The blovdy tenent, of persecution, for cause of conscience, discussed, in a conference betweene trvth and peace vvho, in all tender affection, present to the high court of Parliament, as the result of their discourse, these, amongst other passages, of highest consideration.

CHAP. XV.

THis will appeare, if we examine the two last Quaries of this place of Titus: to wit,

First, What this Admonition is?

Secondly, What is the Rejection here intended? Reject him.

First then, Titus, unto whom this Epistle & these directions were writ∣ten, (and in him to all that succeed him in the like work of the Gospell to the Worlds end) he was no Minister of the Civill State, armed with the majestie and terrour of a materiall sword,* 1.1 who might for offences a∣gainst the civill state, inflict punishments upon the bodies of men, by im∣prisonments, whippings, sines, banishment, death. Titus was a Minister of the Gospel or Glad tidings, armed onely with the Spirituall sword of the Word of God, and such Spirituall weapons as (yet) through God were mighty to the casting down of strong holds, yea every high thought of the highest head and heart in the world, 2 Cor. 10. 4.

Therefore these first and second Admonitions were not civill or cor∣porall punishments on mens persons or purses, which the Courts of Men may lawfully inflict upon Malefactors: but they were the reprehensions,* 1.2 convictions, exhortations, and perswasions of the Word of the Eternall God, charged home to the Conscience, in the name and presence of the Lord Iesus, in the middest of the Church. Which being despised and not hearkned to, in the last place followes rejection; which is not a cutting off by heading, hanging, burning, &c. or an expelling of the Country and Coasts: neither which (no nor any lesser civill punishment) Titus nor the Church at Crete had any power to exercise. But it was that dreadfull cutting off from that visible Head and Body,* 1.3 Christ Iesus and his Church; that purging out of the old leaven from the lumpe of the Saints; the putting away of the evill and wicked person from the holy Land and Commonwealth of Gods Israel, 1 Cor. 5. where it is observable, that the same word used by Moses for putting a malefactor to death in typicall Israel, by sword, stoning, &c. Deut 13. 5. is here used by Paul for the spirituall killing or cutting off by Excommunication, 1 Cor. 5. 13. Put away that evill person, &c.

Now I desire the Answerer, and any, in the holy awe and feare of God to consider, That

From whom the first and second Admonition was to proceed, from them also was the rejecting or casting out to proceed, as before.

But not from the Civill Magistrate (to whom Paul writes not this Epistle, and who also is not bound once and twice to admonish, but may speedily punish, as he sees cause, the persons or purses of Delinquents against his Civill State:) but from Titus the Mini∣ster or Angel of the Church, and from the Church with him, were these first and second Admonitions to proceed; And

Therefore at last also this Rejecting, which can be no other but a casting out, or excommunicating of him from their Church∣societie.

Indeed, this rejecting is no other then that avoyding which Paul writes of to the Church of Christ at Rome, Rom. 16. 17. which avoyding (however wofully perverted by some to prove persecution) belonged to the Governours of Christs Church & Kingdom in Rome, and not to the Romane Emperour for him to rid and avoyd the World of them, by bloo∣dy and cruell Persecution.

Notes

• * 1.1

  What is the first & second ad∣monition.
• * 1.2

  What the rejecting of the He∣retick was.
• * 1.3

  Corporall killing in the Law, typing out Spirituall killing by Excom∣municati∣on in the Gospell.