The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 17
Examination of CHAP. XVII.
Peace.
COncerning the holding forth of errour with an arrogant and boyſterous ſpirit to the diſturbance of civil peace, Maſter Cotton moderates the matter, that he would not have ſuch put to death, unleſs the civil peace be deſtroyed, to the deſtruction of the lives and ſouls of men.
Truth.
I cannot but here firſt obſerve the confounding of heaven The civil and ſpiritual life confounded.and earth together, the Church and the world, lives and ſouls, &c. as if all were of one nature.
2. Neither bleſſed Paul, nor I, need to be accuſed of cruelty in that grant of Paul, if alleadged (Acts 25.) for there will not be found ought but a willingneſs to bear a righteous ſentence of death in ſome crimes committed againſt the civil ſtate.
3. Maſter Cotton may here obſerve, how juſtly (as he ſpeaks of the heretick) he condemnes himſelf, for it is too bloody a Tenent (ſaith he) that every man that holdeth errour in a boyſterous and arrogant way, to the diſturbance of civil peace, ought to be puniſhed with death. Is not this the whole ſcope of his diſcourſe from Deut. 13. and other abrogated repealed laws, to prove (what was juſt and righteous in the land of Iſrael) ſo bloody a Tenent and courſe to be inforced in all Nations all the world over?
Peace.
Maſter Cotton excepteth againſt that ſpeech [But if the matter be of a ſpiritual or divine nature.] There is no error, ſaith he, can be of divine nature, though it may be ſpiritual.
Truth.
Maſter Cotton may hear Solomon here ſaying unto him. Be not overwiſe &c.
For firſt, the words are not, If the errour be of a divine nature, but if the matter (that is, the controverſie, cauſe &c.) be of a ſpiritual or divine nature: which diſtinction between humane andGod & Caeſar. divine things, I conceive is the ſame with that of wiſdome it ſelf dividing between God and Caeſar: Give to God, &c. And ſo, though no errour be of a ſpiritual or divine nature (taking the words in their highth) yet the matter in queſtion may be of ſome ſpiritual or divine conſideration, belonging to God, and his worſhip; and not concerning the Commonweal or Civil ſtate of men, which belong to Caeſars care.
2. Taking ſpiritual as it is uſed ſometimes in the holy Scripture as oppoſite to fleſh and blood, I ſee no ground for that diſtinction, between ſpiritual and divine: God is a ſpirit, and the ſpiritual man diſcerneth All things: In ſuch places and their like (to my underſtanding) ſpiritual and divine are the ſame thing.
Peace.
But I marvel at the next paſſage: how can Maſter Cotton with any colour of reaſon or charity conceive the diſcuſſer ſo reaſonleſs and ſenceleſs, as to intend by theſe words, ▪Such onelyonly break the Cities or Kingdomes peace, as call for priſon, and ſword againſt hereticks?▪ as if (as Maſter Cotton infers and ſaith) that murtherers, ſeditious perſons, rebels, traitors, were none of them ſuch, viz. Peace-breakers.
Truth.
This word [onelyonly] can onelyonly have a faire reſpect to ſuch as are charged by their opinions of Religion and worſhip to break the Peace of the Commonweale, who (of what conſcience ſoever they are) may freely enjoy their conſcience and worſhip (eitherThe great peace breakers. of many and falſe Gods, or of the true God in a falſe way) and yet not be guilty of the breach of civil peace, but onelyonly they (I ſay they onelyonly in this conſideration) who by their doctrine and practice cry out for priſon, and fire and ſword, againſt hereticks, &c.
Peace.
As the devil appeared an Angel of light in Samuels mantle, So John Hus and Jerome of Prage, are declared for devils with the pictured devils upon their heads; and under this cloud of hereſie and black name of hereticks, moſt commonly have ſuffered in all ages the true meſſengers of Chriſt Jeſus. Thus cryed they out, Acts 17. Theſe are they that have turned the world upſide down, and are come hither alſo; and thus did they ſet the City all on an uproare. And Acts 19. not the worſhippers of Chriſt fill'd the whole City with confuſion, but the worſhipers of Diana, who filled the heavens with that Bedlam Outery of two houres continuance, Great is Diana of the Epheſians.
Truth.
With as little reaſon and peaceableneſs of ſpirit hathEngliſh Diana's. our Engliſh Nation uſed to cry Great is the Church of Rome, Great is our holy Father the Pope, Great the Maſs, Great the Virgin Mary, Great the General Councels &c. And in later times, Great the Church of England, Great the Chriſtian Magiſtrate, Great the Miniſtery and Biſhops of England, Great the ſwearing and covenant of the people, &c. and ſuch as diſſent from us in theſe points and practices, perſecute them as hereticks, and diſturbers of the common civil peace.
Peace.
In the reſt of this Chapter, Maſter Cotton makes three grants with his exceptions annexed.
Truth.
Pleaſe you (dear peace) to mention them in one, and accordingly I ſhall weigh them in the balance together.
Peace.
1. Saith he, The many cauſes which the diſcuſſer before wrote of, are all of them allowed, but none of them concern holding forth of errors, which is the point in hand.
2. Saith he, It is eaſily granted that they do break the Cities Groſs partiality to private intereſts.or kingdoms peace, who cry out for priſons and ſwords againſt ſuch who croſs their judgement or practice in religion, to wit, ſaith he, unleſs their religion be of God, and the croſſing of it be ſuch as deſtroyeth and ſubverteth the Religion of God.
3. It is alſo eaſily granted (ſaith he) that many complaine moſt who are moſt in fault themſelves.
Truth.
To theſe three I may anſwer thus in one. The Myſtery of preaching or holding forth the witneſs of the Truth of Jeſus, is interpreted by many to be the Myſtery of the firſt ſeal, the white horſe; and the being perſecuted or ſlaughtered for the word of God and teſtimony of Jeſus, to be the Myſtery of the third ſeal, where the ſouls under the Altar cry to the Lord for vengeance againſt their perſecutors. Theſe myſteries are ſealed up, and they are the Lords letters, not to be opened and read by every one, but (as ſealed letters be) by ſuch to whom they are directed.
Peace.
It follows therefore, that in the midſt of all the cries of Iews, Pagans, Turkes, and Antichriſtians [Our Religion is the Religion of God: You are an heretick, you are a perſecutor, We are true Chriſtians, we are perſecuted, &c.] that the hearts of Gods children muſt be comforted and ſtaid up with the ſight of this Myſtery. And doubtleſs it is moſt commonly (though not alwayes) true, that the impriſoned, fined, whipt, baniſhed, hanged, burned, &c. in point of Religion have been ſo inhumanely oppreſſed for the word of God and the Teſtimony of Ieſus.
Our own Chronicles, Records of England, and bleſſed Maſter Fox will in part evidence to us, that ſcarce a King or Queen ofEngland in all Ages guilty of much perſecution. England hath paſt ſince Richard the ſecond his time, but the blood of the witneſſes of Ieſus more or leſs hath been ſpilt in their Raignes, as the blood of Hereticks, Schiſmaticks &c. and but few drops of the blood of any Heretick indeed have faln to the ground.
Truth.
The diſcuſſer therefore humbly (to my knowledge) deſireth according to Maſter Cottons wiſh to reflect upon his ownTwo ſeaſonable petitions of any perſ…outed. way, and humbly to beg of God two things for himſelf, and all in any meaſure cenſured and perſecuted as hereticks.
Firſt, Ioſephs innocency, purity, chaſtity, in all thoſe points and queſtions wherein they are charged and condemned unclean.
Secondly, Ieſephs patience to bear the accuſations, cenſures, impriſonments &c. from the tongues and hands of them who are notoriouſly unclean and guilty before the zealous and revenging eye and hand of God.