The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 9 – Chapter 10
Examination of CHAP. IX.
Peace.
IN this Chapter I remember you affirmed, that one cauſe of civil diſſention and uproar, was the lying of a State under falſe worſhip, whence it endures not the preaching of light and truth, &c. Maſter Cotton anſwers, This is not to the purpoſe, becauſe this is by accident.
Truth.
It is as much to the purpoſe to declare (in the examination of the breach of civil peace about matters of Religion) I ſay, to declare the true cauſe of ſuch troubles and uproares, as it is in the ſearch after the leaks of a ſhip, to declare where the leake is indeed, when many are ſaid to be where they are not.
2. Whereas he confeſſeth that vigilant and faithful ones are not ſo troubled at the falſe Religion of Jew or Gentile, as not toThe Indians proſeſſing ſubjection to the Engliſh in New England permited in their devilliſh worſhips, when Engliſh fearing God, perſecuted. tolerate them amongſt them in a civil body, he alleadgeth for inſtance, that the Indians ſubjected to their government, are not compelled to the confeſſion or acknowledgement of their Religion: I reply, firſt, who ſees not herein unchriſtian partiality, that Pagans, Barbarians (who happily might more eaſily be brought from their natural Religion to a new forme, then any other) I ſay, that they ſhould be tolerated in their hideous worſhips of creatures and devils, while civil people (his countrymen yea it may be the precious ſons and daughters of the moſt high God) ſhall be courted fined, whipt baniſhed &c. for the matters of their conſcience and worſhip to the true and living God?
2. Is not this paſſage contradictory to all Maſter Cottons whole diſcourſe in this book, which pleades for the purity of Religion to be maintained by all Magiſtrates and civil governments within their juriſdictions, and the ſuppreſſing of the contrary, under the penalty of the deſtruction of their lands and countries, and accordingly hath not the practice of New England anſwered ſuch a doctrine? and yet, ſaith he, we tolerate the falſe Religion of Jew or Gentile.
Peace.
Poſſibly (Dear Truth) the diſtinction between Jew, Pagan, and Chriſtian, may ſatisfie (for the preſent) Maſter Cottons conſcience ſo to write and practiſe: for thus he addeth, But if Chriſtians ſhall apoſtate, or if Jews and Pagans be blaſphemous and ſeducing, then &c.
Truth.
Who knows not but that the very Religion of Jew or Pagan is a blaſpheming of the true Religion? Revel. 2. I know the blaſphemy of them that ſay they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue or church of Sathan.
And whereas Maſter Cotton alleadgeth for proof of this, Pauls blaming of falſe teachers, for being troublers to the churches of Galatia, Gal. 5. and Acts 15 &c. Who, that puts this inference into Chriſts balance, but will ſee the lightneſs of it, thus? TheƲnchriſtian concluſions. churches of Chriſt are to draw forth the ſword and power of Chriſt, and are not to ſuffer ſuch as with falſe doctrine trouble their peace, Ergo: Therefore the civil ſtate muſt not permit ſuch perſons to live in the world, &c.
Peace.
The ſecond cauſe I remember, you alleadged of civil diſturbances and hubbubs about Religion, was the praepoſterous way of healing of corruptions in Religion, as by whips, ſtocks, impriſonment, &c. unto this Maſter Cotton anſwers, Then the Mariners Jonahs casting over-boord, a ground of perſecution, &c. examined.caſting Jonah over-boord, for his ſin was the cauſe of the ſtorme.
Truth.
I anſwer, if that extraordinary and miraculous inſtance, be ſufficient ground for Magiſtrates caſting over-boord whomſoever they judge Hereticks, then all civil ſtates and ſhips muſt ſo practiſe in ſtormes and troubles on ſea or ſhore, to wit, throw over-boord, put to death, not only Hereticks, Blaſphemers, Seducers &c. but the beſt of Gods Prophets or ſervants, for neglect of their duty, Miniſtery, &c. which was Jonahs caſe.
And if ſo, doth not this ſet up (and all the world over) by land or ſea, all Kings and Magiſtrates, all Maſters of ſhips and captaines, to be the ſpiritual and Eccleſiaſtical Judges of the religion and ſpiritual neglects of all their ſubjects or Paſſengers? Such doctrine I cannot imagine would have reliſhed with Maſter Cotton in his paſſage to New England; and I humbly deſire of God, that he may never taſt the bitter fruit of this Tree, of which yet ſo many thouſands of Gods ſervants have fed, and himſelf not a little (to the Lords praiſe and his own) in former times.
Peace.
Whereas you argued it to be light alone, that was able to diſpell and ſcatter the miſts and fogs of darkneſs in the ſouls and conſciences of men, Maſter Cotton anſwers, The judgements of God are as light that goeth forth, Hoſ. 6. 3. Iſa. 26. 9. and the falſe Prophet repenting will acknowledge this Zech. 13. 6. Thus was I wounded in the houſe of my friends.
Truth.
But doth Maſter Cotton indeed believe that not onlyThe killing of the falſe Prophet. Zech. 13. 6. examined. publike Magiſtrates, but alſo each private father and mother (as that place of Zechary, literately, taken carries it) muſt now in the dayes of the Goſpel wound and pierce; yea run through and kill their Son the falſe Prophet? would he juſtifie a parent ſo practiſing though it were in the neglect of the publike Magiſtrate, who happily may be of the ſame Religion with the falſe prophet? Will not this doctrine reach & extend to the pulling down depoſing and killing of all ſuch governors and governments, which God in his gracious providence hath ſet up amongſt all peoples in all parts and dominions of the world, yea and harden the heart of Pharoah, the very Pope himſelf, in his King-killing and State-killing doctrine?
Peace.
If ever Maſter Cotton wake in this point, he will tell all the world, that it is more Goſpel-like that Parents, Brethren, Fathers, Friends, impartially fulfill this of Zechary 13. and Deut. 13. ſpiritually, in the friendly wounding, yea and zealous ſlaying by the two-edged ſword of the Spirit of God, which is the word of God comming forth of the mouth of Chriſt Jeſus, Epheſ. 5. Revel. 1.
Truth.
And it is moſt true (as Maſter Cotton ſaith) that the judgements of God, legally executed, or more terribly pouredEſa. 26. & Hoſ. 6. 2. examined. forth in the vials of ſword, plague, and famine, they are as heavenly lights ſhining out from the Father of lights, teaching the inhabitants of the world righteouſneſs.
Yea the creation it ſelf, or each creature, are as candles and glaſſes to light and ſhew us the inviſible God and creator: but yet theſe are not the ordinances of Chriſt Jeſus given to his church. Theſe are not the Preachings of the word, and the opening of the myſteries of ſalvation, which give light and underſtanding to the ſimple, and convert the ſoul: Theſe are nor that marvailous light unto which the call of Chriſt Jeſus, in the preaching of the word, had brought the Saints unto whom Peter writes: The weapons of Pauls fighting, whereby to batter down the high thoughts and imaginations of the ſons of men againſt the ſons of God, were of another nature, 3 Cor. 10. and his2 Cor. 10. directions to Timothy and Titus, how to deal with Hereticks and Gainſayers were never heard of to be ſuch, till the ſon of man, and ſon of perdition, brought forth ſuch bloody weapons and bloody doctrines in the affaires of Chriſt Jeſus.
Examination of CHAP. X.
Peace.
IN this paſſage Maſter Cotton will ſubſcribe to the whole matter, ſaying, This Chapter may ſtand for us without impeachment, and yet in this Chapter is reported the perſecution, which both rightly informed and erroneous conſciences ſuffer, and the blind eſtate of ſuch blinde guides and blinded conſciences who ſo preach and practice.
Truth.
Theſe firſt words [We approve no perſecution for conſcience] fight againſt his whole endeavour in this book, which is to ſet up the civil throne and judgement-ſeat over the conſciences and ſoules of men, under the pretence of preſerving the church of Chriſt pure, and puniſhing the evil of hereſie, blaſphemy &c.
2. They fight againſt their fellows, which follow, thus [unleſs the conſcience be convinced of the error and perniciouſneſs thereof] which is all one, as to ſay, We hold no man is to be perſecuted for his conſcience, unleſs it be for a conſcience which we judge dangerous to our Religion. No man is to be perſecuted for his conſcience, unleſs we judge that we have convinced or conquered his conſcience.
Tis true, all errour is perniciots many wayes to Gods glory, to a mans owne ſoul, to other mens ſouls and conſciences: yet I underſtand Maſter Cotton to ſay, Except we judge the error to beconviction of conſcience. ſo and ſo miſchievous. Tis true, there is a ſelf-conviction which ſome conſciences ſmite and wound themſelves with? But to ſubmit theſe conſciences to the tribunal of the civil Magiſtrate, and Powers of the World, how can Maſter Cotton do this, and yet ſay no man is to be perſecuted for his conſcience?
Peace.
Alas, how many thouſands and millions of conſciences have been perſecuted in all Ages and Times i… a judicial war, and how have their Judges pretended victory and triumph, crying out, We have convinced (or conquered) them, and yet are they obſtinate.
Truth.
Hence came that helliſh Proverb, That nothing was more obſtinate then a Chriſtian: under which cloud of reproach hath been overwhelmed the moſt faithful, zealous, and conſtant witneſſes of Jeſus Chriſt.
Peace.
But ſaith Maſter Cotton, Some blinded conſciences are ſo judicially puniſhed by God, as his in Irelond that burnt his child in imitation of Abraham.
Truth.
In ſuch caſes it may be truly ſaid, the Magiſtrate beares not the ſword in vaine, either for the puniſhing or preventing The violation of civil peace though out of conſcienc… ▪ to be puniſhed.of ſuch ſins, whether uncleanneſs, theft, cruelty, or perſecution.
And therefore ſuch conſciences as are ſo hardned by Gods judgement, as to ſmite their fellow-ſervants, under the pretence of zeale and conſcience (as in the inſtance of Saul his zeal for the children of Iſrael againſt the Gibeonites) they ought to be ſuppreſt and puniſhed, to be reſtrained and prevented.
And hence is ſeaſonable the ſaying of King Iames, that he deſired to be ſecured of the Papiſts concerning civil obedience, which ſecurity, by wholeſome Lawes, and other wayes: according to the wiſdome of each ſtate, each ſtate is to provide for it ſelf even againſt the deluſions of hardned conſciences, in any attempt which meerly concernes the civil ſtate and Commonweale.