Part 47

§. V. [Sidenote: Athan. _in Epist. ad_ Solit. vit. Ag. _ibid._] Thus _Athanasius_; “It is the Property of Piety not to force, but to persuade, in Imitation of our Lord, who forced no Body, but left it to the Will of every one to follow him, _&c._ But the Devil, because he hath nothing of Truth, uses Knocks and Axes, to break up the Doors of such as receive him. But our Saviour is meek, teaching the Truth; whosoever will come after me, and whosoever will be my Disciple, _&c._ but constraining none; coming to us, and knocking rather, and saying, My Sister, my Spouse open to me, _&c._ And entereth when he is opened to, and retires if they delay, and will not open unto him; because it is not with Swords, nor Darts, nor Soldiers, nor Armour, that Truth is to be declared, but with Persuasion and Counsel.” And it is observable, That they were the impious _Arians_ who first of all brought in this Doctrine, to persecute others among Christians, whose Successors both _Papists_ and _Protestants_ are in this Matter, whom _Athanasius_ thus reproveth further: [Sidenote: Athan. _Apol. 1 de Fuga Sua, Tom. 1._] “Where (saith he) have they learned to persecute? Certainly they cannot say they have learned it from the Saints; but this hath been given them, and taught them of the Devil. The Lord commanded indeed sometimes to flee, and the Saints sometimes fled; but to persecute is the Invention and Argument of the Devil, which he seeks against all.” And after he saith, “In so far as the _Arians_ banish those that will not subscribe their Decrees, they shew that they are contrary to Christians, and Friends of the Devil.”

[Sidenote: Hil. _contra_ Aux.] “But now, O lamentable! (saith _Hilarius_) They are the Suffrages of the Earth that recommend the Religion of God, and Christ is found naked of his Virtue, while Ambition must give Credit to his Name. The Church reproves and fights by Banishment and Prisons, and forceth herself to be believed, which once was believed because of the Imprisonments and Banishments herself suffered. She that once was consecrated by the Terrors of her Persecutors, depends now upon the Dignity of those that are in her Communion. She that once was propagated by her banished Priests, now banisheth the Priests. And she boasts now, That she is loved of the World, who would not have been Christ’s if she had not been hated of the World.”

[Sidenote: Jerome _Epist._ 62. _ad_ Tire.] “The Church (saith _Jerome_) was founded by shedding of Blood, and by suffering, and not in doing of Hurt. The Church increased by Persecutions, and was crowned by Martyrdom.”

[Sidenote: Amb. _Epist._ 32. _Tom._ 3.] _Ambrose_, speaking of _Auxentius_, saith thus, “Whom he (viz. _Auxentius_) could not deceive by Discourse, he thinks ought to be killed with the Sword, making bloody Laws with his Mouth, writing them with his own Hands, and imagining that an Edict can command Faith.”

[Sidenote: Amb. _Epist._ 27.] And the same _Ambrose_ saith, “That going into _France_, he would not communicate with those Bishops that required that Hereticks should be put to Death.”

[142]The Emperor _Martianus_, who assembled the _Council_ of _Chalcedon_, protests, [Sidenote: Mon. Eg. _in acta Concil._ Chalced. _Tom. 2. Conc. gen._] “That he would not force nor constrain any one to subscribe the Council of _Chalcedon_ against his Will.”

[142] Mart. _Epist. ad_ Archimand, _&c._

[143]_Hosius_ Bishop of _Corduba_ testifies, “That the Emperor _Constans_ would not constrain any to be Orthodox.”

[143] Hosi. _Epist. ad_--Constit. _apud_ Ath. _in Eph. ad solit. vii. Tom. 1._

[144]_Hilarius_ saith further, “That God teacheth, rather than exacteth, the Knowledge of himself, and authorizing his Commandments by the Miracles of his Heavenly Works; he wills not that any should confess him with a forced Will, _&c._ He is the God of the whole Universe, he needs not a forced Obedience, nor requires a constrained Confession.”

[144] Hil. _L. 1. ad_ Const.

“[145]Christ (saith _Ambrose_) sent his Apostles to sow Faith; not to constrain, but to teach; not to exercise coercive Power, but to extol the Doctrine of Humility.”

[145] Ambr. _Comm. in_ Luc. _L. 7._

Hence _Cyprian_,[146] comparing the old Covenant with the new, saith, “Then were they put to Death with the outward Sword; but now the Proud and Contumacious are cut off with the spiritual Sword, by being cast out of the Church.” And this answers very well that _Objection_ before observed, taken from the Practice of the _Jews_ under the Law.

[146] Cypr. _Epist._ 62.

“[147]See (saith _Tertullian_ to the _Heathens_) if it be not to contribute to the Renown of Irreligion, to seek to take away the Liberty of Religion, and to hinder Men their Choice of God, that I may not be admitted to adore whom I will, but must be constrained to serve him whom I will not. There is none, nay not a Man, that desires to be adored by any against their Will.” [148]And again, “It is a Thing that easily appears to be unjust, to constrain and force Men to sacrifice against their Wills; seeing to do the Service of God there is required a willing Heart.” [149]And again, “It is an human Right and natural Power that every one worship what he esteems; and one Man’s Religion doth not profit nor hurt another. Neither is it any Piece of Religion to enforce Religion; which must be undertaken by Consent, and not by Violence, seeing that the Sacrifices themselves are not required, but from a willing Mind.”

[147] Tertul. _Apol. C._ 24.

[148] Id. _Apol. C._ 28.

[149] Idem _ad_ Scapul. _C._ 2.

Now how either _Papists_ or _Protestants_, that boast of Antiquity, can get by these plain Testimonies, let any rational Man judge. And indeed I much question if in any one Point owned by them, and denied by us, they can find all the _old Fathers_ and _Writers_ so exactly unanimous. Which shews how contrary all of them judged this to be to the Nature of Christianity, and that in the Point of _Persecution_ lay no small Part of the Apostasy; which, from little to more, came to that, _That the _Pope_, upon every small Discontent, would excommunicate Princes, absolve their Subjects from obeying them, and turn them in and out at his Pleasure_. Now if _Protestants_ do justly abhor these Things among Papists, is it not sad that they should do the like themselves? A Thing that at their first Appearance, when they were in their primitive Innocency, they did not think on, as appears by that Saying of _Luther_; [150]_Neither Pope nor Bishop, nor any other Man, hath Power to oblige a Christian to one Syllable, except it be by his own Consent_. And again, _I call boldly to all Christians, that neither Man nor Angel can impose any Law upon them, but so far as they will; for we are free of all_. And when he appeared at the Diet of _Spiers_, before the Emperor, in a particular Conference he had before the Archbishop of _Triers_ and _Joachim_ Elector of _Brandenburgh_, when there seemed no Possibility of agreeing with his Opposers, they asking him, _What Remedy seemed to him most fit?_ [Sidenote: _History of the Council of _Trent.] He answered, _The Counsel that _Gamaliel_ proposed to the Jews, _to wit_, That if this Design was of God, it would stand; if not, it would vanish; which he said ought to content the Pope_: He did not say, _Because he was in the Right he ought to be spared_. For this _Counsel_ supposeth, That those that are tolerated may be wrong; and yet how soon did the same _Luther_, ere he was well secure himself, press the Elector of _Saxony_ to banish poor _Carolostadius_, because he could not in all Things submit to his Judgment? And certainly it is not without Ground reported, That it smote _Luther_ to the Heart; so that he needed to be comforted, when he was informed, That _Carolostadius_, in his Letter to his Congregation, stiled himself, _A Man banished for Conscience, by the Procurement of_ Martin Luther. And since both the _Lutherans_ and _Calvinists_ not admitting one another to worship in those respective Dominions, sheweth how little better they are than either _Papists_ or _Arians_ in this Particular. [151]And yet _Calvin_ saith, That _the Conscience is free from the Power of all Men_: If so, why then did he cause _Castellio_ to be banished because he could not, for _Conscience Sake_, believe as he did, _That God had ordained Men to be damned_? And _Servetus_ to be burned for denying the _Divinity of Christ_? if _Calvin_’s Report of him be to be credited? Which Opinion, though indeed it was to be abominated, yet no less was _Calvin_’s Practice in causing him to be burned, and afterwards defending that it was lawful to burn _Hereticks_; by which he encouraged the _Papists_ to lead his Followers the more confidently to the Stake, as having for their Warrant the Doctrine of their own _Sect-master_; which they omitted not frequently to twit them with, and indeed it was to them unanswerable. Hence, upon this Occasion, the judicious Author of the _History of the Council of Trent_, in his _fifth Book_, where giving an Account of several _Protestants_ that were burned for their Religion, well and wisely observeth it, _as a Matter of Astonishment, that those of the New Reformation did offer to punish in the Case of Religion_. And afterwards, taking Notice that _Calvin_ justifies the Punishing of _Hereticks_, he adds, _But since the Name of _Heresy_ may be more or less restricted, yea, or diversly taken, this Doctrine may be likewise taken in divers Senses, and may at one Time hurt those, whom at another Time it may have benefited_.

[150] Luth. _Lib. de Captivitate_ Babylon.

[151] Calv. _Inst. L. 3. C. 19. Sect. 14._

[Sidenote: _Protestant Persecution strengthens the Popish Inquisition._] So that this Doctrine of _Persecution_ cannot be maintained by _Protestants_, without strengthening the Hands of _Popish Inqusitors_; and indeed in the End lands in direct _Popery_; _seeing, if I may not profess and preach that Religion, which I am persuaded in my own Conscience is true, it is to no Purpose to search the Scriptures, or to seek to choose my own Faith by Convictions thence derived; since whatever I there observe, or am persuaded of, I must either subject to the Judgment of the Magistrate and Church of that Place I am in, or else resolve to remove, or die_. Yea, doth not this _Heretical_ and _Antichristian Doctrine_, both of _Papists_ and _Protestants_, at last resolve into that cursed Policy of _Mahomet_, _who prohibited all Reason or Discourse about Religion, as occasioning Factions and Divisions_? And indeed those that press _Persecution_, and deny _Liberty of Conscience_, do thereby shew themselves more the Disciples of _Mahomet_ than of _Christ_; and that they are no Ways Followers of the Apostle’s Doctrine, who desired the _Thessalonians to prove all Things, and hold fast that which is good_, 1 Thess. v. 21. And also saith, _Unto such as are otherwise minded, God shall reveal it_, Phil. iii. 15. not that by Beatings and Banishments it must be knocked into them.

§. VI. [Sidenote: _The Ground of Persecution._] Now the _Ground of Persecution_, as hath been above shewn, is an _Unwillingness to suffer_; for no Man, that will persecute another for his _Conscience_, would suffer for his own, if he could avoid it, seeing his Principle obliges him, if he had Power, by Force to establish that which he judges is the _Truth_, and so to force others to it. Therefore I judge it meet, for the Information of the Nations, briefly to add something in this Place concerning the _Nature of true Christian Sufferings_, whereunto a very faithful Testimony hath been borne by _God’s Witnesses_, which he hath raised up in this Age, beyond what hath been generally known or practised for these many Generations, yea, since the Apostasy took Place. Yet it is not my Design here in any wise to derogate from the Sufferings of the _Protestant Martyrs_, whom I believe to have walked in Faithfulness towards God, according to the Dispensation of _Light_ in that Day appearing, and of which many were utter Enemies to _Persecution_, as by their Testimonies against it might be made appear.

[Sidenote: _What true Suffering is._] But the true, faithful and Christian Suffering is _for Men to profess what they are persuaded is right, and so practise and perform their Worship towards God, as being their true Right so to do; and neither to do more in that, because of outward Encouragement from Men; nor any Whit less, because of the Fear of their Laws and Acts against it_. Thus for a Christian Man to vindicate his just Liberty with so much Boldness, and yet Innocency, will in due Time, though through Blood, purchase Peace; as this Age hath in some Measure experienced, and many are Witnesses of it; which yet shall be more apparent to the World, as _Truth_ takes Place in the Earth. But they greatly sin against this excellent Rule, that in Time of _Persecution_ do not profess their own Way so much as they would if it were otherwise; and yet, when they can get the Magistrate upon their Side, not only stretch their own Liberty to the utmost, but seek to establish the same by denying it to others.

[Sidenote: _The innocent Sufferings of the People called _Quakers.] But of this excellent Patience and Sufferings, the Witnesses of God, in Scorn called _Quakers_, have given a manifest Proof: For so soon as God revealed his _Truth_ among them, without Regard to any Opposition whatsoever, or what they might meet with, they went up and down, as they were moved of the Lord, preaching and propagating the _Truth_ in Market-places, Highways, Streets, and publick Temples, though daily beaten, whipped, bruised, haled, and imprisoned therefore. And when there was any where a Church or Assembly gathered, they taught them to keep their Meetings openly, and not to shut the Door, nor do it by Stealth, that all might know it, and those who would might enter. And as hereby all just Occasion of Fear of Plotting against the Government was fully removed, so this their Courage and Faithfulness in not giving over their Meeting together (but more especially the Presence and Glory of God manifested in the Meeting being terrible to the Consciences of the Persecutors) did so weary out the Malice of their Adversaries, that oftentimes they were forced to leave their Work undone. For when they came to break up a Meeting, they were obliged to take every Individual out by Force, they not being free to give up their Liberty by dissolving at their Command: And when they were haled out, unless they were kept forth by Violence, they presently returned peaceably to their Place. Yea, when sometimes the Magistrates have pulled down their Meeting-houses, they have met the next Day openly upon the Rubbish, and so by Innocency kept their Possession and Ground, being properly their own, and their Right to meet and worship God being not forfeited to any. So that when armed Men have come to dissolve them, it was impossible for them to do it, unless they had killed every one; for they stood so close together, that no Force could move any one to stir, until violently pulled thence: So that when the Malice of their Opposers stirred them to take Shovels, and throw the Rubbish upon them, there they stood unmoved, being willing, if the Lord should so permit, to have been there buried alive, witnessing for him. As this patient but yet courageous Way of Suffering made the Persecutors Work very heavy and wearisome unto them, so the Courage and Patience of the Sufferers, using no Resistance, nor bringing any Weapons to defend themselves, nor seeking any Ways Revenge upon such Occasions, did secretly smite the Hearts of the Persecutors, and made their Chariot-wheels go on heavily. Thus after much and many kind of Sufferings thus patiently borne, which to rehearse would make a Volume of itself, which may in due Time be published to the Nations (for we have them upon Record) a Kind of _negative Liberty_ has been obtained; so that at present, for the most Part, we meet together without Disturbance from the Magistrate. But on the contrary, most _Protestants_, when they have not the Allowance and Toleration of the Magistrate, meet only in Secret, and hide their Testimony; and if they be discovered, if there be any Probability of making their Escape by Force (or suppose it were by cutting off those that seek them out) they will do it; whereby they lose the Glory of their Sufferings, by not appearing as the innocent Followers of Christ, nor having a Testimony of their Harmlesness in the Hearts of their Pursuers, their Fury, by such Resistance, is the more kindled against them. As to this last Part, of resisting such as persecute them, they can lay Claim to no Precept from Christ, nor any Example of him or his Apostles approved.

[Sidenote: Object.] But as to the first Part, for fleeing and meeting secretly, and not openly testifying for the Truth, they usually object that Saying of Christ, Matt. x. 23. _When they persecute you in this City, flee ye into another._ And _Acts_ ix. 4. _That the Disciples met secretly for fear of the Jews._ And _Acts_ ix. 25. _That _Paul_ was let out of _Damascus_ in a Basket down by the Wall._

[Sidenote: _Answ._] To all which I _answer_, _First_, As to that Saying of Christ, it is a Question if it had any further Relation than to that particular Message with which he sent them to the _Jews_; Yea, the latter End of the Words seems expresly to hold forth so much; _For ye shall not have gone over the Cities of _Israel_ till the Son of Man be come_. Now a particular Practice or Command for a particular Time will not serve for a Precedent to any at this Day to shun the Cross of Christ. But supposing this Precept to reach farther, it must be so understood to be made use of only according as the Spirit giveth Liberty, else no Man that could flee might suffer Persecution. [Sidenote: _Fleeing in Time of Persecution not allowed_.] How then did not the Apostles _John_ and _Peter_ flee, when they were the first Time persecuted at _Jerusalem_? But, on the contrary, went the next Day, after they were discharged by the Council, and preached boldly to the People. But indeed many are but too capable to stretch such Sayings as these for Self-preservation, and therefore have great Ground to fear, when they interpret them, that they shun to witness for Christ, for fear of Hurt to themselves, lest they mistake them. As for that private Meeting of the Disciples, we have only an Account of the Matter of Fact, but that suffices not to make of it a Precedent for us; and Men’s Aptness to imitate them in that (which, for aught we know, might have been an Act of Weakness) and not in other Things of a contrary Nature, shews that it is not a true Zeal to be like those Disciples, but indeed a Desire to preserve themselves, which moves them so to do. _Lastly_, As to that of _Paul_’s being conveyed out of _Damascus_, the Case was singular, and is not to be doubted but it was done by a special Allowance from God, who having designed him to be a principal Minister of his Gospel, saw meet in his Wisdom to disappoint the wicked Counsel of the _Jews_. But our Adversaries have no such Pretext for _fleeing_, whose _Fleeing_ proceeds from Self-preservation, not from immediate Revelation. And that _Paul_ made not this the Method of his Procedure, appears, in that at another Time, notwithstanding the Persuasion of his Friends, and certain Prophecies of his Sufferings to come, he would not be dissuaded from going up to _Jerusalem_, which according to the forementioned Rule he should have done.

But _Lastly_, To conclude this Matter, Glory to God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that now these _twenty-five Years_, since we were known to be a distinct and separate People, hath given us faithfully to suffer for his _Name_, without shrinking or fleeing the Cross; and what Liberty we now enjoy, it is by his Mercy, and not by any outward Working or Procuring of our own, but it is He has wrought upon the Hearts of our Opposers. Nor was it any outward Interest hath procured it unto us, but the Testimony of our Harmlesness in the Hearts of our Superiors: For God hath preserved us hitherto in the _patient Suffering of Jesus_, that we have not given away our Cause by persecuting any, which few if any Christians that I know can say. Now against our unparalleled yet innocent and Christian Cause our malicious Enemies have nothing to say, But that if we had Power, we would do so likewise. This is a Piece of mere unreasonable Malice, and a Privilege they take to judge of Things to come, which they have not by immediate Revelation; and surely it is the greatest Height of harsh Judgment to say Men would do contrary to their _professed Principle_ if they could, who have from their Practice hitherto given no Ground for it, and wherein they only judge others by themselves: Such Conjectures cannot militate against us, so long as we are innocent. And if ever we prove guilty of _Persecution_, by forcing other Men by corporal Punishment to our Way, then let us be judged the greatest of _Hypocrites_, and let not any spare to _persecute_ us. _Amen, saith my Soul._

PROPOSITION XV.

Concerning SALUTATIONS and RECREATIONS, _&c._

[152]_Seeing the chief End of all _Religion_ is to redeem Men from the Spirit and vain Conversation of this World, and to lead into inward Communion with God, before whom if we _fear always_ we are accounted happy; therefore all the vain Customs and Habits thereof, both in Word and Deed, are to be rejected and forsaken by those who come to this _Fear_; such as taking off the _Hat_ to a Man, the Bowings and Cringings of the Body, and such other Salutations of that Kind, with all the foolish and superstitious Formalities attending them; all which Man hath invented in his degenerate State, to feed his Pride in the vain Pomp and Glory of this World: As also the unprofitable Plays, frivolous Recreations, Sportings, and Gamings, which are invented to pass away the precious Time, and divert the Mind from the _Witness of God_ in the Heart, and from the _living Sense_ of his _Fear_, and from that _evangelical Spirit_ wherewith Christians ought to be leavened, and which leads into Sobriety, Gravity, and godly Fear; in which as we abide, the Blessing of the Lord is felt to attend us in those Actions in which we are necessarily engaged, in order to the taking Care for the Sustenance of the outward Man._

[152] Ephes. 5. 11. 1 Pet. 1. 14. John 5. 44. Jer. 10. 3. Acts 10. 26. Matt. 15. 13. Col. 2. 8.