Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n
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A96614
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Mr. Cottons letter lately printed, examined and ansvvered: by Roger Williams of Providence in New·England.
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Williams, Roger, 1604?-1683.
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1644
(1644)
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Wing W2767; Thomason E31_16; ESTC R11382
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47,388
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50
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will be accepted of the Lord and who can tell but that he may blesse it to you also if by his help I endeavour to shew you the sandines of those grounds out of which you have banished your self from the fellowship of all the Churches in these Countries Answ First I acknowledge it an holy Character of an heavenly Spirit will-Will-worship varnished over with the glittering shew of Humility to make ingenuous true acknowledgement of an uncircumcised lip yet that discerning Spirit which God graciously vouchsafeth to them that tremble at his word shall not only find that not only the will worships of men may be painted and varnished over with the glittering shew of humility Spirituall priâ—e may swell out of the sence of a mans Humility Coloss 2. but also Gods dearest servants eminent for humility and meeknes may yet be troubled with a swelling of spirituall pride out of the very sence of their humility It pleased God to give Paul himselfe preventing physick against this distemper in the midst of Gods gracious revelation to him Humility most unseasonable in setting up will-worship or persecuting others And what an humble argument doth David use when himself advised by Nathan went about an evill work out of an holy intention to wit a work of will worship in building the Temple unbidden Behold I dwell in an house of cedars but the Arke of God in a tent 2 Sam. 7. Humility is never in season to set up superstition or to persecute Gods children CHAP. II. Secondly I observe his charge against me for not hearkning to a twofold voice of Christ first of the whole Church of Christ with me Unto which I answere according to my conscience and perswasion I was then charged by Office with the feeding of that flock and when in the apprehension of some publike evils Publike sins the cause of publike Calamities must be faithfully discovered by spiritual watchmen the whole Countrey profest to humble it selfe and seek God I endeavoured as a faithfull Watchman on the walls to sound the Trumpet and give the Alarum and upon a Fast day in faithfullnes and uprightnesse as then and still I am perswaded I discovered 11 publike sins for which I beleeved and doe it pleased God to inflict and further to threaten publike calamities Most of which 〈◊〉 if not all that Church then seemed to assent unto untill afterward in my troubles the greater part of that Church was swayed and bowed whether for feare of persecution or otherwise to say and practise what to my knowledge with signes and groans many of them mourned under I know the Church of Colosse must say to Archippus Coloss 4. Take heed to thy Ministry Faithfullnes to God and Man though for present Censured will give rejoycing in day of Death and judgement c which he may negligently and proudly refuse to hearken to But let my case be considered and the word of the Lord examined and the difference of my case will shine forth and my faithfullnes and uprightnes to God and the soules of that people will witnesse for me when my soule comes to Hezechiahs case on his death bed and in that great day approaching For my not hearkning to the second voice the testimony of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches because I truely esteem and honour the persons of which the New-English Churches are constituted The Popish argument from Multitudes I will not answere the argument of numbers and multitudes against One as we use to answere the Popish universalitie that God somtimes stirs up one Elijah against 800. of Baals Priests one Micaiah against 400. of Ahabs Prophets one Athanasius against many hundreth of Arrian Bishops one Iohn Hus against the whole Councel of Constance Luther and the 2 Witnesses against many thousands c. David and the Princes and 30 thousand of Israel a type of Gods best servants reforming yet not after the due Order Yet this I may truly say that David himself and the Princes of Israel and 30 thousand Israel carrying up the Arke were not to be hearkned to nor followed in their as I may say holy rejoycings and Triumphings the due Order of the Lord yet being wanting to their holy intentions and affections and the Lord at last sending in a sad stop and breach of Vzzah amongst them Perez Vzzah as he hath ever yet done and will doe in all the Reformations that have been hitherto made by his Davids which are not after the due Order To which purpose it is maintained by the Papists themselves An excellent confession of â—he Papists concerning Scripture and by their Councels that Scripture only must be heard yea one Scripture in the mouth of one simple Mechannick before the whole Councel By that only do I desire to stand or fall in triall or judgement For all flesh is grasse and the beautie of flesh the most wisest holiest learnedst is but the flowre or beautie of grasse only the word of Jehovah standeth fast for ever CHAP. III. Thirdly Mr. Cotton endeavoureth to discover the sandines of those grounds out of which as he saith I have banished my selfe c. I answere I question not his holy and loving intentions and affections Good intentions and affections in Gods people accepte with God when their indevours perish and burn like stubble c. and that my grounds seem sandie to himselfe and others Those intentions and affections may be accepted as his person with the Lord as David of his desires to build the Lord a Temple though on sandy grounds Yet Mr. Cottons endeavours to prove the firm rock of the truth of Jesus to be the weak and uncertain sand of mans invention those shall perish and burn like hay or stubble The rockie strength of those grounds shall more appeare in the Lords season and himself may yet confesse so much as since he came into New England he hath confest the sandines of the grounds of many of his practises in which he walked in Old England Many grounds seemed sandie to Mr. Cotton in Old England which now he confesseth to be rockie and the rockinesse of their grounds that witnessed against them and himself in those practises though for that time their grounds seemed sandie to him When my selfe heretofore through the mercy of the most high discovered to himself and othereminent servants of God my grounds against their using of the Common Prayer my grounds seemed sandie to them which since in New England Mr. Cotton hath acknowledged rockie Mr. Cotton formerly perswaded to practise Common Prayer but since hath writt'n against it and hath seen cause so to publish to the world in his Discourse to Mr. Ball against set Forms of Prayer But because the Reader may aske both Mr. Cotton and me what were the grounds of such a sentence of Banishment against me which are here called sandie I shall relate in briefe what those grounds were some whereof he
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