The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 37
CHAP. 37. A Reply to his Chap. 37.
Diſcuſſer.
THis perplexed and ravelled Anſwer, wherein ſo many things, and ſo doubtfull are wrapped up and entangled together, I ſhall take in pieces.
1. That the Lord Jeſus in rebuking his Diſciples raſh and bloudy zeale againſt the Samaritans, did not hereby hinder the Miniſters of the Goſpel, to proceed in a Church-way againſt ſcandalous offenders, is not here queſtioned.
Defender.
Well then, this Point is none of thoſe many doubtfull things here wrapped: much leſſe is it perplexed, or ravelled, but a plaine, and confeſſed Truth. But whether the Author of that Letter ſent to me, did take it for a certaine and unqueſtioned Truth, I did not know: nor doe I yet know, unleſſe the Diſcuſſer ſpeake his mind herein, as well as his owne. Sure I am, Proſecution in a Churchway, (if the cauſe be not juſt) is as odious and dreadfull a Perſecution, as Proſecution in a Court of civill Juſtice, as hath been proved above.
Diſcuſſer.
Secondly, when the Anſwerer ſaith, much leſſe doth this Text ſpeake at all to the civill Magiſtrate: here I obſerve, that he implyeth, that beſide the cenſure of the Lord Jeſus in the hands of his ſpirituall Governours, for any ſpirituall evill, in Life or Doctrine, the civill Magiſtrate is alſo to inflict corporall puniſhment.
Defender.
This obſervation I may truly ſay is ravelled out of my Anſwer, and that ſo perplexedly, that it cannot be wound up out of my Anſwer without breaking the threed, both of my words, and meaning. It is a plaine and certaine Truth, that as the Diſciples were not civill Magiſtrates, ſo neither doth Chriſt ſpeake to them in this Reproofe as to ſuch. But it is farre from me to ſay, that it is lawfull for civill Magiſtrates to inflict corporall puniſhment upon men contrary minded, ſtanding in the ſame ſtate the Samaritans did. No ſuch thought aroſe in my heart, nor fell from my pen, either in my Anſwer to the Letter, or in any writing of mine, that it is lawfull for a Civill Magiſtrate (though he had dominion over Pagans, much leſſe if he have none) to inflict corporall puniſhments upon ſuch as are contrary minded in matters of Religion. No, theſe are ravellings of a looſe and ungirt diſputer, not the Inferences of a ſerious and ſolid Diſcuſſer. And therefore the Reaſons which he bringeth in the Sequele of this chapter, that the Magiſtrates ſhould not lay violent hands upon any (ſuch as the Samaritanes) for not receiving of the Lord Jeſus, might well have been ſpared: for they fight not againſt me, but againſt a ſhadow of his owne fancy.
But when he maketh the Fire that fell downe from Heaven, Rev. 13.13. to be the fiery Judgements and perſecutions, which the ſecond Beast perſwaded the civill Powers, to deſtroy the Saints withall, as if they were Gods juſt Judgements from Heaven upon Hereticks.
This is ſuch an Interpretation, as ravelleth the Text, and will not ſtand with the Context. For the Text ſpeaketh of it, as a great wonder, that the Beaſt ſhould make Fire to come downe from Heaven upon Earth in the ſight of men, ver. 13. But this was no wonder to cauſe civill Powers to inflict fiery Judgements of Impriſonment, Baniſhment, Death upon Hereticks; for Conſtantine had done as much before.
And the Arrian Biſhops had cauſed Conſtantius to doe as much againſt the Orthodox Saints. Beſides in the Context, ver. 15. It is expreſſely there declared as a diſtinct matter from the former, that he had Power to cauſe that as many as would not worſhip the Image of the Beaſt, ſhould he killed. This is a different effect (and recorded as different) from the former of cauſing fire to come downe from Heaven, and that, not upon the Saints, but upon Earth.