The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 40
Examination of CHAP. XL.
Peace.
TO the ſeveral allegations concerning the woful ſlavery of all oppoſites of Chriſt Ieſus, and the mighty power of free grace, only able to releaſe them; Maſter Cotton replies▪ So is it with ſcandalous offenders againſt the Civil ſtate▪ and yet this doth not reſtraine Magiſtrates from executing juſt judgements upon them &c. And he adds, that better a dead ſoul in a dead body, and that ſeducers die without faith, then murther and ſeduce many precious ſouls from the faith.
Truth.
The Lord Ieſus commanding to give God the things that be Gods▪ and to Caeſar the things that be Caeſars▪ gives all his followers a clear and glorious torch of light to diſtinguiſhThings of God and Caeſar. between offenders againſt God in a ſpiritual way, and offenders againſt Caeſar, his Lawes, ſtate and government in a civil way.
Tis true, ſlatterers and time-ſervers uſe to make Religion and juſtice, the two pillars of a State, and ſo indeed do all ſuch ſtates in the world as maintaine a ſtate-Religion, invented andReligions of the world, politick inventions to maintaine a civil ſtate. maintained in civil policy to maintaine a civil ſtate. But all men that have taſted of hiſtory or travel, are witneſſes ſufficient of theſe two particulars.
Firſt concerning juſtice, that if the ſword and balances▪ of juſtice (in a ſort or meaſure) be not drawn and held forth, againſtThe a…ſo…u…e neceſſi…y of ſome order of government all the world over. ſcandalous offenders againſt civil ſtate, that civil ſtate muſt diſſolve by little and little from civility to barbariſme, which is a wilderneſs of life and manners.
Peace.
Yea the very barbarians and Pagans of the world themſelves are forced for their holding and hanging together in barbarous compaines, to uſe the ties and knots, and bands of a kind of civil juſtice againſt ſcandalous offenders againſt their Commonweale and profit.
Truth.
But too many thouſands of Cities and ſtates in the world have and do flouriſh for many generations and ages of men, wherein (whatever Caeſar gets) God cannot get one penny of his due in any bare permiſſion or toleration of his religion and worſhip.
Peace.
Dear Truth▪ theſe two points being ſo conſtantly proved, I can but wonder that Maſter Cotton or any ſervant of Chriſt Ieſus, ſhould cry out to the Caeſars of this world to help the eternal God to get his due, becauſe Chriſt Ieſus grants them a civil ſword in civil caſes, to preſerve their civil ſtates from barbariſme and confuſion.
Truth.
That worthy Emperor, Antoninus Pius, in his letters for the Chriſtians, plainly tels the governors of his provinces, that the gods were able to puniſh thoſe that ſinned againſt their worſhip; Antoninus Pius his distinction.evidently declaring, by that light of conſcience and knowledge which God had lighted up in his ſoul, the vaſt difference between offenders in the civil ſtate, and offendors againſt the true and only religion and worſhip, about which the whole world diſagreeth, and is hiſt together (by this bloody tenent) I ſay hiſt together by the ears and throat, in blood and fire, as the tide of times, major vote armies and armes of fleſh prevaile.
Peace.
Ah (Dear truth) is there is no Balme in G…ead, no balances, no ſword of ſpiritual juſtice in the City, and kingdome of Chriſt Jeſus, but that the officers thereof muſt run to borrow Caeſar? Are the Armories of the true king Solomon Chriſt Jeſus diſarmed? Are there no ſpiritual ſwords girt upon the thighsThe degeneracy of Chriſtianity now profeſſed. of thoſe valiant ones, that ſhould guard his heavenly bed, except the ſword of ſteel be run for from the cutlers ſhop? Is the Religion of Chriſt Jeſus ſo poor and ſo weak and feeble grown, ſo cowardly and baſe (ſince Paul ſpake ſo gloriouſly of it, and the weapons of it (2 Cor. 10.) that neither the ſouldiers nor Commanders in Chriſts Army have any courage or skill to withſtand ſufficiently in all points a falſe teacher, a falſe prophet, a ſpiritual cheater or deceiver?
Truth.
This muſt all that follow Jeſus bitterly lament, that not a ſpiritual ſword or ſpear is to be found in the ſpiritual Iſrael of God, but that his poor Iſraelites are forced down to the Philiſtins of this worlds Smiths▪ &c. And that the princes of Zion are become feeble like harts without paſture, as Jeremy complaineth in his Lamentations.
Peace.
Now whereas it was added, that a civil ſword hardens the followers of falſe teachers in the ſuffering of their leaders, and begets an impreſſion of the falſhood of that religion, which cannot uphold it ſelf all the world over, but with ſuch inſtruments of violence, &c. Maſter Cotton replies, that the Magiſtrate ought not to draw out his ſword againſt ſeducers, untill he hath uſed all good means for conviction, &c. and then (ſaith he) he ſhould be cruel to Chriſts Lambs in ſparing the Foxes, &c.
Truth.
Who knows not this to be the plea and practiſe of all Popiſh perſecutors in all ages, to compaſs ſea and land to reduce the heretick to the union and boſome of the church, not only withThe loathſome hypocriſie of perſecutors. promiſes▪ threatnings▪ &c, but oftimes with ſolemn diſputations, and ſometimes writings and waitings, before they come to the definitive ſentence and deliver him to the ſecular power▪ and ſo to the uſe of thoſe deſperate remedies of hanging, burning, &c. How do the bloody Popes and the bloody Bonners in their hypocritical letters and bloody ſentences, profeſs their lamentable grief at errors and hereſies; their clemency and mercy, and great pains taken to reduce that wandring, to return the loſt childe, to heal the ſcabbed ſheep? yea and when they are forced (as they ſay) for the ſaving of the flock from infection to deliver ſuch ſheep to the ſecular power, as their butchers and executioners; yet beſeech they that power, and that (moſt hypocritically without ſhame) in the bowels of Chriſt Jeſus▪ to Miniſter juſtice with ſuch moderation, In their bloody ſentence, and proceedings with the perſecuted.that if it be poſſible the hereticks ſoul may be ſaved▪ but however the flock may be preſerved from ſuch …damnable Doctrine.
Peace.
Maſter Cotton will here blame the alleadging of this: for the Popiſh Religion is falſe, but their true &c.
Truth.
Tis true, the Papiſts Religion is falſe, yet Maſter Cotton cannot paſs without ſuſpition to be too neer of kin to the bloody Papiſt, to whom they are ſo neer in practice: The Lord Jeſus gave an everlaſting rule to his poor ſervants, to diſcern all falſe prophets by, to wit, their fruits and bloody practices. But,
Secondly, The holy Spirit of God in this 2 to Tim. now inſiſted on, not only commands Timothy to exhort the oppoſite, but patiently to wait and attend Gods will▪ if peradventure God will give repentance, and that they may recover themſelves &c.
Peace.
Maſter Cotton will not deny, together with meek exhortation, patient waiting, &c.
Truth.
Why then doth he limit the holy one of Iſrael to dayes or moneths? Three months was by the law (in Maſſachuſets in New England) the time of patience to the excommunicate, before the ſecular power was to deal with him: But we finde no timeToo ſhort a time ſet for repentance in New England. limited, nor no direction given to Timothy or his ſucceſſors to proſecute the oppoſite before Caeſar bar, in caſe God vouchſafed not repentance upon their means and waiting.
3. Chriſt Jeſus hath not been without bowels of compaſſion in all his gracious care and proviſion he hath made for his ſheep and lambs, againſt the ſpiritual Wolves and Foxes; although we read not a word of the arme of fleſh and ſword of ſteel appointed by himſelf for their defence in his moſt bleſſed laſt Will and Teſtament.
4. Laſtly, to that inſtance of the Donatiſts and Papiſts ſuppreſſedFalſe teachers commonly hardned by perſecution. by the civil ſword, no queſtion but (as before) a civil ſword is able, among civil people, to make a whole nation, or world of hypocrites: and yet experience alſo teſtifies (however Maſter Cotton makes it but accidental) that it is the common and ordinary …ffect of the civil ſword drawn forth (as they ſpeak) againſt hereticks ſeducers &c. to harden the ſeducers and ſeduced by their ſufferings, and to beget no other opinion in their hearts, then of the cruelty and weakneſs of the heart and cauſe of their perſecutors.
Peace.
There hath been no ſmall noiſe of Maſter Go…ons andThe great ſufferings of Maſter Gorton and his friends in New England. his friends being diſciplined (or as the Papiſts call it, diſcipled in the Schoole of the New Engliſh churches: It is worth the inquiry to ask what conviction and converſion hath all their hoſtilities, captivatings, courtings, impriſonings▪ chainings, baniſhings, &c. wrought upon them?
Truth.
Shall I ſpeak my thoughts without partiality? I am no more of Maſter Gortons Religion then of Maſter Cottons: and yet if Maſter Cotton complaine of their obſtinacy in their way, I cannot but impute it to this bloody tenent and practice, which ordinarily doth give ſtrength and vigour, ſpirit and reſolution to the moſt erroneous, when ſuch unrighteous and moſt unchriſtian proceedings are exerciſed againſt them.
Peace.
Touching the Edict of Antoninus Pius concerningAntoninus Pius his Edict againſt perſecution. perſecution of Chriſtians, and the opinion it begat in their hearts of the cruelty of their perſecutors, Maſter Cotton anſwers, firſt the Pagan Religion is not of God but the Religion of Chriſtians came down from Heaven in the Goſpel-truth.
Truth.
This is moſt true, to him that believeth that there is but one God, one Lord, one Spirit, one baptiſm, one body, &c. according to Chriſt Jeſus his inſtitution; and that from that bleſſed eſtate the Apoſtacy hath been made; and that all other Gods, Lords, Spirits Faiths, Baptiſms or churches, are falſe: But what is this to many millions of men and women, in ſo many kingdomes and nations, Cities and parts of the world, who believe as confidently their lies of many Gods and Chriſts, all which they believe (as the Epheſians of their Diana, and of the image of Jupiter, and (as Maſter Cotton of the way of his Religion) that they come down from heaven?
Peace.
Doubtleſs, according to their belief, all the peoples of thoſe nations, kingdoms and countries, wherein the name of Chriſt is ſounded, whether of the greek church or the latine, whether of Popiſh or Proteſtant profeſſion, will ſay as Maſter Cotton, my religion came down from heaven in the Goſpel of Truth, &c.
Truth.
Now then either the ſword of ſteel muſt decide this controverſie (according to the bloody tenent of perſecution) in the ſuppreſſing of hereticks, blaſphemers, idolaters and ſeducers, by the ſtrength of an arme of fleſh: or elſe the two-edged-ſword of the Spirit of God, the word of God coming out of the mouth of Chriſt Jeſus in the mouths of his ſervants, which will either humble and ſubdue the Rebels, or cut moſt deep, and kill with an eternal vengeance.
Peace.
But (ſaith Maſter Cotton) it will beget an opinion of cruelty to murther innocents, but not to put to death murtherers The difference between ſpiritual and corporal murther.of ſouls.
Truth.
I anſwer, beſide that great and common difference of civil murther, and ſpiritual▪ there is a ſecond, to wit, that in the murther of an innocent, the conſcience of a murtherer is opened, and commonly the mouth confeſſeth I am a murtherer, I have killed an innocent: but run through all the coaſts and quarters of the whole world, and the very conſciences of ſo many thouſands of ſoul-murtherers are rootedly ſatisfied and perſwaded, that they are ſo far from being murtherers as that they are ſo many ſaviours of the ſouls of men, and Prieſts and Miniſters of the moſt high God or Gods, &c.
Peace.
For inſtance, if a man ſay Maſter Cotton is a ſubject of the ſtate of England, and a Miniſter of that worſhip, which he believeth to be true, confirmed by argument and light ſufficient to his underſtanding ſoul and conſcience: How many thouſand are there fellow-ſubjects with Maſter Cotton to the Engliſh ſtate▪ yet of a contrary mind to Maſter Cotton in matter of Gods worſhip? yea how many are there (it may be thouſands) profeſſing a Miniſtery contrary to Maſter Cottons? and the like may be found in other nations and parts of the world.
Truth.
What true reaſon of juſtice, peace▪ or common ſafety of the whole, can be rendred to the world why Maſter Cottons Civil juſtice ought impartially to permit one conſcience as well as another.conſcience and Miniſtry muſt be maintained by the ſword, more then the conſciences and Miniſteries of his other fellow-ſubjects? Why ſhould he be accounted (I mean at the bar of civil juſtice) I ſay accounted a ſoul Saviour, and all other Miniſters of other Religions and conſciences, ſoul-murtherers, and ſo be executed as murtherers, or forced to temporize or turn from their Religion, which is but hypocriſie in Religion againſt their conſcience, which is ten thouſand times worſe, and renders men, when they ſin againſt their conſcience, not only hypocrites, but Atheiſts, and ſo fit for the practiſe of any evil, murthers, adulteries, treaſons, &c?
Peace.
Maſter Cottons ſecond Anſwer is that the perſecuting Emperors and governors of Provinces under them, attended notThe difference of the perſecution of the Roman Emperors and the Roman Popes. to the conviction of chriſtians▪ nor did they endeavour to make it appear that the Chriſtians ſinned againſt the light of their conſciences, and therefore no marvel if it bred in the people a juſt opinion of the cruelty of perſecutors, and of the innocency of chriſtians.
Truth.
Let it be granted that the Roman Emperors did not attend to, nor endeavour this, yet the Roman Popes, and all the Antichriſt governors of their myſtical Provinces, Biſhops and Preiſts, have profeſſedly compaſſed Sea and Land to make a Proſelyte.
Peace.
Tis true, the hiſtory of the death of the Saints, ſlaughtered by ſuch perſecutors abundantly teſtifie this, and yet their perſecution will be found no other then cruelty and murther, and the opinion of it will never be razed out of the heart of Gods people, whatever the whole world (which wonders after and worſhips the beaſt) think to the contrary.
Truth.
And I add, that herein Maſter Cottons former poſition, to wit [that hereticks muſt be puniſhed by the civil ſword, for ſinning againſt the light of their own conſcience] accords fully with the Popiſh clamors, [the hereticks mouths are ſtopped, they are convinced, they have not a word to ſay, and yet they are obſtinate; away with them, hang them▪ burn them.]
Peace.
Maſter Cotton ſaith, It is an untrue intimation of the diſcuſſer, that Antoninus forbod the perſecuting of chriſtians upon any ſuch ground.
Truth.
That it may not reſt upon the diſcuſſers credit or diſcredit, I think it not unſeaſonable if I preſent to Engliſh eyes the Engliſh teſtimony of the diligent and praiſe worthy-Chronicler John Speede, who alſo ingageth Euſebi…s his credit, and thus relateth the effect of Antoninus his mind in theſe words▪
The Emperor Caeſar, Marcus, Au…l…us, Antoninus, &c. Unto the Commons of Aſia,
Sendeth Greeting.
I Doudt not, but the Gods themſelves have a care that wicked perſons ſhall be brought to light; for it doth much more appertaine to them, then it doth to you, to puniſh ſuch as refuſe to yeeld them worſhip: but this courſe which you take, doth confirme them whom you perſecute in this their opinionAntoninus Pius his famo… … dict for liberty to the Christians related by that praiſe-worthy Master John Speede out of Euſebi…s. of you, That you are impious men, and meer Atheiſts; whereby it commeth to paſs, that they deſire in the quarrel of their GOD, rather to die then to yeeld to the will of ſuch as you are, and to embrace your form of Religion: Let it not ſeem unſeaſonable to call to your remembrance the Earthquakes which lately have happsned, and which are yet, to your great terrour and grief; becauſe I underſtand, that in ſuch like Accidents, you …aſt the Envy of ſuch common miſfortune, upon their Shoulders; whereby their confidence, and truſt in their GOD is much the more increaſed: Whereas, you being ignorant of the true cauſes of ſuch things, do both neglect the worſhip of the other Gods, and alſo baniſh and perſecute the ſervants of the immortal GOD, whom the Chriſtians do worſhip; and you perſecute to the death all the embracers of that profeſſion. In the behalf of theſe men, many of the Provinces Preſident have written before to my Father of famous memory, to whom he anſwered, That they ſhould not be moleſted, unleſs they were proved to have practiſed Treaſon againſt the Imperial State; and concerning the ſame matter, ſome have given notice to me, to whom I anſwered with like moderation as my Father did before me: And by our Edict, do ordaine, That if any hereafter be found thus buſie in moleſting theſe kind of men, without any their offence, We command that he that is accuſed upon this point, be abſolved; albeit he be proved to be ſuch an one as he is charged to be, that is, a Chriſtian; and he that is his accuſer, ſhall ſuffer the ſan…e Puniſhment which he ſought to procure unto the other.
In this paſſage the wiſe and experienced Emperor obſerveth many reaſons for the toleration of Chriſtians, and inſinuates that the perſecuting of the Chriſtians, confirmed them in their opinion, that their perſecutors were not only cruel (for that is the leaſt that can be implied in perſecution) but alſo as the words run, impious men and meer Atheiſts.
Peace.
Dear Truth, your obſervation forceth from my peaceableThe perſecuted ever no…iſh an h…rd con…it of … and Tyranay in their perſecutors, whereas Malefactors confeſs frequently the juſtice of their condemners. mind, this Teſtimony, which oft to my grief and horror, mine eares have heard many perſons (I hope in their perſons choſen of the Lord) having as they conceived, ſuffered perſecution from the hands, and by the means of many worthy men both of Magiſtracy and Miniſtry of New England: I ſay, they have been by ſuch perſecution ſo far from being wrought on &c. that they have been moulded into a ſtrong apprehenſion, that it was impoſſible that ſuch their perſecutors ſhould be men of any fear of God▪ but meer diſſemblers, time-ſervers, Jehues reformers, for their own ends of honor eaſe, and liberty from the croſs of Chriſt: which apprehenſion although the diſcuſſer (to my knowledge) hath often labored to root out of many, yet could he hardly prevaile to ſtir it, ſo groſlly, odious▪ unchriſtian, or antichriſtian, appears the ugly face of perſecution &c.