The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 3 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 31
CHAP. XXVII.
Peace.
YOu have beene larger in vindicating this Scripture from the violence offered unto it, because as I said … such great consequence, as also because so many excellent … have not rightly …vided it, to the great misguiding of many precious …, which otherwise might have beene turned into the paths of more peaceablenesse in themselves and towards others.
Truth.
I shall be briefer in the Scriptures following.The charge of Christ Jesus, Let alone the Tares, was not spoken to Magistrates, Ministers of the civill state, but to Ministers of the Gospel.
Peace.
Yet before you depart from this, I must crave your patience to satisfie one Objection, and that is; These servants to whom the Housholder answereth, seem to be the Ministers or Messengers of the Gospel, not the Magistrates of the civill State, and therfore this charge of the Lord Jesus is not given to Magistrates to let alone false worshippers and idolaters.
Againe, being spoken by the Lora Iesus to his Messengers, it seemes to concern Hypocrites in the Church, as before was spoken, and not false worshippers in the State or World.
Truth.
I answer, first,The civill Magistrate not so particularly spoken to as Fathers and Masters in the New Testamēt, and why. Eph. 5. 6. Col. 3. 4. &c. I beleeve I have sufficiently and abundantly proved, that these tares are not offenders in the civill State. Nor secondly, Hypocrites in the Church, when once discovered so to bee, and that therefore the Lord Iesus intends a grosser kinde of Hypocrites, professing the name of Churches and Christians in the field of the World or Commonwealth.
Secondly, I acknowledge this command [Let them alone] was expresly spoken to the Messengers or Ministers of the Gospel, who have no civill power or authority in their hand, and therefore not to the civill Magistrate, King, or Governour, to whom it pleased not the Lord Iesus by himselfe or by his Apostles to give particular Rules or directions concerning their behaviour and carriage in Civill Magistracy, as they have done expresly concerning the duty of fathers, mothers, children, masters, servants, yea and of Subjects towards Magistrates, Ephes. 5. & 6. Colos. 3. & 4. &c.
I conceive not the reason of this to be (as some weakly have done) because the Lord Jeus would not have any followers of his to hold the place of civill Magistracy, but rather that he foresaw, and the Holy Spirit in the Apostles foresaw how few Magistrates, A twofold state of Christianity, the persecuted under the Roman Emperors, and the Apostate ever since.either in the first persecuted, or apostated state of Christianity would imbrace his yoake: in the persecuted state, Magistrates hated the very name of Christ or Christianity: In the state apostate some few Magistrates (in their persons holy and precious, yet) as concerning their places, as they have professed to have beene Governours or Heads of the Church, have beene so many false Heads, and have constituted so many false visible Christs.
Thirdly, I conceive this charge of the Lord Jesus to his Messengers the Preachers and Proclaimers of his minde, is a sufficient declaration of the minde of the Lord Iesus, if any civill Magistrate should make question what were his duty concerning spirituall things.
The Apostles, and in them all that succeed them, being commanded not to pluck up the Tares, but let them alone, received from the Lord Iesus a threefold charge.
First,Christs Messengers receive a threefold charge in that prohibition of Christ, Let them alone. Gods people not to pray for …h… present ruine and destruction of idolaters, although their persecutors, but for their peace and salvations. The word of God …ghtly de…ounced plucks up k…ng…ms. to let them alone, and not to plucke them up by prayer to God for their present temporall destruction.
Ieremie had a Commission to plant and build, to pluck up and destroy Kingdomes, Ier. 1. 10. therefore hee is commanded not to pray for that people whom God had a purpose to pluck up, Jer. 14 11. and he plucks up the whole Nation by prayer, Lament. 3. 66. Thus Elijah brought fire from heaven to consume the Captaines and the …ifties, 2 King. 1. and the Apostles desired also so to practise against the Samaritanes, Luc. 9. 54. but were reproved by the Lord Iesus. For contrarily, the Saints and Servants and Churches of Christ are to pray for all men, especially for all Magistrates (of what sort or Religions soever) and to seeke the peace of the City (what ever City it be) because in the peace of the place Gods people have peace also, Ier. 297. 2 Tim. 2. &c.
Secondly, Gods Messengers are herein commanded not to prophesie or denounce a present destruction or extirpation of all false professours of the name of Christ, which are whole Townes, Cities, and Kingdomes full.
Ieremy did thus pluck up Kingdomes in those fearfull Prophecies hee poured forth against all the Nations of the World, throughout his Chap. 24. 25. 26. &c. as did also the other Prophets in a measure, though none comparably to Ieremy and Ezekiel.
Such denunciations of present temporall judgements are not the Messengers of the Lord Iesus to poure forth. Tis true, many fore and fearfull plagues are poured forth upon the Romane E…perours and Romane Popes in the Revelation, yet not to their utter extirpation or plucking up untill the Harvest.
Thirdly, I conceive Gods Messengers are charged to let them alone and not pluck them up, by exciting and stirring up Civill Magistrates, Kings, Emperours, Governours, Parliaments, or Generall Cou…ts or Assemblies, to pu…ish and persecute all such persons out of their Dominions and Territories, as worship not the true God according to the revealed will of God in Christ Iesus. Gods Ministers are … to provoke …Tis … Eliiah thus stirred up Ahab to kill all the Priests and Prophets of Baal, …ut that was in … sig… ra…ive state of the Land of Canaan (as I have already and shall further manifest) not to be matcht or paralleld by any other State, but the spirituall State or Church of Christ in all the world,1 …et. 2. 9. putting the false Prophets and Idolaters spiritually to death by the two-edged sword and power 1 Cor. 5.of the Lord Iesus, as that Church of Israel did corporally.
A…d therefore …aith Paul expresly, 1 Cor. 5. 10.Companying with …. 1 Cor. 5 discussed. we must goe out of the world, in case we may not company in civill converse with Idolaters &c.
Peace.
It may be said some sorts of sinners are there mentioned, as Drunkards, Raylers, Extortioners, who are to bee punished by the Civill Sword, why not Idolaters also? for although the Subject may lawfully converse, buy and fell, and live with such, yet the Civill Magistrate shall neverthelesse be justly blamed in suffering of them.
Truth.
I answer,Lawfull converse with idolaters in civill, but not in spirituall things. the Apostle in this Scripture speakes not of permission of either, but expresly showes the difference betweene the Church and the World, and the lawfulnesse of conversation with such persons in civill things, with whom it is not lawfull to have converse in spirituals: secretly withall foretelling, that Magistrates and People, whole States and Kingdomes should bee Idolatrous and Antichristian, yet with whom notwithstanding the Saints and Churches of God might lawfully cohabit, and hold civill converse and conversation.
Concerning their permission of what they judge Idolatrous, I have and shall speake at large.
Peace.
Oh how contrary unto this command of the Lord Iesus haveDangerous and ung…ounded zeale. such as have conceived themselves the true Messengers of the Lord Iesus, in all ages, not let such Professours and Prophets alone, whom they have judged Tares, but have provoked Kings and Kingdomes (and some one of good intentions and zeale to God) to prosecute and persecute such even unto death? Amongst whom Gods people (the good wheat) hath also beene pluckt up, as all Ages and Histories testifie, and too too oft the World laid upon bloody heapes in civill and intestine desolations on this occasion. All which would bee prevented, and the greatest breaches made up in the peace of our owne or other Countries, were this command of the Lord Jesus obeyed, to wit, to let them alone untill the Harvest.
CHAP. XXVIII.
I Shall conclude this controversie about this Parable in this briefe … and recapitulation of what hath beene said, I hope by the evident demonstration of Gods Spirit to the conscience I have …
First, that the Tares in this Parable cannot signifie Doctrines or Practices (as was affirmed) but Persons.
Secondly, the Tares cannot signifie Hypocrites in the Church either undiscovered or discovered.
Thirdly, the Tares here cannot signifie Scandalous Offenders in the Church.
Fourthly, nor scandalous offenders in life and conversation against the Civill state.
Fifthly, The field in which these Tares are sowne, is not the Church
Againe affirmatively: First, the Field is properly the World, the Civill State or Common-wealth.
Secondly, The Tares here intended by the Lord Iesus, are Antichristian idolaters, opposite to the good seed of the Kingdome, true Christians.
Thirdly, the ministers or messengers of the Lord Iesus ought to let them alone to live in the world, … neither seeke by prayer or prophesie to pluck them up before the Harvest.
Fourthly, this permission or suffering of them in the field of the World, is not for hu…t, but for common good, even for the good of the good Wheat, the people of God
Lastly, the patience of God is, and the patience of Men ought to be exercised toward …, and yet notwithstanding their doome is fearfull at the harvest, even gathering, bund…ng, and everlasting burnings by the mighty hand of the Angels in the end of the World.
CHAP. XXIX.
Peace.
THe second Scripture brought against such persecution for cause of Conscience, M…th. 15. 14. the se… Scripture controv…rted in this cause.is Matth. 15. 14. where the Disciples being troubled at the Pharises cariage toward the Lord Iesus and his doctrines, and relating how they were offended at him, the Lord Iesus commandeth his Disciples to let them alone, and gives this …, that the blinde lead the blinde, and both should fall into the ditc….
Unto which, Answer is made, That it makes nothing to the Cause, because it was spoken to his private Disciples, and not to publique Officers in Church or State: and also, because it was spoken in regard of not troubling themselves, or regarding the offence which the Pharises tooke.
Truth.
I answer, (to passe by his assertion of the privacie of the Apostles) in that the Lord Iesus commanding to let them alone, that is, not onelyonly not be offended themselves, but not to meddle with them; it appeares it was no ordinance of God nor Christ for the Disciples to have gone further, and have complained to,Christ Jesus never directed his Disciples to the civill Magistrate for help in his cause. and excited the Civill Magistrate to his duty: which if it had been an Ordinance of God and Christ, either for the vindicating of Christs doctrine, or the recovering of the Pharises, or the preserving of others from infection, the Lord Iesus would never have commanded them to omit that which should have tended to these holy ends.
CHAP. XXX.
Peace.
IT may be said, that neither the Romane Caesar, nor Herod, no… Pilate knew ought of the true God, or of Christ; and it had been in vaine to have made complaint to them who were not sit and competent, but ignorant and opposite Iudges.
Truth.
I answer first,Pauls appealing to Caesar. Civill Magistrates never appointed by God, Dfenders of the Faith of Jesus. Every o… is bound to put forth him selfe to his utmost power in Gods businesse; & wh…re it stops, the guilt will lie. this removes (by the way) that stumbling block which many fall at, to wit, Pauls appealing to Caesar; which since he could not in common sense doe unto Caesar as a competent Iudge in such cases, and wherein he should have also denied his own Apostleship or office, in which regard (to wit in matters of Christ) he was higher then Caesar himselfe: it must needs follow, that his appeale was meerly in respect of his Civill wrongs, and false accusations of sedition, &c.
Secondly, if it had been an Ordinance of God, that all Civill Magistrates were bound to judge in causes spirituall or Christian, as to suppresse heresies, defend the faith of Iesus; although that Caesar, Herod, Pilate were wicked, ignorant and opposite, yet the Disciples and the Lord Christ himselfe had been bound to have performed the duty of faithfull Subjects, for the preventing of further evill, and the clearing of themselves, and so to have left the matter upon the Magistrates care and conscience, by complaining unto the Magistrate against such evils; for every person is bound to goe so far as lies in his power for the preventing 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,Christ could have easily been furnished with godly Magistrates, if he had so appointed, 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?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. 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.