The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 18 – Chapter 19
Examination of CHAP. XVIII.
Peace.
MAny of the following leaves and Chapters (dear truth) are ſpent upon that great and heavenly parable of the Tares, a knot about which ſo many holy fingers, dead and living, have been ſo laboriouſly exerciſed, all profeſſing to unty, yet ſome by ſeeming to untie, have tyed the knot the faſter.
Truth.
It is no wonder (ſweet peace) to finde Maſter Cotton ſo intangled both in his anſwers and replies touching this Parable; for men of all ſorts in former ages, have been ſo intangled beforeThe Parable of the Tares. him: To which purpoſe, with thy patience I ſhall relate a notable paſſage recorded by that excellent witneſs (or Martyr) of God, Maſter Fox in his book of Acts and Monuments: tis this. In the ſtory of Maſter George Wiſehart (that famous Scotch witneſs of Chriſt Ieſus) in the dayes of King Henry the eighth, there preached at the arraignment of the ſaid Wiſeheart, one Iohn Winryme, ſubprior of the Abbey of Saint Andrews, he diſcourſed on the Parable of the Tares, he interpreted the Tares to be hereticks; and yet contrary to this very Scripture (as Maſter Fox himſelf obſerveth, though elſwhere himſelf alſo maintaining it the duty of the civil Magiſtrate to ſuppreſs hereticks) I ſay the ſaid Winryme The Parable of Tares groſly abuſed.concludeth that hereticks ought not to be let alone until the harveſt, but to be ſuppreſt by the power of the civil Magiſtrate: So that memorable it is that both the Popiſh Prior, and that truely Chriſtian Fox, were intangled in contradictions to their own writings about the interpreting of this Heavenly Scripture.
Peace.
O what cauſe therefore have all that follow Ieſus to beg of Ieſus (as the Diſciples did) the bleſſed Key of David to unlooſe this holy miſtery? In the entrance therefore of this diſcourſe, the diſcuſſer obſerving Maſter Cottons expoſition to be fallacious, and the Tares to be interpreted, either perſons, or doctrines, or practices, he blames that Maſter Cotton gives no argument for proof of ſuch an interpretation: Maſter Cotton replies.
Firſt, Neither did the Author of the letter give reaſon for his interpretation. 2. That they both gave one interpretation. For the Author of the letter ſaid, that ſome expounded the Wheat and Tares, to ſignifie ſuch as walk in truth, and ſuch as walk in lyes: now are not (ſaith Maſter Cotton) hypocrites and ſome corrupt doctrines and practices coincident with ſuch as walk in lyes, &c?
Truth.
I anſwer, Firſt it might be both their failing, not to ſtrengthen their interpretations with ſome light and evidence from Scripture or reaſon, although the Priſoners failing the leſs, as being forced to write by ſhifts and difficulties in priſon, and ſo the ſhorter, when Maſter Cotton had free liberty to inlarge and confirm without control, &c.
2. When the priſoner interprets the Tares to be ſuch as walk in lyes, it will be found evident upon examination, that he meaneth ſuch as manifeſtly, openly, viſibly walk in the true profeſſion of Chriſtianity; and ſuch as openly and viſibly walk in the lyes ofHypocriſie ſecret and open hypocriſie. falſe and Antichriſtian doctrine and worſhip. That diſtinction of ſecret and open Hypocriſie is ſeaſonable: ſecret, implies ſuch a diſſimulation as may lie hid under the true outward profeſſion of Chriſt Jeſus, as in Judas, Simon Magus, Ananias and Sapphira &c. Open hypocriſie implies the profeſſion of the man of ſin, ſitting in the Temple of God (or over the Temple of God) pretending the Name of Chriſt, and yet apparantly and viſibly, falſe and counterfeit, and but pretending, when ſuch pretences and ſhewes are brought to the Touchſtone of true Chriſtianity.
Peace.
Your obſervation is true, as alſo a ſecond, That theſe hypocritical doctrines and practices are to be tollerated to the end of the world, this he ſets down in general, not inſtancing in particular what doctrine and practiſes are to be tollerated: and on the other hand, the whole drift of his Booke maintaineth, that ſuch perſons, doctrines or practices, that are idolatrous, or blaſphemous, or infectious, are not to be tollerated or permitted at all; which paſſages to my underſtanding have not harmony among themſelves: For what is all the whole Religion of every Antichriſt, but a Maſs or Chaos of Hypocriſie, Idolatry, Hereſie, Blaſphemy, Poyſons? &c.
Beſides, Maſter Cotton had dealt more plainly with this holy Scripture, if he had explained what he meant by ſuch doctrines and practiſes [comming neer the truth] and ſet down the bounds, how neer as to make them Tares.
Truth.
Dear Peace, Who knows not that the weeds of the wilderneſs come neer the flowers of the Garden, the counterfeit may come neer the life, and the falſe mettal the true gold? And though it be true that ſome doctrines and practices be not ſo groſs as other, yet they differ but (as the Scripture ſpeaks) as whores and whoremongers, amongſt themſelves; ſome are more proper, and fine, and young, and painted; ſome are old, deformed &c. And yet the fineſt weeds, counterfeits and whores are unſufferable in the Garden, Spiritual whoredome in worſhip may and doth in all Nations ſubſiſt with Civil Beings, Relations, &c.in the Commonweale, houſe, and bed of Chriſt: Though yet in the civil Commonweale, the vileſt ſpiritual ſtrumpet may challenge a civil Being, if in civil things unreproveable.
Examination of CHAP. XIX.
Peace.
BUt in this Chapter, Maſter Cotton in the iſſue granteth, that the Tares ſignifie perſons, by Chriſts own interpretation: For [them that do iniquity] may ſeem to be an explanation of foreign, All ſcandals, that is, perſons holding forth of ſcandalous and corrupt doctrines and practices, like unto true and ſound.
Truth.
Yet withall he chargeth the diſcuſſer with lightneſs and inconſtancy, for endeavouring to prove that corrupt doctrines and practices▪ are not to be tollerated, and yet, ſaith he, the diſcuſſer pleades that ſuch perſons ought to be tollerated. Whereas the diſcuſſer twice in this Chapter expreſly diſtinguiſheth between toleration in the Church, and tolleration in the world, and affirmeth, that although the Church of Chriſt Jeſus cannot tollerate either perſons or practices which are falſe and Antichriſtian, yet the civil ſtate, the world, ought to tolerate and permit both.
And therefore Maſter Cottons inconſiderate charge of contradiction will not ſtick, becauſe of thoſe divers reſpects or States, the ſpiritual and civil, as it was no contradiction in Chriſt Ieſus, to affirme that Iohn Baptiſt was Elias, when Iohn himſelf affirmeth, that he was not Elias▪ For in ſeveral reſpects the Negative of John, and the Affirmative of Jeſus were both true.