that may hinder love but let this wrangler answer whither it be more reall love to the murtherers soul to informe against him and more glory to God more peace to the familie or to be silent and let his brother run to hell and wrath lye upon the whole land It is but a losse of time to refute such weak foolerie against naturall reason far more contrary to sound Divinitie for if pastors informe against evil doers out of desire of revenge malice or hatred they ought not upon these grounds to rebuke any sins at all and we condemn the doing of good duties upon evill motives and principles CHAP IIII. The state of the question of compulsion of Conscience and tolleration THe question touching Libertie of conscience was never by us nor any man save Libertines themselves and ignorant Anabaptists both of old and late moved concerning internall libertie remaining within the soule as libertie to think understand judge conclude whither the Magistrate can force men with the sword to opinions and cudgell them out of some into other contrary judgements in the matters of God for the Magistrate cannot take on him yea nor the Church under the paine of censures compell any to think well of Christ or ill or Antichrist Yet most of the senslesse arguments of the times are drawn from the immediate subjection of the conscience to God from the nature of conscience Religion faith fear and the elicit acts of the soul which cannot be compelled yea in this meaning we think God can neither offer violence to minde understanding will or affections of love fear joy because all these clicit acts cannot slow from any principle but the internall and vitall inclinations of the soul though the devils be said to beleeve against their will yet not against the inclination of the understanding or desiring facultie All the question is concerning the imperated acts and these externall that is not touching opinions and acts of the minde but that which is visible and audible in these opinions to wit the speaking professed holding of them publishing teaching printing and known and externall perswading of others to be of our minde So that the question will come to this whither the Magistrates sword be to regulate our words that concerns our neighbour as that we lie not we forsweare not to the hurt of the life and credit of our neighbour that we slander not raile upon no man farre lesse against the prince and ruler of the people but whether the words we utter or publish of God though never such blasphemies and lies because they come from the conscience as if truths or words we speak for or against our neighbour did not slow from a conscience either good or ill be above or beyond all swords or coercive power of men It is clear the question must be thus stated for all the lawes of the old Testament which we hold in their morall equitie to be perpetuall that are touching blasphemies heresies solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses and which husband and wife are not to conceale and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment Deut. 1â— 8 9 10 11. Deut. 17. 5 6. Levit. 20. 1 2 3 4 5. But opinions in the minde acts of the understanding can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrate nor Church can censure Then we referre to all the Godly if Libertines and Anabaptists deal brotherly in affirming that Presbiterians persecute them because out of tendernesse of conscience they cannot come up to the light and judgement of their brethren in all opinions 2. There is a tolleration pollitick and Civil and spirituall or Ecclesiastick shame and fear in punishing heresies either by the Judge or the Church whither in civil or Ecclesiasticall censures rebukes Excommunication is an evil of punishment in both as is evident if we compare Judg. 18. 7. Where it is said There was no Magistrate in the land that might put them so shame in any thing Deut. 13. 11. With these places that speaketh of spirituall censures in the feare and shame of them as 1. Tim. 5. 19. Receive not an accusation against an Elder but before two or three witnesses then an Elder that is scandalous may incur shame of being accused and Mat 18. 17. let him be to thee as a heathen and a Publicane 1 Tim. 5. 20. them that sinne rebuke before all that others also may fear So the avoiding of Idolaters and Hereticks 1 Cor. 9. 11. Tit. 2. 10. â— Joh. 10. Gal. 1. 8. brings publicke shame on them 2. Thesse 3. 14. then looke what forcing power the shame the Magistrates can put Hereticks to and what compulsory 〈◊〉 it hath on the conscience and so should not be inflicted on men for their conscience and holding of heresies as Libertines say the same compulsorie power hath concionall rebukes of Pastors or private Christians and of admonition excommunication or the avoiding of the societie of false teachers either by the whole Church or by private Christians and the arguments proving the Magistrate cannot punish for conscience in his politick Spheare doe also prove that hereticks should be rebuked sharply that they may be sound in the faith contrary to Tit. 1. 13. and that we should neither admonish them nor avoid their company which is absurd so they be more ingenious Libertines who free false teachers and hereticks from both civil and ecclesiasticall censures than these who free them from civil and subject them to Ecclesiasticall censures for Ecclesiasticall compulsion hath no more influence on the conscience by way of teaching then politick or civil and the arguments taken from the nature of conscience is as strong to prove that the Church of Pergamâ—â— Ephesus Thyatira should suffer lyars false Apostles and seducers such as hold the doctrine of Balaam and Jezabel the deceiving Prophetesse who teach and professe according to their erroneous conscience contrary to Rev. 1. 2 3 14 20. as that the Godly Prince should suffer them nor can it be said that Church-censures are spirituall punishments and so work on the spirit and have instructing rebuking and exhorting going before but the sword is a bodily punishment and hath not instructing going before For I answer though these two punishments differ yet they agree that formally both are alike compulsory of the conscience and neither of them act upon the spirit by teaching and instructing as the word doth so as excommunication of a heretick should have instructing and convincing going before so should also the Magistrate presuppose before he strike with the sword that the false teacher hath been instructed and convinced and so he doth formally punish him with the sword for his pertinacious perverting of souls 3. Nor can it be replyed that men should not be punished for either opinions or for
under him and so to the conscience that they may â—â—errandly and indeclinably also command but they should remember when power of commanding comes out of God the fountain of authority now it looseth its absolute undeclinablenesse when it is in conscience or in any creature and it is onely conditionall and limited in the streames whereas it was absolute and soveraigne in the fountaine 2 In the case of an erroneous conscience standing in its vigorous thing the question is both what is commanded and what is good for these two are not contrary but agree well for the Lords command to Adam eate not of this fruit is to Adam the cause why the not eating is good and the cause of the obligation to what is commanded also but onely the obligation is ad modum facti non ad factum to the â—â—â—ner of doing that if we doe or abstaine we do it 〈…〉 in faith and perswasion without any jarring between the conscience and the object but there is no obligation to the fact On the regular way of doing I am never oblieged to obey God with an erring conscience or contrary to the inditement of an erring conscience 3 The material object being sin and forbidden by the law of God is an object by accident even when it is proposed by practicall reason if that reason be erroneous and misinformed as it is in this case the proposing of practicall reason doth not make that to bee good or commanded which of it selfe was neither good nor commanded but sinfull it may make it good in the manner of doing and obliege in the manner of doing but that is not our question but whether the practicall judgement and conscience remaining erroneous doth both ligare bind and obliege to the fact that is sinfull that is denied And though hee that is circumcised upon the supposall of a blind erring and Jewish conscience thinking the law of shaddowes obliegeth when the body Christ is come he is a debter to doe the whole Law and to eate the Passeover to sacrifice at Jerusalem to keepe the new-Moones c. But how is he debter He is this way debter what warrant he hath to be circumcised he hath the same warrant to keepe the Passeover to sacrifice that is he hath as good reason for to doe all or is as well obliged upon his false principles he goes on to keep all the law of ceremonies as to be circumcised or doe a part onely but he is erroneously and sinfully made by himselfe a debter to the whole Law but God made him a debter neither to the one nor to the other and in Gods Court though if he be circumcised he must be circumcised this way that is his conscience must dictate that Gods Law still in force commands him so to doe but this is but a necessity of supposition that falleth upon the manner of the doing not upon the fact for no Law of God warranteth him to be circumcised and no Law of God makes him debter to doe all the rest of the law of ceremonies he is obliged neither to be circumcised erroneously nor to abstaine from circumcision erroneously but to lay aside his erroneous conscience and to abstaine from circumcision according to the enditement of a well informed conscience So we easily answer that ignorant objection of phantasticall Sectaries in needlesse Pamphlets and Queries smelling of non-sense and selfe-conceit speaking they know not what If the sword be used against errours to suppresse them then must the Magistrate command and compell men of tender consciences to sinne and to doe against the light of their conscience for what is not of faith is sinne And the Spirit himselfe waites and violates not the liberty of the reasonable soule by superseding the faculties thereof but approves every truth to the understanding and moves the will without violence with a rationall force Shall man be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe God himselfe doth not force men but call them to repentance If the word calling be considered whether will it warrant any further meanes then arguments perswasions and intreaties make them as forceable us you can if you hold the feare of punishment over men it must be the feare of divine punishment c. Answ For 1. wee no where teach that the sword is a meanes of converting but the just vengeance that is inflicted by the Minister of God upon false teachers as upon other evill doers so it is not destinated by God for spiritual gaining and reducing of hereticks that may repent but for judiciall expiation of wrongs done to the flock and Christian society 2. This poore argument will conclude against all 〈◊〉 of Magistrates against murtherers bloody traitors for the Lawes of the Minister of God the King forbids the English Jesuit to stab his Prince and compells him to 〈◊〉 from King-killing and if this Jesuit abstaine from killing his Sovereigne Lord and abstain not in faith but against the light of his Jesuiticall and bloody conscience which dictates to him that he is a Protestant Prince and a heretick and he is obliged in conscience for the advancement of the Catholicke cause to stabbe him doth the supreme Magistrate compell this Jesuit to sin and doth hee force the Jesuits conscience for to doe in faith hath place in duties of the second Table as well as in the first and men out of conscience and in faith and moved by the Holy Ghosts gracious actings are to obey all lawfull commands of the Magistrate as to pay tribute to abstain from murther treason adultery robbing and stealing if they be subjects of tender consciences and why then should the Magistrate compell and force men to these duties which are to be done in faith and in a spirituall manner for sure the Spirit forces them not to doe these in faith so the command of the Magistrate moveth every Christian to practise and act of obedience to mens Lawes for conscience sake and the Spirit moves the whole powers of the soul both the understanding and the will without violence with a rationall force and why should the Magistrate then be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe and all this may be said against all Lawes in the Old Testament why should the Magistrate compell men against their faith and conscience not to beleeve not to practise any such seducing wayes as to say Come let us goe serve other Gods Should Moses be more zealous for God then God is for himselfe but the truth is the Magistrate as the Magistrate doth not meddle with the conscience not the manner of obedience to Law whether they be obeyed in faith or against the light of conscience that is nothing to him he commands but the externall actions preach no heresie no Familisme Sociâ—â—nisme under the paine of corporall punishment if Pastors obey this charge hypocritically not in faith it is their sin not the Magistrates he neither commands thus preach no heresie in faith
might be objected against the decree of 〈…〉 Quer. 10. Whether on 〈◊〉 are men punished because God 〈◊〉 not bestow the Spirit of grace 〈◊〉 them by which they would flye all evill-doing when they are punished for evill-doing Quer. 11. Whereas this distinct argument presupposeth that the Magistrate should tolerate errors in fundamentalls and in non-fundamentalls because of the difficulty of knowing of fundamentalls must it not follow that men are far rather to be tolerated 〈◊〉 â—â—re in fundamentalls 〈◊〉 such as erre in non-fundamentalls and so the more blasphemous that seducing teachers be as if they deny there is a God and that nature and chante rules all and that Christ was an imposter the Gospel a fable the Scripture a meer 〈◊〉 the more they are to be pitied and 〈◊〉 measure of indulgence and toleration is due to them then to such â—â— are godly and erre but in lesser points that are more easily 〈…〉 concerning usury accidentall killing of our neighbour or the meaning of some places of Scripture or erre in matters touching Church-government or the like Quer. 12. Since also 〈◊〉 lay for a ground that the Magistrate is not infallible in judging of matters of Religion especially that are supernaturall such as the mysteries of the Gospell the incarnation sufferings and death of Christ his satisfaction for sinners c. and Christians are not infallible in either reaching these to others or in believing them for their faith and practise and therefore the Magistrate ought to tolerate all these how then can this Divine talke of a certainty of knowing and teaching and holding of divine trutheâ—â— for by 〈◊〉 principle of toleration that no man hath infallibility in matters of Religion since the Prophets and Apostles fell asleepe there can be no certainty of faith either in ruler or people but all our faith in fundamentalls or non-fundamentalls must be fallible dubious conjectuâ—â—â— And for such as yeeld a toleration in non-fundamentalls but deny it in fundamentals 1. They must quit all arguments used by Libertinâ—â— for toleration from the nature of conscience that it can not be constrained 2. That they 〈◊〉 bee a willing people that follow Christ 3. That 〈◊〉 Lord of the conscience onely 4. That coâ—pulsion 〈◊〉 hypocrites 5. That to know maintaine aâ—d 〈◊〉 truths of the Gospel is not in our power as to kill or 〈◊〉 to kill because acts of the understanding fall not 〈◊〉 dominion of free-will 6. That the preaching of the 〈◊〉 and perswading by Scripture and reason not the sword and strong hand is the way to propagate truth and 〈◊〉 pate heresies 7. That the laws of Moses against false 〈◊〉 were onely typicall and perished with other 〈◊〉 and therefore there is no warrant under the Nâ—â— Testament for punishing hereticks all these and the like 〈◊〉 with equall strength conclude against toleration of such 〈◊〉 erre in non-fundamentalls as well as in fundamentall 〈◊〉 in neither the one not the other is the conscience to â—â—â—strained nor can Magistrates be Lords of the 〈◊〉 fundamentalls more then in non-fundamentalls and 〈◊〉 must be a willing people in fundamentalls as in non-fundamentalls nor can the sword but preaching of the word onely be a means of propagating of non-fundamentalls more then of fundamentalls when then Libertines 〈◊〉 lost all these arguments by reason of this 〈◊〉 which here hath no place their cause must bee weake and leane To determine what is fundamentall what not and the number of fundamentall points and the least measure of knowledge of fundamentals in which the essence of saving faith may consist or the simple want of the knowledge of which fundamentalls is inconsistent 〈◊〉 saving faith in minimo quod non is more then Magistratâ— or Church can well know Sure it borders with one of Gods secrets touching the finall state of salvation or damnation of particular men And it is as sure this is a fundamentall to belieâ—â— that God is that hee is a rewarder of those that seeke hiâ— that there is not a name under Heaven by which men may 〈◊〉 saved but by the Name of Jesus that no man 〈◊〉 come to the Father but by Christ that hee that 〈◊〉 not the wrath of God abideth on him and he is condemned 〈◊〉 then he was condemned and under wrath before even from the wombe Nor is this a good argument of Bellius where Christ is what he doth how he sits at the right hand of God how he is one with the Father many things of the Trinity of God Predestination Angels the state of men after this life are points not so necessary to be known for publicans and harlots who enter into heaven may be ignorant of them and though they were knowne they make not a man better according to that if I had all knowledge if I have not love it is nothing For 1. The exact knowledge of these are not so necessary and that is all that this argument can conclude but the Scripture saith no more that publicans and harlots remaining publicans and harlots enter into the Kingdome of heaven in sensu composito nor when it saith The blinde see the deafe heare the dead are raised the meaning should be blinde and deafe remaining blinde and deafe doe see and heare or the dead remaining dead in their graves and void of life doe live and have life but these that were blinde now see when blindnesse is removed otherwise some may take harlotry into heaven with them and because the word of God is a seed when this is in the heart of a dying harlot Christ came to save sinners and to save me how or what way the Spirit sits upon this egge and warmes it and what births of saving truths the Spirit joyned with the spirit of a dying man brings forth who knowes the repenting thiefe knew Christ to be the Saviour of men and a King who could dispose of heaven but what deductions the Spirit made with in who knows nor is it a truth that the knowledge of any revealed truths of God makes no man the better for it leanes on this ground That 1. The spirituall Law of God commands not a conformity between the understanding power of the soule and the Law to require that the minde conceive apprehend and know God and his will as he reveales himselfe to us which yet is included in the command of loving of God with all the heart with all the soule with all the strength and so with all the minde though that knowledge be directed to no other practice but beliefe 2. It leanes upon another false ground that to believe I speake of an intellectuall assenting to divine truthâ— it being an act of the understanding and a necessary result of knowledge doth not make a man better which yet is most false for beside that it is commanded not to believe a reâ—â—aled truth is a sin and renders men morally ill and worâ—â— now that text that saith 1 Cor. 13.
what not and then we walke according to the same rule which must be most contradictory to the 〈◊〉 of the Holy Ghost and therefore Libertines durst 〈◊〉 draw a formall argument for tolleration out of these or any other places but bring us such reasons as by the nineteenth consequence comes not up to the purpose for by the glosse of Libertines Let us walke according to the 〈◊〉 rule must be Let us practise and walke for it cannot be meant â—f heart-opinions according to the known rule conceived by our conscience to be right though it may be wrong and sinfull and so let us be circumcised and make a faire shew in the flesh as the false Apostles did for if some beleeved circumcision and the Law to be necessary for justification then Paul must bid them walke contrary to their light and then the perfect had attained light to practise unlawfull Jewish ceremonies CHAP. VIII Whether heresie be a sin or a meer error and innocency whether aâ— hereticke be an evill doer WHat is naked and meere simple heresie say the Belgick Arminians but a meere device or is heresie onely error say they which hath place in the minde of him that erreth nor is error sufficient to constitute a thing heresie nor if it were is it the object or cause of any punishment a meere error does not goe out of 〈◊〉 that erreth he that erreth cannot be punishedâ— the minde of man is not lyable to any command onely God commandeth 〈◊〉 thoughts are free from paying tribute to men pertinacy is not of the nature of heresie nor blasphemy nor if they were can heretickes therefore be punished nor doth sedition make heresie punishable so they make heresie nothing but a name who say they can say an hereticke is an evill doer evill doers confesse their evill deeds and know them to be worthy of punishment by the Law of God and man heretickes deny they are hereticks or that they have any bad opinions or that they blaspheme they professe the contrary that they are ready to dye an hundreth deaths rather then they should blaspheme theeves steale that they may steale heretickes seduce not that they may seduce but that they may reduce men to a better minde and 〈◊〉 them from 〈…〉 So 〈◊〉 Oelsut also de heretâ—â—i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. f. 5 6. Asser 1. But 1. Though neither we nor Libertines could define Idolatry nor murther nor adultery yet sure the Law of God condemneâ— Idolatry murther adultery 〈◊〉 sins this is the custome of juglers and sophisters who deny there is such a thing as robbing or hedge-robbers why what 〈◊〉 hedge-robbing you cannot define it and not one of twenty agree with another what hedge-robbers are therefore there is not such a thing as an hedge-robber Nor doe sorcerers confesse they are sorcerers nor can you tell what so 〈◊〉 it and there is not such a thing in the world so many 〈◊〉 Asser 2. Heresie is not a meere error nor innocency but a hainous transgression against God 1. Because Paul Gal. 5. ver 19 20 21. reckoneth heresies among the workes of â—he flesh with Idolatry witchcraft envy strife and sedition then it is a worke of the devill and of sinfull flesh 2. That which God permitteth that those that are approved may be made manifest in the Church of Christ that must be a sinne but such is heresie 1 Cor. 11. 19. 3. Grievous wolves not sparing the flocke false Prophets and false Christs who deceive if it were possible the very elect such as make their Disciples twofold the children of the devill theeves and robbers who come to steale and to kill and to drinke the blood of soules these who subvert whole houses and whose word eat as a gangreen are not innocent and simply erring men nor is their error simple error but a high trangression against God but such are heretickes Act. 20. 29 30. Mat. 24. 24. Mat. 23. 15. Joh. 10. 8 9 10 Tit. 1. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 4. These who are deceivers and deceived unruly and vaine talkers to be rebuked sharpely that they may be sound in the faith and these whom we are not to receive into our houses nor bid them God speed least we be partakers of their evill doings these of whom we are to be aware lest they insnare us and whom we are after once or twice admonition to reject and from whom we are to turne away must bee such as doe more then simply erre in minde and their errors being so pernitious must come out of him that erreth and subverteth whole houses and lead 〈◊〉 women captive laden with divers lusts and must be subject to commands of those that are in place since they are to be sharply rebuked are not innocent but doe grievously sinne and are punishable But such are hereticks Tit. 1. 11 12 13. 2 Joh. 10. 11. 2 Tim. 4. 15. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 5 Such as doe evill and that as false teachers and resist the truth at James and Jambres resisted Moses and doe Paul and the faithfull preachers of the Gospell much evill in perverting soules and in withstanding the gospel as Alexander the copper-Smith did who subvert whole houses lead soules captive deceive many who speake words which eate the soules of many as a Canker and subvert the faith of many though they deny they doe evill or seduce any or that they intend to seduce any are evill doers not innocent But such are Hereticks who privilie bring in damnable heresies and make merchandize of men with faire words and buy and sell soules 2 Pet. 2. 1 2 3 4. 2 Tim. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 14 15. 2 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 17 18. 6 These cannot bee innocent nor free of all commands rebukes punishment whom the holy Ghost stiles proud perverse disputers men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth 1 Tim. 6. 4 5. False Christs Matth. 24. 24. Deceivers Tit. 1. 11. Men of corrupt mindes reprobate concerning the faith 2 Tim. 3. 8 9. Whose folly shall be made knowne to many who are selfe condemned as knowing if they would not winke and shut their eyes at noone-day that they deceive and are deceived Tit. 3. 10. 7 These and many other things in these seducing teachers doe evidence that heresie and seducing teaching of Hereticks are not a simple disease in the mind since they are willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as such as beleeved Baal to be God and worship him are such of whom the Lord saith Jer. 9. 6. Through deceit they refuse to know me saith the Lord. The Holy Ghost saith they doe much evill resist the truth buy mens soules as if they were Merchants are perverse disputers are proud unruly talkers all which showeth that their will hath an influence in their knowledge and mind All the Arguments of Libertines against the definition of an Heretick tend to prove that there is not such a thing as an Hereticke in
and unjust the conclusion blasphemous and Atheisticall 3. Consider how Celsus proveth that the heretickes that dye for heresies is not taken with vaine-glory and for a name because a hereticke dyes infamous and filled with reproach but make an argument of that he that dyes for that which in the opinion of the contrary side is infamous and reproachfull cannot dye for a name among men and vaine-glory but he that dyes for heresie dyes so ergo The major is most false for to dye for heresie in the estimation of the heretick and of all of his opinion and of all that for all after generations shall be of his opinion is no reproach but an everlasting name to the hereticke so dying and a name and glory with men is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an opinion and is coyned lives and breaths in the conceit and braine of men we all say Lucretia Seneca Caâ—o dyed for vaine-glory for to the Romans it was glorious yet they dyed truly and really infamous for Christians who know what true honour and true liberty is say and truly thinke they dyed infamous and shamelesse murtherers and slaves to the people and the aire and breath of the peoples mouth and their empty plaudite 4. Nor will any man far lesse an hereticke willingly chuse the destruction of his owne soule Answ An Atheist sticks not to contradict God Prov. 8. 36. All they that hate me love death but false teachers and hereticks hate wisdome and Christ Deut. 13. 3. not to follow God is to hate God he denyes the Lord that bought him he is proud destitute of the truth a vaine and unruly talker reprobate as concerning faith leads captive soules and such cannot chuse the feare of the Lord. 2. He speaketh like an heathen for the will of hereticks and of all godlesse men is captive and the will they have is to serve the devill and though we could not tell determinately what end an hereticke hath in dying for his heresie it cannot prove his innocencie Yea the Donatists killed themselves and cast themselves downe head-long from an high place they did that saith Mr. Celsus out of obstinacy and malice to be avenged on Catholicks and bring them under the guilt of persecuters which was an evill conscience in them but there can be no evill conscience in an heretick dying for his opinion an hereticke dying for his opinion cannot have an ill conscience he prayes to God commends his safety to him acknowledgeth Christ his Son his Redeemer and Saviour sings hymnes and praises in the midst of the flames of fire Answ That is a conjecture that Donatists and Circumceâ—â—ions killed themselves to be revenged on Catholicks Augustine neither Ep. 61. nor Ep. 50. nor elsewhere makes mention of such an end they had but because they beleeved it was happinesse to dye for Christ yea though so it were praying and praising and crying The Temple of the Lord will he say there can be no malice in theeves murtherers adulterers perjured persons walkers after other Gods and such as kill their sonnes to the devill in Topâ—eâ— Jer. 7. 3 4 5 9. 30 31. and in bloody persecuters who said the Lord be glorified Esa 66. 5. and in these that thinke they doe God service in killing the Apostles of the Lord Joh. 16. 1. the man speakes not like a divine but an Atheist and most that are for Libertinisme to me are Atheists 2. When Servetus and other Martyrs of the Devill dyeâ—â— we heard nothing of their singing of Psalmes in the fire Paul 〈◊〉 a swearer and a drunkard who denies the Deity of the Son of God is not one of these But Celsus I conceive thinkes the godly martyrs that the bloody mother of fornications Babylon hath killed for the testimony of Jesus were heretickes because they had no certainty of faith for the truths they were burnt for because the faith of Libertines is Scepticisme 3. Heretickes may before men pray and acknowledge a Saviour but as the formall of heresie so of sound faith is in the heart and unseen to Celsus and therefore this argument is but a conjecture and so Paul 2 Tim. 3. saith those that 〈◊〉 from the faith have but a form of godlinesse deny the power thereof 4 Though heretickes acknowledge a Redeemer which yet may be questioned whether they doe all so even those who deny the Lord that bought them yet these arguments of Celsus and Libertines plead for liberty of conscience not onely to hereticks that acknowledge a Redeemer but to all to open blasphemers apostates from the Christian faith to Judaisme and Mahometisme for should any Christian turn Jew as some have done and pray to God and be willing to dye for Judaisme and acknowledge the Messiah to come Libertines can no more make a window in this mans conscience to see his end in so doing and know infallibly that neither pleasure profit nor honour led him but meere and onely principles of Religion in regard places in the New Testament cite passages of the Old so farre seemingly to reason contrary to the scope of the Prophets then you can see to the conscience of a hereticke and Religion is to be compelled in no man one or other nor the sword or violence used against any though Celsus and the Belgick Remonstrants thinke false teachers may rather be banished and imprisoned leâ—t they pervert the faith of others But if they yeeld any corporall restraint or violence may be used against false teachers they fall from their cause and lose all their arguments for one degree of one violence though banishment be cousen Germanes to death and to some who cannot live and subsist but in England as there are many such far worse can no more be used against the conscience then forcing of ten degrees or tormenting deaths Butâ— saith Celsus Heretickes that dye for their heresie are stupid and drunken But how can stupidity and malice be in one saith he malice is not without certaine knowledge stupidity deprives men of knowledge and render them blocks can ye find a man who willingly and wittingly makes defection from God and resists the truth against his owne conscience and yet is so stupid that he knowes not what he doth and can indure foolishly to dye for maintaining a lye Answ If the Author were not stupid hee would not declare himselfe so Atheistically ignorant of spirituall stupidity for highest malice and a hardened and fatned heart eyes eares and a heart that cannot see heare or perceive and so are spiritually stupid doe not lodge sundered one from another Esay 6. 9 10 11. hath this man read the word Esay 29 9. Stay your selves and wonder cry ye out and cry they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not with strong drink 10. The Lord hath powred out upon you the spirit of a deep sleep and hath closed your eyes the Prophets and your Rulers the Seers hath he covered and yet these same were deep
condemne him 1 Joh. 3. 20. For if our heart condemne us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things It is like then an innocent man is condemned and his company to be eschewed as a pestilent wretched man Yet the Arminians say though discipline is to be exercised on hereticks condemned by themselves yet are they bewitched with A great prejudice so as heresie is a vice of nature rather then of free-will And in another place onely nature by no fault of heretickes void of grace begetteth these errours and not freewill despising the help of grace they are seduced not of their owne accord but by necessity of nature for they seduce not because they will seduce but because they cannot seduce It needs not an answer that they say the Jews judged themselves unworthy of life eternall not knowingly for knowingly they did it Act. 13. v. 45. they spake against the convincing and enlightning Gospel contradicting and blaspheming So â— 14. 1 2. for which sin against the Holy Ghost Paid turned from them and preacheth the Gospel to the Gentiles yea Minus Celsus will have the Jewes to erre innocently in that malicious fact Answ To forbid marriage and meats can hardly be arraigned as fundamentall errours nor the Authours such as must deny the Scriptures to be the word of God yet they are such as depart from the faith teach doctrines of devils speke lyes in hypocrisie and have their conscience burnt with an hot iron and if hereticks be as innocent as their sin if it be but a fault of nature as blindnesse from the wombe or deafnesse not of will but of nature why are they to be rebuked accused condemned of their owne conscience But they little know the heart of man who finde not malice prejudice pride desire of glory to hold up a faction often gaine and hunger for court to lodge with errours of the minde and whereas Libertines say we promote truth with blood we retort it thus they promote heresie with the sword and deny thousands of Atheists bloody men their way because theâ—â— purse the Parliament the sword the Army is on their side CHAP. XII Arguments against pretended toleration HEnce I proceed to argue thus against this pretended liberty 1. Every duty of the Christian Magistrate hath warrant in the Old or New Testament which exactly teacheth the duty of Ruler and subject Father and children Master and servant c. Argument 1. BUt toleration of many false wayes and the permitting of men to speake lyes in the name of the Lord and to seduce soules hath no warrant in the Old or New Testament ergo such a toleration is no duty of the Magistrate the major is cleare from the perfection of the word of God the assumption is proved by a negative argument from the Scripture it is no where written expresly or by consequence to be the duty of the Ruler therefore it is not his duty to tolerate or permit If it be replyed because it is not holden forth in Scripture to be the Rulers duty to punish men for their conscience therefore it must be the Rulers duty to tolerate and permit them It is answered the word of God is as perfect in teaching for what sinnes the Ruler should not punish as for what he should punish the son for the fathers transgressiâ—â— should not be punished by the Magistrate for that iâ— injustice in men and he should not punish except the 〈◊〉 be confessed or proved by the mouth of two witnesses The 〈◊〉 that was forcâ—d in the field and had none to helpe her 〈◊〉 free of punishment also and so is the man that 〈◊〉 hiâ— brother and hated him â—ot before Againe if those that seduce soules be most hurtfull and pernicious to Christian societies and those that teach the way of God truely to be usefull the Ruler must not be newtrall and indifferent as touching the use of his power toward either but as he is for the praise of well-doing by vertue of his office so must he be an executer of wrath on evill-doers especially such as hurt Christian societies whose peace and quiet living in all godlinesse and honesty he is to procure Argument II. THat which inferreth necessarily many Religions many faiths many sundry Gospels in one Christian society is not of God But the toleration of all wayes and many Religions is such ergo this toleration is not of God The proposition is evident because there is but one old way Jer. 6. 16. One Lord one faith one baptisme Eph. 4. 4. One faith once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. one truth to be bought Prov. 23. 23. one Christ which the Apostles heard saw and handled with their hands from the beginning 1 Joh. 1 1. One name of Jesus not any other under heaven by which we may be saved Act. 4. 12. not Jehovah and Malcom Zeph. 1. 5. not Jehovah and Baal 1 King 18. 21. not the true God and the Gods of the heathen the Samaritan mixture 2 King 17. 33. 2 And this one way we are to keepe with one heart Ezek. 11. 19. with one judgement one minde one tongue one shoulder Act. 4. 32. 2 Cor. 13. 11. Phil. 42. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Zeph. 3. 9. Zach. 4. 9. Being rooted and established in the faith Col. 2. 7. Not tossed to and fro nor carried about with every wind of doctrine Eph. 4. 14. Without wavering Heb. 13. 9. For the assumption That God hath appointed in his revealed will that every man should serve God as best pleaseth him and as it seemes good in his owne erronious conscience and that every man should pervert the soule of his brother and the Magistrate should put no man to shame for it is as good as if there were no Magistrate and that it is against his calling as a Magistrate is clear for the Holy Ghost saith that Jud. 16. 5. Micah had a house of Gods and made an Ephod and a Teraphim and consecrated one of his sonnes who became his Priest was from this v. 6. In those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes ergo the Magistrate by his office is to take care that Micah and others serve not God as it seemes good to their owne erroneous conscience and so that another follow not another Religion and a third another third Religion as seems good in every mans owne eyes 2. If the Magistrate restraine not the high places for which he is rebuked as some sacrifice at Jerusalem at Gods command so the people for the most part sacrifice in the high place through the Princes fault and then there bee two Religions and upon the same sinfull indulgence they may multiply groves and alters according to the number of their Cities And as there were false Prophets among the people then so now who with faire words make merchandise of mens soules who by the revealed will of God must bee tolerated to
who wasted Thracia and was therefore carefull that Ambrose should draw up a short confession yet did he except from the Toleration the Manichees the Phocinians the Eunomians But see codice prima lege Cunctos populos de sum trinit Martianus ibid lege 4. Synod Chalcedo Leo imperator cons 15. C. Const 17. Heraclâ—us Imperator const 1. de fide Justinianus Novellus 123. c. 32. Novell 137. c. 6. Honorius l. 4. c. 55. Eccle. Valentinianus l. 9. de Episc cler Novell 123. c. 18. Novella 123. c. 29. c. Le. const 87. Novell 131. c. 4. Eusebius Pamphil de vita Constan l. 3. c. 13. Surius tom 2. Concil c. 20. p. 362. Codic l. 1. Tit. de heret lex 2. 1â—6 Justinian codex l. 1. Tit. 4. de sum Trinit lex 2. Surius concil tom 2. p. 469 421 494. tom 2. p. 668 669 670. Socra Scholastic his l. 2. c. 37. Nicepherâ— hist l. 9. c. 4. Contur Magdeburque 4 col 558. So for his power to conveene Councels as the Nicen by Constanti Euseb l. 3. c. 6. Sozom l. 1. c. 17. Soâ—rat l. 1. c. 6. Ruff. l. 10. c. 1. Theodor. l. 1. c. 7. the Councell of Tyre by Constant Eusebius de vit cons l. 4. c. 41. Sozom. l. 1. c. 9. Theodosius elder made a Law of death against the Anabaptists and banished Euâ—â—mius Socrat. l. 7. c. 12. It is true Constantinus and Licinius as Eusebius tels us l. 10. c. 5. say in a Law now therefore we freely will and command That every man have a free liberty to observe the Christian Religion and that without any griefe or molestation he may be suffered to do the same But the practice of heathen Emperous is no rule 2. God opened their hearts to make these Lawes in favour of Christians 3. They had experience of the favour of God by the prayers of Christians 4. The Heathen Law in the Letter would prove that none should be rebuked or argued against whatever Religion he chose Maximius proclaimed That all men should use what Religion they like best Eus l. 9. c. 10. But 1. Maximius out of naturall pity because he had before persecuted Christians did this 2. Dioclesian and Maximianus tooke Churches from them he restored them hence followed peace till an 130. The Councell of Constantinople 1. by Theodosius senior Theodoret l. 5â— c. 7. Socrates l. 5. c. 8. The Councell of Ephesus 1. By Theodos junior Evagrius l. 1. c. 2. So Imperator Iustinus l. 44. ad Maenam Patriarcham de Monachis Monasteriis separandis de Episc cler Eusebius de vita cons l. 3. c. 25. Epistolam libella ad Synoda constitutionem The Bishops of the second generall Councell if there was any of them generall writ to the Emperour Theodosius We desire your clemency that you by your Letters would confirme the Decrees of the Councell of Chalcedon and command that it be ratified and established which he did See also Constantius his power prescribing to the Councels of Arimimon and Seleucea the subject matter they should treat upon and commanded ten of each Councel to come and give him an account of their proceedings Sâ—zomen l. 4. c. 6. Toeodosius and Valentinâ— command the Councell of Ephesus to send them some Bishops to acquaint them with the causes and motives of their deliberations Relatio Synodi Ephesinae quae est tom 1. concil The second Councell of Nice which some call the seventh Generall Councell relate the like to the Emperour at Constantinople Theodoret l. 5. c. 8. Zonaras tom 3. anat There be two edicts of the Emperours Valentinian and Martian confirming the Councel of Chalcedon so act 3. Chalc. to 1. Conc. all which say the Emperours de facto commanded as Magistrates Church-men to determine according to the word and corrected such as contravened And though Picus Mirandula saith well No man hath power of opinions so as if hee will he may have another opinion which though it may beare that opinions fall not under free-will yet the venting of them to others is to Mirancula a free act and punishable We know the Edict of Valeâ—inian and Martian of capitall punishment against Such as shall attempt to teach things unlawfull Let false teachers according to Justinian have no leave to live and dwel in Roman bounds saith Pametius Augustine saith Hereticks kill soules let them be afflicted in body they bring on men death eternal and they complaine that they suffer temporall deaths And why saith Augustine should Sorcerers find the rigor of the Law from Emperors and Hereticks and Schismaticks go free Constantius gave out Edicts against Hereticks as Eusebius saith h. 2. c. 27. And also made lawes of pecuniary fines and mulcts against them Honorius made lawes against Donatists of fining and of banishing preachers of Donatisme Martianus did the like The like saith Nazianz of Theodosius the great Banishment and other punishment the Emperours inflicted upon Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Futiches and their followers Which the Arch-Bishop of Spalato Mâ—de dominis granteth though he sayes Augustine excepteth capitall punishment for such saith he he will not have to be inflicted for the conscience which is a manifest depraving of the mind of Augustine who will have such punishment according to the quality of the fault inflicted on them as upon Sorcerers and Murtherers Let Augustine be considered in these and other places after hee retracted his too meeke sentence That they should not be punished at all Alexander Alexandrinus said Arrius and his followers ought to bee punished with excommunication and a curse Theodoret. lib. 1. c. 4. But for the point in hand the Christian Magistrate is tyed and obliged to these punishments to bee inflicted for morall offences that the Law of God hath ordained at least in nature I prove 1 That which is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man must be determined by the revealed will of God in his word but the punishment of a seducing Prophet that ruineth the soule of our brother and makes him twofold more the childe of Sathan than before is morrall and cannot be determined by the wisdome and will of man Ergo such a punishing of a seducing Prophet must be by the revealed will of God in his word The Proposition is proved 1. Because God only not Moses nor any other law-giver under him taketh on him to determin death to be the adulterers punishment Levit. 20. 10. And the same he determineth to be the punishment of willfull murther Exod. 21. 12. of smiting of the Father or Mother v. 15. of Man-stealing vers 16. of Sorcery Exod. 22. 18. of Beastiality 19. Of sacrificing to a strange God vers 10. And upon the same reason God only not any mortall man must determine the punishment due to such as seduce soules to eternall perdition For what reason can be imagined why God can be the onely determiner of such a