God who hath said that he that with-holdeth the corne which is the staffe of life from the people the multitude shall curse him Prov. 11. 26. how much more shall they separate such from them as doe withold and seperate them from the ordinances or the ordinances from them which are in Christ the bread of life Answ Pro. 11. 26. I desire to informe the Reader why it pleaseth Mr. Cotton to produce this Scripture The Scripture produced by Mr. Cotton to prove my banishment lawfull discussed One of our Disputes was concerning the true Ministery appointed by the Lord Jesus Another was concerning the fitnesse and qualification of such persons as have right according to the rules of the Gospel to choose and enjoy such a true Ministery of the Lord Jesus Hence because I professed and doe against the office of any ministery but such as the Lord Jesus appointeth this Scripture is produced against me Secondly let this be observed for satisfaction to many who enquire into the cause of my sufferings Mr. Cotton satisfies all men concerning the chief cause of my banishment that it pleaseth Mr. Cotton onely to produce this Scripture for justifying the sentence as righteous in the eyes of God implying what our chief difference was and consequently what it was for which I chiefly suffered to wit concerning the true Ministry of Christ Jesus But to the Scripture let the people curse such as hoord up corporall or spirituall corn The word of the Lâ—rd is the souls corn yet must it be dispensed according to the word of the Lord. and let those be blessed that sell it will it therefore follow that either the one or the other may lawfully bee sold or bought but with the good will consent and authority of the true owner Doth not even the common civill Market abhorre and curse that man who carries to market and throws about good corn against the owners mind and expresse command who yet is willing and desirous it should bee sold plenteously if with his consent according to his order and to his honest and reasonable advantage This is the case of the true and false Ministery To some parts the Apostles were forbidden to preach and from others to depart shaking off the dust c. Far bee it from my soules thought to stop the sweet streams of the water of life from flowing to refresh the thirsty or the bread of life from feeding hungry soules And yet I would not and the Lord Iesus would not that one drop or one crum or grain should be unlawfully disorderly or prodigally disposed of for from the scorners contradicters despisers persecuters c. the Apostles messengers of the Lord Iesus were to turne and to shake off the dust of their feet yea it pleased the Spirit of the Lord to forbid the Apostles to preach at all to some places at some times so that the whole dispose of this spirituall corn for the persons selling their qualifications All the Lords corn must bee sold according to the Lords ordinance commissions or callings the quantities and qualities of the corne the price for which the persons to whom the place where and time when the great Lord of the harvest must expresse his holy will and pleasure which must humbly and faithfully be attended on In which regard Mr. Cotton deals most partially for would Mr. Cotton himself have preached in Old or will hee in New England with submission but to some few ceremonies as the selling of this spirituall corn in a white Coat a Surplice Did hee not rather choose which I mention to the Lords and Mr. Cottons honour to have shut up his sacks mouth Mr. Cotton himself choosing rather to sell no spirituall corn then 〈◊〉 to some ceremonies to have been silenced as they call it and imprisoned then to sel that heavenly corn otherwise then as he was perswaded the Lord appointed yea hath hee not in New England refused to admit the children of godly parents to baptism or the parents themselves unto the fellowship of the Supper untill they came into that order which he conceived was the Order of the Lords appointing Againe to descend to humane courses doe not all civill men throughout the world In civil thing nothing lawfull but what is according to law and order forbid all building planting merchandizing marrying execution of Justice yea all actions of peace or warre but by a true and right Commission and in a right Order Is it not in this present storm of Englands sorrows one of the greatest Quaeries in all the Kingdom who are the true Officers In England now not persons fit but also truly authorized are true officers true Commanders true Justices true Commissioners which is the true Seale And doubtles as Truth is but One so but the one sort is True and ought to be submitted to and the contrary resisted although it should be granted that the Officers questioned and their actions were noble excellent and beyond exception I judge it not here seasonable to entertaine the dispute of the true power and call of Christs Ministerie I shall only adde a word to this Scripture as it is brought to prove a righteous sentence of Banishment on my selfe or any that plead against a false office of Ministrie The curse of death in Israel of old is spirituall death and spirituall cutting off in the Church of Christ and Christian Israel now 'T is true in the Nationall Church of Israel the then only Church and Nation of God he that did ought presumptuously was to be accursed and to be put to death Deut 15. a figure of the spirituall putting to death an obstinate sinner in the Church of Christ who refusing to heare the voice of Christ is to be cut off from Christ and Christians and to be esteemed as an Heathen that is a Gentile or Publican Math. 18. Hence consequently the not selling or the withholding of Corne presumptuously was Death in Israel But Mr. Cotton cannot prove that every wilfull withholding of Corne Such as are excellently fitted to sell the spiritual câ—rne of the word of the Lord and yet find not their call to the ministry are not to bee put to death or banished in all or any State in the world and that in time of plenty is death for as for Banishment we never heare of any such course in Israel And secondly least of all can he prove that in all civill States of the world that man that pleadeth against a false Ministrie or that being â—ble to preach Christ and doubting of the true way of the Mâ—â—â—strie since the Apostacie of Antichrist dares not prâ—ctise a Ministrie Or that many excellent and worthy Gentlemen Lawyers Physitians and others as well guifted in the knowledge of the Scripture and furnished with the gifts of tongues and utterance as most that professe the Ministry and yet are not perswaded to sell spirituall corne as questioning their true
to speak to all men and my selfe Two cautions for any in persecution for conscience Let every man prove his worke Gal. 6. and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe and not in another Secondly if any man love God that soule knows God or rather is known of God 1 Cor. 8. Selfe-love may burn the bodie but happy only he whose love alone to Christ constrains him to be like unto him and suffer with him To that which concerneth Mr. Smith Mr. Smith godly and a light to Mr. Cotton and others though left to himself in some things although I knew him not and have heard of many points in which my conscience tells me it pleased the Lord to leave him to himselfe yet I have also heard by some whose testimonie Mr. Cotton will not easilie refuse that he was a man fearing God and I am sure Mr. Cotton hath made some use of those principles and arguments on which Mr. Smith and others went concerning the constitution of the Christian Church The infinite compassions of God Gods infinite compassions toward those whose hearts are upright with him which lay no sin to Davids charge but the sin of Vritah 1 King 15. have graciously comforted the soules of his on their death-bed accepting and crowning their uprightnes and faithfullnes and passing by what otherwise is grievous and offensive to him And indeed from the due consideration of that instance it appeares that no sin is comparably so grievous in Gods Davids The opinion of putting Vriâ—ah to death the vilest of all opinions as a treacherous slaughter of the faithfull whom we are forced to call beloved in Christ That opinion in Mr. Cotton or any is the most grievous to God or man and not comparable to any that ever Mr. Smith could be charged with It is true the countenance and consolations of God are found in the wayes of humilitie and truth As the weights of the sanctuary were double so must there bee double pondering in all the affairs of Gods worship and Sathan transformeth him like to an Angel of light in a counterfeit of both In which respect I desire to worke out salvation with feare and trembling and to doe nothing in the affaires of God and his Worship but like the weights of the Sanctuarie with double care diligence and consideration above all the affaires of this vanishing life And yet Christs consolations are so sweet that the soule that tasteth them in truth in suffering for any truth of his will not easily part with them though thousands are deceiv'd and deluded with counterfeits CHAP. X Mr. Cotton Two stumbling blocks I perceive have turned you off from Fellowship with us First the want of fit matter of our Church Secondly disrespect of the Separate Churches in England under affliction our selves practising Separation in peace For the first you acknowledge as you say with joy that godly persons are the visible members of these Churches but yet you see not that godly persons are matter fitted to constitute a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to the building This exception seemeth to me to imply a contradiction to it selfe for if the matter of the Churches be as you say godly persons they are not then as Trees unfeld and Stones unhewen godlinesse cutteth men downe from the former root and heweth them out of the pit of corrupt nature and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ and with his people You object first a necessity lying upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of the false churches worship ministry government according to Scriptures Isa 62. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. and this is to be done not by a locall removall or contrary practise but by a deliverance of the soule understanding will judgement and affection Ans First we grant that it is not locall removall from former pollution nor contrary practise that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his Church but thas it is necessary also that we repent of such former pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and inthralled We grant further that it is likewise necessary to Church-fellowship we should see and discerne all such pollutions as do so farre inthrall us to Antichrist as to separate us from Christ But this we professe unto you that wherin we have reformed our practice therein have we endeavoured unfeignedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking if any through hypocrisie are wanting herein the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie and faithfullnesse of others nor the Church estate of all Answ That which requireth Answere in this passage is a charge of a seeming contradiction to wit That persons may be godly and yet not fitted for Church estate but remaine as Trees and Quarries unfeld c. Contrary to which it is affirmed that godly persons cannot be so inthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For the clearing of which let the word of Truth be rightly divided and a right distinction of things applyed there will appeare nothing contradictorie but cleare and satisfactorie to each mans conscience First then I distinguish of a godly person thus The state of godly persons in grosse sins In some acts of sin which a godly person may fall into during those acts although before the all searching and tender eye of God and also in the eyes of such as are godly such a person remaineth still godly yet to the eye of the world externally such a person seemeth ungodly and a sinner Thus Noah in his Drunkennesse thus Abraham Lot Samson Job David Peter in their lying whoredomes cursings Murther denying and forswearing of Christ Jesus although they lost not their inward sap and root of life Godly persons falling into grosse sins are to expresse repentance before they can bâ— admitted to the church yet suffred they a decay and fall of leafe and the shew of bad and evill Trees In such a case Mr. Cotton will not deny that a godly person falling into drunkennes wheredome deliberate murther denying and forswearing of Christ the Church of Christ cannot receive such persons into Church-fellowship before their sight of humble bewailing and confessing of such evills notwithstanding that love may conceive there is a root of godlines within Gods children long asleep in respect of Gods worship though alive in the grace of Christ Secondly Gods children Cant. 5. notwithstanding a principle of spiriuall life in their soules yet are lul'd into a long continued sleep in the matters of Gods worship I sleep though my heart waketh The heart is awake in spirituall life and grace as concerning personall union to the Lord Jesus and conscionable endeavours to please him in what the heart is convinced yet asleep in respect of abundant ignorance and negligence and consequently grosse abominations and pollutions of Worship in which the choisest servants of God and most
exceeds the beds of men who are but dust and ashes Secondly The first Christians the best pattern for all Christians now I answere the converted Jews although they saw not all the leavenings of the Pharises yet they mourned for killing of Christ and embraced him in his Worship Ministry Government and were added to his Church and O that the least beames of light and sparkles of heat were in mine owne and others soules which were kindled by the holy Spirit of God in those famous converts at the preaching of Peter Acts 2. The true Christ now in his Worship Ministrie c. being discerned and repentance for persecuting and killing of him The power of true repentance for killing of Christ being exprest there necessarily follows a withdrawing from the Church Ministry and Worship of the false Christ and submission unto the true and this is the summe and substance of our contraversie Concerning the confession of sinnes unto Iohn Mr. Cotton he grants the Disciples of Iohn confest their sins the Publicans theirs the Souldiers theirs the people theirs but saith he it appeares not that they confest their Pharisaicall pollution And concerning the confession Acts 19. 18. he saith it is not exprest that they confest all their deeds Ans If both these confest their notorious sins as Mr. Cotton expresseth why not as well their notorious sinnes against God their Idolatries Superstitious Worships c. Surely throughout the whole Scripture the matters of God and his Worship are first and most tenderly handled his people are ever described by the title of his Worshippers and his enemies by the title of Worshippers of false gods and worshipping the true after a false manner and to prove this were to bring forth a candle to the bright shining of the Sun at noon day CHAP. XIX His third answere is Mr. Cotton But to satisfie you more fully and the Lord make you willing in true meeknesse of Spirit to receive satisfaction the body of the members doe in generall professe that the reason of their coming over to us was that they might be freed from the bondage of humane Inventions and Ordinances as their soules groaned under for which al so they professe their hearty sorrow so farre as through ignorance or infirmitie they have bin defiled Beside in our daily meetings and specially in the times of our solemne Humiliations we generally all of us bewaile all our former pollutions wherewith we have defiled our selves and the holy things of God in our former adminstrations and communions but we rather choose to doe it then talke of it and we can but wonder how you can so boldly and resolutely renounce all the Churches of God for neglect of that which you know not whether they have neglected or no and before you have admonished us of our sinfullnes in such neglect if it be found amongst us I answer with humble desires to the Father of Lights Answer for the true meeknes and wisdome of his Spirit here is mention of humane Inventions and Ordinances and defiling themselvs and holy things of God in former Administrations and Communions How can a soule truly oppose Antichrist that endures not to have his name questioned and yet no mention what such Inventions and Ordinances what such Administrations and Communions were We rather choose to doe it saith he then to talke of it which makes me call to mind an expression of an eminent and worthy person amongst them in a solemne conference viz. What need we speake of Antichrist can we not enjoy our liberties without inveighing against Antichrist c. The truth is I acknowledge their witnes against Ceremonies and Bishops but that yet they see not the evill of a Nationall Church notwithstanding they constitute only particular and independant let their constant practice speake in still joyning with such Churches and Ministers in the Ordinances of the Word and Prayer and their Persecuting of my selfe for my humble and faithfull Mr. Cotton witnessing against a nationall Church and yet holding fâ—â—â—owship with it and constant admonishing of them of such unclean walking between a particular Church which they only professe to be Christs and a Nationall which Mr. Cotton professeth to separate from But how could I possibly be ignorant as he seemeth to charge me of their state when being from first to last in fellowship with them an Officer amongst them had private and publike agitations concerning their state and condition Impossible for the answerer to be ignorant of their Church estate as Mr. Cotton pretendeth with all or most of their Ministers and at last suffred for such admonitions to them the miserie of a Winters Banishment amongst the Barbarians and yet saith he You know not what we have done neither have you admonished us of our sinfullnes CHAP. XX. Mr. Cotton Mr. Cotton A third Scripâ—ure which I produced was Haggai 2. 13 14 15. desiring that the place might be throughly weighed and that the Lord might please to hold the scales himselfe the Prophet there telling the Church of the Jewes that if a person unclean by a dead body touch holy things those holy things become uncleane unto them and so saith he is this Nation and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer is uncleane whence I infer'd that even Church Covenants made and Ordinances practiced by persons polluted through spirituall deadnes and filthines of Communion such Covenants and Ordinances become uncleane unto them and are prophaned by them Mr. Cotton answers Your purpose was to prove that Churches cannot be constituted by such persons as are unclean by Antichristian pollutions or if they be so constituted they are not to be communicated with but separated from But the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church of the Jews to be unclean and yet neither denies them to be a Church truly constituted nor stirs up himselfe or others to separate from them Ans I acknowledge the true constitution of the Church of the Jewes and affirm that this their true constitution was the reason why they were not to be separated from for being a Nationall Church The 〈◊〉 of the Iewes a Nationall Church truely constituted therfore not to bee separated from Death and captivity in the nationall church typed out spiritual death captivity in the particular ceremoniall and typicall their Excommunication was either putting to death in or captivitie out of that ceremoniall Canaan Hence Salmanassars carrying the â—â— Tribes captive out of this Land is said to be the casting of them out of Gods sight 2 Kings 17. which was their Excommunication Accordingly in the particular Christian Churches Christ Jesus cuts off by spirituall death which is Excommunication or for want of due execution of Justice by that Ordinance in his Kingdome he sells the Church into spirituall captivitie to confused Babylonish Lords and Worships and so drives them out of his sight Now from the consequent of this place in
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