Confession Of Jacques D’Auchy, Made Before The Commissary And The Inquisitor.

Jac. “Yes, I have read the 13th chapter of Deuteronomy, where it is written that if a false 581 prophet, or other person among them, should arise and teach them to go after other gods, which they had not known, that false prophet should be put to death, and stoned with stones.” Inq. “Well then, see here a testimony that heretics may be put to death.” Jac. “My lord, we are no more under the law, but under the gospel; and even if we were under the law, we would not teach you to go after other gods, but after him who created heaven and earth, and his Son Jesus Christ.” Inq. “You certainly do it by your ordinances.” Jac. “The Israelites were not all allowed to put any one to death because of difference in the use of the ordinances, since they believed in the same God: but all this does not answer our purpose; for what was commanded in the law is not commanded in the gospel of Christ.” Inq. “Not, how so?” Jac. “Because, my lord, in the law it was commanded, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, and to love one’s neighbor, and to hate one’s enemy; but through Christ we are commanded quite the contrary, not to resist evil, and to love our enemies.” Matt. 5:38; Lev. 24:20; 19:18. Inq. “True, but he did not command that heretics should not be put to death.” Jac. “What does Christ mean then, when he says that we must not root up the tares which are among the good grain, fearing that in rooting up the tares, we might also pull up the wheat; wherefore he commands, to let both grow until harvest; but the harvest is not come yet.” Mat. 13:29, etc. Inq. “You do not understand this very well; for it is easy to see whether they are tares or wheat.” Jac “Yes, for him that knows the seed.” Inq. “Yes, that is true.” Jac. “My lord, it is written that carnal men know only carnal things; but the things that are spiritual knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” 1 Cor. 2:11, etc. Inq. “This is very true.” Jac. “For this reason, my lord, I should like to ask you something.” Inq. “What is it?” Jac. “Have you the Spirit of God, or has the council received the Spirit of God?” Inq. “No, I will not answer this.” Jac. “How then shall you or those of the council be able to judge spiritual things? for the matter of which we speak is spiritual, and must be judged by the Spirit of God.” Inq. “You are judged only because you have transgressed the decree of the prince.” Jac. “If his command had not been contrary to God’s command, I should not have transgressed it.” Inq. “It is not contrary to the command of God.” Jac. “I wish you would prove to me by the Scriptures that the decree of the Emperor or King is upright and just?”

Inq. “I believe you think that all our fathers were deceived, and that your sect is saved. What will you say? it is full twelve or thirteen hundred years since Emperor Theodosius caused the proclamation of an edict or mandate, to put to death the heretics, namely, those who were then rebaptized, like your sect.”

Jac. “Yes; my lord, you say that our sect has existed only twenty or thirty years, but it has always been the case that those who would live godly in Christ Jesus, have had to suffer persecution, according to the words of Paul.” Inq. “Thus speak all heretics.” Jac. “Paul said it first; yet he was not a heretic.” Inq. “I am well aware that he was no heretic; but they all use the words of Paul; but I tell you, decrees and mandates for the putting to death of heretics are not a recent invention, but this has obtained for fourteen hundred years already.” Jac. “But it remains to be seen whether Emperor Theodosius, of whom you spoke, did well, and a good work according to the will of God, in issuing such a mandate.” Inq. “Yes, he certainly did, since he well knew that they were heretics.” Jac. “My lord, in his opinion they were heretics: but in the opinion of those who gave their lives for the testimony of their faith, he himself was a heretic and tyrant.” Inq. “How do you know that?” Jac. “This is self-evident; for those who put us to death for our faith, we esteem no better than heretics and tyrants, as may easily be presumed that also they did who were put to death by Emperor Theodosius. Hence, this matter cannot be judged save by the Spirit of God.” Inq. “No, no, you must not think that so many learned doctors as were then in the Catholic church, would have then permitted it, if it had been wrong to put heretics to death.” Jac. “I will not rely upon the ordinances or wisdom of men; for I adhere to the instruction of Christ and his apostles, who constantly admonish us to separate from false prophets, and to shun heretics; but not to pursue them, or to persecute them unto death.” Matthew 7:15; Tit. 3:10. Inq. “My son, do you know why they did not put them to death?” Jac. “I believe it was because it was not pleasing to God.” Inq. “No, no, Jacques, it was because they were not powerful enough, and had neither king, nor prince, nor magistrate.” Jac. “Christ had power enough to call to his aid more than twelve legions of angels, and the apostles had power enough through the Holy Spirit, but they were called to be a flock of sheep and lambs, as harmless as doves, and so changed as to be like little children.” Matthew 26:53; 10:16; John 10:27. Inq. “It is true, it was so at that time.” Jac. “And shall now, my lord, the children of God be of a different nature from what they were then, shall they have the nature of wolves?” Inq. “Certainly not; I do not say that.” Jac. “Yet it appears to me, my lord, that those who now boast of being children of God, have the genuine nature of ravening wolves.”