though not the cause, yet accidentally the occasion of great contentions
and divisions, yea, tumults and uproars, in towns and cities where they
have lived and come; and yet neither their doctrine nor themselves
arrogant nor impetuous, however so charged: for thus the Lord Jesus
discovereth men’s false and secure suppositions, Luke xii. 51, _Suppose
ye that I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you, nay; but rather
division; for from henceforth shall there be five in one house divided,
three against two, and two against three, the father shall be divided
against the son and the son against the father_, &c. And thus upon the
occasion of the apostles’ preaching the kingdom and worship of God in
Christ, were most commonly uproars and tumults wherever they came. For
instance, those strange and monstrous uproars at Iconium, at Ephesus, at
Jerusalem, Acts xiv. 4; Acts xix. 29, 40; Acts xxi. 30, 31.
CHAP. VIII.
[Sidenote: [1 Obj.]]
_Peace._ It will be said, dear Truth, what the Lord Jesus and his
messengers taught was truth; but the question is about error.
_Truth._ I answer, This distinction now in discussion concerns not truth
or error, but the manner of holding forth or divulging.
I acknowledge that such may be the way and manner of holding forth,
either with railing or reviling, daring or challenging speeches, or with
force of arms, swords, guns, prisons, &c., that it may not only tend to
break, but may actually break the civil peace, or peace of the city.
[Sidenote: The instances proposed carry a great show of impetuousness,
yet all are pure and peaceable.]
Yet these instances propounded are cases of great opposition and
spiritual hostility, and occasions of breach of civil peace; and yet as
the borders, or matter, were of gold, so the specks, or manner, (Cantic.
i. [11,]) were of silver: both matter and manner pure, holy, peaceable,
and inoffensive.
Moreover, I answer, That it is possible and common for persons of soft
and gentle nature and spirits, to hold out falsehood with more seeming
meekness and peaceableness, than the Lord Jesus or his servants did or do
hold forth the true and everlasting gospel. So that the answerer would
be requested to explain what he means by this arrogant and impetuous
holding forth of any doctrine, which very manner of holding forth tends
to break civil peace, and comes under the cognizance and correction of
the civil magistrate, lest he build the sepulchre of the prophets, _and
say, If we had been in the Pharisees’ days_, the Roman emperor’s days,
or the bloody Marian days, _we would not have been partakers with them
in the blood of the prophets_, Matt. xxiii. 30, who were charged with
arrogance and impetuousness.
CHAP. IX.
[Sidenote: [2 Obj.]]
_Peace._ It will here be said, whence then ariseth civil dissensions and
uproars about matters of religion?
[Sidenote: The true cause of tumults at the preaching of the word.]
_Truth._ I answer: When a kingdom or state, town or family, lies and
lives in the guilt of a false god, false Christ, false worship, no wonder
if sore eyes be troubled at the appearance of the light, be it never
so sweet. No wonder if a body full of corrupt humours be troubled at
strong, though wholesome, physic—if persons sleepy and loving to sleep
be troubled at the noise of shrill, though silver, alarums. No wonder if
Adonijah and all his company be amazed and troubled at the sound of the
right heir, king Solomon, 1 Kings i. [41, 49,]—if the husbandmen were
troubled when the Lord of the vineyard sent servant after servant, and at
last his only son, and they beat, and wounded, and killed even the son
himself, because they meant themselves to seize upon the inheritance,
unto which they had no right, Matt. xxi. 38. Hence all those tumults
about the apostles in the Acts, &c. Whereas, good eyes are not so
troubled at light; vigilant and watchful persons, loyal and faithful,
are not so troubled at the true, no, nor at a false religion of Jew or
Gentile.
[Sidenote: A preposterous way of suppressing errors.]
Secondly. Breach of civil peace may arise when false and idolatrous
practices are held forth, and yet no breach of civil peace from the
doctrine or practice, or the manner of holding forth, but from that wrong
and preposterous way of suppressing, preventing, and extinguishing such
doctrines or practices by weapons of wrath and blood, whips, stocks,
imprisonment, banishment, death, &c.; by which men commonly are persuaded
to convert heretics, and to cast out unclean spirits, which only the
finger of God can do, that is, the mighty power of the Spirit in the word.
[Sidenote: Light only can expel fogs and darkness.]
Hence the town is in an uproar, and the country takes the alarum to expel
that fog or mist of error, heresy, blasphemy, as is supposed, with swords
and guns. Whereas it is light alone, even light from the bright shining
Sun of Righteousness, which is able, in the souls and consciences of men,
to dispel and scatter such fogs and darkness.
Hence the sons of men, as David speaks in another case, Ps. xxxix. [6,]
disquiet themselves in vain, and unmercifully disquiet others, as, by the
help of the Lord, in the sequel of this discourse shall more appear.
CHAP. X.
_Peace._ Now the last distinction is this: “Persecution for conscience
is either for a rightly informed conscience, or a blind and erroneous
conscience.”
[Sidenote: Answ. Persecutors oppress both true and erroneous consciences.]
_Truth._ Indeed, both these consciences are persecuted; but lamentably
blind and erroneous will those consciences shortly appear to be, which
out of zeal for God, as is pretended, have persecuted either. And heavy
is the doom of those blind guides and idol shepherds, whose right eye
God’s finger of jealousy hath put out, who flattering the ten horns, or
worldly powers, persuade them what excellent and faithful service they
perform to God, in persecuting both these consciences; either hanging
up a rightly informed conscience, and therein the Lord Jesus himself,
between two malefactors, or else killing the erroneous and the blind,
like Saul, out of zeal to the Israel of God, the poor Gibeonites, whom
it pleased God to permit to live; and yet that hostility and cruelty
used against them, as the repeated judgment year after year upon the
whole land after told them, could not be pardoned until the death of the
persecutor, Saul [and] his sons, had appeased the Lord’s displeasure, 2
Sam. xxi.
CHAP. XI.
_Peace._ After explication in these distinctions, it pleaseth the
answerer to give his resolution to the question in four particulars.
First, that he holds it “not lawful to persecute any for conscience’ sake
rightly informed, for in persecuting such,” saith he, “Christ himself is
persecuted.” For which reason, truly rendered, he quotes, Acts ix. 4,
_Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?_
_Truth._ He that shall read this conclusion over a thousand times, shall
as soon find darkness in the bright beams of the sun, as in this so clear
and shining a beam of Truth; viz., that Christ Jesus, in his truth, must
not be persecuted.
Yet, this I must ask, for it will be admired by all sober men, what
should be the cause or inducement to the answerer’s mind to lay down such
a position or thesis as this is, It is not lawful to persecute the Lord
Jesus?
[Sidenote: All persecutors of Christ profess not to persecute him.]
Search all scriptures, histories, records, monuments; consult with
all experiences; did ever Pharaoh, Saul, Ahab, Jezebel, Scribes and
Pharisees, the Jews, Herod, the bloody Neros, Gardiners, Bonners, pope,
or devil himself, profess to persecute the Son of God, Jesus as Jesus,
Christ as Christ, without a mask or covering?
No, saith Pharaoh, the Israelites are idle, and therefore speak they of
sacrificing. David is risen up in a conspiracy against Saul, therefore
persecute him. Naboth hath blasphemed God and the king, therefore stone
him. Christ is a seducer of the people, a blasphemer against God, and
traitor against Cæsar, therefore hang him. Christians are schismatical,
factious, heretical, therefore persecute them. The devil hath deluded
John Huss, therefore crown him with a paper of devils, and burn him, &c.
_Peace._ One thing I see apparently in the Lord’s overruling the pen of
this worthy answerer, viz., a secret whispering from heaven to him, that
although his soul aim at Christ, and hath wrought much for Christ in many
sincere intentions, and God’s merciful and patient acceptance, yet he
hath never left the tents of such who think they do God good service in
killing the Lord Jesus in his servants. And yet they say, if we had been
in the days of our fathers, in queen Mary’s days, &c., we would never
have consented to such persecution. And therefore, when they persecute
Christ Jesus in his truths or servants, they say, “Do not say you are
persecuted for the word, for Christ’s sake: for we hold it not lawful to
persecute Jesus Christ.”
Let me also add a second: So far as he hath been a guide, by preaching
for persecution, I say, wherein he hath been a guide and leader, by
misinterpreting and applying the writings of truth, so far, I say,
his own mouth and hands shall judge (I hope not his person, but) his
actions; for the Lord Jesus hath suffered by him, Acts ix. 5. And if the
Lord Jesus himself were present, Himself should suffer that in his own
person, which his servants witnessing his truth do suffer for his sake.
CHAP. XII.
_Peace._ Their second conclusion is this: “It is not lawful to persecute
an erroneous and blind conscience, even in fundamental and weighty
points, till after admonition once or twice, Tit. iii. 11, and then
such consciences may be persecuted; because the word of God is so clear
in fundamental and weighty points, that such a person cannot but sin
against his conscience, and so being condemned of himself, that is,
of his conscience, he may be persecuted for sinning against his own
conscience.”[101]
_Truth._ I answer, In that great battle between the Lord Jesus and the
devil, it is observable that Satan takes up the weapons of scripture, and
such scripture which in show and colour was excellent for his purpose;
but in this third of Titus, as Solomon speaks of the birds of heaven,
Prov. i. [17,] a man may evidently see the snare: and I know the time is
coming wherein it shall be said, _Surely in vain the net is laid in the
sight of_ the saints (heavenly birds).
So palpably gross and thick is the mist and fog which Satan hath raised
about this scripture, that he that can but see men as trees in matters
of God’s worship, may easily discern what a wonderful deep sleep God’s
people are fallen into concerning the visible kingdom of Christ; insomuch
that this third of Titus, which through fearful profanations hath so
many hundred years been the pretended bulwark and defence of all the
bloody wolves, dens of lions, and mountains of leopards, hunting and
devouring the witnesses of Jesus, should now be the refuge and defence of
(as I hope) the lambs and little ones of Jesus: yet, in this point, so
preaching and practising so unlike to themselves, to the Lord Jesus, and
lamentably too like to His and their persecutors.
CHAP. XIII.
_Peace._ Bright Truth, since this place of Titus is such a pretended
bulwark for persecuting of heretics, and under that pretence of
persecuting all thy followers, I beseech you by the bright beams of the
Sun of Righteousness, scatter these mists, and unfold these particulars
out of the text:—
First. What this man is that is an heretic.
Secondly. How this heretic is condemned of himself.
Thirdly. What is this first and second admonition, and by whom it is
supposed to be given.
Fourthly. What is this rejecting of Him, and by whom it is supposed this
rejection was to be made.
[Sidenote: What is meant by _heretic_ in Titus.]
_Truth._ First, what is this heretic? I find him commonly defined to
be such an one as is obstinate in fundamentals, and so also I conceive
the answerer seems to resent him, saying, that the apostle renders this
reason why after once and twice admonition he ought to be persecuted;
because in fundamental and principal points of doctrine and worship, the
word of God is so clear, that the heretic cannot but be convinced in his
own conscience.
But of this reason, I find not one tittle mentioned in this scripture.
For although he saith such an one is condemned of himself, yet he saith
not, nor will it follow, that fundamentals are so clear, that after first
and second admonition, a person that submits not to them is condemned
of himself, any more than in lesser points. This eleventh verse hath
reference to the former verses. Titus, an evangelist, a preacher of glad
news, abiding here with the church of Christ at Crete, is required by
Paul to avoid, to reject, and to teach the church to reject, genealogies,
disputes, and unprofitable questions about the law. Such a like charge it
is as he gave to Timothy, left also an evangelist at Ephesus, 1 Tim. i. 4.
If it should be objected, what is to be done to such contentious, vain
strivers about genealogies and questions unprofitable?—The apostle seems
plainly to answer, Let him be once and twice admonished.
Obj. Yea, but what if once and twice admonition prevail not?
The apostle seems to answer, αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον; and that is, the man
that is wilfully obstinate after such once and twice admonition, reject
him.
With this scripture agrees that of 1 Tim. vi. 4, 5, where Timothy is
commanded to withdraw himself from such who dote about questions and
strifes of words.
All which are points of a lower and inferior nature, not properly
falling within the terms or notions of those (στοιχεῖα) first principles
and (θεμελίους) foundations of the Christian profession, to wit,
repentance from dead works, faith towards God, the doctrine of baptisms,
and of laying on of hands, the resurrection, and eternal judgment, Heb.
vi. 2, &c.
Concerning these fundamentals (although nothing is so little in the
Christian worship, but may be referred to one of these six, yet) doth not
Paul to Timothy or Titus speak in those places by me alleged, or of any
of these, as may evidently appear by the context and scope.
The beloved spouse of Christ is no receptacle for any filthy person,
obstinate in any filthiness against the purity of the Lord Jesus,
who hath commanded his people to purge out the old leaven, not only
greater portions, but a little leaven which will leaven the whole lump;
and therefore this heretic, or obstinate person in these vain and
unprofitable questions, was to be rejected, as well as if his obstinacy
had been in greater matters.
Again, if there were a door or window left open to vain and unprofitable
questions, and sins of smaller nature, how apt are persons to cover
[them] with a silken covering, and to say, Why, I am no heretic in
fundamentals, spare me in this or that little one, this or that opinion
or practice, these are of an inferior, circumstantial nature, &c.
[Sidenote: The word _heretic_ generally mistaken.]
So the coherence with the former verses, and the scope of the Spirit of
God in this and other like scriptures being carefully observed, this
Greek word _heretic_ is no more in true English, and in truth, than
an obstinate and wilful person in the church of Crete, striving and
contending about those unprofitable questions and genealogies, &c.; and
[it] is not such a monster intended in this place, as most interpreters
run upon, to wit, one obstinate in fundamentals, and, as the answerer
makes the apostle to write, in such fundamentals and principal points,
wherein the word of God is so clear that a man cannot but be convinced in
conscience, and therefore is not persecuted for matter of conscience, but
for sinning against his conscience.
CHAP. XIV.
_Peace._ Now, in the second place, what is this self-condemnation?
_Truth._ The apostle seemeth to make this a ground of the rejecting of
such a person—because he is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of
himself. It will appear upon due search, that this self-condemning is not
here intended to be in heretics (as men say) in fundamentals only; but,
as it is meant here, in men obstinate in the lesser questions, &c.
First, he is subverted, or turned crooked, ἐξέστραπται, a word opposite
to straightness, or rightness. So that the scope is, as I conceive—upon
true and faithful admonition once or twice, the pride of heart, or heat
of wrath, draws a veil over the eyes and heart, so that the soul is
turned off or loosed from the checks of truth.
Secondly, he sinneth, ἁμαρτάνει; that is, being subverted, or turned
aside, he sinneth, or wanders from the path of truth, and is condemned by
himself, αὐτοκάτακριτος; that is, by the secret checks and whisperings of
his own conscience, which will take God’s part against a man’s self, in
smiting, accusing, &c.
[Sidenote: Checks of conscience.]
Which checks of conscience we find even in God’s own dear people, as is
most admirably opened in the fifth of Canticles, in those sad, drowsy,
and unkind passages of the spouse, in her answer to the knocks and
calls of the Lord Jesus; which God’s people, in all their awakenings,
acknowledge how slightly they have listened to the checks of their own
consciences. This the answerer pleaseth to call sinning against his
conscience, for which he may lawfully be persecuted: to wit, for sinning
against his conscience.
Which conclusion—though painted over with the vermilion of mistaken
scripture, and that old dream of Jew and Gentile that the crown of
Jesus will consist of outward material gold, and his sword be made of
iron or steel, executing judgment in his church and kingdom by corporal
punishment—I hope, by the assistance of the Lord Jesus, to manifest it
to be the overturning and rooting up the very foundations and roots of
all true Christianity, and absolutely denying the Lord Jesus, the great
anointed, to be yet come in the flesh.
CHAP. XV.
This will appear, if we examine the two last queries of this place of
Titus; to wit,
First. What this admonition is?
Secondly. What is the rejection here intended? _Reject him._
First, then, Titus, unto whom this epistle and these directions were
written, and in him to all that succeed him in the like work of the
gospel to the world’s end, was no minister of the civil state, armed
with the majesty and terror of a material sword, who might for offences
against the civil state inflict punishments upon the bodies of men by
imprisonments, whippings, fines, banishment, death. Titus was a minister
of the gospel, or glad tidings, armed only with the spiritual sword of
the word of God, and [with] such spiritual weapons as (yet) through God
were mighty to the casting down of strongholds, yea, every high thought
of the highest head and heart in the world, 2 Cor. x. 4.
[Sidenote: What is the first and second admonition. What the rejecting
of the heretic was. Corporal killing in the law, typing out spiritual
killing, by excommunication, in the gospel.]
Therefore, these first and second admonitions were not civil or corporal
punishments on men’s persons or purses, which courts of men may lawfully
inflict upon malefactors; but they were the reprehensions, convictions,
exhortations, and persuasions of the word of the eternal God, charged
home to the conscience in the name and presence of the Lord Jesus, in
the midst of the church. Which being despised and not hearkened to, in
the last place follows rejection; which is not a cutting off by heading,
hanging, burning, &c., or an expelling of the country and coasts; neither
[of] which (no, nor any lesser civil punishment) Titus, nor the church
at Crete, had any power to exercise. But it was that dreadful cutting
off from that visible head and body, Christ Jesus and his church; that
purging out of the old leaven from the lump of the saints; the putting
away of the evil and wicked person from the holy land and commonwealth
of God’s Israel, 1 Cor. v. [6, 7.][102] Where it is observable, that the
same word used by Moses for putting a malefactor to death, in typical
Israel, by sword, stoning, &c., Deut. xiii. 5, is here used by Paul for
the spiritual killing, or cutting off by excommunication, 1 Cor. v. 13,
_Put away that evil person_, &c.
Now, I desire the answerer, and any, in the holy awe and fear of God, to
consider, that—
From whom the first and second admonition was to proceed, from them also
was the rejecting or casting out to proceed, as before. But not from the
civil magistrate, to whom Paul writes not this epistle, and who also is
not bound once and twice to admonish, but may speedily punish, as he sees
cause, the persons or purses of delinquents against his civil state; but
from Titus, the minister or angel of the church, and from the church with
him, were these first and second admonitions to proceed.
And, therefore, at last also, this rejecting: which can be no other but a
casting out, or excommunicating of him from their church society.
Indeed, this rejecting is no other than that avoiding which Paul writes
of to the church of Christ at Rome, Rom. xvi. 17; which avoiding, however
wofully perverted by some to prove persecution, belonged to the governors
of Christ’s church and kingdom in Rome, and not to the Roman emperor, for
him to rid and avoid the world of them by bloody and cruel persecution.
CHAP. XVI.
[Sidenote: The third conclusion discussed.]
_Peace._ The third conclusion is—in points of lesser moment there ought
to be a toleration.
[Sidenote: Satan’s policy.]
Which though I acknowledge to be the truth of God, yet three things
are very observable in the manner of laying it down: for Satan useth
excellent arrows to bad marks, and sometimes beyond the intent, and
hidden from the eye of the archer.
[Sidenote: The answerer granteth a toleration.]
First, saith he, such a person is to be tolerated till God may be pleased
to reveal his truth to him.
[Sidenote: Patience to be used toward the opposite.]
_Truth._ This is well observed by you: for indeed this is the very
ground why the apostle calls for meekness and gentleness toward all
men, and toward such as oppose themselves, 2 Tim. ii. [25]; because
there is a peradventure, or it may be; “It may be, God may _give them
repentance_.” That God that hath shown mercy to one, may show mercy to
another. It may be, that eye-salve that anointed one man’s eye who was
blind and opposite, may another as blind and opposite. He that hath given
repentance to the husband, may give it to his wife, &c.
[Sidenote: The carriage of a soul, sensible of mercy, toward other
sinners in their blindness and opposition.]
Hence the soul that is lively and sensible of mercy received to itself
in former blindness, opposition, and enmity against God, cannot but be
patient and gentle toward the Jews, who yet deny the Lord Jesus to be
come, and justify their forefathers in murdering of him: toward the
Turks, who acknowledge Christ a great prophet, yet less than Mahomet:
yea, to all the several sorts of anti-christians, who set up many a
false Christ instead of him: and, lastly, to the pagans, and wildest
sorts of the sons of men, who have not yet heard of the Father, nor the
Son: and to all these sorts, Jews, Turks, anti-christians, pagans, when
they oppose the light presented to them, in the sense of its own former
opposition, and that God peradventure may at last give repentance. I add,
such a soul will not only be patient, but earnestly and constantly pray
for all sorts of men, that out of them God’s elect may be called to the
fellowship of Christ Jesus; and, lastly, not only pray, but endeavour, to
its utmost ability, their participation of the same grace and mercy.[103]
That great rock upon which so many gallant ships miscarry, viz., that
such persons, false prophets, heretics, &c., were to be put to death in
Israel, I shall, with God’s assistance, remove. As also that fine silken
covering of the image, viz., that such persons ought to be put to death,
or banished, to prevent the infecting and seducing of others, I shall,
with God’s assistance, in the following discourse pluck off.
[Sidenote: The answerer confounds the churches in Philippi and Rome, with
the cities Philippi and Rome.]