The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 29
Examination of CHAP. XXIX.
Peace.
MAſter Cotton referring the 28 Chapter to former agitations, ſeems to invite us to paſs on to Chapter 29.
Truth.
Let the 28 Chapter recapitulating the former, and the whole controverſies, be referred to the conſciences of ſuch to whom theſe paſſages by any providence of the moſt holy wiſe ſhall be preſented, and let it graciouſly pleaſe the Father of lights, to help all his ſons of light, to be truely ſtudious of his truth in the love of it, to caſt up all particulars aright in his fear, by the onelyonly Arithmetick of his own moſt holy and unerring ſpirit.
Peace.
In this Chapter firſt ariſeth a queſtion concerning the Apoſtles privacy.
Truth.
Maſter Cotton acknowledgeth them to be called to a publike Miniſtery, let others judge then of their privacy.
Peace.
But they were not ſent (ſaith Maſter Cotton) …o the Scribes and Phariſees, and ſo conſequently were to let themTouching Chriſts Apoſtles or meſſengers. alone.
Truth.
I anſwer, Let it be conſidered, how he that grants men are ſent to the ſheep, can rightly ſay they have nothing to do with the Wolves and Foxes.
Peace.
In this controverſie, Maſter Cotton elſewhere, will not onelyonly have ſheep ſed, but the Wolves driven from the ſold, their braines beaten out, &c. and that not onelyonly by the Paſtors or ſheapherds ſpiritually, but alſo by the civil Magiſtrate, and to that end, he is to be ſtirred up by the Shepherds and Miniſters of Chriſt.
Truth.
Such exciting and ſtirring up of the civil Magiſtrate if it were Chriſts will, how can the Apoſtles be excuſed, or the Lord Jeſus himſelf, for not ſtirring up the Civil Magiſtrate to his duty againſt theſe Scribes and Phariſees, the Wolves and Foxes, as Maſter Cotton here cals them?
Peace.
Neither the doctrine, nor their offence at it (ſaith Maſter Cotton) was fundamental; nor had the civil Magiſtrate a law eſtabliſhed about doctrine or offences of this nature. Beſides,Touching fundamentals. Christ gave his diſciples a charge to be wiſe as Serpents, and himſelf would not meddle with the Phariſees, untill the laſt year of his Miniſtery, leſt their exaſperation might have been ſome hinderance to his Minſtery before his hour was come.
Truth.
I ſhould deſire Maſter Cotton againe to ponder whether the notorious hypocriſie of the Phariſees (now brought into a Proverb) and alſo whether the notorious tranſgreſſing (and upon the point aboliſhing) of the fifth commandment, and ſo conſequently of all civil obedience (with the Papiſts) under pretence of Gods ſervice (although indeed but their own ſuperſtition) be not of a fundamental guilt, both againſt ſpiritual and civil ſtate.
Peace.
I remember Maſter Cotton argued againſt tolleration of the Papiſts, becauſe their conſcience excites them againſt the civil powers.
Truth.
And whither tended theſe principles of the Phariſees, but to overthrow all Family, yea and (if they be followed home) all Towne, or City, and Kingdome-Government?
Peace.
Yea, But the Romane Magiſtrate (ſaith he) had no eſtabliſhed law about doctrines or offences of that Nature.
Truth.
Maſter Cotton in all this controverſie, pleades, that they ought to have: and though he ſaith, that Magiſtrates may ſuſpend their duty▪ untill they be informed, yet he never ſaith, that the Miniſters of Chriſt may ſuſpend their duty of humble information, and ſtirring up them up to ſo high a part of their Duty; as concerns the ſouls of their ſubjects and the worſhip of God▪
Peace.
I remember, that Gardiner and Boner, &c. could not make the fire burn to conſume the people of God, and witneſſes of Jeſus, untill Edwards laws were repealed, and Maries bloodyLaws for perſecuting of Chriſt Jeſus. laws were eſtabliſhed; and ſo they were forced to ſuſpend a while untill they had conjured up a Parliament to do both the one and the other, as their ſlaves and drudges, for them: And tis true, what the Spirit of God in David pronounceth (Pſal. 82.) that under the maske or colour of a law (which carries with it the name and ſound of reaſon and righteouſneſs) the wickedneſs of the world is eſtabliſhed: And hence the people and ſervants, and Saints of the moſt high God, feele the weight of the violence of the Nimrod perſecutors or hunters.
But this I wonder at, that Maſter Cotton ſubjoyneth, that Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, and his diſciples (under the notion of not exaſperating the Phariſees) ſhould not reprove the Scribes and Phariſees.
Truth.
It cannot ſink with me, That the Spirit of God in Chriſt Jeſus himſelf, and his meſſengers, ſhould ſo far differ from himſelf in all his former meſſengers and prophets, who ſpared not to reprove the higheſt Prieſts, Princes, Kings and kingdoms; nor doth the practice of the Lord Jeſus in ſo many places of Matthew (before his thunder bolts ſhot forth againſt them, Mat. 23.) give any countenance to ſo looſe an opinion.
Peace.
Maſter Cotton, who argues ſo much againſt the permitting▪ of blaſphemers to live in the world, may here call to minde, that ifThe Phariſees blaſpheming of Chriſt Jeſus. ever blaſphemy were uttered againſt the Son of God, it was uttered by the Phariſees in the 12 of Matthew, when they imputed the caſting out of the devils to the power of the devil in Chriſt Jeſus, and yet we finde not that Chriſt Jeſus ſtirred up the civil Magiſtrates to any ſuch duty of his to put the blaſphemers to death, nor the hereticks the Sadduces, who denied that fundamental, the reſurrection.
Truth.
It is moſt true, that the cauſe needeth no ſuch weapons, nor ſpared he the Phariſees for fear of their exaſperations, but poured forth on their faces and boſoms the ſoreſt vials of the heavieſt doom and cenſure that can be ſuffered by the children of men, to wit, an impoſſibility of repentance and forgiveneſs of ſins either in this or the world to come. And for the preſent, at every turn he concludes them hypocrites, blind guides, which could not eſcape the judgement of Hell.
So that all other ſences of thoſe words [Let them alone] that is, of not reprooving them cannot ſtand: nor if it were the duty of the Miniſters of Chriſt to ſtir up the civil Magiſtrate againſt ſuch hypocritical and blaſphemous Phariſees, could Chriſt Jeſus himſelf or his ſervants the Apoſtles be excuſed for not complaining to the Romane State againſt them; So leaving the blame upon the conſcience of the governors, if the land were not purged of ſuch blaſphemers and fundamental oppoſers of the Son of God.
Let me me end (ſweet peace) with the bottome of all ſuch perſecutions, Satan rageth againſt God and his Chriſt; that devil that caſt the Saints into priſon, Rev. 2. (*Magiſtrates, kings, high priests: Herod, …ad kings, good kings, &c. what inſtruments ſoever he uſeth) would caſt Chriſt himſelf into priſon againe, and to the gallows againe, if he came again in perſon into any (the moſt refined) perſecuting ſtate in the world.