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
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
VI. THough my Letter expresseth That it may be the Court passed that sentence against Mr. Williams not upon that ground from Prov. 11.26 but for ought I know for his other corrupt Doctrines suitable to his Practises tending to the disturbance of Civill and holy Peace Yet I doe not therefore question as he saith I seeme to doe the sandinesse of such a ground as that place of Seripture to warrant such proceedings nor doe I therein confsesse that my selfe had no distinct knowledge of the causes of his Banishment For I did not alledge that place of Scripture as a ground upon which the Court proceeded to his Banishment and therefore I said in my Letter it may be they passed Sentence not upon that ground But I alledged it as a reason which provoked the Lord to moove the Court to proceed against Mr. Williams for such other offensive and disturbant Doctrines and Practises against the Patent and against the oath of fidelitie and against the Magistrates delay of the Petition of Salem which he himselfe knoweth I had distinct knowledge of before which maketh me the more to marvell at his wonder Where was my waking care in his behalfe Whereas he knoweth I spent a great part of the Summer in seeking by word and writing to satisfie his scruples in the former particulars untill he rejected both our callings and our Churches And even then I ceased not to follow him still with such meanes of conviction and satisfaction in that Point also as God brought to my hand whereof this very Letter which he examineth and answereth is a pregnant and evident demonstration What though in this Letter I did not name his other corrupt Doctrines and Practises nor any Scriptures to prove them corrupt His heart knoweth full well both the Points and the Scriptures that were charged upon him all that Summer And to have rehearsed them againe in this Letter it had been but actum agere neither was it the worke in hand For having done it before wee looked for some satisfactory answer but in stead thereof wee received onely a rejection of our callings and Churches so that there was nothing now left but to endeavour to satisfie his Conscience in the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he rejected communion with us TO CHAP. VII IN the 7th Chapter Mr. Williams examineth those words of my Letter wherein I say that were my soule in his soules stead I should accept it as a mercy of God to banish me from the Civill Society of such a Common-wealth where I could not enjoy holy Fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sinne For what should the daughter of Zion doe in Babel Why should shee not hasten to flee from thence To this the Examiner answereth that though his love bids him to hope that Mr. Cotton herein intended him a Cordiall yet if the Ingredients be examined there will appeare no lesse then dishonour to the Name of God danger to every Civill State a miserable comfort to him and a contradiction within it selfe Reply It is true what I wrote was in love to his soule but I intended not a cordiall of consolation to him for I did not conceive his Spirit at the present prepared for it but I intended onely a conviction to abate the rigour of his indignation against the dispensation of divine Justice And therefore presented before him the mercy of God in that Administration But he beginneth with the last first to shew me the evill of these Ingredients And first for the contradiction to my selfe in that I speake of the daughter of Zion in Babel If he call saith he the Land Babel how can it be Babel and the Church of Christ also As if Zion cannot be in Babel but it must be Babel or as if the Church cannot be in the world but it must be the world Or as if when I call the Land Babel I speake of it as it is in it selfe and not rather as it is in his apprehension the Churches in his imagination still holding communion with Antichristian Babylon Secondly He maketh it a dangerous Doctrine to affirme it a misery to live in that State where a Christian cannot enjoy the fellowship of the publick Churches of God without sinne Reply 1. Though I doe affirme it to be a mercy to be delivered out of such a State yet I doe not affirme it to be a misery to live in it It is a mercy to be translated not onely from misery to happinesse but from a lesse good to a greater It is a mercy to a faithfull soule to be translated from a Saint to a Minister and yet Saintship is no misery 2. It is some degree of misery and no small one to a spirituall minde for a Christian to live where he cannot enjoy the fellowship of Churches or else David complained without cause Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshek Psal 120 5. 42.4 What if there be many famous States wherein no Church of Jesus Christ is knowne Is it not a mercy to be dismissed from such a State to a Land of more liberty and piety What if God commanded his people to Pray for the Peace of materiall Babel whilest they were forced to abide in it Was it not therefore a mercy from God for Cyrus to deliver them out of Babel What if Sodom Aegypt Babel be spiritually understood Rev. 11.8 14.8 Is it not therefore a mercy when God calleth his People out of such Dungeons and sinkes of abomination What if there were a true Church in materiall Babel 1 Pet. 5.13 Let him remember what he spake a little before That if I speake not of Babel mystically I speake not to the Point Let him apply it to himselfe Wherefore doth he tell us againe of his being driven into the miseries of an howling Wildernesse 1. It was no howling Wildernesse when he came to it as hath been said above 2. He might have gone to other English Plantations Eastward Pascatoque and Agaminticus 3. Solomon telleth us It is better to live in a Wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman Prov. 21.19 And such he accounteth all our Churches and Courts to be Thirdly saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe would have counted it a mercy if he might have Practised in Old-England what he doth in New-England with the enjoyment of Civill Peace c. Reply True but what is that to the purpose The Question is if I could not enjoy the Fellowship of publick Churches without sinne as in those dayes I could not whether then I would account it a mercy to be removed Verily I doe so account it and blesse the Lord from my soule for his aboundant mercy in forcing me out thence in so fit a season But further saith he what if Mr. Cotton should dissent from the new English-Churches and joyne in worship with some other as some few yeares since he was upon the Point to doe in a separation from the Churches
sword of Persecution of such as doe not joyne in worship with him I cannot say that I have sworn but I thanke God I have waded through credit and discredit through evill report and good report as a deceiver and yet true And for profit I have neither abounded in superfluities nor through mercy have been long destitute of necessaries but whether this be a badge of Antichrist and not compatible to the witnesses of Christ I have not yet learned And for smiting with the fist and sword of Persecution if Persecution be affliction for Righteousnesse sake I would willingly learne of the Examiner whom of all the Righteous I have smitten with the fist or wounded with the sword I speake according to his own meaning meaning as I suppose himselfe doth neither bodily fist nor materiall sword but let him then Instance in some one or other that hath felt the heavinesse of my fist or the keennesse of my sword or else let him remember what the Spirit of God hath said Psal 31.18 concerning such as speake bitter things proudly and contemptuously and I also adde injuriously and falsely against those whom himselfe in the next line styleth holy and beloved To the second the Censure which he calleth unrighteous and uncharitable He confesseth it pleased God to bring him neere unto death But his Answer he returneth in two things 1. By deriving the cause of his sicknesse not from his excessive heate in disputing against the testimonies and writings of the Churches and Elders but from his excessive Labours on the Lords dayes and thrice a weeke at Salem by labours day and night in the field with his own hands by travels day and night also to goe and returne from the Court. Reply The Court being held within twelve or fourteene miles distance from Salem travell to and fro was no likely cause of such distemper And whatsoever his Labours were in Towne or Field on the Lords Dayes or weeke dayes I detract not from them but this is all I would say That that sodaine distemper fell not upon him neither in the field at his labour nor on the weeke dayes or Lords dayes in his Preaching but in his vehement publick arguing against the writings and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren sent to him and to the Church of Salem against his corrupt wayes Wherein though I know All things fall alike to all yet if Moses himselfe as well as Balaam meet with a check in his journey from the hand of God I beleeve it is a just call to consider Is there not a lye in my right hand Or is there not an Idol in my heart or doe I goe about the worke of God in a way of God Howsoever it was farre from me to upbraide your sicknesse as your marginall note taxeth but rather to call you to consider of your unprofitable and perverse use of it The second part of his Answer is a Recrimination of the Officer of Justice by whom in this time he was unmercifully driven from his Chamber to a winters flight Reply When he saith in this time if he meane as the words foregoing expresse the time wherein he was neere unto death it is a manifest untruth James Bonne For the Officer of Justice who then was is a man fearing God and of a tender Conscience and who dare not allow that liberty to his tongue which the Examiner often useth in this Discourse He testifieth he then spake with Mr. Williams and that he discerned no signe of sicknesse upon him much lesse of neernesse unto death He testifieth further that upon the mourning complaint of some of Mr. Williams his neighbours who did adhere to him he left onely the Warrant with him but left him in his house to take the time for his departure limited in his warrant which was not that night though he doe not well remember how many dayes were set him But this I have been given to understand that the increase of concourse of people to him on the Lords dayes in private to the neglect or deserting of publick Ordinances and to the spreading of the Leaven of his corrupt imaginations provoked the Magistrates rather then to breed a winters spirituall plague in the Countrey to put upon him a winters journey out of the Countrey Gangraenam amoveas no pars sincera trahatur TO CHAP. IX TO his 9th Chapter I shall not need to returne any large Reply Let him read over my words againe which he examineth and answereth in this Chapter and they may serve for a just Reply unto his Answer so farre as it is needfull Onely let me touch a Passage or two When he saith That after the first manifestation of the countenance of God reconciled in the bloud of Christ unto his soule it hath been with him as with one whom he saith I told him off his Questions and Troubles have not been concerning his Reconciliation and Peace with God but concerning Sanctification c. I would it might please the Lord to perswade his heart that that one of whom I spake to him was but one to whom the Lord dispensed himselfe in that manner and he a man though he suffered much and wrote much yet no where magnified his sufferings nor vilified the Authors of his sufferings A man that cleaved to the Ordinances and Saints of God and not willing to manifest his dissent from his Brethren no not there where he did dissent as willing to attribute more to the judgements of other servants of God then to arrogate to himselfe But surely the ordinary manner of Gods dispensation of himselfe to his servants is otherwise even to those that have been most precious in his sight Job hath sometimes complained that God tooke him for his enemy Job 13.24.26 David sometimes complaineth that he was cut off from before Gods eyes Psal 31.22 And that God sometimes hid his face from him Psal 30.7 That his soule was also sore vexed with the sence of Gods anger and hot displeasure Psal 6.1 3 Asaph also complaineth of the same in Psal 77. and Heman the Ezrahite in Psal 88. and Hezekiah in Isai 38. If the Lord have dealt more indulgently with Mr. Williams he hath the more cause to walke humbly and circumspectly and fruitfully before the Lord which is the worst that I wish him And let him also consider that whilest he liveth under the Sunne himselfe is not exempted from the dangerous Inmate of a deceitfull heart As for Master Smith he standeth and falleth to his own Master whilest he was Preacher to the Citie of Lincolne he wrought with God then what temptations befell him after by the evill workings of evill men and some good men too I choose rather to tremble at then discourse of If I had made use of his Principles and Arguments as this Examiner saith I have it is more then my selfe know for I have not been acquainted with sundry of his writings as being discouraged with that one wherein he maketh
Originall sinne an idle name Albeit I refuse not to learne from any man as being conscious to my selfe of mine own emptinesse But saith the Examiner whatsoever Mr. Smiths Temptations and Falls have been yet that opinion of Mr. Cotton or any is most grievous to God and man and not comparable to any that ever Mr. Smith could be charged withall nor is any sinne comparably so grievous in Gods Davids as a treacherous slaughter of the faithfull whom wee are forced to call Beloved in Christ Reply This is one of the Instances amongst many others upon which I was mooved to speake even now that the Examiner alloweth more liberty to his tongue then the Messenger of Justice a man of a tender Conscience of whom I spake durst use But when a man is delivered up to Satan and neither his minde nor conscience nor tongue nor pen are his own no marvell if he cast forth fire-brands and arrowes and mortall things which I suppose a Publican or Pagan would hardly utter without some more colourable pretence then the Examiner hath to say That Mr. Cotton is of opinion that it is lawfull to commit a treacherous slaughter of the Saints whom we are forced to call Beloved in Christ To the accusation I shall God helping make further Answer in his Place Meane while let the Examiner know that I was not forced to call him Beloved in Christ That I did so style him it was out of indulgence of charitie not out of any necessitie of dutie TO CHAP. X. THe residue of my Letter to Mr. Williams was taken up in remooving two stumbling blocks out of his way which turned him off from fellowship with us The former was the want of fit matter of our Churches The latter our disrespect to the separate Churches in England Our want of fit matter he acknowledged stood not in this that we wanted godly persons to be the visible members of our Churches for with joy he acknowledgeth that but in this that all godly persons are not matter fit to constitute a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building This exception of his seemed to me to imply a contradiction for if the matter of our Churches were such as himselfe acknowledged godly persons they were not then as Trees unfeld nor as stones in the Quarry unhewen for godlinesse cutteth men downe from their former roote and heweth them out of the Pit of corrupt Nature and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ and with his People The summe of his Answer is though delivered in other words obscurely and confusedly yet in sence thus much That he accounteth our members as Trees or Quarries not for that they are not yet cut our of the pit or roote of naturall corruption but for that they are not yet removed and clensed from actuall and Antichristian pollution In which case Noah Abraham Lot Sampson Job David Peter in their drunkennesse lying whoredomes cursings murders Perjuries though they were godly persons yet not fit members for Church estate And so our Church-members howsoever godly otherwise yet through ignorance and negligence lying under Antichristian pollutions ever since the Apostasie are not fit members for Church-estate Reply 1. I doe willingly allow him to be the Interpreter of his own meaning and doe easily grant him that with that distinction he salveth his contradiction But yet let him remember his words were very unproper to account godly Persons fallen into any actuall Pollution to be matter fitted for a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building Wee are not wont neither in common speech nor in proper speech to account such persons as have been already cut off from the roote and pit of naturall corruption to be no more then Trees and Quarries though they have since fallen into actuall pollution but we rather account them like Timber and Stones cut out and hewen yet fallen into some mire by the breach of the Axeltree of their Carriage and therefore fit to be washed before they be layed in the Building But leave that as it please him Reply 2. He may doe well to consider that the most of those Saints he nameth were not as rude Trees and Quarries unproportioned to the Building but as Trees of Righteousnesse and living Stones layed by God himselfe in the Building of his Church But I easily grant him that according to the Discipline of the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Gospel it were meete that godly persons falling into any grosse and scandalous and notorious pollution they should first give satisfaction to the Church by profession of their Repentance before they be received into holy fellowship with the Lord and his People in Church-communion In which respect if Christ be considered as head of the visible Church he who is a member of the Church and so a member of Christ may fall so foully into grosse sinne and be so enthralled to it as to be separate from the Church yea and from Christ too considered as the visible head of it And therefore the Examiner mistook himselfe and me too when he writeth that I affirmed that godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For I never denied that godly persons may fall as into other grosse and notorious sinnes so also into grosse and notorious Antichristian Pollutions so as to separate them from Church-Communion yea and from Christ himselfe as he is the Head of the visible Church Reply 3. But to cleare the point more fully and plainly Put the case that the Saints whom the Examiner setteth forth in their pollutions as Noah Abraham Lot Sampson Job David Peter suppose I say they had openly professed their Repentance for their open scandalls of drunkennesse lying incest murder c. and all their other knowne scandalls but had neither discerned nor bewayled the sinne of Polygamy yea suppose the Church with which they might joyne did neither discerne the necessitie nor dutie of acknowledging that sinne whether such Saints were to be refused from Church-communion as rude Trees and Quarries or if they were received as members into the Church whether was such a Church to be separated from If yea we must look for new Rules for it out of a new Gospel If no then will the Examiner want a Rule for his separation from all the Churches in New-England For this is the very state of the Question as the Examiner himselfe rehearseth it in this Chapter For he having objected that a necessitie lieth upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of the false Churches worship Ministery Government according to Scriptures Isai 62.11 2 Cor. 6.17 And this to be done not by a locall remoovall but by a deliverance of the soule understanding will judgement and affection c. He subjoyneth my Answer out of my Letter in these words 1. We grant that it
ignorant and scandalous persons drunkards whoremongers despisers and persecutors of them that are good Prophane swearers that have not so much as a forme of godlinesse but doe utterly deny and deride the power of it Answ This is indeed just matter of mourning and lamentation to all the Saints of Christ and may be also in due order just warrant of some degree of separation from them as from a corrupt Church It cannot but offend and deeply grieve the spirit of a Christian to sit downe at the Lords Table and drinke the bloud of the Lord with such who may be ready the next day to spill the bloud of sincere Communicants as Puritan Round-Heads But whilest the Saints of Christ continue amongst them the mixt fellowship of ignorant and prophane persons doth not evacuate or disanull their Church estate The store of malignant and noysome humours in the body yea the deadnesse and rottennesse of many members in the body though they may make the body an unsound and corrupt body yet they doe not make the body no body When the Prophet Isaiah complained that in the Church of Judah from the soale of the foote to the crowne of the head there was no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores yet whilest there was a Remnant amongst them of faithfull Saints they were not yet no Church they were not yet Sodome and Gomorrha though but for that Remnant they had been as Sodome and like unto Gomorrha Isa 1.6 with 9. Say not though Hierusalem and Judah were at that time degenerate yet they had been at first an holy Nation a faithfull Citie Isa 1.21 and so had a true constitution which the Churches of England never had For 1. I might answer That though in regard of some prime members Hierusalem was counted a faithfull Citie and the Nation Holy by Priviledge of their Covenant yet for the body of the people Hierusalem was alwayes a City of the provocation of Gods wrath from the day they built it Jer. 32.31 32. And for the body of the Nation Moses charged them Yee have alwayes been rebellious against the Lord since the day that I knew you Deut. 9.7.24 And Stephen protesteth against them They had alwayes wont to resist the Holy Ghost they and their fathers Act. 7.51 2. I doe not understand but that according to Scripture those corruptions which doe not destroy a Church constituted the same do not destroy the constitution of a Church The Church is constituted and continued by the same Grace 3. The estate of the Churches of England was not corrupt in their first constitution Baronius himselfe confesseth that England received the Gospel ten yeares before Rome and that from the Ministery of the Apostles and Apostolick men who doubtlesse constituted the English Churches not after the manner of Rome which was then Pagan but after the Apostolick Rules and Patternes This may suffice touching the matter of the English Churches Now touching the second thing objected which was from the efficient cause of their constitution It is said they were gathered not by the preaching of the Gospel by which Churches should be planted and constituted but by the Proclamation of Princes Answ 1. The efficient cause of a Church is a thing without the Church and so no essentiall cause of the Constitution of a Church The Proclamation of King Hezekiah and of the Princes drew on multitudes of Apostate Israelites to the Communion of the Church at Hierusalem and many of them in much pollution yet neither their own pollution nor the Proclamation of the King and Princes did evacuate their Church-estate but encourage them rather in their Church-worke 2 Chron. 30.5 to 9. and verses 11 12.17 18 19 20. It was no pollution to the second Temple at Hierusalem that it was built by the encouragement of the Proclamation of Cyrus Ezra 1. Answ 2. Wheresoever there be visible Saints gathered into a Church they were first gathered by the Ministery of the Gospel For Proclamations cannot make Saints but the word of the Gospel onely If any hypocrites or time-servers doe for feare joyne themselves with the Saints in such a worke though their fellowship may weaken and blemish the worke yet it doth not destroy it Thus much touching the constitution of their Parishionall Churches Now touching their Nationall Constitution it standeth partly in their Nationall Officers Archbishops Bishops and their Servitors partly in their Nationall Synods and convocations and partly also in their Nationall Ecclesiasticall Courts The Examiner is not ignorant that by the Grace of Christ we have withdrawen our selves and our Churches also from this Nationall Constitution and from all Communion with them If it be said But we still keepe Communion with the Parish-Churches in hearing the Word there who doe subject themselves to these Nationall Officers Convocations and Courts Answ 1. Though the parish-Parish-Churches were lately subject to them it was a burden which as they did discerne the iniquitie thereof they groaned under and now by the mightie Power of the gracious Redemption of the Lord Jesus they have shaken off through the helpe of the Honorable and Religious Prudence and Piety of the Parliament 2. Though those Nationall Courts in their Officers did for many yeares tread downe the Parish-Churches yet they did not extinguish their Church-estate The Text is plaine The Gentiles that is men of Gentile-like prophanenesse and malignitie and iniquitie who had the keeping of the Church-Courts they did tread downe the Holy City Rev. 11.2 Tread downe I say but not destroy the Holy City Yea though the Translation reade it They did tread it downe or Tread it under-foote yet the Originall word may be rendred somewhat more mildly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may expresse their walking upon it or else the Peripateticks were a more violent sect then either their Principles or their Practise did declare them I come now to speake of the second Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English Churches which was the falsenesse of their Ministery which wherein it lyeth he should have done well to have told us for himselfe disliketh it in me to wander in Generalities But for our selves we are farre from that supercilious and Pharisaicall arrogancy as to condemne such for false Ministers in whom we finde Truth of Godlinesse Truth of Ministeriall Gifts Truth of Election and acceptance unto Office by true Churches of Christ Truth of sound wholesome and soule-saving Doctrine and Truth of holy and exemplary Conversation And such are all the Ministers whom either the members of our Churches affect to Heare or our Churches doe allow them ordinarily for to Heare And when I say Truth I speake it not in opposition to Eminency for sundry of them excell in Eminency of sundry of these things but in opposition to the falshood which the Examiner objecteth I know not what exception lyeth against their Ministery to argue it of falshood save what hath been excepted and answered already touching the constitution
too much wound his own Conscience with such a generall charge he acknowledgeth That we have borne witnesse against Bishops and Ceremonies and doe constitute onely particular and Independent Churches and have therefore so farre at least seene the evill of a Nationall Church But I dare say further that his own Conscience beareth him witnesse that we have witnessed also both in Profession and Practise against Prescript Liturgies and mixt Communions both in Church-fellowship and at the Lords Table What hath been then wanting to us That we doe not fully see the evill of a Nationall Church How doth he make it to appeare By two Instances By our constant Practise in still joyning with such Churches and Ministery in the Ordinances of the Word and Prayer and by our Persecuting of him for his humble faithfull and constant admonishing of us for such an uncleane walking between a particular Church and a Nationall Reply Our joyning with the Ministers of England in hearing of the Word and Prayer doth not argue our Church-Communion with the Parish-Churches in England much lesse with the Nationall Church as hath been shewed above in Chap. 14. Besides when Jeroboam heard the word from the young Prophet of Judah and joyned with him in Prayer I demand whether in so doing he joyned in Church-Communion with the Nationall Church of Judah If yea then was the Church of Judah pollutedly the uncleane Communion of Idolatrous Jeroboam If not then the Examiner may easily discerne how weake an Argument it is to argue our Communion with the Nationall Church of England from our members joyning in the Hearing of the Word and Prayer in the Parish-Churches of England His second Instance to make it appeare That we see not the evill of a Nationall Church from our Persecuting of him c. In this I choose rather to blame his memory then his conscience But the one of them is much to blame in that it maketh him so farre forget himselfe and the Truth as boldly to avouch a notorious falshood That we Persecuted him for his humble and faithfull and constant admonishing of us of such uncleane walking between a particular Church and a Nationall It is one notable falshood to say that he did constantly admonish either our Elders or Churches of such an offence much lesse humbly and faithfully If he did so admonish us where are his witnesses His Letters his Messengers sent to us Besides It is another falshood and no lesse palpable that we did persecute him for such admonishing of us It hath been declared above upon what grounds the sentence of his Banishment did Proceed whereof this Admonition which he pretendeth was none of them neither did they persecute him at all who did so proceed against him Now whereas in that Passage of the Letter even now recited I said He knew not what Professions we had made in our Churches of our Humiliations for former Pollutions nor had he admonished us of our defects therein He demandeth how be could possibly be ignorant of our estate who had been from first to last in fellowship with us an Officer amongst us had private and publique agitations concerning our estate and condition and at last suffered for such Admonition to us the misery of a Winters Banishment amongst the Barbarians Reply As if every man in fellowship with us an Officer amongst us one that had private and publique agitations with us must needs know what our members professed in their admissions to the Church or what our Elders confessed in their dayes of solemne Humiliation when himselfe was generally absent both on the Lords dayes and on the dayes of solemne fasting Or as if the private and publique agitations that he had with us were taken up about our Communion with a Nationall Church I am yet to learne what Arguments he did propound to us in that cause what convictions he left upon us When he is still so full of the miseries of his winters banishment amongst the Barbarians it maketh me call to minde a grave and godly speech of a blessed Saint now with God reverend Mr. Dod Where sinne lyeth heavy afflictions lyeth light where affliction lyeth heavy sinne lyeth light TO CHAP. XX. THe maine Objection which Mr. Williams made against the Estate of our Church-members was chiefly this That though he acknowledgeth them to be godly yet not sufficiently separate from Antichrist And that he endeavoured to prove 1. From the Texts that call for separation from Babylon Isa 52.2 Cor. 6. Rev. 18.2 From the confession of sinnes made by Johns Disciples Mat. 3. and the Proselyte Gentiles Acts 19. To both these we have returned Answer already His third Objection followeth from Haggai 2.13 14 15. where the Prophet telleth the Church of the Jewes That if a Person uncleane by a dead body doe touch holy things those holy things become uncleane to him And so saith he is this Nation and so is every worke of their hands and that which they offer here is uncleane And from hence he argueth That even Church-Covenants made and Ordinances practised by persons polluted through spirituall deadnesse and filthinesse of Communion they become uncleane to them and are prophaned by them which he solemnely desireth might be advisedly weighed Whereto my Answer was That if he had well weighed this place himselfe he would never have alledged it to his purpose His purpose was to prove that Churches cannot be constituted of such members as are uncleane by Antichristian pollutions or if they be so constituted they are not to be Communicated with but separated from To prove this you alledge said I this place where the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church to be uncleane and yet neither denieth them to be a Church truely constituted nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them If you say why but they were uncleane I answered Be it so But were they therefore no Church truely Constituted Or to be separated from Did not Haggai and Zachary themselves Communicate with them And did they not call others also to come out of Babel to Communicate with them even whilest Joshua the High Priest was still polluted with his uncleane Garments Zach. 2.6 7. with Chapt. 3.8 Whereupon I tooke occasion to cleare up to him the occasion and scope and true sence of the words at large as may appeare in the Letter which having gathered up I said That if he did apply it to the Point in hand it would reach nothing neere to his purpose Hypocrites in the Church yea and godly sincere Christians themselves whilest they attend to the world more then to the things of God as at that time the Jewes did both their persons and their labours and their Civill Oblations are uncleane in the sight of God Therefore the Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such or if it doe consist of such the People of God must separate from them You might well have gathered Therefore the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate
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
to be disturbed as wholely to breake up and to be dissolved No matter saith the Discusser though they doe wholly breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing For neverthelesse the Peace of the Citty is not thereby in the least measure impaired or disturbed because the Essence or being of the Citty is Essentially distinct from those particular Societyes c. The Citty was before them and standeth absolute and Entire when they are taken downe c. Reply If by Peace be meant as in Scripture Language it is all welfare It would argue a man that liveth in the world to be too much Ignorant of the state of the world to say that in the breaking up and dissolving of such perticular Societyes the Peace of the Citty or Countrey is not in the least measure impaired or disturbed For 1. Though such Societyes of Merchants and other Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they be of the integrety of the Citty And if the defect of one Tribe in Israel was a great trouble to all the Common-wealth of Israel Judges 21.2 3. then sure the breaking up and dissolving of so many particular usefull Societyes cannot but much impaire and disturbe the Peace and wellfare of the Citty and Countrie 2. Though these Societyes of Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they are amongst the conservant causes of the Citty as without which the Citty cannot long flourish no nor well subsist Common sense will acknowledge so much Now then if all these particular Societyes and severall Companyes of Trades they and their peace and wellfare doe much concerne the wellfare and peace of the Citty and Countrey and therefore it behooveth the Civill Government to provide for their peace and wellfare I demand whether the Church also which is a particular Society of Christians whether I say the Peace and wellfare of it doe not concerne the Peace and wellfare of the Citty or Countrey where they live If it be denyed it is Easily proved First David saith they shall prosper that love the Peace of Jerusalem and seeke the good of it Psalm 122.6 c. And Solomon saith where the Righteous rejoyce there is great Glory Pro. 28.12 And what is the Church but a Congregation of Righteous men If the Rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation surely the disturbing and distracting and dissolving of the Church is the shame and Confusion of a Nation 2. Consider the Excellency and Preheminence of the Church above all other Societyes She is the fairest amongst women Cant. 1.8 and 6.1 She is the Citty and House of God Revel 21.2 Psal 48.1.1 Tim. 3.15 The world and all the Societyes of it are for the Church 1 Cor. 3.21 22. The world would not subsist but for the Church nor any Countrey in the world but for the service of the Church And can the Church then breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing and yet the Peace and wellfare of the Citty not in the least measure impaired or disturbed 3. It is a matter of just displeasure to God and sad greife of heart to the Church when Civill States looke at the estate of the Church as of little or no concernment to themselves Zach. 1.15 Lament 1.12 Object 1. Many glorious and flourishing Cittyes of the world maintaine their Civill Peace yea the very Americans and wildest Pagans keep the Peace of their Townes and Cittyes though neither in the one nor in the other can any man prove a true Church of God in these places Answ It is true where the Church is not Cittyes and Townes may enjoy some measure of Civill Peace yea and flourish in outward prosperity for a time through the Patience and Bounty and Long-sufferance of God The times of Jgnorance God winketh at Act. 17.30 But when the Church cometh to be Planted amongst them If then Civill States doe neglect them suffer the Churches to corrupt and annoy themselves by pollutions in Religion the the staffe of the Peace of the Common-wealth will soone be broken as the Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches The Common-wealth of Rome flourished five hundred yeares before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongst them and the decayes of the Common-wealth occasioned by the persecutions of the Church were Repaired by the Publick establishment of the Churches peace in Christian Emperors But when the Churches begun to pollute themselves by the Idolatrous worship of Images and the Christian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abuse in Churches the Lord sent in amongst other barberous nations the Turkes to punish not onely degenerate Churches but also the Civill State for this wickednesse And therefore the Holy Ghost upbraideth them for their continuance in Image worship though the Turke were let loose from the River Euphrates to scourge them for it Rev. 9.14.20 Goe now and say the estate of the Church whether true or false pure or corrupt doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate Object 2. The Peace of the Church whether true or false is spirituall and so of an higher and farre different nature from the peace of the Countrey or People which is meerely and Essentially Civill and humane Ans 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be spirituall and heavenly yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them even from Princes and Magistrates in a way of godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim. 2.1.2 But in a way of ungodlinesse and Idolatry it is an wholesome faithfulnesse to the Church if Princes trouble the outward peace of the Church that so the Church finding themselves wounded and pricked in the house of their friends they may repent and returne to their first Husband Zach. 13.6 Hosea 2.6.7 Ans 2. Though the peace of the Countrey or Common-wealth be Civill and humane yet it is distracted and cutt off by disturbing the spirituall purity and peace of the Church Jehu cutting short his Reformation God cutt short the coasts of the Civill State 2 King 10.31.32 Ans 3. Civill Peace to speake properly is not onely a peace in civill things for the Object but a peace of all the persons of the Citty for the Subject The Church is one Society in the Citty as well as is the Society of Merchants or Drapers Fishmongers and Haberdashers and if it be a part of Civill Justice out of regard to Civill Peace to protect all other Societyes in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of their Company is it not so much more to protect the Church-Society in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of the Word of Christ CHAP. 7. A Reply to his seventh Chapter Discussing what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practise in an Arrogant and impetuous way tending of it selfe to the disturbance of the Civill Peace HERE 2. Things he complaineth of 1. That I have not declared what this Arrogant and impetuous way is 2. That he cannot but expresse his sad and sorrowfull
Truth CHAP. 19. A Reply to his nineteenth Chapter Discusser That the Lord intendeth not Doctrines or Practises in this Parable It is cleare For 1. The Lord Jesus expresly interpreteth the good seed to be Persons those the children of the Kingdome The Tares also to signify men and those the children of the wicked one ver 38. Defender If the Discusser had cast his eye a little lower he might have found that Christ interpreteth the Tares not onely to be Persons but things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that offend as well as those that doe iniquity ver 41. But I shall not stick upon that at all let the Tares be Persons whether Hypocrites like unto true Christians or holders forth of scandalous and corrupt Doctrines and Practises like unto sound Discusser 2. Such corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated now as those Jewish observations were for a while Rom. 14. nor so long till the end of the world For can we think that though the Lord tendered the tender conscience of the Jews in the observation of the difference of meates and drinks which were sometimes his owne Ordinances that therefore Persons must be now tolerated in the Church for I speake not of the Civill State in superstitious forbearing and forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and superstitious Fridayes c. Defender Who can tell what this Discusser would have The Tares he would have to be Persons not corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet when he commeth to prove that corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated he proveth it from the unlawfulnesse of tolerating corrupt persons for can we thinke saith he that persons must be now tolerated in the Church in the superstitious forbearing or forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and Fridayes Such is the inconstancy of the spirits of men whose hearts are not stayed and steered by the Spirit of Truth that sometimes Tares must not be corrupt Doctrines and Practises but persons because Tares and so persons must be tolerated till the Harvest not so corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet all the reason given why corrupt Doctrines and Practises must not be tolerated is this because Persons that hold them forth must not be tolerated CHAP. 20. A Reply to his twentieth Chapter what is meant by Tares Discusser The Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those weeds which spring up with the Corne as cockle darnell Tares c. seemeth to imply such a kinde of people as are commonly and generally knowne to be manifestly differing from and opposite to the true Worshipers of God c. Defender 1. It is not true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth all those weeds that grow up with the Corne. For they be a speciall weed growing up cheifely amongst the wheat but when it commeth to the earing it groweth more like to Barley yet having a narrower leafe fatter and rougher and a leaner seed in a prickly barke bearing a purple flower as Dioscorides testifyeth Now this is farre from a description of all sorts of weeds that grow up with Corne. 2. Neither is it true that Tares are commonly and generally known assoone as they appeare For Hierom who for a time lived in Jury testifyeth that Inter triticum et zizania quod nos appellamus lolium quamdiu herba est et nondum culmus venit ad spicam grandis similitudo est et in discernendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distantia Comment Mat. Cap. 13. Yea the Text it selfe though the Discusser deny it holdeth forth as much For the servants of the Husbandman in whose Feild the Tares were sowen by the enemy did not discerne the tares from the wheat till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit for then it was and not till then that the Tares appeared to be Tares Mat. 13.26 what though the Text holdeth forth no such time wherein the servants doubted or suspected what they were It is like enough they did not suspect them at all by reason of the grandis similitudo the great likenesse that was between them whilest they were both in the blade Which still maketh good the Exposition that Tares are not bryars and thornes but so like to the wheat that till they come to earing the one cannot be discerned from the other Discusser The one appeared as soone as the other and when the wheat put forth its blade and fruite the Tares were as early they put forth themselves and appeared also 2. There is such a dissimilitude and unlikenesse between them that as soone as Tares and wheat sprung up to blade and fruite every husbandman could tell which is wheat and which is Tares Defender It s true the Tares put forth their blade assoone as did the wheat and appeared above ground one as early as the other but they were so like one to an other that the husbandmen could not tell which was wheat and which Tares till the blade was growen up and they both brought forth their fruite And though when they both brought forth their fruite there was no apparent dimissilitude yet still it is evident that at first the dimssilitude did not appeare The Tares may therefore still stand for Hypocrites who are so like at first unto good Christians that they cannot easily be discerned one from another till in processe of time the difference of the fruite discover them Discusser But when was it that the House-holder gave charge to let them alone was it not after they appeared and were knowne to be Tares which should imply by this interpretation of the Answerer that when men are discovered and knowne to be Hypocrites yet still such a generation of Hypocrites in the Church must be let alone and tolerated untill the Harvest or end of the world which is contrary to all Piety order and safety in the Church of the Lord Jesus as doubtlesse the Answerer will graunt Defender If the Answerer know his owne minde as well as the Discusser doubtlesse the Answerer will not graunt that it is contrary to all piety and order and safety that hypocrites knowne hypocrites be tolerated in the Church till the end of the world For though it be against the safety of the Church when the Officers or body of the Church prove hypocrites for that threatneth a dis-churching Rev. 2.5 yet till the fruits of hypocrisie grow notoriously scandalous and ripe for Church-Censure it is not contrary to all piety and order safety to suffer them but rather more safety to suffer them least some of Gods own Saints true wheat who for a time may degenerate and bring forth like fruit with the Tares be plucked up with them If foolish Virgins be cast out of the Church the wise Virgins may be sometime found sleeping as well as they Mat. 25.5 CHAP. 21. A Reply to his Chap. 21. VVhat is meant by the world and more of the Tares Discusser 2. The Tares cannot signifie hypocrites in the Church for
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
as hath more then once or twice been attempted should such an one by any ordinance of Christ be let alone in the Civill State Moreover if Popish Priests and Jesuites be rightly expounded to be the Rivers and Fountaines of water which drive the dead Sea of Antichristian pollution up and downe all Nations in Europe and if they by the Ordinance of Christ be in some cases to drinke bloud for they are worthy then they are not to be let alone but duely supprest and cut off from conveying up and downe their Idolatrous Hereticall and Seditious wickednesse Rev. 16.4 to 7. CHAP. 25. A Reply to his 25. Chapter Still discussing the meaning of the Tares THirdly The Tares cannot be hypocrites is as cleare as the Light because they when they are discovered and seene to be Tares are not to be let alone to the Angels in the end of the world but are to be purged out by the Governours of the Church with the whole Church Defender This objection hath been answered above and let it be againe denied till the Discusser prove the contrary which will never be That hypocrites when they appeare to be hypocrites and yet no worse then Tares are to be purged out by the Government of the Church It is true if Hypocrites having a forme of Godlinesse and yet denying the power thereof doe breake forth into such notorious scandalous Fruits of Hypocrisie as tend to the leavening of the whole lumpe they may then justly be proceeded against by the Government of the Church But otherwise if the Church proceed against an Hypocrite as such meerely for his hypocrisie for want of life and power of Godlinesse in his duties they may soone roote out sometime or other the best wheate in Gods Field and the sweetest Flowers in his Garden who sometimes loose their fatnesse and sweetnesse for a season Discusser Every Brother that walketh disorderly is to be with-drawen and separated from Defender True But who is a Brother that walketh disorderly Not every Hypocrite but onely such who either walke inordinately without a calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or idely and negligently in his calling For so the context carrieth it in the words alluded to 2 Thess 3.6 But that is not the case of every Hipocrite of whom their are many that follow their callings and are so farre from being burthensome to others by their idlenesse that they are even choaked with the cares and businesses of this world and yet are not behinde in liberall contributions to pious uses CHAP. 26. A Reply to his Chap. 26. Touching the danger of letting alone Anti Christians Discusser If any imagine that the Antichristians being let alone may doe a world of mischiefe before the worlds end by the infection of others I Answer 1. The Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword let Civill offences be punished and yet let their worship and Consciences be tolerated 2. The Church hath a thousand bucklers and weapons able to break downe the strongest hould 2 Cor. 10. and so to defend it selfe against the gates of earth or hell 3. The Lord knoweth who are his his chosen cannot finally be deceived Lastly the Lord Jesus himselfe in this Parable giveth 2. Reasons able to content and satisfie our hearts First least the good wheat be pluckt up out of the feild of the world Gods People the good wheat are generally pluckt and persecuted as well as the vilest Idolaters whether Jewes or Antichristians which the Lord Jesus seemeth here to foretell Second reason is when the world is ripe in sinne in the sinnes of Antichristianisme those mighty Angells of God will come with their sharpe sickles and downe with them and buildle them up for everlasting burnings then shall the man of sin be consumed by the breath of the mouth of the Lord Jesus c. Defender Reply 1. To his first Answer It is true the Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword if Civill offences be punished But when he would have their worship Consciences tolerated what if their worship and Consciences incite them to Civill offences How shall then the Civill State keepe it selfe safe with a Civill Sword As suppose a man that worshippeth the Beast and maketh Conscience of obeying his commandements shall thinke himselfe bound to subvert the Civill Prince or State who is excommunicated by the Beast If such a man must be tolerated in his worship and Conscience what sword can provide for the safety of such a Prince or State Reply 2. To his second Answer It is true the Church wanteth no Armories to defend it self and amongst others excommunication But if their members be leavened with Antichristian Idolatry and superstition and yet must be tolerated in their Idolatrous and superstious worship will not a little leaven so tolerated leaven the whole lumpe And how then is the safety of the Church guarded Reply 3. To his 3. Answ It is true the Lord knoweth who are his and none of his Elect shall perish But neverthelesse Is it not a tempting of God to presume upon Gods Election for our salvation and to neglect the meanes of our preservation In like case Paul knew by revelation that all his fellow passengers in the ship should be saved but yet he professed that if the Marriners went out of the ship they could not be saved Acts 27.24 with 31. So is it here The Elect of God shall be saved but yet if Idolaters and Seducers be tolerated as Jezabell was in Thyatira to seduce the servants of Christ to pollution and Apostacy the Church will stand guilty before God of the seduction and corruption of the people of God Reply 4. To his 4 Answer the 2. Reasons alledged by him out of the Text To the first There is no feare of plucking up the wheat by rooting out Idolaters and Seducers If any of Gods People should fall into Idolatry and Apostacy yea and should prove an instrument to seduce others also into the like wickednesse yet the censures inflicted on them would be blessed of God to their recovery healing yea and if they were cut off by the Civill sword yet the example and terrour of their punishment would be blessed of God to preserve their brethren who would all of them heare and feare and doe no more such wickednesse Neither is the just punishment of such any just pretence to punish the innocent lambs of Christ Reply To the Second Reason out of the Parable It may justly be Replyed that the charge given to the Angells to execute vengeance at the last day upon such Idolaters if that were sufficient to plead for the toleration of Idolaters It would as well plead for the toleration of Murtherers Robbers Adulterers Extortioners c. for all these will the holy and mighty Angells of God gather into bundles at the last day and cast them into everlasting burnings The place in 2 Thess 2. doth not say that the man of sin shall then be consumed with the breath
of the mouth of the Lord Jesus for he shall begin to be consumed long before by all the seven vials of the wrath of God Revel 16. which have bin and will be in powring out many ages before the great Harvest of the end of the world Yea I beleive also He shall be destroyed many ages before then as the Apostle John foretelleth in Chap. 20.21.22 of the Revelation And though it be translated in 2 Thess 2.8 The Lord shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his coming yet the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth as well and more firstly signifie Presence then comming The Lord will destroy Antichrist with the brightnesse of his Presence in his sacred and Civill Ordinances sundry ages before the brightnesse of his comming to Judgement Otherwise we should set John Paul at variance who spake by one and the same Spirit of Truth CHAP. 27. A Reply to his 27. Chap. Discussing a doubt how Ministers may be bidden to let Antichristians alone in the Civill State Discusser If it be objected These servants whom the Householder commaundeth to let the Tares alone seeme to be Ministers or Messengers of the Gospell How shall it belong to them to plucke up the Tares or to let them alone if by the Feild be meant the world Ans The Apostles and in them all that succeed them received from the Lord a threefold charge 1. To let them alone and not to pluck them up by Prayer to God for their present temporall destruction 2. Not to prophecy or denounce a present destruction or extirpation of all false Professours of the Name of Christ T is true many soare and fearefull plagues are powred out upon the Roman Emperors and Roman Popes yet not to their utter extirpation untill the Harvest 3. Not to pluck them up by stirring up Civill Magistrates and powers to punish and persecute all such persons out of their dominions as worship not the true God according to his revealed will in Christ Jesus T is true Elijah thus stirred up Ahab to kill all the Preists and Prophets of Baal but that was in the figurative state of the Land of Canaan not to be matcht or paraled by any other State but the Spirituall State or Church of Christ in all the world putting the false Prophets Spiritually to death by the two-edged sword and power of the Lord Jesus as that Church of Israel did corporally Defender These 3. Interpretations of Let them alone are all of them so many evasions slippery evasions sought out by the subtile wit of man to winde out from under the Authority of the Truth and word of Christ For 1. Why should not the Ministers of Christ Pray either to pluck them up out of their Antichristian Idolatryes or else to pluck them up as the Plantations which our Heavenly Father hath not planted He that may Pray daily for the comming of Christs Kingdome He may and doth and ought to pray for the comming downe of all opposite Kingdomes The Saints under the Altar that prayed against the delay of vengeance on the Roman Emperors Revel 6.10 may more justly pray against the delay of vengeance on the Roman Antichrists What though the State of the Roman Antichristians was to continue for sundry ages before their finall extirpation Yet they were to expect vialls of Gods indignation to roote them out by a graduall extirpation in sundry of their cheife branches and pillars long before the extirpation of their whole Kingdome And what though the Saints in old Babell were to pray for the Peace of the City as wherein themselves might finde Peace Yet the Saints that live not in such Anâ—ichristian Territoryes they may safely pray for the hastning of the redemption of their brethren out of the Antichristian bondage and there withall pray for the hastning of the ruine and desolation of the Antichristian Kingdome Besides Certaine it is from the Word of Truth that the Antichristian Kingdome shall be destroyed and rooted up by Christian Princes and States long before the great Harvest of the end of the world as hath been shewen a bove And either such Princes must performe this great worke without Prayer and then it were not sanctified to God 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Or if it be a sacrifice sanctified to God they must pray for their desolation before they inflict it And all the seven Angells who powre out their vialls on the Antichristian State tending to the rooting of it out by degrees They either pray for the successe of the vengeance of their vialls or else they doe not powre them out in faith which were contrary to the spirit of such holy Saints who come out of the Temple opened in Heaven and are cloathed with pure and white linnen and have their breasts girded with golden girdles Rev. 15.6 2. If John the Apostle have Prophecied and denounced the destruction and extirpation of Antichristian Idolaters and their whole State why may not a Minister and Messenger of Christ according to the measure of light received open those Prophecyes and apply them with severe threatnings against thme and their State Yea but they may not apply or denounce them to their present destruction or extirpation Yes to the present destruction of some or other Antichristian Idolaters in every age though the State may continue wasting till the time appointed It might as truely be said the Ministers of Christ are forbidden to denounce present or speedy destruction to any murtherers whoremongers Tyrants extortioners because though some of them may fall under many sore and feareful plagues yet there will never want a company of such wicked doers till the Great Harvest the end of the world Besides what if a messenger of Christ should not denounce present destruction yet he cannot be said to let them alone who is hewing at them to bring them to destruction many yeares before It is not every stroake with an Axe that felleth an Oake it may be not an hundred not a thousand stroakes yet no stroake is lost that maketh way for the felling of it at the last Neither can he be said to let the Tree alone that striketh and heweth at it every day So he that heweth at the Antichristian State every day by Prayer and Preaching He doth not let it alone though it may stand many a yeare after It will fall the sooner and with more facility for every stroake 3. Nor can it be the meaning of Christ in commanding his Ministers to let the Tares alone to forbid them to stirr up Princes and States to the rooting out of Antichristian Idolaters and all such false worshippers as destroy the Truth and Religion of the Lord Jesus For amongst all the Angells that powred out their vials upon the Antichristian State it is not credible that none of them should be Messengers of the Gospell And when the ten Kings shall burne the City of Rome and leave it desolate and naked It is not credible
Jesus onely Defender Reply 1. But he that corrupteth a soule with a corrupt religion or worship layeth a spreading leaven which corrupteth the State The Idolatry began in the House of Micah corrupted Laish Judges chap. 17. and chap. 18. And that was the beginning of sinne to the Daughter of Zion Micah 1.13 And that Apostacy was the captivity of the Land As in the New-Testament the worship of Images was the advancement of the Turkes and the ruine of Christian States Rev. 9.14 to 21. When therefore the corruption or destruction of soules is a destruction also of lives liberties estates of men lex talionis calleth for not onely soule for soule but life for life Reply 2. False Prophets in the Old-Testament did but corrupt the soules of some and it may be did not corrupt them neither but attempted it onely And yet amongst Gods people where lex talionis was much attended the Law was Thine eye shall not spare him Deut. 13. The reason of which execution is not fetched from any typicall holinesse of the Land but from the dangerous wickednesse of the attempt to thrust away a soule from God which is a greater injury then to deprive a man of bodily life Discusser But dead men cannot die nor be infected Naturall men the civill State the world are dead in sinne c. Defender Reply 1. Dead men may be made worse by corrupt Teachers two-fold more the children of hell then before Matth. 23.15 And therefore such as so corrupt them are worthy in a way of due proceeding of a two-fold death Reply 2. Such as professe the truth of the Doctrine and Worship of Christ they live a kind of spirituall life though not such as accompanieth salvation Else how are false Teachers and such as are led by them said to be twice dead plucked up by the roots Jude ver 12. And therefore it is not true that such as being in a naturall state are dead in sinne annot be infected nor die againe Discusser As in the common infection of the plague so in the infection of heresie none can be strucke deadly but whom God hath thereunto ordained c. Defender Reply 1. No more can any man be murthered but whom God hath ordained thereunto But it is a prophane sacriledge to excuse or alleviate the punishment of sinne by Gods eternall predestination Was the sinne of Herod or the Jewes or of Pontius Pilate any whit the lesse because they did nothing against Christ but what the hand of God and his Counsell had fore-determined to be done Acts 4.29 Sure it is Christ aggravateth the sinne of Judas and of the High-Priests and Elders of the Jewes by this Argument that Pilate could doe nothing against him but as it was given him from above Therefore saith he he that delivered me to thee hath the greater sinne John 19.11 Reply 2. The Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth That though in a common plague or infection none are smitten or die but such as are ordained thereunto yet it is not onely every mans duty but the common duty of the Magistrates to prevent infection and to preserve the common health of the place by removing infectious persons into solitary tabernacles Discusser True but the meanes God hath appointed for preservation from spirituall infection and perdition are spirituall such as God directeth to Rev. 2. Tit. 3.10 11. Rom. 16.17 But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for either Antidote or Remedy as an addition to those Spirituals The Remedy which God preseribed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus It were a Babylonish confusion to interpret it as sent to the Governour of the City of Pergamus Defender Subordinata and so Coordinata non pugnant It is true Christ hath appointed spirituall meanes for the avoiding and preventing the infection of heresies so hath he also for the preventing and avoiding all offences in Church-members But that hindreth not the lawfull and necessary use of a civill sword for the punishment of some such offences as are subject to Church-censure If indeed the Ordinances of Christ in the Church doe prevaile to the avoiding and healing of heresies there is no need of the civill sword for that end But it often falleth out otherwise as 1. That when the Church hath cast out an Heretick yet he still remaineth obstinate and proceedeth to seduce and destroy the faith of some it may be of many as did Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. If the Magistrates sword doe here rust in the scabberd such leaven may leaven the whole Masse of a City or Countrey As by this meanes Arrianisme leavened the world by the indulgence of Constantius Ingemuit Orbis Christianus miratus est factum se esse Arrianum 2. It may be the Heretick was never any member of the Church and then though the Church may lay in some Antidotes and Purges to preserve or recover their Members yet how shall they succour such as are not subject to their censures Or how shall they prevent the spreading of this noisome leprofie in private Conventicles But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for an Antidote or Remedy in such a case Answ It is evident the civill sword was appointed for a remedy in this case Deut. 13. And appointed it was by that Angell of Gods presence whom God promised to send with his people as being unwilling to goe along with them himselfe Exod. 33.2 3. And that Angell was Christ whom they tempted in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.9 And therefore it cannot truely be said that the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for a remedy in such a case For he did expressely appoint it in the Old-Testament nor did he ever abrogate it in the New The reason of the Law which is the life of the Law is of eternall force and equity in all Ages Thou shult surely kill him because be hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God Deut. 13.9 10. This reason is of morall that is of universall and perpetuall equity to put to death any Apostate seducing Idolater or Heretick who seeketh to thrust away the soules of Gods people from the Lord their God If Magistrates be the Ministers of God in the New-Testament as Paul calleth them Rom. 13.4 And Ministers of God to execute vengeance on him that doeth evill surely either this is no evill to seeke to thrust away Gods people from him or the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine to execute vengeance on such an evill doer Yea but such an evill is evill onely to the inner man not to the civill State Answ But if a man imagine evill against the Lord it is a destructive evill to a whole City yea to a Pagan City and God will visit such an evill with such an affliction as shall be no lesse then utter destruction to such a City It shall not rise up the second time Nahum 1.9.11 Discusser But the eivill Magistrate hath his charge of the bodies
confusion in the Civill State to punish such Discusser Woe were it with the Civill Magistrate if together with the common care and charge of the Common-wealth the bloud of every soule that perisheth should cry against him unlesse he should say with Paul Acts 20. I am cleare from the bloud of all men c. Defender It is not the bloud of every soule that perisheth that can cry against a Magistrate unlesse the soule perish by some such neglect of duty in the Magistrate which God requireth of him for the good of the soules of his people Of which Duties there be two sorts 1. To seeke out and procure meanes of Grace for them so farre as they are capable in Gods way 2. To remove meanes of their corruption and pollution such as Idolls openly erected and Idolatrous false Teachers perverting the people If in both these the Magistrate be faithfull though thousands of soules may perish under his Government yet he is innocent from the bloud of them all and may so professe with Paul Discusser I acknowledge the Magistrate ought to cherish as a Foster Father the Lord Jesus in his Truth in his Saints to cleave unto them himselfe to countenance them unto the Death yea also to breake the Teeth of the Lyons who offer civill violence and injurie unto them But to see all his Subjects Christians to keep such a Church or Christians in the purity of worship and see them doe their duty this belongeth to the head of the body the Lord Jesus and such spirituall Officers as he hath to this purpose deputed Reply 1. What is said of Spirituall Officers deputed by Christ to see the Church to doe her Duty is but a pretence when he acknowledgeth no Church nor spirituall Officers in the Church deputed by Christ extant upon the face of the Earth Reply 2. What Reason can the Discusser give why the Magistrate should breake the teeth of the Lyons who offer civill violence to the Church and Saints and not breake the teeth of the ravenous wolves false Prophets who offer violence to their soules Doubtlesse those ravenous wolves that make havock of their soules are farre more mischievous then the Lyons be that offer violence to their bodies The Romane pagan Emperours who like Lions persecuted the Church 2 Tim. 4.17 they by persecution increased it though against their wills But the Romane Popish Bishops that like ravenous wolves devoured their soules left the Church of Christ scarce visible though visible and them a very small remnant though a remnant It may be matter of just wonderment why Antichrist should find more favours in the Discussers eyes then an ignorant Pagan when the one hateth Christ more bitterly and maketh farre more waste of the Church and Saints of Christ then doth the other Is it because his owne Spirit doth more symbolize with Antichrist then with Caesar Rather in secret supplanting then in open persecuting the Churches and Ordinances of Christ Beply 3. We doe not say that it is a part of the Magistrates duty to see all his Subjects to become Christians if they were Pagans before though wee say it is his Duty to neglect no good meanes to help them onward to the knowledge and faith of Christ Jesus But why doth the Discusser shake this duty out of the Magistrates to see that the Church and the Christians under his Government should walke in purity of worship at least not so farre to degenerate and apostate as to provoke Christ to depart from them Can he hope that such Christians will be faithfull and loyall to their Prince whom he seeth to grow false and disloyall to their God Surely the Land of Ismael though it had some peculiar and and typicall Holinesse belonging to it yet no other then what did prefigure the Holinesse of the Church which is as holy to Christ and ought to be as holy to us as the Land of Israel was to them If therefore it was the duty of Jehosaphat Hezekiah and Isaiah to reduce the people of Israel from their backslidings because they were an holy people 2 Chron. 19.4 Surely the like Duty lyeth upon all Godly Christian Princes to reduce their backsliding Churches to their Primitive Purity Let no man say that as the Holy Land of Israel was a Type of Holy Church So these Princes were Types of the Lord Jesus to whom alone it belongeth to see Churches and Christians to doe their duty in Purity of worship For though David and Solomon were Types of Christ and so the Scripture holdeth them forth yet the Scripture giveth no hint that the other Kings either of Israel or Judah were Types Not of Israel for they were all Apostates nor of Judah for if the Kings of Judah as Kings of Judah to wit in respect of their Regall Estate over the Church if they were all of them Types of Christ then Apostates from Christ were Types of Christ For many of the Kings of Judah were Apostates from Christ as well as the Kings of Israel Yea if they were all Types of Christ then Christ is the Antitype and by accomplishing such types hath abolished them all so that now it were sacrilegious and Antichristian usurpation for any Kings to be set over Christians or the people of God For the Body being come Types and shadowes vanish But what if they were all types of Christ in respect of their Kingly office over the Church alone were they therefore types of Christ in all the Kingly Offices which they performed Then it was typicall in Solomon to put Joab a Murderer to death and Adonijab a Traytor And then it will be unlawfull for Christian Princes to put Murderers or Traitors to death Or if you say these were civill crimes But Idolatry and Heresie which Asa Joash and Josiah punished with death were spirituall crimes and therefore the Kings of Judah in punishing these latter were types of Christ not so in the former this is spoken gratis For whatsoever the Kings of Judah did as types of Christ Christ being the Antitype might more full and lively performe it in his owne person But certaine it is he put no man to death in his owne person all the dayes of his flesh Why therefore may it not rather be said that whatsoever the Kings of Judah lawfully did whether against the Transgressours of the first or second Table they did it not as types of Christ but as servants of Christ betrusted with the care of the welfare both of Church and Common-wealth and therefore as patternes and examples to Christian Magistrates And indeed many of the Kings of Israel as they were Kings over a Common-wealth which was also a Church so they were Kings also over sundry Pagan Nations round about them as were David and Solomon Asa and Jehosaphat Joash and Josiah And though none of them compelled the Pagan Nations to become Proselites to the Church of Israel no more then Christian Kings may compell Pagans to become Christians or men without
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
his Elect out of their hands no more then now yet the attempt to pluck them out of Gods hand was a Capitall crime then Deut. 13.5.10 For speaking to turne away a soule from God ver 5. and seeking to thrust away a soule from God are but attempts Besides God putteth no difference of Elect and Reprobate in matter of murder either of foule or Body But the respect which God hath in this case is to his Covenant which God made with the visible members of his Church Now. if a man shall so farre violate his Covenant as to Apostate from God and to draw others away to Apostate from him the Lord avengeth this quarrell of his Covenant upon the lives of such And therefore the hainousnesse of this crime is expressed in that he spake or sought to turne away any of the people of God from the Lord their God Deut. 13.5.10 CHAP. 43. A Reply to his Chap. 43. Discusser FOurthly I aske were not these Elders and Ministers of the Church of Ephesus sufficiently furnished from the Lord Jesus to drive away these spirituall and mysticall wolves Defender They were furnished with sufficient power to cast them out of the Church but being cast out they had not sufficient power to drive them away from conferring with and corrupting the members of the Church or other Godly ones out of the Church It is no dishonor to Christ nor impeachment to th sufficiency of the Ordinances left by Christ that in such a case his Ministers of Justice in the Civill State should assist his Ministers of the Gospel in the Church-State Discusser Fiftly lastly I Aske whether as men deale with wolves these wolves at Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed their braines dasht out with stones staves Halberts Gunns c. in the hands of the Elders of Ephesus Defender No nor was it alledged by me for any such end nor indeed alledged by me at all but onely the Discusser is pleased to set up a marke to shoot at for his owne recreation Elders must keepe within the bounds of their calling But killing and dashing out of Braines which is all one with stoning was expresly commanded in such a case to the People of God by order from the Judges Deut. 13.10 Discusser But comparing spirituall things with spirituall things spirituall mysticall wolves should be spiritually and mystically slaine Defender So they should be by the spirituall Officers and members of the Church But in destroying Religion they are also disturbers of the Civill State and accordingly are to be dealt withall by Civill Justice Achan disturbed the Common-wealth as well as the Church of Israel by bringing a Babylonish garment into the Tents of Israel and was therefore troubledhimselfe for troubling the People of the Lord Josh 7.25 Discusser It is a most bloudy Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be drivenaway their braines knockt out and killed the poore sheep to be persecuted for whom Christ died Defender Belike it is a milkey and peaceable and Gospel like Doctrine The wolves Hereticks are to be tolerated not an haire to be struck off from their heads but for the poore sheep for whom Christ died let them perish unlesse Christ mean to preserue them himselfe alone with his own immediate hand no care of preserving them belongeth to the Civill Magistrate Discusser Is not this to take Christ and to make him a temporal King by force Joh. 6.15 Is not this to make his Kingdome of this world to set up a Civill and Temporall Israel to bound out new earthly holy lands of Canaan yea and to set up a Spanish Inquisition in all parts of the world to the speedy destruction of millions of soules and to the frustrating of the sweet end of the comming of the Lord Jesus which was to save mens soules and to that end not to destroy their bodyes by his owne bloud Defender Now of all these when the Kingdomes of the earth become the Kingdomes of the Lord Rev. 11.15 It is not by making Christ a temporall King but by making temporall Kingdomes nursing Fathers to his Church In the dayes of Christs Flesh it was Incompatible to his Ministery to make him a King as they went about to doe Joh. 6.15 Christ hath injoyed even as Mediator an everlasting Kingdome not onely in the Church but in the Government of all the Kingdomes of the earth by his glorious power and righteousnesse But the Kingdomes of the earth are then said to be the Kingdomes of our Lord when they submit their lawes to the lawes of his word But that neither maketh him a temporall King nor his Kingdome in the Church to be a Kingdome of this world The Church and Common-wealth are still distinct Kingdomes the one of this world the other of Heaven and yet both of them from Christ unto whom the Father hath committed all Judgement Iob. 5.22 Neither will this set up a Civill and temporall Israel an holy Canaan unlesse all the members of the Common-wealth were called to be members of the Church and subject to all the ceremoniall and all the judiciall Lawes of Moses not onely those of Morall and perpetuall equity but peculiar to that State as the Brother to marry his deceased Brothers wife Nor is it a Spanish Inquisition to preserve the sheep of Christ from the raven of wolves but this rather such is the practise of the Discusser to promote the principal end of the spanish Inquisition to advance the Romish tyranny Idolatry and Apostacy by proclaiming impunity to all their whorish and wolvish Emissaries Nor is it a frustrating of the sweet end of Christs comming which was to save soules but rather a direct advancing of it to destroy if need be the bodies of those wolves who seeke to destroy the soules of those for whom Christ died and whom he bought with his owne bloud CHAP. 44. A Reply to his Chap. 44. Discussing 2 Cor. 10.4 Discusser The next Scripture produced against such persecution was 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God c. To which it is Answered Paul speaketh of the weapons of Apostles and Church-Officers which are not carnall but spirituall and mighty through God But this denieth not Civill weapous of Justice to Civill Magistrates But I here observe that the Scripture holdeth forth a two-fold State a Civill State and a Spirituall Civill Officers and spirituall Civill weapons and spirituall Civill vengeance and spirituall though the Spirit speaketh not here expresly of Civill Magistrates and their Civill weapons yet these States being of different natures and considerations as farre differing as flesh and spirit therefore Civill weapons are most improper and unfitting in matters of the spirituall Kingdome and State though in the Civill State most proper and suitable Defender The Discusser as often throughout his Discourse so here he looseth himselfe and the truth in ambiguityes Civill weapons are indeed improper and unfitting in spirituall matters to wit in the
dispencing and pressing of spirituall matters for the immediate producing of spirituall ends as for a Magistrate to draw his sword to compell all his Subjects to the obedience of the faith if Christ and to the profession of it But this is not unfitting nor improper That a Magistrate should draw his sword though not in matters spirituall yet about matters spiritual to protect them in peace and to stave off the disturbers and destroyers of them It were improper and unfitting for carpenters to bring their Axes and Hammers to build up the spirituall Kingdome and Church of Christ But yet their tooles are fitting to build up scaffolds that the people may draw neere to heare the Word by hearing be brought on to faith and salvation CHAP. 45. A Reply to his 45. Chap. Discusser TO Batter and take a strong Hold or Fort men bring not a first and second Admonition and after obstinacy Excommunication But they bring Canons Culverings Sakers Bullets Powder Musquets Swords Pikes weapons suitable and proportionable On the other side to batter downe Idolatry false worship Heresy out of the soule and spirit It is vaine Improper unsuitable to bring the usuall weapons of persecutors Stocks Whips Prisons Swords Gibbtts Stakes But against these spirituall sirong holds in the soules of men spirituall Artillery and weapons are proper and mighty through God to subdue every thought to obedience Defender Let this stand as it shall for me It nothing toucheth the Question in hand It is farre from me to allow the Civill Magistrate to make use of his Civill weapons to batter downe Idolatry and Heresy in the soules of men but for this end he is to use spirituall weapons and all Lenity and wisdome in the improvement thereof But if the Idolater or Heretick grow obstinate as the Apostle saith waxe worse and worse deceiving himselfe and others to the destroying or corrupting and disturbing of others now the Magistrate maketh use not of Stocks and Whipps for these doe not remove but exasperate the malady but of Death or Banishment that may cut him off from opportunity of spreading the leaven and Gangerne of his pernicious wayes whether in Doctrine or practise It is one thing to speake oâ— Heresie and Idolatry in the Abstract another in the Concrete Heresie Idolatry and all spirituall wickednesse cannot be rooted out of the hearts of the sonnes of men but by spirituall weapons But Hereticks and Idolaters may be restrained from the open practise and profession of their wickednesse by the Sword of Justice and such weapons of Righteousnesse Discusser But though these weapons were proper yet they are unnecessary For if spirituall weapons in the hand of Church Officers be able mighty and sufficient and ready for the Lords worke either to save or to kill the soule c. How doth the Magistrate come in to help but as if the Lord had no power Defender This is a meere pretence in the mouth pen of the Discusser For he having cut off all the Churches of Christ and all Church Ordinances and Church-weapons from off the face of the earth for these many ages past and I know not for how many yeares yet to come If Civill weapons be debarred from defending Religion upon pretence that Church-weapons are sufficient and and then no Churches nor Church weapons to be found upon the face of the earth then let all Seducers to Apostacy Idolaters Hereticks let them all rejoyce in an open doote of liberty safety which the Discusser hath set wide open before them If Civill States must not and Churches cannot come in to helpe the Lord shall the curse of Meroz be so avoided because the Lord wanteth not power to help himselfe But I might reply further that though spiritual weapons are mighty through God and sufficient to those ends for which the Lord appointed them which are to purge out leaven from their holy communion and to mortify the flesh of offendors yet that is not supersedeas to Civill Magistrates to neglect to punish those sins which the Church hath censured if the persons censured do proceed to subvert the truth of the Gospel or the peace of the Church or the salvation of the people The rest of the Discussers discourse in this chapter are as Jude speaketh clouds without water words without matter CHAP. 46. A Reply to his Chap. 46. Discussing Rom. 13. Discusser This Scripture Rom. 13. which it pleaseth the Answerer to quote how hath both himselfe and many excellent servants of God wrested not as Peter writeth of the wicked to their eternall yet to their owne and others tempor all destruction by civill warres and combustions in the world Defender This charge is a greivous crime if it be truly proved a greivous slaunder if it be not proved The rest of the Chapter proveth it not but that onely which I willingly graunt that this 13th Chapter to the Romans exhorteth unto subjection to Magistrates unto love to all men which are duties partaining to the second Table Howbeit though subjection to Magistrates and love to all men be duties which concerne the second Table a point which needed no proofe yet this inference will not here follow That therefore Magistrates have nothing to doe to punish any violation no not of the weightiest duties of the first Table It is a cleare case amongst the duties of the second Table people may be exhorted to honor their Ministers and children may be exhorted to honor their Parents But will it thence follow that therefore Ministers have nothing to doe with matters of Religion in the Church or parents in the Family CHAP. 47. A Reply to his Chap. 47. Discusser THere be excellent and precious servants of God in their time who have absolutely denyed the 13. of the Rom. to concerne any matter of the first Table Defender I will not stand upon the last use in that Chapter put you on the Lord Jesus Christ which I hope the Discusser himselfe will not deny much lesse say that any Excellent and precious servants of God doe absolutely deny that such a Duty concerneth the first Table But what is it that the servants of God say Discusser Calvin saith this whole Discourse concerneth Civill Magistrates and therefore in vaine doe they who exereise Power over Consciences goe about from this place to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny Defender Calvins Judgement herein as generally in other points is sound and agreeable to the Text but not at all favouring the Discussers Imagination This whole Disputation saith he is of Civill Governments whereupon this inference is according to his owne true meaning and scope therefore it doth nor concerne Church-Government Therefore such Church-Governours as upon pretence of this Text doe make Lawes without the word and besides the word to bind Conscience and to usurp power over Consciences they in vaine goe about to establish their sacrilegious Tyranny from this place But what is this to the point in hand Church-Governours
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
I have expresly said it and proved it before that it is and ought to be the care and worke of the Church also to suppresse and punish seducing Teachers and scandalous livers in a Church-way as well as the Magistrate in a civill way Discusser First this joyning of things of such different kindes is not an homogeneall but heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kinds Defender But these different kinds they agree in one common kind they are both of them evills and evills destructive in their severall wayes to the common good of Gods people which ought to be preserved both in Church and Common-wealth The Termes of Homogeneall and Heterogeneall are in this case only words of noyse and of an empty sound fit to take with simple people that know not the meaning nor use of them Discusser Who knoweth not that many seducing Teachers of the Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian Religion may be cleare and free from scandalous offences in their lives and from disobedience to the civill Lawes of the State Defender Now you may see the Discusser was willing to make use of founding words which himselfe it seemeth knew not well the use of For what if there were many seducing Teachers of all Religions that may be cleare from scandalous offences the distinguishing therefore of evills into these two sorts into seditious Teachers and scandalous offenders is so much the more allowable and accurate If a man shall say the worke of the Creation on the sixt day was either of man or of Beast shall a man goe about here to observe a great evill that here is not an homogeneall but an heterogeneall commixture of things most different in kind For who knoweth not that there are many Beasts Lyons Leopards Wolves Beares that never were men but are cleare and free from all humane nature Such a like reasoning is that of the Discusser here What if many seducing Teachers whether Jewish Paganish Turkish Antichristian were never scandalous livers but obedient to the civill State yet are they not all of them evill and accordingly to be restrayned by lawfull Authority And is the joyning of them together the great evill of an heterogeneall commixture Againe let the Discusser be pleased to observe that which hath been often touched afore that we looke at it as more tolerable for seducing Teachers to seduce those who are already in the same gall of bitternesse with themselves as Pagans to seduce Pagans Jewes to seduce Jewes Turkes to seduce Turkes and Antichristians to seduce Antichristians Though this also ought to be prevented by wise and wholsome meanes by a Christian Magistrate in all those that are under his dominion so far as there is power in his hand without the hazard of the publick State Lastly let me adde this Reply to the rest that it will be hard for the Discusser to finde Antichristian seducers cleare and free from Disobedience to the civill Lawes of a State in case that Antichrist to whom they are sworne shall excommunicate the civill Magistrate and prescribe the civill State to the invasion of Forrayners Discusser Again who knoweth not that a seducing Teacher properly sinneth against the Church against the Spirituall State and Lawes of it and therefore ought most properly and onely to be dealt withall in such a way Defender These twise-sod Coleworts the Discusser hath often set them before us heretofore but with as little savour now as before For what if a seducing Teacher having sinned against the Church be cast out by the Church and still continue seducing yea what a weake and guilfull evasion would this prove for the Discusser to referre a seducing Teacher to a Church-way when himselfe doth not acknowledge any Church of Christ extant upon the face of the Earth Discusser A second evill which I observe in coupling seducing Teachers with scandalous livers is a silent and implicit Justification of all unrighte us and cruell proceedings of Jewes and Gentiles against all the Prophets of God the Lord Jesus himselfe and all his messingers and witnesses whom their Accusers have ever so coupled and mixed with notorious evill doers and scandalous livers c. Defender Is this a silent and implicite Justification of all the injurious and cruell handlings by wicked men of the Lord Jesus and his witnesses to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority because the Lord Jesus himselfe and his witnesses have suffered under those names What if the wicked Jewes and Gentiles did injuriously and blasphemously put those names upon the Lord Jesus and his faithfull witnesses and upon pretence of such evils put them to death doth it therefore justifie such proceedings to say that seducing Teachers and scandalous livers are to be punished by Authority If those who are indeed seducing Teachers and scandalous livers ought to be punished will it therefore justifie the like proceedings against them who are no such persons but falsly so called if a man should say a murderer is to be punished with death will it therefore justifie the Islanders of Melita to put Paul to death because amongst them he was so reputed doubtlesse a murderer Acts 28.4 yea let the Discusser seriously confider whether this kind of reasoning of his doe not more then silently and implicitely testifie that the Lord Jesus and his witnesses were seducing Teachers and scandalous livers CHAP. 55. A Reply to his Chap. 57. Discusser THe Scripture alleaged by the Answerer to prove that it would be an evill to tolerate notorious evill doers whether seducing Teachers or scandalous livers is written Rev. 2.14.20 Where Christ hath something against the Church of Pergamus for tolerating them that hold the Doctrine of Balaam and against the Church of Thyatira for tolerating Jezebel to teach and seduce Vnto which I may answer with some admiration and astonishment how it pleased the Father of Lights and most Jealous God to darken and vaile the eyes of such a man as not to seeke out and propose some Scriptures in the proofe of so weighty an assertion as at least might have some colour for the influence of the civill Magistrate in such cases For these Texts concerne neither the City nor the civill Magistrates of Pergamus and Thyatyra but the Churches and Elders c. Defender It was no part of my meaning to alledge those Scriptures to prove it unlawfull for Magistrates to tolerate seducing Teachers but unlawfull for Churches If the Discusser say there needed no proofe of that that was out of Question I may truly tell him that was more then I knew For the Letter which he intreated me to Answer so stated the Question as in generall to argue against persecution for cause of Conscience And if the Question be put in such generall Termes I knew the Church might as well be complained of for persecution for cause of Conscience as the civill Magistrate For if persecution be taken properly for affliction or oppression for righteousnesse sake I
knew it was out of Question all persecution was unlawfull whether by the Church or the Magistrate an unjust excommunication is as true persecution as an unjust Banishment But if persecution be taken more largely and loosely as it is by the Author of the Letter and by the Discusser for any affliction or persecution for cause of Conscience whether good Conscience or evill whether rightly informed or erroneous If that be the intent of the Letter as it seemed to me to beare witnesse against that then any testimony of Scripture that justifieth a lawfull censure of false and erroneous Teachers doth evince the scope of the Letter to be erroneous which is against all persecution for cause of Conscience Let therefore the Discusser admire at his owne admiration and be astonished at his owne astonishment that wondereth to see an universall negative argued against by a particular affirmative The Letter denyeth the lawfulnesse of all persecution in cause of Conscience that is in matter of Religion I seek to evince the falshood of it by an instance of lawfull Church-prosecution in case of false Teachers Discusser But if the Churches and Angels thereof had sufficient power to suppresse Balaam and Jezabel then all power of Magistrates and Governours in Pergamus and Thyatira though they had been Christian must needs fall to the ground as none of Christs appointment Defender The power of the Churches and Angels of Pergamus and Thyatyra were sufficient for those ends for which Christ ordained Church-power to wit for the healing of the soules of such seducers if they belonged to Christ as also for keeping those Churches pure from the fellowship of the guilt of their Act in teaching false Doctrines whom they had duly censured But the power of those Churches and Angels was not sufficient to prevent the further spreading of the Leaven of their false Doctrines both in such as were out of the Church and in private amongst the members of the Church who might adhere to them Much lesse was the putting forth of the Church-power against them sufficient to cleare the Magistrates of a Christian State from the guilt of Apostasie in suffering such Apostates amongst them who would be ready to solicite many simple soules either to with-hold and with-draw themselves from the Fellowship of the Churches or in the Churches to withdraw from the Lord Jesus Discusser Lastly from this perverse wresting of what is writ to the Church and the Officers thereof as if it were writ to the Civill Officers and State thereof all may see how since the Apostacie of Antichrist the Christian world so called hath swallowed up Christianity how the Church and Civill State that is the Church and the world are now become one flock of Jesus Christ c. Defender Here is no wresting much lesse perverse wresting of any Scripture at all from the Church to the Civill State I intended to apply the Scripture written to the Churches and to the Officers thereof no further then to other Churches and their Officers The Scriptures upon which we call in the Magistrate to the punishment of Seducers are such as are directed to civill States and Magstrates of which divers have been mentioned and applyed before CHAP. 56. A Reply to his Chap. 58 and 59. Discussing the Testimony of some Princes Discusser I Proceed to the second Head of Reasons against persecution for cause of Conscience taken from the profession of famous Princes King James Stephen of Poland King of Bonemia Vnto whom the Answerer returneth a treble Answer 1. Wee willingly acknowledge saith he that none is to be persecuted at all no more then any may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Again we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his Conscience though misinformed unlesse his errour be fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of his Conscience that it may appeare he is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Furthermore we acknowledge none is to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in Judgement of the truth of it but yet restrayned he may be from blaspheming the Truth and from seducing any into pernicious errours This first Answer I believe I have sufficiently cleared the weaknesse of the Foundations thereof in the former discourse Defender And I doubt not but by the help of Christ I have formerly declared and convinced the feeblenesse of the opposition made against them and what firme foundations those Answers are built upon from the Scriptures of Truth Discusser His second Answer is this what Princes professe and practise is not a Rule of Conscience They many times tolerate that in State Policy which cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity Againe Princes many times tolerate Offendors out of very necessity when the Offenders are too many or too mighty for them to punish In which respect David tolerated Joab and his murder but against his will It may be here observed how the Answerer dealeth with Princes one while they are nursing Fathers to the Church not onely to feed but also to correct and therefore consequently bound to judge what is true feeding and correcting and consequently all men are bound to submit to their feeding and correcting Defender The Discusser doth partly falsly and partly fraudulently fasten upon me this dealing with Princes That I make them nursing Fathers of the Church I therein follow the footsteps of the Holy Ghost before me teaching what Princes should be and foretelling what they shall be in the latter dayes Isaiah 49.23 In which place It was not the intent of the Holy Ghost nor mine to threaten the Church with a red of Correction But to comfort the Church with a double blessing First of the Fatherly provision and protection of Princes for the Church Secondly of their subjection to the Church in respect of their spirituall Estate What Princes may doe in case the Church should Apostate and become no Church or in case they should breake forth into Sedition and Rebellion against the Civill State It is another Question which I have not medled with in all this Discourse Neither have I spoken of Princes as bound to Judge what is true feeding or correcting least of all have I said that all men are bound especially in Conscience to their feeding and correcting These are calumnies devised by the Discusser All I have said to my remembrance this way is that Princes are bound to be wise and Learned with holy knowledge that they may kisse the Sonne and be subject to him Psal 2.10.11 And therefore able to discerne of such corrupt feeding as destroyeth the Foundation of Religion and the soules of Gods people that they may be able to restraine such and to preserve the Church from such ravenous Wolves and I deny not that their Subjects are to submit to them herein when they judge according to the Word or howsoever patiently to suffer for well-doing without resistance
the Colledge that he might be trained up to knowledge for the help of his Country-men But no violent course taken with them at all to constraine them to the Faith or Profession of Christianity The time is hastning we hope when all the vials of Gods wrath will be poured out on the Antichristian State and then we looke for the fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in and with the Jewes multitudes of Pagans But till the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled wee cannot easily hope for the entrance of 〈◊〉 New multitudes of men into the Church according to the word of the Lord Rev. 15.8 No man that is no man out of the Temple no Pagan was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled But to returne to our Discusser he speaketh at randome when he intimateth that we walke not by Rule but partially as if we permitted not the like liberty of worship to our Country-men nor to the French Dutch Spanish Persians Turkes Jewes which wee doe to the Indians For we Neither constraine them to worship God with us nor restraine them from worshipping God in their owne way Persians Turkes and Jewes come not amongst us those of other Nations of Europe when they doe come amongst us their manner of Worship is not taken notice of amongst us Our Country-men worship God with us for the most part if some of them come not to our Assemblies by reason of the distance of their dwellings from us they have Liberty of publick prayer and preaching of the word a-amongst themselves by such as themselves choose without disturbance Discusser The Answerer addeth a further Answer to Tertullian for whereas Tertullian had said that one mans Religion doth neither hurt nor profit another the Answerer saith it must be understood of private Worship or of Religion professed in private Otherwise a false Religion professed in publick by the Members of the Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and Desolation of the Churches Rev. 2. Whereto I Answer 1. Those that are Members of the Church and those that have given their names to Christ are all one the distinction therefore is unsound Defender The Discusser must excuse me though I doe not take them for all one For men of yeares must give up their names to Christ before they can be received Members into the Church as is evident Isaiah 56.6 7. Therefore they are not all one the one precedeth the other Discusser I answer secondly that Tertullian doth not there speake of private but of publick worship and Religion Defender Tertullians speech may possibly be meant of either publick or private But as I said to make the speech true it must either be understood of private or if of publick profession of Religion it must be understood not of Christian but of Pagan and of Pagan during the time of Gods Patience and their ignorance But after God revealed the Truth of the Gospel-Religion to them it was not safe to continue a publick Profession of Pagan-Religion for after the White-Horse hath revealed the Gospel a Red and Black and pale-horse follow to avenge the rejection of it upon the Romane-Pagan-Empire Revel 6.2 to 8. Discusser I answer thirdly although it be true in a Church of Christ that a false Religion or Worship permitted will doe hurt according to those Threats of Christ Rev. 2. yet in two cases I beleive a false Religion will not hurt which is most like to have been Tertullians meaning 1. A false Religion out of the Church will not hurt the Church no more then weeds in the Wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Gardens nor poyson hurt the body when it is not touched or taken yea and Antidotes are received against it 2. A false Religion and worship will not hurt a Civill State in case the worshippers breake no civill Law And the Answerer elsewhere acknowledgeth that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Lawes are not broken And this onely is the point in Question Defender If this onely be the point in Question where then lyeth the controversie for if I say as the Discusser saith I doe that the Civill Peace is not broken when the Civill Law is not broken and if a false Religion or worship doe not hurt the civill State unlesse the Worshippers breake some civill Law then where lyeth the pinch of the controversie But I would not have the Discusser mistake himselfe I doe not remember that I have any where said that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Law is not broken He saith I say so elsewhere If he meane that I say so in the Modell drawn up by my Brethren the Elders of those Churches he wrongeth and polluteth himselfe much Crimine falsi when he saith that Mr. Cotton with the rest of the Ministers of New-England composed that Modell of Church and civill power It is no new thing with him to say I did that which I did not that Modell was drawen up by some other fellow-Brethren but not by me There is a Truth in the speech which they speak rightly understood but not as the Discusser here taketh it For first what if no civill Law be made for the establishment of Religion nor against the violation of the Fundamentalls of it this very defect of so needfull a Law may bring the wrath of God upon the civill State as did the defect of a King in Israel Judg. 21.25 Againe secondly there may be a Law made for the establishing of true Religion and it though it be violated yet the Discusser will say no civill Law is violated because no Law concerning the second Table is violated But that is his mistake to thinke the civill Lawes concerne onely the outward Estate of the People and not their Religion That is a civill Law whatsoever concerneth the good of the City and the propulsing of the contrary Now Religion is the best good of the City and therefore Lawes about Religion are truly called civill Lawes enacted by civill Authority about the best good of the City for the promoting and preserving of that good of the City But having thus spoken to his second case first wherein he saith a false Religion will not hurt a civill State I come now to his first which was that a false Religion will not hurt if it be out of the Church no more then weeds in the wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Garden But what if the Garden be inclosed in the midst of a wildernesse what if the weeds grow so neere the inclosure or hedge round about the Garden that they easily creep into the Garden what if every blast of wind blow the seeds of the weeds into the Garden which are ready to overspread the Garden and to choak the good herbes The Discusser will say they that keep and dresse the Garden should weed them out True so they ought to their best endeavour But
were it not also needfull that the Lord of the soyle who hath his Officers both to dresse his Garden to keep his wildernes should provide that the keepers of his wildernesse should suffer no venomous weeds to grow neere his garden hedge or pale least the seeds thereof should annoy his Garden and poyson those within the Garden that feed on them It is true which the Discusser saith poyson will not hurt the body unlesse it be taken or touched yea and Antidotes taken against it But who shall prevent the Members of the Church from touching or taking poyson or who shall provide that all the Members shall take the Antidotes which are prepared for them Here will be needfull the faithfull vigilancy of the Christian Magistrate to assist the Officers of the Church in the Lords worke the one to lay in Antidotes to prevent infection the other to weed out infectious noysome weedes which the sheep of Christ will be touching and taking when they will sometime neglect their Antidotes It is a very unlikely thing which the Discusser saith is most likely that Tertullian meant one of these two cases For doubtlesse his meaning was to plead for the Innocency and impunity of his owne Religion which was indeed the Truth of God And he might safely plead that if the Pagan Religion did not hurt their civill Government as the Romane Governours doubted not of that he biddeth them to be secure of the Christian Religion it will never hurt them at all When therefore he speakes of Religion indefinitely that one mans Religion will not hurt another it is Argumentum ad hominem let not Scapula suspect hurt from Christian Religion to the Romane State If the Romane Religion be the preservation of the Romane Empire as Scapula thought Christian Religion though tolerated yea though received and advanced will never be their destruction nor disturbance CHAP. 68. A Reply to his Chap. 71. Discussing the Testimony of Ierome Discusser I Erome saith the Answerer confesseth not the Truth nor advantageth your cause for wee graunt what he saith That Heresie must be cut off by the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God But this hindereth not but that being so cut downe if the Hereticke doe still persist in his Heresie to the seduction of others he may be cut off also by the civill Sword to prevent the perdition of others And that to be Jeromes meaning appeareth by his Note upon that of the Apostle Gal. 5. A little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Therefore saith he a sparke as soone as it appeareth is to be extinguished and the Leaven to be removed from the rest of the dough Rotten pieces of flesh are to be cut off and a scabbed Beast is to be driven from the sheepfold least the whole house body masse of dough and Flock be set on fire with the spâ—rke be putrified with the rotten flesh sowred with the Leaven perish with the scabbed Beast But to this I Answer 1. He granteth to Tertullian that Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit yet with all he maintaineth a cutting off by the second Sword the Sword of the Magistrate and conceiveth that Tertullian so meaneth because he quoteth that of the Apostle a little Leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Ans 2. It is no Argument to proue that Tertullian meant a civill Sword by alledging 1 Cor. 5. or Gal. 5. which properly and onely approve a cutting off by the Sword of the Spirit and purging out of leaven in the Church And if Tertullian should so meane as the Answerer doth yet 1. The cutting off of Heresie by the Sword of the Spirit implyeth an absolute sufficiency in the Sword of the Spirit to cut it downe according to 2 Cor. 10.4 2. It is cleare to be the meaning of the holy Spirit and of the Apostle in the words alledged by him a little Leaven c. Defender Reply 1. This Testimony of Jerome which the Authour of the Letter alledgeth against persecution for Conscience I might justly refuse to spend time about it till either the Author or the Discusser doe make it appeare to be the words of Jerome For though I at first gave Answer to it as presuming the Letter had not forged it yet now looking into the place of Jerome whence it is quoted I finde no such matter The Letter quoteth it out of Hieroms Proaeme upon the fourth Booke of his Commentaryes upon Jeremy But perusing the place I finde no such words neither in that Proaeme on his fourth Booke on Jeremy nor in any other Proaeme of any other of his Bookes on Ieremy which are six in all Reply 2. I might here observe if I should deale with him as he doth with me in his Chap. 38 the like failings in the Discusser in putting Tertullian fouretimes in this passage instead of Ierome whom he hath in hand When I had once named Titus for Timothy he observeth the hast and light attention and sleepinesse of the Answerer But I will not make such an observation upon his misnaming of an Author which might easily slip from his pen or from his Scribe or from the error of the Printer Reply 3. In this he doth me wrong to puâ— upon me that for a Reason which hath no reason in it to wit that I should conceive that Te tullian lerome he would say meaneth a civill Sword because he quoteth that of the Apostle a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe For I gather it not from his quotation of those words of the Apostle which I easily graunt doe clearly speake of Church censure not of civill censure But I gather it partly from his exposition of the parralell words in the same Chapter and partly from the words he useth in opening that very Text. The parralell place in the same Chap. is ver 12. I would saith the Apostle they were cut off that trouble you This cutting off or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He expoundeth the cutting off of their virility which no manwill say is a Church-Censure I spake not here of the true meaning of the Text which doubtlesse speaketh of a Church-Censure but of the true meaning of Ieromes words Againe when Ierome would have the spark assoone as it appeareth to be extinguished and the leaven to be removed from the rest of the Dough c. though it be true which the Discusser speaketh that the Apostle intendeth a Church-Censure yet doubtlesse Ierome aymed at more in those comparisons even to a civill censure also For to these comparisons he immediately subjoyneth these words Arius in Alexandriâ una scintilla fuit sed quia non statim oppressa est totum orbem eius flamma de populata est Arius saith he was but one sparkle yet because he was not speedily executed or supprest his flame depopulated all the world Where by the extinguishing of that spark he doth not meane by excommunication for he was not ignorant that Arius had been speedily excommunicate
once and againe out of the Church of Alexandria once whist he was Deacon as Sozomene reporteth in Lib. 1. Ecclesiast Historia Chap. 14. And though afterwards he got into the Church againe yet he was againe excommunicated when he was Presbyter and cast out of his Presbytery as Socrates reporteth in his lib. 1. Ecclesiast Hastoria Cap. 6. of the Greek Edition Chap. 3. of the latine So that Hierome complaining of the great hurt which the sparke of Arius did because he was not timely put out he did not meane of putting out of the Church which was done timely enough and twice for failing but because he was not put out either out of the world or at least out of the Confines of Neighbour Churches Say not yet Paul doubtlesse spake of putting out of the Church For though that be true yet now the Question is not of Pauls judgement in this place but of Hieromes judgement which the Author of the Letter alledgeth as a witnesse for himselfe and the Discusser would maintaine it though Ieromes words will not beare it It argueth men are more led by will then judgement to uphold a cause when the witnesses which themselves produce beare witnesse against them Neither let any man say That this graunt of his That Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the spirit doth imply an absolute sufficiency in the Sword of the Spirit to cut it downe according to 2 Cor 10.4 5. For though Spirituall weapons be absolutely sufficient to the end for which God hath appointed them as hath been opened above to wit for the conviction and if he belong to God for the conversion of the offender for the mortifying of his flesh for the saying of his soule and for the cleansing of the Church from the fellowship of that guilt yet if an Hereticke still continue obstinate and persist in seducing creepe into Houses lead captive silly soules and destroy the faith of some it may be of many such Gangrenes would be cut off by another Sword which in the hand of the Magistrate is not borne in vaine Discusser But the eye of this Answerer could never be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of Iron and steele to help the Sword of the Spirit if the Sunne of righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him That a Nationall Church which elswhere he professeth against a state-State-Church whether explicite as in Old England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus Christ The Nationall Typicall-State-Church of the Jewes necessarily called for such weapons But the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the world consisting of Jewes and Gentiles is powerfully able to defend it selfe and offend men and Divells although the State and Kingdome wherein the Churches be had neither carnall Sword nor Speare as once it was in the Nationall Church in the Land of Canaan 1 Sam. 13. Defender I should think mine eye were very obscure indeed if I should run to a Smiths shop to fetch the Authority of the civill Magistrate from thence or if I should thinke his Authority could not be put forth against all evill doers and amongst others against Hereticks without a Sword of Iron or Steele If their be stones in the streets the Magistrate need not fetch a Sword from the Smiths shop nor an Halter from the Ropers to punish an Heretick A pleasant wit can play with a feather of every flying Fancy and yet which is to be lamented bring in such light conceits into grave Discourses and Disputes about the holy things of God But two things let the Discusser understand 1. That the Lord through his grace hath opened mine eye many a yeare agoe to discerne that a Nationall Church is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus And himselfe confesseth that elswhere I have profest against such a Church State nor will he ever be able to make it good that the Church in New-England is implicitely any Nationall or State-Church 2. Let him understand further that I should thinke mine eye not onely obscured but the sight of it utterly put out if I should conceive as he doth That the Nationall Church State of the Jewes did necessarily call for such weapons to punish Hereticks more then the Congregationall State of particular Churches doth call for the same now in the dayes of the New-Testament For was not the Nationall Church of the Iewes as compleately furnished with spirituall Armour to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells as the particular Churches of the New-Testament be Had they not power to convince false Prophets as Elijah did the Prophets of Baal Had they not power to seperate all evil doers from the fellowship of the Congregation what power have our particular Churches now which their Nationall Church wanted or what efficacy is their found in the exercise of our power which was wanting to them If it be said Their Nation was an holy Nation and an uncleane person might not live amongst them Ans It is true he might not enter into the Congregation with the rest of the Israelites to worship the Lord but he was permitted to live in the Common-wealth of Israel men uncercumcised both in heart and flesh It is therefore a Sophystical imagination of mans Braine to make a mans selfe or the world believe that the Nationall Church-State of the Iewes required a civill Sword whereas the particular Church-State of the Gospel needs no such help Why not I pray you Because particular Churches are powerfully able by the Sword of the Spirit to defend themselves and to offend men or Divells And was not the Nationall Church of Israel as powerfully able by the same Spirit to doe the same Surely it was both spoken and meant of the Nationall Church of the Iewes Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hostes Zach. 4.6 And doth not the Discusser himselfe observe that time was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan when there was neither carnall Speare nor Sword to be found 1 Sam. 13. And was not then the Nationall Church powerfully able by the Spirit of God to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells aswell as particular Churches now CHAP. 69. A Reply to his Chap. 72. discussing the Testimony of Brentius Discusser BRentius upon 1 Cor. 3. saith no man hath power to make or give Lawes to Christians whereby to binde their Consciences For willingly freely and uncompelled with a ready desire and chearfull minde must those that come run unto Christ To this the Answerer returneth Brentius saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly graunt you that man hath no power to binde Conscience but this hindereth not that men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde Conscience But the graunting this That men have no power to make Lawes to binde Conscience overthroweth such his Tenent and practise as restraine men from their worship
to the soules and Consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the Truth For this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted and compelled But this saith he hindereth not That Christians sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured of the Church by Excommunication and of the civill Magistrate also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules This Joynt-confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodyes and goods of their Subjects not over their soules who seeth not that hereby is given a cleare Testimony that either the spirituall and Church Estate the preaching of the word Baptisme Ministery Government thereof belongeth to the civill body of the Common-wealth that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemeth monstrous to Imagine or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his Office meddle with those spirituall Affaires Defender A man that is willing to open his eyes may easily see that though the Government of the civill Magistrate doe extend no further then over the bodies and goods of his Subjects yet he may and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods to the good of their soules yea and by promoting the good of their soules he may much advance the good of their outward man also The bodies and goods and outward Estates of men may expect a blessing when their soules prosper Though God may keep his Saints low in outward Estate that grow fastest in Godlinesse yet sure Godlinesse hath the Promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 And such as first seeke the Kingdome of God may expect all these outward things to be cast in upon them If it seeme a monstrous thing in the eyes of the Discusser to imagine that the good Estate of the Church and the well-ordering of the Ordinances of God therein should concerne the civill good of the Common-wealth it may well seeme monstrous to him to imagine that the flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the civill State and the decay of Religion is the decay and ruine of the civill State But such Virgine soules as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 would be loath to goe to live in such a Common-wealth to whom it should seeme monstrous that the things of God should belong to them And therefore the Magistrate need not to feare that he should exceed the bounds of his Office if he should meddle with the spirituall affaires of the Church in Gods way It is true if he shall meddle with the execution of a Ministers Office as Vzziah did or if he shall set up humane Inventions in Doctrine Worship Government in stead of Christs Institutions as David brought the Arke of God upon Oxen instead of the shoulders of the Levites Or if he shall thrust in Jeroboams Priests upon the Church and cast out faithfull Ministers or if he shall make Lawes to bind Conscience in all these or any such Like he exceedeth the bounds of his Office But if he shall diligently seeke after the Lord and read in the word of the Lord all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.19 that he may both live as a Christian and rule as a Christian if he shall seeke to establish and advance the Kingdome of Christ more then his owne If he shall incourage the good in a Christian course and discourage such as have evill will to Sion and punish none for matter of Religion but such as subvert the Principles of saving Truth which no good Christian much lesse good Magistrate can be ignorant of or at least such as disturbe the Order of the Gospel in a turbulent way verily the Lord will build up and establish the House and Kingdome of such Princes as doe thus build up his Discusser Againe necessarily it must follow that these two are contradictory to themselves which yet both of them are Mr. Cottons Positions the Magistrates Power extends no further then to the bodyes and goods of the Subject and yet The Magistrate must punish Christians for sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience and for corrupting the soules of men Defender If the Christian Faith and a good Conscience be a part and a great part a chiefe part of the good of Christians then these two are so farre from contradicting one another that they establish one another For if a Magistrates power extend to the preserving of the Goods of the Subject and to the punishment of the Impeachers or purloyners thereof then he falleth short of his duty if he suffer their Faith and good Conscience to be corrupted or dispoyled without revenge Againe this I say further which also will easily avoyde appearance of Contradiction suppose by Goods were meant onely outward Goods and that the Magistrates power extended no further then the bodies and goods of the Subjects yet though he have no power over Faith and Conscience he hath neverthelesse lawfull power to punish such evill doers in their Bodies and goods as doe seduce his people to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience For in seeking Gods Kingdome and Righteousnesse men prosper in their outward Estates Matth. 6.33 otherwayes they decay Besides I doe not remember that this Proposition is any of mine which yet the Discusser fastneth upon me that the Magistrates power extendeth no further then the bodies and Goods of his Subjects I doe not deny the Truth of it rightly understood but it seemeth to me somewhat too loose and confused for me to owne it as mine own For the Magistrates power may be said to extend no further then the bodyes and Goods of his Subjects either as the Subject of his power or as the end of his power If Goods be meant outward Goods and the Magistrates power be said to extend no further then to the body and Goods of his Subjects as to the Object of his power the Position is true But if it be meant of the end of his power as if a Magistrates power reached no further then to the preservation of their bodyes and outward Goods it is false For the Adequate end of the Magistrates power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè administrare Rempublicam well to governe the Common-wealth Now can it be well with a Common-wealth that liveth in bodily health and worldly wealth but yet without Church without Christ without God in the world But though God for a time may preserve a civill State in health and wealth through his Patience and bounty especially till meanes of Grace be offered to them yet after meanes of Grace be offered they cannot long expect bodily health or wealth to be continued to them if they neglect or despise or depart from so great salvation Witnesse the Romane Empire which though it
abounded in worldly blessings till the Lord Jesus came riding forth amongst them upon a White Horse of the Gospel of his Grace yet after they neglected so great Salvation then followed a Red Horse of Warre and a black Horse of Famine and a Pale Horse of Pestilence and other Judgements which much impeached both the health and wealth of that State and would have ruined it had it not cast away her Idolls and advanced the Scepter of the Lord Jesus Now the God of all Grace be pleased at length to shake the heart of this Discusser that he may not thus delight to seduce himselfe and others against the Light of Grace and Conscience against Reason and Experience Discusser Againe in the Answerers Joynt-confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the Truth he condemneth as before I have observed 1. His former implication that they may be compelled when they are convinced of the Truth of it Defender This implication where it was formerly observed it hath been formerly cleared from implication of Contradiction I have never said that after men be convinced of the Truth they may be compelled to the Profession of it by any penalties but onely by withdrawing such favours as are not comely or safe for faithlesse persons Discusser 2. He condemneth their owne Practise who suffer no man of any different Conscience and worship to live in their Jurisdiction unlesse he depart from the Exercise of his owne Religion and worship differing from that allowed of in their civill Estate yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Defender This charge of the Discusser let him consider if it be not contradictory to his owne Relation chap. 60. where he saith wee permit and tolerate the Indians in their Paganish worship which wee might restraine Yet here he saith we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction Neither is it true that we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction For not to speake of Presbyterians who doe not onely live amongst us but exercise their publick Ministry without disturbance there be Anabaptists and Antinomians tolerated to live not onely in our Jurisdictions but even in some of our Churches Yea saith the Discusser but they must actually submit to come to our Church I cannot say nor doe I beleive that any man is compelled to come to our Church against his Conscience Nay we are so farre from that and that the Discusser is not ignorant of that our Churches doe not expostulate with our Members who heare in England no not then when there was more difference from us in manner of worship then through the mercy of God now there is The which the Discusser himselfe hath declared to have been no little Offence unto himselfe Which maketh me the more to marvell that he should now charge it upon us that we compell all to come to heare in our Churches against their Consciences when he is wont to be offended that we suffer them to heare in any true Church though polluted according to their Consciences Discusser Howsoever they cover the matter with this varnish that none are compelled further unto their Churches then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that Teaching and being taught in a Church Estate is a Church-worship as true-and proper a Church-worship as is the Supper of the Lord Acts 2.46 I cannot call to mind that either upon that colour or any other any man in this Country was ever compelled to heare the word of God in any of our Churches in this Country But there is indeed some colour for the varnish he speaketh of but not that which he pretendeth our compulsion of any man for to heare but a controversie with himselfe upon another occasion as I remember The Discusser sometimes endeavoured to draw away the Church of Salem whereof he was sometime Teacher from holding Communion with all the Churches in the Bay because wee tolerated our Members to heare the word in the Parishes of England Wee to satisfie him in that held forth that which here he calleth a varnish that hearing was a common Duty lying upon all men where the word of God was truly taught He replyed as he doth now that Teaching and hearing in a Church-Estate is Church worship Acts 2.46 To which we gave Answer as now againe That though Teaching and being taught in a Church-Estate be Church-worship according to Acts 2.46 yet it is not a Church-worship but to such as are in a Church-Estate To all it is an holy Ordinance of Gods worship and a Christian Duty And though Teaching and hearing doth imply a Relation yet not a Church-relation There is a relation between a Teacher and a Learner in any Art or Knowledge and there may be a nearer relation between a Preacher and an Hearer in case the Hearer be begotten to God by such a Sermon even the same relation as is between a spirituall Father and Sonne but this doth not amount to Church-relation and Communion till there passe some mutuall profession of Covenant explicit or implicit between them A Pagan Infidell may come into a Christian Church-Assembly to heare the word and may be convinced and converted by it as suppose he in Corinth 1 Corinthians 14.24 25. yet is he not therefore joyned in Church-Estate and Fellowship with them without profession of acknowledgement and acceptance Discusser Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are Conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to each others Church or meeting Defender It is too large an Hyperbole to affirme that all persons that are Conscientious whether Papist or Protestant have alwayes suffered upon this ground Are no men conscientious but such as have suffered upon this ground are there not many that were never put upon this Tryall and are not many conscientious that never scrupled this point and are there not many conscientious that have suffered upon other points that never suffered upon this point Besides though many conscientious Protestants and Papists doe refuse to heare in each others Assembly or Church it is not because such hearing doth implant them into their Church-State but out of feare to be leavened with their corrupt Doctrine or polluted with some other part of false worship CHAP. 71. A Reply to his Chap. 74. Touching the Testimony of the Papists against Persecution Discusser AS for the Testimony of the Popish Booke saith the Answerer wee veigh it not as knowing what ever they speake for toleration of Religion where themselves are under Hatches yet when themselves come to sit at Sterne they Judge and practise quite contrary as both their writings and judiciall proceedings have testified to the world these many yeares But for Answer to him though both their writings and practises have been such yet the
this Argument the Discusser bestirreth himselfe to draw up sixe Answers 1. From the large extent of soule-killing which may reach to many sinnes that are not capitall 1 Cor. 8.11 2. From the dissimilitude of bodily and spirituall Death A body being killed can dye but once but a soule killed may recover 3. From the different punishment which Christ hath provided for soule-killers to wit the two edged Sword which cometh out of his mouth which is able to cut downe Heresie and to kill the soules of Hereticks everlastingly 4. From the toleration which Christ himselfe giveth to such soule-killers or soule-wounders in the Parable of Tares Matth. 13. 5. From the impossibility of killing any soule by any Heretick not the soules of naturall men for they are dead already nor can false Teachers so much prevent the meanes of spirituall Life as doth the force of a materiall Sword either imprisoning the soules of men in a Nationall-State-Religion or cutting them off immediately without any longer meanes of Repentance Nor can there be a killing of the soules of men alive in Christ partly by reason of the sufficiency and power of Spirituall Ordinances to preserve that Life in them against all Enemies Partly from the Immortality of the spirituall Life in Christ which can no more dye then Christ himselfe who is alive for ever 6. From the possbility of a false Teachers and a Wolves recovery from the Estate of a soule-killer to become a soule-saver as it was in the case of Paul For a just Reply to all these let me first premise foure things and then speake to the Arguments in Order 1. It is not every murther of the body that is a capitall crime but murder executed in some grosse Attempt For he that hateth his brother is a man-slayer or murderer 1 Joh. 3.15 and yet not for that to be put to death 2. Murder unadvisedly committed when the Act done was not intended is not a capitall crime there were Cities of Refuge provided in such a case Ezod 21.13 3. The very Attempt of murder in the abuse of an Ordinance of God is a capitall crime As in a case a man shall rise up before a Court of Justice to beare false witnesse against his Neighbour of some capitall offence this very attempt of killing his Neighbour by the abuse of publick Justice is a capitall crime Deut. 19.18 to 21. 4. The murther of the soule is not the onely Formalis Ratio as they call it the onely proper cause of an Hereticks capitall Crime but chiefly his bitter roote of Apostacie from God not onely falling off himselfe from God but seducing others to fall away from him These foure things being premised come wee now to consider of the severall Answers given by the Discusser to Augustines Argument His first Answer reacheth not the point for as every killing of the body is not a capitall crime so neither is every killing of the soule but such as is more voluntary and presumptuous and joyned with some grosse and murderous attempt His second Answer falleth short in this respect that though a soule wounded and killed may recover againe yet the very murderous Attempt of killing a soule in abusing an Ordinance of God in corrupting Religion is a capitall crime whether the soule dye of that wound or no or if it dye whether it be recovered or no. Thine eye shall not spare him because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God Deut 13.10 Though hee did not thrust thee away yet because he sought to doe it hee shall dye His third Answer hath been removed above Church-censures are sufficient to heale the Heretick if he belong to God and to remove the guilt of his wickednesse from the Church but not sufficient to prevent his further spreading of the Leaven of his corruption nor sufficient to cleanse the Common-wealth from the guilt of such Rebellion as hath been taught by him against the Lord. His fourth Answer taken from Christs toleration of the Tares hath be en largely and as I conceive fully refelled above His fifth Answer hath also been cleared already If the Answer were good it would evacuate not onely Augustines Argument but Pauls also 1 Cor 8.11 Paul disswadeth from eating things sacrificed to Idols in Idols Temples The Argument to disswade it is from the offence thereby given to the Conscience of the weake and that backed and strengthned from the haynousnesse of the sinne of offence to Conscience It is the murder or perishing of a weake Brothers soule Now if this Answer of the Discusser might stand it would make the Argument of the Apostle of none effect For either this weake Brother is a naturall man dead in sinne already and then no man can kill him or else he is in Christ and then his Life is immortall and Christ hath provided Ordinances powerfully sufficient to prevent or heale such deadly Dangers It is an high presumptuous tempting of God and wanton treading under foote the precious soules of men for whom Christ dyed to wound and as much as in us lyeth to kill the soules of men upon pretence the Lord can save them and raise them againe by his all-sufficient Grace It is a putting of feare where none is that the punishment of obstinate seducing Hereticks with the materiall Sword is the imprisoning of the soules of men to a Nationall Religion for if the Religion of the Nation be good it is no Imprisonment if naught there should be no punishment And it is a like causlesse Feare that the cutting off of Hereticks will cut off men immediately without any longer meanes of Repentance for if they belong to God God will give them Repentance before they goe hence but whether they belong to God or no the revealed will of God is fulfilled in their just Execution The last Answer falleth as short of strength as any of the former For if men be such Wolves and Blasphemers as Paul was before his Conversion neither the Law of God or man would put such an one to Death who sinned of ignorance and walked as himselfe professeth with all good Conscience even in his former evill times Acts 23.1 But as for such as Apostate from the known Truth of Religion and seeke to subvert the Foundation of it and to draw away others from it to plead for their Toleration in hope of their Conversion is as much as to proclaime a generall pardon for all malefactors save such onely as sinne against the Holy Ghost for he that is a wilfull murderer and Adulterer now may come to be converted and dye a martyr hereafter CHAP. 73. A Reply to his Chap. 76. discussing the Testimony of Optatus Discusser THe Answerer alledgeth from Optatus his third Booke that he justified Macarius who had put some Hereticks to death for that he had done no more herein then what Moses Phincas and Elias had done before him But these are shafts usually drawen from the Quiver of the
the Church be not nursed with poison in stead of milke And in so doing they keepe the first Table Reforme the Church judge in causes Ecclesiasticall Againe If the the same Princes shall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth and lick the dust of her feet as the same Text expresseth then they being members of the Church shall be subject also to Church-Censure In one word Princes sit on the Bench over the Church in the offensive Government of the Church yet may themselves being members of the Church be subject to Church-Censure in the offensive Government of themselves against the Rules of the Gospel The Examiner himselfe contesseth that in severall respects He that is a governor may be also a Subject Behold here are severall respects to wit severall objects of Judicature In the Mal-Administration of the Church the Magistrate sitteth as Judge and Governor in the Mal-Administration of a Church-Member-Magistrate contrary to the expresse rules of the Gospel he is subject to the power of Christ in the Church If it be said nay rather The Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall causes I Answer That easeth not the difficulty no more then the other For suppose the Magistrate a Church member live in Incest breake forth into murder and notorious oppression these are all civill causes belonging to the second Table If the Magistrate sit as Judge and supreme Governor in this case then must the Church tolerate him herein to the dishonour of the great Name of Christ to the leavening of the Church and to the perdition of his soule If it be granted that in such a case though civill the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magistrate and not to suffer sinne upon him let the like power be granted to the Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious transgressions of the first Table as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious transgressions of the second Table and the controversie is ended If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Magistrate the Supreme Judge and Governor in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as civill I doe not understand that the Ministers or Churches of Christ are called to acknowledge such a meaning Sure I am the Interpretation of that high stile which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth And the same Interpretation if no more be intended by that stile doth well stand with our defence But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harvest of my Brethren my Brethren who penned that Modell are richly furnished by Christ with ability to defend it I therefore leave it to them whom it cheifly concerneth to maintaine the Truth which themselves have witnessed in that Modell And the Lord Jesus Christ himself the God of Truth who came into the world that he might beare witnesse to the Truth be pleased to beare witnesse from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl … that peace a fraudulent and false peace which the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falshood in Religion to Heresie in Doctrine to Idolatry in worship to blasphemy of the great Name of God to Pollution and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces Amen Even So Come Lord Jesus A REPLY TO Mr. VVILLIAMS his EXAMINATION And Answer of the Letters sent to him by JOHN COTTON SUch a Letter to such a purpose I doe remember I wrote unto Mr. Williams about halfe a score yeares agoe But whether this printed Letter be a true Copie thereof or no I doe not know for the Letter being sent so long since and no Copie of it that I can finde reserved by me I can own it no further then I finde the matter and style expressing the judgement which I then had of his cause of Separation and the affection I bare unto his person And for ought I see the Letter doth not unfitly expresse both But how it came to be put in print I cannot imagine Sure I am it was without my privitie and when I heard of it it was to me unwelcome Newes as knowing the truth and weight of Plinies speech Aliud est scribere uni aliud omnibus There be who thinke it was published by Mr. Williams himselfe or by some of his friends who had the Copie from him Which latter might be the more probable because himselfe denieth the publishing of it and it sticketh in my mind that I received many yeares agoe a refutation of it in a brotherly and ingenuous way from a stranger to me but one as I heare well affected to him Mr. Sabine Staresmore To whom I had long agoe returned an Answer but that he did not direct me where my Letter might find him But I doe not suspect Mr. Staresmore nor Mr. Williams himselfe to have published it but rather some other unadvised Christian who having gotten a copie of the Letter tooke more libertie then God alloweth to draw forth a private Admonition to publick notice in a disorderly way But howsoever it was upon the publishing of this Letter Mr. Williams hath taken occasion as is observed by some who are acquainted with the Spirit of the man first to rise up against me the meanest of many in the examining and resuting of that Letter And then as if one Mordecai were too small a morsell to stand forth against all the Churches and Elders in New-England in his Bloudy Tenent And then as if New-England were but an handfull from thence to rise up against the choisest Ornaments of two populous Nations England and Scotland the reverend Assembly of Divines together with the reverend Brethren of the Apology and above them all to addresse himselfe according to his high thoughts to propound Quaeries of high concernment as he calleth them to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament So a Bird of prey affecting to soare aloft getteth first upon the top of a molehill and from thence taketh his rise from Pale to Tree till he have surmounted the highest Mountaines In this apprehension of him they are the more confirmed as having discerned the like frame of Spirit in his former walking amongst us Time was when of all Christian Churches the Churches of New-England were accounted and professed by him to be the most pure and of all the Churches in New-England Salem where himselfe was Teacher to be the most pure But when the Churches of New-England tooke just offence at sundry of his proceedings he first renounced communion with them all and because the Church of Salem refused to joyne with him in such a groundlesse Censure he then renounced communion with Salem also And then fell off from his Ministery and then from all Church-fellowship and then from his Baptisme and was himselfe baptized againe and then from the Lords Supper and
for these are the dayes of vengeance when the Antinomians deny the whole Law the Anti-Sabbatarians deny the Morality of the fourth Commandement the Papists deny the Negative part of the second Commandement It is a wofull opportunitie that God hath left Mr. Williams to now to step in and deny the Affirmative part of it also as the Papists doe the Negative and so He and the Papists to combine together to evacuate the whole second Commandement altogether For take away as Mr. Williams doth all Instituted worship of God as Churches Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons Members publick Ministery of the Word Covenant Seales of the Covenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper the Censures of the Church and the like what is then left of all the Institutions and Ordinances of God which the Lord established in the second Commandement against the Institutions Images and Inventions of men in his worship But it is an holy wisdome and righteousnesse of the Lord that he that refuseth the Communion with the Churches of the Saints should joyne in communion with the enemies of the Saints even Antichristians and that in such a worke as to blot out and extinguish that holy second Commandement of the Law The violating whereof kindleth the jealousie of the most High and the observation thereof would have opened a doore of mercy to a thousand Generations It is no vaine word of our Saviour He that shall breake one of the least Commandements and shall Teach men so to doe he shall be called the least in the kingdome of Heaven This advice would I shut up this Point withall if I had any hope of an open eare in him to heare it he that separateth from all Churches and all Ordinances let him at last separate also from himselfe and so he shall then be better able to discerne the way to returne againe unto holy Communion with the Lord and his people Let me conclude this Preface with this Advertisement to the Reader who may perhaps marvell that I now so much against my usuall custome should lay open the nakednesse of another to publick view I blesse the Lord I am not ignorant That love covereth a multitude of offences and that the Disciples of Christ when they are reviled are taught to Blesse And therefore were the case meerely mine own and all the reproaches and slanders cast upon my selfe had terminated in my selfe I should have been as a deafe man and as a dumb man that openeth not his lips But when through my sides not onely so many Elders and Churches in this Countrey who had as much or more influence into his sufferings as my selfe and yet none of us any further influence then by private and publick conviction of himselfe and of the demerit of his way yea when Courts of Justice suffer for Justice sake yea further when the Truth and Righteousnesse of God also suffer for inflicting just recompence of reward upon the disturbers of Civill and sacred Truth and Peace and under pretence of maintaining Liberty of Conscience Purity of Conscience is violated and destroyed In such a case as this just it is and equall rather that the name of an evill-worker should justly suffer then that the name of God called upon Judgement seats upon the Churches of Christ and upon the Ministers of the Gospel should unjustly suffer for his sake To his CHAP. I. MY Letter to Mr. Williams which he undertaketh to Examine and Answer began it seemeth with this Compellation of him Beloved in Christ For I considered he had been not onely a member but an Officer of the Church at Salem and though from thence he was then Excommunicate yet I took the Apostles Commandement for a Rule Account him not as an enemy but Admonish him as a Brother 2 Thes 3.14 If a Brother of the Church though cast out of the Church yet not cast out of Christ then in Christ at least in judgement of charity And if in Christ though but in judgement of charity yet in charity to be Beloved But saith Mr. Williams how can it be well-pleasing to Christ that one beloved in Christ should be so afflicted and persecuted by himselfe and others for such causes as to be denyed the common ayre to breath in and a civill cohabitation upon the same common earth yea and also without mercy and humane compassion be exposed to winter miseries in an howling Wildernesse Answ If Mr. Williams may be Judge in his own cause himselfe hath been persecuted without mercy and without humane compassion And which the more concerneth my selfe to enquire into he hath been so persecuted by me and some others but chiefly it should seeme by me for I onely am charged herewith by name and those others who ever they were are not so much as described much lesse expresly named But such Priests and Persons as be thus partiall in the Law the Holy Ghost threatneth to make them base and contemptible in the eyes of all the People Mal. 2.9 Which the Lord give him to foresee and feare that he may timely prevent such a Judgement But to weigh his words particularly Persecution is the affliction of another for Righteousnesse sake Now two things it will be requisite for Mr. Williams to prove to make good his charge 1. That the cause for which he suffered was a cause of Righteousnesse 2. That he suffered this Persecution which he complaineth of by me And to make this latter charge good in such manner as he layeth it upon me it were further requisite that he should prove two things more 1. That my selfe was the principall mover and actor in this his Persecution for I onely am singled out by name 2. That this hath been evidenced to him by two or three witnesses at least if he account me for an Elder of a Church 1 Tim. 5.19 But whether he account me for an Elder or no Elder I claime no priviledge of Office yet I require attendance to an eternall Law of morall Righteousnesse One witnesse shall not rise up against a man for any Iniquity or for any sinne at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall every word be established Deut. 15.15 But on the contrary if it doe appeare that the cause for which he suffered was not for Righteousnesse sake and that the affliction which he did suffer was not put upon him by me at all much lesse in any eminent and singular manner then it will behoove Mr. Williams in Conscience to understand that himselfe is the Persecutor as of other servants of God so of my selfe especially For it is a case judged by the Holy Ghost that he who mocketh or reproacheth any of the least of Christs little ones for walking in his way he is a Persecutor Gal. 4.29 It hath been the lot of the faithfull of old to be tryed by cruell mockings Heb. 11.36 If a man be publickly accused to the world as a Persecutor in case the accusation be proved true Persecution is a
himselfe ver 11. it may appeare he is not persecuted for Cause of Conscience but for sinning against his own Conscience 3. 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 Phil. 3.17 Rom. 14.11 12 13 14. 4. But if a man hold forth or professe any error or false way with a boysterous and arrogant spirit to the disturbance of Civill Peace he may justly be punished according to the measure of the disturbance caused by him This is that way of Persecution which Mr. Williams expresseth to be mine In all which I durst appeale to Mr. Williams his own Conscience were it not Leavened with over-deepe prejudice whether in all this way there be any crevise opening a doore for the Persecution of Christ himselfe bringing further light Let no man take it amisse that in the Parenthesis I intimate the Conscience of Mr. Williams in this case to be leavened with overmuch prejudice For if extreme prejudice were not predominant in him in this case I should stand amazed how a man of understanding could out of such Conclusions make up this Inference which he gives in the Title of the Chapt. pag. 7. That I doe professedly maintaine Persecution for Cause of Conscience I that doe expresly professedly deny Persecution of any even of Hereticks unlesse it be when they come to persist in heresie after conviction against conscience how can I be said to maintaine Persecution for Cause of Conscience But oh the wofull perversenesse and blindnesse of a Conscience when it is left of God to be so farre transported with prejudice as to judge a Cause of Conscience and a cause against Conscience to be all one For the shutting up of his Chapter he is pleased to Comment upon a phrase in my Letter wherein I styled my selfe a man of uncircumcised lips And he doth acknowledge it to be an holy Character of an heavenly Spirit to make an ingenuous and true acknowledgement of an uncircumcised lip Yet saith he that discerning Spirit which God graciously vouchsafeth to them that tremble at his Word shall finde that not onely the will-worships of men may be painted and varnished over with the glittering shew of Humilitie Colos 2. but even Gods dearest servants eminent for humility and meeknesse may yet be troubled with a swelling of spirituall pride out of the very sence of their humilitie c. Humilitie is never in season to set up superstition or persecute Gods children Answ I could intreat some or other of Mr. Williams his acquaintance whose words may finde better acceptance with him then mine doe to perswade him not to attribute too much to his own Spirit of discerning which though he truely saith God doth vouchsafe to them that tremble at his word yet I never read nor heard that God did vouchsafe a Spirit of discerning to any that are so farre from trembling at the word that they doe not vouchsafe to heare the word from the mouth of so many thousand faithfull Ministers of the Gospel As for me I desire not to neglect any word from the mouth of Mr. Williams upon what pretence soever spoken that putteth me in minde of spirituall pride arising out of the very sence of humilitie Such smiting shall not breake my head But when he concludeth with this Aphorisme Humilitie is never in season to set up superstition or to persecute Gods children I desire it may be considered what is Superstition what is Persecution and whether my Letter unto him tended to set up the one or to set forward the other Superstition is properly cultus supra statutum which I speake not from the Etymology of the word for I know Latinists doe otherwise derive it but from the nature of the thing And what is Persecution It hath been answered above the affliction of any for their Righteousnesse sake If it appeare in the sequele that my Letter tended either to set up any worship of God which he hath not appointed or to afflict any for their Righteousnesse sake then I will confesse it tended to set up Superstition and Persecution And the humilitie which he acknowledgeth to be expressed in my Letter I shall acknowledge to be out of season Meane while Affirmanti incumbit Probatio To CHAP. II. His second Chapter is spent in answering to a double charge which he saith he observeth I laid against him Though in very Truth I layd neither of them downe as charges against him but as discharges to my selfe from expecting that He should vouchsafe to hearken to my voyce who had refused to hearken both to the voyce of the body of the whole Church of Salem whereof he was a member and to the voyces of so many Elders and brethren of other Churches But suppose I did charge him with a double sinne in refusing to hearken to this double voyce though I did not say it was a sinne how doth he discharge himselfe For neglect of the former he excuseth himselfe by the charge of his Office which lay upon him on a Fast-day to discover to them eleven publick sinnes as causes of the present and publick calamities Which most of the Church seemed at first to assent unto untill afterwards the greater part of the Church whether for feare of Persecution or otherwise was swayed and bowed to practise such things which with sighes and groanes many of them mourned under But will this indeed discharge an Elder of the Church before the Lord from coming into the presence of the Church when they send for him because the greater part of them are bowed and swayed for feare of Persecution to slip and slide and to say and practise that which with sighes and groanes they mourned under Why then if the Wolfe come and scatter the sheepe and they slip out of the way let the Shepheard fly and leave them that the word of the Lord Jesus might be fulfilled He that is an Hireling and not the Shepheard whose own the sheepe are not he seeth the Wolfe coming and leaveth the sheepe and fleeth and the Wolfe catcheth them and scattereth the sheepe Joh. 10.12 Or will it goe for currant Doctrine before the Lord that if the greater part of a Church fall through feare or otherwise into sinne and such a sinne which they mourne under with sighes and groanes and which in it selfe is not hainous that then they doe ipso facto cease to be a Church and utterly to be cast out Why then let the Covenant between the Lord and his Church be no more reputed any branch of the Covenant of Grace but let it stand and fall as a Covenant of workes But surely if the greater part of the Church were gone astray I should think it would well become the faithfulnesse of a Church-Elder to hasten to them specially when he
worship and Gods worship was not to be put upon carnall persons as he conceived many of the People to be So by his Tenent neither might Church-members nor other godly men take the Oath because it was the establishment not of Christ but of mortall men in their office nor might men out of the Church take it because in his eye they were but carnall So the Court was forced to desist from that proceeding which practise of his was held to be the more dangerous because it tended to unsettle all the Kingdomes and Common-wealths in Europe These were as I tooke it the causes of his Banishment two other things fell in upon these that hastened the Sentence The former fell out thus The Magistrates discerning by the former passages the heady and turbulent spirit of Mr. Williams both they and others advised the Church of Salem not to call him to office in their Church neverthelesse the major part of the Church made choice of him Soone after when the Church made suit to the Court for a parcell of Land adjoyning to them the Court delayed to grant their Request as hath been mentioned before because the Church had refused to hearken to the Magistrates and others in forbearing the choice of Mr. Williams Whereupon Mr. Williams took occasion to stirre up the Church to joyne with him in writing Letters of Admonition unto all the Churches whereof those Magistrates were members to admonish them of their open transgression of the Rule of Justice Which Letters coming to the severall Churches provoked the Magistrates to take the more speedy course with so heady and violent a Spirit But to prevent his sufferings if it might be it was mooved by some of the Elders that themselves might have liberty according to the Rule of Christ to deale with him and with the Church also in a Church-way It might be the Church might heare us and he the Church which being consented to some of our Churches wrote to the Church of Salem to present before them the offensive Spirit and way of their Officer Mr. Williams both in Judgement and Practise The Church finally began to hearken to us and accordingly began to addresse themselves to the healing of his Spirit Which he discerning renounced communion with the Church of Salem pretending they held communion with the Churches in the Bay and the Churches in the Bay held communion with the parish-Parish-Churches in England because they suffered their members to heare the word amongst them in England as they came over into their native Countrey He then refusing to resort to the Publick Assembly of the Church Soone after sundry began to resort to his Family where he preached to them on the Lords day But this carriage of his in renouncing the Church upon such an occasion and with them all the Churches in the Countrey and the spreading of his Leaven to sundry that resorted to him this gave the Magistrates the more cause to observe the heady unruelinesse of his spirit and the incorrigiblenesse thereof by any Church-way all the Churches in the Countrey being then renounced by him And this was the other occasion which hastened the Sentence of his Banishment upon the former Grounds If upon these Grounds Mr. Williams be ready as he professeth not onely to be bound and banished but also to dye in New-England let him remember what he knowes Non poena sed causa facit Martyrem No Martyr of Christ did ever suffer for such a cause When he feareth not to professe that he did in open Court maintaine the rocky strength of his grounds to the satisfaction of his own and as he saith of other mens Consciences I can but wonder at the rocky flintinesse of his selfe-confidence To give a taste of the rocky strength of his maintenance of these things He made complaint in open Court that he was wronged by a slanderous report up and downe the Countrey as if he did hold it to be unlawfull for a Father to call upon his childe to eate his meate Our reverend Brother Mr. Hooker the Pastor of the Church where the Court was then kept being mooved to speake a word to it Why saith he you will say as much againe if you stand to your own Principles or be forced to say nothing When Mr. Williams was confident he should never say it Mr. Hooker replyed If it be unlawfull to call an unregenerate person to take an Oath or to Pray as being actions of Gods worship then it is unlawfull for your unregenerate childe to pray for a blessing upon his own meate If it be unlawfull for him to pray for a blessing upon his meate it is unlawfull for him to eate it for it is sanctified by prayer and without prayer unsanctified 1 Tim. 4.4 5. If it be unlawfull for him to eate it it is unlawfull for you to call upon him to eate it for it is unlawfull for you to call upon him to sinne Here Mr. Williams thought better to hold his peace then to give an Answer But thus have I opened the grounds and occasions of his Civill Banishment which whether they be sandy or rocky let the servants of Christ judge Howsoever my Letter gave him no occasion at all to put me upon this Discourse for in my Letter I intended only to shew him the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he banished himselfe from the society not of the Common-wealth but of all the Churches in these Countreyes But whether I intended the one or the other he giveth an Answer for both If Mr Cotton meane saith he my own voluntary withdrawing from all these Churches resolved to continue in those evills and in persecuting the witnesses of the Lord presenting light unto them I confesse it was mine own voluntary act yea I hope the act of the Lord Jesus sounding forth in me a poore despised Rams-horne the blast which shall in his own holy season cast down the strength and confidence of the Inventions of men in the worship of God and lastly his act in inabling me to be faithfull in any measure to suffer such great and mightie Tryalls for his Names sake Reply That I meant onely his own act in withdrawing himselfe from these Churches doth plainly enough appeare both from my expresse words and fro mthe Reasons which I expresly assigne of that act of his which I called the sandy grounds upon which he built his Separation My expresse words are He had banished himselfe from the society of all the Churches in this Countrey The society of the Church is one thing the society of the Common-wealth is another And the Grounds upon which he built his Separation were not the causes of his banishment but of his withdrawing from the society of the Churches But if I so meant He confesseth it was his own voluntary act and professeth also it was a double act of the Lord Jesus in him The ground which he giveth of his own voluntary act was because these Churches were resolved
against my person which might weaken the fruit of my counsell to him I told him I had not hasted forward the sentence of his Civill Banishment and that what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde was neither done by my Counsell nor consent Whereto he answereth first That he observeth I cannot but confesse that it is hard for any man to doe good or to speake effectually to the soule or Conscience of any whose body he afflicteth and persecuteth and that onely for their soule and Conscience sake Reply All that can truely be observed from my words is That it is hard for any to take good from those against whom they have conceived a prejudice whether justly or unjustly But when he subjoyneth a Serpentine that is a subtile and venomous insinuation as if I had afflicted and persecuted his body and that onely for his soule and Conscience sake Answ I have been so farre from afflicting or persecuting his body especially for his soule or conscience sake that in very truth whilest I had any hope of prevailing for him I may say as David said for himselfe against a like slander Psal 7.3 4. I have sought to deliver him who without cause reproacheth me Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe as he doth in this Paragraph in comparing the dealing of the Elders with him here to the Persecutions of the Bishops against the godly Preachers in England If the Bishops had dealt no worse with the godly Preachers there and upon no more unjust causes then the Elders dealt with him here they might with good conscience and good countenance have looked with comfort and confidence both God and man in the face even now when God hath laid their carnall pompe and worldly honour in the dust Neither let him please himselfe as he doth in the next Paragraph in his undoubted Assertion That what Mr. Cotton and others did in procuring his sorrowes was not without some regret and reluctancy of Conscience and affection as David in procuring Uriah's death or Asa in imprisoning the Prophet For neither was he so innocent as was Vriah and that Prophet nor had my selfe the like hand in his sufferings as David and Asa had in the other nor did I ever see cause of regret and reluctancy of conscience for any act of mine own about his sufferings Onely I confesse I had as he saith some regret and reluctancy of affection and of compassion to see one who had received from God stirring and usefull gifts to bestirre himselfe so busily and eagerly to abuse them to the disturbance of himselfe his family the Churches and the Common-wealth That I consented not to his Banishment he in part admitteth For what need was there saith he of that being not one of the Civill Court As if I might not have consented to it though I needed not to have done it I might have drawn up Articles against him I might have come in as a witnesse against him I might have solicited and stirred up the body of the Magistrates against him to rid the countrey of him and then I had consented before-hand to what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde though my selfe had been none of the Court but none of all these acts nor any such like were done by me But be it that I consented not yet I counselled it and so consented and to prove that he saith He will produce a double and unanswerable Testimony for it First That I publickly taught and still doe Teach except lately Christ hath taught me better that body-killing soule-killing and State-killing Doctrine of Persecuting all other Consciences and wayes of worship but mine own in the Civill State and consequently in the whole world if the Power or Empire thereof were in mine hand Reply Were it not that I have learned from the word of truth that when men are cast out of the Church of Christ they are delivered up unto Satan and so neither their wits nor their tongues are their own I could not easily have beleeved that Mr. Williams could so confidently and openly have avouched such a notorious slander Since the Lord taught me to know any thing what conscience or the worship of God meant it hath been my constant judgement and doctrine and practise to the contrary Besides To teach the killing of the bodies of all such Consciences and wayes of worship as are not mine own is to make mine own conscience and way of worship the infallible Rule and soveraigne Standard by which all consciences and wayes of worship throughout the world were to be regulated yea and as if this were a light measure of arrogancy and usurpation I make it a capitall crime a body-killing offence for any man to swerve from my conscience and way of worship even in such Points wherein the Holy Ghost hath given expresse charge that we should not judge nor condemne one another Rom. 14.3 But I durst appeale even unto the conscience of Mr. Williams himselfe if it were now in the gracious keeping of Christ or of himselfe as in former times that himselfe knoweth I doe not thinke it lawfull to Excommunicate an Heretick much lesse to persecute him with the civill Sword till it may appeare even by just and full conviction that he sinneth not out of conscience but against the very light of his own conscience Sure I am such a Point he reporteth is received from me to the very same purpose and he reporteth it truely in his Bloudy Tenent pag. 8. This Answer may suffice to his first as he calleth it unanswerable Testimony His second unanswerable Testimony is That some Gentlemen that did consent to his Sentence have solemnly testified and with teares since confessed to himselfe that they could not in their soules have been brought to have consented to the Sentence of his Banishment had not Mr. Cotton in private given them advice and counsell proving it just and warrantable to their Consciences Reply I might here justly plead the equitie of the Romane Custome to excuse my selfe from this accusation untill the accusers come before me face to face And truely if Apocryphall witnesses may goe for unanswerable Testimonies it is an easie matter to oppresse any innocency I might also plead the incompetency of such a witnesse as haply lying under some censure from our Church and removing himselfe from our fellowship might take more liberty to speake against me in a pang of passion what he would be loath to justifie in cold bloud I might likewise alledge that one or two Magistrates makes not a Court nor was his Sentence cast by the vote of one or two So that if I had counselled one or two to it it would not argue that the act of the Magistrates and of the Deputies which is the body of the Court had been done by my counsell or consent And indeed it was the very true meaning of my speech that for the hastening of the Sentence of the Court against Mr. Williams that act of the
Court which was the act of the body of the Magistrates and of the Deputies it was neither done by my counsell nor consent For the body of them neither required my counsell nor received my consent What one of them did for I remember but one that consulted with me about it was not the act done by the Magistrates whereof I spake And let the occasion and scope and matter of that speech be remembred and it will be found to tend to that purpose and no other About a yeare before the Sentence in Court passed against Mr. Williams the Governour and other Magistrates having understood of the disturbances put upon the Civill State by Mr. Williams which have been declared above they sent for the Elders of the Churches in these parts to acquaint us therewith and to declare thereupon the just grounds which they had to proceed against him yet willing to conferre thereof with us because he was an Elder of a Church I doe not love to predicate mine own good offices to any but his importunitie forceth me to utter it when I heard the motion I presented with the consent of my fellow Elders and Brethren a serious Request to the Magistrates that they would be pleased to forbeare all civill prosecution against him till our selves with our Churches had dealt with him in a Church way to convince him of sinne alledging that my selfe and brethren hoped his violent course did rather spring from scruple of conscience though carried with an inordinate zeale then from a seditious Principle To which the Governour replyed That wee were deceived in him if we thought he would condescend to learne of any of us And what will you doe saith he when you have run your course and found all your labour lost I answered for the rest we hoped better things if it fell out contrary to our hopes we could not helpe it but must sit downe and quiet our conscience in the Lords acceptance of our will and endeavour for the deed This interceding of my selfe and other Elders in his behalfe gave me just occasion of that profession above-mentioned That I had sought to deliver him who without cause reproached mee The issue was when the Church of New-Towne with our owne and others had endeavoured to convince both Mr. Williams of these offences and the Church of Salem of their indulgent toleration of him therein it pleased the Lord to open the hearts of the Church to assist us in dealing with him but he in stead of hearkening either to them or us renounced us all as no Churches of Christ and therefore not at all to be hearkened unto Whereupon the Magistrates being to assemble to the next Generall Court at New-Towne intending as appeared by the event to proceed against him And one of the Magistrates of our Towne being to goe thither acquainted me that it was likely Mr. Williams his cause would then be issued and asked me what I thought of it Truely said I I pitie the man and have already interceded for him whilest there was any hope of doing good But now he having refused to heare both his own Church and us and having rejected us all as no Churches of Christ before any conviction we have now no more to say in his behalfe nor hope to prevaile for him Wee have told the Governour and Magistrates before that if our labour was in vaine wee could not helpe it but must fit downe And you know they are generally so much incensed against his course that it is not your voyce nor the voyces of two or three more that can suspend the Sentence Some further speech I had with him of mine own marvell at the weaknesse and slendernesse of the grounds of his opinions motions and courses and yet carried on with such vehemency and impetuousnesse and prefidence of Spirit To this purpose was my speech to him nor can I call to minde that I spake so much as this to any man else nor can I remember at all that further then so I gave him any grounds to prove the sentencing of him to Banishment to be just and warrantable to his Conscience Nor would it infringe the truth of my speech if I had so done seeing it is not one mans vote nor two if there had been two that denominateth the sentence of the Court or the act to be done by the Magistrates much lesse done by the Magistrates with my counsell and consent but though I looked at the Sentence of the Court as neither hastened nor done by my counsell and consent yet I did never intend to say that I did not consent to the justice of the Sentence when it was past Not that I withdrew my selfe out of the Court as he is pleased to construe it out of some reluctation or that I meant it I neither counselled nor consented in the very time of the sentence passing but that I did not before-hand either give counsell or consent to the body of the Magistrates or Deputies to passe that Sentence against him TO CHAP. V. I see I have been so large in answering the former foure Chapters of this Examination of my Letter that if I should proceed in the like sort in a particular search of the other twenty-foure Chapters which remaine I should take up more time then were meet about the personall concernments of him or my selfe Who are wee that we should publickly invite the servants of Christ who are employed in more weighty affaires of their Lord and ours to attend unto personall Transactions between him and me Where any thing shall occurre tending to more publick edification I shall insist with more attention thereupon and passe over other lighter Discourses with a lighter touch Yet who so can spare so much time and leisure as to compare each Chapter of his with each Chapter of this Discourse he shall finde if I be not mistaken no passage of weight passed over without returning due Answer to each particular That Text in Prov. 11.26 He that withholdeth the Corne which is the staffe of life from the people the multitude shall curse him I alledged to prove that the people had much more cause to separate such from amongst them whether by Civill or Church-Censure as doe withhold or separate them from the Ordinances or the Ordinances from them which are in Christ the bread of life Let not the Reader be so farre mis-led by the Examiner his mis-information as to thinke that this Scripture was produced against him to justifie either a false Ministery or an unfit people to choose and enjoy a true Ministery The Ministery and people are the Ministery and people of this Countrey of which the people he acknowledgeth to be Saints and the Ministers of the Churches chosen by them not to be destitute of such qualifications as Christ requireth save onely that we doe not forbid the people when they goe over into England to heare the word of God preached by godly Ministers in the Parish Churches Now
there as Legall would he count it a mercy to be pluckt up by the rootes him and his and to endure the losses distractions miseries that doe attend such a condition Reply The Examiner is falsly and foully mis-informed when he saith I was about to separate some few yeares since from the new English Churches as Legall For I never counted them as Legall Churches nor was I ever about to separate from them as Legall or otherwise so uncleane that a good conscience might not hold communion with them without sinne The truth is There was a Generation of Familists in our own and other Townes who under pretence of holding forth what I had taught touching union with Christ and evidencing of that union did secretly vent sundry corrupt and dangerous errors and heresies denying all inherent righteousnesse and all evidencing of a good estate thereby in any sort and some of them denying also the Immortalitie of the soule and Resurrection of the body When they were questioned by some Brethren about those things they carried it as if they held forth nothing but what they had received from me Whereof when I was advertised to cleare my selfe I publickly Preached against these errors Then said the Brethren to the erring party See your Teacher declares himselfe clearely to differ from you No matter say the other what he saith in publick we understand him otherwise and we know what he saith to us in private Yea and I my selfe could not easily beleeve that those erring Brethren and Sisters were so corrupt in their Judgements as they were reported they seeming to me forward Christians and utterly denying unto me any such Tenents or any thing else but what they received from my selfe All which bred in sundry of the Countrey a jealousie that I was in secret a Fomenter of the Spirit of Familisme if not leavened my selfe that way Which I discerning it wrought in me thoughts as it did in many other sincerely godly Brethren of our Church not of a Separation from the Churches as Legall whom we truely embraced and honoured in the Lord but of a Remoovall to New Haven as being better knowne to the Pastor and some others there then to such as were at that time jealous of me here The true Ground whereof was an inward loathnesse to be troublesome to godly mindes and a feare of the unprofitablenesse of my Ministery there where my way was suspected to be doubtfull and dangerous I chose therefore rather to meditate a silent departure in Peace then by tarrying here to make way for the breaking forth of Temptations But when at the Synod I had discovered the corruption of the Judgement of the erring Brethren and saw their fraudulent pretence of holding forth no other but what they received from me when as indeed they pleaded for grosse errors contrary to my judgement and thereupon bare witnesse against them and when in a private conference with some chiefe Magistrates and Elders I perceived that my purpose of removall upon such differences was unwelcome to them and that such Points needed not to occasion any distance neither in place nor in heart amongst Brethren I then rested satisfied in my abode amongst them and so have continued by the Grace of Christ unto this day But now to returne to Mr. Williams his Question In the time of this Difference would I count it saith he a mercy to be pluckt up by the rovtes me and mine and to endure the losses distractions and miseries that doe attend such a condition Answ Yea truely if those jealousies and differences had still held I should have accounted it and then did account it a mercy to see a doore open for remoovall And therefore in my heart chose it and purposed it as a way of wisdome and mercy But whereas he talketh of plucking up by the rootes the Metaphor is too Catachresticall An old Tree pluckt up by the rootes is not like to grow againe but neither he nor I was exposed to such an Eradication we might have remooved with our selves whatsoever mooveables we had and what we could not remoove we might put it off sooner or later unto others for a valuable consideration So that though wee had been plucked up by the rootes our rootes had not been dried up but would have sprung forth againe to our comfortable supportance It is a question altogether impertinent which the Examiner putteth in the next place Whether if the Inhabitants in New-England were permitted to enjoy in Old-England their Congregationall way whether then Mr. Cotton himselfe if be were seated in Old England againe would count it a mercy to be banished from the Civill State For that is not at all the Question in hand but this whether if there were no Congregationall Churches in Old-England unto which we might joyne without sinne whether then it were a mercy to be thrust out And verily for my selfe and I doubt not for many a thousand more I should account is a mercy to be hastened out yea if I lingred to be thrust out in such a case If many thousand godly persons in this Countrey did not make the same account how came we to dwell here as we doe this day Neither yet doe I make God the Author of such cruell mercy in them that were the causes of our casting out as he calumniateth For the Instruments of any unjust dealing with the servants of God may be cruell when yet the hand of God in ordering such a worke may be most mercifull The hand of God was most mercifull to Joseph in casting him out of his Fathers house into Aegypt when yet the hand of his brethren was defiled with bloud-guiltie cruelty When the Examiner concludeth that if I had been exposed to the miseries poverties necessities wants debts hardships of Sea and Land in a banished Condition he presumeth I would reach forth a more mercifull Cordiall to the afflicted and therefore looketh at himselfe afflicted as a Lampe despised in the eyes of him that is at ease Job 12.5 I desire the Lord might be pleased to open his eyes by such afflictions wisely to consider whether he be not out of his way when he meeteth with such miseries poverties debts hardships Surely when God hedgeth in the way of his people with thornes he calleth them to returne to their first husband for then it was better with them then now Hos 2.6 His banishment was doubtlesse no cause of such afflictions Divers others have been cast out of the Countrey as well as he and yet God hath generally rescued them from affliction prospered their estates before his eyes But when he chooseth rather to betake himselfe to merchandise by Land and Sea unto which he was never brought up then to serve the Lord and his People in dispensing spirituall food to them in a Church-way no marvell if the Lord doe not shine upon his way but expose him to debts necessities poverties miseries hardships by Sea and Land It is farre off from
me to despise his afflicted condition but the truest mercifull cordiall to his afflicted estate would be to perswade him that he is out of his way and still blesseth himselfe though God both crosse his estate and blast his spirit in such a way As for my being at ease as he calleth it had he been a little longer acquainted with the faithfull discharge of a Ministers office he would not judge it such a state of ease If I durst allow my selfe to seeke and take mine ease I should sooner choose a private solitary condition in his Wildernesse then all the throng of employment in this numerous society TO CHAP. VIII IN his 8th Chapter Mr. Williams rehearseth and examineth those words of my Letter wherein to helpe him to a serious sight of his sinne I said that it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against his corrupt wayes with the sword of his mouth in the mouths and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren Against whom when Mr. Williams over-heated himselfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his Truth it pleased the Lord to stop his mouth by a sodaine disease and to threaten to take his breath from him But he in stead of recoyling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in his way and to protest against all the Churches and Brethren that stood in his way c. In these lines the Examiner telleth us an humble and discerning Spirit may espie first a glorious justification and boasting of my selfe and others concurring with me secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable Censure of the afflicted Reply Whether is it a more glorious boasting to challenge to a mans selfe an humble and discerning Spirit as the Examiner doth here and elsewhere in this Treatise or to ascribe the glory to Christ in fighting with the sword of his mouth in the testimonies and labours of the Churches and Brethren against his corrupt wayes Surely when our glorying is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus we are allowed so to doe by the Holy Ghost Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Object But is it not a glorious boasting of our selves when as wee make the sword in our mouths and testimonies to be the sword of the mouth of Christ when as the holy Scripture putteth the sword of Christ in the mouths of such witnesses as himselfe and some others who in meeknesse and patience testifie the truth of Jesus against Antichrist and against all false Callings of Ministers And whether is Mr. Cotton swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of Persecution or himselfe and such other the witnesses of Christ most like unto Balaam Reply 1. The quicknesse of the Examiners wit over-runneth his judgement for I did not compare him to Balaam as like much lesse as most like but as unlike For that which Balaam would have done I said he would not doe 2. Let the light of the holy word of God discover and judge whether the sword of the mouth of the Lord Jesus be found in his mouth and his fellowes or in the mouths of the Churches and Brethren here and let the tryall be upon this very Point whether witnesseth for Christ or for Antichrist 1. We witnesse that Christ was never so farre overthrowne and overcome by Antichrist but that still the Lord Jesus hath preserved a Congregationall Church one or more especially since the Reformation of Religion by the Ministery of Luther and Calvin and other Ministers of Christ in the dayes of our Fathers The Examiner witnesseth that since the Apostasie of Antichrist Antichrist hath so farre prevailed against Christ and his Kingdome that he hath no Church nor Church-Officers left upon the face of the earth to this day 2. Wee witnesse the godly persons visible Saints confessing their knowne sinnes and professing their faith are fit materialls for Church-fellowship The Examiner witnesseth that the Churches which consist of such visible Saints are nullities unlesse they discerne every spot and pollution of Antichrist and forsake it for Instance unlesse they see the Antichristian pollution of the Ministery in England and doe refuse to heare the word from it 3. We witnesse that Persons qualified with a convenient measure of spirituall gifts fit to lead Gods people and chosen and elected by a Congregation of visible Saints and ordained and set apart unto the worke of the Ministery have received a lawfull calling from Christ to that office The Examiner witnesseth against this as a false Calling upon what pretence himselfe better knowes then I. 4. We witnesse that it is lawfull for the King of England to give a Patent to a certain number of his Subjects to transplant themselves out of England into America and to possesse such Lands as the Providence of God layeth open before them between such and such Degrees of the Horizon Provided that his Subjects adventure not upon such acts as the Patent never intended as to murther the Natives or to dispossesse them by violence or fraud of their lawfull Possessions but either to plant themselves in a vacuum Domicilium or if they sit downe upon the Possession of the Natives to receive the same from them by a reasonable Purchase or free Assignement The Examiner witnesseth against all such Patents and Preacheth it to be unlawfull for Magistrates to execute Justice upon the English by them and that it is necessary to repent of receiving such Patents and to returne them back againe into the hands of those Princes or of their Successors from whom they received them 5. We witnesse that it is lawfull for Magistrates especially in time of danger to offer to the Subjects under them an Oath of Fidelity whether they be regenerate or unregenerate Mr. Williams witnesseth it to be utterly unlawfull so to doe an Oath for confirmation of Office being peculiar to Christ and an Oath being a worship of God not meete for unregenerate Persons to take into their mouths 6. Wee witnesse that if a Church refuse to hearken to the voyce of Magistrates in delaying the Election or ordination of such an one to Office whom they finde to be troublesome to the State then it may be lawfull for Magistrates to delay the granting of the Petition of such a Church for Lands that lie convenient for them Mr. Williams witnesseth that in such a case the Church whose Petition is so delayed may write Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof such Magistrates are members to require them to grant without delay such Petitions or else to Proceed against them in a Church-way Now let the Churches of Jesus Christ and all the Saints on earth judge in whether sort of these witnesses the word and Spirit of Christ or Antichrist breatheth As for the deciphering which the Examiner maketh of Mr Cotton as swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and
is not locall remoovall from former pollution nor contrary practise that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his Church but that it is necessary also that we doe repent of such former Pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled 2. We grant further that it is necessary to Church-fellowship that we shou'd see and discerne all such pollutions as doe so farre enthrall us to Antichrist as to separate us from Christ But this we professe unto you that wherein we have reformed our practise therein we have endeavoured unfainedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking If any through hypocrisie are wanting herein the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie and faithfulnesse of others nor the Church-estate of all This though the Examiner doe rehearse it here in this Chapter yet here he answereth nothing to it though it be the very hinge of the Controversie If we meet with any Answer to it in the sequele we shall God willing consider of it in its place Onely let me adde this third thing to cleare the state of the controversie more fully That to this day we doe not see nor discerne that it is any Antichristian pollution at all for a member of any of our Churches going over into England to heare the word Preached by a well-gifted Minister in the Parish Assemblies TO CHAP. XI IN this Chapter the Examiner propoundeth a second third fourth and fifth Reason to prove that which I deny not to wit That a necessitie lyeth upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowship truely to see and humbly to bewaile their spirituall bondage under Antichristian pollution and withall to obtaine some power and strength from Jesus Christ to bring them out of it This I say I deny not nor ever did But this necessitie I conceive to be Necessitas praecepti as they call it or officii as that which is the commandement of God and the duty of godly men to doe But not Necessitas medij ad finem such a necessitie as without which a godly person cannot be a member of the Church unlesse the spirituall bondage under Antichristian pollution doe so farre enthrall him to Antichrist as to separate him from Christ as he is the Head of the visible Church Which what it is we shall have fitter occasion to speake of in the sequele To his second Argument I would therefore Answer that as an holy Altar and Temple to God could not have been built to God in the midst of Babylon but the Builders must come locally out of Babel to build it in Hierusalem So a Church of Christ cannot be built to God but by such Builders as spiritually come out of Antichristian pollutions and inventions at least out of such pollutions as keepe them still in Babel and detaine them under Antichrist and separate them from Christ To his third Argument I would grant all that he saith in it to be true But how he applieth it to inferre his conclusion he neither expresseth nor is it easie for me to gather If his meaning be that Luther and other godly persons might not be received into Church-fellowship in those dayes because they saw not the bottomlesse gulfe of all those Antichristian corruptions which the Lord hath since discovered It is a conclusion that I durst not inferre nor will he be ever able to make good It is not alwayes full Moone in respect of spirituall light with every Church of God in all ages alike To his fourth Argument taken from my own Practise In that I doe not receive all Persons eminent for Grace and godlinesse forthwith to the fellowship of the Lords Supper till upon their entrance into Covenant with a Confession of faith c. I would answer it is not because I thinke such persons are not fit matter for Church estate but because they yet want a fit Forme requisite to Church-estate His last Argument is taken from a famous Passage as he calls it of a solemne Question put to me and to the other New-English Elders unto which I with the rest did answer Negatively That if godly persons coming over hither did refuse to submit to our way of worship and Government that then they could not onely not enjoy Church-fellowship together but not be permitted to breath and live in the same common ayre and Common-wealth together To which I answer 1. That it is suitable to his wonted boldnesse to affirme that of me which is more then he knoweth and indeed more then is truth For though he say that Mr. Cotton and the New English Elders returned that Answer yet the answer to that Question and to all the other thirty-two Questions were drawne up by Mr. Mader and neither drawne up nor sent by me nor for ought I know by the other Elders here though published by one of our Elders there Howsoever the substance of that Answer not which Mr. Williams rehearseth but which Mr. Mader returned doth generally suite with all our mindes as I conceive 2. In particular The Answer which our reverend and beloved brother Mr. Mader did returne unto that Question I have read it and did readily approve it as I doe the substance of all his Answers to be judicious and solide But this I must needs professe that his Answer to this Question is notoriously slandered and abused by the Examiner For 1. There is no word at all in that Answer that denieth permission to such godly persons to live and breath in the same ayre of the Common-wealth Let the Answer be perused It is too long for me to transcribe the Book is publiquely extant and obvious and see if there be a syllable sounding that way 2. In that Answer he distinguisheth out of Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Parker touching matters of Church Discipline and maketh some to be the substantiall and immutable others of a more accidentall and circumstantiall nature In the former he doubteth not but that we and all the godly Ministers in England should accord if they were here as beleeving that either we should satisfie them in our way or they us in theirs so as there would never be Question whether we should embrace one another as Sister-Churches In the latter to wit in matters circumstantiall we are all taught of God Placide ferre aliud sentientes 3. When the Examiner maketh it his own case not to be permitted to live and breath in the same ayre and Common-wealth though Mr. Cotton and others most incensed gave him a testimony of godlinesse c. Let him be pleased to look back to what hath been formerly laid open and he will finde this Instance of himselfe wholly impertinent For the casting of him out of the Common-wealth sprung not from his difference in matters of Church Discipline It was well knowne that whilest he lived at Salem he neither admitted nor permitted any Church-members but such as rejected all Communion with the Parish Assemblies so much as in hearing of the Word
though not in regard of the falshood of the estate yet in regard of the pollutions that cleaved to it which were as so many false wayes in the Administration of it 2. The second thing which he would have to be observed is my own confession of that which a little before I would make so odious in him to hold to wit That Gods People may be so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For these were my words If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did enthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ Reply 1. His expressions of himselfe in that Point were so incommodious as that a plaine Reader such as my selfe unwonted to heare such language in his sence could not easily conceive that he speaking of godly persons no lesse unfit for Church-fellowship then Trees and Quarries unfit for a Building I say I could not easily conceive that by Trees and Quarries should be meant any other persons then unregenerate and it seemed to me to imply a contradiction to call them ungodly who were unregenerate Reply 2. The Examiner wrongeth himselfe and me to say That I would have made it odious in him to say that godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to-separate them from Christ The odiousnesse he speaketh of is a contradiction And it was himselfe not I that forged that contradiction as hath been shewed above Reply 3. My words out of which he gathereth this observation are misreported and the contradiction ariseth from his misreport not from my words For Gods People and godly persons are not all one Any Church-members may be called Gods People as being in externall Covenant with him Psal 81.11 and yet they are not alwayes godly persons Gods People may be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them utterly from Christ both as Head of the visible and invisible Church also But godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ as the Head of the invisible Church though as I said before they may be separated from him as the Head of the visible Church 3. The third thing which the Examinen would have to be observed in my words is How easily a soule may wander in his generalls for thus I write though they see not all the pollutions wherewith they have been defiled in their former Church-fellowship Againe if they did see so much as did enthrall them to Antichrist and separate them from Christ And yet saith he he expresseth nothing of that all the pollutions nor what so much is as will separate them from Christ Reply 1. Though these words might seeme generall to a stranger who knew nothing of the occasion of them yet to the Examiner himselfe to whom in private I writ them it was easie and obvious to poynt with the finger at the particular I intended in these He knoweth the Question was Whether the hearing of the Ministers of the Parishes in England was such an Antichristian pollution as either to cut off such persons from Church-fellowship or the Churches themselves from Christ Our Answer was 1. That it was no Antichristian pollution at all 2. If it were it was more then either our members or our Churches yet saw or were convinced of and then generall confessions and generall repentance would serve for unknowne knowne sinnes To the same purpose is this generall Answer framed here which himselfe well knoweth upon what particular occasion it grew and to what particular case it had reference Reply 2. Besides why should we count the Answer as wandring in Generalities when it was fitted to his generall Objection His Objection was Chapt. 10. That a necessitie lay upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent come out of the false Churches Worship Ministery Government Now here are onely generall words no particular mention of the falshoods that lye in the Churches Worship Ministery Government Why should he blame wandring in Generalitie in the Answer when his own Objection wandereth in the like Generalities Reply 3. If he please to look back to the Reply given in his 12. Chapter he may finde me plaine and punctuall in Instancing in particulars But thus having passed over his Observations upon my former Answer he now cometh to returne Answer to me by demanding a Question or two to wit 1. Whether if a godly person remaine a member of a salsely constituted Church and so consequently in that respect of a false Christ whether in visible worship he be not separate from the true Christ Answ That I may not delude neither him nor my selfe by answering to obscure and ambiguous termes I would know by some that understand his speech what he meaneth by a falsely constituted Church or else give me leave to explaine the termes my selfe There be but two things intrinsecally necessary to the constitution of any thing so of a Church to wit a fit matter and a fit forme The matter of a Church are visible Saints Proâ—essors of the faith of Christ The forme is an holy Covenant or Agreement either explicite or implicite to joyne together in one Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the Administration of his holy Ordinances Now if in stead of visible Saints professing the Name of Christ there be a company of prophane persons Idolaters Hereticks that shall covenant or agree together to joyne in a Congregation to worship Idolls and to build up one another in Heresie and Apostasie This is Ecclesia Malignantium a false constituted Church And consequently the Head of this Church is a false Christ and every member of this Church who joyneth with them in this way is in visible worship separate from the true Christ In this sence I would answer to the Examiners first Question Affirmatively His second Question then is Whether it be not absolutely necessary to a godly persons uniting with the true Church that is with Christ in true Christian worship that he see and bewaile and absolutely come out from that former false Church or Christ and his Ministery Worship c. before he can be united to the true Israel Answ I would readily answer this Question Affirmatively also unlesse there be a fallacy in the latter absolutely For his Question is Whether it be not absolutely necessary unto uniting with a true Church to see and bewaile and come out absolutely from the false Church or Christ or Ministery or Worship c. This latter absolutely if it imply no more then coming out altogether from all that separateth from true Christ I grant it absolutely but if he meane coming out from every thing of theirs say from every good gift yea from every error amongst them which doth not separate from Christ and then I deny that it is absolutely necessary either to see or bewaile all or in that sence absolutely to come out of all His similitudes brought to
Truths be Besides there is no need either for the clearing of our members or of our Church-estate to plead for the capablenesse of godly persons of Church-estate notwithstanding their ignorance of the Truths of God whether more or lesse necessary For wee doe not look at it as any point of ignorance at all for our members to believe they may partake in the gifts of the godly Ministers in England in hearing the word of God from them I know the Examiner is vehement and peremptory in pleading for an absolute necessitie that godly persons before they doe joyne to a true Church and Ministery should see and bewaile so much as may amount to cut off the soule from a false Church whether Nationall Parishionall or any other falsly constituted Church Ministery Worship and Government of it But the voyce of God is not alwayes in every vehement and mightie winde that rendeth mountaines and breaketh rockes 1 Kings 19.11 The Examiner is not ignorant that we have seene and bewailed Nationall and Parishionall Church-estate and have cut off our selves by the Grace of Christ from any invented worship or government of it yea and from such entrance into the Ministery or Administration of it as was corrupt either by Nationall or Parishionall Relation But this is that which he requireth further He I say but not the Lord that wee should cut off our selves from hearing the Ministery of the Parishes in England as being the Ministery of a Nationall or Parishionall Church whereof both the Church-estate is falsly constituted and all the Ministery Worship and Government thereof false also But two things here may suffice to answer this clamour 1. Suppose all this were true that he clamoureth but prooveth not yet this would I faine learne wherein lieth the sinne of our members in hearing the godly Ministers in the Parishes Why saith he in that they doe not cut off themselves from a false Ministery Now by the Ministery may be meant either the office of the Ministery or the exercise of the office and gifts of the Ministery From the office and from the exercise of the office our members have cut off themselves partly by submitting themselves to a Ministery of their own Election in these Churches and partly by submitting themselves to no act of their Ministeriall office in England but what an Indian or any Pagan might partake in who yet is cut off farre enough from fellowship in their office Cutting off is an act of disunion and somewhat more violent and keene then it may be the Examiner requireth The sinne he chargeth upon our members in hearing such Ministers is union or communion with them And what shall wee say is there no Communion between our members and the Ministers in England whom they doe heare Yes doubtlesse For 1. There is a naturall communion between the speaker and the hearer the one giveth counsell or instruction or reproofe or comfort and the other receiveth it 2. There is a morall Communion between a Teacher and a learner and doubtlesse our hearers may learne many precious Truths from them 3. What shall I say further Is there not also a spirituall Communion between the Preacher and the Hearer when the Preacher communicateth many spirituall and heavenly Points and the Hearer receiveth them Answ 1. Some would say It is not necessary that this should breed a spirituall Communion between the Preacher and the Hearer No more then it maketh a Mathematicall Communion between a reader of the Mathematicks and the learner of some Principles or Conclusions from him But 2. I would rather answer otherwise For suppose a member of our Churches though a visible Saint here yet indeed an hypocrite should occasionally heare a Minister in England and by the Power of the Spirit of Grace breathing in his Ministery be effectually brought home to Christ and by lively faith united to him Here is a spirituall Relation and Communion wrought between them the one is a spirituall Father the other a naturall Sonne in the Faith Neverthelesse this I would say that this spirituall Communion is not between this Hearer and this Minister in respect of his Office but in respect of his Gifts and of the Power of the Spirit of Grace breathing in the dispensation of his Gifts In which respect this Communion doth not amount to Church-communion Any stranger might enjoy as much Any Pagan Corinthian might come in and heare in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14.24 25. and reape a blessing thereby who yet had not Ecclesiasticall Communion with their Office Also the Prophet Jeremy heard the false Prophet Hanani yea and in some sence said Amen to his Prophecy yet had he no communion with his false Office Jer. 28.1 to 6. If he still urge that we have not yet cut off our selves from communion no not with the false office of the Ministery of England and with their false Church-estate in as much as we still retaine their Baptisme wherein we subjected our selves to their Office and to their Church-estate which are both false as well as their Worship and their Government Answ This is a further Objection then he held forth whilest he continued with us and therefore no marvell if my Letter spake nothing to it But therefore let me now propound another Point which may suffice both for an Answer to this Objection as also for a second Answer unto the former clamour and exception against hearing of the godly Ministers in England The Point is this That I doe not see how the Examiner can justifie his grievous charge that their Church is falsly constituted whether Nationall or Parishionall and accordingly that their Ministery Worship and Government are all of them false Foure things he chargeth to be false 1. Their Church constitution Parishionall and Nationall 2. Their Ministers 3. Their Worship 4. Their Government For the first touching the constitution of their Parishionall Churches let it be considered what I said before that where there be visible Saints there is the true matter of the Church and where there is a Covenant or Agreement whether explicite or implicite to assemble together in one Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the Ordinances of Christ there is for substance the true forme of a Church And where there is the true matter and true forme of a Church it cannot be truely said that such a Church is falsly constituted For there being but two causes of which a thing is constituted matter and forme whatsoever hath true matter and true forme is truly constituted Against this what he will accept I doe not know and therefore know not how to prevent him with a fit and just defence But by others two things are wont to be objected Object 1. From the matter of the Church Object 2. From the efficient cause of the Church From the matter of the Church it is objected that there be not onely visible Saints in the English Parishes but with them are mingled many
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
into the true Reply I said indeed that Godly Persons repenting of all knowne sinnes may be received to Church-fellowship although they doe not see the utmost skirts of all the pollution they have sometimes been defiled with But saith he the Question is not of utmost skirts but of the substance of a true and false Bed of worship What he meaneth by the Bed of worship I know not If he meane the Church to be the Bed of worship and the Churches of England to be false Churches that Point hath been cleared above that no voyce of Christ hath declared the Churches of England to be false Churches But yet further the Examiner answereth That if there were but filthinesse in the skirts of an Harlot he beleeveth Mr. Cotton would not receive an Harlot infamous for corporall whoredome without sound repentance not onely for her actuall whoredomes but also for her whorish speeches gestures appearances provocations And why should there be a greater strictnesse for the skirts of common whoredome then for spirituall and soule-whoredome against the chastitie of Gods worship Reply 1. There may be the greater strictnesse about the skirts of bodily whoredome not because it is a greater sinne but because it is more easily discernable and convinceable by ordinary light 2. Where any speeches gestures appearances provocations of spirituall whoredome shall discover themselves we beleeve there ought to be as great strictnesse about them as about the like whorish appearances of bodily whoredome But when will the Examiner discover to us what those spirituall whorish gestures or speeches be wherein we shew lesse strictnesse then the chastitie of Gods holy worship requireth Touching the Polygamy of the Fathers the Examiner answereth three wayes 1. By observing what great sinnes Godly Persons may be subject to notwithstanding Godlinesse in the Roote Wee consent to that especially in case of ignorance 2. He demandeth If any godly Persons should now beleeve and maintaine that he ought to have many wives and accordingly did so Practise whether Mr. Cotton would receive such a godly Person to Church-fellowship Yea whether the Church of the Jewes if they had seene the evill of it would ever have received such a Proselyte into fellowship with them The same Answers may serve to both the Demands 1. Neither would I receive them nor doe I thinke the Church of the Jewes would in case the sinne had appeared so plaine and palpable as by the light of the Gospel it hath been discovered 2. This is not the case in hand what my selfe or a Church ought to doe about receiving a member living in knowne sinne but when he that liveth in no knowne sinne none knowne either to himselfe or the Church whether the Church if they receive him doth thereby evacuate their Church-estate Or whether the Church and every member thereof be so farre bound to a distinct knowledge of all appearances of spirituall whoredome that if they be ignorant of any one or two of them they are utterly uncapable of Church-estate For a third Answer to the case of Polygamy the Examiner demandeth what was this personall sinne of Polygamy in the godly Patriarchs Was it any matter of Gods worship any joyning with a false Church Ministery Worship Government from whence they were to come before they could constitute his true Church and enjoy his Worship Ministery Government c. Reply 1. Polygamy if it had been knowne to be as great a sinne amongst the Israelites as it is now knowne to be by the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus it is of so hainous a nature now that every godly person guilty of it must come out of it before he could lawfully be received into a pure Church of Christ 2. If a Church were now ignorant of such a knowne case and should in their ignorance admit sundry members living in that sinne into fellowship with them though it would much defile them yet I doe not conceive it would evacuate their Church-estate 3. The Examiner will never proove that the estate of the Churches in England is false their Ministery false nor their worship false And as for their Episcopall Government he is not ignorant we have come out of it both in place and heart Neither will he ever be able to prove that any of our Churches partake in the communion of any such knowne sinne either in Church-estate Worship Ministery Government as Polygamy is But touching that place in 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. urged by the Examiner that I might give a further Answer then before I adde further in my Letter That the place was wrested besides the Apostles scope when Mr. Williams argued from it That such Persons are not fit matter for Church-fellowship as are defiled with any remnants of Antichristian Pollution nor such Churches any more to be counted Churches as doe receive such amongst them For were there not at that time in the Church of Corinth such as partaked with Idolaters in their Idolls Temples And was not this the touching of an uncleane thing And did this sinne reject members from Church-fellowship before Conviction Or did it evacuate their Church-estate for not casting out such members To this Argument the Examiner giveth as he calleth it an Answer in foure Paragraphs whereof the three former hold not forth so much as the face or shape or colour of an Answer For in the first Paragraph saith he This was indeed an uncleane thing from which God calleth his People and Mr. Cotton confesseth that after conviction any member obstinate in these uncleane Touches ought to be rejected But what is this to the Argument Againe In the next Paragraph Vpon the same ground saith he that one obstinate Person ought to be rejected out of Church-estate upon the same ground if a greater company or a Church were obstinate in such uncleane touches ought every sound Christian Church to reject them and every sound member to withdraw from them But is this any more to the Argument In the third Paragraph Further saith he it is cleare that if such uncleane Touches obstinately maintained as Mr. Cotton professeth and practiseth be a ground of a rejection of a Person in a Church questionlesse it is a ground of rejection when such Persons are to joyne unto the Church And if obstinacy in the whole Church after Conviction be a ground for such a Churches rejection questionlesse such a Church or number of persons obstinate in such evills cannot congregate nor become a true constituted Church of Christ But still the Argument is where it was not onely unshaken but untoucht Neither is the Text in 2 Cor. 16. any whit at all cleared by these discourses to argue them to be no true constituted Churches who live in such uncleane touches without conviction without obstinacy For the Text speaketh nothing of obstinacy nor conviction but onely implieth that such uncleane Touches were found in the Church of Corinth and yet that did not evacuate their Church-estate His last Paragraph holdeth forth some more
shape of an Answer but as little substance The greatest Question here saith he would be whether the Corinthians in their first Constitution were separate or no from such Idols Temples And this Mr. Cotton neither doth nor can deny A Church estate being a state of marriage unto Christ Jesus and so Paul professedly saith He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin unto Christ 2 Cor. 11. Reply 1. To put any substance into this Answer or any force pertinent to the cause in hand it must be no great Question but cleare out of Question that these Corinthians in their first constitution were cleane and absolutely separate from such Idolls Temples and that not onely locally but in their soule and iudgement minde and heart utterly cut off from such uncleane Touches so that they both undoubtedly saw the evill thereof and from their hearts abhorred it and forsooke it For all these Acts of coming off in a way of separation from the Churches of England he requireth from us as absolutely necessary to enter into a true Church-estate Now if he thinke that Mr. Cotton to use his words neither doth nor can deny that in their first constitution they were thus separate from Idolls Temples I must professe though not to him yet to all that love and seek the Truth without prejudice that I both can and doe deny it that in their first constitution they were locally separate from Idolls Temples it is likely enough or else I suppose the Apostlewould have admonished them thereof in their first Plantation But that in their minde and judgement they saw the evill thereof and did in heart and soule bewaile it and confesse it before the Apostle and their Brethren and so enter into solemne Covenant expresly against it this is altogether incredible to me For would not the Apostle then out of his faithfulnesse have reproved them as well for their Apostacy as for their Fellowship in Idolatry Would he not as well have rebuked the prevarication of their Covenant as their pollution of their communion with Pagans What though a Church-estate be a state of Marriage unto Jesus Christ May not a married Spouse of Christ be ignorant of some part of her marriage-dutie towards him And what though Paul professe He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin to Jesus Christ May not he call them a chaste Virgin who had seene and bewailed their former worship of Idolls though they neither bewailed nor saw the evill of feasting with their neighbours in Idolls Temples Reply 2. Though the Examiner make it a great Question whether a Church can be truely constituted that in her first constitution is not seperate from all uncleane Touches so as both to see them and come out of them howsoever they may fall into such sinnes afterwards yet I looke at it as an ungrounded distinction to require more purity to the being of a Church in her first constitution then is necessary to the being of it after it is constituted I should thinke the longer a Church hath enjoyed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ the more shee ought to grow both in knowledge and purity Where more hath been given the more will be required of the Lord. Yea I conceive it more agreeable to the word of Truth that God will sooner separate from a Church constituted for their whorish pollutions then deny them Church-estate for the like pollutions in their first constitution The people of Israel were not constituted a Nationall Church till the Lord gave them Nationall Ordinances and Nationall Officers and entered them together into a Nationall Covenant Exod. 19.5 6. Their Church-estate before was rather domesticall dispersed into severall Families When they were thus constituted a Nationall Church and afterwards fell into an Idolatrous crime the Lord directed Moses to breake the Tables of his Covenant between them and did also seperate his Tabernacle from them till upon their repentance he renewed communion with them Exod. 32.19 with Exod. 33.3 to 7. But yet the like Idolatry if not worse being found in the same People when they dwelt in Aegypt it did not hinder the Lord from accepting them unto a Nationall Constitution of a Church-estate To CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX HIs 17 18 19. Chapters are taken up in Examining and Answering my Answers to his second Objection which he made to prove a Necessitie lying upon Godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of false Churches Ministery Worship and Government To prove which his first Objection or Argument was taken from Isaiah 52.11 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Whereto we have returned a Reply in the former Chapters His second Objection was taken from the Confession made by Johns Disciples and the Proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church-fellowship Mat. 3.6 Act 19.18 Whence he gathered That Christian Churcher are constituted of such members as make open and plaine confession of their sinnes and if any sâ—â—â—es be to be confessed and lamented Jewish or Paganish then Antichristian drunkennesse and whoredome much more c. Yea every sipping of the Whâ—res Cup. To which Objection of his to passe by all verball velitations for I love not to take up time about words the substance of my Answer was two-fold 1. That it was not necessary to the Admission of members that they should see and bewaile the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores Cup as he called it though the Whores cup doe more intoxicate the minde then the drunkards Cup doth the Body because bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorious and grosse sinnes that no man having true Repentance in him cannot but be convinced of the sinfulnesse of them and of the necessitie of repentance of them in particular if he doe remember them But the whores Cup being a mystery of Iniquitie the sinfulnesse of every sipping of it is nothing so evident and notorious as that every repentant soule doth at first discerne it And therefore as the 3000. Converts Acts 2.37 to 47. were admitted into the first Christian Church upon the Profession of their repentance of the murther of Christ though they neither saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them so here c. Yea and the Disciples of John whom he instanceth in though they did confesse their sinnes the Publicans theirs the Souldiers theirs the People theirs to wit the notorious sinnes incident to their callings yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions And the Gentiles in Act. 19.18.19 Though they confessed their curious Arts and burnt their conjuring Bookes yet it doth not appeare that they confessed all their deeds Whereunto the Examiner returneth a two-fold Answer 1. That spirituall whoredome and drunkennesse is not indeed so easily discerned as corporall but yet not the lesse sinfull but infinitely transeendent as much as spirituall sobriety exceedeth corporall and the bed of the most High God exceedeth the beds of men who are but
dust and ashes Reply 1. It is an exorbitant Hyperbole to make every passage of spirituall whoredome a sinne infinitely transcendent above bodily whoredome For spirituall whoredome is not infinite in the act of it but onely in respect of the object of it to wit in respect of the infinite God against whom it is committed And is not bodily whoredome infinite in that respect also Can a man defile himselfe with bodily whoredome and not sinne against the infinite God What saith Joseph Gen. 39.9 2. What if spirituall whoredome though lesse evident be more sinfull then bodily The nature of true Evangelicall Repentance standeth not in seeing and bewailing every sinne no nor alwayes of the greatest but of those which are most evident and notorious A Christian man may more safely omit repentance of greater sins if unknowne then of lesse sinnes knowne I suppose the Israelites were guiltie of many Idolatries and superstitions in the dayes of Samuel yet their repentance was chiefly fastned upon their asking of a King of which they were then principally convinced 1 Sam. 12.19 And such Repentance was then accepted of the Lord and of Samuel ver 22 23. The very truth is the ground and roote of the Examiners Error in this case is That he maketh Church-Covenant to be no better then a Covenant of workes whereas indeed if Church-Covenant be not a branch of the Covenant of grace the Churches of Christ are not built upon Christ In a Covenant of workes all sinnes must be avoyded or if not avoyded yet repented of expresly and the greatest sinnes most But in Evangelicall Repentance God dealeth not with us after our sinnes nor rewardeth us according to our Iniquities Psal 103.10 The Grace of Christ is not given either to his Church or to any Christian upon the perfection of our Repentance nor upon our Repentance of our greatest sinnes in the greatest measure But if the heart be truly humbled for any knowne sinne as sinne though the sinne knowne be often lesse hainous then others unknowne yet God accepteth his own worke and putteth away all sinne in the acknowledgement of one Yea in sinnes that be knowne the compunction of the heart is sometimes more expressed for the occasions and inducements of the sinne which are lesse hainous then for the greater sinnes which are more grievous and dangerous Solomon in his solemne Repentance in the Booke of Ecclesiastes doth more expresly bewaile his entanglement with lewd women Eccles 7.27 28. then all his Idolatrous Temples and worship which were erected and maintained at his charge By the Examiners Doctrine Solomon had never been received and restored to the Church upon that Repentance His second Answer is That though the converted Jewes did not see all the leavenings of the Pharisees yet they mourned for killing of Christ and embraced him in his Worship Ministery Government c. and thereupon necessarily followeth a withdrawing from the Church Ministery and Worship of the false Christ c. Reply This answer doth not reach the defence of his cause to wit That it is absolutely necessary unto Church-fellowship to see and bewaile not onely actuall whoredomes but also whorish speeches gestures appearances provocations Yet here he granteth that the converted Jewes did not see all the leavenings of the Pharisees which yet were such as in the end of that Paragraph he implyeth they had deteined them under a false Christ But whereas he saith that they by embracing Christ in his Worship and Ministery there necessarily followed a withdrawing from the Church Ministery and worship of the false Christ It may truely be Replyed 1. That he will not grant us that liberty that upon our embracing of Christ in his worship Ministery there necessarily followeth our withdrawing from the Church Ministery and Worship wherein we had been formerly polluted in any sort Is not this to deteine the glorious Truth of our Lord Jesus with respect of Persons 2. It is evident by the Story that some of those members of the Church of Hierusalem who had been leavened by the sect of the Pharisees they did neither see nor bewaile nor did come off from fellowship with the Pharisees in their Ministery and false Doctrine which taught the necessitie of Circumcision and of the whole Law of Moses to justification and salvation Acts 15.1.5 As for the confession of sinne by the Disciples unto John Baptist Mat. 3. and by the Gentiles unto Paul Act. 19. though it be not said that the one sort confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions nor the other all their Deeds Yet saith he if both these confest their notorious sinnes as Mr. Cotton confesseth why not as well their notorious sinnes against God their Idolatries superstitions worships c Surely throughout the whole Scripture the matters of God and his worship are first and most tenderly handled c. Answ It is not true that the matters of Gods worship and defects there are alwayes most tenderly acknowledged throughout the Confessions of the Saints in Scripture Solomon in his Repentance was most sparing of confession of his Idolatrous Temples and worships And the People in Samuel did more repent of asking a King then of all their other sinnes and yet their Idolatries were then flagrant 1 Sam. 12 9 10 11. Besides wee never reade of such deepe Humiliation of David for carting the Arke after the manner of the Philistims as of his bodily adultery with Bathshebah and murder of Vriah The substance of my other Answer to his former Objection which was to prove a necessitie lying upon godly men to see and bewaile their pollutions in a former Church-fellowship before they can be fit matter for a new It was to this purpose that we have not been wanting through the guidance of the grace of Christ to performe that which he pleadeth for so farre as God hath called us to it the which I expressed in my Letter in two particulars 1. That the body of our members doe in generall Professe that the reason of their coming over to us was that they might be freed from the bondage of humane Inventions and Ordinances under which as their soule groaned there so they have professed their sorrow so farre as through ignorance or infirmitie they have been defiled there 2. That in our daily meetings especially in the times of our solemne Humiliations we doe generally all of us bewaile all our former Pollutious wherewith we have defiled our selves and the holy things of God in our former Administrations and Communions the which we have rather chosen to doe then to talke of and therefore doe marvell that he should so resolutely renounce us for that which he knew not whether we had neglected or no and before he had admonished us of our sinfulnesse in such neglect if it had been found amongst us Whereto his Answer is That we make no mention what such Inventions and Ordinances what such Administrations and Communions were which we confessed and bewailed Reply And yet lest he should
themselves from their hypocrisie and inordinate love of this world or else they and their duties will still be uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-Estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to dissipation and destruction of the Church and wresteth Bloud instead of Milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture This Text is so evident and pregnant and full against himselfe that I could not but marvell why he should alledge it and especially why he should desire it might be throughly weighed and the Lord to hold the scales himselfe How doe you then thinke that he will hence inferre his Conclusion That Godly persons if uncleane cannot constitute a true Church or if they doe they are to be separated from Surely not from the words of the Text nor from the sence which I make of it nor from any sence which himselfe can give of it How then Onely from his mistake of my words and that surely either through a drousie Oscitancy or a sleighty Precipitancy What saith he have I spoken more then Mr. Cotton himselfe hath uttered in his Explication and Application of this Scripture As 1. That Godly persons may become defiled and uncleane by hypocrisie and worldlinesse 2. While they lye in such a condition of uncleannesse all their offerings persons labours are uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate 3. The Church cannot be constituted of such worldly Persons though otherwise godly and Christian Or 4. If they doe the People of God must separate from them These be saith he Mr. Cottons own expresse words Reply He might as well say these be the expresse words of Christ Hang all the Law and the Prophets because Christ saith Mat. 19.40 upon these two Commandements Hang all the Law and the Prophets So these be my expresse words The true and genuine meaning of the place if you doe apply to the Point in hand it will reach nothing neere to your purpose Hypocrites in the Church and godly Christians themselves whilest they attend to the world more then to the things of God their persons their labours their Civill Oblations are all uncleane in the sight of God Ergo. The Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such or if it doe consist of such the People of God must separate from them Who seeth not that attendeth to what he seeth that in these words I expresse not mine own meaning or reasoning but his and that I expresly say The true meaning of the Text will nothing neere reach to his purpose and so bring in his reason in forme of an Enthymeme which he draws from it But if I had made that Enthymeme the expression of mine own meaning and of the meaning of the Text it had sully and closely reached his own purpose The next words following might also plainly have cleared my meaning to him when in stead of that false collection which he gathered I tell him you might well have gathered therefore the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisie and their inordinate love of this world Or else they and their duties will he still uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to the dissipation and destruction of the Flock and wresteth bloud instead of milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture Doe I not here plainly expresse two severall and contrary Collections from the Text the one his the other mine own the one tending to edification the other to destruction And yet this false collection and misapplication of the Text which is his own and a manifest Perverting both of the Text and of my words he will needs force upon me contrary to my meaning and contrary also to my expresse words above in the entrance of mine Answer to this Text. Where I say Your purpose was to prove That Churches cannot be constituted by such persons as are uncleane by Antichristian pollutions or if they be so constituted they are not to be communicated with but separated from To prove this you alledge this place where the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church of the Jewes to be uncleane and yet neither denieth them to be a Church truely constituted nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them What by the way he discourseth of the Excommunication in the Nationall Church of the Jewes somewhat hath been spoken to it above When he saith That their Ceremoniall Excommunication was either putting to death in Canaan or Captivitie out of Canaan If he meane this was all their Excommunication I cannot assent to it King Vzziah was neither put to death in Canaan nor carried captive out of Canaan and yet he was Excommunicated both from Temple-worship Synagogue-worship and all familiar communion of the Saints Againe when he maketh it an Excommunication from God in case God sell his Church into spirituall Captivitie to confused Babylonish Lords and worship and that so he driveth them out of his sight He might remember that God sometime sold his people under the Bondage of Babylonish Lords even in the Land of Canaan Jer. 40.9 42.10 11 12. And yet he had not straight way driven them out of his sight TO CHAP. XXI IT was my serious and unfeigned endeavour in my Letter which the Examiner hath answered to have removed those two stumbling blocks out of his way which I perceived had turned him off from holding fellowship with these Churches The former was The want of fit matter of our Churches The latter Our dis-respect to the separate Churches in England under affliction when neverthelesse our selves practise separation in peace From the beginning of his tenth Chapter he hath endeavoured to fasten the former of these stumbling blocks that it may still lie in his way and stand as an everlasting wall of partition between us Which neverthelesse I have as you see through the helpe of Christ endeavoured to dig through the sandinesse thereof that if it were the holy will of God it might fall downe like the walles of Jericho before the Arke of the Lord and neither detaine him nor others from Communion with us The latter stumbling block he goeth about to re-establish in this and the following Chapters to the end of his Booke Come we therefore to consider whether there may be any hope of removing this stumbling block also and the establishment thereof by the same helpe The stumbling block lieth somewhat broader then at first was propounded The Examiner takes it as a great offence That we walke between Christ and Antichrist 1. In practising separation here and not repenting of our preaching and printing against it in our own Countrey 2. In reproaching himselfe at Salem and others for separation 3. In particular that my selfe have conceived and spoken That separation is a way which God hath not prospered as if saith he the truth of the Churches depended upon the countenance of men or upon outward peace and libertie To the
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
not first a Puritan For as Mr. Can hath unanswerably proved the grounds and principles of the Puritans against Bishops and Ceremonies and prophanesse of people professing Christ and the necessitie of Christs flock and discipline must necessarily if truly followed lead on to and enforce a separation Reply 1. If there were hardly ever any conscientious Separatist who was not first a Puritan then it seemeth that if there be any Conscience in the Separatists it was first wrought in them by the Ministers of those whom he calleth Puritans 2. Say it were true that he pretendeth That the principles and grounds of Puritanisme did enforce Separation yet I doe not understand what it maketh to the point in hand 3. Neither doe I understand how it suiteth with the Examiners profession who is wont to renounce all communion with Antichristian inventions so frequently to take up into his mouth and pen the Nickname of Puritans which was at first devised by Sanders the Jesuite to cast a reproach upon the persons and way of reformers to render them suspicious and odious to the State The righteous hand of the Lord struck him with madnesse who invented the name nor doth he delight in them that delight to take up a reproach against the innocent 4. How unanswerably Mr. Can hath proved the necessity of Separation from their grounds and principles I will not judge because I have not seene his Booke But to separate from the Churches of England as no Churches or false Churches from their Ministery as a false Ministery from their Sermons as false worship from their professors as no visible Saints And to prove all this out of the Principles and grounds of those holy Saints of God whom he misnameth Puritans will require a strong efficacy of delusions to make it appeare probable to a sad and judicious spirit that is not sorestalled with prejudice or partialitie But the Examiner proceedeth in his Answer to enquire What should be the Reason why the Separatist who witnesseth against the Roote of the Constitution it selfe should finde more favour then the Puritan or Non-conformist And he telleth us Doubtlesse the reasons are evident 1. Because most of the Separatists have been poore and low and not such gainfull Customers to the Bishops their Courts and Officers Mr. Ainsworth himselfe though a worthy instrument of Gods praise lived upon nine pence in the weeke with roots boyled c. Reply In part I will not deny some truth and weight in this reason But take it for granted and it doth but confirme what I said that the Separatist found more favour then the Non-conformist whatsoever the reason was The second reason that he giveth is That it is a principle in nature to preferre a professed enemy before a pretended friend The Separatists have been looked at by the Bishops and their adherents as knowne and professed enemies whereas the Puritans have professed subjection and submitted to the Bishops their Courts their Officers their Common Prayer and worships And yet the Bishops have well knowne with no greater affection then the Israelites bore the Aegyptians cruell task-masters Reply 1. What the Non-conformists did beare it was no more then they thought they might beare with a good Conscience according to the light they had received If they did beare more then what in Conscience they judged lawfull to be borne they had no reason to beare with themselves in so doing But if the Bishops bore the lesse with them in such their subjection it was because they looked at them not as pretended friends but as more dangerous enemies as knowing both that the Lord was with them which made Saul the more afraid of David 1 Sam. 18.28 29. as also that the grounds which they gave of their judgement and practise were more agreeable to Scripture and to the judgement of all reformed Churches and therefore more likely in time to prevaile to the utter overthrow of their usurped Hierarchy But as for the Separatists the Bishops did not discerne either the Lord going forth in like sort with them or their grounds so likely to subvert their freehold Though the Separatists struck at the roote of the Constitutions of their Churches which was indeed a greater blow then to strike at the roote of Episcopacy yet because the Episcopacy saw that the Separatists struck at the things of Christ together with themselves they knew such stroakes would not much hurt their standing The next word which the Examiner answereth is unto that I said God hath not prospered the way of Separation neither with peace amongst themselves nor with growth of grace His answer is 1. That want of peace may befall the truest Churches of the Lord Jesus as them at Antioch Corinth Galatia Reply The distraction at Antioch was soone healed by the Counsell of the Synod at Hierusalem which is a way of peace which the Churches of the rigid Separation have not knowne nor will condescend unto which makes their dissentions destitute of hopes of reconciliation without separation one from another The like may be said of the Churches of Galatia and Corinth I doe not read their differences were healed by Separation but by listning to Apostolicall Counsell 2. His second Answer is that it is a common Character of a false Church maintained by the Smiths and Cutlers shop to enjoy peace none daring for feare of civill punishment to question or differ c. Reply Though it be a common Character of a false Church to enjoy a forced and violent peace yet it is a peculiar Character of a true Church to enjoy holy peace with God and one with another which where it is wanting there is something else wanting either in their Faith or Order 3. His third Answer is That Gods people in that way have sometimes long enjoyed sweet peace and soule contentment in England Holland New-England and other places c. Reply The Answer had been more cleare and evident if he had named those Churches who have long enjoyed such peace in that way in that way I say of rigid Separation separating from the Churches of England as altogether false in their Constitution Ministry worship and therefore refusing to heare the word in the best of the Parish Assemblies It is a wise Proverb of a wiser then Soloman The back slider in heart from any Truth or way of God shall be filled with his owne wayes They that separate from their brethren further then they have just cause shall at length find cause or at least thinke they have found cause just enough to separate one from another I never yet heard of any instance to the contrary either in England or Holland And for New-England there is no such Church of the Separation at al that I know of That separate Church if it may be called a Church which separated with Mr. Williams first broke into a division about a small occasion as I have heard and then broke forth into Anabaptisme and then into Antibaptisme and Familisme
and now finally into no Church at all But whereas I said God had not prospered the way of the Separation as not with peace amongst themselves so neither with growth of Grace He answereth for growth of Grace though some false brethren have crept in yet Satan himselfe cannot but confesse that multitudes of Gods witnesses reproached with the names of Brownists and Anabaptists have kept themselves from the errours of the wicked and doe grow in Grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus c. Reply It is an unwelcome Subject to goe about to convince others of want of growth in Grace especially when wee speake of Churches and that before wee have in a more private manner dealt with them I looke at it as more seasonable to provoke our owne Churches to more growth of Grace at home For even true Churches as that of Ephesus Revel 2. may decay in their first love Onely thus much I would say the first Inventor of that way which is called Brownisme from whom the Sect tooke its name it is well knowne that he did not grow in Grace but fell back first from his owne way to take a Parsonage of a Parish-Church in England in Northamptonsheire called a Church God so in a strange yet wise providence ordering that he who had utterly renounced all the Churches in England as no Church should afterwards accept of one Parish-Church amongst them and it called a Church and from thence he fell to Organs in the Temple of his owne Church as I have been credibly informed and from thence to discord with his best hearers and bitter persecution of them at the last It is not Gods usuall manner of dealing to leave any of the first publishers or restorers of any Truth of his to such fearefull Apostacy from his Grace though I Judge not his finall Estate I will not rehearse what I read in printed Books of the unkind and ungracious and unbrotherly dealings of some of note in that way whilst they maintained the rigor of it That which the Examiner himselfe hath rehearsed in this very chapter may suffice to shew what growth of Godlinesse was found in that Church the Officer whereof himselfe styleth a worthy Instrument of Gods prayse and surely he was a man that deserved well of the Church for sundry of his Learned and painfull and profitable labours One would hope that where the Lord blesseth a people with growth of godlinesse the people would grow best under the best Ministers of that way Mr. Aynsworths name is of best esteeme without all exception in that way who refused Communion with hearing in England And if his people suffered him to live upon nine pence a week with roots boyled as the Examiner told us surely either the people were growne to a very extreme low Estate or else the growth of their godlinesse was growen to a very low ebb TO CHAP. XXIIII IN his 24. and 25. Chapters the Examiner giveth Answer to that speech in my Letter That such of the Separation as erring through simplicity and tendernesse have growne in Grace have growne also to discerne their lawfull Liberty for the hearing of the word from the English Preachers This I speake with respect to Mr. Robinson and to his Church who as he grew to many excellent gifts both of Grace and nature so he grew to acknowledge and in a Judicious and godly discourse to approve and defend the lawfull Liberty of hearing the word from the godly Preachers of the Parishes in England But in this 24. Chapter the Examiner answereth nothing against the truth of my speech Onely he telleth of foure sorts of Backsliders from sundry Truthes of God whom he hath observed to be left of God to sad and exemplary spirituall Judgements But because he speaketh of such as have decayed in grace and I speake of such as grow in grace his instances come not neere the point in hand I easily beleive that Hypocrites may grow from evill to worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 But a sincere humble Christian though he may start aside for a season yet Christ is not wont to leave him so but seeketh up every stray-sheep of his and bringeth them to heare and know his voyce in the mouthes of his Shepheards TO CHAP. XXV IN this 25. chapter because I had said as they have growne in Grace they have growne in discerning their lawfull Liberty to heare the word from the English Preachers He tels us he might here engage himselfe in a controversie with me but that neither the Treatise will permit nor is there need since it hath pleased the Father of Lights to stirre up the spirit of a faithfull witnesse of his Truth in this particular Mr. Canne to make a large and faithfull Reply to a Booke printed in Mr. Robinsons name tending to prove such a lawfull Liberty Reply Mr. Cann is unknowne unto me and his Booke also which I have not had the Liberty to get in these remote ends of the world I shall willingly bestow the reading of them if they come to my hands and God give opportunity especially if I see the spirit of a faithfull witnesse in them which the Examiner extolleth Onely I am apt to thinke as young men grow in yeares and gifts they will also grow up to the mellow-mildnesse and softnesse and moderation of riper age as Mr. Robinson in many things did Now from the name of English Preachers which I used in my speech the Examiner though he seeme to decline the engaging of himselfe in a controversie about hearing of them yet he taketh occasion to enter into a threefold discourse about them The first in this chapter concerning this title English Preachers Secondly concerning hearing them in chapter 26. Thirdly concerning their calling in chap. 27. The summe of his discourse about the title of these Preachers standeth in these particulars First that Mr. Cotton acknowledgeth the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel to Pastors Teachers Bishops Overseers Elders and that their proper worke is to feed and governe a truly converted holy and godly people gathered into a flock or Church-Estate And not properly Preachers to convert beget make Disciples which the Apostles and Evangelists properly were so that according to Mr. Cottons confessions English Preachers are not Pastors Teachers Bishops Elders but Preachers of glad newes Evangelists men sent to convert and gather Churches Apostles c. Secondly yet the Examiner confesseth that at the Pastors feeding his flock and at the Prophets prophecying in the Church an unbeleiver coming in may be convinced c. but this is accidentall c. Thirdly the Examiner acknowledgeth that it pleased God to worke personall Repentance in the hearts of thousands in Germany England Low-Countries France Scotland Ireland c. Yea and who knoweth but in Italy Spaine and Rome also c. but all this hath been under the notion of Ministers feeding their flocks not of Preachers sent to convert the unconverted and unbeleiving Reply 1. Though
I acknowledge the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel to be Pastors and Teachers yet it is farre from me to thinke howsoever the Examiner against my mind reporteth my mind otherwise that they are not properly Preachers to converts beget or make Disciples c. For first though the worke of ordinary Ministers were not to convert but to feed soules yet their act of feeding is properly exercised by preaching the word Timothy as a Minister is taught of Paul how to behave himselfe in the house of God which is the Church of God 1. Tim. 3.15 And this he gave him in charge as one great part of his worke to preach the word in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Besides they were neither Evangelists nor Apostles surely for then they could not have been so miscarried but the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel Pastors and Teachers of Churches of whom Paul speaketh Phil. 1.15 16. Some preach Christ saith he even of envie and strife and some of good will The one preach Christ of contention not sincerely the other of Love Againe Paul saith the Lord hath ordained that they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel 1 Cor. 9.14 Speaketh he that only of Apostles and Evangelists onely and not of ordinary Church-Officers of all doubtlesse according to Gal. 6.6 Moreover what are Preachers but publishers of the Gospel or glad tydings of the word of God for so saith the Apostle preach the word 2 Tim. 4.2 And what is preaching the word but explication and application of it and is not the explication and application of the word as fit to feed soules as to convert them Secondly when he makes it to be not the proper worke of Pastors and Teachers to preach for conversion but accidentall onely and counteth and calleth it a most preposterous worke for ordinary Ministers to preach for conversion c. He must needs give me leave to dissent from him my Reasons be 1. from the institution and worke of the Ministery to the worlds end whereof one is to make Disciples Matth. 28.19 20. Say not that is a peculiar Act of the Apostolick Office for the Lord Jesus speaketh of three Acts making Disciples Baptizing Teaching and in the exercise of these he promiseth to be with his Apostles and their successours unto the end of the world ver 20. Successours I say for the Apostles themselves were not to continue themselves in the exercise of those Acts to the end of the world in their owne persons but in their successors the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel Secondly from the end why Christ gave Pastors and Teachers as well as Apostles and Evangelists which was for the worke of the Ministery for the gathering together of the Saints as well as for the building of them up to a perfect man Ephes 4.11 12 13. Thirdly from the Estate of the Church wherein it seldome or never falleth out but some Hypocrites are found and besides them many Infants and these had need of converting Grace Fourthly from the ordinary way of Conversion which is by hearing the word and the word preached by a Minister sent Rom. 10.14 to 17. either therefore there must be no conversion of soules after the decease of the Apostles and Evangelists or those who are to be converted must be converted by private Christians or by the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel the successors of the Apostles but surely not the first for God will have in every age some or other converted to his Grace to praise his name throughout all Generations Not the second for they shall not be ordinarily converted by private Christians for the Apostle saith Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by a Preacher and him sent Therefore the third way remaineth that Faith is intended of God to be wrought from age to age by the ordinary Ministery of the Gospel If the Conversion of soules were accidentall to the worke of the Minister it were then praeter scopum efficientis besides the intent of the worker But it is neither beside the intention of the principall worker God for he worketh all things according to the Counsell of his owne will Ephes 1.11 nor besides the intention of the Minister for as hath been said it is one maine intent and end of his Office to make Disciples and gather Saints and Solomon maketh it an act of wisdome and therefore not an act of accidentall casualty to winne soules Prov. 11.30 If it be said why are they called Pastors if they be also Fathers Pastors are for feeding not for begetting Answ Pastors are also Fathers and though they be called Pastors yet the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel have other Titles also which imply more then feeding as they are called Teachers and Teachers of the ignorant Rom. 2.20 to minister saving knowledge to them as well as of men of understanding And Elders in the greek Language have their name from Embassadors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Elder from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Embassador and it is one worke of heavenly Embassadors to beseech men to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5.20 yea and Pastors themselves whose worke is properly to feed their feeding is with the word of Life which is able to quicken dead soules to life as to nourish living soules to growth in Christ Jesus The whole worke of Peters Apostolicall calling was wrapped up in a Pastorall name and worke John 21.15 16 17. Those two Reasons therefore are voyd of true and sound reason which moved the Examiner to enter upon this passage First because saith he so many excellent and worthy persons mainly preach for Conversion and yet account themselves fixed and constant Ministers to particular Congregations c. Secondly that in these great Earth-quakes of all Estates civill and spirituall such a Ministry might be sought after whose proper worke might be preaching for converting of soules to Christ For by that which hath been said may plainely appeare that those constant Ministers who mainly preach for Conversion so be it they attend not to that onely but to building up also they doe herein attend to a proper worke of their calling and now to looke for another new Ministry say of Apostles or Evangelists to attend conversion of soules onely is to looke for a blessing which the Lord hath not promised and besides himselfe hath ordained sufficient ordinary meanes for that end as hath been shewed both here and in some former passages of this Treatise TO CHAP. XXVI IN this Chapter the Examiner falleth upon the second part of discourse about English Preachers to wit about the lawfulnesse of hearing of them and though he said before in the former chapter he would not engage himselfe in this Controversie yet here he giveth a double Argument against it His first Argument is from my testimony which how much he weighteth is better knowne to himselfe then to me Mr. Cotton saith he himselfe maintaineth that the dispensing of the word in a Church-state
separation of holy from unholy penitent from impenitent godly from ungodly And that to frame any other building upon such grounds and foundations is no other then to raise the forme of a square house upon the keele of a Ship which will never prove a soule saving true Arke or Church of Christ Jesus according to the patterne Reply I cannot acknowledge what he saith that I have not duely considered that all the grounds and principles leading to oppose Bishops and Ceremonies c. doe necessarily conclude a separation of holy from unholy c. For I have considered and well weighed after my slender measure that they doe indeed conclude a three-fold separation of holy from unholy 1. Doctrinall that the Minister of Christ whilest he liveth amongst such dissolute and scandalous persons he is to separate them in the application of his doctrine between the holy and unholy between the precious and the vile so as to make sad the hearts of the wicked whom God would have to be made sad and to strengthen the heart and hands of the righteous whom God would have to be comforted Secondly A practicall separation in a mans own person that what a man findeth upon those grounds and principles to be unwarrantable and sinfull he doe forbeare the same in his own practise and disswade others from the same by his doctrine and example Thirdly An Ecclesiasticall separation that when a man cannot continue in fellowship with such a Church but that he shall be compelled to the practise of some sinne or of necessitie to communicate with the sinnes of others then after all good means used in vaine to redresse those evils meekly to separate and withdraw himselfe from fellowship with them in Church-Communion as one that cannot enjoy the good which is found amongst them without partaking in sundry evils that cleave to them Thus farre I have considered the grounds and Principles of Reformation of which the Examiner speaketh and doe finde that they doe necessarily conclude a separation of holy from unholy thus farre But I confesse I have not considered nor can I finde out by any further due consideration that the principles and grounds of Reformation doe necessarily conclude a separation from the English Churches as false Churches from their Ministery as a false Ministery from their worship as a false worship from all their professors as from no visible Saints Nor can I finde that they doe either necessarily or probably conclude a separation from hearing the word preached by godly Ministers in the Parish-Churches in England Nor can I finde that the building of our Churches in these ends of the world is the raising up of a square house upon the keele of a Ship unlesse it be the Arke of Noah for as the soules in the Arke were saved from water so we finde by experience and good evidence from the word that the Lord blesseth our Church-Communion and administrations with soule-saving efficacy through his grace in Christ Thirdly The third particular which the Examiner saith I have not duely considered is The multitudes of holy and faithfull men and women who have witnessed this truth from Queene Maries dayes by writing disputing and suffering farre above what the Non-conformists have done c. Reply This particular hath been considered above in Answer to Chapter 23. Fourthly The fourth particular which he desireth might be better considered Is our own practise and profession Our practise in constituting our Churches of none but godly persons and uniting them into a body by voluntary mutuall Covenant and adding none to them but persons carefully examined and approved and entering by way of confession both of their sinnes and of their faith Our practise also in suppressing other English who have attempted to set up a Congregation in a Parishionall way Our profession in the late Answer we gave to many worthy persons whom yet we account godly Ministers and people that we could not permit them to live in the same Common-wealth together with us if they should set up any other Church and Worship then what our selves practise Reply 1. Our practise in the constituting and ordering our own Churches here holdeth forth what matter and forme and order of the Church we doe beleeve to be most agreeable to the patterne set before us in the Gospel of Christ And our not receiving all commers unto the Communion of the Lords Table and other parts of Church-fellowship saving onely unto the publick hearing of the Word and presence at other duties it argueth indeed that such persons either thinke themselves unfit materialls for Church-fellowship and so they never offer themselves to us or else that we our selves conceive them to be as stones standing in need of a little more hewing and squaring before they be layed as living stones in the walls of the Lords house All which amounteth onely to this That we doe consider and bewaile the defects of the Churches of England in receiving ignorant and scandalous persons to all the liberties of the Lords Table and of his house as other wayes But it doth not at all argue neither is it our minde it should argue their Churches and worship and Ministery and members should all of them be separated from as false or none at all Our practise in suppressing such as have attempted to set up a Parishionall way I never heard of such a thing here to this day And if any such thing were done before my coming into the Countrey I do not thinke it was done by forcible compulsion but by rationall conviction But as for our profession that wee should answer many worthy Ministers and people in England that wee could not permit them to live in the same Common-wealth with us if they varied from us I have cleared it above in Answer to Chapt. 11. to be a notorious falshood and but that I know the Devill is able to create slander of nothing as God is able to create truths of nothing I should thinke it incredible that any man who hath been in New-England should be able to say as the Examiner here doth that we persecute the Parishes in New-England and yet frequent the Parishes in Old England Fiftly The fift particular which he thinks I have not duely considered is That in the Parishes which Mr Cotton holdeth but inventions of men how ever they would have liberty to frequent the worship of the Word yet they separate from the Sacraments And yet according to our own Principles there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word as in the Seales What mystery saith he should be in this but that here to wit in Old England the Crosse of Christ may be avoyded if persons come to Church Reply 1. It is an untruth that Mr. Cotton holdeth the Parishes to be but inventions of men for though I hold that the receiving of all the Inhabitants in the Parish into the full fellowship of the Church and the admitting of them all unto the liberty of all
the Ordinances is an humane corruption and so if he will an humane invention yet I doe not hold nor ever did that their Parishes were onely an humane invention For I beleeve the Lord Jesus hath the truth of his Churches and Ministery and worship in them notwithstanding the inventions of men superadded to them Reply 2. Though I doe beleeve there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word in a Church-estate to wit to such as are in Church-estate with the Minister of the Word as in the Seales Yet it is farre from me to hold and from any principle of mine to inferre that there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word to every hearer as in the Seales for then we might as easily admit our Indians to the Seales as we doe admit them daily to the ministration of the Word Reply 3. It is a malignant and Satanicall misconstruction of the intentions of such godly persons who out of sincere affection to spirituall growth doe heare the Ministry of the Word from godly Preachers in England to accuse them before God and Angels and men that they doe it to avoyd the Crosse of Christ to wit persecution which may be avoyded in a great measure if persons come to Church It is well knowne that sundry of them are so sincere and constant in their profession that as they have suffered much for the cause of Christ against humane corruptions in Gods worship so they would be ready to suffer yet more for neglecting to come to Church if they suspected any humane corruption at all in it Againe It is well knowne that any stranger in London by removing now and then his lodging may escape not onely persecution but observation for a longer time then any of our hearers are ordinarily wont to sojourne there Besides in this time of universall freedome from all persecution during this long Parliament why doe not our members of these Churches forbeare to heare the Word in the Parishes now when there is no feare nor danger at all of persecution for not coming to Church His sixt and last particular consideration is That how ever Mr. Cotton saith He hath not found such presence of Christ and evidence of the Spirit in such separate Churches as in the Parishes What should be the reason of their great rejoycings and boastings of their own separations in New-England in so much that some of the most eminent amongst them have affirmed that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure Surely if the same new English Churches were in Old England they could not meete in Old England without persecution which therefore in Old England they avoyde by frequenting the way of Church-worship in the Parishes which in New-England they persecute Reply 1. The Examiner might easily have satisfied himselfe in this consideration if he had been willing to understand that which he knoweth to be our meaning He knoweth very well and hath often told us of it before that we our selves in our Churches doe practise some kinde of separation here to wit separation not from the Churches in Old England as no Churches but from some corruptions found in them In such Churches as so separate wee never speake of them that we had not found the presence of Christ or evidence of the Spirit in such Churches But I speake of such rigid Separatists Churches as renounce the Churches and Ministery and worship and Saints of England as if they were all false or none at all and therefore utterly doe refuse to heare the word in their Assemblies which is such a way of separation as I told him in my Letter the Lord Jesus never delivered nor any of his Apostles after him nor any of his Prophets before him Of which he taketh no notice nor giveth any ground either from Christ or his Apostles or Prophets for such practise but putteth us off that we practise separation our selves and rejoyce therein as if our separation and theirs were both of one nature and measure which indeed differ as much as I said before as Chirurgery and Butchery Reply 2. When he telleth us We boast of our separations in New-England yea so farre as that some of our most eminent have said that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure I must needs professe I never heard nor read of such a speech but onely in this Examiners Booke The speech it selfe savoureth I know not whether of more ignorance or arrogancy or blasphemy The broadest speech in this kinde that ever I heard to fall from the lips of any in this Countrey was that of Mr. Williams himselfe who whilest he lived at Salem as I am credibly informed would say That of all the Churches of Christ in the world the new English were the most pure and of all the new English the Church of Salem I am so well acquainted with the liberty and boldnesse of the Examiners tongue in calumniations that untill I know the name of that eminent person whom he reproacheth to have so spoken he must give me leave to feare either a mistake or that which is worse Reply 3. It is a double calumny but suitable to many other of the former that wee in New-England doe persecute the way of separation whether the one kinde of separation or the other It is true of neither for we practise the one and tolerate the other And againe that we frequent the Parish-Churches in Old England to avoyd persecution Unlesse mens tongues were their own I wonder how they can allow themselves to speake so excessively at random These his six Considerations having so little considerable truth or waight in them I justly said That he in withdrawing the people of God from hearing the voyce of Christ in so many Congregations both in New-England and in Old did not helpe Jehovah against the mighty but Satan against Jehovah and against the mighty Ordinances of his Word and Ministry But he answereth that he helpeth the zealous soules of the Separatiâ—n and he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting How he helpeth them I know not unlesse it be by depriving them of many precious meanes of grace which they might enjoy by hearing the Word in either England or unlesse by his own example he now helpe them Proficere in peius to separate further from all instituted worship of the Lord to cast off their own Churches Ministery Worship as they have cast off others before that so they might seeke for that which will never be found under the Sunne new Apostles to make all things new And as little doe I know how he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting unlesse it be to seeke him as he himselfe doth without Church-Ordinances For the Conclusion of his Booke he is willing to take up the conclusion of my Letter That whosoever will not kisse the Sonne that is will not heare and embrace the words of his mouth shall perish in their way Psal 2.12 This word is established in heaven and will take place in the earth throughout all generations But least this word might profit himselfe as selfe-love is apt to apply a word of threatening to any rather then to it selfe he applieth it to Mr. Cotton and to every soule to whom these lines of his may come seriously to consider in this Controversie if the Lord Jesus were himselfe in person in Old or New-England what Church what Ministery what Worship what Government he would set up and what persecution he would practise toward them that would not receive him For Answer let me say in a word this point hath been seriously considered already and let it be still considered and pondered in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and doubtlesse for the first of these points it will be found that if the Lord Jesus were here himselfe in person he would set up no other Church nor Ministery nor worship nor government then what himselfe hath appointed in his Word which though the Examiner and many others have sought and searched what enormities they might finde in it yet they have wearied themselves and found nothing So true is the faithfull promise of the Lord Jesus that he hath built his Church upon a Rock and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it nor against the Ordinances thereof And for the latter point What persecution the Lord Jesus if he were on earth would practise against those who would not receive him The Answer is neere at hand and is written for the warning of all gain-sayers Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before my face Luk. 19.27 And yet I would not be so understood in alledging this Scripture as if Christ did allow his Vicegerents to practise all that himselfe would practise in his own person For not all the practises or acts of Christ as the Examiner seemeth to intimate but the Lawes of Christ are the Rules of mans Administrations But of that more distinctly in due time if the Lord shall give libertie to enquire further into the Examiners Bloudy Tenent To the Lord Jesus be the kingdome power and glory Amen FINIS
is lovingly and respectively sent for and to convince them of the errour of their way before the Lord and to seek to bring them back againe to the Bishop and Shepheard of their soules Sure I am that in a case of greater defection of the Churches of Galatia then Mr. Williams imagined was found in the Church of Salem Paul did not reject them but professed I desire saith he to be present with you now and to change my voyce for I stand in doubt of you Gal. 4.20 Mr. Williams acknowledgeth in the next Paragraph That the Church of Colosse might say to Archippus Take heed to thy Ministery and that Archippus might negligently and proudly refuse to hearken to them but for his case his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to God and the soules of the people will witnesse for him when his soule shall come to Hezekiahs case on his death-bed and in the great day approaching I do not know but that Archippus might as justly refuse to hearken to the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams to the Church of Salem What though Colosse was more eminent in gifts then Salem yet the mutuall power and subjection of Pastor and people dependeth not upon eminency of gifts but upon the Institution of Christ and their mutuall Covenant and Relation If it had been a negligent and proud part in Archippus as Mr. Williams confesseth to refuse to hearken to the lawfull voyce of the Church of Colosse admonishing him of his slacknesse in his Ministery I know not but it might be such a like part in Mr. Williams to refuse to hearken to the voyce of the Church of Salem admonishing him to take heed of deserting his Ministery Whether is a greater sinne in a Minister not to fulfill his Ministery or to desert his Ministery Neither doe I know but that Archippus might have pretended the like evasions with Mr. Williams if not fairer For he might plead there were amongst them such as spoyled them through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the Traditions of men and Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2.8 that beguiled them also in a voluntary humilitie and worship of Angels not holding the Head ver 18 19. Yea so farre that themselves come to be dogmatized with the Traditions of men ver 20 21 22. And why might not then Archippus as justly refuse to heare the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams refuse to heare the Church of Salem Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe in suiting his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to Hezekiahs case Hezekiah faithfully and uprightly endeavoured and through grace procured the reformation of the Apostate Church of Hierusalem in the dayes of his Father Ahaz But Mr. Williams in stead of reforming one Church renounceth all For his neglect of hearkening to the second voyce the voyce and testimony of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches He saith because he truely esteemeth the Persons he will not answer the Argument of numbers and multitudes against one as our men are wont to answer the Popish universalitie that God stirreth up sometimes one Elijah against eight hundred of Baals Priests c. But this he saith that David himselfe and the Princes of Israel and 30000. of Israel carrying up the Arke were not to be hearkened unto in their holy intentions of rejoycings and triumphs when the due order of the Lord was wanting to them In which case one Scripture in the mouth of a Mechanick is to be preferred before a whole Councell Answ I will not here observe as Mr. Williams doth in a like case in Chap. 38. of his Bloudy Tenent his hast and light attention to the Scriptures which himselfe alledgeth The Text speaketh but of 450. of Baals Priests 1 Kings 18.19 Now for him to multiply them to 800 is to fetch in also the Prophets of the Groves the Prophets of Jeroboams Calves whom the Text expresly distinguisheth from the Prophets of Baal But to let that passe as not materiall to the Argument no more then the misquotation which he observeth of Titus for Timothy we will not reply as the Papists doe against single witnesses let him call for fire from Heaven as Eliah did and we will submit the testimonies of many to one single witnesse No we call not for Miracles at his hand but let him produce one testimony of holy Scripture rightly understood and applyed against the advice and voyce of those Elders and Brethren and then though he be but one yea though that one were but a Mechanick too we shall gratifie his demand and by the Grace of Christ be ready rather to hearken to him then require that he should hearken to us Meane while we answer him as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.36 What came the word of God out from you or came it unto you onely It is true David and the Princes and the 30000. of Israel were not to be hearkened unto nor followed in their disorderly carrying of the Arke because the word of the Lord had given expresse order to the contrary requiring that the Kohathites should beare the Arke upon their shoulders and not touch it least they dye Num. 4.15 Let him shew us the like order violated by us and we shall freely excuse him yea and justifie him in not hearkening to us nor following of us But suppose some one Prophet or Brother of Israel had discerned the disorder of David and of the whole Congregation of the 30000. of Israel and had therefore not onely refused to follow them but had proceeded further as many of Christs Disciples did with him Joh. 6.66 to goe back from them with an utter Apostasie and to walke no more with them no not though they were willing to reforme their disorder if any were made knowne to them Would Perez Vzzah have justified that Or did that disorder of David and of that Congregation of Israel dischurch them all from fellowship with God or discharge their Brethren from having any fellowship with them as with the Church of God TO CHAP. III. HIs third Chapter is taken up in answering to a Phrase in my Letter in which I had said I endeavoured to shew him the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he had banished himselfe from the fellowship of all the Churches in this Countrey The summe of his Answer is That his grounds were the firme rocke of the Truth of Jesus and that my endeavours to prove them sandy are but the weake and uncertain sand of mans Invention which shall therefore perish and burne like hay or stubble And the Rocky strength of his grounds shall appeare in the Lords season and that my selfe also may yet confesse so much as I have since I came to New-England confest the sandinesse of the grounds of many of my Practises in Old England and the rockinesse of their grounds that witnessed against me and them for Instance that himselfe had discovered to me and other servants of God his grounds against the use of the