The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 3 · Chapter 7 – Chapter 12
CHAP. VII.
Peace.
NOw to the second Quaerie, What it is to hold forth Doctrine or Practice in an arrogant or impetuous way?
Truth.
Although it hath not pleased Mr. Cotton to declare what is this arrogant or impetuous holding forth of Doctrine or Practice tending to disturbance of Civill peace, The Answerer too obscure in generalls.I cannot but expresse my sad and sorrowfull observation, how it pleaseth God to leave him, as to take up the common reproachfull accusation of the Accuser of Gods children;Gods meekest servants use to be counted arrogant and impetuous. 6 cases wherein Gods people have been bold & zealous, yet not arrogant. to wit, that they are arrogant and impetuous: which charge (together with that of obstinacie, pertinacie, pride, Troublers of the Citie, &c.) Sathan commonly loads the meekest of the Saints and Witnesses of Iesus with.
To wipe off therefore these fowle blurs and aspersions from the faire and beautifull face of the Spouse of Iesus, I shall select and propose 5 or 6 cases, for which Gods witnesses in all Ages and Generations of Men, have been charged with arrogance, impetuousnes, &c. and yet the God of Heaven, and Iudge of all men, hath graciously discharged them from such crimes, and maintained and avowed them for his faithfull and peaceable servants.
First, Gods people have proclaimed, taught, disputed for divers months together, a new Religion and Worship, contrary to the Worship projected in the Towne, Christ Jesus and his Disciples teach publikely a new Doctrine, fundamentally different from the Religion professed.City, or State, where they have lived, or where they have travelled, as did the Lord Iesus Himselfe over all Galile, and the Apostles after Him in all places, both in the Synagogues and Market-places, as appeares Acts 17. 2. 17. Acts 18. 48. Yet this no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.
Secondly, Gods servants have been zealous for their Lord and Master, even to the very faces of the Highest, and concerning the persons of the Highest, so far as they have opposed the Truth of God: So Eliah to the face of Ahab, It is not I, but thou, and thy Fathers house that troublest Israel: So the Lord Iesus concerning Herod, Goe tell that Fox: So Paul, God delivered me from the mouth of the Lion; and to Ananias, Gods servants zealous and bold to the faces of the Highest.Thou whited wall, and yet in all this no Arrogance, nor Impetuousnesse.
Thirdly, Gods people have been immoveable, constant and resolved to the death, in refusing to submit to false Worships, and in preaching and professing the true worship, contrary to expresse command of publicke Authority: So the three famous Worthies against the command of Nobilchadnezzar, Gods people constantly immoveable to death.and the uniforme conformity of all Nations agreeing upon a false worship, Dan. 3. So the Apostles (Acts 4 and 5 chap.) and so the witnesses of Iesus in all ages, who loved not their lives to the death (Rev. 12.) not regarding sweet life nor bitter death, and yet not Arrogant, nor Impetuous.
Fourthly, Gods people since the comming of the King of Israel, Gods people ever maintained Christ Jesus the only Lord and King to the conscience.the Lord Iesus, have openly and constantly profest, that no Civill Magistrate, no King nor Caesar have any power over the Soules or Consciences of their Subjects, in the matters of God and the Crowne of Iesus, but the Civill Magistrates themselves; yea Kings and Keisars are bound to subject their owne soules to the Ministery and Church, the Power and Government of this Lord Iesus, the King of Kings. Hence was the charge against the Apostles (false in Civill, but true in spiritualls) that they affirmed that there was another King, one Iesus, Acts 17. 7. And indeed, this was the great charge against the Lord Iesus Himself, which the Iews laid against Him, and for which he suffered Death, as appears by the Accusation written over His Head upon the Gallows, Iohn 9. 19. Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes.
This was and is the summe of all true preaching of the Gospell or glad newes,That Christ is King alone over conscience is the sum of all true preaching. viz. That God anointed Jesus to be the sole King and Governour of all the Israel of God in spirituall and soule causes, Psal. 2. 6. Acts 2. 36. Yet this Kingly power of His he resolved not to manage in His owne Person, but Ministerially in the hands of such Messengers which he sent forth to preach and baptise, and to such as beleeved that word they preached, Iohn 17. And yet here no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.
5. Gods people in delivering the Minde and Will of God concerning the Kingdomes and Civill States where they have lived, have seemed in all shew of common sense and rationall policie (if men looke not higher with the eye of saith) to endanger and overthrow the very Civill State,Gods people have see men the disturbers of Civill State. as appeareth by all Ieremses preaching and counsell to King Zedechia, his Princes and people, insomuch that the charge of the Princes against Ieremiah was, that he discouraged the Army from fighting against the Babylonians, and weakned the Land from its own defence, and this charge in the eye of reason, seemed not to be unreasonable or unrighteous, Ier. 37. 38. chapters, and yet in Ieremy no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.
6. Lastly, Gods people by their preaching, disputing, &c. have beene (though not the cause) yet accidentally the occasion of great contentions and divisions,Gods word and people the occasion of tumults. yea tumults and uproares in Townes and Cities where they have lived and come, and yet neither their Doctrine nor themselves Arrogant nor Impetuous, however so charged: For thus the Lord Jesus discovereth mens false and secure suppositions, Luke … 1. 51. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you nay, but rather division, for from hence forth shall there be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three, the father shall be divided against the sonne, and the sonne against the father, &c. And thus upon the occasion of the Apostles preaching, the Kingdome and Worship of God in Christ, were most commonly uproares and tumults, where ever they came: For instance, those strange and nonstrous uproares at Iconium, at Ephesus, at Ierusalem, Acts 14. 4. Acts 19. 29. 40. Acts 21. vers. 30, 31.
CHAP. VIII.
Peace.
IT will be said (deare Truth) what the Lord Jesus and his Messengers taught was Truth, but the question is about Errour.
Truth.
I answer, this distinction now in discussion, concernes not Truth, or Errour, but the manner of holding forth or divulging.
I acknowledge that such may bee the way and manner of holding forth,The instances proposed carry a great shew of impe… ousnesse, yet all are pure and peaceable. (either with railing or reviling, daring or chalenging speeches, or with force of Armes, Swords, Guns, Prisons, &c.) that it may not only tend to breake, but may actually breake the civill peace, or peace of the Citie.
Yet these instances propounded are cases of great opposition and spirituall hostility, and occasions of breach of civill peace: and yet as the borders (or matter) were of gold: so the speckes (or manner, Cautic. 1.) were of silver: both matter and manner, pure, holy, peaceable, and inoffensive.
Moreover, I answer, that it is possible and common for persons of soft and gentle nature and spirits to hold out falshood with more seeming meeknesse and peaceablenesse, then the Lord Jesus or his servants did or doe hold forth the true and everlasting Gospell. So that the answerer would be requested to explain what he means by this arrogant and impetuous holding forth of any doctrine, which very manner of holding forth tends to breake civill peace, and comes under the cognisance and correction of the Civill Magistrate: Lest hee build the Sepulchre of the Prophets, and say, If we had been in the Pharises daies, the Romane Emperours dayes, or the bloody Marian dayes, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets, Mat. 23. 30. who were charged with arrogance and impetuousnesse.
CHAP. IX.
2. Ob. Peace.
IT will here be said, Whence then ariseth civill dissentions and uproares about matters of Religion?
Truth.
I answer:The true cause of tumults at the preaching of the Word. When a Kingdome or State, Towne or Family, lyes and lives in the guilt of a false God, false Christ, false worship: no wonder if sore eyes be troubled at the appearance of the light, be it never so sweet: No wonder if a body full of corrupt humours be troubled at strong (though wholsome) Physick? If persons sleepy and loving to sleepe be troubled at the noise of shrill (though silver) alarums: No wonder if Adonijah and all his company be amazed and troubled at the sound of the right Heyre King Salomon, … King. 1. If the Husbandmen were troubled when the Lord of the Vineyard sent servant after servant, and at last his onelyonly Sonne, and they beat, and wounded, and kill'd even the Sonne himselfe, because they meant themselves to seize upon the inheritance, unto which they had no right, Matth. 21. 38. Hence all those tumults about the Apostles in the Acts, &c. whereas good eyes are not so troubled at light; vigilant and watchfull persons loyall and faithfull, are not so troubled at the true, no nor at a false Religion of Jew or Gentile.
Secondly,A preposterous way of suppressing errours. breach of civil peace may arise, when false and idolatrous practices are held forth, & yet no breach of civil peace from the doctrine or practice, or the manner of holding forth, but from that wrong and preposterous way of suppressing, preventing, and extinguishing such doctrines or practices by weapons of wrath and blood, whips, stockes, imprisonment, banishment, death, &c. by which men commonly are perswaded to convert Heretickes, and to cast out uncleane spirits, which onelyonly the finger of God can doe, that is the mighty power of the Spirit in the Word.
Hence the Towne is in an uproare,Light only can expell fogs and darknesse. and the Country takes the Alarum to expell that fog or mist of Errour, Heresie, Blasphemy, (as is supposed) with Swords and Guns; whereas tis Light alone, even Light from the bright shining Sunne of Righteousnesse, which is able, in the soules and consciences of men to dispell and scatter such fogges and darknesse.
Hence the Sons of men, (as David speakes in another case, Psal. 39.) disquiet themselves in vaine, and unmercifully disquiet others, as (by the helpe of the Lord) in the sequell of this discourse shall more appeare.
CHAP. X.
Peace.
NOw the last distinction is this: Persecution for Conscience, is either for a rightly informed conscience, or a blinde and erroneous conscience.
Answ. Truth.
Indeed both these consciences are persecuted: but lamentably blinde and erronious will these consciences shortly appear to be,Persecutors oppresse both true and erroneous consciences. which out of zeale for God (as is pretended) have persecuted either. And heavie is the doome of those blinde Guides and Idoll Shepherds (whose right eye Gods finger of jealousie hath put out) who flattering the ten Homes or worldly Powers, perswade them what excellent and faithfull service they performe to God, in persecuting both these consciences: either hanging up a rightly informed conscience, and therein the Lord Jesus himselfe, betweene two malefactors, or else killing the erroneous and the blinde, like Saul (out of zeale to the Israel of God) the poore Gibeonites, whom it pleased God to permit to live: and yet that hostility and cruelty used against them (as the repeated judgement yeare after yeare upon the whole Land after told them) could not be pardoned, untill the death of the persecutor Saul his sons had appeased the Lords displeasure, 2 Sam. 21.
CHAP. XI.
Peace.
AFter explication in these Distinctions, it pleaseth the Answerer to give his resolution to the question in foure particulars.
First, that he holds it not lawfull to persecute any for conscience sake rightly informed, for in persecuting such (saith he) Christ himself is persecuted: for which reason, truly rendred, he quotes Act. 9. 4. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Truth.
He that shall reade this Conclusion over a thousand times, shall as soone finde darknesse in the bright beames of the Sunne, as in this so cleare and shining a beame of Truth, viz. That Christ Jesus in his Truth must not be persecuted.
Yet this I must aske (for it will be admired by all sober men) what should be the cause or inducement to the Answerers mind to lay down such a Position or Thesis as this is, It is not lawfull to persecute the Lord Iesus.
Search all Scriptures, Histories, Records, Monuments, consult with all experiences, did ever Pharaoh, Saul, Ahab, Iezabel, Scribes and Pharises, the Jewes, Herod, the bloudy Neroes, Gardiners, Boners, Pope or Devill himselfe, professe to persecute the Son of God, Jesus as Jesus, Christ as Christ, without a mask or covering?
No, saith Pharaoh, the Isrealites are idle, and therefore speake they of sacrificing: David is risen up in a conspiracy against Saul, therefore persecute him: Naboth hath blasphemed God and the King, therefore stone him: Christ is a seducer of the people, a blasphemer against God, and traytor against Caesar, therefore hang him: Christians are schismaticall, factious, hereticall, therefore persecute them: The Devill hath deluded Iohn Hus, therefore crowne him with a paper of Devils, and burne him, &c.
Peace.
One thing I see apparantly in the Lords over-ruling the pen of this worthy Answerer,All persecutors of Christ professe not to persecute him. viz. a secret whispering from heaven to him, that (although his soules ayme at Christ, and hath wrought much for Christ in many sincere intentions,All persecutors of Christ, professe not to persecute him and Gods mercifull and patient acceptance) yet he hath never left the Tents of such who think they doe God good service in killing the Lord Jesus in his servants, and yet they say, if we had beene in the dayes of our Fathers in Queene Maries dayes, &c. we would never have consented to such persecution: And therefore when they persecute Christ Jesus in his truths or servants, they say, Doe not say you are persecuted for the Word for Christ his sake, for we hold it not lawfull to persecute Iesus Christ.
Let me also adde a second; So farre as he hath beene a Guide (by preaching for persecution) I say, wherein he hath beene a Guide and Leader, by mis-interpreting and applying the Writings of Truth, so far I say his owne mouthes and hands shall judge (I hope not his persons, but) his actions, for the Lord Jesus hath suffered by him, Act. 9. 3. and if the Lord Jesus himselfe were present, himselfe should suffer that in his owne person, which his servants witnessing his Truth doe suffer for his sake.
CHAP. XII.
Peace.
THeir second Conclusion is this: It is not lawfull to persecute erroneous and blinde conscience, even in fundamentall and weighty points, till after admonition once or twice, Tit. 3. 11. and then such consciences may be persecuted, because the Word of God is so cleare in fundamentall and weighty points, that such a person cannot but sin against his conscience, and so being condemned of himselfe, that is, of his conscience, hee may be persecuted for sinning against his owne conscience.
Truth.
I answer, in that great battell betweene the Lord Jesus and the Devill, it is observable that Sathan takes up the weapons of Scripture, and such Scripture which in shew and colour was excellent for his purpose: but in this 3. of Titus, as Salomon speakes of the Birds of heaven, Prov. 1. a man may evidently see the snare; and I know the time is comming wherein it shall bee said, Surely in vaine the Net is laid in the sight of the Saints (heavenly Birds.)
So palpably grosse and thicke is the mist and fog which Sathan hath raised about this Scripture, that he that can but see men as trees in matters of Gods worship, may easily discerne what a wonderfull deepe sleepe Gods people are fallen into concerning the visible Kingdome of Christ, in so much that this third of Titus which through fearfull prophanations, hath so many hundred years been the pretended Bulwark and defence of all the bloudy Wolves, dens of Lions, and mountains of Leopards, hunting and devouring the Witnesses of Jesus, should now be the refuge and defence of (as I hope) the Lambes and little ones of Jesus, yet (in this point) so preaching and practising so unlike to themselves, to the Lord Jesus, and lamentably too like to His and their Persecutors.