and rule a thousand yeares Revel 20.4 Shall their freedome from persecution be a dissolution of the Church-Estate The like may be said of the New Jerusalem the Churches of the Jewes after the destruction of Gog and Magog when God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and take away Death violent Death sorrow crying and paine Rev. 21.4 shall they then cease to be Churches when persecution ceaseth Beside to persecute is not alwayes a marke of a false Church for then it would be a marke of a false Member of a Church or a marke of a Member of a false Church but the contrary appeareth in the example of Asa who persecuted the Prophet of God for his holy Message sake 2 Chron. 16.10 And it hath been shewed above that Stephen complaineth of the persecution of all the Prophets Acts 7.51 And if they were persecuted it was by the Church of the Old Testament and if therefore the Church of the Old Testament was false God had then no Church extant upon the face of the Earth It is therefore a begging of the Question to affirme that those Churches cannot be truly Christian who by themselves or by the Civill power of Kings doe punish such as dissent from them or are opposite against them And indeed a double begging of the Question it is For 1. It beggeth that for the Question which is not the Question for it is no Question but out of Question that it is not lawfull for a Christian Church to punish men for dissenting from them or being opposite to them But the Question is whether Christian Magistrates may not punish Apostate Hereticks and Seducers not for dissenting from the Church but for seducing from Christ and blaspheming against his Name And if you will whether the Church may not stirre up the Christian Magistrate after all milder helps used without a vaile to doe his Duty in such a case 2. It is another begging of the Question to take that for granted which is not yet proved that it is a marke of no true Christian Church to procure the civill punishment of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Seducers Discusser When the Answerer saith that to Excommunicate an Heretick is not to persecute I answer If the Answerer were throughly awaked from the Spouses spirituall slumber Cant. 5. and had recovered from the Drunkennesse of the great Whore who intoxicateth the Nations Rev. 17. It is impossible that he should so answer For who questioneth whether to excommunicate an Heretick be to persecute Excommunication being of a spirituall nature a sentence denounced by the word of Christ Jesus the spirituall King of the Chureh and a spirituall killing by the two edged Sword of the Spirit in delivering up the person Excommunicate unto Satan Therefore who seeth not this Answer cometh not neere the Question Defender I must still professe my selfe to be one of them that see it not For first the Author of the Letter did no where expresse himselfe to put any difference neither between Church and Court in point of censure for cause of Conscience nor between causes of Religion whether true or false If it be unlawfull to banish any from the Common-wealth for cause of Conscience it is unlawfull to banish any from the Church for cause of Conscience The Church ought to be more tender of the Liberty of Conscience then the Court as being more acquainted with the tendernesse of Conscience Secondly if the censure of a man for cause of Conscience by the civill Sword be persecution it is a farre greater persecution to censure a man for cause of Conscience by the Spirituall Sword by how much the more sharp and keen the spirituall Sword is above the civill Sure I am Christ Jesus reckoneth Excommunication for persecution Luke 21.12 They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into Prisons To deliver up into Synagogues is as much persecution as to deliver into Prisons And will the Discusser then say that if Christ had been awakened from his spirituall slumber and from the Drunkennesse of the great Whore it had been impossible he should have accounted Excommunication a persecution Me thinks if a soule were awakened unto spirituall sobriety he should judge it a sorer and a deeper affliction to be bound with spirituall chaines both in Earth and Heaven then to be bound in materiall chaines on Earth onely Discusser But Hilary his complaynt speaketh not to Excommunications but to civill censures Defender Therefore my Answer was to him partly by proportion partly by concession Hilary said the Christian Church did not persecute but is persecuted Whereto I Answered 1. That Excommunication of an Heretick is no persecution and therefore by proportion neither is the civill punishment of an Heretick persecution And the Reason in my words following reacheth both for to persecute is to punish an Innocent But an Heretick is not an Innocent but a culpable and damnable person 2. I answered by concession of Hilaryes words in Hilaries meaning it is true what Hilary saith neither did the Apostles nor may wee propogate Christian Religion by the Sword c. Discusser But a Christian Church doth no more persecute then a Lilly doth scratch thornes or a Lamb pursue and teare the Wolves or a Turtle Dove doth hunt the Hawkes or Eagles or a chast modest virgin fight and scratch like Whores and Harlots Defender If by persecution the Discusser meaneth as it seemeth he doth the infliction of the civill punishments his speech is true and the proportion holdeth civill punishments are as improper for Christian Churches to inflict as for Lillies to scratch Thornes or Lambes to teare Wolves c. But if the Lambes he speaketh of in his comparison were as reasonable as the Lambes of Christ be though they would not themselves pursue and teare the Wolves yet they would runne to their Shepheards and civill Magistrates are the shepheards of all their people to send out their dogs after the Wolves to pursue and teare them I see no reason why the chast and modest eye of a Christian Church should any more spare and pity a spirituall Adulterer that seeketh to withdraw her from her spouse to a false Christ then the eye of an Holy Israelite was to spare and pitie the like Tempters in dayes of old Deut. 13.8 CHAP. 66. A Reply to his Chap. 69. Discusser THe Answer by concession to Hilaryes words may surther be discussed It is true saith the Answerer as Hylary speaketh that neither the Apostles nor we may propagate Christian Religion by the Sword But if Pagans cannot be wonne by the word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not but if they or any other should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought to be severely punished and no lesse doe they deserve who seduce from the Truth to damnable Heresie and Idolatrie In which Answer I observe First his Agreement with Hilary that Christian
Religion may not be propagated by the civill Sword Vnto which I Reply what meaneth then this passage in his first Answer to the former speeches of the Kings viz. We acknowledge that none is to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in Judgement of the Truth of it Defender If it be observed my Agreement with Hilary then let it be observed that the Discusser in whetting the words of the Authors of the Letter against us layeth a false charge upon us as if we maintained such persecution for cause of Conscience as is condemned by the Ancient Writers Of whom Hilary is named for one and for the first and yet in the Discussion it is found that we agree with him In that Answer to the speeches of the Kings when I acknowledged that none was to be constrained to beleive or professe the true Religion till he be convinced of the Truth of it I did not meane that after he was convinced he might then be constrained with civill censfures for neither beleiving nor professing to beleive is to be constrained with civill censures But yet thus farre he may be constrained by withholding such countenance and favour from him such encouragement and employment from him as a wise and discerning Prince would otherwise grant to such as beleive the Truth and professe it so far as they are convinced of it in Judgement and Conscience For such as will not walke according to their Light are neither trusty servants to God nor man Discusser That Answer to the speech of the Kings implyeth two things 1. That the civill Magistrate who is to constraine must judge of all the Consciences of their Subjects whether they be convinced or no. 2. That when the civill Magistrate discerneth that his Subjects Consciences are convinced then he may constraine them vi armis hostilely And accordingly who knoweth not what constraint lyeth upon all Consciences in Old and New-England to come to Church and to pay Church-Duties which is upon the point though with a Sword of a finer gilt and trim in New-England nothing else but that which he confesseth Hilary saith should not be done to wit a Propagation of Religion by the Sword Defender Neither of both these things are implyed in that Answer Not the first that the civill Magistrate must then Judge of all of the Consciences of their Subjects whether they be convinced or no For it implyeth no more then that he is not to constraine them till he see they be convinced If he never see them convinced he is to see they be never constrained But how far the Magistrate may discerne and judge in matters of Religion hath been spoken above Nor the second For the constraint I spake of was not by positive meanes vi Armis but negative withholding such trust and employment from such as he seeth are not faithfull and trusty to their God of whose Truth they are convinced and yet withhold it in unrighteousnesse I know no constraint at all that lieth upon the consciences of any in New-England to come to Church neither doe I know that any scruple lyeth upon any Conscience in New-England that withholdeth any from hearing the word amongst us But least of all doe I know that any are constrayned to pay Church-duties in New-EnglaÌ„d Sure I am none in our own Town neither Church-members nor other are constrained to pay any Church-duties at all What they pay they give voluntarily each one with his owne hand without any constraint at all but their owne will as the Lord directs them Discusser Againe although he confesseth that Propagation of Religion ought not to be by the Sword yet he maintaineth the use of the Sword when persons in the Judgment of the Civill State for that is implyed shall blaspheme the true God and the true Religion and also seduce others to damnable Heresie and Idolatry Defender True but this is not the Propagation of Religion but the preservation of it or if it doe conduce to Propagation it is onely removendo probibens CHAP. 67. A Reply to his Chap. 70. Discussing the Testimony of Tertullian Discusser TO Tertullian the Answerer giveth the like Answer Tertullians Intent saith he is onely to restraine Scapula the Romane Governour of Africa from persecuting the Christians for not offering Sacrifice to their Heathen Gods and for that end fetcheth an Argument from the Law of Naturall Equity not to compell any to any Religion but to permit them to beleive or not to beleive at all Which we acknowledge we judge the English may permit the Indians to continue in their unbeliefe Neverthelesse it will not therefore be lawfull to tolerate the publick worship of Devils or Idols in a Christian State or the seduction of any from the Truth In this passage he agreeth with Tertullian but it is well known that in New-England they not onely permit the Indians to continue in their unbeleife which they cannot help but they also permit or tolerate them in their Paganish worship which cannot be denyed to be a worshipping of Devils And therefore consequently according to the same practise did they walke by Rule and impartially not onâ—â— the Indians but their Countrymen French Dutch Spanish Per … Turkes Jewes should also be permitted in their Worships if correspondent in civill obedience Defender It is not true that the New-English doe tolerate the Indians who have submitted to the English protection and Government in their worship of Devils openly What the Indians doe that are not under the English Government the English have no warrant from God or Law of Nations to restraine them nor is it in the power of the English to restraine the private Worship which some of the Indians under the English Government may possibly adhere unto the this day What courses have been used to bring them on to Civility and to the knowledge of our Religion by faire meanes are not pertinent to the present controversie to relate It hath been an Article of the Covenant between such Indians as have submitted to our Government that they shall submit to the ten Commandements which they thought reasonable Some of their Sachims young children are brought up with us and trained up to knowledge Such of them as come to our Houses are fed with curtesie and care taken often to instruct them as farre yea further then they are greatly willing to heare Some of them of late frequent our markets to get mony by selling Fish Baskets whortleberries Cramberries which taketh them off from some idlenesse Some English are studious of the Indian Language to deale with them in their owne Tongue Of late some of our Ministers have preached to a Congregation of them whil'st others at first interpreted what was preached but since one of our Ministers preacheth to them in their owne Language The other day whil'st I was at the Colledge with other Elders an Indian from Plimmouth side an hopefull youth was received into some employment in
yeild obedience to such Doctrines and worships as are by men Invented and Appointed As the three famous Jewes were cast into the fiery Furnace in a non-conformity to the whole conforming world before the Golden Image Dan. 3.21 c. Defender Thus a man may find a knot in a Bulrush yea thus a man that were disposed might find fault with the Comforts of God for not being full and Compleate with the Affirmative Comforts because they doe not expresse the Negative and with the Negative because they doe not expresse the Affirmative He that maketh it persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for professing such Doctrine which he beleiveth in Conscience to be the truth he maketh it a Pari Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for Renouncing such Doctrines which he beleiveth in Conscience to be Erroneous And he that maketh it Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for practising such a worke which he beleives in conscience to be a Religious duty He maketh it no lesse Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for not practising such a worke which he beleiveth in Conscience to be a sin CHAP. 4. A Reply to his fourth Chapter touching the distinction of Doctrines Some fundamentall others circumstantiall and lesse Principall IN points of Doctrine I said in my Answer to the Prisoners Letter some are Fundamentall without right beleife whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall and lesse Principall wherein one man may differ from another in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part Discusser To this distinction He saith Truth dare not subscribe for then thousands ten thousands should everlastingly be condemned yea the whole Generation of the Righteous who since the falling away have and doe erre fundamently concerning the true matter Constitution Gathering Governing of the Church And yet farre be it from any pious Breast to Imagine that they are not saved c. Defender Fundamentall Doctrines are of two sorts Some hold forth the foundation of Christian Religion as the Doctrines of salvation by Christ and of faith in his Name Repentance from dead workes Resurrection from the dead and the like Others concerne the Foundation of the Church as the matter and forme of it and the proper Adjuncts accompaning the same The Apostle speaketh of both these sorts of Foundations together Heb. 6.1.2 I speake of the former sort of these onely namely the Foundation or fundamentall points of Christian Religion which who so subverteth and Renounceth he renounceth also his owne salvation The other sort I looke at as lesse principall in comparison of these though some of them have a fundamentall vse in Church order It was pertinent to the Question propounded in the Prisoners Letter to expresse how farre I allowed Toleration even in such fundamentall Errors as subverted the Foundation of Christian Religion And in other Errors lesse dangerous such as neither subverted Religion nor Salvation It would easily be conceived that Toleration might more easily be allowed How farre New English Churches partake with the Old English Parish Churches in any of the Ordinances of God and upon what ground hath been declared in the Reply to the Answer of the other Letter Where also it hath been cleared how farre off the Churches here have been from persecuting or oppressing any of their Brethren for presenting light to them about this point which may prevent and still the lamentation of peace in the beginning of this fith Chapter CHAP. 5. A Reply to his fifth Chapter Concerning a distinction of Points of Practise IN Answer to the Prisoners Letter I said in points of Practise some concerne the weightier Duties of the Law as what God we worship and with what kinde of Worship whether it be such as if it be right Fellowship with God is held If false Fellowship with God is lost Discusser It is worth the Inquiry what kinde of worship he intendeth whether in generall acceptation the Rightnesse or Corruptnesse of the Church or the Ministery of the Church or the Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. And because it pleaseth the Spirit of God to make the Ministery one of the foundations of Christian Religion Heb. 6.1.2 and also to make the Ministery of the Word and Prayer in the Church to be two speciall workes even of the Apostles themselves Acts 6.2 I shall desire it may well be considered in the feare of God 1. Concerning the Ministery of the Word If their new Ministery and ordination be true then the former was false And if false then will it not follow according to this distinction that fellowship with God was lost 2. Concerning Prayer the New English Ministers have disclaimed and written against that Worship of God by Common or set formes of Prayer which yet themselves practised in England And though they were faithfully admonished for vseing the Common Prayer yet at that time they satisfied their hearts with the practise of the Author of the Councell of Trent c. But now I aske whether or no fellowship with God in such Prayers was lost c. 3. Gods People may live and die in such kinde of worship notwithstanding light presented to them able to convince yet not reaching to a conviction and to forsakeing of such wayes which is Contrary to his Conclusion That Fundamentalls are so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience after once or twice Admonition And therefore such a person not being convinced he is condemned of himselfe and may be persecuted for sinning against his Conscience 4. I Observe here that Mr. Cotton herein measureth to others that which himselfe when he lived in such practises would not have had measured to himselfe As 1. That it might have been affirmed of him that in such practises he did sin against his Conscience having sufficient light shinning about him 2. That he should or might have been cut off by death or Banishment as an Hereticke sinning against his Conscience c. Defender 1. It needs no inquiry what worship I meanes whether Church and Minister or Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. For I meane none of these as they are dispenced in the Churches of England Though there have been corruptions in the order and dispensations of these things amongst them especially in the times when we lived there yet neither their Churches nor Ministry nor Ministrations were such or so false that fellowship with God could not be held of them not onely inwardly and secretly but also outwardly and visibly not onely in inward conversion and conviction but also in outward and visible Reformation according to light received Take my words as I wrote them and as he relateth them and my meaning is plaine enough I speake of such worship which if false fellowship with God is lost which cannot truly be avouched of any part of the Worship of God in England It is not truly said
that the Spirit of God maketh the Ministry one of the Foundations of Christian Religion Heb. 6.1.2 for it is onely a foundation of Church Order not of faith or Religion the Apostle puts an expresse difference between faith and Church Order Colos 2.5 Nor is it a true and safe speech to call the Fellowship or blessing of God vouchsafed to corrupt Churches or Ministers or Ministrations to call it I say unpromised or to be beyond a word or promise of God For it is a large and yet an expresse promise of the Covenant of Grace that God will be mercifull to our iniquities Ier. 31.34 That he will be mercifull to every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. with many more such like And therefore there wants not Promises of Grace and blessing to the People of God notwithstanding some defects and impurities found in their Administrations Neither will it follow that if our Ministery and Ordination here be true that then the former which we had in England was false especially so false as that according to visible Rule Fellowship with God was lost For the Rite of Ordination we doe not looke at it as any Essentiall Part of our vocation to the Ministry no more then Coronation is an Essentiall Part of the Office of the King And though we doe not justly sundry things found in our Ministry yet Jehoshuah the High Preist did not loose his Fellowship with God though he was cloathed with filthy Garments Zach. 3.3 4. 2. Concerning Prayer though the New English Ministers have witnessed against the Common set-Forme thereof which yet our selves in our ignorance have somtimes used and have therefore seen just cause to judge our selves since yet we did not thereby loose fellowship with God by such sinnnes of Ignorance no more then the People of God did in the dayes of Hezekiah by sacrificeing to God in the High places when yet they did it to the Lord their God onely 2 Chron. 33.17 I know no such faithfull Admonishers as presented to us in England Arguments against the Common Prayer which then seemed weake but now are acknowledged to be sound though such a thing possibly may be true howsoever forgotten But this I am perswaded to be utterly false that any of us satisfied our hearts with the Practise of the Author of the Councell of Trent who used to read some of the choysest select Prayers out of the Mass-Booke The Spirit of a childe of God though upon occasion he may receive such a Practise yet he can never satisfie himselfe with the Practise of any godly man for the warrant of his Imitation without some further light or at least apprehension of light from the word 3. It is readily graunted that which is observed in the third place That Gods people may live and die in such kindes of Worship though light from the Word whether publickly or privately hath been presented to them able to convince Neverthelesse that will not weaken the Conclusion formerly mentioned and afterwards further discussed That Fundamentalls are so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience of the Truth of them after two or three Admonitions and that therefore such a Person as still continueth obstinate is condemned of himselfe and if he then be punished He is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his owne Conscience For both these may well stand together and are farre of from crossing or contrarying one another A set forme of Prayer though it be unlawfull yet it is not such a Fundamentall Error either in judgement or practise as cutteth off from fellowship with God That is onely a resolute Assertion of the Discusser but a vouched without all colour or pretence from the Scripture There is some resemblance and proportion betweene Praying and Prophesying Moses used an unwarranted way and Forme of Prophesying when God Commaunding him to speake to the Rock before the Congregation of Israel He spake not to the Rock but stroke it with his Rod for which he had no Commaundement and spake to the People and that in a Passion and and both without a Commaundament Numb 20.8.11 And yet this did not cutt off his Fellowship with God nor Gods gracious Presence with him in giving water to the People no not at that time God knoweth how to be present with his People in blessing their Administrations and forgiving their iniquities though he doe take vengeance of their Inventions Psal 99.8 4. Though I doe maintaine as the Apostle doth a Clearnesse of Fundamentall Points of Religion and Worship such Fundamentalls I say without which Fellowship with God cannot be had and though I graunt that in subserting such Fundamentall Points and persisting therein after once or twice Admonition a man sinneth against his owne Conscience and is therefore censurable by the Church yea and by the Civill Magistrate also if after Conviction he continue to seduce others unto his Damnable Heresie yet I doe not herein measure to others that which my self when I lived in such practises would not have measured to my selfe For I thank God God never left me to live in any such Practises as to fall into any Fundamentall Error much lesse to Persist therein after Conviction and Admonition and least of all to seduce others thereinto If God should leave me so farre as to fall so fearefully into this three-fold degree of Hereticall wickednesse what am I better then other men better my selfe cut off by death or Banishment then the Flock of Christ to be seduced and destroyed by my Hereticall wickednesse CHAP. 6. A Reply to his sixth Chapter Discussing Civill peace and the Disturbance of it IN this Chapter the Discusser undertaketh to declare what Civill peace is and to shew that the Toleration of different Religions is no Disturbance of Civill Peace First for Civill peace what is it saith he but Pax Civitatis whether English or Irish Spanish or Turkish City Reply Be it so and if the Civill State or Common-wealth containe many Citties or Townes and so become a whole Countrey or Common-wealth let Civill Peace be the peace of the Countrey or of the Common-wealth But what is then the peace of the Citty or Countrey Is it not Tranquillitas Ordinis the tranquility of order in every Society wherein the Publicke Weale of the Citty or Countrey is concerned And is it not the proper worke of the Civill Magistrate to preserve the Civill Peace and to prevent or reforme the disturbance of the Tranquility or Peace of any such Societyes in whose Peace the Peace or Weale of the Citty or Society is concerned Suppose a Society of Merchants or Cloathyers or Fishmongers or Drapers or the like If the Weale of the Citty or Countrey be concerned in these as it is much concerned in them all It is not for the safety of the Civill Sate to suffer any of these so
to be disturbed as wholely to breake up and to be dissolved No matter saith the Discusser though they doe wholly breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing For neverthelesse the Peace of the Citty is not thereby in the least measure impaired or disturbed because the Essence or being of the Citty is Essentially distinct from those particular Societyes c. The Citty was before them and standeth absolute and Entire when they are taken downe c. Reply If by Peace be meant as in Scripture Language it is all welfare It would argue a man that liveth in the world to be too much Ignorant of the state of the world to say that in the breaking up and dissolving of such perticular Societyes the Peace of the Citty or Countrey is not in the least measure impaired or disturbed For 1. Though such Societyes of Merchants and other Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they be of the integrety of the Citty And if the defect of one Tribe in Israel was a great trouble to all the Common-wealth of Israel Judges 21.2 3. then sure the breaking up and dissolving of so many particular usefull Societyes cannot but much impaire and disturbe the Peace and wellfare of the Citty and Countrie 2. Though these Societyes of Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they are amongst the conservant causes of the Citty as without which the Citty cannot long flourish no nor well subsist Common sense will acknowledge so much Now then if all these particular Societyes and severall Companyes of Trades they and their peace and wellfare doe much concerne the wellfare and peace of the Citty and Countrey and therefore it behooveth the Civill Government to provide for their peace and wellfare I demand whether the Church also which is a particular Society of Christians whether I say the Peace and wellfare of it doe not concerne the Peace and wellfare of the Citty or Countrey where they live If it be denyed it is Easily proved First David saith they shall prosper that love the Peace of Jerusalem and seeke the good of it Psalm 122.6 c. And Solomon saith where the Righteous rejoyce there is great Glory Pro. 28.12 And what is the Church but a Congregation of Righteous men If the Rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation surely the disturbing and distracting and dissolving of the Church is the shame and Confusion of a Nation 2. Consider the Excellency and Preheminence of the Church above all other Societyes She is the fairest amongst women Cant. 1.8 and 6.1 She is the Citty and House of God Revel 21.2 Psal 48.1.1 Tim. 3.15 The world and all the Societyes of it are for the Church 1 Cor. 3.21 22. The world would not subsist but for the Church nor any Countrey in the world but for the service of the Church And can the Church then breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing and yet the Peace and wellfare of the Citty not in the least measure impaired or disturbed 3. It is a matter of just displeasure to God and sad greife of heart to the Church when Civill States looke at the estate of the Church as of little or no concernment to themselves Zach. 1.15 Lament 1.12 Object 1. Many glorious and flourishing Cittyes of the world maintaine their Civill Peace yea the very Americans and wildest Pagans keep the Peace of their Townes and Cittyes though neither in the one nor in the other can any man prove a true Church of God in these places Answ It is true where the Church is not Cittyes and Townes may enjoy some measure of Civill Peace yea and flourish in outward prosperity for a time through the Patience and Bounty and Long-sufferance of God The times of Jgnorance God winketh at Act. 17.30 But when the Church cometh to be Planted amongst them If then Civill States doe neglect them suffer the Churches to corrupt and annoy themselves by pollutions in Religion the the staffe of the Peace of the Common-wealth will soone be broken as the Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches The Common-wealth of Rome flourished five hundred yeares before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongst them and the decayes of the Common-wealth occasioned by the persecutions of the Church were Repaired by the Publick establishment of the Churches peace in Christian Emperors But when the Churches begun to pollute themselves by the Idolatrous worship of Images and the Christian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abuse in Churches the Lord sent in amongst other barberous nations the Turkes to punish not onely degenerate Churches but also the Civill State for this wickednesse And therefore the Holy Ghost upbraideth them for their continuance in Image worship though the Turke were let loose from the River Euphrates to scourge them for it Rev. 9.14.20 Goe now and say the estate of the Church whether true or false pure or corrupt doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate Object 2. The Peace of the Church whether true or false is spirituall and so of an higher and farre different nature from the peace of the Countrey or People which is meerely and Essentially Civill and humane Ans 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be spirituall and heavenly yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them even from Princes and Magistrates in a way of godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim. 2.1.2 But in a way of ungodlinesse and Idolatry it is an wholesome faithfulnesse to the Church if Princes trouble the outward peace of the Church that so the Church finding themselves wounded and pricked in the house of their friends they may repent and returne to their first Husband Zach. 13.6 Hosea 2.6.7 Ans 2. Though the peace of the Countrey or Common-wealth be Civill and humane yet it is distracted and cutt off by disturbing the spirituall purity and peace of the Church Jehu cutting short his Reformation God cutt short the coasts of the Civill State 2 King 10.31.32 Ans 3. Civill Peace to speake properly is not onely a peace in civill things for the Object but a peace of all the persons of the Citty for the Subject The Church is one Society in the Citty as well as is the Society of Merchants or Drapers Fishmongers and Haberdashers and if it be a part of Civill Justice out of regard to Civill Peace to protect all other Societyes in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of their Company is it not so much more to protect the Church-Society in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of the Word of Christ CHAP. 7. A Reply to his seventh Chapter Discussing what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practise in an Arrogant and impetuous way tending of it selfe to the disturbance of the Civill Peace HERE 2. Things he complaineth of 1. That I have not declared what this Arrogant and impetuous way is 2. That he cannot but expresse his sad and sorrowfull
Chapter Onely 2. Things more remaine in this Chapter which may not passe without some touch 1. That he saith Gods People in all their awakenings acknowledge how sleightly they have listned to the checks of their owne Conscience This the Answerer pleaseth to call sinning against Conscience for which he may lawfully be persecuted to wit for sinning against his owne Conscience Wherein there is found a double falshood 1. That he saith I call the sleight listnings of Gods People to the checks of their Conscience their sinning against Conscience For I speake not of the sinning of Gods People against Conscience but of an Heretick subverted turned off from the Foundation much lesse doe I call their sleight listnings to Conscience to be Hereticall sinning against Conscience 2. Least of all doe I say that for such sleight listnings to the checks of Conscience he may lawfully be persecuted to wit as for sinning against Conscience Thus men that have time and leasure at will will set up Images of clouts and then shoot at them The 2. Thing in this Chapter which I said might not passe without some touch is that having fastned upon me a conclusion which is none of mine but an invention of his owne He addeth howsoever it be painted over with vermillion c. yet he hopeth to manifest it to be the overturning and rooting up of the roote of all true Christianity and absolutely denying the Lord Jesus to be come in the flesh Whereto I Reply no more but this If he doe manifest that which Magnanimously he undertaketh It may happyly be also manifested by the helpe of Christ that it will overturne no conclusion of mine But howsoever let him remember it was a proverb in Israel Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast himselfe as he that putteth it off 2 Kings 20.11 CHAP. 15. A Reply to his fifteenth Chapter touching the admonition and rejection of an Heretick THe first and second Admonitions in the place of Titus were not Civill or corporall punishments on mens persons or purses But they were the reprehensions convictions exhortations and perswasions of the word of the Eternall God charged home to the Conscience in the Name and Presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his Church Which being despised and not hearkened unto in the last place followeth rejection which is not a cutting off by heading hanging burning nor an expelling out of the Countrey and coasts but the dreadfull cutting off from the visible head and body Christ Jesus and his Church Spirituall cutting off by Excommunication Defender All this the proofes of this in this Chapter I willingly consent and subscribe unto nor doth this touch any conclusion of mine at all much lesse Discusse or shake it For though I said indeed that for an erroneous and blinde Conscience even in Fundamentall and weighty Points It is not lawfull to persecute any till after Admonition once or twice according to Tit. 3.10.11 Yet in alledging that place to prove that Conclusion I intended no other persecution but the Churches prosecution against such an Heretick by excommunication no syllable in my conclusion looketh at more If it be said but Excommunication or any other Church-prosecution cannot fitly be called persecution Yes verily excommunication is a persecution and a lawfull persecution if the cause be just offence as the Angell of the Lord is said to persecute the wicked Psalm 35.6 But the Excommunication is a cruell and bitter persecution If it be without just cause and due order yea and the more greivous persecution by how much the more greivous it is to a Christian man to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints then to be banished from a civill Society sure it is the Lord Jesus accounteth it a persecution to his Disciples to be delivered up unto the Synagogues and to be cast forth out of the Synagogues Luk. 21.12 with Joh. 16.2 CHAP. 16. A Reply to his sixteenth Chapter touching To leration in Points of lesse moment Discusser For a third Position or Conclusion the Answerer gave this that in things of lesse moment whether Points of Doctrine or Worship If a man hold them forth in a spirit of Christian meeknesse and love though with zeale and constancy he is not to be persecuted but tolerated till God may be pleased to manifest his truth to him This conclusion I acknowledge to be the Truth of God yet 3. things are very observeable in the manner of laying it downe 1. That such a Person may be tolerated till God may be pleased to reveale his truth to him upon the same ground the Apostle calleth for meeknesse and Gentlenesse towards all men and towards such as oppose themselves 2. Tim. 2. because it may be God may give them repentance Hence a soule that is lively and sensible of Gods mercy cannot but be patient and gentle towards the Jewes towards the Turkes yea to all the severall sorts of Anti-Christians yea to the Pagans and to the wildest sort of the Sonnes of men who have not heard of the Father and of the Sonne c. Yea not onely be patient to such but also to pray for such yea and to endeavour their participation of the same grace and mercy Defender This nothing shaketh no nor so much as toucheth our cause or defence we thinke it unlawfull for the Church to censure such as are out of the Church And for the Civill State we know no ground they have to persecute Jewes or Turkes or other Pagans for cause of Religion though they all erre in Fundamentalls No nor would I exempt Anti-Christians neither from Toleration notwithstanding their Fundamentall Errors unlesse after conviction they still continue to seduce simple soules into their damnable and pernicious Heresies as into the Worship of false Gods into confidence of their owne merits for Justification into seditious conspiracyes against the lives and States of such Princes as will not submit their Consciences to the Bishop of Rome Which if the Discusser shall in the sequell pluck off as the silken covering of an Image as he calleth it we shall further attend him Discusser 2. I observe from the Scriptures he quoteth for this Toleration Phil. 3. Rom. 14. how closely yet I hope unadvisedly he maketh the Churches of Christ at Philippi and Rome all one with the Cities of Philippi and Rome c. Defender No such matter I never thought these Scriptures to belong at all to the Cities of Philippi or Rome Paul writeth to both the Churches not only to tolerate but to receive their weake brethren who dissent from them in matters of lesse moment but to the Cities I never read any Epistle of his Who would ever imagine the Discusser should be so farre transported beyond all bounds either of reason or truth or candor as to surmise the Answerer should conceive That what those Churches must not tolerate in their holy communion that the Cities of Philippi and Rome must not tolerate within the compasse
Jesus onely Defender Reply 1. But he that corrupteth a soule with a corrupt religion or worship layeth a spreading leaven which corrupteth the State The Idolatry began in the House of Micah corrupted Laish Judges chap. 17. and chap. 18. And that was the beginning of sinne to the Daughter of Zion Micah 1.13 And that Apostacy was the captivity of the Land As in the New-Testament the worship of Images was the advancement of the Turkes and the ruine of Christian States Rev. 9.14 to 21. When therefore the corruption or destruction of soules is a destruction also of lives liberties estates of men lex talionis calleth for not onely soule for soule but life for life Reply 2. False Prophets in the Old-Testament did but corrupt the soules of some and it may be did not corrupt them neither but attempted it onely And yet amongst Gods people where lex talionis was much attended the Law was Thine eye shall not spare him Deut. 13. The reason of which execution is not fetched from any typicall holinesse of the Land but from the dangerous wickednesse of the attempt to thrust away a soule from God which is a greater injury then to deprive a man of bodily life Discusser But dead men cannot die nor be infected Naturall men the civill State the world are dead in sinne c. Defender Reply 1. Dead men may be made worse by corrupt Teachers two-fold more the children of hell then before Matth. 23.15 And therefore such as so corrupt them are worthy in a way of due proceeding of a two-fold death Reply 2. Such as professe the truth of the Doctrine and Worship of Christ they live a kind of spirituall life though not such as accompanieth salvation Else how are false Teachers and such as are led by them said to be twice dead plucked up by the roots Jude ver 12. And therefore it is not true that such as being in a naturall state are dead in sinne annot be infected nor die againe Discusser As in the common infection of the plague so in the infection of heresie none can be strucke deadly but whom God hath thereunto ordained c. Defender Reply 1. No more can any man be murthered but whom God hath ordained thereunto But it is a prophane sacriledge to excuse or alleviate the punishment of sinne by Gods eternall predestination Was the sinne of Herod or the Jewes or of Pontius Pilate any whit the lesse because they did nothing against Christ but what the hand of God and his Counsell had fore-determined to be done Acts 4.29 Sure it is Christ aggravateth the sinne of Judas and of the High-Priests and Elders of the Jewes by this Argument that Pilate could doe nothing against him but as it was given him from above Therefore saith he he that delivered me to thee hath the greater sinne John 19.11 Reply 2. The Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth That though in a common plague or infection none are smitten or die but such as are ordained thereunto yet it is not onely every mans duty but the common duty of the Magistrates to prevent infection and to preserve the common health of the place by removing infectious persons into solitary tabernacles Discusser True but the meanes God hath appointed for preservation from spirituall infection and perdition are spirituall such as God directeth to Rev. 2. Tit. 3.10 11. Rom. 16.17 But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for either Antidote or Remedy as an addition to those Spirituals The Remedy which God preseribed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus It were a Babylonish confusion to interpret it as sent to the Governour of the City of Pergamus Defender Subordinata and so Coordinata non pugnant It is true Christ hath appointed spirituall meanes for the avoiding and preventing the infection of heresies so hath he also for the preventing and avoiding all offences in Church-members But that hindreth not the lawfull and necessary use of a civill sword for the punishment of some such offences as are subject to Church-censure If indeed the Ordinances of Christ in the Church doe prevaile to the avoiding and healing of heresies there is no need of the civill sword for that end But it often falleth out otherwise as 1. That when the Church hath cast out an Heretick yet he still remaineth obstinate and proceedeth to seduce and destroy the faith of some it may be of many as did Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. If the Magistrates sword doe here rust in the scabberd such leaven may leaven the whole Masse of a City or Countrey As by this meanes Arrianisme leavened the world by the indulgence of Constantius Ingemuit Orbis Christianus miratus est factum se esse Arrianum 2. It may be the Heretick was never any member of the Church and then though the Church may lay in some Antidotes and Purges to preserve or recover their Members yet how shall they succour such as are not subject to their censures Or how shall they prevent the spreading of this noisome leprofie in private Conventicles But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for an Antidote or Remedy in such a case Answ It is evident the civill sword was appointed for a remedy in this case Deut. 13. And appointed it was by that Angell of Gods presence whom God promised to send with his people as being unwilling to goe along with them himselfe Exod. 33.2 3. And that Angell was Christ whom they tempted in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.9 And therefore it cannot truely be said that the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for a remedy in such a case For he did expressely appoint it in the Old-Testament nor did he ever abrogate it in the New The reason of the Law which is the life of the Law is of eternall force and equity in all Ages Thou shult surely kill him because be hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God Deut. 13.9 10. This reason is of morall that is of universall and perpetuall equity to put to death any Apostate seducing Idolater or Heretick who seeketh to thrust away the soules of Gods people from the Lord their God If Magistrates be the Ministers of God in the New-Testament as Paul calleth them Rom. 13.4 And Ministers of God to execute vengeance on him that doeth evill surely either this is no evill to seeke to thrust away Gods people from him or the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine to execute vengeance on such an evill doer Yea but such an evill is evill onely to the inner man not to the civill State Answ But if a man imagine evill against the Lord it is a destructive evill to a whole City yea to a Pagan City and God will visit such an evill with such an affliction as shall be no lesse then utter destruction to such a City It shall not rise up the second time Nahum 1.9.11 Discusser But the eivill Magistrate hath his charge of the bodies
had been then but on his way to Ephesus which is a narrow point of time it is more then propable if Timothy had been then at Ephesus he would have said Tychicus have I sent to thee to Ephesus CHAP. 39. A Reply to his 39. Chap. Discusser BVt from this place in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.25 in particular I argue thus 1. If the Civill Magistrates be Christians or Members of the Church able to prophesie to the Church of Christ then they are bound by this command of Christ to suffer opposition to their Doctrine with meeknesse and gentlenesse waiting if God peradventure will give them Repentance So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becometh not the spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritans and unconverted persons whether in Ephesus or Creete with Fire and Sword Defender The Answerer is still of the same mind though he might strike in upon the advantage that if the Magistrate be also a Prophet he may doe some things as a Magistrate which he may not doe as a Prophet yet he willingly acknowledgeth that if a Magistrate be also a Prophet yea whether he be a Prophet or no he ought not to seeke to subdue and convert Aliens to the Faith by Fire and Sword Discusser Secondly if the Oppositions be within and the Church-members become scandalous in Doctrine I speake not of scandalls in the Civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish It is the Lord onely as the Scripture in Timothy implyeth who is able to give them Repentance and to recover them out of Satans snare c. It is true the civill Sword may make a whole Nation of Hypocrites as the Lord complaineth Isay 10. and as befell our Native Country in a few scores of yeares in the severall Reignes of Henry 7. Henry 8. King Edward Queen Mary Queene Elizabeth under whom our Nation was as ready to change the fashion of their Religions as of their Suits of Apparell which hath been their sinfull shame Defender If Opposition rise from within from the Members of the Church I doe not beleive it to be lawfull for the Magistrate to seeke to subdue and convert them to be of his mind by the civill Sword But rather to use all spirituall meanes for their conviction and conversion But if the Opposition still continue in Doctrine and Worship and that against the vitals and Fundamentalls of Religion whether by Heresie of Doctrine or Idolatry in Worship and shall proceed to seeke the Seduction of others I doe beleive the Magistrate is not to tolerate such opposion against the Truth in Church-members or in any Professours of the Truth after due conviction from the word of Truth Nor is it an Objection of any weight that neither the Magistrate nor his Sword can give Repentance unto such For neither can he give Repentance unto such persons as are scandalous to the civill State whom yet notwithstanding the Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth the civill Magistrate ought to punish Though the civill Sword should not make the opposers Hypocrites yet better tolerate Hypocrites and Tares then Bryars and Thornes In such cases the civill Sword doth not so much attend the conversion of wicked Seducers as the prevention of the seduction of honest minds by their meanes What the Kings and Queens of England have done in former or later times either by violent Persecution of the Truth or in preposterous maintenance of the Truth we have cause rather to bewaile it and so hath the Discusser too if he be an English man then to justifie it as also bewaile the like vanity justly complained of in sundry of our English Nation to be as ready to change the fashion of their Religion as of their Rayment And yet he cannot be ignorant that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe sundry faithfull witnesses out of that Nation who have continued stedfast unto the death in the Profession of the Truth and have not been carried away either with the feare of civill Sword or with the deceitfull insinuations of unstable but seducing Teachers to depart from the simplicity and Truth of the Gospel But howsoever wofull and wonderfull changes have been made of Religion in England in the Reigne of foure or five Princes yet it is no more then befell the Church of Judah in the dayes of Ahaz and Hezekiah Manasseh and Josiah yet the Prophets never upbraided them with the civill Magistrater Power in causes of Religion as the cause of it Better some vicissitudes in Religion then a constant continuance in Idolatry and Popery by Princes referring all causes of Religion to Church-men The Prophecie of Englands Revolt againe to Popery wanteth Scripture Light CHAP. 40. A Reply to his Chap. 40. Discusser BVt it hath been thought and said shall Oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous I answer as before concerning the blind Guides their case being incurable is rather to be lamented since none but the right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle Dispensing of the word of Truth can release them c. Defender So it is with all scandalous offenders against the civil State none can give them healing Repentance but the right hand of the Lord Jesus in the dispensing of the word of Truth yet that doth not restraine Magistrates from executing just Judgement upon them So neither doth it restraine them from executing the like just Judgement against these though not to procure the Repentance of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Idolaters yet to prevent the seduction and subversion of others What though a dead soule though changed from one Worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall suites of Apparell cannot please God Heb. 11.6 And what though Faith be that gift which proceedeth alone from that Father of Lights Phil. 1.29 Yet better a dead soule be dead in body as well as in Spirit then to live and be lively in the flesh to murder many precious soules by the Magistrates Indulgence And better he die without Faith then to live to seduce many honest minds to depart from the Faith Discusser I adde a civill Sword hardneth the followers of false Teachers by the sufferings of their false and Antichristian Seducers And secondly it begetteth in them an Impression of the falshood of that Religion which cannot uphold it selfe but with such Instruments of violence and wanteth the soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others Defender A civill Magistrate ought not to draw out his civill Sword against any Seducers Whether Hereticks or Idolaters till he have used all good meanes for their conviction and thereby clearely manifested the bowels of tender commiseration and compassion towards them But if after their continuance in obstinate Rebellion against the Light he shall still walke towards them in soft and gentle commiseration his softnesse and gentlenesse is excessive large to Foxes and wolves But his bowels are miserably straitned and hardned
his Elect out of their hands no more then now yet the attempt to pluck them out of Gods hand was a Capitall crime then Deut. 13.5.10 For speaking to turne away a soule from God ver 5. and seeking to thrust away a soule from God are but attempts Besides God putteth no difference of Elect and Reprobate in matter of murder either of foule or Body But the respect which God hath in this case is to his Covenant which God made with the visible members of his Church Now. if a man shall so farre violate his Covenant as to Apostate from God and to draw others away to Apostate from him the Lord avengeth this quarrell of his Covenant upon the lives of such And therefore the hainousnesse of this crime is expressed in that he spake or sought to turne away any of the people of God from the Lord their God Deut. 13.5.10 CHAP. 43. A Reply to his Chap. 43. Discusser FOurthly I aske were not these Elders and Ministers of the Church of Ephesus sufficiently furnished from the Lord Jesus to drive away these spirituall and mysticall wolves Defender They were furnished with sufficient power to cast them out of the Church but being cast out they had not sufficient power to drive them away from conferring with and corrupting the members of the Church or other Godly ones out of the Church It is no dishonor to Christ nor impeachment to th sufficiency of the Ordinances left by Christ that in such a case his Ministers of Justice in the Civill State should assist his Ministers of the Gospel in the Church-State Discusser Fiftly lastly I Aske whether as men deale with wolves these wolves at Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed their braines dasht out with stones staves Halberts Gunns c. in the hands of the Elders of Ephesus Defender No nor was it alledged by me for any such end nor indeed alledged by me at all but onely the Discusser is pleased to set up a marke to shoot at for his owne recreation Elders must keepe within the bounds of their calling But killing and dashing out of Braines which is all one with stoning was expresly commanded in such a case to the People of God by order from the Judges Deut. 13.10 Discusser But comparing spirituall things with spirituall things spirituall mysticall wolves should be spiritually and mystically slaine Defender So they should be by the spirituall Officers and members of the Church But in destroying Religion they are also disturbers of the Civill State and accordingly are to be dealt withall by Civill Justice Achan disturbed the Common-wealth as well as the Church of Israel by bringing a Babylonish garment into the Tents of Israel and was therefore troubledhimselfe for troubling the People of the Lord Josh 7.25 Discusser It is a most bloudy Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be drivenaway their braines knockt out and killed the poore sheep to be persecuted for whom Christ died Defender Belike it is a milkey and peaceable and Gospel like Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be tolerated not an haire to be struck off from their heads but for the poore sheep for whom Christ died let them perish unlesse Christ mean to preserue them himselfe alone with his own immediate hand no care of preserving them belongeth to the Civill Magistrate Discusser Is not this to take Christ and to make him a temporal King by force Joh. 6.15 Is not this to make his Kingdome of this world to set up a Civill and Temporall Israel to bound out new earthly holy lands of Canaan yea and to set up a Spanish Inquisition in all parts of the world to the speedy destruction of millions of soules and to the frustrating of the sweet end of the comming of the Lord Jesus which was to save mens soules and to that end not to destroy their bodyes by his owne bloud Defender Now of all these when the Kingdomes of the earth become the Kingdomes of the Lord Rev. 11.15 It is not by making Christ a temporall King but by making temporall Kingdomes nursing Fathers to his Church In the dayes of Christs Flesh it was Incompatible to his Ministery to make him a King as they went about to doe Joh. 6.15 Christ hath injoyed even as Mediator an everlasting Kingdome not onely in the Church but in the Government of all the Kingdomes of the earth by his glorious power and righteousnesse But the Kingdomes of the earth are then said to be the Kingdomes of our Lord when they submit their lawes to the lawes of his word But that neither maketh him a temporall King nor his Kingdome in the Church to be a Kingdome of this world The Church and Common-wealth are still distinct Kingdomes the one of this world the other of Heaven and yet both of them from Christ unto whom the Father hath committed all Judgement Iob. 5.22 Neither will this set up a Civill and temporall Israel an holy Canaan unlesse all the members of the Common-wealth were called to be members of the Church and subject to all the ceremoniall and all the judiciall Lawes of Moses not onely those of Morall and perpetuall equity but peculiar to that State as the Brother to marry his deceased Brothers wife Nor is it a Spanish Inquisition to preserve the sheep of Christ from the raven of wolves but this rather such is the practise of the Discusser to promote the principal end of the spanish Inquisition to advance the Romish tyranny Idolatry and Apostacy by proclaiming impunity to all their whorish and wolvish Emissaries Nor is it a frustrating of the sweet end of Christs comming which was to save soules but rather a direct advancing of it to destroy if need be the bodies of those wolves who seeke to destroy the soules of those for whom Christ died and whom he bought with his owne bloud CHAP. 44. A Reply to his Chap. 44. Discussing 2 Cor. 10.4 Discusser The next Scripture produced against such persecution was 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God c. To which it is Answered Paul speaketh of the weapons of Apostles and Church-Officers which are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God But this denieth not Civill weapous of Justice to Civill Magistrates But I here observe that the Scripture holdeth forth a two-fold State a Civill State and a Spirituall Civill Officers and spirituall Civill weapons and spirituall Civill vengeance and spirituall though the Spirit speaketh not here expresly of Civill Magistrates and their Civill weapons yet these States being of different natures and considerations as farre differing as flesh and spirit therefore Civill weapons are most improper and unfitting in matters of the spirituall Kingdome and State though in the Civill State most proper and suitable Defender The Discusser as often throughout his Discourse so here he looseth himselfe and the truth in ambiguityes Civill weapons are indeed improper and unfitting in spirituall matters to wit in the
dispencing and pressing of spirituall matters for the immediate producing of spirituall ends as for a Magistrate to draw his sword to compell all his Subjects to the obedience of the faith if Christ and to the profession of it But this is not unfitting nor improper That a Magistrate should draw his sword though not in matters spirituall yet about matters spiritual to protect them in peace and to stave off the disturbers and destroyers of them It were improper and unfitting for carpenters to bring their Axes and Hammers to build up the spirituall Kingdome and Church of Christ But yet their tooles are fitting to build up scaffolds that the people may draw neere to heare the Word by hearing be brought on to faith and salvation CHAP. 45. A Reply to his 45. Chap. Discusser TO Batter and take a strong Hold or Fort men bring not a first and second Admonition and after obstinacy Excommunication But they bring Canons Culverings Sakers Bullets Powder Musquets Swords Pikes weapons suitable and proportionable On the other side to batter downe Idolatry false worship Heresy out of the soule and spirit It is vaine Improper unsuitable to bring the usuall weapons of persecutors Stocks Whips Prisons Swords Gibbtts Stakes But against these spirituall sirong holds in the soules of men spirituall Artillery and weapons are proper and mighty through God to subdue every thought to obedience Defender Let this stand as it shall for me It nothing toucheth the Question in hand It is farre from me to allow the Civill Magistrate to make use of his Civill weapons to batter downe Idolatry and Heresy in the soules of men but for this end he is to use spirituall weapons and all Lenity and wisdome in the improvement thereof But if the Idolater or Heretick grow obstinate as the Apostle saith waxe worse and worse deceiving himselfe and others to the destroying or corrupting and disturbing of others now the Magistrate maketh use not of Stocks and Whipps for these doe not remove but exasperate the malady but of Death or Banishment that may cut him off from opportunity of spreading the leaven and Gangerne of his pernicious wayes whether in Doctrine or practise It is one thing to speake oâ— Heresie and Idolatry in the Abstract another in the Concrete Heresie Idolatry and all spirituall wickednesse cannot be rooted out of the hearts of the sonnes of men but by spirituall weapons But Hereticks and Idolaters may be restrained from the open practise and profession of their wickednesse by the Sword of Justice and such weapons of Righteousnesse Discusser But though these weapons were proper yet they are unnecessary For if spirituall weapons in the hand of Church Officers be able mighty and sufficient and ready for the Lords worke either to save or to kill the soule c. How doth the Magistrate come in to help but as if the Lord had no power Defender This is a meere pretence in the mouth pen of the Discusser For he having cut off all the Churches of Christ and all Church Ordinances and Church-weapons from off the face of the earth for these many ages past and I know not for how many yeares yet to come If Civill weapons be debarred from defending Religion upon pretence that Church-weapons are sufficient and and then no Churches nor Church weapons to be found upon the face of the earth then let all Seducers to Apostacy Idolaters Hereticks let them all rejoyce in an open doote of liberty safety which the Discusser hath set wide open before them If Civill States must not and Churches cannot come in to helpe the Lord shall the curse of Meroz be so avoided because the Lord wanteth not power to help himselfe But I might reply further that though spiritual weapons are mighty through God and sufficient to those ends for which the Lord appointed them which are to purge out leaven from their holy communion and to mortify the flesh of offendors yet that is not supersedeas to Civill Magistrates to neglect to punish those sins which the Church hath censured if the persons censured do proceed to subvert the truth of the Gospel or the peace of the Church or the salvation of the people The rest of the Discussers discourse in this chapter are as Jude speaketh clouds without water words without matter CHAP. 46. A Reply to his Chap. 46. Discussing Rom. 13. Discusser This Scripture Rom. 13. which it pleaseth the Answerer to quote how hath both himselfe and many excellent servants of God wrested not as Peter writeth of the wicked to their eternall yet to their owne and others tempor all destruction by civill warres and combustions in the world Defender This charge is a greivous crime if it be truly proved a greivous slaunder if it be not proved The rest of the Chapter proveth it not but that onely which I willingly graunt that this 13th Chapter to the Romans exhorteth unto subjection to Magistrates unto love to all men which are duties partaining to the second Table Howbeit though subjection to Magistrates and love to all men be duties which concerne the second Table a point which needed no proofe yet this inference will not here follow That therefore Magistrates have nothing to doe to punish any violation no not of the weightiest duties of the first Table It is a cleare case amongst the duties of the second Table people may be exhorted to honor their Ministers and children may be exhorted to honor their Parents But will it thence follow that therefore Ministers have nothing to doe with matters of Religion in the Church or parents in the Family CHAP. 47. A Reply to his Chap. 47. Discusser THere be excellent and precious servants of God in their time who have absolutely denyed the 13. of the Rom. to concerne any matter of the first Table Defender I will not stand upon the last use in that Chapter put you on the Lord Jesus Christ which I hope the Discusser himselfe will not deny much lesse say that any Excellent and precious servants of God doe absolutely deny that such a Duty concerneth the first Table But what is it that the servants of God say Discusser Calvin saith this whole Discourse concerneth Civill Magistrates and therefore in vaine doe they who exereise Power over Consciences goe about from this place to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny Defender Calvins Judgement herein as generally in other points is sound and agreeable to the Text but not at all favouring the Discussers Imagination This whole Disputation saith he is of Civill Governments whereupon this inference is according to his owne true meaning and scope therefore it doth nor concerne Church-Government Therefore such Church-Governours as upon pretence of this Text doe make Lawes without the word and besides the word to bind Conscience and to usurp power over Consciences they in vaine goe about to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny from this place But what is this to the point in hand Church-Governours
under them But they all were strangers from the life of God yea most averse and opposite yea cruell and bloudy Persecutors of the Name and followers of Jesus and yet unto these is subjection commanded Now then I argue If Paul had commanded this subjection to Romane Magistrates in spirituall causes to defend the Truth to punish Hereticks neither of which they could discerne nor judge of but by Trust from others as Pilate condemned Jesus he must in the Judgement of all men have put out the eye of Faith and Reason and sense at once Defender Not in the Judgement of all men for besides Calvin and Beza whose Judgement you have heard all those Interpreters who expound this place in the Romans of the Magistrates power in punishing spirituall evill doers as well as corporall they none of them doe so judge that Paul in commanding the Churches to yeild subjection unto civill Magistrates in matters of Religion did put out the Eye of Faith and Reason and sense at once For first it is one thing to yeild subjection to the unrighteous Decrees of Ignorant and Pagan Magistrates another thing to obey their Ordinances in matters of Faith and worship and Government of the Church The former of these Christians did yeild unto the Romane Magistrates even subjection unto the Death the other they neither did nor ought to yeild as knowing God was to be obeyed rather then men Secondly though it be true whilst the Romane Emperours and Magistrates were Pagans and Persecutors they were incompetent Judges to discerne and give Sentence in the spirituall matters of Christian Religion yet the word of Christ who commandeth a Duty commandeth all the necessary meanes which tend to that Duty And therefore in giving them a Power and charge to execute vengeance on evill doers and that in matters of spirituall unrighteousnesse against the Church as in matters of Civill unrighteousnesse against the Common-wealth It behoved them to enquire and listen after true Religion to heare and trie all and upon serious deliberate and just scruting to hold fast that which is good and so prevent the disturbance thereof by the contrary It was no vaine charge of the Holy Ghost Psal 2 10 11 12. If Christ have an Iron Scepter in his hand to crush all States and Kingdomes Emperours and Princes as well as private persons Be wise now therefore ô yee Kings be instructed yee that are Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with feare rejoyce unto him with trembling Kisse the Sonne least he be angry and yee perish in the way Thirdly the cases of Religion wherein we allow Civill Magistrates to be Judges are so fundamentall and palpable that no Magistrate studious of Religion in the feare of God but if he have any spirituall discerning as all truly Christian Magistrates have and even Pagans have discerned between innocent Christians and turbulent Seducers he cannot but judge of such grosse corruptions as are unsufferable in Religion as hath been opened above Though we reserve to the Prophets and Churches Judicium Propheticum as hath been said above yet we allow Judicium Politicum to Civill Magistrates studious of Truth as all ought to be and the Judgement of Discretion unto all Christians But as for such Magigistrates as are meerely naturall and Pagan though Christians be bound to subject themselves unto them with patience yet such Magistrates ought to forbeare the exercise of their Power either in protecting or punishing matters of Religion till they have learned so much knowledge of the Truth as may enable them to discerne of things that differ But this forbearance of theirs is not for want of Authority in their callings nor for want of Duty in their Consciences but for want of evidence to them in the cause In which Case Magistrates are wont to forbeare their exercise of their Power and to respit Judgement even in Civill causes not for want of Authority or Duty to doe Justice But for want of ripe and full cognizance of the Cause CHAP. 49. A Reply to his Chap. 49. Discusser VVHy then did Paul himselfe appeale to Caesar Acts 25. unlesse that Caesar though he was not yet yet he ought to have been a fit Judge in such matters Answ Paul appealed to Caesar not to judge the cause of his Religion but to defend him from civill violence and slanderous accusations about sedition mutiny civill Disobedience c. From which Caesar as a supreme civill Magistrate ought to defend him Defender This appeale of Paul to Caesar doth evidently hold forth three things 1. That there is a lawfull and needfull use of civill Magistracy unto Christians 2. That Church Officers even of highest ranck the Apostles themselves and other Ministers are subject to civill Authority as well as private Christians 3. That Paul did submit to Caesars Judgement-seate the tryall of his innocency as well in matters of Religion as in civill conversation For he pleadeth his innocency that he was guilty in none of those things whereof they did accuse him and for tryall hereof he appealeth to Caesar ver 11. Now the things whereof they did accuse him were offences against the Law of the Jewes and against the Temple as well as against Caesar ver 8. And offences against the Law of the Jewes and against the Temple were matters of Religion And yet even in these Paul appealeth to Caesars Judgement-seat for tryall of his innocency Discusser But if Paul in this Appeale to Caesar had submitted his Religion which was the cause of Christ his Ministery and Ministration to the Romane Emperours Tribunall he had sinned First against the light of Reason Secondly against the cause of Religion Thirdly against the holy Calling of a Christian Fourthly against his owne calling of Apostleship Fifthly against the holy name of God c. Defender All these sinnes might with some colour have been charged upon Paul if he had appealed to Caesar to Judge whether his Religion or Ministery or Ministration were of God or no. But that was no point of his Appeale But whether his Religion or Ministery or Ministration were guilty of any capitall crime against the Law of the Jewes or against the Temple or against Caesar Now in this case Paul might safely appeale to Caesar and that to the Honour of God of his Apostolick and Christian Calling and to the glory of his Religion The Reasons against Pauls Appeale in this case are but bul-rushes CHAP. 50. A Reply to his Chap. 50. Discusser HAving dispatched two Arguments against the founding of the civill Magistrates power in spirituall causes in Rom. 13. First from the Testimony of Calvin and Beza the second from Caesars incompetency and insufficiency to Judge of spirituall matters I come now to the third Argument taken from the nature of the Magistrates weapons he hath a Sword and that Sword is a civill Sword a Sword of civill Justice which being of a materiall and civill nature serveth for the defence of Persons Estates Families Liberties of
a City or civill State and for the suppressing of uncivill and injurious Persons or Actions by civill punishment And therefore this Sword cannot extend now as it did in Israel of old to spirituall and soule causes to spirituall and soule punishments Defender I easily hold with the Discusser that the civill Sword doth not extend to spirituall and soule punishments But if the civill Sword ought to extend to the defence of civill men in civill Liberties then why not also to the like defence of Churches and spirituall persons in their spirituall Liberties It is the Office of the civill Magistrate to governe his people in righteousnesse And if spirituall Liberties be in righteousnesse due to spirituall persons as well as civill Liberties to civill persons doubtlesse the Magistrate is defective in Rules of righteousnesse if he onely attend the defence of the civill people in their civill Rights and neglect to defend his spirituall people in their spirituall Rights What though the Sword be of a materiall and civill nature so it was in the Old Testament as well as in the new It can therefore reach no further either then or now then unto the punishment of men in bodily life or civill Liberties But it can reach to punish in these things not onely the offenders in bodily Life and civill Liberties but also the offendors against spirituall Life and soule Liberties What though it be called a civill Sword in common speech It is not a Scripture-phrase so to call it It may as fitly be called the Sword of God as well as the Sword of warre is so called Judges 7.20 which the Discusser guilefully or else unskilfully distinguisheth in this chapter from the civill Sword Now if the Sword of the Judge or Magistrate be the Sword of the Lord why may it not be drawne forth as well to defend his Subjects in true Religion as in civill Peace And as Magistrates are called in common speech civill Magistrates so are they called also in the Language of the Sanctuary Gods Psal 82.1.6 If civill Magistrates are to attend to civill matters are not Gods to attend to Gods matters It was wont to goe for a good Argument â conjugatis homo sum humani nihil â me alienum puto But now by the Discussers Doctrine the Magistrate may say Ego dignatione Divinâ Deus sum Psal 82. quatenus autem Deus sum Divina omnia â me aliena puto Now farre be all such reasonlesse and Paganish yea worse then Paganish Atheology from us Worse then Paganish I say for Pagan Princes accounted their Religion their chiefe care prima cura sacrorum And can a Christian forbid the care of Religion to Magistrates I say not without blushing but without trembling Object But Magistrates were called Gods in the Old Testament not so in the New Now under Christ all Nations are meerely Civill without any such Typicall holy respect upon them as was upon Israel a Nationall Church Ans It is written in the New Testament the Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ Rev. 17.15 And if the Kingdomes be Gods Kingdomes and the Kingdomes of Christ then the Kings of those Kingdomes are Gods Kings and Christian Kings and what Title is there in all the New Testament that either derogateth from the Titles or Office of Kings Though the Nations now have not that Typicall holinesse which the Nation of Israel had yet all the Churches of the Saints have as much Truth and reality of holinesse as Israel had And therefore what holy care of Religion lay upon the Kings of Israel in the Old Testament the same lyeth now upon Christian Kings in the New Testament to protect the same in their Churches CHAP. 51. A Reply to his Chap. 51. Discusser A Fourth Argument from this Scripture Rom. 13. I take in ver 6. which is a meerely civill reward for the Magistrates worke Now as the wages be such is the worke but the wages are meerely Civill Custome Tribute not the contributions of the Saints or Churches of Christ c. Defender The Contributions of the Saints and Churches are truly called by the Apostle carnall things Romans 15.27 and againe 2 Cor. 9.11 But shall a man therefore thus reason as the wages be such is the worke But the wages are carnall things therefore such is the worke of the Ministers of the Gospel to whom such wages are paid It is true the contributions of the Saints may be called Holy because they are given to God and by his appointment to the maintenance of such as minister in his house about his holy things But these are mentall relations no reall differances in the thigns given to Magistrates and Ministers The wages given to them both are carnall things And consider them both in their proper ends as the rewards given to Ministers are given for their service about holy things so the rewards given to Magistrates are given for their service about righteous things Now if the Purity of Doctrine worship and Government be righteous priviledges of all the Churches in the Common-wealth surely Magistrates doe not well deserve all their wages that suffer the Churches to be bereaved and dispoyled of their spirituall priviledges which is the greatest and best part of their Birth-right Besides the Apostle commandeth the Churches and Saints not onely to pay to Magistrates Tribute and Custome which are civill things but also to poure out all manner of Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and given of thanks for them 1 Tim. 1.1 2. And surely these are spirituall dues and not Earthly And therefore Magistrates owe to the Churches and Saints some Spirituall recompences which the Apostle also there nameth that we may live a quiet and peaceable Life in all godlinesse and honesty ver 2. If therefore the Churches and Saints be not suffered to live a quiet and peaceable Life in Godlinesse and honesty or if they be suffered to live a quiet and peaceable life in ungodlinesse and dishonesty the Magistrates fall short of returning spirituall recompence for the spirituall Duties and services performed for them Discusser Lastly that the Spirit of God never intended to direct or warrant the Magistrate to use his power in spirituall affaires and Religions I argue from the Terme or Title given by God to such civill Officers to wit Gods Ministers ver 6. Defender One would thinke the Argument would rather evince the contrary For what is a Minister but a Servant and what is a servant but he that is at his Masters command for his efficient cause and for his Masters ends as his finall cause How shall then a Magistrate carrie himselfe as a Minister of God and yet fall short and intended so to doe both of Gods Commandements in his Lawes and of Gods worship and glory in the execution of them Discusser But at the very first blush any man will acknowledge a double Ministery the one appointed by Christ in his Church to order the
affaires thereof Ephes 4. 1 Cor. 12. The other a Civill Ministery or office meerely humane and Civill which men agree to constitute therefore called an humane Creation 1 Pet. and is as true and lawfull in those Countries that never heard of the true God and his holy Sonne Jesus as in any part of the world where the Name of Christ is not taken up Defender If Magistrates be the Ministers of God as Paul calleth them then their Ministery or office is not meerely humane but as the Apostle saith it is of God and ordained of God Rom. 13.1 And if it be of God it must also be for God or else he is a Minister and servant not of God but of the world It is true men agree to constitute it to wit this or that forme of it in respect of which influence of men it is called an humane Creation but the Truth is Government it selfe is of God and ordained by God and every lawfull forme of Government whether Monarchy Aristarchy or Democracy or some mixt of these according to the State of the People they are all of God and so acknowledged and authorized by God in his word and though they be as true and lawfull in those Nations that never heard of the true God or of his holy Sonne Jesus yet it was from the guidance and appointment of God in the very light of Nature that such Nations did erect such and such Governments and Governments for the good of humane society and that not onely in worldly matters But in matters also of Religion Whence it is that in all civill Nations whose Acts are recorded either in sacred or prophane Authors their Magistrates have had not onely a due care of Justice and honesty but a reverend care of Religion also Joseph in Egypt provided for the preservation of the Lands of the Priests without Impeachment and that not out of respect to their superstition which he could not but dislike but out of regard to the Aegyptian Lawes Customes to preserve their Religion and the maintenance thereof inviolate Gen. 47.22 In Babell Nebuchadnezzar being convinced of the soveraigne Divinity of the God of Israel made a capitall Law against the blasphemers of his Name Dan. 3.29 Darius of the Medes and Persians enacted a Royall Law to like purpose Dan. 6.26 The like did Artaxerxes Ezra 7.26 and Darius before him Ezra 6.11 In Athens they had a Law against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irreligion upon which suffered three famous Philosophers Socrates Theodorus and Protagoras Socrates as Laertius reporteth in his Life was accused by Melitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who commenced his Action against him in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodorus was firnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as Socrates was condemned to death by poyson so was this man also as Laertius reporteth out of Amphicrates in the life of Aristippus Protagoras as Tully reporteth of him de Natura Deorum Lib. 1. having thus expressed himselfe in the beginning of his Booke concerning the Gods I have not to say whether they be or whether they be not his Bookes were publickly burnt and himselfe banished out of City and Country How the Ephesians stood affected to the destroyers of their Religion appeareth by the excuse which the Towne-Clarke made for Paul and his Companions you have brought these men hither saith he which are neither robbers of Churches nor yet blasphemers of your Goddesse Acts 19.37 The Romans how zealous they were in defence of their Religion the slaughter of many thousand Christians will be a perpetuall Monument to all Ages All which things I recite not to justifie the misapplying of their zeale to the maintenance of false Gods but to make it appeare that as the Pagan Nations who never heard of the true God and of his Sonne Jesus did erect by instinct of Nature Governments and Magistrates so by the same instinct their Lawes and Magistrates tooke care of the maintenance of that Religion which they tooke to be of God What a shame were it that Pagan Magistrates should be more carefull and zealous of the honour of their Idols then Christians of the Honour of the knowne true God the Lord our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier CHAP. 52. A Reply to his Chap. 52. Discusser MAny object out of ver 4. of Rom. 13. that the Magistrate is to avenge evill and therefore Heresies false Christs c. But I answer First that the word is generally opposed to civill goodnesse or vertue in a Common-wealth and not to spirituall good Secondly I have proved here as not intended evill against the spirituall or Christian State handled in chapter 12. But evill against the Civill State handled in this 13. chapter Defender What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill no man that I meet with Interpreteth more fully then Pareus There is saith he a foure-fold evill of which the Magistrate is the Avenger contrary to the foure-fold good whereof the Magistrate is the Preserver A naturall good a Morall good a Civill good a spirituall good A naturall good as Life and safety of our bodies A morall good as Temperance Chastity a Civill good as our goods and Lands and civill Liberties A spirituall good as the free passage of the Ordinances of God and pure Religion In opposition to these there is a foure-fold Evill Naturall as the killing and wounding and beating of our bodies morall as Drunkennesse and whoredome Civill as stealth and robbery and oppression Spirituall as Heresie Idolatry and disturbance of the free passage of Gods Ordinances As the Magistrate is bound by his office to preserve the good of the Subject in all these kinds so is he to avenge the evill done against the Subject in any of these What the Discusser hath proved to the contrary as he saith hath been Answered already in his place Discusser The Elders of New-England grant the Magistrate may not punish some evill as the secret sinnes of the Soule nor sinnes handled in the Church in a private way nor such sinnes as are private in Families As the complaints of Children against Parents Servants against Masters Wives against Husbands nor such sinnes as are between the Members and Churches themselves From whence I observe 1. That the Magistrate is not to punish all evill 2. I observe how they take away from the Magistrates that which is proper to his cognizance as the complaints of Children servants Wives against their Parents Masters Husbands c. Defender When wee say the Magistrate is an Avenger of evill we meane of all sorts or kindes of evill not every particular of each kinde secret evills in thought or affection yea in action too but neither confessed nor proved by due witnesses the Magistrate cannot punish Discusser The distinction of secret or private and publick evill will not here availe because such as urge the Terme evill viz. that the Magistrate is to punish evill they urge it strictly eo nomine because Heresie Blasphemy c.
I have expresly said it and proved it before that it is and ought to be the care and worke of the Church also to suppresse and punish seducing Teachers and scandalous livers in a Church-way as well as the Magistrate in a civill way Discusser First this joyning of things of such different kindes is not an homogeneall but heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kinds Defender But these different kinds they agree in one common kind they are both of them evills and evills destructive in their severall wayes to the common good of Gods people which ought to be preserved both in Church and Common-wealth The Termes of Homogeneall and Heterogeneall are in this case only words of noyse and of an empty sound fit to take with simple people that know not the meaning nor use of them Discusser Who knoweth not that many seducing Teachers of the Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian Religion may be cleare and free from scandalous offences in their lives and from disobedience to the civill Lawes of the State Defender Now you may see the Discusser was willing to make use of founding words which himselfe it seemeth knew not well the use of For what if there were many seducing Teachers of all Religions that may be cleare from scandalous offences the distinguishing therefore of evills into these two sorts into seditious Teachers and scandalous offenders is so much the more allowable and accurate If a man shall say the worke of the Creation on the sixt day was either of man or of Beast shall a man goe about here to observe a great evill that here is not an homogeneall but an heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kind For who knoweth not that there are many Beasts Lyons Leopards Wolves Beares that never were men but are cleare and free from all humane nature Such a like reasoning is that of the Discusser here What if many seducing Teachers whether Jewish Paganish Turkish Antichristian were never scandalous livers but obedient to the civill State yet are they not all of them evill and accordingly to be restrayned by lawfull Authority And is the joyning of them together the great evill of an heterogeneall commixture Againe let the Discusser be pleased to observe that which hath been often touched afore that we looke at it as more tolerable for seducing Teachers to seduce those who are already in the same gall of bitternesse with themselves as Pagans to seduce Pagans Jewes to seduce Jewes Turkes to seduce Turkes and Antichristians to seduce Antichristians Though this also ought to be prevented by wise and wholsome meanes by a Christian Magistrate in all those that are under his dominion so far as there is power in his hand without the hazard of the publick State Lastly let me adde this Reply to the rest that it will be hard for the Discusser to finde Antichristian seducers cleare and free from Disobedience to the civill Lawes of a State in case that Antichrist to whom they are sworne shall excommunicate the civill Magistrate and prescribe the civill State to the invasion of Forrayners Discusser Again who knoweth not that a seducing Teacher properly sinneth against the Church against the Spirituall State and Lawes of it and therefore ought most properly and onely to be dealt withall in such a way Defender These twise-sod Coleworts the Discusser hath often set them before us heretofore but with as little savour now as before For what if a seducing Teacher having sinned against the Church be cast out by the Church and still continue seducing yea what a weake and guilfull evasion would this prove for the Discusser to referre a seducing Teacher to a Church-way when himselfe doth not acknowledge any Church of Christ extant upon the face of the Earth Discusser A second evill which I observe in coupling seducing Teachers with scandalous livers is a silent and implicit Justification of all unrighte us and cruell proceedings of Jewes and Gentiles against all the Prophets of God the Lord Jesus himselfe and all his messingers and witnesses whom their Accusers have ever so coupled and mixed with notorious evill doers and scandalous livers c. Defender Is this a silent and implicite Justification of all the injurious and cruell handlings by wicked men of the Lord Jesus and his witnesses to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority because the Lord Jesus himselfe and his witnesses have suffered under those names What if the wicked Jewes and Gentiles did injuriously and blasphemously put those names upon the Lord Jesus and his faithfull witnesses and upon pretence of such evils put them to death doth it therefore justifie such proceedings to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority If those who are indeed seducing Teachers and scandalous livers ought to be punished will it therefore justifie the like proceedings against them who are no such persons but falsly so called if a man should say a murderer is to be punished with death will it therefore justifie the Islanders of Melita to put Paul to death because amongst them he was so reputed doubtlesse a murderer Acts 28.4 yea let the Discusser seriously confider whether this kind of reasoning of his doe not more then silently and implicitely testifie that the Lord Jesus and his witnesses were seducing Teachers and scandalous livers CHAP. 55. A Reply to his Chap. 57. Discusser THe Scripture alleaged by the Answerer to prove that it would be an evill to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing Teachers or scandalous livers is written Rev. 2.14.20 Where Christ hath something against the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thyatira for tolerating Jezebel to teach and seduce Vnto which I may answer with some admiration and astonishment how it pleased the Father of Lights and most Jealous God to darken and vaile the eyes of such a man as not to seeke out and propose some Scriptures in the proofe of so weighty an assertion as at least might have some colour for the influence of the civill Magistrate in such cases For these Texts concerne neither the City nor the civill Magistrates of Pergamus and Thyatyra but the Churches and Elders c. Defender It was no part of my meaning to alledge those Scriptures to prove it unlawfull for Magistrates to tolerate seducing Teachers but unlawfull for Churches If the Discusser say there needed no proofe of that that was out of Question I may truly tell him that was more then I knew For the Letter which he intreated me to Answer so stated the Question as in generall to argue against persecution for cause of Conscience And if the Question be put in such generall Termes I knew the Church might as well be complained of for persecution for cause of Conscience as the civill Magistrate For if persecution be taken properly for affliction or oppression for righteousnesse sake I
of it For may it not justly be conceived That the Lord therefore hid the place of his buriall least the Children of Israel knowing it might goe a whoring after his Sepulchre and it may be offer sweet incense upon it and so such false worship against the law of Moses might come to be Tolerated for honor to the body of Moses But Christ hath abolished a Nationall State or Church which Moses set up in Canaan Though Christ abolished a Nationall Church-State and instead thereof set up a Congregationall Church yet Christ never abolished a Nationall Civill State nor the Judiciall Lawes of Moses which were of Morall equity but established them rather in their place and order He that shed his own bloud to plant his Church did never abolish that Law which enacted that his bloud should be upon him who should supplant his Church If Christs bloud goe to plant it let the false Christs bloud goe for supplanting it Discusser In the King of Bohemias speech the Answerer passeth by that Foundation in grace and Nature that Conscienee ought not to be violated and forced it is a spirituall Rape Defender This was not passed by but prevented in stating the Question where it was said it is not lawfull to censure any no not for error in Fundamentall points of Doctrine or Worship till the Conscience of the offendor be first convinced out of the word of God of the dangerous error of his way and then if he still persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.11 so he is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but punished for sinning against his Conscience Discusser The King observeth that most lamentably true experience of all ages That persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious c. Defender No experience in any age did ever prove it pernicious to punish seducing Apostates after due conviction of the error of their way Wherein did the burning of Servetus prove pernicious to Geneva or the just execution of many popish Preists to Queene Elizabeth or to the english State But the Kings speech may passe if it be meant of persecution properly so called to wit Oppression of the faithfull for the Truths sake yea if it be the punishment of any for error If not Fundamentally pernicious either to Religion or Church-order and that after conviction of Conscience persisted in with obstinacy Discusser Lastly the Kings observation of his owne time that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery reigned Implying as I conceive such practises commonly proceed from the great Whore whose Daughters are like their Mother all of a bloudy nature as commonly all wolves be Defender It is no marvell if I passed by this observation in the Kings speech For there is no such observation there to be found If the Discusser had well observed it himselfe he would have found it was not the speech of the King but of the Prisoner And the persecution he speaketh of was not of Antichristians or Hereticks or Idolaters but onely of such as the world nick-named Puritans or the like and of them too without conviction of the error of their way But in that the Discusser maketh England a Daughter of the great Whore and of a bloudy nature like her Mother he speaketh as some other of the rigid Seperation have done before him But I could never yet see awarrant from the rule either of Truth or Love for such a speech Did ever the holy Scripture call any Church an whore that worshipped the true God onely in the Name of Jesus and depended on him alone for righteousnesse and salvation Is it not the part of a base childe or at least a base pare of a childe to call his Mother whore who bred him and bred him to know no other Father but her lawfull Husband the Lord Jesus Christ CHAP. 60. A Reply to his 63. Chap. Discusser NOw Thirdly In that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperors they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian Whereas the good Emperors Constantine Gratian Valentian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arians and Donatists Let it be for an Answer It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous c. Defender This may goe for a truth but not for an Answer The Letter would Justifie Toleration of Religion from the judgement and speeches of three Kings I Answered that was no Argument for I could bring him Kings more in number and greater in the sight of God and man who judged it meet not to tolerate Hereticks nor turbulent Schismaticks To this the Discusser Answereth sometimes the Godly doe that which is evill and the wicked that which is good This I say is a Truth but doth not take away my Answer but by a Petitio Principij a begging of the Question That Kings alledged by him did that which was good but the Kings alledged by me though better persons did that which was evill CHAP. 61. A Reply to his Chap. 64. Discusser THe unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperors did more hurt to Christ Jesus his Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes In the persecution of those wicked Emperors Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded in Morters But those good Emperors persecuting some erroneous persons and advancing the Professors of some truthes and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword by this meanes Christianity was eclipsed The Professors of it fell asleepe Cant. 5. Babel was usher'd in and by degrees the Churches of the Saints were turned into the Wildernesse of whole Nations Rev. 12.13 untill the whole world became Christian or Christendome Those good Emperors intending to exalt Christ but not attending to the command of Christ Jesus to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the world all one c. Defender If the unknowing zeale of Constantine other Christian Emperors did more hurâ— to the Church then the raging fury of bloudy Neroes It was not because the raging fury of those Persecutors was more accepted of God then this unknowing zeale of the good Emperors For though the unknowing zeale of the one was finfull yet it was the friut of humane frialty Error Amoris But the rage of the others was divelish fury Amor Erroris Besides the unknowing zeale of the good Emperors lay not in punishing notorious Hereticall Seducers nor will the Discusser be ever able to shew that the Church of Christ suffered any hurt at all by that meanes The contrary is evident Constantius and Valens by Tolerating and favoring the Arians the whole world became Arian Ingemuit orbis Christianus et miratus est factum se esse Arianum
Now whether be the greater mischeife the whole world to become Arian or to become Christian Let Christians judge The Discusser indeed speaketh of it as a soliscisme in Religion that the whole world should become Christian and quoteth for it Rev. 12. and 13. But Rev. 12. speaketh nothing to the purpose and Revel 13. speaketh of it as a marveilous evill that the whole world should wonder after the Beast ver 3. But their wondering after the Beast not a becoming Christian for they were that before nor did it spring onely from the unknowing zeale of Christian Emperors in persecuting Apostate Hereticks But rather from their sinful Indulgence in the Toleration of Hereticks in Doctrine and Idolaters in Worship For had they been zealous and watchfull against such how is it possible that ever Antichrist should have been hatched up to carry the world after him into such a notorious Apostacy It was not persecution that made the world Christian but Toleration that made the world Antichristian Furthermore the hurt of the unknowing zeale of good Emperors did to the Church came in also another way by advancing Church-Officers to Mountaines of high preferments and settled indowments Rev. 8.8 9. The Church never tooke hurt by the punishment of Hereticks Moreover when God advanced Constantine and other good Emperors to sit on the Throne It is true the Church soone became a wildernesse but that came not to passe because those Emperors forced Pagans into Church-Fellowship by the materiall Sword as the Discusser intimateth but untruly But because the common sort are willing to follow the example of great ones Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis as also because of the sleepinesse of the watchmen the Elders of the Churches who should not have suffered such store of Tares to come into the communion of the Church Had the world renounced their Paganisme and professed Christ to be the Sonne of God but yet had been kept out of the Fellowship of the Church till they had approved their profession by a sincere Christian conversation It had been no soliscisme at all howsoever the Discusser judge of it though the whole world had been come Christian and stiled Christendome But it is too grosse and palpable a mistake to make this the cause why the Garden of the Church and the Field of the world became all one because the zeale of Christian Emperors intending to exalt Christ did not attend to the command of Christ to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world For they did permit them to live in the Field of the world they seldome or never put any to death for Hereticall pravity though it had bin better they had so done with some of them But onely exiled them from such Cities and Countryes as were most Populous where if they had continued they might have had too great an opportunity of spreading their leaven which as the Apostle speaketh fretteth like a Gangrene 1 Tim. 2.17 CHAP. 62. A Reply to his Chap. 65. Discusser I Desire you to glance your eye on this not unworthy observation how fully this Answere hath learned the Language of Lyon like Persecution c. for thus he writeth more and greater Princes then these you mention have not Tolerated Hereticks and Schismatiks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their Arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings T is true these termes Hereticks or wilfully obstinate and Schismaticks are used in holy writ t is true also that such pretend Conscience and Arrogate the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings But this is the common clamour of Persecutors against the witnesses of Jesus in all ages you are Hereticks Schismaticks factious Seditious rebellious Defender If it be true that these be Scripture termes and by his owne acknowledgement truly applyable to Hereticks and Schismaticks then it seemeth the Discusser hath learned this Language of Ashdod that the Scripture it self and Truth it selfe speaketh the roaring Language of Lyon-like Persecution For he acknowledgeth the Scripture useth the same termes and Truth verefieth the same things In Summe It is as much to say as Paul had learned the roaring and railing Language of Lyon-like Pharoah Pharoah told the Children of Israel yee are idle yee are idle Exod. 5.17 And Paul had learned to say as much to the Cretians by his Letter to Titus The Cretians are alwayes liars evill beasts and flow bellyes Tit. 1.12 But is it so indeed may not the same reproofe unjustly cast upon Gods servants be justly applyed to Gods enemies wâ—en by the Discussers owne confessiâ—n it may be applyed truly If Persecutors misapply Scripture Termes rebukes to Christs Witnesses falsely may not a servant of God apply the same truly as the Scripture applyeth them but he shall be thought to learne to speake not the Language of Scripture but the Language of persecutors Discusser Ob it is hard for Gods Children to fall to Opinion and practise of Persecution without ready learning the Language thereof And doubtlesse that soule that can so readily learne Babels Language hath cause to feare that he hath not yet in Point of Worship left the gates or suburbs of it Defender If this Language used by me be the Termes of Scripture and by the acknowledgement of Truth rightly applyed then it is the Language of Canaan and not of Babel What Language they have learned who in point of Worship have left Zion but not the gates and Suburbs of Babel for they set up Bulwaâ—ks of Impunity to secure them Let themselves in the feare of God confider But what Language is it to speake of me as having learned the opinion practise of persecution I desiâ—e the God of Truth to teach him to know It is the Language of him that stood not in the Truth and of such also as call evill good and good evill Discusser Againe in blaming Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian for Tolerating all weeds to grow he noteth their sinfull end that thereby they might choake the vitalls of Christianity and seemeth herein to consent on a speech of Jerome That the weeds of false Religions tolerated have a Power to kill true Christianity in the Church But when Christianity began to be choaked It was not when Christians lodged in cold Prisons but Downe-Beds of ease and Persecuted others Defender I noted indeed the sinfull end of Julian the Apostate in tolerating all Religions and Heresies to aime at the choaking of the vitalls of Christianity Of Valens I noted the like finfull practise of Tolerating all Religions but did not expresse his end But what I spake of the end concerned Julian and I spâ—ke of it not of mine owne imagination though he that shall read the stories of his Apostacy and malignity against the Name of Christ and Christians might easily beleive and speake it without rashnesse but I speake it out of a grave and judicious Authour who lived neere those times I meane Aligustine who in his 166
Epistle thus expâ—esseth Julians both practise and end Julianus deserter Christi et Inimicus Haereticis libertatem perditionis permisit et tum Basilicas Haereticis reddidit quando Templa Daemonijs Eo modo putáns Christianum Nomen posse perire de Terris sivanitati Ecclesiae de qua lapsus fuerat invideret et sacrilegas Dissensiones liberas esse permitteret that is Julian the forsaker and enemy of Christ Permitted to Hereticks liberty of perdition and at the same time restored Pallaces or royall meeting-houses to Hereticks when the Temples to Divells thinking by this meanes the Christian Name might perish from the earth if he should envy that unity to the Church from which himselfe fell and permit Sacrilegious Dissensions to enjoy their liberty What the Discusser subjoyned as weakning this end that Christiaaity began to be choaked not when Christians lay in cold Prisons but Beds of ease and persecuted others This doth not at all weaken the right apprehension of Julians end For 1. Julian might ayme at that end though he might not have attained it Secondly evident it is that Toleration of bryars and thornes and such are Heresies and Blasphemies doe choake the life of Christianity For beside experience the Text in Rev. 8.10.11 Declareth that by the fall of a Starre called wromewood into the waters the third part of the watters were embittered by it and many men dyed that drunk of those warters And what was that Starre but Arius and Constantius Thirdly Though Beds of ease have been one meanes of choaking Christianity yet that hindereth not but the Toleration of all weeds to grow with the good seed is another Fourthly when he saith Their persecuting of others was a meanes of choaking Christianity It is a plaine contradiction of his former speech that Constantine did more hunt to Christs Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes CHAP. 63. A Reply to his Chap. 66. Discusser HE ends this passage with approbation of Queene Elizabeth for Persecutiag the Papists and a reproofe to King James for Persecuting the Puritans Defender I neither did in termes approve the persecution of the one nor reprove the persecution of the other The words I spake of them are recited above Chap. 58. which containe an Historicall Narration of the Res gestas in this case of both the Princes but neither approvement nor reprovement of them It was enough to answer the Prisoners Argument that as great Princes as the three named by him for Toleration might be named against Toleration As Queene Elizabeth for one and King James for another who persecuted Puritans though he Tolerated Papists Discusser But if Queene Elizabeth did well to persecute the Papists according to her Conscience King James did not ill in persecuting others according to his Defender It followeth not For Queene Elizabeth might doe well in punishing seditious or seducing Papists according to Conscience rightly informed and King James doe ill according to Conscience misinformed Besides It may be the worse when a man persecuteth those whom he knoweth to be innocent against his own Conscience Or suppose Conscience by often sinning against the light cheks of it be by the just Judgement of God blinded and seared In such a case to doe a wicked act according to Conscience doth not extenuate but aggravate a sin in that such a man sinneth not only in doing a corrupt act but which is worse with a corrupt Conscience But with what Conscience King James did persecute Puritans I judge not the judgement of such things is with the Lord. Discusser But then Mr. Cotton must graunt that if King James did ill in persecuting Puritans according to his Conscience then either King James was not fit to be King and had not the essentiall qualifications of a King in not being able rightly to judge who are to be persâ—cuted who not or else He must confesse that King James and all Magistrates must persecute such whom in their Conscience they judge worthy to be peâ—secutâ—d Defender None of these things will follow For though King James did evill to persecute godly Ministers and other good Christians studious of Reformation yet he was fit to have been a King and wanted not the essentiall Qualifications of a King For he was by lawfull Succession the next heire of the Crowne and was besides endued with many royall guifts of wisdome and Knowledge both of Scripture and Policy which if he did not alwayes attend to in his Administrations the defect was not for want of Essentiall Qualifications but for want of employing his Qualifications according to the right Rule of the word of God For by the Rule of the word those whom they called Puritans ought not to have been persecuted no though they had been erroneous in their way which they were not For though they consented not to the State-Government of the Church yet neither did they tumultuously and seditiously resist it But suppose Princes and Magistrates doe want some Qualifications meet for their calling as this for one Knowledge and Judgement rightly to discerne who may be punished for matters of Religion who not yet such Qualifications are not of the Essence of the calling of a King or Magistrate but belong onely to the Integrity of it Yea such Kings or Magistrates as want such cleare discerning of this point they have a just Call to forbeare all execution of civill Censures in matters of Religion till they be better informed Or else as the Discusser saith truly they may persecute the Sonne of God in stead of the sonne of Perdition CHAP. 64. A Reply to his Chap. 67. Discusser IN the second place I aske what glory to God what good to the soules and bodies of their Subjects did these Princes bring in persecuting Defender Persecution of Innocents never brought good to Princes or Subjects but accidentally as the Discusser said above that Nero in persecuting made the hearts of Christians more sweet and fragrant like pounded Spices But such evill ought not to have been done that such good in such a way might come of it But the good that is brought to Princes and Subjects by the due punishment of Apostate Seducers and Idolaters and Blasphemers is manifold First it putteth away evill from the people and cutteth off a Gangreene which would spread to further ungodlinesse Deut. 13.5 2 Tim. 2 16 17 18. Secondly it driveth away Wolves from worrying and scattering the Sheep of Christ For false Teachers be Wolves Matth. 6.15 Acts 20.29 And the very name of Wolves holdeth forth what benefit will redound to the sheep by either killing them or driving them away Thirdly such Executions upon such evill doers causeth all the Country to heare and feare and doe no more such wickednesse Deut. 13.11 Yea as these punishments are preventions of like wickednesse in some so are they wholsome Medicines to heale such as are curable of these evills Zach. 13.4 5 6. Fourthly the punishments executed upon false
the Colledge that he might be trained up to knowledge for the help of his Country-men But no violent course taken with them at all to constraine them to the Faith or Profession of Christianity The time is hastning we hope when all the vials of Gods wrath will be poured out on the Antichristian State and then we looke for the fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in and with the Jewes multitudes of Pagans But till the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled wee cannot easily hope for the entrance of 〈◊〉 New multitudes of men into the Church according to the word of the Lord Rev. 15.8 No man that is no man out of the Temple no Pagan was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled But to returne to our Discusser he speaketh at randome when he intimateth that we walke not by Rule but partially as if we permitted not the like liberty of worship to our Country-men nor to the French Dutch Spanish Persians Turkes Jewes which wee doe to the Indians For we Neither constraine them to worship God with us nor restraine them from worshipping God in their owne way Persians Turkes and Jewes come not amongst us those of other Nations of Europe when they doe come amongst us their manner of Worship is not taken notice of amongst us Our Country-men worship God with us for the most part if some of them come not to our Assemblies by reason of the distance of their dwellings from us they have Liberty of publick prayer and preaching of the word a-amongst themselves by such as themselves choose without disturbance Discusser The Answerer addeth a further Answer to Tertullian for whereas Tertullian had said that one mans Religion doth neither hurt nor profit another the Answerer saith it must be understood of private Worship or of Religion professed in private Otherwise a false Religion professed in publick by the Members of the Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and Desolation of the Churches Rev. 2. Whereto I Answer 1. Those that are Members of the Church and those that have given their names to Christ are all one the distinction therefore is unsound Defender The Discusser must excuse me though I doe not take them for all one For men of yeares must give up their names to Christ before they can be received Members into the Church as is evident Isaiah 56.6 7. Therefore they are not all one the one precedeth the other Discusser I answer secondly that Tertullian doth not there speake of private but of publick worship and Religion Defender Tertullians speech may possibly be meant of either publick or private But as I said to make the speech true it must either be understood of private or if of publick profession of Religion it must be understood not of Christian but of Pagan and of Pagan during the time of Gods Patience and their ignorance But after God revealed the Truth of the Gospel-Religion to them it was not safe to continue a publick Profession of Pagan-Religion for after the White-Horse hath revealed the Gospel a Red and Black and pale-horse follow to avenge the rejection of it upon the Romane-Pagan-Empire Revel 6.2 to 8. Discusser I answer thirdly although it be true in a Church of Christ that a false Religion or Worship permitted will doe hurt according to those Threats of Christ Rev. 2. yet in two cases I beleive a false Religion will not hurt which is most like to have been Tertullians meaning 1. A false Religion out of the Church will not hurt the Church no more then weeds in the Wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Gardens nor poyson hurt the body when it is not touched or taken yea and Antidotes are received against it 2. A false Religion and worship will not hurt a Civill State in case the worshippers breake no civill Law And the Answerer elsewhere acknowledgeth that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Lawes are not broken And this onely is the point in Question Defender If this onely be the point in Question where then lyeth the controversie for if I say as the Discusser saith I doe that the Civill Peace is not broken when the Civill Law is not broken and if a false Religion or worship doe not hurt the civill State unlesse the Worshippers breake some civill Law then where lyeth the pinch of the controversie But I would not have the Discusser mistake himselfe I doe not remember that I have any where said that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Law is not broken He saith I say so elsewhere If he meane that I say so in the Modell drawn up by my Brethren the Elders of those Churches he wrongeth and polluteth himselfe much Crimine falsi when he saith that Mr. Cotton with the rest of the Ministers of New-England composed that Modell of Church and civill power It is no new thing with him to say I did that which I did not that Modell was drawen up by some other fellow-Brethren but not by me There is a Truth in the speech which they speak rightly understood but not as the Discusser here taketh it For first what if no civill Law be made for the establishment of Religion nor against the violation of the Fundamentalls of it this very defect of so needfull a Law may bring the wrath of God upon the civill State as did the defect of a King in Israel Judg. 21.25 Againe secondly there may be a Law made for the establishing of true Religion and it though it be violated yet the Discusser will say no civill Law is violated because no Law concerning the second Table is violated But that is his mistake to thinke the civill Lawes concerne onely the outward Estate of the People and not their Religion That is a civill Law whatsoever concerneth the good of the City and the propulsing of the contrary Now Religion is the best good of the City and therefore Lawes about Religion are truly called civill Lawes enacted by civill Authority about the best good of the City for the promoting and preserving of that good of the City But having thus spoken to his second case first wherein he saith a false Religion will not hurt a civill State I come now to his first which was that a false Religion will not hurt if it be out of the Church no more then weeds in the wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Garden But what if the Garden be inclosed in the midst of a wildernesse what if the weeds grow so neere the inclosure or hedge round about the Garden that they easily creep into the Garden what if every blast of wind blow the seeds of the weeds into the Garden which are ready to overspread the Garden and to choak the good herbes The Discusser will say they that keep and dresse the Garden should weed them out True so they ought to their best endeavour But
according to their Conscience and beleife and constraine them to such worships which their own soules tell them they have no satifaction nor faith in 1. It is an untruth that either we restraine men from worship according to Conscience or constraine them to worship against Conscience or that such is my Tenent and practise 2. Though it were true that wee did both yet this did not make Lawes to binde Conscience but the outward man onely nor would we thinke it meet to binde the ontward man against Conscience Discusser Againe where as the Answerer affirmeth That men may make Lawes to see the Lawes of God observed I Answer As God needs not the help of a materiall Sword of Steele to assist the Sword of the Spirit in the affairs of Conscience so those men those Magistrates yea the Common-wealth which makes such Magistrates must needs have power and Authority from Christ Iesus to sit Iudge and to determine in all the great Controversies concerning Doctrine Worship Government c. Defender God needeth not the help of a materiall Sword of Steele to assist the Sword of his Spirit of righteousnesse in the dutyes of the second Table no more then to assist the Sword of the Spirit of holynesse in the dutyes of the first Table The Law of Righteousnesse is as fully and plainly written by the Spirit of God in the hearts and Consciences of men as is the Law of holynesse yea and more too And yet the Discusser doth not for ought I know make it a needlesse matter for God to accept the helpe of the materiall Sword to assist the Spirit of Righteousnesse in the affaires of Conscience which pertaine to the second Table The truth is God needeth not the Arme of flesh to help him that is he needeth not any help which the wisdome or strength of the creature can invent or bring forth which himselfe appointed not But yet God thinkes it no dishonour to himselfe to make use of his owne Ordinances in their owne bounds to his owne ends Nor doeth he then need them when he useth them but wee need such helps for the performance of our duty both to God and man Which made it a cursed sin in Meroz not to come out to help the Lord Iudge 5 23. Nor will it hence follow that such Magistrates as are chosen to help forward the work of God in matters of Religion that either themselves or the Common-wealth that chooseth them must needs have power and Authority from Christ to sit Iudge and to determine in all great controversies of Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Government It is enough that they are called of God to be wise and learned in the service of Christ and in the wayes of his Kingdome Psal 2.10 11 12. which if they have learned they ought to rule with him and for him or else how shall it be fulfilled which is written of them The Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of his Christ and he shall reigne for ever Rev. 7.15 Yea in this case it is learning enough if they know the Principles and Foundations of Religion and can discerne the Arrogancy of a tumultuous spirit after conviction For such want not judgement to censure Apostacy to Heresie in doctrine to Idolatry in worship to Tyranny in Government Discusser But then I aske whether upon this ground it must not evidently follow that then either there is no Common-wealth nor Civill State of men in the world that is not qualified with this discerning and then the Common-wealth hath more light concerning the Church then the Church it selfe Or that the Common-wealth and Magistrates thereof must judge and punish as they are perswaded in their owne beleife and Conscience be their Conscience Paganish Turkish or Antichristian And what is this but to confound Heaven and Earth together and to take away not onely the being of Christianity out of the world but all civility yea the world out of the world and to lay all upon heaps of confusion Defender See what strange effects a strong fancy can produce would you not think it must be some strange and strong paradox that if it be graunted shall produce such strange and strong effects as to take away the being of Christianity out of the world yea and all civility yea and the world out of the world But when men have slept a while and strong fancyes are evaporated the world will stand where it is and civility stand in the world and Christianity in civility I say therefore that which no sober minde can contradict that though Magistrates be bound to become wise and learned to know Christ and to establish the Religion of Christ yet it will not as the Discusser saith evidently follow no nor follow at all That then there is no law full Commonwealth nor Civill State of men in the world which is not qualified with this spirituall discerning For though it be the duty of Civill States thus to be qualified yet their want of such qualifications doth not make them unlawfull States Many due qualifications are required in Husbands Wives Children Servants Magistrates Churches the want of which maketh them defective and sinfull but doth not make them unlawfull This will need no proofe to any sober minde Muchlesse will it follow upon the former Premises that the very Common-wealth hath then more light concerning the Church of Christ then the Church it selfe For it is a weake Church that knowes no more light then Principles And what light the Common-wealth hath it may have received from the Church Howsoever the Magistrates power to establish the Religion of Christ doth no way inferre That he that establisheth that Religion which is professed in the Church hath more light concerning that Religion or any part of it then the Church it selfe Albeit it is not impossible nor is it absurd that sometime the Magistrate may have more light in matters of Religion then the Church it selfe David for ought wee read was the first that discerned the disorder in Carting the Arke of God 1 Chron. 15.2 And Hezekiah was the first that prevented the Preists and Levits and the whole Church in the worke of Reformation from the Apostacy of Ahaz 2 Chron. 29.4 to 11. But there is no colour of consequence that because Magistrates are bound to discerne and know the will of Christ and to serve him with their power That therefore such as have no discerning of Christ nor of his holy will That they should punish and destroy Christ and Christians and seeke only to advance their owne Religion which is but Idolatry and Superstition CHAP. 70. A Reply to his Chap. 73. Discussing the Testimony of Luther Discusser LUthers Testimony saith the Answerer reacheth to two things neither of which we deny First that the Government of the civill Magistrate reacheth no further then to the bodies and goods of their Subjects not over their soules and therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes
to the soules and Consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the Truth For this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted and compelled But this saith he hindereth not That Christians sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured of the Church by Excommunication and of the civill Magistrate also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules This Joynt-confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodyes and goods of their Subjects not over their soules who seeth not that hereby is given a cleare Testimony that either the spirituall and Church Estate the preaching of the word Baptisme Ministery Government thereof belongeth to the civill body of the Common-wealth that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemeth monstrous to Imagine or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his Office meddle with those spirituall Affaires Defender A man that is willing to open his eyes may easily see that though the Government of the civill Magistrate doe extend no further then over the bodies and goods of his Subjects yet he may and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods to the good of their soules yea and by promoting the good of their soules he may much advance the good of their outward man also The bodies and goods and outward Estates of men may expect a blessing when their soules prosper Though God may keep his Saints low in outward Estate that grow fastest in Godlinesse yet sure Godlinesse hath the Promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 And such as first seeke the Kingdome of God may expect all these outward things to be cast in upon them If it seeme a monstrous thing in the eyes of the Discusser to imagine that the good Estate of the Church and the well-ordering of the Ordinances of God therein should concerne the civill good of the Common-wealth it may well seeme monstrous to him to imagine that the flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the civill State and the decay of Religion is the decay and ruine of the civill State But such Virgine soules as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 would be loath to goe to live in such a Common-wealth to whom it should seeme monstrous that the things of God should belong to them And therefore the Magistrate need not to feare that he should exceed the bounds of his Office if he should meddle with the spirituall affaires of the Church in Gods way It is true if he shall meddle with the execution of a Ministers Office as Vzziah did or if he shall set up humane Inventions in Doctrine Worship Government in stead of Christs Institutions as David brought the Arke of God upon Oxen instead of the shoulders of the Levites Or if he shall thrust in Jeroboams Priests upon the Church and cast out faithfull Ministers or if he shall make Lawes to bind Conscience in all these or any such Like he exceedeth the bounds of his Office But if he shall diligently seeke after the Lord and read in the word of the Lord all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.19 that he may both live as a Christian and rule as a Christian if he shall seeke to establish and advance the Kingdome of Christ more then his owne If he shall incourage the good in a Christian course and discourage such as have evill will to Sion and punish none for matter of Religion but such as subvert the Principles of saving Truth which no good Christian much lesse good Magistrate can be ignorant of or at least such as disturbe the Order of the Gospel in a turbulent way verily the Lord will build up and establish the House and Kingdome of such Princes as doe thus build up his Discusser Againe necessarily it must follow that these two are contradictory to themselves which yet both of them are Mr. Cottons Positions the Magistrates Power extends no further then to the bodyes and goods of the Subject and yet The Magistrate must punish Christians for sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience and for corrupting the soules of men Defender If the Christian Faith and a good Conscience be a part and a great part a chiefe part of the good of Christians then these two are so farre from contradicting one another that they establish one another For if a Magistrates power extend to the preserving of the Goods of the Subject and to the punishment of the Impeachers or purloyners thereof then he falleth short of his duty if he suffer their Faith and good Conscience to be corrupted or dispoyled without revenge Againe this I say further which also will easily avoyde appearance of Contradiction suppose by Goods were meant onely outward Goods and that the Magistrates power extended no further then the bodies and goods of the Subjects yet though he have no power over Faith and Conscience he hath neverthelesse lawfull power to punish such evill doers in their Bodies and goods as doe seduce his people to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience For in seeking Gods Kingdome and Righteousnesse men prosper in their outward Estates Matth. 6.33 otherwayes they decay Besides I doe not remember that this Proposition is any of mine which yet the Discusser fastneth upon me that the Magistrates power extendeth no further then the bodies and Goods of his Subjects I doe not deny the Truth of it rightly understood but it seemeth to me somewhat too loose and confused for me to owne it as mine own For the Magistrates power may be said to extend no further then the bodyes and Goods of his Subjects either as the Subject of his power or as the end of his power If Goods be meant outward Goods and the Magistrates power be said to extend no further then to the body and Goods of his Subjects as to the Object of his power the Position is true But if it be meant of the end of his power as if a Magistrates power reached no further then to the preservation of their bodyes and outward Goods it is false For the Adequate end of the Magistrates power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè administrare Rempublicam well to governe the Common-wealth Now can it be well with a Common-wealth that liveth in bodily health and worldly wealth but yet without Church without Christ without God in the world But though God for a time may preserve a civill State in health and wealth through his Patience and bounty especially till meanes of Grace be offered to them yet after meanes of Grace be offered they cannot long expect bodily health or wealth to be continued to them if they neglect or despise or depart from so great salvation Witnesse the Romane Empire which though it
Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes which vanished at the appearing of the Body and substance of the Sun of Righteousnesse who set up another Kingdome or Church Heb. 12. Ministery and Worship In which wee finde no such Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men for Religion sake Defender Whether these shafts be taken from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes or no Sure this Answer is taken from no Law of God nor any Scripture ground but from the Topicks of humane invention Did ever any Apostle or Evangilist make the judiciall Lawes of Moses concerning life and death Ceremoniall or Typicall Time was when humane inventions in Gods Worship were accounted Superstition but now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for current Evangelicall Divinity It is true the Sunne of Righteousnesse hath set up another Church Ministery and Worship But did he ever set up another civill Righteousnesse or a M gistracy to walke by another rule of Righteousnesse then that which God gave by Moses If it be true that Christ gave no expresse Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men by materiall Swords for Religion sake It is as true that neither did he for any breach of civill Justice no not for murder nor adultry Which maketh it therefore evident that seeing he hath expresly authorized civill Magistracy in the New-Testament and hath given no expresse Lawes or Rules of Righteousnesse for them to walke by in Administration of civill Justice therefore either he leaveth them to act and rule without a Rule which derogateth from the perfection of Scripture or else they must fetch their rules of Righteousnesse from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets who have expounded him in the Old-Testament Discusser More particularly concerning Moses I Querie what Commandement or practise of Moses either Optatus or the Answerer here intendâ—th Probably that of Moses Deut. 13. If so I shall particularly Reply to that in Answer to the reasons here under mentioned Defender When Optatus speaketh that Macarius in putting Hereticks to death had done no more then Moses had done before him It appeareth he meant not that passage of Deut. 13. but of Exod. 32. where he put to death Idolaters and that of Levit. 24. where he put the Blasphemer to death For Optatus speaketh of what Moses had done not what Moses had commanded to be done But I shall God willing consider his Answer if it come in my way Discusser Concerning Phinehas his zealous Act. 1. His flaying the Jsraelitish man and woman of Midian was not for spirituall but corporall filthynesse Defender Was it for bodily or corporal filthinesse Surely for spiritual For the Israelites that committed whoredome with the daughters of the Land they were invited to the Sacrifices of their God And being invited they did eat and bowed downe to their Gods and so joyned themselves to Baal Peor this is plaine in the text Numb 25.1 2 3. Now I doe not know that corporall filthynesse betweene a young man and single woman was any Capitall Crime by the Law of Moses But the Discusser contenteth himself if any thing be said it may goe for an Answer Discusser 2. No man will produce this fact as Precedentiall to any Minister of the Gospel so to act in any Civill State c. Defender It is true it is no Precedent for Ministers but the fact so clearely acknowledged and approved and rewarded of God is doubtlesse an act of righteousnesse to have been done by some in their ordinary calling to wit by Moses and the Princes of Israel which Phinehas did by an extraordinary motion God is not wont to approve any act of holynesse or righteousnesse though never so extraordinary which doeth not fall under the ordinary Rule of holynesse and righteousnesse in the ordinary calling of some or other Function which himselfe hath ordained Therefore though Phinehas his fact be no Precedent for Ministers of the Gospel yet it is Precedentiall to such as beare not the Sword in vaine but for the punishment of evill doers Discusser Concerning Elijah There were two famous acts of Elijah of a killing nature 1. That of slaying 850. of Baals Prophets 1 Kings 18. 2. Of the two Captaines and their fiftyes by Fyre For the first It cannot figure or Type out any materiall slaughter of the many thousands of false Prophets in the world by any materiall Sword of Iron or steele for as that passage was miraculous so wee finde not any such Commission given by the Lord Jesus to the Ministers of the Gospel Defender It will doe the Discusser no hurt to take notice that he that is forward to take hold of any slip of Pen or memory is subject to the like slips himself The number of the false Prophets which he saith were slayne by Elijah exceedeth the Truth by halfe in halfe the Text numbreth them 450. and he numbreth them 850. Againe it is a vaine thing to inquire what this fact of Elijah should figure or Type out Acts of Morall Justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they are never accounted Typicall or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scripture into an Allegory Besides why should he call the fact Miraculous Is it a miracle for Elijah with the aide of so many thousand people of Israel â—o put to death 450. men whose spirits were discouraged being convinced of their forgery and Idolatry Moreover Though Christ gave no such Commission to Ministers of the Gospel to put false Prophets to death as Elijah did yet the same Answer holdeth here which was given to the fact of Phinehas though the hand which executed Justice was extraordinary yet the act of Justice was an ordinary duty of Morall Righteousnesse belonging to such as beare the Sword Discusser Lastly such a slaughter must not onely extend to all the false Prophets in the world but according to the Answerers grounds to the many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world Defender Such a slaughter being onely made of the false Prophets in Israel a people in Covenant with the true and living God the example of it will onely extend to the like execution of all the false Prophets in the Church of God who have turned the hearts of the People of God from Jehovah to an Idol What hath any Officer in the Church or Magistrate in the Common-wealth to doe to censure or punish all the false Prophets in the world when many hundreds of them if not thousands are exempt from their jurisdiction muchlesse will this example extend to the floughter of many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world For 1. many thousand thousands of them are exempt from the civill Magistracy of Christians 2. They were never in Covenant with God to whom onely the Law of Moses concerning the punishment of Idolaters
shall be put to death in Israel nor doe I say that he is to be put to death in any State of the world least of all doe I say that Pleading against a false Ministery is a capitall crime These are all but excursions and evaporations of the superfluity of wit But this I say and not I but Solomon He that withholdeth the Corne the people shall curse him Prov. 11.26 And cursing implyeth Separation He therefore that shall withdraw or separate the Corne from the people or the people from the Corne the people have just cause to separate either him from themselves or themselves from him And this proportion will hold as well in spirituall Corne as bodily the Argument still standeth unshaken What though we never read of Banishment in Israel we read of something proportionable what else meaneth that Decree Let Judgement be executed to death or to Banishment Ezra 7.27 And Ezra 10.8 Let all his substance be forfeited and himselfe separated from the Congregation of those that had been carried away And in Moses frequent mention is made of Cutting off from the people which though in Israel it may sometime signifie cutting off by Gods hand sometime by the sword of the Magistrate and sometime cutting off from the fellowship of Gods House yet in Abrahams Family The cutting off in Gen. 17.14 may very well reach cutting off from their civill Cohabitation as for a like offence Ishmael and his mother were cut off from cohabitation in the Tents of Abrahams people Gen. 21.9 to 14. Also he that had unawares slaine a man was banished though not out of all Israel yet from his own House and Towne and Tribe till the death of the High Priest and that was as much as Banishment out of any Society of Christs people now whether in Church or Civill Fellowship For though out of Israel there was no full Banishment legally enjoyned because there was then no other Church extant in the world and so to banish a man out of Israel was as much as to say Goe and serve other Gods 1 Sam. 26.19 yet now when Church-fellowship in the true Religion may be had in so many places to banish a man out of his Countrey is no more then it was then to banish an Israelite into a Citie of Refuge But though banishment be now a lawfull punishment in some case yet I goe not about to prove that every wilfull withholding of corne in every State is banishment much lesse death But he that shall withhold his own corne and goe about to perswade all others that have corne lying by them to shut up their sacks mouths and not to bring forth their corne for the nourishment of the people which is if we speake of spirituall corne the very case of the Examiner I doe not see but such an one may be justly accounted as Hostis Reipublicae a publick enemy of the Countrey and as such an one in due order to be cast out of it In due order I say for if such an one be detained from bringing forth his corne by some scruple of Conscience as suppose a man able to Preach Christ and so able to dispense spirituall corne yet doubting of the true way of the Ministery since the Apostasie of Antichrist dare not practise the Ministery Such an one should not be sodainly cast out of the Countrey till he be first convinced that the Apostasie of Antichrist did never so farre prevaile against the Church of Christ as to roote it out from off the face of the earth The woman which is the Church of Christ was still nourished in a Wildernesse even during all the Reigne of Antichrist Rev. 12.14 15 16. The Temple of God which is his Church together with the Altar and them that worship therein were still measured and that by John by Apostolick measure all the time when Antichrist trod downe the outward Court of the holy City Rev. 11.1 2. The Golden vessels of the Temple still continued in the middest of the Babylonish Captivitie And if spirituall Babylon have now so farre prevailed against the Church of Christ as that they have rooted it up from the face of the earth then what is become of the promise of Christ The gates of Hell shall never prevaile against it Mat. 16.18 Surely the Promise is given to a particular Congregationall Church that it shall never faile but shall alwayes be extant in some Countrey or other for he speaks of such a Church to whom the keyes of the Kingdome are committed ver 19. It will be vaine to look for new Apostles to replant Churches out of the ruines of the Antichristian Apostasie For the new Testament acknowledgeth Paul and Barnabas to be the last Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 If any Apostles rise up after them then Paul and Barnabas will not be the last And when the New Hierusalem comes downe from Heaven yet shee shall not be builded by any new Apostles but built upon that foundation which the Lambes twelve Apostles have already laid Rev. 21.14 As for those many excellent and worthy Gentlemen Lawyers Physicians and others whom the Examiner commendeth to be as well gifted in the knowledge of the Scripture and furnished with gifts of tongues and utterance as most that professe the Ministery and yet are not perswaded to sell spirituall Corne as questioning their true calling and Commission In such a case I would first seeke by the helpe of Christ to remove the scruples upon which they question their calling and Commission Secondly I would thinke it meet to put a difference between such as never received a lawfull calling and commission to the Ministery and them that have received it But if any of them have received a lawfull calling into the Ministery and yet will neither Preach themselves nor suffer them that would I suppose that both Church and Common-wealth may justly account them unworthy of any Christian society and as such unprofitable servants refuse to minister themselves or to suffer others to minister spirituall things so others should refuse to minister to them carnall things But saith he the selling or withholding of spirituall Corne are both of a spirituall nature and therefore must necessarily in a true Paralell beare Relation to a spirituall Curse Answ If they that minister spirituall good things may duely reape carnall good things 1 Cor. 9.11 then they that hinder the ministring of spirituall good things may justly reape the hinderance of enjoyment of carnall good things What if spirituall and carnall good things be not paralell Are there no Arguments but a Pari Is it not lawfull reasoning a majori ad minus If men hinder the enjoyment of spirituall good things may they not be hindred from the enjoyment of that which is lesse carnall good things It would weary a sober minde to pursue such windy fancies though I hope the Lord will helpe me not to count it wearisome either to satisfie a tender Conscience or to convince a Gainsayer TO CHAP.
me to despise his afflicted condition but the truest mercifull cordiall to his afflicted estate would be to perswade him that he is out of his way and still blesseth himselfe though God both crosse his estate and blast his spirit in such a way As for my being at ease as he calleth it had he been a little longer acquainted with the faithfull discharge of a Ministers office he would not judge it such a state of ease If I durst allow my selfe to seeke and take mine ease I should sooner choose a private solitary condition in his Wildernesse then all the throng of employment in this numerous society TO CHAP. VIII IN his 8th Chapter Mr. Williams rehearseth and examineth those words of my Letter wherein to helpe him to a serious sight of his sinne I said that it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against his corrupt wayes with the sword of his mouth in the mouths and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren Against whom when Mr. Williams over-heated himselfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his Truth it pleased the Lord to stop his mouth by a sodaine disease and to threaten to take his breath from him But he in stead of recoyling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in his way and to protest against all the Churches and Brethren that stood in his way c. In these lines the Examiner telleth us an humble and discerning Spirit may espie first a glorious justification and boasting of my selfe and others concurring with me secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable Censure of the afflicted Reply Whether is it a more glorious boasting to challenge to a mans selfe an humble and discerning Spirit as the Examiner doth here and elsewhere in this Treatise or to ascribe the glory to Christ in fighting with the sword of his mouth in the testimonies and labours of the Churches and Brethren against his corrupt wayes Surely when our glorying is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus we are allowed so to doe by the Holy Ghost Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Object But is it not a glorious boasting of our selves when as wee make the sword in our mouths and testimonies to be the sword of the mouth of Christ when as the holy Scripture putteth the sword of Christ in the mouths of such witnesses as himselfe and some others who in meeknesse and patience testifie the truth of Jesus against Antichrist and against all false Callings of Ministers And whether is Mr. Cotton swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of Persecution or himselfe and such other the witnesses of Christ most like unto Balaam Reply 1. The quicknesse of the Examiners wit over-runneth his judgement for I did not compare him to Balaam as like much lesse as most like but as unlike For that which Balaam would have done I said he would not doe 2. Let the light of the holy word of God discover and judge whether the sword of the mouth of the Lord Jesus be found in his mouth and his fellowes or in the mouths of the Churches and Brethren here and let the tryall be upon this very Point whether witnesseth for Christ or for Antichrist 1. We witnesse that Christ was never so farre overthrowne and overcome by Antichrist but that still the Lord Jesus hath preserved a Congregationall Church one or more especially since the Reformation of Religion by the Ministery of Luther and Calvin and other Ministers of Christ in the dayes of our Fathers The Examiner witnesseth that since the Apostasie of Antichrist Antichrist hath so farre prevailed against Christ and his Kingdome that he hath no Church nor Church-Officers left upon the face of the earth to this day 2. Wee witnesse the godly persons visible Saints confessing their knowne sinnes and professing their faith are fit materialls for Church-fellowship The Examiner witnesseth that the Churches which consist of such visible Saints are nullities unlesse they discerne every spot and pollution of Antichrist and forsake it for Instance unlesse they see the Antichristian pollution of the Ministery in England and doe refuse to heare the word from it 3. We witnesse that Persons qualified with a convenient measure of spirituall gifts fit to lead Gods people and chosen and elected by a Congregation of visible Saints and ordained and set apart unto the worke of the Ministery have received a lawfull calling from Christ to that office The Examiner witnesseth against this as a false Calling upon what pretence himselfe better knowes then I. 4. We witnesse that it is lawfull for the King of England to give a Patent to a certain number of his Subjects to transplant themselves out of England into America and to possesse such Lands as the Providence of God layeth open before them between such and such Degrees of the Horizon Provided that his Subjects adventure not upon such acts as the Patent never intended as to murther the Natives or to dispossesse them by violence or fraud of their lawfull Possessions but either to plant themselves in a vacuum Domicilium or if they sit downe upon the Possession of the Natives to receive the same from them by a reasonable Purchase or free Assignement The Examiner witnesseth against all such Patents and Preacheth it to be unlawfull for Magistrates to execute Justice upon the English by them and that it is necessary to repent of receiving such Patents and to returne them back againe into the hands of those Princes or of their Successors from whom they received them 5. We witnesse that it is lawfull for Magistrates especially in time of danger to offer to the Subjects under them an Oath of Fidelity whether they be regenerate or unregenerate Mr. Williams witnesseth it to be utterly unlawfull so to doe an Oath for confirmation of Office being peculiar to Christ and an Oath being a worship of God not meete for unregenerate Persons to take into their mouths 6. Wee witnesse that if a Church refuse to hearken to the voyce of Magistrates in delaying the Election or ordination of such an one to Office whom they finde to be troublesome to the State then it may be lawfull for Magistrates to delay the granting of the Petition of such a Church for Lands that lie convenient for them Mr. Williams witnesseth that in such a case the Church whose Petition is so delayed may write Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof such Magistrates are members to require them to grant without delay such Petitions or else to Proceed against them in a Church-way Now let the Churches of Jesus Christ and all the Saints on earth judge in whether sort of these witnesses the word and Spirit of Christ or Antichrist breatheth As for the deciphering which the Examiner maketh of Mr Cotton as swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and
the contrary may perswade a selfe-pleasing fancy but will not convince nor satissie any solid Judgement Might not the Israelites that came out of Aegypt borrow Jewells of silver and gold from the Aegyptians yea and carry up also a mixed multitude of People and yet build a Tabernacle to the Lord in the Wildernesse Exod. 12.35 to 38. Might not the Jewes come out of Babel and accept from all the People where they had sojourned vessells of silver and gold with goods and beasts and other precious things and yet build a Temple at Hierusalem Ezra 1.4 5 6. May not a soule be married to Christ and yet his former husband his corrupt nature not be so absolutely dead as the husband of a wife must be before shee can be lawfully married to another The Graft cut off from one tree may be engrafted to another and yet carry forth his old leaves with him The kingdome of Christ that is cut off from the Romane Monarchy may yet for a time have some entercourse with the Romane Monarchy The Corinthians though united with Christ and washed from their former Idolatry as well as from other sinnes yet still were defiled with communion in Idols Temples and with Fornication The Thessalonians turned from their former Idolls to serve the living and true God yet they had some amongst them that walked inordinately after their entrance into Church-estate as well as before 2 Thes 3.6 Besides for a further answer to his similitudes the Examiner may remember that though Israel came out of Egypt locally before they could sacrifice to God in the Wildernes yet in their hearts and soules they were still for Aegypt Exod. 14.11 12. Yea and for Aegyptian Idolls Act. 7.39 Ezek. 20.7 8. which is more then we doe allow to our selves TO CHAP. XIV HIs 14th Chapter is spent in Examining and answering a Reason that I gave of my second Answer to his Objection which was propounded and cleared in the former Chapter The Reason was this The Church of Christ received many thousand Jewes who beleeved on the Name of Christ although they were still zealous of the Law and saw not the beggarly emptinesse of Moses his Ceremonies Act. 21.20 And the Apostle Paul directeth the Romans to receive such unto them as were weake in the faith and saw not their liberty from the servile difference of Meats and Dayes but still lay under the bondage of the Law Yea he wished them to receive such upon this ground because Christ had received them Rom. 14.1 to 6. And lest it should be objected there was not the like danger of lying under bondage to Moses as to Antichrist It was said that even the bondage under Moses was such as that if it were continued in after instruction and conviction it would separate them from Christ Gal. 5.2 and bondage under Antichrist could doe no more For Answer hereto the Examiner would have two things to be carefully minded 1. That the Ordinances of Moses were sometimes the Ordinances of God and when they were to vanish they were to be taken away with solemnity The Ordinances of Antichrist were the Inventions of Satan and from first to last never to be received nor submitted to no not for a moment 2. He would have the difference of times to be observed which saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth after instruction and conviction Moses Law was deadly and would separate from Christ Therefore there was a time when they were not deadly and did not separate from Christ to wit untill Moses was honorably fallen asleep c. To apply then Paul observed a vow and the Ceremonies of it Circumcised Timothy c. May therefore a Messenger of Christ now as Paul goe to Masse Pray to Saints performe Pennance keepe Christmasse and other Popish Feasts and Fasts c. Reply 1. I never heard or read till now that Paul ever went to Masse Prayed to Saints kept Christmasse or the like nor did I ever imagine that any ingenuous minde would thinke that ever it came into my heart to plead for such things now or for the retaining of any Popish Rite at all But the wit and lip of man being let loose and left to it selfe may inferre quodlibet ex quolibet If it be said his Parenthesis as Paul had reference onely to a Messenger of Christ as Paul not to any such like act of Paul then his Argument is no more conclusive then a Baculo ad Angulum What colour were there that any man now should plead Pauls example to doe that now which Paul never did nor any thing like it Reply 2. The Examiner requireth two things here to be carefully minded In answer whereto I desire but one thing to be carefully minded to wit to what end I alledged the ignorance of the Jewes in the Primitive times and the indulgence of the Christian Churches for receiving them into Church-fellowship notwithstanding such ignorance And then see if it doe not inferre that which I brought it for If in the Primitive times the ignorance of the Jewes in many waighty Points of Religion and some of them fundamentall did not hinder their receiving into Christian Church-fellowship nor disanull their Church-estate who so received them then it is not so necessary to Church-fellowship as that without it a Church cannot be that the Members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expresly bewaile all the pollutions wherewith they have been defiled in their former Church-fellowship Ministery Worship Government c. But the former is true as hath been opened from Acts 21.20 Rom. 14.1 to 6. Gal. 5.2 To which may be added Acts 15.5 with 24. Where it appeareth some of the members of the Church and of the Synod held forth such Doctrine and Worship touching the necessitie of Circumcision and observation of the Law as tended to the subversion of soules and yet neither their membership nor the Estate of the Church was thereby disanulled The Conclusion is evident from these Premises It is a vaine thing now to alledge that the Ordinances of Moses were sometimes the Ordinances of God but so the inventions of Antichrist never were and there is not the like honourable respect and tendernesse to be shewed to the inventions of Antichrist as to the vanishing Ordinances of God For though this were of weight in case I had pleaded for the practise of any Antichristian inventions which indeed was farre off both from my meaning and words yet in this case it is wholly impertinent For that which I pleaded for was the capablenesse of godly Persons of Church-estate notwithstanding their ignorance of some weighty and necessary truths and the soundnesse of their Church-estate notwithstanding their admission and toleration of such ignorant members unto which the difference of the severall objects of their ignorance maketh nothing at all For the ignorance of weighty Truths of one sort as well as another necessary to salvation is a sinne of like destructive nature of what kinde soever the
knowne and secret and the faith of the godly party is more able to sanctifie the corrupt and uncleane sort to their Communion then the corruption of the uncleane sort is able to corrupt the Minister and Worship and Church-estate of all To CHAP. XXVIII IN this last Chapter of his though he doe repeate some passages of the close of my Letter yet I doe not discerne how his Answer is fitted at all to those passages Neverthelesse because he is pleased to gather from those passages That I have not duly considered sundry particulars I am willing to take up the consideration of them for a Conclusion The first particular is The necessitie of Separation between the garden of the Church and the wildernesse of the world As the Church of the Jewes under the old Testament was separate from the world so ought the Church of the New Testament to be Reply 1. Of this particular I have considered not in a confused generalitie as he delivereth it but in a distinct apprehension thus The world is taken in Scripture more wayes then one and so is separation The world is taken sometimes for the frame of heaven and earth and all the hosts of them man and beast c. as when God is said to have made the world Act. 17.24 Sometimes for the state of the world as when Christ is said to have redeemed us from this present evill world Gal. 1.4 Sometimes for the Civill Government of this world as when the Apostle exhorteth the Romans not to conforme their Church-bodies according to the platforme of the Romane Monarchy into Oecumenicall Nationall Provinciall Diocesan Bodies Rom. 12.2 Sometime for the wicked of the world as when it is said The world loveth his own Joh. 15.19 And the whole world lyeth in wickednesse 1 Joh. 5.19 Sometimes likewise for the corruption that is in the world 2 Pet. 1.4 The lusts of the world 1 Joh. 2.16 In like manner there be more wayes of Separation then one As first there is a separation in affection Love not the world 1 Joh. 2.16 Jam. 4.4 Secondly there is a separation in habitation which is part of the meaning of Isai 52.11 Revel 18.4 Thirdly there is a separation of Communion 2 Cor. 6.14 to 17th Besides there be diversities likewise of Communion for there is a Civill Communion and there is a religious Communion And of either sort there is a confederate Communion And there is a Communion without confederacy And of confederate Communion there is a confederacy in matters of common civilitie and there is a confederacy in matters of more intimate friendship societie and familiaritie To apply these different considerations of the world and of Separations according to the due and right apprehension thereof in the word of truth First It is lawfull to have civill peace and loving correspondency with neighbours in the world yea even with Idolaters and Infidels so as not onely to trade with them but to feast with them yea and to succour them in their distresses Rom. 12.18 1 Cor. 10.27 Luk. 10.34 Secondly It is lawfull to make leagues of peace with all men in the world even with Idolaters and Infidels to wit for free commerce for trade and inoffensive neighbourhood Gen. 31.44 to 53. Judg. 4.17 Thirdly It is lawfull for the Subjects of the same State to enter into confederacy amongst themselves and with their Princes to submit to the same Civill Government and Lawes and to assist one another in mutuall defence against a common enemy 2 Sam. 5.3 Eccles 8.3 But on the other side this consideration I have had of Separation from the world which the Examiner may consider whether it be due or no. First That from the world as taken for the creatures of the world we are to separate in affection to wit from the inordinate love thereof Jam. 4.4 Secondly From the world as taken for the carnall malignant estate of it we are to separate both in our affection and in our conversation Gal. 1.4 Phil. 3.20 Thirdly From the world as taken for the Civill Government of it we are to separate our Church-bodies and the government thereof in frame and constitution Rom. 12.1 2. Fourthly From the world as taken for the Cities and Countreys thereof which are fit to pollute us with their prevalent pollutions we are to separate in our habitations which is part of the meaning of Isai 52.11 Rev. 18.4 Fiftly From the world as taken for the corruptions and lusts thereof their evill examples corrupt worship Idolatries superstitions vaine fashions and the worldly persons addicted to these things we are to separate both in affection and in Communion whether we speake of religious Communion or of Civill Confederate Communion in matters of intimate friendship society and familiaritie As we may not partake in Idolatrous feasts or worship nor enter into marriage-Covenant with Idolaters 2 Cor. 6.14 to 17. Nor may we confederate with them in leagues of amitie to have friends and enemies in common 1 Kings 20.4 nor to have partnership in trade and commerce 2 Chron. 20.35 36 37. Sixtly There is yet another separation whereby the Church and people of God doe separate from the scandalous offenders of their own body 2 Thes 3.6 1 Cor. 5.11 This though it be in a speciall manner aymed at here by the Examiner yet is it by him most improperly and confusedly called separation from the world The Apostle doth most expresly contradistinguish these the one from the other I wrote unto you saith he in an Epistle not to company with fornicators yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with Idolaters for then must yee needs goe out of the world But if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater with such an one no not to eate 1 Cor. 5.9 10 11. As who should say a fornicator or Idolatrous brother of the Church is one thing a fornicator and Idolater of the world is another from a fornicator or Idolatrous brother you are to be separate from a fornicator or Idolater of the world in some kinde you need not to separate In as much therefore as the Churches of England doe not separate sundry notorious scandalous persons from their Church-Communion though it be a leavening corruption yet their sinne is not want of Separation from the world but want of purification of the Church In the meane time they are separated from the world of Pagans and Infidels as the Church of Israel notwithstanding their toleration of all sorts of offenders Idolaters murderers adulterers they were yet separated from Pagans by profession of a different Religion and the ordinances thereof The second particular which the Examiner saith Mr. Cotton hath not duely considered is That all the grounds and principles leading to oppose Bishops Ceremonies Common Prayer prostitution of the Ordinances of brist to the ungodly and the true practise of Christs own Ordinances doe necessarily conclude a