The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 30
CHAP. 30. A Reply to his Chap. 30.
Diſcuſſer.
IF it be ſaid, neither the Roman Caeſar, nor Herod, nor Pilate, knew ought of the true God, or of Chriſt: and it had been in vaine to have made complaint to them, who were not fit, and competent, but ignorant, and oppoſite Judges.
Anſw. 1. This removeth the ſtumbling blocke of Pauls appeale to Caeſar: which ſince he could not doe in common ſence, as to a competent Judge in ſuch caſes, &c. It muſt needes follow, his appeale was meerely in reſpect of his civill wrongs, &c.
Anſw. 2. If it had been an Ordinance of God: that all civill Magiſtrates were bound to judge in cauſes ſpirituall, and Chriſtian, (as to ſuppreſſe Hereſies, to defend the Faith of Jeſus:) although that Caeſar, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, were ignorant, wicked and oppoſite Judges: yet Chriſt and his Diſciples ſhould have gone as farre as lay in their power for redreſſing of evill, and left it in the Magiſtrates hands.
Anſw. 3. If it had been the holy will of God to have eſtabliſhed the Doctrine and Kingdome of his Sonne this way, he would have furniſhed Kingdomes and Common-wealths with many good and gracious Magistrates, to have fitted them for it.
Defender.
Reply 1. to Anſ. 1. Pauls appeale to Caeſar, was about the wrongs done unto the Jewes, Acts 25.10. The wrongs to them were not onelyonly civill, but Church-offences, which Paul denied: Neither againſt the Law of the Jewes (ſaith he) nor againſt the Temple, nor againſt Caeſar, have I offended any thing at all, ver. 8. Feſtus demanded if he would goe up to Hieruſalem, there to be judged of theſe things? ver. 9. Theſe things were matters of Religion, as well as civill offences. To offend againſt the Law of the Jewes, and againſt the Temple, were offences againſt Religion: to offend againſt Caeſar was a civill offence. To be judged of theſe things, Paul declineth the Court at Hieruſalem, (as being unjuſtly prejudiced againſt him:) But profeſſing his owne innocency, and ſubjection to juſt judgement, He appealeth to Caeſars judgement ſeate, ver. 10, 11. wherein three or foure things doe evidently appeare.
1. That a man may be ſuch an offender in matters of Religion (againſt the Law of God, againſt the Church, as well as in civill matters againſt Caeſar) as to be worthy of death.
This Paul preſuppoſeth, ver. 8, 9, 10.
2. That Paul, or any other ſuch like ſervant of Chriſt, If he ſhould commit any ſuch offence, he would not refuſe judgement unto death, ver. 11.
3. That for the Judgement of his perſon in theſe cauſes, (whether eccleſiaſticall or civill,) It is lawfull in ſome caſes to appeale, to a civill, though a Pagan Magiſtrate. In ſome caſes I ſay, as where both theſe concurre, to wit. 1. That Church-officers, are maliciouſly prejudiced againſt a man, and inferiour civil Courts incline to them. 2. That a man be called in queſtion amongſt them in capitall cauſes, which concerne his life.
But a fourth thing which appeareth from Pauls appeale is this, That the civill Magiſtrate, whether Chriſtian, or Pagan, may and ought to be ſo well acquainted, not onelyonly with civill cauſes, but alſo with cauſes of Religion, eſpecially ſuch as concerne life, as to be able to judge, though not of all queſtions, yet of capitall offences, againſt Religion, as well as againſt the civill State.
Reply 2. to Anſ. 2. The Marginall Note, ſeemeth to imply a contradiction to it ſelfe, for thus it ſpeaketh, Civill Magiſtrates were never appointed by God, Defenders of the Faith of Jeſus. And againe, Every one is bound to put forth himſelfe to his utmoſt power in Gods Buſineſſe: Surely, if every one be bound to put forth himſelfe to his utmoſt power in Gods Buſineſſe, then civill Magiſtrates are bound to put forth their civill power, in defending the Faith of Jeſus.
Neither will it henceforth follow, That either Chriſt, or his Diſciples were bound to complaine to Caeſar, or to Herod, or to Pontius Pilate, againſt the Hereſies of the Phariſes. For though all Magiſtrates, even Pagans ought to informe themſelves in the matters of Faith and of Chriſtian Religion, (that they may obſerve and preſerve it) and it will be a deſtructive ſinne to them and their States, if they doe neglect it, (Pſal. 2.10, 11, 12.) Yet it may be ſafer for a Chriſtian man being oppreſſed in inferiour Courts of hereticall malignant Judges to appeale from them unto Pagan Princes in his owne juſt defence, then to make complaint to malignant hereticall Judges, or to Pagan Princes, againſt hereſies, or hereticall falſe Teacliers. Chriſt ſent out his Diſciples, as ſheepe amongſt wolves: and therefore inſtructed them, to be wiſe as ſerpents, and innocent as doves, Matth. 10.16. Now it is no part of wiſedome for a ſheepe of Chriſt to complaine to a kennell of wolves, That amongſt the wolves, there be ſome of their company doe make havocke of the ſheepe, leading them aſide into damnable hereſies. If a poore ſheepe ſhould attempt ſuch a thing, would not the whole kennell of wolves ariſe up againſt him, as a troubler of their State, that when he enjoyeth peace himſelfe, (they trouble not him,) yet he will needes be ſo buſie as to trouble them?
And therefore we deny, that it had tended to the defence of the Faith of Jeſus, or to the ſuppreſſing Heriſies, for Chriſt and his Diſciples to have complained to Herod, Pilate, Caeſar, of the hereſies of the Phariſes. It had rather tended to the diſturbance and ſuppreſſion of the Faith of Jeſus, by provoking the malice of the Phariſes, and by diſquieting civill Thrones with feares and jealouſies of a new Kingdome ſpringing up amongſt them. Beſid…, it had been altogether prepoſterous, to make uſe of the civill power, for the firſt publiſhing of the Goſpell of peace. It was neceſſary the Goſpell ſhould firſt be knowne, and received, and beleeved, and profeſſed, before any could be complained of, for Apoſtacy from it into Hereſie, or ſeducement of others into ſuch wickedneſſe.
Reply 3. to Anſ. 3. We doe not ſay, It is the holy Will and Purpoſe of God, to eſtabliſh the Doctrine and Kingdome of his Sonne (our Lord Jeſus) onelyonly this way, to wit, by the helpe of civill Authority. For it is his Will alſo, to magnifie his Power, in eſtabliſhing the ſame, by a contrary way, even by the ſufferings (patient ſufferings) of his Saints, and by the bloudy ſwords of perſecuting Magiſtrates, Revel. 12.11. So that Chriſt need not to ſend good and gracious Magiſtrates, as if for want of them, the Chriſtian Faith and Religion would fall to the ground: for it hath ſpread and flouriſhed under fiery and cruell perſecution. But yet this hindreth not, but that it is the duty of Magiſtrates to know the Sonne, and to kiſſe him, to acknowledge his Kingdome, and ſubmit their Thrones and Crownes to it, to love his truth, and to be nurſing Fathers to his Church, Iſai. 49.23. which how they can doe, and yet not be Defenders of the Faith of Jeſus, I doe not underſtand.