Answ. 1We constantly deny that (let them grow) is a command at all, but only an inhibition to us that we quarrel not with God who suffers them to grow, and yet it follows not that Magistrates and Pastors sin in doing their duty so far to pluck them out, as the wheat be not also plucked up; for as we are not to fret and impatiently grudge at the permissive will and providence of God,2 in that he permits tares to grow, so we may, without sin, both pray the contrary of that which the permissive will ordains to be done, and labour to do the contrary, and yet not sin, the Disciples were not to grudge and fret at that decree of God, when ⟨p. 249⟩they heard Christ say, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered, yet were they to pray the contrary, as Christ commanded them, that they might not be led into temptation, and that they might never fulfil that permissive will of God in being scandalized at his suffering, and in leaving and forsaking their Lord and Master and denying him, when it was their duty not to be scattered, and not to forsake him out of fear, but to confess and give a testimony before men. Upon the same ground Magistrates and Pastors should do their duty, not to suffer all the tares still to grow among the wheat, and not to permit wicked men to blaspheme, murder, betray, and destroy the Saints, and the innocent among which they live, but according to their places they are to punish, and hinder and impede the growing of tares, but withal they are not impatiently to grudge and censure providence, but to let them alone, that is, to let God alone, and suffer him in that admirable disposal of affairs though wicked men be not fully purged out of Church and State till harvest, and here is an argument to me that by the tares, Christ must not mean corrupt doctrines, but wicked men, for it is a frigid and vain interpretation to ascribe to our Saviour, such a sense that he must suffer heresies, till the harvest, 3and when the harvest is come, he must send his Angels to gather heresies, and bind them in a bundle and cast them into hell, and so must he gather sound doctrines, upon the same ground, and send them to heaven, whereas the words clearly bear that they be persons that do offend and work iniquity that the Lord thus judgeth at the end of the world;
Answ. 1We constantly deny that (let them grow) is a command at all, but only an inhibition to us that we quarrell not with God who suffers them to grow, and yet it follows not that Magistrates and Pastors sinne in doing their duty so farre to plucke them out, as the wheat be not also plucked up; for as we are not to fret and impatiently grudge at the permissive will and providence of God,2 in that he permits tares to grow, so we may, without sin, both pray the contrary of that which the permissive will ordaines to be done, and labour to doe the contrary, and yet not sin, the Disciples were not to grudge and fret at that decree of God, when ⟨p. 249⟩they heard Christ say, I will smite the shepheard, and the sheep of the flocke shall be scattered, yet were they to pray the contrary, as Christ commanded them, that they might not be led into temptation, and that they might never fulfill that permissive will of God in being scandalized at his suffering, and in leaving and forsaking their Lord and Master and denying him, when it was their duty not to be scattered, and not to forsake him out of feare, but to confesse and give a testimony before men. Upon the same ground Magistrates and Pastors should do their duty, not to suffer all the tares still to grow among the wheat, and not to permit wicked men to blaspheme, murther, betray, and destroy the Saints, and the innocent among which they live, but according to their places they are to punish, and hinder and impede the growing of tares, but withall they are not impatiently to grudge and censure providence, but to let them alone, that is, to let God alone, and suffer him in that admirable disposall of affaires though wicked men be not fully purged out of Church and State till harvest, and here is an argument to me that by the tares, Christ must not meane corrupt doctrines, but wicked men, for it is a frigid and vaine interpretation to ascribe to our Saviour, such a sense that he must suffer heresies, till the harvest, 3and when the harvest is come, hee must send his Angells to gather heresies, and binde them in a bundle and cast them into hell, and so must he gather sound doctrines, upon the same ground, and send them to heaven, whereas the words clearly beare that they be persons that doe offend and worke inquity that the Lord thus judgeth at the end of the world;
- 1What (let them grow) imports.
- 2How we are to bear permissive providences wherein evils of sin fall out.How we are to beare permissive providences wherein evills of sin fall out.
- 3Christ must mean by Tares and Wheat, persons, not doctrines, good and ill
