The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 55
CHAP. 55. Replying to CHAP. 66. Exam:
Peace.
THe Diſcuſſer admired in this Chap: how Mr. Cotton Chriſts charge to Pergamus and Thiatira againſt. Tolleration examined.ſhould alledge (Revel. 2.) Chriſts charge againſt the Church of Pergamus for tollerating them that hould the Doctrine of Balaam, and againſt the Church of Thiatira for tollerating Jezabell to teach and ſeduce: Mr Cotton here replies, that he meant not in alledging thoſe Scriptures to prove it unlawfull for Magiſtrates to tollerate ſeducing Teachers, but unlawfull for Churches: adding that the Letter of the Priſoner was ſo ſtated, in generall tearmes that he knew not (upon the point) what Tolleration or Perſecution ſhould be meant or intended, otherwiſe then generall againſt all Perſecution for Conſcience, withall affirming that an unjuſt Excommunication is as true Perſecution as unjuſt Baniſhment.
Truth.
It is true what Mr Cotton ſaith, An unjuſt Excommunication Falſe Excommunication one kinde of perſecution.is as true Perſecution as an unjuſt Baniſhment, and therefore ſome may juſtly complaine againſt Mr Cotton and others, for practicing ſuch perſecution in both kindes, being not onelyonly baniſhed from their civill State, but unjuſtly (and after the Popes way) Excommunicated alſo, from their Churches, but of that more elſewhere.
2. We doe not in ordinarie Engliſh read, but that the wordThe word Perſecution how ordinarily it is taken. Perſecution is taken for civill corporall violence and puniſhment inflicted on the body for ſome ſpirituall and religious matter; according to the Lord Chriſt his words to Paul, Act… 9. Saul, Saul, why perſecuteſt thou me?
3. The paſſages in the Letter ſhew that the whole ſcope of the Letter was to contend againſt outward violence and corporall affliction in matters of Conſcience▪
Peace.
It may not be a loſt Labour (Deare Truth) to draw a taſte of ſome paſſages in the Letter.
Truth.
For further ſatisfaction, my paines ſhall be a pleaſure; and firſt
From the Arguments from holy Scripture, obſerve Luc. 9. the Lord Chriſt reproving his two zealous Diſciples, You know not of what Spirit you are of: The Son of Man is not come to deſtroy mens lives, but to ſave them.
Againe, That of the Prophets, Iſaiah and Micah, They ſhallPerſecution ordinarily implies corporall violence. breake their Swords into Mattocks, and their Speares into Sithes.
Againe, Chriſts charge unto his Diſciples, that they ſhould be ſo farre from perſecuting thoſe that would not be of their Religion, that when they were perſecuted, they ſhould pray and bleſſe, &c.
Peace.
Theſe holy Paſſages (Me thinks) are not unlike the Stones in Davids ſling, ſmooth and plaine enough, yet powerfull and dreadfull, both againſt this Goliah Tenent of perſecution, and alſo prove a corporall perſecution intended.
Truth.
Now a taſte of the ſpeeches of ſeverall Kings produced by the priſoner.
1. That of King James; God never loves to plant his Church by Violence and Bloudſhed.
2. That of Stephen King of Poland; I am King of Men, notSpeeches of Princes againſt Perſecution. of Conſciences, of Bodies, not of Soules.
3. Of the King of Bohemia; When ever Men have attempted any thing in this violent courſe, the iſſue hath been ever pernicious, and the cauſe of great and wonderfull Innovations.
4. Another of King James; That he was reſolved not to perſecute or moleſt, or ſuffer to be perſecuted or moleſted any Perſon whatſoever, for matter of Religion.
In the third place, a taſte of the Speeches of the ancient Writers produced by the Priſoner.
1. That of Hilarius: That Church which formerly by enduring miſery and impriſonment, was knowne to be the true Church, doth now terrifie others by impriſonment, baniſhment, and miſerie.
2. Of Jerome; Hereſie muſt be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit, Let us ſtrike through with the Arrowes of the Spirit; implying, not with other weapons.
3. Of Luther in his Booke of the Civill Magiſtrate; The Lawes of the Civill Magiſtrate extend no further, then over the Bodies and Goods. And againe upon Luk. 22. It is not the true Catholike church which is defended by the Secular Arme or humane Power.
Laſtly, The Papiſts in their Booke for Tolleration; When Chriſt bids his Diſciples to ſay, peace to this houſe, he doth not ſend Purſevants to ranſack or ſpoyle the houſe.
Laſtly, The Priſoner in anſwering ſome Objections, concludeth; It is no prejudice to the Common-wealth, if Libertie of Conſcience were granted to ſuch as feare God indeed: He alſo alledged that many Sects lived under the Government of Caeſar, being nothing hurtfull unto the Common-weale.
Peace.
From theſe ſeverall Taſts (Deare Truth) I cannot imagine how the Priſoner can be underſtood to caſt the leaſt glance unto ſpirituall perſecution or proſecution, as Mr Cotton in this Chap: calls it: But to end this Chapter: When as the Power of Chriſt Jeſus in his Church was argued ſufficient for ſpirituall ends, Mr Cotton grants both for the healing of ſinners, and for keeping of the Church from Guilt, but not for the preventing of the ſpreading of falſe Doctrine, among thoſe out of the Church, and in private among Church-Members: nor ſufficient to cleare the Magiſtrates of a Chriſtian State from the Guilt of Apoſtaſie in ſuffering ſuch Apoſtates amongſt them, &c.
Truth.
I have in other Paſſages of this Diſcourſe proved;
1. That Chriſt Jeſus (whiles his Churches and Ordinances flouriſhed, and ſince the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt in the hands of his Witneſſes) hath gloriouſly and ſufficiently furniſhed his Servants for all ſpirituall caſes of all ſorts, defending, offending, &c.
2. That there is no other Chriſtian State acknowledged inNo Civill Chriſtian State. the New Teſtament, but that of the Chriſtian Church or Kingdome, and that not Nationall but Congregationall.
3. That the Apoſtles or Meſſengers of Chriſt Jeſus never addreſſedChriſts Sword. themſelves by Word or Writing to any of the Civill States wherein they lived and taught, and were mightily oppoſed and blaſphemed. I ſay they never ran to borrow the Civill Sword, to helpe the two edged Sword of Chriſt Jeſus, againſt Oppoſers, Schiſmaticks, Hereticks. The Lord Jeſus was a wiſer King then Solomon, even Wiſdome it ſelfe, and cannot without great Diſhonour and Derogation to his Wiſdome and Love, be imagined to leave open ſuch Gaps, ſuch Leakes, ſuch Breaches in the Ship and Garden of his Church and Kingdome.