The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 3 · Chapter 41 – Chapter 44
CHAP. XLI.
Peace.
THe next Scripture against such persecution, is that of the Prophet, Isa. 24. together with Mic. 4. 3. they shall break their swords into plough-shares, Isa. 2. 4. Mic. 4. 3. Isa. 11. 9. concerning Christs peace able Kingdom discussed.and their speares into pruning-hookes, Isa. 11. 9. There shall none hurt or destroy in all the mountaine of my Holinesse.
Unto which it pleased Mr. Cotton to say, That these predictions doe onelyonly shew, first, with what kinde of weapons he should subdue the Nations to the obedience of the faith of the Gospell, not by fire and sword, and weapons of War, but by the power of the Word and Spirit of God, which faith he, no man doubts of.
Secondly,Mr. Cottons excellent interpretation of those Prophecies. those predictions of the Prophets shew, what the meeke and peaceable temper will be of all true converts to Christianity; not Lyons or Leopards, not cruell oppressors nor malignant opposers or biters one of another: but doth not forbid them to drive ravenous wolves from the sheep-fold, and to restraine them from devouring the sheep of Christ.
Truth.
In this first excellent and truly Christian Answer, me thinks the Answerer may heare a voyce from Heaven, His doctrine and practice condemned by that interpretation.Out of thine owne mouth will I judge thee: For what can be said more heavenly by the tongues of Men and Angels, to shew the heavenly meek temper of all the Souldiers of the Lambe of God, as also to set forth what are the Spirituall weapons and ammunition of the holy war and battle of the Gospell and Kingdome of Iesus Christ, for the subduing of the Nations of the World unto him.
Peace.
And yet out of the same mouth (which should not be, faith Iames) proceeds good and evill, sweet and sowre; for he addes: But this doth not forbid them to drive ravenous wolves from the sheepfold, and to restraine them from devouring the sheepe of Christ.
Truth.
In these words (according to the judgement here maintained by him) he fights against the former truth (to wit, that by spirituall weapons Christ Iesus will subdue the Nations of the Earth to the obedience of the Gospel) for by driving away these Wolves hee intends not onelyonly the resistance and violence which the Shepherds of Christ ought spiritually to make, but the civill resistance of the materiall Swords, Spirituall and mysticall Wolves.Staves Guns, &c. Whence… I argue, that same power that forceth the evill (or Wolves) out, forceth the good (the Sheepe) in; for of the same or like things is the same or like reason; as the same arme of flesh that with a staffe beats off a Wolfe, with a Rod and Hooke brings in the Sheepe: the same dog that assaulteth and teareth the Wolfe, frighteth and forceth in the straggling Sheep.
CHAP. XLII.
Peace.
BVt for the clearer opening of this mystery, I pray explicate that Scripture where the Spirit of God is pleased to use this similitude of Wolves, Act. 20. 29. opened.Acts 20. 29. out of which (keeping to the Allegory) I shall propose these Quaeries.
First, what Wolves were these Paul warnes of?
Truth.
Answ. Wolves literally he will not say: Nor secondly, persecutors of the Flock, such as the Romane Emperours were, Magistrates under him.
Therefore (thirdly) such as brought other Religions and Worships, What those Wolves were Act. 20. 29.as the Spirit of God opens it, vers. 30. Such as amongst themselves should speake perverse things, as many Antichrists did, and especially The Antichrist. And I aske whether or no such as may hold forth other Worships or Religions, (Iewes, Turkes, or Antichristians) may not be peaceable and quiet Subjects, loving and helpfull neighbours, faire and just dealers, true and loyall to the civill government? It is cleare they may from all Reason and Experience in many flourishing Cities and Kingdomes of the World, and so offend not against the civill State and Peace; nor incurre the punishment of the civill sword, notwithstanding that in spirituall and mysticall account they are ravenous and greedy Wolves.
Peace.
2. I quaere to whom Paul gave this charge to watch against them, vers. 31.
Truth.
They were not the Magistrates of the City of Ephesus, but the Elders or Ministers of the Church of Christ (his mysticall flock of sheepe) at Ephesus: VntoUnto them was this charge of watching given, and so consequently of driving away these Wolves.
And however that many of these charges and exhortations given by that One Shepherd Christ Iesus to the Shepherds or Ministers of Churches, Charges directed to Ministers of the spiritual kingdome, fasly applyed to the Magistrates of the civill.be commonly attributed and directed (by the Answerer in this discourse) to the civill Magistrate; yet I desire in the feare and holy presence of God it may bee inquired into, whether in all the Will or Testament of Christ there bee any such word of Christ No word of Christ to the civill Magistrate to feed his flock, but to his Ministers, who (if true) have spirituall power sufficient against spirituall Wolves.by way of command, promise, or example, countenancing the Governors of the civill State to meddle with these Wolves, if in civill things peaceable and obedient.
Peace.
Truly if this charge were given to the Magistrates at Ephesus, or any Magistrate in the World, doubtlesse they must bee able to discerne and determine (out of their owne officiall abilities in these spirituall Law questions) who are spirituall Sheep, what is their food, what their poison, what their properties, who their Keepers, &c. So on the contrary who are Wolves, what their properties, their haunts, their assaults, the manner of taking, &c. spiritually: (and this beside the care and study of the Civill Lawes, and the discerning of his owne proper Civill Sheep, obedient Sheepe, &c. as also wolvish oppressors, &c. whom he is bound to punish and suppresse)
Truth.
I know that Civill Magistrates (in some places) have declined the name of Head of the Church,Magistrates decline the name of Head of the Church, and yet practise the headship or government. and Ecclesiasticall Judge, yet can they not with good conscience decline the name, if they doe the worke, and performe the office of determining and punishing a meerly spirituall Wolfe.
They must be sufficiently also able to judge in all spirituall causes, and that with their owne, and not with other mens eyes, (no more then they doe in civill causes) contrary to the common practice of the Governours and Rulers of Civill States, who often set up that for a Religion or Worship to God, which the Clergie or Churchmen (as men speake) shall in their Consciences agree upon.
And if this be not so, to wit, that Magistrates must not be Spirituall Iudges (as some decline it in the title, Supreme Head and Governour) why is Gallio wont to be exclaimed against for refusing to be a Iudge in such matters as concerned the Iewish Worship and Religion? How is he censured for a Prophane person, without conscience, &c. in that he would bee no Iudge or Head? (for that is all one in point of Government.)
Peace.
In the third place I quaerie whether the Father who gave,The Elect shall not be devoured. and the Sonne who keepes the Sheepe, bee not greater then all? Who can pluck these Sheepe the Elect out of his hand, which answers that common objection of that danger of devouring, although there were no other weapons in the world appointed by the Lord Jesus. But
CHAP. XLIII.
FOurthly,Christ Jesus furnisheth his Shepherds with power sufficient to drive away Wolves. I ask, Were not these Elders or Ministers of the Church of Ephesus sufficiently furnished from the Lord Iesus to drive away these mysticall and spirituall Wolves?
Truth.
True it is, against the inhumane and uncivill violence of Persecutors, they were not, nor are Gods children able and provided: but to resist, drive away, expell, and kill spirituall & mysticall Wolves by the word of the Lord, none are fit to be Christs Shepherds who are not able… Tit. 1. 9. 10. 11.Tit. 1. 9. 10. opened. The Bishop or Overseer must be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gainsayers: which Gainsayers to be by him convinced, that is, overcome or subdued (though it may be in themselves ever obstinate) they were I say as greedy Wolves in Crete, as any could be at Ephesus: for so saith Paul vers. 10. they were unruly and vaine talkers, deceivers, whose mouthes must bee stopped, who subverted whole houses; and yet Titus (and every ordinary Shepherd of a flocke of Christ) had ability sufficient to defend the flock from spirituall and mysticall wolves without the helpe of the Civill Magistrate.
Peace.
In this respect therefore me thinks we may …itly allude to that excellent answer of Iob to Bildad the Shuhite, Iob 26.Job 26. 1, 2. How hast thou helped him that is without power? How savest thou the arme that hath no strength? How hast thou counselled him that hath no wisedome? how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?
5. Lastly, I ask, whether (as men deale with Wolves) these wolves as Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed, their braines dasht out with stones, staves, halberts, guns, &c. in the hands of the Elders of Ephesus, &c?
Truth.
Doubtlesse (comparing spirituall things with spirituall) all such mysticall wolves must spiritually and mystically so be slain. And the Witnesses of Truth, Revel. 11. speake fire, and kill all that hurt them, by that sierie Word of God, and that two-edged sword in their hand, Psal. 149.
But oh what streames of the blood of Saints have been and must be shed (untill the Lambe have obtained the Victorie,Unmercifull and: bloody doctrine. Revel. 17.) by this unmercifull (and in the state of the New Testament, when the Church is spread all the World over) most bloody doctrine, viz. The wolves (Hereticks) are to be driven away, their braines knock… out and killed, the poore sheepe to be preserved for whom Christ died, &c.
Is not this to take Christ Iesus, and make him a temporall King by force? Iohn 6. 15. Is not this to make his Kingdome of this world, to set up a civill and temporall Israel, to bound out new Earthly holy Lands of Canaan, yea and to set up a Spanish Inquisition in all parts of the World, to the speedy destruction of thousands, yea of millions of Soules, and the frustrating of the sweet end of the comming of the Lord Iesus, to wit, to save mens soules (and to that end not to destroy their bodies) by his own blood?
CHAP. XLIV.
Peace.
THe next Scripture produced against such Persecution, is 2 Cor. 10. 4.John 6. 15. 2. Cor. 10. 4. discussed. The weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ, and having in a readinesse to avenge all disobedience, &c.
Unto which it is answered, When Paul saith, The weapons of our warfare are not carnall, but spirituall: he denieth not civill weapons of Iustice to the civill Magistrate, Rom. 13. but only to Church-officers: and yet the weapons of Church officers he acknowledgeth to be such, as though they be spirituall, yet are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience, 2 Cor. 10. 6. which hath reference, amongst other Ordinances, to the censures of the Church against scandalous offenders.
Truth.
I acknowledge that herein the Spirit of God denieth not civill weapons of justice to the Civill Magistrate, which the Scripture he quotes, Rom. 13. abundantly testifie.
Yet withall I must aske, why he here affirmeth the Apostle denies not civill weapons of Justice to the civill Magistrate? of which there is no question, unlesse that (according to his scope of proving persecution for conscience) he intends withall, that the Apostle denies not civill weapons of justice to the Civill Magistrate in Spirituall and Religious causes: The contrary whereunto (the Lord assisting) I shall evince, both from this very Scripture, and his owne observation, and lastly by that 13 of the Romanes, by himsefe quoted.
First then from this Scripture and his owne Observation: The weapons of Church officers (saith he) are such, which though they be spirituall, are ready to take vengeance on all disobedience; which hath reference (saith he) amongst other Ordinances, to the Censures of the Church against scandalous offenders.
I hence observe,The difference of the civill & spirituall estate. that there being in this Scripture held forth a two-fold state, a Civill state and a Spirituall, Civill officers and spirituall, civill weapons and spirituall weapons, civill vengeance and punishment, and a spirituall vengeance and punishment: although the Spirit speakes not here expresly of Civill Magistrates and their civill weapons, Civill weapons most improper in spirituall causes: fitly exemplified by that similitude, 2 Cor. 10. 4.yet these States being of different Natures and Considerations, as far differing as Spirit from Flesh, I first observe, that Civill weapons are most improper and unfitting in matters of the Spirituall state and kingdome, though in the Civill state most proper and sutable.