The Bloody Tenant of Persecution for the Cause of Conscience, To the reader
To every Courteous Reader.
VVHile I plead the Cause of Truth and Innocencie against the bloody Doctrine of Persecution for cause of conscience, I judge it not unfit to give alarme to my selfe, and all men to prepare to be persecuted or …nted for cause of conscience.
Whether thou standest charged with 10 or but 2 Talents, if thou huntest any for cause of conscience, how canst thou say thou followest the Lambe of God who so abhorr'd that practice?
If Paul, if Iesus Christ were present here at London, and the question were proposed what Religion would they approve of: The Papists, Prelatists, Presbyterians, Independents, &c. would each say, Of mine, of mine.
But put the second question, if one of the severall sorts should by major vote attaine the Sword of steele: what weapons doth Christ Jesus authorize them to sight with in His cause? Doe not all men hate the persecutor, and every conscience true or false complaine of cruelty, tyranny? &c.
Two mountaines of crying guilt lye heavie upon the backes of All that name the name of Christ in the eyes of Iewes, Turkes and Pagans.
First, The blasphemies of their Idolatrous inventions, superstitions, and most unchristian conversations.
Secondly, The bloody irreligious and inhumane oppressions and destructions under the maske or vaile of the Name of Christ, &c.
O how like is the jealous Iehovah, the consuming fire to end these present slaughters in a greater slaughter of the holy Witnesses? Rev. 11.
Six yeares preaching of so much Truth of Christ (as that time afforded in K. Edwards dayes) kindles the flames of Q. Maries bloody persecutions.
Who can now but expect that after so many scores of yeares preaching and professing of more Truth, and amongst so many great contentions amongst the very best of Protestants, a fierie furnace should be heat, and who sees not now the …ires kindling?
I confesse I have little hopes till those flames are over, that this Discourse against the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience should passe currant (I say not amongst the Wolves and Lions, but even amongst the Sheep of Christ themselves) yet liberavl animam meam, I have not hid within my breast my souls belief: And although sleeping on the bed either of the pleasures or profits of sin…e thou thinkest thy conscience bound to smite at him that dares to waken thee? Yet in the middest of all these civill and spirituall Wars (I hope we shall agree in these particulars.)
First, how ever the proud (upon the advantage of an higher earth or ground) or' clooke the poore and cry out Schismatickes. Hereticks, &c. shall blasphemers and seducers scape unpunished? &c. Yet there is a sorer punishment in the Gospel for despising of Christ then Moses, even when the despiser of M…ses was put to death without merciemercy, Heb. 10. 28, 29. He that beleeveth not shall bee damned, Marke 16. 16.
Secondly, what ever Worship, Ministry, Ministration, the best and purest are practised without faith and true perswasion that they are the true institutions of God, they are sin, sinfull worships, Ministries, &c. And however in Civill things we may be servants unto men, yet in Divine and Spirituall things the poorest pesant must disdaine the service of the highest Prince: Be ye not the servants of men, 1 Cor. 14.
Thirdly, without search and triall no man attaines this faith and right perswasion, 1 Thes. 5. Try all things.
In vaine have English Parliaments permitted English Bibles in the poorest English houses, and the simplest man or woman to search the Scriptures, if yet against their soules perswasion from the Scripture, they should be forced (as if they lived in Spaine or Rome it selfe without the sight of a Bible) to beleeve as the Church beleeves.
Fourthly, having tried, we must hold fast, 1 Thessal. 5. upon the losse of a Crowne, Revel. 13. we must not let goe for all the …lea bitings of the present afflictions, &c. having bought Truth deare, we must not …ell it cheape, not the least graine of it for the whole World, no not for the saving of Soules, though our owne most precious; least of all for the bitter sweetning of a little vanishing pleasure.
For a little puffe of credit and reputation from the changeable breath of uncertaine sons of men.
For the broken bagges of Riches on Eagles wings: For a dreame of these, any or all of these which on our death-bed vanish and leave tormenting stings behinde them: Oh how much better is it from the love of Truth, from the love of the Father of lights, from whence it comes, from the love of the Sonne of God, who is the way and the Truth, to say as he, Iohn 18. 37. For this end was I borne, and for this end came I into the World that I might be are witnesse to the Truth.