befall the truest Churches of the Lord Jesus at Antioch Corinth Galatia who were exercised with great distractions Secondly it is a common character of a false Church maintained by the Smiths and Cutlers Shop to enjoy a quiet calme and peaceable tranquility A false church may enforce a present greater though false grace then the true Spouse of Christ Iesus none daring for feare of civill punishment to question object or differ from the common roade and custome Thus sings that great Whore the Antichristian Church Revel 18 I sit as a Queen am no Widow see no sorrow while Christs dearest complaines she is forsaken sits weeping as a Widow Lam. 1. Thirdly Gods people in that way have somtimes long enjoyed sweet peace and soul contentment in England Holland New England and other places and would not have exchanged a day of such an holy and peaceable harmonie for thousands in the Courts of Princes seeing no other Gods people have found infinit sweetnes and peace in some times of their holy communion and in sinceritie seeking after the Lord Jesus And yet I humbly conceive that as David with the Princes and 30 thousand Israelites carrying the Ark on the shoulders of the Oxen leaped and danced with great rejoycing untill God smote Vzzah for his Error and Disorder and made a breach and a teaching Monument of Perez Vzzah the breach of Vzzah So in like manner all those celebrations of the spirituall Arke or Ordinances Breaches have been and must be among all Gods people to make them celebrate the Lords holy ordinances according to due order which yet I have know although for the present accompanied with great rejoycing and tryumphing yet as they have not been after the Due Order so have they all met with and still must a Peâ—â—â— Vzzah breaches and Divisions untill the Lord Jesus discover direct and incourage his servants in his own due holy Order and appointment And for growth in Grace notwithstanding that amongst all sorts of Gods Witnesses some false brethren creep in as cheaters and spies and Judasses dishonouring the name of Christ Jesus Many gracelesse Iudasses amongst Gods people and betraying his Witnesses yet Sathan himselfe the accuser of the Saints cannot but confesse that multitudes of Gods Witnesses reproached with the names of Brownists and Anabaptists have kept themselves from the error of the wicked and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus endevouring to clense themselves from all filthines both of flesh and spirit Multitudes of gracions and holy persons that have professed Separation and to finish holines in the feare of God I will not make odious and envious comparisons but desire that all that name the name of the Lord Iesus may depart wholly and for ever from iniquity CHAP. XXIIII Lastly he addeth M. Cotton That such as erring through simplicitie and tendernes have grown in grace have grown also to discern their lawfull liberty in the hearing of the Word from English preachers Ans I will not question the uprightnes of some â—oure sorts of back-sliders from Separation far from growth in grace who have gone back from many truths of God which they have professed yet mine own experience of 4 sorts who have back-sliden I shall report for a warning to all into whose hands these may come to be like Antipas Revel 2. a faithfull witnesse to the death to any of the truths of the Lord Jesus which he shall please to be trust them with First I have known no small number of such torn to absolute Familisme Some back-sliding turn to Familisme and under their pretences of great raptures of Love deny all obedience to or seeking after the pure Ordinances and appointments of the Lord Jesus Secondly Some to prophanesse others have laid the raines upon the necks of their consciences and like the Dog lickt up their vomit of former loosnes and prophanes of lip and life and have been so farre from growing in grace that they have turned the grace of God into wantonnes Thirdly Some to persecuting of others others backsliding have lost the beautie and shining of a tâ—nder conscience toward God and of a mercifull compassion toward men becomming most fierce persecutors of their own formerly fellow witnesses and of any other who have differd in conscience from them Lastly Some tâ— languishing in sorrow and sadnesse c. others although preserved from Familisme prophanes and persecuting of others yet the leafe of their Christian course hath withered the later beautie and savour of their holines hath not been like their former and they have confest do their sin their weaknes their bondage and wish they were at liberty in their former freedom and some have gone with little peace but sorrow to their graves confessing to my selfe and others that God never prospered them in soule or body since they sold away his truth which once they had bought and made profession of it never to sell it CHAP. XXV Yea but saith he they have grown to discern their lawfull libertie Mr. Cotton to return to the hearing of the Word from English preachers Ans Here I might ingage my selfe in a contraversie which neither this Treatise will permit Mr. Cans answer to Mr Robinsons Liberty of hearing nor is there need since it hath pleased the Father of lights to stirre up the spirit of a faithfull Witnes of his truth in this particular Mr. â—ann to make a large and faithfull reply to a Book Printed in Mr. Robinsons name tending to prove such a lawfull Liberty For such excellent and worthy persons whom Mr. Cotton here intends by the name of English preachers I acknowledge my selfe unworthy to hold the candle to them Mr Cottons confession concerning the ministry yet I shall humbly present what Mr. Cotton himselfe professeth in 3 particulars First concerning this title English preachers Secondly hearing the Word from such English preachers Thirdly the lawfull calling of such to the Ministry or service according to Christ Jesus For the first he acknowledgeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the ordinarie Ministers of the Gospel are Pastors Teachers Bishops Overseers Elders and that their proper worke is to feed and govern a truly converted holy and godly people gathered into a flock or Church estate and not properly preachers to convert beget make Disciples Matth. 28. which the Apostles and Evangelists professedly were Now then that man that professeth himselfe a Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and professeth to feed a Flock or Church with the Ordinances of Word and Prayer he must needs acknowledge that his proper worke is not to preach for conversion Preachers and Pastor fâ—â—re different which is most preposterous amongst a converted Christian people fed up with Ordinances in Church estate So that according to Mr. Cottons confession English preachers are not Pastors Teachers Bishops Elders but preachers of glad news Evangelists men sent to convert and
Kingdome of Christ that is the Kingdome of the Saints Dan. 2. 7. is cut out of the mountain of the Romane Monarchie Thus the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. uniting with Christ Jesus they were washed from their Idolatrie as well as other sins Thus the Thessalonians turned from their Idols before they could serve the living and true God 1 Thess 1. 9. and as in Paganisme so in Antichristianisme which separates as certainly though more subtilly from Christ Jesu CHAP. XIV Yea but it is said that Jewes weake in Christian liberties and zealous for Moses Law they were to be received Difference between Gods own holy institutions to the Iewes and Satans Paganish or Antichristian institution to the Gentiles as concerning the manner of comming forth of them I answer 2 things must here carefully be minded First although bondage to Moses would separate from Christ yet the difference must be observed between those Ordinances of Moses which it pleased God himselfe to ordain and appoint as his then only Worship in the world though now in the comming of his Son he was pleased to take away yet with solemnitie and on the other side the Institutions and Ordinances of Antichrist which the Devill himselfe invented were from first to last never to be received and submitted to one moment nor with such solemnitie to be laid down but to be abhor'd and abominated for ever The Nationall Church of the Jewes with all the shadowish typicall Ordinances of Kings A comparison between the Iewish and Christian ordinances Priests Prophets Temple Sacrifices were as a silver candlestick on which the light of the Knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus in the type and shadow was set up and shined That Silver Candlestick it pleased the most holy and only wise to take away and in stead therof to set up the Golden Candlesticks of particular Churches Revel 1. by the hand of the Son of God himselfe Now the first was silver the pure will and mind of God but intended only for a season the second of a more precious lasting nature a Kindome not to be shaken that is abolished as the former Heb. 12. 28. Therfore Secondly Moses ordinances at one time pretious and holy at another time beggarly and deadly observe the difference of Time which Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth after Instruction and Conviction saith he Moses Law was deadly and would separate from Christ therfore there was a time when they were not deadly and did not separate from Christ to wit untill Moses was honourably fallen asleep and lamented for as I conceive in the type and figure 30. dayes Deut. 34. Therfore at one season not for Timoâ—hies weake conscience but for the Jews sake Paul circumcised Timothy at another time when the Jews had sufficient instruction and obstinately would be circumcised and that necessarily to salvation Paul seasonably cries out The first Christians communicated in the Iewish Synagogues until the Iews contradicted spoke evill c. then they separated that if they were circumcised Christ should profit them nothing Gal. 5. Hence the Christians at Ephesus conversed with the Jewish Synagogue untill the Jews contradicted and blasphemed and then were speedilie separate by Paul Acts 19. But to apply Paul observed a Vow and the ceremonies of it circumcised Timothy c. may therefore a messenger of Christ now as Paul goe to Masse pray to Saints perform pennance keep christmas and other Popish Feasts and Fasts c. Againe is there such a time allowed to any man uniting or adding himselfe to the true Church now to observe the unholy holy dayes of Feasting and Fasting invented by Antichrist yea and as Paul did circumcision to practise the Popish Sacraments A member of a true Church falling into any idelatrous practice not presently to be excommunicated I doubt not but if any member of a true Church or assembly of Worshippers shall fall to any Paganish or Popish practise he must be instructed and convinced before Excommunication but the Question is Whether still observing and so practising a person may be received to the true Christian Church as the Jewes were although they yet practised Moses ceremonies These things duly pondred in the feare and presence of God it will appeare how vain the allegation is from that tender and honourable respect to Gods Ordinances now vanishing from the Jewes Not one degree of sight of or sorrow for Antichristian abominations yet a necessity of cutting off from the false before union to the true Church Ministery worship c. and their weake consciences about the same to prove the same tendernes to Sathans inventions and the consciences of men in the renouncing of Paganicall Turkish Antichristian yea and I adde Judaical Worships now when once the time of their full vanishing was come To conclude although I prescribe not such a measure of sight of or sorrow for Antichristian Abominations I speake in respect of degrees which it pleaseth the Father of Lights to dispence variously to one more to another lesse yet I beleeve it absolutely necessary to see and bewaile so much as may amount to cut off the soule from the false Church whether National Parishional or any other fasly constituted Church Ministrie Worship and Government of it CHAP. XV. Mr. Cotton Ans 3. To places of Scripture which you object Isa 52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Revel 18. 4. We answere two of them makes nothing to your purpose for that of Isaiah and the other of the Revelation speak of locall separation which your selfe know we have made and yet you say you doe not apprehend that to be sufficient As for that place of the Corinths it only requireth comming out from Idolaters in the Fellowship of their Idolatry No mariages were they to make with them no Feasts were they to hold with them in the Idolls Temple no intimate familiaritie were they to maintaine with them nor any Fellowship were they to keep with them in the unfruitfull works of darknes and this is all which that place requireth But what makes all this to prove that we may not receive such persons to Church fellowship as your selfe confesse to be godly and who doe professedly renounce and bewail all known sin and would renounce mâ—â—e if they knew more although it may be they do not see the utmost skirts of all that pollution they have somtimes been defiled with as the Patriarchs saw not the pollution of their Poligamie But that you may plainly see this place is wrested beside the Apostles scope when you argue from it that such persons are not fit matter for Church fellowship as are defiled with any remnants of Antichristian pollution nor such Churches any more to be accounted Churches as do receive such amongst them Consider I pray you were there not at that time in the Church of Corinth such as partook with the Idolaters in the Idolls temple And was not this the touching of an uncleane
gather Churches Apostles embassadors trumpeters with Proclamation from the King of Kings to convert subdue bring in rebellious unconverted unbeleeving unchristian soules to the obedience and subjection of the Lord Jesus I readily confesse that at the Pastors or Shepheards feeding of his flock Conversion in a Church accidentall and the Prophets prohecying in the Church an unbeleever coming in is convinced falls on his face and acknowledgeth God to be there yet this is accidentall that any unbeleever should come in Personall repentance â—â—ought in thousands be godly personâ— in Popish ministries and the Pastors worke is to feed his Flock Acts 20. and prophecie is not for unbeevers but for them that beleeve to edefie exhort and comfort the Church 1 Cor. 34. â— 22. I also readily acknowledge that it hath pleased God to work a person 〈◊〉 repentance in the hearts of thousands in Germanie England Low Countries France Scotland Ireland c. Yea and who knows but in Italy Spain Rome not only by such men who decline the name of Bishops Priests Deacons the constituted Ministry of England hitherto but also by such as have owned them as Luther remaining a Monke and famous holy men remaining and burning Lord Bishops To preach mainly for conversion of that people to whom a man stands Shepheard as to a converted people and Flock of Christ a dangerous disorder But all this hath been under the notion of Ministers feeding their flocks not of preachers sent to convert the unconverted and unbeleeving This passage I present for 2 Reasons First because so many excellent and worthy persons mainly preach for conversion as concieving and that truly the body of the people of England to be in a naturall and unregenerate estate and yet account they themselvs fixed and constant Officers and Ministers to particular Parishes or congregations unto whom they also administer the holy things of God though sometimes few and sometimes none regenerate or new borne have been found amongst them which is a matter of high concernment touching the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Gods people must seeke after a ministry sent by Christ to convert and the soules of men Secondly that in these great Earthquakes wherein it pleaseth God to shake foundations civill and spirituall such a Ministry of Christ Jesus may be sought after whose proper worke is preaching for converting and gathering of true penitents to the fellowship of the Son of God CHAP. XXVI The second thing which Mr. Cotton himselfe hath profest concerning English preachers is Mr. Cotton that although the Word yet not the Seales may be received from them because saith he there is no communion in hearing and the Word is to be preached to All but the seales he conceives and that rightly are prophaned in being dispensed to the ungodly c. Ans Mr. Cotton himselfe maintaineth The communion or fellowship of the word taught in a Church estate that the dispensing of the Word in a Church estate is Christs feeding of his flock Cant. 1. 8. Christs kissing of his Spouse or Wife Cant. 1. 2. Christs embracing of his Spouse in the mariage bed Cant. 1. 16. Christs nursing of his children at his wives brest Cant. 4. and is there no communion between the Shepheard and his Sheep the Husband and his Wife in chast kisses and embraces and the Mother and her Child at the brest Beside he confesseth that that Fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1. 3. is a fellowship or communion in the Apostles doctrine communitie breaking of bread and prayer in which the first Church continued Acts 2. 46. All which overthrows that Doctrine of a lawfull participation of the Word and Prayer in a Church estate where it is not lawfull to communicate in the breaking of bread or seales CHAP. XXVII Thirdly concerning the lawfull Commission or calling of English preachers Mr. Cotton himselfe and others most eminent in New England have freely confest Eminent Ministers so accounted in old England professe themseves private Christians in new England that notwithstanding their former profession of Ministry in Old England yet in New England untill they received a calling from a particular Church that they were but private Christians Secondly that Christ Jesus hath appointed no other calling to the Ministrie but such as they practice in New England and therfore consequently that all other which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs As first a calling or commission received from the Bishops False callings or commissions for the Ministry Secondly from a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons Thirdly from some few godly persons yet remaining in Church fellowship after the Parish way Lastly the eminent gifts and abilities are but Qualifications fitting and preparing for a call or Office according to 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. All which premises duly considered I humbly desire of the Father of Lights that Mr. Cotton and all that feare God may try what will abide the firie triall in this particalar when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire c. CHAP. XXVIII The close of his Letteâ— is an Answer to a passage of mine M. Cotton which he repeateth in an Objection thus But this you feare is to condemn the witnesses of Jesus the Separate Churches in London and elswhere and our jealous God will visit us for such arrearages yea the curse of the Angel to Meros will fall upon us because we come not forth to help Jehovah against the mighty we pray not for them we come not at them but at Parishes frequently yea we reproach and censure them To which he answereth that neither Christ nor his Apostles after him nor Prophets before him ever delivered that way That they feare not the Angels curse because it is not to help Iehovah but Sathan to withdraw people from the Parishes where they have found more presence of Christ and evidence of his Spirit then in separated Churches That they pray not for them because they cannot pray in faith for a blessing upon their Separation and that it is little comfort to heare of separated Churches as being the inventions of men and blames them that being desirous of Reformation they stumble not only at the Inventions of men but for their sakes at the Ordinances of the Lord because they separate not only from the Parishes but from the Church at Plimmouth and of that wherof Mr. Lathrop was Pastor who as he saith not only refuse all the Inventions of men but choose to serve the Lord in his own Ordinances Only lastly he professeth his inward sorrow that my self helpe erring though zealous soules against the mighty Ordinances of the Lord which whosoever stumble at shall be broken The garden of the churches of both old and new Testament planted with an hedge or wall of separation from the world because whosoever will not kisse the Sonne that is will not heare and embrace the words of his mouth
shall perish in their way Ans However Mr. Cotton beleeves and writes of this point yet hath he not duly considered these following particulars First the faithfull labours of many Witnesses of Iesus Christ extant to the world abundantly proving that the Church of the Jews under the Old Testament in the type and the Church of the Christians under the New Testament in the Antitype were both separate from the world When Gods people neglect to maintain that hedge or wall God hath turned his garden into a wildernesse and that when they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of Separation between the Garden of the Church and the Wildernes of the world God hath ever broke down the wall it selfe removed the Candlestick c. and made his Garden a Wildernesse as at this day And that therfore if he will ever please to restore his Garden and Paradice again it must of necessitie be walled in peculiarly unto himselfe from the world and that all that shall be saved out of the world are to be transplanted out of the Wildernes of the world The Nonconformists grounds necessarily inforce a separation of the Church from the unclean in clean and holy things and added unto his Church or Garden Secondly that all the grounds and principles leading to oppose Bishops Ceremonies Common Prayer prostitution of the Ordinances of Christ to the ungodly and to the true practise of Christs own Ordinances doe necessarily as before I intimated and Mr. Caâ—â— hath fully proved conclude a separation of holy from unholy penitent from impenitent godly from ungodly c. and that to frame any other building upon such grounds and foundations is no other then to raise the form of a square house upon the Keele of a Ship which will never prove a soul saving true Arke or Church of Christ Jesus according to the Patterne Thirdly the multitudes of holy and faithfull men and women who since Q. Maries dayes have witnessed this truth by writing disputing and in suffring losse of goods and friends The great suffeâ—ing for this cause in impresonment banishments death c. I confesse the Nonconformists have suffred also but they that have suffred for this cause have farre exceeded in not only witnessing to those grounds of the Non-conformists but to those Truths also the unavoidable conclusions of the Non-conformists principles Fourthly what is that which Mr. Cotton and so many hundreths fearing God in New England walk in but a way of separation Mr. Cottonâ— and others zealous practice of separation in New England Of what matter doe they professe to constitute their Churches but of true godly persons In what form doe they cast this matter but by a voluntary uniting or adding of such godly persons whom they carefully examine and cause to make a publike confession of sinne and profession of their knowledge and grace in Christ Nay when other English have attempted to set up a Congregation after the Parishionall way have they not been supprest Yea have they not professedly and lately answered many worthy persons whom they account godly Ministers and people that they could not permit them to live in the same Common-wealth together with them if they set up any other Church and Worship then what themselvs practise Mr. Cotton allowing libertie to frequent those parishes in Old England which parishes be himselfe persecutes in New England Let their own soules and the soules of others seriously ponder in the feare of God what should be the Reason why themselves so practising should persecute others for not leaving open a gap of Liberty to escape persecution and the Crosse of Christ by frequenting the Parishes in Old England which Parishes themselves persecute in New England and will not permit them to breath in the common aire amongst them Fifthly in the Parishes which Mr. Cotton holds but inventions of men however they would have liberty to frequent the Worship of the Word A great mystery in the escaping of the crosse of Christ yet they separate from the Sacraments and yet according to Mr. Cottons own principles as before there is as true Communion in the Ministration of the word in a Church estate as in the seales What mystery should be in this but that here also the Crosse or Gibbet of Christ may be avoyded in a great measure if persons come to Church c Lastly however he saith he hath not found such presence of Christ and evidence of his Spirit in such Churches as in the Parishes What should be the reason of their great rejoycings and boastings of their own Separations in New England The New English Churches 〈…〉 by some to 〈◊〉 purer then the first establiâ—â—ed by the Apostles insomuch 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 meet without Persecution which therfore in Old England they avoid by frequenting the way of Church-worship which in New England they Persecute the Parishes Upon these considerations how can Mr. Cotton be offended that I should help as he calls them any zealous soules not against the mighty Ordinances of the Lord Jesus but to seek after the Lord Jesus without halting The reformation desired now had been accounted Heresie in Ed. â— his dayeâ— Yea why should Mr. Cotton or any desirous to practice Reformation kindle a fire of Persecution against such zealous soules especially considering that themselves had they so inveighed against Bishops Common Prayer c. in Edward the 6. his dayes had been accounted as great Hereticks in those Reforming times as any now can be in these yet would it have been then and since hath it been great oppression and Tyranny to persecute their consciences and still will it be for them to persecute the consciences of others in Old or New England How can I better end then Mr. Cotton doth by warning that all that will not kisse the Son that is heare and embrace the words of his mouth shall perish in their way 〈◊〉 unjust 〈◊〉 wheresoever Psal 2. 12. And I desire Mr. Cotton and every soule to whom these lines may come seriously to consider in this Contraversie if the Lord Jesus were himselfe in person in Old or New England what Church what Ministry what Worship what Government he would set up and what persecution he would practice toward them that would not receive Him FINIS