Now, all these things, and many more that might be added, must clearly be distinguished and determined by him that would handle his matter at large and exactly, that we may know what he means by those ambig-uous words, and in what acceptation he owns them. Until this be done, a man may profess to oppose both toleration and non-toleration without any contradiction at all, because in their seve- ral senses they do not always intend the same.
For my part, as on the one side ; — if by toleration you mean " po- testatem vivendi ut velis" (as the Stoics defined liberty), a universal concession of an unbouuded liberty,* or rather, bold, unbridled licen-
' 'E^^pos yap fioi 'xsTvoj ofiug a'ioao ■rv^'/i/riv, 'Of ^' 'Inpov fih xivhi In (fpiirh, aXXo Ti (id^n. — [Hom. II., ix. 312, 313.] 2 'Eloviria auTofrpay'ia; ; — [Diog. Laert, in Stoic. Dogrn., rendered as above by Cicer. Paradox. Sto. v. 1]
58 A COUNTRY ESSAY
tiousness, for every one to vent what he pleaseth, and to take what course seems good in his own eyes, in things concerning religion and the worship of God, I cannot give my vote for it; — so, if by non- toleration you mean that which the gloss upon that place, " Hsere- ticura hominem de vita," intended by adding " supple toUe,"^ to make up the sense, — as if they were not to be endured in any place who dissent only in not-fundamentals from that which is established, but to be hated " ad furcas et leones," as the Christians of old, or to have their new derided lights extinguished in that light, " qua stantes ardent, qui fixo gutture fumant," in a Nero's bonfire, — into the secrets of them that are thus minded let not my soul descend. " In their anger they will slay a man, and in their self-will they dig down a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce ; and their wrath, for it is cruel." These things, then, being so ambig\ious, doubtful, and uncertain, we dare not be too peremptorily dogmatical, nor positively assert but only what is certainly true; as are these follow- ing:—
1. That heresies and errors ought not to be tolerated; — that is, men ought not to connive at, or comply with, those ways and opinions which they are convinced to be false, erroneous, contrary to sound doctrine, and that form of wholesome words which is delivered unto us as (next unto Christ) the greatest treasure of our souls, — especially if credibly supposed to shake any fundamentals of the common faith ; but with all their strength and abilities, in all lawful ways, upon every just call, to oppose, suppress, and overthrow them, — to root them up and cast them out, that they may not, as noxious weeds and tares, overgrow and choke the good corn, amongst which they are covertly scattered. All predictions of "false Christs, false prophets, false teachers to come," and " to be avoided," — all cautions to " try spirits, avoid heretics, beware of seducers, keep close to the truth received, — to hate the doctrine of Nicolaitanes, to avoid endless disputes, strife of words, old fables, languishing about unprofitable questions," — the epithets given to, and descriptions made of, heresies, that they are " pernicious, damnable, cankers, works of the flesh," and the like, — are all incitations and encouragements for the applying of all expedient means for the taking out of the way these stumbling-blocks. Let, then, the Scriptures be searched, and all ways embraced which the gospel holdeth forth, for the discovering, convincing, silencing, reprov- ing, confuting of errors and persons erring, by admonitions, reproofs, mighty Scripture convictions, evidencing of the truth, with fervent prayers to Almighty God, the God of truth, that he would give us one heart and one way ; and if these weapons of our warfare do not prevail, Ave must let them know that one day their disobedience
' Tolle de vita.
FOR THE PRACTICE OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT. 59
will be revenged with being cut off, and " cast out as unprofitable branches, fit to be cast into the fire."
2. That any doctrine tending undeniably in its own nature (and not by strained consequences) to the disturbance of the civil state may be suppressed, by all such means as are lawfully to be used for the conservation of the peace and safety of the state. Jesus Christ, though accused of sedition, taught none, practised none. His gospel gives not control to magistracy, righteous laws, or any sort of law- ful government established amongst men; and therefore they whose faith is faction, and whose religion is rebellion, — I mean Jesuits and Jesuitical Papists, — some of the articles of whose creeds are directly repugnant to the safety, yea, being, of any commonwealths, wherein themselves and men of their ov^ti persuasion do not domineer and rule, may be proceeded against by them who bear not the sword in vain. The like may be said of men seditious, under any pretences whatsoever, — like the Anabaptists at Munster.
3. That such heresies or mispersuasions as are attended with any notorious sin in practice (I mean, not in consequences, but owned by their abettors, and practised accordingly, beyond Epicurus, whose honest life was not corrupted by his foul, dishonest opinion), — like the Nicolaitanes, teaching, as most suppose, promiscuous lust; and the Papists' express abominable idolatry, — may be in their authors more severely punished than such crimes not owned and maintained do singly deserve. To pretend conscience in such a case will not avail; " the works of the flesh are manifest," — easy to be discerned, known to all. Apologies for such, argue searedness, not tenderness: such " evil communication " as " corrupteth good manners," is not to be tolerated.