The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered, by Roger Williams CHAP. XVIII. The examination of what is meant by the tares and the command of the Lord Jesus to let them alone. CHAP. XVIII. The examination of what is meant by the tares and the command of the Lord Jesus to let them alone. First, Matt. xiii. 30, 38, “Because Christ commandeth to let alone the tares to grow up together with the wheat, until the harvest.” Unto which he answereth: “That tares are not briars and thorns, but partly hypocrites, like unto the godly, but indeed carnal, as the tares are like to wheat, but are not wheat; or partly such corrupt doctrines or practices as are indeed unsound, but yet such as come very near the truth (as tares do to the wheat), and so near, that good men may be taken with them; and so the persons in whom they grow cannot be rooted out but good wheat will be rooted out with them. In such a case,” saith he, “Christ calleth for peaceable toleration, and not for penal prosecution, according to the third conclusion.” The answerer’s fallacious exposition, that tares signify either persons, doctrines, or practices. Truth. The substance of this answer I conceive to be, first, negative; that by tares are not meant persons of another religion and worship, that is, saith he, “they are not briars and thorns.” Secondly, affirmative; by tares are meant either persons or doctrines, or practices; persons, as hypocrites, like the godly; doctrines or practices corrupt, yet like the truth. For answer hereunto, I confess that not only those worthy witnesses, whose memories are sweet with all that fear God, Calvin, Beza, &c., but of later times many conjoin with this worthy answerer, to satisfy themselves and others with such an interpretation. The answerer barely affirming a most strange interpretation. But, alas! how dark is the soul left that desires to walk with God in holy fear and trembling, when in such a weighty and mighty point as this is, that in matters of conscience concerneth the spilling of the blood of thousands, and the civil peace of the world in the taking up arms to suppress all false religions!—when, I say, no evidence, or demonstration of the Spirit, is brought to prove such an interpretation, nor arguments from the place itself or the scriptures of truth to confirm it; but a bare affirmation that these tares must signify persons, or doctrines and practices. Satan’s subtlety about the opening of scripture. I will not imagine any deceitful purpose in the answerer’s thoughts in the proposal of these three—persons, doctrines, or practices; yet dare I confidently avouch, that the old serpent hath deceived his precious soul, and by tongue and pen would deceive the souls of others by such a method of dividing the word of truth. A threefold cord, and so a threefold snare, is strong; and too like it is that one of the three, either persons, doctrines, or practices, may catch some feet.[105]