Irenicum to the Lover of Truth and Peace, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
The third dividing Principle, That nothing which is conceived to be evill, is to be ſuffered.
THis is the other extream; ſome think all things ſhould be ſuffered, and they are looſe, and cauſe diviſions on the one hand; others thinke nothing is to be ſuffered, and theſe are rigid, and cauſe diviſions on the other hand; If any thing be conceived evil, either in opinion or practiſe, if inſtructions and perſwaſions cannot reform, there muſt be means uſed to compell: This is a harſh and a ſowr Principle, a diſturbing Principle to Churches and States, to mankind. This Principle ſeldome prevails with any but thoſe who have got power into their hands, or hope to get it. This muſt needs be a dividing Principle.
Firſt, becauſe of the infinite variety of mens apprehenſions about what is good or evill, ſcarce three men agree any long time in their apprehenſions of ſome things to be evil; if then nothing that is conceived to be evill muſt be ſuffered, there muſt needs be continuall oppoſition between man and man.
This ſubjects the generality of men to ſuffer for many things which they can ſee no evill in, but are perſwaded is good; this raiſes an animoſity againſt thoſe by whom they ſuffer; though a man can ſubject his body and eſtate to another, he cannot ſubject his reaſon to another: In the common ways of juſtice men are puniſhed for thoſe things, which if they be guilty of, they cannot but acknowledg themſelves to be worthy of puniſhment, as in Theft, Murder, Drunkenneſſe, &c. And for the fact, they are tryed in ſuch a way, as they cannot but acknowledg is fit in reaſon to be ſubjected to; and therefore, though they ſuffer much, yet they will yeeld it without diſturbance.
But if this Principle prevails, every man almoſt is made lyable to puniſhment for thouſands of things that he can ſee no reaſon why he ſhould be puniſhed: It is very hard to bring mens ſpirits to yeeld in ſuch things.
But you will ſay, May not men be puniſhed for things that they ſee no reaſon why they ſhould be puniſhed? for many malefactors may eaſily eſcape thus; guilt will quickely blind men, they will ſee no reaſon why they ſhould be puniſhed.
It is not what men ſay they ſee no reaſon for,Anſw. or what it may be they indeed ſee no reaſon for; but what men cannot ſee reaſon for, though they ſhould bend their underſtandings, and ſtrength to the uttermoſt; yea, what the generality of man kind, and of that community of which a man is, cannot poſſibly ſee reaſon for, it is impoſſible for the generality of mankind, & the community of any Church or State, though they ſhould be never ſo diligent to find out what is good, and what is evill, yet to be able to underſtand every thing that is evill, to be ſo.
If you will have laws made againſt all things, that ſuch as are in authority conceive to be evill, then you muſt give them power to judge, not only by the rules of common juſtice and equity, and puniſh for the breach of them, but by the apprehenſions that their own raiſed parts ſhall ſuggeſt unto them, and to puniſh men for not being raiſed to that height of underſtanding themſelves have; but this power is more then is fit to be given to any men upon earth. This would bring tyranny both in State and Church.
For firſt,1. The civil Magiſtrates not to puniſh every thing that is evill. from whence is the riſe of all Civill Power that any man, or ſociety of men, are inveſted with? is it not from the generality of the men, over whom they have power? Is it not the power which they themſelves had, and which they might have kept amongſt themſelves? For who can ſay, that a Democracy is a ſinfull Government in it ſelfe? True, God eſtabliſhes it upon particular men by his Ordinance, after it is given to them by the people, but the firſt riſe is from them; and if ſo, then they ſhould make no law to bring thoſe men under puniſhment, who gave them their power, but ſuch a Law as theſe men may poſſibly come to underſtand, to be equall and juſt, for they act their power: and it muſt be ſuppoſed, that they never intended to give a power beyond this. Thoſe who give power, may limit power; they may give part to one, part to another; they may limit the matter about wch the power ſhall be exerciſed, it ſhall goe ſo far, and no further; the utmoſt limits cannot goe beyond theſe rules of Juſtice which they are capable to underſtand. Hence it is, that all men in our Law, are tryed Per pares, by their Peers, becauſe it is to be ſuppoſed, that they are to be accounted offenders and to be puniſhed; only ſo as thoſe who are equall with themſelves, ſhall judg them worthy; and this likewiſe is the reaſon that Courts are in publique, no man is to be ſhut out, becauſe all men that will may behold the tryall, and juſtifie the proceedings of Juſtice againſt offenders: It muſt needs be ſuppoſed then, that the rules by which the Judges go, muſt be the rules of common equity and juſtice, that all men may underſtand; beyond what theſe rules will reach to, the Civill State is not to puniſh, not every thing that men of deep judgements and ſtrong parts, may apprehend to be evill.
The power of the Church likewiſe extends not to the puniſhment of every thing, that either may by the Governours of it, be conceived to be evill, or that is indeed evill.
As the riſe of the Civil power ſhews, that only ſuch things are to be puniſhed by it, as are againſt the common rules of Juſtice and Equity; ſo the riſe of Church power will ſhew, that only ſuch things as are againſt common rules, ſuch things as ſome way or other appeare to be againſt conviction, and are obſtinately perſiſted in, are by Church cenſure to be puniſhed.
The riſe of Church power is indeed different from the riſe of the Civill, yet agrees in this, that it limits the Church, as the riſe of the Civill doth the Civill power. The power of Governors in the State ariſes from the people, and they act their power that the Common-wealth gives to them: But the Governours of the Church have not their power from the members of the Church, but from Chriſt; neither do they act in the name of the Church, but in the name of Chriſt. It is true, the Members of the Church do deſign ſuch men to ſuch an Office; but being deſigned, now they are inveſted with the power of Jeſus Chriſt, they exerciſe his power, and do act in his name, not in the name of the Church.
You will ſay, ſeeing the Church chooſeth their Officers as well as the Common-wealth theirs: How doth it appeare, that the Officers of the Church doe not exerciſe the power of the Church, as well as the Officers of the Common-wealth, the power of the Common-wealth?
Theſe two things ſhew the difference clearly.Anſw.
Firſt, The Officers of the Common-wealth can do nothing by their power, but that which the Common-wealth may do without them, if they were not; they might have kept their Government in a Democracy, and if they had pleaſed, done any act of power by a major vote: But it is not ſo in the Church; if the Church be without Officers, they cannot doe that which belongs to Officers to do, they can have no Sacraments amongſt them, neither can they have any ſpirituall juriſdiction exerciſed amongſt them; only brotherly admonition, and with-drawing from ſuch as walk diſorderly, for their own preſervation.
2ly. The members of the Church cannot limit the power of their Officers, ſo as the Common-wealth may the power of their…: but if once a man be choſen to be an Officer in the Church, all that power that ever any in that Office had ſince Chriſts time, in any Church in all the chriſtian world, or ever can have to the coming of Chriſt again, falls upon him: If a man be choſen a Paſtor, he hath as full power as ever any Paſtor had upon the face of the earth, or can have by any Paſtorall power: The Church cannot limit him, and ſay, You ſhall be a Paſtor for ſuch ends and purpoſes, but no further: The ſame may be ſaid of the ruling, none upon earth ever had, or can have more power of ruling, then this man who is choſen into that Office. It is not thus in the State, all Kings have not the like power; in ſome Countries Kingly power reacheth ſo far, in others further, according to the variety of the Lawes of the Countries, the agreements between them and the people: all Dukes, all States, all Parliaments have not the ſame power.
Now then, the riſe of the power of Church-governors riſing from Jeſus Chriſt, and they doing what they doe in the Name of Chriſt, therefore they cannot puniſh any evill beyond what Chriſt would have puniſhed.
You will ſay, What evills would Chriſt have puniſhed, and what not?
Chriſt would have no evill puniſhed that is repented of;Anſw. if it be a known evill, then it muſt be repented of particularly; if it be a … of ignorance, Chriſt forgives it upon a generall repentance, although a man ſhould never be convinced of it all his dayes; Yet, ſays Chriſt, I diſcharge him of all theſe, ſuppoſing the riſe of his ignorance be not ſome wilfull neglect: But if it be a ſinn committed through wilfulneſſe, or continued in obſtinately, then ſayes Chriſt, I will have this man ſmart for ſuch an offence; now comes in the power of the Church-officers, to doe in the Name of Chriſt what he would have done: But if they goe further, then they exerciſe a tyrannicall power, if they will puniſh every thing which they conceive to be evill, whether committed through ignorance and weakneſſe, or wilfulneſſe and obſtinacy, in this they take upon them a higher power of puniſhing then Chriſt (according to the tenor of the Goſpel) exerciſes. For my part, ſayes Chriſt, I goe but thus far with my power; If I ſee any of my Church ſin through weakneſſe and ignorance, labouring to underſtand and do my will, and mourning that they know no more, they do no better, I wil paſſe by all; but if any ſhall appear wilfull and obſtinate, I will deale ſeverely with ſuch a one.
If you ſay, If men have meanes of knowledge and ſtrength, and yet continue ignorant and weake, ſhould not ſuch be dealt with as wilfull and obſtinate?
No,Anſw. ſays Chriſt, I do not goe by any ſuch rule, for I have revealed my will in my Word, I labour by my Spirit and Miniſters to convince men, yet I ſee after all meanes I uſe, there are many, who meerly through their weakneſſe are not convinced, I pitty them, I deal gently with them, I pardon them. Thoſe then who will go further, they will puniſh for every evill; and if they uſe means to convince them, and they be not convinced, they will judge them obſtinate, and proceed againſt them accordingly; theſe challenge and exerciſe not the power of Chriſt, but Antichriſt. If Chriſt ſhould deale ſo with them, as they deal with their brethren, it would go ill with them; If Chriſt ſhould ſay, whatſoever I ſee evil in you, I will not ſuffer it in you; if you are ignorant notwithſtanding means of light, I will deal with you as wilfull and obſtinate, and never leave inflicting puniſhment upon you, till you be convinced, and do reform; could any of you ſtand before Chriſt dealing thus with you? Take heed of exerciſing that power over your Brethren (and that in Chriſts name) that you would not have Chriſt exerciſe over you.
Both the Civill State and Church muſt take us as wee are faln from that integrity of our firſt creation, not as we came firſt out of Gods hands: God the Creator may (indeed) puniſh us for not knowing or doing what is our duty to know or do, becauſe he once made us perfect; but Man muſt not do ſo, Man muſt deal with his fellow-creatures, as men imperpect; one man cannot require of another that perfection not only of heart, but of externall converſation, that God may, yea God-man our Mediator lookes upon us in a ſtate of imperfection, and deals with us accordingly, and thus he would have all do who have to deale with his people in his name.
But you ſaid before, All things muſt not be ſuffered; now you ſay, ſome things muſt be ſuffered: Tell us then what muſt not, and what muſt.
I am perſwaded moſt of you yeeld to the falſeneſs of both theſe dividing principles; you verily believe all things muſt not be ſuffered, and yet you think it were too harſh to affirm that nothing is to be ſuffered; only here lyes the difficulty, what muſt, and what muſt not be ſuffered. This hath been the unhappineſs of pleading for toleration of any thing, yet of the very mention of it, that men preſently cry out, and ſay, we would have every thing tolerated.
I confeſſe it is very hard to cut here right in the joynt; were I ſure that none would blame or oppoſe what I ſhall deliver in this; but thoſe who are willing to intereſs themſelves in ſuch a knotty buſineſs as this, and to be helpfull to us in the underſtanding how to untye ſuch a knot, what ever ſuch oppoſers ſhould prove otherwiſe, I ſhould not feare them for being too numerous.
What I have, I ſhall preſent unto you.