The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 33
CHAP. 33.
Diſcuſſer.
IT is truth, The miſchiefe of a blind Phariſes blind guidance, is greater then if he acted treaſons, murders, &c. And the loſſe of one ſoule by his ſeduction, is a greater miſchiefe, then if he blew up Parliaments, or cut the throats of Kings and Emperours, &c.
And therefore a firme juſtice, that requires an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, life for life, calleth alſo ſoule for ſoule. But that no civill ſword can inflict, but the Lord Jeſus onelyonly.
Defender.
Reply 1. But he that corrupteth a ſoule with a corrupt religion, or worſhip, layeth a ſpreading leaven, which corrupteth the State. The Idolatry began in the Houſe of Micah, corrupted Laiſh, Judges chap. 17. and chap. 18. And that was the beginning of ſinne to the Daughter of Zion, Micah 1.13. And that Apoſtacy was the captivity of the Land. As in the New-Teſtament, the worſhip of Images was the advancement of the Turkes, and the ruine of Chriſtian States, Rev. 9.14. to 21. When therefore the corruption, or deſtruction of ſoules, is a deſtruction alſo of lives, liberties, eſtates of men, lex talionis calleth for, not onelyonly ſoule for ſoule, but life for life.
Reply 2. Falſe Prophets in the Old-Teſtament did but corrupt the ſoules of ſome, and it may be did not corrupt them neither, but attempted it onelyonly. And yet amongſt Gods people, where lex talionis was much attended, the Law was, Thine eye ſhall not ſpare him, Deut. 13. The reaſon of which execution is not fetched from any typicall holineſſe of the Land: but from the dangerous wickedneſſe of the attempt, to thruſt away a ſoule from God, which is a greater injury, then to deprive a man of bodily life.
Diſcuſſer.
But dead men cannot die, nor be infected. Naturall men, the civill State, the world, are dead in ſinne, &c.
Defender.
Reply 1. Dead men may be made worſe, by corrupt Teachers, two-fold more the children of hell then before, Matth. 23.15. And therefore ſuch as ſo corrupt them, are worthy in a way of due proceeding of a two-fold death.
Reply 2. Such as profeſſe the truth of the Doctrine and Worſhip of Chriſt, they live a kind of ſpirituall life, though not ſuch as accompanieth ſalvation. Elſe how are falſe Teachers, and ſuch as are led by them, ſaid to be twice dead, plucked up by the roots? Jude ver. 12. And therefore it is not true, that ſuch as being in a naturall ſtate, are dead in ſinne, annot be infected, nor die againe.
Diſcuſſer.
As in the common infection of the plague, ſo in the infection of hereſie, none can be ſtrucke deadly, but whom God hath thereunto ordained, &c.
Defender.
Reply 1. No more can any man be murthered, but whom God hath ordained thereunto. But it is a prophane ſacriledge to excuſe, or alleviate the puniſhment of ſinne by Gods eternall predeſtination. Was the ſinne of Herod, or the Jewes, or of Pontius Pilate any whit the leſſe, becauſe they did nothing againſt Chriſt, but what the hand of God and his Counſell had fore-determined to be done? Acts 4.29. Sure it is, Chriſt aggravateth the ſinne of Judas, and of the High-Prieſts, and Elders of the Jewes by this Argument, that Pilate could doe nothing againſt him, but as it was given him from above. Therefore (ſaith he) he that delivered me to thee, hath the greater ſinne, John 19.11.
Reply 2. The Diſcuſſer himſelfe acknowledgeth, That though in a common plague or infection, none are ſmitten, or die, but ſuch as are ordained thereunto: yet it is not onelyonly every mans duty, but the common duty of the Magiſtrates to prevent infection, and to preſerve the common health of the place, by removing infectious perſons into ſolitary tabernacles.
Diſcuſſer.
True: but the meanes, God hath appointed for preſervation from ſpirituall infection and perdition, are ſpirituall, ſuch as God directeth to Rev. 2. Tit. 3.10, 11. Rom. 16.17. But the Lord Jeſus never appointed the civill ſword for either Antidote, or Remedy, as an addition to thoſe Spirituals. The Remedy which God preſeribed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus, It were a Babyloniſh confuſion to interpret it, as ſent to the Governour of the City of Pergamus.
Defender.
Subordinata, and ſo Coordinata non pugnant. It is true, Chriſt hath appointed ſpirituall meanes for the avoiding and preventing the infection of hereſies; ſo hath he alſo for the preventing and avoiding all offences in Church-members. But that hindreth not the lawfull and neceſſary uſe of a civill ſword for the puniſhment of ſome ſuch offences, as are ſubject to Church-cenſure. If indeed the Ordinances of Chriſt in the Church doe prevaile to the avoiding and healing of hereſies, there is no need of the civill ſword for that end. But it often falleth out otherwiſe: as
1. That when the Church hath caſt out an Heretick, yet he ſtill remaineth obſtinate, and proceedeth to ſeduce, and deſtroy the faith of ſome, (it may be of many:) as did Hymeneus and Philetus, 2 Tim. 2.17, 18. If the Magiſtrates ſword doe here ruſt in the ſcabberd, ſuch leaven may leaven the whole Maſſe of a City, or Countrey; As by this meanes Arrianiſme leavened the world by the indulgence of Conſtantius; Ingemuit Orbis Chriſtianus, & miratus eſt factum ſe eſſe Arrianum.
2. It may be the Heretick was never any member of the Church, and then though the Church may lay in ſome Antidotes, and Purges, to preſerve, or recover their Members: yet how ſhall they ſuccour ſuch as are not ſubject to their cenſures? Or how ſhall they prevent the ſpreading of this noiſome leprofie in private Conventicles?
But the Lord Jeſus never appointed the civill ſword for an Antidote, or Remedy in ſuch a caſe.
Anſw. It is evident the civill ſword was appointed for a remedy in this caſe, Deut. 13. And appointed it was, by that Angell of Gods preſence, whom God promiſed to ſend with his people, as being unwilling to goe along with them himſelfe, Exod. 33.2, 3. And that Angell was Chriſt, whom they tempted in the wilderneſſe, 1 Cor. 10.9. And therefore it cannot truely be ſaid, that the Lord Jeſus never appointed the civill ſword for a remedy in ſuch a caſe. For he did expreſſely appoint it in the Old-Teſtament: nor did he ever abrogate it in the New. The reaſon of the Law, (which is the life of the Law) is of eternall force and equity in all Ages. Thou ſhult ſurely kill him, becauſe be hath ſought to thruſt thee away from the Lord thy God, Deut. 13.9, 10. This reaſon is of morall, that is, of univerſall and perpetuall equity to put to death any Apoſtate ſeducing Idolater, or Heretick, who ſeeketh to thruſt away the ſoules of Gods people, from the Lord their God. If Magiſtrates be the Miniſters of God in the New-Teſtament, (as Paul calleth them, Rom. 13.4.) And Miniſters of God to execute vengeance on him that doeth evill, ſurely either this is no evill, (to ſeeke to thruſt away Gods people from him) or the Magiſtrate beareth not the ſword in vaine, to execute vengeance on ſuch an evill doer. Yea but ſuch an evill, is evill onelyonly to the inner man, not to the civill State
Anſw. But if a man imagine evill againſt the Lord, it is a deſtructive evill to a whole City, yea to a Pagan City: and God will viſit ſuch an evill with ſuch an affliction, as ſhall be no leſſe then utter deſtruction to ſuch a City: It ſhall not riſe up the ſecond time, Nahum 1.9.11.
Diſcuſſer.
But the eivill Magiſtrate hath his charge of the bodies and goods of the Subject; as the Spirituall-Officers of Chriſts City or Kingdome, have the charge of their ſoules, and ſoule-ſafety.
Defender.
Reply 1. If it were true, That the Magiſtrate hath charge onelyonly of the bodies and goods of the Subject: yet that might iuſtly excite to watchfulneſſe againſt ſuch pollutions of Religion as tend to Apoſtacy. For if the Church and People of God, fall away from God, God will viſit the City and Countrey with publicke calamity, if not captivity for the Churches ſake. The Idolatry and Image-worſhip of Chriſtians, brought in the Turkiſh captivity upon the Cities and Countryes of Aſia, and upon ſome of Europe alſo, as hath been ſhewed above.
Reply 2. It is a carnall and worldly, and indeed, an ungodly imagination, to confine the Magiſtrates charge, to the bodies, and goods of the Subiect, and to exclude them from the care of their ſoules. Did ever God commit the charge of the body to any Governours, to whom, he did not commit (in his way) the care of ſoules alſo? Hath God committed to Parents the charge of their childrens bodies, and not the care of their ſoules? To Maſters the charge of their ſervants bodies, and not of their ſoules? to Captaines the charge of their ſouldiers bodies, and not of their ſoules? ſhall the Captaines ſuffer falſe worſhip, yea idolatry, publickly profeſſed and practiſed in the campe, and yet looke to proſper in the Battell? The Magiſtrates to whom God hath committed the charge of bodies, and outward man of the Subiect, are they not alſo to take care to procure faithfull Teachers to be ſent amongſt them? Jehoſaphat tooke faithfull care for the ſoules of his people in this kind, 2 Chron. 17.7, 8, 9. Neither did he this as a Type of Chriſt, but as a Servant of Chriſt. Thoſe things are ſaid to be done as Types of Chriſt, which being ceremoniall duties, were afterwards done by Chriſt in his owne Perſon, and ſo were in him accompliſhed, and aboliſhed: And it would be ſacriledge to performe the ſame after him. But let the conſcience of any ſincere Chriſtian iudge, whether it would be ſacriledge in a godly Magiſtrate, to procure the ſending forth of godly Preachers into all the blind corners of his countrey? The truth is, Church-Governous, and civill-governours doe herein ſtand paralell one to another. The Chuch-Governours though to them be chiefely committed the charge of ſoules, as their adaequate obiects: yet in order to the good of the ſoules of their people, to dehort from idleneſſe, negligence, from intemperancy in meates and drinkes, from oppreſſion, and deceit, and therein provide both for the health of their bodies, and the ſafety of their eſtates. So civill-governours though to them be chiefely committed the bodies and goods of the people (as their adaequate obiect:) yet in order to this, they may and ought to procure ſpirituall helpes to their ſoules, and to prevent ſuch ſpirituall evills, as that the proſperity of Religion amongſt them might advance the proſperity of the civill State.
Reply 3. I cannot but with griefe obſerve the ſinfull guile of the Diſcuſſer: who whileſt he taketh off all charges of ſoules from the civill Magiſtrates, and layeth it upon Church-Governours, he taketh it off from Church-Governours too, that ſo the whole charge of precious ſoules (for whom Chriſt dyed) might utterly fall to the ground. For how ſhall Church-Governours take the charge of ſoules upon them, if there be no Church-Governours? And how ſhall there be Church-Governours, where there be no Churches? If Churches be all diſſipated and rooted out from the face of the Earth by the Apoſtacy of Antichriſt, and none to be gathered againe, till new Apoſtles or Evangeliſts be ſent abroad for ſuch a worke, then there be now neither Churches, nor Church-Governours, nor Church-cenſures, either to cenſure Hereticks, or to fetch in thoſe ſtray ſoules whom they have ſcatter'd. And then rejoyce yee Hereticks, and all yee Idolaters, and Seducers, and goe on, and make havock of the ſheep of Chriſt like ravenous Wolves: you may now doe it (impunè) without feare or danger; It is neither for Civill Governours, nor Church-Governours to meddle with you; Not for Civill Governours, for they are not to judge nor puniſh in matters of Religion: Nor for Church-Governours, for there are neither Churches, nor Church-Governours extant now upon the face of the Earth. But woe be to you poore ſheepe and Lambes of Chriſt Jeſus: you are now indeed truly become the ſheep of the ſlaughter, your Poſſeſſours may ſlay you, and plead themſelves not guilty, (Zach. 11.4, 5.) not guilty before the Civill Barre: for their crime is exempted from civill cognizance: not guilty before the Churches Tribunall: for there be no Churches to call them to account.