The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 65
CHAP. 65. A Reply to his Chap. 68. Diſcuſsing the Teſtimonies alledged from Ancient and later writers: and firſt, that of Hilary.
Diſcuſſer.
THe laſt Head of Arguments produced by the Author againſt perſecution, was from the Judgement of Antient and later Writers: to ſome of which, the Anſwerer pleaſeth to anſwer.
Defender.
Some of which? as if any of them were omitted? or as if all of them were not anſwered? compare the Priſoners Letter, and my Anſwer together, and ſee if I have balked any one of them.
Diſcuſſer.
If it be a marke of the Chriſtian Church to be perſecuted, and of the Antichriſtian or falſe Church, to perſecute, then the Churches cannot be truly Chriſtian (according to the firſt Inſtitution) which either actually themſelves, or by the civill Power of Kings and Princes given to them (or procured by them to fight for them) doe perſecute ſuch as diſcent from them, or be oppoſite againſt them.
Defender.
I ſay againe, if perſecution be properly taken for the puniſhment of the Innocent for Truth, or Righteouſneſſe ſake, it ought not to be found in a Chriſtian Church, but is uſually found in a falſe and Antichriſtian Church, but I cannot (as the Diſcuſſer doth) make it a marke of the Chriſtian Church, to be perſecuted, and a marke of a falſe Church to perſecute. For a Marke is ſuch a ſigne as belongeth, omni, ſoli, & ſemper, as a marke of the Church muſt agree to every Church, and at all times to the Church, and onelyonly to the Church. But to be perſecuted, is not found in every true Church, at leaſt not at all times: For after the converſion of Paul unto the Faith of Chriſt, the Churches had reſt throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, Acts 9.31. ſhall we ſay they were then no true Chriſtian Churches, becauſe they wanted this marke of the Church, to be perſecuted? Againe, wee read, that after the deſtruction of Antichriſt, the Churches of the Saints ſhall have reſt and rule a thouſand yeares, Revel. 20.4. Shall their freedome from perſecution, be a diſſolution of the Church-Eſtate? The like may be ſaid of the New Jeruſalem (the Churches of the Jewes, after the deſtruction of Gog, and Magog) when God ſhall wipe away all teares from their eyes, and take away Death (violent Death) ſorrow, crying, and paine, (Rev. 21.4.) ſhall they then ceaſe to be Churches, when perſecution ceaſeth?
Beſide, to perſecute is not alwayes a marke of a falſe Church: for then it would be a marke of a falſe Member of a Church, or a marke of a Member of a falſe Church: but the contrary appeareth in the example of Aſa, who perſecuted the Prophet of God for his holy Meſſage ſake, 2 Chron. 16.10. And it hath been ſhewed above, that Stephen complaineth of the perſecution of all the Prophets, Acts 7.51. And if they were perſecuted, it was by the Church of the Old Teſtament: and if therefore the Church of the Old Teſtament was falſe, God had then no Church extant upon the face of the Earth.
It is therefore a begging of the Queſtion, to affirme, that thoſe
Churches cannot be truly Chriſtian, who by themſelves, or by the Civill power of Kings, doe puniſh ſuch as diſſent from them or are oppoſite againſt them.
And indeed a double begging of the Queſtion, it is: For,
1. It beggeth that for the Queſtion, which is not the Queſtion: for it is no Queſtion, but out of Queſtion, that it is not lawfull for a Chriſtian Church, to puniſh men for diſſenting from them, or being oppoſite to them. But the Queſtion is, whether Chriſtian Magiſtrates may not puniſh Apoſtate Hereticks and Seducers, not for diſſenting from the Church, but for ſeducing from Chriſt, and blaſpheming againſt his Name. And (if you will) whether the Church may not ſtirre up the Chriſtian Magiſtrate, (after all milder helps uſed without a vaile) to doe his Duty in ſuch a caſe.
2. It is another begging of the Queſtion, to take that for granted (which is not yet proved) that it is a marke of no true Chriſtian Church to procure the civill puniſhment of incurable obſtinate Hereticks and Seducers.
Diſcuſſer.
When the Anſwerer ſaith, that to Excommunicate an Heretick is not to perſecute.
I anſwer, If the Anſwerer were throughly awaked from the Spouſes ſpirituall ſlumber (Cant. 5.) and had recovered from the Drunkenneſſe of the great Whore (who intoxicateth the Nations, Rev. 17.) It is impoſſible, that he ſhould ſo anſwer.
For who queſtioneth, whether to excommunicate an Heretick be to perſecute? Excommunication being of a ſpirituall nature, a ſentence denounced by the word of Chriſt Jeſus (the ſpirituall King of the Chureh:) and a ſpirituall killing by the two edged Sword of the Spirit, in delivering up the perſon Excommunicate unto Satan. Therefore who ſeeth not this Anſwer cometh not neere the Queſtion?
Defender.
I muſt ſtill profeſſe my ſelfe to be one of them that ſee it not. For firſt the Author of the Letter did no where expreſſe himſelfe to put any difference, neither between Church and Court, in point of cenſure for cauſe of Conſcience: nor between cauſes of Religion, whether true, or falſe. If it be unlawfull to baniſh any from the Common-wealth for cauſe of Conſcience, it is unlawfull to baniſh any from the Church for cauſe of Conſcience. The Church ought to be more tender of the Liberty of Conſcience, then the Court, as being more acquainted with the tenderneſſe of Conſcience.
Secondly, if the cenſure of a man for cauſe of Conſcience by the civill Sword, be perſecution, it is a farre greater perſecution to cenſure a man for cauſe of Conſcience, by the Spirituall Sword, by how much the more ſharp and keen the ſpirituall Sword is above the civill. Sure I am, Chriſt Jeſus reckoneth Excommunication for perſecution, Luke 21.12. They ſhall lay their hands on you, and perſecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues, and into Priſons. To deliver up into Synagogues is as much perſecution, as to deliver into Priſons. And will the Diſcuſſer then ſay, that if Chriſt had been awakened from his ſpirituall ſlumber, and from the Drunkenneſſe of the great Whore, it had been impoſſible, he ſhould have accounted Excommunication a perſecution?
Me thinks, if a ſoule were awakened unto ſpirituall ſobriety, he ſhould judge it a ſorer and a deeper affliction, to be bound with ſpirituall chaines, both in Earth and Heaven, then to be bound in materiall chaines on Earth onelyonly.
Diſcuſſer.
But Hilary his complaynt, ſpeaketh not to Excommunications, but to civill cenſures.
Defender.
Therefore my Anſwer was to him partly by proportion, partly by conceſſion. Hilary ſaid, the Chriſtian Church did not perſecute, but is perſecuted. Whereto I Anſwered,
1. That Excommunication of an Heretick is no perſecution: and therefore by proportion neither is the civill puniſhment of an Heretick perſecution; And the Reaſon in my words following reacheth both: for to perſecute is to puniſh an Innocent: But an Heretick is not an Innocent, but a culpable and damnable perſon.
2. I anſwered by conceſſion of Hilaryes words in Hilaries meaning, it is true, what Hilary ſaith, neither did the Apoſtles, nor may wee propogate Chriſtian Religion by the Sword, &c.
Diſcuſſer.
But a Chriſtian Church doth no more perſecute, then a Lilly doth ſcratch thornes, or a Lamb purſue and teare the Wolves, or a Turtle Dove doth hunt the Hawkes, or Eagles, or a chaſt modeſt virgin fight, and ſcratch like Whores and Harlots.
Defender.
If by perſecution, the Diſcuſſer meaneth (as it ſeemeth he doth) the infliction of the civill puniſhments, his ſpeech is true, and the proportion holdeth, civill puniſhments are as improper for Chriſtian Churches to inflict, as for Lillies to ſcratch Thornes, or Lambes to teare Wolves, &c.
But if the Lambes he ſpeaketh of in his compariſon, were as reaſonable, as the Lambes of Chriſt be, though they would not themſelves purſue and teare the Wolves, yet they would runne to their Shepheards (and civill Magiſtrates are the ſhepheards of all their people) to ſend out their dogs after the Wolves, to purſue and teare them. I ſee no reaſon, why the chaſt and modeſt eye of a Chriſtian Church ſhould any more ſpare, and pity a ſpirituall Adulterer, that ſeeketh to withdraw her from her ſpouſe to a falſe Chriſt, then the eye of an Holy Iſraelite was to ſpare and pitie the like Tempters in dayes of old, Deut. 13.8.