beleeve and professe the calling which we have received to the Ministery in New-England to be of Christ yet 1. It is an insolent phrase that savoureth of more arrogancy then either we dare use or allow in our selves or others to seeme to make our calling to the Ministery in New-England a Rule and patterne and precedent to all the Churches of Christ throughout the world Did ever any man meete with such an expression in any of our writings That Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as we practise in New-England Such language doth neither become the lips of Mr. Williams nor of any Minister in New-England 2. Though we beleeve our calling to be of God yet we doe neither beleeve nor professe that every difference from us which other Churches may use in the calling of their Ministers doth straight way make their callings no callings or no callings of Christ Though it be our manner and as wee beleeve according to the word that every Church chooseth and calleth their own Ministers and ordaineth them by the Presbytery of the same Church yet if the Presbytery of other Churches commend a Minister to a vacant Church and upon the acceptance of the Church if the presbyters of those Churches doe ordaine him with the consent of the Church we doe not professe that this is no calling of Christ or that these are no Ministers of Christ The fâ—ee choice of the Church is preserved for ought we know in their free acceptance of a Minister commended to them And whether the Minister be ordained by imposition of hands at all or no and if by imposition of hands by the hands of fellow-Elders of other Churches with the consent of the Church We neither put so much waight in such a Rite though Apostolicall nor doe we so farre restraine the libertie of communion of Churches that if they shall communicate such entercourse of Church-actions one to another then all their callings and administrations to be of none effect Wee are not so masterly and peremptory in our apprehensions And yet with submission we conceive the more plainly and exactly all Church-actions are carried on according to the letter of the rule the more glory wee shall give unto the Lord Jesus and procure the more peace to our Consciences and to our Churches and reserve more purity and power to all our Administrations 3. Though we doe beleeve and professe that a Church by rule ought to be a Congregation of godly persons or at least of such as professe godlinesse yet if through neglect of the power of doctrine few godly persons be left in a Congregation through neglect of discipline few of those who professe godlinesse be found so blamelesse as the purity of the Sanctuary requireth yet we doe not straight way professe that such Congregations are no Churches or that a Ministery chosen by such a Congregation are none of Christs It is true Gods chiefest regard is of his chosen Saints godly persons To them and for them he hath given Church-estate Church-Covenant and seales Church-Officers with all the power of the administrations of the holy things the ordinances of Christ Ephes 4.11 12 13. But yet that his holy Saints might be preserved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without scruples and distracting perplexities in their Church-Communion the Lord is pleased for their sakes to tolerate much hypocrisie and many aberrations in Church-matters before he reject Churches as no Churches Ministery as no Ministery of Christ callings as no callings To speake then a word to the inferences which the Examiner gathereth from the two former mistaken confessions of ours As 1. That a Calling or Commission received from the Bishops is none of Christs Reply 1. We doe not beleeve nor professe that the Ministers of England who received Ordination from the Bishops did receive their calling from the Bishops their Episcopall ordination is no part of their vocation to the Ministery Their vocation or calling is from Christ by the Election or at least acceptation of the Congregation The ordination is onely Adjunctum Consummans of the solemnity of their calling as hath been shewed above Reply 2. Episcopall ordination though it be an aberration from the institution yet we doe not conceive that it maketh an abrogation of the calling of a Minister Extrinsecall pollutions though they defile the calling yet they doe not destroy it His second inference is That a Calling from a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons is none of Christs Reply 1. It is an hard saying to say that all of the Parish are naturall and unregenerate Persons Such as are swift to judge themselves are slow to judge others Reply 2. Suppose they were all naturall and unregenerate persons yet they professing Christianitie and meeting together every Lords day for the worship of the Lord Jesus and desiring to have a Minister to instruct them therein their calling is not a nullitie I cannot say that the worshippers of God at Philippi whereof Lydia was one who met together for prayer every Sabbath day were any of them better then unregenerate persons before Paul and Sylas came amongst them And yet if a man of Macedonia come and call Paul and Sylas to come and helpe them they assuredly gather that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel to them Acts 16.9 10. His third inferâ—nce is That a Calling from some few godly persons yet remaining in Church fellowship after the Parish way is not of Christ Reply Then it would follow that a remnant of godly persons is not sufficient to constitute and denominate a Church if the greater part be corrupt and uncleane But the Prophet Isaiah was of another minde and hath taught us by the Holy Ghost to judge otherwise Except saith he Isai 1.9 the Lord of Hosts had left us a very small Remnant wee should have been as Sodom wee should have been like unto Gomorrah In his judgement it is not a multitude of hypocrites and prophane persons that maketh a Church where a remnant of godly persons are found to become as Sodom or Gomorrah But it is a remnant a very small remnant that preserve the Church from becoming as Sodom or Gomorrah His fourth and last inference is That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting and preparing for a Call or Office according to 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Reply We readily acknowledge it but yet if a few godly persons shall call for the employment of these gifts to their spirituall edification The men who are qualified with these gifts are not onely fitted and prepared for a call or office but actually called unto office at least to preach the word unto them though not to administer the Covenant or seales of the Covenant but onely to them and their seed who yeeld professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ Jesus If any through ignorance or infirmitie proceed further in their administrations I doe beleeve the repentance of the Ministers for sinnes
first of these I answered in my Letter That in stead of halting betwixt Christ and Antichrist the Lord hath guided us to walke with an even foote between two extreames so that we neither defile our selves with the remnants of pollution in other Churches nor doe we for the remnants of pollution renounce the Churches themselves nor the holy things of God amongst them which our selves have found powerfull to salvation This moderation so farre as we have kept it in preaching or printing we have seene no cause to repent of it But if any shall shew us cause why we should repent of it we shall desire to repent of it yea and to repent that we repented no sooner The Examiner here undertaketh to prove this middle walking to be no lesse then-halting of which we have cause to repent And this he endeavours to prove to me out of mine own Confessions First saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth that no Nationall Provinciall Diocesan or Parish Church wherein some truely godly are not are true Churches Secondly He practiseth no Church-estate but such as is constituted onely of godly persons nor admitteth any unregenerate or ungodly persons Thirdly He confesseth that a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such godly persons who are in bondage to the inordinate love of the world Fourthly That if a Church consist of such Gods people ought to separate from them Reply If these which he calleth confessions of Mr. Cotton have been stumblings to him I shall by the helpe of Christ soone remove them out of his way For I doe professe that I never made any such Confessions but looke at them all as contrary to my judgement both in former times and to this day For the first Though there were no truely godly persons in a Church yet if there be such as professe godlinesse such as they call visible Saints to meete together in a Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the administration of his holy Ordinances I doe beleeve there is truth of Church-estate It is true I doe beleeve and confesse that God requireth more then profession of godlinesse even sinceritie of holinesse in Church-members and it is no small sinne in them if it be wanting But what if some if most if all beleeve not Shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Rom. 3.3 4. If an hypocriticall Church were no Church then an hypocriâ—â—call Minister were no Minister and his administrations nullities Cultus institutus in the whole latitude of it as Churches Min isteries Seales Censures c. they are all ordained for the Elects sake And the Elect God would have them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without carefull scruples and distractions If truth of Churches and Ministeries and Ordinances depended upon the personall sincerity of the godlinesse of the dispensers the Elect of God would ever be intangled with inextricable scruples touching their coÌ„munion here or there with this or that Church or the administrations of the Officers thereof But God hath called us in peace For the second part which he maketh of my Confessions he had said true if he had said I endeavour such a thing that our Church should be constitute of godly persons but I doe not say I have attained it for God seeth not as man seeth man looketh at the outward appearance but the Lord regardeth the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 And sure I am we looke at Infants as members of our Church as being foedurally holy but I am slow to beleeve that all of them are regenerate or truly godly As for the third and fourth point which he maketh of my Confession That a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of godly persons taken with the inordinate love of the world or that a Church consisting of such ought to be separated from These are onely his own palpable mistakes of those words of mine which I expressed as the summe of his words which he through hast conceived to be mine whereof we have spoken in the 20th Chapter Let him not say as he doth that when I would not have Parish Churches to be separated from for the remnants of pollutions I mean onely Ceremonies and Bishops neither let him say that I doe extenuate and mince the roote masse and substance of the matter of Nationall Churches though for the greater part unregenerate by naming onely a remnant of pollutions For he knoweth we wholly avoyde Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Government of the Churches by Episcopall Authority He knoweth also we avoyde their prescript Liturgies and Communion with openly scandalous persons in any Church-order He knoweth likewise or at least may know that it is a continuall sorrow of heart and a mourning of our soules that there is yet so much of those notorious evills which he nameth still continuing in the Parishes worldlinesse ignorance superstition scoffing swearing cursing whoredome drunkennesse theft lying I may adde also murther and malignity against the godly suffered to thrust themselves into the fellowship of the Churches and to sit downe with the Saints at the Lords Table But yet I count all these but remnants of pollution when as the substance of the true estate of Churches abideth as I opened above in their Congregationall Assemblies And in so speaking I follow the holy patterne of the Prophet Isaiah who acknowledging a great forsaking or Apostacy in the midst of the Land yet resembleth the estate of the Church to an Oake whose substance is in it when the leaves fall off and maketh the holy seed to be that substance Isai 6.12 13. TO CHAP. XXII THe second offence which the Examiner tooke at our neglect of the Churches of the separation Was the reproach of himselfe and others at Salem for their separation To which I answered in my Letter That I knew no man who reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate Howsoever if any did reproach them for it I did thinke it a sinne meete to be Censured but not with so deepe a Censure as to excommunicate all the Churches or to separate from them before it doth appeare that they doe tolerate their members in such their causlesse reproachings The errors of men are to be contended against not with reproaches but with the sword of the Spirit But on the other side the failings of the Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation It is not Chirurgery but Butchery to heale every sore in a member with no other but Abscission from the body Whereto the Examiner answereth That the Church of Salem was knowne to professe separation and publickly reproached yea he could mention a Case wherein shee was punished for it implicitely Reply This answer is so implicit that I cannot make an explicite answer to it That which I said was I knew no man that reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate His answer is That the Church of Salem was knowne
Chapter Onely 2. Things more remaine in this Chapter which may not passe without some touch 1. That he saith Gods People in all their awakenings acknowledge how sleightly they have listned to the checks of their owne Conscience This the Answerer pleaseth to call sinning against Conscience for which he may lawfully be persecuted to wit for sinning against his owne Conscience Wherein there is found a double falshood 1. That he saith I call the sleight listnings of Gods People to the checks of their Conscience their sinning against Conscience For I speake not of the sinning of Gods People against Conscience but of an Heretick subverted turned off from the Foundation much lesse doe I call their sleight listnings to Conscience to be Hereticall sinning against Conscience 2. Least of all doe I say that for such sleight listnings to the checks of Conscience he may lawfully be persecuted to wit as for sinning against Conscience Thus men that have time and leasure at will will set up Images of clouts and then shoot at them The 2. Thing in this Chapter which I said might not passe without some touch is that having fastned upon me a conclusion which is none of mine but an invention of his owne He addeth howsoever it be painted over with vermillion c. yet he hopeth to manifest it to be the overturning and rooting up of the roote of all true Christianity and absolutely denying the Lord Jesus to be come in the flesh Whereto I Reply no more but this If he doe manifest that which Magnanimously he undertaketh It may happyly be also manifested by the helpe of Christ that it will overturne no conclusion of mine But howsoever let him remember it was a proverb in Israel Let not him that girdeth on his Armour boast himselfe as he that putteth it off 2 Kings 20.11 CHAP. 15. A Reply to his fifteenth Chapter touching the admonition and rejection of an Heretick THe first and second Admonitions in the place of Titus were not Civill or corporall punishments on mens persons or purses But they were the reprehensions convictions exhortations and perswasions of the word of the Eternall God charged home to the Conscience in the Name and Presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his Church Which being despised and not hearkened unto in the last place followeth rejection which is not a cutting off by heading hanging burning nor an expelling out of the Countrey and coasts but the dreadfull cutting off from the visible head and body Christ Jesus and his Church Spirituall cutting off by Excommunication Defender All this the proofes of this in this Chapter I willingly consent and subscribe unto nor doth this touch any conclusion of mine at all much lesse Discusse or shake it For though I said indeed that for an erroneous and blinde Conscience even in Fundamentall and weighty Points It is not lawfull to persecute any till after Admonition once or twice according to Tit. 3.10.11 Yet in alledging that place to prove that Conclusion I intended no other persecution but the Churches prosecution against such an Heretick by excommunication no syllable in my conclusion looketh at more If it be said but Excommunication or any other Church-prosecution cannot fitly be called persecution Yes verily excommunication is a persecution and a lawfull persecution if the cause be just offence as the Angell of the Lord is said to persecute the wicked Psalm 35.6 But the Excommunication is a cruell and bitter persecution If it be without just cause and due order yea and the more greivous persecution by how much the more greivous it is to a Christian man to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints then to be banished from a civill Society sure it is the Lord Jesus accounteth it a persecution to his Disciples to be delivered up unto the Synagogues and to be cast forth out of the Synagogues Luk. 21.12 with Joh. 16.2 CHAP. 16. A Reply to his sixteenth Chapter touching To leration in Points of lesse moment Discusser For a third Position or Conclusion the Answerer gave this that in things of lesse moment whether Points of Doctrine or Worship If a man hold them forth in a spirit of Christian meeknesse and love though with zeale and constancy he is not to be persecuted but tolerated till God may be pleased to manifest his truth to him This conclusion I acknowledge to be the Truth of God yet 3. things are very observeable in the manner of laying it downe 1. That such a Person may be tolerated till God may be pleased to reveale his truth to him upon the same ground the Apostle calleth for meeknesse and Gentlenesse towards all men and towards such as oppose themselves 2. Tim. 2. because it may be God may give them repentance Hence a soule that is lively and sensible of Gods mercy cannot but be patient and gentle towards the Jewes towards the Turkes yea to all the severall sorts of Anti-Christians yea to the Pagans and to the wildest sort of the Sonnes of men who have not heard of the Father and of the Sonne c. Yea not onely be patient to such but also to pray for such yea and to endeavour their participation of the same grace and mercy Defender This nothing shaketh no nor so much as toucheth our cause or defence we thinke it unlawfull for the Church to censure such as are out of the Church And for the Civill State we know no ground they have to persecute Jewes or Turkes or other Pagans for cause of Religion though they all erre in Fundamentalls No nor would I exempt Anti-Christians neither from Toleration notwithstanding their Fundamentall Errors unlesse after conviction they still continue to seduce simple soules into their damnable and pernicious Heresies as into the Worship of false Gods into confidence of their owne merits for Justification into seditious conspiracyes against the lives and States of such Princes as will not submit their Consciences to the Bishop of Rome Which if the Discusser shall in the sequell pluck off as the silken covering of an Image as he calleth it we shall further attend him Discusser 2. I observe from the Scriptures he quoteth for this Toleration Phil. 3. Rom. 14. how closely yet I hope unadvisedly he maketh the Churches of Christ at Philippi and Rome all one with the Cities of Philippi and Rome c. Defender No such matter I never thought these Scriptures to belong at all to the Cities of Philippi or Rome Paul writeth to both the Churches not only to tolerate but to receive their weake brethren who dissent from them in matters of lesse moment but to the Cities I never read any Epistle of his Who would ever imagine the Discusser should be so farre transported beyond all bounds either of reason or truth or candor as to surmise the Answerer should conceive That what those Churches must not tolerate in their holy communion that the Cities of Philippi and Rome must not tolerate within the compasse
the field wherein they both grow is interpreted by Christ himselfe to be the world which lieth in wickednesse and is a wildernesse of wilde Beasts Fornicators Covetous Idolators c. In this world as soone as the Lord Jesus hath sowen the good seed the Children of the Kingdome true Christianitie or the true Church the enemy Satan presently in the night of Securitie Ignorance and Error soweth the Tares which are Antichristians or false Christians Those the Ministers and Prophets of God would straight runne to Heaven for fiery Judgements from thence to consume them But the Sonne of man commandeth a Permission of them till the end of the world when Goats and Sheep Tares and Wheate shall be eternally separated c. Defender Answ 1. It is true Christ expoundeth the Field to be the world ver 38. But he meant not the wide world but by an usuall Trope the Church scattered throughout the world as Christ is said to have loved the world Joh. 3.16 and to be the Propitiation of the sinnes of the world 1 Joh. 2.2 Reas 1. Else there had been no place for the servants wonder at the appearing of the Tares Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field from whence then hath it Tares ver 27. Did ever any of the servants of Christ wonder or saw any cause to wonder that the world should be full of Fornicators Idolaters Murderers Robbers c Was it ever otherwise since the world was replenished with Inhabitants Reas 2. What calling had the Ministers or Prophets of Christ to offer to pluck up all such notorious vicious persons out of the world Did ever any Ministers of Christ demand such a Question of Christ Wilt thou have us goe and gather up all notorious vicious Persons out of the world As they doe indeed demand the like concerning these Tares in Christs field ver 28. Reas 3. The Discusser himselfe reckoneth up Goats and Sheep as parallell with Wheat and Tares as generally Interpreters doe Now evident it is that Goats were cleane Beasts as well as Sheep cleane for food yea and cleane also for sacrifice and yet they were tolerated not onely to live in the same world but in the same Church For after the destruction of Antichrist when purest times of the Church shall come the Members of the Church shall all of them be Virgins none Idolaters though some wise and some foolish all of them servants though some thristie some unprofitable all of them cleane though some Goats some Sheep And therefore the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Church is at that time resembled to such a mixt state after the ruine of Antichrist and conversion of the Jewes untill the coming of Christ to Judgement Mat. 25.1 c. Answ 2. If the Field should be the world and the Tares Antichristians and false Christians it is true Satan sowed them in Gods Field but he sowed them in the Church The mystery of their Iniquitie did secretly work in the very bosome of the Church till in processe of time it grew so ranck and grosse as transformed the Churches that drunke it up into spirituall Babylon But if Antichrist be an Apostate and Antichristianitie Apostasie then it was first sowen in the field of the Church and not of the wide world Answ 3. It is not the will of Christ that Antichrist and Antichristians and Antichristianitie should be tolerated in the world untill the end of the world For God will put it into the hearts of faithfull Princes as they have given their Kingdomes to the Beast so in fulnesse of time to hate the whore to leave her desolate and naked and to burne her flesh with fire Rev. 17.16 17. And after this we reade of a visible state of a new Hierusalem which shall flourish many yeares upon Earth before the end of the world Revel Chap. 20. Chap. 21. Chap. 22. Neverthelesse I willingly grant that the first fruits of Antichristians and false Christians may be reckoned up amongst the Tares which Satan sowed in the field of the Church which afterwards grew to be Briars and Thornes and so destructive to the wheate that the wheat could not be suffered if discerned to live amongst them Discusser But Christ the wisdome of the Father would never in opening this Parable so farre obscure it or to call the Church the world Nor doth it agree with the nature of the Church or Garden of Christ to be styled the world Defender It is no impeachment to the wisdome of Christ to call his Elect Churches and Saints throughout the world by the Name of the world Else Paul spake not by the wisdome of Christ when he said God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 And though the Church within it selfe be a Garden and severed from the world yet all the Churches being scattered and dispersed throughout the world it is no more an improper speech to call the Church the world then to speake of Christ as dying for the world when he dyed for his Church CHAP. 22. A Reply to his 22. Chapter more of Tares Discusser In the former Parable the Lord Jesus compared the kingdome of Heaven to the sowing of seed The true Messengers of Christ are sowers who cast the seed of the word of the Kingdome upon 4. sorts of ground which 4. sorts of grounds or hearts of men cannot be supposed to be of the Church nor will it ever be proved that the Church consisteth of any more sorts or natures of ground properly but one to wit the honest and good ground And the proper work of the Church concerneth the prosperitie and flourishing of this sort of ground and not of the other three sorts In the field of the world then are all those sorts of grounds High-way-side stony thorney Hearers as well as the honest and good ground And I suppose it will not be said by the Answerer that these three sorts of bad grounds were Hypocrites or Tares in the Church Defender Answ 1. But what if the Answerer will say so It may be contrary to his supposall but not to the Truth For I demand did not Christ himselfe who was the chiefe Sower did not he Preach and sow the seed of the word to all those foure sorts of Hearers And yet he was the Minister of Circumcision Rom. 15.8 and Preached seldome to any but to Church-Members Members of the Church of Israel Answ 2. It 's an error to say The Church consisteth of no more sorts of Hearers but one the honest and good ground for if the children of Church-members be in the Church of the Church till they give occasion of rejection then they growing up to yeares become some of them like the High-way-side others like the stony others like the Thorney as well as others like the honest and good ground Answ 3. Though it be not the proper work of the Church to attend the prosperitie and flourishing of the three sorts of bad ground to
wit whilest they remaine bad yet it is their worke to seek the changing of the bad into good ground that so they may come to prosper and flourish For is it not the proper work of the Church to bring on their children to become the sincere People of God as well as to keep themselves in that estate Is it not a maine Branch of their Covenant with God that as God giveth himselfe to be a God to them and to their seed so they should give up themselves and their seed to be his People Besides hath not God given Pastours and Teachers as well for the gathering together of the Saints as for the edification of the body of Christ And hath he not given the Church and the Gospel Preached in the Church to lye like Leaven in three Pecks of Meale till all be Leavened Mat. 13.33 Answ 4. There is not such resemblance between High-way-side ground and good ground as is between Tares and Whea nor would the servants of the Husbandman ever wonder that weeds should grow in the high-way-side ground as they do at the growing of Tares in the Field Nor would they ever aske the Question whether they should pluck up weeds out of the High-way-side or stones out of the stony ground or pluck up Thornes out of the Thorney CHAP. 23. A Reply to his Chapt. 23. Still touching the Tares Discusser These Tares I shall evidently prove to be Idolaters and in particular properly Antichristians For first these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the Children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifest ver 38. Defender Answ 1. These Tares are not such sinners as are contrary to the children of the Kingdome for then none should be opposite to them but they For contraries are such quorum unum uni opponitur But evident it is there be more wicked ones opposite to the children of the Kingdome then Idolaters and Antichristians to wit those notoriously scandalous wicked ones whom the Discusser nameth in the next Chapter Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons Answ 2. It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging of the Question to say that these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifested For the Tares were not discerned at first as hath been shewed above till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit Discusser These Tares are the Children of the wicked one which wicked one I take to be not the Devill for the Lord Jesus seemeth to make them distinct The Tares saith he are the Children of the wicked one or wickednesse the Enemy that sowed them is the Devill Defender Answ 1. The Devill and the wicked one may well meane one and the same Person For if the Devill sowed these Tares then these Tares were the seed and so the children of the Devill Why should they be called the seed of one and the children of another Answ 2. Suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated the children of the wicked one or wickednesse that style will agree to hypocrites as well as to other Persons Sure it is the Lord Jesus often calleth the Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites Mat. 23. and he calleth them also a wicked and adulterous Generation Mat. 16. And therefore still these Tares will not appeare to be others then Hypocrites CHAP. 24. A Reply to his 24. Chapter Still touching the Tares Discusser Though all Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons c. be opposite to Gods Children yet the opposition of the Tares here against the Children of the Kingdome is such an opposition as fights against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. It is manifest the Lord Jesus intendeth no other sort of sinners in this Parable then Antichristians unto whom here he saith let them alone in Church or State For then he should contradict other holy and blessed Ordinances for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State For 1. In the Civill State God hath armed Parents Masters Magistrates to punish evill doers Murderers Quarrellers uncleane Persons stealers extortioners such ought not to be let alone neither in lesser nor greater Families Townes Cities Kingdomes Rom. 13. but seasonably supprest c. 2. In the Kingdome of Christ whose Officers Lawes punishments weapons are all Spirituall and of a Soule-nature he will not have Antichristian Idolaters Extortioners Covetous c. to be let alone but the uncleane Lepers to be thrust forth c. Therefore if neither the Offenders against the Civill Lawes State and Peace ought to be let alone nor the Spirituall State the Church ought to beare with them that are evill Rom. 2. I Conclude that these Tares are sinners of another nature Idolaters false Worshippers Antichristians who without discouragement to true Christians must be let alone and permitted in the world to grow up untill the great Harvest Defender Answ 1. As all wicked Persons be opposite to Gods children for the children of the Kingdome of Light and the children of the Kingdome of darknesse cannot but be opposite so the opposition that is in all the wicked against the children of God doth fight against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus For such as stand for the Kingdome of Satan as all wicked men doe they stand in opposition to the Kingdome of Christ No man can serve two Masters If he cleave to the one he standeth in enmitie to the other Mat. 6.24 Answ 2. It followeth not that because Christ biddeth his Ministers Let the wicked alone in Church or State That therefore he intendeth no other then Antichristian Idolaters Neither should Christ contradict any Ordinance of his own for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State though he should command other offenders to be let alone besides Antichristians For no Ordinance or Law of God nor just Law of man commandeth the rooting out of hypocrites either by Civill or Church-censure though the Church be bound to endeavour as much as in them lyeth to heale their hypocrisie Answ 3. Neither is it true that Antichristians are to be let alone by the Ordinance of Christ till the end of the world For what if the members of a Christian Church shall some of them Apostate to Antichristian Superstition and Idolatry as often falleth out by the seduction of the Emissaries of Babel doth the Ordinance of Christ binde the hands of the Church of which they are Members to let them alone In chapter 19. The Discusser himself would not have the superstitious observation of Lent-Fasts to be let alone And surely Christ ordained by his blessed Apostle Paul that if any Brother proved an Idolater whether Pagan or Antichristian such an one should be cast out by excommunication 1 Cor. 5.11 Besides What if any Antichristian Persons out of zeale to the Catholick Cause and out of conscience to the command of their Superiours should seeke to destroy the King and Parliament
Text in Isai 49.23 Discusser 1. THat place of Isaiah 49.23 will appeare to be farre from proving such Kings and Queenes Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes And if not Judges they may not punish 2. In spirituall things themselves are subject to the Church shall licke the dust of the Churches feet as is there exprest How then shall those Kings and Queenes be Supreame Governours of the Church 3. Gods Israel of old being earnest for a King an Arme of flesh God gave them Saul in his anger and tooke him away in his wrath So God will take away such Princes in his wrath that so as David succeeded Saul so Christ Jesus in his spirituall Power may for ever be advanced Defender Reply 1. We doe not alledge that place in Isaiah to prove Kings and Queenes to be Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes but to be providers for the Churches well-being and protectours of it For so much the very phrase of nursing Fathers and Mothers doth necessarily import But if they be Protectours of the Church and providers of the well-being of it then are they also Defenders of the faith of it so farre as their defence in a way of God is dispensable So Magistrates are also called Shepheards of the people as well as Ministers Ezec. 34. Now it is a part of a Shepheards protection of his sheepe to drive away wolves from sheepe-folds And it is the like part of good Magistrates to drive away false Prophets from the Churches whom our Saviour calleth ravening wolves Matth. 7.15 But saith he Magistrates are not Judges of Ecclesiasticall causes and if not Judges they may not punish Answ There is a three-fold Judgement 1. A Judgement of private spirituall Discretion and so a spirituall man judgeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 and so may a Magistrate judge also if he be a spirituall man 2. There is Judicium Propheticum A propheticall Judgement whereby the Prophets having received a greater gift of spirituall discerning of the things of God and an office to declare the same doe judge of Doctrins with Authority Let the Prophets judge 2 Cor. 14.29.32 And this the Ministeriall Judgement of the Church but here the Magistrates Judgement doth not interpose as a Magistrate but as a Brother 3. There is Judicium Politicum the Judgement of civill power whereby a Magistrate being called of God to provide that his people may lead a peaceable life in godlinesse and honesty he therefore is called to discerne not onely what is honesty or righteousnes before men but what is godlinesse also before the Lord accordingly judgeth of godly ungodly doctrines practises so far as tendeth to the upholding of publicke Peace For it is evident in the Scriptures of the New-Testament that when Magistrates were so blindly devout and superstitious as to give their Kingdomes unto the Beast as Rev. 17.12 13. and so to tolerate the publicke worship of Images and other Idolls they thereby overthrew the civill Peace of their Common-wealth For to punish their ungodlinesse it was that God opened a way for the Turkes to breake out and destroy the 3d part of Christendome Rev. 9.14 to 21. Reply 2. Both these may well stand together that Magistrates may be subject to the Church and licke the dust of her feet yet be supreame Governours of the Church also In spirituall matters and in the right administration of them the Magistrates are subject to the Church But in civill matters and in corrupt administration of Church-Affaires so farre corrupt as tendeth to the disturbance of civill Peace there the Magistrates are supreame Governours even over Churches also in their owne Dominions Reply 3. It was no sinne in Israel of old to aske a King but to aske him before the time appointed and to aske him in a tumultuous manner with rejection of Samuel and to aske him for carnall and prophane ends that they might be like to all other Nations whom God did not approve they should affect to be like unto Otherwise had they tarried Gods time God had appointed to give them a King out of the Tribe of Judah Gen. 49.10 It is true God tooke away Saul in his wrath but not for exercising civill Power against spirituall wickednesse for he did justly exercise it against Witches but for other well-knowne notorious wickednesse And as for David we doe not reade that he did exercise any spirituall Power as a King but as a Prophet CHAP. 32. A Reply to his Chap. 32. Discusser THough for the present the punishment of corrupt Teachers as the Scribes and Pharises were be deferred yet their waiteth for them an higher pitch of punishment then any Corporall can reach unto As 1. Starke Blindnesse c. 2. Incurable Blindnesse c. 3. Their end is the Ditch c. 4. The Leaders of others into the ditch shall find their owne ruine horrible and the ruine of their followers eternally galling tormenting Defender The Discusser himselfe knoweth and accordingly expresseth himselfe in his next words That it is the like case of all sinners and of all malefactours their punishment in hell will be more horrible and full of torment then can be inflicted in this world And yet the State is often bound to punish them and in many cases by death it selfe Discusser Be it so But what is this to a blind Pharisee resisting the Doctrine of Christ who hapily may be as good a Subject and as peaceable and profitable to the civill State as any c. Defender But what is this to the question in hand we doe not hold it lawfull for a Christian Magistrate to compell by civill sword either Pharisee or any Jew or Pagan to professe the Religion or Doctrine of the Lord Jesus much lesse doe we thinke it meet for a private Christian to provoke either Jewish or Pagan Magistrates to compell Pharises to submit to the Doctrine or Religion of Christ Jesus And therefore all these Chapters from 29. to 35. seven Chapters in all tending to prove that Christs Disciples were to let the Pharises alone in this way are but so many empty flourishes beating the aire playing with a shadow And yet the rest of the Chapters which remaine must not passe without some Advertisement of such passages in them as doe corrupt the truth of Christ How the Pharises can be as good subjects and as peaceable and profitable to the civill State as any who yet destroyed the civill State by destroying Christ let any but a blind conscience judge CHAP. 33. Discusser IT is truth The mischiefe of a blind Pharises blind guidance is greater then if he acted treasons murders c. And the losse of one soule by his seduction is a greater mischiefe then if he blew up Parliaments or cut the throats of Kings and Emperours c. And therefore a firme justice that requires an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth life for life calleth also soule for soule But that no civill sword can inflict but the Lord
tamed unholy holy Christians Antichristians How sad an evidence is this that the soule of the Answerer hath never yet heard the call of the Lord Jesus to come out from those unconverted Churches from that unconverted Antichristian-Christian world c. Defender Reply 1. When we come to those Arguments truly and fairly collected out of this place of Timothy which is not till the next chapter we shall God willing consider what Truth and fairnesse they hold forth which if it be found wee shall consider whether they be of force against the Truth witnessed by me In the meane time for Answer to his demand what I should meane by the unconverted Christian in Creete Answ I must take it upon his credit that I spake at all of any unconverted Christian in Creete Mine owne copy is not extant with me And the Transcript which with much seeking I found hath it instead of unconverted Christians in Creete unconverted persons in Ephesus As indeed Timothy was left at Ephesus when Paul wrote to him his first Epistle as is evident 1 Tim. 1.3 and Titus it was who was left at Creete Tit. 1.5 But whether Timothy was then at Ephesus when Paul wrote his second Epistle to him is not so certaine But wheresoever he was as being an Evangelist he was not limited to a certaine place doubtlesse there wanted not unconverted persons amongst whom the Members of the Church lived Yea but they were not unconverted Christians for it is as much as unconverted Converts c. Answ It must lye upon the Discussers credit whether I used at all such a phrase or no sure I am I cannot hitherto after much seeking find mine owne hand-written copy which might cleare the mistake both of Creet for Ephesus and unconverted Christians for unconverted Persons But let it not seeme strange to him to heare tell of unconverted Christians or unconverted Converts There is no contradiction at all in the words When the Lord saith that Judah turned unto him not with all her heart but fainedly Jer. 3.10 Was she not then an unconverted Convert converted in shew and profession but unconverted in heart and Truth Let him then consider his own phrase here misapplyed whether this be the Language of Canaan or the Language of Ashdod Jeremies Language is the Language of Anathoth not of Ashdod Reply 2. If the Discusser looke at it as a true but sad experience of my unconverted estate from unconverted Churches and that the Lord Jesus never yet called me to come out of them because I speake if I doe so speake of unconverted Christians living amongst them I must be contented still to lie under that imputation from him I never knew that Church yet nor ever read of it in which there was not or at least might not be found some unconverted Christians unconverted Converts Judas was found in Christs Family Ananias and Sapphira in the Apostolick Primitive Church Balaam and the Nicholaitans were found in Pergamus and Jesabel in Thyatira Besides I have not yet learned nor doe I thinke I ever shall that the children of beleiving Parents borne in the Church are all of them Pagans and no Members of the Church or that being Members of the Church so holy that they are all of them truly converted And if they be not alwayes truly converted then let him not wonder nor stumble at the phrase of unconverted Christians But if the Discusser doe sadly observe it that my soule hath not yet heard the call of the Lord Jesus to come out of unconverted Churches truly I have just cause not without sadnesse and mourning to consider and to pray that he might consider what call of the Lord Jesus his soule hath heard to come out not onely out of unconverted Churches but converted too yea out of all Churches Discusser Againe I observe the haste and light attention of the Answerer to these Scriptures as commonly the Spirits of Gods children in matters of Gods Kingdome are very sleepy for these persons here spoken of were not unconverted Christians in Creete whom Titus as an Evnngelist was to convert but they were such Opposites as Timothy to whom Paul writeth this Letter at Ephesus should not meet withall Defender Whether such words be found in the copy of my Answer to the Letter I leave it to the Discussers credit As I said even now mine owne copy I cannot after much diligent search finde the Transcript which I have found hath it otherwise the unconverted Persons in Ephesus whom Timothy as an Evangelist was to seeke to convert But if my copy doe speake as he reporteth Then 1. I doe not deny but have just cause to acknowledge mine owne haste and light attention and sleepinesse in the matters of Christs Kingdome not onely in this passage but frequently else in the race of my Christian course of life The Disciples themselves Christ found sleepy Matth. 26.40 how much more may he find me sleepy 2. The Discusser might have imputed it as well to my hast to gratifie his earnest desire to Answer his friends Letter and to my confidence in his love that for hast to satisfie him mistooke one place and person for another and was not so attentive to peruse and examine the copy sent by me to him as I would have been had I sent it to an Adversary 3. The case is all one in the matters of Christs Kingdome whether I had named Timothy or Titus Ephesus or Creete For the persons were both of them Evangelists and the places of them both such as had unconverted persons in them and like enough unconverted Christians too Ephesus had evill persons amongst them whom they could not beare Rev. 2.2 as well as Creet had amongst them such as were alwayes lyars evill Beasts slow bellies Tit. 1.12 4. The Discusser that observeth haste and light attention and sleepinesse in another one would thinke would be more vigilant and attentive himselfe He that saith as the Discusser doth in his parenthesis that Paul wrote this Letter to wit his second Epipistle to Timothy at Ephesus taketh it for granted that which without some hasty lightnesse even the same which he blameth in my selfe he cannot beleive that Paul wrote his second to Timothy at Ephesus There is no word in the Epistle that speaketh of Timothies being at Ephesus when Paul wrote that second Epistle His calling of an Evangelist did not permit him to tarry long in a place and the first Epistle to Timothy is thought by the Learned to have been written one of the first of all Pauls Epistles next after those of the Thessalonians But the second Epistle to Timothy was written last of all the Epistles when Pauls time of departure was at hand 2 Tim. 4.6 And when Paul writeth 2 Timothy 4.12 that he had sent Tychicus to Ephesus It is not likely he would have written so to Timothy if Timothy then had been at Ephesus For Timothy would have knowne that Tychycus had been at Ephesus or if Tychicus
a City or civill State and for the suppressing of uncivill and injurious Persons or Actions by civill punishment And therefore this Sword cannot extend now as it did in Israel of old to spirituall and soule causes to spirituall and soule punishments Defender I easily hold with the Discusser that the civill Sword doth not extend to spirituall and soule punishments But if the civill Sword ought to extend to the defence of civill men in civill Liberties then why not also to the like defence of Churches and spirituall persons in their spirituall Liberties It is the Office of the civill Magistrate to governe his people in righteousnesse And if spirituall Liberties be in righteousnesse due to spirituall persons as well as civill Liberties to civill persons doubtlesse the Magistrate is defective in Rules of righteousnesse if he onely attend the defence of the civill people in their civill Rights and neglect to defend his spirituall people in their spirituall Rights What though the Sword be of a materiall and civill nature so it was in the Old Testament as well as in the new It can therefore reach no further either then or now then unto the punishment of men in bodily life or civill Liberties But it can reach to punish in these things not onely the offenders in bodily Life and civill Liberties but also the offendors against spirituall Life and soule Liberties What though it be called a civill Sword in common speech It is not a Scripture-phrase so to call it It may as fitly be called the Sword of God as well as the Sword of warre is so called Judges 7.20 which the Discusser guilefully or else unskilfully distinguisheth in this chapter from the civill Sword Now if the Sword of the Judge or Magistrate be the Sword of the Lord why may it not be drawne forth as well to defend his Subjects in true Religion as in civill Peace And as Magistrates are called in common speech civill Magistrates so are they called also in the Language of the Sanctuary Gods Psal 82.1.6 If civill Magistrates are to attend to civill matters are not Gods to attend to Gods matters It was wont to goe for a good Argument â conjugatis homo sum humani nihil â me alienum puto But now by the Discussers Doctrine the Magistrate may say Ego dignatione Divinâ Deus sum Psal 82. quatenus autem Deus sum Divina omnia â me aliena puto Now farre be all such reasonlesse and Paganish yea worse then Paganish Atheology from us Worse then Paganish I say for Pagan Princes accounted their Religion their chiefe care prima cura sacrorum And can a Christian forbid the care of Religion to Magistrates I say not without blushing but without trembling Object But Magistrates were called Gods in the Old Testament not so in the New Now under Christ all Nations are meerely Civill without any such Typicall holy respect upon them as was upon Israel a Nationall Church Ans It is written in the New Testament the Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ Rev. 17.15 And if the Kingdomes be Gods Kingdomes and the Kingdomes of Christ then the Kings of those Kingdomes are Gods Kings and Christian Kings and what Title is there in all the New Testament that either derogateth from the Titles or Office of Kings Though the Nations now have not that Typicall holinesse which the Nation of Israel had yet all the Churches of the Saints have as much Truth and reality of holinesse as Israel had And therefore what holy care of Religion lay upon the Kings of Israel in the Old Testament the same lyeth now upon Christian Kings in the New Testament to protect the same in their Churches CHAP. 51. A Reply to his Chap. 51. Discusser A Fourth Argument from this Scripture Rom. 13. I take in ver 6. which is a meerely civill reward for the Magistrates worke Now as the wages be such is the worke but the wages are meerely Civill Custome Tribute not the contributions of the Saints or Churches of Christ c. Defender The Contributions of the Saints and Churches are truly called by the Apostle carnall things Romans 15.27 and againe 2 Cor. 9.11 But shall a man therefore thus reason as the wages be such is the worke But the wages are carnall things therefore such is the worke of the Ministers of the Gospel to whom such wages are paid It is true the contributions of the Saints may be called Holy because they are given to God and by his appointment to the maintenance of such as minister in his house about his holy things But these are mentall relations no reall differances in the thigns given to Magistrates and Ministers The wages given to them both are carnall things And consider them both in their proper ends as the rewards given to Ministers are given for their service about holy things so the rewards given to Magistrates are given for their service about righteous things Now if the Purity of Doctrine worship and Government be righteous priviledges of all the Churches in the Common-wealth surely Magistrates doe not well deserve all their wages that suffer the Churches to be bereaved and dispoyled of their spirituall priviledges which is the greatest and best part of their Birth-right Besides the Apostle commandeth the Churches and Saints not onely to pay to Magistrates Tribute and Custome which are civill things but also to poure out all manner of Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and given of thanks for them 1 Tim. 1.1 2. And surely these are spirituall dues and not Earthly And therefore Magistrates owe to the Churches and Saints some Spirituall recompences which the Apostle also there nameth that we may live a quiet and peaceable Life in all godlinesse and honesty ver 2. If therefore the Churches and Saints be not suffered to live a quiet and peaceable Life in Godlinesse and honesty or if they be suffered to live a quiet and peaceable life in ungodlinesse and dishonesty the Magistrates fall short of returning spirituall recompence for the spirituall Duties and services performed for them Discusser Lastly that the Spirit of God never intended to direct or warrant the Magistrate to use his power in spirituall affaires and Religions I argue from the Terme or Title given by God to such civill Officers to wit Gods Ministers ver 6. Defender One would thinke the Argument would rather evince the contrary For what is a Minister but a Servant and what is a servant but he that is at his Masters command for his efficient cause and for his Masters ends as his finall cause How shall then a Magistrate carrie himselfe as a Minister of God and yet fall short and intended so to doe both of Gods Commandements in his Lawes and of Gods worship and glory in the execution of them Discusser But at the very first blush any man will acknowledge a double Ministery the one appointed by Christ in his Church to order the
in a way of Hostility notwithstanding any Church-power If ought be unsound in this dealing with Princes I am willing to heare of it Discusser Another while when Princes crosse Mr. Cottons Judgement and Practise then it matters not what the Profession and Practise of Princes is for saith he their Profession and Practise is no Rule to Conscience Defender If Princes swerve from the rule of the word either in profession or practise their owne profession or practise is no rule either to themselves or others Princes ought not to rule the word but are to be ruled by it But see the notorious calumny of the Discusser so representing Mr Cottons dealing with Princes as if he made his owne judgement and practise the rule of the proceeding of Princes Men whose tongues are their owne may speake any thing But yet such as feare the Lord would tremble at such speeches as neither expresse Truth nor Love Discusser I aske then unto what Princes or Magistrates will themselves or any so perswaded submit to as unto keepers of both Tables and nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church First will it not evidently follow by these Tenents That they ought not to submit to any Magistrates in the world in these cases but to Magistrates just of their owne Conscience Defender We subject our selves to all sorts of Magistrates of the Countries where we live or whether we come whether Christian or Pagan Orthodox or erroneous just of our Consciences or unjust against them Subject our selves I say either in active submission and obedience when they command according to God or in passive submission of our bodyes and goods lives and liberties when they command against God Since the Discusser concludeth it will evidently follow that wee will submit to no Magistrates but just of our owne Consciences let him make that evident which he saith is evident or else let him say he is evidently mistaken né quid dicam gravius Discusser Secondly will it not also follow that all other Consciences in the world except their owne must be persecuted by such their Maistrates Defender This will no wayes follow unlesse all mens Consciences in the world did erre Fundamentally and obstinately after just conviction against the very Principles of Christian Religion or at least unlesse they maintained and held forth other errors though not Fundamentally subverting Religion yet Fundamentally subverting Church-Order and civill order and that in a turbulent and Factious manner For in these cases only we follow Magistrates to punish in matters of Religion Discusser And Lastly Is not this to make Magistrates but stepps and stirrops for themselves to ascend and mounte into their rich and honorable Seats and Saddels I meane great and setled maintenances which neither the Lord Jesus nor any of his first Messengers the true Patterns did ever know Defender How this power ascribed to Magistrates not by me but by the body almost of all Faithfull Ministers yea by the Prophets and Apostles themselves should make Magistrates staires and stirrops for our selves to mount up so high let him that can discerne it make it appeare To allow them power over our selves in case of Hereticall Delinquency is not to make them staires or stirrops of our advancement but Swords and staves if need be for our punishment Besides I wonder what fancy came into the Discussers minde to dreame of rich and honorable Seates and Saddels of our Magistrates When as he need not beignorant how farre short they themselves fall of rich and honorable Seates and Saddels which himselfe interpreteth great and settled maintenances Lastly I suppose he is not ignorant that my selfe against whom he is pleased by Name to write this invective liveth not upon great and settled maintenance but according to that which he calleth the true patterne of the first Messengers of the Lord Jesus CHAP. 57. A Reply to his Chap. 60. Discusser IN the second place the Answerer saith that Princes out of State-Policy doe sometime Tolerate what suiteth not with Christianity and out of State-necessity Tolerate as David did Joab against their wills But then the Answerer must acknowledge with me That there is a necessity sometime of State-Toleration as in the case of Joab And so his former affirmation generally lay'd downe viz That it is evill to Tolerate seducing Teachers and Scandalous Lives Was not duely weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary and is too light Defender I easily acknowledge sometime a necessity of State Toleration As I have formerly expressed in Chap. 53. especially in two cases whereof that of Joab is one But that will nothing impeach the Truth of my former affirmation delivered in generall termes especially if it be weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary For the holy writings of the Sanctuary doe expresly deliver the like position in like generall termes As Moses saith who so sheddeth mans bloud by man shall his bloud be shed This Law is delivered in generall termes and yet though Joab was a murderer he was tolerated to live all the Reigne of David yet I hope the Discusser wil not say that generall Law of Moses was not duely weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and is too light Discusser I affirme Secondly That that State-Policy and State-necessity which permitteth Consciences of men will be found to agree most punctually with the Rules of the best Politition that ever the world saw the Lord Jesus himselfe who commanded the permitting of the Tares to wit Antichristians or false Christians with true Christians as I have discoursed above Defender That discourse hath bin examined above and found too light so farre as it crosseth the Truth returned in Answer to the Letter To permit some Antichristians or false Christians The Answer to the Letter did allow unlesse they maintained Fundamentall Heresies against the Foundation of Religion and that obstinately after conviction and did withall seduce others into the same Apostacy But as for such Hereticks and seducing Teachers I hope it hath been cleared they are none of those Tares of which Christ saith Let them alone Besides it is an Interpretation of Christs words formerly given and not to be reversed That if by Tares were meant such grosse offendors then the speech of Christ Let them alone is not a word of command in way of an Ordinance but a word of Permission and prediction what will be in way of Providence Like that in Luk. 22.36 He that hath no sword let him sell his Garment and buy a sword It is not a word of command or direction what the Disciples should doe But a word of prediction what times of tryall they should meet withall CHAP. 58. A Reply to his Chap. 61. Discusser His Third Answer is this FOr those three Princes named by you who Tolerated false Religion wee can name more and greater who have not Tolerated Hereticks and Schismaticks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and Arrogating the crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings Constantine the great at the
of it For may it not justly be conceived That the Lord therefore hid the place of his buriall least the Children of Israel knowing it might goe a whoring after his Sepulchre and it may be offer sweet incense upon it and so such false worship against the law of Moses might come to be Tolerated for honor to the body of Moses But Christ hath abolished a Nationall State or Church which Moses set up in Canaan Though Christ abolished a Nationall Church-State and instead thereof set up a Congregationall Church yet Christ never abolished a Nationall Civill State nor the Judiciall Lawes of Moses which were of Morall equity but established them rather in their place and order He that shed his own bloud to plant his Church did never abolish that Law which enacted that his bloud should be upon him who should supplant his Church If Christs bloud goe to plant it let the false Christs bloud goe for supplanting it Discusser In the King of Bohemias speech the Answerer passeth by that Foundation in grace and Nature that Conscienee ought not to be violated and forced it is a spirituall Rape Defender This was not passed by but prevented in stating the Question where it was said it is not lawfull to censure any no not for error in Fundamentall points of Doctrine or Worship till the Conscience of the offendor be first convinced out of the word of God of the dangerous error of his way and then if he still persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.11 so he is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but punished for sinning against his Conscience Discusser The King observeth that most lamentably true experience of all ages That persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious c. Defender No experience in any age did ever prove it pernicious to punish seducing Apostates after due conviction of the error of their way Wherein did the burning of Servetus prove pernicious to Geneva or the just execution of many popish Preists to Queene Elizabeth or to the english State But the Kings speech may passe if it be meant of persecution properly so called to wit Oppression of the faithfull for the Truths sake yea if it be the punishment of any for error If not Fundamentally pernicious either to Religion or Church-order and that after conviction of Conscience persisted in with obstinacy Discusser Lastly the Kings observation of his owne time that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery reigned Implying as I conceive such practises commonly proceed from the great Whore whose Daughters are like their Mother all of a bloudy nature as commonly all wolves be Defender It is no marvell if I passed by this observation in the Kings speech For there is no such observation there to be found If the Discusser had well observed it himselfe he would have found it was not the speech of the King but of the Prisoner And the persecution he speaketh of was not of Antichristians or Hereticks or Idolaters but onely of such as the world nick-named Puritans or the like and of them too without conviction of the error of their way But in that the Discusser maketh England a Daughter of the great Whore and of a bloudy nature like her Mother he speaketh as some other of the rigid Seperation have done before him But I could never yet see awarrant from the rule either of Truth or Love for such a speech Did ever the holy Scripture call any Church an whore that worshipped the true God onely in the Name of Jesus and depended on him alone for righteousnesse and salvation Is it not the part of a base childe or at least a base pare of a childe to call his Mother whore who bred him and bred him to know no other Father but her lawfull Husband the Lord Jesus Christ CHAP. 60. A Reply to his 63. Chap. Discusser NOw Thirdly In that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperors they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian Whereas the good Emperors Constantine Gratian Valentian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arians and Donatists Let it be for an Answer It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous c. Defender This may goe for a truth but not for an Answer The Letter would Justifie Toleration of Religion from the judgement and speeches of three Kings I Answered that was no Argument for I could bring him Kings more in number and greater in the sight of God and man who judged it meet not to tolerate Hereticks nor turbulent Schismaticks To this the Discusser Answereth sometimes the Godly doe that which is evill and the wicked that which is good This I say is a Truth but doth not take away my Answer but by a Petitio Principij a begging of the Question That Kings alledged by him did that which was good but the Kings alledged by me though better persons did that which was evill CHAP. 61. A Reply to his Chap. 64. Discusser THe unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperors did more hurt to Christ Jesus his Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes In the persecution of those wicked Emperors Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded in Morters But those good Emperors persecuting some erroneous persons and advancing the Professors of some truthes and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword by this meanes Christianity was eclipsed The Professors of it fell asleepe Cant. 5. Babel was usher'd in and by degrees the Churches of the Saints were turned into the Wildernesse of whole Nations Rev. 12.13 untill the whole world became Christian or Christendome Those good Emperors intending to exalt Christ but not attending to the command of Christ Jesus to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the world all one c. Defender If the unknowing zeale of Constantine other Christian Emperors did more hurâ— to the Church then the raging fury of bloudy Neroes It was not because the raging fury of those Persecutors was more accepted of God then this unknowing zeale of the good Emperors For though the unknowing zeale of the one was finfull yet it was the friut of humane frialty Error Amoris But the rage of the others was divelish fury Amor Erroris Besides the unknowing zeale of the good Emperors lay not in punishing notorious Hereticall Seducers nor will the Discusser be ever able to shew that the Church of Christ suffered any hurt at all by that meanes The contrary is evident Constantius and Valens by Tolerating and favoring the Arians the whole world became Arian Ingemuit orbis Christianus et miratus est factum se esse Arianum
wisdome and Truth that the Disousser should publish the delights of Christ in a confussed way without distinguishing things that differ and so not dividing the Word aright It is true that Christ delighteth not in the bloud of men but shed his owne for his bloudiest enemies and gainsayers to wit whilst they gainsaying him and bloudily persecute him or his out of ignorance In this case indeed he prayeth for them and dieth for them Father forgive them they know not what they doe Luk. 23.34 whilest wee were enemies Christ died for us Rom. 5.8 10. But to say that Christ delighteth not in the bloud of men who after the acknowledgement of his Truth doe tread the bloud of his Covenant under foote and wittingly and willingly reject him from reigning over them To hold it forth that Christ delighteth not in the bloud of such men or that he would not have such molested by the civill Sword who gainsay Christ known and professed and joyn with his enemy Antichrist in blaspheming and persecuting Christ and his Saints This the Discusser can never make good to be the word of Christ It is indeed to publish the glad Tidings of the Gospel not to the humble and meeke Lambes of Christ but to the seed of the Serpent to sow pillowes under all elbowes to make the hearts of the righteous sad whom God would not make sad and to strengthen the hands of the wicked in their Apostacy from the truth and malignity against it Christ hath pronounced it upon earth and ratifyed it in Heaven Those mine enemies that would not that I should reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before my face Luk. 19.27 Are these the words of him that delighteth not in the bloud of his bloudyest enemies and gainsayers when the Lord Jesus sendeth forth his servants to powre out bloudy vengeance upon Antichristian emissaries and openeth the hearts mouthes of his Saints to praise him for thus judging Rev. 16.4 7 Is this to proclaime a Magna-Charta of highest libertyes even to his gainsayers and to such as joyn with his enemy Antichrist Time was when Jehu justly demanded What peace what hast thou to doe with peace so long as the whor domes of thy Mother Jezebel and her witcherafts are so many 2 Kings 9.22 And are the times now so farre changed that the Sword of Jebu shall proclaime peace to Jezebel and peace to all that call her mother and peace to her whoredomes and peace to her witchcrafts and then to blesse our selves with a glorious expectation That soone shall every Brow and house be stucke with O live branches The Lord keepe us from being bewitched with the Whores cup lest whilst wee seeme to detest and reject her with open face of profession wee doe not bring her in by a back doore of Toleration and so come at last to drink deepely of the cup of the Lords wrath and be filled with the cup of her plagues Amen CHAP. 79. Touching the Modell of Church and civill Power composed by Mr. Cotton and the Ministers of New-England and sent to the Church of Salem c. Examined by the Discusser and Answered THis Title or Inscription which the Examiner setteth up of this Modell holdeth forth to the world a double falshood 1. That the Modell was composed by Mr. Cotton and other Ministers of New-England This is one falshood What other Ministers of New-England did in it themselves know But for Mr. Cotton I know that he was none of them that composed it 2. That this Modell was sent to the Church of Salem if he meane sent by those Ministers as the following words imply for the confirmation of their Doctrine that is another falshood The Ministers themselves that composed the Modell doe deny it Howsoever the Modell came to Salem the Ministers say it was not sent by them But see when men are left of God openly and boldly to write against the truth in matter of Doctrin how readily and freely they can write and speake falshood in matter of fact It is therefore lesse marvell that in Answer to the preface of the Modell he breaketh forth into such vast hyperboles That the Modell awakeneth Meses from his unknowne Grave and denyeth Jesus yet to have seen the earth A speech as devoid of reason as of truth The observation of Moses Lawes doth not awaken Moses out of his grave nor is there any reason it should The validity of Lawes doth not in reason depend upon the life or resurrection of the Lawgiver the Examiner himselfe I suppose would not doubt but the Lawes of Moses were of force to the Israelites in the Land of Canaan when yet Moses was dead and buried before their entrance into the Land Neither did their observation of them awaken Moses out of his grave but argued his Lawes to be in force as well after his death as whilst he was yet living If it be said That Christ at his coming in the flesh when he was buried himselfe buried also the Lawes of Moses with him in his grave Then the Examiner should not have said that the Modell raised up Moses out of his grave but that it raised up Christ out of his grave If it be said againe the Examiner saith It denyed Christ to have seen the earth which was of as ill consequence Be it so but yet still this maketh nothing to the rasing up of Moses out of his grave I Answer further Neither doth it at all deny Christ to have seen the earth For Christ came not to destroy the Law of Moses Mat. 5.17 Neither the Morall Law for in the sequele of that Chapter he doth at large expound it and establish it No nor did he come to destroy the judiciall Lawes such of them as are of Morall equity Or else the Conscience of the civill Magistrate could never doe any act of civill justice out of faith because he should have no word of God to be the ground of his action if the Lawes of judgement in the Old-Testament were abrogated and none extant in the New As for the exception which the Examiner taketh against the Preface It is as easily avoided as Objected If saith he the civill Magistrate even the highest being a Member of the Church be subject to Church-Censure how can this stand with their common Tenent that he must keepe the first Table Reforme the Church be Judge and Governor in all causes as well ecclesiasticall as Civill Secondly how can a Magistrate both sit on the Bench and stand at the Bar of Christ Jesus Is it not as impossible as to reconcile east and west together Yea is not the Text in Isa 49 23. Lamentably wrested to prove both these Reply One Answer may easily remove both Exceptions And that one Text doth expresly hold forth both these Points which the Examiner conceiveth to be so irreconcilable For if Princes be nursing Fathers to the Church as that Text speaketh then they are to provide that the children of
to continue in those evills and persecuting the witnesses of the Lord Jesus presenting light to them Reply Those evills What were those evills which wee were resolved to continue in He expresseth none but sure meet it had been that as his voluntary withdrawing from these Churches was publickly known so the evills in which we resolved to continue and for which he withdrew himselfe should in like manner have been publickly knowne also It is an unrighteous thing to passe publick known acts upon private unknowne evills But whatsoever those unknown evills were I suppose he conceiveth them to be such wayes either of Judgement or Practise wherein wee walke according to the light of our Consciences And then by his Rule he should have allowed us the like liberty of conscience which himselfe requireth And surely by the Royall Rule of the Lord Jesus no Brother may be so much as admonished much lesse separated from till he be convinced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 18.15 And as for persecuting the witnesses of the Lord presenting light to us himselfe for ought I know was the first in this Countrey that ever pretended suffering for bearing witnesse in any matter of Religion true or false And for him to withdraw himselfe from the society of all the Churches for their persecution of him before he had suffered from them any thing but conference and conviction is to make them sufferers for well-doing and to choose suffering that he might have cause to complaine of sufferings Let him if he be able name any one in this Countrey of the witnesses of the Lord for he speaketh of witnesses that ever did so much as pretend before himselfe to suffer Persecution for presenting light to us Thus he maketh that the ground of his withdrawing which was not then in Rerum naturâ no not in pretence till after his withdrawing As a furious School-master will beate a childe for nothing till he cry and then beate him for crying But he further presumeth to affirme That his withdrawing was the act of the Lord Jesus in him sounding forth that Blast which shall one day cast downe the strength and confidence of the Inventions of men in the worship of God Reply If a particular visible Church consisting of visible Saints and united by holy Covenant into one Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in all his holy Ordinances If such a Church be an Invention of man If Elders called and ordained by them for Administration of these Ordinances be an invention of man If the Covenant of Grace between the Lord and his Church and the Seales thereof and the Censures dispensed against the violation thereof If all these be the Inventions of man then indeed the Lord hath sounded a blast in Mr. Williams his horne to cast down the Inventions of men in the worship of God But if all these be the holy Institutions of the Lord Jesus then let Mr. Williams know that this speech of his is a blast of blasphemy against the Lord Jesus to put upon him that which is the proper worke of Satan to blast all the Churches and Ordinances of Christ And whereas it was wont to be the worke of Antichrist to defile all the Ordinances of Christ it is now the worke of this examiner to deface and abolish them all from the face of the earth Whether of these workes are the more Antichristian It may be he will be ready to say as the Prophet said in another case of Senacherib Isai 10.7 he meaneth not so nor doth his heart thinke so and as Hazael said to the Prophet Is thy servant a dog that he should doe this great thing 2 King 8.13 Sed quid verba audiam cùm facta videam Why doth he separate from all Churches under Heaven and refuse to gather into any Church where himselfe liveth if he did not in these times look at all Church-Estate and Fellowship and Ordinances as not to be found in the Land of the Living Lastly He looketh at it as an act of Christ enabling him to be faithfull in any measure to suffer such great and mightie Tryalls for his Names sake But if the Spirit of the Apostle John had in some measure rested upon him he would no more have mentioned much lesse have magnified his great and mighty Tryalls till he had seene John goe before him in such a like predication of his sufferings who doubtlesse had lesse deserved it and yet suffered more great and mighty Tryalls Revel 1.9 But full vessels make least sound Againe He recoyleth to his civill Banishment and observeth That if by banishing himselfe I meant his Civill Banishment then 1. He discerneth the language of the Dragon in a Lambes lip to put the sufferings of the Saints upon themselves and the Devill 2. That I silently confesse that the frame and constitution of our Churches is implicitly Nationall Else if the Common-wealth and Church were not one how could he that is banished from the one be necessarily banished from the other also Reply It was farre from my meaning and words when I spake of his banishing of himselfe from the Fellowship of all the Churches in the Countrey to intend his civill banishment I knew his civill banishment was not meerly his own Act. I knew also that he might have been banished from the Common-wealth and yet have retained as some others have done Fellowship with some Churches if not with all the Churches in the Countrey And therefore both his observations are but empty flourishes and vanish like Bubbles It is the wilinesse of the Spirit of the Serpent to hide his head under fig-leaved evasions But suppose I had meant by his banishment of himselfe his civill banishment and had meant that by exposing himselfe deservedly to that censure he had deprived himselfe of enjoying all the spirituall liberties of the Churches in the Countrey might I not so have said and yet not have spoken the language of the Dragon What if the Dragon use such language to the Saints suffering innocently may not the Spirit of God use the same words to a guilty person suffering deservedly The language of the Dragon lyeth not alwayes in the words or meaning but in the application and intent of them The Dragon said to Christ I know who thou art the holy One of God Mar. 1.24 Peter might say the same or the like words Mat. 16.16 And yet in his mouth it was not the language of the Dragon but of the Holy Ghost Neither will it imply That the Church and Common-wealth are all one because he that deservedly is banished from the Common-wealth banisheth himselfe also from the communion of the Churches For the same sinnes which may be offensive civilly to the Common-wealth may be also spiritually offensive to the Church and both proceed to censure the same person in their own way severally TO CHAP. IV. IN his fourth Chapter the Examiner answereth to a speech of mine wherein to prevent his prejudice
of their Parishionall Churches but onely the falsenesse of the Power from whence their Ministery is derived to wit from Episcopall Ordination But the Examiner is much mistaken if he take us to conceive or if he himselfe conceive that the Power of the Ministeriall calling is derived from Ordination whether Episcopall or Presbyteriall or Congregationall The Power of the Ministeriall Calling is derived chiefly from Christ furnishing his servants with Gifts fit for the Calling and nextly from the Church or Congregation who observing such whom the Lord hath gifted doe elect and call them forth to come and helpe them For from that ground Paul and Silas to use the words of the Text assuredly gathered that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel to the Macedonians Acts 16.9 10. to wit because a man of Macedonia in the name of the rest had called unto them to come into Macedonia and helpe them Pastor and flock are Relatives and Relatives doe consist ex mutuâ alterius affectione Their mutuall acceptance of one another is the essentiall cause of their Relation Ordination is but adjunctum consummans as Dr. Ames rightly observeth of the Ministers Calling the Relation between him and the people was truly wrought before As the Coronation of the Prince is not that which giveth the Essency of his Princely Calling but Election by the People where the Government is Elective so neither is Ordination that which giveth Essence to the Ministers Calling but the peoples choice Ordination by Imposition of Episcopall hands doth pollute an Adjunct of the Ministers calling to wit the solemnitie of it but doth not destroy the essence or nature of it much lesse derive a false power to it to evacuate the true The third Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English-Parish-Churches is the False worship And truly whatsoever hath been corrupt in their worship whether Prescript Liturgies or undue Honour put upon Saints or Angels in denominating Dayes or Temples after them and such times and places dedicated to God which he never required and what ever other Devices of like nature I had rather bewaile before the Lord then excuse or justifie before men And I should thinke it had been a better service to God and his Churches and a greater comfort to the soule of the Examiner to have expressed particularly what the false worship had been which he beareth witnesse against and to have cleared wherein their falshood lyeth rather then to have rested in condemning all false worships in overly Generalities and especially at such a time when through mercy the State is set upon Reformation and calleth for light He that shall cry out against all false wayes in Travels by Land and exclaime against all Rocks and Quick-sands by Sea and give no particular notice where they lye what helpe doth he afford to the carefull Passenger or Marriner either by Land or Sea When Trumpets give such an uncertain and obscure sound who shall prepare themselves to avoyd the danger on the one hand or on the other But for the present two things would I say touching the point in hand 1. It is not every corruption in worship that denominateth the worship to be false worship It was doubtlesse a corrupt worship to Sacrifice in the High Places yet God doth not call it a false worship but rather seemeth to accept it as done to himselfe 2 Kings 33.17 False worship to speake properly is as good as no worship nor is the God of Truth wont to accept that which is false But there may be many aberrations in the manner of worship when yet both the object of the worship is the true God and the substance of the worship is true worship and God may accept that which is Truth from an honest and true heart and passe by many aberrations as infirmities and not reject all as falsities The second thing I would say is That whatsoever we have discerned to be corrupt or irregular in the worship of God we have beleeved it to be our duty both to judge our selves for it before the Lord and to reforme it in our practise If any shall discover any further failings in our worship or in the worship of those Churches whom wee communicate with I hope the Lord will not shut our eyes against the light The fourth Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English-Churches is false Government which if he meane the Government of the Parishes by the godly Ministers with whom our people communicate in hearing that Government is chiefly administred by the publick Preaching of the Gospel and by private admonition Which he that shall challenge it to be a false Government though it may be defective in some Directions verily the spirit of Truth and Grace in those who are governed and led by it from darknesse to light from the Power of Satan unto God from a state of Grace to assured hopes of eternall Glory in Christ Jesus will convince all such slanderous tongues of notorious falshood But if he speake of the Nationall-Church-Government we must confesse the Truth there indeed Truth is fallen and falshood hath prevailed much For whether we speake of the Hands by which that Government hath been administred or of the Ecclesiasticall Courts in which it is administred or of the Rule according to which it is administred or of the End for which it is administred All of them are forsaken of Truth and can challenge no warrant of Truth but falsly The Hands by which that Government hath been administred are the Prelacy and their Servitors who though they have of late challenged Institution by Divine Right yet the claime is utterly false The Divine Authoritie hath none to attend upon Rule and Government in the Church but such as are inferior to Pastors and Teachers in Congregations who labour in Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 Diocesan Bishops in the dayes of the Gospel are like Kings in Israel in the dayes of the Judges both of them wanting Divine Institution What a pity is it that some men eminent for Piety and Preaching and others for learning and moderation should come to be as Jothams Parable speaketh advanced over their Brethren and so leave their fatnesse and sweetnesse and fruitfulnesse wherewith they had been wont to serve both God and man The Ecclesiasticall Courts in which that Government is administred are like the Courts of the High Priests and Pharisees which Solomon by a spirit of Prophecy styleth Dens of Lyons Mountaines of Leopards Cant. 4.8 And those who have had to doe with them have found them Markets of the sinnes of the People the Cages of uncleannesse the forgers of Extortion the Tabernacles of Bribery The Rule according to which the Government is administred is not the word of God which alone is able to make a Church-Governour perfect to every good worke 2 Tim. 1.17 but in stead thereof the Canon Law the Decretalls of Antichrist and most unworthily and falsly applyed to the Government of
the Spouse of Christ The End also for which this Government now for many yeares hath been administred hath not onely been contrary to the ends of Church-Government which is to order the people in holinesse and love but even contrary to the end of Civill Government which is the punishment of evill doers and the praise of them that doe well Rom. 9.4 But here the very edge of Government hath been bent and sharpened chiefly against holinesse and puritie No malefactors so hainous drunkards whoremongers prophane persons but might expect the approach of Courts with lesse terror and passe from under their hands with more favourable Censure then the sheepe of Christ and the faithfull Shepheards of them This Government therefore being administred with false Hands on false Thrones by false Rules for falle Ends I blame not the Examiner though he style it as justly he may a false Government But to conclude therefore this 14th Chapter the Examiner telleth us He beleeveth it is absolutely necessary to see and bewaile so much as may amount to cut off the soule from a false Church whether Nationall or Parishionall or any other falsly constituted Church together with the Ministery Worship and Government of it Now in that which hath been spoken wee have given account how farre we have seene any of these things to be false in the Churches which his charge hath respect unto And so farre as we have seene the Lord knoweth how farre we have bewailed and cut off our selves from the Fellowship thereof Yea not onely from the fellowship of that which we discerne to be false but also from what we have discerned to be unsound and corrupt If we doe not discerne all those things to be false which he accounteth to be false we have given the grounds thereof from the Scriptures of Truth If we doe not follow him in all his imaginations it is no marvell The sheepe of Christ know the voyce of their Shepheard a stranger they will not follow His charges of Falshood upon Churches have been vehement and peremptory and in a manner sorbonicall without any touch of Scripture-grounds as if he had learned not onely from them but from the Conclave of Antichrist to obtrude upon the Churches of Christ his unwritten imaginations and censorious Decrees as the very Oracles of God Proceed we now therefore to his next Chapter wherein there is some mention of some Texts of Scripture and let us see whether they will speake more to his purpose in that which remaineth To CHAP. XV. THe Texts of Scripture which Mr. Williams alledged not to prove the Churches of England to be false in their Constitution Ministery Worship Government for to that end he alledgeth no Scriptures at all but to urge upon us a separation from them even from hearing in their Assemblies were three Isai 52.11 2 Cor. 6.17 Rev. 18.4 Whereof I certified him in my Letter That two of them to wit the first and last made nothing to his purpose For that of Isaiah and the other of the Revelation speake of locall separation which he knew we had made and which neither he nor indeed our selves apprehended to be sufficient though sufficient to answer in part the literall sence of those Places To which he answereth That he could not well have beleeved that Mr. Cotton or any other would have made that coming forth of Babel in the Antitype Rev. 18.4 to be locall and materiall also For what Civill State or Nation or Countrey in the world in the Antitype could now be called Babel If any then surely Babel it selfe properly so called but there we finde a true Church of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5. Secondly If Babel be locall now whence Gods People are called then must there be a locall Judea a Land of Canaan also into which they are called c. Reply If the Examiner had been pleased to have read Mr. Brightman on Rev. 18.4 He might finde I was not the first that Interpreted either that place in Isaiah or this in Revelation of a locall separation For as there was in old Babel sundry of Gods Israel Inhabitants then when the Medes and Persians were about to take it and destroy it so will there be in new Babel sundry of Gods chosen people still inhabiting amongst them even then when the ten Kings will be ready to take the Citie and to burne it with fire Unto whom as the Lord sent his Angels to hasten Lot out of Sodome when he was about to destroy it so he hath sent and will send the voyce of his Messengers to hasten his people as well out of new Babel as he did out of old before that sodaine destruction fall upon the City and upon them in it He need not make it so strange What Civill State or Nation or Countrey in the world shall be called Babel now As if the very expâ—esse letter of the Text had not clearely enough deciphered the City of Rome the great City which in Johns time reigned over the Kings of the Earth to be the Babylon the Antitype of Babel in Chaldea whom the Lord would destroy and out of whom he calleth his people to depart Why doth he tell us of Babel in Peter Babel in Chaldea as if the Type and the Antitype were literally the same place Or as if he were altogether a stranger in the Booke of the Revelation and never understood Rome to be called Babylon But secondly saith he If Babel be locall now then there must be a locall Judea a Land of Canaan also into which the Saints are called Reply 1. It followeth not for the Angel that calleth them out of Babel doth not call them into Judea or Canaan There is no mention of such places in that call at all 2. There be and will be when Rome is destroyed and before it be destroyed visible Churches of Christ as was Judea and Canaan of old into which these Saints who are called to depart out of Rome have a just calling to come and to joyne themselves For it is out of the Temple and out of the Temple open in Heaven out of which those Angels come who powre out the vialls of Gods wrath both upon the Antichristian State and upon the Citie of Babylon it selfe Rev. 15.5 6. with Chap. 16.19 The Examiner need not here aske Whether Mr. Cotton can satisfie his own soule or the soules of other men in making a locall departure from old England to New as if therein we had obeyed that voyce of the Angel Come out of Babylon my People partake not of her sinnes c. For 1. I doe not count England literally to be Babel nor mystically neither I beleeve a man may live and dye in England and yet obey that Commandement of the Angel in all the parts of it Some other godly men might finde more favour and exemption from Babylonish corruptions in the midst of England then I was suffered to doe without locall departure 2. Though I thinke that in
hearts are not forestalled with prejudice or partiality judge whether his reasons alledged to convince us of such a sinne the strongest whereof were answered in my Letter to him and have been againe refuted in this Reply have been of such convincing power as that wee for not hearkening to him must needs lie under the guilt of an ulcer or Gangrene of obstinacy and that after conviction I may therefore well call it not Chirurgery but Butchery to cut off not onely so many members of Christ but also so many Churches of Christ from fellowship with Christ before any ulcer or Gangrene of obstinacy was discovered to us Nay I feare I might speake a further word and yet I would be loath to speake any doubtfull thing but surely my memory much faileth me or else he broke forth into this separation before he gave us any grounds of his separation at all or of our conviction of any such sinne as might deserve such a Censure And whether that be Butchery or Chirurgery let the upright judge But saith he if it be Butchery to separate conscientiously and peaceably from the spirituall communion of a Church or Saints what shall it be called by the Lord Jesus to cut off persons them and theirs branch and roote from any Civill being in their Territories c. Because their Consciences dare not how domne to any worship but what the Lord Jesus hath appointed and being also otherwise subject to the Civill estate and Lawes thereof Here be many extenuations and mincings of his own carriage and as many false aggravations of Guilt upon his sentence of Banishment and the Authors of it As 1. In that he was cut off he and his branch and roote from any Civill being in these Territories because their Consciences durst not bow downe to any worship but what they beleeve the Lord had appointed Whereas the truth is his Banishment proceeded not against him or his for his own refusall of any worship but for seditious opposition against the Patent and against the Oath of fidelitie offered to the people 2. That he was subject to the Civill estate and Lawes thereof when yet he vehemently opposed the Civill foundation of the Civill estate which was the Patent And earnestly also opposed the Law of the generall Court by which the tender of that Oath was enjoyned and also wrote Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof the Magistrates were members for deferring to give present Answer to a Petition of Salem who had refused to hearken to a lawfull motion of theirs 3. That he did but separate from the spirituall society of a Church or Saints whereas he both drew away many others also and as much as in him lay separated all the Churches from Christ 4. In that he maketh the cutting off of persons them and theirs branch and rush from civill Territories a farre more hainous and odious offence in the eyes of the Lord Jesus then himselfe to cut off not onely himselfe and his branch and rush but many of his neighbours by sedition from spirituall Communion with the Churches and all the Churches from Communion with Christ As if the cutting off persons them and theirs branch and rush from the Covenant and spirituall Ordinances in the Church were a matter of no account in respect of cutting off from Civill Liberties in the Territories of the Common-wealth 5. In that what himselfe did he predicateth as done conscientiously and peaceably as if what the Court had done against him they had not done conscientiously also and with regard to publick peace which they saw he disturbed and stood stiffly in his own course though he was openly convinced in open Court as I shewed before that he could not maintaine his way but by sinning against the light of his own Conscience As for his Marginall note wherein he chargeth Mr. Cotton to be deeply guilty of Cruelty both against Consciences and bodies in persecuting of them I will onely Answer thus much partly from David partly from Job If the Lord have stirred him up thus to reproach me as Shimei did him I hope the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and requite me good for all his slander this day or this yeare 2 Sam. 16 12. But if he himselfe who without cause is mine adversary hath whet his tongue like a sword and his bow to shoot out his arrowes even bitter words Psal 64.3 as he frequently doth in his Booke surely I shall take his booke upon my shoulder and bind it as a Crowne to me Job 31.36 TO CHAP. XXIII HIs 23. Chapter examineth a speech of mine which might tend to the dishonour of the Separation as the reproach against Salem had done before My Speech was That God had not prospered the way of Separation which least it should be mistaken I interpreted not in respect of outward prosperitie for they found more favour in our native Countrey then those who walked in the way of Reformation which is commonly reproached by the name of Puritanisme The meetings of the Separatists might be knowne to the Officers in the Courts and winked at when the Conventicles of the Puritans as they call them are hunted out with all diligence and pursued with more violence then any Law can justifie But I said that God had not prospered the way of Separation in that he had not blessed it either with peace amongst themselves or with growth of grace such as erring through simplicitie and tendernesse of Conscience have growne in grace have growne also to discerne their lawfull libertie to returne to the hearing of the Word from English Preachers To give Answer to this the Examiner bestoweth many Chapters His first Answer is that which is not unworthy to be attended to by all whom it concerneth That doubtlesse the Lord hath a great Controversie with the Land for their such violent pursuit and persecution of both For both of them have borne witnesse to severall truths of the Lord Jesus Albeit I deny not the one party might have borne witnesse to more points of Truth the other might have borne witnesse to fewer and so have lesse exceeded bounds of Truth To make the English Churches and their Ministeries and their Worship and their Professors either nullities or Antichristian is a witnesse not onely beyond the truth but against the Truth of the Lord Jesus and his word of Truth But for their sufferings The Puritans saith he have not suffered comparatively to the other as but seldome Congregating in separate Assemblies from the common And none of them suffering unto death for the way of Non-Conformitie Indeed saith he the worthy witnesse Mr. Udall was neere unto death for his witnesse against Bishops and Ceremonies But Mr. Penry Mr. Barrow Mr. Greenwood followed the Lord Jesus with their Gibbets and were hanged with him and for him in the way of separation Many more have been condemned in dye banished and choaked in Prisans whom I could produce upon occasion Reply Paul accounteth
it a folly to make boasts in comparisons even of sufferings And therefore I choose to be sparing and briefe in this Argument wherein otherwise I could be copious there being another Volume of the Booke of Martyrs as I heare extant in the Countrey though not in print of the sufferings of the godly Ministers and people beginning where Mr. Fox left When he saith Their witnesses against Bishops and Ceremonies whom he calleth Puritans have seldome met in separate Assemblies from the common It seemeth he never read the story of the Classes in Northamptonshire Suffolk Essex London Cambridge discovered by a false brother to Doctor Bancroft Chaplain then to Lord Chancellor Hatton afterwards Bishop of London and after that Archbishop of Canterbury nor that he ever tooke notice of Doctor Bancrofts Booke against them entituled Dangerous Positions and practises against Religion and State neither doth it seeme that he doth acknowledge their frequent and continuall meetings to duties of humiliation as any separate meetings from the common But I doubt not the Lord tooke notice of both and hath now rewarded their sighes and groanes prayers and teares in private with an open recompence and deliverance in the view of all men Besides though he pleased to confine the witnesse of these he calleth Puritans unto Testimony against Bishops and Ceremonies yet I did not thinke he had been such a stranger in Israel if by his leave I may call it Israel as to be ignorant how farre both the Admonitions to the Parliament have reached to beare witnesse beyond Bishops and Ceremonies To say nothing of Mr. Deerings Sermon before the Queene or Mr. Chadertons at Pauls Crosse or Mr. Parkers Ecclesiastica Politica or Mr. Baines his Diocesans Tryall Though he say None of them suffered unto death onely Mr. Vdall was neere it Yet the truth is he dyed by the annoyance of the Prison which he might as well have acknowledged as he doth of some of the Separatists in this very Paragraph that they were choaked in Prison This I have understood by faithfull witnesses that when the Coroners Jury according to the Law of England came as the manner is in such cases to survey the dead body of Mr. Vdall in Prison he bled freshly though cold before as a testimony against the murderous illegall proceedings of the State against him for so the godly did apprehend it judicious Perkins acknowledgeth such a kinde of bleeding to be a part of the accomplishment of that Scripture in Heb. 11. That the bloud of Abel still speaketh In like sort for the same cause choaked in the prison suffered Mr. Randall Bates an heavenly Saint nor could he be released though Doctor Hering a learned and beloved Physician earnestly solicited Bishop Neale for his enlargement as he tendred his life but the suite of the Physician was repulsed with reproaches And the life of his patient spilt by that rigor He is therefore much mistaken when he saith None of them suffered unto death And it is alike mistake when he maketh Mr. Penry one of his witnesses unto the death for Separation I have received it from Mr. Hildersom a man of a thousand that Mr. Penry did ingenuously acknowledge before his death That though he had not deserved death for any dishonour put upon the Queene by that Booke which was found in his study and intended by himselfe to be presented to her own hand nor by the compiling of Martin Marprelate of both which he was falsly charged yet he confessed he deserved death at the Queenes hand for that he had seduced many of her loyall Subjects to a separation from hearing the Word of life in the Parish Churches Which though himselfe had learned to discerne the evill thereof yet he could never prevaile to recover divers of her Subjects whom he had seduced and therefore the bloud of their soules was now justly required at his hands Let the Examiner consider whether he will own this Mr. Penry for one of his faithfull witnesses hereafter If he doe let him endeavour to doe as he did seeke to reduce those soules whom he hath seduced from hearing the word of life or else let him confesse as Mr. Penry did the bloud of those soules may justly be required at his hands if Mr. Penries witnesse be of waight with him Touching his other witnesse to the death of Mr. Barrow this I can say from the testimony of holy and blessed Mr. Dod who speaking of this Mr. Barrow God is not wont saith he to make choice of men infamous for grosse vices before their calling to make them any notable instruments of Reformation after their Calling Mr. Barrow whilest he lived in Court was wont to be a great Gamster and Dicer and often getting much by play would boast Vivo de die in spem noctis nothing ashamed to boast of his hopes of his nights lodgings in the bosomes of his Courtizens As his spirit was high and rough before his reformation so was it after even to his death When he stood under the Gibbet he lift up his eyes and Lord saith he if I be deceived thou hast deceived me And so being stopt by the hand of God he was not able to proceed to speake any thing to purpose more either to the glory of God or to the edification of the people Mr. Greenwood the Examiners last witnesse unto death he indeed of all the rest was the more to be lamented as being of a more tender and conscientious spirit but this have I heard reported of him by the same credible hands That if he could have been sundred from Mr. Barrow he was tractable to have been gained to the truth But when the Examiner goeth on to make comparisons between the Sufferings of the Separatists and of those he styleth Puritans in his Margent and in his Booke No comparison will hold from the Separatists to them but a Minori What compulsory banishments have been put upon those blessed and glorious lights Mr. Cartwright Parker Ames To say nothing of those in Scotland or New-England When have the Prisons been vacant of some or other godly Ministers and Professors When will the Examiner shew forth alike company of his witnesses to those 300. Ministers whom Mr. Parker compareth to the 300. Souldiers of Gideon who in one storme of persecution were some suspended some excommunicated some imprisoned all of them deprived of their Ministery and of their maintenance And provision made that none might practise Phyficke or teach Schoole unlesse they would accept a Licence with subscription So that of necessicie had not the Lord been wiser and stronger then men they must in remedilesse misery they and theirs have either begged or starved But that with the Lord there be bowells of mercy and fatherly compassions and with him are plenteous redemptions and provisions and protections when men faile The Examiner proceedeth in his Answer to tell us further That he beleeveth there hath hardly ever been a Conscientious Separatist who was
is Christs feeding of his flock Cant. 1.8 Christs kissing of his Spouse Cant. 1.2 Christs embracing of his Spouse in the marriage bed Cant. 1.16 Christs nursing of his Children at his wives breasts Cant. 4. And is there no communion between the Shepheard and his sheep the Husband and the wife in chaste kisses and embraces the Mother and the child at the breasts Answer 1. The dispensing of the word in a Church-State that is by Church-Officers to Church-members united together in Church-State it is indeed an expression of familiar and deare Communion between Christ and his Church as between the husband and his spouse between the nursing mother and the child and between the shepheard and his flock But suppose Pagans and Indians should ordinarily frequent our Church Assemblies as they are wont to doe in hearing the word doth he think I would maintaine that there is the like spirituall and familiar Communion between Christ and them as between Christ and his Church Answer 2. Besides the question is not what communion Christ may have with a stranger in the hearing of the word in the Assembly of his Church but what communion there is between the Officer of the Church who preacheth the word and the stranger Christ out of his soveraigne grace may dispense himselfe to the stranger in what relation he pleaseth hee may make the word both as spirituall seed and as food to him and so may declare himself both a father and a Pastor and husband and a mother to him and yet no such Church-relation passe between the Church-Officer and the stranger Aâ—swer 3. Suppose there did grow some spirituall relation between the Church-Officer and the stranger as God might so blesse his Ministery as to make him a spirituall Father and feeder to the stranger yet this Relation is not between the Preacher and the stranger in respect of his Office but in respect of his gif as I declared above The reason of the difference is evident 1. Church-relation between a Church-Officer and Church-member is constant and permanent and not to be dissolved but by consent of the Church but this relation between the Preacher and stranger is transient and the intercourse of the exercise of their relation easily changeable at the discretion of the stranger without the consent or cognizance of the Church 2. Church relation between an Officer and a member carrieth on the duties of Church-worke between them unto full accomplishment If any offence grow between an Officer and a member the one hath power to deale with the other in a Church-way unto a perfect healing but there is not the like power or liberty either in preacher or stranger so to proceed one with another in case of any such offence The Examiners second Argument is taken also from mine own confession as if there were no waighty Argument to be found in this case but what might be gathered up from the weaknesse or unwarinesse of my expressions But thankes be to God that hath so guided my words that no such advantage can justly be taken from them as to countenance so ungodly an error Mr. Cotton saith he confesseth that the fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1.5 is a fellowship or Communion in the Apostles doctrine Community breaking of bread and prayer in which the first Church continued Acts 2.46 All which overthroweth the doctrine of lawfull participation of the word and prayer in a Church-state where it is not lawfull to communicate in the breaking of bread or seales Answ If this be all the Conclusion that he striveth for that participation of the word and prayer is not lawfull in a Church-estate where it is not lawfull to communicate in the seales I shall never contend with him about it I should never thinke it lawfull there to enter into a Church-estate where I thought it lawfull onely to partake in hearing and prayer and not in the seales also But this is that I deny A man to participate in a Church-estate where he partaketh onely in hearing and prayer before and after Sermon and joyneth not with them neither in their Covenant nor in the seales of the Covenant To CHAP. XXVII THe third part of the Examiners discourse touching English Preachers taketh up this 27. Chapter and it is concerning the calling and commission of the English Preachers Mr. Cotton himselfe saith he and others most eminent in New-England have freely confest First That notwithstanding their profession of Ministery in Old England yet in New-England till 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 Ministery but such as they practise in New England and therefore consequently that all other which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs As first a Calling and Commission from the Bishops Secondly From a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons Thirdly From some few godly persons yet remaining in Church-fellowship after the Parish way Fourthly That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting or preparing for a Call to an Office 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. All which premises duly considered he desireth that Mr. Cotton and all that feare God might try what will abide the fiery Triall in this particular when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire c. Reply It is a weake cause that is maintained onely by the testimonies of adversaries and them either mistaken or falsified It is in him either a mistake or a fraudulent expression of our mindes to say That notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet till we received a Calling from a particular Church we were but private Christians This speech may be so conceived as if notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet indeed we confest our Ministery there was no Ministery and this is a false expression of our mindes It may be also conceived that we confest we had no calling from a particular Church till we came to New-England And this is also a false expression of our mindes likewise Or it may be conceived that notwithstanding our former profession and exercise of Ministery in Old England yet being cast out from thence by the usurping power of the Prelacy and dismissed though against their wills by our Congregations save onely such as came along with us we looked at our selves as private members and not Officers to any Church here untill one or other Church might call us unto Office This sence of our profession is true but nothing availeable to the Examiners intendment Secondly It is in him another mistake or else a fraudulent expression of our mindes when he saith Wee hold and freely confesse that Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as we practise in New-England And that any other Calling to the Ministery which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs Though we doe