Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Chapter 20
CHAP. XX. The parable of the Wheat and the Tares, diſcuſſed and cleared.
NOw for the parable of the Tares and the Wheat,Remonſtrantes Apo. 24. fol. 278. No… d…teor parabolam hanc (de zizani…s) de beretici, non directe agere. Matth. 13. The Author of the Apologie of the Belgicke Arminians ſaith, I deny not but the parable of the Tares is not meant directly of Hereticks.
The ſcope of the parable hath nothing to doe with the office of Magiſtrates, in puniſhing or not puniſhing hereticks, but tendeth to moderate the too forward zeale of the Diſciples,The ſcope of the pa…ble of the tares, and the vindication thereof. and of all the godly that are inclined to murmure at providence that ſuffers wicked men to flouriſh and live with the godly, and that they are not cut off before the day of judgement, ſo doth the godly complaine and ſtumble at this diſpenſation, Job 21. Jer. 12. 1, 2. Pſal. 73. 1, 2, 3. &c.
1. Chriſt forbids not ſimply to plucke up the tares, but onelyonly ſecundum quid, in a caſe, when there is danger to plucke up the wheat with the tares, as in puniſhing a multitude or a whole ſociety.
2. Chriſt expounding the Parable, paſſeth that part of it, beſt while ye plucke up the tares, yee plucke up the wheat alſo, and that part of the parable that Chriſt expoundeth not, when he expoundeth all the reſt, muſt belong nothing to the ſcope of the parable; and we can conclude ſolidly no controverted point from every limbe, joynt, or wing of a parable; nor was it Chriſts ſcope to ſhew that Magiſtrates ſhould puniſh none of the children of the wicked one, becauſe of the danger of cutting off the children of the Kingdome with them, for the words may beare (ſaith Calvin) then, that all puniſhments and cenſures, both Civill and Eccleſiaſticke rebukes, and excommunication, ſhould ceaſe till the end of the world, and ſo alſo ſaith Bullinger; and the truth is, if the danger of erring in taking wheat for tares, or puniſhing the good and innocent, in place of the guilty,The danger of puniſhing the innocent in due of the guilty through miſtak is no argument that hereticks ſhould not be puniſhed by the Magiſtrate. ſhould hinder Rulers to puniſh ſuch as are hardly knowne to be guilty, we ſhould not ſo much as rebuke one another, til the day of judgement, for there is danger in ſinning, if we rebuk an innocent man in liew of a guilty mā or that the Magiſtrate kil an innocent man inplace of a Murtherer, for the danger in ſinning in the leaſt, is as good ground of abſtaining from a duty, as in ſining in the greateſt, and therfore this new poynt of Divinity, that the Magiſtrate ſhould puniſh no falſe Prophets or Seducers, but let them al grow til the day of judgment, for fear that he puniſh or put to death a faithfull teacher in liew of a falſe ſeducer, as Luther following ſome of the fathers teacheth, is ſo farre from being in this text, that it is not a truth contained in al the Old or New Teſtament. Yea, it is openly falſe, for then ſhould wee not avoyd and turne away from Idolaters and Hereticks contrary to 1 Cor. …. 11. Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. But live and converſe with them to the end of the world, becauſe we may take ſome to bee Hereticks who are no ſuch thing, but ſounde in the faith then our ſelves ſhew me a warrant for ſuch an untruth, that wee are to doe no duties till the day of judgement, for feare of ſinfull miſcarriages in the manner of doing them.
3 By the tares, Chriſt underſtands all the children of the devil, ver. 38. and thoſe are the tares gathered and burnt in the fire, ver. 40. all things that offend, and they which doe iniquity, ver. 41. That ſhall be caſten into a furnace of fire, where there ſhal be wailing and gnaſhing of teeth. 42. and they are ſuch as are oppoſed to the righteous, who ſhall ſhine … the ſunne in the Kingdom of their Father. Now 1. The righteous that ſhall ſhine in heaven, are not the ſonnd in the faith, only oppoſed to hereticks, except we ſay none ſhall be caſten in the furnace but hereticks. 2. Hereticks are innocent men (ſay Libertines) and not doers of iniquity, as the …ares are called, v. 41. 3. Nor are hereticks the only children of the devill, ver. 38. And the ill ſeede ſowne by the envious man; and the onelyonly ſeede of Sathan, if the field bee the Church, if wee would beleeve Libertines, as it is not, but exponed by one Saviour to be the world, ver. 38. Yet the falſe teachers would be but the leaſt part of the viſible Church, in compariſon of the ignorants, the Atheiſts, the murtherers, adulterers, duplicate page duplicate page and ſo not able to come up to compleate the viſible Church as a company of good and bad,The Tares are not meant of hereticks but of al the wicked who ſhall be burnt with unquenchable fire that is, of hereticks and true teachers, for theſe would not make the quarter of the Church, yet Chriſt makes all the Church of wheate and tares.
4 Since the tares are all that worke iniquity, it ſhall follow that the Magiſtrate, by expreſſe command of God, is to ſuffer all the children of the wicked one, and all that worke iniquity, all adulterers, ſorcerers, paricides, murtherers, perjured perſons, traytors, robbers, theeves, and all evill doers puniſhable by the Magiſtrate (for ſure all theſe as wel as hereticks, are ſuch as offend and work in iniquity in this Kingdom) to grow and live till the end of the world, then ſure the Magiſtrate may goe hunt Goats and hang up his ſword.
5 If we ſift every graine of the text, we muſt ſay that the Magiſtrate makes a doubt, Lord, ſhall I draw the ſword againſt bloody men and traytors? And the Paſtors and Church, ſhal we caſt out the leaven that leaveneth the whole lumpe? and how carnall muſt they imagine the Lord to be,Calvinus in Math. 13. Non quemlibet rig… rem ceſſare ſub… Chriſtus, ſed …. who firſt went on a way of forcing the conſciences of men, and converting men by the bloody ſword, & rooted out wheate & tares in the old Teſtament, and now is become a little more juſt and meek, and will have the conſciences of none to bee forced, but all to grow to harveſt? Whereas the Rulers and Paſtors make no ſuch queſtion; but the godly wonder at a providence in God, not in Magiſtrates, that good and il ſhould grow together. But God rebukes mens carnall …eale that murmure at his longanimity, that he throwes not all the wicked in hell fire, long before the harveſt, and burns not chaffe ere ever it grow to blade; and makes not harveſt, ere ſummer be well begun.
6 The danger that Libertines phancy to be in killing Hereticks, is the taking them away being elect, before they be converted, which is as ſtrong againſt divine providence, that appoints the Magiſtrate to kill the murtherer without reſpect of perſons, not conſidering whether he be converted ye… or not, to doe juſtice is the Magiſtrates duty, election and reprobation, are ſecrets that belong to the Lord.
Nor doth Min… Celſus promo… their cauſe by ſaying, the tares muſt ſignifie falſe doctrine, as in the f…rmer parable▪ an which this depends, the ſeed is the word of God, and Chriſt was ſent in preach the Goſpell, Heb. 1. 1. to tell us all things, John 4. 2…. a guide and leader of the people, the councellor, Eſay 9. 6. in whom are hid all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge, Col. 2. 3. Chriſt was no law-giver, and when he ſpeaketh of the converſations of men and their manners, that is not from his cheif office, which is to be a Prophet, then ill ſeed muſt be bad doctrine.
Anſw. The Parable of the Tares, and of the Sower moſt diſtinct Parables in matter, and ſcope.Reduce this to an argument and it ſhall runne madde. 1. What the ſeed ſignifies in the former parable, that it ſignifies here. I deny the propoſition, the ſcopes of the parable are different. In the former the ground is the heart of men, but here the Ground is the World. 2. In the former, Chriſt expones the ſeede to be the Word: Here hee expones it to bee the children of the Kingdome, and of the wicked one. 3. In the former there are not two ſeedes, good and ill, and two births, but rather foure, the wayſide-men, the thorny-men, the rocky-men, the good and fruiteful-hearers, and here there be but two ſeeds, the ſeed of wheate and of tares. 4. The ſcope of the former is to ſhow who heare fruitfully the Goſpel, who not, this hath no ſuch ſcope, but to compoſe our raſhneſſe in quarrelling with God that he ſuffers the wicked to have the benefit of the ſoyle, hedge, ſunne, raine, dew, with the godly, and to live untill harveſt.
2 He ſaith, that which was Chriſts principall worke, the preaching of the word of the Kingdome, that muſt be meant here by the ſeed, and wheate. It is a falſe propoſition, and a connexion of hay and ſand. 2. Chriſt came to ſave the loſt, to give his life a ranſome for many. Ergo, by this argument the good ſeed ſhould hold forth the redeemed of God. 2. The aſſumption is falſe, to wit, that Chriſt came to be a King, yea, and as principally to be a Prieſt, to offer himſelf for the ſinnes of the world, to give his life for his ſheep, and goates muſt rather be meant by Wheat and Tares then any other thing.
3 By this argument Chriſt ſhould propons no Parables, but all muſt aime at good ſeed and doctrine, what ſay we then of the parable of the five Talents? The theefe in the night? Of the letting out of the Vineyard to thoſe that killed the ſerv…ts, and the heire, and brought forth ill fruite? And many other parables reſpecting our Chriſtian converſation, and ſober and vigilant walking, rather then the doctrine of the Goſpell, though that bee the rule of all Chriſtian walking.
And (ſaith he) by our ſenſe, if the tares ſignifie all wicked men, then muſt all robbers and murtherers eſcape the bands of the Magiſtrate, for the Lord bids, let them grow till the harveſt,
Anſw. let them grow not exponed by Chriſt and what it mean…h.Then muſt no blaſphemer, not a Julian, nor any that ſhould teach there is no God, …ee rooted out of the Church and State, for we ſay pulling up is not neceſſary to be meant precizely of killing, but rather of any puniſhing.
2 That, Let them grow till the Harveſt, (ſay we) is neither a charge nor a command given to Magiſtrate or Church, touching cenſures to bee inflicted by men: For Chriſt expones no where, let them grow, to any ſuch meaning, Libertines yeeld that ſenſe, and Calvin undeniably inferres by this all cenſures of Magiſtrate or Paſtors are cut off and caſten over till the day of judgement, both the word in rebuking or excommunicating, and ſo Eccleſiaſticall plucking up, and the ſword muſt go and ſleepe: but the ſenſe of [let them grow] is, Why doe ye quarrell at the wiſdome and providence of the Lord of the field, that he ſuffers the children of the devill to flouriſh? and whereas the ſervants ſay, 28. wilt thou then that we go and …ather them up? It is a parable, and this part not being exponed can yeeld no new doctrine, and the moſt can be, is, Lord give us a providence of our owne, and a power not to leave one ſon of that wicked one in the earth (& we ſhal make a clean field to our Lord) rather then ſuffer them thus to ſuffocate and corrupt the wheat. The Lords anſwer is, I have ordained rather then ſuch a providence be committed to you, that the …ares ſhould grow till harveſt; though the Lord have appointed a way how to purge leaven out of the Church, 1 Cor. 5. 1. Mat. 1…. 15, 16. and how evill doers ſhal be …ut off, Rom. 13. though not in ſo ſtrict and accurate a way as we dreame, who would not have one thiſtle in our Lords field. Yea, would not ſuffer one ſin to be in the world (as wee dreame) if we could hinder it, though God ſeeth a permitting providence to be more glorious.
But (ſaith Celſus) if the Lord underſtand by tares,What is underſtood by Tares. thefts, adulteries, robberies, extortion, he would not have uſed the metaphor of tares, but of briars, thornes, nettles, hemlocks, or the like, th… are eaſily diſcerned from wheat whereas tares are like wheat.
Anſw. Wee will not take on us to teach our Saviour to ſpeake, we anſwer, The Lord underſtands, whatever wickedneſſe cannot be puniſhed without …rt to the godly, and that hereticks and Idolaters may be knowne by ordinary Chriſtians, as well as robbers and theeves, by Magiſtrates, the Holy Ghoſt teacheth when he hiddeth us not eat with them,Hereſie may be knowne. but reject and avoid them, and judge them accurſed, Gal. 1. 8. 1 Cor. 5. 11. and forbiddeth us to receive them into our houſe, Tit. 3. 10. 2 Jo…. 10. Now if they cannot bee diſcerned, he ſhould bid us eat, converſe with them▪ lodge them▪ bleſſe them, till the harveſt come▪ and alſo theeves and robbers are as undiſcernable under the notion of theeves, ſo are murtherers, adulterers, plotters of treaſon; for all theſe have ſuch ſhifts and coverings, that it is hard for the Judge to plucke them up, and as hard in the matter of fact, and more, then to know who are heretickes: now hereſie is knowne to be a worke of the fleſh, no leſſe then witchcraft, but to finde out who is the hereticke and what is hereſie, the Holy Ghoſt ſuppoſeth it to be feazeable, elſe he could not bid us avoid them, and judge them accurſed, but by this expoſition, becauſe there is danger, that we judge them▪ accurſed whom God hath bleſſed, private Chriſtians ſhould no more judge them curſed the… publicke Magiſtrates, but both ſhould lodge them in their hearts, in the ſtate, in their houſes, bleſſe them till the harveſt. Yea and Minus Celſus, and other Libertines ſpeake againſt the Holy Ghoſt, ſo why ſhall ye judge a falſe teacher, and a hereticke to be accurſed▪ ſhould you reject and avoid him, and deny him lodging▪ for he is not a thiefe, a robber, or a murtherer▪ nor ſinnes he againſt the light of nature, nor is he ſeduced by Sathan, but to be pitied, yea he is innocent and godly, and ſo pious, that ere he ſinne againſt the word and his owne conſcience, he had rather be forſaken caſt out of our houſes▪ and ſo not to be rebuked, contrary to Tit. …. 13.
duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page Celſus,What is meant by plucking up by plucking up muſt be meant killing as an her be withers, when plucked up by the roots, but when one is excommunicated, bee dyes not.
Anſw. Plucking up is a metaphor, and when an hereticke is pulled out of the gates and courts of the Lords houſe, the Church of God▪ and caſten out of the ſociety of the godly, and curſed by them, Gal. 1. 8. and they pray againſt him, and in faith avoid him, and …l fellowſhip with him, hee muſt Eccleſiaſtically dye and wither (if Gods ordinance be not bleſſed to recover him) and plucking up is as well a removing of him out of that condition and place, as any other thing.
By the field,What is meant by the field, what by the Wheat. Chriſt underſtands the world. Celſus ſaith, the whole is put for the part, the world in which that ſeed of the word of the Goſpel is ſowne, and that is the Church, for the Goſpel is but heard in a ſmall part of the world. But when did Chriſt ſow the good ſeed of the Goſpel firſt? happily when Chriſt himſelfe firſt preached the Goſpel: or rather when the old impoſtor Sathan firſt dece…ed our firſt parents, but if ſo, then the Serpent did not immediately after …ow tares, for they were long agoe ſowne, and the …eed was then growne into range growing corne, and there was no need of his …owing, but of his further manuring of it, but this ſeed is ſowne, with every new act of preaching of the Goſpel: ſo this parable cannot agree to the parable of the draw-net, in which there be both good and ill fiſh; now good and ill fiſh had their firſt breeding in the water, ſince the beginning: not agreeth it, for the ſame cauſe, with the parable of wheat and cha…e, which hath ever been in the world, whereas the tares are ſowne upon a new occaſion of preaching the Goſpel.
Anſw. There be nothing here but vain and forced conjectures, Chriſt expounds the wheat of the children of the Kingdome. Celſus of the doctrine of the Goſpel Chriſt makes the field the world Celſus makes the field the Church, and when he hath fancied theſe dreames, contrary to Chriſts expoſition, he goes to the time, when the Goſpel was firſt preached; which hath nothing to doe with the text; for when God made men good, Sathan came and ſowed tares, and corrupted men, and turned them into Apoſtates from God. And ever, ſince the beginning in the world, there hath been a mixture of cha…e and corne, fiſhes good and bad, and of the children of God and children of Sathan, and the Saints muſt let both grow till harveſt, that is, they muſt not ſtumble nor murmure at God, but ſubmit to his wiſdome, who will have this mixture till the laſt ſeparation of men for heaven, and the barne of the great husbandman, for hell and the furnace, in which all things that offend are caſten.
2.All the tithes of the Parable muſt be not expounded, nor the time exactly ſearched into, when the Tares were firſt ſowne. For the time of ſowing wheat and tares, it hath beene from the beginning ſince there was a field, that is a world, and the parable that ſpeakes of ſowing wheat, and the envious mans ſowing of tares immediately after, is but borrowed from men, as the ſleeping of a husbandman, which may as ſoone prove, that he that watcheth over Iſrael doth both ſlumber and ſleep, and that the ſowing of tares, and of the ſonnes of Sathan in the world, is as much without the foreknowledge, counſell, and providence of God, as the huſbandman is ignorant of his enemies ſowing of tares in his field, when he is in a deep ſleep as it may (if all the joynts of the text be thus ſqueezed to blood) it can prove that hereticks are to be tollerated, and that onelyonly tares are ſowne, when the husbandman ſleeps, in regard that Sathan ſowes wicked men and corrupteth them, beſide and againſt the decree and irreſiſtible will of God, nor does the text beare that with every new ſowing of wheat, there goeth the immediate ſowing of hereſies and tares, which though it may have a truth in it, yet it hath no ground from this text, and Celſus ſhall never prove it, nor any Libertine for him.
Celſus, If long agoe the City into which a falſe Prophet fled was to be burnt with fire, cattle, and all, and if Angels killed many thouſands at once, why doth not God by Angels now kill many, and deſtroy them, City and cattle? and if ſinnes under the Goſpel be more hainous, and God not a whit meeker to ſinners under the Goſpel, then under the Law, and if the puniſhment of the Magiſtrate muſt grow, as the ſins grow more hainous, why? then as falſe Prophets were but ſtoned of old, Papiſts and others doe, well to burne them quicke with a ſlow fire, for the more light and grace we have under the Goſpel, the more …ainous the ſinne is, and the puniſhment muſt be more then death now, elſe Chriſts death hath made God milder, not to men, but more ſevere, and only meeker toward the walls of the Towne; the cattle, the ſpoyle.
Anſw. If a Becold flye to Munſter, and gather a number of robbers in to him,How ſins are more hainous under the New Teſtament, & how God … now no leſſe ſ…v… … under the …aw, and a City that will defend and protect a falſe Prophet againſt juſtice, is to be dealt with, the ſame wayes as under the Old Teſtament, except that the typ… calneſſe is removed. and upon pretext of conſcience kill and deſtroy, and if that City will joyne with him, and defend ſuch bloody hereticks, we thinke under the New Teſtament ſadder puniſhment is due to him, becauſe the ſinne is more hainous, and the falſe Prophet ſo flying to a City, is not onelyonly a falſe Prophet, but a publicke robbing murtherer. And the puniſhment ſhould be greater as the Lord augments puniſhment for greater ſinnes, as is cleare, Heb. 2. 1, 2. ſo ſhould his deputy the Magiſtrate doe, and no doubt, the Lord ſlayeth millions of more, with the deſtroying Angel, of both peſtilence and ſword now (as manifeſtly never ſuch documents of ſaddeſt divine vengeance was ſeen on a City in the Old Teſtament, as was to be ſeen in the City of Jeruſalem) by the ſword of Titus Veſpaſian, becauſe they had ſlaine the heire Chriſt; but Papiſts burning of men quicke, becauſe they adhere to the truth of Chriſt proves nothing, and we thinke a Julian now deſerves a rougher death at the hands of men then any ſeducer or blaſphemer under the Old Teſtament, and how ever, men with their wit thinke Servetus got more then heaped juſtice, becauſe he was burnt for probabilities and nicities. I doubt not but men void of the zeal of God, if they had lived when the ſonne of the Aegyptian was ſtoned, and Baals Prieſts, and the Idolaters, Exod. 32. (who both acknowledged Jehovah that brought them out of Aegypt, and the Scriptures and ten Commandements) which then were killed, would ſay the ſame, and many did ſay the ſame very thing of theſe, that they ſay now of wicked Servetus, but they but judge of ſinne, and meaſure divine juſtice with their owne yard.
2. God was ſeverer then, in ſome Laws, to things, and to men alſo, as in commanding the cattle, and women with childe to be put to the edge of the ſword, becauſe he would both give a document of morall juſtice for our imitation, and of typicalneſſe of Juſtice, for our inſtruction; but in the kinde of morall juſtice (for all typicalneſſe is now ceaſed) the Lord is ſeverer under the Goſpell, then under the Law, as is evident, Mal. 4. 1, 2. Heb. 2. 1, 2. Luk. 23. 28, 29, 30. and no leſſe jealous of his owne glory now then at that time, and his wrath rages againſt walls, and houſes, and ſenſeleſſe creatures more now then at that time, ſee what deſolation he hath wrought in Ireland, what eating of horſes, of Infants, and of killed ſouldiers, hath beene in that land, and in Germany? And what vengeance ſhall lye upon the ſtones, fields, of Romiſh Babylon? and this ſhall be done by lawfull Magiſtrates, Kings, and others, Rev. 17. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. God did then deale more rigidly with a people whom hee purpoſed to compell to flye to Chriſt. But that his mercy ebbes or flowes, increaſeth or decreaſeth with the Moone, is new divinity. And it is true, God was more ſevere under the Old Teſtament in regard of typicall ſeverity, commanded by God to Magiſtrates, as to Saul, to kill the Amal…kites, women and ſucking children, but in regard of juſtice inflicted by himſelfe, the impreſſion of hell is more to be ſeen in deſtroying Townes that have been ſwallowed up by earthquake, men, women and children in extremity of famine, peſtilence and bloody warres now, then under the Old Teſtament.
And cleare it is, as in this Parable, the Lord will not have us to murmure, that the godly and wicked grow together, ſo he will have us to know there cannot be an exact purging of the viſible Church untill the day of judgement come. Acontius, and Celſus anſwer 1. But ſo hee forbids to purge the Church univerſall, but if men ſhall be ſo diligent in purging all particular Churches, what elſe ſhould they doe but contravene the command of God, who forbids to plucke up the tares? 2. The Lord forbids the plucking up, in either univerſall or particular Churches, becauſe this is a generall command, let them grow till harveſt.
Anſw. What (let them grow) imports.We conſtantly deny that (let them grow) is a command at all, but only an inhibition to us that we quarrell not with God who ſuffers them to grow, and yet it follows not that Magiſtrates and Paſtors ſinne in doing their duty ſo farre to plucke them out, as the wheat be not alſo plucked up; for as we are not to fret and impatiently grudge at the permiſſive will and providence of God,How we are to beare permiſſive providences wherein evills of ſin fall out. in that he permits tares to grow, ſo we may, without ſin, both pray the contrary of that which the permiſſive will ordaines to be done, and labour to doe the contrary, and yet not ſin, the Diſciples were not to grudge and fret at that decree of God, when they heard Chriſt ſay, I will ſmite the ſhepheard, and the ſheep of the flocke ſhall be ſcattered, yet were they to pray the contrary, as Chriſt commanded them, that they might not be led into temptation, and that they might never fulfill that permiſſive will of God in being ſcandalized at his ſuffering, and in leaving and forſaking their Lord and Maſter and denying him, when it was their duty not to be ſcattered, and not to forſake him out of feare, but to confeſſe and give a teſtimony before men. Upon the ſame ground Magiſtrates and Paſtors ſhould do their duty, not to ſuffer all the tares ſtill to grow among the wheat, and not to permit wicked men to blaſpheme, murther, betray, and deſtroy the Saints, and the innocent among which they live, but according to their places they are to puniſh, and hinder and impede the growing of tares, but withall they are not impatiently to grudge and cenſure providence, but to let them alone, that is, to let God alone, and ſuffer him in that admirable diſpoſall of affaires though wicked men be not fully purged out of Church and State till harveſt, and here is an argument to me that by the tares, Chriſt muſt not meane corrupt doctrines, but wicked men, for it is a frigid and vaine interpretation to aſcribe to our Saviour, ſuch a ſenſe that he muſt ſuffer hereſies, till the harveſt, Chriſt muſt mean by Tares and Wheat, perſons, not doctrines, good and illand when the harveſt is come, hee muſt ſend his Angells to gather hereſies, and binde them in a bundle and caſt them into hell, and ſo muſt he gather ſound doctrines, upon the ſame ground, and ſend them to heaven, whereas the words clearly beare that they be perſons that doe offend and worke inquity that the Lord thus judgeth at the end of the world; nor is the conceit of Celſus of worth that by a figure he underſtands by tares hereticks that are horne of corrupt doctrine; for then Celſus ſhall firſt have no ground from the former Parable to expound the ſeed to be the word, and the tares to be corrupt doctrine, for then theſe words a certaine ſ…wer went to ſow ſeed, and as he ſowed ſome fell by the ſide, muſt have this ſenſe, if Celſus make this parable to agree with that in the ſignification of the word ſeed, that the preacher of the Goſpel went forth to ſow ſeed, that is to ſow true and falſe teachers, and ſome ſeed, that is ſome falſe teachers fell upon the … ſide, &c. which is non-ſenſe.
2 It is againſt the juſtice of God,Minus Celſus. that Hereticks, ſince they but ſimply erre, and are innocent, holy, and ſo feare God, that they had rather ſuffer torment and burning quicke, and are commiſeratione digni (as ſay the Belgick Arminians, Celſus, and other Libertines) ſhould be for meer innocency and godlineſſe gathered by the Angels, in the harveſt of the world, and caſten into the fire and furnace of everlaſting vengeance: I grant out of imitation of the fathers, and particularly of Auguſtine, who retracted his opinion touching hereticks, and the coercing of them: Divines uſe this expreſſion, hereſeon zizania, tares of hereſie, but aluding to, rather then expounding the parable.
Celſus fol. 52. 53 Magiſtrates correcting faults, doe not purge the Church of tares, but puniſh the hai…ous crimes of wicked men, and though ill doers repent and confeſſe their errour, yet the Magiſtrates doe puniſh, but if hereticks abjure their falſe doctrine, the Magiſtrate pardons them.
Anſw. Nor do we expound the field to be the Church, with Celſus, but like better to follow our Saviour who expoundeth it to be the world, and ſo the Magiſtrates puniſheth ſocieties.
2 Nor is it inconvenient that the Churches nurſe-father purge the Church in a politick way, as his place may bear.
3 It is true, ſome crimes as murther, the Magiſtrates puniſh with death, and is to accept of no ſatisfaction, Num. 35. 30. 31. becauſe the taking away lif… It among things that cannot be repaired,Whether falſe teachers if they repent muſt be ſpared, or becauſe they may repent. but it is not univerſally true in all caſes, that the Magiſtrate is not to forgive, if the guilty man repent. And though we could not determin that caſe of conſcience, whether the Magiſtrate ſhould puniſh a blaſphemer and a falſe teacher if he repent, yet it follows not that he ſhould not be puniſhed who willfully goes on. And the reaſon why hereticks repenting, are to be pardoned by the Magiſtrates, is, becauſe obſtinatious perſiſting in an hereſies, makes a man an heretick puniſhable by death, but if a blaſphemer have perverted many ſoules, and have preſumptuouſly diſhonoured the Majeſty of God, to me, it is a queſtion if the Magiſtrates ought to pardon him, and though he be not put to death, it is ſure he ought by the Magiſtrate to be puniſhed, which is the thing we prove now.
Celſus, Tares may bee turned into wheat, and converted; if the man bee killed hee is gone and paſt recovery.Minus Celſus …o. 53. Hereticks doth no ill, but good to the wheate, hee lives, ſaith Auguſtine, that either hee may repent,Zizania, Tr…ico non nocent ſed proſunt. or that a good man may bee exerciſed by him. Some ſay, variety of opinions in Religion are expreſſions of divine wiſdome.
Anſw. Auguſtin, Omnis …, au…dco … ut corrigatur, aut, ut per eum bonus ex…erceatur.A murtherer may be converted, as well as a heretick, and is nearer converſion then a man of a corrupt mind, and a heretick that is to be rejected, and no more taught and admoniſhed, as concerning the faith, he is reprobate, Tit. 3. 10. 1 Tim. 3. 5.
2 Nor doth he good to a beleever, but as a gangreene and a peſt to a wholeſome body.
3 And if he doe Good, and be an expreſſion of the wiſdome of God by being an heretick, why is he as chaffe caſten in unquenchable fire? as Libertines expound the Parable.
4 If he ſhould live that he may exerciſe the faith and patience of the Saints, then ſhould not the Kings of the earth burne the fleſh of the whore, nor the Magiſtrate take vengeance on murtherers, for the faith and patience of the Saints is ſeen in their oppreſſions, but no thanks to oppreſſors if hereticks muſt not be killed, why did Mu…cer, Becold and our Anabaptiſts now in armes and having no enemy, kill all the godly, becauſe they judge them wicked, ſhould they not be letter grow till the laſt harveſt alſo?