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
wit whilest they remaine bad yet it is their worke to seek the changing of the bad into good ground that so they may come to prosper and flourish For is it not the proper work of the Church to bring on their children to become the sincere People of God as well as to keep themselves in that estate Is it not a maine Branch of their Covenant with God that as God giveth himselfe to be a God to them and to their seed so they should give up themselves and their seed to be his People Besides hath not God given Pastours and Teachers as well for the gathering together of the Saints as for the edification of the body of Christ And hath he not given the Church and the Gospel Preached in the Church to lye like Leaven in three Pecks of Meale till all be Leavened Mat. 13.33 Answ 4. There is not such resemblance between High-way-side ground and good ground as is between Tares and Whea nor would the servants of the Husbandman ever wonder that weeds should grow in the high-way-side ground as they do at the growing of Tares in the Field Nor would they ever aske the Question whether they should pluck up weeds out of the High-way-side or stones out of the stony ground or pluck up Thornes out of the Thorney CHAP. 23. A Reply to his Chapt. 23. Still touching the Tares Discusser These Tares I shall evidently prove to be Idolaters and in particular properly Antichristians For first these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the Children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifest ver 38. Defender Answ 1. These Tares are not such sinners as are contrary to the children of the Kingdome for then none should be opposite to them but they For contraries are such quorum unum uni opponitur But evident it is there be more wicked ones opposite to the children of the Kingdome then Idolaters and Antichristians to wit those notoriously scandalous wicked ones whom the Discusser nameth in the next Chapter Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons Answ 2. It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging of the Question to say that these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifested For the Tares were not discerned at first as hath been shewed above till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit Discusser These Tares are the Children of the wicked one which wicked one I take to be not the Devill for the Lord Jesus seemeth to make them distinct The Tares saith he are the Children of the wicked one or wickednesse the Enemy that sowed them is the Devill Defender Answ 1. The Devill and the wicked one may well meane one and the same Person For if the Devill sowed these Tares then these Tares were the seed and so the children of the Devill Why should they be called the seed of one and the children of another Answ 2. Suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated the children of the wicked one or wickednesse that style will agree to hypocrites as well as to other Persons Sure it is the Lord Jesus often calleth the Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites Mat. 23. and he calleth them also a wicked and adulterous Generation Mat. 16. And therefore still these Tares will not appeare to be others then Hypocrites CHAP. 24. A Reply to his 24. Chapter Still touching the Tares Discusser Though all Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons c. be opposite to Gods Children yet the opposition of the Tares here against the Children of the Kingdome is such an opposition as fights against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. It is manifest the Lord Jesus intendeth no other sort of sinners in this Parable then Antichristians unto whom here he saith let them alone in Church or State For then he should contradict other holy and blessed Ordinances for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State For 1. In the Civill State God hath armed Parents Masters Magistrates to punish evill doers Murderers Quarrellers uncleane Persons stealers extortioners such ought not to be let alone neither in lesser nor greater Families Townes Cities Kingdomes Rom. 13. but seasonably supprest c. 2. In the Kingdome of Christ whose Officers Lawes punishments weapons are all Spirituall and of a Soule-nature he will not have Antichristian Idolaters Extortioners Covetous c. to be let alone but the uncleane Lepers to be thrust forth c. Therefore if neither the Offenders against the Civill Lawes State and Peace ought to be let alone nor the Spirituall State the Church ought to beare with them that are evill Rom. 2. I Conclude that these Tares are sinners of another nature Idolaters false Worshippers Antichristians who without discouragement to true Christians must be let alone and permitted in the world to grow up untill the great Harvest Defender Answ 1. As all wicked Persons be opposite to Gods children for the children of the Kingdome of Light and the children of the Kingdome of darknesse cannot but be opposite so the opposition that is in all the wicked against the children of God doth fight against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus For such as stand for the Kingdome of Satan as all wicked men doe they stand in opposition to the Kingdome of Christ No man can serve two Masters If he cleave to the one he standeth in enmitie to the other Mat. 6.24 Answ 2. It followeth not that because Christ biddeth his Ministers Let the wicked alone in Church or State That therefore he intendeth no other then Antichristian Idolaters Neither should Christ contradict any Ordinance of his own for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State though he should command other offenders to be let alone besides Antichristians For no Ordinance or Law of God nor just Law of man commandeth the rooting out of hypocrites either by Civill or Church-censure though the Church be bound to endeavour as much as in them lyeth to heale their hypocrisie Answ 3. Neither is it true that Antichristians are to be let alone by the Ordinance of Christ till the end of the world For what if the members of a Christian Church shall some of them Apostate to Antichristian Superstition and Idolatry as often falleth out by the seduction of the Emissaries of Babel doth the Ordinance of Christ binde the hands of the Church of which they are Members to let them alone In chapter 19. The Discusser himself would not have the superstitious observation of Lent-Fasts to be let alone And surely Christ ordained by his blessed Apostle Paul that if any Brother proved an Idolater whether Pagan or Antichristian such an one should be cast out by excommunication 1 Cor. 5.11 Besides What if any Antichristian Persons out of zeale to the Catholick Cause and out of conscience to the command of their Superiours should seeke to destroy the King and Parliament
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
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
of it For may it not justly be conceived That the Lord therefore hid the place of his buriall least the Children of Israel knowing it might goe a whoring after his Sepulchre and it may be offer sweet incense upon it and so such false worship against the law of Moses might come to be Tolerated for honor to the body of Moses But Christ hath abolished a Nationall State or Church which Moses set up in Canaan Though Christ abolished a Nationall Church-State and instead thereof set up a Congregationall Church yet Christ never abolished a Nationall Civill State nor the Judiciall Lawes of Moses which were of Morall equity but established them rather in their place and order He that shed his own bloud to plant his Church did never abolish that Law which enacted that his bloud should be upon him who should supplant his Church If Christs bloud goe to plant it let the false Christs bloud goe for supplanting it Discusser In the King of Bohemias speech the Answerer passeth by that Foundation in grace and Nature that Conscienee ought not to be violated and forced it is a spirituall Rape Defender This was not passed by but prevented in stating the Question where it was said it is not lawfull to censure any no not for error in Fundamentall points of Doctrine or Worship till the Conscience of the offendor be first convinced out of the word of God of the dangerous error of his way and then if he still persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.11 so he is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but punished for sinning against his Conscience Discusser The King observeth that most lamentably true experience of all ages That persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious c. Defender No experience in any age did ever prove it pernicious to punish seducing Apostates after due conviction of the error of their way Wherein did the burning of Servetus prove pernicious to Geneva or the just execution of many popish Preists to Queene Elizabeth or to the english State But the Kings speech may passe if it be meant of persecution properly so called to wit Oppression of the faithfull for the Truths sake yea if it be the punishment of any for error If not Fundamentally pernicious either to Religion or Church-order and that after conviction of Conscience persisted in with obstinacy Discusser Lastly the Kings observation of his owne time that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery reigned Implying as I conceive such practises commonly proceed from the great Whore whose Daughters are like their Mother all of a bloudy nature as commonly all wolves be Defender It is no marvell if I passed by this observation in the Kings speech For there is no such observation there to be found If the Discusser had well observed it himselfe he would have found it was not the speech of the King but of the Prisoner And the persecution he speaketh of was not of Antichristians or Hereticks or Idolaters but onely of such as the world nick-named Puritans or the like and of them too without conviction of the error of their way But in that the Discusser maketh England a Daughter of the great Whore and of a bloudy nature like her Mother he speaketh as some other of the rigid Seperation have done before him But I could never yet see awarrant from the rule either of Truth or Love for such a speech Did ever the holy Scripture call any Church an whore that worshipped the true God onely in the Name of Jesus and depended on him alone for righteousnesse and salvation Is it not the part of a base childe or at least a base pare of a childe to call his Mother whore who bred him and bred him to know no other Father but her lawfull Husband the Lord Jesus Christ CHAP. 60. A Reply to his 63. Chap. Discusser NOw Thirdly In that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperors they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian Whereas the good Emperors Constantine Gratian Valentian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arians and Donatists Let it be for an Answer It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous c. Defender This may goe for a truth but not for an Answer The Letter would Justifie Toleration of Religion from the judgement and speeches of three Kings I Answered that was no Argument for I could bring him Kings more in number and greater in the sight of God and man who judged it meet not to tolerate Hereticks nor turbulent Schismaticks To this the Discusser Answereth sometimes the Godly doe that which is evill and the wicked that which is good This I say is a Truth but doth not take away my Answer but by a Petitio Principij a begging of the Question That Kings alledged by him did that which was good but the Kings alledged by me though better persons did that which was evill CHAP. 61. A Reply to his Chap. 64. Discusser THe unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperors did more hurt to Christ Jesus his Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes In the persecution of those wicked Emperors Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded in Morters But those good Emperors persecuting some erroneous persons and advancing the Professors of some truthes and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword by this meanes Christianity was eclipsed The Professors of it fell asleepe Cant. 5. Babel was usher'd in and by degrees the Churches of the Saints were turned into the Wildernesse of whole Nations Rev. 12.13 untill the whole world became Christian or Christendome Those good Emperors intending to exalt Christ but not attending to the command of Christ Jesus to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the world all one c. Defender If the unknowing zeale of Constantine other Christian Emperors did more hurâ— to the Church then the raging fury of bloudy Neroes It was not because the raging fury of those Persecutors was more accepted of God then this unknowing zeale of the good Emperors For though the unknowing zeale of the one was finfull yet it was the friut of humane frialty Error Amoris But the rage of the others was divelish fury Amor Erroris Besides the unknowing zeale of the good Emperors lay not in punishing notorious Hereticall Seducers nor will the Discusser be ever able to shew that the Church of Christ suffered any hurt at all by that meanes The contrary is evident Constantius and Valens by Tolerating and favoring the Arians the whole world became Arian Ingemuit orbis Christianus et miratus est factum se esse Arianum
fall to the Lawes and Governments of the Countries where they inhabite And therefore all the dangerous consequences which the Discusser gathereth from my speech but indeed not my speech but his owne as if I should drive the world out of the world or turne the world upside downe or leave it to men that have not Gods feare to judge who feare God and who not and the rest that follow they are all of them consequences without an Anticedent or an Anticedent without exsistence in any speech of mine but onely in his owne imagination Neither hath it any better ground that passionate exclamation of his with which he endeth this Chapter Heare saith he O Heavens and give eare O Earth yea let the Heavens be astonished and the Earth tremble at such an Answer What Answer thinke you might this be that might provoke not the Discusser onely but the Heavens and earth to such attention admiration trembling astonishment The Answer forsooth is that which he calleth a wonderfull Answer which the Ministers of New-England gave to the third Question sent to them by some Ministers of Old-England to wit that although they confessed them to be such persons whom they approved of farre above themselves yea who were in their hearts to live and die together yet if they or other godly people with them comming over to them should differ in Church-Constitution they then could not approve their civill Cohabitation with them and consequently could not advise their Magistrates to suffer them to injoy a civill being within their jurisdiction Now sure if there were any such Answer to be found in that Booke sounding to such a purpose I my selfe should joyne with him in the like exclamation and wonderment But when I came to search for that speech and neither finde it in the Answer which he quoteth to the third Question nor in that which I rather thinke he meant the 31. I cannot but admire and adore the righteous Judgement of God who having left the Discusser in this Booke and some other to write against the Truth in point of Doctrine hath herein left him to breake forth in his owne hand-writing into notorious impudent falshood in matter of fact which any man that readeth that Booke cannot but discerne in this Allegation The Answer is too large for me to transcribe but who so will may reade it and when he compareth the Answer in that Booke with the Answer in this he may well wonder with what heart and forhead the Discusser could so expresse it CHAP. 76. A Reply to his 79. Chap. Discusser Yea but say they they doubt not if those Ministers of Old-England should come over to them and were here with them they should agree For say they either you will come to us or shew us light to come to you for wee are but weake men and dreame not of perfection in this life Alas who knoweth not what lamentable differences have been betweene the same Ministers of the Church of England c. Let none now thinke that the passage to New-England by Sea or the nature of the Countrie can doe what onely the Key of David can doe to wit open and shut the Consciences of men Defender I did not thinke that any man in Old-England or New had been so ignorant or uncharitable as to think the Pen-man of the Answer to these Questions had conceived that either the voyage by Sea or the change of the aire from Old England to New could change the judgements or Consciences of men Nature could tell Coelum non animum mutant qui trans mare Currunt But yet no Christian man is ignorant that mutual conference between Godly ingenuous and selfe-denying Christians is a notable meanes sanctified of God for the instruction edification one of another till wee all come to be of one minde in the Lord. Else how shall therebe mutuall convictions without mutuall conferences It is the Key of David onely that can open and shut the Consciences of men but that Key ordinarily doth it in the dispensation of Ordinances whereof Conference is one Discusser Besides how can this be a faithfull and upright acknowledgement of their weaknesse and imperfection when they Preach Print and practise such violence to the soules and bodyes of others And by their Rules and grounds ought to proceed to the killing of those whom they judge so deare unto them and in respect of godlynesse farre above themselves Defender This violence to the souls bodyes of men is often charged upon us by the Discusser But he hath not yet given us an instance of any one soule or body which hath undergone this violence from us Si Accusasse fufficiat quis innocens exit It is no new practise to be an Accuser of the Brethren neither is their any slaunder so false or scurrilous but findeth ready yea and greedy intertainment even of many professors especially such whose best Religion lyeth in the observing and censuring the wayes of others How welcome to such are evill reports of them that dare not allow themselves in any knowne evill This acknowledgement of our weaknesse and imperfection would then truly appeare to be neither faithfull nor upright if wee Preached or practised violence against such in comparison of whom we acknowledge our own weaknesse and imperfection Meane while we may well stand and wonder what rules and Grounds of ours those be by which wee ought to proceed even to the killing of those whom wee judge so deare unto us and in respect of Godlynesse far above us Are any of them whom wee so respect such as subvert the Foundation of the Christian Faith and persist therein obstinately after conviction are any of them presumptuous Blasphemers of the great Name of God Or Idolaters themselves and Seducers of others to Idolatry CHAP. 77. A Reply to his Chap. 80. Discusser VVHat though they say the Godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced thereof in Conscience If the civill Court and Magistrates must judge and those civill Courts are as lawfull consisting of naturall men as of Godly persons then what consequences will follow I have before mentioned Defender Mentioned indeed but not proved I hope by the helpe of Christ the inconsequence of them hath been cleared Discusser And I adde according to this Conclusion it must follow that if the most godly persons yeeld not to once or twice Admonition as is mainteyned by the Answerer they must necessarily be esteemed obstinate persons for if they were godly they would yeeld Defender Here againe the Discusser misreporteth my words For I did not say that if persons be godly they would yeeld to once or twice Admonition and if they did not yeeld to once or twice Admonition they must necessarily be esteemed obstinate persons But my words were The godly will not persist in Heresie or turbulent Schisme when they are convinced in Conscience of the sinfulnesse thereof Here is then a three-fold wresting of my
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
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
amongst them And this libertie he did use and might have used to this day without any disturbance to his Civill or Church-Peace save onely in a way of brotherly disquisition but it was his Doctrines and Practises which tended to the Civill disturbance of the Common-wealth together with his heady and busie pursuite of the same even to the rejection of all Churches here These they were that made him unfit for enjoying Communion either in the one state or in the other When he reckoneth me and me onely by name as one of the most incensed against him I reckon it as one of his usuall exorbitant Hyperboles unlesse by Incensed he meane one that with some others were most kindled and stirred up to endeavour his satisfaction And then his terme Incensed though it be not an Hyperbole yet it is an Acurology Neither doe I remember that he hath any cause to say that I gave him a Testimony of godlinesse For his godlinesse I leave it to him who is the searcher of hearts I neither attested it nor denied it Every brother in the Church though he may be called a brother in Christ as Christ is the Head of the visible Church and being cast out of the Church though he may be admonished as a Brother and so have some reference still to Christ yet godlinesse requiteth a Participation of the Divine Nature I speake in Peters sence 2 Pet. 1.4 by the power of the Spirit of Grace conforming us to fellowship with Christ and his Churches the which things have not so evidently appeared to me I speak it with griefe either in his spirit or in his way these many yeares And yet I deny not others may discerne more Power of Godlinesse in him then I doe and may speake of him accordingly But it was no uncharitable speech of Paul to tell the Galatians and that before all the Churches that he stood in feare of them Gal. 4.10 The life of faith from whence springeth both the truth and the Power of Godlinesse is very repugnant to Self-fulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith emptieth a man of self-confidence and maketh him apt to acknowledge with Agur Truely I am more foolish then any man Prov. 30.2 But the Lord help us to tremble before him If he leave us though but a while to our selves we can soone learne to reigne as Kings like the Corinthians without Church-Officers or the Ordinances of Christ 1 Cor. 4.8 TO CHAP. XII HIs 12th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a speech of mine That godly persons are not so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate from Christ Else they could not be godly persons His Answer is That this cometh not neere the Question which is not concernign personall godlinesse or Grace in Christ but the godlinesse or Christianitie of worship Whereupon he distinguisheth of Christ as considered two waies 1. Personally as God-man c. 2. As Head of his Church In the former sence he acknowledgeth they cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ in the latter they may Reply This distinction of Christ is inconveniently expressed as was the like once before For the membra dividentia the parts of the division are coincident Christ as God-man is the Head of the visible Church But his meaning I apprehend and accept Christ God-man is Head both of the invisible Church and of the visible As he is Head of the invisible Church so he is received by faith As he is head of the visible so he is received by profession of the true faith both of the grace of faith and of the Doctrine of faith The proper fruit whereof is holy worship and professed subjection to the Rule of the Gospel Now for his application of his Distinction in the generall I doe approve it and doe willingly acknowledge that a godly person may be through ignorance or negligence so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ taking Christ as Head of the visible Church For he may fall into such fundamentall Antichristian corruption in Doctrine or Worship or Government as either may justly prevent his admission into the Church or being in the Church and yet through pang of Temptation continuing obstinate in his corruption after conviction he may justly be excommunicate out of the Church But lest I may seeme to hover and so to vanish in Generalities whilest I onely speake of Antichristian corruptions in generall I shall willingly Instance in some Particulars which may give light to others of like nature It is an Antichristian corruption in Doctrine to accept any Propitiatory Sacrifices for our reconciliation but the death of Christ only It is a like corruption to look for Justification from sinne in the sight of God by our own works It is an Antichristian corruption in worship to worship Angels or Saints or Images It is an Antichristian corruption in Government to take the Pope to be the Head of the Church and such an Head as hath Power to make Laws to binde the Conscience to authorize Scripture to be Canonicall to adde other Books to Scripture with like Authoritie to be himselfe the onely Authenticall Interpreter of Scripture and Judge of Controversies These and the like corruptions are such as make Antichrist a Sonne of Perdition and them that are led by him to fall into like Perdition with him Of one of these Points Paul saith They that hold it hold not the Head Col. 2.18 19. Of another of these Paul saith They that hold it are abolished from Christ Gal. 5.4 The like wee may say of all the rest Yet in times of former darknesse some of the faithfull members of Christ might and were for a time entangled with a yoke of Bondage in some or most or all of these Particulars out of which the Lord at length rescued them by variety of Temptations and by some breaking forth of light in the mouths of some of his witnesses in every age But whilest any of them walked in these or like corruptions they might justly be debarred from admission into Church-fellowship or standing fast in them after conviction they might justly be cast forth out of Church-fellowship But there be other corruptions and Antichristian corruptions too which because they doe not subvert the Foundation neither of faith nor of Church-order I would not say that they separate from Christ no not as he is the Head of the visible Church For then if some whole Church were leavened with them they might soone cease to be a Church But we see the contrary in Scripture the High Places were tolerated in Judah and yet Judah ceased not to be a Church And by like proportion some more high and eminent Power may be given by some Churches to their Officers according to an Antichristian Patterne in some measure and yet they not cease to be a Church David and all the Congregation of Israel might bring up the Arke of God in a Cart after the manner of the
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
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
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