Constraint upon con subjects' consciences are convinced, then he may constrain them vi et armis, hostilely. And accordingly, the civil state and magistracy judging sciences in in spiritual things, who knows not what constraint lies Old and New Eng land. upon all consciences, in old and New England, to come to church, and pay church duties, which is upon the pointthough with a sword of a finer gilt and trim in New England nothing else but that which he confesseth Hilary saith true should not be done, to wit, a propagation of religion by the sword. 8 Again, although he confesseth that propagation of religion ought not to be by the sword, yet he maintaineth the use of the sword, when persons, in the judgment of the civil state, for that is implied, blaspheme the true God, and the true religion, and also seduce others to damnable 7 [By the 35th of Elizabeth, all subjects of the realm above sixteen years of age, were compelled to attend church under the penalties of fine and imprisonment. Collier's Eccles. Hist. vii. 163. The pilgrim fathers of New England adopted a similar obnoxious and persecuting law. In the year 1631, it was enacted by their general court, "that no one should enjoy the privileges of a freeman, unless he was a member of some church in the colony." Every inhabitant was compelled to contribute to the support of religion, and the magistrates insisted on the presence of every man at public worship." Knowles's Memoir of Roger Williams, p. 44. Bancroft's Hist. of U. States, i. 369.] 66 8 ["I know of no constraint at all that lieth upon the consciences of any in New England, to come to church. . . . Least of all do I know that any are constrained to pay church duties in New England. Sure I am, none in our own town are constrained to pay any church duties at all. What they pay they give voluntarily, each one with his own hand, without any constraint at all, but their own will, as the Lord directs them." Cotton's Reply, p. 146. Mr. Williams thus rejoins, "If Mr. Cotton be forgetful, sure he can hardly be ignorant of the laws and penalties extant in New England that are, or if repealed have been, against such as absent themselves from church morning and evening, and for non-payment of church duties, although no members. For a freedom of not paying in his town (Boston) it is to their commendation and God's praise. Yet who can be ignorant of the assessments upon all in other towns, of the many suits and sentences in courts." &c. Bloody Tenent yet more Bloody, p. 216.] heresy and idolatry. Which, because he barely affirmeth in this place, I shall defer my answer unto the after reasons of Mr. Cotton and the elders of New English churches; where scriptures are alleged, and in that place, by God's assistance, they shall be examined and answered. CHAP. LXX. Peace. The answerer thus proceeds :9 "Your next Tertullian's speech writer is Tertullian, who speaketh to the same purpose in discussed. the place alleged by you. His intent is only to restrain Scapula, the Roman governor of Africa, from persecuting the Christians, for not offering sacrifice to their gods: and for that end, fetched an argument from the law of natural equity, not to compel any to any religion, but permit them to believe [willingly], or not to believe at all. Which we acknowledge; and accordingly we judge, the English may permit the Indians to continue in their unbelief. Nevertheless, it will not therefore be lawful [openly] to tolerate the worship of devils or idols, to the seduction of any from the truth." Truth. Answ. In this passage he agreeth with Tertullian, and gives instance in America of the English permitting the Indians to continue in their unbelief: yet withal he affirmeth it not lawful to tolerate worshipping of devils, or seduction from the truth. of New permitted I answer, that in New England it is well known that The Indians they not only permit the Indians to continue in their England unbelief, which neither they nor all the ministers Christ on earth, nor angels in heaven, can help, not being in their [See before, p. 26.] of by the Eng lish not only to continue unbelief (which they able to work belief: but they also permit or tolerate them cannot cure in their paganish worship, which cannot be denied to be a worshipping of devils, as all false worship is.1 but also in their false worship which they might by the civil sword restrain. And therefore, consequently, according to the same practice, did they walk by rule and impartially, not only the Indians, but their countrymen, French, Dutch, Spanish, Persians, Turks, Jews, &c., should also be permitted in their worships, if correspondent in civil obedience. 6 Peace. He adds further, "When Tertullian saith, That another man's religion neither hurteth nor profiteth any;' it must be understood of private worship and religion professed in private: otherwise a false religion professed by the members of the church, or by such as have given their names to Christ, will be the ruin and desolation of the church, as appeareth by the threats of Christ to the churches, Rev. ii." Truth. I answer: passing by that unsound distinction of members of the church, or those that have given their names to Christ, which in point of visible profession and worship will appear to be all one, it is plain— First. That Tertullian doth not there speak of private, but of public worship and religion. Secondly. Although it be true in a church of Christ, that a false religion or worship permitted, will hurt, according to those threats of Christ, Rev. ii., yet in two 1 ["It is not true that the New English do tolerate the Indians, who have submitted to the English protection and government, in their worship of devils openly. . . . It hath been an article of the covenant between such Indians as have submitted to our government, that they shall submit to the ten commandments." Cotton's Reply, p. 148. On the contrary Mr. Williams re-asserts, that certain tribes of the Indians "who profess to submit to the English, continue in the public paganish worship of devils-I say openly, and constantly," and that their practices are in utter opposition to the ten commandments they had professed to receive. Bloody Tenet, &c. p. 218.] cases I believe a false religion will not hurt,-which is In two cases most like to have been Tertullian's meaning. a false reli- First. A false religion out of the church will not hurt or the state the church, no more than weeds in the wilderness hurt the enclosed garden, or poison hurt the body when it is not touched or taken, yea, and antidotes are received against it. Secondly. A false religion and worship will not hurt the civil state, in case the worshippers break no civil law: and the answerer elsewhere acknowledgeth, that the civil laws not being broken, civil peace is not broken: and this only is the point in question.2 CHAP. LXXI. ing or in others, Peace. "Your next author," saith he,3 "Jerome, crosseth The seducnot the truth, nor advantageth your cause; for we grant fecting o what he saith, that heresy must be cut off with the sword discussed. of the Spirit: but this hinders not, but that being so cut down, if the heretic will persist in his heresy to the seduction of others, he may be cut off also by the civil sword, to prevent the perdition of others. And that to be Jerome's meaning, appeareth by his note upon that of the apostle, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Therefore," saith he, "a spark as soon as it appeareth, is to be ex 2 [But "that is a civil law whatsoever concerneth the good of the city, and the propulsing of the contrary. Now religion is the best good of the city and, therefore, laws about religion are truly called civil laws, enacted by civil authority, about the best good of the city. . . . Here will be needful the faithful vigilancy of the Christian magistrate, to assist the 3 [See before, p. 27. Also, Tracts on Lib. of Conscience, p. 220.] The answerer trusteth not to the Spirit only, causes. tinguished, and the leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough; rotten pieces of flesh are to be cut off, and a scabbed beast is to be driven from the sheepfold; lest the whole house, body, mass of dough, and flock, be set on fire with the spark, be putrefied with the rotten flesh, soured with the leaven, perish by the scabbed beast." Truth. I answer, first, he granteth to Jerome, that sword of the heresy must be cut off with the sword of the Spirit; yet, in spiritual withal, he maintaineth a cutting off by a second sword, the sword of the magistrate; and conceiveth that Jerome so means, because he quoteth that of the apostle, A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. The absolute suffi sword of the Spirit. Answ. It is no argument to prove that Jerome meant a civil sword, by alleging 1 Cor. v. 6, or Gal. v. 9, which properly and only approve a cutting off by the sword of the Spirit in the church, and the purging out of the leaven in the church, in the cities of Corinth and Galatia. And if Jerome should so mean as himself doth, yet, first, that grant of his, that heresy must be cut off with ciency of the the sword of the Spirit, implies an absolute sufficiency in the sword of the Spirit to cut it down, according to that mighty operation of scriptural weapons, 2 Cor. x. 4, powerfully sufficient, either to convert the heretic to God, and subdue his very thoughts into subjection to Christ, or else spiritually to slay and execute him. Secondly. It is clear to be the meaning of the apostle, and of the Spirit of God, not there to speak to the church The church in Corinth, or Galatia, or any other church, concerning any other dough, or house, or body, or flock, but the dough, the body, the house, the flock of Christ, his church : of Christ to be kept pure. 4 [In this paragraph Mr. Williams refers the above quotation to Tertullian, but by an evident mistake or slip of the pen; we have, therefore, inserted in the text "Jerome," instead of "Tertullian," as in the copy.] |