The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 16 – Chapter 19
CHAP. 16. A Reply to his ſixteenth Chapter touching To leration in Points of leſſe moment.
Diſcuſſer.
For a third Poſition, or Concluſion, the Anſwerer gave this, that in things of leſſe moment (whether Points of Doctrine or Worſhip) If a man hold them forth in a ſpirit of Chriſtian meekneſſe and love, (though with zeale and conſtancy) he is not to be perſecuted, but tolerated, till God may be pleaſed to manifeſt his truth to him.
This concluſion I acknowledge to be the Truth of God; yet 3. things are very obſerveable in the manner of laying it downe.
1. That ſuch a Perſon may be tolerated, till God may be pleaſed to reveale his truth to him: upon the ſame ground the Apoſtle calleth for meekneſſe and Gentleneſſe towards all men, and towards ſuch as oppoſe themſelves; 2. Tim. 2. becauſe it may be, God may give them repentance. Hence a ſoule that is lively and ſenſible of Gods mercy, cannot but be patient, and gentle towards the Jewes—towards the Turkes—yea to all the ſeverall ſorts of Anti-Chriſtians, yea to the Pagans, and to the wildeſt ſort of the Sonnes of men, who have not heard of the Father and of the Sonne, &c. Yea not onelyonly be patient to ſuch, but alſo to pray for ſuch, yea and to endeavour their participation of the ſame grace and mercy.
Defender.
This nothing ſhaketh, no nor ſo much as toucheth our cauſe, or defence; we thinke it unlawfull for the Church, to cenſure ſuch, as are out of the Church. And for the Civill State, we know no ground they have to perſecute Jewes, or Turkes, or other Pagans for cauſe of Religion, though they all erre in Fundamentalls. No nor would I exempt Anti-Chriſtians neither, from Toleration, notwithſtanding their Fundamentall Errors, unleſſe after conviction they ſtill continue to ſeduce ſimple ſoules into their damnable, and pernicious Hereſies: as into the Worſhip of falſe Gods, into confidence of their owne merits for Juſtification, into ſeditious conſpiracyes againſt the lives and States of ſuch Princes, as will not ſubmit their Conſciences to the Biſhop of Rome. Which if the Diſcuſſer ſhall in the ſequell pluck off as the ſilken covering of an Image (as he calleth it) we ſhall further attend him.
Diſcuſſer.
2. I obſerve from the Scriptures he quoteth for this Toleration (Phil. 3. Rom. 14.) how cloſely (yet I hope unadviſedly) he maketh the Churches of Chriſt at Philippi, and Rome, all one with the Cities of Philippi, and Rome &c.
Defender.
No ſuch matter: I never thought theſe Scriptures to belong at all to the Cities of Philippi or Rome, Paul writeth to both the Churches not only to tolerate, but to receive their weake brethren, who diſſent from them in matters of leſſe moment: but to the Cities, I never read any Epiſtle of his. Who would ever imagine, the Diſcuſſer ſhould be ſo farre tranſported beyond all bounds, either of reaſon, or truth, or candor, as to ſurmiſe the Anſwerer ſhould conceive, That what thoſe Churches muſt not tolerate in their holy communion, that the Cities of Philippi and Rome muſt not tolerate within the compaſſe of the City, State, and Juriſdiction.
Diſcuſſer.
3. From this Toleration of perſons holding but leſſer errors, I obſerve the unmercifulneſſe of ſuch Doctrines and Hearts, that he, that is ſleightly and but a little hurt ſhall be ſuffered, & meanes vouchſafed for his cure: but the deep-wounded ſinner, the Leprous, and Vlcerous &c. muſt not be ſuffered, untill peradventure God may give them Repentance &c.
Defender.
And why doth he not aſwell obſerve the unmercifulneſſe of ſuch States and Lawes, as ſuffer petty theives, and liars to live in their Townes & Cities: but will not ſuffer willful murtherers, & violent robbers to live amongſt them? ſuch as are tainted with leſſer Errors, and it may be, whet them upon others, they are but as petty theives, and lyars: but ſuch as after conviction doe goe on to ſubvert the Foundation of Chriſtian Religion and to ſubvert and deſtroy the ſoules of Gods People, and ſtoutly robb them both of the meanes of Grace here, and of the inheritance of glory hereafter, they are worſe then willfull murderers, or violent robbers. The Holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh of falſe Teachers, as bringing in damnable Hereſies, 2 Pet. 2.1. as overthrowing the faith of ſome 2 Tim. 2.18. as ſubverting their ſoules, Acts 15.24. making merchandize of Gods People 2 Pet. 2.3. which being ſo, me thinkes, ſuch as do more miſchiefe, are leſſe tolerable, then they that doe leſſe. It is true, they that are more deeply wounded-ſinners, are more to be pittied, ſuppoſe the depth of their wounds reach none but themſelves; but if they be infectious, and Leprous, and have Plague ſores running upon them, and thinke it their glory to infect others; It is no want of mercy, and charity, to ſet ſuch at a diſtance: It is a mercileſſe mercy, to pitty ſuch as are incureably contagious, and miſcheivous, and not to pitty many ſcores or hundreds of the ſoules of ſuch, as will be infected and deſtroyed by the toleration of the other.
CHAP. 17. A Reply to his ſeventeenth Chapter: touching the holding forth of Error with a boiſterous and arrogant Spirit.
Diſcuſſer.
It is ſaid by the Anſwerer, He that holdeth forth Error with a boiſterous and arrogant ſpirit to the diſturbance of the Civill Peace, he ought to be puniſhed.
To this I have ſpoken too, confeſſing that if any man commit ought of thoſe things, which Paul was accuſed of Acts 25.11. He ought not to be ſpared: yea he ought not in ſuch caſes to refuſe to die.
Defender.
I would not ſay, That every man that holdeth forth Error in a a boiſterous and arrogant ſpirit to the diſturbance of Civill Peace, ought to be puniſhed with death. This is too Bloudy a Tenet, unleſſe the boiſterous Arrogancy were ſuch as did diſturbe the Civill Peace to the deſtruction of the lives and ſoules of men.
Diſcuſſer.
But if the matter be of a Spirituall and Divine nature, I have written before, in many caſes, and might in many more, that the worſhip which a State profeſſeth, may be contradicted and preached againſt, and yet no breach of Civill Peace, &c.
Defender.
There is no Error, that can be a matter of divine nature, though it may be ſpirituall; no ſuch Points as are of a divine nature, fall within the compaſſe of this diſpute of perſecution. The many caſes, which the Diſcuſſer before wrote of are all of them allowed, but none of them concerne holding forth of Errors, which is the Point in hand.
Yet true it is, that if a man hold forth Truth in ſome boiſterous and arrogant way, not with the Armour of the Spirit, but with the Arme of fleſh, He may in ſo doing diſturbe the Civill Peace, and for ſuch diſturbance be juſtly puniſhed, according to the quality of the diſturbance raiſed by him.
It is eaſily graunted what the Diſcuſſer further avoucheth, that they doe break the Cities or Kingdomes Peace, who cry out for Priſons, and Swords, againſt ſuch who croſſe their Judgements, or Practiſe in Religion: to wit unleſſe their Religion be of God, and the croſſing of it be ſuch as deſtroyeth and ſubverteth the Religion of God.
But when he ſaith, ſuch onelyonly breake the Cities or Kingdomes Peace, as call for Priſons and Swords againſt Hereticks. It is too vaſt an Hyperbole; as if Murderers Seditious Perſons, Rebells, Traytors were none of them ſuch, as did breake the Cities or Kingdomes Peace at all: but they onelyonly who are too ſharpe againſt corruptions in Religion.
It is alſo further eaſiely graunted, which he alledgeth, that many complaine moſt, who are moſt in fault themſelves, as Joſephs Miſtreſſe of him. The Lord helpe the Diſcuſſer to reflect upon his own way.
CHAP. 18. A Reply to his Eighteenth Chapter, Examining the firſt Argument for Toleration from Mat. 13.30, 38.
Diſcuſſer.
Firſt, Mat. 13.30, 38. Chriſt Commaundeth to let alone the Tares, to grow up together with the wheat, untill the Harveſt.
Ʋnto which he Anſwereth,
That Tares are not Bryars and Thornes, but partly Hypocrites like unto the Godly, but indeed carnall (as the Tares are like to the wheat, but are not wheat) or partly ſuch corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes, as are indeed unſound, but yet ſuch as come very neere the Truth (as Tares doe to the wheat) and ſo neere that good men may be taken with them, and ſo the Perſons in whom they grow, cannot be rooted out, but good wheat will be rooted out with them. In ſuch a caſe, Chriſt calleth for Peaceable Toleration, not for poenall Proſecution according to the third Concluſion.
But alas here is no evidence or demonſtration of the Spirit, nor argument from the place it ſelfe, or from the Scriptures of Truth, to prove ſuch an Interpretation.
Defender.
Anſ. The Letter (to which the Anſwer was given) gave no reaſon of his expoſition: and who ever required more reaſon of an Anſwerer, then of a Replyer?
2. The Expoſition I gave was conſiſtent with that which the Letter gave. [Tares and wheat, ſaith he, ſome underſtand to be thoſe that walke in the Truth, and thoſe that walke in lyes] now when I ſay, the tares are Hypocrites, and ſome kind of corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes, and ſuch as walke in them, are not theſe coincident with ſuch as walke in lyes? what need had I to give a reaſon of the expoſition, which he himſelfe (to whom the Anſwer was written) acknowledgeth?
Diſcuſſer.
But thoſe three Perſons, Doctrines and Practiſes, are as a threefold cord, and ſo a threefold ſtrong ſnare to catch the feet of ſome or other.
Defender.
What hurt doe they get by being caught? Hypocrites, and corrupt Doctrines, and Practiſes, if they be found like unto good Chriſtians, or ſound truthes, what hurt doe they catch, when I ſay ſuch are to be tolerated to the end of the world? But to prevent his feare of a threefold cord, I ſhall eaſily acknowledge that which I meant, that by Tares are meant ſuch kinde of evill perſons, as are like unto the good, whether they be Hipocrites, men of unſound heartes, or men of unſound Doctrines, and Practiſes yet ſuch as come neere the Truth.
CHAP. 19. A Reply to his nineteenth Chapter.
Diſcuſſer.
That the Lord intendeth not Doctrines, or Practiſes in this Parable, It is cleare: For,
1. The Lord Jeſus expreſly interpreteth the good ſeed to be Perſons, & thoſe the children of the Kingdome: The Tares alſo to ſignify men, and thoſe the children of the wicked one ver. 38.
Defender.
If the Diſcuſſer had caſt his eye a little lower, he might have found, that Chriſt interpreteth the Tares, not onelyonly to be Perſons, but things foreign all things that offend, as well as thoſe that doe iniquity ver. 41. But I ſhall not ſtick upon that at all, let the Tares be Perſons, whether Hypocrites, like unto true Chriſtians, or holders forth of ſcandalous, and corrupt, Doctrines and Practiſes like unto ſound.
Diſcuſſer.
2. Such corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes are not to be tolerated now (as thoſe Jewiſh obſervations were for a while, Rom. 14.) nor ſo long till the end of the world. For can we think, that though the Lord tendered the tender conſcience of the Jews, in the obſervation of the difference of meates and drinks (which were ſometimes his owne Ordinances) that therefore Perſons muſt be now tolerated in the Church (for I ſpeake not of the Civill State) in ſuperſtitious forbearing and forbidding of fleſh in Popiſh Lents and ſuperſtitious Fridayes? &c.
Defender.
Who can tell what this Diſcuſſer would have? The Tares he would have to be Perſons; not corrupt Doctrines, and Practiſes. And yet when he commeth to prove, that corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes are not to be tolerated, he proveth it from the unlawfulneſſe of tolerating corrupt perſons: for can we thinke (ſaith he) that perſons muſt be now tolerated in the Church, in the ſuperſtitious forbearing or forbidding of fleſh in Popiſh Lents and Fridayes? Such is the inconſtancy of the ſpirits of men, whoſe hearts are not ſtayed, and ſteered by the Spirit of Truth, that ſometimes Tares muſt not be corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes, but perſons, becauſe Tares, and ſo perſons muſt be tolerated till the Harveſt, not ſo corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes: And yet all the reaſon given, why corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes muſt not be tolerated, is this, becauſe Perſons that hold them forth muſt not be tolerated.