The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 7 – Chapter 8
CHAP. 7. A Reply to his ſeventh Chapter: Diſcuſſing what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practiſe in an Arrogant and impetuous way tending of it ſelfe to the diſturbance of the Civill Peace.
HERE 2. Things he complaineth of, 1. That I have not declared what this Arrogant and impetuous way is: 2. That he cannot but expreſſe his ſad and ſorrowfull obſervation, how it pleaſeth God to leave me, to take up the Common Reproachfull Accuſation of the Accuſer of Gods Children, That they are arrogant and impetuous.
Defender
I did not thinke it needfull to declare what an Arrogant and Impetuous way was, ſeeing his Requeſt was, not that I ſhould compile a diſcourſe of mine owne: but that I ſhould returne an Anſwer to the Letter of his friend. And it is an Anſwerers part not to Expatiate into declarations, but diſtinctly and cloſely to remove Objections. Beſides himſelfe is not ignorant of this point, nor needeth to be taught, what an Arrogant, and impetuous way is. For he himſelfe telleth us (in his 8th Chapter) That the Civill Peace may be broken by holding forth a Doctrine or practiſe, with rayling or reviling, daring or challenging ſpeeches (which is a way of Arrogancy:) or with force of Armes, Swords, Gunns &c.; which is a way of Impetuouſneſſe.
But if it be deſired that I ſhould declare my ſelf herein, thus breily take it. He holdeth forth an erronious Doctrine, or Practiſe, in an Arrogant and Impetuous way, not onelyonly who carrieth it in a reviling and daring way (which is a diſturbance to Civill Peace:) But alſo he who refuſeth to ſubject his ſpirit to the ſpirit of the Prophets in a holy Church of Chriſt (contrary to 1 Cor. 14.32.) which is a diſturbance to the peace of the Church. And withall, he that ſhall oppoſe ſuch as diſſent from his Errors, either by violent meanes (as the Circumcellians did by Clubbs, and Swords, and as Zedekiah did Micajah with Fiſts, 1 Kings, 22.24.) or by cenſorious reproaches, and by rejecting Communion with them even before conviction, or admonition, all theſe are wayes of Arrogance, and Imperuouſneſſe, and tend to the diſturbance either of civill, or of Church Peace, or of both.
But for the 2. His ſad and ſorrowfull Obſervation, that God hath left me to take up the common reproachful Accuſation of the Children of God, as if they were Arrogant, and Impetuous in their way, upon what ground the Diſcuſſer taketh this up, I confeſſe I cannot Imagine, unleſſe, Conſcius ipſe ſibi, de ſe put at omnia dici.
There is not the leaſt jot or tittle in my Letter, that applyeth this Accuſation of Arrogance, or impetuouſneſſe to any of the Children of God at all. Nor had I the leaſt thought of himſelfe, when I wrote that Letter, who (for ought I can remember) did then keepe communion with all his Brethren, and held loving acquaintance with my ſelfe.
As for theſe ſix Caſes he ſpeaketh of (or rather, wayes) wherein the Children of God have oppoſed the ſtreame of the times, and have there upon been taxed as Arrogant and impetuous Troublers of the State, & yet were none ſuch, I willingly allow them to ſtand good, ſave onelyonly they might as well be reduced to 2. or 3. Heads, as branched out into 6. But howſoever, they are nothing pertinent to the Point in hand: none of them being wayes of Arrogancy, nor Impetuouſneſſe, but of well Ordered, and Chriſtian faithfulneſſe, and Magnanimity. If any of them did put forth acts of Impetuous violence, (as Elijah did in putting the Prophets of Baall to death 1 King. 18.40.) It was done by vertue of an extraordinary calling, or elſe by the conſent of the King and people then preſent.
Beſides as none of the fix wayes wherein the Meſſengers of God walked againſt the ſtreame of the times, were wayes of Arrogance, and impetuouſneſſe, ſo much leſſe were theſe holy men of God Impetuous, in holding forth any Error, or evill practiſe, which is the Point in hand.
CHAP. 8. Some what more of holding forth Error in a way of Arrogance, and Impetuouſneſſe.
Diſcuſſer.
The Diſtinction now in Diſcuſſion concerneth not Truth and Error, but the manner of holding forth, or divulging.
Defender.
The diſtinction doth expreſly ſpeake of holding forth things Erroneous and unlawfull, either in a meeke and peaceable way, or with ſuch Arrogance and Impetuouſneſſe, as tendeth and reacheth (even of it ſelfe) to the diſturbance of Civill Peace. And therefore it cannot be ſaid with truth, that the diſtinction concerneth not Truth and Error; The diſtinction expreſly concerneth both the ſinfull matter held forth [things erroneous and unlawfull] and the ſinfull manner of holding them forth, with ſuch Arrogance and impetuouſneſſe, as tendeth to the diſturbance of Civill Peace.
Diſcuſſer.
I Acknowledge ſuch may be the way, and manner of holding forth (either with railing or reviling, daring or challenging, ſpeeches, or with force of Armes, Swords, Gunns, Priſons &c.) that it may not onelyonly tend to breake, but may actually breake the Civill Peace.
Defender.
Then the diſtinction is acknowledged to have a reall Truth in it. what lacketh it yet, but that it may ſtand?
Diſcuſſer.
Yet thoſe inſtances (to wit thoſe 6. mentioned in Chap. 7.) are Caſes of great Oppoſition and Spirituall Hoſtility, and Occaſions of the breach of the Civill Peace: yet the matter and manner pure, holy, peaceable and inoffenſive.
Defender.
Then theſe ſix inſtances doe nothing concerne the diſtinction in hand, which ſpeaketh of holding forth for the matter things Erroneous, and unlawfull: and for the manner in a diſturbant way to Civill Peace. But it ſeemeth if ſomething, if any thing, (though nothing to purpoſe) be ſaid in the Diſcuſſion of a diſtinction, it may goe for a Diſcuſſion.
Diſcuſſer.
Moreover I anſwer, That it is poſſible, and common for Perſons of ſoft and gentle nature and ſpirits, to hold out falſhood with more ſeeming meekneſſe, and Peaceableneſſe, then the Lord Jeſus or his ſervants did or doe hold forth the everlaſting Goſpel; So that the Anſwerer would be requeſted to explaine, what he meaneth by this Arrogant and Impetuous holding forth of any Doctrine, which very manner of holding tendeth to break the Civill Peace, and cometh under the Cogniſance, and Correction of the Civill Magiſtrate &c.
Diſcharge.
Himſelfe hath ſaid it, and done it already in this Chapter, and I have done the ſame, (ſomewhat more largely) in the Chapter next foregoing.