If any shall say that blasphemy is of a larger extent and more
general acceptation in the Scripture, I shall not deny it ; but ^^et that
that kind of blasphemy which was punishable with violent death, was
comprehensive of any inferior crime, I suppose cannot be proved.
' Thoni. 22ne. g. 13, a. 1, ad lum.
OF TOLERATION. 167
However, blasphemy in the Scripture is never taken in any place, that I can remember, for a man's maintaining his own error ; but for his reviling and speaking evil of the truth which he receiveth not : and so Paul before his conversion was a blasphemer.^ Now, if men to whom forbearance is indulged in by-paths of their o^vn, shall make it their work to cast dirt on the better ways of truth, it is to me very questionable whether they do not offend against that prime dictate of nature for the preservation of human society, " Quod tibi fieri non vis, alteri ne feceris ;" and for such I will be no advocate. Neither can, indeed, the law of blasphemy be impartially urged by us in any case of heresy whatsoever. For, —
(1.) The penal sanctions of the laws of God are not in England esteemed of moral equity, and perpetually indispensable ; for if so, why do adulterers unmolested behold the violent death of stealers ?
(2.) The blasphemer by that law was not allowed his clergy ; die he must without mercy, no room being left for the intervention of repentance, as to the removal of his temporal punishment ; — when once the witnesses' garments were rent, he was anathema. But in case of any heresy, repentance, yea, recantation, is a sure antidote (at least for once, so it is among the Papists) against all corporeal sufferings.
6. Neither doth that place in Zechariah, chap. xiii. 3, concerning the running through of the false prophet, more prove or approve of the punishment of death to be inflicted for misapprehensions in the matters of religion (and if it proves not that, it proveth nothing ; for slaying is the thing expressed, and certainly if proofs be taken from the letter, the letter must be obeyed, or we force the word to serve our hypothesis) than that place of John, x. 1, " He that entereth not by the door is a thief and a robber ;" which Bellarmine strongly urgeth to this very purpose, because thieves and robbers are so dealt withal righteously.^ If such deductions may be allowed, it will be easy to prove " quidlibet ex quolibet," at any time.
If the letter be urged, and the sense of the letter as it lies (indeed' the figurative sense of such places is the proper, literal sense of them), let that sense alone be kept to. Let parents, then, pass sentence, con- demn, and execute then- children, when they turn seducers ; and that in any kind whatsoever, — into what seduction soever they shall be en- gaged, be it most pernicious, or in things of less concernment. The letter allows of none of our distinctions ; be they convinced or not convinced, obstinate or not obstinate, all is one — so it must be : thrust through and slain by their parents must they fall to the ground.
' Acts xviii. 6, xxvi. 11 ; 1 Tim, i. 13. * Bell. Lib. de Laicis., cap. xxi.
3 August, de Util. Creden., cap. iii. Thom. pp. q. 1, a. 10. Zanch. de SS. q. 12, cap. 2, reg. 10. Tilcn. Syntag. Theol. de Interpret. S. Thes. 8. Whitak. de SS., qu.5, cap. 2. Armin, Disput. Pri. Thes. 9, 1. Ames. Med. Theol. cap. 34. Thes.*!?.
1 G8 OF TOLERATION.
Only observe, his father and his mother that begat him must be made magistrates, — prophets with unclean spirits be turned into heretics: — only "thrusting^ through," that must be as it is in the letter ; yea, though plainly the party of whom it is said, " Thou shalt not live," verse 3, is found alive, verse 6. Surely such an Orleans gloss^ is scarce sufficient to secure a conscience in slaying heretics. But, when men please, this whole place shall directly point at the discipline of the churches, and their spiritual censures under the gospel, — curing deceivers, and bringing them home to confession and acknowledgment of their folly. See the late Annot. of the Bible.
7. From the asserting of the authority and description of the duty of the magistrate, Rom. xiii., the argument is very easy that is pro- duced for the suppressing by external force of eiToneous persons. The paralogism is so foul and notorious in this arguing — "He is to suppress evil deeds; heresy is an evil deed: therefore that also" — that it needs no confutation. That he is to punish all evil deeds was never yet affirmed. Unbelief is a work of the flesh, — so is coveting ; one, the root-sin, against the first, — the other against the second table : yet in themselves both exempted from the magistrate's cognizance and juris- diction. The evil-doers, doubtless, for whose terror and punishment he is appointed, are such as by theh deeds disturb that human society the defence and protection whereof is to him committed. That among the number of these are errors, the depravations of men's understand- ings, hath not yet been proved.