befall the truest Churches of the Lord Jesus at Antioch Corinth Galatia who were exercised with great distractions Secondly it is a common character of a false Church maintained by the Smiths and Cutlers Shop to enjoy a quiet calme and peaceable tranquility A false church may enforce a present greater though false grace then the true Spouse of Christ Iesus none daring for feare of civill punishment to question object or differ from the common roade and custome Thus sings that great Whore the Antichristian Church Revel 18 I sit as a Queen am no Widow see no sorrow while Christs dearest complaines she is forsaken sits weeping as a Widow Lam. 1. Thirdly Gods people in that way have somtimes long enjoyed sweet peace and soul contentment in England Holland New England and other places and would not have exchanged a day of such an holy and peaceable harmonie for thousands in the Courts of Princes seeing no other Gods people have found infinit sweetnes and peace in some times of their holy communion and in sinceritie seeking after the Lord Jesus And yet I humbly conceive that as David with the Princes and 30 thousand Israelites carrying the Ark on the shoulders of the Oxen leaped and danced with great rejoycing untill God smote Vzzah for his Error and Disorder and made a breach and a teaching Monument of Perez Vzzah the breach of Vzzah So in like manner all those celebrations of the spirituall Arke or Ordinances Breaches have been and must be among all Gods people to make them celebrate the Lords holy ordinances according to due order which yet I have know although for the present accompanied with great rejoycing and tryumphing yet as they have not been after the Due Order so have they all met with and still must a Peâ—â—â— Vzzah breaches and Divisions untill the Lord Jesus discover direct and incourage his servants in his own due holy Order and appointment And for growth in Grace notwithstanding that amongst all sorts of Gods Witnesses some false brethren creep in as cheaters and spies and Judasses dishonouring the name of Christ Jesus Many gracelesse Iudasses amongst Gods people and betraying his Witnesses yet Sathan himselfe the accuser of the Saints cannot but confesse that multitudes of Gods Witnesses reproached with the names of Brownists and Anabaptists have kept themselves from the error of the wicked and grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus endevouring to clense themselves from all filthines both of flesh and spirit Multitudes of gracions and holy persons that have professed Separation and to finish holines in the feare of God I will not make odious and envious comparisons but desire that all that name the name of the Lord Iesus may depart wholly and for ever from iniquity CHAP. XXIIII Lastly he addeth M. Cotton That such as erring through simplicitie and tendernes have grown in grace have grown also to discern their lawfull liberty in the hearing of the Word from English preachers Ans I will not question the uprightnes of some â—oure sorts of back-sliders from Separation far from growth in grace who have gone back from many truths of God which they have professed yet mine own experience of 4 sorts who have back-sliden I shall report for a warning to all into whose hands these may come to be like Antipas Revel 2. a faithfull witnesse to the death to any of the truths of the Lord Jesus which he shall please to be trust them with First I have known no small number of such torn to absolute Familisme Some back-sliding turn to Familisme and under their pretences of great raptures of Love deny all obedience to or seeking after the pure Ordinances and appointments of the Lord Jesus Secondly Some to prophanesse others have laid the raines upon the necks of their consciences and like the Dog lickt up their vomit of former loosnes and prophanes of lip and life and have been so farre from growing in grace that they have turned the grace of God into wantonnes Thirdly Some to persecuting of others others backsliding have lost the beautie and shining of a tâ—nder conscience toward God and of a mercifull compassion toward men becomming most fierce persecutors of their own formerly fellow witnesses and of any other who have differd in conscience from them Lastly Some tâ— languishing in sorrow and sadnesse c. others although preserved from Familisme prophanes and persecuting of others yet the leafe of their Christian course hath withered the later beautie and savour of their holines hath not been like their former and they have confest do their sin their weaknes their bondage and wish they were at liberty in their former freedom and some have gone with little peace but sorrow to their graves confessing to my selfe and others that God never prospered them in soule or body since they sold away his truth which once they had bought and made profession of it never to sell it CHAP. XXV Yea but saith he they have grown to discern their lawfull libertie Mr. Cotton to return to the hearing of the Word from English preachers Ans Here I might ingage my selfe in a contraversie which neither this Treatise will permit Mr. Cans answer to Mr Robinsons Liberty of hearing nor is there need since it hath pleased the Father of lights to stirre up the spirit of a faithfull Witnes of his truth in this particular Mr. â—ann to make a large and faithfull reply to a Book Printed in Mr. Robinsons name tending to prove such a lawfull Liberty For such excellent and worthy persons whom Mr. Cotton here intends by the name of English preachers I acknowledge my selfe unworthy to hold the candle to them Mr Cottons confession concerning the ministry yet I shall humbly present what Mr. Cotton himselfe professeth in 3 particulars First concerning this title English preachers Secondly hearing the Word from such English preachers Thirdly the lawfull calling of such to the Ministry or service according to Christ Jesus For the first he acknowledgeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the ordinarie Ministers of the Gospel are Pastors Teachers Bishops Overseers Elders and that their proper worke is to feed and govern a truly converted holy and godly people gathered into a flock or Church estate and not properly preachers to convert beget make Disciples Matth. 28. which the Apostles and Evangelists professedly were Now then that man that professeth himselfe a Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and professeth to feed a Flock or Church with the Ordinances of Word and Prayer he must needs acknowledge that his proper worke is not to preach for conversion Preachers and Pastor fâ—â—re different which is most preposterous amongst a converted Christian people fed up with Ordinances in Church estate So that according to Mr. Cottons confession English preachers are not Pastors Teachers Bishops Elders but preachers of glad news Evangelists men sent to convert and
be banished from the civil state And therfore lastly as he casts dishonour upon the name of God Mr. Cotton not having felt the miseries of others can bee no equall judge of them to make him the Author of such cruell mercy so had his soule been in my soules case exposed to the miseries poverties necessities wants debts hardships of Sea and Land in a banished condition he would I presume reach forth a more mercifull cordiall to the afflicted But he that is despised and afflicted is like a lamp despised in the eyes of him that is at ease Iob. CHAP. VIII Mr. Cotton Yea but he speaks not these things to adde affliction to the afflicted but if it were the holy will of God to move me to a serious sight of my sinne and of the justice of Gods hand against it Against your corrupt Doctrines it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against you with the sword of his mouth as himselfe speaketh Rev. 2. in the mouthes and testimonies of the Churches Brethren against whom when you overheat your selfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his truth it pleased him to stop your mouth by a sudden Disease and to threaten to take breath from you But you instead of recoiling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in the way and protest against all the Churches and brethren that stood in your way and thus the good hand of Christ that should have humbled you to see and turn from the error of your way hath rather hardned you therin and quickned you only to see failings yea intollerable errors in all the Churches and brethren rather then in your selfe Answer In these lines an humble and discerning spirit may espie First a glorious justification and boasting of Himselfe and others concurring with him Secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable censure of the afflicted To the first I say no more The lanthorâ—e of Gods word must alone try who fights with the sword of Gods mouth the same word of God but let the light of the holy lanthorne of the word of God discover and try with whom the sword of Gods mouth that is the testimony of the holy Scripture for Christ against Antichrist abideth And whether my self and such poore Witnesses of Jesus Christ in Old and New England Low-Countries c. desiring in meeknes and patience to testifie the truth of Jesus against all false callings of Ministers Whether Mr. Cotton persecuting or the answerer persecuted bee likest to Balaam c. Or Mr. Cotton however in his person holy and beloved swimming with the stream of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of persecution such as dare not joyn in worship with him I say whether of either be the Witnesses of Christ Jesus in whose mouth is the sword of his mouth the sword of the Spirit the holy word of God and whether is most like to Balaam To the secâ—nâ— his censure It is true it pleased God by excessivâ— labours on the Lords dayes The answerers profession concerning his sicknes which Mr. Cotton upbraids to him and thrice a week at Salem by labours day and night in my Field with my own hands for the maintenance of my charge by travells also by day and night to goe and return from their Court and not by over-heating in dispute divers of themselves confessing publikely my moderation it pleased God to bring me neare unto death in which time notwithstanding the mediating testimony of two skillfull in Physick I was unmercifully driven from my chamber to a Winters flight During my sicknes I humbly appeale unto the Father of Spirits for witnes of the upright and constant diligent search my spirit made after him in the examination of all passages both my private disquisitions with all the chief of their Ministers and publike agitations of points controverted and what gracious fruit I reaped from that sicknes I hope my soule shall never forget However I mind not to number up a catalogue of the many censures upon Gods servants in the time of Gods chastisements and visitations on them Scripture history experience can witnes the censures upon Gods servants in their afflictions both in Scripture History and experience Nor retort the many evills which it pleased God to bring upon some chief procurers of my sorrows nor upon the whole State immediatly after them which many of their own have observed and reported to me but I commit my cause to him that judgeth Righteously and yet resolve to pray against their Evils Psal 141. CHAP. IX Mr. Cotton In which course though you say you doe not remember an houre wherein the countenance of the Lord was darkned to you yet be not deceived it is no new thing with Sathan to transform himselfe into an Angel of light and to cheare the soule with false peace and with flashes of counterfeit consolation Sad and wofull is the memorie of Mr. Smiths strong consolation on his death-bed which is set as a seale to his grosse and damnable Arminianisme and Enthusiasme delivered in the confession of his Faith prefixed to the Storie of his life and death The countenance of God is upon his people when they feare him not when they presume of their own strength and his consolations are not found in the way of prefidence and error but in the wayes of humilitie and truth Ans To that part which concerns my self the speech hath reference either to the matter of justification or else matter of my affliction for Christ of both which I remember I have had discourse For the first I have exprest in some conference as Mr. Cotton himselfe hath also related concerning some A soule at peace with God may yet endure great combats concerning sanctification with whom I am not worthy to be named that after first manifestations of the countenance of God reconciled in the blood of his Son unto my soule my questions and trouble have not been concerning my reconciliation and peace with God but concerning sanctification and fellowship with the holines of God in which respect I desire to cry with Paul in the bitternes of my spirit O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Secondly it may have reference to some conference concerning affliction for his Names sake in which respect I desire to acknowledge the faithfullnes of his word and promise to be with his in 6 troubles and in 7 through fire and water making good 100 fold with persecution Affliction for Christ sweet to such of his servants as suffer ought for his names sake and I have said and must say and all Gods witnesses that have borne any paine or losse for Jesus must say that fellowship with the Lord Jesus in his sufferings is sweeter then all the fellowship with sinners in all the profits honours and pleasures of this present evill world And yet 2 things I desire
faithfull Witnesses of many truths have lived in more or lesse yea in maine and fundamentall points ever since the Apostacie Not to instance in all Mr. Cotton now professes to practise what thousands of Gods people for many ages have not seen but in some particulars which Mr. Cotton hath in new England reformed I earnestly beseech himself all wel to ponder how far he himself now professeth to see and practice that which so many thousands of godly persons of high note in all ages since the Apostacie saw not As First concerning the nature of a particular Church to consist only of holy and godly persons Secondly of a true Ministrie called by that Church Thirdly a true Worship free from Ceremonies Common-Prayer c. Fourthly a true Government in the hands only of such Governours and Elders as are appointed by the Lord Jesus Hence Gods people not seeing their Captivitie in these points must first necessarily be inlightned and called out from such Captivitie before they can be nextly fitted and prepared for the true Church Worship Ministrie c. CHAP. XI Secondly The Iewes of old in the type could not build the Altar and Temple in Babel but first they must come forth then build at Ierusalem this will be more cleare if wee consider Gods people and Church of old the Jewes captivated in materiall Babel they could not possibly build Gods Altar and Temple at Jerusalem untill the yoke and bonds of their captivity were broke and they set free to return with the vessels of the Lords house to set up his worship in Jerusalem as we see in the Bookes of Ezra Nehemia Daniel Haggai c. Hence in the Antitype Gods people the spiritual and mysticall Jewes cannot possibly erect the Altar of the Lords true worship and build the Temple of his true Church Gods mystical Israel in the Antitype must also come forth of Babel before they can build the Temple at Ierusalem without a true sight of their spirituall bondage in respect of Gods worship and a power and strength from Jesus Christ to bring them out and carry them through all difficulties in so mighty a work And as the being of Gods people in materiall Babell and a necessity of their comming forth before they could build the Temple did not in the least deny them to be Gods people no more now doth Gods people being in mystical Babel Rev. 18 nor the necessity of their comming forth hinder or deny the godlinesse of their persons Luther and other famous witnesses very grosse concerning Gods worship though eminent for personall grace or spirituall life within them Thirdly how many famous servants of God and witnesses of Jesus lived and died and were burnt for other truths of Jesus not seeing the evill of their Antichristian calling of Bishops c. How did famous Luther himself continue a Monk set forth the German Masse acknowledge the Pope and held other grosse abominations concerning Gods worship notwithstanding the life of Christ Jesus in him and wrought in thousands by his means Fourthly Mr. Cotton refuseth godly persons except they bee convinced of their Church Covenant Mr Cotton must be requested to remember his own practice as before how doth he refuse to receive persons eminent for personal grace and godlinesse to the Lords Supper other priviledges of Christians according to the profession of their Church-estate until they be convinced of the necessity of making entring into a Church covenant with them with a confession of farth c. and if any cannot bee perswaded of such a covenant and confession notwithstanding their godlinesse yet are they not admitted Lastly how famous is that passage of that solemne question put to Mr. Cotton and the rest of the new English Elders Mr. Cotton the English Elders refuse to permit eminent Ministers people of Old england to live in New England notwithstanding bee confesseth their godlines above his own if they joyn not in his Church-fellowship by divers of the ministers of old England eminent for personall godlinesse as Mr. Cotton acknowledgeth viz. Whether they might be permitted in new England to enjoy their consciences in a Church estate different from the New English unto which Mr. Cotton and the New English Elders returne a plain negative in effect thus much with the acknowledgment of their worth and godlines above their owne and their hopes of agreement Yet in conclusion if they agree not which they are not like to doe and submit to that way of Church-fellowship and Worship which in New England is set up they cannot only not enjoy Church-fellowship together but not permit them to live and breath in the same Aire and Common-weale together which was my case although it pleased Mr Cotton and others most incensed to give my selfe a testimony of godlines c. And this is the reason why although I confesse with joy the care of the New English Churches that no person be received to Fellowship with them in whom they cannot first discerne true Regeneration and the life of Jesus yet I said and still affirm that godlie and regenerate persons according to all the former instances and reasons are not fitted to constitute the true Christian Church untill it hath pleased God to convince their soules of the evill of the false Church Godly persons living trees living stones yet need much hewing and cutting to bring them from false to true worship Ministry Worship c. And although I confesse that godly persons are not dead but living Trees not dead but living Stones and need no new Regeneration and so in that respect need no felling nor digging out yet need they a mighty worke of Gods Spirit to humble and ashame them and to cause them to loath themselves for their Abominations or stincks in Gods nostrils as it pleaseth Gods Spirit to speak of false Worships Hence Ezek. 43. 11. Gods people are not fit for Gods House untill holy shame be wrought in them for what they have done Hence God promiseth to cause them to loath themselves because they have broken him with their whorish hearts Ezek. 6. 9. And hence it is that I have known some precious godly hearts confesse The comming forth of false worship a second kind as it were of regeneration to Gods people that the plucking of their souls out from the Abominations of false worship hath been a second kind of Regeneration Hence was it that it pleased God to say concerning his peoples returne from their Materiall Captivitie a figure of our Spirituall and mysticall that they should not say Jehovah liveth who brought them from the land of Egypt a type of first conversion as is conceived but Jehovah liveth who brings them from the land of the North a type of Gods peoples return from spirituall bondage to confused and invented Worships Return from the land of the North. CHAP. XII Now wheras Mr. Cotton addeth That godly persons are
it a sin meet to be censured but not with so deep a censure as to Excommunicate all the Churches or to separate from them before it do appeare that they doe tollerate their members in such their causeles reproachings We confesse the errors of men are to be contended against not with reproaches but the Sword of the Spirit but on the other side the saylings of the Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation It is not chyrurgery but butcherie to heale every sore in a member with no other but abscision from the body Ans The Church of Salem was known to profes separation and was generally and publikely reproached and I could mencion a case wherin she was punished for it implicitly Mr. Cotton here confesseth these 2 things which I leave to himselfe to reconcile Mr. Cotton seemes to bee both for and yet against separation with his former profession here and elswhere against separation First saith he if any reproach them for separation it is a sin meet to be censured Secondly the Churches themselves may be separated from who tolerate their members in such causeles reproachings In these later passages he seems as in other his confessions and practises mentioned to be for it sensible of shame disgrace or reproach to be cast on it I grant with him the failings of Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation Mr. Cottons own confessions are sufficient answers to himselfe yet himself within a few lines confesseth there is a lawfull separation from Churches that doe but tollerate their members in causeles reproaches I confesse also that it is not chyrurgerie but butcherie to heale every sore with no other medicine but with abscision from the body yet himselfe confesseth before that even Churches of godly persons must be separated from for immoderate worldlines Not for a sore of infirmity but a leprosie or gangrene of obstinacie ought a person to be cat off And again here he confesseth they may be separated from when they tolerate their members in such their causeles reproachings Beside it is not every sore of infirmitie or ignorance but an Ulcer or Gangrene of Obstinacy for which I maintained that a person ought to be cut off or a Church separated from But if he call that butcherie conscienciously and peaceably to separate from a spirituall communion of a Church or societie Mr. Cotton deeply guilty of cruelty both against consciences and bodies in persecuting of them yet cryes out against the appearance of due severitie in the Church of Christ what shall it be called by the second Adam the Lord Jesus who gives names to all creatures and all actions to cut off persons them and theirs branch and root from any civill being in their territories and consequently from the whole world were their territories so large because their consciences dare not bow down to any worship but what they beleeve the Lord Jesus appointed and being also otherwise subject to the civill state and Laws therof CHAP. XXIII Thirdly wheras I urged a speech of his own viz. that God had not prospered the way of separation and conceives that I understood him of outward prosperitie He affirms the Puritans to have been worse used in England then the Separatist thus writes The meeting of the Separatists may be known to the Officers in Court and winked at when the Conventicles of the Puritans as they call them shall be hunted out with all diligence and pursued with more violence then any Law can justifie Ans Doubtles the contraversie of God hath bin great with this Land Gods controversie for persecution that either of both have been so violently pursued and persecuted I beleeve they are both the Witnesses of severall truths of Jesus Christ against an impenitent and unchristian profession of the name of the Lord Jesus Now for their suffrings The suffrings of the Separatists and Puritants in England compared As the Puritans have not comparably suffred as but seldome congregating in separate assemblies from the common so have not any of them suffred unto death for the way of Non-conformitie to Ceremonies c. Indeed the worthy witnes Mr. Vdall was neere unto death for his witnes against Bishops and Ceremonies Mr. Vdal but Mr. Penry Mr. Barrow Mr. Penry Mr Barrow Mr. Greenwood Mr. Greenwood followed the Lord Jesus with their Gibbets on their shoulders and were hanged with him and for him in the way of separation many more have been condemned to die banished and choaked in prisons I could produce upon occasion Again Few conscientious Separatists but first were Puritans I beleeve that there hardly hath ever been a conscientious Seperatist who was not first a Puritan for as Mr. Can hath unanâ—werably proved the grounds and principles of the Puritans against Bishops and Ceremonies and prophanes of people proâ—essing Christ The Non-conformists grounds inforce separation and the necessitie of Christs flock and discipline must necessarily if truely followed lead on to and inforce a separation from such wayes worships and Worshippers to seek out the true way of Gods worship according to Christ Jesus But what should be the reason since the separatist witnesseth against the root of the Church constitution it selfe that yet he should find as Mr. Cotton saith more favour then the Puritan or Non-conformist Doubtles the reasons are evident Most of the separation of the lower sort of people First most of Gods servants who out of sight of the ignorance unbeliefe and prophanes of the body of the Nationall Church have separated and durst not have longer fellowship with it I say most of them have been poore and low The poverty of Mr. Ainsworth and not such gainfull customers to the Bishops their Courts and Officers That worthy instrument of Christs praise Mr. Ainsworth during some time and some time of his great labours in Holland lived upon 9. d. per week with roots boiled The Nonconformists have been a faire booty for the Bishops c. Wheras on the other side such of Gods servants as have been Nonconformists have had faire estates been great persons have had rich livings and benefices of which the Bishops and theirs like greedie Wolves have made the more desirable prey The Separatists have been professed enemies but the Puritans in many things professed friends subjects to the Bishops Secondly it is a principle in nature to preferre a professed enemie before a pretended friend Such as have separated have been lookt at by the Bishops and theirs as known and professed enemies wheras the Puritans profest subjection and have submitted to the Bishops their Courts their Officers their Common Prayer and Worships and yet as the Bishops have well known with no greater affection then the Israelites bare their Egyptian cruel Taskmasters He saith Mr. Cotton God hath not prospered the way of Separation with peace amongst themselves and growth of Grace Ans The want of peace may