in His Church His spirituall judicature and executes this sentence in part at present and hereafter to all eternity Such a sentence no Civill Iudge can passe such a Death no Civill sword can inâ—lict I answer secondly Dead men cannot be infected the civill state the world being in a naturall state dead in sin what ever be the State-Religion unto which persons are forced it is impossible it should be infected Indeed the living the beleeving the Church and spirituall state that and that onely is capable of infection for whose helpe we shall presently see what preservatives and remedies the Lord Iesus hath appointed Moreover as we see in a common plague or infection the names are taken how many are to dye and not one more shall be strucke then the destroying Angel hath the names of So here what ever be the soule infection breathed out from they lying lips of a plague-sicke Pharisee yet the names are taken not one elect or chosen of God shall perish Gods sheep are safe in His eternall hand and counsell and he that knowes his materiall knows also his mysticall stars their numbers and calls them every one by name none fall into the Ditch on the blinde Pharises backe but such as were ordained to that condemnation both guid and followers 1 Pet. 2. 8. Iude 4. The vessells of wrath shall breake and split and only they to the praise of Gods eternall justice Rom. 9. CHAP. XXXIV Peace BUt it is said be it granted that in a common plague or infection none are smitten and dye but such as are appointed yet it is not only every mans duty but the common duty of the Magistrate to prevent infection and to preserve the common health of the place likewise though the number of the Elect be sure and God knowes who are His yet hath He appointed meanes for their preservation from perdition and from infection and therefore the Angel is blamed for suffering Balaams doctrine and Iesabel to seduce Christ Jesus His servants Rev. 2. Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. Truth I answer Let that Scripture and that of Titus reject an Hereticke and Rom. 16. 17. avoid them that are contentious c. let them and all of like nature be examined and it will appeare that the great and good Physitian Christ Iesus the Head of the Body and King of the Church hath not been unfaithfull in providing spirituall antidotes and preservatives against the spirituall sicknesses sores weaknosses dangers of his Church and people but he never appointed the civill sword for either antidote or remedy as an addition to those spiritualls which he hath left with his wife his Church or People Hence how great is the bondage the captivity of Gods owne People to Babylonish or confused mixtures in Worship and unto worldly and earthly policies to uphold State Religions or Worships since that which is written to the Angel and Church at Pergamus shall be interpreted as sent to the Governour and City of Pergamus and that which is sent to Titus and the Church of Christ at Creet must be delivered to the civill officers and City thereof But as the Civill Magistrate hath his charge of the bodies and goods of the subject So have the spirituall Officers Governours and overseers of Christs City or Kingdome the charge of their souls and soule safety Hence that charge of Paul to Tim. 1 Tim. 5. 20. Them that sinne rebuke before all that others may learne to fear This is in the Church of Christ a spirituall meanes for the healing of a soule that hath sinned or taken infection and for the preventing of the infecting of others that others may learne to feare c. CHAP. XXXV Peace IT is said true that Titus and Timothy and so the Officers of the Church of Christ are bound to prevent soule infection But what hinders that the Magistrate should not be charged also with this duty Truth I answer many things I have answered and more shall at present I shall only say this If it be the Magistrate duty or office then is he both a Temporall and Ecclesiasticall officer contrary to which most men will affirme and yet we know the policie of our owne Land and Country hath established to the Kings and Queens thereof the supreme heads or governours of the Church of England That doctrine and distinction that a Magistrate may punish an Heretick civilly will not here availe for what is Babel if this be not confusedly to punish corporall or civill offences with spirituall or Church censures the offendour not being a member of it or to punish soule or spirituall offences with corporall or temporall weapons proper to Delinquents against the temporall or civill state Lastly woe were it with the civill Magistrate and most intolerable burthens do they lay upon their backs that teach this doctrine if together with the common care and charge of the Commonwealth the peace and safety of the Towne City State or Kingdome the bloud of every soule that perisheth should cry against him unlesse he could say with Paul Acts 20. in spirituall regards I am clear from the blould of all men that is the bloud of soules which was his charge to looke after so far as his preaching went not the bloud of bodies which belongeth to the civill Magistrate I acknowledge he ought to cherish as a foster-father the Lord Iesus in his truth in his Saints to cleave unto them himselfe and to countenance them even to the death yea also to breake the teeth of the Lions who offer Civill violence and injury unto them But to see all his Subjects Christians to keepe such Church or Christians in the purity of worship and see them doe their duty this belongs to the Head of the Body Christ Iesus and such spirituall Officers as he hath to this purpose deputed whose right it is according to the true paterne Abimelech Saul Adonijah Athalia were but usurpers David Salomon Ioash c. they were the true heires and types of Christ Iesus in His true Power and Authority in His Kingdome CHAP. XXXVI Peace THe next Scripture brought against such persecution is Luke 9. 54 55. where the Lord Jesus reproved His Disciples who would have had fire come downe from Heaven and devoure those Samaritanesâ— that would not receive Him in these words You know not of what spirit you are the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them With this Scripture Mr. Cotton joynes the fourth and answers both in one which is this 2 Tim. 2. 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle toward all men suffering the evill men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded and oppose themselves proving if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Divell who are taken captive by him at his will
each others Church or Meeting CHAP. LXXIV Peace THe next passage in the Author which the Answerer descends unto is the testimony of the Papists themselves a lively and shining testimony from Scriptures alledged both against themselves and all that associate with them as power is in their hand in such unchristian and bloody both tenents and practices As for the testimony of the Popish booke saith he we weight it not as knowing what ever they speake for toleration of Religion where themselves are under Hatches when they come to sit at Stern they judge and practise quite contrary as both their writings and judiciall proceedings have testified to the world these many yeares Truth I answer although both writings and practices have been such yet the Scriptures and expressions of truth alledged and uttered by them speake loud and fully for them when they are under the Hatches that for their conscience and religion they should not there be choaked and smothered but suffered to breathe and walke upon the Deckes in the ayre of civill liberty and conversation in the Ship of the commonwealth upon good assurance given of civill obedience to the civill State Againe if this practice bee so abominable in his eyes from the Papists viz. that they are so partiall as to persecute when they sit at Helme and yet cry out against persecution when they are under the Hatches I shall beseech the Righteous Judge of the whole world to present as in a Water or Glasse where face answereth to face the faces of the Papist to the Protestant answering to each other in the samenesse of partiality both of this doctrine and practice When Mr. Cotton and others have formerly been under hatches what sad and true complaints have they abundantly powred forth against persecution How have they opened that heavenly Scripture Cant 4. 8. Where Christ Iesus calls his tender Wife and Spouse from the fellowship with persecutors in their dens of Lions and mountaines of Leopards But comming to the Helme as he speaks of the Papists how both by preaching writing Printing practice doe they themselves I hope in their persons Lambes unnaturally and partially expresse toward others the cruell nature of such Lions and Leopards O that the God of Heaven might please to tell them how abominable in his eyes are a waight and a waight a stone and a stone in the bag of waights one waight for themselves when they are under Hatches and another for others when they come to Helme Nor shall their confidence of their being in the truth which they judge the Papists and others are not in no nor the Truth it selfe priviledge them to persecute others and to exempt themselves from persecution because as formerly First it is against the nature of true Sheep to persecute or hunt the Beasts of the Forrest no not the same Wolves who formerly have persecuted themselves Secondly if it be a duty and charge upon all Magistrates in all parts of the World to judge and persecute in and for spirituall causes then either they are no Magistrates who are not able to judge in such cases or else they must judge according to their Consciences whether Pagan Turkish or Antichristian Lastly notwithstanding their confidence of the truth of their owne way yet the experience of our Fathers errours our owne mistakes and ignorance the sense of our own weaknesses and blindnesse in the depths of the prophesies mysteries of the Kingdom of Christ and the great professed expectation of light to come which we are not now able to comprehend may abate the edge yea sheath up the sword of persecution toward any especially such as differ not from them in doctrines of repentance or faith or holinesse of heart and life and hope of glorious and eternall union to come but only in the way and manner of the administrations of Iesus Christ. CHAP. LXXV Peace TO close this head of the testimony of Writers it pleaseth the Answerer to produce a contrary testimony of Austin Optatus c. Truth I readily acknowledge as formerly I did concerning the testimony of Princes that Antichrist is too hard for Christ at votes and numbers yea and beleeve that in many points wherein the servants of God these many hundred yeares have beene fast asleep superstition and persecution have had more suffrages and votes from Gods owne people then hath either been honourable to the Lord or peaceable to their owne or the soules of others Therefore not to derogate from the pretious memory of any of them let us briefly consider what they have in this point affirmed To begin with Austin They murther saith he soules and themselves are afflicted in body and they put men to everlasting death and yet they complaine when themselves are put to temporall death I answer This Rhetoricall perswasion of humane wisdome seems very reasonable in the eye of flesh and blood but one Scripture more prevailes with faithfull and obedient soules then thousands of plausiâ—le and eloquent speeches in particular First the Scripture useth soule-killing in a large sense not only for the teaching of false prophets and seducers but even for the offensive walking of Christians in which respect 1 Cor. 8. a true Christian may be guilty of destroying a soule for whom Christ died and therefore by this rule ought to be hanged burned c. Secondly That plausible similitude will not prove that every false teaching or false practice actually kills the soule as the body is slaine and slaine but once for soules infected or bewitched may againe recover 1 Cor. 5. Gal. 5. 2 Tim. 2. c. Thirdly for soule-killings yea also for soule-woundings and grievings Christ Iesus hath appointed remedies sufficient in his Church There comes forth a two edged sword out of his mouth Rev. 1. and Rev. 2 able to cut downe Heresie as is confest yea and to kill the Hereticke yea and to punish his soule everlastingly which no sword of steele can reach unto in any punishment comparable or imaginable and therefore in this case we may say of this spirituall soule-killing by the sword of Christs mouth as Paul concerning the incestuous person 2 Cor. 2. Sufficient is this punishment c. Fourthly Although no Soule-killers nor Soule-grievers may be suffred in the Spirituall State or Kingdome of Christ the Church yet he hath commanded that such should be suffered and permitted to be and live in the World as I have proved on Matth. 13. otherwise thousands and millions of soules and bodies both must be murthered and cut off by civill combustions and bloody warres about Religion Fifthly I argue thus The Soules of all men in the World are either naturally dead in Sin or alive in Christ. If dead in sinne no man can kill them no more then he can kill a dead man Nor is it a false Teacher or false Religion that can so much prevent the means of Spirituall life as one of these
Ministers of the Gospel The civill Magistrate not so particularly spoken to as Fathers and Masters in the New TestameÌ„t and why Eph. 5. 6. Col. 3. 4. c. A twofold state of Christianity the persecuted under the Roman Emperors and the Apostate ever since Christs Messengers receive a threefold charge in that prohibition of Christ Let them alone Gods people not to pray for â—hâ— present ruine and destruction of idolaters although their persecutors but for their peace and salvations The word of God â—â—ghtly deâ—ounced plucks up kâ—ngâ—â—ms Gods Ministers are 〈◊〉 to provoke 〈…〉 1 â—et 2. 9. 1 Cor. 5. Companying with 〈…〉 1 Cor. 5 discussed Lawfull converse with idolaters in civill but not in spirituall things Dangerous and ungâ—ounded zeale Mâ—â—th 15. 14. the seâ—â—â—â— Scripture controvâ—rted in this cause Christ Jesus never directed his Disciples to the civill Magistrate for help in his cause Pauls appealing to Caesar. Civill Magistrates never appointed by God Dfenders of the Faith of Jesus Every oâ—â— is bound to put forth him selfe to his utmost power in Gods businesse whâ—re it stops the guilt will lie Christ could have easily been furnished with godly Magistrates if he had so appointed Gods Israel earnest with God for in Arme of Flesh which God gives in his anger and takes away in his wrath The punishment of blind Pharises though let alone yet is greater then any corporall punishment in the world in 4 respects The eye of the 〈◊〉 struck out is worse then for both right and left eye of the body to be 〈◊〉 out tenne thousand times Some soules incurable whom not only corporall bâ—â— spirituall physâ—â—ke can nothing availe The bottom 〈…〉 blind â—all Soul killing the châ—efest murder No Magistrate can execute true justice in killing soule for soule but christ Jesus who by typicall death in the Law typed out spirituall in the Gospel A great mistake in most to conceive that dead men that is soules dead in sin may be infected by false doctrine All naturall men being dead in sin yet none die everlastingly but such as are thereunto ordained The Lord Jesus hath not lest his Church without spirituall antidotes and remedies against infection The miserable bondage Gods people live in The Kings and Queens of England Governours of the Church Strange confusion in punishments Woe were it with the civill Magistrate if he bloud of soules beside the ordinary care of the boâ—ies â—â—d goods â—f 〈…〉 shâ—uld â—â—ry 〈◊〉 him The Magistrates duties toward the Church the Spâ—â—se of Christ. Usurpers and true heires of the spirituall Crowne of Jesus Luke 9. 54. 55 discussed An excellent saying of persecutors themselvesâ— The Answerer when he should speake to toleration in the State â—unnes to punishments in the Church which none can deny If the Civill Magistrate be a Christian he is bound to be like Christ in saving not destroying mens bodies The civill Magistrate bound not to inflict nor to suffer any other to inflict violence stripes or any corporall punishment for evill against Christ. Revel 13. 13. Fire from heaven What the fire from heaven is which the fals Prophet bringeth downe 2 Tim. 3. 25. 26. examined A quaere what the Answerer meanes by his unconverted Christian in Crete The originall of Christians The Answerer yet in the unconverted Churches and worships Gods people sleepy in the matters of Christs Kingdome Cant. 5. 2. 1 Cor. 14. Patience and â—eeknesse required in all that open Christs mysteries The civill Sword may make a Nation of Hypocrites Antichristians but not one Christian Wonderfull changes of Religion in England Englands changes in point of Religion The miserie of opposites against the Truth A difference between the true and false Christ and Christians The worship of unbelieving unregenerate persons The danger mischiefe of a civill sword in Soule matters which makes the civill Magistrate deeply guilty of all those evils which he aims to suppresse That cannot be a true Religion which needs carnall weapons to uphold it Persecutors beget a perswasion of their crueltie in the hearts of the persecuted Antoninus Pius his golden act Isa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3. Isa. 11. 9. concerning Christs peace able Kingdom discussed Mr. Cottons excellent interpretation of those Prophecies His doctrine and practice condemned by that interpretation Spirituall and mysticall Wolves Act. 20. 29. opened What those Wolves were Act. 20. 29. Charges directed to Ministers of the spiritual kingdome fasly applyed to the Magistrates of the civill No word of Christ to the civill Magistrate to feed his flock but to his Ministers who if true have spirituall power sufficient against spirituall Wolves Magistrates decline the name of Head of the Church and yet practise the headship or government The Elect shall not be devoured Christ Jesus furnisheth his Shepherds with power sufficient to drive away Wolves Tit. 1. 9. 10. opened Job 26. 1 2. Unmercifull and bloody doctrine John 6. 15. 2. Cor. 10. 4. discussed The difference of the civill spirituall estate Civill weapons most improper in spirituall causes fitly exemplified by that similitude 2 Cor. 10. 4. Spirituall weapons only effectuall in spirituall soule causes Civill weapons not only improper but unnecessary in spirituall causes No earthly Kings or Governours will be so served as we pretend to serve the King of Kings Psal. 45. The white Troopers Spirituall Ammunition Eph. 6. applied Materiall and Spirituall â—â—htly joyned together An alarme to civill or earthly Rulers Concerning the civill Rulers power in spirituall causes discust Rom. 13. speakes not at all of spirituall but civill affaires The scope of Rom 13. Love to man the duty of the whole second Table How love fulfilleth the Law Rom. 13 so interpreted even by them that held persecution for conscience Calvins judgement of Rom. 13. Gods people loath to be found yet proved persecutors Caelvin confesseth that the first Table concerning Gods worship is not here in Rom. 13. touched Beza upon Rom. 13. Paul writes not to the Romane Governors to defend the truth and to punish hereticks Pauls appeale to Caesar discussed If Paul had appealed to Caesar in spirituall things he had committed 5. evils Imperours than them selves if Christians subject to the Apostles and Churches in spirituall things Lawfull appeales in civill things to Civill Magistrates Foure sorts of swords mentioned in the New Testament The Civill Sword Tribute Custome c. meerly civill recompences for civil work Magistrates called by God Gods Ministers The spirituall Ministery The civill Ministery or service What is to bâ— understood bâ— Evill Rom. 13 4. Some give to the Magistrate what is not his and take from him that which is proper to him Toleration discussed Upon this point hath Mr. John Goodwin excellently of late discoursed Evill is always Evill yet permission of it may in case be good Deut. 24. Two sorts of commands both by Moses and Christ. Math 16. 17. 18. The permission of divorce in Israel Usurie in a Common-weale or Civill State lawfully permitted
THE BLOVDY TENENT of PERSECUTION for cause of CONSCIENCE discussed in A Conference betweene TRVTH and PEACE VVHO In all tender Affection present to the High Court of Parliament as the Result of their Discourse these amongst other Passages of highest consideration Printed in the Year 1644. FIrst That the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and Papists spilt in the Warâ— of present and former Ages for their respective Consciences is not required nor accepted by Iesus Christ the Prince of Peace Secondly Pregnant Scriptures and Arguments are throughout the Worke proposed against the Doctrine of Persecution for for cause of Conscience Thirdly Satisfactorie Answers are given to Scriptures and objections produced by Mr. Calvin Beza Mr. Cotton and the Ministers of the New English Churches and others former and later tending to prove the Doctrine of Persecution for cause of Conscience Fourthly The Doctrine of Persecution for cause of Conscience is proved guilty of all the blood of the Soules crying for vengeance under the Altar Fifthly All Civill States with their Officers of justice in their respective constitutions and administrations are proved essentially Civill and therefore not Iudges Governours or Defendours of the Spirituall or Christian state and Worship Sixtly It is the will and command of God that since the comming of his Sonne the Lord Iesus a permission of the most Paganish Iewish Turkish or Antichristian consciences and worships bee granted to all men in all Nations and Countries and they are onely to bee fought against with that Sword which is only in Soule matters able to conquer to wit the Sword of Gods Spirit the Word of God Seventhly The state of the Land of Israel the Kings and people thereof in Peace War is proved figurative and ceremoniall and no patterne nor president for any Kingdom or civill state in the world to follow Eightly God requireth not an uniformity of Religion to be inacted and inforced in any civill state which inforced uniformity sooner or later is the greatest occasion of civill Warre ravishing of conscience persecution of Christ Iesus in his servants and of the hypocrisie and destruction of millions of souls Ninthly In holding an inforced uniformity of Religion in a civill state we must necessarily disclaime our desires and hopes of the Iewes conversion to Christ. Tenthly An inforced uniformity of Religion throughout a Nation or civill state confounds the Civill and Religious denies the principles of Chrâ—stianity and civility and that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh. Eleventhly The permission of other consciences and worships then a state professeth only can according to God procure a firme and lasting peace good assurance being taken according to the wisdome of the civill state for uniformity of civill obedience from all sorts Twelfthly lastly true civility and Christianity may both flourish in a State or Kingdome notwithstanding the permission of divers and contrary consciences either of Iew or Gentile TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE both Houses of the High Court of PARLIAMENT Right Honourable and Renowned Patriots NExt to the saving of your own soules in the lamentable shipwrack of Mankind your taske as Christians is to save the Soules but as Magistrates the Bodies and Goods of others Many excellent Discourses have been presented to your Fathers hands and Yours in former and present Parliaments I shall be humbly bold to say that in what concernes your duties as Magistrates towards others a more necessary and seasonable debate was never yet presented Two things your Honours here may please to view in this Controversie of Persecution for cause of Conscience beyond what 's extant First the whole Body of this Controversie form'd pitch'd in true Battalia Secondly although in respect of my selfe it be impar congressus yet in the power of that God who is Maximus in Miniâ—is Your Honours shall see the Controversie is discussed with men as able as most eminent for abilitie and pietie Mr. Coâ—ton and the New English Ministers When the Prophets in Scripture have given their Coats of Armes and Escutchâ—ons to Great Men Your Honours know the Babylonian Monarch hath the Lyon the Persian the Beare the Grecian the Leopard the Romane a compound of the former 3. most strange and dreadfull Dan. 7. Their oppressing plundring ravishing murthering not only of the bodies but the soules of Men are large explaining commentaries of such similitudes Your Honours have been famous to the end of the World for your unparallel'd wisdome courage justice mercie in the vindicating your Civill Lawes Liberties c. Yet let it not be grievous to your Honours thoughts to ponder a little why all the Prayers and Teares and Fastings in this Nation have not pierc'd the Heavens and quench'd these Flames which yet who knowes how far they 'll spread and when they 'll out Your Honours have broke the jawes of the Oppressour and taken the prey out of their Teeth Iob. 29. For which Act I believe it hath pleased the most High God to set a Guard not only of Trained men but of mighty Angels to secure your sitting and the Citie I feare we are not pardoned though reprieved O that there may be a lengthning of Londons tranquilitie of the Parliaments safetie by mercy to the poore Dan. 4. Right Honourable Soule yokes Soule oppressions plundrings ravishings c. are of a crimson and deepest dye and I believe the chiefe of Englands sins unstopping the Viols of Englands present sorrowes This glasse presents your Honours with Arguments from Religion Reason Experience all proving that the greatest yoakes yet lying upon English necks the peoples and Your own are of a spirituall and soule nature All former Parliaments have changed these yoakes according to their consciences Popish or Protestant 'T is now your Honours turne at helme and as your task so I hope your resâ—lution not to change for that is but to turne the wheele which another Parliament and the very next may turne againe but to â—ase the Subjects and Your selves from a yoake as was once spoke in a case not unlike Act 15. which neither You nor your Fathers were ever able to beare Most Noble Senatours Your Fathers whose seats You fill are mouldred and mouldring their braines their tonguâ—s c. to ashes in the pit of rottenesse They and You must shortly together with two worlds of men appeare at the great Barre It shall then be no griefe of heart that you have now attended to the cries of Soules thousands oppressed millions ravished by the Acts and Statutes concerning Soules not yet repealed Of Bodies impoverished imprisoned c. for their soules beliefe yea slaughtered on heapes for Religions controversies in the Warres of present and former Ages Notwithstanding the successe of later times wherein sundry opinions have been hatched about the subject of Religion a man may clearly discerne with his eye and as it were touch with his finger that according to the verity of holy Scriptures c. mens consciences ought in no sort
for righteousnesse sake but that hindreth not but that he would have them execute upon all disobedience the judgement and vengeance required in the Word 2 Cor. 10. 6. Rom. 13. 4. Though it be true that wicked persons now may by the grace of God become true Disciples and Converts yet we may not doe evill that good may come thereof And evill it would bee to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing teachers or scandalous livers Christ had something against the Angel of the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that held the doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thiatira for tolerating Iesabel to teach and seduce Rev. 2. 14. 20. Your second Head of Reasons is taken from the profession and practice of famous Princes King Iames Stephen of Poland King of Bohemia Whereunto a treble answer may briefly be returned First we willingly acknowledge that none is to be persecuted at all no more then they may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Againe we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his conscience though mis-informed as hath been said unlesse his errour be fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of his conscience that it may appeare he is not punished for his conscience but for sinning against his conscience Furthermore we acknowledge none is to be constrained to beleeve or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in judgement of the truth of it but yet restrained he may from blaspheming the truth and from seducing any unto pernicious errours 2. Wee answer what Princes professe or practise is not a rule of conscience they many times tolerate that in point of State policy which cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity Againe Princes many times tolerate offendours out of very necessity when the offenders are either too many or too mighty for them to punish in which respect David tolerated Ioab and his murthers but against his will 3. We answer further that for those three Princes named by you who tolerated Religion we can name you more and greater who have not tolerated Heretickes and Schismatickes notwithstanding their pretence of conscience and arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings Constantine the Great at the request of the Generall Councell of Nice banished Arrius with some of his fellowes Sozom. lib. 1. Eccles. Hist. cap. 19. 20. The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists And the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius as Augustine reporteth in Epist. 166. Only Iulian the Apostata granted liberty to Heretickes as well as to Pagans that he might by tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitals of Christianity which was also the practice and sin of Valens the Arrian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her government as any of the former it is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists Yea and King Iames one of your own witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the malignant world calleth Puritanes men of more conscience and better faith then he tolerated I come now to your third and last argument taken from the judgement of ancient and later Writers yea even of Papists themselves who have condemned persecution for conscience sake You begin with Hilary whose testimony we might admit without any prejudice to the truth for it is true the Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted But to excommunicate an Hereticke is not to persecute that is it is not to punish an innocent but a culpable and damnable person and that not for conscience but for persisting in errour against light of conscience whereof it hath beene convinced It is true also what he saith that neither the Apostles did not may we propagate Christian Religion by the Sword but if Pagans cannot be won by the Word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not but if they or any others should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought to be severely punished and no lesse doe they deserve if they seduce from the truth to damnable Heresie or Idolatry Your next Writer which is Tertullian speaketh to the same purpose in the place alledged by you His intent is onely to restraine Scapula the Romane Governour of Africa from the persecution of Christians for not offering sacrifice to their gods And for that end fetcheth an argument from the Law of Naturall Equity not to compell any to any Religion but to permit them either to beleeve willingly or not to beleeve at all Which wee acknowledge and accordingly permit the Indians to continue in their unbeleefe Neverthelesse it will not therefore be lawfull openly to tolerate the worship of devils or Idols or the seduction of any from the truth When Tertullian saith Another mans Religion neither hurteth nor profiteth any it must be understood of private worship and Religion professed in private otherwise a false Religion professed by the Members of a Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and desolation of the Church as appeareth by the threats of Christ to the Churches of Asia Revel 2. Your next Authour Hierom crosseth not the truth nor advantageth not your cause for we grant what he saith that Heresie must bee cut off with the Sword of the Spirit But this hindreth not but that being so cut downe if the Hereticke still persist in his Heresie to the seduction of others he may be cut off by the civill sword to prevent the perdition of others And that to bee Hieromes meaning appeareth by his note upon that of the Apostle A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe therefore saith he a sparke as soone as it appeareth is to be extinguished and the Leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough rotten peeces of flesh are to be cut off and a scabbed beast is to be driven from the 〈◊〉 leâ—t the whole house masse of dough body and flocke be set on fire with the sparke bee sowred with the Leaven be putrified with the rotten flesh perish by the scabbed beast Brentius whom you next quote speaketh not to your Cause We willingly grant him and you that Man hath no power to make Lawes to bind Conscience But this hindreth not but that Men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe bind Conscience The like Answer may be returned to Luther whom you next alleadge First that the Government of the Civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the Bodies and Goods of their Subjects not over their Soules And therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes to the Soules and Consciences of Men. Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of Secular Power to compell men to the Faith or profession of the Truth for this is to be done by Spirituall weapons whereby
of State policy tolerate what suits not with Christianity and out of State necessity tolerate â—s David did Ioab against their wils To which I answer First that although with him in the first I confesse that Princes may tolerate that out of State policy which will not stand with Christianity yet in the second he must acknowledge with me that there is a necessity sometime of State Toleration as in the case of Ioab and so his former affirmation generally laid downe viz. that it is evill to tolerate seducing Teachers or scandalous livers was not duly waighed in the Balance of the Sanctuary and is too light Secondly I affirme that that State policy and State necessity which for the peace of the State and preventing of Rivers of civill Blood permits the Consciences of men will bee found to agree most punctually with the Rules of the best Politician that ever the World saw the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in comparison of whom Salomon himselfe had but a drop of wisedome compared to Christs Ocean and was but a Farthing Candle compared with the All and Ever glorious Son of Righteousnesse That absolute Rule of this great Politician for the peace of the Field which is the World and for the good and peace of the Saints who must have a civill being in the World I have discoursed of in his command of permitting the Tares that is Antichristians or false Christians to be in the Field of the World growing up together with the true Wheat true Christians CHAP. LXI Peace HIs third Answer is this For those three Princes named by you who tolerated Religion we can name you more and greater who have not tolerated Heretickes and Schismatickes notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings Constantine the Great at the request of the Generall Councell at Nice banished Arrius with some of his Fellowes Sozom. lib. 1. Eccles hist. cap 19 20. The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists and the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian and Theodosius as Augustine reports in Ep. 166. Onely Iulian the Apostate granted liberty to Heretickes as well as to Pagans that he might by tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitals of Christianity which was also the practice and sinne of Valens the Arrian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her Government as most of the former it is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists yea and K. Iames one of your owne Witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for Conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the malignant World calls Puritans men of more Conscience and better Faith then the Papists whom he tolerated Truth Unto this I answer First that for mine owne part I would not use an argument from the number of Princes witnessing in profession of practice against Persecution for cause of Conscience for the truth and faith of the Lord Iesus must not bee received with respect of faces be they never so high princely and glorious Precious Pearles and Iewels and farre more precious Truth are found in muddy shells and places The rich Mines of golden Truth lye hid under barren hills and in obscure holes and corners The most High and Glorious God hath chosen the poore of the World and the Witnesses of Truth Rev. 11. are cloathed in sackcloth not in Silke or Sattin Cloth of Gold or Tissue and therefore I acknowledge if the number of Princes professing persecution bee considered it is rare to finde a King Prince or Governour like Christ Iesus the King of Kings and Prince of the Princes of the Earth and who tread not in the steps of Herod the Fox or Nero the Lyon openly or secretly persecuting the name of the Lord Iesus such were Saul Ieroboam Ahab though under a maske or pretence of the name of the God of Israel To that purpose was it a noble speech of Buchanan who lying on his death-bed sent this Item to King Iames Remember my humble service to his Majestie and tell him that Buchanan is going to a place where few Kings come CHAP. LXII Truth SEcondly I observe how inconsiderately I hope not willingly he passeth by the Reasons and Grounds urged by those three Princes for their practices for as for the bare examples of Kings or Princes they are but like shining Sands or guilded Rockes giving no solace to such as make wofull shipwrack on them In K. Iames his Speech he passeth by that Golden Maxime in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by Blood Secondly that Civill Obedience may be performed from the Papists Thirdly in his observation on Revel 20. that true and certaine note of a false Church to wit persecution The wicked are besiegers the faithfull are besieged In K. Steven of Poland his Speech hee passeth by the true difference betweene a Civill and a Spirituall Government I am said Steven a Civill Magistrate over the bodies of men not a spirituall over their soules Now to confound these is Babel and Jewish it is to seek for Moses and bring him from his grave which no man shall finde for God buried him in setting up a Nationall state or Church in a land of Canaan which the great Messiah abolished at his comming Thirdly he passeth by in the speech of the King of Bohemia that foundation in Grace and Nature to wit that Conscience ought not to be violated or forced and indeed it it is most true that a Soule or spirituall Rape is more abominable in Gods eye then to force and ravish the Bodies of all the Women in the World Secondly that most lamentably true experience of all Ages which that King observeth viz. that persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious being the causes of all those wonderfull innovations of or changes in the Principalitiesâ— and mightiest Kingdomes of Christendome He that reads the Records of Truth and Time with an impartiall eye shall finde this to be the Launcet that hath pierc'd the veines of Kings and Kingdomes of Saints and Sinners and fill'd the streames and Rivers with their blood Lastly that Kings observation of his own time viz. that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery raigned implying as I conceive that such practises commonly proceed from that great whore the Church of Rome whose Daughters are like their Mother and all of a bloody nature as most commonly all Whores be CHAP. LXIII NOw thirdly in that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperours they that did not persecute were Iulian the Apostate and Valens the Arrian whereas the good Emperours Constantine Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arrians Donatists c. Answ. It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men
appâ—ove a cutting off by the sword of the Spirit in the Church and the purging out of the leaven in the Church in the Cities of Corinth and Galatia And if Tertullian should so meane as himselfe doth yet First that grant of his that Heresie must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit implies an absolute sufficiencie in the sword of the Spirit to cut it down according to that mighty operation of Spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. 4. powerfully sufficient either to convert the Heretick to God and subdue his very thoughts into subjection to Christ or else spiritually to slay and execute him Secondly it is cleare to be the meaning of the Apostle and of the Spirit of God not there to speake to the Church in Corinth or Galatia or any other Church concerning any other dough or house or body or â—lock but the dough the body the house the â—lock of Christ his Church Out of which such spaâ—ks such leaven such rotten slesh and scabbed sheep are to be avoided Nor could the eye of this worthy Answerer ever be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of iron and steale to helpe the Sword of the Spirit if the Sun of Righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him that a Nationall Church which elsewhere he professeth against a state Church whether explicite as in Ola England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Iesus Christ. The Nationall typicall State-Church of the Iewes necessarily called for such weapons but the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the World consisting of Iewes or Gentiles is powerfully able by the sword of the Spirit to defend it selfe and â—ffend Men or Devils although the Statâ— or Kingdome wherein such a Church or Churches of Christ are gathered have neither carnall speare nor sword c. as once it was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan CHAP. LXXII Peace BReutius whom you next quote saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly grant you that man hath no power to make Lawes to binde conscience but this hinders not but men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde conscience Truth I answer In granting with Breutius that man hath not power to make Lawes to binde conscience hee overthrowes such his tenent and practice as restraine men from their Worship according to their Conscience and beleefe and constraine them to such worships though it bee out of a pretence that they are convinced which their owne soules tell them they have no satisfaction nor faith in Secondly whereas he affirmeth that men may make Lawes to see the Lawes of God observed I answer as God needeth not the helpe of a materiall sword of steele to assist the sword of the Spirit in the affaires of conscience so those men those Magistrates yea that Commonwealth which makes such Magistrates must needs have power and authority from Christ Iesus to sit Iudge and to determine in all the great controversies concerning doctrine discipline government c. And then I aske whether upon this ground it must not evidently follow that Either there is no lawfull Commonwealth nor civill State of men in the world which is not qualified with this spirituall discerning and then also that the very Commonweale hath more light concerning the Church of Christ then the Church it selfe Or that the Commonweale and Magistrates thereof must judge and punish as they are perswaded in their owne beleefe and conscience be their conscience Paganish Turkish or Antichristian what is this but to confound Heaven and Earth together and not onely to take away the being of Christianity out of the World but to take away all civility and the world out of the world and to lay all upon heapes of confusion CHAP. LXXIII Peace THe like answer saith he may bee returned to Luther whom you next alledge First that the government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of their subjects not over their soules and therefore they may not undertake to give Lawes unto the soules and consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the truth for this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted not compelled But this saith hee hindreth not that Christians sinning against light of faith and conscience may justly be censured by the Church with excommunication and by the civill sword also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules Truth I answer in this joynt confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of their subjects not over their soules who sees not what a cleare testimony from his own mouth and pen is given to wit that either the Spirituall and Church estate the preaching of the Word and the gathering of the Church the Baptisme of it the Ministry Government and Administrations thereof belong to the civill body of the Commonweale that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemes monstrous to imagine Or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his office meddle with those spirituall affaires Againe necessarily must it follow that these two are contradictory to themselves to wit The Magistrate power extends no further then the bodies and goods of the subject and yet The Magistrates must punish Christians for sinning against the light of faith and conscience and for corrupting the soules of men The Father of Lights make this worthy Answerer and all that feare him to see their wandring in this case not only from his feare but also from the light of Reason it selfe their owne convictions and confessions Secondly in his joint confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the truth he condemneth as before I have observed First his former Implication vizâ— that they may bee compelled when they are convinced of the truth of it Secondly their owne practice who suffer no man of any different conscience and worship to live in their jurisdiction except that he depart from his owne exercise of Religion and Worship differing from the worship allowed of in the civill State yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Which howsoever it is coloured over with this varnish viz. that men are compelled no further then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that teaching and being taught in a Church estate is a Church worship as true and proper a Church worship as the Supper of the Lord Act. 2. 46. Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to
two Either the force of a material sword imprisoning the Soules of men in a State or Nationall Religion Ministery or Worship Or secondly Civill warres and combustions for Religion sake whereby men are immediately cut off without any longer meanes of Repentance Now againe for the Soules that are alive in Christ he hath graciously appointed Ordinances powerfully sufficient to maintaine and cherish that life Armour of proofe able to defend them against men and devils Secondly the Soule once alive in Christ is like Christ himselfe Revel 1. alive for ever Rom. 6. and cannot die a spirituall death Lastly Grant a man to be a false Teacher an Heretick a Balaam a Spirituall Witch a Wolfe a Persecuter breathing out blasphemies against Christ and slaughters against his followers as Paul did Act. 9. I say these who appeare Soule-killers to day by the grace of Christ may prove as Paul Soule-savers to morrow and saith Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. 4. thou shalt save thy selfe and them that heare thee which all must necessarily be prevented if all that comes within the sense of these Soule-killers must as guilty of blood be corporally kill'd and put to death CHAP. LXVI Peace DEare Truth your Answers are so satisfactorie to Austins speech that if Austin himselfe were now living me thinkes he should be of your mind I pray descend to Optatus who saith the Answerer justifies Macharius for putting some Hereticks to death affirming that he had done no more herein then what Moses Phineas and Elias had done before him Truth Thâ—se are shafts usually drawne from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and typicall state of the Nationall Church of the Iewes whose shadowish and figurative state vanished at the appearing of the Body and substance the Sun of Righteousnesse who set up another Kingdome or Church Heb. 12. Ministrie and Worship in which we finde no such Ordinance precept or president of killing men by Materiall Swords for Religion sake More particularly concerning Moses I quaerie what commandement or practice of Moses either Optatus or the Answerer here intend Probably that passage of Deut. 13. wherein Moses appointed a slaughter either of a person or a city that should depart from the God of Israel with whom that Nationall Church was in Covenant And if so I shall particularly reply to that place in my Answer to the Reasons hereunder mentioned Concerning Phineas his zealous Act First his slaying of the Israelitish man and woman of Midian was not for spirituall but corporall filthines Secondly no man will produce his fact as presidentiall to any Minister of the Gospel so to act in any Civill state or Commonweale although I believe in the Church of God it is presidentiall for either Minister or people to kill and slay with the two-edged sword of the Spirit of God any such bold and open presumptuous sinners as these were Lastly concerning Eliah There were two famous acts of Eliah of a killing nature First that of slaying 850 of Baals Prophets 1 Kings 18. Secondly of the two Captaines and their Fifties by fire c. For the first of these it cannot figure or type out any materiall slaughter of the many thousands of false Prophets in the World by any materiall sword of Iron or Steele for as that passage was miraculous so finde we not any such commission given by the Lord Iesus to the Ministers of the Gospel And lastly such a slaughter must not only extend to all the false prophets in the World but according to the Answerers grounds to the many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the World For the second Act of Eliah as it was also of a miraculous nature So secondly when the followers of the Lord Iesus Luc. 9. proposed such a practice to the Lord Iesus for injury offered to his owne person he disclaimed it with a milde checke to their angry spirits telling them plainly they knew not what spirits they were of and addeth that gentle and mercifull conclusion That he came not to destroy the bodies of men as contrarily Antichrist doth alledging these instances from the Old Testament as also Peters killing Ananiaâ— Acts 5. and Peters vision and voice Arise Peter kill and eat Acts. 10. CHAP. LXXVII Peace YOu have so satisfied these instances brought by Optatus that me thinks Optatus and the Answerer himself might rest satisfied I will not trouble you with Bernards argument from Rom. 13. which you have already on that Scripture so largely answered But what thinke you lastly of Calvin Beza and Aretius Truth Ans. Since matters of fact and opinion are barely related by the Answerer without their grounds whose grounds notwithstanding in this Discourse are answered I answer if Paul himself were joyned with them yea or an Angel from Heaven bringing any other rule then what the Lord Jesus hath once delivered we have Pauls conclusion and resolution peremptory and dreadfull Gal. 1. 8. Peace This passage finished let me finish the whole by proposing one conclusion of the Author of the arguments viz. It is no prejudice to the Commonwealth if Liberty of Conscience were suffered to such as feare God indeed Abraham abode a long time amongst the Cananites yet contrary to them in Religion Gen. 13. 7. 16. 13. Againe he sâ—journed in Gerar and King Abimelâ—ch gave him leave to abide in his Land Gen. 20. 21. 23. 24. Isaack also dwelt in the same Land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 26. Iacob lived 20 yeares in one house with his Unkle Laban yet differed in Religion Gen. 31. The people of Israel were about 430 yeares in that infamous land of Egypt and afterwards 70 yeares in Babylon all which times they differed in Religion from the States Exod. 12. 2 Chron. 36. Come to the time of Christ where Israel was under the Romanes where lived divers Sects of Religion as Herodians Scribes and Pharises Saduces and Libertines Theudaeans and Samaritanes beside the Common Religion of the Jews Christ and his Apostles All which differed from the Common Religion of the State which was like the Worship of Diana which almost the whole World then worshipped Acts 19. 20. All these lived under the Government of Caesar being nothing hurtfull unto the Commonwealth giving unto Caesar that which was his And for their Religion and Consciences towards God he left them to themselves as having no dominion over their Soules and Consciences And when the Enemies of the Truth raised up any tumults the wisedome of the Magistrate most wisely appeased them Acts 18 14. 19. 35. Unto this the Answerer returnes thus much It is true that without prejudice to the Common-wealth Libertie of Conscience may be suffered to such as feare God indeed as knowing they will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience of the sinfulnes thereof But the question is whether an Heretick after once or twice Admonition and so after
Church of Christ abideth and secondly the Commonweale may be in perfect peace and quiet notwithstanding the Church the Commonweale of Christ be in distractionsâ— and spirituall oppositions both against their Religions and sometimes amongst themselves as the Church of Christ in Corinth troubled with divisions contentions c. Secondly I observe it is true the Church helpeth forward the prosperity of the Commonweale by spirituall meanes Ier. 29. 7. The prayers of Gods people procure the peace of the City where they abide yet that Christs Ordinances and administrations of Worship are appointed and given by Christ to any Civill State Towne or City as is implied by the instance of Geneva that I confidently deny The Ordinances and Discipline of Christ Iesus though wrongfully and prophanely applied to naturall and unregenerate men may cast a blush of civillity and morality upon them as in Geneva and other places for the shining brightnesse of the very shadow of Christs Ordinances casts a shame upon barbarisme and incivillity yet withall I affirme that the misapplication of Ordinances to unregenerate and unrepentant persons hardens up their soules in a dreadfull sleep and dreame of their owne blessed estate and sends millions of soules to hell in a secure expectation of a false salvation CHAP. LXXXIV The second head concerning Superiority of each Power Peace BEcause contention may arise in future times which of these Powers under Christ is the greatest as it hath been under Antichrist we conceive first That the power of the Civill Magistrates is superiour to the Church policie in place honours dignity earthly power in the World and the Church superiour to him being a member of the Church Ecclesiastically that is in a Church way ruling and ordering him by Spirituall Ordinances according to God for his soules health as any other member so that all the power the Magistrate hath over the Church is temporall not spirituall and all the power the Church hath over the Magistrate is spirituall not temporall And as the Church hath no temporall power over the Magistrate in ordine ad bonum spirituale So the Magistrate hath no Spirituall power over the Church in ordine ad bonum temporale Secondly the delinquencie of either party calleth for the exercise of the power of terrour from the other part for no Rulers ordained of God are a terrour to good works but to evill Rom. 13. 3. So that if the Church offend the offence of the Church câ—lleth upon the Civill Magistrate either to seeke the healing thereof as a nursing father by his owne grave advice and the advice of other Churches or else if he cannot so prevaile to put forth and exercise the superiority of his power in redressing what is amisse according to the quality of the offence by the course of civill Justice On the other side if the Magistrate being a member of the Church shall offend the offence calleth upon the Church either to seek the healing thereof in a brotherly way by conviction of his sinne or else if they cannot prevaile then to exercise the superiority of their power in removing of the offence and recovering of the offendour by Church censures If the end of Spirituall or Church power is bonum spirituale a spirituall good and the end of Civill or State power is bonum temporale a temporall good And secondly if the Magistrate have no spirituall power to attaine to his temporall end no more then a Church hath any temporall power to attaine to her Spirituall end as is confest I demand if this be not a contradiction against their owne disputes tenents and practices touching that question of persecution for cause of conscience For if the Magistrate be supreme Iudge and so consequently give supreme judgement sentence and determination in matters of the first Table and of the Church and be custos utriusque Tabule keepers of both Tables as they speake and yet have no Spirituall power as is affirmed how can he determine what the true Church and Ordinances are and then set them up with the power of the Sword How can he give judgement of a false Church a false Ministery a false Doctrine false Ordinances and with a Civil Sword pull them down if he have no Spiritual power authority or commission from Christ Iesus for these ends and purposes Further I argue thus If the civill officers of State must determine judge and punish in Spiritual causes his power authority and commission must be either Spirituall or Civill or else he hath none at all and so acts without a commission and warrant from the Lord Iesus and so consequently stands guilty at the Bar of Christ Iesus to answer for such his practice as a transcendent Delinquent Now for civill power these worthy Authors confesse that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodies and goods of the Subject and therefore hath no civill power over the Soule and therefore say I not in Soule-causes Secondly It is here confest in this passage that to attaine his Civill end or Bonum temporale he hath no Spirituall power and therefore of necessitie out of their own mouths must they be judged for provoking the Magistrate without either Civill or Spirituall power to judge punish and persecute in Spirituall causes and to feare and tremble lest they come neere those frogs which proceed out of the mouth of the Dragon and Beast and false Prophet who by the same Arguments which the Authours here use stirre up the Kings of the Earth to make warre against the Lambe Christ Iesus and his Followers Revel 17. CHAP. LXXXV IN the next place I observe upon the point of Delinquencie such a confusion as Heaven and Earth may stand amazed at If the Church offend say they after advice refused in conclusion the Magistrate must redresse that is punish the Church that is in Church offences and cases by a course of Civill justice On the other side if the Civill Magistrate offend after Admonition used and not prevailing in conclusion the Church proceeds to censure that is to Excommunication as is afterward more largely proved by them Now I demand if the Church be a Delinquent who shall judge It is answered the Magistrate Againe if the Magistrate be a Delinquent I aske who shall judge It is answered the Church Whence I observe which is monstrous in all cases in the World that one person to wit the Church or Magistrate shall be at one time the Delinquent at the Bar and the Iudge upon the Bench. This is cleere thus The Church must judge when the Magistrate offends and yet the Magistrate must judge when the Church offends and so consequently in this case must judge whether she contemne Civill Authority in the Second Table for thus dealing with him Or whether she have broken the rules of the first Table of which say they God hath made him Keeper and Conserver And therefore though the
Lawes properly concerning Religionâ— God the Soules of men should be Civill Lawes and Constitutions is as far from Reason as that the Commandements of Paul which he gave the Churches concerning Christs worship 1 Cor. 11. 1 Cor. 14. were Civill and Earthly constitutions Or that the Canon and Constitutions of either oecumâ—nicall or Nationall synods concerning Religion should be Civill and State-conclusions and agreements To that instance of an Oath remaining relâ—gious though conversant about civill things I answer and acknowledge an Oath may be spirituall though taken about earthly businesse and accordingly it will prove and onely prove what before I have said that a Law may be civill though it concerne persons of this and of that religion that is as the persons professing it are concerned in civill respects of bâ—dies or goods as I have opened whereas if it concerne the soules and religions of men simply so considered in reference to God it must of necessity put on the nature of a religious or spirituall ordinance or constitution Besides it is a most improper and fallacious instance for an oath being an invocation of a true or false God to judge in a case is an action of a spirituall and religious nature what ever the subject matter be about which it is taken whether civill or religious but a law or constitution may be civill or religious as the subject about which it is conversant is either civill meerly concerning bodies or goods or religious concerning soule and worship CHAP. XCIV Peace THeir fifth Head is concerning the Magistrates power in making of Lawes First they have power to publish and apply such Civill Lawes in a State as either are exprest in the Word of God in Moses Judicialls to wit so far as they are of generall and morall equity and so binding all Nations in all Ages to bee deducted by way of generall consequence and proportion from the word of God For in a free State no Magistrate hath power over the bodies goods lands liberties of a free people but by their free consents And because free men are not free Lords of their owne estates but are onely stewards under God therefore they may not give their free consents to any Magistrate to dispose of their bodies goods lands liberties at large as themselves please but as God the soveraigne Lord of all alone And because the Word is a perfect rule as wel of righteousnes as of holines it will be therefore necessary that neither the people give consent nor that the Magistrate take power to dispose of the bodies goods lands liberties of the people but according to the Lawes and Rules of the Word of God Secondly in making Lawes about civill and indifferent things about the Commonweale First he hath no power given him of God to make what laws he please either in restraining from or constraining to the use of indifferent things because that which is indifferent in its nature maâ— sometimes bee inexpedient in its use and consequently unlawfull 1 Cor. 2. 5. it having been long since defended upon good ground Quicquid non expeait quatenus non expedit non licet Secondly he hath no power to make any such Lawes about indifferent things wherein nothing good or evill is shewne to the people but onely or principally the meere authority or wil of the imposer for the observance of them Colos. 2. 21 22. 1 Cor. 7. 23 compared with Ephes. 6. 6. It is a prerogative proper to God to require obedience of the sonnes of men because of his authority and will The will of no man is Regula recti unlesse first it bee Regula recta It is an evill speech of some that in some things the will of the Law not the ratio of it must be the Rule of Conscience to walke by and that Princes may forbid men to seeke any other reason but their authority yea when they command frivola dura And therefore it is the duty of the Magistrate in all lawes about indifferent things to shew the Reasons not onely the Will to shew the expediency as well as the indifferency of things of that nature For we conceive in Lawes of this nature it is not the will of the Lawgiver onely but the Reason of the Law which bindes Ratio est Rex Legis Lex est Rex Regis Thirdly because the judgement of expedient and inexpedient things is often difficult and diverse it is meet that such Lawes should not proceed without due consideration of the Rules of Expediency set downe in the Word which are these three First the rule of Piety that they may make for the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. Secondly the rule of Charity that no scandall come hereby to any weake brother 1 Cor. 8. 13. Thirdly the Rule of Charity that no man be forced to submit against his conscience Rom. 14. 14. 23. nor be judged of contempt of lawfull Authority because he is not suddenly perswaded of the expediency of indifferent things for if the people be bound by God to receive such Lawes about such things without any triall or satisfaction to the conscience but must judge them expedient because the Magistrate thinkes them so then the one cannot be punished in following the other in case he shall sinne in câ—lling Inexpedient Expedient but Christ saith the contrary If the blinde lead the blinde they shall both fall Truth In this passage these worthy Men lay downe such a ground as the gates of Hell are not able to shake concerning the Magistrates walking in indifferent things And upon which ground that Towre of Lebanon may be raised whereon there hang a thousand shields and bucklars Cant 4. to wit that invincible Truth That no man is to be persecuted for cause of conscience The ground is this The Magistâ—ate hath not power to make what Lawes he please either in restraining or constraining to the use of indifferent things And further he confesseth that the reason of the Law not the will of it must be the rule of conscience And they adde this impregnable reason viz. If the people be bound to receive such Lawes without satisfaction to conscience then one cannot be punished for following the other in case he shall sinne contrary to Christ Jesus who saith If the blinde lead the blinde they shall both fall Hence I argue If the Civill Magistrate have no power to restraine or constraine their subjects in things in their owne nature indifferent as in eating of meats wearing this or that garment using this or that gesture but that they are bound to try and examine his commands and satisfie their owne reason conscience and judgement before the Lord and that they shall sinne if they follow the Magistrates command not being perswaded in their owne soule and conscience that his commands are according to God! It will be much more unlawfull and heynous in the Magistrate to compell the subjects unto that which according to their consciences perswasion is
God the Spirituall Iewes Christs true followers in all parts and quarters of the World Beside all these without Israel is betraied within her owne bowells bloudy Sauls Absaloms Sheâ—aes Adonljahs Ieroboams Athalâ—ahs raising insurrections conspiracies tumults in the Antitype and Parallell the Spirituall state of the Christian Church Secondly consider we the famous and wonderfull battells victories captivities deliverances which it pleased the God of Israel to dispence to that people and Nation and let us search if they can be paralleld by any State or people but mystically and Spiritually the true Christian Israel of God Gal. 6. How famous was the bondage and slavery of that people and Nation 430 yeares in the Land of Aegypt and as famous glorious and miraculous was their returne through the Red Sea a figure of Baptisme 1 Corinth 10. and Aegypt a figure of an Aegypt now Rev. 11. 8 How famous was the 70 yeares captivity of the Iewes in Babel transported from that Land of Canaan and at the full period returned againe to Ierusalem a type of the captivity of Gods people now Spiritually captivated in mysticall Babel Rev. 18. 4 Time would faile me to speake of Ioshua's conquest of literall Canaan the slaughter of 31 Kings of the miraculous taking of Iericho and other Cities Gideon his miraculous battell against the Midianites Ionathan and his Armour bearer against the Philistims David by his 5 smooth stones against Goliah Asa Iehosaphat Hezechia their mighty and miraculous victories against so many hundred thousand Enemies and that sometimes without a blow given What State what Kingdome what warres and combats victories and deliverances can parallel this people but the Spirituall and mysticall Israel of God in every Nation and Country of the World typed out by that small typicall handfull in that little spot of ground the land of Canaan The Israel of God now men and women fight under the Great Lord Generall the Lord Iesus Christ Their Weapons Armour and Artillery is like themselves Spirituall set forth from top to toe Ephes. 6. So mighty and so potent that they breake downe the strongest holds and Castles yea in the very soules of men and carry into captivity the very thoughts of men subjecting them to Christâ— Iesus They are Spirituall conquerours as in all the 7 Churches of Asia He that overcommeth He that overcommeth Rev. 2. 3. Their victories and conquests in this are contrary to those of this World for when they are slaine and slaughtered yet then they conquer So overcame they the Divell in the Roman Emperours Rev. 12. By the bloud of the Lambe 2. By the word of their Testimony 3. The cheerfull spilling of their owne bloud for Christ for they loved not their lives unto the death And in all this they are more then Conquerors through him that loved them Rom. 8. This glorious Armie of white Troopers horses and harnesse Christ Iesus and his true Israel Rev. 19. gloriously conquer and overcome the Beast the false Prophet and the Kings of the Earth up in Armes against them Rev. 19. and lastly raigning with Christ a thousand yeares they conquer the Divell himselfe and the numberlesse Armies like the sand on the Sea shoare of Gog and Magog and yet not a tittle of mention of any sword helmet breastplate shield or horse but what is Spirituall and of a heavenly nature All which Warres of Israel have been may be and shall be fulfilled mystically and Spiritually I could further insist on other particulars of Israels unparalled state and might display those excellent passages which it pleaseth God to mention Nâ—hem 9. CHAP. CXXIII Peace YOu have deare Truth as in a glasse presented the face of Old and New Israel and as in water face answereth to face so doth the face of typicall Israel to the face of the Antitype between whom and not between Canaan and the Civill Nations and Countries of the World now there is an admirable consent and harmony But I have heard some say was not the civill state and Judicialls of that people presidentiall Truth I have in part and might further discover that from the King upon his Throne to the very Beasts yea the excrements of their bodies as we see in their going to War Deut 23. 12â— their civills moralls and naturalls were carried on in types and however I acknowledge that what was simply morall civill and naturall in Israels state in their constitutions Lawes punishments may be imitated and followed by the States Countries Cities and Kingdomes of the World Yet who can question the lawfulnesse of other formes of Government Lawes and punishments which differ since civill constitutions are mens Ordinances or creation 2. Pet. 2. 13. unto which Gods people are commanded even for the Lords sake to submit themselves which if they were unlawfull they ought not to do Peace Having thus far proceeded in examining whether God hath charged the Civill State with the establishing of the Spirituall and Religious what conceive you of that next assertion viz It is well knowne that the remissenes of Princes in Christendome in matters of Religion and Worship divolving the care thereof only to the Clergie and so setting theâ— Hoâ—â—es upon the Churches head hath been the cause of 〈◊〉 invention usurpation and corruption in the Worship and Temple of God Truth It is lamentably come to passe by Gods just permission Sathans policie the peoples sinne and the malice of the wicked against Christ and the corruption of Princes and Magistrates that so many inventions 〈◊〉 and corruptions are 〈◊〉 in the Worship and Temple of God throughout that part of the World which is called Christian and may most properly be called the Popes Christendome in opposition to Christ Iesus his true Christian Common-weale or Church the true Christendome But that this hath arisen from Princes remissenesse in not keeping their watch to establish the Purity of Religion Doctrine and Worship and to punish according to Israels patterne all false Ministers by rooting them and their worships out of the World that I say can never bee evinced and the many thousands of glorious Soules under the Altar whose blood hath beene spilt by this position and the many hundred thousand soules driven out of their bodies by Civill Warres and the many millions of soules forced to hypocrisie and ruine eternall by inforced Vniformities in Worship will to all Eternity proclaime the contrary Indeed it shewes a most injurious idlenes and unfaithfulnes in such as professe to be Messengers of Christ Iesus to cast the heaviest weight of their care upon the Kings and Rulers of the Earth yea upon the very Common-weales Bodies of People that is the World it selfe who have fundamentally in themselves the Root of Power to set up what Government and Governours they shall agree upon Secondly it shewes abundance of carnall diffidence and distrust of the glorious power and gracious presence of the Lord Iesus who hath given his promise and
the Church constituted and gathered but to such Ministers or Messengers of Christ Iesus whom he is pleased to imploy to gather and constitute the Church by converting and baptizing unto which Messengers if Christ Jesus will be pleased to send such forth that passage Acts 15. will be presidentiall Peace The 14. generall head is this viz. What power particular Churches have particularly over Magistrates First say they they may censure any Member though a Magistrate if by sinne he deserve it First because Magistrates must be subject to Christ but Christ censures all offenders 1 Cor. 5. 45. Secondly Every Brother must be subject to Christs censure Mat. 18. 15 16 17. But Magistrates are brethren Deut 17. 15. Thirdly They may censure all within the Church I Cor. 5. 12. But the Magistrates are within the Church for they are either without or within or above the Church not the first nor the last for so Christ is only above it Fourthly The Church hath a charge of all the Soules of the members and must give account thereof Heb. 13. 17. Fifthly Christs censures are for the good of Soules I Cor. 5. 6. but Magistrates must not be denied any priviledge for their Soules for then they must lose a priviledge of Christ by being Magistrates Sixthly In Church priviledges Christians are all one Gal. 2. 28. Col. 3. 11. 2. Magistrates may be censured for apparent and manifest sinne against any Morall Law of God in their judiciall proceedings or in the execution of their office Courts are not Sanctuaries for sin and if for no sin then not for such especially First because sinnes of Magistrates in Court are as hatefull to God 2. And as much spoken against Isa. 10. 1. Mic. 3. 1. Thirdly God hath no where granted such immunity to them Fourthly what a brother may doe privately in case of private offence that the Church may doe publikely in case of publike scandall But a private brother may admonish and reprove privately in case of any private offence Mat. 18. 15. Luc. 19. 17. Psal. 141. 5. Lastly Civill Magistracy doth not exempt any Church from faithfull watchfulnesse over any member nor deprive a Church of her due power not a Church member of his due priviledge which is to partake of every Ordinance of God needfull and requisite to their winning and salvation Ergâ— CHAP. CXXXV Truth THese Arguments to prove the Magistrate subject even for sinne committed in judiciall proceeding I judge like Mount Zion immoveable and every true Christian that is a Magistrate will judge so with mee Yet a Quaerie or two will not be unseasonable First where they name the Church in this whole passage whether they meane the Church without the Ministry or Governours of it or with the Elders and Governours joyntly and if the latter why name they not the Governours at all since that in all administrations of the Church the duty lies not upon the body of the Church but firstly and properly upon the Elders It is true in case of the Elders obstinacy in apparent sinne the Church hath power over him having as much power to take down as to set up Col. 4. Say to Archippus c. Yet in the ordinary dispensations and administrations of the Ordinances the Ministers or Elders thereof are first charged with duty c. Hence first for the Apostles who converted gathered espoused the Churches to Christ I question whether their power to edification was not a power over the Churches as many Scriptures seem to imply Secondly for the ordinary Officers ordained for the ordinary and constant guiding feeding and governing the Church they were Rulers Shepheards Bishops or Overseers and to them was every letter and charge commendation or reproofe directed Revel 2. 3. Acts 20. And that place by them quoted for the submission of the Magistrates to the Church it mentions only submission to the Rulers therof Heb. 13. 17. Those excellent men concealed not this out of ignorance and therefore most certainly in a silent way confesse that their doctrine concerning the Magistrates power in Church causes would too gâ—osse if they should not have named the whole Church and but silently implyed the Governours of it And is it not wonderfull in any sober eye how the same persons Magistrates can be exalted over the Ministers and Members as being bound to establish reforme suppresse by the civill sword in punishing the body or goods and yet for the same actions if the Church and Governours thereof so conceive be liable to a punishment ten thousand times more transcendent to wit excommunication a punishment reaching to their soules and consciences and eternall estate and this not only for common sins but for those actions which immediately concerne the execution of their civill office in judiciall proceeding Peace The Prelates in Q. Elizabeths dayes kept with more plainnesse to their principles for acknowledging the Queen to be Supreme in all Church causes according to the Title and Power of Henry the 8. her Father taken from the Pope and given to him by the Parliament they professed that the Queen was not a sheepe but under Christ the chiefe Shepheard and that the Church had not power to excommunicate the Queen Truth Therefore sweet Peace it was esteemed capitall in that faithfull witnesse of so much truth as he saw even unto death Mr. Barrow to maintaine before the Lords of the Councell that the Queen herselfe was subject to the power of Christ Iesus in the Church which Truth overthrew that other Tenent that the Queene should be Head and Supreme in all Church causes Peace Those Bishops according to their principles though bad and false dealt plainly though cruelly with Mr. Barrow but these Authors whose principles are the same with the Bishops concerning the power of the Magistrate in Church affaires though they wave the Title and will not call them Heads or Governors which now in lighter times seems too grosse yet give they as much spirituall power and authoritie to the civill Magistrates to the full as ever the Bishops gave unto them although they yet also with the same breath lay all their honour in the dust and make them to lick the dust of the feet of the Churches as it is prophesied the Kings and Queens of the Earth shall doe when Christ makes them nursing fathers and nursing mothers Isa 49. The truth is Christ Jesus is honoured when the civill Magistrate a member of the Church punisheth any member or Elder of the Church with the civill sword even to the death for any crime against the civill State so deserving it for he beares not the sword in vain And Christ Iesus is againe most highly honoured when for apparent sinne in the Magistrate being a member of the Church for otherwise they have not to meddle with him the Elders with the Church admonish him and recover his Soule or if obstinate in sin cast him forth of their Spirituall and
to be violated urged or constrained And whensover men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret meanes the issue hath beene pernicious and the cause of great and wonderfull innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries c. It cannot be denied to be a pious and prudentiall act for Your Honours according to your conscience to call for the advice of faithfull Councellours in the high debates concerning Your owne and the soules of others Yet let it not be imputed as a crime for any suppliant to the God of Heaven for You if in the humble sense of what their soules beleeve they powre forth amongst others these three requests at the Throne of Grace First That neither Your Honours nor those excellent and worthy persons whose advice you seek limit the holy One of Israel to their apprehensions debates conclusions rejecting or neglecting the humble and faithfull suggestions of any though as base as spittle and clay with which sometimes Christ Iesus opens the eyes of them that are borne blinde Secondly That the present and future generations of the Sons of Men may never have cause to say that such a Parliament as England never enjoyed the like should modell the worship of the living eternall and invisible God after the Biâ—â— of any earthly interest though of the highest concernment under the Sunne And yet saith that learned Sir Francis Bacon how ever otherwise perswaded yet thus he confesseth Such as hold pressure of Conscience are guided therein by some private interests of their owne Thirdly What ever way of worshipping God Your owne Consciences are perswaded to walke in yet from any bloody act of violence to the consciences of others it may bee never told at Rome nor Oxford that the Parliament of England hath committed a greater rape then if they had forced or ravished the bodies of all the women in the World And that Englands Parliament so famous throughout all Europe and the World should at last turne Papists Prelatists Presbyterians Independents Socinians Familists Antinomians c. by confirming all these sorts of Consciences by Civill force and violence to their Consciences To every Courteous Reader VVHile I plead the Cause of Truth and Innocencie against the bloody Doctrine of Persecution for cause of conscience I judge it not unfit to give alarme to my selfe and all men to prepare to be persecuted or â—â—nted for cause of conscience Whether thou standest charged with 10 or but 2 Talents if thou huntest any for cause of conscience how canst thou say thou followest the Lambe of God who so abhorr'd that practice If Paul if Iesus Christ were present here at London and the question were proposed what Religion would they approve of The Papists Prelatists Presbyterians Independents c. would each say Of mine of mine But put the second question if one of the severall sorts should by major vote attaine the Sword of steele what weapons doth Christ Jesus authorize them to sight with in His cause Doe not all men hate the persecutor and every conscience true or false complaine of cruelty tyranny c. Two mountaines of crying guilt lye heavie upon the backes of All that name the name of Christ in the eyes of Iewes Turkes and Pagans First The blasphemies of their Idolatrous inventions superstitions and most unchristian conversations Secondly The bloody irreligious and inhumane oppressions and destructions under the maske or vaile of the Name of Christ c. O how like is the jealous Iehovah the consuming fire to end these present slaughters in a greater slaughter of the holy Witnesses Rev. 11. Six yeares preaching of so much Truth of Christ as that time afforded in K. Edwards dayes kindles the flames of Q. Maries bloody persecutions Who can now but expect that after so many scores of yeares preaching and professing of more Truth and amongst so many great contentions amongst the very best of Protestants a fierie furnace should be heat and who sees not now the â—ires kindling I confesse I have little hopes till those flames are over that this Discourse against the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience should passe currant I say not amongst the Wolves and Lions but even amongst the Sheep of Christ themselves yet liberavl animam meam I have not hid within my breast my souls belief And although sleeping on the bed either of the pleasures or profits of sinâ—e thou thinkest thy conscience bound to smite at him that dares to waken thee Yet in the middest of all these civill and spirituall Wars I hope we shall agree in these particulars First how ever the proud upon the advantage of an higher earth or ground or ' clooke the poore and cry out Schismatickes Hereticks c. shall blasphemers and seducers scape unpunished c. Yet there is a sorer punishment in the Gospel for despising of Christ then Moses even when the despiser of Mâ—ses was put to death without mercie Heb. 10. 28 29. He that beleeveth not shall bee damned Marke 16. 16. Secondly what ever Worship Ministry Ministration the best and purest are practised without faith and true perswasion that they are the true institutions of God they are sin sinfull worships Ministries c. And however in Civill things we may be servants unto men yet in Divine and Spirituall things the poorest pesant must disdaine the service of the highest Prince Be ye not the servants of men 1 Cor. 14. Thirdly without search and triall no man attaines this faith and right perswasion 1 Thes. 5. Try all things In vaine have English Parliaments permitted English Bibles in the poorest English houses and the simplest man or woman to search the Scriptures if yet against their soules perswasion from the Scripture they should be forced as if they lived in Spaine or Rome it selfe without the sight of a Bible to beleeve as the Church beleeves Fourthly having tried we must hold fast 1 Thessal 5. upon the losse of a Crowne Revel 13. we must not let goe for all the â—lea bitings of the present afflictions c. having bought Truth deare we must not â—ell it cheape not the least graine of it for the whole World no not for the saving of Soules though our owne most precious least of all for the bitter sweetning of a little vanishing pleasure For a little puffe of credit and reputation from the changeable breath of uncertaine sons of men For the broken bagges of Riches on Eagles wings For a dreame of these any or all of these which on our death-bed vanish and leave tormenting stings behinde them Oh how much better is it from the love of Truth from the love of the Father of lights from whence it comes from the love of the Sonne of God who is the way and the Truth to say as he Iohn 18. 37. For this end was I borne and for this end came I into the World that I might be are witnesse to the Truth A Table of
the principall Contents of the Booke TRuth and Peace their rare and seldome meeting Page 15 2 Great complaints of Peace 16 Persecutors seldome plead Christ but Moses for their Authour 17 Strife Christian and unchristian ibid A threefold dolefull cry ibid. The wonderfull providence of God in the writing of the argumentâ—s against persecution 18 A definition of persecution discussed 19 Conscience will not be restrained from its owne worship nor constrained to another 20 A chaste soule in Gods worship compared to a chaste wife ibid. Gods people have erred stom the very fundamentalls of visible worship ibid 4 Sorts of spirituall foundations in the New Testament 21 The 6 fundamentalls of the Christian Religion ibid. The comming out of Babel not Iocall but mysticall ibid. The great ignorance of Gods people concerning the nature of a true Church ibid. Common-Prayer written against by the New English Ministers 23 Gods people have worshipped God with false worships ibid. God is pleased sometimes to convey good unto his people beyond a promise ibid. A notable speech of King James to a great Nonconformist turned persecutor 24 Civill peace discussed ibid. The difference between Spirituall and civill state 25 Six cases wherein Gods people have been usually accounted arrogant and peace breakers but most unjustly 26 The true causes of breach and disturbance of civill peace 29 A preposterous way of suppressing errours 30 Persecutors must needs oppresse both erroneous and true consciences ibid. All persecutors of Christ professe not to persecute him ibid. What is meant by the Hereticke Tit. 3. Pag. 33 The word Heretick generally mistaken 34 Corporall killing in the Law typing out Spirituall killing in the Gospell 36 The cariage of a Soule sensible of mercy towards others in their blindness c. 38 The difference between the Church and the World wherein it is in all places 38 The Church and civill State confusedly made all one 39 The most peaceable accused for peace-breaking 40 A large Examination of what is meant by the Tares and letting of them alone ibid. Sathans subtletic about the opening of Scripture 41 Two sorts of Hypocrites 44 The Lord Iesus the great Teacher by Parables and the only Expounder of them 44 Preaching for conversion is properly out of the Church 45 The tares proved properly to signifie Antichristians ibid. Gods Kingdome on Earth the visible Church 46 The difference between the Wheat and the Tares as also betweene these Tares and all others 46 A civill Magistracie from the beginning of the world 47 The Tares are to be tolerated the longest of all sinners 48 The danger of infection by permitting of the Tares assoyled ibid. The civill Magistrate not so particularly spoken to in the New Testament as Fathers Masters c. and why 50 A two-fold state of Christianitie Persecuted under the Romane Emperours and Apostated under the Romane Popes ibid. 3 Particulars contained in that prohibition of Christ Iesus concerning the Tares Let them alone Mat. 13. 51 Accompanying with Idolaters 1 Cor. 5. discussed 52 Civill Magistrates never invested by Christ Iesus with the power and title of Defenders of the Faith 54 Gods people ever earnest with God for an Arme of Flesh. 55 The 〈◊〉 punishment of the blind Pharises in 4 respects ibid. The point of seducing infecting or Soule killing examined 57 Strange consusions in punishments 59 The blood of Soules Acts 20. lies upon such as professe the Ministrie the blood of Bodies only upon the State ibid. â—surpers and true Heires of Christ Iesus Page 60 The Civill Magistrate bound to preserve the boâ—â—s of their subjects and not to destroy them for conscience sake 61 The fire from heaven Rev. 13. 13. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. examined 62 The originall of the Christian name Acts 11. 63 A Civill sword in Religion makes a Nation of hypocrites Isa. 10 64 A difference of the true and false Christ and Christians 65 The nature of the worship of unbeleeving and naturall persons ibid. Antoninus Pius his famous act concerning Religion 66 Isa. 24. Mic. 4. 3. concerning Christs visible Kingdome discussed ibid. Acts 20 29. The suppressing of Spirituall wolves discussed 67 It is in vaine to decline the name of the head of the Church and yet to practise the headship 68 Titus 1. 9. 10 discussed 69 Vnmercifull and bloody doctrine 70 The Spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. 4. discussed ibid. Civill weapons most improper in Spirituall causes 71 The Spirituall artillerie Eph. 6. applied 72 Rom. 13. concerning Civill Rulers power in Spirituall causes largely examined 73 Pauls appeale to Caesar examined 77 And cleared by 5 arguments ibid. 4 Sorts of swords 79 What is to be understood by evill Rom. 13. 4. 81 Though evill be alwayes evill yet the permission of it may sometimes be good 83 2 Sorts of commands both from Moses and Christ. 84 The permission of diverce in Israel Mat. 19. 17 18. ibid. Usury in the Civill state lawfully permitted 85 Seducing teachers either Pagan Iewish Turkish or Antichristian way yet be obedient subjects to the Civill Laws 86 Scandalous livers against the Civill state 87 Toleration of Jesabel and Balaam Rev. 2 14. 20. examined 88 The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity 89 Christ Iesus the deepest polititian that ever was yet commands be a toleration of Antichristians 91 The Princes of the world seldome take part with Christ Iesus 93 Buchanans items to King James ibid. King James his sayings against persecution ibid. King Steven of Poland his sayings against persecution Page 93 Forcing of conscience a soule rape 94 Persecution for conscience hath been the launcet which hath let blood the Nations All Spirituall whores are bloody ibid. Poligamie or the many wives of the Fathers ibid. David advancing of Gods worship against order 95 Constantine and the good Emperours confest to have done more hurt to the Name and Crowne of Christ then the bloody Noroes did ibid. The language of persecuters 96 Christs Liâ—â—ies may flourish in the Church notwithstanding the weeds in the world permitted 97 Queen Elizabeth and King James their persecuting for cause of Religion examined ibid. Queen Elizabeth confessed by Mr. Cotton to have almost fired the world in civill combustions 98 The Wars between the Papists and the Protestants ibid. The Wars and successe of the Waldensians against three Popes 99 Gods people victorious â—ver commers and with what weapons ibid. The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted ibid. The nature of excommunication 100 The opinion of ancient Writers examined concerning the doctrine of persecution 101 Constraint upon conscience in Old and New England ibid. The Indians of New England permitted in their worshipping of devils 102 In 2 cases a false Religion will not hurt 103 The absolute sufficiencie of the Sword of the Spirit 104 A Nationall Church not instituted by Christ. ibid. Man hath no power to make Lawes to binde conscience 105 Hearing of the word in a Church estate a part of Gods worship 107 Papists plea for
toleration of conscience ibid. Protestant partiality in the cause of persecution 108 Pills to purge out the bitter humour of persecution ibid. Superstition and persecution have had many votes and suffrages from Gods owne people 109 Soul-killing discussed ibid. Phineas his act discussed 111 Eliah his slaughters examined ibid Dangerous consequences flowing from the civill Magistrates power in Spirituall cases 114 The world turned upside downe Page 114 The wonderfull answer of the Ministers of New England to the Ministers of Old ibid. Lamentable differences even amongst them that feare God 115 The doctrine of persecution ever drives the most godly out of the world 116 A Modell of Church and Civill power composed by Mr. Cotton and the Ministers of New England and sent to Salem as a further confirmation of the bloody doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience examined and answered 118 Christs power in the Church confest to be above all Magistrates in Spirituall things 119 Isa. 49. 23. lamentably wrested ibid. The civill Commonweale and the Spirituall Commonweale the Church not inconsistent though independent the one on the other 120 Christ ordinances put upon a whole city or Nation may civilize them and moralize but not Christianize before repentance first wrought 121 Mr. Cottons and the New English Ministers confession that the Magistrate hath neither Civill nor Spirituall power in Soul matters 122 The Magistrates and the Church by Mr. Cottons grounds in one and the same cause made the Iudges onthe Bench and delinquents at the Bar. 123 A demonstrative illustration that the Magistrate cannot have power over the Church in Spirituall or Church causes 124 The true way of the God of Peace in differences between the Church and the Magistrate 125. The tearms Godlinesse and Honesty explained 1 Tim. 2. x. and honesty proved not to signifie in that place the righteousnes of the second Table 127 The forcing of men to Gods worship the greatest breach of civill peace 129 The Roman Caesars of Christs time described ibid. It pleased not the Lord Iesus in the institution of the Christian Church to appoint and raise up any Civill Governours to take care of his worship 130 The true custodes utriusque Tabulae and keepers of the Ordinances and worship of Iesus Christ. ibid. The Kings of Aegypt Moah Philistia Assyria Niâ—â—vch were not charged with the worship of God as the Kings of Iudah were 131 Masters of families not charged under the Gospel to force all the consciâ—uces of their families to worship 132 Gods people have then shined brightest in Godlines when they have enjoyed least quietnesse pag. 134. Few Magistrates few Men spiritually good yet divers sorts of commendable Goodnes beside spirituall ibid. Civill power originally and fundamentally in the People Mr. Cotton and the New English give the power of Christ into the hands of thâ— Commonweale 137 Lawes concerning Religion of two sorts 138 The very Indians abhor to disturbe any Conscience at Worship 139 Canons and constitutions pretended Civill but indeed Ecclesiasticall ibid. A threesold guilt lying upon Civill powers commanding the Subjects Soule in Worship 143 Persons may with lesse sinne be forced to marry whom they cannot love then to worship where they cannot beleeve ibid. As the cause so the weapons of the Beast and the Laâ—â— be are infinitely different 146 Aâ—taxerxes his Dicree examined 147 The summe of the Examples of the Gentile Kings decrees concerning Gods worship in Scripture 149 The Doctrine of putting to death Blasphemers of Christ cuts off the hopes of the Iewes partaking in his blood 18â— The direfull effects of fighting for Conscience 151 Errour is confident as well as Truth 152 Spirituall prisons 153 Some Consciences not so easily healed and cured as men imagine 154 Persecuters dispute with Hereticks as a tyrann call Cat with the poore Mouse And with a true Witnes as a roaring Lyon with an innocent Lambe in his paw 155 Persecuters endure not tho name of Persecuters 156 Psal 101 concerning cutting off the wicked examined 158 No difference of Lands and Countries since Christ Iesus his comming ib. The New English seperate in America but not in Europe 159 Christ Iesus forbidding his followers to permit Leaven in the Church doth not forbid to permit Leaven in the World 160 The Wall Cant. 8. 9. discussed 161 Every Religion commands its professors to heare only its own Priests or Ministers 162 Ionah his preaching to the Ninevites discussed 162 â—â—aring of the Word discussed ibid. Eglon his rising up to Ehuds message discussed ibid. A two-fold Ministrie of Christ First Apostolicall properly converting Secondly Feeding or Pastorall pag. 162 The New English forcing the people to Church and yet not to Religion as they say forcing them to be of no Religion all their dayes 163 The Civill State can no more lawfully compell the Consciences of men to Church to heare the Word then to receive the Sacraments 164 No president in the word of any people converting and baptizing themselves 166 True conversion to visible Christianitie is not only from sins against the second Table but from false Worships also ibid. The Commission Mat. 28 discussed 167 The Civill Magistrate not be trusted with that Commission ibid. Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 1â— a figure of Christ Iesus in his Church not of the Civill Magistrate in the State 168 The maintenance of the Ministrie Gal. 6. 6. examined ibid. Christ Iesus never appointed a maintenance of the Ministrie from the iâ—penitent and unbelieving 169 They that compell men to heare compell them also to pay for their hearing and conversion ibid. Luc. 14. Compell them to come in examined ibid. Naturall men can neither truly worship nor mainteine it 170 The Nationall Church of the Iewes might well be forced to a setled maintenance but not so the Christian Church 171 The maintenance which Christ hath appointed his Ministrie in the Church 172 The Vniversities of Europe causes of universall sins and plagues yet Schooles are honourable for tongues and Arts. 173 The true Church is Christs Schoole and Believers his Scholars ibid. Mr. Ainsworth excellent in the Tongues yet no Vniversitie man 174 K. Henry the 8. set down in the Popes chaire in England 175 Apocrypha Homilies and Common Prayer precious to our forefathers ib. Reformation proved fallible 176 The president of the Kings of Israel Iudah largely examined 178 The Persian Kings example make strongly against the doctrine of Persecution 179 1. The difference of the hand of Canaan from all lands and countries in 7 particulars ibid. 2. The difference of the people of Israel from all other peoples in 7 particulars 183 Wonderfull turnings of Religion in England in twelve yeares revolution Page 185 The Pope not unlike to recover his Monarchy over Europe before his dowâ—fall ibid. Israel Gods only Church might well renew that Nationall Covenant and ceremoniall worship which other Nations cannot doe 187 â— The difference of the Kings and Governours of Israel from all Kings and Governours of the world
the Apostle of our Lord teacheth 2 Tim. 24. 2. That the servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle toward all Men suffering the Evill Men instructing them with meeknesse that are contrary minded proving if God at any time will give them repentanco that they may acknowledge the Truth and come to amendment out of that snare of the devill c. According to these blessed Commandements the holy Prophets foretold that when the Law of Moses concerning Worship should cease and Christs Kingdome be established Esa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3 4 They shall breake their Swords into Mathookes and their Speares into Sithes And Esa. 11. 9. Then shall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountaine of my Holinesse c. And when he came the same he taught and practised as before so did his Disciples after him for the Weapons of his Warfare are not carnall saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10 4. But he chargeth straitly that his Disciples should be so far from persecuting those that would not bee of their Religion that when they were persecuted they should pray Matth. 5. when they were cursed they should blesse c. And the Reason seemes to bee because they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat they who are now blinde may hereafter see they that now resist him may hereafter receive him they that are now in the devils snare in adversenesse to the Truth may hereafter come to repentance they that are now blasphemers and persecutors as Paul was may in time become faithfull as he they that are now idolators as the Corinths once were 1 Cor. 6. 9. may hereafter become true worshippers as they they that are now no people of God nor under mercy as the Saints sometimes were 1 Pet. 2. 20. may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they Some come not till the 11. houre Matth. 20. 6. if those that come not till the last houre should be destroyed because they come not at the first then should they never come but be prevented All which premises are in all humility referred to your godly wise consideration Because this persecution for cause of conscience is against the profession and practice of famous Princes First you may please to consider the speech of King Iames in his Majesties Speech at Parliament 1609. He saith it is a sure Rule in divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed And in his Highnesse Apologie pag. 4. speaking of such Papists that tooke the Oath thus I gave good proofe that I intended no persecution against them for conscience cause but onely desired to bee secured for civill obedience which for conscience cause they are bound to performe And pag. 60. speaking of Blackwell the Arch-priest his Majesty saith It was never my intention to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And in his Highnesse Exposition on Revel 20. printed 1568. and after 1603. his Majesty writeth thus Sixthly the compassing of the Saints and the besieging of the beloved City declareth unto us a certaine note of a false Church to be Persecution for they come to seeke the faithfull the faithfull are them that are sought the wicked are the besiegers the faithfull are the besieged Secondly the saying of Stephen King of Poland I am King of Men not of Consciences a Commander of Bodies not of Soules Thirdly the King of Bohemia hath thus written And notwithstanding the successe of the later times wherein sundry opinions have beene hatched about the subject of Religion may make one clearly discerne with his eye and as it were to touch with his Finger that according to the veritie of Holy Scriptures and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church That mens consciences ought in no sort to bee violated urged or constrained and whensoever men have attempted any thing by this violent course whether openly or by secret meanes the issue hath beene pernicious and the cause of great and wonderfull Innovations in the principallest and mightiest Kingdomes and Countries of all Christendome And further his Majesty saith So that once more we doe professe before God and the whole World that from this time forward wee are firmly resolved not to persecute or molest or suffer to be persecuted or molested any person whosoever for matter of Religion no not they that professe themselves to be of the Romish Church neither to trouble or disturbe them in the exercise of their Religion so they live conformable to the Lawes of the States c. And for the practice of this where is persecution for cause of conscience except in England and where Popery reignes and there neither in all places as appeareth by France Poland and other places Nay it is not practised amongst the Heathen that acknowledge not the true God as the Turke Persian and others Thirdly because persecution for cause of conscience is condemned by the ancient and later Writers yea and Papists themselves Hilarie against Auxentius saith thus The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted And lamentable it is to see the great folly of these times and to sigh at the foolish opinion of this world in that men thinke by humane aide to helpe God and with worldly pompe and power to undertake to defend the Christian Church I aske you Bishops what helpe used the Apostles in the publishing of the Gospel with the aid of what power did they preach Christ and converted the Heathen from their idolatry to God When they were in prisons and lay in chaines did they praise and give thankes to God for any dignities graces and favours received from the Court Or do you thinke that Paul went about with Regall Mandates or Kingly authority to gather and establish the Church of Christ sought he protection from Nero Vespasian The Apostles wrought with their hands for their owne maintenance travailing by land and water from Towne to Citie to preach Christ yea the more they were forbidden the more they taught and preached Christ. But now alas humane helpe must assist and protect the Faith and give the same countenance to and by vaine and worldly honours Doe men seek to defend the Church of Christ as if hee by his power were unable to performe it The same against the Arrians The Church now which formerly by induring misery and imprisonment was knowne to be a true Church doth now terrifie others by imprisonment banishment and misery and boasteth that she is highly esteemed of the world when as the true Church cannot but be hated of the same Tertull. ad Scapulam It agreeth both with humane reason and naturall equity that every man worship God uncompelled and beleeve what he will for it neither hurteth nor profiteth any one another mans Religion and Beleefe Neither beseemeth it any Religion to compell another to be of their Religion which willingly and freely should be
imbraced and not by constraint for as much as the offerings were required of those that freely and with good will offered and not from the contrary Ierom. in proaem lib. 4. in Ieremiam Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit let us strike through with the Arrowes of the Spirit all Sonnes and Disciples of mis-led Heretickes that is with Testimonies of holy Scriptures The slaughter of Heretickes is by the word of God Brentius upon 1 Cor. 3. No man hath power to make or give Lawes to Christians whereby to binde their consciences for willingly freely and uncompelled with a ready desire and cheerfull minde must those that come run unto Christ. Luther in his Booke of the Civill Magistrate saith The Lawes of the Civill Magistrates government extends no further then over the body or goods and to that which is externall for over the soule God will not suffer any man to rule onely he himselfe will rule there Wherefore whosoever doth undertake to give Lawes unto the Soules and Consciences of Men he usurpeth that government himselfe which appertaineth unto God c. Therefore upon 1 Kings 5. In the building of the Temple there was no sound of Iron heard to signifie that Christ will have in his Church a free and a willing People not compelled and constrained by Lawes and Statutes Againe he saith upon Luk. 22. It is not the true Catholike Church which is defended by the Secular Arme or humane Power but the false and feigned Church which although it carries the Name of a Church yet it denâ—es the power thereof And upon Psal. 17. he saith For the true Church of Christ knoweth not Brachium saeculare which the Bishops now adayes chiefly use Againe in Postil Dom. 1. post Epiphan he saith Let not Christians be commanded but exhorted for He that willingly will not doe that whereunto he is friendly exhorted he is no Christian wherefore they that doe compell those that are not willing shew thereby that they are not Christian Preachers but Worldly Beadles Againe upon 1 Pet. 3. he saith If the Civill Magistrate shall command me to believe thus and thus I should answer him after this manner Lord or Sir Looke you to your Civill or Worldly Government Your Power extends not so farre as to command any thing in Gods Kingdome Therefore herein I may not heare you For if you cannot beare it that any should usurpe Authoritie where you have to Command how doe you thinke that God should suffer you to thrust him from his Seat and to seat your selfe therein Lastly the Papists the Inventors of Persecution in a wicked Booke of theirs set forth in K. Iames his Reigne thus Moreover the Meanes which Almighty God appointed his Officers to use in the Conversion of Kingdomes and Nations and People was Humilitie Patience Charitie saying Behold I send you as Sheepe in the midst of Wolves Mat. 10. 16. He did not say Behold I send you as Wolves among Sheepe to kill imprison spoile and devoure those unto whom they were sent Againe vers 7. he saith They to whom I send you will deliver you up into Councells and in their Synagogues they will scourge you and to Presidents and to Kings shall you be led for my sake He doth not say You whom I send shall deliver the people whom you ought to convert unto Councells and put them in Prisons and lead them to Presidents and Tribunall Seates and make their Religion Felony and Treason Againe he saith vers 32 When ye enter into an House salute it saying Peace be unto this House he doth not say You shall send Pursevants to ransack or spoile his House Againe he said Iohn 10. The good Pastour giveth his life for his Sheep the Thiefe commeth not but to steale kill and destroy He doth not say The Theefe giveth his life for his Sheep and the Good Pastour commeth not but to steale kill and destroy So that we holding our peace our Adversaries themselves speake for us or rather for the Truth To answer some maine Objections And first that it is no praejudice to the Common wealth if Libertie of Conscience were suffred to such as doe feare God indeed as is or will be manifest in such mens lives and conversations Abraham abode among the Canaanites a long time yet contrary to them in Religion Gen. 13. 7. 16. 13. Againe he so journed in Gerar and K. Abimelech gave him leave to abide in his Land Gen. 20. 21. 23. 24. Isaack also dwelt in the same Land yet contrary in Religion Gen. 26. Iacob lived 20 yeares in one House with his Unkle Laban yet differed in Religion Gen 31. The people of Israel were about 430 yeares in that infamous land of Egypt and afterwards 70 yeares in Babylon all which time they differed in Religion from the States Exod. 12. 2 Chron. 36. Come to the time of Christ where Israel was under the Romanes where lived divers Sects of Religion as Herâ—dians Scribes and Pharises Saduces and Libertines Thudâ—ans and Samaritanes beside the Common Religion of the Iewes Christ and his Apostles All which differed from the Common Religion of the State which was like the Worship of Diana which almost the whole world then worshipped Acts 19. 20. All these lived under the Government of Caesar being nothing hurtfull unto the Common-wealth giving unto Caesar that which was his And for their Religion and Consciences towards God he left them to themselves as having no Dominion over their Soules and Consciences And when the Enemies of the Truth raised up any Tumultsâ— the wisedome of the Magistrate most wisely appeased them Acts 18. 14. 19. 35. THE ANSWER OF Mr. IOHN COTTON of Boston in New-England To the aforesaid ARGUMENTS against Persecution for Cause of Consciene Professedly mainteining Persecution for Cause of Conscience THe Question which you put is Whether Persecution for cause of Conscience be not against the Doctrine of Iesus Christ the King of Kings Now by Persecution for Cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of Doctrine which you believe in Conscience to be the Truth or for practising some Worke which in Conscience you believe to be a Religious ' Duty Now in Points of Doctrine some are fundamentall without right beliefe whereof a Man cannot be saved Others are circumstantiall or lesse principall wherein Men may differ in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part In like sort in Points of Practice some concerne the waightier Duties of the Law as What God we worship and with what kinde of Worship whether such as if it be Right fellowship with God is held if Corrupt fellowship with Him is lost Againe in Points of Doctrine and Worship lesse Principall either they are held forth in a meeke and peaceable way though the Things be Erroneous or unlawfull â— Or they are held forth with such Arrogance and Impetuousnesse as tendeth and reacheth even of it selfe to the disturbance of Civill
of thy Witnesses that dare to plead thy Cause how are they charged to be mine Enemies contentious tarbulent seditious Secondly Thine Enemies though they speake and raile against thee though they outragiously pursue imprison banish kill thy faithfull Witnesses yet how is all veâ—illion'd o're for Iustice 'gainst the Hereticks Yea if they 〈◊〉 and blow the 〈◊〉 of devouring Warres that leave neither Spirituall nor Civill State but burns up Branch and Root yet how doe all pretend an holy War He that kills and hee that 's killed they both cry out It is for God and for their conscience T is true nor one nor other seldome dare to plead the mighty Prince Christ Iesus for their Authour yet both both Protestant and Papist pretend they have spoke with Moses and the Prophets who all say they before Christ came allowed such holy persecutions holy Warres against the enemies of holy Church Truth Deare Peace to ease thy first complaint t is true thy dearest Sons most like their mother Peace-keeping Peace-making Sons of God have borne and still must beare the blurs of troublers of Israel and turners of the World upside downe And t is true againe what Salomon once spake The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore saith he leave off contention before it be medled with This Caveat should keepe the bankes and sluces firme and strong that strife like a breach of waters breake not in upon the sons of men Yet strife must be distinguished It is necessary or unnecessary godly or ungodly Christian or unchristian c. It is unnecessary unlawfull dishonourable ungodly unchristian in most cases in the world for there is a possibility of keeping sweet Peace in most cases and if it be possible it is the expresse command of God that Peace be kept Rom. 13. Againe it is necessary honourable godly c. with civill and earthly weapons to defend the innocent and to rescue the oppressed from the violent pawes and jaws of oppressing persecuting Nimrods Psal. 73. Iob 29. It is as necessary yea more honourable godly and Christian to â—ight the â—ight of faith with religious and spirituall Artillery and to contend earnestly for the faith of Iesus once delivered to the Saints against all opposers and the gates of earth and hell men or devils yea against Paul himselfe or an Angell from heaven if he bring any other faith or doctrine Iude vers 4. Gal. 1. 8. Peace With the clashing of such Armes am I never wakened Speake once againe deare Truth to my second complaint of bloody persecution and devouring wars marching under the colours of upright Iustice and holy Zeale c. Truth Mine eares have long beene filled with a threefold dolefull Outcry First of one hundred forty foure thousand Virgins Rev. 14 forc'd and ravisht by Emperours Kings and Governours to their beds of worship and Religion set up like Absalems on high in their severall States and Countries Secondly the cry of those precious soules under the Altar Rev. 6. the soules of such as have beene persecuted and slaine for the testimony and witnesse of Iesus whose bloud hath beene spilt like water upon the earth and that because they have held fast the truth and witnesse of Iesus against the worship of the States and Times compelling to an uniformity of State Religion These cries of murthered Virgins who can sit still and heare Who can but run with zeale inflamed to prevent the destowring of chaste soules and spilling of the bloud of the innocent Humanity stirs up and prompts the Sonnes of men to draw materiall swords for a Virgins chastity and life against a ravishing murtherer And Piety and Christianity must needs awaken the Sons of God to draw the spirituall sword the Word of God to preserve the chastity and life of spirituall Virgins who abhorre the spirituall defilements of false worship Rev. 14. Thirdly the cry of the whole earth made drunke with the bloud of its inhabitants slaughtering each other in their blinded zeale for Conscience for Religion against the Catholickes against the Lutherans c. What fearfull cries within these twenty years of hundred thousands men women children fathers mothers husbands wives brethren sisters old and young high and low plundred ravished slaughtered murthered famished And hence these cries that men â—ling away the spirituall sword and spirituall artillery in spirituall and religious causes and rather trust for the suppressing of each others God Conscience and Religion as they suppose to an arme of flesh and sword of steele Truth Sweet Peace what hast thou there Peace Arguments against persecution for cause of Conscience Truth And what there Peace An Answer to such Arguments contrarily maintaining such persecution for cause of Conscience Truth These Arguments against such persecution and the Answer pleading for it written as Love hopes from godly intentions hearts and hands yet in a marvellous different stile and manner The Arguments against persecution in milke the Answer for it as I may say in bloud The Authour of these Arguments against persecution as I have beene informed being committed by som then in power close prisoner to Newgate for the witnesse of some truths of Iesus and having not the use of Pen and Inke wrote these Arguments in Milke in sheets of Paper brought to him by the Woman his Keeper from a friend in London as the stopples of his Milk bottle In such Paper written with Milk nothing will appeare but the way of reading it by fire being knowne to this friend who received the Papers he transcribed and kept together the Papers although the Author himselfe could not correct nor view what himselfe had written It was in milke tending to soule nourishment even for Babes and Sucklings in Christ. It was in milke spiritually white pure and innocent like those white horses of the Word of truth and meeknesse and the white Linnen or Armour of righteousnesse in the Army of Iesus Rev. 6. 19. It was in milke soft meeke peaceable and gentle tending both to the peace of soules and the peace of States and Kingdomes Peace The Answer though I hope out of milkie pure intentions is returned in bloud bloudy slaughterous conclusions bloudy to the souls of all men forc'd to the Religion and Worship which every civil State or Common-weale agrees on and compells all subjects to in a dissembled uniformitie Bloudy to the bodies first of the holy witnesses of Christ Iesus who testifie against such invented worships Secondly of the Nations and Peoples slaughtering each other for their severall respective Religions and Consciences CHAP. III. Truth IN the Answer Mr. Cotton first layes downe severall distinctions and conclusions of his owne tending to prove persecution Secondly Answers to the Scriptures and Arguments proposed against persecution Peace The first distinction is this By persecution for cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of doctrine which you
beleeve in conscience to be the truth or for practising some worke which you beleeve in conscience to be a religious dutie Truth I acknowledge that to molest any person Iew or Gentile for either professing doctrine or practising worship meerly religious or spirituall it is to persecute him and such a person what ever his doctrine or practice be true or false suffereth persecution for conscience But withall I desire it may bee well observed that this distinction is not full and complete For beside this that a man may be persecuted because he holdeth or practiseth what he beleeves in conscience to be a Truth as Daniel did for which he was cast into the Lyons den Dan. 6. and many thousands of Christians because they durst not cease to preach and practise what they beleeved was by Goâ— commanded as the Apostles answered Acts 4 5. I say besides this a man may also be persecuted because hee dares not be constrained to yeeld obedience to such doctrines and worships as are by men invented and appointed So the three famous Iewes were cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to fall downe in a non-conformity to the whole conforming world before the golden Image Dan. 3. 21. So thousands of Christs witnesses and of late in those bloudy Marian dayes have rather chose to yeeld their bodies to all sorts of torments then to subscribe to doctrines or practise worships unto which the States and Times as Nabuchadnezzar to his golden Image have compelled and urged them A chaste wife will not onely abhorre to be restrained from her husbands bed as adulterous and polluted but also abhor if not much more to bee constrained to the bed of a stranger And what is abominable in corporall is much more loathsome in spirituall whoredome and defilement The Spouse of Christ Iesus who could not finde her soules beloved in the wayes of his worship and Ministery Cant. 1. 3. and 5. Chapters abhorred to turne aside to other Flockes Worships c. and to imbrace the bosome of a false Christ Cant. 1. 8. CHAP. IV. Peace THe second distinction is this In points of Doctrine some are fundamentall without right beleefe whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall and lesse principall wherein a man may differ in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part Truth To this distinction I dare not subscribe for then I should everlastingly condemne thousands and ten thousands yea the whole generation of the righteous who since the falling away from the first primitive Christian state or worship have and doe erre fundamentally concerning the true matter constitution gathering and governing of the Church and yet farre be it from any pious breast to imagine that they are not saved and that their soules are not bound up in the bundle of eternall life We reade of foure sorts of spirituall or Christian foundations in the New Testaments First the Foundation of all foundations the Corner-stone it selfe the Lord Iesus on whom all depend Persons Doctrines Practices 1. Cor. 3. 2. Ministriall foundations The Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Ephel 2. 20. 3. The foundation of future rejoycing in the fruits of Obedience 1 Tim. 6. 4. The foundation of Doctrines without the knowledge of which there can be no true profession of Christ according to the first institution Heb. 6. The foundation or principles of Repentance from dead works Faith towards God the Doctrine of Baptisme Laying on of Hands the Resurrection and Eternall Iudgement In some of these to wit those concerning Baptismes Laying on of Hands Gods people will be found to be ignorant for many hundred yeares and I yet cannot see it proved that light is risen I mean the light of the first institution in practice Gods people in their persons Heart-waking Cant. 5. 2. in the life of personall grace will yet be found fast asleep in respect of publike Christian Worship Gods people in their persons are His most deare and precious yet in respect of the Christian Worship they are mingled amongst the Babylonians from whence they are called to come out not locally as some have said for that belonged to a materiall and locall Babell and literall Babell and Ierusalem have now no difference Iohn 4. 21. but spiritually and mystically to come out from her sins and Abominations If Mr. Cotton maintaine the true Church of Christ to consist of the true matter of holy persons call'd out from the World and the true forme of Vnion in a Church Covenant And that also neither Nationall Provinciall nor Diocesan Churches are of Christs institution how many Thousands of Gods people of all sorts Clergie and Laitie as they call them will they finde both in former and later times captivated in such Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches yea and so far from living in yea or knowing of any such Churches for matter and forme as they conceive now only to be true that untill of late yeares how few of Gods people knew any other Church then the Parish Church of dead stones or timber It being a late marvailous light revealed by Christ Iesus the Sun of Righteousnesse that his people are a Company or Church of living stones 1 Pet. 2 9. And however his own Soule and the soules of many others precious to God are perswaded to separate from Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Churches and to assemble into particular Churches yet since there are no Parish Churches in England but what are made up of the Parish bounds within such and such a compasse of houses and that such Churches have beene and are in constant dependance on and subordination to the Nationall Church how can the New-English particular Churches joyne with the Old English Parish Churches in so many Ordinances of Word Prayer Singing Contribution c. but they must needs confesse that as yet their Soules are farre from the knowledge of the foundation of a true Christian Church whose matter must not only be living stones but also separated from the rubbish of Antichristian confusions and desolations CHAP. V. Peace WIth lamentation I may adde How can their Soules be cleare in this foundation of the true Christian matter who persecute and oppresse their own acknowledged Brethren presenting Light unto them about this Point But I shall now present you with Mr. Cottons third distinction In point of Practice saith he some concerne the weightier duties of the Law as What God we worship and with what kind of Worship whether such as if it be Right fellowship with God is held if false fellowship with God is lost Truth It is worth the inquirie what kind of Worship he intendeth for Worship is of various signification whether in generall acceptation he meane the rightnesse or corruptnesse of the Church or the Ministry of the Church or the Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. And because it pleaseth the Spirit
and the redressing of evill and where it stops in any and runs nor cleere there the guilt like filth or mud will lie Thirdly had it been the holy purpose of God to have established the doctrine and kingdome of his Son this way since his comming he would have furnished Common-weales Kingdomes Cities c. then and since with such temporall Powers and Magistrates as should have been excellently sit and competent for he that could have had legions of Angels if he so pleased could as easily have been and still be furnished with legions of good and gracious Magistrates to this end and purpose CHAP. XXXI IT is generally said that God hath in former rimes and doth still and will hereafter stirre up Kings and Queenes c. I answer that place of Isa. 49. 23. will appeare to be far from proving such Kings and Queenes Iudges of Ecclesiasticall causes and if not Iudges they may not punish In Spirituall things themselves are subject to the Church and censures of it although in Civill respects superior How shall those Kings and Queenes be supreme Governours of the Church and yet lick the dust of the Churches feet as it is there exprest Thirdly Gods Israel of old were earnest with God for a King for an Arme of Flesh for a King to protect them as other Nations had Gods Israel still have ever been restlesse with God for an Arme of flesh God gave them Saul in his anger and took him away in his wrath And God hath given many a Saul in his Anger that is an Arm of Flesh in the way of his Providence though I judge not all persons whom Saul in his Calling typed out to be of Sauls spirit for I speake of a State and outward visible Power only I adde God will take away such stayes on whom Gods people rest in his wrath that King David that is Christ Iesus the Antitype in his own Spirituall power in the hands of the Saints may spiritually and for ever be advanced And therefore I conclude it was in one respect that the Lord Iesus said Let them alone because it was no Ordinance for any Disciple of Iesus to prosecute the Pharises at Caesars Bar. Beside let it be seriously considered by such as plead for present corporall punishment as conceiving that such sinners though they breake nor Civill peace should not escape unpunished I say let it be considered though for the present their punishment is deferred yet the punishment inflicted on them will be found to amount to an higher pitch then any corporall punishment in the World beside and that in these foure respects CHAP. XXXII FIrst by just judgement from God false teachers are starke blinde Gods sword hath strucke out the right eye of their minde and spirituall underderstanding ten thousand times a greater punishment then if the Magistrate should command both the right and left eye of their bodies to bee bored or pluckt out and that in so many fearfull respects if the blindenesse of the soule and of the body were a little compared together whether we looke at that want of guidance or the want of joy and pleasure which the light of the eye affordeth or whether we looke at the damage shame deformity and danger which blindenesse brings to the outward man and much more true in the want of the former and miseris of the latter in spirituall and soule blindenesse to all eternity Secondly how fearfull is that wound that no Balme in Gilead can cure How dâ—eadfull is that blindenesse which for ever to all eye-salve is incurable For if persons be wilfully and desperately obstinate after light shining forth let them alone faith the Lord. So spake the Lord once of Ephraim Ephraim is joyned to Idolls let him alone Hos. 7. what more lamentable condition then when the Lord hath given a poor sinner over as a hopelesse patient incurable which we are wont to account a â—orer affliction then if a man were torne and rack'd c. And this I speake not that I conceive that all whom the Lord Iesus commands His servants to passe from and let alone to permit and tolerate when it is in their power corporally to molest them I say that all are thus â—â—curaâ—le yet that sometimes that word is spoken by Christ Jesus to â—is servants to be patient for neither can corporall or spirituall 〈◊〉 or Physicke ever heale or cure â—â—em Thirdly their end is the Ditch that bottomlesse pit of everlasting separation 〈◊〉 the holy and sweet Presence of the Father of Lights Goodnesse and Mercy it selfe enalesse 〈◊〉 in extremity universality and eternity of torments which most direfull and lamenâ—able downefall should strike a â—oly fear trembling into all 〈◊〉 see the Pit whithâ—◠〈…〉 are â—umbling and cause us to strive so far as 〈…〉 by the spirituall eye-salve of the Word of God to heale and 〈…〉 â—heiâ— soule-destroying blindenesse 〈◊〉 of those that fall into this â—â—eâ—â—full Ditch both leader and followers how deplorable in more especiall manner is the leaders case upon whose necke the followers tumble the ruine not only of his owne soule being horrible but also the ruine of the followers soules eternally galling and tormenting Peace Some will say these things are indeed full of horrour yet such is the state of all sinners and of many Malefactours whom yet the State is bound to punish and sometimes by death it selfe Truth I answer The Civill Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine but to cut off Civill offences yea and the offendours too in case But what is this to a blinde Pharisce resisting the Doctrine of Christ who happily may be as good a subject and as peaceable and profitable to the Civill State as any and for his spirituall offence against the Lord Iesus in denying Him to be the true Christ he suffereth the vengeance of a dreadfull judgement both present and eternall as before CHAP. XXXIII Peace YEa but it is said that the blinde Pharises misguiding the subjects of a Civill State greatly sinne against a Civill State and therefore justly suffer civill punishment for shall the Civill Magistrate take care of outsides only to wit of the bodies of men and not of soules in labouring to procure their everlasting welfare Truth I answer It is a truth the mischiefe of a blinde Pharises blinde guidance is greater then if he acted Treasons Murders c. and the losse of one soule by his seduction is a greater mischiefe then if he blew up Parliaments and cuts the throats of Kings or Emperours so pretious is that invaluable Jewell of a Soul above all the present lives and bodies of all the men in the world I and therefore a firme Justice calling for eye for eye tooth for tooth life for life calls also soule for soule which the blinde-guiding seducing Pharisee shall surely pay in that dreadfull Ditch which the Lord Jesus speakes of but this sentence against him the Lord Jesus only pronounceth
Unto both these Scriptures it pleaseth him thus to answer Both these are directions to Ministers of the Gospel how to deale not with obstinate offendors in the Church who sin against conscience but either with men without as the Samaritanes were and many unconverted Christians in Creet whom Titus as an Evangelist was to seek to convert Ot at best with some Iewes or Gentiles in the Church who though carnall yet were not convinced of the errour of their way And it is true it became not the Spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritanes were by fire and brimstone nor to deale harshly in publicke Ministery or private conference with all such severall minded men as either had not yet entred into Church fellowship or if they had did hitherto sin of ignorance not against Conscience But neither of both these Texts doe hinder the Minister of the Gospel to proceed in a Church way against Church members when they become scandalous offenders either in life oâ— doctrine much lesse doe they speake at all to the Civill Magistrate CHAP. XXXVII Truth THis perplexed and ravelled Answer wherein so many things and so doubtfull are wrapt up and intangled together I shall take in pieces First concerning that of the Lord Iesus rebuking his Disciples for their rash and ignorant bloudy zeale Luc. 9. desiring corporall destruction upon the Samaritanes for refusing the Lord Iesus c. the Answerer affirmeth that hindreth not the Ministers of the Gospell to proceed in a Church way against scandalous offenders which is not here questioned but maintained to bee the holy will of the Lord and a sufficient censure and punishment if no civill offence against the Civill State be committed Secondly saith hee Much lesse doth this speake at all to the Civill Magistrate Where I observe that he implyes that beside the censure of the Lord Iesus in the hands of his spirituall governours for any spirituall evill in life or doctrine the Civill Magistrate is also to inflict corporall punishment upon the contrary minded whereas First if the Civill Magistrate be a Christian a Disciple or follower of the meeke Lambe of God he is bound to be far from destroying the bodies of men for refusing to receive the Lord Iesus Christ for otherwise hee should not know according to this speech of the Lord Iesus what spirit he was of yea and to be ignorant of the sweet end of the comming of the Son of Man which was not to destroy the bodies of Men but to save both bodies and soules vers 55. 56. Secondly if the Civill Magistrate being a Christian gifted prophesie in the Church 1 Corinth 1. 14. although the Lord Iesus Christ whom they in their owne persons hold forth shall be refused yet they are here forbidden to call for fire from heaven that is to procure or inflict any corporall judgement upon such offenders remembring the end of the Lord Iesus his comming not to destroy mens lives but to save them Lastly this also concernes the conscience of the Civill Magistrate as he is bound to preserve the civill peace and quiet of the place and people under him he is bound to suffer no man to breake the Civill Peace by laying hands of violence upon any though as vile as the Samaritanes for not receiving of the Lord Iesus Christ. It is indeed the ignorance and blinde zeale of the second Beast the false Prophet Rev. 13. 13. to perswade the civill Powers of the earth to persecute the Saints that is to bring fiery judgements upon men in a judiciall way and to pronounce that such judgements of imprisonment banishment death proceed from Gods righteous vengeance upon such Hereticks So dealt divers Bishops in France and England too in Queene Maries dayes with the Saints of God at their putting to death declaiming against them in their Sermons to the people and proclaiming that these persecutions even unto death were Gods just judgements from heaven upon these Heretickes CHAP. XXXVIII Peace DOubtlesse such fiery spirits as the Lord Jesus said are not of God I pray speake to the second place out of Timothy 2. Epist. 25. 26. Truth I acknowledge this instruction to be meeke and patient c. is properly an instruction to the Ministers of the Gospel Yet divers Arguments from hence will truly and fairly be collected to manifest and evince how farre the civill Magistrate ought to bee from dealing with the civill sword in spirituall cases And first by the wayâ— I desire to aske What were these unconverted Christians in Crete which the Answerer compareth with the Samaritanes whom Titus saith he as an Evangelist was to seek to convert and whether the Lord Iesus have any such Disciples and Followers who yet are visibly in an unconverted estate O that it may please the Father of mercies the Father of lights to awaken and open the eyes of all that feare before him that they may see whether this be the Language of Canaan or the Language of Ashdod What is an unconverted Christian but in truth an unconverted Convert that is in English one unturned turned unholy holy Disciples or Followers of Iesus not following of him In a word that is Christians or anointed by Christ Antichristians not anointed with the Spirit of Iesus Christ. Certaine it is such they were not unto whom the Spirit of God gives that name Act. 11. And indeed whither can this tend but to uphold the blasphemy of so many as say they are Iewes that is Christians but are not Rev. 2. But as they are not Christians from Christ but from the Beast and his Picture so their proper name from Antichrist is Antichristians How sad yet and how true an evidence is this that the soule of the Answerer I speake not of his inward soule and person but of his worship hath never yet heard the call of the Lord Iesus to come out from those unconverted Churches from that unconverted Antichristian Christian world and so from Antichrist Belial to seeke fellowship with Christ Iesus and his converted Christians Disciples after the first patterne Againe I observe the haste and light attention of the Answerer to these Scriptures as commonly the spirits of Gods children in matters of Christs Kingdome are very sleepy for these persons here spoken of were not as he speakes unconverted Christians in Crete whom Titus as an Evangelist was to convert but they were such opposites as Timothy to whom Paul writes this Letter at Ephesus should meet withall CHAP. XXXIX Peace BUt what is there in this Scripture of Timothy alledged concerning the civill Magistracy Truth I argue from this place of Timothy in particular thus First if the civill Magistrates hee Christians or members of the Church able to prophesie in the Church of Christ then I say as before they are bound by this command of Christ to suffer opposition to their doctrine with meeknesse and gentlenesse and to
be so farre from striving to subdue their opposites with the civill sword that they are bound with patience and meeknesse to wait if God peradventure will please to grant repentance unto their opposites So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becomes not the Spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritanes and the unconverted Christians in Crete with Fire and Brimstone Secondly be they oppositions within and Church members as the Answerer speakes become scandalous in doctrine I speake not of scandals against the civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish it is the Lord onely as this Scripture to Timothy implyes who is able to give them repentance and recover them out of Sathans snare to which end also he hath appointed those holy and dreadfull censures in his Church or Kingdome True it is the Sword may make as once the Lord complained Isa. 10. a whole Nation of Hypocrites But to recover a Soule from Sathan by repentance and to bring them from Antichristian doctrine or worship to the doctrine or worship Christian in the least true internall or externall submission that only works the All-powerfull God by the sword of his Spirit in the hand of his Spirituall officers What a most wofull proofe hereof have the Nations of the Earth given in all Ages And to seeke no further then our native Soyle within a few scores of yeeres how many wonderfull changes in Religion hath the whole Kingdome made according to the change of the Governours thereof in the severall Religious which they themselves imbraced Henry the 7. finds and leaves the kingdome absolutely Popish Henry the 8. casts it into a mould half Popish halfe Protestant Edward the 6. brings forth an Edition all Protestant Queene Mary within few yeares defaceth Edwards worke and renders the Kingdome after her Grandfather Hen. 7. his pattern all Popish Maries short life and Religion ends together and Elizabeth reviveth her Brother Edwards Modell all Protestant And some eminent Witnesses of Gods Truth against Antichrist have enclined to believe that before the downfall of that Beast England must once againe how down her faire Neck to his proud usurping yoake and foot Peace It hath been Englands sinfull shame to fashion change their Garments and Religions with wondrous ease and lightnesse as a higher Power a stronger Sword hath prevailed after the ancient patterne of Nebuchaanezzars bowing the whole world in one most solemne uniformitie of worship to his Golden Image Dan. 3. CHAP. XL. BUt it hath been thought or said Shall oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous c. Truth I answer as before concerning the blinde Guides in case there be no Civill offence committed the Magistrates all men that by the mercy of God to themselves discerne the miserie of such Opposites have cause to lament and bewaile that fearfull condition wherein such are entangled to wit in the snares chains of Satan with which they are so invincibly caught and held that no power in Heaven or Earth but the Right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle dispensing of the Word of Truth can release and quit them Those many false Christs of whom the Lord Jesus forewarnes Mat. 24. have sutably their false bodies faith spirit Baptisme as the Lord Jesus hath his true body faith spirit c. Ephes. 4. correspondent also are their weapons and the successe issue or operation of them A carnall weapon or sword of steele may produce a carnall repentance a shew an outside an uniformitie through a State or Kingdome But it hath pleased the Father to exalt the Lord Iesus only to be a Prince armed with power and meanes sufficient to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. Accordingly an unbelieving Soule being dead in sinne although he be changed from one worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall changes of apparell cannot please God Heb. 11. and consequently whatever such an unbelieving unregenerate person acts in Worship or Religion it is but sinne Rom. 14. Preaching sinne praying though without beads or booke sinne breaking of bread or Lords supper sinne yea as odious as the oblation of Swines blood a Dogs neck or killing of a Man Isa. 66. But Faith it is that gift which proceeds alone from the Father of Lights Phil. 1. 29. and till he please to make his light arise and open the eyes of blind sinners their soules shall lie fast asleep and the faster in that a sword of steele compells them to a worship in hypocrisie in the dungeons of spirituall darknesse and Sathans slavery Peace I adde that a civill sword as wofull experience in all ages hath proved is so far from bringing or helping forward an opposite in Religion to repentance that Magistrates sinne grievously against the worke of God and blood of Soules by such proceedings Because as commonly the suffrings of false and Antichristian Teachers harden their followers who being blind by this meanes are occasioned to tumble into the ditch of Hell after their blind leaders with more inflamed zeale of lying confidence So secondly violence and a sword of steele begets such an impression in the sufferers that certainly they conclude as indeed that Religion cannot be true which needs such instruments of violence to uphold it so that Persecutors are far from soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others To this purpose it pleased the Father of Spirits of old to constraine the Emperour of Rome Antoninus Pius to write to all the Governours of his Provinces to forbeare to persecute the Christians because such dealing must needs be so far from converting the Christians from their way that it rather begat in their mindes an opinion of their crueltie c. CHAP. XLI Peace THe next Scripture against such persecution is that of the Prophet Isa. 24. together with Mic. 4. 3. they shall break their swords into plough-shares and their speares into pruning-hookes Isa. 11. 9. There shall none hurt or destroy in all the mountaine of my Holinesse Unto which it pleased Mr. Cotton to say That these predictions doe onely shew first with what kinde of weapons he should subdue the Nations to the obedience of the faith of the Gospell not by fire and sword and weapons of War but by the power of the Word and Spirit of God which faith he no man doubts of Secondly those predictions of the Prophets shew what the meeke and peaceable temper will be of all true converts to Christianity not Lyons or Leopards not cruell oppressors nor malignant opposers or biters one of another but doth not forbid them to drive ravenous wolves from the sheep-fold and to restraine them from devouring the sheep of Christ. Truth In this first excellent and truly Christian Answer me thinks the Answerer may heare a voyce from Heaven Out of thine owne
hast thou helped him that is without power How savest thou the arme that hath no strength How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisedome how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is 5. Lastly I ask whether as men deale with Wolves these wolves as Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed their braines dasht out with stones staves halberts guns c. in the hands of the Elders of Ephesus c Truth Doubtlesse comparing spirituall things with spirituall all such mysticall wolves must spiritually and mystically so be slain And the Witnesses of Truth Revel 11. speake fire and kill all that hurt them by that sierie Word of God and that two-edged sword in their hand Psal. 149. But oh what streames of the blood of Saints have been and must be shed untill the Lambe have obtained the Victorie Revel 17. by this unmercifull and in the state of the New Testament when the Church is spread all the World over most bloody doctrine viz. The wolves Hereticks are to be driven away their braines knockâ— out and killed the poore sheepe to be preserved for whom Christ died c. Is not this to take Christ Iesus and make him a temporall King by force Iohn 6. 15. Is not this to make his Kingdome of this world to set up a civill and temporall Israel to bound out new Earthly holy Lands of Canaan yea and to set up a Spanish Inquisition in all parts of the World to the speedy destruction of thousands yea of millions of Soules and the frustrating of the sweet end of the comming of the Lord Iesus to wit to save mens soules and to that end not to destroy their bodies by his own blood CHAP. XLIV Peace THe next Scripture produced against such Persecution is 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ and having in a readinesse to avenge all disobedience c. Unto which it is answered When Paul saith The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall he denieth not civill weapons of Iustice to the civill Magistrate Rom. 13. but only to Church-officers and yet the weapons of Church officers he acknowledgeth to be such as though they be spirituall yet are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience 2 Cor. 10. 6. which hath reference amongst other Ordinances to the censures of the Church against scandalous offenders Truth I acknowledge that herein the Spirit of God denieth not civill weapons of justice to the Civill Magistrate which the Scripture he quotes Rom. 13. abundantly testifie Yet withall I must aske why he here affirmeth the Apostle denies not civill weapons of Justice to the civill Magistrate of which there is no question unlesse that according to his scope of proving persecution for conscience he intends withall that the Apostle denies not civill weapons of justice to the Civill Magistrate in Spirituall and Religious causes The contrary whereunto the Lord assisting I shall evince both from this very Scripture and his owne observation and lastly by that 13 of the Romanes by himsefe quoted First then from this Scripture and his owne Observation The weapons of Church officers saith he are such which though they be spirituall are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience which hath reference saith he amongst other Ordinances to the Censures of the Church against scandalous offenders I hence observe that there being in this Scripture held forth a two-fold state a Civill state and a Spirituall Civill officers and spirituall civill weapons and spirituall weapons civill vengeance and punishment and a spirituall vengeance and punishment although the Spirit speakes not here expresly of Civill Magistrates and their civill weapons yet these States being of different Natures and Considerations as far differing as Spirit from Flesh I first observe that Civill weapons are most improper and unfitting in matters of the Spirituall state and kingdome though in the Civill state most proper and sutable CHAP. XLV FOr to keepe to the similitude which the Spirit useth for instance To batter downe a strong hold high wall fort tower or castle men bring not a first and second Admonition and after obstinacie Excommunication which are spirituall weapons concerning them that be in the Church nor exhortations to Repent and be baptized to beleeve in the Lord Jesus c. which are proper weapons to them that be without c. But to take a strong hold men bring Canons Culverins Saker Bullets Powder Musquets Swords Pikes c. and these to this end are weapons effectuall and proportionable On the other side to batter downe Idolatry false worship heresie schisme blindnesse hardnesse out of the soule and spirit it is vaine improper and unsutable to bring those weapons which are used by persecutors stocks whips prisons swords gibbets stakes c. where these seem to prevaile with some Cities or Kingdomes a stronger force sets up againe what a weaker pull'd downe but against these spirituall strong holds in the soules of men Spirituall Artillery and weapons are proper which are mighty through God to subdue and bring under the very thought to obedience or else to binde fast the soule with chaines of darknesse and locke it up in the prison of unbeleefe and hardnesse to eternity 2. I observe that as civill weapons are improper in this businesse and never able to effect ought in the soule So although they were proper yet they are unnecessary for if as the Spirit here saith and the Answerer grants spirituall weapons in the hand of Church officers are able and ready to take vengeance on all disobedience that is able and mighty sufficient and ready for the Lords worke either to save the soule or to kill the soule of whomsoever be the party or parties opposite in which respect I may againe remember that speech of Iob How hast thou helped him that hath no power Iob 26. Peace Offer this as Malachie once spake to the Governours the Kings of the Earth when they besiege beleagure and assault great Cities Castles Forts c. should any subject pretending his service bring store of pins sticks strawes bulrushes to beat and batter downe stone walls mighty Bulwarkes what might his expectation and reward be but at least the censure of a man distract beside himself c. Truth What shall we then conceive of His displeasure who is the chiefe or Prince of the Kings of the earth and rides upon the Word of Truth and meeknesse which is that white Horse Rev. 6. and Rev. 19. with His holy witnesses the white Troopers upon white horses when to His helpe and aid men bring and adde such unnecessary improper and weake munition Will the Lord Iesus did He ever in His owne Person practice or did he appoint
16 And if so how should Paul appeale in spirituall things to Caesar or write to the Churches of Iesus to submite in Christian or Spirituall matters Fifthly if Paul had appealed to Caesar in spirituall respects hee had greatly prophaned the holy name of God in holy things in so improper and vaine a prostitution of spirituall things to carnall and naturall judgements which are not able to comprehend spirituall matters which are alone spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. And yet Caesar as a civill supreme Magistrate ought to defend Paul from Civill violence and staâ—derous accusations about sedition mutiny civill disobedience c. And in that sense who doubts but God's people may appeale to the Romane Caesar an Egyptian Pharach a Philistian Abimelecke an Assyrian Nabuchadnezzar the great Mâ—gol Prester Iohn the great Turke or an Indian Sachim CHAP. L. Peace WHich is the third Argument against the civill Magistrates power in spirituall and soule matters out of this Scripture Rom. 13 Truth I dispute from the nature of the Magistrates weapons vers 4. He hath a sword which hee beares not in vaine delivered to him as I acknowledge from Gods appointment in the free consent and choice of the subjects for common good We must distinguish of swords We finde foure sorts of swords mentioned in the New Testament First the sword of persecution which Herod stretched forth against Iames Act. 12. Secondly the sword of Gods Spirit expresly said to be the Word of God Ephes. 6. A sword of two edges caried in the mouth of Christ Rev. 1. which is of strong and mighty operation piercing betweene the bones and the marrow betweene the soule and the spirit Heb. 4. Thirdly the great sword of War and Destruction given to him that rides that terrible Red Horse of War so that he takes Peace from the Earth and men kill one another as is most lamentably true in the slaughter of so many hundred thousand soules within these few yeares in severall parts of Europe our owne and others None of these 3 swords are intended in this Scripture Therefore fourthly there is a Civill sword called the Sword of Civill justice which being of a materiall civill nature for the defence of Persons Estates Families Liberties of a City or Civill State and the suppressing of uncivill or injurious persons or actions by such civill punishment It cannot according to its utmost reach and capacitie now under Christ when all Nations are meerly civill without any such typicall holy respect upon them as was upon Israel a Nationall Church I say cannot extend to spirituall and Soul-causes Spirituall and Soule punishment which belongs to that spirituall sword with two edges the soule-piercing in soule-saving or soule-killing the Word of God CHAP. LII Truth A Fourth Argument from this Scripture I take in the 6. verse from Tribute custome c. which is a meerly civill Reward or Recompence for the Magistrates worke Now as the wages are such is the worke But the wages are meerely civill Custome Tribute c. not the contributions of the Saints or churches of Christ proper to the Spirituall and Christian state and such work only must the Magistrate attend upon as may properly deserve such civill wages reward or recompence Lastly that the Spirit of God never intended to direct or warrant the Magistrate to use his Power in spirituall affaires and Religious worship I argue from the terme or title it pleaseth the wisedome of God to give such Civill officers to wit vers 6. Gods Ministers Now at the very first blush no man denies a double Ministerie The one appointed by Christ Iesus in his Church to gather to governe receive in cast out and order all the affaires of the Church the House Citie or Kingdome of God Ephes. 4. 1 Cor. 12. Secondly a Civill Ministery or office meerely humane and civill which Men agree to constitute called therefore an humane creation 1 Pet. 2. and is as true and lawfull in those Nations Cities Kingdomes c. which never heard of the true God nor his holy Sonne Iesus as in any part of the World beside where the Name of Iesus is most taken up From all which premises viz. that the scope of the Spirit of God in this Chapter is to handle the matters of the second Table having handled the matters of the first in the 12. since the Magistrates of whom Paul wrote were naturall ungodly persecuting and yet lawfull Magistrates and to be obeyed in all lawfull Civill things Since all Magistrates are Gods Ministers essentially civill bounded to a civill work with civill weapons or instruments and paid or rewarded with civill rewards From all which I say I undeniably collect that this Scripture is generally mistaken and wrested from the scope of Gods Spirit and the nature of the place and cannot truly be alleadged by any for the Power of the Civill Magistrate to be exercised in spirituall and Soule-matters CHAP. LII Peace AGainst this I know many object out of the 4. verse of this Chapter that the Magistrate is to avenge or punish Evill from whence is gathered that Heresie false Christs false Churches false Ministeries false Seales being evill ought to be punished Civilly c. Truth I answer that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is generally opposed to Civill Goodnesse or Virtue in a Common-wealth and not to Spirituall Good or Religion in the Church Secondly I have proved from the scope of the place that here is not intended Evill against the Spirituall or Christian Estate handled in the 12 Chap. but Evill against the Civill State in this 13. properly falling under the cognizance of the Civill Minister of God the Magistrate and punishable by that civill sword of his as an incivilitie disorder or breach of that civill order peace and civility unto which all the Inhabitants of a City Town or Kingdome oblige themselves Peace I have heard that the Elders of the New-English Churches who yet out of this 13 Rom. maintaine Persecution grant that the Magistrate is to preserve the peace and welfare of the State and therefore that he ought not to punish such sinnes as hurt not his peace In particular they say the Magistraâ—e may not punish secret sinnes in the Soule Nor such sinnes as are yet handling in the Church in a private way Nor such sinnes which are private in Families and therefore they say the Magistrate transgresteth to prosecute complaints of children against their parents servants agaiâ—st masters wives against husbands and yet this proper to the Civill State Nor such sinnes as are between the Members and Churches themselves And they confesse that if the Magistrate punish and the Church punish there will be a greater Rent in their Peace Truth From thence sweet Peace may we well observe First the Magistrate is not to punish all Evill according to this their confession The distinction of private and publike Evill will not here availe because such as urge
Conviction and any other scandalous and heynous offender may be tolerated either in the Church without Excommunication or in the Common-weale without such punishment as may preserve others from dangerous and damnable infection CHAP. LXXIX Truth I Here observe the Answerers partiality that none but such as truly feare God should enjoy Libertie of Conscience whence the Inhabitants of the World must either come into the estate of men fearing God or else dissemble a Religion in hypocrisie or else be driven out of the World One must follow The first is only the gift of God the second and third are too commonly practised upon this ground Againe since there is so much controversie in the World where the name of Christ is taken up concerning the true Church the Ministrie and Worship and who are those that truly feare God I aske who shall judge in this case who be they that feare God It must needs be granted that such as have the power of suffring or not suffring such Consciences must judge and then must it follow as before I intimated that the Civill State must judge of the truth of the Spirituall and then Magistrates fearing or not fearing God must judge of the feare of God also that their judgement or sentence must be according to their conscience of what Religion soever Or that there is no lawfull Magistrate who is not able to judge in such cases And lastly that since the Soveraigne power of all Civill Authority is founded in the consent of the People that every Common-weale hath radically and fundamentally in it a power of true discerning the true feare of God which they transfer to their Magistrates and Officers Or else that there are no lawfull Kingdomes Cities or Townes in the World in which a man may live and unto whose Civill Government he may submit and then as I said before there must be no World nor is it lawfull to live in it because it hath not a true discerning Spirit to judge them that feare or not feare God Lastly although this worthy Answerer so readily grants that Libertie of Conscience should be suffred to them that feare God indeed yet we know what the Ministers of the Churches of New-England wrote in answer to the 3 Question sent to them by some Ministers of Old England viz. that although they confest them to be such persons whom they approved of far above themselves yea who were in their hearts to live and die together yet if they and other godly people with them comming over to them should differ in Church constitution they then could not approve their Civill cohabitation with them and consequently could not advise the Magistrates to suffer them to enjoy a Civill being within their Iurisdiction Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth yea let the Heavens be astonished and the Earth tremble at such an Answer as this from such excellent men to such whom they esteeme for godlinesse above themselves CHAP. LXXIX Peace YEa but they say they doubt not if they were there but they should agree for say they either you will come to us or you may shew us light to come to you for we are but weak men and dreame not of perfection in this life Truth Alas who knowes not what lamentable differences have beene betweene the same Ministers of the Church of England some conforming others leaving their livings friends country life rather then conforme when others againe of whose personall godlinesse it is not questioned have succeeded by conformity into such forsaken so called Livings How great the present differences even amongst them that feare God concerning Faith Iustification and the evidence of it concerning Repentance and godly sorrow as also and mainly concerning the Church the Matter Forme Administration and Government of it Let none now thinke that the passage to New England by Sea or the nature of the Countrey can doe what onely the Key of David can doe to wit open and shut the Consciences of men Beside how can this bee a faithfull and upright acknowledgement of their weaknesse and imperfection when they preach print and practise such violence to the soules and bodies of others and by their Rules and Grounds ought to proceed even to the killing of those whom they judge so deare unto them and in respect of godlinesse far above themselves CHAP. LXXX Peace YEa but say they the godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience c. Truth Sweet Truth if the Civill Court and Magistracy must judge as before I have writâ—en and those Civill Courts are as lawfull consisting of naturall men as of godly persons then what consequences necessarily will â—ollow I have before mentioned And I adde according to this conclusion it must follow that if the most godly persons yeeld not to once or twice Admonition as is maintained by the Answerer they must necessarily be esteemed obseinate persons for if they were godly saith he they would yeeld Must it not then be said as it was by one passing sentence of Banishment upon some whose godlinesse was acknowledged that he that commanded the Iudge not to respect the poore in the cause of judgement commands him not to respect the holy or the godly person Hence I could name the place and time when a godly man a most desirable person for his trade c. yet something different in conscience propounded his willingnesse and desire to come to dwell in a certaine Towne in New England it was answered by the Chiefe of the place This man differs from us and wee desire not to be troubled So that in conclusion for no other reason in the world the poore man though godly usefull and peaceable could not be admitted to a Civill Being and Habitation on the Common Earth in that Wildernesse amongst them The latter part of the Answer concerning the Hereticke or obstinate person to be excommunicated and the scandalous offender to be punished in the Commonweale which neither of both come neere our Question I have spoken I feare too largely already Peace Mr. Cotton concludes with a confident perswasion of having removed the grounds of that great errour viz. that persons are not to be persecuted for cause of conscience Truth And I beleeve deare Peace it shall appear to them that with feare and trembling at the word of the Lord examine these passages that the charge of errour reboundeth backe even such an errour as may well bee called the bloody tenent so directly contradicting the spirit and minde and practice of the Prince of Peace so deeply guilty of the blood of soules compelled and forced to â—â—ypocrisie in a spirituall and soule rape so deeply guilty of the blood of the Soules under the Altar persecuted in all ages for the cause of Conscience and so destructive to the civill peace and welfare of all Kingdomes Countries and Commonwealths CHAP. LXXXI Peace TO this Conclusion deare Truth
Church make him a Delinquent at the Bar yet by their confession God hath made him a Iudge on the Bench. What blood what tumults hath been and must be spilt upon these grounds Peace Deare Truth No question but the Church may punish the Magistrate spiritually in spirituall cases and the Magistrate may punish the Church civilly in civill cases But that for one and the same cause the Church must punish the Magistrate and the Magistrate the Church this seemes monstrous and needs explication Truth Sweet Peace I illustrate with this Instance A true Church of Christ of which according to the Authors supposition the Magistrate is a member chooseth and calls one of her members to office The Magistrate opposeth The Church perswaded that the Magistrates exceptions are insufficient according to her priviledge which these Authours maintaine against the Magistrates prohibition proceeds to Ordaine her officer The Magistrate chargeth the Church to have made an unfit and unworthy choice and therefore according to his place and power and according to his conscience and judgement he suppresseth such an officer and makes void the Churches choice Upon this the Church complaines against the Magistrates violation of her priviledgesâ— given her by Christ Iesus and cries out that the Magistrate is turned Persecuterâ— and not prevailing with admonition she proceeds to Excommunication against him The Magistrate according to his conscience endures not such profanation of Ordinances as he conceives and therefore if no advice and admonition prevaile he proceeds against such obstinate abusers of Christs holy Ordinances as the Authors grant he may in Civill Court of justice yea and I adde according to the patterne of Israel cuts them off by the sword as obstinate usurpers and prophaners of the holy things of Christ. I demand what helpe hath any poore Church of Christ in this case by maintaining this power of the Magistrate to punish the Church of Christ I meane in spirituall and Soule-cases for otherwise I question not but he may put all the members of the Church to death justly if they commit crimes worthy thereof as Paul spake Acts 23. Shall the Church here slie to the Popes Sanctuarie against Emperours and Princes excommunicate to wit give away their crowns kingdomes or dominions and invite forraigne Princes to make War upon them and their Territories The Authors surely will disclaime this and yet I shall prove their Tenents tend directly unto such a practise Or secondly shall she say the Magistrate is not a true Magistrate ' because not able to judge and determine in such cases This their confession will not give them leave to say because they cannot deny unbelievers to be lawfull Magistrates and yet it shall appeare not withstanding their conâ—ession to the contrary their Tenents imply that none but a Magistrate after their own conscience is a lawfull Magistrate Therefore thirdly they must ingenuously and honestly confesse that if it be the duty of the Magistrate to punish the Church in spirituall cases he must then judge according to his conscience and perswasion whatever his conscience be and then let all men judge into what a wofull state they bring both the civill Magistrate and Church of Christ by such a Church-destroying and State-destroying Doctrine Peace Some will here say in such a case either the Magistrate on the Church must judge either the Spirituall or Civill State must be supreme I answer if the Magistrate be of another Religion First What hath the Church to judge him being without 1 Cor. 5. Secondly If he be a member of the Churchâ— doubtles the Church hath power to judge in spirituall and Soule-cases with spirituall and Church censures all that are within 1â— Cor. 5. Thirdly If the Church offend against the civill peace of the State by wronging the bodies or goods of any the Magistrate bears not the sword in vaine Rom. 13. to correct any or all the members of the Church And this I conceive to be the onely way of the God of Peace CHAP. LXXXVI The third head concerns the End of both these Powers FIrst the common and last end of both is Gods glory and Mans eternall felicitie Secondly the proper ends First of Commonwealth is the procuring preserving increasing of externall and temporall peace and felicitie of the State in all Godlines and Honestie 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. Secondly of the Church a begetting preserving increasing of internall and spirituall peace and felicity of the Church in all godlinesse and honesty Esay 2. 3 4. and 9. 7. So that Magistrates have power given them from Christ in matters of Religion because they are bound to see that ouâ—ward peace be preserved not in all ungodlinesse and dishonesty For such peace is Satanicall but in all godlinesse and honesty for such peace God aymes at And hence the Magistrate is custos of both the Tables of godlinesse in the first of Honesty in the second for Peace sake Hee must see that honesty be preserved within his jurisdiction or else the subject will not be bonus Cives Hee must see that godlinesse as well as honesty be preserved else the subject will not be bonus vir who is the best bonus cives Hee must see that godlinesse and honesty be preserved or else himselfe will not bee bonus Magistratus Truth In this passage here are divers particulars affirmed marvellous destructive both to godlinesse and honesty though under a faire maâ—ke and colour of both First it will appeare that in spirituall things they make the Garden and the Wildernesse as often I have intimated I say the Garden and the Wildernesse the Church and the World are all one for thus If the Powers of the World or Civill State are bound to propose externall Peace in all godlinesse for their end and the end of the Church be to preserve internall Peace in all godlinesse I demand if their end godlinesseâ— bee the same is not their power and state the same also unlesse they make the Church subordinate to the Common-wealths and or the Commonweale subordinate to the Churches end which being the governour and setter up of it and so consequently the Iudges of it it cannot be Now iâ— godlinesse bee the worshipping and walking with God in Christ is not the Magistrate and Commonweale charged more by this tenent with the worship and Ordinances of God then the Church for the Magistrate they charge with the externall peace in godlinesse and the Church but with the internall I aske further what is this internall peace in all godlinesse whether intend they internall within the Soule which onely the eye of God can see opposed to externall or visible which man also can discerne or else whether they meane internall that is spirituall soule matters maâ—ters of Gods Worship and then I say that peace to wit of godlinesse or Gods worship they had before granted to the civill State Peace The Truth is as I now perceive the best and most godly of
simply unlawfull as unto a falsely constituted Church Ministry Worship Administration and they shall not escape the Dâ—ch by being led blindefold by the Magistrate but though hee fall in first yet they shall in after him and upon him to his greater and more dreadfull judgement In particular thus If the Magistrate may restraine me from that gesture in the Supper of the Lord which I am perswaded I ought to practice he may also restraine me by his commands from that Supper of the Lord it selfe in such or such a Church according to my conscience If he cannot as they grant constraine me to such or such a garment in the worship of God can he constraine me to worship God by such a Ministry and with such worship which my soule and conscience cannot be perswaded is of God If he cannot command me in that circumstance of time to worship God this or that day can he command mee to the worship it selfe Peace Me thinkes I discerne a threefold guilt to lye upon such Civill powers as impose upon and inforce the conscience though not unto the ministration and participation of the Seales yet either to depart from that worship which it is perswaded of or to any exercise or worship which it hath not faith in First of an appearance of that Arminian Popish doctrine of freewill as if it lay in their owne power and ability to beleeve upon the Magistrates command since it is confessed that what is submitted to by any without faith it is sinne be it never so true and holy Rom. 14. Secondly since God only openeth the heart and worketh the will Phil. 2. it seemes to be an high presumption to suppose that together with a command restraining from or constraining to worship that God is also to be forced or commanded to give faith to open the heart to incline the will c. Thirdly A guilt of the hypocrisie of their subjects and people in forcing them to act and practice in matters of Religion and Worship against the doubts and checks of their consciences causing their bodies to worship when their soules are far off to draw near with their lips their hearts being far off c. With lesse sinne ten thousand fold may a naturall â—ather force his 〈◊〉 or the Father of the Commonweale force all the maydens in a Country to the marriage beds of such and such men whom they cannot love then the soules of these and other subjects to such worship or Ministry which is either a true or false because Cant. 1. 16. Truth Sweet Peace your conclusions are undeniable and O that they might sinke deep into those Noble and Honourable Bosomes it so deeply concernes but proceed CHAP. XCV Peace IN that fifth head they further say thus Thirdly in matters Ecclesiasticall we beleeve first That Civill Magistrates have no power to make or constitute Lawes about Church affaires which the Lord Jesus hath not ordained in his Word for the well ordering of the Church for the Apostle solemnely chargeth Timothy and in him all Goverours of the Church before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that the Commandement given by him for the ordering of the Church be kept without spot unrebukeable to the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6. 14. 15. And this Commandement given in the Word the Apostle faith is able to make the man of God perfect in all Righteousnesse 2 Tim. 3. 17. And indeed the adminstration of all Christs affaires doth immediately aime at spirituall and divine ends as the worship of God and the salvation of mens soules and therefore no Law nor meanes can be devised by the wisdome or wit of man that can be fit or able to reach such ends but use must be made of such onely as the divine Wisdome and holy Will of God hath ordained Secondly We beleeve the Magistrates power in making Lawes about Church affaires is not only thus limited and restrained by Christ to matters which concerne the substance of Gods worship and of Church government but also such as concerne outward order as in Rites and Ceremonies for uniformities sake For we finde not in the Gospell that Christ hath any where provided for the uniformity of Churches but onely for their unity Paul in matters of Christian libertie commendeth the unity of their Faith in the holy Spirit giving order that wee should not judge nor condemne one another in difference of judgement and practice of such things where men live to God on both sides even though there were some errour on one side Rom. 14. to the 6. How much lesse in things indifferent where there may be no etrour on either side When the Apostle directeth the Church of Corinth that all things be done decently and in order he meant not to give power to Church Officers or to Civill Magistrates to order what ever they should thinke meet for decencie and order but only to provide that all the Ordinances of God be administred in the Church decently without unnaturall or uncivill uncomelinesse as that of long haire or womens propheâ—ying of the like and orderly without confusion or disturbance of edification as the speaking of many at once in the Church Thirdly we doe neverthelesse willingly grant that Magistrates upon due and diligent search what is the counsell and will of God in his Word concerning the right ordering of the Church may and ought to publish and declare establish and ratifie such Lawes and Ordinances as Christ hath appointed in his Word for the well ordering of Church affaires both for the gathering of the Church and the right administration of all the Ordinances of God amongst them in such a manner as the Lord hath appointed to edification The Law of Artaxerxes Ezra 7. 23. was not usurpation over the Churches liberty but a Royall and just confirmation of them Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven For why should there be wrath against the King and his Sonnes Truth Deare Peace me thinkes I see before mine eyes a wall daubed up of which Ezekiel speakes with untempered morter Here they restraine the Magistrate from making Lawes either concerning the substance or ceremony of Religion but such only as Christ hath commanded and those say they must publish and declare after the example of Artaxerxes I shall herein performe two things First examine this Magistrates duty to publish declare c. such Laws and Ordinances as Christ hath appointed Secondly I shall examine that proofe from Artaxerxes Ezra 7. 23. In the first me thinks I heare the voice of the people of Israel 1 Sam. 8. 5. Make us a King that may rule over us after the manner of the Nations rejecting the Lord ruling over them by his holy Word in the mouth of his Prophets and sheltring themselves under an Arme of Flesh which Arme of Flesh God gave them in His Anger and cut off againe in His
the heart of the King viz. to restraine upon paine of Death all the millions of men under his Dominion from the Idolatties of their severall and respective Countries to constraine them all upon the like penaltie to conforme to the Worship of the God of Israel to build him a Temple erect an Altar ordaine Priests offer sacrifice observe the Fasts and Feasts of Israel yea did God put it into the Kings heart to send Levites into all the parts of his Dominion compelling them to heare which is but a naturall thing as some unsoundly speake unto which all are bound to submit Well however Ezra gives thankes to God for the Kings and so should all that feate God in all Countries if he would please to put it into the hearts of the Kings States and Parliaments to take off the yoakes of Violence and permit at least the Consciences of their Subjects and especially such as in truth make Conscience of their Worships to the God of Israel and yet no cause for Ezra then or Gods Ezra's and Israelites now to acknowledge the care and charge of Gods worship Church and Ordinances to lie upon the shoulders of Artaxerxes or any other Civill Prince or Ruler Lastly for the Confirmation or Ratification which they suppose Magistrates are bound to give to the Lawes of Christ I answer Gods cause Christs Truth and the two-edged sword of his Word never stood in need of a temporall Sword or an humane Witnes to confirme and ratifie them If we receive the witnesse of an honest man the witnesse of the most holy God is greater 1. Iohn 5. The result and summe of the whole matter is this 1. It may please God sometimes to stir up the Rulers of the Earth to permit and tolerate to favour and countenance Gods people in their worships though only out of some strong conviction of conscience or feare of wrath c. and yet themselves neither understand Gods worship nor leave their owne state Idolatry or Country worship For this Gods people ought to give thankes unto God yea and all men from this example may learne not to charge upon the Magistrates conscience besides the care of the Civill peace the bodies and goods of men the Spirituall peace in the worship of God and soules of men but hence are Magistrates instructed favourably to permit their subjects in their worships although themselves bee not perswaded to submit to them as Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius and Artaxerxes did CHAP. XCVII Peace THe sixt question is this How far the Church is subject to their Lawes All those say they who are members of the Commonweale are bound to be subject to all the just and righteous Laws thereof and therefore membership in Churches not cutting men off from the membership in commonweales they are bound to be subject even every soule Rom. 13. 1. as Christ himselfe and the Apostles were in their places wherein they lived and therefore to exempt the Clergy as the Papists do from Civill subjection and to say that generatio Clerici is corruptio subditi is both sinfull and scandalous to the Gospel of God and though all are equally subject yet Church members are more especially bound to yeeld subjection and the most eminent most especially bound not only because conscience doth more strongly binde but also because their ill examples are more infectious to others pernicious to the State and provoke Gods wrath to bring vengeance on the State Hence if the whole Church or officers of the Church shall sin against the State or any person by sedition contempt of Authority heresie blasphemy oppression slander or shall withdraw any of their members from the service of the State without the consent thereof their persons and estates are liable to Civill punishments of Magistrates according to their righteous and wholsome Lawes Exod. 22. 20. Levit. 24. 16. Deut. 13. 5. 18. 10. Truth What concernes this head in civill things I gladly subscribe unto what concernes heresie blasphemy c. I have plentifully before spoken to and shall here only say 2 things First those Scriptures produced concerne only the people of God in a Church estate and must have reference onely to the Church of Christ Jesus which as Mr. Cotton confesseth is not Nationall but Congregationall of so many as may meet in one place 1 Cor. 14 therefore no Civâ—ll State can be the antitype and parallell to which purpose upon the 11 Question I shall at large shew the difference betweene that Nationall Church and State of Israel and all other States and Nations in the World Secondly If the Rulers of the Earth are bound to put to death all that worship other gods then the true God or that blaspheme that is speake evill of in a lesser or higher degree that one true God it must unavoidably follow that the beloved for the Fathers sake the Jewes whose very Religion blasphemeth Christ in the highest degree I say they are actually sonnes of death and all to be immediately executed according to those quoted Scriptures And Secondly the Townes Cities Nations and Kingdomes of the World must generally be put to the sword if they speedily renounce not their Gods and Worships and so cease to blaspheme the true God by their Idolatries This bloody consequence cannot be avoided by any Scripture rule for if that rule be of force Deut. 13. 18. not to spare or shew mercy upon person or City falling to Idolatry that bars out all favour or partiality and then what heapes upon heapes in the slaughter houses and shambles of Civill Warres must the world come to as I have formerly noted and that unnecessarily it being not required by the Lord Jesus for his sake and the Magistrates power and weapons being essentially Civill and so not reaching to the impiety or ungodlinesse but the incivility and unrighteousnesse of tongue or hand CHAP. XCVIII Peace DEare Truth these are the poysoned daggers stabbing at my tender heart Oh when shall the Prince of peace appeare and reconcile the bloudy sons of men but let me now propose their 7 head viz. In what order may the Magistrate execute punishment on a Church or Church-member that offendeth his Lawes First grosse and publicke notorious sinnes which are against the light of conscience as Heresie c. there the Magistrate keeping him under safe ward should send the offendour first to the Church to heale his conscience still provided that the Church be both able and willing thereunto By which meanes the Magistrate shall convince such an ones conscience that he seeketh his healing rather then his hurt The censure also against him shall proceed with more power and blessing and none shall have cause to say that the Magistrate persecutes men for their consciences but that he justly punisheth such an one for sinning rather against his conscience Tit. 3. 0. Secondly in private offences how the Magistrate may proceed see Chap. 12. It is not materiall
viz. that none but members of Churches enjoy civill freedome amongst them ordinarily in imitation of that Nationall Church and State of the Iewes then I answer they that follow Moses Church constitution which the New English by such a practice implicitely doe must cease to pretend to the Lord Iesus Christ and his institutions Secondly we shall finde lawfull civill State both before and since Christ Iesus in which we finde not any tidings of the true God our Christ. Lastly their civill New English State framed out of their Churches may yet stand subsist and flourish although they did as by the word of the Lord they ought permit either Iewes or Turkes or Antichristians to live amongst them subject unto their Civill Government CHAP. CII Peace ONe branch more viz. the third remaines of this Head and it concerns the hearing of the Word unto which say they all men are to be compelled because hearing of the word is a duty which even Nature leadeth Heathens to for this they quote the practice of the Ninevites heaâ—ing Ionah and Egloâ— King of Moab his rising up to Ehuds pretended message from God Iudg 3. Truth I must deny that position for light of Nature leadeth men to heare that onely which Nature conceiveth to be good for it and therefore not to heare a Messenger Minister or Preacher whom conscience perswades is a false messenger or deceiver and comes to deceive my soule as Millions of men and women in their severall respective religions and consciences are so perswaded conceiving their owne to be true Secondly as concerning the instances Ionah did not compell the Ninevites to heare that message which he brought unto them Besides the matter of compulsion to a constant worship of the world in Church estate which is the Question comes not neare Ionahs case Nor did Christ Iesus or any of his Embassadours so practice but if persons refused to heare the command of the Lord Iesus to his Messengers was onely to depart from them shaking off the dust of their feet with a denunciation of Gods wrath against them Math. 10. Act. 14. Concerning Eglon his rising up First Ehâ—d compelled not that King either to heare or reverence and all that can bee imitable in Eglon is a voluntary and willing reverence which persons ought to expresse to what they are perswaded comes from God But how doe both these instances mightily convince and condemne themselves who not onely professe to turne away from but also persecute or hunt all such as shall dare to professe a Ministry or Church estate differing from their owne though for personall godlinesse and excellency of gifts reverenced by themselves Thirdly to the point of compulsion It hath pleased the Lord Iesus to appoint a two fold Ministry of his Word First for unbeleevers and their conversion according to Math. 28. 19. Marc. 16 15 16. and the constant practice of the Apostles in the first preaching of the Gospel Secondly a Ministry of feeding and nourishing up such as are converted and brought into Church estate according to Ephes. 4. c. Now to neither of these doe we finde any compulsion appointed by the Lord Iesus or practised by any of his The compulsion preached and practised in New England is not to the hearing of that Ministry sent forth to convert unbeleevers and to constitute Churches for such a Ministry they practise not but to the hearing of the word of edification exhortation consolation dispenced onely in the Churches of worshippers I apply When Paul came first to Corinth to preach Christ Iesus by their Rule the Magistrates of Corinth ought by the Sword to have compelled all the people of Corinth to heare Paul Secondly after a Church of Christ was gathered by their rule the Magistrates of Corinth ought to have compelled the people still even those who had refused his Doctrine for the few onely of the Church embraced it to have heard the Word still and to have kept one day in seven to the Christians God and to have come to the Christians Church all their dayes And what is this but a setled formality of Religion and Worship unto which a people are brought by the power of the sword And however they affirme that persons are not to be compelled to be members of Churches nor the Church compelled to receive any Yet if persons be compelled to forsake their Religion which their hearts cleave to and to come to Church to the worship of the Word Prayers Psalmes and Contributions and this all their dayes I aske whether this be not this peoples Religion unto which submitting they shall be quiet all their dayes without the inforcing them to the practice of any other Religion And if this bee not so then I aske Will it not inevitably follow that they not onely permit but enforce people to bee of no Religion at all all their dayes This toleration of Religion or rather irreligious compulsion is above all tolerations monstrous to wit to compell men to bee of no Religion all their dayes I desire all men and these worthy Authors of this Modell to lay their hands upon their heart and to consider whether this compulsion of men to heare the Word as they say whether it carries men to wit to be of no Religion all their dayes worse then the very Indians who dare not live without Religion according as they are perswaded Lastly I adde from the Ordinance of the Lord Iesus and practice of the Apostles Acts 2. 42. where the Word and Prayer is joyned with the exercise of their fellowship and breaking of Bread in which Exercises the Church continued constantly that it is apparent that a Civill State may as lawfully compell men by the civill sword to the breaking of bread or Lords Supper as to the Word or Prayer or Fellowship For first they are all of the same nature Ordinances in the Church I speake of the feeding Ministrie in the Church unto which persons are compell'd and Church Worship Secondly every conscience in the World is fearfull at least shie of the Priests and Ministers of other Gods and Worships and of holding Spirituall fellowship in any of their Services Which is the case of many a Soule viz. to question the Ministers themselves as well as the Supper it selfe CHAP. CIII Peace DEare Truth This pressing of men to the Spirituall Battels of Christ Jesus is the cause why as it is commonly with prest Souldiers that so many thousands flie in the day of Battell But I present you with the 9. Question viz. What power the Magistrate hath in providing of Church-Officers First say they the Election of Church officers being the proper Act of the Church therefore the Magistrate hath no power either as Prince or Patron to assume such power unto himselfe When Christ sends to preach by his supreme power the Magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate to gather Churches and may force people to heare
forth to preach by his supreme power and the Magistrate by his power subordinate to gather Churches CHAP. CIV Peace YOu have taken great paines to shew the irreconciliablenesse of those their two assertions viz. First there is now no Ministry as they say but what is mediat from the Church and yet secondly Christ Jesus sends Preachers forth by his supreme power to gather the Church I now wait to heare how as they say the Magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate to gather Churches enforcing the people to heare c. Truth If there be a Ministry sent forth by Christs supreme power and a Ministry sent forth by the Magistrates subordinate power to gather Churches I aske what is the difference between these two Is there any gathering of Churches but by that commission Mat. 28. Teach and baptize And is the civill Magistrate intrusted with a power from Christ as his Deputy to give this commission and so to send out Ministers to preach and baptize As there is nothing in the Testament of Christ concerning such a delegation or assignment of such power of Christ to the civill Magistrate So I also ask since in every free State civill Magistrates have no more power but what the people 's of those States Lands and Countries betrust them with whether or no by this meanes it must not follow that Christ Iesus hath left with the Peoples and Nations of the World his Spirituall Kingly power to grant commissions and send out Ministers to themselves to preach convert and baptize themselves How inevitably this followes upon their conclusion of power in Magistrates to send c. and what unchristian and unreasonable consequences must flow from hence let all consider in the feare of God Iehosaphats sending forth the Levites to teach in Iudah c. as they alledge it not so elsewhere it shall more fully appeare to be a type and figure of Christ Iesus the only King of his Church providing for the feeding of his Church and People by his true Christian Priests and Levites viz. The Ministry which in the Gospel he hath appointed CHAP. CV Peace VVE have examined the Ministry be pleased deare Truth to speake to the second branch of this head viz. the maintenance of it They affirme that the Magistrate may force out the Ministers maintenance from all that are taught by them and that after the patterne of Israel and the argument from 1 Cor. 9. Gal. 6. 6. Truth This theame viz. concerning the maintenance of the Priests and Ministers of worship is indeed the Apple of the Eye the Dianah of the Dianah c. yet all that love Christ Jesus in sincerity and soules in and from him will readily professe to abhorre filthy lucre Tit. 1. and the wages of Balaam both more common and frequent then easily is discernable To that Scripture Gal. 6. 6. Let him that is taught in the Word make him that teacheth partaker of all his goods I answer That teaching was of persons converted beleevers entred into the Schoole and Family of Christ the Church which Church being rightly gathered is also rightly invested with the power of the Lord Iesus to force every soule therein by spirituall weapons and penalties to doe its duty But this forcing of the Magistrate is intended and practised to all sorts of persons without as well as within the Church unconverted naturall and dead in sinne as well as those that live and feeding enjoy the benefit of spirituall food Now for those sorts of persons to whom Christ Iesus sends his Word out of Church estate Iewes or Gentiles according to the Parable of Math. 13. high-way hearers stony ground and thorny ground hearers wee never finde title of any maintenance to bee expected least of all to bee forced and exacted from them By civill power they cannot be forced for it is no civill payment or businesse no matter of Caesar but concerning God nor by spirituall power which hath nothing to doe with those which are without 1. Cor. 5. It is reasonable to expect and demand of such as live within the state a civill maintenance of their civill officers and to force it where it is denyed It is reasonable for a Schoole-master to demand his recompence for his labour in his Schoole but it is not reasonable to expect or force it from stranges enemies rebels to that City from such as come not within or else would not bee received into the Schoole What is the Church of Christ Iesus but the City the Schoolâ— and Family of Christ the Officers of this City Schoole Family may reasonably expect maintenance from such they minister unto but not from strangers enemies c. Peace It is most true that sinne goes in a linke for that tenent that all the men of the world may bee compelled to heare Christ preach and enjoy the labours of the Teacher as well as the Church it selfe forceth on another also as evill viz. that they should also be compelled to pay as being most equall and reasonable to pay for their conversion Truth Some use to urge that Text of Luc. 14. Compell them to come in Compell them to Masse say the Papists compell them to Church and Common prayer say the Protestants Compell them to the Meeting say the New English In all these compulsions they disagree amongst themselves but in this viz. Compell them to pay in this they all agree There is a double violence which both Errour and Falshood use to the soules of men First morall and perswasive such was the perswasion first used to Ioseph by his Mistris such was the perswasions of Tamar from Ammon such was the compelling of the young man by the Harlot Prov. 7. shee caught him by her much faire speech and kisses And thus is the whole world compelled to the worship of the Golden Image Dan. 3. The second Compulsion is civill such as Iosephs Mistris began to practise upon Ioseph to attaine her whorish desires Such as Ammon practised on Tamar to satisfie his brutish lust And such was Nabuchadnezzars second compulsion his fiery Furnace Dan. 3. and mysticall Nabuchadnezzars killing all that receive not his marke Rev. 13. The first sort of these violences to wit by powerfull argument and perswasion the Ministers of the Gospel also use Hence all those powerfull perswasions of Wisedomes Maidens Pro. 9. Hence saith Paul knowing the terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. and pull some out of the fire saith Iudâ— such must that compulsion be Luc. 14. viz. the powerfull perswasions of the word being that two-edged sword comming out of the mouth of Christ Iesus in his true Ministers sent forth to invite poore sinners to partake of the Feast of the Lambe of God The civill Ministers of the Commonweale cannot be sent upon this businesse with their civill weapons and compulsions but the spirituall Minister of the Gospel with his spirituall sword of
former figures in all the Prophecies concerning Christ his spirituall power Isa. 9. Dan. 7. Mich. 4. c. compared with Luc. 1. 32. Act. 2. 30. 1 Cor. 5. Math. 18. Marc. 13. 34. c. CHAP. CXXI Peace GLorious and conquering Truth mee thinkes I see most evidently thy glorious conquests how mighty are thy spirituall weapons 2 Cor. 10. to breake downe those mighty and strong Holds and Castles which men have fortified themselves withall against thee O that even the thoughts of men may submit and bow downe to the captivity of Jesus Christ Truth Your kinde incouragement makes mee proceed more cheerfully to a fourth difference from the Lawes and Statutes of this Land different from all the Lawes and Statutes of the World and parallel'd onely by the Lawes and Ordinances of spirituall Israel First then consider we the Law-maker or rather the Law-publisher or Prophet as Moses calls himselfe Deut. 18. and Act. 3. he is expresly called that Prophet who figured out Christ Iesus who was to come like unto Moses greater then Moses as the son is greater then the servant Such Law-givers or Law-publishers never had any State or People as Moses the type or Christ Iesus miraculously stirred up and sent as the mouth of God betweene God and his people Secondly concerning the Lawes themselves It is true the second Table containes the Law of Nature the Law Morall and Civill yet such a Law was also given to this people as never to any people in the World such was the Law of worship Psal. 147. peculiarly given to Iacob and God did not deale so with other Nations which Lawes for the matter of the worship in all those wonderfull significant Sacrifices and for the manner by such a Priesthood such a place of Tabernacle and afterward of Temple such times and solemnities of Festivals were never to be parallel'd by any other Nation but onely by the true Christian Israel established by Iesus Christ amongst Iewes and Gentiles throughout the World Thirdly the Law of the tenne Words Deut. 10. the Epitome of all the rest it pleased the most high God to frame and pen twice with his owne most holy and dreadfull finger upon Mount Sinai which he never did to any other Nation before or since but onely to that spirituall Israel the people and Church of God in whose hearts of flesh he writes his Lawes according to Ier 31. Heb 8. and 10. Peace Such promulgation of such Lawes by such a Prophet must needs be matchlesse and unparallel'd Truth In the fift place consider we the punishments and rewards annexed to the breach or observation of these Lawes First those which were of a temporall and present consideration of this life Blessings and Curses of all sorts opened at large Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. which cannot possibly be made good in any State Countrey or Kingdome but in a spirituall sense in the Church and Kingdome of Christ. The reason is this such a temporall prosperity of outward peace and plenty of all things of increase of children of cattell of honour of health of successe of victory suits not temporally with the afflicted and persecuted estate of Gods people now And therefore spirituall and soule blessednesse must be the Antitype viz. In the midst of revilings and all manner of evill speeches for Christs sake soule blessednesse In the midst of afflictions and persecutions soule blessednesse Math. 5. and Luc. 6. And yet herein the Israel of God should enjoy their spirituall peace Gal. 6. 16. Out of that blessed temporall estate to be cast or caried captive was their excommunication or casting out of Gods sight 2 King 17. 23. Therefore was the blasphemer the false Prophet the idolater to bee cast out or cut off from this holy Land which punishment cannot be parallel'd by the punishment of any State or Kingdome in the world but onely by the excommunicating or outcasting of person or Church from the fellowship of the Saints and Churches of Christ Iesus in the Gospel And therefore as before I have noted the putting away of the false prophet by stoning him to death Deut. 13. is fitly answered and that in the very same words in the Antitype when by the generall consent or stoning of the whole Assembly and wicked person is put away from amongst them that is spiritually cut off out of the Land of the spiritually living the people or Church of God 1 Cor. 5. Galat. 5. Lastly the great and high reward or punishment of the keeping or breach of these Lawes to Israel was such as cannot suit with any State or Kingdome in the World beside the Reward of the Observation was Life Eternall Life The Breach of any one of these Lawâ— was death Eternall death or damnation from the presence of the Lord. So Rom. 10. Iam. 2. Such a Covenant God made not before nor since with any State or People in the world For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth Rom. 10. 4. And he that beleeveth in that Son of God hath eternall life hee that beleeveth not hath not life but is condemned already John 3. and 1 John 5. CHAP. CXXII Peace DEare Truth you have most lively set forth the unparallel'd state of that typicall Land and people of the Iewes in their peace and quiet government Let mee now request you in the last place to glance at the difference of the wars of this people from the wars of other Nations and of their having no Antitype but the Churches of Christ Iesus First all Nations round about Israel more or lesse sometime or other had indignation against this people Aegyptians Edomites Moabites Ammonites Midians Philistians Assyrians and Babylonians c. as appeares in the History of Moses Samuel Iudges and Kings and in all the Prophets You have an expresse Catalogue of them Psal. 83. sometimes many hundred thousand Enemies in pitcht field against them of Ethiopians ten hundred thousand at once in the dayes of Asa 2 Chron. 14. and at other times as the sand upon the Sea shoare Such Enemies the Lord Iesus foretold his Israel The World shall hate you Iohn 16. You shall be hated of all men for my Names sake Matth. 24. All that will live godly in Christ Iesus must be persecuted or hunted 1 Tim. 4. And not only by flesh and bloud but also by Principalities Powers Spirituall wickednesse in high places Ephes. 6. by the whole Pagan World under the Roman Emperours and the whole Antichristian World under the Roman Popes Rev 12. 13. Chap. by the Kings of the Earth Rev. 17. And Gog and Magog like the sand upon the Sea shoare Rev. 20. Peace Such Enemies such Armies no History no experience proves ever to have come against one poore Nation as against Israel in the type and never was nor shall be knowne to come against any State or Country now but the Israel of
10. chapters CHAP. CXXV Peace DEare Truth You know the noyse is made from those prophecies Isa. 46. Kings and Queenes shall be nursing Fathers c. and Revel 21. the Kings of the Earth shall bring their Glory and Honour to new Ierusalem c. Truth I answer with that mournfull Prophet Psal. 74. I see not that man that Prophet that can tell us how long How many excellent Pen-men fight each against other with their pens like swords in the application of those prophecies of David Isa. Ier. Ezekiel Daniel Zacharie Iohn when and how those Prophecies shall be fulfilled Secondly When ever those prophecies are fulfilled yet shall those Kings not be Heads Governours and Judges in Ecclesiasticall or Spirituall causes but be themselves judged and ruled if within the Church by the power of the Lord Jesus therein Hence saith Isaiah those Kings and Queenes shall lick the Dust of thy feet c. Peace Some will here aske What may the Magistrate then lawfully doe with his Civill horne or power in matters of Religion Truth His horne not being the horne of that Vnicorne or Rhinocerot the power of the Lord Iesus in Spirituall caseâ— his sword not the two-edged sword of the Spirit the word of God hanging not about the loines or side but at the lips and proceeding out of the mouth of his Ministers but of an humane and Civill nature and constitution it must consequently be of a humane and Civill operation for who knowes not that operation followes constitution and therefore I shall end this passage with this consideration The Civill Magistrate either respecteth that Religion and Worship which his conscience is perswaded is true and upon which he ventures his Soule or else that and those which he is perswaded are false Concerning the first if that which the Magistrate believeth to be true be true I say he owes a threefold dutie unto it First approbation and countenance a reverent esteeme and honorable Testimonie according to Isa. 49. Revel 21. with a tender respect of Truth and the professours of it Secondly Personall submission of his owne Soule to the power of the Lord Iesus in that spirituall Government and Kingdome according to Mat. 18. 1. Cor. 5. Thirdly Protection of such true professours of Christ whether apart or met together as also of their estates from violence and injurie according to Rom. 13. Now secondly if it be a false Religion unto which the Civill Magistrate dare not adjoyne yet he owes First permission for approbation he owes not to what is evill and this according to Matthew 13. 30. for publike peace and quiet sake Secondly he owes protection to the persons of his Subjects though of a false worship that no injurie be offered either to the persons or goods of any Rom. 13. Peace Deare Truth in this 11 head concerning the Magistrates power in Worship you have examined what is affirmed that the Magistrate may doe in point of Worship there remaines a second to wit that which they say the Magistrate may not doe in Worship They say The Magistrate may not bring in set formes of prayerâ— Nor secondly bring in significant ceremonies Nor thirdly not governe and rule the acts of worship in the Church of God for which they bring an excellent similitude of a Prince or Magistrate in a ship where he hath no governing power over the actions of the mariners and secondly that excellent propheciâ— concerning Christ Iesus that his government should be upon his shoulders Isa. 9. 6 7. Truth Unto all this I willingly subscribe Yet can I not passe by a most injurious and unequall practice toward the Civill Magistrate Ceremonies Holy dayes Common Prayer and what ever else dislikes their consciences that the Magistrate must not bring in Others againe as learned as godly as wise have conceived the Magistrate may approve or permit these in the Church and all men are bound in obedience to obey him How shal the Magistrates conscience be herein between both torn and distracted if indeed the power either of establishing or abolishing in Church matters bee committed to him Secondly me thinkes in this case they deale with the Civill Magistrate as the Souldiers dealt with the Lord Iesus First they take off his owne clothes and put upon him a purple Robe plat a Crowne of Thornes on his head bow the knee and salute him by the name of King of the Iewes They tell him that he is the Keeper of both Tables he must see the Church doe her duty he must establish the true Church true Ministry true Ordinances he must keepe her in this purity Againe hee must abolish superstition and punish false Churches false Ministers even to banishment and death Thus indeed doe they make the blood run downe the head of the civill Magistrate from the thorny vexation of that power which sometimes they crowne him with whence in great States Kingdoms or Monarchies necessarily arise delegations of that spirituall power High Commissions c. Anon againe they take off this purple robe put him into his own clothes and tell him that he hath no power to command what is against their conscience They cannot conforme to a set form of prayer nor to Ceremonies nor Holy dayes c. although the civill Magistrate that most pious Prince Edw 6. â— and his famous Bishops afterwards burnt for Christ were of another conscienceâ— which of these two consciences shall stand if either Magistrate must put forth his civill power in these cases the strongest arme of flesh and most conquering bloody sword of Steele can alone decide the Question I confesse it is most true that no Magistrate as no other superiour is to be obeyed in any matter displeasing to God yet when in matters of worship we ascribe the absolute headship and government to the Magistrate as to keepe the Church pute and force her to her duty Ministers and People and yet take unto our selves power to judge what is right in our owne eyes and to judge the Magistrate in and for those very things wherein we confesse he hath power to see us doe our duty and therefore consequently must judge what our duty is what is this but to play with Magistrates with the soules of men with Heaven with God with Christ Iesus c. CHAP. CXXVI Peace PAsse on holy Truth to that similitude whereby they illustrate that Negative Assertion The Prince in the Ship say they is governour over the bodies of all in the Ship but hee hath no power to governe the Ship or the Mariners in the Actions of it If the Pilot manifestly erre in his Action the Prince may reprove him and so say they may any Passenger if hee offend against the life or goods of any the Prince may in due time and place punish him which no private person may Truth Although deare Peace wee both agree that civill powers may not
l. 22. his perilous soule p. 43. l. 20. r. or l. ult Answeres p. 44. l. 2â— bâ— closer p. 49. l. 1. last p 57. l. 22. cut l. 24. l â—â—rme that Justice p. 58. l. 5. the lying p 98. l. 6. road or doe these p. 114. l. 29. r the 31 question p. 119 l. 10. remembers p. 139. l. 9. immunitie p. 161. l. 28. or Christ. p. 214. l. 36. delt shall p. 225. l. 19. the Churches of God 225. l. 25. not might not The famous saying of a late King of Bohemia Essay of Religion It is rarely seen that ever persons were persâ—â—â—ed for their 〈…〉 3. Reas. Truth and Peace rarely and seldom meet a great complaints of Peace Persecutors seldom plead Christ but Moses for their Author Strife distinguished 1. Ungodly strife 2. Godly strife A threefold dolefull cry Christs worship is his bed Cant. 1. 16. False worship therefore is a false bed The cry of the soules under the Altar A cry of the whole earth The wonderfull provideÌ„ce of God in the writing of the Arguments against persecution in Milke The Answer writ in Bloud The first distinctioÌ„ discussed Desinition of persecution discussed Conscience will not be restrained from its own worship nor constrained to another A chaste soule in Gods worship like a chast wife The second distinction discussedâ— Gods people may erre from the very fundamentals of visible worship 4 sorts of spirituall Foundations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sixe Foundations of the Christian Religion or Worship Comming out of Babell not locall but mysticall The great Ignorance of Gods people concerning the Nature of the true Church Mr. Cotton all the Halfe Seperates halting between true fals Churches and consequently not yet clear in the fundamentall matter of a ChristiaÌ„ Church The true Ministrie a Fundamentall The New English Ministers examined Common Prayer cast off written against by the New-English Gods people have worshipped God with false worships It pleaseth God sometimes beyond his promise to convey blessings comfort to His in false worships Fundamentals of Christian worship not so easie and cleare A notable speech of K. Iames to a great non-conformist turned persecuter The 4. distinctioÌ„ discussed What civill peace is Gods people must be Nonconformitants to Evill The difference between Spirituall and Civill Peace The difference between the Spirituall and Civill State The Civil State the Spirituall estate and the Church of Christ distinct in Ephesus The Answerer too obscure in generalls Gods meekest servants use to be counted arrogant and impetuous 6 cases wherein Gods people have been bold zealous yet not arrogant Christ Jesus and his Disciples teach publikely a new Doctrine fundamentally different from the Religion professed Gods servants zealous and bold to the faces of the Highest Gods people constantly immoveable to death Gods people ever maintained Christ Jesus the only Lord and King to the conscience That Christ is King alone over conscience is the sum of all true preaching Gods people have see men the disturbers of Civill State Gods word and people the occasion of tumults The instances proposed carry a great shew of impeâ—â—ousnesse yet all are pure and peaceable The true cause of tumults at the preaching of the Word A preposterous way of suppressing errours Light only can expell fogs and darknesse Persecutors oppresse both true and erroneous consciences All persecutors of Christ professe not to persecute him All persecutors of Christ professe not to persecute him What is meant by Hereticke in Titus The word Hereticke generally mistaken Checks of conscience What is the first second admonition What the rejecting of the Heretick was Corporall killing in the Law typing out Spirituall killing by Excommunication in the Gospell The third ConclusioÌ„ discussed Sathans policie The Answerer granteth a Toleration Patience to be used toward the opposite The cariage of a Soule sensible of mercy toward other sinners in their blindnesse and opposition The Answerer coÌ„founds the Churches in Philippi and Rome with the Cities Philippi and Rome Difference between 〈◊〉 the Church and the World The Church and Civill Scare confusedly made all one Persecutors have forgotten the blessednesse promised to the mercifull Math. 5. What persons are guilty of breach of civil peace The most peaceable wrongfully accused of peace-breaking The examination of what is meant by the Tares and the command of the L. Jesus to let them alone The Answerers fallacious exposition that Tares signifie either Persons Doctrines or Practices The Answerer baâ—ely affirming a most strange interpretation Sathans subtletâ—e about the opening of Scripture Toleration in Rom. 14. considered ToleratioÌ„ of Jewâ—sh ceremonies for a time upon some grounds in the Jewâ—sh Church proves not toleration of Popish and Anti christian Ceremonies in the Christian Church although in the State Tares proved not to signifie hypocrites Hence were the witnesses of Christ 〈◊〉 and others in H. 4. his reigne called Loâ—lards as some say from 〈◊〉 weeds known well enough henâ—e taken for signe of barrenesse Iusâ—lix 〈◊〉 sterllâ—â— doâ—â—â—anâ—uâ— a vâ—â—a others conceive they were so called from one Lollaâ—d c. but all Papisâ—s accounted them as Tares because of their profession * The false and counterfeit Christians appeare as soon as the true and faithfull Hypocriticall Christians The Tares cannot signifie Hypocrites Two sorts of Hypocâ—ites 1. In the Church as Iudas St. â—oâ— Mâ—gâ—â— and these must be to leâ—ated untill discovered and no longer 2. Hypocrites in the world which aâ—e false Christians â—aâ—â—e Churches these the Lord Iesus wiâ— have let alone unto Harvest The Field by most generally but falsely interpreted the Church The Lord Iesus the great teacher by Parables and the only expounder of them The scope of the Parable Fouâ—e sorts of ground or hearers of the word in the world and but one properly in the Church the rest seldome come or accidenâ—ally to hear the word in the Church which word ought to be â—itted for the feedâ—ng of the Church or flocke preaching for conversion is properly out of the Church The scope of the Parable of the Tares The Lord Iesus in this â—arable of the Taâ—es gives direction and consolation to His servants The Tares proved properly to signifie Antichristians Math. 8. 12 Mat. 21. 43 Gods kingdome on Earth the visible Church The difference between the Wheat the Tares as also between these Tares and all other Civill Magistracie from the beginning of the World Offenders against the Civill lawes not to be perpetually tolerated Nor offenders in the Church of Christ Jesus to be suâ—â—red The great Reapers are the Angels The Tares to be tolerated the longest of any sinners The danger of infection by these tares assoyled Lamentable experience hath proved this true of late in Europe and lamentably true in the slâ—ughter of some hundred thousands of the English The great dreadfull Harvest The charge of Christ Jesus Let alone the Tares was not spoken to Magistrates Ministers of the civill state but to
Permission of the Tares in the field of the world for a twofold good 1 Of the good Wheâ—e 2 Of the whole world â—he field it selfe Seducing teachers either Pagan Jewish or Antichristian may yet be obedient subjects to the Civill lawes Scandalous livers against the Civill state who they are Toleration Rev. 2. 14. 20. examined Christ Ministers Churches have power sufficient from Christ to suppresse Balaam and Iesabel seducing to false worship The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity The second head of Reasons against such persecution viz. the profession of famous Princes K. James Steven of Poland and K. of Bohemia Isa. 40 6. 2 Pet. 2. Mr. Cottons unequall dealing with Princes The Answerer a knowledgeth a necessiâ—y of some tolâ—ration Christ Jesus the deepest politician that ever was and yet he commands a toleration of Antichristians The Princes of the world seldome take put with Christ. Princes not persecuting are very rare Buchanans Item to King Iames. King Iames his sayings against persecution King Steven of Poland his speech against Persecution Forcing of Conscience is a Soule rape Persecution for conscience the Launcet that letteth blood Kings Kingdomes All spirituall Whores are bloody The Godly somotimes evill actors and the Ungodly good actors Poligamie or the many wives of the Fathers Davids advancing of Gods Worship against Gods Order Constantine and the good Emperours are confest to have done more hurt to the name and crown of the Lord Jesus then the persecuting Neroes c. The Garden of the Church and Field of the World made all one by Antichrististianisme The language of Persecuters the wolves and hunters of the World Christs Lilies may flourish in his Church notwithstanding the abundance of weeds in the world permitted The persecution of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames compared together In his opening of the 7. Viols in print Mr. Cotton confesseth that Queen Elizabeth her persecuting the Papists had almost ruined the English Nation The Wars betweene the Papists and the Protestants Eventus omnis 〈…〉 The wars and successe of the Waldenâ—â—an witnesses against three Popes and their popish Armies Gods people victorious overcommers and with what weapons The third head of Arguments from ancient and later writers The Christian Church doth not persecute but is persecuted Persecuting 〈◊〉 cannot be Christs Churches The nature of excommunication What persecution or hunting is Christs Spouse noâ—ser â—tcher or fighter Who cannot be won by the Word must not be compelled by the Sword Constraine upon Consciences in Old and New England Tertullian his speech discussed The Indians of New England permitted by the English not only to continue â—n their unbeleâ—f which they canâ—â—â—â—ure but also in their fâ—lse worshâ—p which they might by the civil sworrestraine In a cases a false Religion will not hurt the true Church or the State The seducing or infecting of others discussed The Answerer trusâ—eth not to the sword of the Spirit only in Spirituall causes The absolute sufficiencie of the sword of the Spirit The Church of Christ to be kept pure A Nationall Church not instâ—â—â—tâ—d by Christ Jesus The nationall Church of the Jewes 1 Sam. 13. Man hath no power to mâ—ke lawes to binde conscience Desperate consequences unavoidable Luthers testimony in this case discussed Mr. Cottons positions evidently proved contradictory to themselves Hearing of the Word of God in a Church estate a part of Gods worship Papists plea for toleration of conscience The Protestants partiall in the case of persecution A false balance in Gods matters abominable to God Sheep cannot hâ—nt no not the wolves Pills to purge out the spiâ—it of persecution Superstition persecution have had many votes from Gods owne people Austins saying for persecution examined Soul-killing Punishments provided by Christ Jesus against Soule-killers and Soule-wounders Men dead in Sin cannot be Soule kill'd A Nationall enforced Religion or a Civill War for Religion the two great preventers of soule conversion and life Soule killers prove by the grace of Christ Soule savers Optatus examined Persecuters leave Christ flie to Moses for their practice Phineas his act discussed Eliaâ—s slaughters examined Eliahs consuming the 2 Captaâ—nes and their companies by â—iâ—e discussed Dangerous consequences flowing from the Civill Magistrates judging in Spirituall causes The World turned upside down The wonderfull answer of the Ministers of the Church of New England to the Ministers of the Church of Old England Lâ—mentable differences even amongst them that â—ear God Betweene the Presbyterians and Independants Covenanters and Noncovenanters of both which many are truly godly in their persons The doctrine of persecution necâ—ssâ—râ—ly and most commonly falls 〈◊〉 viâ—st upon he â—â—ost godly persons The doctrine of persecution drives the most godly persons out of the world The bloody Tenent Warres for Conscience The blessed Magna Charta A strange Modell of a Church and Common-weale after the Mâ—sâ—call and Jewish pattern Mat. 16. 19. with â—oh 20. 23. Rom. 13. 1. Mat. 10. 18. T it 3. 1. Acts 15. 20. Isa. 49. 2â— Gal. 3. â—8 Christs power in his Church confest to be above all Magistrates in 〈◊〉 all things Isa. 49. 23. lamentably wrested The first head examined John 18. 36. Jâ—r 29. 7. Ezta 7. 23. Rom. 1. 2. 3. Tim. 2. 2. The Civill Commonweal and the Spirituall Commonweale the Church not inconsistent though independent the one on the other Christs Ordinances put upon a whole City or Nation may more civilize and moralize but â—ever Christianize them The second head concerning superiority of each power Rom. 13. 1. 5. 6 Isa. 49. 23. Isa. 49. 23. Luc. 12. 14. Joh. 8. 11. And that judicium of the church in law suits 1 Cor. 62 is only arbitrarium not coastiâ—â—m Ans. Truth A contradiction to make the Magistrate supreme judge in spirituall causes and yet to have no spirituall power The Civill Magistrate confest to have no Civill power over the soules of men Nor spirituall The Magistrate and the Church by the Authors grounds at one and the same time in one and the same cause made the Judges on the Bâ—â—â—h and Dâ—â—â—quents â—â—â—th Bâ—â—re An illustration demonstratâ—ng thâ—â— the Câ—vill Magâ—stâ—atâ— câ—nnot hâ—ve power over the Church 〈◊〉 spirituâ—ll or Church causes The punishments Civill which the Magistrate insticts upon the Church for Civill crimes lawfull and necessary The true way of the God of Peace in differenâ—es between the Church the Magistrate Châ—mer de Ec. lâ—s p. 376. Park part polit lib. 1. cap. 1 The Gâ—rden of the Church and the Wildernesse of the World maâ—e all one The Commonweale more charged by these Authors with the Wâ—â—shâ—p and Ordinances then the Church The authors of these Positionâ— never yet sâ—w a true dâ—fference betweene â—he Church of Châ—â—â—t â—nd the world in poâ—â—t of worshâ—p 1 Tim 2. 1. discussâ—d The word honesty in this place of Timothy cannot signifie here the honesty or righteousnesse of the second Table The scope of Gods Spirit in this place of
all parts of the World Christianitie adds not to the nature of a Civill Commonweale nor doth want of Christianitie diminish it Rom. 13. evidently proveâ— the Civill work and wages of the Civill Magistrate Most strange yet most true consequences from the Civill Magistrates now being the Antitype of the Kings of Israel and Judah If no Religion but that which the Common-weal approves theÌ„ no Christ no God but at the pleasure of 〈◊〉 world â— Ep. Jo 9. The true antitype of the â—â—ngs of Israel and Judah A fourth difference of Lawes and Statutes from all others Moses a type of Christ. The Lawes of Israel unparallel'd Gods owne finger penn'd Lawes for Israel Fift difference Temporall prosperity most proper to the temporall Nationall State of the Jewes The spirituall prosperity of Gods people now the antitype What Israels excommunication was The corporall stoning in the Law typed out spirituall sâ—oning in the Gospell The rewards or punishments of the Lawes of Israel not to be parallel'd The wars of Israel typicall Israels Enemiâ—s round about The Enemies of mysticall Israel Enemies against Israel in her owne bowells The famous typically captivities of the Jews Their wonderfull victories The mysticall battells of Gods Israel now The mysticall Army of white troopers R. 19. Whether the Civill state of Israel was presidentiall The true Christendome Great unfaithfulnesse in Ministers to câ—st the â—hiefest burden of judging and establâ—shâ—ng true Christiâ—nity upon the Commonweal or worlâ— it selfe To governe judge in civill affâ—â—â—es load enough on the Civill Magistrate Magistrates can have no more power then the common consent of the people shall betrust them with Thousands of lawfull Magistrates who never heare of the true church of God The Spirituall and Civill Sword cannot be managed by one and the same person The Lord Jesus refused so manage both Nero and the persecuting Emperours not so injurious to Christianity as Constantine and others who assumed a power in Spirituall things Under Constantine Christianity fell into corruption and Christians fell asleep Who force the consciences of others yet are not willing to be forced themselves Constantine and others wanted not so much affection as information of conscience Sad consequences of charging the Civill powers with the care of Spiritualls Civill Rulers giving and lending their Horns or Authority to Bishops both dangerous to the truth of Christ. The Spirituall power of the Lord Jesus compared in Scripture to the incomparable horne of the Rhinocerot A time when Gods people are wholly at a losse for Gods worship Nursing fathers and mothers The Civill horne or power being of a humane constitution cannot but be of a humane operation The Civill power owes 3 things to the true Church of Christ. 1. Approbation 2. Submission 3. Protection The Civill Magistrate owes to false worshippers 1. Permission 2. Protection The Civill Magistrates conscience torne and distracted between the divers and contrary affirmations even of the most godly Reformers The Authors of these positions deal with the Civill Magistrate as the souldiers dealt with the Lord Jesus The rise of high Commissions c. Pious Magistrates and Ministers consciences are perswaded for that which other Magistrates consciences condemne To professe the Magistrate must force the Church to her duty and yet must not judge what that is what is it but to play in Spirituall things An apt similitude discussed concerning the Civill Magistrate First quaerie what if the 〈◊〉 command the Mr. or Pilot to steere such a course which they know will never bring them to the harbour 2. Quaerie If the Mr. of the Ship command the 〈◊〉 thus the Prince command the contrary who is to be obeyed If the Prince have as much skill as the Mr. or Pilo c. 4. Quaerie 5. Quaerie Whether the meanest saylor in respect of his skill and service be not to be preferred before the Prince himself 6. Quaerie Whether if the Mr. of the ship gratifie the Prince to the casting away of the ship and Prince c. he be not guilty and 〈◊〉 to answer The application in generall of the ship to the Church c. The meanest Christian according to his knowledg and grace to bee preferred before the highest who have received none or lesse grace of Christ. A true Minister of Christ ought to walk by another rule then the command of Civill Authority in Spirituall causes Former positions compared with this similitude and found to contradict each other The similitude of the Magistrate prescribing to the Physician in civill things but the Physician to the Magistrate concerning his body The 12 Head examined To give the government of the Church to the Civill Magistrate as before and yet to abridge his conscience what is it but to sport with holy things c. An evident contradiction An excellent confession of the proper end of Civill Government When Civill Lawes are not broken it is confest that Civill Peace is not hurt A grievous charge against the Christian Church and the King of it A strange law in New England formerly against Excommunicate persons A dangerous doctrine against all civill Magistrates Many sins prohibited to be punished by the Magistrate and yet they also charge him to punish all sin Rom. 13. Originall sin charged to hurt remotely but falsely the civill state Magistrates strangely forbidden to hear civill complaints Thousands of Common-weales where no true church of Christ. The complaints of families properly fall into the cognizance of the civill Mastrate They who give to Magistrates more then is due are most apt to disâ—o to be them of what is theirs 13. Head A strange double picture The great priviledges of the true Spouse or Church of Christ. To hold with Iâ—ght and walk in darknesse The Magistrate lift up to be the chief 〈◊〉 of the Church and yet cast downe not to have power to appoint the place or time of meeting 2 Similitudes illustrâ—ting the Magistrate 〈◊〉 be â—oth governor of the Church and yet usurpâ—r in commanding If a Church may assemble without and against the Magistrates consent as is assiâ—â—ed then much more constitute and become a Church c. Grosse partiality If the Civill Magistrate be to build the Spirituall or Christian house he must judge of the matter A close and faithfull intergatory to the consciences of the authors of these positions A sad quaerie to some concerning their practice A marvallouâ— challenge of more Libertie to Christians under a Christian Magistrate then under the Heathen If Magistratesâ— were appointed by Christ Jesus Governours of his Kingdome it were not reasonable that Christians should more freely breake the commands of the Christian then of the Heathen Magistrate The necessry of Civill government in generall of God but the speciall kindes of men 1 Pet. 2. 13. Civill Magistrates are derivatives from the fountaines or bodies of people A beleeving Magistrate no more a Magistrate thâ—n an unbeleeving The excellenâ—â—◠〈◊〉 Christs 〈…〉 The Magistrate like a Pilot in the Ship of the Common-weale Christianitie steâ—â—es a Christian Pilots course The Christian Pilot hath no more power over the soules of his Mariners or passengers then the unchristian or Pagan Pilot. The tearmes Heathen and Christian Magistrate All out of Christ are heathens that is of the Nations or Gentiles Josiah a type of Christ Jesus the King of the Church An unjust and partiall desire of liberty to some coâ—sciences bondage unto all others The Commission Mat. 28. of preaching and baptizing not properly directed to the Churches or fixed Teachers of it least of al to the Commonweale A quaerie who have now the care of all the Churches A Ministrie before the Church Acts 15. commonly misapplied Christs promise and presence only makes an Assembly blessed The promise of Christs presence Mat. â— 8. distinct from that Mat. 28. 14. Position examined Church administrations are charged firstly upon the Misters thereof The Ministers or Governors of Christs Church to be acknowledged in their dispensations A paradox Magistrates made the Judges of the Churches and Governours of them yet censurable by them Queene Eliz. Bish pâ—truer to their principles then many of a better spirit and profession Mr. Borowes profession concerning Queen Elizabeth Is not this too like the Popes profession of servuâ— servorum Dei yet holding out his slipper to the lips of Princes Kings and Emperours 15. Head examined The inventions of men in swarving from the true essentialls of Civill and Spirituall Common-weales 16. and last Head examined A great Quegion viz. Whether only Church members that is as is intended Godly persons in a particular Church estate be only eligible or to be chosen for Magistrates Lawfull Civil States where Churches of Christ are not The world being divided into 30 parts 25 never heard of Christ. Lawfull heires of Crownes Civill Government although not Christian and godly Few Christians wise and noble and qualified for affaires of State Some Papists and some Protestants agree in deposing of Magistrates Those Scriptures Exod. 18 Deut. 17. 18. c. parallel'd in the true spirituall Israel by 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. The Ninevites Fast examined Object Answ. Object Answ. How England and London may yet be spared Luc. 22 the felling of the Coat to buy a Sword discussed A threefold taking of the Sword Revel 17. 16. the Kings having of the Whore discussed