CHAP. XCVIII.
Peace.Dear Truth, these are the poisoned daggers stabbing at my tender heart! Oh, when shall the Prince of peace appear, and reconcile the bloody sons of men! but let me now propose their seventh head: viz.,—
“In what order may the magistrate execute punishment on a church or church member that offendeth his laws?
“First. Gross and public, notorious sins, which are against the light of conscience, as heresy, &c., there the magistrate keeping him under safe ward should send the offender first to the church to heal his conscience, still provided that the church be both able and willing thereunto:by which means the magistrate shall convince such a one’s conscience that he seeketh his healing, rather than his hurt.
“The censure also against him shall proceed with more power and blessing, and none shall have cause to say that the magistrate persecutes men for their consciences, but that he justly punishes such a one for sinning rather against his conscience, Tit. iii. 10.
“Secondly, in private offences how the magistrate may proceed, see chap. xii. It is not material whether the church or magistrate take it first in hand. Only with this caution, that if the state take it first in hand, they are not to proceed to death or banishment, until the church hath taken their course with him, to bring him to repentance, provided that the church be willing and ready thereunto.
“Secondly, in such sins wherein men plead conscience, as heresy,” &c.
Truth.Here I have many just exceptions and considerations to present.
First, they propose a distinction of some sins: some are against the light of conscience, &c., and they instance in heresy.
Error is confident as well as truth.
Ans.I have before discussed this point of a heretic sinning against light of conscience. And I shall add, that however they lay this down as an infallible conclusion, that all heresy is against light of conscience, yet—to pass by the discussion of the nature of heresy, in which respect it may so be that even themselves may be found heretical, yea, and that in fundamentals—how do all idolaters after light presented, and exhortations powerfully pressed, either Turks or pagans, Jews or anti-christians, strongly even to the death hold fast, or rather are held fast by, their delusions.
God’s people as well as others will be found obstinate in fundamental errors, in which sufferings and persecution doth harden.
Yea, God’s people themselves, being deluded and captivated, are strongly confident even against some fundamentals, especially of worship: and yet not against the light, but according to the light or eye of a deceived conscience.
Now all these consciences walk on confidently and constantly, even to the suffering of death and torments; and are more strongly confirmed in their belief and conscience, because such bloody and cruel courses of persecution are used toward them.
Secondly, speaks not the scripture expressly of the Jew, Isa. vi., Matt. xiii., Acts xxviii., that God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, &c.? all which must be spoken of the very conscience, which He that hath the golden key of David can only shut and open, and all the picklocks or swords in all the smiths’ shops in the world can neither by force or fraud prevent his time.
Strong delusions.
Is it not said of anti-christians, 2 Thess. ii., that God hath sent them strong delusions? so strong and efficacious that they believe a lie, and that so confidently, and some so conscientiously, that death itself cannot part between the delusion and their conscience.
“Again, the magistrate, say they, keeping him in safe ward: that is, the heretic, the blasphemer, idolater,” &c.
Peace.I here ask all men that love even the civil peace, where the Lord Jesus hath spoken a tittle of a prison or safe ward to this purpose?
Truth.We find indeed a prison threatened by God to his irreconciled enemies, neglecting to account with him, Matt. v. 25.
We find a prison into which persecutors cast the saints. So John, so Paul, and the apostles, Matt. xiv. 10, &c.,were cast; and the great commander of, and caster into prison, is the devil, Rev. ii. 10.
Spiritual prisons.
We find a spiritual prison, indeed, a prison for spirits, 1 Pet. iii. 19, the spirits formerly rebellious against Christ Jesus, speaking by Noah unto them, now kept in safe ward against the judgment of the great day.
In excommunication, a soul obstinate in sin is delivered to Satan his jailor, and he keeps him in safe ward, until it pleaseth God to release him.
There is a prison for the devil himself a thousand years, Rev. xx. [2, 3.] And a lake of eternal fire and brimstone, into which the beast and false prophet, and all not written in the Lamb’s book, and the devil that deceived them, shall eternally be there secured and tormented.
Christ Jesus appointed no material prisons for blasphemers of him, &c.
But neither amongst these, nor in any other passage of the New Testament, do we find a prison appointed by Christ Jesus for the heretic, blasphemer, idolater, &c. being not otherwise guilty against the civil state.
The bishops’ prisons.
It is true, anti-christ, by the help of civil powers, hath his prisons to keep Christ Jesus and his members fast: such prisons may well be called the bishops’ prisons, the pope’s, the devil’s prisons. These inquisition-houses have ever been more terrible than the magistrate’s.
At first, persecuting bishops borrowed prisons of the civil magistrate, as now their successors do still in the world; but afterward they wrung the keys out of the magistrates’ hands, and hung them at their own girdles, and would have prisons of their own: as doubtless will that generation still do, if God prevent them not.