The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 73
Exam: of Chap. 73. replying to Chap. 76. Diſcuſſing the Teſtimonie of Optatus.
Peace.
MAſter Cotton having alledged Optatus, juſtifying Macarius his putting Hereticks to Death, from the Example of Moſes, Phinehas, and Elijah; it was anſwered, that theſe ſhafts were drawen not out of Chriſts, but Moſes Quiver: Mr Cotton replyes; did ever any Apoſtle or Evangeliſt make the Judiciall Lawes of Moſes concerning Life and Death ceremoniall and typicall?
Truth.
What ever the Apoſtles of Chriſt did in this matter,Of Moſes Judicialls. yet ſure it is Evident, that Mr Cotton himſelfe makes ſome of Moſes Lawes, which he calls Judiciall, to be but ceremoniall and typicall.
Peace.
Me thinks Mr Cotton ſhould never grant that, who layes ſo much waight upon Moſes practices, and the morall and perpetuall ground of them.
Truth.
Well take for an Inſtance this very caſe of putting to Death, Idolaters and falſe Prophets, he grants this in this very Chapter to be typicall in the State of the Jewes; for Iſraell (ſayth he) being the Church of God, and in Convenant with God, their Example will onelyonly extend to the like Execution of all the falſe Prophets in the Church of God.
Peace.
Such a Candle lighted up in the Conſcience and Judgement and Confeſſion of Mr Cotton, may (if the Father of Lights ſo pleaſe,) light up many Candles more, to Mr Cottons owne and the eyes of others.
Truth.
Yea if the Father of Lights ſo pleaſe, Mr Cotton will looke back and ſee, that if the Example of Iſrael extend no further then to the Church of God, then thoſe Lawes of Moſes concerning Religion, cannot but be typicall and ceremoniall; for, what is morall and perpetuall, none can deny to concerne all Men in all Nations, where no Church or Houſe of God was ever erected.
2. Peace.
If Mr Cotton ſay it extends but to the Church of God, what Church of God can Mr Cotton meane, but a particular Congregation (for he profeſſeth againſt Nationall, Provinciall, &c.) And yet how can he meane a particular Church, ſince he grants the Church of Chriſt armed with no other weapons then ſpirituall, like unto the Head and King thereof Chriſt Jeſus?
3. Truth.
If Mr Cotton will grant the Church of Chriſt to haveThe firſt three hundred years after Chriſt. been extant upon Earth during the firſt three hundred yeares of her fiery tryalls, he muſt grant that then the Church of Chriſt was furniſhed by Chriſt Jeſus with no other weapons but ſpirituall, for all the Civill powers of the World ſeemed to be againſt them. All which time by Mr Cottons Doctrine, the Church of Chriſt hisThe Primitive Church the pureſt, and yet without a Civill Sword. heavenly Garden muſt needs be over-growne with Hereticks, Idolaters, falſe Prophets, for want of a Civill Sword, &c. Or if they were not (as ſure it is, the Spouſe and Garden of Chriſt was never fairer ſince): As Mr Cotton grants the Example typicall, and extending onelyonly to the Church of God, ſo muſt he then alſo grant theſe falſe Prophets and Idolaters to be put to Death by the Churches power, which is onelyonly ſpirituall, and Iſraels materiall Sword will then appeare to be a type of the two-edged ſword of Chriſt Jeſus in the Goſpel.
Peace.
It is true (ſayth Maſter Cotton,) what the DiſcuſſerChriſt no Author of Civill violence for Religion. ſayth, that Chriſt Jeſus gave no Ordinance, Precept or Preſident in the Goſpel for killing men for Religion, and no more (ſayth he) for the breach of Civill Juſtice: Civill Magiſtrates therefore muſt either walke without Rule, or fetch their Rules of Righteouſneſſe from Moſes and the Prophets, who have expounded him in the Old Teſtament.
Truth.
If Mr Cotton pleaſe more awfully to obſerve & weigh the minde of Chriſt Jeſus his New Teſtament in this point, he will not onelyonly heare himſelfe ſubſcribing to Caeſars Right in Civill matters, but alſo by his ſervant Peter eſtabliſhing all other formes of Civill Government, which the peoples or Nations of the World ſhall invent or create for their civill being, Common-weale or wellfare. Yea he may remember that Chriſt Jeſus by his Servant Paul commandeth the Magiſtrate, to puniſh Murther, Theft, Adulterie, &c. for he expreſly nameth theſe Civill Tranſgreſſions together with the civill Sword the Avenger of them, Rom. 13.
Peace.
I cannot well conceive what Mr Cotton meanes by ſaying, that Moſes and the Prophets expounded Chriſt Jeſus in the Old Teſtament.
Truth.
Nor I: They did ſpeake or prophecie of Chriſt, they did type or figure him to come, with his ſufferings and Glory, but (as John ſayth) Grace and Truth came by Jeſus Chriſt, that is, the fullfilling, opening, and expounding came by Jeſus Chriſt.
Peace.
Hence indeed I remember that Chriſt Jeſus (Luc. 24.) expounded to his Diſciples, out of Moſes and the Prophets, the things written of him. But more particularly touching Moſes: Macarius did well (ſayth Mr Cotton) in putting Hereticks to Death, from the Example of Moſes putting Idolaters to Death, Exod 32. and the Idolater to Death, Levit. 24.
Truth.
Theſe Inſtances (by Mr Cottons Confeſſion) extendThe Levites killing 3000. Exod 32. typicall. no further then the Church of God, and then I deſire my aboveſaid Anſwer may be uprightly weighed. And I adde the former Inſtance of putting Death the three thouſand Iſraelites about the Goulden C…lfe by the hand of the Levites, may moſt lively ſeeme to typifie, the zealous Execution of ſpirituall Juſtice in (the Iſrael of God) the Church of Chriſt, by the true Miniſters of Chriſt Jeſus, the true Antitype of that zealous Tribe of Levi.
Peace.
Concerning Phineas, whereas it was ſaid that thePhineas his Act. flaying of the Iſraelitiſh Prince and Daughter of Midian, was not for ſpirituall but for corporall fulthineſſe, Maſter Cotton anſwereth and urgeth the Iſraelites eating of their Sacrifices, and joyning to Baal-peor: Alſo that ſingle Fornication was no capitall crime.
Truth.
It is moſt true, the people committed both ſpirituall and corporall Filthines (as very often they goe together) but the Juſtice of God reckoned with theſe two ſinners, for and in the midſt of their corporall Filthines, which although it were not capitall in Iſraell, yet the committing of it with ſo high an hand of preſumption (and ſmall ſinnes committed preſumptuouſly in Iſraell were Death) was enough to make it worthy of ſo ſharpe and ſudden a Deſtruction.
Peace.
Concerning Phineas his act Mr Cotton acknowledgeth that it is no preſident for Miniſters of the Goſpel ſo to act, but withall ſayth it is praeſidentiall for Magiſtrates.
Truth.
Phineas his Act (whether of ordinarie or extraordinary Juſtice) how can it be praeſidentiall to the Civill Magiſtrate in a particular Church, where the weapons are onelyonly ſpirituall? And Mr Cotton grants theſe Examples extend no further then the Church: Such as maintaine a Nationall Church (which Mr Cotton doth not) have ſome colour to urge this Example The ſpirituall & Civill State vaſtly different in their frame, Lawes, Officers, &c.for a preſident: for in a civill State, civill Officers, civill Lawes, civill Weapons, civill puniſhments and rewards are proper, as are alſo (and onelyonly) Spirituall Officers, ſpirituall Lawes, ſpirituall puniſhments and Rewards in a ſpirituall State.
Peace.
Concerning Eliah, Mr Cotton excepteth againſt the number eight hundred and fiftie, as too many by halfe.
Truth.
It is true, the number of Baals Prophets were foureElijah and the Baalites. hundred and fiftie (falſe Prophets enough to one poore true) but yet Eliah numbers Jezabells foure hundred trencher Chaplins with them; for, ſayth he, Now therefore ſend and gather unto me all Iſrael unto Mount Carmel, and the Prophets of Baal foure hundred and fiftie, and the Prophets of the Grove foure hundred, which eate at Jezabells Table.
Peace.
But how ever (ſayth Mr Cotton) here was no type nor Figure for Actions of morall Juſtice, (though ſometimes extraordinary) yet they are never figurative, but with ſuch as turne all the Scripture into an Allegorie.
Truth.
To make the ſhadowes of the old Teſtament and the Subſtance The types and figures of the old Teſtamentor Body of the New, all one, is but to confound and mingle Heaven and Earth together, for the ſtate of the Law was ceremoniall and figurative, having a worldly Tabernacle with vaniſhing and beggarly Rudiments: And I believe it might not onelyonly be ſaid, that Abrahams lying with his handmaid Hagar, was an Allegorie, but that the whole Church of Iſraell, Roote and Branch, from firſt to laſt included figurative and Allegoricall Kernells, were the Husks and Shells diſcloſed with more humbly diligent and ſpirituall teeth and fingers.
Peace.
I cannot but aſſent unto you, that to render the old Teſtament Allegoricall in an humble ſobrietie, your Inſtance with many more give ſufficient warrant.
Truth.
Yet I adde (in anſwer to Mr Cottons charge of turning all Scripture into an Allegorie) that to deny the Hiſtorie of either Old or New Teſtament, or to render the New Teſtament (which expounds and fullfills the ancient figures) Allegoricalls are both abſurd and impious.
Peace.
But how (ſayth Mr Cotton) can an Act of morall righteouſneſſe be figurative?
Truth.
There is a Fallacie in this tearme [morall Righteouſneſſe]Righteouſnes two fold. for Mr Cotton himſelfe hath …knowledged a Righteouſneſſe two-fold, A Spirituall Righteouſneſſe of the Church, and a civill of the Common-weale: Mr Cotton alſo acknowledgeth Iſrael The ſtate o… Iſrael typicall.to be a Typicall people, their land a typicall Land, their Miniſtry and Worſhip typicall! How can Mr Cotton then deny, but that the weapons of this people, their puniſhments and rewards, &c. (ſo far as concerned this their mixed figurative and typicall ſtate) were figurative and ceremoniall alſo? And ſo not parts of morall civill Righteouſneſſe, or common to all other Nations and peoples in the World.
Peace.
I cannot readily aſſent to Mr Cotton, that morall Actions of Civill Righteouſneſſe could not be figurative with this ceremoniall, typicall and figurative people: for their warre it ſelfe (which if lawfull, is an Act of civill morall Righteouſneſſe) Paul ſeemes to make figurative of the ſpirituall Warres of the Chriſtian Iſrael and Church of God.
Truth.
Yea and it is eaſie to obſerve that not onelyonly theirNot only morall but naturall Actions of the Iſraelites typicall. ſpirituall Worſhip, &c. not onelyonly Acts of morall and civill Righteouſneſſe in peace and warre, &c. but even their very naturall Actions and Excrements (in warres againſt their Enemies) were figurative and typicall, full of heavenly and ſpirituall Inſtruction, which the unbelieving Jewes then ſaw not, but the believing ſaw, as they ſaw Chriſt Jeſus in the Sacrifices, and all their obſervations leading to the bleſſed Son of God, the Meſſiah, the Annointed, or Chriſt to come, and his Eternall Kingdome.
Peace.
Mr Cotton in the next place takes offence that the Fact of Elijah ſhould be called miraculous, and askes if it be a miracle for Elijah with the aide of ſo many thouſand Iſraelites to put to Death foure hundred and fiftie men?
Truth.
Mr Cotton miſtakes the word, for the word is notWhether Eliahs procuring the ſlaughter of the Baalites was Typicall or Morall. fact but paſſage, which compriſeth not onelyonly the ſlaughter of theſe their Prieſts, but the whole matter and buſines, as the putting of the Worſhip of the true God, to the Tryall of Fire from Heaven, the deſcending of Fire from Heaven, the devouring of the Sacrifice, and licking up of ſo much water, and upon this ſo great a number of their Prieſts (the Fathers, Shepheards, and Gods of the people) ſo thunder-ſmitten as from Heaven, with ſo ſudden and dreadfull a ſlaughter, what can theſe be but an extraordinary Inſpiration in the Prophet, a ſupernaturall deſcent and operation of Fire, yea and an extraordinary and wonderfull change in the heart of the People? And I doubt not but Mr Cotton doth ſometimes give an heavenly and ſpirituall ſignification, to all theſe figurative and miraculous Myſteries.
Peace.
But I wonder at the next words; Though Chriſt (ſayth he) gave no ſuch Commiſſion to Miniſters of the Goſpel to put falſe Prophets to Death, as Elijah did, yet the Act of Dutie was an ordinary dutie of morall Righteouſneſſe, belonging to ſuch as beare the Sword. Anon againe he writes; This Example will not extend to the Idolaters of the World.
Firſt, Becauſe many thouſand thouſand of them are exempt from the civill Magiſtracie of Chriſtians. Secondly, They were never in Covenant with God, to whom onelyonly the Law of Moſes concerning the puniſhment of Idolaters extended. Thirdly, Though the Iſraelites were Idolaters, yet Elijah ſpared them, becauſe of their ſimplicitie and Ignorance.
Truth.
I anſwer, firſt, if Chriſt Jeſus gave no ſuch Commiſſion No Commiſſion from Chriſt for corporall puniſhment in religious matters.(as is confeſſed) then woe to all thoſe Popiſh and Proteſtant Prieſts, who have (by theft, or flatterie, or other evill meanes) got Commiſſions from the Civill powers of the World, whereby (to maintaine their own honours, and profits of Biſhopricks and Benefices, &c.) they ſmite with the fiſt and ſword, of wickednes: or under a pretence of holy Orders in themſelves, put over the drudgery of Execution to their enſlaved Seculars!
Secondly, If theſe need no Commiſſion, becauſe to put to Death the falſe Prophets and Idolaters, is an Act of morall Righteouſneſſe, how agrees that Poſition and theſe three together.
Firſt, onelyonly Chriſtian Magiſtrates (ſaid Mr Cotton) muſt act in theſe caſes.
Secondly, They muſt act againſt ſuch onelyonly as are Churchmembers.
Thirdly, They muſt not act againſt ſuch Church-members as commit Idolatrie out of ſimplicitie or Ignorance.
Peace.
Deare Truth, if it paſſe your capacitie to reconcile theſe in point of Truth, it muſt needs paſſe mine to ſee how ſuch Doctrines can ſtand with any civill peace or order in the world.
Truth.
To affirme ſuch Actions to be ordinarie duties of morall Strange and monſtrous▪ duties of Morall Righteouſneſſe.Righteouſneſſe, belonging to ſuch as beare the Sword, and yet not to be practiced but by ſuch Magiſtrates as are moſt rarely found in the World, and on ſuch a people in ſuch an Order as is moſt rare in the Nations of the World, is to me all one, as to call all Fathers and Maſters in the World to ſuch ordinary Duties as belong to every Father and Maſter of a Familie: Or to call Maſters and Commanders of Ships to ſuch ordinary duties as belong to all Maſters of Ships in the World: Or Captaines and Commanders in Warre to ſuch ordinarie Duties as belong to all Captaines and Commanders in the World, and then at laſt to tell them: It is true, the Duties are ordinary and common, to all Fathers, Maſters, Commanders, Captaines, but theſe Duties are to be performed onelyonly by ſuch Fathers, Maſters, Captaines and Commanders, and in ſuch Families, Ships, and Armies as are not ordinarie to be found in the World.
Peace.
I ſee not but the Similitude doth fully reach, for indeed although ſuch a people ſo and ſo in Covenant with God, according to Mr Cotton, were true viſible Churches according to Chriſts Inſtitution, and ſo conſequently their Magiſtrates truely Chriſtian, yet compare ſuch Magiſtrates with the reſt of the Magiſtrates of the World, who as lawfully beare the Sword asGods children are wonders and monſters accounted. Themſelves, and compare ſuch a people ſo and ſo in Church-Covenant, with the reſt of the people and Nations of the World, and we ſhall not finde them ordinary and common, but rather as ſix fingers, wonders and monſters to all other parts of the World, yea even to the very Popiſh and Proteſtant parts of the World alſo.
But to end this Chapter; The other fact of Elijah in ſlaying the Captaines with their fifties, Mr Cotton acknowledgeth not to be alledged by any other Authour in this Controverſie, but onelyonly by the Diſcuſſer, to make himſelfe work in ſuch Cobweb-Evaſions.
Truth.
Mr Cotton forgetteth, for Elijah his Act (from Luc. 9.)Elijah his ſlaying the Captaines and their fifties. hath been mentioned by others, and anſwered too by Maſter Cotton in this preſent Booke and Controverſie. And for the Cob-webs, let the poore Witneſſes of Chriſt be eſteemed as Spiders, and their Teſtimonie and Witnes but as Cob-webs, yet let them not be diſcouraged, but lay hould (like Solomons Spider) with the hand of ſpirituall Diligence, and let all ſuch their heavenly Wonderfull Spiders and Cobwebs. Prov▪ 30▪Cob-webs be in Kings Pallaces. And let them know their Cobwebs be of ſuch a ſtrength, that how ever the cruell Beezome of perſceution may ſweepe them downe, out of this World, yet in pomt of Truth and true Chriſtian power and worth, neither Pope nor Prelate, neither Presbyterian, nor Independent perſecutour, nor Baalzebub himſelfe (the God of Flies) ſhall ever be able to ſweepe them downe, or breake through them.