The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 13 – Chapter 15
CHAP. 13. A Reply to his thirteenth Chapter, what is meant by this Heretick in Titus.
Diſcuſſer.
What is this Heretick? I find him commonly defined to be, ſuch an one as is obſtinate in Fundamentalls. And ſo the Anſwerer ſeemeth to Reſent him, ſaying, the Apoſtle rendereth this reaſon, why after once or twice Admonition, he ought to be Perſecuted, becauſe, in Fundament ill and Principall Points of Doctrine and Worſhip, the Word of God is ſo cleare, that the Heretick cannot but be convinced in his owne Conſcience. But of this Reaſon I find not one Tittle mentioned in this Scripture: for ſo he ſaith, ſuch an one is condemned of himſelfe, yet he ſaith not, nor will it follow, that Fundamentalls are ſo cleare, that after firſt and ſecond Admonition, a Perſon that ſubmitteth not to them, Is condemned of himſelfe, more then in leſſer Points.
This word then an Heretick is no more, then an obſtinate and willfull perſon in the Church of Creet ſtriving and contending about unprofitable Queſtions & Genealogies. What is to be done with ſuch an one? Let him be once and twice Admoniſhed. What if once and twice Admonition prevaile not? The Apoſtle ſeemeth to Anſwer, foreign, that is, the man that is willfully obſtinate, after once or twice Admonition, Reject him.
Defender.
The Diſcuſſer is ſo farre from weakening what I ſaid from this Text in Titus, that he rather confirmeth it, yea and graunteth a larger allowance to proceed againſt erroneous Perſons, then I did. For,
1. Whereas I had ſaid, The Apoſtle directeth the Church to proceed againſt an Heretick, that is againſt one obſtinately erroneous in Fundamentalls, The Diſcuſſer ſaith, yea and againſt ſuch as erre though not in Fundamentalls, but in leſſer points, and continue obſtinate in ſtriving about unprofitable Queſtions, and Genealogies.
2. He that graunteth (as the Diſcuſſer doth) that the Word of God is ſo cleare even in leſſer Points, that he that perſiſteth in his error after once or twice Admonition, is willfully obſtinate: he ſurely will not ſticke to acknowledge, that the word of God is much more cleare in Fundamentall and Principall Points, that he that ſhall perſiſt in Errors againſt the Foundation, after once or twice Admonition, he cannot but be much more juſtly accounted willfully obſtinate, and to ſinne againſt the light of his owne Conſcience.
3. Though he ſaith he findeth no one Tittle in the Text, that in Fundamentall and Principall Points of Doctrine and Worſhip, the Word of God is ſo cleare, that after once or twice Admonition, the Heretick cannot but be convinced in his owne Conſcience: Yet he might eaſily find it, and cannot but find it, if he were pleaſed to ponder the words of the Text: yea and he doth find it, though he be pleaſed to deny it. For the Heretick (whom the Text ſpeaketh of) himſelfe expoundeth to be a man willfully obſtinate: An Evidence, that he erreth not through want of light, or weakneſſe of knowledge, but through ſtrength of will. Whence alſo he is ſaid to be condemned of himſelfe, of his owne Conſcience: An Evidence that the Points about which he erreth, are ſo clearely delivered in Scripture, that after once or twice Admonition, the Heretick cannot but be convinced in his owne Conſcience. And if this hold in ſundry leſſer Points, how much more doth it hold in Fundamentalls and Principalls? Unleſſe he thinke the Holy Ghoſt be more darke, & obſcure in delivering Principles and milke to Babes, then in delivering leſſer Points to men of riper growth. If the word be ſo cleare as to make Fundamentals clear, (though not any more cleare, as he ſaith, then leſſer Points) yet then it followeth, It maketh them both ſo cleare, that he that ſubmiteth not to them after once, or twice Admonition is condemned of himſelfe.
4. When the Apoſtle ſaith, an Heretick is ſubverted, foreign, it is as much as if he had ſaid, he is as an houſe ſubverted, o… turned upſide downe, or inſide outward, as an houſe turned off from the Foundation: It is too dilute, and looſe an Interpretation of the word foreign, (which the Diſcuſſer maketh, Chap. 14.) foreign, he is turned Crooked, a word oppoſite to ſtreightneſſe, or rightneſſe. For he is not ignorant, that is not the meaning of foreign, but of foreign, which he joyneth with the other, meane, turned-crooked: for that is not ſubverted, but perverted. And if Paul ſay, that the Heretick is ſubverted, or turned off from the Foundation, and gives that as a reaſon, why he ſhould be cenſured, how then can the Diſcuſſer ſay, he findeth not one tittle of this reaſon in this Scripture?
5. Take the Diſcuſſers own Interpretation of an Heretick, for an obſtinate and willfull ſtriver or contender about unprofitable Queſtions and Genealogies:
Thoſe Queſtions and Genealogies, are expreſly deſcribed by the Apoſtle, not onelyonly to be unprofitable and vaine, but alſo to tend to the ſubverſion of whole houſes, Tit. 1.10, 11. which may ſeeme evidently to argue, that their diſputings about the Genealogies of Chriſt, tended to cut off the Line of Chriſt, or at leaſt to make it doubtfull, whether he were the lineall Heire of David, according to the fleſh, and ſo whether he were the true Meſſiah or no. And thus, if the Diſcuſſers owne meaning of an Heretick may ſtand, ſtill an Heretick is he, who is willfully obſtinate in holding forth ſuch Errors as ſubvert the Foundation of Chriſtian Religion.
CHAP. 14. A Reply to his foureteenth Chapter, Explaining what it is to be ſubverted and ſelfe condemned.
Diſcuſſer.
Subverted is not here intended to be ſpoken of Heretickes in Fundamentalls onelyonly, but of men obſtinate in the leſſer Queſtions.
1. Subverted, foreign, Crooked, a word oppoſite to rightneſſe or ſtreightneſſe.
2. He ſinneth wandering from the wayes of Truth:
3. He is foreign, and condemned of himſelf, that is, by the ſecret checks and whiſperings of his owne Conſcience, which will take Gods part againſt a mans ſelfe, in accuſing, ſmiting &c.
Defender.
All this ſo farre as Error is found in it, is ſpoken to, & diſcharged in the former Chapter.
OnelyOnly 2. Things more remaine in this Chapter which may not paſſe without ſome touch.
1. That he ſaith Gods People in all their awakenings acknowledge how ſleightly they have liſtned to the checks of their owne Conſcience. This the Anſwerer pleaſeth to call ſinning againſt Conſcience: for which he may lawfully be perſecuted, to wit, for ſinning againſt his owne Conſcience.
Wherein there is found a double falſhood: 1. That he ſaith, I call the ſleight liſtnings of Gods People to the checks of their Conſcience, their ſinning againſt Conſcience. For I ſpeake not of the ſinning of Gods People againſt Conſcience, but of an Heretick ſubverted turned off from the Foundation: much leſſe doe I call their ſleight liſtnings to Conſcience, to be Hereticall ſinning againſt Conſcience.
2. Leaſt of all doe I ſay, that for ſuch ſleight liſtnings to the checks of Conſcience, he may lawfully be perſecuted, to wit, as for ſinning againſt Conſcience. Thus men that have time and leaſure at will, will ſet up Images of clouts, and then ſhoot at them.
The 2. Thing in this Chapter (which I ſaid might not paſſe without ſome touch) is, that having faſtned upon me a concluſion, (which is none of mine, but an invention of his owne) He addeth, howſoever it be painted over with vermillion &c. yet he hopeth to manifeſt it to be the overturning and rooting up of the roote of all true Chriſtianity, and abſolutely denying the Lord Jeſus to be come in the fleſh.
Whereto I Reply no more but this: If he doe manifeſt that which Magnanimouſly he undertaketh, It may happyly be alſo manifeſted (by the helpe of Chriſt) that it will overturne no concluſion of mine. But howſoever, let him remember it was a proverb in Iſrael, Let not him that girdeth on his Armour, boaſt himſelfe, as he that putteth it off 2 Kings 20.11.
CHAP. 15. A Reply to his fifteenth Chapter touching the admonition and rejection of an Heretick.
THe firſt and ſecond Admonitions in the place of Titus were not Civill or corporall puniſhments on mens perſons, or purſes: But they were the reprehenſions, convictions, exhortations, and perſwaſions of the word of the Eternall God, charged home to the Conſcience, in the Name and Preſence of the Lord Jeſus in the midſt of his Church. Which being deſpiſed, and not hearkened unto, in the laſt place followeth rejection, which is not a cutting off by heading, hanging, burning, nor an expelling out of the Countrey, and coaſts: but the dreadfull cutting off from the viſible head and body, Chriſt Jeſus, and his Church—Spirituall cutting off by Excommunication.
Defender.
All this, & the proofes of this, in this Chapter, I willingly conſent and ſubſcribe unto: nor doth this touch any concluſion of mine at all, much leſſe Diſcuſſe, or ſhake it. For though I ſaid indeed, that for an erroneous and blinde Conſcience (even in Fundamentall and weighty Points) It is not lawfull to perſecute any, till after Admonition once or twice, according to Tit. 3.10.11.
Yet in alledging that place, to prove that Concluſion, I intended no other perſecution, but the Churches proſecution againſt ſuch an Heretick by excommunication: no ſyllable in my concluſion looketh at more.
If it be ſaid, but Excommunication or any other Church-proſecution, cannot fitly be called perſecution: Yes verily, excommunication is a perſecution, and a lawfull perſecution, if the cauſe be juſt offence, (as the Angell of the Lord is ſaid to perſecute the wicked Pſalm. 35.6.) But the Excommunication is a cruell and bitter perſecution, If it be without juſt cauſe and due order: yea and the more greivous perſecution, by how much the more greivous it is to a Chriſtian man, to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints, then to be baniſhed from a civill Society, ſure it is, the Lord Jeſus accounteth it a perſecution to his Diſciples, to be delivered up unto the Synagogues, and to be caſt forth out of the Synagogues Luk. 21.12. with Joh. 16.2.