these things upon the Catholicks were Pagans enemies of God and Christ but these who so charged Hereticks were Christians themselves And so say I also and therefore for reverence of the name though perhaps I could I say no more But yet this I say that Story which you have in Minutius Felix or Arnobius 8th Book Apologeticall of the meeting of Christians the drawing away of the Light by a Dogge tyed to the Candlestick so to make way for Adulteries and Incests I have heard more then once told with no small confidence of Brownists and Puritans Hath not this very same course been taken in latter ages Consult the Writings of Waldensis and the rest of his Companions about Wickleffe and his Followers see the occasion of his falling off from Rome in our owne Chronicles in Fabian of old yea and Daniel of late to gratifie a Popish Court of Eckius Hosius Staphylus Bolsecte Bellarmine and the rest who have undertaken to pourtray out unto us Luther and Calvin with their followers and you will quickly see that their great designe was to put as they did upon the head of John Huss at the Councell of Constance when he was lead to the stake the ugly vizard of some Devillish Appearance that under that forme they might fit them for Fire and Fagot And herein also is the Politie of the Dragon derived to the false Prophet and a colour tempered for persecutors to imbrue their hands in the blood of Martyrs This was the old Roman Way and I thought it not amisse to cautionate those enjoying Truth and Authority that if it be possible they may not walke in their steps and method the course accounted so soveraigne for the extirpation of Errour was as you see first invented for the extirpation of Truth Secondly I desire it may be observed That the generall Issue and tendance of unlimited arbitrary persecution or punishing for conscience sake because in all Ages {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and the worst of men have sate at the upper end of the World for the most part more false Worshippers having hitherto enjoyed authority over others then Followers of the Lambe hath been pernicious fatall and dreadfull to the Profession and Professors of the Gospel little or not at all serviceable to the truth I have heard it averred by a Reverend and Learned Personage that more blood of Hereticks hath been shed by wholesome Severity in the maintenance of the truth and opposition unto Errors then hath been shed of the witnesses of Jesus by the Sword of Persecution in the hands of Hereticks and false Worshippers An assertion I conceive under favour so exceedingly distant from the reality of the thing it selfe that I dare take upon me against any man breathing that in sundry Christian Provinces almost in every one of the West more Lives have been sacrificed to the one Idoll Haereticidium of those that bear witnesse to the Truth in the Beleife for which they suffered then all the Hereticks properly so called that ever were slaine in all the Provinces of the World by men professing the Gospell And I shall give that worthy Divine or any other of his perswasion his Option among all the chiefest Provinces of Europe to tye me up unto which they please He that shall consider that above sixty thousand persons were in six yeares or little more cut off in a Judiciall way by Duke D' Alua in the Nether-Lands in pursuite of the sentence of the Inquisition will conclude that there is Causa facilis in my hand The Ancient Contest betweene the Homoousians and the Arrians the first Controversie the Churches were agitated withall after they enjoyed a Christian Magistrate and may justly be supposed to be carryed on to the advantage of Error beyond all that went before it because of the Civill Magistrates interessing themselves in the Quarrell was not carryed out to Violence and Blood before the severall perswasions lighted on severall Dominions and State Interests As between the Goths Vandals and the rest of their Companions on one side who were Arrians and the Romans on the other In all whose Bickerings notwithstanding the honour of Severity did still attend the Arrians especially in Affricke where they persecuted the Catholicks with horrible outrage and fury Five thousand at one time barbarously exposed to all manner of cruell Villany Some Eruptions of passion had been before among Emperours themselves but still with this difference that they who Arrianized carryed the Bell for zeale against dissenters Witnesse Valens who gave place in persecution to none of his Pagan Predecessors killing burning slaying making havock of all Orthodox Professors Yea perhaps that which he did at least was done by the countenance of his Authority at Alexandria upon the placing in of Lucius an Arrian in the roome of Athanasius thrusting Peter besides the Chaire who was rightly placed according to the custome of those times perhaps I say the Tumults Rapes Murders then and there acted did outgoe what before had been done by the Pagans see Theodorit Eccles. Hist. lib. 4. cap. 22. it were tedious to pursue the lying slandering invectives banishments deaths tumults murders which attend this counsell all along after once they began to invoke the help of the Emperours one against another Yet in this space some Magistrates weary with persecuting ways did not only abstaine practically from force and violence as most of the Orthodox Emperours did but also enacted Laws for the freedome of such as dissented from them Jovianus a pious man grants all peace that will be peacable offended onely with them who would offer violence to others Socrates Eccles. Hist. lib. 4. cap. 21. Gratianus makes a Law whereby he granted liberty to all Sects but Manichees Photinians and Eunomians Zozo Eccles. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 1. Many more the like examples might be produced The next difference about the Worship of God to the Arrian and its Branches that was controverted in Letters of blood was about Images and their Worship in which though some furious Princes in opposition to that growing Idolatry which by Popes Bishops Priests and especially Monkes was in those dayes violently urged did mingle some of their blood with their Sacrifices yet not to the Tithe almost of what the Iconolatrae getting uppermost returned vpon them and their adherents This if occasion were might be easily demonstrated from Paulus Diaconus and others After this from about the year 850. about which time the Iconolatrae having ensnared the West by politie the posterity of Charles the Great who had stoutly opposed the worship of Images complying with the Popes the Fathers of that Worship for their owne ends and wearied the East by cruelty that Contest growing towards an End the whole power of punishing for Religion became subservient to the Dictates of the Pope the Kings of the Earth giving their power to the Beast unto which point things had been working all along from thence I say untill the death of
not others as unworthy to live upon their native soile in our judgements as we our selves in the judgements of them formerly over us Are not groanes for liberty by the warmth of favour in a few yeares hatched into Attempts for Tyranny and for Practise what hold hath former superstition in observing dayes and times laid hold upon the many of the People again witness the late solemn superstition and many things of the like nature 2. For Civill things the closing of so many formerly otherwise engaged with the adverse party in the late Rebellion with the lukewarm deportment of others at the same time is a sufficient demonstration of it And may not the Lord justly complain of all this what iniquity have you seene in mee or my wayes that you are gone farre from me and walked after vanity and are become vaine Jer. 2. 4. Why have you changed your glory for that which doth not profit vers. 11. Have I beene a dry heath or a barren wildernesse to you Oh that men should find no more sweetness in following the Lambe under wonderfull protections but that they should thus turne aside into every Wildernesse What Indignity is this to the wayes of God I could give you many Reasons of it but I have done what I intended a little hinted that wee are a Returning People that so you might be exhorted to help for a Recovery and how shall that be 2. By your owne keeping close to the Paths of Righteousnesse if you Returne not others will look about again This Breach this evill is of you within your own walls was the fountaine of our Backesliding Would you be the Repairers of Breaches the Restorers of Paths for men to walke in doe these two things 1. Turne not to the wayes of such as the Lord hath blasted under your eyes and these may be referred to 3. heads 1. Oppression 2. Selfe-seeking 3. Contrivances for persecution 1. Oppression how detestable a crime it is in the eyes of the Almighty what effects it hath upon men making wise men madde Eccl. 7. 7. How frequently it closeth in the calamitous Ruine of the Oppressours themselves are things known to all Whether it hath not been exercised in this Nation both in Generall by unnecessary Impositions and in Particular by unwarrantable pressures let the mournfull cryes of all sorts of People testifie Should you now Return to such wayes as these would not the Anger of the Lord smoake against you Make it I bseech you your Designe to relieve the whole by all meanes possible and to relieve Particulars yea even of the adverse Party where too much overborn Oh let it be considered by you that it be not considered upon you I know the things you are necessitated to are not to be supported by the aire It is only what is unnecessary as to you or insupportable as to othes that requires your speedy Reforming that so it may be said of you as of Nehemiah Chap. 5. 14 15. And for Particulars pray pardon my folly and boldness I heartily desire a Committee of your Honourable House might sit once a week to relieve poor men that have been oppressed by men sometimes enjoying Parliamentary Authority 2. Selfe-seeking when men can be content to lay a Nation low that they may set up themselves upon the heapes and ruines thereof Have not some sought to advance themselves under that power which with the lives and blood of the People they have opposed Seeming to be troubled at former things not because they were done but because they were not done by them But innocent blood will be found a Tottering foundation for men to build their Honours Greatnesse and Preferments upon O returne not in this unto any If men serve themselves of the Nation they must expect that the Nation will serve it selfe upon them The best security you can possibly have that the People will performe their duty in obedience is the witnesse of your own consciences that you have discharged your duty towards them in seeking their good by your owne trouble and not your owne advantages in their trouble I doubt not but that in this your practice makes the admonition a commendation otherwise the word spoken will certainly witnesse against you 3. Contrivances for persecution how were the hearts of all men hardned like the nether Mill-stone and their thoughts did grinde blood and revenge against their Brethren What colours what pretences had men invented to prepare a way for the Rolling of their garments in the teares yea blood of Christians The Lord so keep your spirits from a compliance herein that with all the Bowe be not too much bent on the other side which is not impossible Be there a Backsliding upon your spirit to these or such like things as these the Lord will walke contrary to you and were you as the Signet upon his hand he would pluck you off 2. Returne not to the open enemies of our peace I could here inlarge my selfe to support your spirits in the work mentioned Job 29. 14 15. but I must on to the following parts of my Text and passe from the Direction given to the Supportment and Assistance promised I will make thee to this people a brazen and a fenced Wall An implyed Objection which the Prophet might put in upon his charge to keep so close to the rule of righteousnesse is here removed If I must thus abide by it to execute whatsoever the Lord cals me out unto not shrinking nor staggering at the greatest undertakings what will become of me in the issue Will it not be destructive to stand out against a confirmed People No saith the Lord it shall not be I will make thee c. God will certainly give in prevailing strength and unconquerable defence unto Persons constantly discharging the duties of Righteousnesse especially when undertaken in times of difficulty and opposition I will make thee c. The like engagement to this you have made to Ezekiel Chap. 3 8 9. Neither was it so to the Prophets alone but to Magistrates also when Joshua undertook the Regency of Israel in a difficult time he takes of his feare and Diffidence with this very incouragement Josh. 1. 5. He saith he will make them a Wall the best defence against opposition and that not a weake tottering Wall that might easily be cast downe but a brazen wall that must needs be impregnable What Engines can possibly prevaile against a Wall of Brasse And to make it more secure this brazen wall shall be fenced with all manner of fortifications and ammunition so that the veriest Coward in the World being behind such a wall may without dread or terrour apply himselfe to that which he findeth to doe God will so secure the Instruments of his glory against a Backeslyding people in holding up the wayes of his Truth and Righteousnesse that all Attempts against them shall be vaine and the most timorous spirit may be secure Provided he goe not out of
errors and false doctrines we finde them appointed and a lawfull Judge as to the determining concerning them divinely instituted so that in such wayes they may be warrantably proceeded against Revel. 21. 3. But now for any Judge that should make disquisition concerning them or proceed against them as things criminall to be punished with civill censures I conceive the Scripture is silent And indeed who should it be The custome of former ages was that some persons of one sort should determine of it as to right viz that such or such a thing was heresie and such or such a one an Heretick which was the work of Priests and Prelates and persons of another sort should de facto punish and determine to be punished those so adjudged by the former and these were as they called them the secular Magistrates officers of this world And indeed had not the God of this world blinded their eyes and the God of the spirits of all flesh hardened their hearts they would not have so given up their power to the Man of sin as to be made so sordidly instrumentall to his bloody cruelty We read Jer. 26. 10 11. that the Priests and Prophets assemble themselves in judgement and so pronounce sentence upon the Prophet Jeremy that he should dye for a false Prophet v. 12. Jeremy makes his appeal to the secular Magistrate and all the people who taking cognizance of the cause pronounce sentence in the behalf of the condemned person against the Priests and Prophets and deliver him whether they will or not v. 16. I spare the Application of the story but that Princes and Magistrates should without cognizance of the thing or cause proceed to punishment or censure of it upon the judgement of the Priests condemning such or such a man for an heretick or a false prophet blessed be the Lord we have no warrant Had this proceeding been regular Jeremy had dyed without mercy for a false prophet as thousands since standing before the Lord in his spirit have done This course then that the civill Magistrate should proceed to sentence of corporall punishment upon others judging of the fault is vile sordid unwarrantable and exceedingly unworthy of any rationall man much more such as are set over the people of the Land that the same persons must determine of the cause and appoint the punishment is clear Now who must these be are they the Ministers of the Gospel of all others they are the most likely to be the most competent Judges in spirituall causes let it then be so but then also they must be the determiners and inflicters of the punishment upon default now let them powre out upon obstinately erring persons all the vengeance that God hath betrusted them withall The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God c. By this course Admonition Avoiding Rejection Excommunication will be the utmost that can be inflicted on them which for my part I desire may be exercised to the utmost extent of the rule 2ly shall the Magistrate be made Judge of the cause as well as of the person is he entrusted to determine what is error what not what heresie what not who is an Heretick who not and so what punishment is due to such and such errors according to the degrees wherein they are Why first I desire an institution of this ordinance in the Church where is the Magistrate entrusted with such a power where are rules prescribed to him in his proceedings 2ly is not a judiciary determination concerning truth and error I mean truths of the Gospel a meer Chruch act and that Church power whereby it is effected must not then the Magistrate quâ talis be a Church officer will men of this minde tolerate Erastianisme 3ly if there be a twofold judicature appointed for the same person for the same crime is it not because one crime may in divers respects fall under severall considerations and must not these considerations be preserved immixed that the formall reason of proceeding in one Court may not be of any weight in the other We proved before and it is granted of all that the Church is Judge in case of heresie and error as such to proceed against them as contrary to the Gospel their opposition to the faith delivered to the Saints is the formall reason upon which that proceedeth to censure if now this be afterwards brought under another sentence of another Judicature must it not be under another consideration Now what can this be but its disturbance of civill society which when it doth so not in pretence but really and actually none denyes it to be the Magistrates duty to interpose with his power 4ly if the Magistrate be Judge of spirituall offences and it be left to him to determine and execute judgement in such proportion as he shall think meet according to the qualitie and degrees thereof it is a very strange and unlimited arbitrarinesse over the lives estates of men and surely they ought to produce very clear testimonies that they are entrusted from the Lord herewith or they can have no great quiet in acting 5ly it seems strange to me that the Lord Jesus Christ should commit this Architechtonicall power in his house unto Magistrates foreseeing of what sort the greatest number of them would be yea determining that they should be such for the tryall and affliction of his own View the times that are past consult the stories of former ages take a catalogue of the Kings and Rulers that have been since first Magistrates outwardly embraced Christian Religion in this and other Nations where the Gospel hath been planted and ask your own consciences whether these be the men to whom this high trust in the house of God is committed The truth is they no sooner left serving the Dragon in the persecution of the Pagans but presently in a very few yeers they gave up their power to the beast to set up another State in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and his Gospel in the supportment whereof the most of them continue labouring till this very day Hae manus Trojam exigent What may be added in this case I refer to another opportunity 2. Gospel constitutions in the case of heresie or error seems not to favour any course of violence I mean of civil penalties Foretold it is that heresies must be 1 Cor. 11. 19. but this for the manifesting of those that are approved not the destroying of those that are not I say destroying I mean with temporall punishment that I may adde this by the way for all the arguments produced for the punishment of hereticks holding out capitall censures and these being the tendance of all beginnings in this kinde I mention onely the greatest including all other arbitrary penalties being but steps of walking to the utmost censures Admonitions and Excommunication upon rejection of admonition are the highest constitutions I suppose against such persons Waiting with all patience upon
them that oppose themselves if at any time God will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth imprisoning banishing slaying is scarcely a patient waiting God doth not so wait upon unbeleevers Perhaps those who call for the sword on earth are as unacquainted with their own spirits as those that called for fire from heaven Luk. 11. And perhaps the parable of the tares gives in a positive rule as to this whole businesse occasion may be given of handling it at large for the present I shall not fear to assert that the answers unto it borrowed by our Divines from Bellarmine will not endure the triall we hope that spirituall quiet and inoffensivenesse in the whole mountain of the Lord which is wrapt up in the wombe of many promises will at length be brought forth to the joy of all the children of Sion 3. Sundrie other arguments taken from the nature of faith heresie liberty of Conscience the way of illumination means of communication of truth nature of spirituall things pravitious tendence of the doctrine opposed if it should be actually embraced by all enjoying authority and the like I thought at present to have added but I am gone already beyond my purposed resting place Come we in a few words to the last thing proposed wherein I shall be very brief the main of what I intended being already set down the power of the Magistrate to compell others to the embracing of that Religion and way of worship which he shall establish and set up which for the greater advantage we shall suppose to be the very same both for the things proposed to be beleeved and also practised which God himself hath revealed and requireth all men every where to embrace What is to be done for the setling and establishing of the profession of the Gospel and the right apprehension of the minde of God therein contra-distinct from all those false and erronious perswasions which in these or former dayes are or have been held forth in opposition thereunto was before declared how it is to be supported maintained protected defended safe-guarded from all oppositions disturbances blasphemings was then and there set down Now supposing that sundry persons living under the power and owning civill obedience to the Magistrate will not consent to sound doctrine nor receive in some things fewer or more lesse or greater that form of wholsome words which he holds forth and owns as the minde of Christ in the Gospel nor communicate with him in the worship which by the Authority of those words or that truth he hath as before established it is inquired what is the duty of the Magistrate in reference to the bringing of them into that subjection which is due unto and acknowledgement of the truth And to this I shall briefly give in my Answer in these following Positions 1. In reference unto us in this Nation the greatest difficulty in giving a full return to this question ariseth from the great disorder of the Churches of God amongst us were the precious distinguished from the vile Churches rightly established and Church discipline exercised that Christians were under some orderly view and men might be confidered in their severall capacities wherein they stand an easie finger would unty the knot of this quaere but being in that confusion wherein we are gathering into any order being the great work in hand I suppose under favour that the time is scarce come for the proposall of this question but yet something may be given in unto it though not so clear as the former supposall being effected would cause it to be 2. The constant practise of the Churches in former ages in all their meetings for advise and counsell to consent into some form of wholsome words that might be a discriminating tessera of their communion in doctrine being used in prime Antiquitie as is manifest in that ancient Symbol commonly esteemed Apostolicall of the chief heads whereof mention in the like Summary is made in the very first writers among them having also warrant from the Word of God and being of singular use to hold out unto all other Churches of the world our apprehensions of the minde of God in the chief heads of Religion may be considered If this be done by the authority of the Magistrate I mean if such a declaration of the truth wherein the Churches by him owned and protected do consent be held out as the confession of that truth which he embraceth it will be of singular use unto yea indeed must necessarily precede any determination of the former question of the nature and use of confessions c. so much hath of late been learnedly disputed that I shall not powre out any of mine own conceptions for the present about them in that hasty tumultuary manner wherein I am enforced to expose this essay 3. Those who dissent from the truth so owned so established so decreed do so either in lesse matters of small consequence and about things generally confessed not fundamentall or in great and more weighty heads of doctrine acts of worship and the like both agreeing in this that they will not hold communion as either to all or some parts and duties thereof which those Churches and persons who do embrace the truth so owned as before and act accordingly For the first of these or such as dissent about things of no great concernment in comparison of those other things wherein they do agree with them from whom they do dissent I am bold positively to assert that saving and preserving the Rules and qualifications set down under the second head the Magistrate hath no warrant from the Word of God nor command rule or precept to enable him to force such persons to submit unto the truth as by him established in those things wherein they expresse a conscientious dissent or to molest them with any civill penalty in case of refusall or non-submission nor yet did I ever in my life meet with any thing in the shape of Reason to prove it although the great present clamor of this Nation is punctually as to this head what ever be pretended this is the Helena about which is the great contest What I pray will warrant him then to proceed Will the Laws against Idolatry and Blasphemy with their sanctions towards the persons of blasphemers and idolaters for I must ingenuously confesse all that which in my poore judgement looks with any appearance of pressing toward Haereticidium is the everlasting equity of those judiciall Laws and the Arbitrarinesse of Magistrates from a divine rule in things of the greatest concernment to the glory of God if free from them and that these Laws I doubt will scarcely be accommodated unto any thing under contest now in this age of the world among Christians but shall I say a warrant taken from hence for the compelling of men sound in so many fundamentals as were it not for the contest with them we would acknowledge sufficient for the entertainment