OCR Text |
Show ~ · •• , • fl.., ,..l r". ~ • - • Luke 9·S4, H· this R.eeroofe as to fuch, But it is fa.rre from~·- to _fay, that it is-1 <\}~foll fo r civill NJ.gillrates toinfhlhorporall pum!hment u~; 011 "i"nen contrary minded, llanding in t!H. fame flate the Saman-· tans d1d.No fuch thought aryfe in my he~u,nor fel!_f~om my ~en, either in my Anfwer to the Letter, or m any wrmng of m~~' that it is lawfull fer~ Civil! M~giflrate (though he haa.domtnion over Pagans, much lelfe ifhe have n?ne l ~o i11£litl: corpora~[ puni!hmcnu l)pon fuch as arc contrary mmdea.m _mat~ers of R.ehgion. No, thefe are ravellinfiS ~f ~ loofe and ungtrt dtfputer, not the Inferences of a ferious and lohd DifcuJ!er. And therefore the Reaf.ms whi~h be bringetb in the Sequele of this chapter, that the Magi llrates !bduld not lay violent bands ueon any. ( luch as the Samaritanes)for not receiving of the Lord Jefus, mtgbt well have been (pared : for they fight not ag~inll me , but agalnft a !hadow of hiwwne f•ncy. . , But when hl:maketh the Fire that fell downe from Heaven, Rev. 13:. I 3, to be the fiery Judgement 1 and perfecutio~s,whic? the fico"~ ,Beaft per[waded !hf civi/1 P o!"'m , to deftroy the Sa•nts w!tha/1, ar if they ""ire G,d, ;u]! Judgfmmts from Heaven upon Heretocb,s_. . Thisis"fuch an Interpretation, as ravelleth the Text, and wtll not,l\and with the Contixt. For tbeT~xt fpeaketho(ir, asa ~real wonder, that the Beall !hould make Fire t• c~t downe from B(!.ven uppn Earth in the fight of men,ver.l3· But this was no~on· der to caufe civill Powers to infliCt fiery J udgcments of lmpnfonment, Bani!hment, Death upon Hereticks; for Conftantine bad done as much betore. 1\nd the Arrian Bi!hrps had caufed ConftantiW' to doe as muc~ againfhheOrtbodox ~hhm. Be fides in the Context, ver. 15· Iw rxprelfely there declared as a di~na matter from the former, that he bad Pow<rto caufe that amJnya woulduot worjhip the Image of the Beaft, fhould he bJOed. This is a different cffeS: (and recorded ., different) from the former of caufing fire to come downe from !Ht;~vel], and tbat, ROJ upon the Saints, bm upon Earth. CHAP· 38. A 'l{Jply to his Chap. 38. Difcujfing the· place in Timothy. 2 Tim. 2. 25,26. Difculfer; I Acli!}owledge, thu Injlruaion,tobe mee~ and patient to all men, &c. i1 properly an Injlruf1ion to the Minijlers of the Gojpel. .Defimkr. Then hitherto the Anfwer is not perplexed and ravelled. Difculfer. Tet divers Argumeats will from hence b~ truly and fairely col/efJed, tomanifejl andevint:e, how farre the civill Magijlrate·ought to be,from d•dling with the civil/ Sword in jpiritua/1 cafe<, . But ftrjl by the w~y, I tkjire to as~, what the Anfwmr meanetft by 'hi<• unconverted Chriftian in Creete ? lln unconverted Chrij!ian, is ar rflllch dJ anflnconvertedConvert, untamed tamed, unho!J holy, Chrifti· ans AntichrijliaJu. How fad 'ail evidence u thi<, that the /pule of the Anfwerer, hath nt• ~er yet heard the call of th' Lord Jefm to com, out from tbofe uncentJerted Churches , from that unconvtrted Anticbrijlian· ChriftiaJ> wotld l &c. . Defender. Reply. 1. When we come to thofe Arguments truly, alld fairly colletl:ed out of this placcof7imothy (which is not till the ntl!t chapter) we !hall, (God willing) confider what Truch and fairnetfe they hold forth : which if it be fcund, wee !hall c.onfider, whether they be afforce again{\ the Truth witneifed by me. In the meJne time, for Anfwer to his demand, wh>t I fho11ld mc.me, by the unconverted ChrijliJu in Creete i AHfw. I mull take it upon his credit, that I fpake 2t all uf any unconverted Chriflian in Cmtt. Mine owne copy is not extant with me. And the Tranfcript,which with much leeking, I found, hath ic, inflead of unconverted Chrillians in Crwe, unconverted perfons in Ephefm. As indeed Timothy was left at Eohe[IHj when Paul wrote to him hisfirfl Epiflle, as isevident, I Til'li, I, 3. -and 1itm it was, whowasleftat Crem, Tit. I. 5• ButwhetherTima-thy |