Christians are to be exhorted not compelled But this hundreth not that Christians sinning against light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured by the Church with Excommunication and by the Civill Sword also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their Soules As for the Testimony of the Popish Book we weigh it not as knowing whatsoever they speake for Toleration of Religion where themselves are under Hatches when they come to sit at Sterne they judge and practise quite contrary as both their Writings and Iudiciall proceedings have testified to the World these many yeares To shut up this Argument from Testimonie of Writers It is well known Augustine retracted this Opinion of yours which in his younger times he had held but in after riper age reversed and refuted as appeareth in the second Book of his Retractations chap. 5. and in his Epistles 48. 50. And in his 1. Book against Parmenianus cap. 7. he sheweth that if the Donatists were punished with death they were justly punished And in his 11 Tractate upon Iohn They murther saith he Soules and themselves are afflicted in Body They put men to everlasting death and yet they complaine when themselves are put to suffer temporall death Optatus in his 3. book justifieth Macharius who had put some Hereticks to death that he had done no more herein then what Moses Phincas and Elias had done before him Bernard in his 66 Sermon in Cantica Out of doubt saith he it is better that they should be restrained by the Sword of Him who beareth not the Sword in vaine then that they should be suffred to draw many others into their Errour For he is the Minister of God for Wrath to every evill doer Calvins judgement is well knowne who procured the death of Michael Servetus for pertinacie in Heresie and defended his fact by a Book written of that Argument Beza also wrote a Booke de Haereticis Morte plectendis that Hereticks are to be punished with Death Aretius likewise tooke the like course about the Death of Valentinus Gentilis and justified the Magistrates proceeding against him in an History written of that Argument Finally you come to answer some maine Objections as you call them which yet are but one and that one objecteth nothing against what we hold It is say you no prejudice to the Common-wealth if Libertie of Conscience were suffred to such as feare God indeed which you prove by the examples of the Patriarchs and others But we readily grant you Libertie of Conscience is to be granted to men that feare God indeed as knowing they will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience of the sinfulnesse thereof But the Question is Whether an Heretick after once or twice Admonition and so after conviction or any other scandalous and heynous offender may be tolerated either in the Church without Excommunication or in the Common-wealth without such punishment as may preserve others from dangerous and damnable infection Thus much I thought needfull to be spoken for avoyding the Grounds of your Errour I forbeare adding Reasons to justifie the Truth because you may finde that done to your hand in a Treatise sent to some of the Brethren late of Salem who doubted as you doe The Lord Jesus lead you by a Spirit of Truth into all Truth through Jesus Christ. A REPLY to the aforesaid ANSWER of Mr. Cotton In a CONFERENCE betweene TRVTH and PEACE CHAP. I. Truth IN what darke corner of the World sweet Peace are we two met How hath this present evill World banished Me from all the Coasts Quarters of it and how hath the Righteous God in judgement taken Thee from the Earth Rev. 6. 4. Peace 'T is lamentably true blessed Truth the foundations of the World have long been out of course the Gates of Earth and Hell have conspired together to intercept our joyfull meeting and our holy kisses With what a wearied tyred Wing have I flowne over Nations Kingdomes Cities Townes to finde out precious Truth Truth The like enquiries in my flights and travells have I made for Peace and still am told she hath left the Earth and fled to Heaven Peace Deare Truth What is the Earth but a dungeon of darknesse where Truth is not Truth And what 's the Peace thereof but a fleeting dreame thine Ape and Counterfeit Peace O where 's the Promise of the God of Heaven that Righteousnes and Peace shall kisse each other Truth Patience sweet Peace these Heavens and Earth are growing Old and shall be changed like a Garment Psal. 102. They shall melt away and be burnt up with all the Works that are therein and the most high Eternall Creatour shall gloriously create New Heavens and New Earth wherein dwells Righteousnesse 2 Pet. 3. Our kisses then shall have their endlesse date of pure and sweetest ioyes till then both Thou and I must hope and wait and beare the furie of the Dragons wrath whose monstrous Lies and Furies shall with himselfe be cast into the lake of Fire the second death Revel 20. Peace Most precious Truth thou knowest we are both pursued and laid for Mine heart is full of sighes mine eyes with teares Where can I better vent my full oppressed bosome then into thine whose faithfull lips may for these few houres revive my drooping wandring spirits and here begin to wipe Teares from mine eyes and the eyes of my dearest Children Truth Sweet daughter of the God of Peace begin powre out thy sorrowes vent thy complaints how joyfull am I to improve these precious Minutes to revive our Hearts both thine and mine and the hearts of all that love the Truth and Peace Zach. 8. Peace Deare Truth I know thy birth thy nature thy delight They that know thee will prize thee farre above themselves and lives and sell themselves to buy thee Well spake that famous Elizabeth to her famous Attorney Sir Edward Coke Mr. Attourney goe on as thou hast begun and still plead not pro Domina Regina but pro Domina Veritate Truth 'T is true my Crowne is high my Scepter 's strong to breake down strongest holds to throw down highest Crownes of all that plead though but in thought against me Some few there are but oh how few are valiant for the Truth and dare to plead my Cause as my Witnesses in sack-cloth Revel 11. While all mens Tongues are bent like Bowes to shoot out lying words against Me Peace O how could I spend eternall dayes and endlesse dates at thy holy feet in listning to the precious Oracles of thy mouth All the Words of thy mouth are Truth and there is no iniquity in them Thy lips drop as the hony-combe But oh since we must part anon let us as thou saidst improve our Minutes and according as thou promisedst revive me with thy words which are sweeter then the honey and the honey-combe CHAP. II. DEare Truth I have two sad Complaints First The most sober
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
them by bloody and cruell Persecution CHAP. XVI Peace THe third Conclusion is In points of lesser moment there ought to be a Toleration Which though I acknowledge to be the Truth of God yet 3 things are very observable in the manner of laying it down for Sathan useth excellent arrowes to bad markes and sometimes beyond the intent and hidden from the eye of the Archer First saith he such a person is to be tolerated till God may be pleased to reveale his Truth to him Truth This is well observed by you for indeed this is the very ground why the Apostle calls for meekenesse and gentlenesse toward all men and toward such as oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2. because there is a peradventure or it may be It may be God may give them Repentance That God that hath shewen mercy to one may shew mercy to another It may be that eye-salve that anointed one mans eye who was blinde and opposite may anoint another as blinde and opposite He that hath given Repentance to the husband may give it to his wise c. Hence that Soule that is lively and sensible of mercy received to it selfe in former blindnesse opposition and enmitie against God cannot but be patient and gentle toward the Iewes who yet deny the Lord Iesus to be come and justifie their Fore-fathers in murthering of him Toward the Turkes who acknowledge Christ a great Prophet yet affirme lesse than Mahomet Yea to all the severall sorts of Antichristians who set up many a false Christ in stead of him And lastly to the Pagans and wildest sorts of the sons of men who have not yet heard of the Father nor the Son And to all these sorts Iewes Turkes Antichristians Pagans when they oppose the light presented to them In sense of its owâ— former opposition and that God peradventure may at last give repentance I adde such a Soule will not onely be patient but earnestly and constantly pray for all sorts of men that out of them Gods elect may be called to the fellowship of Christ Iesus And lastly not only pray but endeavour to its utmost abilitie their participation of the same grace and mercy That great Rock upon which so many gallant Ships miscarrie viz. That such persons false Prophets Hereticks c. were to be put to death in Israel I shall with Gods assistance remove as also that fine silken covering of the Image viz. that such persons ought to be put to death or banished to prevent the infecting and seducing of others I shall with Gods assistance in the following discourse pluck off Secondly I observe from the Scriptures he quoteth for this Toleration Phil. 3. Rom. 14 how closely yet I hope unadvisedly he makes the Churches of Christ at Philippi and Rome all one with the Cities Philippi and Rome in which the Churches were and to whom onely Paul wrote As if what these Churches in Philippi and Rome must tolerate amongst themselves that the Ciâ—ies Philippi and Rome must tole rate in their citizens and what these Churches must not tolerate that these Cities Philippi and Rome must not tolerate within the compasse of the City State and Jurisdiction Truth Upon that ground by undeniable consequence these Cities Philippi and Rome were bound not to tolerate themselves that is the Cities and Citizens of Philippi and Rome in their own Civill life and being but must kill or expell themselves from their own Cities as being Idolatrous worshippers of other gods then the true God in Iesus Christ. But as the Lilie is amongst the Thornes so is Christs Love among the Daughters and as the Apple-tree among the Trees of the Forrest so is her Beloved among the Sons so great a difference is there between the Church in a Citie or Country and the Civill state City or Country in which it is No lesse then as David in another case Psal. 103. as far as the Heavens are from the Earth are they that are truly Christs that is anointed truly with the Spirit of Christ from many thousands who love not the Lord Iesus Christ and yet are and must be permitted in the World or Civill State although they have no right to enter into the gates of Ierusalem the Church of God And this is the more carefully to bee minded because when ever a toleration of others Religion and Conscience is pleaded for such as are I hope in truth zealous for God readily produce plenty of Scriptures written to the Church both before and since Christs comming all commanding and pressing the putting forth of the uncleane the cutting off the obstinate the purging out the Leaven rejecting of Heretickes As if because brians thornes and phistles may not be in the Garden of the Church therefore they must all bee pluckt up out of the Wildernesse whereas he that is a Briar that is a Iew a Turke a Pagan an Antichristian to day may be when the Word of the Lord runs freely a member of Iesus Christ to morrow cut out of the wilde Olive and planted into the true Peace Thirdly from this toleration of persons but holding lesser errours I observe the unmercifulnesse of such doctrines and hearts as if they had forgotten the Blessednesse Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy Math. 5. He that is sleightly and but a little hurt shall be suffered and meanes vouchsafed for his cure But the deepe wounded sinners and leprous ulcerous and those of bloudy issues twelve yeares together and those which have been bowed down 38. years of their life they must not be suffered untill peradventure God may give them repentance but either it is not lawfull for a godly Magistrate to rule and governe such a people as some have said or else if they be under government and reforme not to the State Religion after the first and second admonition the Civill Magistrate is bound to persecute c. Truth Such persons have need as Paul to the Romanes Chap. 12. 1. to be besought by the mercy of God to put on bowels of mercy toward such as have neither wronged them in body or goods and therefore justly should not be punished in their goods or persons CHAP. XVII Peace I Shall now trouble you deare Truth but with one conclusion more which is this viz. That if a man hold forth errour with a boysterous and arrogant spirit to the disturbance of the civill Peace he ought to be punished c. Truth To this I have spoken too confessing that if any man commit ought of those things which Paul was accused of Act. 25. 11. he ought not to be spared yea he ought not as Paul saith in such cases to refuse to dye But if the matter be of another nature a spirituall and divine nature I have written before in many cases and might in many more that the Worship which a State professeth may bee contradicted and preached against and yet no breach of Civill Peace
be so farre from striving to subdue their opposites with the civill sword that they are bound with patience and meeknesse to wait if God peradventure will please to grant repentance unto their opposites So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becomes not the Spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritanes and the unconverted Christians in Crete with Fire and Brimstone Secondly be they oppositions within and Church members as the Answerer speakes become scandalous in doctrine I speake not of scandals against the civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish it is the Lord onely as this Scripture to Timothy implyes who is able to give them repentance and recover them out of Sathans snare to which end also he hath appointed those holy and dreadfull censures in his Church or Kingdome True it is the Sword may make as once the Lord complained Isa. 10. a whole Nation of Hypocrites But to recover a Soule from Sathan by repentance and to bring them from Antichristian doctrine or worship to the doctrine or worship Christian in the least true internall or externall submission that only works the All-powerfull God by the sword of his Spirit in the hand of his Spirituall officers What a most wofull proofe hereof have the Nations of the Earth given in all Ages And to seeke no further then our native Soyle within a few scores of yeeres how many wonderfull changes in Religion hath the whole Kingdome made according to the change of the Governours thereof in the severall Religious which they themselves imbraced Henry the 7. finds and leaves the kingdome absolutely Popish Henry the 8. casts it into a mould half Popish halfe Protestant Edward the 6. brings forth an Edition all Protestant Queene Mary within few yeares defaceth Edwards worke and renders the Kingdome after her Grandfather Hen. 7. his pattern all Popish Maries short life and Religion ends together and Elizabeth reviveth her Brother Edwards Modell all Protestant And some eminent Witnesses of Gods Truth against Antichrist have enclined to believe that before the downfall of that Beast England must once againe how down her faire Neck to his proud usurping yoake and foot Peace It hath been Englands sinfull shame to fashion change their Garments and Religions with wondrous ease and lightnesse as a higher Power a stronger Sword hath prevailed after the ancient patterne of Nebuchaanezzars bowing the whole world in one most solemne uniformitie of worship to his Golden Image Dan. 3. CHAP. XL. BUt it hath been thought or said Shall oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous c. Truth I answer as before concerning the blinde Guides in case there be no Civill offence committed the Magistrates all men that by the mercy of God to themselves discerne the miserie of such Opposites have cause to lament and bewaile that fearfull condition wherein such are entangled to wit in the snares chains of Satan with which they are so invincibly caught and held that no power in Heaven or Earth but the Right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle dispensing of the Word of Truth can release and quit them Those many false Christs of whom the Lord Jesus forewarnes Mat. 24. have sutably their false bodies faith spirit Baptisme as the Lord Jesus hath his true body faith spirit c. Ephes. 4. correspondent also are their weapons and the successe issue or operation of them A carnall weapon or sword of steele may produce a carnall repentance a shew an outside an uniformitie through a State or Kingdome But it hath pleased the Father to exalt the Lord Iesus only to be a Prince armed with power and meanes sufficient to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. Accordingly an unbelieving Soule being dead in sinne although he be changed from one worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall changes of apparell cannot please God Heb. 11. and consequently whatever such an unbelieving unregenerate person acts in Worship or Religion it is but sinne Rom. 14. Preaching sinne praying though without beads or booke sinne breaking of bread or Lords supper sinne yea as odious as the oblation of Swines blood a Dogs neck or killing of a Man Isa. 66. But Faith it is that gift which proceeds alone from the Father of Lights Phil. 1. 29. and till he please to make his light arise and open the eyes of blind sinners their soules shall lie fast asleep and the faster in that a sword of steele compells them to a worship in hypocrisie in the dungeons of spirituall darknesse and Sathans slavery Peace I adde that a civill sword as wofull experience in all ages hath proved is so far from bringing or helping forward an opposite in Religion to repentance that Magistrates sinne grievously against the worke of God and blood of Soules by such proceedings Because as commonly the suffrings of false and Antichristian Teachers harden their followers who being blind by this meanes are occasioned to tumble into the ditch of Hell after their blind leaders with more inflamed zeale of lying confidence So secondly violence and a sword of steele begets such an impression in the sufferers that certainly they conclude as indeed that Religion cannot be true which needs such instruments of violence to uphold it so that Persecutors are far from soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others To this purpose it pleased the Father of Spirits of old to constraine the Emperour of Rome Antoninus Pius to write to all the Governours of his Provinces to forbeare to persecute the Christians because such dealing must needs be so far from converting the Christians from their way that it rather begat in their mindes an opinion of their crueltie c. CHAP. XLI Peace THe next Scripture against such persecution is that of the Prophet Isa. 24. together with Mic. 4. 3. they shall break their swords into plough-shares and their speares into pruning-hookes Isa. 11. 9. There shall none hurt or destroy in all the mountaine of my Holinesse Unto which it pleased Mr. Cotton to say That these predictions doe onely shew first with what kinde of weapons he should subdue the Nations to the obedience of the faith of the Gospell not by fire and sword and weapons of War but by the power of the Word and Spirit of God which faith he no man doubts of Secondly those predictions of the Prophets shew what the meeke and peaceable temper will be of all true converts to Christianity not Lyons or Leopards not cruell oppressors nor malignant opposers or biters one of another but doth not forbid them to drive ravenous wolves from the sheep-fold and to restraine them from devouring the sheep of Christ. Truth In this first excellent and truly Christian Answer me thinks the Answerer may heare a voyce from Heaven Out of thine owne
which other Scriptures abundantly prove but to make it cleare against the Answerers allegation that even in the civill State permission of notorious evill doers even against the civill State is not disapproved by God himselfe and the wisest of his servants in its season CHAP. LV. Truth I Proceed Hence it is that some Generals of Armies and Governours of Cities Townes c. doe and as those former instances prove lawfully permit some evill persons and practices As for instance in the civill State Vsury for the preventing of a greater evill in the civill Body as stealing robbing murthering perishing of the poore and the hindrance or stop of commerce and dealing in the Commonwealth Just like Physicians wisely permitting noysome humours and sometimes diseases when the cure or purging would prove more dangerous to the destruction of the whole a weake or crazy body and specially at such a time Thus in many other instances it pleased the Father of lights the God of Israel to permit that people especially in the matter of their demand of a King wherein he pleaded that himselfe as well as Samuel was rejected This ground to wit for a common good of the whole is the same with that of the Lord Iesus commanding the Tares to be permitted in the World because otherwise the good wheat should be indangered to be rooted up out of the Field or World also as well as the ares and therefore for the good sake the Tares which are indeed evill were to be permitted Yea and for the generall good of the whole world the field it selfe which for want of this obedience to that command of Christ hath beene and is laid waste and desolate with the fury and rage of civill War professedly raised and maintained as all States professe for the maintenance of one true Religion after the patterne of that typicall land of Canaan and to suppresse and pluck up these Tares of false Prophets and false Professors Antichristians Heretickes c. out of the world Hence illae lachrymae hence Germanies Irelands and now Englands teares and dreadfull desolations which ought to have beene and may bee for the future by obedience to the command of the Lord Iesus concerning the permission of Tares to live in the world though not in the Church I say ought to have beene and may bee mercifully prevented CHAP. LVI Peace I Pray descend now to the second evill which you observe in the Answerers position viz. that it would bee evill to tolerate notorious evill doers seducing teachers c. Truth I say the evill is that he most improperly and confusedly joynes and couples seducing teachers with scandalous livers Peace But is it not true that the world is full of seducing teachers and is it not true that seducing teachers are notorious evill doers Truth I answer far be it from me to deny either and yet in two things I shall discover the great evill of this joyning and coupling seducing teachers and scandalous livers as one adaequate or proper object of the Magistrates care and worke to suppresse and punish First it is not an Homogeneall as we speake but an Heterogeneall commixture or joyning together of things most different in kindes and natures as if they were both of one consideration For who knowes not but that many seducing teachers either of the Paganish Iewish Turkish or Antichristian Religion may be clear and free from scandalous offences in their life as also from disobedience to the Civill Lawes of a State Yea the Answerer himselfe hath elsewhere granted that if the Lawes of a Civill State be not broken the Peace is not broken Againe who knowes not that a seducing teacher properly sinnes against a Church or Spirituall estate and Lawes of it and therefore ought most properly and onely to bee dealt withall in such a way and by such weapons as the Lord Iesus himselfe hath appointed gainsayers opposites and disobedients either within his Church or without to be convinced repelled resisted and slaine withall Whereas scandalous offendours against Parents against Magistrates in the 5 Command and so against the life chastity goods or good name in the rest is properly transgression against the Civill State and Commonweale or the worldly state of Men And therefore consequently if the World or Civill State ought to be preserved by Civill Government or Governours such scandalous effendours ought not to be tolerated but supprest according to the wisdome and prudence of the said Government Secondly as there is a fallacious conjoying and confounding together persons of severall kindes and natures differing as much as Spirit and Flesh Heaven and Earth each from other So is there a silent and implicite justification to all the unrighteous and cruell proceedings of Iews and Gentiles against all the Prophets of God the Lord Iesus Himselfe and all His Messengers and Witnesses whom their Accusers have ever so coupled and mixed with notorious evill doers and scandalous livers Elijah was a troubler of the State Ieremy weakned the hand of the people yea Moses made the people neglect their worke the Iewes built the Rebellious and bad City the three Worthies regarded not the command of the King Christ Iesus deceived the people was a conjurer and a traytor against Caesar in being King of the â—ewes indeed He was so spiritually over the true Jew the Christian therefore He was numbred with notorious evill doers and nailed to the Gallowes between two Malefactours Hence Paul and all true Messengers of Iesus Christ are esteemed seducing and seditious teachers and turners of the World upside downe Yea and to my knowledge I speake with honourable respect to the Answerer so far as he hath laboured for many Truths of Christ the Answerer himselfe hath drunke of this cup to be esteemed a seducing Teacher CHAP. LVII Peace YEa but he produceth Scriptures against such toleration and for persecuting men for the cause of conscience Christ saith he 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. Truth I may answer with some admiration and astonishment how it pleased the Father of lights and most jealous God to darken and vaile the eye of so pretious a man as not to seek out and propose some Scriptures in the proofe of so weighty an assertion as at least might have some colour for an influence of the Civill Magistrate in such cases for First he saith not that Christ had ought against the City Pergamus where Sathan had his throne Rev. 2. but against the Church at Pergamus in which was set up the Throne of Christ. Secondly Christs Charge is not against the Civill Magistrate of Pergamus but the Messenger or Ministry of the Church in Pergamus Thirdly I confesse so far as Balaams or Iesabels doctrine maintained a liberty of corporall fornication it concerned the City of
Pergamus and Thiatira and the Angel or Officers of those Cities to suppresse not only such practices but such Doctrines also as the Roman Emperour justly punished Ovid the Poet for teaching the wanton Art of Love leading to and ushering on laciviousnesse and uncleannesse 4. Yet so far as Balaams teachers or Iesabel did seduce the members of the Church in Pergamus or Thiatira to the worship of the Idolaters in Pergamus or Thiatira which will appeare to be the case I say so far I may well and properly answer as himselfe answered before those Scriptures brought from Luc. 9. 2 Tim. 2. to prove patience and permission to men opposite viz. These Scriptures saith he are directions to Ministers of the Gospel and in the end of that passage he addes Much lesse doe they speake at all to Civill Magistrates Fifthly Either these Churches and the Angels thereof had power to suppresse these doctrines of Balaam and to suppresse Iesabel from teaching or they had not That they had not cannot be affirmed for Christs Authority is in the hands of his Ministers and Churches Matth. 16. 18. 1 Cor. 5. If they had power as must be granted then I conclude sufficient power to suppresse such persons who ever they were that maintained Balaams doctrine in the Church at Pergamus although the very Magistrates themselves of the City of Pergamus if Christians and to have suppressed Iesabel from teaching and seducing in the Church had she been Lady Queen or Empresse if there were no more but teaching without hostility And if so all power and authority of Magistrates and Governours of Pergamus and Thiatira and all submitting or appealing to them in such cases must needs fall as none of Christs appointment Lastly From this perverse wresting of what is writ to the Church and the Officers thereof as if it were written to the Civill State and Officers thereof all may see how since the Apostacie of Antichrist the Christian World so called hath swallowed up Christianity how the Church and civill State that is the Church and the World are now become one flocke of Iesus Christ Christs sheepe and the Pastors or Shepherds of them all one with the severall unconverted wilde or tame Beasts and Cattell of the World and the civill and earthly governours of them The Christian Church or Kingdome of the Saints that stone cut out of the mountaine without hands Daniel 2. now made all one with the mountaine or Civill State the Roman Empire from whence it is cut or taken Christs lilies garden and love all one with the thornes the daughers and wildernesse of the World out of which the Spouse or Church of Christ is called and amongst whom in civill things for a while here below she must necessarily be mingled and have converse unlesse she will goe out of the World before Christ Iesus her Lord and Husband send for her home into the Heavens 1 Cor. 5. 10. CHAP. LVIII Peace HAving thus by the help of Christ examined those Scriptures or writings of truth brought by the Author against Persecution and cleared them from such vailes mists wherewith Mr. Cotton hath endeavored to obscure darken their light I pray you now by the the same gracious assistance proceed to his answer to the second head of Reasons from the profession of famous Princes against persecution for conscience K. Iames Steven of Poland K. of Bohemia unto whom the Answerer returneth a treble answer First saith he 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 misinformed as hath been said unlesse his Error 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 be from blaspheming the truth and from seducing any unto pernicious error Truth This first answer consists of a repetition and enumeration of such grounds or conclusions as Mr. Cotton in the entrance of this Discourse laid downe and I beleeve that through the helpe of God in such replies as I have made unto them I have made it evident what weak foundations they have in the Scriptures of truth as also that when such conclusions excepting the first as grasse and the flower of the grasse shall sade that holy Word of the Lord which the Author against such persecution produced and I have cleared shall stand for ever even when these Heavens and Earth are burnt Peace His second answer is this What Princes professe and practice is not a rule of conscience They many times tolerate that in point of State-policie 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 murders but against his will CHAP. LIX VNnto those excellent and famous speeches of those Princes worthy to be written in golden letters or rows of Diamonds upon all the gates of all the Cities and Palaces in the World the Answerer without any particular reply returnes two things Truth First that Princes profession and practice is no rule of conscience unto this as all men will subscribe so may they also observe how the Answerer deales with Princes One while they are the nursing Fathers of the Church not only to feed but also to correct and therefore consequently bound to iudge what is true feeding and correcting and consequently all men are bound to submit to their feeding and correcting Another while when Princes crosse Mr. Cottons judgement and practice then it matters not what the profession and practice of Princes is for saith he their profession and practice is no Rule to Conscience I aske then unto what Magistrates or Princes will themselves or any so perswaded submit as unto keepers of both Tables as unto the Antitypes of the Kings of Israel and Iudah and nursing Fathers and Mothers of the Church First will it not evidently follow that by these Tenents they ought not to submit to any Magistrates in the world in these cases but to Magistrates just of their owne conscience and Secondly that all other Consciences in the world except their owne must be persecuted by such their Magistrates And lastly is not this to make Magistrates but steps and stirrops to ascend and mount up into their rich and honourable Seats and Sadâ—les I meane great and setled maintenances which neither the Lord Iesus nor any of his first Messengers the true patternes did ever know CHAP. LX. Truth IN the second place hee saith that Princes out
appâ—ove a cutting off by the sword of the Spirit in the Church and the purging out of the leaven in the Church in the Cities of Corinth and Galatia And if Tertullian should so meane as himselfe doth yet First that grant of his that Heresie must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit implies an absolute sufficiencie in the sword of the Spirit to cut it down according to that mighty operation of Spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. 4. powerfully sufficient either to convert the Heretick to God and subdue his very thoughts into subjection to Christ or else spiritually to slay and execute him Secondly it is cleare to be the meaning of the Apostle and of the Spirit of God not there to speake to the Church in Corinth or Galatia or any other Church concerning any other dough or house or body or â—lock but the dough the body the house the â—lock of Christ his Church Out of which such spaâ—ks such leaven such rotten slesh and scabbed sheep are to be avoided Nor could the eye of this worthy Answerer ever be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of iron and steale to helpe the Sword of the Spirit if the Sun of Righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him that a Nationall Church which elsewhere he professeth against a state Church whether explicite as in Ola England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Nationall typicall State-Church of the Iewes necessarily called for such weapons but the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the World consisting of Iewes or Gentiles is powerfully able by the sword of the Spirit to defend it selfe and â—ffend Men or Devils although the Statâ— or Kingdome wherein such a Church or Churches of Christ are gathered have neither carnall speare nor sword c. as once it was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan CHAP. LXXII Peace BReutius whom you next quote saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly grant you that man hath no power to make Lawes to binde conscience but this hinders not but men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde conscience Truth I answer In granting with Breutius that man hath not power to make Lawes to binde conscience hee overthrowes such his tenent and practice as restraine men from their Worship according to their Conscience and beleefe and constraine them to such worships though it bee out of a pretence that they are convinced which their owne soules tell them they have no satisfaction nor faith in Secondly whereas he affirmeth that men may make Lawes to see the Lawes of God observed I answer as God needeth not the helpe of a materiall sword of steele to assist the sword of the Spirit in the affaires of conscience so those men those Magistrates yea that Commonwealth which makes such Magistrates must needs have power and authority from Christ Iesus to sit Iudge and to determine in all the great controversies concerning doctrine discipline government c. And then I aske whether upon this ground it must not evidently follow that Either there is no lawfull Commonwealth nor civill State of men in the world which is not qualified with this spirituall discerning and then also that the very Commonweale hath more light concerning the Church of Christ then the Church it selfe Or that the Commonweale and Magistrates thereof must judge and punish as they are perswaded in their owne beleefe and conscience be their conscience Paganish Turkish or Antichristian what is this but to confound Heaven and Earth together and not onely to take away the being of Christianity out of the World but to take away all civility and the world out of the world and to lay all upon heapes of confusion CHAP. LXXIII Peace THe like answer saith he may bee returned to Luther whom you next alledge 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 unto the soules and consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the truth for this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted not compelled But this saith hee hindreth not that Christians sinning against light of faith and conscience may justly be censured by the Church with excommunication and by the civill sword also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules Truth I answer in this joynt confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of their subjects not over their soules who sees not what a cleare testimony from his own mouth and pen is given to wit that either the Spirituall and Church estate the preaching of the Word and the gathering of the Church the Baptisme of it the Ministry Government and Administrations thereof belong to the civill body of the Commonweale that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemes monstrous to imagine Or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his office meddle with those spirituall affaires Againe necessarily must it follow that these two are contradictory to themselves to wit The Magistrate power extends no further then the bodies and goods of the subject and yet The Magistrates must punish Christians for sinning against the light of faith and conscience and for corrupting the soules of men The Father of Lights make this worthy Answerer and all that feare him to see their wandring in this case not only from his feare but also from the light of Reason it selfe their owne convictions and confessions Secondly in his joint confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the truth he condemneth as before I have observed First his former Implication vizâ— that they may bee compelled when they are convinced of the truth of it Secondly their owne practice who suffer no man of any different conscience and worship to live in their jurisdiction except that he depart from his owne exercise of Religion and Worship differing from the worship allowed of in the civill State yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Which howsoever it is coloured over with this varnish viz. that men are compelled no further then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that teaching and being taught in a Church estate is a Church worship as true and proper a Church worship as the Supper of the Lord Act. 2. 46. Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to
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
Church of Christ abideth and secondly the Commonweale may be in perfect peace and quiet notwithstanding the Church the Commonweale of Christ be in distractionsâ— and spirituall oppositions both against their Religions and sometimes amongst themselves as the Church of Christ in Corinth troubled with divisions contentions c. Secondly I observe it is true the Church helpeth forward the prosperity of the Commonweale by spirituall meanes Ier. 29. 7. The prayers of Gods people procure the peace of the City where they abide yet that Christs Ordinances and administrations of Worship are appointed and given by Christ to any Civill State Towne or City as is implied by the instance of Geneva that I confidently deny The Ordinances and Discipline of Christ Iesus though wrongfully and prophanely applied to naturall and unregenerate men may cast a blush of civillity and morality upon them as in Geneva and other places for the shining brightnesse of the very shadow of Christs Ordinances casts a shame upon barbarisme and incivillity yet withall I affirme that the misapplication of Ordinances to unregenerate and unrepentant persons hardens up their soules in a dreadfull sleep and dreame of their owne blessed estate and sends millions of soules to hell in a secure expectation of a false salvation CHAP. LXXXIV The second head concerning Superiority of each Power Peace BEcause contention may arise in future times which of these Powers under Christ is the greatest as it hath been under Antichrist we conceive first That the power of the Civill Magistrates is superiour to the Church policie in place honours dignity earthly power in the World and the Church superiour to him being a member of the Church Ecclesiastically that is in a Church way ruling and ordering him by Spirituall Ordinances according to God for his soules health as any other member so that all the power the Magistrate hath over the Church is temporall not spirituall and all the power the Church hath over the Magistrate is spirituall not temporall And as the Church hath no temporall power over the Magistrate in ordine ad bonum spirituale So the Magistrate hath no Spirituall power over the Church in ordine ad bonum temporale Secondly the delinquencie of either party calleth for the exercise of the power of terrour from the other part for no Rulers ordained of God are a terrour to good works but to evill Rom. 13. 3. So that if the Church offend the offence of the Church câ—lleth upon the Civill Magistrate either to seeke the healing thereof as a nursing father by his owne grave advice and the advice of other Churches or else if he cannot so prevaile to put forth and exercise the superiority of his power in redressing what is amisse according to the quality of the offence by the course of civill Justice On the other side if the Magistrate being a member of the Church shall offend the offence calleth upon the Church either to seek the healing thereof in a brotherly way by conviction of his sinne or else if they cannot prevaile then to exercise the superiority of their power in removing of the offence and recovering of the offendour by Church censures If the end of Spirituall or Church power is bonum spirituale a spirituall good and the end of Civill or State power is bonum temporale a temporall good And secondly if the Magistrate have no spirituall power to attaine to his temporall end no more then a Church hath any temporall power to attaine to her Spirituall end as is confest I demand if this be not a contradiction against their owne disputes tenents and practices touching that question of persecution for cause of conscience For if the Magistrate be supreme Iudge and so consequently give supreme judgement sentence and determination in matters of the first Table and of the Church and be custos utriusque Tabule keepers of both Tables as they speake and yet have no Spirituall power as is affirmed how can he determine what the true Church and Ordinances are and then set them up with the power of the Sword How can he give judgement of a false Church a false Ministery a false Doctrine false Ordinances and with a Civil Sword pull them down if he have no Spiritual power authority or commission from Christ Iesus for these ends and purposes Further I argue thus If the civill officers of State must determine judge and punish in Spiritual causes his power authority and commission must be either Spirituall or Civill or else he hath none at all and so acts without a commission and warrant from the Lord Iesus and so consequently stands guilty at the Bar of Christ Iesus to answer for such his practice as a transcendent Delinquent Now for civill power these worthy Authors confesse that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of the Subject and therefore hath no civill power over the Soule and therefore say I not in Soule-causes Secondly It is here confest in this passage that to attaine his Civill end or Bonum temporale he hath no Spirituall power and therefore of necessitie out of their own mouths must they be judged for provoking the Magistrate without either Civill or Spirituall power to judge punish and persecute in Spirituall causes and to feare and tremble lest they come neere those frogs which proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and Beast and false Prophet who by the same Arguments which the Authours here use stirre up the Kings of the Earth to make warre against the Lambe Christ Iesus and his Followers Revel 17. CHAP. LXXXV IN the next place I observe upon the point of Delinquencie such a confusion as Heaven and Earth may stand amazed at If the Church offend say they after advice refused in conclusion the Magistrate must redresse that is punish the Church that is in Church offences and cases by a course of Civill justice On the other side if the Civill Magistrate offend after Admonition used and not prevailing in conclusion the Church proceeds to censure that is to Excommunication as is afterward more largely proved by them Now I demand if the Church be a Delinquent who shall judge It is answered the Magistrate Againe if the Magistrate be a Delinquent I aske who shall judge It is answered the Church Whence I observe which is monstrous in all cases in the World that one person to wit the Church or Magistrate shall be at one time the Delinquent at the Bar and the Iudge upon the Bench. This is cleere thus The Church must judge when the Magistrate offends and yet the Magistrate must judge when the Church offends and so consequently in this case must judge whether she contemne Civill Authority in the Second Table for thus dealing with him Or whether she have broken the rules of the first Table of which say they God hath made him Keeper and Conserver And therefore though the
Fifthly Prayer and patience in suffering any evill from them that be without who disturbe their peace So that Magistrates as Magistrates have no power of setting up the Forme of Church Government electing Church officers punishing with Church censures but to see that the Church doth her duty herein And on the other side the Churches as Churches have no power though as members of the Common-weale they may have power of erecting or altering formes of Civill Government electing of Civill officers inflicting Civill punishments no not on persons excommunicate as by deposing Magistrates from their Civill Authoritie or withdrawing the hearts of the people against them to their Lawes no more then to discharge wives or children or servants from due obedience to their husbands parents or masters or by taking up armes against their Magistrates though he persecute them for Conscience for though members of Churches who are publique officers also of the Civill State may suppresse by force the violence of Usurpers as Iehoiada did Athaliah yet this they doe not as members of the Church but as officers of the Civill State Truth Here are divers considerable passages which I shall briefly examine so far as concernes oâ—r controversie First whereas they say that the Civill Power may erect and establish what forme of civill Government may seeme in wisedome most meet I acknowledge the proposition to be most true both in it self and also considered with the end of it that a civill Government is an Ordinance of God to conserve the civill peace of people so farre as concernes their Bodies and Goods as formerly hath beene said But from this Grant I infer as before hath been touched that the Soveraigne originall and foundation of civill power lies in the people whom they must needs meane by the civill power distinct from the Government set up And if so that a People may erect and establish what forme of Government seemes to them most meete for their civill condition It is evident that such Governments as are by them erected and established have no more power nor for no longer time then the civill power or people consenting and agreeing shall betrust them with This is cleere not only in Reason but in the experience of all common-weales where the people are not deprived of their naturall freedome by the power of Tyrants And if so that the Magistrates receive their power of governing the Church from the People undeniably it followes that a people as a people naturally considered of what Nature or Nation soever in Europe Asia Africa or America have fundamentally and originally as men a power to governe the Church to see her doe her duty to correct her to redresse reforme establish c. And if this be not to pull God and Christ and Spirit out of Heaven and subject them unto naturall sinfull inconstant men and so consequently to Sathan himselfe by whom all peoples naturally are guided let Heaven and Earth judge Peace It cannot by their owne Grant be denied but that the wildest Indians in America ought and in their kind and severall degrees doe to agree upon some formes of Government some more civill compact in Townes c. some lesse As also that their civill and earthly Governments be as lawfull and true as any Governments in the World and therefore consequently their Governors are Keepers of the Church or both Tables if any Church of Christ should arise or be amongst them and therefore lastly if Christ have betrusted and charged the civill Power with his Church they must judge according to their Indian or American consciences for other consciences it cannot be supposed they should have CHAP. XCIII Truth AGaine whereas they say that outward Civill peace cannot stand where Religion is corrupted and quote for it 2 Chron. 15. 3. 5. 6 Iudges 8. I answer with aamâ—ration how such excellent spirits as these Authors are furnished with not only in heavenly but earthly affaires should so forget and be so fast asleep in things so palpably evident as to say that outward civill peace cannot stand where Religion is corrupt When so many stately Kingdomes and Governments in the world have long and long enjoyed civill peace and quiet notwithstanding their Religion is so corrupt as that there is not the very Name of Iesus Christ amongst them And this every Historian Merchant Traveller in Europeâ— Asia Africa America can testifie for so spake the Lord Iesus himselfe Ioh. 16. The world shall sing and rejoyce Secondly for that Scripture 2 Chron. 15. 3 c relating the miseries of Israel and Iudah and Gods plaâ—es upon the people for corruption of their Religion it must still have refereâ—ce 〈◊〉 peculiar state unto which God called the seed of one man Abraham in a figure dealing so with them as he dealt not with any Nation in the World Psal. 1. â—6 Rom. 9. The Antitype to this State I have proved to be the Christian Church which consequently hath been and is â—fflictâ—d 〈◊〉 spirituall plagues desolations and captivitiâ—s for corâ—upting of that Religion which hath been revealed unto them This appeares by the 7 Churches and the people of God now so many â—uâ—dreâ— yeares in wofull bondage and slaverte to the mysticall Babel untill the time of their joyfull deliverance Peace Yea but they say that such Lawes as are conversant about Religion may still be accountâ—d Civill Lawes as on the contrary an Oath doth still remaine Religious though conversant about Civill matters Truth Lawes respecting Religion are two-fold First such as concerne the acts of Worship and the Worship it self the Ministers of it their fitnes or unfitnes to be suppressed or established and for such Lawes we find no footing in the New Testament of Jesus Christ. Secondly Lawes respecting Religion may be such as meerly concerne the Civill State Bodies and Goods of such and such persons professing these and these Religions vizâ— that such and such persons notorious for Mutinies Treasonsâ— Rebellions Massacres be disarmed Againe that no persons Papists Iewes Turkes or Indians be disturbed at their worship a thing which the very Indians abhor to practice toward any Also that imanitie and freedome from Tax and Toll may be granted unto the people of such or such a Religion as the Magistrate pleaseth Ezra 7. These and such as are of this nature concerning only the bodies and goods of such and such Religious persons I confesse are meerely Ciâ—ill But now on the other hand that Lawes restraining persons from such and such a Worship because the Civill state judgeth it to be false That Laws constraining to such such a worship because the Civill State judgeth this to be the only â—rue way of worshipping God That such and such a Reformation of Worship be submitted unto by all Subjects in such a Iurisdiction That such and such Churches Ministers Ministries be pullâ— downe and such and such Churches Ministries and Ministrations set up That such
Wrath after he had persecuted David the figure of Christ Iesus who hath given his people the Scepter and Sword of his Word and Spirit and refused a temporall Crowne or Weapons in the dispensation of his Kingdome Where did the Lord Jesus or his Messengers charge the Civill Magistrate or direct Christians to petition him to publish declare or establish by his Arme of Flesh and Earthly weapons the Religion and worship of Christ Jesus I finde the Beast and false Prophet whose rise and doctrine is not from Heaven but from the Sea and Earth dreadfull and terrible by a Civill Sword and dignitie Rev 13. 2. I find the Beast hath gotten the power and might of the Kings of the Earth Revel 17. 13. But the Lambes weapons are Spiritually mighty 2 Cor. 10. c. his Sword is two-edged comming out of his mouth Revel 1. His preparations for War are white Horses and white Harnesse which are contest by all to be of a spirituall nature Revel 19. When that whore Iesabel stabbed Naboth with her Pen in stirring up the people to stone him as a Blasphemer of God and the King what a glorious maske or vaile of Holines put she on Proclaime a Fast set a day apart for humiliation and for confirmation let all be ratified with the Kings Authoritie Name and Seale 1 1 Kings 21. 8. Was not this recorded for all Gods Naboths standing for their Spirituall interests in heavenly things typed out by the typicall earth and ground of Canaans land that they through patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15â— 4. Againe I demand who shall here sit Judge whether the Magistrate command any other Substance or Ceremonie but what is Christs By their former Conclusions every Soule must judge what the Magistrate commandeth and is not bound even in indifferent things to the Magistrates Law further then his own Soule Conscience and judgement ascends to the Reason of it Here the Magistrate must make Lawes for that Substance and Ceremony which Christ appointed But yet he must not doe this with his eyes open but blindfold and hoodwinkt for if he judge that to be the Religion of Christ and such to be the order there in which their Consciences judge otherwise and assent not to they professe they must submit only to Christs lawes and therefore they are not bound to obey him Oâ— what is this but to make use of the Civill Powers and Governours of the World as a Guard about the Spirituall Bed of Soulewhoredomes in which the Kings of the Earth commit Spirituall fornication with the great Whore Rev. 17. 2 as a Guard while the Inhabitants of the Earth are drinking themselves drunke with the wine of her fornication But oh what terrifying what allurings are in Iereinies Curse and Blessing 1 Ier. 17. Cursed is the man that trusteth in man that maketh Flesh his Arme too too common in spirituall matters and whose heart departeth from Jehovah He shall be as an Heath in the Wildernes even in the spirituall and mysticall wildernes and shall not see when comfort comes but shall abide in drouth in the wildernesse in a barrenland c. CHAP. XCVI Peace O What mysteries are these to Flesh and Blood how hard for flesh to forsake the Arme thereof But passe on deare Trutly to their proofe propounded Ezra 7. 23. Wherein Artaxerxes confirmed by Law what ever was commanded by the God of Heaven Truth In this Scripture I mind first the people of God captivated under the dominion and government of the Kings of Babel and Persia. Secondly Artaxerxes his favour to these Captives 1. Of freedome to their Consciences 2. Or bountie towards them 3. Of exempting of some of them from common charges Thirdly Punishments on offenders Fourthly the ground that â—aries him on to all this Fifthly Ezra praising of God for putting this into the heart of the King Concerning the people of God the Iewes they were as Lambes and Sheep in the jawes of the Lyon the dearely beloved of his Soule under the devouring Tyrants of the World both the Babylonian and the Persian farre from their owne Nation and the Government of their own anointed Kings the figures of the true King of the Iewes the Lord Iesus Christ. In this respect it is cleere that the Iewes were no more subject to the Kings of Babylon and Persia in Spirituall things then the Vessels of the Sanctuary were subject to the King of Babels use Dan. 5. Concerning this King I consider first his person a Gentile Idolater an oppressing Tyrant one of those devouring Beasts Daâ— 7. 8. An hand of bloody Conquest set the Crown upon the lead of these Monarchs and although in Civill things they might challenge subjection yet why should they now sit down in the throne of Israel and governe the people and Church of God in Spirituall things Secondly consider his acts of Favour and they will not amount to a positive Command that any of the Iewes should goe up to build the Temple nor that any of them should practice his own worship which he kept and judged the best for his owne Soule and People 'T is true he freely permits them and exerciseth a bounteous assistance to them All which argues no more but that sometimes it pleaseth God to open the hearts of Tyrants greatly to favour and further his people Such favour found Nehemiah and Daniel and others of Gods people have and shall finde so often as it pleaseth Him to honour them that honour Him before the Sonnes of Men. Peace Who sees not how little this Scripture contributes to their Tenent but why say some should this King confirme all with such severe punishments and why for all thisâ— should Ezra give thankes to God if it were not imitable for after-times Truth The Law of God which he confirmed he knew not and therefore neither was nor could he be a Judge in the Case And for his Ground what was it but the common terrours and convictions of an affâ—ighted Conscience In such sits and pangs what have not Pharaohs Sauls Ahabs Herods Agrippa's spoken and what wonderfull decrees have Nabuchadnizzar Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes put forth concerning the God of Israel Dan. 3. 6. Ezra 1 7 c. and yet as farre from being charged with as they were from being affected to the Spirituall Crown of Governing the Worship of God and the Conscience of his people â—Tis true Ezra most piously and justly gave thankes to God for putting such a thing into the heart of the King But what makes this pattern for the Laws of Civil Governours now under the Gospell It suited well with that Nationall state of Gods Church that the Gentile King should release them permit them to returne to their own Land assist them with other favours and enable them to execute punishments upon offenders according to their Nationall State But did God put such a thing as this into
Conscience Peace What should be the reason of this their expression Truth Doubtles their Consciences tell them how few of those Churches which they yet acknowledge Churches are able and willing to hold forth Christ Iesus the Sun of Righteousnes healing with his wings the doubting and afflicted conscience Lastly their conscience tells them that a Servant of Christ Iesus may possibly be sent as an Heretick to be healed by a false Church which Church will never be willing to deale with him or never be able to convince him Peace Yea but they say by such a course the Magistrate shall convince such an ones conscience that hee seekes his good c. Truth If a man thus bound be sent to a Church to be healed in his conscience either he is an Heretick or he is not Admit he be yet he disputes in feare as the poor theefe the Mouse disputes with a terrible persecuting Cat who while she seemes to play and gently tosse yet the conclusion is a proud insulting and devouring crueltie If no Heretick but an innocent and faithfull witnes of any Truth of Jesus disputes he not as a Lambe in the Lyons paw being sure in the end to be torne in pieces Peace They adde The censure this way proceeds with more power and blessing Truth All power and blessing is from that blessed Son of God unto whom all power is given from the Father in Heaven and Earth He hath promised his presence with his Messengers preaching and baptizing to the worlds end ratifying in Heaven what they blinde or loose on Earth But let any man shew me such a commission instruction and promise given by the Son of God to Civill powers in these spirituall affaires of his Christian Kingdome and Worship Peace Lastly they conclude This course of first sending the Heretick to be healed by the Church takes away all excuse for none can say that he is persecuted for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Truth Iesabel placing poore Naboth before the Elders as a blasphemer of God and the King and sanctifying the plotted and intended murther with a day of humiliation may seeme to take away all excuse and to conclude the Blasphemer worthy to be stoned But Iehovah the God of Recompences â—er 51. when he makes Inquisition for blood will find both Iesabel and Ahab guilty and make the Dogs a feast with the flesh of Iesabel and leave not to Ahab a man to pisse against the wall for as Paul in his owne plea there was nothing committed worthy of death and against thee O King saith Daniel I have not sinned Dan. 6. in any Civill fact against the State CHAP. C. Peace THeir eighth question is this viz. What power Magistrates have about the gathering of Churches First the Magistrate hath power and it is his duty to incourage and countenance such persons as voluntarily joyn themselves in holy Covenant both by his presence if it may be and promise of protection they accepting the right hand of fellowship from other neighbour Churches Secondly he hath power â—o forbid all Idolatrous and corrupt Assemblies who offer to put themselves under their patronage and shall attempt to joyne themselves into a Church-estate and if they shall not hearken to force them therefrom by the power of the Sword Psal. 101. 8. For our tolerating many Religions in a State in severall Churches beside the provoking of God may in time not only corrupt leaven divide and so destroy the peace of the Churches but also dissolve the continuity of the State especially ours whose wals are made of the stones of the Churches it being also contrary to the end of our planting in this part of the World which was not only to enjoy the pure Ordinances but to enjoy them all in purity Thirdly He hath power to compell all men within his grant to heare the Word for hearing the Word of God is a duty which the light of Nature leadeth even Heathens to The Ninivites heard Ionah though a stranger and unknowne unto them to be an extraordinary Prophet Ionah 3. And Eglon the King of Moab hearing that Ehud had a message from God he rose out of his seat for more reverent attention Iudg. 3. 20. Yet he hath no power to compell all men to become members of Churches because he hath not power to make them fit members for the Church which is not wrought by the power of the Sword but by the power of the Word Nor may he force the Churches to accept of any for members but those whom the Churches themselves can freely approve of Truth To the first branch of this head I answer That the Magistrate should encourage and countenance the Church yea and protect the persons of the Church from violence disturbance c. It being truly noble and glorious by how much the Spouse and Queene of the Lord Iesus transcends the Ladies Queens and Empresses of the World in glory beauty chastity and innocency 'T is true all Magistrates in the world do this viz. Incourage and protect that Church or Assembly of worshippers which they judge to be true and approve of but not permitting other consciences then their owne It hath come to passe in all ages and yet doubtlesse will that the Lord Iesus and His Queene are driven and persecuted out of the World To the second That the Magistrate ought to suppresse all Churches which he judgeth false he quoteth Psal. 101. 8. Betimes I will cut off the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all evill doers from the City of Jehovah unto which he addeth foure Reasons Peace Deare Truth first a word to that Scripture so often quoted and so much boasted of Truth Concerning that holy Land of Canaan concerning the City of Iehovah Ierusalem out of which King David here resolves to cut off all the wicked and evill doers I shall speake more largely on the 11 Head or Question in the differences between that and all other Lands At present I answer There is no holy Land or City of the Lord no King of Sion c. but the Church of Iesus Christ and the King thereof according to 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a holy Nation and Ierusalem is the holy people of God in the true profession of Christianity Heb. 12. Gal. 4. Rev. 21. Out of which the Lord Iesus by his holy Ordinances in such a government and by such governours as he hath appointed he cuts off every wicked person and evill doer If Christ Iesus had intended any difference of plate Cities or Countries doubtlesse Ierusalem and Samaria had been thought of or the Cities of Asia wherein the Christian Religion was so gloriously planted But the Lord Iesus disclaimes Ierusalem and Samaria forth having any respect of holinesse more then other Cities Iohn 4. And the Spirit of God evidently testineth that the Churches were in the Cities and Countries not that the whole Cities or Countries were Gods holy Land
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.