The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 6
CHAP. 6. A Reply to his ſixth Chapter Diſcuſsing Civill peace, and the Diſturbance of it.
IN this Chapter, the Diſcuſſer undertaketh to declare what Civill peace is, and to ſhew, that the Toleration of different Religions, is no Diſturbance of Civill Peace.
Firſt, for Civill peace, what is it, ſaith he, but Pax Civitatis, whether Engliſh, or Iriſh, Spaniſh or Turkiſh City.
Reply.
Be it ſo, and if the Civill State, or Common-wealth containe many Citties, or Townes, and ſo become a whole Countrey or Common-wealth, let Civill Peace be the peace of the Countrey, or of the Common-wealth. But what is then the peace of the Citty, or Countrey? Is it not Tranquillitas Ordinis the tranquility of order in every Society, wherein the Publicke Weale of the Citty, or Countrey is concerned? And is it not the proper worke of the Civill Magiſtrate to preſerve the Civill Peace, and to prevent or reforme the diſturbance of the Tranquility or Peace of any ſuch Societyes, in whoſe Peace, the Peace or Weale of the Citty or Society is concerned? Suppoſe a Society of Merchants or Cloathyers, or Fiſhmongers, or Drapers, or the like: If the Weale of the Citty or Countrey be concerned in theſe, (as it is much concerned in them all): It is not for the ſafety of the Civill Sate to ſuffer any of theſe ſo to be diſturbed, as wholely to breake up, and to be diſſolved.
No matter (ſaith the Diſcuſſer) though they doe wholly breake up into peices and diſſolve into nothing. For nevertheleſſe the Peace of the Citty is not thereby in the leaſt meaſure impaired or diſturbed: becauſe the Eſſence or being of the Citty is Eſſentially diſtinct from thoſe particular Societyes &c. The Citty was before them, and ſtandeth abſolute and Entire, when they are taken downe &c.
Reply.
If by Peace be meant (as in Scripture Language it is) all welfare, It would argue a man that liveth in the world, to be too much Ignorant of the ſtate of the world, to ſay that in the breaking up and diſſolving of ſuch perticular Societyes, the Peace of the Citty or Countrey is not in the leaſt meaſure impaired, or diſturbed.
For 1. Though ſuch Societyes of Merchants and other Trades, be not of the Eſſence of the Citty; yet they be of the integrety of the Citty. And if the defect of one Tribe in Iſrael was a great trouble to all the Common-wealth of Iſrael (Judges, 21.2, 3.) then ſure the breaking up and diſſolving of ſo many particular uſefull Societyes cannot but much impaire and diſturbe the Peace and wellfare of the Citty and Countrie.
2. Though theſe Societyes of Trades be not of the Eſſence of the Citty, yet they are amongſt the conſervant cauſes of the Citty: as without which the Citty cannot long flouriſh, no nor well ſubſiſt. Common ſenſe will acknowledge ſo much.
Now then if all theſe particular Societyes and ſeverall Companyes of Trades, they and their peace and wellfare doe much concerne the wellfare and peace of the Citty and Countrey, and therefore it behooveth the Civill Government to provide for their peace and wellfare: I demand, whether the Church alſo, (which is a particular Society of Chriſtians) whether, I ſay, the Peace and wellfare of it, doe not concerne the Peace and wellfare of the Citty or Countrey where they live?
If it be denyed it is Eaſily proved:
Firſt, David ſaith they ſhall proſper that love the Peace of Jeruſalem, and ſeeke the good of it; Pſalm. 122.6. &c. And Solomon ſaith, where the Righteous rejoyce there is great Glory, Pro. 28.12. And what is the Church, but a Congregation of Righteous men? If the Rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation, ſurely the diſturbing, and diſtracting, and diſſolving of the Church, is the ſhame and Confuſion of a Nation.
2. Conſider the Excellency and Preheminence of the Church above all other Societyes. She is the faireſt amongſt women, Cant. 1.8. and 6.1. She is the Citty and Houſe of God, Revel. 21.2. Pſal. 48.1.1. Tim. 3.15. The world and all the Societyes of it, are for the Church, 1 Cor. 3.21, 22. The world would not ſubſiſt, but for the Church: nor any Countrey in the world, but for the ſervice of the Church. And can the Church then breake up, into peices, and diſſolve into nothing, and yet the Peace and wellfare of the Citty, not in the leaſt meaſure impaired or diſturbed?
3. It is a matter of juſt diſpleaſure to God, and ſad greife of heart to the Church, when Civill States looke at the eſtate of the Church, as of little, or no concernment to themſelves. Zach. 1.15. Lament. 1.12.
Object 1. Many glorious and flouriſhing Cittyes of the world maintaine their Civill Peace: yea the very Americans, and wildeſt Pagans, keep the Peace of their Townes, and Cittyes, though neither in the one, nor in the other can any man prove a true Church of God in theſe places.
Anſw. It is true, where the Church is not, Cittyes and Townes may enjoy ſome meaſure of Civill Peace, yea and flouriſh in outward proſperity for a time, through the Patience and Bounty and Long-ſufferance of God. The times of Jgnorance God winketh at Act. 17.30. But when the Church cometh to be Planted amongſt them, If then Civill States doe neglect them, & ſuffer the Churches to corrupt, and annoy themſelves by pollutions in Religion, the the ſtaffe of the Peace of the Common-wealth will ſoone be broken, as the Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches. The Common-wealth of Rome flouriſhed five hundred yeares before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongſt them: and the decayes of the Common-wealth occaſioned by the perſecutions of the Church, were Repaired by the Publick eſtabliſhment of the Churches peace in Chriſtian Emperors. But when the Churches begun to pollute themſelves by the Idolatrous worſhip of Images, and the Chriſtian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abuſe in Churches, the Lord ſent in (amongſt other barberous nations) the Turkes to puniſh, not onelyonly degenerate Churches, but alſo the Civill State for this wickedneſſe. And therefore the Holy Ghoſt upbraideth them for their continuance in Image worſhip, though the Turke were let looſe from the River Euphrates, to ſcourge them for it, Rev. 9.14.20. Goe now, and ſay, the eſtate of the Church whether true, or falſe, (pure or corrupt) doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate.
Object. 2. The Peace of the Church (whether true or falſe) is ſpirituall, and ſo of an higher and farre different nature from the peace of the Countrey, or People, which is meerely and Eſſentially Civill and humane.
Anſ. 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be ſpirituall and heavenly: yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them (even from Princes and Magiſtrates) in a way of godlineſſe and honeſty, 1. Tim. 2.1.2. But in a way of ungodlineſſe, and Idolatry, it is an wholeſome faithfulneſſe to the Church if Princes trouble the outward peace of the Church, that ſo the Church finding themſelves wounded and pricked in the houſe of their friends, they may repent, and returne to their firſt Husband, Zach. 13.6. Hoſea. 2.6.7.
Anſ. 2. Though the peace of the Countrey or Common-wealth be Civill and humane, yet it is diſtracted and cutt off, by diſturbing the ſpirituall purity, and peace of the Church. Jehu cutting ſhort his Reformation, God cutt ſhort the coaſts of the Civill State. 2 King. 10.31.32.
Anſ. 3. Civill Peace (to ſpeake properly) is not onelyonly a peace in civill things, for the Object; but a peace of all the perſons of the Citty, for the Subject. The Church is one Society in the Citty, as well as is the Society, of Merchants, or Drapers, Fiſhmongers, and Haberdaſhers, and if it be a part of Civill Juſtice, out of regard to Civill Peace, to protect all other Societyes in peace according to the wholeſome Ordinances of their Company, is it not ſo, much more to protect the Church-Society in peace, according to the wholeſome Ordinances of the Word of Chriſt?