deal, not with obstinate offenders in the church that sin against
conscience, but either with men without, as the Samaritans were, and
many unconverted Christians in Crete, whom Titus, as an evangelist,
was to seek to convert: or at best with some Jews or Gentiles in the
church, who, though carnal, yet were not convinced of the error of their
way. And it is true, it became not the spirit of the gospel to convert
aliens to the faith of Christ, such as the Samaritans were, by fire and
brimstone; nor to deal harshly in public ministry, or private conference,
with all such contrary-minded men, as either had not yet entered into
church-fellowship, or if they had, yet did hitherto sin of ignorance, not
against conscience.
But neither of both these texts do hinder the ministers of the gospel
to proceed in a church-way against church-members, when they become
scandalous offenders either in life or doctrine; much less do they speak
at all to civil magistrates.
_Object. 5._ From the prediction of the prophets, who foretold that
carnal weapons should cease in the days of the gospel, Isa. ii. 4,
and xi. 9; Mic. iv. 3, 4. And the apostle professeth, _The weapons of
our warfare are not carnal_, 2 Cor. x. 4. And Christ is so far from
persecuting those that would not be of his religion, that he chargeth
them, when they are persecuted themselves they should pray, and when
they are cursed they should bless. The reason whereof seemeth to be,
that they who are now persecutors and wicked persons, may become true
disciples and converts.
[Sidenote: 1.]
_Answ._ Those predictions in the prophets do only show, first, with what
kind of weapons he will subdue the nations to the obedience of the faith
of the gospel, not by fire and sword, and weapons of war, but by the
power of his word and Spirit, which no man doubteth of.
[Sidenote: 2.]
Secondly. Those predictions of the prophets show what the meek and
peaceable temper will be of all the true converts to Christianity, not
lions or leopards, &c., not cruel oppressors, nor malignant opposers, nor
biters of one another. But [they] do not forbid them to drive ravenous
wolves from the sheepfold, and to restrain them from devouring the sheep
of Christ.
And when Paul saith, _The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but
spiritual_, he denieth not civil weapons of justice to the civil
magistrate, Rom. xiii., but only to church officers. And yet the
weapons of such officers he acknowledgeth to be such, as though they be
spiritual, yet are ready to take vengeance of all disobedience, 2 Cor. x.
6; which hath reference, amongst other ordinances, to the censure of the
church against scandalous offenders.
[Sidenote: 3.]
When Christ commandeth his disciples to bless them that curse them and
persecute them, he giveth not therein a rule to public officers, whether
in church or commonweal, to suffer notorious sinners, either in life or
doctrine, to pass away with a blessing; but to private Christians to
suffer persecution patiently, yea, and to pray for their persecutors.
Again, it is true Christ would have his disciples to be far from
persecuting, for that is a sinful oppression of men, for righteousness’
sake; but that hindereth not but that he would have them execute upon
all disobedience the judgment and vengeance required in the word, 2 Cor.
x. 6; Rom. xiii. 4.
[Sidenote: 4.]
Though it be true that wicked persons now may by the grace of God become
true disciples and converts, yet we may not do evil that good may come
thereof. And evil it would be to tolerate notorious evil doers, whether
seducing teachers, or scandalous livers. Christ had something against
the angel of the church of Pergamos for tolerating them that held the
doctrine of Balaam, and against the church of Thyatira for tolerating
Jezebel to teach and seduce, Rev. ii. 14, 20.
Your second head of reasons is taken from the profession and practice of
famous princes, king James, Stephen of Poland, king of Bohemia.
Whereunto a treble answer may briefly be returned.
First, we willingly acknowledge that none is to be persecuted at all, no
more than they may be oppressed for righteousness’ sake.
Again, we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his conscience,
though misinformed, as hath been said, unless his error be fundamental,
or seditiously and turbulently promoted, and that after due conviction of
his conscience, that it may appear he is not punished for his conscience,
but for sinning against his conscience.
Furthermore, we acknowledge, none is to be constrained to believe or
profess the true religion till he be convinced in judgment of the truth
of it; but yet restrained he may [be] from blaspheming the truth, and
from seducing any unto pernicious errors.
2. We answer, what princes profess or practise, is not a rule of
conscience. They many times tolerate that in point of state policy, which
cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity.
Again, princes many times tolerate offenders out of very necessity, when
the offenders are either too many, or too mighty for them to punish; in
which respect David tolerated Joab and his murders: but against his will.
3. We answer further, that for those three princes named by you, who
tolerated religion, we can name you more and greater who have not
tolerated heretics and schismatics, notwithstanding their pretence of
conscience, and arrogating the crown of martyrdom to their sufferings.
Constantine the Great, at the request of the General Council of Nice,
banished Arius, with some of his fellows.[87] The same Constantine made
a severe law against the Donatists. And the like proceedings against
them were used by Valentinian, Gratian, and Theodosius, as Augustine
reporteth.[88] Only Julian the Apostate granted liberty to heretics as
well as to pagans, that he might, by tolerating all weeds to grow, choke
the vitals of Christianity; which was also the practice and sin of Valens
the Arian.
Queen Elizabeth, as famous for her government as any of the former, it
is well known what laws she made and executed against papists. Yea, and
king James, one of your own witnesses, though he was slow in proceeding
against papists, as you say, for conscience’ sake, yet you are not
ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the malignant
world calleth Puritans, men of more conscience and better faith than he
tolerated.
I come now to your third and last argument, taken from the judgment of
ancient and later writers, yea, even of papists themselves, who have
condemned persecution for conscience’ sake.
You begin with Hilary, whose testimony we might admit without any
prejudice to the truth; for it is true, the Christian church doth not
persecute, but is persecuted. But to excommunicate an heretic, is not to
persecute; that is, it is not to punish an innocent, but a culpable and
damnable person, and that not for conscience, but for persisting in error
against light of conscience, whereof it hath been convinced.
It is true also what he saith, that neither the apostles did, nor may we,
propagate [the] Christian religion by the sword; but if pagans cannot be
won by the word, they are not to be compelled by the sword. Nevertheless,
this hindereth not but if they or any others should blaspheme the true
God, and his true religion, they ought to be severely punished; and no
less do they deserve, if they seduce from the truth to damnable heresy or
idolatry.
Your next writer, which is Tertullian, speaketh to the same purpose in
the place alleged by you. His intent is only to restrain Scapula, the
Roman governor of Africa, from the persecution of Christians, for not
offering sacrifice to their gods: and for that end fetcheth an argument
from the law of natural equity, not to compel any to any religion, but
to permit them either to believe willingly, or not to believe at all.
Which we acknowledge, and accordingly permit the Indians to continue in
their unbelief. Nevertheless, it will not therefore be lawful openly to
tolerate the worship of devils, or idols, or the seduction of any from
the truth.
When Tertullian saith, “Another man’s religion neither hurteth nor
profiteth any,” it must be understood of private worship, and religion
professed in private: otherwise a false religion professed by the members
of a church, or by such as have given their names to Christ, will be the
ruin and desolation of the church, as appeareth by the threats of Christ
to the churches of Asia, Rev. ii.
Your next author, Hierom, crosseth not the truth, nor advantageth your
cause; for we grant what he saith, that heresy must be cut off with the
sword of the Spirit. But this hindereth not, but that being so cut down,
if the heretic still persist in his heresy to the seduction of others,
he may be cut off by the civil sword to prevent the perdition of others.
And that to be Hierom’s meaning, appeareth by his note upon that of
the apostle, _A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump_; “therefore,”
saith he, “a spark, as soon as it appeareth, is to be extinguished, and
the leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough, rotten pieces of
flesh are to be cut off, and a scabbed beast is to be driven from the
sheepfold, lest the whole house, mass of dough, body, and flock, be set
on fire with the spark, be soured with the leaven, be putrified with the
rotten flesh, perish by the scabbed beast.”[89]
Brentius, whom you next quote, speaketh not to your cause. We willingly
grant him and you, that man hath no power to make laws to bind
conscience. But this hindereth not, but that men may see the laws of God
observed which do bind conscience.
The like answer may be returned to Luther, whom you next allege. First,
that the government of the civil magistrate extendeth no further than
over the bodies and goods of their subjects, not over their souls;
and therefore they may not undertake to give laws to the souls and
consciences of men.
Secondly, that the church of Christ doth not use the arm of secular power
to compel men to the faith or profession of the truth, for this is to be
done by spiritual weapons, whereby Christians are to be exhorted, not
compelled.
But this hindereth not that Christians sinning against light of faith and
conscience, may justly be censured by the church with excommunication,
and by the civil sword also, in case they shall corrupt others to the
perdition of their souls.
As for the testimony of the popish book, we weigh it not, as knowing
whatsoever they speak for toleration of religion where themselves are
under hatches, when they come to sit at stern, they judge and practise
quite contrary: as both their writings and judicial proceedings have
testified to the world these many years.
To shut up this argument from testimony of writers. It is well known
Augustine retracted this opinion of yours, which in his younger times he
had held, but in after riper age reversed and refuted, as appeareth in
the second book of his Retractations, chap. 5, and in his Epistles, 48,
50. And in his first book against Parmenianus, chap. 7, he showeth, that
if the Donatists were punished with death, they were justly punished. And
in his eleventh Tractate upon John, “They murder,” saith he, “souls, and
themselves are afflicted in body: they put men to everlasting death, and
yet they complain when themselves are put to suffer temporal death.”[90]
Optatus, in his third book,[91] justifieth Macarius, who had put some
heretics to death; that he had done no more herein than what Moses,
Phineas, and Elias had done before him.
Bernard, in his sixty-sixth Sermon in Cantica:[92] “Out of doubt,” saith
he, “it is better that they should be restrained by the sword of him, who
beareth not the sword in vain, than that they should be suffered to draw
many others into their error. For he is the minister of God for wrath to
every evil doer.”
Calvin’s judgment is well known, who procured the death of Michael
Servetus for pertinacity in heresy, and defended his fact by a book
written of that argument.[93]
Beza also wrote a book, De Hæreticis Morte Plectendis, that heretics are
to be punished with death.[94] Aretius likewise took the like course
about the death of Valentinus Gentilis; and justified the magistrate’s
proceeding against him, in a history written of that argument.[95]
Finally, you come to answer some main objections, as you call them, which
yet are but one, and that one objecteth nothing against what we hold. It
is, say you, no prejudice to the commonwealth, if liberty of conscience
were suffered to such as fear God indeed, which you prove by the examples
of the patriarchs and others.
But we readily grant you, liberty of conscience is to be granted to men
that fear God indeed, as knowing they will not persist in heresy, or
turbulent schism, when they are convinced in conscience of the sinfulness
thereof.
But the question, is, whether an heretic, after once or twice admonition,
and so after conviction, or any other scandalous and heinous offender,
may be tolerated, either in the church without excommunication, or in
the commonwealth without such punishment as may preserve others from
dangerous and damnable infection.
Thus much I thought needful to be spoken, for avoiding the grounds of
your error.
I forbear adding reasons to justify the truth, because you may find that
done to your hand, in a treatise sent to some of the brethren late of
Salem, who doubted as you do.
The Lord Jesus lead you by a Spirit of truth into all truth,
through Jesus Christ.
A REPLY TO THE AFORESAID ANSWER OF MR. COTTON, IN A CONFERENCE BETWEEN
TRUTH AND PEACE.
CHAP. I.
_Truth._ In what dark corner of the world, sweet Peace, are we two met?
How hath this present evil world banished me from all the coasts and
quarters of it? And how hath the righteous God in judgment taken thee
from the earth? Rev. vi. 4.
[Sidenote: Truth and Peace rarely and seldom meet.]
_Peace._ It is lamentably true, blessed Truth, the foundations of the
world have long been out of course: the gates of earth and hell have
conspired together to intercept our joyful meeting and our holy kisses.
With what a wearied, tired wing have I flown over nations, kingdoms,
cities, towns, to find out precious Truth!
_Truth._ The like inquiries in my flights and travels have I made for
Peace, and still am told she hath left the earth, and fled to heaven.
_Peace._ Dear Truth, what is the earth but a dungeon of darkness, where
Truth is not?
_Truth._ And what is the Peace thereof but a fleeting dream, thine ape
and counterfeit?
_Peace._ Oh! where is the promise of the God of heaven, that
Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other?
_Truth._ Patience, sweet Peace, these heavens and earth are growing old,
and shall be changed like a garment, Psal. cii. [26.] They shall melt
away, and be burnt up with all the works that are therein; and the Most
High Eternal Creator shall gloriously create new heavens and new earth,
wherein dwells righteousness, 2 Pet. iii. [13.] Our kisses then shall
have their endless date of pure and sweetest joys. Till then both thou
and I must hope, and wait, and bear the fury of the dragon’s wrath, whose
monstrous lies and furies shall with himself be cast into the lake of
fire, the second death, Rev. xx. [10, 14.]
_Peace._ Most precious Truth, thou knowest we are both pursued and
laid [in wait] for. Mine heart is full of sighs, mine eyes with tears.
Where can I better vent my full, oppressed bosom than into thine, whose
faithful lips may for these few hours revive my drooping, wandering
spirits, and here begin to wipe tears from mine eyes, and the eyes of my
dearest children?
_Truth._ Sweet daughter of the God of peace, begin. Pour out thy sorrows,
vent thy complaints. How joyful am I to improve these precious minutes to
revive our hearts, both thine and mine, and the hearts of all that love
the truth and peace, Zach. viii. [19.]
_Peace._ Dear Truth, I know thy birth, thy nature, thy delight. They
that know thee will prize thee far above themselves and lives, and sell
themselves to buy thee. Well spake that famous Elizabeth to her famous
attorney, Sir Edward Coke; “Mr. Attorney, go on as thou hast begun, and
still plead, not _pro Domina Regina_, but _pro Domina Veritate_.”
_Truth._ It is true, my crown is high; my sceptre is strong to break
down strongest holds, to throw down highest crowns of all that plead,
though but in thought, against me. Some few there are, but oh! how few
are valiant for the truth, and dare to plead my cause, as my witnesses in
sackcloth, Rev. xi. [3]; while all men’s tongues are bent like bows to
shoot out lying words against me!
_Peace._ Oh! how could I spend eternal days and endless dates at thy holy
feet, in listening to the precious oracles of thy mouth! All the words of
thy mouth are truth, and there is no iniquity in them. Thy lips drop as
the honey-comb. But oh! since we must part anon, let us, as thou saidst,
improve our minutes, and, according as thou promisedst, revive me with
thy words, which are sweeter than the honey and the honey-comb.
CHAP. II.
_Peace._ Dear Truth, I have two sad complaints.
[Sidenote: Two great complaints of Peace.]
First. The most sober of thy witnesses, that dare to plead thy cause, how
are they charged to be mine enemies—contentious, turbulent, seditious!
Secondly. Thine enemies, though they speak and rail against thee, though
they outrageously pursue, imprison, banish, kill thy faithful witnesses,
yet how is all vermilioned over for justice against the heretics! Yea,
if they kindle coals, and blow the flames of devouring wars, that leave
neither spiritual nor civil state, but burn up branch and root, yet how
do all pretend an holy war! He that kills, and he that is killed, they
both cry out, “It is for God, and for their conscience.”
[Sidenote: Persecutors seldom plead Christ, but Moses, for their author.]
It is true, nor one nor other seldom dare to plead the mighty Prince
Christ Jesus for their author, yet both (both protestant and papist)
pretend they have spoke with Moses and the prophets, who all, say they,
before Christ came, allowed such holy persecutions [and] holy wars
against the enemies of holy church.
[Sidenote: [Prov. xvii. 14.]]
_Truth._ Dear Peace, to ease thy first complaint, it is true, thy dearest
sons, most like their mother, peace-keeping, peace-making sons of God,
have borne and still must bear the blurs of troublers of Israel, and
turners of the world upside down. And it is true again, what Solomon
once spake: _The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water,
therefore_, saith he, _leave off contention before it be meddled with._
This caveat should keep the banks and sluices firm and strong, that
strife, like a breach of waters, break not in upon the sons of men.
[Sidenote: Strife distinguished.]
Yet strife must be distinguished: it is necessary, or unnecessary, godly
or ungodly, Christian or unchristian, &c.
[Sidenote: 1. Ungodly strife.]
It is unnecessary, unlawful, dishonourable, ungodly, unchristian, in most
cases in the world: for there is a possibility of keeping sweet Peace in
most cases, and, _if it be possible_, it is the express command of God
that Peace be kept, Rom. xii. [18.]
[Sidenote: 2. Godly strife.]
Again, it is necessary, honourable, godly, &c., with civil and earthly
weapons to defend the innocent, and to rescue the oppressed from the
violent paws and jaws of oppressing, persecuting Nimrods, Psal. lxxiii.
Job xxix.
It is as necessary, yea, more honourable, godly, and Christian, to fight
the fight of faith, with religious and spiritual artillery, and to
contend earnestly for the faith of Jesus, once delivered to the saints,
against all opposers, and the gates of earth and hell, men or devils,
yea, against Paul himself, or an angel from heaven, if he bring any other
faith or doctrine, Jude 4, 9; Gal. i. 8.
_Peace._ With a clashing of _such_ arms am I never wakened. Speak once
again, dear Truth, to my second complaint of bloody persecution, and
devouring wars, marching under the colours of upright justice and holy
zeal, &c.
[Sidenote: A threefold doleful cry.]
_Truth._ Mine ears have long been filled with a threefold doleful outcry—
[Sidenote: Christ’s worship is his bed, Cant. i. 16. False worship,
therefore, is a false bed.]
First. Of one hundred forty-four thousand virgins, Rev. xiv., forced and
ravished by emperors, kings, governors, to their beds of worship and
religion; set up, like Absalom’s, on high, in their several states and
countries.
[Sidenote: The cry of the souls under the altar.]
Secondly. The cry of those precious souls under the altar, Rev. vi. [9,]
the souls of such as have been persecuted and slain for the testimony and
witness of Jesus, whose blood hath been spilt like water upon the earth;
and that because they have held fast the truth and witness of Jesus,
against the worship of the states and times, compelling to an uniformity
of state religion.
These cries of murdered virgins, who can sit still and hear? Who can but
run, with zeal inflamed, to prevent the deflowering of chaste souls, and
spilling of the blood of the innocent? Humanity stirs up and prompts the
sons of men to draw material swords for a virgin’s chastity and life,
against a ravishing murderer; and piety and Christianity must needs
awaken the sons of God to draw the spiritual sword, the word of God,
to preserve the chastity and life of spiritual virgins, who abhor the
spiritual defilements of false worship, Rev. xiv.
[Sidenote: A cry of the whole earth.]
Thirdly. The cry of the whole earth, made drunk with the blood of its
inhabitants slaughtering each other in their blinded zeal for conscience,
for religion, against the catholics, against the Lutherans, &c.
What fearful cries, within these twenty years, of hundred thousands, men,
women, children, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brethren, sisters,
old and young, high and low, plundered, ravished, slaughtered, murdered,
famished! And hence these cries, that men fling away the spiritual
sword and spiritual artillery, in spiritual and religious causes, and
rather trust, for the suppressing of each other’s gods, conscience, and
religion, as they suppose, to an arm of flesh and sword of steel.
_Truth._ Sweet Peace, what hast thou there?
_Peace._ Arguments against persecution for cause of conscience.
_Truth._ And what there?
_Peace._ An answer to such arguments, contrarily maintaining such
persecution for cause of conscience.
_Truth._ These arguments against such persecution, and the answer
pleading for it, [are] written, as Love hopes, from godly intentions,
hearts, and hands, yet in a marvellously different style and manner—the
arguments against persecution in milk, the answer for it, as I may say,
in blood.
[Sidenote: The wonderful providence of God in the writing of the
arguments against persecution in milk.]
The author of these arguments against persecution, as I have been
informed, being committed by some then in power close prisoner to
Newgate, for the witness of some truths of Jesus, and having not the use
of pen and ink, wrote these arguments in milk, in sheets of paper brought
to him by the woman, his keeper, from a friend in London as the stopples
of his milk bottle.
In such paper, written with milk, nothing will appear; but the way of
reading it by fire being known to this friend who received the papers,
he transcribed and kept together the papers, although the author himself
could not correct, nor view what himself had written.
It was in milk, tending to soul nourishment, even for babes and sucklings
in Christ:—
It was in milk, spiritually white, pure and innocent, like those white
horses of the word of truth and meekness, and the white linen or armour
of righteousness, in the army of Jesus, Rev. vi. and xix.:—
It was in milk, soft, meek, peaceable, and gentle, tending both to the
peace of souls, and the peace of states and kingdoms.
[Sidenote: The answer writ in blood.]
_Peace._ The answer, though I hope out of milky pure intentions, is
returned in blood—bloody and slaughterous conclusions—bloody to the souls
of all men, forced to the religion and worship which every civil state
or commonweal agrees on, and compels all subjects to, in a dissembled
uniformity:—
Bloody to the bodies, first of the holy witnesses of Christ Jesus, who
testify against such invented worships:—
Secondly, of the nations and peoples slaughtering each other for their
several respective religions and consciences.
CHAP. III.
_Truth._ In the answer, Mr. Cotton first lays down several distinctions
and conclusions of his own, tending to prove persecution.
Secondly. Answers to the scriptures and arguments proposed against
persecution.
[Sidenote: The first distinction discussed.]