The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 3 · Chapter 13 – Chapter 15
CHAP. XIII.
Peace.
BRight Truth, since this place of Titus is such a pretended Bulwark for persecuting of Hereticks, & under that pretence of persecuting all thy followers, I beseech you by the bright beames of the Sun of Righteousnesse, scatter these mists, and unfold these particulars out of the Text:
First, What this Man is that is an Hereticke.
Secondly, How this Hereticke is condemned of himselfe.
Thirdly, What is this first and second Admonition, and by whom it is supposed to be given.
Fourthly, What is this rejecting of Him, and by whom it is supposed this Rejection was to be made.
Truth.
First,What is meant by Hereticke in Titus. What is this Heretick? I find him commonly defined to be such an one as is obstinate in Fundamentalls, and so also I conceive the Answerer seems to recent him, saying, That the Apostle renders this reason, why after once and twice Admonition, he ought to be persecuted, because in fundamentall and principall points of Doctrine and Worship, the Word of God is so cleare, that the Hereticke cannot but be convinced in his owne Conscience.
But of this reason, I finde not one tittle mentioned in this Scripture: for although he saith such an one is condemned of himselfe, yet he saith not, nor will it follow that fundamentalls are so cleare, that after first and second Admonition, a person that submits not to them is condemned of himself, any more then in lesser points. This 11 verse hath reference to the former verses. Titus an Evangelist, a Preacher of glad Newes, abiding here with the Church of Christ at Creet, is required by Paul to avoid, to reject, and to teach the Church to reject Genealogies, disputes, and unprofitable questions about the Law: Such a like charge it is as he gave to Timothy, left also an Evangelist at Ephesus, 1 Tim. 1. 4.
If it should be objected what is to be done to such contentious vain strivers about Genealogies and questions unprofitable? The Apostle seems plainly to answer, Let him be once and twice admonished.
Ob. Yea, but what if once and twice admonition prevaile not?
The Apostle seems to answer, foreign, and that is, the man that is wilfully obstinate after such once and twice admonition, Reject him.
With this Scripture agrees that of 1 Tim. 6. 4, 5. where Timothy is commanded to withdraw himselfe from such who dote about questions and strife of words.
All which are points of a lower and inferiour nature, not properly falling within the tearms or notions of those (foreign) first principles and (foreign) foundations of the Christian Profession, to wit, Repentance from dead workes, Faith towards God, the doctrine of Baptismes, and of laying on of hands, the Resurrection, and eternall Judgement, Heb. 6. 2. &c.
Concerning these Fundamentalls (although nothing is so little in the Christian Worship, but may be referred to one of these six, yet) doth not Paul to Timothy or Titus speake in those places by me alledged, o… of any of these, as may evidently appeare by the context and scope?
The beloved Spouse of Christ is no receptacle for any filthy person, obstinate in any filthynesse against the purity of the Lord Jesus, who hath commanded his people to purge out the old leaven, not only greater portions, but a little leaven which will leaven the whole lumpe; and therefore this Hereticke or obstinate person in these vaine and unprofitable questions, was to be rejected, as well as if his obstinacie had been in greater matters.
Againe, if there were a doore or window left open to vaine and unprofitable questions, and sinnes of smaller nature, how apt are persons to cover with a silken covering, and to say, Why, I am no Hereticke in Fundamentalls, spare me in this or that little one; this or that opinion or practice, these are of an inferiour circumstantiall nature? &c.
So that the coherence with the former verses, and the scope of the Spirit of God in this and other like Scriptures being carefully observed, this Greek word Hereticke is no more in true English and in Truth,The word Hereticke generally mistaken. then an obstinate and wilfull person in the Church of Creet, striving and contending about those unprofitable Questions and Genealogies, &c. and is not such a monster intended in this place, as mo… Interpreters run upon, to wit, One obstinate in Fundamentalls, and as the Answerer makes the Apostle to write in such Fundamentalls and principall points, wherein the Word of God is so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in conscience, and therefore is not persecuted for matter of conscience, but for sinning against his conscience.
CHAP. XIV.
Peace.
NOw in the second place, What is this Self-condemnation?
Truth.
The Apostle seemeth to make this a ground of the rejecting of such a person, because he is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himselfe: It will appeare upon due search that this selfecondemning is not here intended to be in Hereticks (as men say) in fundamentalls only, but as it is meant here, in men obstinate in the lesser Questions, &c.
First, he is subverted or turned crooked, foreign, a word opposite to streightnesse or rightnesse: So that the scope is, as I conceive, upon true and faithfull admonition once or twice, the pride of heart, or heat of wrath, drawes a vaile over the eyes and heart, so that the soule is turned loosed and from the checks of truth.
Secondly, he sinneth, foreign, that is, being subverted or turned aside; he sinneth or wanders from the path of Truth, and is condemned by himselfe foreign, that is, by the secret checkes and whisperings of his owne conscience, Checks of consciencewhich will take Gods part against a mans selfe, in smiting, accusing, &c.
Which checks of conscience we finde even in Gods owne dear people, as is most admirably opened in the 5 of Cant. in those sad, drowsie and unkinde passages of the Spouse in her answer to the knocks and calls of the Lord Iesus; which Gods people in all their awakening acknowledge how sleightly they have listned to the checks of their owne consciences. This the Answerer pleaseth to call sinning against his conscience, for which he may lawfully be persecuted, to wit, for sinning against his conscience.
Which conclusion (though painted over with the vermillion of mistaken Scripture, and that old dreame of Iew and Gentile, that the Crowne of Iesus will consist of outward materiall gold, and his sword be made of iron or steele, executing judgement in his Church and Kingdome by corporall punishment) I hope (by the assistance of the Lord Jesus) to manifest it to be the overturning and rooting up the very foundation and roots of all true Christianity, and absolutely denying the Lord Iesus the Great Anointed to be yet come in the Flesh.
CHAP. XV.
THis will appeare, if we examine the two last Quaries of this place of Titus: to wit,
First, What this Admonition is?
Secondly, What is the Rejection here intended? Reject him.
First then, Titus, unto whom this Epistle & these directions were written, (and in him to all that succeed him in the like work of the Gospell to the Worlds end) he was no Minister of the Civill State, armed with the majestie and terrour of a materiall sword, What is the first & second admonition.who might for offences against the civill state, inflict punishments upon the bodies of men, by imprisonments, whippings, sines, banishment, death. Titus was a Minister of the Gospel or Glad tidings, armed onelyonly with the Spirituall sword of the Word of God, and such Spirituall weapons as (yet) through God were mighty to the casting down of strong holds, yea every high thought of the highest head and heart in the world, 2 Cor. 10. 4.
Therefore these first and second Admonitions were not civill or corporall punishments on mens persons or purses, which the Courts of Men may lawfully inflict upon Malefactors: but they were the reprehensions, What the rejecting of the Heretick was.convictions, exhortations, and perswasions of the Word of the Eternall God, charged home to the Conscience, in the name and presence of the Lord Iesus, in the middest of the Church. Which being despised and not hearkned to, in the last place followes rejection; which is not a cutting off by heading, hanging, burning, &c. or an expelling of the Country and Coasts: neither which (no nor any lesser civill punishment) Titus nor the Church at Crete had any power to exercise. But it was that dreadfull cutting off from that visible Head and Body, Corporall killing in the Law, typing out Spirituall killing by Excommunication in the Gospell.Christ Iesus and his Church; that purging out of the old leaven from the lumpe of the Saints; the putting away of the evill and wicked person from the holy Land and Commonwealth of Gods Israel, 1 Cor. 5. where it is observable, that the same word used by Moses for putting a malefactor to death in typicall Israel, by sword, stoning, &c. Deut 13. 5. is here used by Paul for the spirituall killing or cutting off by Excommunication, 1 Cor. 5. 13. Put away that evill person, &c.
Now I desire the Answerer, and any, in the holy awe and feare of God to consider, That
From whom the first and second Admonition was to proceed, from them also was the rejecting or casting out to proceed, as before.
But not from the Civill Magistrate (to whom Paul writes not this Epistle, and who also is not bound once and twice to admonish, but may speedily punish, as he sees cause, the persons or purses of Delinquents against his Civill State:) but from Titus the Minister or Angel of the Church, and from the Church with him, were these first and second Admonitions to proceed; And
Therefore at last also this Rejecting, which can be no other but a casting out, or excommunicating of him from their Churchsocietie.
Indeed, this rejecting is no other then that avoyding which Paul writes of to the Church of Christ at Rome, Rom. 16. 17. which avoyding (however wofully perverted by some to prove persecution) belonged to the Governours of Christs Church & Kingdom in Rome, and not to the Romane Emperour for him to rid and avoyd the World of them, by bloody and cruell Persecution.