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. VII.

Peace.

NOw to the second Quaerie, What it is to hold forth Do∣ctrine or Practice in an arrogant or impetuous way?

Truth.

Although it hath not pleased Mr. Cotton to declare what is this arrogant or impetuous holding forth of Doctrine or Practice tending to disturbance of Civill peace, I cannot but expresse my sad and sorrow∣full observation, how it pleaseth God to leave him, as to take up the common reproachfull accusation of the Accuser of Gods children; to wit, that they are arrogant and impetuous: which charge (together with that of obstinacie, pertinacie, pride, Troublers of the Citie, &c.) Sa∣than commonly loads the meekest of the Saints and Witnesses of Iesus with.

To wipe off therefore these fowle blurs and aspersions from the faire and beautifull face of the Spouse of Iesus, I shall select and propose 5 or 6 cases, for which Gods witnesses in all Ages and Generations of Men, have been charged with arrogance, impetuousnes, &c. and yet the God of Heaven, and Iudge of all men, hath graciously discharged them from such crimes, and maintained and avowed them for his faithfull and peaceable servants.

First, Gods people have proclaimed, taught, disputed for divers months together, a new Religion and Worship, contrary to the Worship projected

in the Towne, City, or State, where they have lived, or where they have travelled, as did the Lord Iesus Himselfe over all Galile, and the Apo∣stles after Him in all places, both in the Synagogues and Market-places, as appeares Acts 17. 2. 17. Acts 18. 48. Yet this no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.

Secondly, Gods servants have been zealous for their Lord and Master, even to the very faces of the Highest, and concerning the persons of the Highest, so far as they have opposed the Truth of God: So Eliah to the face of Ahab, It is not I, but thou, and thy Fathers house that troublest Israel: So the Lord Iesus concerning Herod, Goe tell that Fox: So Paul, God delivered me from the mouth of the Lion; and to Ananias, Thou whited wall, and yet in all this no Arrogance, nor Impe∣tuousnesse.

Thirdly, Gods people have been immoveable, constant and resolved to the death, in refusing to submit to false Worships, and in preaching and pro∣fessing the true worship, contrary to expresse command of publicke Au∣thority: So the three famous Worthies against the command of Nobil∣chadnezzar, and the uniforme conformity of all Nations agreeing upon a false worship, Dan. 3. So the Apostles (Acts 4 and 5 chap.) and so the witnesses of Iesus in all ages, who loved not their lives to the death (Rev. 12.) not regarding sweet life nor bitter death, and yet not Arro∣gant, nor Impetuous.

Fourthly, Gods people since the comming of the King of Israel, the Lord Iesus, have openly and constantly profest, that no Civill Magi∣strate, no King nor Caesar have any power over the Soules or Conscien∣ces of their Subjects, in the matters of God and the Crowne of Iesus, but the Civill Magistrates themselves; yea Kings and Keisars are bound to subject their owne soules to the Ministery and Church, the Power and Government of this Lord Iesus, the King of Kings. Hence was the charge against the Apostles (false in Civill, but true in spiritualls) that they affirmed that there was another King, one Iesus, Acts 17. 7. And indeed, this was the great charge against the Lord Iesus Himself, which the Iews laid against Him, and for which he suffered Death, as appears by the Accusation written over His Head upon the Gallows, Iohn 9. 19. Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes.

This was and is the summe of all true preaching of the Gospell or glad newes, viz. That God anointed Jesus to be the sole King and Governour of all the Israel of God in spirituall and soule causes, Psal. 2. 6. Acts 2. 36. Yet this Kingly power of His he resolved not to man∣age

in His owne Person, but Ministerially in the hands of such Messen∣gers which he sent forth to preach and baptise, and to such as belee∣ved that word they preached, Iohn 17. And yet here no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.

5. Gods people in delivering the Minde and Will of God concerning the Kingdomes and Civill States where they have lived, have seemed in all shew of common sense and rationall policie (if men looke not higher with the eye of saith) to endanger and overthrow the very Ci∣vill State, as appeareth by all Ieremses preaching and counsell to King Zedechia, his Princes and people, insomuch that the charge of the Prin∣ces against Ieremiah was, that he discouraged the Army from fighting against the Babylonians, and weakned the Land from its own defence, and this charge in the eye of reason, seemed not to be unreasonable or unrighteous, Ier. 37. 38. chapters, and yet in Ieremy no Arrogance nor Impetuousnesse.

6. Lastly, Gods people by their preaching, disputing, &c. have beene (though not the cause) yet accidentally the occasion of great conten∣tions and divisions, yea tumults and uproares in Townes and Cities where they have lived and come, and yet neither their Doctrine nor themselves Arrogant nor Impetuous, however so charged: For thus the Lord Jesus discovereth mens false and secure suppositions, Luke •• 1. 51. Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth? I tell you nay, but rather division, for from hence forth shall there be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three, the father shall be divided against the sonne, and the sonne against the father, &c. And thus upon the occa∣sion of the Apostles preaching, the Kingdome and Worship of God in Christ, were most commonly uproares and tumults, where ever they came: For instance, those strange and nonstrous uproares at Iconium, at Ephesus, at Ierusalem, Acts 14. 4. Acts 19. 29. 40. Acts 21. vers. 30, 31.

Notes

• The An∣swerer too obscure in generalls.
• Gods mee∣kest ser∣vants use to be counted arrogant and impe∣tuous. 6 cases wherein Gods peo∣ple have been bold & zealous, yet not ar∣rogant.
• Christ Je∣sus and his Disciples teach pub∣likely a new Do∣ctrine, fun∣damental∣ly diffe∣rent from the Religi∣on profes∣sed.
• Gods ser∣vants zea∣lous and bold to the faces of the High∣est.
• Gods peo∣ple con∣stantly im∣moveable to death.
• Gods peo∣ple ever maintai∣ned Christ Jesus the only Lord and King to the con∣science.
• That Christ is King a∣lone over conscience is the sum of all true preaching.
• Gods people have see men the disturbers of Civill State.
• Gods word and people the occa∣sion of tumults.