The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 29
CHAP. 29. A Reply to his twentininth Chapter, Diſcuſsing the Text in Matth. 15.14.
Letter.
The ſecond Scripture brought againſt ſuch Perſecution for Cauſe of Conſcience, is Matth 15.14. where the Diſciples being troubled at the Phariſes cariage towards the Lord Jeſus, and his Doctrine, and relating how they were offended at him, The Lord Jeſus commaundeth his Diſciples to Let them alone, and giveth this Reaſon, that the blinde lead the blinde, and both ſhould fall into the ditch.
Anſw. of the Letter.
Chriſt ſpeaketh not there to publick Officers, whether in Church or Common-wealth, but to his private Diſciples concerning the Phariſes, over whom they had no power.
And the command he giveth to Let them alone is ſpoken in regard of troubling themſelves, or regarding the offence which they tooke at the wholeſome Doctrine of the Goſpel. As who ſhould ſay, Though they be offended at this wholeſome ſaying of mine, yet doe not you feare their feare, nor be troubled at their offence, which they take at my Doctrine, not out of ſound Judgement, but out of blindneſſe. But this maketh nothing to the cauſe in hand.
Diſcuſſer.
To paſſe by this Aſſertion of the privacy of the Apoſtles, in that the Lord Jeſus, commanded to Let them alone, that is, not onelyonly to be offended themſelves, but not to meddle with them, It appeareth it was no Ordinance of God, nor of Chriſt, for his Diſciples to have gone further, and have complained to, and excited, the Civill Magiſtrate to his duty. Which if it had been an Ordinance of God, and Chriſt, either for the vindicating of Chriſts Doctrine, or the recovering of the Phariſes, or the preſerving of others from infection, the Lord Jeſus would never have commanded them to omitt that, which ſhould have tended to theſe holy ends.
Defender.
Reply 1. To paſſe by the Aſſertion of the Privacy of the Apoſtles, It is not an Act of courteſie, and loathneſſe to ſtrive, but out of defect of juſt pretence to make any colourable exception againſt it. For though the Apoſtles were called to a publique Miniſtery, Math. 10. yet it ſeemeth, not as then to a conſtant office, but to a tranſient Adminiſtration pro illa vice, for that time. Their conſtant calling required to attend continually upon Chriſts Miniſtry, to prepare and ripen them for the publique conſtant office which they were to be called to, after Chriſts Reſurrection, Acts 1.21, 22.
Beſides in that tranſient Adminiſtration they were not ſent to the Scribes and Phariſes, (who were no bitter then Wolves and Foxes,) but to the loſt ſheepe of the Houſe of Iſrael, Matth. 10.6. And therefore the Apoſtles not being ſent to the Scribes and Phariſes, they had no power over them, but ſtood as private men to them.
Reply 2. And as they had no calling, nor power to correct or cenſure them themſelves: ſo neither had they a calling to excite the civill Magiſtrate againſt them. For firſt it was no juſt cauſe for the civill Magiſtrate to puniſh the Phariſes, for that they tooke unjuſt offence againſt Chriſts wholeſome doctrine.
For neither was the doctrine it ſelfe a fundamentall truth: nor was their offence againſt it, a fundamentall errour, though it was dangerous. Beſides the civill Magiſtrates had no Law eſtabliſhed about doctrines, or offences of that nature. And therefore they could take no judiciall cognizance of any complaint preſented to them about the ſame.
Moreover our Saviour who ſent forth his Apoſtles to preach to the loſt ſheepe of the houſe of Iſrael, gave them a charge of caution to beware how they medled with Scribes and Phariſes, Behold, (ſaith he) I ſend you forth as ſheepe among wolves: Be ye therefore wiſe as ſerpents, & innocent as doves, Beware of men, &c. Mat. 10.16, 17.
The Apoſtles therefore having received this caution could not meddle with the Scribes and Phariſes, but treſpaſſe againſt this rule of ſerpentine prudence: as much as for a flocke of lambes to complaine to a kennell of wolves, of the wolves out-rage. Yea, Chriſt himſelfe was ſparing to reprove them himſelfe (though called to a publicke Miniſtery,) till the laſt yeare of his Miniſtery, when his houre was comming of departure out of the world; as knowing, they would not be able to beare it, and their exaſperation might have been ſome hinderance to the free paſſage of his Miniſtery, before his houre was come.