The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 72
CHAP. 72. A Reply to his Chap. 75th. Diſcuſsing a Teſtimony of Auguſtine.
Diſcuſſer.
TO begin with Auguſtine, They murther (ſaith Hee) Soules, and themſelves are afflicted in Body. They put men to everlaſting Death, and yet they complaine when themſelves are put to a temporall Death.
This Rhetoricall perſwaſion of humane wiſdome ſeemeth very reaſonable in the Eye of fleſh, and bloud: but one Scripture more prevaileth with faithfull and obedient ſoules, then thouſands of plauſible, and Eloquent ſpeeches.
Defender.
Neither this Teſtimony, nor the reſt of thoſe Ancients that follow, were alledged to prevaile with the Faith of any, further then Light of Scripture might ſhine forth in them: but onelyonly to counterpoyſe the Teſtimonies of the Ancients alledged in the Letter againſt the Truth. And the Diſcuſſer in his entrance into this chapter, is forced to acknowledge, that the cauſe wee maintaine hath more number of Votes (and I may adde, weight of Voters) then the contrary Tenent: onelyonly he putteth it off with this evaſion: that Antichriſt is too hard for Chriſt at Votes, and Numbers.
Which yet is the more to be marvelled at, that when the cauſe is about the Toleration of Hereticks, and Antichriſtians, that Antichriſt ſhould procure more Votes againſt Antichriſtians, and Chriſt to procure any Votes, though fewer for them. And it is but another evaſion, whereby he here putteth off Auguſtines ſpeech, as if it were but a Rhetoricall evaſion. Whereas indeed the weight of the ſpeech lyeth not in the Rhetorick, which is little, or none: but in the Logick, in an Argument taken from the Excellency of the ſoule above the body, and thence inferring the equity of killing the bodies of ſuch, as kill the ſoules of Gods people, and the iniquity of ſuch, as think this unequall.
But to weaken the force of this Argument, the Diſcuſſer beſtirreth himſelfe to draw up ſixe Anſwers.
1. From the large extent of ſoule-killing, which may reach to many ſinnes, that are not capitall, 1 Cor. 8.11.
2. From the diſſimilitude of bodily, and ſpirituall Death. A body being killed can dye but once: but a ſoule killed may recover.
3. From the different puniſhment, which Chriſt hath provided for ſoule-killers: to wit the two edged Sword, which cometh out of his mouth, which is able to cut downe Hereſie, and to kill the ſoules of Hereticks everlaſtingly.
4. From the toleration, which Chriſt himſelfe giveth to ſuch ſoule-killers, or ſoule-wounders, in the Parable of Tares, Matth. 13.
5. From the impoſſibility of killing any ſoule by any Heretick: not the ſoules of naturall men: for they are dead already: nor can falſe Teachers ſo much prevent the meanes of ſpirituall Life, as doth the force of a materiall Sword, either impriſoning the ſoules of men in a Nationall-State-Religion: or cutting them off immediately without any longer meanes of Repentance. Nor can there be a killing of the ſoules of men alive in Chriſt, partly by reaſon of the ſufficiency and power of Spirituall Ordinances to preſerve that Life in them againſt all Enemies.
Partly, from the Immortality of the ſpirituall Life in Chriſt, which can no more dye then Chriſt himſelfe who is alive for ever.
6. From the poſſbility of a falſe Teachers, and a Wolves recovery from the Eſtate of a ſoule-killer, to become a ſoule-ſaver, as it was in the caſe of Paul.
For a juſt Reply to all theſe, let me firſt premiſe foure things: and then ſpeake to the Arguments in Order.
1. It is not every murther of the body, that is a capitall crime, but murder executed in ſome groſſe Attempt. For he that hateth his brother is a man-ſlayer, or murderer (1 Joh. 3.15.) and yet not for that to be put to death.
2. Murder unadviſedly committed, when the Act done was not intended, is not a capitall crime: there were Cities of Refuge provided in ſuch a caſe, Ezod. 21.13.
3. The very Attempt of murder, in the abuſe of an Ordinance of God, is a capitall crime. As in a caſe, a man ſhall riſe up before a Court of Juſtice to beare falſe witneſſe againſt his Neighbour, of ſome capitall offence, this very attempt of killing his Neighbour by the abuſe of publick Juſtice, is a capitall crime, Deut. 19.18. to 21.
4. The murther of the ſoule is not the onelyonly Formalis Ratio (as they call it) the onelyonly proper cauſe of an Hereticks capitall Crime, but chiefly his bitter roote of Apoſtacie from God, not onelyonly falling off himſelfe from God, but ſeducing others to fall away from him.
Theſe foure things being premiſed, come wee now to conſider of the ſeverall Anſwers given by the Diſcuſſer to Auguſtines Argument.
His firſt Anſwer reacheth not the point: for as every killing of the body is not a capitall crime, ſo neither is every killing of the ſoule, but ſuch as is more voluntary, and preſumptuous, and joyned with ſome groſſe and murderous attempt.
His ſecond Anſwer falleth ſhort in this reſpect, that though a ſoule wounded and killed may recover againe, yet the very murderous Attempt of killing a ſoule, in abuſing an Ordinance of God, in corrupting Religion, is a capitall crime, whether the ſoule dye of that wound or no: or if it dye whether it be recovered, or no. Thine eye ſhall not ſpare him, becauſe he hath ſought to thruſt thee away from the Lord thy God, Deut 13.10. Though hee did not thruſt thee away, yet becauſe he ſought to doe it hee ſhall dye.
His third Anſwer hath been removed above. Church-cenſures are ſufficient to heale the Heretick, if he belong to God, and to remove the guilt of his wickedneſſe from the Church: but not ſufficient, to prevent his further ſpreading of the Leaven of his corruption: nor ſufficient to cleanſe the Common-wealth from the guilt of ſuch Rebellion, as hath been taught by him againſt the Lord.
His fourth Anſwer taken from Chriſts toleration of the Tares hath be en largely, and (as I conceive) fully refelled above.
His fifth Anſwer hath alſo been cleared already. If the Anſwer were good, it would evacuate not onelyonly Auguſtines Argument, but Pauls alſo, 1 Cor 8.11. Paul diſſwadeth from eating things ſacrificed to Idols in Idols Temples. The Argument to diſſwade it, is from the offence thereby given to the Conſcience of the weake: and that backed and ſtrengthned from the haynouſneſſe of the ſinne of offence to Conſcience: It is the murder, or periſhing of a weake Brothers ſoule. Now if this Anſwer of the Diſcuſſer might ſtand, it would make the Argument of the Apoſtle of none effect. For either this weake Brother is a naturall man, dead in ſinne already, and then no man can kill him: or elſe he is in Chriſt, and then his Life is immortall, and Chriſt hath provided Ordinances powerfully ſufficient to prevent or heale ſuch deadly Dangers,
It is an high preſumptuous tempting of God, and wanton treading under foote the precious ſoules of men for whom Chriſt dyed, to wound and (as much as in us lyeth) to kill the ſoules of men, upon pretence, the Lord can ſave them, and raiſe them againe by his all-ſufficient Grace. It is a putting of feare, where none is, that the puniſhment of obſtinate ſeducing Hereticks with the materiall Sword, is the impriſoning of the ſoules of men to a Nationall Religion: for if the Religion of the Nation be good, it is no Impriſonment: if naught, there ſhould be no puniſhment. And it is a like cauſleſſe Feare, that, the cutting off of Hereticks, will cut off men immediately without any longer meanes of Repentance: for if they belong to God, God will give them Repentance before they goe hence: but whether they belong to God, or no, the revealed will of God is fulfilled in their juſt Execution.
The laſt Anſwer falleth as ſhort of ſtrength, as any of the former. For if men be ſuch Wolves, and Blaſphemers as Paul was, before his Converſion, neither the Law of God or man would put ſuch an one to Death, who ſinned of ignorance, and walked (as himſelfe profeſſeth) with all good Conſcience, even in his former evill times, Acts 23.1. But as for ſuch as Apoſtate from the known Truth of Religion, and ſeeke to ſubvert the Foundation of it, and to draw away others from it, to plead for their Toleration in hope of their Converſion, is as much as to proclaime a generall pardon for all malefactors, (ſave ſuch onelyonly as ſinne againſt the Holy Ghoſt:) for he that is a wilfull murderer, and Adulterer now, may come to be converted and dye a martyr hereafter.