CHAP. CXXXVIII.
Peace.Dear Truth, thou conquerest, and shalt triumph in season, but some will say, how answer you those scriptures alleged?
Those scriptures, Exod. xviii., Deut. xvii. and xviii., &c., paralleled in the true spiritual Israel, by 1 Tim. iii., and Tit. i.
Truth.I have fully and at large declared the vast differences between that holy nation of typical Israel and all other lands and countries, how unmatchable then and now, and never to be paralleled, but by the true Israel and particular churches of Christ residing in all parts, and under the several civil governments of the world. In which churches, the Israel of God and kingdom of Christ Jesus, such only are to be chosen spiritual officers and governors, to manage his kingly power and authority in the church, as are, according to the scriptures quoted, not pope, bishops, or civil powers, but from amongst themselves, brethren, fearing God, hating covetousness or filthy lucre, according to those golden rules given by the Lord Jesus, 1 Tim. iii., and Tit. i.
The want of discerning this true parallel between Israel in the type then, and Israel the antitype now, is that rock whereon, through the Lord’s righteous jealousy, punishing the world and chastising his people, thousands dash, and make woful shipwreck.
The second branch, viz., that all freemen elected be only church members, I have before shown to be built onthat sandy and dangerous ground of Israel’s pattern. Oh! that it may please the Father of lights to discover this to all that fear his name! Then would they not sin to save a kingdom, nor run into the lamentable breach of civil peace and order in the world, nor be guilty of forcing thousands to hypocrisy in a state-worship, nor of profaning the holy name of God and Christ by putting their names and ordinances upon unclean and unholy persons, nor of shedding the blood of such heretics, &c., whom Christ would have enjoy longer patience and permission until the harvest, nor of the blood of the Lord Jesus himself in his faithful witnesses of truth, nor lastly, of the blood of so many hundred thousands slaughtered men, women, and children, by such uncivil and unchristian wars and combustions about the Christian faith and religion.
Peace.Dear Truth, before we part, I ask your faithful help once more, to two or three scriptures which many allege, and yet we have not spoken of.
Truth.Speak on. Here is some sand left in this our hour-glass of merciful opportunity. One grain of time’s inestimable sand is worth a golden mountain; let us not lose it.
The Ninevites’ fast examined.
Peace.The first is that of the Ninevites’ fast, commanded by the king of Nineveh and his nobles upon the preaching of Jonah: succeeded by God’s merciful answer in sparing of the city; and quoted with honourable approbation by the Lord Jesus Christ, Jonah iii., and Matt. xii. 41.
Truth.I have before proved, that even Jehoshaphat’s fast, he being king of the national church and people of Israel, could not possibly be a type or warrant for every king or magistrate in the world, whose nations, countries, or cities cannot be churches of God now in the gospel, according to Christ Jesus.
Much less can this pattern of the king of Nineveh andhis nobles, be a ground for kings and magistrates now to force all their subjects under them in the matters of worship.
Peace.It will be said, why did God thus answer them?
Truth.God’s mercy in hearing doth not prove an action right and according to rule.
It pleased God to hear the Israelites cry for flesh, and afterward for a king, giving both in anger to them.
It pleased God to hear Ahab’s prayer, yea, and the prayer of the devils, Luke viii. [32,] although their persons and prayers in themselves abominable.
Object.
If it be said, why did Christ approve this example?
Answer.
I answer, the Lord Jesus Christ did not approve the king of Nineveh’s compelling all to worship, but the men of Nineveh’s repentance at the preaching of Jonah.
Peace.It will be said, what shall kings and magistrates now do in the plagues of sword, famine, pestilence?
Truth.Kings and magistrates must be considered, as formerly, invested with no more power than the people betrust them with.
But no people can betrust them with any spiritual power in matters of worship; but with a civil power belonging to their goods and bodies.
2. Kings and magistrates must be considered as either godly or ungodly.
If ungodly, his own and people’s duty is repentance, and reconciling of their persons unto God, before their sacrifice can be accepted. Without repentance what have any to do with the covenant or promise of God? Psalm l. 16.
Again, if godly, they are to humble themselves, and beg mercies for themselves and people.
Secondly. Upon this advantage and occasion, they are to stir up their people, as possibly they may, to repentance;but not to force the consciences of people to worship.
Object.
If it be said, what must be attended to in this example?
Answer.
Two things are most eminent in this example.
First. The great work of repentance, which God calls all men unto, upon the true preaching of his word.
How England and London may yet be spared.
Secondly. The nature of that true repentance, whether legal or evangelical. The people of Nineveh turned from the violence that was in their hands: and confident I am, if this nation shall turn, though but with a legal repentance, from that violent persecuting or hunting each of other for religion’s sake,—the greatest violence and hunting in the wilderness of the whole world—even as Sodom and Gomorrah upon a legal repentance had continued until Christ’s day: so consequently might England, London, &c., continue free from a general destruction, upon such a turning from their violence, until the heavens and the whole world be with fire consumed.
Peace.The second scripture is that speech of the Lord Christ, Luke xxii. 36,He that hath not a sword, let him sell his coat and buy one.
Luke xxii., the selling of the coat to buy a sword, discussed.
Truth.For the clearing of this scripture, I must propose and reconcile that seeming contrary command of the Lord Jesus to Peter, Matt. xxvi. [52,]Put up thy sword into its place, for all that take the sword shall perish by it.
In the former scripture, Luke xxii. 36, it pleased the Lord Jesus, speaking of his present trouble, to compare his former sending forth of his disciples without scrip, &c., with that present condition and trial coming upon them, wherein they should provide both scrip and sword, &c.
Yet now, first, when they tell him of two swords, he answers,It is enough: which shows his former meaning was not literal, but figurative, foreshowing his present danger above his former.
Secondly, in the same sense at the same time, Matt. xxvi. 52, commanding Peter to put up his sword, he gives a threefold reason thereof.
1. (ver. 52,) From the event of it:for all that take the sword shall perish by it.
2. The needlessness of it: for with a word to his Father, he could have twelve legions of angels.
3. The counsel of God to be fulfilled in the scripture: thus it ought to be.
Peace.It is much questioned by some, what should be the meaning of Christ Jesus in that speech,All that take the sword shall perish by the sword.
A threefold taking of the sword.
Truth.There is a threefold taking of the sword: first, by murderous cruelty, either of private persons; or secondly, public states or societies, in wrath or revenge each against other.
Secondly, a just and righteous taking of the sword in punishing offenders against the civil peace, either more personal, private, and ordinary; or more public, oppressors, tyrants, ships, navies, &c. Neither of these can it be imagined that Christ Jesus intended to Peter.
Thirdly, there is therefore a third taking of the sword, forbidden to Peter, that is, for Christ and the gospel’s cause when Christ is in danger: which made Peter strike, &c.
Peace.It seems to some most contrary to all true reason, that Christ Jesus, innocency itself, should not be defended.
Truth.The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man.
It is not the purpose of God, that the spiritual battles of his Son shall be fought by carnal weapons and persons.
It is not his pleasure that the world shall flame on fire with civil combustions for his Son’s sake. It isdirectly contrary to the nature of Christ Jesus, his saints and truths, that throats of men, which is the highest contrariety to civil converse, should be torn out for his sake who most delighted to converse with the greatest sinners.
It is the counsel of God, that his servants shall overcome by three weapons of a spiritual nature, Rev. xii. 11; and that all that take the sword of steel shall perish.
Lastly, it is the counsel of God, that Christ Jesus shall shortly appear a most glorious judge and revenger against all his enemies, when the heavens and the earth shall flee before his most glorious presence.
Rev. xvii. 16, the kings’ hating of the whore, discussed.
Peace.I shall propose the last scripture much insisted on by many for carnal weapons in spiritual cases, Rev. xvii. 16,The ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with fire.
Truth.Not to controvert with some, whether or no the beast be yet risen and extant:—
Nor secondly, whether either the beast, or the horns, or the whore, may be taken literally for any corporal beast or whore:—
Or thirdly, whether these ten horns be punctually and exactly ten kings:—
Or fourthly, whether those ten horns signify those many kings, kingdoms, and governments, who have bowed down to the pope’s yoke, and have committed fornication with that great whore the church of Rome:—
Let this last be admitted, (which yet will cost some work to clear against all opposites): yet,—
First, can the time be now clearly demonstrated to be come? &c.
Secondly, how will it be proved, that this hatred of thiswhore, shall be a true, chaste, Christian hatred against anti-christian, whorish practices? &c.
Thirdly, or rather that this hating, and desolating, and making naked, and burning shall arise, not by way of an ordinance warranted by the institution of Christ Jesus, but by way of providence, when, as it useth to be with all whores and their lovers, the church of Rome and her great lovers shall fall out, and by the righteous vengeance of God upon her, drunk with the blood of saints or holy ones, these mighty fornicators shall turn their love into hatred, which hatred shall make her a poor, desolate, naked whore, torn and consumed, &c.
Peace.You know it is a great controversy, how the kings of the earth shall thus deal with the whore in the seventeenth chapter, and yet so bewail her in the eighteenth chapter.
Truth.If we take it that these kings of the earth shall first hate, and plunder, and tear, and burn this whore, and yet afterward shall relent and bewail their cruel dealing toward her: or else, that as some kings deal so terribly with her, yet others of those kings shall bewail her:—
If either of these two answers stand, or a better be given, yet none of them can prove it lawful for people to give power to their kings and magistrates thus to deal with them, their subjects, for their conscience; nor for magistrates to assume a tittle more than the people betrust them with; nor for one people out of conscience to God, and for Christ’s sake, thus to kill and slaughter and burn each other. However, it may please the righteous judge, according to the famous types of Gideon’s and Jehoshaphat’s battles, to permit in justice, and to order in wisdom, these mighty and mutual slaughters each of other.
Peace.We have now, dear Truth, through the gracious hand of God, clambered up to the top of this our tedious discourse.
Truth.Oh! it is mercy inexpressible that either thou or I have had so long a breathing time, and that together!
Peace.If English ground must yet be drunk with English blood, oh! where shall Peace repose her wearied head and heavy heart?
Truth.Dear Peace, if thou find welcome, and the God of peace miraculously please to quench these all-devouring flames, yet where shall Truth find rest from cruel persecutions?
Peace.Oh! will not the authority of holy scriptures, the commands and declarations of the Son of God, therein produced by thee, together with all the lamentable experiences of former and present slaughters, prevail with the sons of men, especially with the sons of peace, to depart from the dens of lions, and mountains of leopards, and to put on the bowels, if not of Christianity, yet of humanity each to other?
Truth.Dear Peace, Habakkuk’s fishes keep their constant bloody game of persecutions in the world’s mighty ocean; the greater taking, plundering, swallowing up the lesser. Oh! happy he whose portion is the God of Jacob! who hath nothing to lose under the sun; but hath a state, a house, an inheritance, a name, a crown, a life, past all the plunderers’, ravishers’, murderers’ reach and fury!
Peace.But lo! Who’s there?
Truth.Our sisterPatience, whose desired company is as needful as delightful. It is like the wolf will send the scattered sheep in one: the common pirate gather up the loose and scattered navy: the slaughter of the witnessesby that bloody beast unite the independents and presbyterians.
The God of peace, the God of truth, will shortly seal this truth, and confirm this witness, and make it evident to the whole world,—
That the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience, is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, the Prince of peace. Amen.
FINIS.
MR. COTTON’S LETTER,LATELY PRINTED,EXAMINED AND ANSWERED.
BYROGER WILLIAMS,OF PROVIDENCE, IN NEW ENGLAND.
LONDON:IMPRINTED IN THE YEAR 1644.