THE BLOUDY TENENT WASHED And made white in the bloud of the Lambe being discussed and discharged of bloud-guiltinesse by just Defence WHEREIN The great Questions of this present time are handled viz. How farre Liberty of Conscience ought to be given to those that truly feare God And how farre restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons that not onely raze the foundation of Godlinesse but disturb the Civill Peace where they live Also how farre the Magistrate may proceed in the duties of the first Table And that all Magistrates ought to study the word and will of God that they may frame their Government according to it DISCUSSED As they are alledged from divers Scriptures out of the Old and New Testament Wherein also the practise of Princes is debated together with the Judgement of Ancient and late Writers of most precious esteeme Whereunto is added a Reply to Mr. WILLIAMS Answer to Mr. COTTONS Letter BY JOHN COTTON Batchelor in Divinity and Teacher of the Church of Christ at Boston in New-England LONDON Printed by Matthew Symmons for Hannah Allen at the Crowne in Popes-Head-Alley 1647. THE BLOODY TENET WASHED AND MADE WHITE IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMBE OR The Bloody Tenet discust and discharg'd of bloud-guiltinesse by Just defence CHAP. I. THE Bloody Tenet I meane the booke stiled by that name tending to discusse an holy wholesome truth of God slanderously stiled the Bloudy Tenet was put forth against the Royall Law of the love of the Gospel Mr. Williams sent me about a dozen yeares agoe as I remember a letter penned as he wrote by a Prisoner in Newgate touching persecution for Conscience sake and intreated my judgement of it for the satisfaction of his friend I wa not willing to deny him any office of Christian love and gave him my poore judgement in a private letter This private letter of mine he hath published in Print after so many yeares and there with a Resuration of it If my letter was Orthodoxall and tending to satisfaction and edification why did he refute it If corrupt and erronious especially if bloudy why did he publish it The letter and so the error contained in it if it was an error it was private and so private that I know no man that hath a coppy of it no not my selfe who penned it for ought I could find but himselfe onely if I did offend him by the writing of such an error to him though by himselfe intreated to expresse my judgement let him remember he pleadeth for libertie of conscience I wrote my conscience and the truth of God according to my conscience in the sight of God Why should he punish me with open pennance and expose me as much as in him lieth before the world to open shame as a man of bloud for the liberty of my conscience How will it stand with his owne principles to plead for liberty of conscience and yet to punish it Besides let him remember if I did offend him with such an error it was but a private offence and the rule of the Gospel required he should first have convinced and admonished me privately of it and so have proceeded upon my contumacy at length to have told the Church before he had published it to the world But such as seeke for new Apostles must seeke also for new Gospel before this manner of dealing can be justified by the Gospel of Christ That booke of his therefore being thus begun against the rule of the Gospel no marvell if it swarve from the truth of the Gospel all a long He that setteth forth out of his way in the first entrance of his journey no marvell if he wander all the day after CHAP. 2. Of the title he prefixeth to my answere of the prisoners letter IN printing my answer to the prisoners Letter he prefixeth thititle The answer of Mr. John Cotton of Boston in New-Englands professedly maintaining Persecution for cause of Conscience This Title trespasseth not onely against the Creator of Christian love which is wont to take even doubtfull things in the fairest sense but even against the Law of truth For in the whole purport of my Answer to the Letter both in stating the Question and in answering Objections I expresly professe 1. That no man is to be persecuted at all much lesse for Conscience sake because all persecution is oppression for Righteousnesse sake 2. I Professe further That none is to be punishâ—d for his Conscience sake though Erroneous unlesse his Errors be Fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of Conscience That it may appeare he is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Thus whilest he pleadeth for Liberty of Conscience he taketh Liberty to his Conscience openly to publish That I do professedly maintaine Persecution for cause of Conscience When I doe in expresse tearmes professedly Renounce it This Liberty of Conscience setteth the Conscience at Liberty Calumniandi audacter Object But it may be by consequence I doe maintaine Persecution for cause of Conscience though in expresse tearmes I professedly Renounce it Ans 1. What if such a thing might be inferr'd by consequence mens judgements and professions are not to be taken up from every unwary consequence against their owne positive and expresse Declarations and Professions It is iustly taxed in Bellarmine as a slanderous Calumny that he bringeth in Luther Calvine Martyr Bucer makeing God the Authour of sinne which all of them in expresse tearmes doe auoyde yet he would fasten such a blasphemous Tenet upon them forsooth by consequences In like sort by the like consequences is the Bloudy Tenet fastened upon me When the eyes are bloud-shotten or looke through a red glasse all things about them will appeare red and bloudy But if this Tenet have any appearance of blood in it It is because it is washed in the Bloud of the Lambe and sealed with his bloud And then though it may seeme Bloudy to men of corrupt mindes destitute of the truth as Paul seemed to such to be a Pestilent fellow yet to faithful and upright soules such things as are washed in the Bloud of the Lambe are wont to come forth white as did the followers of the Lambe who washed their Robes white in the Bloud of the Lambe Rev 7.14 CHAP. 3. A reply to the third Chapter of the Bloudy Tenet discust what is a cause of Conscience in generall IN stateing of the Question I propounded some distinctions for clearing of the Point The 1. was this in mine Answer to the Letter of the Prisoner By Persecution for cause of Conscience I conceive you meane either for professing some point of Doctrine which you beleive in Conscience to be the Truth or for practising some worke which you beleive in Conscience to be a Religious duty Discusser This distinction is not full and compleate For besides both these a man may be persecuted for cause of Conscience because he dare not be constrained to
Prophets and seducing Teachers doe bring downe showers of Gods blessings upon the civill State 1 Kings 18.40 41. Fifthly it is an honour to Gods Justice that such Judgements are executed Rev. 16.5 6 7. Discusser But such Executions in Queen Elizabeths dayes had raysed almost all Europe in combustion the warres of 88. the Spanish Invasion had speciall respect to this And had not the Lord borne witnesse to his owne Law and to his people herein by defeating the Intendments of their Enemies it might have been the ruine both of England and the Netherlands which are the words of Mr. Cotton himselfe on the third Viall Defender The words Answer for themselves The Devill and his Instruments raged against such Lawes and such Executions but God bare witnesse to both by mightily defeating the Invasions and Conspiracies of Enemies Discusser It is no Argument that God bare witnesse to his people in such Deliverancies and Victories For 1. Events and Successes come alike to all and are no Arguments of Love or Hatred Defender Events and successes are indeed no Arguments of a mans spirituall Estate of the Love or hatred of God to a mans person in which sense Solomon speaketh Eccles 9.1 2. But otherwise they are ordinary witnesses good Events of a good cause if it be well handled ill events of an ill cause or at least of the ill handling of a good cause Psal 1.3 4. Jer. 22.15 16 17. Discusser Secondly Papists in their warres have ever yet had both in Peace and warre victory and Dominion And therefore if successe be the measure God hath borne witnesse to them as in the Warres between Charles the fift and some Germane Princes where the successe was various between Philip of Spaine and the Low-Countries the King of France and his Protestant Subjects sometimes winning sometimes loosing But most memorable is the History of the Waldenses who fought many Battles against three succeeding Popes with various successe But the finall successe and Victory fell to the Popedome and Romish Church in the utter extirpation of those Waldensian witnesses Defender Reply 1. I will not inquire of the meaning of the words how the Papists in their warres have had both in Peace and Warre Victory and Dominion But this I cannot excuse from contradiction that the Papists in their Warres ever had the Victory and yet have often fought with various successe sometime winning sometime loosing Nor can I tell how it standeth with Truth that Papists in their Warres ever had the Victory since Queen Elizabeth ever had the Victory over them Reply 2. Though Papists have fought with various Successe it is Gods manner to nurture his people with some crosses that they might at length learne to fight not in their owne strength but in the Lords Reply 3. The story is evident that the Waldenses never lost Battell but when they complyed with the Papists and trusted more in their false pretences then in the Lord. Neither is it true that the finall successe ef the Victory fell to the Romish Church to the utter extirpation of those Waldensian witnesses For it never came to an utter Extirpation of them but only to a dispersion into sundry Countries of Europe as Bishop Vsher sheweth in the last words of his Booke De successione Christianarum Ecclesiarum But dispersion is one thing utter exterpation is anoother Seed is dispersed and the more multiplyed but exterpation tendeth to withering and destruction Certaine it is the Waldenses long after those warres and that dispersion wrote Letters to Luther and Calvin which are extant to this day Discusser It is most true what Daniel in his 8.11 and 12. Chapters and John Rev. 11 12 and 13. Chapters write of the great successe of Antichrist against Christ Jesus for a time appointed Defender Not against Christ Jesus for who ever warred against him and prevailed Job 9.4 But true it is against his servants Antichrist prevailed for a time appointed but it was when either the Saints suffered for the Truth and then the Saints were the true Conquerours or else when they complyed with the corruptions of the times and then though their cause was good yet they handled it ill Discusser Gods servants are all Conquerours when they warre with Gods weapons in Gods cause and worship as in Rev. 2. and 3. Chapters and in Rev. 12. they overcome the Dragon in the Romane Emperours by three weapons the bloud of the Lamb the word of their Testimony and not loving their lives unto the death Defender It is true those are the weapons of the Ministers of the Gospel and those are also the weapons of private Christians but if the Magistrate be the Minister of God in bearing his sword then the Sword also is a weapon of God which when it is drawne out in Gods cause and worship according to God with confidence not in the arme of flesh but in the Lord of Hosts it goeth forth Conquering to conquer Rev. 17.14 with Rev. 19.14.19 20. Gideons Sword was the Sword of the Lord Judg. 7.20 CHAP. 65. A Reply to his Chap. 68. Discussing the Testimonies alledged from Ancient and later writers and first that of Hilary Discusser THe last Head of Arguments produced by the Author against persecution was from the Judgement of Antient and later Writers to some of which the Answerer pleaseth to answer Defender Some of which as if any of them were omitted or as if all of them were not answered compare the Prisoners Letter and my Answer together and see if I have balked any one of them Discusser If it be a marke of the Christian Church to be persecuted and of the Antichristian or false Church to persecute then the Churches cannot be truly Christian according to the first Institution which either actually themselves or by the civill Power of Kings and Princes given to them or procured by them to fight for them doe persecute such as discent from them or be opposite against them Defender I say againe if persecution be properly taken for the punishment of the Innocent for Truth or Righteousnesse sake it ought not to be found in a Christian Church but is usually found in a false and Antichristian Church but I cannot as the Discusser doth make it a marke of the Christian Church to be persecuted and a marke of a false Church to persecute For a Marke is such a signe as belongeth omni soli semper as a marke of the Church must agree to every Church and at all times to the Church and onely to the Church But to be persecuted is not found in every true Church at least not at all times For after the conversion of Paul unto the Faith of Christ the Churches had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria Acts 9.31 shall we say they were then no true Christian Churches because they wanted this marke of the Church to be persecuted Againe wee read that after the destruction of Antichrist the Churches of the Saints shall have rest
amongst them And this libertie he did use and might have used to this day without any disturbance to his Civill or Church-Peace save onely in a way of brotherly disquisition but it was his Doctrines and Practises which tended to the Civill disturbance of the Common-wealth together with his heady and busie pursuite of the same even to the rejection of all Churches here These they were that made him unfit for enjoying Communion either in the one state or in the other When he reckoneth me and me onely by name as one of the most incensed against him I reckon it as one of his usuall exorbitant Hyperboles unlesse by Incensed he meane one that with some others were most kindled and stirred up to endeavour his satisfaction And then his terme Incensed though it be not an Hyperbole yet it is an Acurology Neither doe I remember that he hath any cause to say that I gave him a Testimony of godlinesse For his godlinesse I leave it to him who is the searcher of hearts I neither attested it nor denied it Every brother in the Church though he may be called a brother in Christ as Christ is the Head of the visible Church and being cast out of the Church though he may be admonished as a Brother and so have some reference still to Christ yet godlinesse requiteth a Participation of the Divine Nature I speake in Peters sence 2 Pet. 1.4 by the power of the Spirit of Grace conforming us to fellowship with Christ and his Churches the which things have not so evidently appeared to me I speak it with griefe either in his spirit or in his way these many yeares And yet I deny not others may discerne more Power of Godlinesse in him then I doe and may speake of him accordingly But it was no uncharitable speech of Paul to tell the Galatians and that before all the Churches that he stood in feare of them Gal. 4.10 The life of faith from whence springeth both the truth and the Power of Godlinesse is very repugnant to Self-fulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith emptieth a man of self-confidence and maketh him apt to acknowledge with Agur Truely I am more foolish then any man Prov. 30.2 But the Lord help us to tremble before him If he leave us though but a while to our selves we can soone learne to reigne as Kings like the Corinthians without Church-Officers or the Ordinances of Christ 1 Cor. 4.8 TO CHAP. XII HIs 12th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a speech of mine That godly persons are not so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate from Christ Else they could not be godly persons His Answer is That this cometh not neere the Question which is not concernign personall godlinesse or Grace in Christ but the godlinesse or Christianitie of worship Whereupon he distinguisheth of Christ as considered two waies 1. Personally as God-man c. 2. As Head of his Church In the former sence he acknowledgeth they cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ in the latter they may Reply This distinction of Christ is inconveniently expressed as was the like once before For the membra dividentia the parts of the division are coincident Christ as God-man is the Head of the visible Church But his meaning I apprehend and accept Christ God-man is Head both of the invisible Church and of the visible As he is Head of the invisible Church so he is received by faith As he is head of the visible so he is received by profession of the true faith both of the grace of faith and of the Doctrine of faith The proper fruit whereof is holy worship and professed subjection to the Rule of the Gospel Now for his application of his Distinction in the generall I doe approve it and doe willingly acknowledge that a godly person may be through ignorance or negligence so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ taking Christ as Head of the visible Church For he may fall into such fundamentall Antichristian corruption in Doctrine or Worship or Government as either may justly prevent his admission into the Church or being in the Church and yet through pang of Temptation continuing obstinate in his corruption after conviction he may justly be excommunicate out of the Church But lest I may seeme to hover and so to vanish in Generalities whilest I onely speake of Antichristian corruptions in generall I shall willingly Instance in some Particulars which may give light to others of like nature It is an Antichristian corruption in Doctrine to accept any Propitiatory Sacrifices for our reconciliation but the death of Christ only It is a like corruption to look for Justification from sinne in the sight of God by our own works It is an Antichristian corruption in worship to worship Angels or Saints or Images It is an Antichristian corruption in Government to take the Pope to be the Head of the Church and such an Head as hath Power to make Laws to binde the Conscience to authorize Scripture to be Canonicall to adde other Books to Scripture with like Authoritie to be himselfe the onely Authenticall Interpreter of Scripture and Judge of Controversies These and the like corruptions are such as make Antichrist a Sonne of Perdition and them that are led by him to fall into like Perdition with him Of one of these Points Paul saith They that hold it hold not the Head Col. 2.18 19. Of another of these Paul saith They that hold it are abolished from Christ Gal. 5.4 The like wee may say of all the rest Yet in times of former darknesse some of the faithfull members of Christ might and were for a time entangled with a yoke of Bondage in some or most or all of these Particulars out of which the Lord at length rescued them by variety of Temptations and by some breaking forth of light in the mouths of some of his witnesses in every age But whilest any of them walked in these or like corruptions they might justly be debarred from admission into Church-fellowship or standing fast in them after conviction they might justly be cast forth out of Church-fellowship But there be other corruptions and Antichristian corruptions too which because they doe not subvert the Foundation neither of faith nor of Church-order I would not say that they separate from Christ no not as he is the Head of the visible Church For then if some whole Church were leavened with them they might soone cease to be a Church But we see the contrary in Scripture the High Places were tolerated in Judah and yet Judah ceased not to be a Church And by like proportion some more high and eminent Power may be given by some Churches to their Officers according to an Antichristian Patterne in some measure and yet they not cease to be a Church David and all the Congregation of Israel might bring up the Arke of God in a Cart after the manner of the
fall to the Lawes and Governments of the Countries where they inhabite And therefore all the dangerous consequences which the Discusser gathereth from my speech but indeed not my speech but his owne as if I should drive the world out of the world or turne the world upside downe or leave it to men that have not Gods feare to judge who feare God and who not and the rest that follow they are all of them consequences without an Anticedent or an Anticedent without exsistence in any speech of mine but onely in his owne imagination Neither hath it any better ground that passionate exclamation of his with which he endeth this Chapter Heare saith he O Heavens and give eare O Earth yea let the Heavens be astonished and the Earth tremble at such an Answer What Answer thinke you might this be that might provoke not the Discusser onely but the Heavens and earth to such attention admiration trembling astonishment The Answer forsooth is that which he calleth a wonderfull Answer which the Ministers of New-England gave to the third Question sent to them by some Ministers of Old-England to wit that although they confessed them to be such persons whom they approved of farre above themselves yea who were in their hearts to live and die together yet if they or other godly people with them comming over to them should differ in Church-Constitution they then could not approve their civill Cohabitation with them and consequently could not advise their Magistrates to suffer them to injoy a civill being within their jurisdiction Now sure if there were any such Answer to be found in that Booke sounding to such a purpose I my selfe should joyne with him in the like exclamation and wonderment But when I came to search for that speech and neither finde it in the Answer which he quoteth to the third Question nor in that which I rather thinke he meant the 31. I cannot but admire and adore the righteous Judgement of God who having left the Discusser in this Booke and some other to write against the Truth in point of Doctrine hath herein left him to breake forth in his owne hand-writing into notorious impudent falshood in matter of fact which any man that readeth that Booke cannot but discerne in this Allegation The Answer is too large for me to transcribe but who so will may reade it and when he compareth the Answer in that Booke with the Answer in this he may well wonder with what heart and forhead the Discusser could so expresse it CHAP. 76. A Reply to his 79. Chap. Discusser Yea but say they they doubt not if those Ministers of Old-England should come over to them and were here with them they should agree For say they either you will come to us or shew us light to come to you for wee are but weake men and dreame not of perfection in this life Alas who knoweth not what lamentable differences have been betweene the same Ministers of the Church of England c. Let none now thinke that the passage to New-England by Sea or the nature of the Countrie can doe what onely the Key of David can doe to wit open and shut the Consciences of men Defender I did not thinke that any man in Old-England or New had been so ignorant or uncharitable as to think the Pen-man of the Answer to these Questions had conceived that either the voyage by Sea or the change of the aire from Old England to New could change the judgements or Consciences of men Nature could tell Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare Currunt But yet no Christian man is ignorant that mutual conference between Godly ingenuous and selfe-denying Christians is a notable meanes sanctified of God for the instruction edification one of another till wee all come to be of one minde in the Lord. Else how shall therebe mutuall convictions without mutuall conferences It is the Key of David onely that can open and shut the Consciences of men but that Key ordinarily doth it in the dispensation of Ordinances whereof Conference is one Discusser Besides how can this be a faithfull and upright acknowledgement of their weaknesse and imperfection when they Preach Print and practise such violence to the soules and bodyes of others And by their Rules and grounds ought to proceed to the killing of those whom they judge so deare unto them and in respect of godlynesse farre above themselves Defender This violence to the souls bodyes of men is often charged upon us by the Discusser But he hath not yet given us an instance of any one soule or body which hath undergone this violence from us Si Accusasse fufficiat quis innocens exit It is no new practise to be an Accuser of the Brethren neither is their any slaunder so false or scurrilous but findeth ready yea and greedy intertainment even of many professors especially such whose best Religion lyeth in the observing and censuring the wayes of others How welcome to such are evill reports of them that dare not allow themselves in any knowne evill This acknowledgement of our weaknesse and imperfection would then truly appeare to be neither faithfull nor upright if wee Preached or practised violence against such in comparison of whom we acknowledge our own weaknesse and imperfection Meane while we may well stand and wonder what rules and Grounds of ours those be by which wee ought to proceed even to the killing of those whom wee judge so deare unto us and in respect of Godlynesse far above us Are any of them whom wee so respect such as subvert the Foundation of the Christian Faith and persist therein obstinately after conviction are any of them presumptuous Blasphemers of the great Name of God Or Idolaters themselves and Seducers of others to Idolatry CHAP. 77. A Reply to his Chap. 80. Discusser VVHat though they say the Godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced thereof in Conscience If the civill Court and Magistrates must judge and those civill Courts are as lawfull consisting of naturall men as of Godly persons then what consequences will follow I have before mentioned Defender Mentioned indeed but not proved I hope by the helpe of Christ the inconsequence of them hath been cleared Discusser And I adde according to this Conclusion it must follow that if the most godly persons yeeld not to once or twice Admonition as is mainteyned by the Answerer they must necessarily be esteemed obstinate persons for if they were godly they would yeeld Defender Here againe the Discusser misreporteth my words For I did not say that if persons be godly they would yeeld to once or twice Admonition and if they did not yeeld to once or twice Admonition they must necessarily be esteemed obstinate persons But my words were The godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience of the sinfulnesse thereof Here is then a three-fold wresting of my
reverend Minister in London Mr. Walker sent over Directions to some friends to demand an 100.li. debt of him which he having borrowed of a Citizen the Citizen bequeathed it to some good use whereof Mr. Walker was called to some Trust But then Mr. Gorton departed out of this Jurisdiction to Plymouth and there beginning to spread some of his Opinions to the disturbance of the Church and fearing disturbance to himselfe he came to Roade-Island and there raising some seditious disturbance against the Magistrates he met with publick correction From thence therefore he went to Providence the place where Mr. Williams and those some friends he spake of sat downe But those friends of Mr. Williams were soone taken with that greater Light which they conceived was held forth by Mr. Gorton What kind of light that was came to our view upon this occasion One or two of the Indian-Sagamores who lived neare Providence came over into the Bay to offer the subjection of themselves and their people to the Government of the English hoping by this meanes to avoyde the oppression of the Narhagansets their potent Neighbours as also of Mr. Gortons company who took their lands from them Afterwards those Indians complaining to our Magistrates of some further injury done to them by Mr. Gortons company our Court sent over to Mr. Gortons company requiring some of them to come over and shew what right they had to those lands which they had taken from the Indians their Subjects He and his company in stead of coming or sending any to cleare their Right sent two Books written by some of themselves full of sundry heresies and malignant blasphemies against Christ against his Churches Ministers Sacraments Censures and Magistrates yet withall offered that if this Court would send their Agents over unto them they would cleare their Right to the Land which they took from the Indians The Court therefore sent over some with Commission to Treat with them and because Gortons company had threatened the former Messengers with the offer of some violence they therefore sent as many armed men with these as might secure their Agents from injury And in case they refused to shew the right and equitie of their cause then to bring some of the principall of them by strong hand to cleare it here When hither they were come not to digresse to another Story Gorton desiring libertie to speak his minde freely held it forth as the minde of himselfe and his company whereof those of Mr. Williams his friends were no small part That Christ was Incarnate when Adam was made after Gods Image For God had but one Image and that Image was Christ And this making of Adam in that Image was the exinanition of Christ But when it was objected that that exinanition of Christ was unto life in Adam but Christ was to suffer exinanition unto death He answered That Christ dyed when the Image of God dyed and the Image of God dyed in Adams fall But when it was further objected That Christs death was the Price and Purchase of our Redemption but the fall of Adam was not the Price of our Redemption but the cause of our condemnation He stopped and would neither proceed to cleare his minde further nor by any meanes be perswaded to revoke that hellish blasphemy These and many such like Tenents were vented by him and his company and this company was made up of those friends of Mr. Williams who as he saith were grieved at his exposall to the mercy of the Wildernesse Which I thought meet to declare lest any should thinke that his sufferings considering the causes of them were grievous or offensive to godly mindes Where by the way a sincere hearted humble Christian may easily discerne the vast difference between the spirit of Mr. Williams and of John the Apostle in relating their sufferings by way of Banishment John was a beloved Disciple yea by way of eminency the Disciple whom Jesus loved and He for the testimony of Jesus was banished by the bloudy Emperour Domitian into the Isle of Patmos a desolate Wildernesse destitute for the most part of Inhabitants yet he maketh no expresse mention of his Banishment nor of the howling Wildernesse nor of frost and snow and such winter miseries But saith he I was in the Isle of Patmos for the Testimony of Jesus But Mr. Williams being called by a weak man beloved in Christ he aggravateth the banishment of such an one as himselfe by all the sad exaggerations which wit and words could well paint it out withall to wit That he was onely for the holy Truth of Christ Jesus denied the common ayre to breath in and a civill cohabitation upon the same common earth yea and without mercy and humane compassion exposed to winter miseries in an howling Wildernesse in frost and snow and that amongst Barbarians So deeply affected the sonnes of men can be in describing their own sufferings for themselves and their own wayes above what the children of God be in their farre greater sufferings for the Testimony of Jesus 3. What causes moved the Magistrates so to proceed against him at that time is fully declared by another faithfull and diligent hand in another Treatise of that matter But whereas he saith He was exposed to the mercies of an howling Wildernesse in frost and snow c. The truth is the Sentence of his Banishment out of the Patent was pronounced against him in the Court before winter and respite was given him to tarry certain weeks six or more to prepare for his journey In the meane time some of his friends went to the place appointed by himselfe before hand to make provision of housing and other necessaries for him against his coming otherwise he might have chosen to have gone either Southward to his acquaintance at Plymouth or Eastward to Pascatoque or Aganimticus And then the wildernesse had been as no wildernesse at least no howling wildernesse where men sit downe under warme and dry Roofes sheltred from the annoyance of frost and snow and other winter hardships 4. When he saith That my selfe profest in speech and writing that I was no procurer of his sorrowes I doe not beleeve that I made any such profession at all either in speech or writing For it was my serious intendment if it had been the will of God to breath in such weake meanes for such an end to have procured his unfained godly sorrow for his Errours in Judgement and for his offensive disturbances of Churches and Common-wealth But this is that which I have professed That I had no hand in procuring or soliciting the Sentence of his Banishment And that not for the cause which he noteth in his margent as if I had some reluctancy in my selfe concerning the way of Persecution For 1. I did never doubt that the way of persecution truly so called that is the affliction of others for righteousnesse sake was utterly unlawfull 2. I did never beleeve that the sentence passed
Philistims and yet not disanull their Church-estate And by like proportion so may a Church of Christ take up some orders as the carting of some part of their worship upon a Book after the manner of Antichrist and yet not forthwith evacuate their Church-estate But this let me further adde that a godly person may have some kinde of communion so farre as hearing the word from a Minister well gifted by Christ to whose calling some corruption may cleave both in his Church-estate and in his Ordination And yet neverthelesse no Antichristian Pollution at all may cleave or redound to the hearer by his hearing of him And this being the Principall Exception which the Examiner taketh against some of the members of our churches against all the churches for their sakes we shall further God willing cleare when the Examiner putteth it upon us in the sequele Meane while we professe as we doe beleeve that such an action is not any Church-cōmunion with Antichrist nor doth so enthrall the People of God unto Antichrist as to separate them from Christ no not as he is Head of the visible Church The Answer which upon occasio of this Point the Examiner giveth to the Papists Question Where was your Church before Luther though it seeme to him well and good yet it gratifieth the Papists and straitneth the holy Counsell of God in Scripture The Question saith he is thus well answered to wit That since the Apostasie of Antichrist Truth and the holy Citie according to the Prophecy Rev. 11. 13. have been troden under-foot and the whole Earth hath wandered after the Beast yet God hath stirred up witnesses to Prophecy in sackcloth against the Beast during his 42 moneths Reigne Neverthelesse these witnesses have in their times more or lesse submitted to Antichrist and his Church Worship Ministery c. And so consequently have been ignorant of the true Church that is Christ taken for the Church in the true Profession of that holy way of worship which he himselfe at first appointed This Answer giveth away the cause to the Papists They demand Where was your Church before Luther This Answer giveth it for granted that since the Apostasie there was no particular church extant in the world This fully satisfieth their desire and expectation for if there were no Church of Christ in the world for so many Centuries of yeares till Luther then they readily conclude That their Church of Rome was before Luther the onely Church in the world For they urge it and I know not how we can fairely deny it that the Church of Christ even that Church to which the keys of the kingdome are committed which is the visible Church is that against which the Gates of Hell shall not be able to prevaile and so not all the Power of Antichrist If then the visible Church of Christ shall never cease and yet during all that time of the Apostasie of Antichrist no Church was extant in the world but the Church of Rome then during all that time which is not yet expired the Church of Rome is and hath been the onely Church of Christ these many ages Besides as this Answerer gratifieth the Papist and maketh the promise of Christ Mat. 16.18 19 of none effect so it straitneth the Counsell of God in the very Texts of Scripture alledged by himself For in that Text Rev. 11. where the outward Court is given to the Gentiles that is Ecclesiasticall Courts given to Antichrist his Clergy v. 2. There also a rod or reed is given by the Angel unto John to measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein v. 1. Which evidently holdeth forth that even then there was somewhere extant the Temple that is the visible Church of Christ which had communion with Christ as Head of the Church there called The Altar and the Temple was furnished with true worshippers and all measured according to the Patterne of Apostolicall Rule What if Ecclesiasticall Stories be deficient in telling us the times and places of their Church-Assemblies Is therefore the Word of God deficient or the Church deficient because humane Stories are deficient Great hath been the industry and vigilancy of Satan and Antichrist to blot out as much as in them lay all Monuments and Records of such holy Assemblies but yet sometimes their own Inquisitors confesse that the Churches of the Waldenses or men of that way have been extant a tempore Apostolorum Furthermore evident it is that when the Dragon persecuted the woman that is the Church the Church fled into the Wildernes and was there nourished for a time and times and halfe a time Rev. 12.14 which is all the time wherein the Beast reigned Rev. 13.5 And wherein the Gentiles having obtained Rule in the Court trod downe the holy Citie under-foote Rev. 11.2 Moreover evident also it is that all the Angels or Ministers of Gods wrath that poured out their Vialls upon the Antichristian State did all of them issue forth out of the Temple and out of the Temple as then opened Rev. 15.5 6 Which argueth that the Temple or Church was not onely then visible but openly visible not visible onely to the secret Assembly of the true worshippers but openly conspicuous to them that had not seene it before Now how all those seven Angels should come out of the Temple and it openly visible and all of them poure out their Vialls upon the Antichristian State by seven Degrees to the utter desolation of it and yet no Church extant either before Luther or since Luther till the utter extirpation of Antichrist passeth all my comprehension TO CHAP. XIII HIs 13th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a second Answer which I gave to his Objection propounded above in Chap. 10. The Answer was this as he setteth it downe Secondly we deny that it is necessary to Church-fellowship that is so necessary that without it a Church cannot be That the members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expresly bewaile all the pollutions which they have been defiled with in their former Church-fellowship Ministery worship Government c. If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did enthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ and withall be ready in preparation of heart as they shall see more light so to hate more and more every false way This we conceive to be as much as is necessarily required to separate them from Antichrist unto fellowship with Christ and his Churches c. For Answer hereunto the Examiner desireth three things to be observed 1. Mr. Cottons own Confession of that two-fold Church-estate worship c. The former false or else why to be so bewailed and forsaken The second true to be embraced and submitted to Reply This observation is more then is intended or can justly be gathered from my words For even a true Estate of a Church Worship Ministery c. may be bewailed
the Ordinances is an humane corruption and so if he will an humane invention yet I doe not hold nor ever did that their Parishes were onely an humane invention For I beleeve the Lord Jesus hath the truth of his Churches and Ministery and worship in them notwithstanding the inventions of men superadded to them Reply 2. Though I doe beleeve there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word in a Church-estate to wit to such as are in Church-estate with the Minister of the Word as in the Seales Yet it is farre from me to hold and from any principle of mine to inferre that there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word to every hearer as in the Seales for then we might as easily admit our Indians to the Seales as we doe admit them daily to the ministration of the Word Reply 3. It is a malignant and Satanicall misconstruction of the intentions of such godly persons who out of sincere affection to spirituall growth doe heare the Ministry of the Word from godly Preachers in England to accuse them before God and Angels and men that they doe it to avoyd the Crosse of Christ to wit persecution which may be avoyded in a great measure if persons come to Church It is well knowne that sundry of them are so sincere and constant in their profession that as they have suffered much for the cause of Christ against humane corruptions in Gods worship so they would be ready to suffer yet more for neglecting to come to Church if they suspected any humane corruption at all in it Againe It is well knowne that any stranger in London by removing now and then his lodging may escape not onely persecution but observation for a longer time then any of our hearers are ordinarily wont to sojourne there Besides in this time of universall freedome from all persecution during this long Parliament why doe not our members of these Churches forbeare to heare the Word in the Parishes now when there is no feare nor danger at all of persecution for not coming to Church His sixt and last particular consideration is That how ever Mr. Cotton saith He hath not found such presence of Christ and evidence of the Spirit in such separate Churches as in the Parishes What should be the reason of their great rejoycings and boastings of their own separations in New-England in so much that some of the most eminent amongst them have affirmed that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure Surely if the same new English Churches were in Old England they could not meete in Old England without persecution which therefore in Old England they avoyde by frequenting the way of Church-worship in the Parishes which in New-England they persecute Reply 1. The Examiner might easily have satisfied himselfe in this consideration if he had been willing to understand that which he knoweth to be our meaning He knoweth very well and hath often told us of it before that we our selves in our Churches doe practise some kinde of separation here to wit separation not from the Churches in Old England as no Churches but from some corruptions found in them In such Churches as so separate wee never speake of them that we had not found the presence of Christ or evidence of the Spirit in such Churches But I speake of such rigid Separatists Churches as renounce the Churches and Ministery and worship and Saints of England as if they were all false or none at all and therefore utterly doe refuse to heare the word in their Assemblies which is such a way of separation as I told him in my Letter the Lord Jesus never delivered nor any of his Apostles after him nor any of his Prophets before him Of which he taketh no notice nor giveth any ground either from Christ or his Apostles or Prophets for such practise but putteth us off that we practise separation our selves and rejoyce therein as if our separation and theirs were both of one nature and measure which indeed differ as much as I said before as Chirurgery and Butchery Reply 2. When he telleth us We boast of our separations in New-England yea so farre as that some of our most eminent have said that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure I must needs professe I never heard nor read of such a speech but onely in this Examiners Booke The speech it selfe savoureth I know not whether of more ignorance or arrogancy or blasphemy The broadest speech in this kinde that ever I heard to fall from the lips of any in this Countrey was that of Mr. Williams himselfe who whilest he lived at Salem as I am credibly informed would say That of all the Churches of Christ in the world the new English were the most pure and of all the new English the Church of Salem I am so well acquainted with the liberty and boldnesse of the Examiners tongue in calumniations that untill I know the name of that eminent person whom he reproacheth to have so spoken he must give me leave to feare either a mistake or that which is worse Reply 3. It is a double calumny but suitable to many other of the former that wee in New-England doe persecute the way of separation whether the one kinde of separation or the other It is true of neither for we practise the one and tolerate the other And againe that we frequent the Parish-Churches in Old England to avoyd persecution Unlesse mens tongues were their own I wonder how they can allow themselves to speake so excessively at random These his six Considerations having so little considerable truth or waight in them I justly said That he in withdrawing the people of God from hearing the voyce of Christ in so many Congregations both in New-England and in Old did not helpe Jehovah against the mighty but Satan against Jehovah and against the mighty Ordinances of his Word and Ministry But he answereth that he helpeth the zealous soules of the Separatiâ—n and he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting How he helpeth them I know not unlesse it be by depriving them of many precious meanes of grace which they might enjoy by hearing the Word in either England or unlesse by his own example he now helpe them Proficere in peius to separate further from all instituted worship of the Lord to cast off their own Churches Ministery Worship as they have cast off others before that so they might seeke for that which will never be found under the Sunne new Apostles to make all things new And as little doe I know how he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting unlesse it be to seeke him as he himselfe doth without Church-Ordinances For the Conclusion of his Booke he is willing to take up the conclusion of my Letter That whosoever will not kisse the Sonne that is will not heare and embrace the words of his mouth shall perish in their way Psal 2.12 This word is established in heaven and will take place in the earth throughout all generations But least this word might profit himselfe as selfe-love is apt to apply a word of threatening to any rather then to it selfe he applieth it to Mr. Cotton and to every soule to whom these lines of his may come seriously to consider in this Controversie if the Lord Jesus were himselfe in person in Old or New-England what Church what Ministery what Worship what Government he would set up and what persecution he would practise toward them that would not receive him For Answer let me say in a word this point hath been seriously considered already and let it be still considered and pondered in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and doubtlesse for the first of these points it will be found that if the Lord Jesus were here himselfe in person he would set up no other Church nor Ministery nor worship nor government then what himselfe hath appointed in his Word which though the Examiner and many others have sought and searched what enormities they might finde in it yet they have wearied themselves and found nothing So true is the faithfull promise of the Lord Jesus that he hath built his Church upon a Rock and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it nor against the Ordinances thereof And for the latter point What persecution the Lord Jesus if he were on earth would practise against those who would not receive him The Answer is neere at hand and is written for the warning of all gain-sayers Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before my face Luk. 19.27 And yet I would not be so understood in alledging this Scripture as if Christ did allow his Vicegerents to practise all that himselfe would practise in his own person For not all the practises or acts of Christ as the Examiner seemeth to intimate but the Lawes of Christ are the Rules of mans Administrations But of that more distinctly in due time if the Lord shall give libertie to enquire further into the Examiners Bloudy Tenent To the Lord Jesus be the kingdome power and glory Amen FINIS