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Show yet it will not mak~ it an admirable Point, that Chrift as Chrift is not to be perfecuted. For though they doe not profeffe to per· fcciue -Chrifi as,Chrift·: yet they doe if. And it is no admirable matter for all fobcr men to admire ~t, to tell men that perfecute ·the Lord Jefus, That it is not lawfull for them fo to doe: Did not Chrif! himfelfe (the wifedome of the Father) tell Sa,.t as much? eAlJs 9· S· ' 3· It is as cleare, (to ufc his phrafe) as the Sunne beames, both 'in ·Scripture and other hif!ories, aHd frequent <Xpcrience, That Tyrants and Apoflates have often perfecuted Jefus as Jelm, Chrifl as Chrifl. The Scribes and Ph~rifees they knew that Chrifi was the ~onne of God, the Lord , apd Heire of the Church: And therefore they faid amon!! themfelves, This is tbe Heire, come let us /;j/1 him, Matth. 21 .38. Nor could tney be laid, in perfecuting Chrill, to have finned againfi the Holy Ghoft: if they had noc beenc enlightened to know him who be was, and yet lcaven<Jd with fuch malice, a~ to perfecure him, as they did. Hillories tell us, that Julian the Apoflate pedecuted Jcfus as .Jelus, and Chrift as Chrill, yea and profeffid fo to dve. And experience telleth, 'fhat if a Chrillian (hall in Tur~y fi:eke to gaine Tur~s from the (ervice of Mahomet, to the F.aith of Jefus: they will perlecute fuch. a Chrillian to death, and in hitp Jelus, asJefus. 4· Let Tyrants and Perfecuroun profeifewhattheywill, that they doe not perfecute Jefus as Jefu., but under Come other pretertce : yet that'varieth not the Truth, nor impeacheth the wifedome of this Pofition, That it is nor l~:wfull to perfecute any for Confcience rightly infon.ned, or to perli:cute any for profeffing the Truth of Chrill:. Difcuffir. One thing I feeappare1ltlyin the Lord! overrHling of the pen of tbM Anfwerer, viz. a fecret rvhifptring from Heuven to him, That yet he bath n<11er kfi. tb• Tenll offuch who thin~ tbe1 doe Godgond fervice irz kjlling tbe Lord Jefw in hi< fervanll,a71ld J't fay if we had been in the da.Jel of our 'i"atbers in fiLueen Maryes da.Jes,rve !"oula never have confented to fuch P trfi<Htion &c. • · ,' ' DefcndeF. . Verily thia is a ftrange fight indeed,( and which all fober minds maY OJ Perfecution for Conftience rightly informed. may well wonder at) to fee apparent I], That he who layeth downe thu for a Pojition,'Ibat itis not lawfol! to P;erficute,any for Confoimce right{? informed, hath had a {icret whifi>erzng from Heaven, that himfe/fe never yet left the Tents of P erfi cutors. Surely it mull needs be a ftrangeand ll rongfight,even the fight of fuch as make themfelves <qual! with God; that can fee a ma11 hath not lefe the Tents of Perfecutor~, (that is, the Communion with Perfecutors) when he openly profelfeth .it, to be utterly unlawful! co Perfecute ~ny for the Truths fake. It is true, God may fee that in a mans heart which is contraryto!~e Profe~ion of his mouth and Pen. AndfomaythisDiforljferfeeasmuch, ifhe be eguall with God. But yet herein I dare be bold to fay, heex>lteth himfelfe, not onely equall with God, but above God, to fee' one contradiltory in another, which God himfelfe cannot fee. [c is comradiltory to Perfecution, to beleiveit uhlawfull to perfecute· any for the Truths fake.He then that cah fee, yea & fee apparently', &that out of the Faith &Profeffion of this truth,rhat it is unlawfrJ! ·Ito perfecme any for the T ruih, he that can fee (I fay )fellowOnp with perfecution in the faith, or Profeffion of ~he unlawfulnes ofPerfecntion,verily he can fee darknelli: in light',evill in g'crocl) F •lfhood in Truth, which God himfelfe (Such is the perfeltioH of his T.ruth) cannot doe. DijiujJer. . · , • ' : Let me t.lfo add a fecond, So farre as the Anf~t~e: (by Pteach-· iHg fdr.:P\:r!i:tutlon ):hath b'een a gtlide to others ii'i ijrf~cui!llr~ any of the Servants ofOhfifi witneffil\g to his Truth, fo farre his own mouth and harrds !hall judge(I hope not his perfon, but) his atl:ions, that the Lord Jelus hath fufferedby him. 'b ~· ~ J' .• • t~: ,-\ ~.~ .,,t ~, J.ltfin:Ja'\ ':-·o\ . .. ·u· • ..... ,• • , ,I£ any Ooltrine Pr~ached by m'e !i:lve Gtlideit any ro perfec?t'e. any of the S:Hant~'OfChri!l forwitneffing [o any T nuh ofChrtfi·, llhen I confefl'ei mu"fHay my ha'nrf up~n my mouth, and acknO\'V" ledge, that the Ldtd Jefus.hath fuffered by me. Bm if the Vif, ffer Nn neve< beabletoproduceanyfuch·Dmlhinebroacbed by Ill«·· &hat hath guided at\y w perfe<lute any df Gods.S.rvarlrs ~r ' wit~ netTing to any Truth of his, (as>I ttull in the grace of Ghhll, h1> !hall never be able) then thoDifcuJJermayknow (and the Lord E help |