The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 78
CHAP. 78. A Reply to his Chap. 81.
Defender.
TO the laſt Chapter of the Diſcuſſer, I thinke it not worth the while to ſpeake any thing: it conſiſting cheifly of the Diſcuſſers ſelfe-applauſes and vaine-glorious Triumphs; As that he knoweth, That the God, the Spirit, and Prince, the Angells of peace, and that all the true awaked ſonnes of peace will call the Truth (be meaneth this Doctrine of Toleration held forth by himſelfe) bleſſed:
That the contemplations thereof are ſweet and pretious: but Ob how ſweet the actions, and Fruitions!
That theſe lips of Truth (to wit, diſtilling in his Pen) drop as the honey Combe: Honey and milke are under her Tongue: and oh that theſe drops, theſe ſtreames might flow without interruption?
OnelyOnly one paſſage of his glorious boaſting, I may not let paſſe, without ſome Animad verſion becauſe the Name of Chriſt is intereſted in it, and diſhonoured by it.
Diſcuſſer.
Were I (ſaith he) beleived in this, That Chriſt is not delighted with the bloud of men, (but ſhed his owne bloud for his bloudyeſt enemies:) That by the word of Chriſt, No man for gainſaying Chriſt, or joyning with his enemy Antichriſt, ſhould be moleſted with the Civill ſword: were this foundation laid, and the Magna Charta of higheſt Liberties, and good ſecurity given on all hands for the preſervation of it, How ſoone would every Brow and Houſe be ſtuck with Olive Branches?
Whether this be not to Conclude with confident perſwaſion (the ſame, and farre greater then that which he noted in me, even now) I matter not. Let him reſerve concluſions with confident perſwaſions to himſelfe alone. Had he ground (from the eternall word of Truth) for ſuch confidence, It would never trouble me, nor hurt him,
But this is not, pleaſing to Chriſt, nor to the Spirit of his wiſdome and Truth, that the Diſouſſer ſhould publiſh the delights of Chriſt in a confuſſed way, without diſtinguiſhing things that differ, and ſo not dividing the Word aright. It is true, that Chriſt delighteth not in the bloud of men, but ſhed his owne for his bloudieſt enemies, and gainſayers: to wit, whilſt they gainſaying him, and bloudily perſecute him, or his out of ignorance. In this caſe indeed, he prayeth for them, and dieth for them, Father forgive them, they know not what they doe, Luk. 23.34. whileſt wee were enemies Chriſt died for us, Rom. 5.8, 10.
But to ſay that Chriſt delighteth not in the bloud of men, who after the acknowledgement of his Truth doe tread the bloud of his Covenant under foote, and wittingly and willingly reject him from reigning over them: To hold it forth, that Chriſt delighteth not in the bloud of ſuch men, or that he would not have ſuch moleſted by the civill Sword, who gainſay Chriſt known and profeſſed, and joyn with his enemy Antichriſt, in blaſpheming and perſecuting Chriſt and his Saints, This the Diſcuſſer can never make good to be the word of Chriſt. It is indeed, to publiſh the glad Tidings of the Goſpel, not to the humble and meeke Lambes of Chriſt, but to the ſeed of the Serpent, to ſow pillowes under all elbowes: to make the hearts of the righteous ſad, whom God would not make ſad: and to ſtrengthen the hands of the wicked in their Apoſtacy from the truth, and malignity againſt it. Chriſt hath pronounced it upon earth, and ratifyed it in Heaven, Thoſe mine enemies, that would not that I ſhould reigne over them, bring them hither and ſlay them before my face, Luk. 19.27. Are theſe the words of him, that delighteth not in the bloud of his bloudyeſt enemies, and gainſayers? when the Lord Jeſus ſendeth forth his ſervants to powre out bloudy vengeance upon Antichriſtian emiſſaries, and openeth the hearts & mouthes of his Saints to praiſe him for thus judging (Rev. 16.4,—7) Is this to proclaime a Magna-Charta of higheſt libertyes, even to his gainſayers, and to ſuch as joyn with his enemy Antichriſt?
Time was, when Jehu juſtly demanded, What peace (what haſt thou to doe with peace) ſo long as the whor domes of thy Mother Jezebel, and her witcherafts are ſo many? 2 Kings, 9.22. And are the times now ſo farre changed, that the Sword of Jebu ſhall proclaime peace to Jezebel, and peace to all that call her mother, and peace to her whoredomes, and peace to her witchcrafts: and then to bleſſe our ſelves with a glorious expectation, That ſoone ſhall every Brow and houſe be ſtucke with O live branches?
The Lord keepe us from being bewitched with the Whores cup, leſt whilſt wee ſeeme to deteſt and reject her with open face of profeſſion wee doe not bring her in by a back doore of Toleration, and ſo come at laſt, to drink deepely of the cup of the Lords wrath, and be filled with the cup of her plagues.
Amen.