CHAP. LXXV.
Peace.To close this head of the testimony of writers, it pleaseth the answerer to produce a contrary testimony of Austin, Optatus, &c.[195]
Superstition and persecution have had many votes from God’s own people.
Truth.I readily acknowledge, as formerly I did concerning the testimony of princes, that anti-christ is too hard for Christ at votes and numbers; yea, and believe that in many points, wherein the servants of God these many hundred years have been fast asleep, superstition and persecution have had more suffrages and votes from God’s own people, than hath either been honourable to the Lord, or peaceable to their own or the souls of others: therefore, not to derogate from the precious memory of any of them, let us briefly consider what they have in this point affirmed.
To begin with Austin: “They murder,” saith he, “souls, and themselves are afflicted in body, and they put men to everlasting death, and yet they complain when themselves are put to temporal death.”[196]
Austin’s saying for persecution examined.
I answer, this rhetorical persuasion of human wisdom seems very reasonable in the eye of flesh and blood; but one scripture more prevails with faithful and obedient souls than thousands of plausible and eloquent speeches: in particular,
Soul-killing.
First, the scripture useth soul-killing in a large sense, not only for the teaching of false prophets and seducers, but even for the offensive walking of Christians: in whichrespect, 1 Cor. viii. 9, a true Christian may be guilty of destroying a soul for whom Christ died, and therefore by this rule ought to be hanged, burned, &c.
Secondly, that plausible similitude will not prove that every false teaching or false practice actually kills the soul, as the body is slain, and slain but once; for souls infected or bewitched may again recover, 1 Cor. v.; Gal. v.; 2 Tim. ii., &c.[197]
Punishments provided by Christ Jesus against soul-killers and soul-wounders.
Thirdly, for soul-killings, yea, also for soul-woundings and grievings, Christ Jesus hath appointed remedies sufficient in his church. There comes forth a two-edged sword out of his mouth (Rev. i. and Rev. ii.), able to cut down heresy, as is confessed: yea, and to kill the heretic: yea, and to punish his soul everlastingly, which no sword of steel can reach unto in any punishment comparable or imaginable. And therefore, in this case, we may say of this spiritual soul-killing by the sword of Christ’s mouth, as Paul concerning the incestuous person, 2 Cor. ii. [6,]Sufficient is this punishment, &c.
Fourthly, although no soul-killers, nor soul-grievers, may be suffered in the spiritual state, or kingdom of Christ, the church; yet he hath commanded that such should be suffered and permitted to be and live in the world, as I have proved on Matt. xiii.: otherwise thousands and millions, of souls and bodies both, must be murdered and cut off by civil combustions and bloody wars about religion.
Men dead in sin cannot be soul-killed. A national enforced religion, or a civil war for religion, the two great preventers of soul-conversion and life.
Fifthly, I argue thus: the souls of all men in the world are either naturally dead in sin, or alive in Christ. If dead in sin, no man can kill them, no more than he can kill a dead man: nor is it a false teacher, or false religion,that can so much prevent the means of spiritual life, as one of these two:—either the force of a material sword, imprisoning the souls of men in a state or national religion, ministry, or worship: or, secondly, civil wars and combustions for religion’s sake, whereby men are immediately cut off without any longer means of repentance.
Now again, for the souls that are alive in Christ, he hath graciously appointed ordinances powerfully sufficient to maintain and cherish that life—armour of proof able to defend them against men and devils.
Secondly, the soul once alive in Christ, is like Christ himself, Rev. i. 18, alive for ever, Rom. vi. 8; and cannot die a spiritual death.
Soul-killers prove, by the grace of Christ, soul-savers.
Lastly, grant a man to be a false teacher, a heretic, a Balaam, a spiritual witch, a wolf, a persecutor, breathing out blasphemies against Christ and slaughters against his followers, as Paul did, Acts ix. 1, I say, these who appear soul-killers to-day, by the grace of Christ may prove, as Paul, soul-savers to-morrow: and saith Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. iv. [16,]Thou shalt save thyself and them that hear thee: which all must necessarily be prevented, if all that comes within the sense of these soul-killers must, as guilty of blood, be corporally killed and put to death.[198]