A SERMON Preached to the Honourable House of COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT Assembled On January 31. A day of Solemne Humiliation With a Discourse about TOLERATION And the Duty of the Civill Magistrate about RELIGION thereunto Annexed Humbly Presented to them and all Peace-loving Men of this NATION By John Owen Pastor of the Church of Christ which is at Coggeshall in Essex LONDON Printed by Matthew Simmons in Aldersgate Street 1649. Die Mercurij 31. Januarij 1648. ORdered by the Commons Assembled in Parliament That Master Allen do give the Thankes of this House to Master Owen for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon Preached before this House this day at Margarets Westminster And that he be desired to Print his Sermon at large wherein he is to have the like priviledge of Printing it as others in the like kind usually have had Hen Scobell Cler Parl. Dom. Com. To the Right Honourable the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament Sirs IT hath always suited the wisedome of God to do great things in difficult seasons He sets up wals in troublous times Dan. 9. 25. His builders must hold Swords and Spears as well as Instruments of labour Neh. 4. 16. Yea while sin continueth in its course here which began in Heaven and having contemporized with the Earth shall live for ever in Hell Great works for God will cause great troubles amongst men The holy harmlesse Reconciler of heaven and earth bids us expect the Sword to attend his undertakings for and way of making peace Mat. 10. 34. All the waves in the world arise to their height and roaring from the confronting of the breath of Gods spirit and the vapours of mens corruptions Hence seasons receive their degrees of difficulty according to the greatnesse and weight of the workes which in them God will accomplish to their worth and excellency is mans opposition proportioned This the instruments of his glory in this generation shall continually find true to their present trouble and future comfort As the days approach for the delivery of the decree to the shaking of Heaven and Earth and all the powers of the World to make way for the establishment of that kingdom which shall not be given to another people the great expectation of the Saints of the most high before the consummation of all so tumults troubles vexations and disquietnes must certainly grow and increase among the sons of men A dead woman says the Proverb will not be carryed out of her house under four men Much lesse will living men of wisedome and power be easily quietly dispossessed of that share and Interest in the things of Christ which long continued usurpation hath deluded them into an imagination of being their owne Inheritance This then being shortly to be effected and the scale being ready to turn against the man of sin notwithstanding his ballancing it in opposition to the witnesse of Jesus with the weight and poyse of earthly power no wonder if heaven earth sea and dry land be shaken in their giving place to the things that cannot be moved God Almighty having called you forth Right honourable at his entrance to the rolling up of the Nations heavens like a Scroll to serve him in your Generation in the high places of Armageddon you shall be sure not to want experience of that Opposition which is raised against the great work of the Lord which generally swels most against the visible instruments therof And would to God you had only the deuoted sons of Babel to contend withall that the men of this shaking earth were your only Antagonists that the Malignity of the Dragons tayle had had no influence on the Stars of heaven to prevaile with them to fight in their courses against you But jacta est alea the providence of God must be served according to the discovery made of his owne unchangeable will and not the mutable interests and passions of the sons of men For verily the Lord of Hosts hath purposed to pollute the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the Honourable of the Earth Isa. 23. 9. The contradictions of sinners against all that walk in the paths of righteousnesse and peace with the supportment which their spirits may receive as being promised who pursue those wayes notwithstanding those contradictions are in part discovered in the ensuing Sermon the foundation of that whole Transaction of things which is therin held out in reference to the present dispensations of providence being nothing but an entrance into the unravelling of the whole Web of Iniquity interwoven of Civill and Ecclesiasticall Tyranny in opposition to the kingdome of the Lord Jesus I chose not to mention Neither shall I at present add any thing thereabout but onely my desire that it may be eyed as the granted Basis of the following discourse Only by your very favourable acceptation of the making out those thoughts which were the hasty conception and like Jonah's Gourd the child of a night or two which with prayer for a rooting in the hearts of them to whom they were delivered had certainly withered in their owne Leaves had they not received warmth and moysture from your commands in general and the particular desires of many of you to give them a life of a few dayes longer I am encouraged to the annexing of a few lines as a free-will offering to attend the following Product of obedience Now this shall not be to the Opposition which you doe and shall yet further meet withall but as to the Causes real or pretended which are held forth as the bottom of that contradiction wherwith on every side you are encompassed The things in reference whereunto your proceedence is laden with such criminations as these sad dayes of recompence have found to be Comets portending no lesse then blood are first Civill then Religious For the First as their being beyond the bounds of my Calling gives them Sanctuary from being called forth to my consideration so neither have I the least thoughts with Absolom of a more orderly carrying of of Affaires might my desires have any influence into their disposall Waiting at the throne of Grace that those whom God hath intrusted with and enabled for the Transaction of these things may be directed and supported in their employment is the utmost of my undertaking herein For the other or Religious things the generall interest I have in them as a Christian being improved by the super-added Title of a Minister of the Gospel though unworthy the one Name and the other gives me not onely such boldnesse as accreweth from enjoyed Favour but also such a Right as will support mee to plead concerning them before the most Impartiall Judicature And this I shall doe as I said before meerly in reference to those criminations which are layd by conjecturall presumptions on your Honourable Assembly and made a cause of much of that opposition and contradiction you meet withall Now in particular
is come to passe that men might learne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} He that desires to see more of this let him consult Tertull. Apol. ad Scap. Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 21. August de civit Dei lib. 18. cap. 52. Eutrop. lib. 8. It would be tedious to descend to examples of latter Ages our owne and the neighbour Nations do so much too much abound with them let this that hath been spoken suffice to cautionate mortall men how they meddle with the Vessels of the Sanctuary But now may some say What will be the Issue of this discourse doe you then leave every one at Liberty in the things of God Hath the Magistrate nothing to doe in or about Religion Is he to depose the care thereof Shall men exasperated in their spirits by different perswasions be suffered to devoure one another as they please c. I have onely shewed the weaknesse of those grounds which some men make the bottome of their Testimonies against the toleration of any thing but what themselves conceive to be Truth as also taken away the chiefe of those Arguments upon which such a proceeding against Erring Persons is bottomed as tends to blood and death What positively the Civill Magistrate may nay ought to doe in the whole businesse of Religion comes in the next place to be considered being the third and last part of our discourse Now my thoughts unto this I shall hold out under these three heads 1. What is the Magistrates duty as to the truth and persons professing it 2. What in reference to the Opposers and Revilers of it 3 What in respect of Dissenters from it And I shall begin with the first which to me is much of chiefest importance His power or rather his duty herein I shall hold out in these ensuing Propositions 1. As all men in Generall so Magistrates even as such are bound to know the minde and will of God in the things which concerne his Honour and Worship They are bound I say to know it This obligation lyes upon all creatures capable of knowing the Creatour answerably to that light which of him they have and the meanes of Revelation which they doe enjoy He of whom we speake is supposed to have that most Soveraigne and supreme of all outward Teachings the Word of God with such other helpes as are thereby revealed and therein appointed So as he is bound to know the will of God in every thing him concerning wherein he failes and comes short of the truth it is his sinne the defect being not in the manner of the Revelation but in the corruption of his darkened mind Now that he is to make this inquiry in reference to his calling is evident from that of David 2 Sam. 23. 3. He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of the Lord This feare is onely taught by the Word Without a right knowledge of God and his mind there can be no true feare of him That command also for the Jewish Magistrate to study it day and night and to have the Booke of the Law continually before him because it was the Rule of that civill Politie whereof he was under God the head and preserver by Analogy confirmeth this truth Deut. 18. 2. If he desire this wisedome sincerely and the Lord intend him as a light of the morning as a rising Sun a morning without clouds to his people doubtlesse he will reveale himselfe to him and teach him his mind as he did David and Solomon and other holy men of Old And as to this I shall onely with due reverence cautionate the sonnes of men that are exalted in Government over their Brethren that they take heed of a lifted up spirit the greatest closer of the heart against the truth of God He hath promised to teach the humble and the lowly in mind the proud he beholdeth a farre off Is not this the great reason that the Rulers beleeve not on him and the Nobles lay not their necks to the yoake of the Lord even because their hearts are lifted up within them and so lye in an unteachable frame before the Lord 3. The truth being revealed to them and their owne hearts made acquainted therewith after their personall engagements to the practice of the power of godlinesse according to the Revelation of God in the face of Jesus Christ three things are incumbent on him in reference thereunto 1. That according to the measure of its Revelation unto him he declare or take care that it be declared unto others even all committed to his governing charge The general equity that is in the obligation of strengthening others when we are confirmed desiring them to be like our selves in all participations of grace from God the nature of true zeale for the glory and Name of the Lord are a sufficient warrant for this yea demand the performance of this duty So Jehoshaphat being instructed in the wayes of God sent Princes and Priests to teach it in all the Cities and Townes of Judah 2 Chron. 17. 8 9 10. As also did Hezekiah 2 Chron. 30. 6 7 8. Let this then be our first Position 1. It belongs to the duty of the supreme Magistrate the Governour or Shepheard of the People in any Nation being acquainted with the mind of God to take care that the truth of the Gospell be Preached to all the people of that Nation according to the way appointed either ordinary or extraordinary I make no doubt but God will quickly reject them from their power who knowing their Masters will are negligent herein 2. As he is to declare it so he is to protect it from all violence whatever Jesus Christ is the great King of Nations as well as the holy King of Saints His Gospell hath a right to be preached in every Nation and to every creature under heaven Who ever forbids or hinders the free passage of it is not onely sinfull and impious toward God but also injurious towards men Certainly the Magistrate is to protect every one and every thing in their own right from the violence and injury of unruly men In the preaching and receiving the Gospel there is a right acted superior to all earthly priviledges whatever In this then the Magistrate is to protect it that under him the professors thereof may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty And for this cause they to whom the Sword is committed may with the sword lawfully defend the Truth as the undoubted right and priviledge of those who do enjoy it and of which they cannot be deprived without the greatest injury Jephthah layd it down as the ground of the equity of the warres he waged against the Ammonites That they would possesse what the Lord their God gave them to possess the defence whereof he pursued to the subversion of their at first invading enemies Judg. 11. 24. 33. it is no new thing to begin in defence and
dis-beleeve all the strange imputations of wickednesse and uncleannesse that are imposed upon many to be either the end or the medium of the practise of that communion in Religion which they do professe and imbrace I remember that when I was a boy all those stories were told me of Brownists and Puritans which afterward I found it to have been long before the forgeries of Pagans and imposed on the primitive Christians I dare boldly say I have heard stories of them an hundred times holding out that very thing and those deeds of darknesse which Minutius Felix holds out in the tongue of an Infidel concerning the Christians of those dayes but yet because sundrie venerable persons to whom Antiquity hath given sanctuary from being arraigned in the point of false testimony have left it upon record of sundry Hereticks in their dayes as the Gnosticks others that they were conjoyned into societies tessera pollutionis and some assert that the like iniquities are not wholly buried I made the supposition and hope that if they depose themselves from common sence and reason the Magistrate will never exalt them to the priviledge and exemption of Religion In these and such like eases as these when men shall break forth into disturbance of common order and enormities against the light of nature beyond all positive command of any pretended Religion whatsoever that the Magistrate ought to set hedges of thornes in their wayes sharpned according to their severall delinquencies I suppose no man not abhord of common sense can once hesitate or doubt And I am the more inclin'd to assert a restraint to all such as these because it may be established to the height without the least prejudice unto the truth though persons erring should injoy the place of authority That which now remaineth in this head to be considered is concerning persons maintaining and upholding any great and pernicious errors but in such wayes as are not by any of the former disorders to be brought under the cognizance of the Civill Magistrate but good honest allowable and peaceable in themselves not at all to be questioned but in reference to the things that are carried on in and by those wayes as communication by discourse and private preaching and the like Now concerning these it is generally affirmed that persons maintaining any error in or against any fundamentall Article of faith or Religion and that with obstinacy or pertinacie after conviction ought to be proceeded against by the authority of the civill Magistrate whether unto death or banishment imprisonment or confiscation of goods Now unto this supposing what I have written heretofore concerning the incompetency of all and the non-constitution of any Judge in this case with the Answers given at the beginning of this Treatise to the most of the places produced usually for the affirmative reserving the consideration of pressing conformity to the next head to be handled I shall briefly give in my thoughts and 1. That I cannot but observe that in the question it self there are sundry things gratis assumed as 1. That it is known and confessed what Articles in Religion are fundamentall and this also to the Magistrate when no one thing among Christians is more questionable most accounting them so be they what they will wherein they differ from others So that one way or other all dissenters shall be hooked in directly or indirectly to clash upon fundamentals In this Papists are secure who make the Churches Propositions sufficient to make an Article fundamentall 2. That the persons holding the error are convinced when perhaps they have been onely confuted between which two there is a wide difference he that holds the truth may be confuted but a man cannot be convinced but by the truth That a man should be said to be convinced of a truth and yet that truth not shine in upon his understanding to the expelling of the contrary error to me is strange To be convinced is to be over-powred by the evidence of that which before a man knew not I my self once knew a Scholer invited to a Dispute with another man about something in controversie in Religion in his own and in the judgement of all the by-standers the opposing person was utterly confuted and yet the Scholer within a few months taught of God and clearly convinced that it was an error which he had maintained and the truth which he opposed And then and not till then did he cease to wonder that the other person was not convinced by his strong Arguments as before he had thought May not a Protestant be really worsted in a Dispute by a Papist hath it not so ere now fallen out If not the Jesuites are egregious lyars To say a man is convinced when either for want of skill and ability or the like he cannot maintain his opinion to and against all men is meer conceit The truth is I am so far from this morose severitie of looking upon all erring persons as convinced that have been confuted that I rather in charity incline to beleeve that no erring person whilest he continues in his error is convinced It will not easily enter into my dull apprehension how a man can be convinced of an error that is enlightned with a contrary truth and yet hold that error still I am loth to charge more corrupt and vile affections upon any then do openly appear That of Paul affirming that some men are self-condemned is quite of another nature I think a person is said to be convinced not when there is a sufficiency in the means of conviction but when there is such an efficacy in them as to lay hold upon his understanding 5. That they are obstinate and pertinacious is also a cheap supposall taken up without the price of a proof What we call obstinacy they call constancy and what we condemne them for as pertinacy they embrace as perseverance as the conviction is imposed not owned so is this obstinacy if we may be judges of other mens obstinacy all will be plain but if ever they get uppermost they will be judges of ours Besides I know not what good it will do us or how it will advantage our cause to suppose men obstinate and convinced before we punish them no such qualifications being anywhere in the book of God urged in persons deserving punishment if they have committed the crime whereunto the penalty is annexed be they obstinate or not they shall be punished But now supposing all this that we are clear in all fundamentals that we are convinced that they are convinced and doubt not but that they are obstinate if they keep themselves in the former bounds what is to be done I say besides what we spake at the entrance of this discourse I shall as to any wayes of corporall coaction and restraint oppose some few things 1. The non-constitution of a Judge in case of heresie as a thing civilly criminall As to spirituall censures and an Ecclesiasticall judgement of
men set upon opposition make a diligent enquiry whether there be no hand in the businesse but their owne Whether their counsels be not leavened with the wrath of God And their thoughts mixed with a spirit of giddinesse and themselves carried on to their owne destruction Let me see the opposer of the present wayes of God who upon his oppostion is made more humble more selfe denying more empty of selfe-wisedome more fervent in supplycations and waiting upon God then formerly and I will certainely blot him out of the Roll of men judicially hardened But if therewith men become also proud selfish carnally wise revengefull furious upon earthly Interests full impatient doubtlesse God is departed and an evill spirit from the Lord prevaileth on them O that men would looke about them before it be too late see the Lord disturbing them before the waves returne upon them know that they may pull downe some Anticks that make a great shew of supporting the Church and yet indeed are Pargetted posts supported by it the foundation is on a rock that shall not be prevailed against See the infinite wisedome and soveraignty of Almighty God that is able to bring light out of darknesse and to compasse his owne righteous Judgements by the sinfull advisings and undertakings of men Indeed the Lords Soveraignty and dominion over the Creature doth not in any thing more exalt it self then in working in all the Reasonings debates consultations of men to bring about his owne counsels through their free workings That men should use improve their wisedome freedome choyce yea lusts not once thinking of God yet all that while doe his worke more then their owne This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Of the last part of my Text I shall not speak at all neither indeed did I intend OF TOLERATION And the Duty of the Magistrate About RELIGION THE Times are busie and we must be breife Prefaces for the most part are at all times needlesse in these troublesome Mine shall only be that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} without either Preface or Passion I will fall to the businesse in hand The thing about which I am to deale is commonly called Toleration in Religion or Toleration of severall Religions The way wherin I shall proceed is not by contest thereby to give occasion for the reciprocation of a Saw of debate with any but by the laying downe of such positive observations as being either not apprehended or not rightly improved by the most yet lye at the bottome of the whole difference betweene men about this businesse and tend in themselves to give light unto a righteous and equitable determination of the maine thing contended about And lastly herein for method I shall first consider the grounds upon which that Non toleration whereunto I cannot consent hath been and is still indeavoured to be supported which I shall be necessitated to remove and then in order assert the positive Truth as to the substance of the businesse under contest all in these ensuing observations 1. Although the expressions of Toleration and Non toleration wherewith the thing in controversie is vested doe seeme to cast the Affirmation upon them who plead for a forbearance in things of Religion towards dissenting persons yet the truth is they are purely upon the Negation and the Affirmative lyes fully on the other part and so the weight of proving which ofttimes is heavy lyes on their shoulders Though non-toleration sound like a negation yet punishment which termes in this matter are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is a deep Affirmation And therefore it sufficeth not men to say That they have consulted the minde of God and cannot finde that hee ever spake to any of his Saints or people to establish a Toleration of errour And yet this is the first argument to oppose it produced in the late Testimony of the Reverend and learned Assembly of the Church of Scotland Affirmative precepts must be produced for a non Toleration that is the punishing of erring persons For actings of such high concernment men doe generally desire a better warrant then this There is nothing in the Word against them Cleare light is needfull for men who walke in paths which lead directly to houses of Blood God hath not spoken of Non-Toleratin is a certaine rule of Forbearance But God hath not spoken of Toleration is no rule of acting in opposition thereunto What he hath spoken one way or other shall be afterwards considered Positive actings must have positive precepts and rules for them as conscience is its owne guide If then you will have persons deviating in their apprehensions from the truth of the Gospell civilly punished you must bring better warrant then this that God hath not spoken against it or I shall not walke in your wayes but refraine my foot from your path 2. That undoubtedly there are very many things under the command of the Lord so becomming our duty and within his promise so made our priviledge which yet if not performed or not enjoyed are not of humane cognizance as faith it selfe Yet because the knowledge of the Truth is in that rank of things this also is urged as of weight by the same learned persons to the businesse in hand 3. Errours though never so impious are yet distinguished from Peace-disturbing enormities If Opinions in their owne nature tend to the disturbance of the publike peace either that publick Tranquilitie is not of God or God alloweth a penall restraint of those Opinions It is a mistake to affirme that those who plead for Toleration doe allow of punishment for offences against the second Table not against the first The case is the same both in respect of the one and the other What Offences against the second Table are punishable Doubtlesse not all but onely such as by a disorderly Eruption pervert the course of publicke quiet and society Yea none but such fall under humane Cognizance The warrant of exercising vindictive power amongst men is from the reference of Offences to their common tranquility Delicta puniri publice interest Where punishment is the debt Bonum totius is the Creditour to exact it And this is allowed as to the Offences against the first Table If any of them in their owne Nature not some mens apprehensions are disturbances of publick peace they also are punishable Only let not this be measured by disputable consequences no more then the other are Let the Evidence be in the things themselves and Actum est let who will plead for them Hence Popish Religion warming in its very Bowels a fatall Engine against all Magistracy amongst us cannot upon our Concessions plead for Forbearance It being a knowne and received Maxime that the Gospell of Christ clashes against no righteous ordinance of man And this be spoken to the third Argument of the forenamed Reverend persons from the Analogie of delinquencies against the first and second Table
contemneth hee will never doe any honourable thing but because these not so worshipping introducing new Deities doe perswade many to transgresse or to change affaires whence are conjurations seditions private societies things no way conducing to Monarchies Hence doubtlesse was that opposition which Paul met withall in deverse of the Roman Territories thus at Athens though as I suppose they enjoyed there their owne Lawes and Customes very suitable as it should seem to those of the Romans preaching Jesus he was accused to be a setter forth of strange Gods Acts 14. for although as Strabo observeth of the Athenians that publiquely by the Authority of the Magistrates {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} they received many things of forreigne worships yet that none might attempt any such things of themselves is notorious from the case of Socrates who as Laertius witnesseth was condemned as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} one who thought not those to be Gods whom the City thought so to be but brought in certaine new Deities Hence I say was Pauls opposition and his haling to Mars hill Without doubt also this was the bottome of that stirre and trouble he met withall about Philippi It is true private Interest lay in the bottome with the chiefe Opposers but this Legall Constitution was that which was plausibly pretended Acts 16. 21. They teach customes which are not Lawfull for us to receive neither to observe being Romans {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} it is not lawfull for us Romans to receive the Religion they hold out because Statutes are made amongst us against all Religious worship not allowed by publique Authority Let Calvin's short Annotation on that place be seen Gallio's refusing to judge between Jewes as he thought in a Jewish controversie is no impeachment of this truth had it been about any Roman establishment he would quickly have interposed Now this Law amongst them was doubtlesse Fundi Christiani Calamitas This then in the first place was Enacted that no worship should be admitted no Religion exercised but what received Establishment and Approbation from them who supposed themselves to be intrusted with Authority over men in such things And this power of the Dragon was given over to the Beast and false Prophet The Anti-christian power succeeding into the room of the Paganish the Pope and Counsels of the Emperours and Senate it was quickly confirmed that none should be suffered to live in peace who received not his marke and name Revel. 13. 16 17. Wherunto for my part I cannot but referre very many of those following Imperiall Constitutions which were made at first against the opposers of the Churches Orthodoxisme but were turned against the witnesse of Jesus in the close 2. This being done they held out the Reasons of this Establishment I shall touch only one or two of them which are still common to them who walke in the same paths with them Now the first was that Toleration of sundry ways of worship and severall Religions tends to the disturbance of the Common-wealth and that civill Society which men under the same Government doe and ought to enjoy So Cicero tels us Lib. 2. de legibus Suos Deos aut novos aut alienigenas coli confusionem habet c It brings in confusion of Religion and civill Society The same is clearly held out in that Counsell of Maecenas to Augustus before mentioned They saith he who introduce new Deities draw many into Innovations whence are Conspiracies Seditions Conventicles no way profitable for the Common wealth Their other maine Reason was that hereby the Gods whom they owned and worshipped were dishonoured and provoked to plague them That this was continually in their mouths and clamours all the Acts at the slaying of the Martyrs the Rescripts of Emperours the Apologies of the Christians as Tertullian Justine Martyr Arnobius Minutius Felix doe abundantly testifie All trouble was still ascribed to their Impiety upon the first breaking out of any judgment as though the cause of it had been the Toleration of Christians presently the vulgar cry was Christianos ad Leones Now that those causes and reasons have been traduced to all those who have since acted the same things especially to the Emperours successor at Rome needs not to be proved With the power of the Dragon the wisedome also is derived see that great Champion Cardinall Bellarmine fighting with these very weapons Lib. de Laicis cap. 21. And indeed however illustrated improved adorned supported flourished sweetned they are the sum of all that to this day hath been said in the same case 3. Having made a Law and supported it with such reasons as these in proceeding to the Execution of the penalty of that Law as to particular Persons which penalty being as now Arbitrary was inflicted unto Banishment Imprisonment Mine-digging Torturing in sundry kinds Mayming Death according to the pleasure of the Judges they always charged upon those persons not onely the denying and opposing their owne Deities Religion and Worship but also that that which they embraced was foolish absurd detestable pernitious sinfull wicked ruinous to Commonâ—wealths Cities Society Families honesty order and the like If a man should goe about to delineat Christian Religion by the Lines and features drawne thereof in the invectives and accusations of their Adversaries he might justly suppose that indeed that was their God which was set up at Rome with this Inscription DEUS CHRISTIANORUM ONONYCHITES Being an Image with Asses eares in a Gowne Clawes or Talons upon one foot with a Booke in his hand Charged they were that they worshipped an Asses head which impious folly first fastened on the Jews by Tacitus Histor. lib. 5. cap. 1. in these words Effigiem animalis quo monstrante errorem sâ—â—imque depulerant penetrali sacravere having before set out a faigned direction received by a company of Asses which he had borrowed from Appion a rayling Egiptian of Alexandria Joseph ad App. lib. 1. was so ingrafted in their minds that no defensative could be allowed The Sun the Crosse Sacerdotis Generalia were either really supposed or impiously imposed on them as the objects of their worship The blood and flesh of Infants at Thiestaean banquets was said to be their food and provision promiscuous lust with Incest thâ—â—â— chiefest refreshment Such as these it concerned them to have them thought to be being resolved to use them as if they were so indeed Hence I am not sometimes without some suspition that many of the impure abhominations follies villanies which are ascribed unto the Primative Hereticks yea the very Gnosticks themselves upon whom the filth that lyes is beyond all possible beliefe Epiphan. Tom. 2. lib. 1. Har. 26. might be â—ained and imposed as to a great part thereof For though not the very same yet things as foolish and opposite to the light of nature were at the same time charged on the most Orthodox But you will say they who charged
were to their owne ruin perswaded to them the Man of sinne walked to his Throne Those very Lawes Edicts and Declarations which were obtained against erring Persons did the Bishops of Rome invert and use against all the Witnesses of Jesus The Devill durst not be so bold as to imploy that his grand Agent in his Apprentiship against the Saints But he first suffers him to exercise his hand against Hereticks intending to make use of him afterwards to another purpose In most of those contests which the Roman Pontists had with their fellow Bishops by which they insensibly advanced their owne supremacy it was the defence of Catholicks they undertooke as in the case of Athanasius and others Neither did the Christians of old at once steppe into the perswasion of punishing corporeally in case of Religion Constantine makes a Decree at first {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that Liberty of worship is not to be denyed and therefore the Christians as others should have Liberty to keep the faith of their Religion and heresie Euseb. Eccles Hist. lib. 10. cap. 5. And in the same Edict he saith how truely I know not but yet Great Constantine said it That it is most certaine that this is conducing to the peace of the Empire that free Option and choyce of Religion he left to all Afterwards when he begun a little further to ingage himselfe in the businesse of Religion being indeed wearied with the Petitions of Bishops and their Associates for the persecution of one another what troubles in a few yeares did he intricate himselfe withall perplexed he was in his spirit to see the untoward revengefulnesse of that sort of people insomuch that he writes expresly to them being assembled in Counsell at Tyre That they had neither care of the truth nor love to peace nor conscience of scandall nor would by any meanes be prevailed on to lay downe their malice and animosities Socrat. Hist. lib. 1. cap. 22. At length an Arrian Priest curryes favour with his Sister Constantia Shee gets him into the Esteeme of her Brother after some insinuations of his new Edicts new Synods new recallings new Banishments of other persons follow one upon the neck of another Ruffin Eccles. Hist. lib. 1. cap. 11. And when this knack was once found out of promoting a Sect by Imperiall favour it is admirable to consider how those good Princes Constantine and his Sonnes were abused misled inraged ingaged into mutuall Dissensions by the Lyes flatteries equivocations of such as called themselves Bishops Ruff. lib. 1. cap. 15 16 c. As also how soone with the many the whole businesse of Religion was hereupon turned into a matter of externall Pompe and Dominion But it is besides my purpose to rase into that Hell of confusion which by this meanes brake in upon the Churches in succeeding Ages Onely for the following Imperiall Edicts and Constitutions in the behalfe of the faith Catholicke and for the punishing of Erring Persons I desire to observe 1. That the Emperours were stirred up to them by Turbulent Priests and aspiring Prelates let the Popes letters to them witnesse this Leo Epist. 75 c. 2. That they were still bottomed upon such and such counsells that were not to be opposed or spoken against when all of them were spent for the most part about things quite besides and beyond the Scripture as feastings and fastings and Bishops jurisdictions and some of them were the very ulcers and impostumations of Christian Religion as those of Nice and Ephesus both the second and in generall all of them the Sea upon which the Whore exalted her seat and throne and these things did those good men either deceived by the craft of Hereticks or wearied by the importunity of the Orthodox And yet notwithstanding all this as I shall afterwards declare I cannot close with that counsell which Themistius a Philosopher gave to Valens the Emperour and am most abhorrent from the Reason of his Counsell viz. That he should let all Sects alone because it was for the glory of God to bee honoured with diversities of Opinions and wayes of Worship Yet though this Reason be false and impious yet the advise it selfe was well conducing at that time to the peace of the Churches something qualifying the spirit of that Hereticall Emperour who before had cruelly raged against all Orthodox professors of the Deity of Christ Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 27. 8. Lastly add unto all that hath been said vice coronidis for the use of such as injoying Authority may have misapprehensions of some truths of Christ a sad consideration concerning the End and Issue which the Lord in his righteous Judgement hath in all Ages given to Persecutors and Persecution Nero of whom sayes Tertullian tali Dedicatore gaudet sanguis Christianus who was the first that imployed the Sword against our Religion being condemned by the Senate to be punished More Majorum slew himselfe with this exprobration of his owne sordid Villany Turpiter vixi turpius Morior Sueton. in Nero Domitian the inheritor of his rage and folly murdered in his owne House by his Servants Idem in Domit. Trajan by a resolution of his Joynts nummednesse of body and a choaking Water perished miserably Dion Cassius de Tra. This is he whose order not to seeke out Christians to punishment but yet to punish them appearing you have in his Epistle to Plinie a provinciall Governour under him Plin. Epist. 97. which though commended by Eusebius Eccles. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 30. yet is canvassed by Tertullian as a foolish impious wicked Constitution Apol. cap. 2. Hadrian perishing with a Flux and casting of blood payd some part of the price of the Innocent blood which hee had shed Aelius Spart in Had. Severus poysoned himselfe to put an end to his tormenting paines Jul. Capitol Maximinus with his Sonne yet a Child was torne in pieces of the Souldiers all crying out That not a whelpe was to be left of so cursed a stock Decius having reigned scarce two yeares was slaine with his Children Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 1. Valerian being taken by Sapores King of Persia was carryed about in a Cage and being 70 yeares old was at length flayed alive Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 9. Another Valerian of the same stampe with his Brother and Kindred was murdered at Millan Diocletian being smitten with madnesse had his Pallace consumed with fire from Heaven and perished miserably The City of Alexandria in the time of Gallienus was for its persecution so wasted with variety of destroying Plagues and Judgements that the whole number of its Inhabitants answered not the Gray-headed old men that were in it before Dyonis apud Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 20. What was the End of Julian is knowne to all Now truely of many of these we might well say as one of old did Quales Imperatores as Trajan Hadrian Severus Julian what excellent Emperours had they been had they not been Persecutors And all this sayes Tertullian
are doubtlesse under his restraining power to be acted and put forth in such wayes as to other persons running out into the same or the like compasse of disorder upon other grounds and from the instigation of other lusts The pretence of disturbance and confusion upon the bearing with differences in opinion about things commanded in Religion we before rejected as a colour fitted chiefly for the waring of persecution But actuall disturbances indeed must have actuall restraints For instance If a man being perswaded that the power of the Magistrate is in Christian Religion groundlesse unwarrantable unlawfull should thereupon stir up the people to the abolishing and removall of that power such stirrings up and such actings upon that instigation are as opposite to the Gospel of Christ which opposeth no lawfull regiment among the sons of men so also prejudiciall to humane society and therefore to be proceeded against by them who bear not the sword in vain This case we know happened once in Germany and may do so again in other places If such as these suffer it is as murderers or theeves or evill doers or busie-bodies in other mens matters which is a shamefull thing no way commendable or praise worthy 1 Pet. 4. 15. 2. If any persons whatsoever under any pretence whatsoever shall offer violence or disturbance to the professors of the true worship of God so owned established and confirmed as above said in and for the profession of that true so owned worship service and declaration of the minde of God such persons are to feare that power which is the minister of God and a revenger to them that do evill Let us suppose of them what they suppose and for their own justification and support in irregular wayes bear out of themselves that they enjoy the truth others walking in paths of their own yet then this practise is contrary to that prime dictate of nature which none can pretend ignorance of viz Do not that to another which thou wouldest not have done unto thy self If men that would not think it equitable to be so dealt with as they deal with others supposing themselves in their conditions do yet so deal with them they are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and do pronounce sentence against themselves out of their own mouthes This then deserveth punishment and breaking out to the disturbance of publick order ought to be punished We before proved the protection of publick places to belong to the Magistrate so that he not onely may but if he will not be false to him by whom he is intrusted he must put forth his Authority for the safe guarding and revenging of them Yea also and this rule may passe when some things in the way publickly established are truly offensive What the ancient Christians thought of the zeal of Audas a Christian Bishop who would needs demolish a Pagan Temple in Persia I know not but I am sure his discretion is not much extolled who by that one fiery act of destroying {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or Temple of slain occasioned a cruell persecution of 30. yeers continuance Theod. Eccles. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 139. 3. When any have entertained any singular opinion in matters of great weight and importance such as neerly concern the glory of God and the minds of Christians in reverence of his holy name are most tenderly affected withall so that without much horror of minde they can scarse hear those errors whereby those grand truths are opposed yet those persons who have entertained such uncouth opinions shall not be content so to have done and also in all lawfull wayes as to civill society endeavoured to propagate the said opinions to others but in the pursuit of this their designe of opposing truth shall publickly use such expressions or perform such acts as are fit to powre contempt and scorn upon the truth which they do oppose reviling it also or God himself so represented as he is in the truth they abominate with odious and execrable appellations as for instance the calling the holy Trinity Tricipitem Cerberum if the â—uestion be put whether in this case the Magistrate be not obliged to vindicate the honour of God by corporall restraints in some degrees at least upon the persons of those men truly for my part I incline to the affirmative And the Reason hereof is this Though men through the incurable blindnesse of their minds falling into error of judgement and mis-interpretation of the Word may dis-beleeve the Deitie of Christ and the holy Spirit yet that any pretence from the Word perswasion of conscience or dictate of Religion should carrie them out to reviling opprobrious speeches of that which of God is held out contrary to their apprehensions is false and remote from Reason it self For this cause Paul saies he was a blasphemer not because being a Jew he dis-beleeved the Gospel but because so dis-beleeving it he moreover loaded the truths thereof with contumelious reproaches Such expressions indeed differ not from those piercing words of the holy name of God which he censured to death Levit. 24. 15. but onely in this that there seemeth in that to be a plain opposition unto light in this not so The like may be said of a Jew's crucifying a dogge 4. There are a sort of persons termed in Scripture {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Thes. 5. 14. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Act. 17. 5. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Thes. 3. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 1 Tim. 1. 9. and the like disorderly vagabond wandring irregular persons fixed to no calling abiding in no place taking no care of their families that under a pretence of teaching the truth without mission without call without warrant uncommanded undesired do go up and down from place to place creeping into houses c. Now that such wayes as these and persons in these wayes may be judicially inquired into I no way doubt The story is famous of Sesostris King of Egypt who made a Law that all the Subjects of his kingdom should once a yeer give an account of their way and manner of living and if any one were found to spend his time idly he was certainly punished and the Laws of most Nations have provided that their people shall not be wanderers and whosoever hath not a place of abode and imployment is by them a punishable vagabond And in this by much experience of the wayes walking and converse of such persons I am exceedingly confirmed in I did as yet never observe any other issue upon such undertakings but scandall to Religion and trouble to men in their civill relations 5. When men by the practise of any vice or sin draw others to a pretended Religion or by pretence of Religion draw men to any vice or known sin let them be twice punished for their reall vice and pretended Religion The truth is I have been taught exceedingly to