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66 • A COUNTRY ESSAY
tests that the pope had with others, the truth was on his side (as in the business of Atlianasius and others in the east deposed by the Ai'ians^). Now, who would not have thought, that his standing up with all earnestness for the truth would not have been the ruin of the devil's kingdom of darkness, and almost have spoiled the plot of the mystery of iniquity? when the truth is, the largest steps that ever the man of sin took towards his throne was by usurping of power to suppress errors and heresies. It would be a gTeat encouragement to use that way for the extirjoation of errors (if any such be, besides the preaching of the gospel, and convictions from thence), which any one could produce and give assm-ance that it hath not been tried, or been tried and proved ineffectual for the supplantation of truth ; and if such a way be not produced, what if both should grow together until harvest?
9. Let us not be too hasty in pressing any opinion arising and divulged with odious consequences of sedition, turbulency, and the like, because tumults and troubles happen in the commonwealth where it is asserted. A coincidence of events is one of the principal causes of eiTor and misjudgings in the world: because errors and tumults arise together, therefore one is the cause of the other, may be an argument " a baculo ad angulum." It is a hard thing to charge them with sedition who protest against it, and none can make it appear that it is "contraria factis" by any of their actions, but only because it is fit they should bear the blame of what happen- eth evilly in their days. Upon every disaster in the empire, the noise of old was, "Christianos ad leones."^ For our part, we ought to remember that we were strangers in Egypt. It is but little more than a hundred years since all mouths were opened and filled \nth. reproaches against that glorious Reformation wherein we rejoice. Was it not the unanimous voice of all the. adversaries thereof, that a new religion was brought in, tending to the immediate ruin of all states and commonwealths, — attended with rebellion, the mother of sedition? Have we not frequent apologies of our divines for the con- futation of such ftilse, malicious, and putid criminations? It is true, indeed, the light of the gospel breaking out was accompanied with war, and not peace (according to the prediction of our Saviour); whereof the gospel was no more the cause, than John Diazius was of that horrible murder, when his brains were chopped out with an axe by his brother Alphonsus,^ because he professed the gospel. ' Hence Luther, the vehemency of whose spirit gave no way to glosses and temporizing excuses, plainly affirms those tumults to be such ne- cessary appendices of the preaching of the gospel, that he should not believe the word of God to be abroad in the world, if he saw it not ' Socrat., lib. ii. cap. 11. ' Aruob. ' Slcid. Coin.
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accompanied with tumults; which he had rather partake in, than perish under the wrath of God in an eternal tumult.^ The truth must go on, though thereby the world should be reduced to its primitive chaos and confusion. Were it not a perpetual course, for men of every persuasion to charge sedition, and the like, upon that which they would have suppressed, knowing that no name is more odious unto them Avho have power to effect their desire ; and did I not find that some, who have had much ado, whilst they were sheep, to keep off that imputation from themselves, within a few years, becoming lions, have laid it home upon others as peaceable as they; I might perhaps be more rigid than now these discoveries will suffer me to be. Far be it from me to apologize for truth itself, if seditious ; — only I abhor those false, malicious criminations, whereby God's people in these days wherein we live have exceedingly suffered. It hath pleased God so to order things in this kingdom, that the work of re- covering his worship to its purity, and restoring tlie civil state to its liberty, should be both carried on at the same time by the same per- sons. Are there none now in this kingdom to whom this reforming is an almost everting of God's worship? And are there none that have asserted that our new religion hath caused all those tumults and bloodshed? And doth not every unprejudiced man see that these are hellish lies and malicious accusations, having indeed neither ground nor colour, but only their coincidence in respect of time? Is any wise man moved with their clamours? Are their aspersions con- siderable? Are we the only men that have been thus injuriously traduced? Kemember the difference between Elijah and Ahab, — what was laid to the charge of Paul; see the apologies of the old Christians, and speak what you find.
Much might here be added concerning the qualifications, carriages, humility, peaceableness, of erring persons; all which ought to be considered, and our proceedings towards them to be, if not regulated, yet much swayed by such considerations. Some I have known my- self, that I dare say the most curious inquirer into their ways, that sees with eyes of flesh, would not be able to discover any thing but mere conviction and tenderness of conscience that causeth them to own the opinions which, different from others, they do embrace. Others, again, so exceeding supercilious, scorning, proud, selfish, — so given to contemning of all others, reviling and undervaluing of their adversaries, — that the blindest pity cannot but see much carnalness and iniquity in their ways. These things, then, deserve to be weighed, all passion and particular interest being set aside. And then, if the