amity according to his owne promise In the World you found affliction but in him you found peace And when you were called to be a Member of the high Court of Parliament in our distressed and distracted times the Lord made you an â—nstrument to defect the Trecherous plot of those two brethren in evill Thomas Lord Strafford and William Lord Archbishop of Canterbuâ—y that contrived the destruction of our fundamentall Lawes ratified by the Statute of Magna Charta by â—abouring to set up an Arbitrary Government and keeping on foot a Poâ—ish Army consisting of Irish Reâ—els and others to compell the faithâ—ull and true-hearted Nobility and loyall Commons of England â—o subject themselves to their illegal Taxations hazarding the losse of he favours of the King Nobiâ—â—ty Parents Friends and Allyes together with those places of Hoâ—our and Maintenance the King of lemency had freely bestowed raâ—â—er then his Country should be ruâ—ed and enthralled by such accorâ—◠〈…〉 a branch of that goodly Caedar under whose shade the Innocent and oppressed tender Consciences that stand for a through Reformation agreeable to the Word oâ— God find rest ever be forgotten and left unrewarded God forbid Iâ— is worthy to be written on a Pillaâ— of Marble and recorded in the Chronicle that after-ages may never forget to shew kindenesse and mercy to your Noble Posterity that did not thinke your life together with your neerest relations deare unto you so as to part with them that you might purchase you Countries Liberty I cannot judge him Englands Friend that envietâ— your honour and promotion Seâ—ing you are for the love you hauâ— shewed to Christ his Truth and poore Members together with youâ— Native Countrey worthy of double honour Now worthy Sir seeing all your excellency is nothing else buâ— the Image of Jesus Christ the Son of righteousnes shining in you Disâ—ain not to receive from the hand of a poore despised Instrument that presents this Treatise The Learned Conference of Master John Cotton that he had with the Elders at the Bay of Boston in New England Though I am the least of all Saints not worthy to be called a Saint because â—n the time of the Prelats raigne I â—ided with them in persecuting the Faith of Jesus Christ and imprisoning of his Members But did it â—gnorantly through unbeliefe and when the Lord pierced my heart for it I trembling cryed What shall I doe The holy Spirit and the Bride said Repent and bee baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sinnes and I should receive the gifts of the Spirit c. Then Noble Sir though I procrastinated it for a season at last I was not disobedient to the heavenly voice but arose and was Baptized For this cause have beene much opposed by my old Friends and Countrey-men But yet remaine a Loyall Coveâ—nanter that standeth for a Reformation in England and Ireland aâ—greeable to the Word of God and the best Reformed Churches Seeing it is not the voice of the Churches but Christ in the Churches we Convenented to hearken unto as Master Case his Sermon yet testifieth First To extirpate Popery which I apprehended at the taking of the Nationall Covenant was that Doctrine of Antichrist which doth universally oppose the doctrine of Jesus the Christ Affirming what Christ denieth and denying what Christ affirmeth Secondly Prelacy viz. The Government of Arch-bishops and Bishops and all Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Roote and Branch as a Plant the heavenly Father hath not planted Thirdly Superstition viz. Whatsoever is supra Statutum that hath not the word of God to warrant it Fourthly Schisme Namely from all those that teach and coâ—â—sent not to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse from such I must withdraw 1 Tim. 6. 3 5. Fifthly Heresie Even from all them that deny that Jesus is the Christ They are Antichrist that deny the Father and the Sonne Whosoever denyeth the Sonne the same hath not the Father 1 Joh. 2. 22 23. Sixthly That the Lord may be one viz. Even the Lord Jesus the Christ whom God raised from the dead and â—et him at his owne right hand in the â—eavenly places Farre above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but that which is to come And hath put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the Church Which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Ephes 1. 20 21 22 23. Seventhly And his Name to â— one in the three Kingdomes that is as I conceive it his power authority and royall Commission must be exalted in all his Offices to be the eternall King eternall Prophet and eternall Priest in all things appertaining to the conscience seeing the loyall Spouse of Christ hath no Head no Husband no Lord no Law-giver but royall King Jesus That wee and our posterity after us may live in faith and love and the Lord may delight to dwell amongst us For the keeping of which Covenant I had rather chuse to dye then to deny the faith of Jesus the Christ Knowing that he which confesseth him before men him he will confesse before his Father But hee which is ashamed of Christ â—nd his words in this sinfull and adulterous generation of him also shall the Sonne of man bee ashamed when hee cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mar. 8. 38. Thus I desire in the first place to give to God the things that are Gods and in the next place render to the high and honourable Court of Parliament whereof your Honour is a Member and to your King when the Lord shall put it into his heart to returne unto his Parliament and to joyne with you all your dues tributes customes feare honour and subject my selfe to obey all your just legall and civill commandements Knowing that you set not up the Sword for nought but to be a terrour to them that doe evill and a praise a guard and defense for them that doe well Your poore Oratour at the throne of grace that earnestly prayeth that the Lord will give you and the great Councell of the Kingdome wisdome and prudence to beare with tender Consciences that desire to exalt Jesus the Christ in all his Royall Offices FRAN. CORNWELL Orpington in Kent the ninth Month 1645. To all the Churches of Iesus the Christ coming out of Mysticall Babylon gathered or scattered that follow the Lambe the Lord JESUS wheresoever he goeth BEloved in CHRIST Disdaine not to Read this Learned Treatise of Master John Cotton of Boston in new-New-England out of any prejudice thou mayest take against the person or publisher of it What if some judge him a Schismaticke yet he regardeth not mans rash censure Seeing he can with holy Paul that before his Conversion persecuted the Church of God safely Apologise
denyed That power which can disanull â—e greater must needs disanull the â—â—â—er if the death of Christ put an 〈◊〉 to the heavenly Fathers Cereâ—oniall Worship and in prayer and â—aise at or before the Ark or in â—e Temple then it will put an â—nd to all mans devised Worship unlesse you will advance the authority of man above God the Father Col. 2. 20 21 22 23. If Christ by his death hath freed us from the rudiments of the world the Mosaicall Ceremonies why living in the world are wee intangled with ordinances after the doctrine traditions and commandements oâ— men But they are set up for the glory of God Not I but Paul shall answer fom me They have a shew of wisdome iâ— will-worship but it is onely a shew there is no substance in it Wee harden the obstinate Papist in their superstition for they say and that truly Wee received moâ—â— of our formes of prayer and praiâ—â— from them Wee rob the Spirit of his glory who is given to Saints to form prayer and praise in them 1 Cor. 1â— 15 16. Rom 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. Wee impose a burthen upon 〈◊〉 conscience to be practised which God hath left arbitrary to be used according to our necessities If we be afflicted then pray if wee have tasted how bountifull the Lord hath been to us in blessings then let us praise him Jam. 5. 13. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise we shall lay a stumbling block before a weak brother and cause him to fall Woe be to them that follow the way of Balaam who taught Balack to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel Revel 2. 14. Jud. v. 11. Now offences must come but woe unto the men by whom they come It were better for me that a milstone were hanged about my neck and that I were cast into the sea then that I should offend one of these little ones Luk. 17. 1 2. If wee frequent devised formes of Worship in prayer or praise we shall offend our consciences even so many of us as are Saints enlightned to behold the beauty of his spirituall Worship performed or offered in his spirituall house the Congregation of the faithfull united Now if our consciences condemne us God is greater then our consciences and hee will condemne us also 1 Joh. 3. 19. for he knoweth all things Therefore I say to you who blame us for not frequenting devised forms of Worship in prayer and praises as Shadrach Meshach and Abednego did to King Nebuchadnezzar We are not carefull to answer you in this matter Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us out of your hand But if he will not be it known to you we will not serve your gods nor worship our God in that devised way that men set up Dan. 3. 16 17 18. It one set form of spirituall Worship in prayer and praises had been needfull Christ would have left one But the Prophets Christ the Apostles never prayed nor praised God by any set forme of Worship invented by man but by the powerfull worke of the holy Spirit Rom. 8. 26. Gal. 4. 6. A set forme of Worship prescribed in prayer or praises cannot in prayer expresse the severall necessities of Gods people for the more grace they have the more they see their owne wants and the more sensible they are of their owne infirmities corruptions and sinnes Neither can it in praises expresse the manifold experiences that the Saints daily observe of Gods mercifull dealing with them Therefore a set Forme of prayer or praises to Gods Saints and faithfull ones principled with a spirit of prayer and praise it is altogether unusefull 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. Soli Deo honor gloria FINIS A DESCRIPTION OF THE Spirituall TEMPLE OR THE SPOUSE Prepared for the LAMBE The LORD JESUS Written by FRANCIS CORNWEL a Minister and Servant of Jesus the Christ for the benefit of poore distressed conscences in City and Countrey LONDON Printed by John Dawson 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE and the true lover of all conscientious Covenantours that stand up for a through Reformation according to the word of our good God in England and Ireland CORNELIUS HOLLAND Esquire a Member of the House of Commons Assembled in Parliament SIR DAvid describeth the godly man by his pleasure and by his paines First the pleasure of the godly man in these words He delighteth in the Law of the Lord. Secondly the paines of the godly man And in that Law he meditateth day and night not only in the day appointed for man to labour in but in the night also appointed for man to rest the reason is because it is his meat and drinke to doe the will of his God Honoured Sir The Word of Christ being the Rule of Englands Reformation the good Lord that writeth his Lawes in his peoples hearts according to his new Covenant of Grace Heb. 8. 10. put it into my minde seriously to consider What Schisme was that I had covenanted against And searching the Scriptures I found it thus written 1. Tim. 6. 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse Vers 4. He is proud knowing nothing but doting about Questions and strife of words whereof commeth envy strife raylings evill surmisings Vers 5. Perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse from such withdraw thy self Yea and after a further enquiry to understand aright the things that are controverted amongst us by the good providence of the Almighty I found two Texts of holy Scripture setting forth two sorts of men Diametrally opposing one another as light doth darkenesse truth doth falsehood the one thâ—s written 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ is borne of God And the other thus 1 John 2. 22. Who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Jesus is not the Christ He is Antichrist that denyeth the Father and the Sonne And when I thought to understand the difference it was to hard for me untill I went into the Sanctuary of God where the Father of glory of his good pleasure revealed to me the most unworthyest of all his servants the truth of that which I conceive is the root of all our Controversies and gave me to understand the meaning of the Scriptures 1 John 5. 1. Whosoever beleeveth that Jesus is the Christ viz. the eternall King Prophet Priest of the Church of the new Testament ratified with his bloud whom the Father of glory hath exalted to bee Lord and Christ Acts 2. 36. and head Ephes 2. 20 21 22 23. Is borne of God Seeing no man can say that is confest that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 3. Hence I find it written Joh. 1. 11. Jesus came to his owne but his owne received him not that
for himselfe Acts 24. 14. That after the way that you call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers beleeving all things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets Verse 15. And have an hope toward God which you your selves also allow that there shall bee a resurrection of the dead both of the just and unjust Verse 16. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwaies a Conscience void of offence toward God towardman But yet this I confesse unto you that I am lesse then the least of all the Messengers of Christ for I am not worthy to bee called a Messenger or Minister for I persecuted the Church of God that professed the Faith of Jesus the Christ that held foorth all his Royall Offices King Prophet Priest according to his outward administration in admitting of Members into his Spiritual Kingdome And sided with the Antichristian Prelates and Bishops that denyed that Jesus is the Christ whom the Spirit of God calleth Lyars and Antichristians That denyeth the Father and the Sonne 1 John 2. 22. For though I with the Antichristian Bishops and Priests did acknowledge Jesus the Christ our high Priest that ever liveth to reconcile us unto God yet wee have persecuted them that hold his Kingly and Propheticall Office to be eternall aswell as his Priesthood and the gathering of his Church according to his Royall Commission Matth. 28. 18 19 20. Hence it is that Christ divided becometh no Christ to the divider this according to the Vulgar Latine Solvere Jesum to dissolue Jesus that is to receive him onely in part and not in the whole which is the spirit of Antichrist Now when the Lord opened the eyes of my understanding and convicted me of all the abominations I had done in my spirituall Captivity under Antichrist especially that I had crucified Jesus the Christ in his Members being pricked in my heart I trembling cryed what shall I doe The Spirit and the Bride the Lambes wife said Repent and be Baptized in the name of Jesus c. Then I gladly received the Word was Baptized and was added to the Church Acts 2. 38 39 40 41 42. Yet by the grace of God now I am what I am And having from some Friends received this Learned Conference kept it by mee as a precious Diamond of great worth from which my soule through the great goodnesse of God did reape much spirituall comfort And did wait hoping that some learned and faithfull friends of his would long agoe have Printed a larger and an exacter Copy of it But finding none I that am lesse then the least of all Saints could not any longer conceale it but thought with my selfe I was bound in Conscience to publish it in this learned Age wherein there is so much enquiry after truth for the benefit of poore hungry empty selfe-denying Spirits rather then such a Learned Tract of heavenly light should alwaies lye in the dust as unseene and forgotten For this cause alone I have attempted Courteous Reader to present â—o thy view this Learned Treatise Not â—hat I have any relation to that Learâ—ed man nor any command from him â—o doe it But onely in love that this his Learned Disputation might not bee â—uried in silence Read it therefore Beloved in Christ not for his sake that publisheth it but for his sake that was â—he Author of it or rather for the God â—f Truths sake For whose cause the Learned Author contendeth for the Faith in these daies wherein the Gosâ—ell of Truth hath suffered so great Ecâ—lipses through the rage and tyranny of the Popish Antichristian Prelates and Priests Thine that earnestly desireth to exalt the Lord Jesus the Christ in all his royall Offices FRAN. CORNWELL A Conference that Mr. IOHN COTTON had with the Elders of the Congregations in new-New-England touching three Questions that are here discussed on 1. Touching gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in the soule before faith 2. Touching the gathering of our first evident assurance of our faith from sanctification 3. Touching the active power of faith and other spirituall gifts of grace in a Christian convâ—rsation The first Question WHether there be any gracious conditions or qualifications in the soule before faith of dependance unto which such promises are made Wee deny it for these reasons If there be any gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in us before faith of dependance then before wee receive union with Christ The reason is For by faith of dependance it is that wee first received union with Jesus Christ Joh. 1. 12. But there be no gracious conditions wrought in us before wee received union with Jesus Christ Therefore there bee no gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in us before faith of dependance Minor If wee cannot bring forth good fruit till wee be good trees nor become good trees untill wee be grafted or united unto Jesus Christ then there can be no gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in us before wee receive union with Christ But wee cannot bring forth good fruit till wee become good trees nor become trees of righteousnesse untill wee be grafted into Jesus Christ Therefore there bee no gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in us before we received union with Jesus Christ The Proposition is cleare of it selfe that wee cannot bring forth good fruit untill we be good trees Mat. 7. 18. A corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit Nor can we become the good trees of righteousnesse of the Lords plantation Isai 61. 3. untill wee be grafted into Christ Joh. 15. 4. As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can yee except yee abide in me Verse 5. I am the vine yâ—â— are the branches hee that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can doe nothing A second proofe of the Minor If there be any gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in us before union with Christ then we may be in a state of grace and salvation before we be in Christ But that cannot be Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby wee may be saved If there be any gracious condition or qualification in us before faith then there may be something in us pleasing unto God before faith But there is nothing in us pleasing unto God before faith Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible for us to please him for hee that cometh to God must beleeve that hee is and that hee is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him But there must be some saving preparatives wrought in the soule to make way for faith and our union with Christ For wee must be cut off from the old Adam before wee can be grafted into the new Wee must be dead to the first husband before we can be married unâ—o another To works of creation
A CONFERENCE M r. John Cotton HELD AT BOSTON With the ELDERS of NEW-ENGLAND 1. Concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith 2. Evidencing Justification by Sanctification 3. Touching the active power of Faith Twelve Reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise Together with The Difference between the CHRISTIAN and Antichristian Church Written by FRANCIS CORNWELL a Minister of Jesus the Christ London Printed by J. Dawson and are to be sold Fr. Eglesfield at the Signe of the Mary-gold in Pauls Church-yard 1646. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND True-hearted lover of his Countrey Sir HENRY VANE Junior Knight sometimes Governour of new-New-England Treasurer of the Navie Royall and a Member of the House of COMMONS Sir THe Churches of the Saints and the World may not bee unfitly compared to the Pearle and the Pebble though both of one naturall substance earth yet the one of rare price whose beauty is the sun-beames inclosed the other wanting it is cast away as refuse What maketh the Saint more excellent then his neighbour seeing both are borne of flesh both subject to the same corruptions sicknesse death but this The Saints excellency is nothing else but the Image of Jesus Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse shining in him For as the moone and starres derive their light from the sunne so all the wisdome righteousnesse holinesse a Saint hath hee deriveth from Christ Hence David the King doth so prize their fellowship All my delight is in thy Saints thine excellent ones that are in the earth and them that excell in vertue Yea it is a sure note of a Citizen of Sion that hee honours them that feare the Lord Whereas worldly men without grace are rendred in his eyes as vile Hence the Spouse acknowledgeth that all her excellency cometh from plantation Let my Beloved come into his garden and eat his pleasant fruit Yea Christ declareth to Nicodemus that a beleevers holinesse cometh from regeneration that in Christ hee may onely glory How doth the Lord discover this his excellency to a beleever by his calling till that time hee lieth amongst the refuse of the world as foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envie hatefull and hating one another But then the kindnesse and love of God to man appeared by delivering him out of the kingdome of darknesse and translating him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne By which it is manifest that hee is one of the Chosen generation the royal priesthood the holy nation the peculiar people whom hee hath called out of darknesse into his marvellous light But when doth the Lord discover the truth of his calling to his conscience Then when hee giveth him precious faith for that onely distinguisheth him form the world that lieth in sinne Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture concludeth father mother sonne daughter nay the infant that is borne of the most holiest parents all under sinne that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might bee given to them that beleeve So that in that same houre the Lord giveth him faith hee giveth him an evidence in himselfe that hee loved him in Christ before he was borne before hee had done good or evill that hee hath justified him from all those things hee could not be justified by the Law that hee hath purged his conscience from all dead works that his person is accepted his sinne discharged and he hath a right to the purchased inheritance amongst them which are sanctified Thus the love of Christ revealed to dye for him to take away his iniquity and reconcile him to God the Spirit given to take away his heart of stone giveth him an heart of flesh to cause to walke in his flatutes yea and draweth his heart to yeeld obedience to every commandement of Jesus the Christ The truth of this grace given Right Worshipfull you can give a true testimoniall for you were once in your naturall condition as well as others till it pleased God who separated you from the womb to call you by his grace to reveale his Sonne in you you consulted not with flesh and bloud but left your native soyle in the persecuting times of the Prelates chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God according to the light they had received then to remaine in England and enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season Yet there the Lord exalted your Worship to bee the Governour And in that dawning light coming forth out of mysticall Babylon the Lord discovered much spirituall knowledge of the riches of his free-grace in Jesus Christ amongst you you being freed from the yoke of the Task-Masters heere the Bishops that kept you in bondage you had liberty there to debate those Questions which the naming onely of them heere would have rendred a man odious But Satan that envieth the peace of the Saints stirred up a spirit of contention amongst you especially when these Queries came to be debated 1 Whether there are any gracious conditions or qualifications wrought in the soule before faith 2 Whether any man can gather his evidence of the assurance of his Justification from his Sanctification 3 Whether there bee an active power of Faith and other gifts of grace in a Christian conversation The one side would not beleeve themselves justified no farther then they could see themselves worke making their Markes Signes and Qualifications the causes of their Justification The other side laid the Evidence of their Justification onely by Faith in the free Promise for there are foure things that makes remission of sinnes perpetuall to a beleever First The cause of Remission the sacrificed Body of Christ on the Crosse or accursed Tree Heb. 10. 4. By one offering hee hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Secondly The ground is a free promise tendred to us from God as to Adam The Seed of the Woman shall breke the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. John 3. 16. 1 John 4. 10. Thirdly The meane is Faith apprehending it Phil. 3. 9. Fourthly The Spirit of Christ sealing of it Ephes 1. 13. This truth revealed for the comfort of poore drooping Saints found great opposition But the good Lord stirred up your gracious spirit to countenance and defend them in the midst of strong opposition and though you were sleighted and set light by at the ende of your Government as not worthy to be an assistant with many other Instruments more yet the good Lord stood by you and strengthned you and delivered you from the hands of your opposers perserved you from the dangers of the Sea and though at your returne to your Native Soyle you lived like Joseph a while in a despised condition yet the Lord raised you up to sit amongst Princes So that though you were willing to lose life friends preferment for Christ found you not then life peace joy in the Lord Jesus which was better to you then all worldly