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? 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.
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.