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Show Defender. There is no Error, that can be a matter of divine nature,though it may be fpirituall ; no fuch Points as arc of a divine nature, fall within the compalfe of this difputc of perl.tcution. The many ca· fes , wh;ch the Pifcuffer before wrote o( areallofthemallowed, but none oft hem concern( holding forth ofErrors, which is the Point in hand. Yet true it is, that if a man hold forth Truth in fome boiflerous and arroj!antway, not with the Armour of the Spirit,but with the Arme of flelh, He may in fodoing diflurbe theCivill Pcace,and for fuch diflurbance be juflly punilhed,according to the quaJity of the diflurbance raifed by him. It is ealily graunted what the Di{cuffer further avoucheth, that they doe break, the CitieJ or Kingdomu Peace , who cry out for Prifont, and Swordt, againfl fucb who croife their Judgementt, or Pra{}i[e in Religion : to wit unlelfe their Religion be of God, and the croffing ofit be fuch as dellroyeth and fubverteth the Religion of God. But when he faith, foch onely hre•k..e the Citiu or Kingdomu Peace, at call for Prifom and Sword! againfiHeretic~. It is too vall: an Hyperbole ; as if Murderers Seditious Perfons , Rebells, T raytors were none of them fuch , as did breake the Cities or Kingdomes :(>eace at all : but they onely who are too lharpe againll corrup• tions in Religion. It is alfo further eafiely graunted, which he alledgeth , that many com plaine moll:, who are moll: in fault themfelves,as Jofiphs Mill:reffe of him. The Lord helpe the Di[cujfer to reflea upon his own way. CHAp. 18, tA Reply to his eighteenth ChJpter, examining the ftrft .Argument for Tolerll.tionfrom Milt, 13• 30, 38. Difculfer. Firjl, Mat. 13. 30, 38. Chrijl CommauiZdtth to kt alone tbe T'aret, to grow up togetber <¥lith the wheat, until/the Harvefl. Vnto which be Anfweretb, '[/;at 'fhat 'f"m are 110t Eryars and Thornes,but partly H;pocrites /if<!. unto the Godly, bw indeedcarnall(a< the'farer "" liketo the rvbeat, but are not wheat) or partly fuch corrupt DuEfrineJ and Praf1ijis , at are indezd Hnjound, butyet fuch auome very neere the Trmh(a<TareuJoe to the wheat)andfoneere that goodmen maybe takt_n witb them,and fo the Perfont in wbnm they grow, ca~not be roottd olll, but good wheat will be rooted out with tbem. l11jitch a cafe, Chrijl cal!eth for Peaceable To"ration, notforpll!nalllirofecution according to tbe third Conclufion. But a/at here it no evidence or demonflration of tbe Spirit, nor argument from the place it felfe, or from the Scripmret of'irutb, to prliVe foth an Interpretation. Defender. Anf. TheLetter(cowhich the Anfwer was given) gave no rea· fan of his expofition :and who ever required more reafon of an A.nfwer~r, then of a Replyer? , 2. The Expofition I gave wasconfi!lentwith that which the Letter gave. [Tares and wheat, faith he, fome underll:and· to b~ thofe ,~bat walke in the Truth, and thofe that walkcin !yes] now when I fay,the tares are Hypocrites,and lome kind of corrupt DoB: rines and Pratl:ifes, and fucb as walke in them, arc not thefe coincident with fuch as walke in !yes? what need had I to give a reafan of the expofition, which he himfelfe(to whom the Anfwer was written) acknowledgeth? DifcuiTer. BHt thofe tbree Per{om, Do[frinp~ and PraUifn, are at a threefold cord, and fa a thrcifold flro1Jgjitare to catch t be feet of fomeor other. Pifender. . What hurt doe they get by being caught? Hypocrites,and corrupt Dotl:rines, and Pratl:ifes, if they be found likeunro good Chrill:ians, or found trmhcs, what hun doe they catch, when I fay fi1ch are to.bc colerared to the, end of the world ? But to pre· vrnt his feare of a threefold cord, I lhall ealily aqknowledge that which I meant,that by T arcs are meant fuch kinde ot evH! perfons, as are like unto the good, whether 1hey be Hipocrites, men of unfound heartes,or men of unfound Dotl:rineP,and Praltifesyct fuch as come neere the Truth •. |
