The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 3 · Chapter 32 – Chapter 40
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, The eye of the … struck out is worse then for both right and left eye of the body to be … out tenne thousand times.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 d…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. Some soules incurable, whom not only corporall b… spirituall phys…ke can nothing availe.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 …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 …cura…le, yet that sometimes that word is spoken by Christ Jesus to …is servants to be patient, for neither can corporall or spirituall … or Physicke ever heale or cure …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,The bottom … blind …all. enalesse, …, in extremity, universality, and eternity of torments, which most direfull and lamen…able downefall, should strike a …oly fear & trembling into all … see the Pit, whith… … are …umbling, and cause us to strive so far as … by the spirituall eye-salve of the Word of God to heale and … …hei… soule-destroying blindenesse.
…, of those that fall into this …e…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, Soul killing the ch…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.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 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 in…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 onelyonly 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,All naturall men being dead in sin, yet none die everlastingly but such as are thereunto ordained. 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,The Lord Jesus hath not lest his Church without spirituall antidotes and remedies against infection. 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,The miserable bondage Gods people live in. 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:The Kings and Queens of England Governours of the Church. 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;Strange confusion in punishments. 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 punishWoe were it with the civill Magistrate if he bloud of soules (beside the ordinary care of the bo…ies …d goods …f …) sh…uld …ry … him. 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,The Magistrates duties toward the Church the Sp…se of Christ. 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:Usurpers and true heires of the spirituall Crowne of Jesus. 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.Luke 9. 54. 55 discussed. where the Lord Jesus reproved His Disciples, who would have had fire come downe from Heaven, and devoure those Samaritanes… 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.
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,An excellent saying of persecutors themselves… 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 o… 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,The Answerer when he should speake to toleration in the State, …unnes to punishments in the Church, which none can deny. 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, 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.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.Revel. 13. 13. Fire from heaven. What the fire from heaven is which the fals Prophet bringeth downe. 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. 26.2 Tim. 3. 25. 26. examined.
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 way… 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? A quaere what the Answerer meanes by his unconverted Christian in Crete.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,The originall of Christians. 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,The Answerer yet in the unconverted Churches and worships. 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, Gods people sleepy in the matters of Christs Kingdome, Cant. 5. 2.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.1 Cor. 14. Patience and …eeknesse required in all that open Christs mysteries.
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 onelyonly (as this Scripture to Timothy implyes) who is able to give them repentance, The civill Sword may make a Nation of Hypocrites & Antichristians, but not one Christian.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? Wonderfull changes of Religion in England.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. Englands changes in point of Religion.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, The miserie of opposites against the Truth.& 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, A difference between the true and false Christ and Christians.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, The worship of unbelieving unregenerate persons.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 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.(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.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. To this purpose it pleased the Father of Spirits, of old, to constraine the Emperour of Rome, Antoninus Pius, Antoninus Pius his golden act.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.