The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 27 – Chapter 28
CHAP. 27. A Reply to his 27. Chap. Diſcuſsing a doubt, how Miniſters may be bidden to let Antichriſtians alone in the Civill State.
Diſcuſſer.
If it be objected, Theſe ſervants, whom the Houſeholder commaundeth to let the Tares alone, ſeeme to be Miniſters or Meſſengers of the Goſpell: How ſhall it belong to them to plucke up the Tares, or to let them alone, if by the Feild be meant the world?
Anſ. The Apoſtles, and in them all that ſucceed them, received from the Lord a threefold charge.
1. To let them alone, and not to pluck them up by Prayer to God for their preſent temporall deſtruction.
2. Not to prophecy or denounce a preſent deſtruction, or extirpation of all falſe Profeſſours of the Name of Chriſt. Tis true many ſoare and fearefull plagues are powred out upon the Roman Emperors, and Roman Popes, yet not to their utter extirpation untill the Harveſt.
3. Not to pluck them up, by ſtirring up Civill Magiſtrates and powers, to puniſh and perſecute all ſuch perſons out of their dominions, as worſhip not the true God according to his revealed will in Chriſt Jeſus.
Tis true, Elijah thus ſtirred up Ahab to kill all the Preiſts and Prophets of Baal: but that was in the figurative ſtate of the Land of Canaan, not to be matcht or paraled by any other State, (but the Spirituall State, or Church of Chriſt) in all the world, putting the falſe Prophets Spiritually to death, by the two-edged ſword, and power of the Lord Jeſus, as that Church of Iſrael did corporally.
Defender.
Theſe 3. Interpretations of, Let them alone, are all of them ſo many evaſions, (ſlippery evaſions) ſought out by the ſubtile wit of man, to winde out from under the Authority of the Truth, and word of Chriſt,
For 1. Why ſhould not the Miniſters of Chriſt Pray, either to pluck them up out of their Antichriſtian Idolatryes, or elſe to pluck them up, as the Plantations which our Heavenly Father hath not planted? He that may Pray daily for the comming of Chriſts Kingdome, He may, and doth, and ought to pray for the comming downe of all oppoſite Kingdomes. The Saints under the Altar that prayed againſt the delay of vengeance on the Roman Emperors, (Revel. 6.10.) may more juſtly pray againſt the delay of vengeance on the Roman Antichriſts.
What though the State of the Roman Antichriſtians was to continue for ſundry ages before their finall extirpation? Yet they were to expect vialls of Gods indignation to roote them out by a graduall extirpation in ſundry of their cheife branches, and pillars, long before the extirpation of their whole Kingdome.
And what though the Saints in old Babell were to pray for the Peace of the City, as wherein themſelves—might finde Peace? Yet the Saints that live not in ſuch An…ichriſtian Territoryes; they may ſafely pray for the haſtning of the redemption of their brethren out of the Antichriſtian bondage, and there withall pray for the haſtning of the ruine, and deſolation of the Antichriſtian Kingdome
Beſides, Certaine it is from the Word of Truth, that the Antichriſtian Kingdome ſhall be deſtroyed, and rooted up by Chriſtian Princes and States long before the great Harveſt of the end of the world, as hath been ſhewen a bove. And either ſuch Princes muſt performe this great worke without Prayer (and then it were not ſanctified to God 1 Tim. 4.4, 5.) Or if it be a ſacrifice ſanctified to God, they muſt pray for their deſolation before they inflict it. And all the ſeven Angells, who powre out their vialls on the Antichriſtian State, tending to the rooting of it out by degrees, They either pray for the ſucceſſe of the vengeance of their vialls, or elſe they doe not powre them out in faith: which were contrary to the ſpirit of ſuch holy Saints, who come out of the Temple opened in Heaven, and are cloathed with pure and white linnen, and have their breaſts girded with golden girdles, Rev. 15.6.
2. If John the Apoſtle have Prophecied and denounced the deſtruction and extirpation of Antichriſtian Idolaters, and their whole State, why may not a Miniſter and Meſſenger of Chriſt (according to the meaſure of light received) open thoſe Prophecyes, and apply them with ſevere threatnings, againſt thme and their State?
Yea, but they may not apply, or denounce them to their preſent deſtruction or extirpation.
Yes to the preſent deſtruction of ſome or other Antichriſtian Idolaters in every age, though the State may continue (waſting) till the time appointed. It might as truely be ſaid, the Miniſters of Chriſt are forbidden to denounce preſent or ſpeedy deſtruction to any murtherers, whoremongers, Tyrants, extortioners, becauſe though ſome of them, may fall under many ſore and feareful plagues: yet there will never want a company of ſuch wicked doers, till the Great Harveſt, the end of the world.
Beſides what if a meſſenger of Chriſt ſhould not denounce preſent deſtruction, yet he cannot be ſaid to let them alone, who is hewing at them to bring them to deſtruction many yeares before. It is not every ſtroake with an Axe that felleth an Oake: it may be not an hundred, not a thouſand ſtroakes; yet no ſtroake is loſt that maketh way for the felling of it at the laſt. Neither can he be ſaid to let the Tree alone, that ſtriketh and heweth at it every day. So he that heweth at the Antichriſtian State every day by Prayer, and Preaching. He doth not let it alone, though it may ſtand many a yeare after. It will fall the ſooner, and with more—facility for every ſtroake.
3. Nor can it be the meaning of Chriſt, in commanding his Miniſters to let the Tares alone, to forbid them to ſtirr up Princes and States, to the rooting out of Antichriſtian Idolaters, and all ſuch falſe worſhippers, as deſtroy the Truth and Religion of the Lord Jeſus. For amongſt all the Angells, that powred out their vials upon the Antichriſtian State, it is not credible, that none of them ſhould be Meſſengers of the Goſpell. And when the ten Kings ſhall burne the City of Rome, and leave it deſolate and naked, It is not credible that they will doe it without ſome excitement from the Angells, no more then the Angells powred out their vialls, till they were ſtirred up by a great voice out of the Temple, Revelations, 16.1.
It is an evaſion as groundleſſe as the former, that Elijahs ſtirring up of Ahab to kill all the Preiſts and Prophets of Baal, was figurative.
For all Figures in the old Teſtament have their Accompliſhment …n the New. Now evident it is, Ahab (an Apoſtate Idolater) was no Type of Chriſt: nor was Iſrael (after their Apoſtacy) a Type of the true Church of Chriſt: A Tabernacle it was, but not a Tabernacle of Chriſt: Aholah but not Aholibah. To make this act in Iſrael a Type of Chriſts act in Chriſtian State, or Church, is to make darkneſſe a type of light. Ceremoniall Lawes were generally Typicall: not ſo Moſes his Judicialls, eſpecially thoſe which had in them morall equity.
It is Morall equity, That Blaſphemers, and Apoſtate Idolaters, ſeducing others to Idolatry, ſhould be put to death, Levit. 24.16. Deut. 13.5. Ahab forfited his owne life becauſe he did not put Benhadad to death for his blaſphemy. 1 Kings, 20.23, 28. and ver. 42. yet Benhadad was no Iſraelite, nor was his blaſphemy bleched out in the Land of Iſrael: but the externall equity of that Judiciall Law of Moſes was of morall force, and bindeth all Princes to expreſſe that zeale, and indignation, both againſt blaſphemy, in ſuch as fall under their juſt power, which Ahab neglected; and againſt ſeduction to Idolatry, which Ahab executed, or elſe Elijah, or ſome others, by his conſent.
But before I leave this diſpute, touching the meaning of thoſe words, Let them alone, let me add another Interpretation, which I ſee doth rather more ſatisfie others, and it may wel ſtand. Let them alone, is not a word of precept by way of Ordinance: But a word of permiſſion by way of Providence. God in his Providence will permit ſome or other Tares ever to be found in his Church to the laſt Judgement. Which yet he would not have his ſervants offended at: For them he will pluck up by his Angells at the laſt Harveſt.
CHAP. 28. A Reply to his 28th Chapter: VVhichWhich is a Recaptulation of what Points the Diſcuſſer ſuppoſeth, He hath proved in opening this Parable.
Defender.
The Diſcuſſer in this Chapter, is onelyonly a Rehearſer of what he conceiveth himſelfe to have evidently demonſtrated to the Conſcience, from Chap. eighteene, to this Chapter twentieight: Five Points Negatively: and Five Points Affirmatively. But becauſe what he rehearſeth hath been reverſed in the Reply to thoſe ſeverall Chapters, I will not Actum Agere, nor Dictum dicere.