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whereof a man cannot be saved; others are circumstantiall or lesse principall, wherein men may differ in judgement, without prejudice of salvation on either part.

In like sort, in points of practice, some concerne the waightier duties of the law, as, what God we worship, and with what kinde of worship; whether

in the errour of his way, and be therefore punished, he is not persecuted for cause of conscience, but for sinning against his owne conscience.

Thirdly, in things of lesser moment, whether points of doctrine or worship, if a man hold them forth in a spirit and love of Christian meeknesse and (though with zeale and constancie) he

such as, if it be right, fellowship with 10 is not to be persecuted, but tolerated, God is held; if corrupt, fellowship with Him is lost.

Againe, in points of doctrine and worship lesse principall: either they are held forth in a meeke and peaceable way, though the things be erroneous or unlawfull; or they are held forth with such arrogance and impetuousnesse as tendeth and reacheth (even of it selfe) to the disturbance 20 of civill peace.

Finally, let me adde this one distinction more: when we are persecuted for conscience sake, it is either for conscience rightly informed, or for erronious and blind conscience.

These things premised, I would lay down mine answer to the question in certaine conclusions.

till God may be pleased to manifest his truth to him. Phil. 3. 17. Rom. 14. 1, 2, 3, 4.

But if a man hold forth or professe any errour or false way, with a boysterous and arrogant spirit, to the disturbance of civil peace, he may justly be punished according to the qualitie and measure of the disturbance caused by him.

A REPLY TO THE AFORESAID ANSWER OF
MR. COTTON IN A CONFERENCE BE-
TWEENE TRUTH AND PEACE

CHAP. I

Truth. In what darke corner of the world (sweet Peace) are we two met?

First, it is not lawful to persecute 30 How hath this present evill world ban

any for conscience sake rightly informed; for in persecuting such, Christ himselfe is persecuted in them, Acts 9.4.

Secondly, for an erronious and blind conscience, (even in fundamentall and weighty points) it is not lawful to persecute any, till after admonition. once or twice; and so the Apostle directeth, Tit. 3.10. and giveth the rea- 40 son, that in fundamentall and principall points of doctrine or worship, the Word of God in such things is so cleare, that hee cannot but bee convinced in conscience of the dangerous errour of his way, after once or twice admonition, wisely and faithfully dispensed. And then if any one persist, it is not out of conscience, but against his conscience, as the apostle saith, verse 11. 50 He is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himselfe; that is, of his owne conscience. So that if such a man after such admonition shall still persist

ished me from all the coasts and quarters of it? and how hath the righteous God in judgement taken thee from the earth? Rev. 6. 4.

Peace. 'Tis lamentably true (blessed Truth) the foundations of the world have long been out of course; the gates of earth and hell have conspired together to intercept our joyfull meeting and our holy kisses; with what a wearied, tyred wing have I flowne over nations, kingdomes, cities, townes, to finde out precious truth!

Truth. The like enquiries in my flights and travells have I made for peace, and still am told, she hath left the earth, and fled to heaven.

Peace. Deare Truth, what is the earth but a dungeon of darknesse, where Truth is not?

the peace what's Truth. And thereof but a fleeting dreame, thine ape and counterfeit?

Peace. O where's the promise of the

ously create new heavens and new 10 hony-combe. But oh! since we must

crownes of all that plead (though but 50 thousand virgins (Rev. 14) forc'd and

Secondly, the cry of those precious soules under the altar (Rev. 6.), the soules of such as have beene persecuted and slaine for the testimony and witnesse of Jesus, whose bloud hath beene spilt like water upon the earth, and that because they have held fast the truth and witnesse of Jesus, against the worship of the states and times, compelling to an uniformity of state religion.

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These cries of murthered virgins who can sit still and heare? Who can but run with zeale inflamed to prevent the deflowring of chaste soules, and spilling of the bloud of the innocent? Humanity stirs up and prompts the sonnes of men to draw materiall swords for a virgin's chastity and life, against a ravishing murtherer! And piety and Christianity must needs awaken the 20 sons of God to draw the spirituall sword (the word of God) to preserve the chastity and life of spirituall virgins, who abhorre the spiritual defilements of false worship. Rev. 14.

Thirdly, the cry of the whole earth, made drunke with the bloud of its inhabitants, slaughtering each other in their blinded zeale, for conscience, for religion, against the Catholickes, 30 against the Lutherans, etc.

What fearfull cries within these twenty years of hundred thousands. men, women, children, fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, brethren, sisters, old and young,. high and low, plundred, ravished, slaughtered, murthered, famished! And hence these cries, that men fling away the spirituall sword and spirituall artillery (in spirituall and re- 40 ligious causes) and rather trust for the suppressing of each other's God, conscience, and religion (as they suppose) to an arme of flesh, and sword of steele?

Truth. Sweet Peace, what hast thou there?

Peace. Arguments against persecution for cause of conscience.

Truth. And what there?

Peace. An answer to such arguments, contrarily maintaining such persecution for cause of conscience.

Truth. These arguments against

such persecution, and the answer pleading for it, written (as Love hopes) from godly intentions, hearts, and hands, yet in a marvellous different stile and manThe arguments against persecution in milke, the answer for it (as I may say) in bloud.

ner.

The authour of these arguments (against persecution) (as I have beene informed) being committed by some then in power, close prisoner to Newgate for the witnesse of some truths of Jesus, and having not the use of pen and inke, wrote these arguments in milke, on sheets of paper, brought to him by the woman his keeper, from a friend in London, as the stopples of his milk bottle.

In such paper written with milk nothing will appeare, but the way of reading it by fire being knowne to this friend who received the papers, he transcribed and kept together the papers, although the author himselfe could not correct, nor view what himselfe had written.

It was in milke, tending to soule nourishment, even for babes and sucklings in Christ.

It was in milke, spiritually white, pure and innocent, like those white horses of the word of truth and meeknesse, and the white linnen or armour of righteousnesse, in the army of Jesus. Rev. 6 & 19.

It was in milke, soft, meeke, peaceable and gentle, tending both to the peace of soules, and the peace of states and kingdomes.

Peace. The answer (though I hope out of milkie pure intentions) is returned in bloud; bloudy & slaughterous conclusions; bloudy to the souls of all men, forc'd to the religion and worship which every civil state or commonweale agrees on, and compells all subjects to in a dissembled uniformitie.

Bloudy to the bodies, first of the holy witnesses of Christ Jesus, who testifie 50 against such invented worships.

Secondly, of the nations and peoples slaughtering each other for their severall respective religions and consciences.

СНАР. ІІІ

Truth. In the answer Mr. Cotton first layes downe severall distinctions and conclusions of his owne, tending to prove persecution.

Secondly, answers to the Scriptures, and arguments proposed against persecution.

Peace. The first distinction is this: By persecution for cause of conscience, 10 "I conceive you meane either for professing some point of doctrine which you beleeve in conscience to be the truth, or for practising some worke which you beleeve in conscience to be a religious dutie."

Truth. I acknowledge that to molest any person, Jew or Gentile, for either professing doctrine, or practising worship meerly religious or spirituall, 20 it is to persecute him, and such a person (what ever his doctrine or practice be, true or false) suffereth persecution for conscience.

But withall I desire it may bee well observed, that this distinction is not full and complete: For beside this that a man may be persecuted because he holdeth or practiseth what he beleeves in conscience to be a truth, (as Daniel 30 did, for which he was cast into the lyon's den, Dan. 6.) and many thousands of Christians, because they durst not cease to preach and practise what they beleeved was by God commanded, as the Apostles answered (Acts 4 & 5.) I say besides this a man may also be persecuted, because hee dares not be constrained to yeeld obedience to such doctrines and worships as are by men 40 invented and appointed. So the three famous Jewes were cast into the fiery furnace for refusing to fall downe (in a nonconformity to the whole conforming world) before the golden image (Dan. 3. 21.) So thousands of Christ's witnesses (and of late in those bloudy Marian dayes) have rather chose to yeeld their bodies to all sorts of torments, then to subscribe to doctrines, or practise worships, unto which the states and times (as Nebuchadnezzar to his golden image) have compelled and urged them.

NATHANIEL WARD (1578-1652)

From THE SIMPLE COBLER OF
AGGAWAM

[CONCERNING RELIGIOUS TOLERATION]

Either I am in an appoplexie, or that man is in a lethargie, who doth not now sensibly feele God shaking the heavens over his head, and the earth under his feet; the Heavens so, as the sun begins to turne into darknesse, the moon into blood, the starres to fall down to the ground; so that little light of comfort or counsell is left to the sonnes of men; the earth so, as the foundations are failing, the righteous scarce know where to finde rest; the inhabitants stagger like drunken men: it is in a manner dissolved both in religions and relations. And no marvell; for they have defiled it by transgressing the lawes, changing the ordinances, and breaking the everlasting covenant. The truths of God are the pillars of the world, whereon States and Churches may stand quiet if they will; if they will not, Hee can easily shake them off into delusions, and distractions enough.

Sathan is now in his passions, he feeles his passion approaching; hee loves to fish in royled waters. Though that dragon cannot sting the vitals of the elect mortally, yet that Beelzebub çan fly-blow their intellectuals miserably. The finer religion grows, the finer hee spins his cobwebs; hee will hold pace with Christ so long as his wits will serve him. Hee sees himselfe beaten out of grosse idolatries, heresies, ceremonies, where the light breakes forth with power; he will therefore bestirre him to prevaricate evangelicall truths, and ordinances, that if they will needs be walking, yet they shall laborare varicibus, and not keep their path; he will put them out of time and place; assascinating for his engineers, men of Paracelsian parts, well com50 plexioned for honesty; for such are fittest to mountebanke his chimistry. into sick churches and weake judgements.

1walk hesitatingly

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other Enthusiasts, shall have free liberty to keep away from us; and such as will come to be gone as fast as they can, the sooner the beter.

Secondly, I dare averre that God doth no where in his word tolerate Christian States to give tolerations to such adversaries of his truth, if they have power in their hands to suppresse

Nor shall hee neede to stretch his strength overmuch in this worke. Too many men having not laid their foundations sure, nor ballasted their spirits deepe with humility and feare, are prest1 enough of themselves to evaporate their owne apprehensions. Those that are acquainted with story 2 know it hath ever been so in new editions of churches. Such as are least able, are 10 them. most busie to pudder in the rubbish, and to raise dust in the eyes of more steady repayrers. Civill commotions make roome for uncivill practises; religious mutations, for irreligious opinions; change of aire discovers corrupt bodies; reformation of religion, unsound mindes. Hee that hath any wellfaced phansy in his crowne, and doth not vent it now, fears the pride of his 20 owne heart will dub him dunce for ever. Such a one will trouble the whole Israel of God with his most untimely births, though he makes the bones of his vanity sticke up, to the view and griefe of all that are godly wise. The devill desires no better sport then to see light heads handle their heels, and fetch their carreers in a time when the roofe of liberty stands open.

The next perplexed question, with pious and ponderous men, will be, what should bee done for the healing of these comfortlesse exulcerations? I am the unablest adviser of a thousand, the unworthiest of ten thousand; yet I hope I may presume to assert what follows, without just offence.

4

Here is lately brought us an extract of a Magna Charta, so called, compiled between the sub-planters of a WestIndian Island; whereof the first article of constipulation firmely provides free stable-room and litter for all kinde of consciences, be they never so dirty or jadish; making it actionable, yea, treasonable, to disturbe any man in his religion, or to discommend it, whatever it be. Wee are very sorry to see such professed prophanenesse in English professors, as industriously to lay their religious foundations on the ruine of true religion; which strictly binds every conscience to contend earnestly for the truth; to preserve unity of spirit, faith and ordinances; to be all like-minded, of one accord; every man 30 to take his brother into his Christian care; to stand fast with one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the Gospel; and by no meanes to permit heresies or erronious opinions. But God abhorring such loathsome beverages, hath in his righteous judgement blasted that enterprize, which might otherwise have prospered well, for ought I know; I presume their case is generally knowne ere this.

First, such as have given or taken any unfriendly reports of us New-Eng- 40 lish, should doe well to recollect themselves. Wee have beene reputed a colluvies of wild opinionists, swarmed into a remote wildernes to find elbowroome for our phanatick doctrines and practices. I trust our diligence past, and constant sedulity against such persons and courses, will plead better things for us. I dare take upon me, to bee the herauld of New-England so 50 farre as to proclaime to the world, in the name of our colony, that all Familists, Antinomians, Anabaptists, and 1 1 ready

2 history

3 collection

If the devill might have his free option, I beleeve he would ask nothing else but liberty to enfranchize all false religions, and to embondage the true. Nor should hee need: it is much to be feared, that laxe tolerations upon statepretences and planting necessities, will be the next subtle stratagem he will spread to distate 5 the truth of God and supplant the peace of the churches. Tolerations in things tolerable, exquisitely drawn out by the lines of the Scripture and pensill of the Spirit, 'state wrongly ⚫ pencil

* Christians