The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. 26. A Reply to his Chap. 26. Touching the danger of letting alone Anti Chriſtians.
Diſcuſſer.
If any imagine, that the Antichriſtians being let alone may doe a world of miſchiefe before the worlds end, by the infection of others.
I Anſwer, 1. The Civill State keepeth it ſelfe with a Civill ſword: let Civill offences be puniſhed: and yet let their worſhip and Conſciences be tolerated.
2. The Church hath a thouſand bucklers and weapons, able to break downe the ſtrongeſt hould (2 Cor. 10.) and ſo to defend it ſelfe againſt the gates of earth or hell.
3. The Lord knoweth who are his: his choſen cannot finally be deceived
Laſtly the Lord Jeſus himſelfe in this Parable giveth 2. Reaſons able to content and ſatisfie our hearts.
Firſt, leaſt the good wheat be pluckt up out of the feild of the world. Gods People, the good wheat are generally pluckt, and perſecuted, as well as the vileſt Idolaters, whether Jewes or Antichriſtians, which the Lord Jeſus ſeemeth here to foretell.
Second reaſon is, when the world is ripe in ſinne, in the ſinnes of Antichriſtianiſme, thoſe mighty Angells of God will come with their ſharpe ſickles, and downe with them, and buildle them up for everlaſting burnings, then ſhall the man of ſin be conſumed by the breath of the mouth of the Lord Jeſus &c.
Defender.
Reply, 1. To his firſt Anſwer: It is true, the Civill State keepeth it ſelfe with a Civill ſword, if Civill offences be puniſhed. But when he would have their worſhip & Conſciences tolerated, what if their worſhip and Conſciences incite them to Civill offences? How ſhall then the Civill State keepe it ſelfe ſafe with a Civill Sword.
As ſuppoſe a man that worſhippeth the Beaſt, and maketh Conſcience of obeying his commandements, ſhall thinke himſelfe bound to ſubvert the Civill Prince, or State, who is excommunicated by the Beaſt? If ſuch a man muſt be tolerated in his worſhip, and Conſcience, what ſword can provide for the ſafety of ſuch a Prince or State?
Reply.
2. To his ſecond Anſwer, It is true, the Church wanteth no Armories to defend it ſelf, and amongſt others, excommunication. But if their members be leavened with Antichriſtian Idolatry and ſuperſtition, and yet muſt be tolerated in their Idolatrous and ſuperſtious worſhip, will not a little leaven (ſo tolerated) leaven the whole lumpe? And how then is the ſafety of the Church guarded?
Reply.
3. To his 3. Anſw. It is true the Lord knoweth who are his: and none of his Elect ſhall periſh. But nevertheleſſe, Is it not a tempting of God, to preſume upon Gods Election for our ſalvation, and to neglect the meanes of our preſervation? In like caſe, Paul knew by revelation, that all his fellow paſſengers in the ſhip ſhould be ſaved: but yet he profeſſed that if the Marriners went out of the ſhip, they could not be ſaved Acts, 27.24, with 31. So is it here, The Elect of God ſhall be ſaved: but yet if Idolaters, and Seducers be tolerated (as Jezabell was in Thyatira) to ſeduce the ſervants of Chriſt to pollution and Apoſtacy, the Church will ſtand guilty before God of the ſeduction and corruption of the people of God.
Reply.
4. To his 4 Anſwer (the 2. Reaſons alledged by him out of the Text:) To the firſt: There is no feare of plucking up the wheat, by rooting out Idolaters, and Seducers. If any of Gods People ſhould fall into Idolatry, and Apoſtacy, yea and ſhould prove an inſtrument to ſeduce others alſo into the like wickedneſſe: yet the cenſures inflicted on them, would be bleſſed of God to their recovery, & healing: yea and if they were cut off by the Civill ſword, yet the example and terrour of their puniſhment, would be bleſſed of God to preſerve their brethren: who would all of them heare and feare, and doe no more ſuch wickedneſſe. Neither is the juſt puniſhment of ſuch, any juſt pretence to puniſh the innocent lambs of Chriſt.
Reply.
To the Second Reaſon out of the Parable, It may juſtly be Replyed, that the charge given to the Angells to execute vengeance at the laſt day upon ſuch Idolaters, if that were ſufficient to plead for the toleration of Idolaters, It would as well plead for the toleration of Murtherers, Robbers, Adulterers, Extortioners &c. for all theſe will the holy and mighty Angells of God gather into bundles at the laſt day, and caſt them into everlaſting burnings.
The place in 2 Theſſ. 2. doth not ſay, that the man of ſin ſhall then be conſumed with the breath of the mouth of the Lord Jeſus: for he ſhall begin to be conſumed long before, by all the ſeven vials of the wrath of God, Revel. 16. which have bin, and will be in powring out, many ages, before the great Harveſt, of the end of the world. Yea I beleive alſo, He ſhall be deſtroyed many ages before then: as the Apoſtle John foretelleth in Chap. 20.21.22. of the Revelation. And though it be tranſlated, (in 2 Theſſ. 2.8.) The Lord ſhall deſtroy him with the brightneſſe of his coming: yet the word is, foreign; and foreign doth as well, and more firſtly ſignifie Preſence, then comming. The Lord will deſtroy Antichriſt with the brightneſſe of his Preſence in his ſacred and Civill Ordinances, ſundry ages before the brightneſſe of his comming to Judgement. Otherwiſe we ſhould ſet John & Paul at variance, who ſpake by one and the ſame Spirit of Truth.