The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 53
CHAP. 53. A Reply to his Chap. 53, 54, and 55.
Diſcuſſer.
THe Author of the Letter proceeded to a laſt Reaſon from Scripture, to prove that the Diſciples of Chriſt ſhould be ſo farre from perſecuting, that they ought to bleſſe them that curſe them, and pray for them that perſecute them: and that becauſe of the freeneſſe of Gods grace, and deepneſſe of his Counſels, calling home them that be Enemies, perſecutors, no people, yea ſome at the laſt houre.
Ʋnto this Reaſon the Anſwerer is pleaſed thus to Reply.
Firſt, in generall, we muſt not doe evill that good may come thereof.
Secondly, in particular, he affirmeth that it is evill to tolerate ſeditious evill doers, ſeducing Teachers, ſcandalous livers; and for proofe of this, quoteth Chriſts Reproofe of the Angels of Pergamus, and Thyatira, for tolerating Balaam, and Jezabel, to teach, and ſeduce, Revel. 2.14.20.
Defender.
The Diſcuſſer forgetteth himſelfe, through Incogitancy, (if not through guile) when he maketh this to have been my firſt Reply, that we muſt not doe evill that good may come thereof. For he is not ignorant, that I gave two Anſwers, (or Replyes as he calleth them) before, in the ſame place.
Firſt, when Chriſt commandeth his Diſciples to bleſſe them that curſe them, and perſecute them, he giveth not therein a Rule to publick Officers, whether in Church, or Common-wealth, to ſuffer notorious ſinners, either in Life or Doctrine, to paſſe away with a Bleſſing: but to private Chriſtians, to ſuffer perſecution patiently, yea and to pray for their Perſecutors.
Againe, it is true, Chriſt would have his Diſciples to be farre from perſecuting, (for perſecution is a wicked oppreſſion of men for Righteouſneſſe ſake:) but that hindereth not, but that he would have them execute upon all Diſobedience, the Judgement and vengeance required in the Word, 2 Cor. 10.6. Rom. 13.4.
Both theſe Anſwers the Diſcuſſer paſſeth over in ſilence. For looke, as Children where they cannot read, thinke it beſt to skip over: ſo men of riper yeares, when they are loath to ſtoop to the Authority of the Truth, they thinke it beſt to paſſe it over in ſilence. But what is it, the Diſcuſſer is pleaſed to anſwer to?
Diſcuſſer.
In this Propoſition, [that it is evill to tolerate notorious evill doers, ſeducing Teachers, ſcandalous livers:] I obſerve two evills.
Firſt, that this Propoſition is too large and generall, becauſe the Rule admitteth of exception, and that according to the will of God.
Defender.
And to prove that this generall Propoſition admitteth ſome exception, the Diſcuſſer ſpendeth the reſt of this 53. chapter: as alſo the 54th. chapter, and 55th.
But becauſe I would not ſpend time, nor weary the Reader with following the Diſcuſſer in impertinent, and copious digreſſions, I returne briefly this Reply.
Firſt, it is wholly impertinent, whatſoever the Diſcuſſer is pleaſed to diſcourſe of Gods permiſſion, or toleration of any evill.
For firſt, God is his owne Rule, and what he doth is good, becauſe he doth it. Not his Act, but his word, is a Rule to us. He may tolerate Cain, a Murtherer to live; but that is no precedent to a Civill Magiſtrate.
Secondly, I willingly grant, it may be lawfull for a Civill Magiſtrate, to tolerate notorious evill doers in two caſes, under which, all the Examples will fall, which the Diſcuſſer alleadgeth in any word of Truth.
As firſt, in regard of the efficient cauſe of puniſhing; when the Magiſtrates hand is too weake and feeble, and the offendors Adherents ſo great and ſtrong, that Juſtice cannot be done upon him, without manifeſt perill to the whole State, there the Magiſtrate may tolerate a notorious evill, even murther it ſelfe, as David upon this ground did tolerate in Joab and Abiſhai, the murther of Abner. 2 Sam. 3.39.
And ſecondly, in regard of the finall cauſe, an evill may be tolerated to prevent other greater evills: As Moſes tolerated divorce of unpleaſing Wives, to prevent the murder, or other hard and cruell uſage of them.
In either of theſe caſes, I would not deny but a murderer may be tolerated: if either the Magiſtrate want ſufficient Power, with ſafety of the State, to cut him off: or if a forraine State be ſo affected and addicted to the Murderer, that in caſe the Magiſtrate here cut off him, they will cut off ſundry of our innocent and neceſſary members, whom they have gotten into their cuſtody in revenge of him.
And if either of theſe be the caſe, I eaſily grant that it is not evill to tolerate a notorious ſeducing falſe Teacher, or other ſcandalous liver: But ſuch an extraordinary doth not hinder the due largeneſſe, and generality of the Propoſition, that it is evill to tolerate ſeditious evill doers, ſeducing Teachers, ſcandalous Livers. As in a paralell caſe, this Propoſition is not too large, nor too generall, it is evill to tolerate a bloudy murderer: notwithſtanding in ſome caſes (ſuch as have been named, but thoſe are extraordinary) it may be lawfull to tolerate him.
Now that in ordinary caſes, it is not lawfull to tolerate a ſeducing falſe Teacher, the Commandement of God is cleare, and ſtrong, Deut. 13.8, 9. Thine eye ſhall not pity him, neither ſhalt thou ſpare him, neither ſhalt thou conceale him, but thou ſhalt ſurely kill him.
If the Diſcuſſer ſhall except, that ſtrict Commandement was in force in Iſrael, becauſe their Land was typically holy, or their Magiſtrates were Types of Chriſt.
The Reply is plaine and juſt, God himſelfe alledgeth no ſuch reaſon of his Law: But another quite different, but common with them to all Nations, profeſſing the worſhip of the true God, Thou ſhalt put him to death, becauſe he ſought to thruſt thee away from the Lord thy God, ver. 10.
Neither can any inſtance be given of any Capitall Law of Moſes, but is of Morall, (that is of generall, and perpetuall) Equity, in all Nations, in all Ages, Capitalia Moſis Politica ſunt aeterna.