PS_NyG_1982v029n002p0255_04110410

364 J uan J o s é H . A lonso and good Physitian Christ Jesus, the Head of the Body, and King of the Church hath not been unfaithfuU in providing spirituall antidotes and preservatives against the spirituall sicknesses, sores, weaknesses, dangers of his Church and people; but he never appointed the civill sword for either antidote or remedy, as an addition to those spiritualls, which he hath left whith his wife, his Church or People»199. Lc 9 , 54-35 Es éste otro pasaje escriturístico analizado y en él se reprende la actuación de los discípulosde Jesús por sus intenciones de destruir con fuego bajado del cielo a los samaritanos que no quisieron reci­ birlos. Con respecto a esta cita escriturística y a la de 2 Tim 2, 24, ambas conjuntadas, ofrecemos literalmente un párrafo de J. Cotton, sobre el que se pronuncia posteriormente R. Williams. He aquí el pensa­ miento de Cotton: «Both these are directions to Ministers of the Gospel how to deale (not with obstinate offendors in the Church who sin against conscience, but) either with men without as the Samaritanes were, and many unconverted Christians in Creet, whom Titus (as an Evangelist) was to seek to convert: Or at best with some Jewes or Gentiles in the Church, who though carnall, yet were not convinced of the errour of their way: And it is true it became not the Spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith (Such as the Samaritanes were) by fire and brimstone, nor to deale harshly in publicke Ministery or private conference with all such severall minded men as either had not yet entred into Church fellowship, or if they had did hitherto sin of ignorance, not against Conscience: But nei­ ther of both these Texts doe hinder the Minister of the Gospel to pro­ ceed in a Church way against Church members, when they become scan­ dalous offenders either in life or doctrine, much lesse doe they speake at all to the Civill Magistrate» 200. Ante estos pensamientos la reflexion de Williams se desarrolla en los estadios siguientes: — El hecho de la repulsa del Señor Jesús a sus discípulos que, en virtud de un celo ignorante e indebido, reclamaban la destrucción 200. Id., o . c ., 130-1. La exactitud literal de este párrafo, asegurada por Roger Williams, es desmentida por John Cotton quien afirma que, a pesar de que los contenidos hayan sido expuestos por él, aparecen ciertas expresiones formales que no son suyas y que han sido utilizadas por Williams de forma ligera y sin prestarle la debida atención.