Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Whether hereſie be a ſin, or a meer error and innocency: whether a… hereticke be an evill doer?
WHat is naked and meere ſimple hereſie (ſay the Belgick Arminians) but a meere device?Remonſtrant i… Apologia p. 40. P. 268. … & tu…a hereſis … …rr…r qui in merte errantis ta…um l…cum habet …rrer nec objectum nec cauſa punitionis eſt, error enim merus erra…tem non egreditur, ergo … necoer…ri quidem poteſt▪ animus hominis imprio humano non … humane … Apo. …24 …. 28… or is hereſie onelyonly error (ſay they) which hath place in the minde of him that erreth: nor is error ſufficient to conſtitute a thing hereſie, nor if it were, is it the object or cauſe of any puniſhment, a meere error does not goe out of … that erreth, he that erreth cannot be puniſhed… the minde of man is not lyable to any command, onelyonly God commandeth …, thoughts are free from paying tribute to men, pertinacy is not of the nature of hereſie, nor blaſphemy; nor if they were, can heretickes therefore be puniſhed? nor doth ſedition make hereſie puniſhable; ſo they make hereſie nothing but a name, who (ſay they) can ſay an hereticke is an evill doer? evill doers confeſſe their evill deeds, and know them to be worthy of puniſhment, by the Law of God and man: heretickes deny they are hereticks, or that they have any bad opinions, or that they blaſpheme, they profeſſe the contrary, that they are ready to dye an hundreth deaths rather then they ſhould blaſpheme, theeves ſteale, that they may ſteale, heretickes ſeduce not, that they may ſeduce, but that they may reduce men to a better minde and … them from ….Liberti…es m…ke hereſie a meere innocent and unpuniſhable error of the minde. So … Oelſut alſo de heret…i… …, … 1. f. 5, 6.
Aſſer. 1. But 1. Though neither we nor Libertines could define Idolatry nor murther, nor adultery, yet ſure the Law of God condemne… Idolatry, murther, adultery … ſins; this is the cuſtome of juglers and ſophiſters,Hereſie is a ſin as well as Idolatry, though we could neither deſine hereſie nor Idolatry. who deny there is ſuch a thing as robbing, or hedge-robbers, why, what … hedge-robbing you cannot define it, and not one of twenty, agree with another what hedge-robbers are, therefore there is not ſuch a thing as an hedge-robber. Nor doe ſorcerers confeſſe they are ſorcerers, nor can you tell what ſo … it; and there is not ſuch a thing in the world: ſo many ….
Aſſer. 2. Hereſie is not a meere error, nor innocency, but a hainous tranſgreſſion againſt God. 1. Becauſe Paul, Gal. 5. ver. Hereſie proved to be an hainous ſin.19, 20, 21. reckoneth hereſies among the workes of …he fleſh, with Idolatry, witchcraft, envy, ſtrife, and ſedition, then it is a worke of the devill, and of ſinfull fleſh. 2. That which God permitteth, that thoſe that are approved may be made manifeſt in the Church of Chriſt, that muſt be a ſinne, but ſuch is hereſie, 1 Cor. 11. 19. 3. Grievous wolves not ſparing the flocke, falſe Prophets, and falſe Chriſts, who deceive (if it were poſſible) the very elect, ſuch as make their Diſciples twofold the children of the devill, theeves and robbers, who come to ſteale and to kill, and to drinke the blood of ſoules, theſe who ſubvert whole houſes, and whoſe word eat as a gangreen, are not innocent, and ſimply erring men, nor is their error, ſimple error, but a high trangreſſion againſt God, but ſuch are heretickes, Act. 20. 29, 30. Mat. 24. 24. Mat. 23. 15. Joh. 10. 8, 9, 10 Tit. 1. 11. 2 Tim. 2. 17. 4. Theſe who are deceivers and deceived, unruly, and vaine talkers, to be rebuked ſharpely, that they may be ſound in the faith, and theſe, whom we are not to receive into our houſes, nor bid them God ſpeed, leaſt we be partakers of their evill doings, theſe of whom we are to be aware, leſt they inſnare us, and whom we are, after once or twice admonition, to reject, and from whom we are to turne away, muſt bee ſuch as doe more then ſimply erre in minde, and their errors being ſo pernitious muſt come out of him that erreth, and ſubverteth whole houſes, and lead … women captive laden with divers luſts, and muſt be ſubject to commands of thoſe that are in place, ſince they are to be ſharply rebuked are not innocent, but doe grievouſly ſinne and are puniſhable. But ſuch are hereticks, Tit. 1. 11, 12, 13. 2 Joh. 10. 11. 2 Tim. 4. 15. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Tim. 3. 5. 5 Such as doe evill and that as falſe teachers, and reſiſt the truth, at James and Jambres reſiſted Moſes, and doe Paul and the faithfull preachers of the Goſpell much evill, in perverting ſoules and in withſtanding the goſpel, as Alexander the copper-Smith did, who ſubvert whole houſes, lead ſoules captive, deceive many, who ſpeake words which eate the ſoules of many as a Canker, and ſubvert the faith of many, though they deny they doe evill, or ſeduce any, or that they intend to ſeduce any, are evill doers, not innocent. But ſuch are Hereticks who privilie bring in damnable hereſies, and make merchandize of men, with faire words, and buy and ſell ſoules, 2 Pet. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4. 2 Tim. 3. 8. 2 Tim. 4. 14, 15. 2 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Tim. 2. 17, 18. 6 Theſe cannot bee innocent, nor free of all commands, rebukes, puniſhment, whom the holy Ghoſt ſtiles proud, perverſe diſputers, men of corrupt minds, deſtitute of the truth, 1 Tim. 6. 4, 5. Falſe Chriſts, Matth. 24. 24. Deceivers, Tit. 1. 11. Men of corrupt mindes, reprobate concerning the faith, 2 Tim. 3. 8, 9. Whoſe folly ſhall be made knowne to many, who are ſelfe condemned, as knowing (if they would not winke and ſhut their eyes at noone-day) that they deceive, and are deceived, Tit. 3. 10. 7 Theſe and many other things in theſe ſeducing teachers doe evidence that hereſie, and ſeducing teaching of Hereticks are not a ſimple diſeaſe in the mind, ſince they are willingly ignorant, 2 Pet. 3. 7. foreign as ſuch as beleeved Baal to be God, and worſhip him, are ſuch of whom the Lord ſaith, Jer. 9. 6. Through deceit they refuſe to know me, ſaith the Lord. The Holy Ghoſt ſaith they doe much evill, reſiſt the truth, buy mens ſoules as if they were Merchants, are perverſe diſputers, are proud, unruly, talkers, all which ſhoweth that their will hath an influence in their knowledge and mind.
All the Arguments of Libertines againſt the definition of an Heretick,Remonſtrance Apol. 24. f. 283 tend to prove that there is not ſuch a thing as an Hereticke in the world As if a robber arraigned upon his head before a judge, would ſay, there is no ſuch thing in the world as Robbery, it is a meere fiction, or their reaſons partinary, which we ſay is the formal reaſon and eſſence of hereſie,Remon. Apol. 24. f. 285. is onelyonly in the heart, and knowne to God onelyonly, and therefore, ſince neither the Church, nor the Magiſtrate know the heart, we muſt leave it to God, all mens judgements of the heart are uncertain, and deceiving conjectures, no man of ſet purpoſe deſires to doe evill, but when hee knowes he does evill, no man perſwades himſelfe that he erreth, when the matter is about eternall ſalvation, therefore it is not lawfull to charge any heretick that he acts malice againſt his light, charity perſwadeth another thing, Min…s Celſus … heretic. coer. ſe…. …. f. 9, 10, 11, 12.and who knowingly (ſaith Minus Celſus) and willingly ſinnes againſt the knowne truth, his crime is not properly hereſie, but the ſin and blaſphemy againſt the holy ghoſt for whom we are not to pray, and is a ſin that ſhall never be pardoned, and therefore it is in vaine to accuſe this man of hereſie.
Anſw. The holy ghoſt contrary to Libertines, ſuppoſeth unden…bly that hereticks are knowne, and ſo they are not knowne to God only, when … b…ds us beware of them, avoid them, bid them not God ſp…d.This vaine argument of fooliſh men is againſt the Holy Ghoſt, not againſt us, for charity then muſt forbid us▪ to judge evill of our brother, or to beware of him, to avoide him, to admoniſh or rebuke him for hereſie, for a ſin knowne to God onelyonly, or to reject him, or to refuſe him lodging in our houſe, or to bid him God ſpeed, for you condemn him and flee and avoyd him as an Heretick, and in ſo doing ye take Gods office on you to judge the heart, now when the Holy Ghoſt bids us admoniſh, rebuke, inſtruct with meekneſſe: Heretickes, if they wil not be gained, reject and avoid them, doth he not clearly hold forth that Hereticks may be knowne; When Solomon ſaith, goe not by the doore of the whore, make no friendſhip with an angry…man, be not companions with theeves and robbers, doth he not inſinuate, that the whore and the angry man, and the theefe may be known or would he ſay, the whore is onelyonly knowne to God, and charity forbids you to judge any wom…n a whore, or any teacher, who ſaith he would ſhow you the ſtr…ight way to heaven, and the way that he himſelfe walketh in, and no man perſwades himſelfe that he erreth when the matter is concerning his owne eternall ſalvation, and it is onelyonly knowne to God whether he be an Hereticke or no, yet admoniſh him at an Heretick, and reject him and avoid his company as a Heretick. This is as much as if a Phiſitian would ſay, it is impoſſible to any man to know, ſave God onelyonly, what houſes are infected with the peſtilence, yet I councell you, for your health, goe not into any peſt-houſe.
2 It is moſt falſe that pertinacy is knowne to God only, that pertinacy that evidenceth it ſelfe to us, Pertinacie may be, & is known to men.by ſuch markes and outward evidences is knowne to us, as ſuch a Familiſt, a Socinian leadeth ſilly women captive, and ſubverteth the faith of many, and cauſeth ſimple people to beleeve the God manifeſted in the fleſh and crucified, is nothing but a Saint-ſuffering, and having much of God and ſaving grace evidenced in him, and he is ones and twice by word and writing admoniſhed, Libertines openly contradict the holy ghoſt in that they forbid to judge falſe teachers to bee grievous wolves.but he ſtill goeth on and ſeduceth many, then he is ſo farre pertinacious, as ye may judge him an Heretick, and having tryed that hee is an hereticall ſpirit, avoid him, and bid him not God ſpeed, doth not Paul exhort the Elders of Epheſus to take heede of ravening Wolves that ſhould ariſe and ſpeake foreign perverſe things to draw away diſciples after them, and they ſhould not ſpare the flock,Remonſt. Apol. c. 24. 285 de ma…i…ioſo volu… tatis actu … pertina…ia que eſt formalis ratione h…reſees … niſi ſo…us …o…e judicari poteſt humana omni… judicia de mente animoque alterius incerta ſunt, conjectura fallaces niſi cum quis quod malum eſſe novit, facere vult nemo dedita opera erras, aut errare ſe ſibi p…rſwadet cum de …terna ſalute agitur, quare fas non eſt invito alicui tribuere malitiam: caritas aliud ſwades. Act. 20. 29, 30. Yea; but our ab…ominable Libertines come in and ſay, Elders of Epheſus, be charitable, judge them not to be grievous wolves, leaſt ye condemn them for wolves before men, who are the redeemed ſheepe of Chriſt in the high court, it is true, they ſpeake perverſe things, as yee apprehend, but Elders, are you infallible now? when Paul and the Apoſtles are departed this life, they judge that you ſpeake perverſe things, and ye are the grievous wolves. You heare them ſpeake new doctrines, it is true, but you know not whether they be pertinacious, pertinacy is in the heart onelyonly, be charitable, for only God knowes the heart, ſay not … the flocke they are ravening wolves, ſeducers, and that knowingly and willingly they ſin againſt the knowne truth, no man erreth dedi… opera of ſet purpoſe, nor perſwades himſelfe that he erres, when the matter is concerning eternall ſalvation, charity forbids you to aſcribe malitiouſneſſe of erring to men, who erre not with their will, and you Church and Angell of the Churches of Pergamus and of Thyat…ra, be charitable and judge not thoſe that teach the doctrine of Balaam, and Jezabell to be falſe Prophets, you heare their words, but God only tryeth the reignes and the heart, you know not whether they teach, what they teach, with pertinacy, all judging of the minde and heart of others are uncertaine conjectures, neither they nor any other doe give beleeving, and being perſwaded, that they erre, when the matter is of ſuch concernment as eternall ſalvation.
3.Hereſie a wicked reſiſting of the truth, and yet not the blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt. Nor is the crime, the blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt, when any doe maliciouſly reſiſt the truth. 1. When there is not a high meaſure of illumination and perſwaſion going before, which is not in every hereticke. 2. When pertinacy is bent againſt a ſide and party of godly men, not ſo much for deſpite and malice againſt them as they are godly; or out of deſpite to the Spirit of grace, as out of a minde puft up with love-ſickneſſe, of their owne learning, and great parts, and undervaluing of a contrary faction, as they ſuppoſe, for there be divers branches of oppoſing the knowne truth, as from fleſhly luſts, 2 Pet. 2. 17. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 3. from pride, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5. from avarice and love of the world, v. 5. 2 Pet. 2. 3. 15, 16. and yet all maliciouſly, that are not to be judged the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, except, it be ſuch an oppoſing of the knowne truth as comes from the ſpirituall malicious oppoſing of God and his knowne truth, as the devills did; and it may be alſo that ſome heretickes ſin the ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt in teaching lyes in hypocriſie, as the Phariſees did, who leave not off for that to be hereticks and falſe teachers.
4. Where men are ſavingly and ſoundly perſwaded that the buſineſſe is a matter of ſalvation, they will not finally and totally erre, but that there is ſuch a perſwaſion in heretickes, is utterly denyed by us; and where there is a perſwaſion in great meaſure, but literall, and hiſtoricall, and faith thereunto anſwerable, that the matter is eternall ſalvation and damnation, that they doe not erre and lead other captives to their error, is denyed, and it is more charity of hereticks who are ſelfe-condemned by their owne heart, Tit. 3. 10. and are willingly ignorant, 2 Pet. 3. 5. then the Holy Ghoſt allows.
5. Yea this will make hereſie and hereticks that are to the Holy Ghoſt ſeducers, …a…ching wolves, ſubverters of the faith of others, theeves, and robbers, foxes, reprobate concerning the faith, ſelfe-condemned; to be godly, zealous, innocent, erring againſt their will; free of malice, and ſo the Holy Ghoſt muſt doe a great deale of injury …o … who goe for hereticks, in this characterizing them … us … titles and characters, which no mortall man can give to them.
But what ſurer ſigne can there be (ſaith Celſus) of no evill conſcience then that a man will ſpend his blood, neglect his life, drink a cup which was ſo horrible to Chriſt, that it cauſed him ſweat blood, and fall on the earth, and yet he will joyfully dye rather, ere hee quit the knowne truth, this he muſt doe for ſome end? and is there any man who will willingly chuſe eternall deſtruction? nor can his and be pleaſure, for he is to leave all theſe; wife, children, goods; nor honour, for an hereticke dyes a moſt infamous man, and full of reproaches.
Anſw. This renders the hereticke the moſt innocent and righteous Martyr that ever was; for if his end be onelyonly life eternall,Liberti…es ſay that an hereticke dying for his hereſie, hath no evill conſcience, but a ſpirituall and heavenly end. and none of the three ends which lead all ſinners, neither pleaſure, nor profit, nor honour, 1 Joh. 2. 16. and if he ought to follow his conſcience, all hereſie ſhall be nothing but a moſt innocent, harmeleſſe, godly and zealous errour, why then doth this Author ſay, it is ſuch a ſinne as he is ſelfe-condemned, that is, as he expoundeth it, though there were not a God, nor any other to condemne him, yet he is condemned of himſelfe? why doth the Holy Ghoſt bid us turne away from ſuch a godly innocent man, who loveth the truth of Chriſt, Chriſt and heaven, better then father, mother, brother, ſiſter, lands, inheritances, his owne glory and name, yea nor his owne life, ſure he muſt be the man to whom life eternall, and a hundreth fold more is due by the promiſe of our Saviour, Matth. 19. 28, 29. yea he doth more then merit life eternall, he is free of ſelfe, any aime to pleaſure, profit, honour, or any created thing, and mindes God onelyonly as his end; but can his end; though never ſo good, juſtifie his hereſie, or his dying for a lye? let Celſus, or any Libertine, ſhew what end the Fathers had in killing their ſonnes and daughters to God? the Holy Ghoſt ſaith, they ſacrifice to devills, not to God, but they would not ſay they intended to gratifie the devill, but to ſerve God in giving the deareſt thing they had for God; and could their end be pleaſure, profit, honour? to looke on theſe, except in a ſpirituall fury, and mad zeal, that Sathan inſpired them withall, is folly, for there was no pleaſure in it but ſorrow, no gaine, but to loſe a ſweet child, but it purchaſed to them great glory to be ſaid to love their Lord God, above the fruit of their body, and to give the fruit of their body for the ſin of their ſoul.
Religio tantum potuit ſuadere malorum.
That they might be delivered from the torment of conſcience they were under, and the fury and helliſh zeale of not ſparing the fleſh, and loſing the life for an hereſie, which the hereticke knowes through the glimmering of a conſcience deluded, to be a hereſie, but will revenge, on a contrary ſect, of a contrary opinion, deſire of glory, and a name of knowledge, of a great wit, ſingular holineſſe blind the light, and what was their end who baked bread, and warmed themſelves with a part of an Aſh tree, and of the reſidue made a God and worſhipped it? It is a vaine thing to aske what rationall end a man hath in theſe, for God hath judicially ſhut his eyes and his heart, as the devill hath runne away with his naturall wit.
2. It is bad Divinity to ſay there was no other cup offered to Chriſt, but the cup of temporary death offered to all the Martyrs, as if Chriſt ſuffered not the wrath of God, and death, due by juſtice, to all the Elect, whoſe ſinnes hee bare, he muſt thinke baſely of Chriſt, the grace of union and of unction of whom it is ſaid, Eſa. 42. He ſhall not be diſcouraged, who teacheth that the feare and apprehenſion of death temporary cauſed him ſweat blood; and complain, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? and what comfort have we in Chriſts death, if he ſuffered not that which is equivalent to eternall wrath? and if he ſuffered no other death then a godly Martyr did, whereupon Minus Celſus goeth on to extoll heathens, who dyed worthily for the hope of eternity, as Anaxarchus, who bad the enemies beat the bellows, not Anaxarchus, when they were hammering him alive with iron hammers, and Hannibal who, leſt he ſhould come into the hands of the Romans, dranke the poyſon which he carried under a pearle in his ring, hoping for immortality; theſe and the like ſerve to equall the death of Hanniball and Jeſus Chriſt, Tundite, tundita An…x…rchi follem Anax…rchum enim non tundit.and to make Anaxarchus, Hannibal, Empedecies, Seneca, who Judas-like murthered themſelves, to be freed of ſervitude, and upon the leane and empty hope they had of eternall life, to have dyed conſcienti… non mal…, with no ill conſcience; for neither pleaſure, profit, nor honour, but for the hope of life eternall, as the Martyrs of the devill doe, eſpecially Servetus who dyed roaring and crying like a hopeleſſe beaſt; as if there could be a good conſcience in Hannibal, or any heathen, who knew and heard nothing of a conſcience ſprinkled in the blood of Jeſus, and purged from dead workes, to ſerve the living God, as if heathen ſelfe-murtherers, who againſt the Law of nature kill themſelves, deſerved no more to bee puniſhed by the Magiſtrat… …he Miniſter of God, then a godly innocent hereticke burnt for blaſpheming of the Trinity and the Sonne of God: As a deſpairing dog Servetus dyed, and that they had officax ſignum conſcientiae non malae, they had truly a good conſcience, were free of hypocriſie, or vaine-glory, or any bad end in killing themſelves, this ſerves as much to free the moſt deſperate and helliſh murtherer, from the ſword of the Miniſter of God as hereſie: ſo Celſus playes the Atheiſt egregiouſly in ſetting ſelfe-murtherers, Hannibal, Seneca, Empedocles, ſlaves of vaine-glory up at the right hand of God with Chriſt. But if Celſus would but offer a ſhadow of an argument, it ſhould be thus, Innocent men that dye for no worldly end, and will both willingly be killed, and kill themſelves with their owne hands, for no end but to obtaine life eternall, and becauſe they will not doe that which an erroneous conſcience, ſtuffed with, arrogancie, pride, ſelf-allo…ation of learning, zeal, and a name, judgeth to be ſin, are not to be puniſhed by the ſword, but ſuch are hereticks willing to be Martyrs for the devill, and heathen that kill themſelves to obtain eternall life; ergo, the major is falſe, the aſſumption bloody and unjuſt, the concluſion blaſphemous and Atheiſticall.
3. Conſider how Celſus proveth that the heretickes that dye for hereſies is not taken with vaine-glory▪ and for a name, becauſe a hereticke dyes infamous and filled with reproach, but make an argument of that, he that dyes for that which, in the opinion of the contrary ſide, is infamous and reproachfull, cannot dye for a name among men, and vaine-glory; but he that dyes for hereſie, dyes ſo, ergo, The major is moſt falſe, for to dye for hereſie in the eſtimation of the heretick, and of all of his opinion, and of all, that for all after generations ſhall be of his opinion is no reproach, but an everlaſting name to the hereticke ſo dying, and a name and glory with men is foreign an opinion, and is coyned, lives and breaths in the conceit and braine of men; we all ſay, Lucretia, Seneca, Ca…o, dyed for vaine-glory, for to the Romans it was glorious, yet they dyed truly and really infamous; for Chriſtians, who know what true honour and true liberty is, ſay and truly thinke, they dyed infamous, and ſhameleſſe murtherers and ſlaves to the people, and the aire and breath of the peoples mouth, and their empty plaudite.
4.Celſus ibid. Nor will any man (far leſſe an hereticke) willingly chuſe the deſtruction of his owne ſoule.The vain glory and malice of the devills martyrs who dye for hereſie.
Anſw. An Atheiſt ſticks not to contradict God, Prov. 8. 36. All they that hate me love death; but falſe teachers and hereticks, hate wiſdome and Chriſt, Deut. 13. 3. not to follow God is to hate God, he denyes the Lord that bought him he is proud, deſtitute of the truth, a vaine and unruly talker, reprobate as concerning faith, leads captive ſoules, and ſuch cannot chuſe the feare of the Lord.
2. He ſpeaketh like an heathen; for the will of hereticks and of all godleſſe men is captive, and the will they have is to ſerve the devill, and though we could not tell determinately what end an hereticke hath, in dying for his hereſie, it cannot prove his innocencie.
Yea the Donatiſts killed themſelves, and caſt themſelves downe head-long from an high place, they did that (ſaith Mr. Celſus) out of obſtinacy and malice to be avenged on Catholicks, and bring them under the guilt of perſecuters, which was an evill conſcience in them, but there can be no evill conſcience in an heretick dying for his opinion, an hereticke dying for his opinion cannot have an ill conſcience, he prayes to God, commends his ſafety to him, acknowledgeth Chriſt his Son, his Redeemer and Saviour, ſings hymnes and praiſes in the midſt of the flames of fire.
Anſw. That is a conjecture that Donatiſts and Circumce…ions killed themſelves to be revenged on Catholicks, Auguſtine neither Ep. 61. nor Ep. 50. nor elſewhere makes mention of ſuch an end they had, but becauſe they beleeved it was happineſſe to dye for Chriſt; yea though ſo it were, praying and praiſing, and crying, The Temple of the Lord, will he ſay there can be no malice in theeves, murtherers, adulterers, perjured perſons, walkers after other Gods, and ſuch as kill their ſonnes to the devill in Top…e…, Jer. 7. 3, 4, 5, 9. 30, 31. and in bloody perſecuters, who ſaid the Lord be glorified, Eſa, 66. 5. and in theſe that thinke they doe God ſervice, in killing the Apoſtles of the Lord, Joh. 16. 1. the man ſpeakes not like a divine but an Atheiſt, and moſt that are for Libertiniſme, to me are Atheiſts.
2. When Servetus and other Martyrs of the Devill dye…, we heard nothing of their ſinging of Pſalmes in the fire. Paul … a ſwearer, and a drunkard, who denies the Deity of the Son of God, is not one of theſe. But Celſus (I conceive) thinkes the godly martyrs that the bloody mother of fornications Babylon hath killed, for the teſtimony of Jeſus; were heretickes, becauſe they had no certainty of faith for the truths they were burnt for, becauſe the faith of Libertines is Scepticiſme.
3. Heretickes may, before men, pray and acknowledge a Saviour, but as the formall of hereſie, ſo of ſound faith is in the heart, and unſeen to Celſus, and therefore this argument is but a conjecture, and ſo Paul, 2 Tim. 3. ſaith, thoſe that … from the faith, have but a form of godlineſſe, & deny the power thereof
4, Though heretickes acknowledge a Redeemer, which yet may be queſtioned whether they doe all ſo, even thoſe who deny the Lord that bought them, yet theſe arguments of Celſus and Libertines plead for liberty of conſcience, not onelyonly to hereticks, that acknowledge a Redeemer, but to all, to open blaſphemers, apoſtates from the Chriſtian faith to Judaiſme and Mahometiſme, for ſhould any Chriſtian turn Jew (as ſome have done, and pray to God, and be willing to dye for Judaiſme and acknowledge the Meſſiah to come, Libertines can no more make a window in this mans conſcience to ſee his end in ſo doing, and know infallibly that neither pleaſure, profit, nor honour led him, but meere and onelyonly principles of Religion, in regard places in the New Teſtament cite paſſages of the Old ſo farre, ſeemingly, to reaſon contrary to the ſcope of the Prophets, then you can ſee to the conſcience of a hereticke, and Religion is to be compelled in no man, one or other, nor the ſword or violence uſed againſt any; though Celſus and the Belgick Remonſtrants thinke falſe teachers may rather be baniſhed and impriſoned, le…t they pervert the faith of others. But if they yeeld any corporall reſtraint or violence may be uſed againſt falſe teachers, they fall from their cauſe and loſe all their arguments for one degree of one violence (though baniſhment be couſen Germanes to death, and to ſome who cannot live and ſubſiſt but in England, as there are many ſuch, far worſe) can no more be uſed againſt the conſcience, then forcing of ten degrees, or tormenting deaths.
But… ſaith Celſus) Heretickes that dye for their hereſie are ſtupid and drunken.Fol. 18. But how can ſtupidity and malice be in one, (ſaith he) malice is not without certaine knowledge, ſtupidity deprives men of knowledge, and render them blocks, can ye find a man who willingly and wittingly makes defection from God and reſiſts the truth againſt his owne conſcience, and yet is ſo ſtupid that he knowes not what he doth, and can indure fooliſhly to dye for maintaining a lye?
Anſw. Spirituall ſtupidity and malice both together in hereticks and Sathans martyrs.If the Author were not ſtupid, hee would not declare himſelfe ſo Atheiſtically ignorant of ſpirituall ſtupidity; for higheſt malice and a hardened and fatned heart, eyes, eares, and a heart that cannot ſee, heare, or perceive, and ſo are ſpiritually ſtupid, doe not lodge ſundered one from another, Eſay 6. 9, 10, 11. hath this man read the word, Eſay 29 9. Stay your ſelves and wonder, cry ye out, and cry, they are drunken but not with wine, they ſtagger, but not with ſtrong drink. 10. The Lord hath powred out upon you the ſpirit of a deep ſleep, and hath cloſed your eyes; the Prophets and your Rulers, the Seers hath he covered, and yet theſe ſame were deep hypocrites, and malicious oppoſers of the wayes of God, enemies to, and perſecuters of the true Prophets ſent of God: v. 13. and who were theſe but Scribes & Phariſees, in whom there was as much malice againſt Chriſt and his Diſciples, as can be in the devill, or ſuch as ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt? as may be ſeen, Matth. 13, 14, 15. Matth. 12. 31, 32. Matth. 15. 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9. And God powred the ſpirit of ſlumber on the Jewes, Rom. 11. 7. 8. and there was ſuperlative malice in them againſt the knowne truth, Act. 13. 45. 46. and blaſphemy, Act. 14. 2, 3, 4, 5. and yet theſe men in evill, and as touching litterall knowledge know well what they were doing (though they were ſpiritually blocks.) See Matth. 2. 4, 5, 6. Joh. 7. 28. Joh. 3. 2. They privily bring in (2 Pet. 2.) damnable hereſies, they make merchandiſe of you with faire words, then they wanted not devilliſh wit enough. And 1 Tim. 4. 1. They ſpeake lyes out of hypocriſie and the doctrine of Devills, forbidding meates and marriage, there is wit, for theſe look like ſingular mortification, yet they have a conſcience ſo ſtupid, as it were burnt with a hot iron.
This alſo is groſſe ignorance in Libertines, Some ignorance conſiſts with the ſinne againſt the holy ghoſt.that they thinke thoſe who ſinne againſt knowledge, and conſcience and out of malice, as thoſe that ſin againſt the Holy Ghoſt, doe not ſinne through ignorance alſo, which is moſt falſe, for the moſt malicious ſin againſt knowledge hath an interpritative ignorance con…oyned with it, as the Phariſees who ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, in crucifying Chriſt (ſome of them as is cleare, Joh. 8. 28. Joh. 9. 40, 41 and elſe where) yet they ſinned ignorantly alſo, for had thy knowne, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory, 1 Cor. 2. 8.