The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 74
CHAP. 74. A Reply to his Chap. 77.
Diſcuſſer.
AS for. Calvine, Beza, and Aretius, mine Anſwer is, ſince matter of fact and opinion are barely related by the Anſwerer without their grounds, (whoſe grounds notwithſtanding, in this Booke are Anſwered) If Paul himſelfe were joyned with them, yea or an Angel from Heaven, bringing any other Rule, then what the Lord Jeſus hath once delivered, wee have Paules Concluſion, and Reſolution, peremptory, and dreadfull, Gal. 1.8.
Defender.
That I onelyonly quoted the Names of thoſe bleſſed men of God, It was partly becauſe it was enough to counterpoiſe the Names of Authors alledged by the Letter againſt the Truth, by the Names of greater and more holy men of God, for the Truth: partly alſo, becauſe if I had quoted their grounds, I muſt have tranſcribed their whole Bookes of the Argument. Calvines diſcourſe about it, againſt Servetus, is bound up in his Opuſcula. Beza his. Booke de Haceticis a Magiſtratù puniendis, is bound up alſo in his Opuſcula: but both of them too large by me to be coppyed, and to ſtrong and accurate, by them of the adverſe part to be refuted. Aretius, a like ſolid writer, may ſooner be ſhifted off, then ſifted to Branne. But it ſeemeth, if Paul himſelfe had joyned with them in the like fulneſſe of expreſſions, himſelfe ſhould rather have been accurſed by the Diſcaſſer, then his Doctrine accepted. Which ſeemeth to me a ſtrange both prejudice, and prefidence met together. For ſince God layd his charge upon Magiſtrates in the Old-Teſtament, to puniſh Seducers, & the Lord Jeſus never tooke this charge off in the New-Teſtament, who is this Diſcuſſer, that he ſhould account Paul himſelfe, or an Angell from Heaven accurſed, that ſhould leave this charge ſtill upon Magiſtrates, which God layed on, and Chriſt never tooke off? That Argument from the Parable Let both grow together to the Harveſt is not at all expounded in the Interpretation, Let Seducers be ſuffered to live in the world till the laſt Judgement. And how weake a Foundation that is, to caſt a curſe upon a choſen Apoſtle, or upon an holy Angell, I hope hath been cleared in diſcuſſing that Text.
Diſcuſſer.
Let me finiſh the whole, by propoſing one Concluſion of the Author of the arguments in the Letter, viz. It is no prejudice to the Commonwealth, if Liberty of Conſcience were ſuffered to ſuch, as feare God indeed.
Abraham abode a long time amongſt the Canaanites: though contrary to them in Religion &c. So did Iſaac: ſo did Jacob twentie yeares with his Ʋncle Laban.
So the People of Iſrael were about foure and thirty yeares in Aegypt: and afterwards ſeventie in Babylon, differing from Religion in both States.
Come to the time of Chriſt, Iſrael lived under the Romans, and divers Sects in Iſrael, beſides Chriſt, and his Apoſtles &c. All theſe lived under Caeſars Government, being nothing hurtfull to the Common-wealth, giving to Caeſar, that which was his. And for their Religion, he left them to themſelves, as having no Dominion over their ſoules and Conſciences. And when the enemies of the Truth raiſed up any tumults, the wiſdome of the Magiſtrates moſt wiſely appeaſed them, Acts. 18.14. and 19.35. Ʋnto this, the Anſwerer returneth thus much:
It is true, That without prejudice to the Common-wealth, Liberty of Conſcience may be ſuffered to ſuch as feare God indeed: as knowing they will not perſiſt in Hereſie, or turbulent Schiſme, when they are convinced in Conſcience of the ſinfulneſſe thereof
But the Queſtion is whether an Heretick after once or twice Admonition (and ſo after conviction) or any other ſcandalous and heynous Offender, may be Tolerated either in the Church, without Excommunication: or in the Common-wealth without ſuch puniſhment, as may preſerve others from dangerous and damnable infection