that of the Lord Jesus commanding the tares to be permitted in the
world; because, otherwise, the good wheat should be endangered to be
rooted up out of the field or world also, as well as the tares. And
therefore, for the good sake, the tares, which are indeed evil, were to
be permitted: yea, and for the general good of the whole world, the field
itself, which, for want of this obedience to that command of Christ,
hath been and is laid waste and desolate with the fury and rage of civil
war, professedly raised and maintained, as all states profess, for the
maintenance of one true religion—after the pattern of that typical land
of Canaan—and to suppress and pluck up these tares of false prophets and
false professors, anti-christians, heretics, &c., out of the world.
Hence _illæ lachrymæ_: hence Germany’s, Ireland’s, and now England’s,
tears and dreadful desolations, which ought to have been, and may be for
the future,—by obedience to the command of the Lord Jesus, concerning the
permission of tares to live in the world, though not in the church—I say,
ought to have been, and may be mercifully prevented.
CHAP. LVI.
_Peace._ I pray descend now to the second evil which you observe in the
answerer’s position, viz., that it would be evil to tolerate notorious
evil doers, seducing teachers, &c.
_Truth._ I say, the evil is, that he most improperly and confusedly joins
and couples seducing teachers with scandalous livers.
_Peace._ But is it not true, that the world is full of seducing teachers?
and is it not true, that seducing teachers are notorious evil doers?
_Truth._ I answer: far be it from me to deny either. And yet, in two
things, I shall discover the great evil of this joining and coupling
seducing teachers and scandalous livers, as one adequate or proper object
of the magistrates’ care and work to suppress and punish.
First, it is not an homogeneal (as we speak), but an heterogeneal
commixture of joining together of things most different in kinds and
natures, as if they were both of one consideration.
[Sidenote: Seducing teachers, either pagan, Jewish, or anti-christian,
may yet be obedient subjects to the civil laws.]
For who knows not but that many seducing teachers, either of the
paganish, Jewish, Turkish, or anti-christian religion, may be clear and
free from scandalous offences in their life, as also from disobedience
to the civil laws of a state? Yea, the answerer himself hath elsewhere
granted, that if the laws of a civil state be not broken, the peace is
not broken.[165]
Again, who knows not that a seducing teacher properly sins against a
church or spiritual estate and laws of it, and, therefore, ought most
properly and only to be dealt withal in such a way, and by such weapons,
as the Lord Jesus himself hath appointed; gainsayers, opposites, and
disobedients—either within his church or without—to be convinced,
repelled, resisted, and slain withal?
[Sidenote: Scandalous livers against the civil state, who they are.]
Whereas, scandalous offenders against parents, against magistrates in
the fifth command, and so against the life, chastity, goods, or good
name in the rest, is properly transgression against the civil state and
common weal, or the worldly state of men: and, therefore, consequently,
if the world, or civil state, ought to be preserved by civil government
or governors, such scandalous offenders ought not to be tolerated, but
suppressed, according to the wisdom and prudence of the said government.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton’s tenet justifies all the cruel proceedings against
Christ and Christians.]
Secondly, as there is a fallacious conjoining and confounding together
persons of several kinds and natures, differing as much as spirit and
flesh, heaven and earth, each from other: so is there a silent and
implicit justification of all the unrighteous and cruel proceedings
of Jews and Gentiles against all the prophets of God, the Lord Jesus
himself, and all his messengers and witnesses, whom their accusers have
ever so coupled and mixed with notorious evil doers and scandalous livers.
Elijah was a troubler of the state; Jeremy weakened the hand of the
people; yea, Moses made the people neglect their work; the Jews built the
rebellious and bad city; the three worthies regarded not the command of
the king; Christ Jesus deceived the people, was a conjuror and a traitor
against Cæsar in being king of the Jews—indeed He was so spiritually over
the true Jew, the Christian—therefore, he was numbered with notorious
evil doers, and nailed to the gallows between two malefactors.
Hence Paul and all true messengers of Jesus Christ, are esteemed seducing
and seditious teachers and turners of the world upside down: yea, and
to my knowledge—I speak with honourable respect to the answerer, so far
as he hath laboured for many truths of Christ—the answerer himself hath
drunk of this cup, to be esteemed a seducing teacher.
CHAP. LVII.
_Peace._ Yea, but he produceth scriptures against such toleration, and
for persecuting men for the cause of conscience: “Christ,” saith he, “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.
_Truth._ I may answer, with some admiration and astonishment, how it
pleased the Father of lights and most jealous God to darken and veil the
eye of so precious a man, as not to seek out and propose some scriptures,
in the proof of so weighty an assertion, as at least might have some
colour for an influence of the civil magistrate in such cases: for—
[Sidenote: Toleration. Rev. ii. 14, 20, examined.]
First, he saith not that Christ had aught against the city Pergamos,
where Satan had his throne, Rev. ii. 14, but against the church at
Pergamos, in which was set up the throne of Christ.
Secondly, Christ’s charge is not against the civil magistrate of
Pergamos, but the messenger, or ministry, of the church in Pergamos.
Thirdly, I confess, so far as Balaam’s or Jezebel’s doctrine maintained
a liberty of corporal fornication, it concerned the cities of Pergamos
and Thyatira, and the angel or officers of those cities, to suppress not
only such practices, but such doctrines also: as the Roman emperor justly
punished Ovid the poet, for teaching the wanton art of love, leading to
and ushering on lasciviousness and uncleanness.
Fourthly. Yet so far as Balaam’s teachers, or Jezebel, did seduce the
members of the church in Pergamos or Thyatira, to the worship of the
idolaters in Pergamos or Thyatira, which will appear to be the case—I
say, so far I may well and properly answer, as himself answered before
those scriptures, brought from Luke ix. and 2 Tim. ii., to prove patience
and permission to men opposite, viz., “these scriptures,” saith he, “are
directions to ministers of the gospel;” and in the end of that passage he
adds, “Much less do they speak at all to civil magistrates.”[166]
[Sidenote: Christ’s ministers and churches, have power sufficient from
Christ to suppress Balaam and Jezebel seducing to false worship.]
Fifthly. Either these churches and the angels thereof had power to
suppress these doctrines of Balaam, and to suppress Jezebel from
teaching, or they had not:—
That they had not cannot be affirmed, for Christ’s authority is in the
hands of his ministers and churches, Matt. xvi. and xviii., and 1 Cor. v.
If they had power, as must be granted, then, I conclude, sufficient
power to suppress such persons, whoever they were, that maintained
Balaam’s doctrine in the church at Pergamos—although the very
magistrates themselves of the city of Pergamos (if Christians): and to
have suppressed Jezebel from teaching and seducing in the church, had
she been lady, queen, or empress, if there were no more but teaching
without hostility. And if so, all power and authority of magistrates and
governors of Pergamos and Thyatira, and all submitting or appealing to
them in such cases, must needs fall, as none of Christ’s appointment.
[Sidenote: The Christian world hath swallowed up Christianity.]
Lastly. From this perverse wresting of what is writ to the church and
the officers thereof, as if it were written to the civil state and
officers thereof, all may see how, since the apostasy of anti-christ,
the Christian world (so called) hath swallowed up Christianity; how
the church and civil state, that is, the church and the world, are now
become one flock of Jesus Christ; Christ’s sheep, and the pastors or
shepherds of them, all one with the several unconverted, wild, or tame
beasts and cattle of the world, and the civil and earthly governors of
them: the Christian church, or kingdom of the saints, that stone cut out
of the mountain without hands, Dan. ii. 45, now made all one with the
mountain, or civil state, the Roman empire, from whence it is cut or
taken: Christ’s lilies, garden, and love, all one with the thorns, the
daughters, and wilderness of the world, out of which the spouse or church
of Christ is called; and amongst whom, in civil things, for a while here
below, she must necessarily be mingled and have converse, unless she will
go out of the world, before Christ Jesus, her Lord and husband, send for
her home into the heavens, 1 Cor. v. 10.[167]
CHAP. LVIII.
[Sidenote: The second head of reasons against such persecution, viz., the
profession of famous princes, King James, Stephen of Poland, and King of
Bohemia.]
_Peace._ Having thus, by the help of Christ, examined those scriptures,
or writings of truth, brought by the author against persecution, and
cleared them from such veils and mists, wherewith Mr. Cotton hath
endeavoured to obscure and darken their lights: I pray you, now, by the
same gracious assistance, proceed to his answer to the second head of
reasons, from the profession of famous princes against persecution for
conscience, King James, Stephen of Poland, King of Bohemia, unto whom the
answerer returneth a treble answer.[168]
“First,” saith he, “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.”
[Sidenote: Isa. xl. 6; 2 Pet. ii.]
_Truth._ This first answer consists of a repetition and enumeration
of such grounds or conclusions, as Mr. Cotton in the entrance of this
discourse laid down; and I believe that, through the help of God, in
such replies as I have made unto them, I have made it evident what weak
foundations they have in the scriptures of truth, as also that, when such
conclusions, excepting the first, as grass and the flower of the grass
shall fade, that holy word of the Lord, which the author against such
persecution produces, and I have cleared, shall stand for ever, even when
these heavens and earth are burnt.
_Peace._ His second answer is this:—“What princes profess and 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.”
CHAP. LIX.
_Truth._ Unto those excellent and famous speeches of those princes,
worthy to be written in golden letters, or rows of diamonds, upon all the
gates of all the cities and palaces in the world, the answerer, without
any particular reply, returns two things.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton’s unequal dealing with princes.]
First, that princes’ profession and practice is no rule of conscience:
unto this, as all men will subscribe, so may they also observe how the
answerer deals with princes.
One while they are the nursing fathers of the church, not only to feed,
but also to correct, and, therefore, consequently bound to judge what
is true feeding and correcting: and, consequently, all men are bound to
submit to their feeding and correcting.
Another while, when princes cross Mr. Cotton’s judgment and practice,
then it matters not what the profession or practice of princes is: for,
saith he, their profession and practice is no rule to conscience.
I ask then, unto what magistrates or princes will themselves, or any so
persuaded, submit, as unto keepers of both tables, as unto the antitypes
of the kings of Israel and Judah, and nursing fathers and mothers of the
church?
First. Will it not evidently follow, that by these tenents they ought
not to submit to any magistrates in the world in these cases, but to
magistrates just of their own conscience? and—
Secondly. That all other consciences in the world, except their own, must
be persecuted by such their magistrates?[169]
And lastly. Is not this to make magistrates but steps and stirrups, to
ascend and mount up into their rich and honourable seats and saddles; I
mean great and settled maintenances, which neither the Lord Jesus, nor
any of his first messengers, the true patterns, did ever know?
CHAP. LX.
_Truth._ In the second place, he saith, that princes out of state-policy
tolerate what suits not with Christianity, and out of state-necessity
tolerate (as David did Joab) against their wills.
To which I answer,—
[Sidenote: The answerer acknowledgeth a necessity of some toleration.]
First. That although with him, in the first, I confess that princes may
tolerate that out of state-policy which will not stand with Christianity,
yet, in the second, he must acknowledge with me, that there is a
necessity sometimes of state-toleration, as in the case of Joab, and so
his former affirmation, generally laid down (viz., that it is evil to
tolerate seducing teachers or scandalous livers), was not duly weighed in
the balance of the sanctuary, and is too light.
[Sidenote: Christ Jesus the deepest politician that ever was, and yet he
commands a toleration of anti-christians.]
Secondly. I affirm that the state-policy and state-necessity, which, for
the peace of the state and preventing of rivers of civil blood, permit
the consciences of men, will be found to agree most punctually with the
rules of the best politician that ever the world saw, the King of kings,
and Lord of lords, in comparison of whom Solomon himself had but a drop
of wisdom compared to Christ’s ocean, and was but a farthing candle
compared with the all and ever glorious Sun of righteousness.
That absolute rule of this great politician for the peace of the field
which is the world, and for the good and peace of the saints who must
have a civil being in the world, I have discoursed of in his command of
permitting the tares, that is, anti-christians, or false Christians, to
be in the field of the world, growing up together with the true wheat,
true Christians.
CHAP. LXI.
_Peace._ His third answer is this:—[170]
“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 their
arrogating the crown of martyrdom to their sufferings.”
“Constantine the Great at the request of the general council at Nice,
banished Arius, with some of his fellows, _Sozom._ lib. i. _Eccles.
Hist._ cap. 19, 20.
“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 reports in _Ep._ 166. 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 most 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 calls puritans, men of more conscience and better faith than the
papists whom he tolerated.”
[Sidenote: The princes of the world seldom take part with Christ.]
_Truth._ Unto this, I answer: First, that for mine own part I would not
use an argument from the number of princes, witnessing in profession of
practice against persecution for cause of conscience; for the truth and
faith of the Lord Jesus must not be received with respect of faces, be
they never so high, princely and glorious.
Precious pearls and jewels, and far more precious truth, are found in
muddy shells and places. The rich mines of golden truth lie hid under
barren hills, and in obscure holes and corners.
[Sidenote: Princes not persecuting are very rare.]
The most high and glorious God hath chosen the poor of the world, and
the witnesses of truth (Rev. xi.) are clothed in sackcloth, not in silk
or satin, cloth of gold or tissue: and, therefore, I acknowledge, if the
number of princes professing persecution be considered, it is rare to
find a king, prince, or governor like Christ Jesus, the King of kings,
and Prince of the princes of the earth, and who tread not in the steps of
Herod the fox, or Nero the lion, openly or secretly persecuting the name
of the Lord Jesus; such were Saul, Jeroboam, Ahab, though under a mask or
pretence of the name of the God of Israel.[171]
[Sidenote: Buchanan’s item to King James.]
To that purpose was it a noble speech of Buchanan, who, lying on his
death-bed, sent this item to King James:—“Remember my humble service to
his majesty, and tell him that Buchanan is going to a place where few
kings come.”
CHAP. LXII.
_Truth._ Secondly. I observe how inconsiderately—I hope not willingly—he
passeth by the reasons and grounds urged by those three princes for their
practices; for, as for the bare examples of kings or princes, they are
but like shining sands, or gilded rocks, giving no solace to such as make
woful shipwreck on them.
[Sidenote: King James’s sayings against persecution.]
In King James’s speech, he passeth by that golden maxim in divinity,
“that God never loves to plant his church by blood.”
Secondly. That civil obedience may be performed from the papists.
Thirdly. In his observation on Rev. xx., that true and certain note of
a false church, to wit, persecution: “The wicked are besiegers, the
faithful are besieged.”
[Sidenote: King Stephen’s, of Poland, speech against persecution.]
In King Stephen’s, of Poland, speech, he passeth by the true difference
between a civil and a spiritual government: “I am,” said Stephen, “a
civil magistrate over the bodies of men, not a spiritual over their
souls.”
Now to confound these is Babel; and Jewish it is to seek for Moses, and
bring him from his grave (which no man shall find, for God buried him)
in setting up a national state or church, in a land of Canaan, which the
great Messiah abolished at his coming.
[Sidenote: Forcing of conscience is a soul-rape. Persecution for
conscience, the lancet that letteth blood of kings and kingdoms.]
Thirdly. He passeth by, in the speech of the King of Bohemia, that
foundation in grace and nature, to wit, “That conscience ought not to
be violated or forced:” and indeed it is most true, that a soul or
spiritual rape is more abominable in God’s eye, than to force and ravish
the bodies of all the women in the world. Secondly. That most lamentably
true experience of all ages, which that king observeth, viz., “That
persecution for cause of conscience hath ever proved pernicious, being
the causes of all those wonderful innovations of, or changes in, the
principallest and mightiest kingdoms of Christendom.” He that reads the
records of truth and time with an impartial eye, shall find this to be
the lancet that hath pierced the veins of kings and kingdoms, of saints
and sinners, and filled the streams and rivers with their blood.
[Sidenote: All spiritual whores are bloody.]
Lastly. That king’s observation of his own time,[172] viz., “That
persecution for cause of conscience was practised most in England, and
such places where popery reigned:” implying, as I conceive, that such
practices commonly proceed from that great whore the church of Rome,
whose daughters are like their mother, and all of a bloody nature, as
most commonly all whores be.
CHAP. LXIII.
Now thirdly. In that the answerer observeth, “That amongst the Roman
emperors, they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate, and
Valens the Arian; whereas the good emperors, Constantine, Gratian,
Valentinian, and Theodosius, they did persecute the Arians, Donatists,”
&c:—
[Sidenote: The godly sometimes evil actors, and the ungodly good actors.]
_Answ._ It is no new thing for godly, and eminently godly men to perform
ungodly actions: nor for ungodly persons, for wicked ends, to act what in
itself is good and righteous.
[Sidenote: Polygamy, or the many wives of the fathers.]
Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, &c. (as well as Lamech, Saul, &c.)
lived in constant transgression against the institution of so holy and
so ratified a law of marriage, &c.; and this not against the light and
checks of conscience (as other sins are wont to be recorded of them), but
according to the dictate and persuasion of a resolved soul and conscience.
[Sidenote: David’s advancing of God’s worship against God’s order.]
David, out of zeal to God, with thirty thousand of Israel, and [with]
majestical solemnity, carries up the ark contrary to the order God was
pleased to appoint: the issue was both God’s and David’s great offence, 2
Sam. vi.
David in his zeal would build a house to entertain his God! What more
pious? and what more (in show) seriously consulted, when the prophet
Nathan is admitted counsellor? 2 Sam. vii.
And probable it is, that his slaughter of Uriah was not without a good
end, to wit, to prevent the dishonour of God’s name in the discovery
of his adultery with Bathsheba. Yet David was holy and precious to God
still, though like a jewel fallen into the dirt. Whereas King Ahab,
though acting his fasting and humiliation, was but Ahab still, though his
act, in itself, was a duty, and found success with God.
CHAP. LXIV.
_Peace._ I have often heard that history reports, and I have heard that
Mr. Cotton himself hath affirmed it, that Christianity fell asleep in
Constantine’s bosom, and [in] the laps and bosoms of those emperors
professing the name of Christ.
[Sidenote: Constantine and the good emperors, are confessed to have done
more hurt to the name and crown of the Lord Jesus, than the persecuting
Neros, &c. The garden of the church, and field of the world, made all one
by anti-christianism.]
_Truth._ The unknowing zeal of Constantine and other emperors, did more
hurt to Christ Jesus’s crown and kingdom, than the raging fury of the
most bloody Neros.[173] In the persecutions of the latter, Christians
were sweet and fragrant, like spice pounded and beaten in mortars. But
these good emperors, persecuting some erroneous persons, Arius, &c., and
advancing the professors of some truths of Christ—for there was no small
number of truths lost in those times—and maintaining their religion by
the material sword—I say, by this means Christianity was eclipsed, and
the professors of it fell asleep, Cant. v. 2. Babel, or confusion, was
ushered in, and by degrees the gardens of the churches of saints were
turned into the wilderness of whole nations, until the whole world became
Christian, or Christendom, Rev. xii. and xiii.