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. XXXVIII.

Peace.

DOubtlesse such fiery spirits (as the Lord Jesus said) are not of God: I pray speake to the second place out of Timo∣thy, 2. Epist. 25. 26.* 1.1

Truth.

I acknowledge this instruction to be meeke and patient, &c. is properly an instruction to the Ministers of the Gospel. Yet divers Arguments from hence will truly and fairly be collected, to manifest and evince how farre the civill Magistrate ought to bee from dealing with the civill sword in spirituall cases.

And first by the way•• I desire to aske, What were these uncon∣verted Christians in Crete, which the Answerer compareth with the Samaritanes, whom Titus (saith he) as an Evangelist was to seek to convert; and whether the Lord Iesus have any such Disciples and Followers, who yet are visibly in an unconverted estate. O that it may please the Father of mercies, the Father of lights, to awaken and open the eyes of all that feare before him, that they may see whe∣ther this be the Language of Canaan, or the Language of Ashdod.

What is an unconverted Christian but in truth an unconverted Con∣vert?* 1.2 that is in English, one unturned turned: unholy holy: Disciples or Followers of Iesus not following of him: In a word, that is Chri∣stians or anointed by Christ, Antichristians not anointed with the Spirit of Iesus Christ.

Certaine it is,* 1.3 such they were not unto whom the Spirit of God gives that name, Act. 11. And indeed whither can this tend but to uphold the blasphemy of so many as say they are Iewes, that is, Chri∣stians, but are not? Rev. 2. But as they are not Christians from Christ, but from the Beast and his Picture, so their proper name from An∣tichrist, is Antichristians.

How sad yet and how true an evidence is this,* 1.4 that the soule of the Answerer (I speake not of his inward soule and person, but of his worship) hath never yet heard the call of the Lord Iesus, to come out from those unconverted Churches, from that unconverted An∣tichristian Christian world, and so from Antichrist Belial, to seeke fellowship with Christ Iesus, and his converted Christians, Disciples after the first patterne.

Againe, I observe the haste and light attention of the Answerer to these Scriptures (as commonly the spirits of Gods children in matters of Christs Kingdome are very sleepy) for these persons here spoken of were not (as he speakes) unconverted Christians in Crete,* 1.5 whom Titus as an Evangelist was to convert, but they were such opposites as Timothy (to whom Paul writes this Letter at Ephesus) should meet withall.

Notes

• * 1.1

  2 Tim. 3. 25. 26. examined.
• * 1.2

  A quaere what the Answerer meanes by his unconverted Christian in Crete.
• * 1.3

  The originall of Christians.
• * 1.4

  The Answe∣rer yet in the unconverted Churches and worships.
• * 1.5

  Gods people sleepy in the matters of Christs King∣dome, Cant. 5. 2.