The True Way of Concord of All the Christian Churches, Part 1 · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
To cry out of the intolerable miſchiefs of Toleration, and call for ſharper execution, while dividing ſnares are made the terms of Vnion, is the work of ignorant, proud and malignant Church-deſtroyers.
§. 1. TO tolerate all evil that pretendeth Religion, is to be no friend to Religion, Government or peace. To tolerate no error in Religion, is for no Prince to tolerate himſelf, his wife, his child, or any one ſubject: And to pretend to this, is to crave ſelf-deſtruction (neque enim lex juſtior ulla eſt, &c.) and to proclaim himſelf ignorant, yea groſly ignorant, what is a Church, a Paſtor, a Government, a Chriſtian, or a Man.
§. 2. Multitudes of Books are written for and againſt Toleration: They that are loweſt uſually write for it (Even Jer. Taylor's Liberty of Prophecying before he was a Biſhop, was thought a commendable or tolerable Book). But moſt are againſt it that are in power, and think they can force others to their wills. But it is wiſe and juſt and impartial men, that are here the diſcerners of the truth, whoſe judgements are not biaſſed by intereſt or paſſion, nor blinded by unacquaintedneſs with their adverſaries or their cauſe, or perverted by uſing only one ear and one eye. He knoweth not mankind, who knoweth not how greatly (not only the common gang, but) even learned men, yea, and zealous religious men, are to be ſuſpected in their evil characters and reports of thoſe that they are ſpeaking againſt as adverſaries. It grieveth me to know and think, how little moſt adverſaries in this caſe are to be believed.
§. 3. To deſcribe the due bounds of Toleration is far from being impoſſible, or very difficult to an underſtanding and impartial man: But to ſtop the mouth or rage of Contradicters, and to reconcile the multitude of ignorant, proud, tyrannical, uncharitable, intereſſed, factious, partial men to ſuch certain meaſures, is next impoſſible, and never yet even among the Clergy was attained, ſince the Spirit of infallibility, ſimplicity and Love departed, and the Spirit of darkneſs, pride and malignity in moſt places got the upper hand.
§. 4. Many and many Books of this nature I have lately read, that cry down liberty and Toleration, and call for greater ſeverities, and deſcribe thoſe whoſe ruine or ſufferings they plead for, as ignorantly and falſly, as if they talkt of men at the Antipodes, whom they had never ſeen, and as if they had never heard their Cauſe; and as cruelly, as if they had been preaching to Souldiers, and confuting John Baptiſt, or preaching a Viſitation Sermon to Bonner or Gardiner: And yet the falſhoods or injuries ſet off, with ſo great confidence, and well compoſed words, and zeal againſt ſchiſm, and error, and eſpecially for the Church and Government, that it grieveth my ſoul to think, how difficult ſuch men do make it, to ſtrangers that muſt know all on truſt from others, and men of other buſineſs, that cannot have while to ſearch into the truth, to eſcape deceit and the conſequent miſchiefs: Zeal for piety is not more abuſed by Sectaries, than zeal for themſelves, and their power and wealth, called zeal for the Church and truth and order, is abuſed by bad domineering men. Or elſe the world had not been embroiled by the Clergy theſe twelve hundred years at leaſt, nor Rome arrived at its pernicious Greatneſs, and power to deſtroy.
§. 5. And let mens different Religions or Opinions be never ſo many and notable, yet every where the ſame plea againſt Toleration is uſed, and the ſame Arguments ſeem good for every party that is in power. In Japan and China, and Heathen Lands, they can copiouſly declaim againſt the miſchiefs of tolerating Chriſtianity: The Papiſts think tormenting Inquiſitions, and burning Chriſtians, and murdering thouſands and hundreds of thouſands better than to tolerate Proteſtants. The Lutherans cry down the toleration of Calviniſts: What need I name more? As the Papiſts ſay, that every Sect pleadeth the Scripture, ſo we may ſay, that every powerful party, be their cauſe never ſo falſe, cry out againſt tolerating others, though in the truth.
§. 6. And doubtleſs Concord even in perfection is ſo deſirable, that it's eaſie for a man to ſet forth the beauty and excellency of it: And diſcord is ſo bad, that it's eaſie to declaim againſt it: But for him that Cauſeth it, to do it, is ſelf-condemnation. And for him that falſly deſcribeth the cauſe, and juſtifieth the Schiſmatick, and accuſeth the innocent, to write Books and preach Sermons againſt Schiſm and Toleration, is but deluſion tending to their own ſhame, and others deceit and ruine.
§. 7. And he never was a good Muſician, Builder, Watch-maker, nor good at any Art or Science, that thought all diverſity was diſcord: He that would with zeal and learning write a Book to prove that a Lute or Organs muſt not be tolerated, if each ſtring and key be not of the ſame ſound; or that all the parts in a Clock, Watch, Building, &c. muſt be of the ſame ſhape and magnitude, or all men of one language or complexion, &c. would ſcarce get ſo much credit as moſt of our Hereticaters do, when they call for fire and faggot and Jaylors, as more meet and able confuters of error than themſelves.
§. 8. The men on whom they cry for vengeance, either are really religious, or not: If not, it's a marvel that they are not of the accuſers mind, being ſuppoſed to follow the upper ſide: It's poſſible that ſome advantage may turn a man that hath no religion, out of the Kings high-way, into ſome Sectarian cottage, eſpecially in ſome ſtorms: But it's very rarely that Gain goeth not for Godlineſs, and the way of reputation, eaſe and profit, for religion, with ſuch as indeed have none at all. But if they are ſeriouſly religious, they take it as from the Law of the Almighty, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords; to whom all men are leſs than the vileſt worms to us: and they take it to be that which they lay their ſalvation and everlaſting hopes on; believing that God will bear them out, and if they dye for it, will reward them with the crown of Glory: They believe that they ſhall be damned in Hell for ever, if they break Gods Law, and obey man againſt him: And in this caſe it ſhould not be hard to reaſonable men, eſpecially Biſhops and Teachers, to know what means and meaſures are meeteſt to be uſed with ſuch men; and when he that muſt ſuffer, hath fleſh that is as unwilling to ſuffer as other mens, it ſhould be conſidered how far Satan uſeth the fleſh for his intereſt, and how far the Paſtors of the Church ſhould take part with it; when as St. Paul ſaith, He that doubeth is damned if he eat, becauſe he eateth not of faith.
§. 9. There is no heed to be taken by mens crying out againſt error or ſchiſm, to diſcern who is the erroneous or Schiſmatick. None more cry out againſt them than the guilty: Who condemneth error and ſchiſm more than the Papiſts, and who are greater cauſes and authors of them than the Pope? As our common prophane rabble are ſo great hypocrites, that they live quite contrary to their Baptiſmal Vow, and the Religion which they nominally profeſs, and yet commonly cr… …ut againſt hypocriſie, and call all men hypocrites that ſeem to be ſerious in living as they vowed and profeſs; even ſo the greateſt Schiſmaticks and Hereticks, partly in blindneſs, and partly to avert both men and conſcience from accuſing themſelves, do uſually firſt cry down Schiſmaticks and Hereticks, and perhaps preach and write moſt vehemently againſt them. I take a man to be never the more Orthodox, Catholick, or of the true Church, for crying up the true Church, Catholiciſm and Orthodoxneſs, and crying down the contrary, and accuſing others.
§. 10. I have long obſerved with the beſt judgement I have, that uſually thoſe Divines that write moſt for Peace and Reconciliation of hot contenders, are men of clearer judgement than others, and uſually ſee further into the cauſe, than either of the fierce contending parties: Though the Turks in policy give ſome liberty to Chriſtians, as a neceſſary preſervation of their Empire; and the Socinians have much pleaded for peace and concord, partly by neceſſity for themſelves, and partly from common light of reaſon; yet among real Reformed Chriſtians, the greateſt judgement is found in the greateſt Pacificators: ſuch as Le Blank, Amyrald, Phaceus, Camero, Lud. Crocius, Bergius, Martinius, Calixtus, Dallaeus, Blondel, Vſher, Davenant, Hall, Morton, Chillingworth, and ſuch others: Darkneſs doth beſt fit the Spirit of contention.
§. 11. There is nothing in humane actions that is free from inconveniences; eſpecially actions of publick conſequence. And the collecting and aggravating of ſuch inconveniences, and making tragical exclamations thereupon, without looking to the miſchiefs that men imagine muſt be the remedy, or ſeeing the evils on the other ſide, is the common practice of theſe Church-Mountebanks. How eaſie is it to ſay [If we be not all of one Religion, it will cheriſh contention, bring Miniſters into contempt, ſcandalize the weak, harden the enemies, raiſe factions, ſhake the peace of Kingdoms] and more ſuch like: How eaſie is it to ſay [If men be tolerated to break the Laws, and gather Conventicles, ſouls will be poyſoned, error propagated, Chriſtianity diſgraced, &c.] When in the mean time 1. Their courſe tendeth not at all to make men of one Religion: 2. Nay, they plead for that which is the great divider: where do fire and baniſhment or priſons cauſe true faith, or make men think that their perſecutors are in the right? Is there any thing in the nature of the thing ſo to perſwade men? nay what more inclineth men to think that other mens opinions are falſe, than to feel that their practice is hurtful? All will ſay, Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thiſtles? By their fruit they may be known. If it be forcing ſome to diſſemble, and deſtroying the reſt, that they mean, by [making men of one religion] thus ſaith Tertullian did the Heathen perſecutors: Solitudinem faciunt & pacem vocant. But 1. This will not do: France, Ireland, Belgia, and Queen Mary in England cryed it in vain: God will ſtill have ſome that ſhall be ſeriouſly religious, and ſhall fear him more than man, and not ſell their ſouls to ſave their bodies: If you have no hope of making men to be of one Religion, but by making them to be of no Religion (as all are that fear not God more than man) your hopes are vain as well as wicked. There is ſo full teſtimony given to the world, that there is a God and a life to come, that ſtill ſome men will believe it, and will think whither they muſt go next, and therefore will not forſake their religion through fear, ſeeing that is to forſake their God, and their ſalvation.
2. And if you could accompliſh it, it were not worth your labour: If all the Princes on earth ſhould force their ſubjects to be of One Religion, it would be their own: And then five parts of ſix would be Heathens and Mahometans, and of the ſixth part a third or fourth would be Papiſts, and above two parts of the other three would have foul corruptions, for which they would be ſharply cenſured by the reſt. Is it not better that in Congo, China, &c. Chriſtianity is tolerated, than that they had all continued of their One Religion? And ſo is it that the Turks do tolerate the Greeks and other Chriſtians. And I think if Spain had both Papiſts and Proteſtants, it were better than to have but Papiſts only; And if the Swedes, Danes and Saxons did tolerate the more Reformed, it would do more good than harm. If Prelacy were baniſhed out of Scotland and England, many would think it better to tolerate it.
§. 12. It is certain, that Unity and Concord is moſt deſirable; and as certain that theſe over-doers do deſtroy it, while they lay it upon impoſſible terms. 1. The moſt deſirable Concord is in common perfection of wiſdom and holineſs: But it's certain it will not be, nor are any perfect.
2. The next deſirable Concord is in ſuch high degrees of Wiſdom and Goodneſs, as that all Chriſtians be ſtrong and excellent, and err not notably in a word, ceremony or mode: But it is certain, this is not to be expected.
3. The next degree deſirable is, that all ſhould be ſo far teachable and perſwadeable, as to yield to every truth▪ and lawful impoſition, when reaſon is ſet before them: But it is certain this is not to be expected: And he that denyeth it, knoweth not man.
§. 13. A Peace-maker therefore muſt underſtand 1. What Concord is already among all Chriſtians, and what is of neceſſity to Communion with the Church univerſal: 2. And what more is neceſſary to Communion in a particular Church. 3. And what more is neceſſary to the Aſſociation and Concord of ſuch particular Churches: 4. And what is neceſſary only to eminency, praiſe and ſpecial encouragement: 5. And what is neceſſary to meer humane neighbourhood and converſe.
And accordingly he ſhould ſtudy, 1. How all men may be uſed like men, and all peaceable men as peaceable: 2. How all Chriſtians may be uſed as Chriſtians: 3. How all the members of particular Churches may hold ſuch Concord as the ends of their ſociety require: 4. How all ſuch Churches may keep ſuch Love and Correſpondency as tendeth to the good of all. 5. And how eminent Chriſtians may be uſed according to their worth: 6. And how hereſie and ſin may be ſuppreſſed without contradicting any of theſe ends.
§. 14. If once unneceſſary terms of Unity and Concord be taken for neceſſary, even multitudes of honeſt well meaning men, will hence bend all their ſtrength to do miſchief: They will think that all Peace-makers muſt promote theſe terms: and all muſt be uſed as Schiſmaticks that are againſt them: and ſo all the fore-mentioned accuſations, cruelties and perſecutions will (alas) go for the work even of Peace-makers: And ſo the common engine of Church-diviſion and perſecution and diſcord, will be preaching and writing againſt Schiſm, and crying up peace, and aggravating diſſent as a heinous crime, even when it is a duty, and making all odious as far as they can that are not of their mind.