed to the Churches or fixed Teachers of it least of al to the Commonweale A quaerie who have now the care of all the Churches A Ministrie before the Church Acts 15. commonly misapplied Christs promise and presence only makes an Assembly blessed The promise of Christs presence Mat. â— 8. distinct from that Mat. 28. 14. Position examined Church administrations are charged firstly upon the Misters thereof The Ministers or Governors of Christs Church to be acknowledged in their dispensations A paradox Magistrates made the Judges of the Churches and Governours of them yet censurable by them Queene Eliz. Bish pâ—truer to their principles then many of a better spirit and profession Mr. Borowes profession concerning Queen Elizabeth Is not this too like the Popes profession of servuâ— servorum Dei yet holding out his slipper to the lips of Princes Kings and Emperours 15. Head examined The inventions of men in swarving from the true essentialls of Civill and Spirituall Common-weales 16. and last Head examined A great Quegion viz. Whether only Church members that is as is intended Godly persons in a particular Church estate be only eligible or to be chosen for Magistrates Lawfull Civil States where Churches of Christ are not The world being divided into 30 parts 25 never heard of Christ. Lawfull heires of Crownes Civill Government although not Christian and godly Few Christians wise and noble and qualified for affaires of State Some Papists and some Protestants agree in deposing of Magistrates Those Scriptures Exod. 18 Deut. 17. 18. c. parallel'd in the true spirituall Israel by 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. The Ninevites Fast examined Object Answ. Object Answ. How England and London may yet be spared Luc. 22 the felling of the Coat to buy a Sword discussed A threefold taking of the Sword Revel 17. 16. the Kings having of the Whore discussed