The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, Part 4 · Chapter 129
CHAP. CXXVIII.
Peace.
DEare Truth, here are excellent confessions unto which both Truth and Grace may gladly assent: but what is your second Observation from hence?
Truth.
I observe secondly, what a deepe charge of weaknes is layd upon the Church of Christ, the Lawes, Government and Officers thereof, and consequently upon the Lord Iesus himselfe: to wit, that the Church is not enabled with all the power of Christ, to censure sufficiently an offendour (on whom yet they have executed the deepest censure in the world,A grievous charge against the Christian Church, and the King of it. to wit, cutting off from Christ, shutting out of Heaven, casting to the Divell) which offendours crime reacheth not to hurt the good of the civill state, but that she is forced to make complaint to the civill state, and the Officers thereof, for their helpe.
O let not this be tole in Gath, nor heard in Ashkalon! and O! how dimme must needs that eye be, which is blood shot, with that blo…dy and cruell Tenent of Persecution for cause of Conscience?
Peace.
But what should be meant by this passage? viz. That they cannot give liberty to the Magistrate to punish without exception all excommunicate persons, within so many months.
Truth.
It may be this hath reference to a Law made formerly in New England, A strange law in New England formerly against Excommunicate persons.that if an excommunicate person repented not within (as I have heard) three months after sentence of excommunication, then the Civill Magistrate might proceed with him.
These worthy men see cause to question this Law upon good reasons rendred, though it appears not by their words that they wholly condemne it, only they desire a longer time, implying that after some longer time the Magistrate may proceed: and indeed I see not, but according to such principles, if the Magistrate himselfe should be cast out,A dangerous doctrine against all civill Magistrates. he ought to be proceeded against by the Civill state, and consequently deposed and punished (as the Pope teacheth) yea though happily he had not offended against either bodies or goods of any subject.
Thirdly, from this true confession that the Magistrate ought not to punish for many sinnes above mentioned: I observe how they crosse the plea which commonly they bring for the Magistrates punishing of false Doctrines, Many sins prohibited to be punished by the Magistrate and yet they also charge him to punish all sin, Rom. 13.Heretiques, &c. [viz. Rom. 13. The Magistrate is to punish them that doe evill:] and when it is answered, True, evill against the Second Table, which is there onelyonly spoken of, and against the Bodies and Goods of the Subject, which are the proper object of the Civill Magistrate, (as they confesse:) It is replied, why is not Idolatry sinne? Heresie sinne? Schisme and false Worship sinne? Yet heere in this passage many evils, many sins, even of Parents against their Children, Masters against their Servants, Husbands against their Wives, the Magistrate ought not to meddle with.
Fourthly,Originall sin charged to hurt remotely (but falsely) the civill state. I dare not assent to that assertion, That even originall sinne remotely hurts the civill State. Tis true, some doe, as inclinations to murther, theft, whoredome, slander, disobedience to Parents and Magistrates: but blindnes of minds, hardnes of heart, inclination to choose or worship this or that God, this or that Christ, beside the true, these hurt not remotely the civill state, as not concerning it, but the spirituall.
Peace.
Let me (in the last place) remind you of their charge against the Magistrate, Magistrates strangely forbidden to hear civill complaints.and which will necessarily turne to my wrong and prejudice: They say, the Magistrate in hearing and prosecuting the complaints of children against their parents, of servants against their masters, of wives against their husbands, without acquainting the Church first, transgresseth the rule of Christ.
Truth.
Sweet Peace, they that pretend to be thy dearest friends, will prove thy bitter enemies.
First, I ask for one rule out of the Testament of the Lord Iesus, to prove this deepe charge and accusation against the Civill Magistrate?Thousands of Common-weales where no true church of Christ.
Secondly, This is built upon a supposition of what rarely falls out in the World, to wit, that there must necessarily be a true Church of Christ (in every lawfull State) unto whom these complaints must goe: whereas how many thousand Common-weales have been and are, where the name of Christ hath not (or not truly) been founded.
Thirdly,The complaints of families properly fall into the cognizance of the civill Mastrate. The Magistrates office (according to their own grant) properly respecting the bodies and goods of their Subjects, and the whole body of the Common-weale being made up of Families (as the members constituting that body) I see not how (according to the rule of Christ (Rom. 13) the Magistrate may refuse to heare and helpe the just complaints of any such petitioners, Children, Wives, and Servants, against oppression, &c.
Peace.
I have long observed that such as have been ready to ascribe to the Civill Magistrate and his Sword more then God hath ascribed,They who give to Magistrates more then is due, are most apt to dis…o to be them of what is theirs. have also been most ready to cut off the skirts, and (in case of his inclining to another conscience then their owne) to spoile him of the robe of that due Authoritie with which it hath pleased God and the People to invest and cloath him.
But I shall now present you with the 13. Head: whose Title is.