Controversy Concerning Liberty of Conscience in Matters of Religion, Text 1
THE CONTROVERSIE Concerning Liberty of Conſcience IN Matters of Religion,
Truly ſtated, and diſtinctly and plainly handled, By Mr. JOHN COTTON of Boſton in New-England.
By way of anſwer to ſome Arguments to the contrary ſent unto him, VVherein you have, againſt all cavils of turbulent ſpirits, clearly manifeſted, wherein liberty of conſcience in matters of Religion ought to be permitted, and in what caſes it ought not, by the ſaid Mr. COTTON.
London, Printed for Thomas Banks, and are to be ſold at his ſhop in Black-Fryers on the top of Bride-well Staires. 1646.
Scriptures and Reaſons written long ſince by a witneſſe of Jeſus Christ cloſe priſoner in Newgate, againſt perſecution in cauſe of conſcience, and ſent ſome while ſince to Mr. Cotton, by a friend, deſiring to be inſtructed, whether perſecution for conſcience be not againſt the Doctrine of Jeſus Chriſt. The Scriptures and Reaſons are theſe, which were alledged againſt perſecution.
1. BEcauſe Chriſt commands that the Tares and Wheat (which ſome underſtand are thoſe that walke in the truth, and thoſe that walke in lies) ſhould be let alone in the world, and not plucked up till the Harveſt, which is the end of the World, Math. 13.30.38, &c.
2. Becauſe Chriſt commandeth, Math. 15.14. that they that are blind (as ſome interpret led on in falſe Religion, and are offended with him for teaching true Religion) ſhould be let alone, referring their puniſhment to their falling into the ditch
3. Becauſe Chriſt reproved his Diſciples, Luke 9.54. who would have had fire come down from Heaven to devour thoſe Samaritanes which would not receive him, in theſe words; Ye know not of what ſpirit ye are of, the Son of man is not come to deſtroy mens lives, but to ſave them.
4. Becauſe Paul the Apoſtle of our Lord teacheth, 2. Tim. 3.24. That the ſervant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive, but muſt be gentle towards all men, ſuffering the evill men, inſtructing them with meekneſſe, that are contrary minded, proving if God at any time will give them repentance that they may acknowledge the truth, and come to amendment out of the ſnare of the Devill, &c.
5. According to theſe commandements the holy Prophets foretold, that when the Law of Moſes (concerning Worſhip) ſhould ceaſe, and Chriſts Kingdome be eſtabliſhed, Eſay 2.4. Micah. 4.3.4. that they ſhould break their ſwords into mattocks, and their Spears into Sithes, and Eſay 11.9. Then ſhall none hurt or destroy in all the Mountain of my Holineſſe, &c. And when he came the ſame he taught and preached as before, and ſo did his Diſciples after him, for the Weapons of his warfare are not carnall, ſaith the Apoſtle, 2 Cor. 10.4. And he charges his Diſciples ſtraitly, that his Diſciples ſhould be ſo far from perſecuting thoſe that ſhould not be of their Religion, that when they were perſecuted they ſhould pray, (Math. 5.) when they were curſed they ſhould bleſſe, &c.
And the reaſon ſeems to be becauſe they who now are Tares may hereafter become Wheat; they who now are blind may hereafter ſee, they that now reſiſt him may hereafter receive him; they that are now in the Devils ſnare by adverſeneſſe from the truth, may hereafter come to repentance, they who are now perſecuters and blaſphemers (as Paul was) may in time become faithfull as he did, they that are Idolaters as the Corinthians once were, (1 Cor. 6.9) may hereafter become true worſhippers as they; and they that are now no people of God nor under mercy (as the Saints ſometimes were) 1 Pet. 2.20. may hereafter become the people of God and obtaine mercy as they. Some come not till the 11. houre. Math. 20.26. if thoſe that come not till the laſt houre ſhould be deſtroyed becauſe they come not at the firſt, then ſhould they never come but be prevented: Thus for the Argument from Scripture.
But a. Becauſe this perſecution for cauſe of conſcience is againſt the profeſſion and practiſes of famous Princes.
Firſt, you may pleaſe to conſider the Speech of King James, in his Majeſties Speech in Parliament, 1609. He ſaith, It is a ſure rule in Divinity, that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodſhed. And in his Highneſſe Apology, page 4 ſpeaking of ſuch Papiſts who took the oath, thus: I have good proofe, that I intended no perſecution againſt them for conſcience ſake, but only deſired to be ſecured for civill obedience, which for conſcience ſake they are bound to performe. And page 60. ſpeaking of Blackwell (the Arch-Prieſt) His Majeſtie ſaith; It was never my intention to lay any thing to the ſaid Arch-Prieſts charge (as I have never done to any for cauſe of conſcience,) And in his Highneſſe expoſition on David. 20. printed 1588. and after 1603. His Majeſty writeth thus:
Sixtly, The compaſſing of the Saints and the beſieging of the beloved City, declareth unto us a certain note of a falſe Church, to be perſecution, for they come to ſeeke the faithfull, the faithfull are them that are …ght: the wicked are the beſiegers, the faithfull are the beſieged.
Secondly, The ſaying of Stephen King of Poland, I am King of …, not of conſciences, a Commander of bodies, not of ſoules.
So the King of Bohemia writeth thus: And notwithſtanding the ſucceſſe of later times (wherein ſundry opinions have been hatched about the ſubject of Religion) may make one cleerly diſcern with his eye, and as it were to touch with his finger, that according to the verity of holy Scriptures, and a Maxime heretofore told and maintained by the ancient Doctors of the Church; That mens conſciences ought in no ſet to be violated, urged, er conſtrained. And whenſoever men have attempted any thing by this violent courſe, whether openly or by ſecret means, the iſſue hath been pernitious, and the cauſe of great and wonderfull innovations, in the principalleſt and mightieſt Kingdomes and Countries of all Chriſtendome.
And further his Majeſtie ſaith, So that once more we profeſſe … … God and the whole World, that from this day forward wee are truly reſolved not to perſecute or moleſt, or ſuffer to be perſecuted or …leſted, any perſon whomſoever for matter of Religion, us not they … profeſſe themſelves to be of the Romiſh Church, neither to trouble … diſturbe them in the exerciſe of their Religion, ſo they live confornable to the Lawes of the States, &c.
And for the practiſe of this, where is perſecution for cauſe of conſcience, except in England and where Popery raignes, and there neither in all places, as appears by France, Poland, and other places, nay it is not practiſed amongſt the Heathens that acknowledge not the true God, as the Turke, Perſian, and others.
3. Becauſe perſecution for cauſe of conſcience is condemned by the ancient and latter writers; yea even Papiſts themſelves.
Hillary againſt Auxentius ſaith thus: The Chriſtian Church doth not perſecute but is perſecuted, and lamentable it is to ſee the great folly of theſe times, and to ſigh at the fooliſh opinion of this world, in that men think by humane ayd to helpe God, and neither worldly pompe and power to undertake to defend the Chriſtian Church.
I aske you Biſhops what helpe uſed the Apoſtles in the preaching of the Goſpell? With the aid of what power did they preach Chriſt and convert the heathen from their Idolatay to God: when they were in priſons, and lay in chaines, did they praiſe and give thankes to God, for any dignities, graces and favours, received from the Court? or doe you thinke, that Paul went about with regall Attendants, or Kingly Authority to gather and eſtabliſh the Church of Chriſt? ſought he protection from Nero, Veſpaſian?
The Apoſtles wrought with their hands for their own maintenance, travelling by land and water from Towne to City; to preach Chriſt; yea the more they were forbidden, the more they preached Chriſt. But now alas humane helpe muſt aſſiſt and protect the faith, the ſame againſt the Arrians: The Church which formerly induring miſery and impriſonment, was known to be a true Church, doth now terrifie others by impriſonment, baniſhment, and miſerie, and boaſteth that ſhe is highly eſteemed of the world, when as the true Church cannot but be hated of the ſame.
Tertullian ad Scapulam, it agreeth both with humane reaſon, and naturall equity, that every man worſhip God uncompelled, and believe what he will, for it neither hurteth nor profiteth any one other mans Religion, and beliefe: neither beſeems it any Religion to compell another to be of their Religion, which willingly and freely ſhould be imbraced, and not by conſtraint; for as much as the offerings were required of thoſe that freely and with good will offered, and not from the contrary.
Jerom. in poeni. lib. 4. in Jeremiam, Hereſie muſt be cut off with the ſword of the Spirit, let us ſtrike through with the arrowes of the Spirit, all Sons and Diſciples of the miſled Hereticks: that is, with teſtimonies of holy Scriptures, the ſlaughter of Hereticks is by the Word of God.
Brentius upon 1 Cor. 3. No man hath power to make or give Lawes to Chriſtians, whereby to bind their conſciences, for willingly, freely, and uncompelled, with a ready deſire and cheerfull mind, muſt thoſe that come run unto Chriſt.
Luther in his Book of the Civill Magiſtrate ſaith, the Lawes of the Civill Magiſtrates government extends no further then over the body or goods, and to that which is externall, for over the ſoul God will not ſuffer any to rule, onelyonly he himſelfe will rule there. Wherefore whoſoever doth undertake to give Lawes to the Soules and Conſciences of men, he uſurpeth the Government himſelfe, which appertaines unto God, &c. Therefore upon 1. Kings 5. In the building of the Temple, there was no ſound of Iron heard, to ſignifie that Chriſt will have in his Church a free and a willing people, not compelled and conſtrained by Lawes and Statutes.
Againe hee ſaith upon Luke 22. It is not the true Catholique Church which is defended by the ſecular arme, or humane power, but the falſe and fained Church, which although it carries the name of a Church, yet it denies the power thereof.
Again upon Pſal. 17. he ſaith, the true Church of Chriſt, knoweth not Brachium ſeculare, which the Biſhops now a daies chiefly uſe. Again, in Poſtil. Dom. 1. poſt. Epiph. he ſaith: Let no Chriſtian be commanded, but exhorted; For he that willingly will not do that, whereunto he is friendly exhorted, he is no Chriſtian, wherefore they that compell thoſe that are not willing, ſhew therby that they are not Chriſtian preachers, but worldly Beadles. So upon 1 Pet. 3. he ſaith, if the civill Magiſtrate ſhall command me thus and thus: I ſhould anſwer him after this manner. Lord, or Sir, Look you to your wordly or civill government, your power extends not ſo far as to command any thing in Gods Kingdome. Therefore herein I may not hear you: For if you cannot hear it, that any ſhould uſurpe authority where you have to command, how do you thinke that God ſhould ſuffer you to thruſt him from his ſeat, and to ſeat your ſelfe therein?
Laſtly, the Papiſts the inventers of perſecution in a wicked book of theirs ſet forth in King James his raigne thus; Moreover the means which Almighty God appointed his Officers to uſe in the converſions of Kingdoms and Nations and people, was humility, patience, charity, ſaying; Behold I ſend you as Sheep in the midſt of Wolves, Math. 10.16. he did not ſay, behold I ſend you as Wolves among ſheepe, to kill, impriſon, ſpoile and devoure thoſe unto whom they were ſent.
Again, verſ. 7. he ſaith, They to whom I ſend you will deliver you unto Councels, and in their Synagogues they will ſcourge you, and to preſidents, and to Kings ſhall ye be led for my ſake: He doth not ſay; You whom I ſend, ſhall deliver the people (whom you ought to convert) to Counſells, and put them in priſon, and lead them to preſidents and Tribunall ſeates, and make their Religion Fellony and Treaſon.
Again he ſaith, ver. 32. when ye enter into a houſe, ſalute it, ſaying; Peace be unto this houſe, he doth not ſay you ſhall ſend Purſevants to ranſack or ſpoile his houſe.
Again he ſaid Iohn 10. The good Paſtor giveth his life for his ſheep, the Theefe commeth not but to ſteale, kill and deſtroy, hee doth not ſay, the Theefe giveth his life for his ſheep, and the good Paſtor commeth not but to ſteale, kill and deſtroy.
So that we holding our peace, our adverſaries themſelves ſpeak for us, or rather for the truth.
But it is objected, that it would be a prejudice to the Common-wealth, to permit liberty of conſcience.
We anſwer, it is not any prejudice to the Common-wealth if liberty of conſcience were ſuffered to ſuch as fear God indeed, as is or will be manifeſt. Abraham abode among the Cananites a long time, yet contrary to them in matters of Religion, Gen. 13.7. and 16.13. Again, he ſojourned in Gecar; and King Abimelech gave him leave to abide in his Land, Gen. 20.21, 22. Iſaac dwelt in the ſame land, yet contrary in Religion, Gen. 26. Jacob lived 20. years in one houſe with his Uncle Laban, yet different in Religion, Gen. 31. The people of Iſrael were about 430. years in that infamous Land of Aegypt, and afterwards 70. years in Babylon, all which time they differed in Religion from the States, Exod▪ 22, and 2 Chron. 36. Come to the time of Chriſt where Iſrael was under the Romanes, where lived divers Sects of Religion, as Herodians; Scribas, and Phariſees, Saduces, and Libertines, Th… deans, and Sa…ritans, beſides the common Religion of the Jewes, Chriſt and the Apoſtles. All which differed from the common Religion of the State, which was like the worſhip of Diana, which almoſt the whole world worſhipped, Acts 19.20.
All theſe loved under the government of Caeſar, being nothing hurtfull to the Common-wealth, giving unto Caeſar the things that are …: And for their Religion and Conſciences towards God, … them to themſelves, as having no Dominion over their ſoules and conſciences. And when the enemies of the truth raiſed up to …, the wiſdome of the Magiſtrate moſt wiſely appeaſed them, A…s 18.14. and 19.35.