The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
CHAP. 9. A Reply to his ninth Chapter, Touching the Cauſes of Civill Diſſenſions, and uprores about Matters of Religion.
Diſcuſſer.
Whence then ariſe Civill Diſſenſions and uprores in matters of Religion? I Anſwer, 1. When a State liveth and lieth in the guilt of a falſe God, falſe Chriſt, falſe Worſhip: then no wonder, if ſoare eyes be troubled at the appearance of light,—whereas good eyes are not troubled at the Light. Ʋigilant and watchfull Perſons, Loyall and Faithfull are not ſo troubled at the true, no nor at a falſe Religion of Jew or Gentile.
Diſcharge.
This is as little to the purpoſe, as that which went before. The diſtinction ſpake of holding forth Erroneous and unlawful things, in a way tending of it ſelfe, to the diſturbance of Civill Peace. This Diſcuſſion holdeth forth another way tending to the diſturbance of Civill Peace, not of it ſelfe, but by occaſion or by Accident, to wit, when the holding forth of Light and Truth diſturbeth the ſore Eyes of a corrupt State. If per ſe, and per Accidens (of it ſelfe, and by occaſion) be all one: If the holding forth of Truth, and Error be all one, then this Diſcuſſion hath ſhaken the diſtinction of holding forth Error, not in an humble and meeke way, but in a way of Arrogance and Impetuouſneſſe. But when he ſaith, vigilant and faithfull Perſons are not ſo troubled, no not at the falſe Religion of Jew or Gentile: If he meane not ſo much troubled at the falſe Religion, as corrupt Sates be at the true Religion: there may be truth in the ſpeech, but it onelyonly argueth, That corrupt nature is more zealous in the defence of its owne will-worſhip, then the faithfull be in the defence of the Truth. But ſurely the faithful are called to contend Earneſtly for the Faith, (Jude 3.) and have as much cauſe to be troubled at the holding forth of the Worſhip of Baal, as corrupt States be at the holding forth of the Worſhip of Jehovah. If his meaning be, that vigilant and faithfull Perſons, are not ſo troubled at the falſe Religion of Jew or Gentile, but that they can Tolerate them to live amongſt them in a Civill Body, we ſay ſo too: And therefore the Indians, who have ſubmitted to the Government of this juriſdiction, are not compelled to the Profeſſion or acknowledgement of our Religion, either by Force of Armes, or Poenall Lawes. But yet if Chriſtians ſhould ſeduce Chriſtians to turne Apoſtates from the Faith, and to imbrace Judaiſme, or Paganiſme: Or if Jewes or Pagans living amongſt us ſhould openly blaſpheme the God of heaven, & draw away Chriſtians to Atheiſme, or Judaiſme, I ſhould not account them either vigilant, or faithfull Chriſtians, that were not troubled at ſuch a deſtroying of the true Religion, and propagating of the falſe. Paul blamed the falſe Teachers to be the Troublers of the Churches of Galatia, Gal. 5.10, 12. Acts 15.24.
Diſcuſſer.
2. Breach of Civill Peace may ariſe when falſe and Idolatrous practiſes are held forth, and yet no Breach of Civill Peace from the Doctrine, or Practiſe, or the manner of holding them forth, but from the wrong and prepoſterous way of Suppreſſing, and preventing and extinguiſhing ſuch Errors by weapons of wrath and Bloud, Whips, Stocks, Impriſonment, Baniſhment, Death, by which men are commonly perſwaded to convert Heretickes, and to caſt out uncleane ſpirits, which onelyonly the finger of God can doe, that is, the mighty Power of the Spirit of the Word. It is light alone that is able to diſpell and ſcatter ſuch miſts and foggs of darkneſſe in the ſoules and Conſciences of men.
Hence the Sonnes of men diſquiet themſelves in vaine, and unmercifully diſquiet others.
Defender.
Then it ſeemeth, that if the Mariners of the Ship wherein Jonah ſayled when he fled from the Preſence of God, if they I ſay did caſt Jonah over board into the Sea, this prepoſterous way of theirs in ſuppreſſing the Error of his way, was it which raiſed the ſtorme and Tempeſt, whereby the Ship was toſſed to and fro, & diſturbed, yea & in jeopardy to be ſunk and deſtroyed. But the Text ſpeakes to the contrary, when they had caſt Jonah forth into the Sea, the Sea ceaſed from his raging, Jonah 1.15.
But what was the ſinne of Jonah? was it not ſome ſinne againſt the ſecond Table, ſome act of unrighteouſneſſe againſt his Neighbour? It was a direct and immediate breach of a rule of his Propheticall Office, a ſin againſt the ſecond Commandement of the Firſt Table. But was not the Sea, in which this tempeſt aroſe againſt Jonah, and againſt the whole Ship for his ſake, was it not the Sea of Tiberias, which being within the Confines of the Holy Land, the Sea alſo was Holy, and would not ſuffer ſuch a ſin unpuniſhed? No, the Sea of Tiberias is within the Confines of Galilee, and other parts of the Land of Iſrael; But this was the Mediterranean Sea, between Joppa and Tarſhiſh, Jonah 1.3. But were not theſe Mariners, Iſraelites, who might have ſome ſpeciall charge from God, to roote out all Idolatry and falſe Worſhip from amongſt them, which bindeth not us Gentiles? No, they were Pagans and Gentiles, as appeareth in that every one of them cryed out, unto his own God.
But why did not God ſend out the tempeſt to puniſh thoſe Pagan Mariners rather, for their Idolatry then Jonah for his Erroneous Practiſe in running away from the true God?
God in times paſt ſuffered all Nations to walke in their owne wayes Acts, 14.16. And ſo did his Vicegerents the good Kings of Iſrael doe the like: David did not compell the tributary Nations to worſhip the God of Iſrael. No more doth our Colony here compell the tributary Indians to worſhip our God. But if an Iſraelite forſake God, he diſturbeth not onelyonly the Common-wealth of Iſrael, but the Barks of Pagans, and Heathen ſtates as Jonah did this Ship, by his departure from God. Therefore a Chriſtian by departing from God, may diſturbe a Gentile civill State. And it is no prepoſterous way for the Governours of the State, according to the quality of the diſturbance raiſed by the ſtarting aſide of ſuch a Chriſtian, to puniſh both it and him by civill cenſure.
Nor doth the Civill State in ſuch puniſhments attend ſo much, how to procure the converſion of Heretickes, or Apoſtates, or ſuch like ſcandalous turbulent offenders: as how to prevent the perverſion of their ſounder people (Gangraenam amoveas, ne pars ſincera trabatur:) or elſe to worke the ſubverſion of ſuch, as doe ſubvert both truth and peace.
And yet as legall terrours are ordinary meanes bleſſed of God to prepare hard and ſtout hearts to converſion: ſo ſuch legall puniſhments God is in like ſort pleaſed to bleſſe to the confuſion, and reformation of falſe Prophets, as was foretold by Zacharie, it ſhould come to paſſe in the dayes of the new Teſtament, Zach. 13.4, 5, 6.
Object. Yea, but it is light alone that is able to diſpell and ſcatter ſuch miſts and foggs of darkneſſe in the ſoules and Conſciences of men.
Anſ. True: But yet the judgements of God are as the Light that goeth forth, Hoſea 6.5. And the judgements of men executed according to the Word, are ſanctified of God to prevent the ſpreading of Idolatry and ſeducement to it; All Iſrael ſhall heare and feare, and doe no more preſumptuouſly, Deut. 13.11. Nor is the righteous proceeding in Civill States a diſquieting of themſelves, or any unmercifull diſquieting of others. For it is no diſquieting to a juſt man to doe Juſtice: and the diſquieting of men in ſinne, it is no unmercifull dealing, but a compaſſionate healing either of themſelves or others. The falſe Prophet reclaimed by ſtigmatizing with wounds in his hands, will freely acknowledge, thus was I wounded in the Houſe of my friends (Zach. 13.6.) Friends are not unmercifull diſquieters.
Object. The Judgements of God which goe forth as the light are not of the Judgements of his hand, but of his mouth, for ſo he explaineth himſelfe in that place of Hoſea, I have hewen them by the Prophets, I have ſlaine them by the words of my mouth: And thy Judgements were as the light that goeth forth.
Anſ. The Judgements of God, whether of his mouth or of his hand, doe both of them goe forth as light. For when the Judgements of God are upon the earth, (and he ſpeaketh of the judgments of his hands,) the Inhabitants of the world ſhall learne righteouſneſſe, Iſai. 26.9. And that whereby we learne righteouſneſſe, is light. Beſides when the Lord is ſaid to have hewen, and ſlaine his Apoſtate people by his Prophets, and by the words of his mouth; He doth not onelyonly meane the ſpirituall hewing, and ſlaying of their ſoules, but alſo the temporall judgements, Famine, Warre, and Peſtilence, which the Prophets threatned, and the Hand of God, and Hazael executed in the hewing and ſlaying of them.
CHAP. 10. A Reply to his tenth Chapter, wherein he diſcuſſeth the laſt Diſtinction.
PErſecution for Conſcience, is either for conſcience rightly informed, or a blind and erroneous conſcience.
Diſcuſſer.
Both theſe Conſciences are indeed perſecuted: but lamentably blinde and erroneous will thoſe conſciences ſhortly appeare to be, which out of zeale to God (as is pretended) have perſecuted either, &c.
Defender.
This whole Chapter may ſtand for us, without Impeachment. We approve no perſecution for conſcience, neither conſcience rightly informed, (for that we account the perſecuting of Chriſt:) nor conſcience miſinformed with errour: unleſſe the errour be pernicious, and unleſſe the conſcience be convinced of the errour and perniciouſneſſe thereof, that ſo it may appeare, the erroneous party ſuffereth, not for his conſcience, but for his ſinning againſt his conſcience.
And though it be true, there is a ſeared conſcience in ſome, to which God hath in his judgement, given them up, that they may never ſee light, how cleare ſoever, both in Scripture and nature: and though this ſeared conſcience doe not extenuate, but aggravate ſinne; and though a man by this ſeared conſcience may commit ſome notorious capitall crime, (as he that in Ireland burnt his owne ſonne in the fire, in the imitation of Abraham, and called in his Neighbours to rejoyce in beholding the power of his faith:) and though ſuch a man was juſtly put to death: yet it may not be ſaid, he was puniſhed for his conſcience, but for that unnaturall barbarous cruelty and murther, which he committed, and which his conſcience could never have blinded him to commit, out of any naturall humane ignorance, or infirmity, but out of poenall and judiciall blindeneſſe, which God never leaveth men unto, but upon habituall and cuſtomary ſinning againſt light of conſcience.