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Show whether [educing TtMbe,rsare to. he punifhed. liJefender. Is this :r.~ent and i_mplicitt JuiH!icatiOrt of· aU the injurious and·. cruel! h•ndl:it\g&by w1cked men of the Lord Jefus, and his wimeffc: s, to fay; that feducing Teachers, and· fcandalous livers are. to be p~ifhed by Authority, becanfe the Lord Jefus himfelfe,.and his, wltneff.:s h•ve fuffered under thofe names? What if the wicked Jewes, and Gentiles did·injuriouOy and blafphemoufiy put thofe Aames upon the L'?rd Jefus, and his.faithfull witnelfea , . and upon ~retenceoff~ch'tvtls put· them to death? doth it therefore juftifie. l~ch proceedtngs, t? fay, that feducing Teachers,. andiCandalous hvers are to b~ pumfhed by Anthority ? If thofe who are> indeed (e-ducing T~ach.ers,and_lcandalous.livers ought to be punithed0will it tberefere juillfie the hke proceedings.againft them<who are nofuch perfqn~,but fa_lOy !o calle? ?_if a man fho.uld fay, a murderer is to, fie pumfhed wah death, will Jt therefore•)uftifiethe I flanders of Mer., a,W put Paul· to death,becaufe amongfl: them· he wa.s·fo reputed,, dbulitle!fe a mur~er~r ? .AC112 8~4:yea let ~he Difcujfrr fcriouOy con• fider;\\fhether thts·kmd of reafomng of h1s, doc not mcire chen fi, lently and~mplicitely cefl:ifie,that the Lord Jefus and his wicnelfe~, were (educ~ngTeach.er.s and fcandalous.livers. (; H A p .• 5). A 'R,!p/y to hit Chap. 5 7• L Difcuffer• . Re S':ipture alleaged•by the .An[were1, to·provt that it· would b1 art evlll,t~ toler a!.' no~orioTM.evi/1 dom, wbeth<1 foduting Teachers, •r~antJalo.m hve1s, u wrzttelf, Rev•2:ol 4· 20. TYbere Ghrijl bath fonu, thz;rg agamJf·tb!·ChurchofPergamus,for toleratiwg them that holdthl J:?oClrme of Balaam -: illld ·agJinjlthe Chu"b of Thyacira, for toler~' tlpg.Jtz,bel, to leach andfeduce.. , , V~uo R>hicb I IJf~Y anfwer. with fom• admiration ·and aftonifhmtol) ho~ 't pleafid the F~ther of hghts,and mojl Jea1om God, to dark!_n and vatle t!~ eyes of foeb-a man? asnot to fo•k< out, and propofe fome Scriptures ('"the ~roofeoffo wttghf:!· ~n affirtion )as atleajl might bll1)e(~ colour for I be tnJI'!enct of the ctvtlt Magijlrate in fuch cajis. For tlnfo Te;cls concern< nett her the City, nor the civil/ Magiftrates.o[Pergamus, "'ld ThyacyraJ but 1beCh11rches~ and E/deriJ &c· Perfecutim for 'l{jghteoufneJlefake ttlllilwfuU. Defender. lc was rio· part of my meaning, to alledge chafe Scriptures, co· prove it unlawfull forMagiftratea to tolerate [educing Teachers, but unlawfull for Churches. Jf the Difcuffir fay cherent.eded nopr~ofe of tliat, that wasnur of,Qgeftion. I may era! y cell him, that was more then I knew. For the Letter · which he increated me toAnfwer) fo !laced the Qtlefl:ion , aain · generall to argue againll: perfecution forcaufe ofConfcience. And if the Qgefl:ion be puc in fuch generall Termes, I knew the·Church · mighcas-well·becoruplained Qf for perfecution for caufe of Confcience, as the civill Migiftrate. For if perfecution be taken properly for affiiaion or oppreffion for righteoufne!fe lake f knew it· was out of Q!!efl:ion, all perfecution \~asunlawfull, ll{hether by· the Church, or the Magiftrate: an un)uft excommunication is as true petfec~tion, as an unjufl: Banifhment. Bur if perfecucion be taken more largefy, andloofely, (as icis by the Author oftheLctter, and by the Difcu.ff;r,for any affliaion, or perfecucion for caufe' ofConfcience( whether good Confdence, ore viii, whether rightly: informed,or erroneous )If that be the intent of the Letter( as it fee-' medto me)co beare wimeff.: againfl: that, then any tefiimony of Scripture, that jultifieth a lawfull cenfure of falli: amhrroneous Ttachen,doth evince the fcope of the Letter to b,erroneous,whici:t' is againfl: all perfecution fo_~:.caufe ofConfcience. Let therefore the' Difcuffiradmireat hiscwne admiration, and be afl:onifhed ·at his owne aftonifhment, that wondereth to fee an univerfallnegative · ar-I(IICd againfl: by-a particular affirmative. 'Fhe Letter denyeth the lawfulne!fe of all peTfecution in cauf.!'of Confcience, that is, in matter ofReligion: 1 feek to evince thdolChoodofir, by an inftance..of lawful! Church-profecmioo in cale offalfe Teachm. Difcu!fei·. But-if the• Cb,.nhu and A~gelr thereof bJd (ujjicient.powzr ~~ fi•P· P"ffe·Balaam, and Jczibel,then altpower of 01-ta;;i.flrateJ aTld G.,ver- 111/Urs in Pergamus and Thyatira (though they bJd been Chrijlian) , mujl needs fail to the ground, as none ·of Chrifts appointment, Defender, . The power of the Churches and Angels,of Pe1gamTM ,and '!"by a• !Jr•, were fufficicnt for thoCe.ends ., for whi•h Chrill: ordainedGhurcll- |
