the Church be not nursed with poison in stead of milke And in so doing they keepe the first Table Reforme the Church judge in causes Ecclesiasticall Againe If the the same Princes shall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth and lick the dust of her feet as the same Text expresseth then they being members of the Church shall be subject also to Church-Censure In one word Princes sit on the Bench over the Church in the offensive Government of the Church yet may themselves being members of the Church be subject to Church-Censure in the offensive Government of themselves against the Rules of the Gospel The Examiner himselfe contesseth that in severall respects He that is a governor may be also a Subject Behold here are severall respects to wit severall objects of Judicature In the Mal-Administration of the Church the Magistrate sitteth as Judge and Governor in the Mal-Administration of a Church-Member-Magistrate contrary to the expresse rules of the Gospel he is subject to the power of Christ in the Church If it be said nay rather The Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall causes I Answer That easeth not the difficulty no more then the other For suppose the Magistrate a Church member live in Incest breake forth into murder and notorious oppression these are all civill causes belonging to the second Table If the Magistrate sit as Judge and supreme Governor in this case then must the Church tolerate him herein to the dishonour of the great Name of Christ to the leavening of the Church and to the perdition of his soule If it be granted that in such a case though civill the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magistrate and not to suffer sinne upon him let the like power be granted to the Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious transgressions of the first Table as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious transgressions of the second Table and the controversie is ended If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Magistrate the Supreme Judge and Governor in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as civill I doe not understand that the Ministers or Churches of Christ are called to acknowledge such a meaning Sure I am the Interpretation of that high stile which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth And the same Interpretation if no more be intended by that stile doth well stand with our defence But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harvest of my Brethren my Brethren who penned that Modell are richly furnished by Christ with ability to defend it I therefore leave it to them whom it cheifly concerneth to maintaine the Truth which themselves have witnessed in that Modell And the Lord Jesus Christ himself the God of Truth who came into the world that he might beare witnesse to the Truth be pleased to beare witnesse from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl … that peace a fraudulent and false peace which the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falshood in Religion to Heresie in Doctrine to Idolatry in worship to blasphemy of the great Name of God to Pollution and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces Amen Even So Come Lord Jesus A REPLY TO Mr. VVILLIAMS his EXAMINATION And Answer of the Letters sent to him by JOHN COTTON SUch a Letter to such a purpose I doe remember I wrote unto Mr. Williams about halfe a score yeares agoe But whether this printed Letter be a true Copie thereof or no I doe not know for the Letter being sent so long since and no Copie of it that I can finde reserved by me I can own it no further then I finde the matter and style expressing the judgement which I then had of his cause of Separation and the affection I bare unto his person And for ought I see the Letter doth not unfitly expresse both But how it came to be put in print I cannot imagine Sure I am it was without my privitie and when I heard of it it was to me unwelcome Newes as knowing the truth and weight of Plinies speech Aliud est scribere uni aliud omnibus There be who thinke it was published by Mr. Williams himselfe or by some of his friends who had the Copie from him Which latter might be the more probable because himselfe denieth the publishing of it and it sticketh in my mind that I received many yeares agoe a refutation of it in a brotherly and ingenuous way from a stranger to me but one as I heare well affected to him Mr. Sabine Staresmore To whom I had long agoe returned an Answer but that he did not direct me where my Letter might find him But I doe not suspect Mr. Staresmore nor Mr. Williams himselfe to have published it but rather some other unadvised Christian who having gotten a copie of the Letter tooke more libertie then God alloweth to draw forth a private Admonition to publick notice in a disorderly way But howsoever it was upon the publishing of this Letter Mr. Williams hath taken occasion as is observed by some who are acquainted with the Spirit of the man first to rise up against me the meanest of many in the examining and resuting of that Letter And then as if one Mordecai were too small a morsell to stand forth against all the Churches and Elders in New-England in his Bloudy Tenent And then as if New-England were but an handfull from thence to rise up against the choisest Ornaments of two populous Nations England and Scotland the reverend Assembly of Divines together with the reverend Brethren of the Apology and above them all to addresse himselfe according to his high thoughts to propound Quaeries of high concernment as he calleth them to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament So a Bird of prey affecting to soare aloft getteth first upon the top of a molehill and from thence taketh his rise from Pale to Tree till he have surmounted the highest Mountaines In this apprehension of him they are the more confirmed as having discerned the like frame of Spirit in his former walking amongst us Time was when of all Christian Churches the Churches of New-England were accounted and professed by him to be the most pure and of all the Churches in New-England Salem where himselfe was Teacher to be the most pure But when the Churches of New-England tooke just offence at sundry of his proceedings he first renounced communion with them all and because the Church of Salem refused to joyne with him in such a groundlesse Censure he then renounced communion with Salem also And then fell off from his Ministery and then from all Church-fellowship and then from his Baptisme and was himselfe baptized againe and then from the Lords Supper and
I have slaine them by the words of my mouth And thy Judgements were as the light that goeth forth Ans The Judgements of God whether of his mouth or of his hand doe both of them goe forth as light For when the Judgements of God are upon the earth and he speaketh of the judgments of his hands the Inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnesse Isai 26.9 And that whereby we learne righteousnesse is light Besides when the Lord is said to have hewen and slaine his Apostate people by his Prophets and by the words of his mouth He doth not onely meane the spirituall hewing and slaying of their soules but also the temporall judgements Famine Warre and Pestilence which the Prophets threatned and the Hand of God and Hazael executed in the hewing and slaying of them CHAP. 10. A Reply to his tenth Chapter wherein he discusseth the last Distinction PErsecution for Conscience is either for conscience rightly informed or a blind and erroneous conscience Discusser Both these Consciences are indeed persecuted but lamentably blinde and erroneous will those consciences shortly appeare to be which out of zeale to God as is pretended have persecuted either c. Defender This whole Chapter may stand for us without Impeachment We approve no persecution for conscience neither conscience rightly informed for that we account the persecuting of Christ nor conscience misinformed with errour unlesse the errour be pernicious and unlesse the conscience be convinced of the errour and perniciousnesse thereof that so it may appeare the erroneous party suffereth not for his conscience but for his sinning against his conscience And though it be true there is a seared conscience in some to which God hath in his judgement given them up that they may never see light how cleare soever both in Scripture and nature and though this seared conscience doe not extenuate but aggravate sinne and though a man by this seared conscience may commit some notorious capitall crime as he that in Ireland burnt his owne sonne in the fire in the imitation of Abraham and called in his Neighbours to rejoyce in beholding the power of his faith and though such a man was justly put to death yet it may not be said he was punished for his conscience but for that unnaturall barbarous cruelty and murther which he committed and which his conscience could never have blinded him to commit out of any naturall humane ignorance or infirmity but out of poenall and judiciall blindenesse which God never leaveth men unto but upon habituall and customary sinning against light of conscience CHAP. 11. A Reply to his eleventh Chapter touching Persecution for Conscience rightly informed Discusser AFter explication of the Point in these former Distinctions the Answerer of the Letter giveth his Resolution to the Question in foure particulars 1. It is not lawfull to persecute any for Conscience sake rightly informed for in persecuting such Christ himselfe is persecuted Acts 9.4 A man may as soone finde darkenesse in the bright Beames of the Sunne as in this cleare Beame of Truth that Christ Jesus in his Truth must not be persecuted Yet this I must aske for it will be admired by all sober men what should be the Cause or Inducement to the answerers minde to lay downe such a Position or Thesis as this is It is not lawfull to persecute the Lord Jesus Search all Scriptures Histories Records Monuments consult with all experiences Did ever Pharaoh Saul Ahab Jezebel Scribes and Pharisees the Jewes Herod the bloudy Neroes Gardiners Bonner Pope or Devill himselfe professe to persecute the Sonne of God Jesus as Jesus Christ as Christ without Maske or Covering Defender It may seeme though the Truth be as cleare as the Beames of the Sunne yet the Discusser can espie a moate of admirable weakenesse in the delivering of such a Position though never so true or cleare But let him cease his Admiration unlesse it be to admire his owne Fancy For I doe not lay it downe as a Position that it is not lawfull to persecute the Lord Jesus or that Christ in his Truth must not be persecuted But my Position was It is not lawfull to persecute any for Conscience sake rightly informed And for a reason hereof I give this Principle for in persecuting such Christ is persecuted Is it now become an admirable strange thing to give a Principle of Religion not for a Position and yet if it were so what strange thing were it but for the proofe of a Position Let me give you a like instance Gamaliel layeth it downe for a Position that the Doctrine of the Apostles if it be of God the Priests and Elders cannot overthrow it and he gives this principle for a reason of it lest in so doing ye be found saith he to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. Now is this such a matter as will be admired of all sober men that so wise a man as Gamaliel should lay downe this as a Position That men should not be found fighters against God May not a man rather admire and adore the strange hand of God that shall leave a man soberly to admire at such a thing and to thinke all sober men will in like sort wonder at the same But the truth is Neither Gamaliel nor my selfe laid downe that Principle for a Conclusion nor for a Position nor if we had had we done any thing for sober men to admire at 2. Though it were true which the Discusser makes the Ground of his Admiration That no Pharaoh or Herod or Nero did ever professe to persecute the Sonne of God Christ as Christ c. yet it will not make it an admirable Point that Christ as Christ is not to be persecuted For though they doe not professe to persecute Christ as Christ yet they doe it And it is no admirable matter for all sober men to admire at to tell men that perfecute the Lord Jesus That it is not lawfull for them so to doe Did not Christ himselfe the wisedome of the Father tell Saul as much Acts 9.5 3. It is as cleare to use his phrase as the Sunne beames both in Scripture and other histories and frequent experience That Tyrants and Apostates have often persecuted Jesus as Jesus Christ as Christ The Scribes and Pharisees they knew that Christ was the Sonne of God the Lord and Heire of the Church And therefore they said among themselves This is the Heire come let us kill him Matth. 21.38 Nor could they be said in persecuting Christ to have sinned against the Holy Ghost if they had not beene enlightened to know him who he was and yet leavened with such malice as to persecute him as they did Histories tell us that Julian the Apostate persecuted Jesus as Jesus and Christ as Christ yea and professed so to doe And experience telleth That if a Christian shall in Turkey seeke to gaine Turkes from the service of Mahomet to the Faith of Jesus they will persecute such a Christian
to death and in him Jesus as Jesus 4. Let Tyrants and Persecutours professe what they will that they doe not persecute Jesus as Jesus but under some other pretence yet that varieth not the Truth nor impeacheth the wisedome of this Position That it is not lawfull to persecute any for Conscience rightly informed or to persecute any for professing the Truth of Christ Discusser One thing I see apparently in the Lords overruling of the pen of this Answerer viz. a secret whispering from Heaven to him That yet he hath never left the Tents of such who thinke they doe God good service in killing the Lord Jesus in his servants and yet say if we had been in the dayes of our Fathers in Queen Maryes dayes we would never have consented to such Persecution c. Defender Verily this is a strange sight indeed and which all sober minds may well wonder at to see apparently That he who layeth downe this for a Position That it is not lawfull to persecute any for Conscience rightly informed hath had a secret whispering from Heaven that himselfe never yet left the Tents of Persecutors Surely it must needs be a strange and strong sight even the fight of such as make themselves equall with God that can see a man hath not left the Tents of Persecutors that is the Communion with Persecutors when he openly professeth it to be utterly unlawfull to Persecute any for the Truths sake It is true God may see that in a mans heart which is contrary to the Profession of his mouth and Pen. And so may this Discusser see as much if he be equall with God But yet herein I dare be bold to say he exalteth himselfe not onely equall with God but above God to see one contradictory in another which God himselfe cannot see It is contradictory to Persecution to beleive it unlawfull to persecute any for the Truths sake He then that can see yea see apparently that out of the Faith Profession of this truth that it is unlawfull to persecute any for the Truth he that can see I say fellowship with persecution in the faith or Profession of the unlawfulnes of Persecution verily he can see darknesse in light evill in good Falshood in Truth which God himselfe Such is the perfection of his Truth cannot doe Discusser Let me also add a second So farre as the Answerer by Preaching for Persecution hath been a guide to others in persecuting any of the Servants of Christ witnessing to his Truth so farre his own mouth and hands shall judge I hope not his person but his actions that the Lord Jesus hath suffered by him Defender If any Doctrine Preached by me have Guided any to persecute any of the Servants of Christ for witnessing to any Truth of Christ then I confesse I must lay my hand upon my mouth and acknowledge that the Lord Jesus hath suffered by me But if the Disousser can never be able to produce any such Doctrine broached by me that hath guided any to persecute any of Gods Servants for witnessing to any Truth of his as I trust in the grace of Christ he shall never be able then the Discusser may know and the Lord help his spirit to know it that his own mouth and hands shal one day judge if not his person yet his actions that the Lord Jesus hath suffered in his poore Servants even bitter persecutions by his unjust slanders CHAP. 12. A Reply to his twelueth Chapter Entring upon the Discussion of the unlawfulnes to Persecute an Erroneous and blinde Conscience Discusser The second Conclusion lay'd downe by the Answerer is It is not lawfull to persecute an Erroneous and blinde Conscience Even in Fundamentall and weighty Points till after Admonition once or twice Tit. 3.10 11. And then such Consciences may be persecuted because the Word of God is so cleare in Fundamentall and weighty Points that such a person cannot but sinne against his Conscience and so being condemned of himselfe that is of his Conscience he may be persecuted for sinning against his own Conscience Defender They are the words of the Discusser not mine That such as erre in Fundamentall and weighty Points after once or twice Admonition such Consciences are then to be persecuted No my words will cleare themselves if they be truly related even as himselfe hath printed them Thus they stand Secondly For an erroneous and blinde Conscience even in Fundamentall and weighty Points It is not lawfull to persecute any till after Admonition once or twice And so the Apostle directeth Tit. 3.10 and giveth the reason That in Fundamentall principall Points of Doctrine and worship The Word of God in such things is so cleare that he cannot but be convinced in conscience of the dangerous Error of his way after once or twice Admonition wisely and faithfully dispenced And then if any one persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith ver 11. He is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himselfe that is of his owne Conscience so that if such a man after such Admonition shall still persist in the Error of his way and be therefore punished He is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Where though I say That it is not lawfull to persecute any though erring in Fundamental and weighty Points till after once or twice admonition I doe not therefore say as the Discusser reporteth me that after once or twice admonition then such Consciences may be persecuted But that if such a man after such Admonition shall still persist in the Error of his way and be therefore punished He is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but for sinning against his own Conscience Object But he that sayeth It is not lawfull to persecute any Heretick till after once or twice admonition He doth as much as say that after once or twice admonition It is then lawfull to persecute any Heretick Ans Not so neither neither every Heretick nor in every Court Not in every Court or Judicature But the same Church that followed an Heretick with once or twice admonition was further to pursue him if he remaine obstinate with excommunication my words doe expresse two things 1. That an Heretick till after once or twice admonition may not be pursued no not with the Church-censure of Excommunication but after once or twice admonition It was then lawfull for the Church to proceed to his Excommunication 2. My words hold forth this also That if such an Heretick so convinced and admonished be afterwards punished by any Censure whether of Church or Court It cannot be said he is punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience But it was no part of my words or meaning to say that every Heretick though erring in some Fundamentall and weighty Points and for the same excommunicated shall forth with be punished by the Civill Magistrate unlesse it doe afterwards appeare that he
Truth CHAP. 19. A Reply to his nineteenth Chapter Discusser That the Lord intendeth not Doctrines or Practises in this Parable It is cleare For 1. The Lord Jesus expresly interpreteth the good seed to be Persons those the children of the Kingdome The Tares also to signify men and those the children of the wicked one ver 38. Defender If the Discusser had cast his eye a little lower he might have found that Christ interpreteth the Tares not onely to be Persons but things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that offend as well as those that doe iniquity ver 41. But I shall not stick upon that at all let the Tares be Persons whether Hypocrites like unto true Christians or holders forth of scandalous and corrupt Doctrines and Practises like unto sound Discusser 2. Such corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated now as those Jewish observations were for a while Rom. 14. nor so long till the end of the world For can we think that though the Lord tendered the tender conscience of the Jews in the observation of the difference of meates and drinks which were sometimes his owne Ordinances that therefore Persons must be now tolerated in the Church for I speake not of the Civill State in superstitious forbearing and forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and superstitious Fridayes c. Defender Who can tell what this Discusser would have The Tares he would have to be Persons not corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet when he commeth to prove that corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated he proveth it from the unlawfulnesse of tolerating corrupt persons for can we thinke saith he that persons must be now tolerated in the Church in the superstitious forbearing or forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and Fridayes Such is the inconstancy of the spirits of men whose hearts are not stayed and steered by the Spirit of Truth that sometimes Tares must not be corrupt Doctrines and Practises but persons because Tares and so persons must be tolerated till the Harvest not so corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet all the reason given why corrupt Doctrines and Practises must not be tolerated is this because Persons that hold them forth must not be tolerated CHAP. 20. A Reply to his twentieth Chapter what is meant by Tares Discusser The Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those weeds which spring up with the Corne as cockle darnell Tares c. seemeth to imply such a kinde of people as are commonly and generally knowne to be manifestly differing from and opposite to the true Worshipers of God c. Defender 1. It is not true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth all those weeds that grow up with the Corne. For they be a speciall weed growing up cheifely amongst the wheat but when it commeth to the earing it groweth more like to Barley yet having a narrower leafe fatter and rougher and a leaner seed in a prickly barke bearing a purple flower as Dioscorides testifyeth Now this is farre from a description of all sorts of weeds that grow up with Corne. 2. Neither is it true that Tares are commonly and generally known assoone as they appeare For Hierom who for a time lived in Jury testifyeth that Inter triticum et zizania quod nos appellamus lolium quamdiu herba est et nondum culmus venit ad spicam grandis similitudo est et in discernendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distantia Comment Mat. Cap. 13. Yea the Text it selfe though the Discusser deny it holdeth forth as much For the servants of the Husbandman in whose Feild the Tares were sowen by the enemy did not discerne the tares from the wheat till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit for then it was and not till then that the Tares appeared to be Tares Mat. 13.26 what though the Text holdeth forth no such time wherein the servants doubted or suspected what they were It is like enough they did not suspect them at all by reason of the grandis similitudo the great likenesse that was between them whilest they were both in the blade Which still maketh good the Exposition that Tares are not bryars and thornes but so like to the wheat that till they come to earing the one cannot be discerned from the other Discusser The one appeared as soone as the other and when the wheat put forth its blade and fruite the Tares were as early they put forth themselves and appeared also 2. There is such a dissimilitude and unlikenesse between them that as soone as Tares and wheat sprung up to blade and fruite every husbandman could tell which is wheat and which is Tares Defender It s true the Tares put forth their blade assoone as did the wheat and appeared above ground one as early as the other but they were so like one to an other that the husbandmen could not tell which was wheat and which Tares till the blade was growen up and they both brought forth their fruite And though when they both brought forth their fruite there was no apparent dimissilitude yet still it is evident that at first the dimssilitude did not appeare The Tares may therefore still stand for Hypocrites who are so like at first unto good Christians that they cannot easily be discerned one from another till in processe of time the difference of the fruite discover them Discusser But when was it that the House-holder gave charge to let them alone was it not after they appeared and were knowne to be Tares which should imply by this interpretation of the Answerer that when men are discovered and knowne to be Hypocrites yet still such a generation of Hypocrites in the Church must be let alone and tolerated untill the Harvest or end of the world which is contrary to all Piety order and safety in the Church of the Lord Jesus as doubtlesse the Answerer will graunt Defender If the Answerer know his owne minde as well as the Discusser doubtlesse the Answerer will not graunt that it is contrary to all piety and order and safety that hypocrites knowne hypocrites be tolerated in the Church till the end of the world For though it be against the safety of the Church when the Officers or body of the Church prove hypocrites for that threatneth a dis-churching Rev. 2.5 yet till the fruits of hypocrisie grow notoriously scandalous and ripe for Church-Censure it is not contrary to all piety and order safety to suffer them but rather more safety to suffer them least some of Gods own Saints true wheat who for a time may degenerate and bring forth like fruit with the Tares be plucked up with them If foolish Virgins be cast out of the Church the wise Virgins may be sometime found sleeping as well as they Mat. 25.5 CHAP. 21. A Reply to his Chap. 21. VVhat is meant by the world and more of the Tares Discusser 2. The Tares cannot signifie hypocrites in the Church for
of the mouth of the Lord Jesus for he shall begin to be consumed long before by all the seven vials of the wrath of God Revel 16. which have bin and will be in powring out many ages before the great Harvest of the end of the world Yea I beleive also He shall be destroyed many ages before then as the Apostle John foretelleth in Chap. 20.21.22 of the Revelation And though it be translated in 2 Thess 2.8 The Lord shall destroy him with the brightnesse of his coming yet the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth as well and more firstly signifie Presence then comming The Lord will destroy Antichrist with the brightnesse of his Presence in his sacred and Civill Ordinances sundry ages before the brightnesse of his comming to Judgement Otherwise we should set John Paul at variance who spake by one and the same Spirit of Truth CHAP. 27. A Reply to his 27. Chap. Discussing a doubt how Ministers may be bidden to let Antichristians alone in the Civill State Discusser If it be objected These servants whom the Householder commaundeth to let the Tares alone seeme to be Ministers or Messengers of the Gospell How shall it belong to them to plucke up the Tares or to let them alone if by the Feild be meant the world Ans The Apostles and in them all that succeed them received from the Lord a threefold charge 1. To let them alone and not to pluck them up by Prayer to God for their present temporall destruction 2. Not to prophecy or denounce a present destruction or extirpation of all false Professours of the Name of Christ T is true many soare and fearefull plagues are powred out upon the Roman Emperors and Roman Popes yet not to their utter extirpation untill the Harvest 3. Not to pluck them up by stirring up Civill Magistrates and powers to punish and persecute all such persons out of their dominions as worship not the true God according to his revealed will in Christ Jesus T is true Elijah thus stirred up Ahab to kill all the Preists and Prophets of Baal but that was in the figurative state of the Land of Canaan not to be matcht or paraled by any other State but the Spirituall State or Church of Christ in all the world putting the false Prophets Spiritually to death by the two-edged sword and power of the Lord Jesus as that Church of Israel did corporally Defender These 3. Interpretations of Let them alone are all of them so many evasions slippery evasions sought out by the subtile wit of man to winde out from under the Authority of the Truth and word of Christ For 1. Why should not the Ministers of Christ Pray either to pluck them up out of their Antichristian Idolatryes or else to pluck them up as the Plantations which our Heavenly Father hath not planted He that may Pray daily for the comming of Christs Kingdome He may and doth and ought to pray for the comming downe of all opposite Kingdomes The Saints under the Altar that prayed against the delay of vengeance on the Roman Emperors Revel 6.10 may more justly pray against the delay of vengeance on the Roman Antichrists What though the State of the Roman Antichristians was to continue for sundry ages before their finall extirpation Yet they were to expect vialls of Gods indignation to roote them out by a graduall extirpation in sundry of their cheife branches and pillars long before the extirpation of their whole Kingdome And what though the Saints in old Babell were to pray for the Peace of the City as wherein themselves might finde Peace Yet the Saints that live not in such Anâ—ichristian Territoryes they may safely pray for the hastning of the redemption of their brethren out of the Antichristian bondage and there withall pray for the hastning of the ruine and desolation of the Antichristian Kingdome Besides Certaine it is from the Word of Truth that the Antichristian Kingdome shall be destroyed and rooted up by Christian Princes and States long before the great Harvest of the end of the world as hath been shewen a bove And either such Princes must performe this great worke without Prayer and then it were not sanctified to God 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Or if it be a sacrifice sanctified to God they must pray for their desolation before they inflict it And all the seven Angells who powre out their vialls on the Antichristian State tending to the rooting of it out by degrees They either pray for the successe of the vengeance of their vialls or else they doe not powre them out in faith which were contrary to the spirit of such holy Saints who come out of the Temple opened in Heaven and are cloathed with pure and white linnen and have their breasts girded with golden girdles Rev. 15.6 2. If John the Apostle have Prophecied and denounced the destruction and extirpation of Antichristian Idolaters and their whole State why may not a Minister and Messenger of Christ according to the measure of light received open those Prophecyes and apply them with severe threatnings against thme and their State Yea but they may not apply or denounce them to their present destruction or extirpation Yes to the present destruction of some or other Antichristian Idolaters in every age though the State may continue wasting till the time appointed It might as truely be said the Ministers of Christ are forbidden to denounce present or speedy destruction to any murtherers whoremongers Tyrants extortioners because though some of them may fall under many sore and feareful plagues yet there will never want a company of such wicked doers till the Great Harvest the end of the world Besides what if a messenger of Christ should not denounce present destruction yet he cannot be said to let them alone who is hewing at them to bring them to destruction many yeares before It is not every stroake with an Axe that felleth an Oake it may be not an hundred not a thousand stroakes yet no stroake is lost that maketh way for the felling of it at the last Neither can he be said to let the Tree alone that striketh and heweth at it every day So he that heweth at the Antichristian State every day by Prayer and Preaching He doth not let it alone though it may stand many a yeare after It will fall the sooner and with more facility for every stroake 3. Nor can it be the meaning of Christ in commanding his Ministers to let the Tares alone to forbid them to stirr up Princes and States to the rooting out of Antichristian Idolaters and all such false worshippers as destroy the Truth and Religion of the Lord Jesus For amongst all the Angells that powred out their vials upon the Antichristian State it is not credible that none of them should be Messengers of the Gospell And when the ten Kings shall burne the City of Rome and leave it desolate and naked It is not credible
had been then but on his way to Ephesus which is a narrow point of time it is more then propable if Timothy had been then at Ephesus he would have said Tychicus have I sent to thee to Ephesus CHAP. 39. A Reply to his 39. Chap. Discusser BVt from this place in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.25 in particular I argue thus 1. If the Civill Magistrates be Christians or Members of the Church able to prophesie to the Church of Christ then they are bound by this command of Christ to suffer opposition to their Doctrine with meeknesse and gentlenesse waiting if God peradventure will give them Repentance So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becometh not the spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritans and unconverted persons whether in Ephesus or Creete with Fire and Sword Defender The Answerer is still of the same mind though he might strike in upon the advantage that if the Magistrate be also a Prophet he may doe some things as a Magistrate which he may not doe as a Prophet yet he willingly acknowledgeth that if a Magistrate be also a Prophet yea whether he be a Prophet or no he ought not to seeke to subdue and convert Aliens to the Faith by Fire and Sword Discusser Secondly if the Oppositions be within and the Church-members become scandalous in Doctrine I speake not of scandalls in the Civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish It is the Lord onely as the Scripture in Timothy implyeth who is able to give them Repentance and to recover them out of Satans snare c. It is true the civill Sword may make a whole Nation of Hypocrites as the Lord complaineth Isay 10. and as befell our Native Country in a few scores of yeares in the severall Reignes of Henry 7. Henry 8. King Edward Queen Mary Queene Elizabeth under whom our Nation was as ready to change the fashion of their Religions as of their Suits of Apparell which hath been their sinfull shame Defender If Opposition rise from within from the Members of the Church I doe not beleive it to be lawfull for the Magistrate to seeke to subdue and convert them to be of his mind by the civill Sword But rather to use all spirituall meanes for their conviction and conversion But if the Opposition still continue in Doctrine and Worship and that against the vitals and Fundamentalls of Religion whether by Heresie of Doctrine or Idolatry in Worship and shall proceed to seeke the Seduction of others I doe beleive the Magistrate is not to tolerate such opposion against the Truth in Church-members or in any Professours of the Truth after due conviction from the word of Truth Nor is it an Objection of any weight that neither the Magistrate nor his Sword can give Repentance unto such For neither can he give Repentance unto such persons as are scandalous to the civill State whom yet notwithstanding the Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth the civill Magistrate ought to punish Though the civill Sword should not make the opposers Hypocrites yet better tolerate Hypocrites and Tares then Bryars and Thornes In such cases the civill Sword doth not so much attend the conversion of wicked Seducers as the prevention of the seduction of honest minds by their meanes What the Kings and Queens of England have done in former or later times either by violent Persecution of the Truth or in preposterous maintenance of the Truth we have cause rather to bewaile it and so hath the Discusser too if he be an English man then to justifie it as also bewaile the like vanity justly complained of in sundry of our English Nation to be as ready to change the fashion of their Religion as of their Rayment And yet he cannot be ignorant that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe sundry faithfull witnesses out of that Nation who have continued stedfast unto the death in the Profession of the Truth and have not been carried away either with the feare of civill Sword or with the deceitfull insinuations of unstable but seducing Teachers to depart from the simplicity and Truth of the Gospel But howsoever wofull and wonderfull changes have been made of Religion in England in the Reigne of foure or five Princes yet it is no more then befell the Church of Judah in the dayes of Ahaz and Hezekiah Manasseh and Josiah yet the Prophets never upbraided them with the civill Magistrater Power in causes of Religion as the cause of it Better some vicissitudes in Religion then a constant continuance in Idolatry and Popery by Princes referring all causes of Religion to Church-men The Prophecie of Englands Revolt againe to Popery wanteth Scripture Light CHAP. 40. A Reply to his Chap. 40. Discusser BVt it hath been thought and said shall Oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous I answer as before concerning the blind Guides their case being incurable is rather to be lamented since none but the right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle Dispensing of the word of Truth can release them c. Defender So it is with all scandalous offenders against the civil State none can give them healing Repentance but the right hand of the Lord Jesus in the dispensing of the word of Truth yet that doth not restraine Magistrates from executing just Judgement upon them So neither doth it restraine them from executing the like just Judgement against these though not to procure the Repentance of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Idolaters yet to prevent the seduction and subversion of others What though a dead soule though changed from one Worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall suites of Apparell cannot please God Heb. 11.6 And what though Faith be that gift which proceedeth alone from that Father of Lights Phil. 1.29 Yet better a dead soule be dead in body as well as in Spirit then to live and be lively in the flesh to murder many precious soules by the Magistrates Indulgence And better he die without Faith then to live to seduce many honest minds to depart from the Faith Discusser I adde a civill Sword hardneth the followers of false Teachers by the sufferings of their false and Antichristian Seducers And secondly it begetteth in them an Impression of the falshood of that Religion which cannot uphold it selfe but with such Instruments of violence and wanteth the soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others Defender A civill Magistrate ought not to draw out his civill Sword against any Seducers Whether Hereticks or Idolaters till he have used all good meanes for their conviction and thereby clearely manifested the bowels of tender commiseration and compassion towards them But if after their continuance in obstinate Rebellion against the Light he shall still walke towards them in soft and gentle commiseration his softnesse and gentlenesse is excessive large to Foxes and wolves But his bowels are miserably straitned and hardned
is lovingly and respectively sent for and to convince them of the errour of their way before the Lord and to seek to bring them back againe to the Bishop and Shepheard of their soules Sure I am that in a case of greater defection of the Churches of Galatia then Mr. Williams imagined was found in the Church of Salem Paul did not reject them but professed I desire saith he to be present with you now and to change my voyce for I stand in doubt of you Gal. 4.20 Mr. Williams acknowledgeth in the next Paragraph That the Church of Colosse might say to Archippus Take heed to thy Ministery and that Archippus might negligently and proudly refuse to hearken to them but for his case his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to God and the soules of the people will witnesse for him when his soule shall come to Hezekiahs case on his death-bed and in the great day approaching I do not know but that Archippus might as justly refuse to hearken to the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams to the Church of Salem What though Colosse was more eminent in gifts then Salem yet the mutuall power and subjection of Pastor and people dependeth not upon eminency of gifts but upon the Institution of Christ and their mutuall Covenant and Relation If it had been a negligent and proud part in Archippus as Mr. Williams confesseth to refuse to hearken to the lawfull voyce of the Church of Colosse admonishing him of his slacknesse in his Ministery I know not but it might be such a like part in Mr. Williams to refuse to hearken to the voyce of the Church of Salem admonishing him to take heed of deserting his Ministery Whether is a greater sinne in a Minister not to fulfill his Ministery or to desert his Ministery Neither doe I know but that Archippus might have pretended the like evasions with Mr. Williams if not fairer For he might plead there were amongst them such as spoyled them through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the Traditions of men and Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2.8 that beguiled them also in a voluntary humilitie and worship of Angels not holding the Head ver 18 19. Yea so farre that themselves come to be dogmatized with the Traditions of men ver 20 21 22. And why might not then Archippus as justly refuse to heare the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams refuse to heare the Church of Salem Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe in suiting his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to Hezekiahs case Hezekiah faithfully and uprightly endeavoured and through grace procured the reformation of the Apostate Church of Hierusalem in the dayes of his Father Ahaz But Mr. Williams in stead of reforming one Church renounceth all For his neglect of hearkening to the second voyce the voyce and testimony of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches He saith because he truely esteemeth the Persons he will not answer the Argument of numbers and multitudes against one as our men are wont to answer the Popish universalitie that God stirreth up sometimes one Elijah against eight hundred of Baals Priests c. But this he saith that David himselfe and the Princes of Israel and 30000. of Israel carrying up the Arke were not to be hearkened unto in their holy intentions of rejoycings and triumphs when the due order of the Lord was wanting to them In which case one Scripture in the mouth of a Mechanick is to be preferred before a whole Councell Answ I will not here observe as Mr. Williams doth in a like case in Chap. 38. of his Bloudy Tenent his hast and light attention to the Scriptures which himselfe alledgeth The Text speaketh but of 450. of Baals Priests 1 Kings 18.19 Now for him to multiply them to 800 is to fetch in also the Prophets of the Groves the Prophets of Jeroboams Calves whom the Text expresly distinguisheth from the Prophets of Baal But to let that passe as not materiall to the Argument no more then the misquotation which he observeth of Titus for Timothy we will not reply as the Papists doe against single witnesses let him call for fire from Heaven as Eliah did and we will submit the testimonies of many to one single witnesse No we call not for Miracles at his hand but let him produce one testimony of holy Scripture rightly understood and applyed against the advice and voyce of those Elders and Brethren and then though he be but one yea though that one were but a Mechanick too we shall gratifie his demand and by the Grace of Christ be ready rather to hearken to him then require that he should hearken to us Meane while we answer him as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.36 What came the word of God out from you or came it unto you onely It is true David and the Princes and the 30000. of Israel were not to be hearkened unto nor followed in their disorderly carrying of the Arke because the word of the Lord had given expresse order to the contrary requiring that the Kohathites should beare the Arke upon their shoulders and not touch it least they dye Num. 4.15 Let him shew us the like order violated by us and we shall freely excuse him yea and justifie him in not hearkening to us nor following of us But suppose some one Prophet or Brother of Israel had discerned the disorder of David and of the whole Congregation of the 30000. of Israel and had therefore not onely refused to follow them but had proceeded further as many of Christs Disciples did with him Joh. 6.66 to goe back from them with an utter Apostasie and to walke no more with them no not though they were willing to reforme their disorder if any were made knowne to them Would Perez Vzzah have justified that Or did that disorder of David and of that Congregation of Israel dischurch them all from fellowship with God or discharge their Brethren from having any fellowship with them as with the Church of God TO CHAP. III. HIs third Chapter is taken up in answering to a Phrase in my Letter in which I had said I endeavoured to shew him the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he had banished himselfe from the fellowship of all the Churches in this Countrey The summe of his Answer is That his grounds were the firme rocke of the Truth of Jesus and that my endeavours to prove them sandy are but the weake and uncertain sand of mans Invention which shall therefore perish and burne like hay or stubble And the Rocky strength of his grounds shall appeare in the Lords season and that my selfe also may yet confesse so much as I have since I came to New-England confest the sandinesse of the grounds of many of my Practises in Old England and the rockinesse of their grounds that witnessed against me and them for Instance that himselfe had discovered to me and other servants of God his grounds against the use of the
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
hearts are not forestalled with prejudice or partiality judge whether his reasons alledged to convince us of such a sinne the strongest whereof were answered in my Letter to him and have been againe refuted in this Reply have been of such convincing power as that wee for not hearkening to him must needs lie under the guilt of an ulcer or Gangrene of obstinacy and that after conviction I may therefore well call it not Chirurgery but Butchery to cut off not onely so many members of Christ but also so many Churches of Christ from fellowship with Christ before any ulcer or Gangrene of obstinacy was discovered to us Nay I feare I might speake a further word and yet I would be loath to speake any doubtfull thing but surely my memory much faileth me or else he broke forth into this separation before he gave us any grounds of his separation at all or of our conviction of any such sinne as might deserve such a Censure And whether that be Butchery or Chirurgery let the upright judge But saith he if it be Butchery to separate conscientiously and peaceably from the spirituall communion of a Church or Saints what shall it be called by the Lord Jesus to cut off persons them and theirs branch and roote from any Civill being in their Territories c. Because their Consciences dare not how domne to any worship but what the Lord Jesus hath appointed and being also otherwise subject to the Civill estate and Lawes thereof Here be many extenuations and mincings of his own carriage and as many false aggravations of Guilt upon his sentence of Banishment and the Authors of it As 1. In that he was cut off he and his branch and roote from any Civill being in these Territories because their Consciences durst not bow downe to any worship but what they beleeve the Lord had appointed Whereas the truth is his Banishment proceeded not against him or his for his own refusall of any worship but for seditious opposition against the Patent and against the Oath of fidelitie offered to the people 2. That he was subject to the Civill estate and Lawes thereof when yet he vehemently opposed the Civill foundation of the Civill estate which was the Patent And earnestly also opposed the Law of the generall Court by which the tender of that Oath was enjoyned and also wrote Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof the Magistrates were members for deferring to give present Answer to a Petition of Salem who had refused to hearken to a lawfull motion of theirs 3. That he did but separate from the spirituall society of a Church or Saints whereas he both drew away many others also and as much as in him lay separated all the Churches from Christ 4. In that he maketh the cutting off of persons them and theirs branch and rush from civill Territories a farre more hainous and odious offence in the eyes of the Lord Jesus then himselfe to cut off not onely himselfe and his branch and rush but many of his neighbours by sedition from spirituall Communion with the Churches and all the Churches from Communion with Christ As if the cutting off persons them and theirs branch and rush from the Covenant and spirituall Ordinances in the Church were a matter of no account in respect of cutting off from Civill Liberties in the Territories of the Common-wealth 5. In that what himselfe did he predicateth as done conscientiously and peaceably as if what the Court had done against him they had not done conscientiously also and with regard to publick peace which they saw he disturbed and stood stiffly in his own course though he was openly convinced in open Court as I shewed before that he could not maintaine his way but by sinning against the light of his own Conscience As for his Marginall note wherein he chargeth Mr. Cotton to be deeply guilty of Cruelty both against Consciences and bodies in persecuting of them I will onely Answer thus much partly from David partly from Job If the Lord have stirred him up thus to reproach me as Shimei did him I hope the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and requite me good for all his slander this day or this yeare 2 Sam. 16 12. But if he himselfe who without cause is mine adversary hath whet his tongue like a sword and his bow to shoot out his arrowes even bitter words Psal 64.3 as he frequently doth in his Booke surely I shall take his booke upon my shoulder and bind it as a Crowne to me Job 31.36 TO CHAP. XXIII HIs 23. Chapter examineth a speech of mine which might tend to the dishonour of the Separation as the reproach against Salem had done before My Speech was That God had not prospered the way of Separation which least it should be mistaken I interpreted not in respect of outward prosperitie for they found more favour in our native Countrey then those who walked in the way of Reformation which is commonly reproached by the name of Puritanisme The meetings of the Separatists might be knowne to the Officers in the Courts and winked at when the Conventicles of the Puritans as they call them are hunted out with all diligence and pursued with more violence then any Law can justifie But I said that God had not prospered the way of Separation in that he had not blessed it either with peace amongst themselves or with growth of grace such as erring through simplicitie and tendernesse of Conscience have growne in grace have growne also to discerne their lawfull libertie to returne to the hearing of the Word from English Preachers To give Answer to this the Examiner bestoweth many Chapters His first Answer is that which is not unworthy to be attended to by all whom it concerneth That doubtlesse the Lord hath a great Controversie with the Land for their such violent pursuit and persecution of both For both of them have borne witnesse to severall truths of the Lord Jesus Albeit I deny not the one party might have borne witnesse to more points of Truth the other might have borne witnesse to fewer and so have lesse exceeded bounds of Truth To make the English Churches and their Ministeries and their Worship and their Professors either nullities or Antichristian is a witnesse not onely beyond the truth but against the Truth of the Lord Jesus and his word of Truth But for their sufferings The Puritans saith he have not suffered comparatively to the other as but seldome Congregating in separate Assemblies from the common And none of them suffering unto death for the way of Non-Conformitie Indeed saith he the worthy witnesse Mr. Udall was neere unto death for his witnesse against Bishops and Ceremonies But Mr. Penry Mr. Barrow Mr. Greenwood followed the Lord Jesus with their Gibbets and were hanged with him and for him in the way of separation Many more have been condemned in dye banished and choaked in Prisans whom I could produce upon occasion Reply Paul accounteth
to the soules and Consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the Truth For this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted and compelled But this saith he hindereth not That Christians sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured of the Church by Excommunication and of the civill Magistrate also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules This Joynt-confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodyes and goods of their Subjects not over their soules who seeth not that hereby is given a cleare Testimony that either the spirituall and Church Estate the preaching of the word Baptisme Ministery Government thereof belongeth to the civill body of the Common-wealth that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemeth monstrous to Imagine or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his Office meddle with those spirituall Affaires Defender A man that is willing to open his eyes may easily see that though the Government of the civill Magistrate doe extend no further then over the bodies and goods of his Subjects yet he may and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods to the good of their soules yea and by promoting the good of their soules he may much advance the good of their outward man also The bodies and goods and outward Estates of men may expect a blessing when their soules prosper Though God may keep his Saints low in outward Estate that grow fastest in Godlinesse yet sure Godlinesse hath the Promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 And such as first seeke the Kingdome of God may expect all these outward things to be cast in upon them If it seeme a monstrous thing in the eyes of the Discusser to imagine that the good Estate of the Church and the well-ordering of the Ordinances of God therein should concerne the civill good of the Common-wealth it may well seeme monstrous to him to imagine that the flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the civill State and the decay of Religion is the decay and ruine of the civill State But such Virgine soules as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 would be loath to goe to live in such a Common-wealth to whom it should seeme monstrous that the things of God should belong to them And therefore the Magistrate need not to feare that he should exceed the bounds of his Office if he should meddle with the spirituall affaires of the Church in Gods way It is true if he shall meddle with the execution of a Ministers Office as Vzziah did or if he shall set up humane Inventions in Doctrine Worship Government in stead of Christs Institutions as David brought the Arke of God upon Oxen instead of the shoulders of the Levites Or if he shall thrust in Jeroboams Priests upon the Church and cast out faithfull Ministers or if he shall make Lawes to bind Conscience in all these or any such Like he exceedeth the bounds of his Office But if he shall diligently seeke after the Lord and read in the word of the Lord all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.19 that he may both live as a Christian and rule as a Christian if he shall seeke to establish and advance the Kingdome of Christ more then his owne If he shall incourage the good in a Christian course and discourage such as have evill will to Sion and punish none for matter of Religion but such as subvert the Principles of saving Truth which no good Christian much lesse good Magistrate can be ignorant of or at least such as disturbe the Order of the Gospel in a turbulent way verily the Lord will build up and establish the House and Kingdome of such Princes as doe thus build up his Discusser Againe necessarily it must follow that these two are contradictory to themselves which yet both of them are Mr. Cottons Positions the Magistrates Power extends no further then to the bodyes and goods of the Subject and yet The Magistrate must punish Christians for sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience and for corrupting the soules of men Defender If the Christian Faith and a good Conscience be a part and a great part a chiefe part of the good of Christians then these two are so farre from contradicting one another that they establish one another For if a Magistrates power extend to the preserving of the Goods of the Subject and to the punishment of the Impeachers or purloyners thereof then he falleth short of his duty if he suffer their Faith and good Conscience to be corrupted or dispoyled without revenge Againe this I say further which also will easily avoyde appearance of Contradiction suppose by Goods were meant onely outward Goods and that the Magistrates power extended no further then the bodies and goods of the Subjects yet though he have no power over Faith and Conscience he hath neverthelesse lawfull power to punish such evill doers in their Bodies and goods as doe seduce his people to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience For in seeking Gods Kingdome and Righteousnesse men prosper in their outward Estates Matth. 6.33 otherwayes they decay Besides I doe not remember that this Proposition is any of mine which yet the Discusser fastneth upon me that the Magistrates power extendeth no further then the bodies and Goods of his Subjects I doe not deny the Truth of it rightly understood but it seemeth to me somewhat too loose and confused for me to owne it as mine own For the Magistrates power may be said to extend no further then the bodyes and Goods of his Subjects either as the Subject of his power or as the end of his power If Goods be meant outward Goods and the Magistrates power be said to extend no further then to the body and Goods of his Subjects as to the Object of his power the Position is true But if it be meant of the end of his power as if a Magistrates power reached no further then to the preservation of their bodyes and outward Goods it is false For the Adequate end of the Magistrates power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè administrare Rempublicam well to governe the Common-wealth Now can it be well with a Common-wealth that liveth in bodily health and worldly wealth but yet without Church without Christ without God in the world But though God for a time may preserve a civill State in health and wealth through his Patience and bounty especially till meanes of Grace be offered to them yet after meanes of Grace be offered they cannot long expect bodily health or wealth to be continued to them if they neglect or despise or depart from so great salvation Witnesse the Romane Empire which though it
against my person which might weaken the fruit of my counsell to him I told him I had not hasted forward the sentence of his Civill Banishment and that what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde was neither done by my Counsell nor consent Whereto he answereth first That he observeth I cannot but confesse that it is hard for any man to doe good or to speake effectually to the soule or Conscience of any whose body he afflicteth and persecuteth and that onely for their soule and Conscience sake Reply All that can truely be observed from my words is That it is hard for any to take good from those against whom they have conceived a prejudice whether justly or unjustly But when he subjoyneth a Serpentine that is a subtile and venomous insinuation as if I had afflicted and persecuted his body and that onely for his soule and Conscience sake Answ I have been so farre from afflicting or persecuting his body especially for his soule or conscience sake that in very truth whilest I had any hope of prevailing for him I may say as David said for himselfe against a like slander Psal 7.3 4. I have sought to deliver him who without cause reproacheth me Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe as he doth in this Paragraph in comparing the dealing of the Elders with him here to the Persecutions of the Bishops against the godly Preachers in England If the Bishops had dealt no worse with the godly Preachers there and upon no more unjust causes then the Elders dealt with him here they might with good conscience and good countenance have looked with comfort and confidence both God and man in the face even now when God hath laid their carnall pompe and worldly honour in the dust Neither let him please himselfe as he doth in the next Paragraph in his undoubted Assertion That what Mr. Cotton and others did in procuring his sorrowes was not without some regret and reluctancy of Conscience and affection as David in procuring Uriah's death or Asa in imprisoning the Prophet For neither was he so innocent as was Vriah and that Prophet nor had my selfe the like hand in his sufferings as David and Asa had in the other nor did I ever see cause of regret and reluctancy of conscience for any act of mine own about his sufferings Onely I confesse I had as he saith some regret and reluctancy of affection and of compassion to see one who had received from God stirring and usefull gifts to bestirre himselfe so busily and eagerly to abuse them to the disturbance of himselfe his family the Churches and the Common-wealth That I consented not to his Banishment he in part admitteth For what need was there saith he of that being not one of the Civill Court As if I might not have consented to it though I needed not to have done it I might have drawn up Articles against him I might have come in as a witnesse against him I might have solicited and stirred up the body of the Magistrates against him to rid the countrey of him and then I had consented before-hand to what was done by the Magistrates in that kinde though my selfe had been none of the Court but none of all these acts nor any such like were done by me But be it that I consented not yet I counselled it and so consented and to prove that he saith He will produce a double and unanswerable Testimony for it First That I publickly taught and still doe Teach except lately Christ hath taught me better that body-killing soule-killing and State-killing Doctrine of Persecuting all other Consciences and wayes of worship but mine own in the Civill State and consequently in the whole world if the Power or Empire thereof were in mine hand Reply Were it not that I have learned from the word of truth that when men are cast out of the Church of Christ they are delivered up unto Satan and so neither their wits nor their tongues are their own I could not easily have beleeved that Mr. Williams could so confidently and openly have avouched such a notorious slander Since the Lord taught me to know any thing what conscience or the worship of God meant it hath been my constant judgement and doctrine and practise to the contrary Besides To teach the killing of the bodies of all such Consciences and wayes of worship as are not mine own is to make mine own conscience and way of worship the infallible Rule and soveraigne Standard by which all consciences and wayes of worship throughout the world were to be regulated yea and as if this were a light measure of arrogancy and usurpation I make it a capitall crime a body-killing offence for any man to swerve from my conscience and way of worship even in such Points wherein the Holy Ghost hath given expresse charge that we should not judge nor condemne one another Rom. 14.3 But I durst appeale even unto the conscience of Mr. Williams himselfe if it were now in the gracious keeping of Christ or of himselfe as in former times that himselfe knoweth I doe not thinke it lawfull to Excommunicate an Heretick much lesse to persecute him with the civill Sword till it may appeare even by just and full conviction that he sinneth not out of conscience but against the very light of his own conscience Sure I am such a Point he reporteth is received from me to the very same purpose and he reporteth it truely in his Bloudy Tenent pag. 8. This Answer may suffice to his first as he calleth it unanswerable Testimony His second unanswerable Testimony is That some Gentlemen that did consent to his Sentence have solemnly testified and with teares since confessed to himselfe that they could not in their soules have been brought to have consented to the Sentence of his Banishment had not Mr. Cotton in private given them advice and counsell proving it just and warrantable to their Consciences Reply I might here justly plead the equitie of the Romane Custome to excuse my selfe from this accusation untill the accusers come before me face to face And truely if Apocryphall witnesses may goe for unanswerable Testimonies it is an easie matter to oppresse any innocency I might also plead the incompetency of such a witnesse as haply lying under some censure from our Church and removing himselfe from our fellowship might take more liberty to speake against me in a pang of passion what he would be loath to justifie in cold bloud I might likewise alledge that one or two Magistrates makes not a Court nor was his Sentence cast by the vote of one or two So that if I had counselled one or two to it it would not argue that the act of the Magistrates and of the Deputies which is the body of the Court had been done by my counsell or consent And indeed it was the very true meaning of my speech that for the hastening of the Sentence of the Court against Mr. Williams that act of the
me to despise his afflicted condition but the truest mercifull cordiall to his afflicted estate would be to perswade him that he is out of his way and still blesseth himselfe though God both crosse his estate and blast his spirit in such a way As for my being at ease as he calleth it had he been a little longer acquainted with the faithfull discharge of a Ministers office he would not judge it such a state of ease If I durst allow my selfe to seeke and take mine ease I should sooner choose a private solitary condition in his Wildernesse then all the throng of employment in this numerous society TO CHAP. VIII IN his 8th Chapter Mr. Williams rehearseth and examineth those words of my Letter wherein to helpe him to a serious sight of his sinne I said that it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against his corrupt wayes with the sword of his mouth in the mouths and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren Against whom when Mr. Williams over-heated himselfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his Truth it pleased the Lord to stop his mouth by a sodaine disease and to threaten to take his breath from him But he in stead of recoyling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in his way and to protest against all the Churches and Brethren that stood in his way c. In these lines the Examiner telleth us an humble and discerning Spirit may espie first a glorious justification and boasting of my selfe and others concurring with me secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable Censure of the afflicted Reply Whether is it a more glorious boasting to challenge to a mans selfe an humble and discerning Spirit as the Examiner doth here and elsewhere in this Treatise or to ascribe the glory to Christ in fighting with the sword of his mouth in the testimonies and labours of the Churches and Brethren against his corrupt wayes Surely when our glorying is not in our selves but in the Lord Jesus we are allowed so to doe by the Holy Ghost Isa 45.25 In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Object But is it not a glorious boasting of our selves when as wee make the sword in our mouths and testimonies to be the sword of the mouth of Christ when as the holy Scripture putteth the sword of Christ in the mouths of such witnesses as himselfe and some others who in meeknesse and patience testifie the truth of Jesus against Antichrist and against all false Callings of Ministers And whether is Mr. Cotton swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of Persecution or himselfe and such other the witnesses of Christ most like unto Balaam Reply 1. The quicknesse of the Examiners wit over-runneth his judgement for I did not compare him to Balaam as like much lesse as most like but as unlike For that which Balaam would have done I said he would not doe 2. Let the light of the holy word of God discover and judge whether the sword of the mouth of the Lord Jesus be found in his mouth and his fellowes or in the mouths of the Churches and Brethren here and let the tryall be upon this very Point whether witnesseth for Christ or for Antichrist 1. We witnesse that Christ was never so farre overthrowne and overcome by Antichrist but that still the Lord Jesus hath preserved a Congregationall Church one or more especially since the Reformation of Religion by the Ministery of Luther and Calvin and other Ministers of Christ in the dayes of our Fathers The Examiner witnesseth that since the Apostasie of Antichrist Antichrist hath so farre prevailed against Christ and his Kingdome that he hath no Church nor Church-Officers left upon the face of the earth to this day 2. Wee witnesse the godly persons visible Saints confessing their knowne sinnes and professing their faith are fit materialls for Church-fellowship The Examiner witnesseth that the Churches which consist of such visible Saints are nullities unlesse they discerne every spot and pollution of Antichrist and forsake it for Instance unlesse they see the Antichristian pollution of the Ministery in England and doe refuse to heare the word from it 3. We witnesse that Persons qualified with a convenient measure of spirituall gifts fit to lead Gods people and chosen and elected by a Congregation of visible Saints and ordained and set apart unto the worke of the Ministery have received a lawfull calling from Christ to that office The Examiner witnesseth against this as a false Calling upon what pretence himselfe better knowes then I. 4. We witnesse that it is lawfull for the King of England to give a Patent to a certain number of his Subjects to transplant themselves out of England into America and to possesse such Lands as the Providence of God layeth open before them between such and such Degrees of the Horizon Provided that his Subjects adventure not upon such acts as the Patent never intended as to murther the Natives or to dispossesse them by violence or fraud of their lawfull Possessions but either to plant themselves in a vacuum Domicilium or if they sit downe upon the Possession of the Natives to receive the same from them by a reasonable Purchase or free Assignement The Examiner witnesseth against all such Patents and Preacheth it to be unlawfull for Magistrates to execute Justice upon the English by them and that it is necessary to repent of receiving such Patents and to returne them back againe into the hands of those Princes or of their Successors from whom they received them 5. We witnesse that it is lawfull for Magistrates especially in time of danger to offer to the Subjects under them an Oath of Fidelity whether they be regenerate or unregenerate Mr. Williams witnesseth it to be utterly unlawfull so to doe an Oath for confirmation of Office being peculiar to Christ and an Oath being a worship of God not meete for unregenerate Persons to take into their mouths 6. Wee witnesse that if a Church refuse to hearken to the voyce of Magistrates in delaying the Election or ordination of such an one to Office whom they finde to be troublesome to the State then it may be lawfull for Magistrates to delay the granting of the Petition of such a Church for Lands that lie convenient for them Mr. Williams witnesseth that in such a case the Church whose Petition is so delayed may write Letters of Admonition to all the Churches whereof such Magistrates are members to require them to grant without delay such Petitions or else to Proceed against them in a Church-way Now let the Churches of Jesus Christ and all the Saints on earth judge in whether sort of these witnesses the word and Spirit of Christ or Antichrist breatheth As for the deciphering which the Examiner maketh of Mr Cotton as swimming with the streame of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and
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
shape of an Answer but as little substance The greatest Question here saith he would be whether the Corinthians in their first Constitution were separate or no from such Idols Temples And this Mr. Cotton neither doth nor can deny A Church estate being a state of marriage unto Christ Jesus and so Paul professedly saith He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin unto Christ 2 Cor. 11. Reply 1. To put any substance into this Answer or any force pertinent to the cause in hand it must be no great Question but cleare out of Question that these Corinthians in their first constitution were cleane and absolutely separate from such Idolls Temples and that not onely locally but in their soule and iudgement minde and heart utterly cut off from such uncleane Touches so that they both undoubtedly saw the evill thereof and from their hearts abhorred it and forsooke it For all these Acts of coming off in a way of separation from the Churches of England he requireth from us as absolutely necessary to enter into a true Church-estate Now if he thinke that Mr. Cotton to use his words neither doth nor can deny that in their first constitution they were thus separate from Idolls Temples I must professe though not to him yet to all that love and seek the Truth without prejudice that I both can and doe deny it that in their first constitution they were locally separate from Idolls Temples it is likely enough or else I suppose the Apostlewould have admonished them thereof in their first Plantation But that in their minde and judgement they saw the evill thereof and did in heart and soule bewaile it and confesse it before the Apostle and their Brethren and so enter into solemne Covenant expresly against it this is altogether incredible to me For would not the Apostle then out of his faithfulnesse have reproved them as well for their Apostacy as for their Fellowship in Idolatry Would he not as well have rebuked the prevarication of their Covenant as their pollution of their communion with Pagans What though a Church-estate be a state of Marriage unto Jesus Christ May not a married Spouse of Christ be ignorant of some part of her marriage-dutie towards him And what though Paul professe He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin to Jesus Christ May not he call them a chaste Virgin who had seene and bewailed their former worship of Idolls though they neither bewailed nor saw the evill of feasting with their neighbours in Idolls Temples Reply 2. Though the Examiner make it a great Question whether a Church can be truely constituted that in her first constitution is not seperate from all uncleane Touches so as both to see them and come out of them howsoever they may fall into such sinnes afterwards yet I looke at it as an ungrounded distinction to require more purity to the being of a Church in her first constitution then is necessary to the being of it after it is constituted I should thinke the longer a Church hath enjoyed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ the more shee ought to grow both in knowledge and purity Where more hath been given the more will be required of the Lord. Yea I conceive it more agreeable to the word of Truth that God will sooner separate from a Church constituted for their whorish pollutions then deny them Church-estate for the like pollutions in their first constitution The people of Israel were not constituted a Nationall Church till the Lord gave them Nationall Ordinances and Nationall Officers and entered them together into a Nationall Covenant Exod. 19.5 6. Their Church-estate before was rather domesticall dispersed into severall Families When they were thus constituted a Nationall Church and afterwards fell into an Idolatrous crime the Lord directed Moses to breake the Tables of his Covenant between them and did also seperate his Tabernacle from them till upon their repentance he renewed communion with them Exod. 32.19 with Exod. 33.3 to 7. But yet the like Idolatry if not worse being found in the same People when they dwelt in Aegypt it did not hinder the Lord from accepting them unto a Nationall Constitution of a Church-estate To CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX HIs 17 18 19. Chapters are taken up in Examining and Answering my Answers to his second Objection which he made to prove a Necessitie lying upon Godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of false Churches Ministery Worship and Government To prove which his first Objection or Argument was taken from Isaiah 52.11 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Whereto we have returned a Reply in the former Chapters His second Objection was taken from the Confession made by Johns Disciples and the Proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church-fellowship Mat. 3.6 Act 19.18 Whence he gathered That Christian Churcher are constituted of such members as make open and plaine confession of their sinnes and if any sâ—â—â—es be to be confessed and lamented Jewish or Paganish then Antichristian drunkennesse and whoredome much more c. Yea every sipping of the Whâ—res Cup. To which Objection of his to passe by all verball velitations for I love not to take up time about words the substance of my Answer was two-fold 1. That it was not necessary to the Admission of members that they should see and bewaile the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores Cup as he called it though the Whores cup doe more intoxicate the minde then the drunkards Cup doth the Body because bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorious and grosse sinnes that no man having true Repentance in him cannot but be convinced of the sinfulnesse of them and of the necessitie of repentance of them in particular if he doe remember them But the whores Cup being a mystery of Iniquitie the sinfulnesse of every sipping of it is nothing so evident and notorious as that every repentant soule doth at first discerne it And therefore as the 3000. Converts Acts 2.37 to 47. were admitted into the first Christian Church upon the Profession of their repentance of the murther of Christ though they neither saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them so here c. Yea and the Disciples of John whom he instanceth in though they did confesse their sinnes the Publicans theirs the Souldiers theirs the People theirs to wit the notorious sinnes incident to their callings yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions And the Gentiles in Act. 19.18.19 Though they confessed their curious Arts and burnt their conjuring Bookes yet it doth not appeare that they confessed all their deeds Whereunto the Examiner returneth a two-fold Answer 1. That spirituall whoredome and drunkennesse is not indeed so easily discerned as corporall but yet not the lesse sinfull but infinitely transeendent as much as spirituall sobriety exceedeth corporall and the bed of the most High God exceedeth the beds of men who are but
themselves from their hypocrisie and inordinate love of this world or else they and their duties will still be uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-Estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to dissipation and destruction of the Church and wresteth Bloud instead of Milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture This Text is so evident and pregnant and full against himselfe that I could not but marvell why he should alledge it and especially why he should desire it might be throughly weighed and the Lord to hold the scales himselfe How doe you then thinke that he will hence inferre his Conclusion That Godly persons if uncleane cannot constitute a true Church or if they doe they are to be separated from Surely not from the words of the Text nor from the sence which I make of it nor from any sence which himselfe can give of it How then Onely from his mistake of my words and that surely either through a drousie Oscitancy or a sleighty Precipitancy What saith he have I spoken more then Mr. Cotton himselfe hath uttered in his Explication and Application of this Scripture As 1. That Godly persons may become defiled and uncleane by hypocrisie and worldlinesse 2. While they lye in such a condition of uncleannesse all their offerings persons labours are uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate 3. The Church cannot be constituted of such worldly Persons though otherwise godly and Christian Or 4. If they doe the People of God must separate from them These be saith he Mr. Cottons own expresse words Reply He might as well say these be the expresse words of Christ Hang all the Law and the Prophets because Christ saith Mat. 19.40 upon these two Commandements Hang all the Law and the Prophets So these be my expresse words The true and genuine meaning of the place if you doe apply to the Point in hand it will reach nothing neere to your purpose Hypocrites in the Church and godly Christians themselves whilest they attend to the world more then to the things of God their persons their labours their Civill Oblations are all uncleane in the sight of God Ergo. The Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such or if it doe consist of such the People of God must separate from them Who seeth not that attendeth to what he seeth that in these words I expresse not mine own meaning or reasoning but his and that I expresly say The true meaning of the Text will nothing neere reach to his purpose and so bring in his reason in forme of an Enthymeme which he draws from it But if I had made that Enthymeme the expression of mine own meaning and of the meaning of the Text it had sully and closely reached his own purpose The next words following might also plainly have cleared my meaning to him when in stead of that false collection which he gathered I tell him you might well have gathered therefore the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisie and their inordinate love of this world Or else they and their duties will he still uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to the dissipation and destruction of the Flock and wresteth bloud instead of milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture Doe I not here plainly expresse two severall and contrary Collections from the Text the one his the other mine own the one tending to edification the other to destruction And yet this false collection and misapplication of the Text which is his own and a manifest Perverting both of the Text and of my words he will needs force upon me contrary to my meaning and contrary also to my expresse words above in the entrance of mine Answer to this Text. Where I say Your purpose was to prove That Churches cannot be constituted by such persons as are uncleane by Antichristian pollutions or if they be so constituted they are not to be communicated with but separated from To prove this you alledge this place where the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church of the Jewes to be uncleane and yet neither denieth them to be a Church truely constituted nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them What by the way he discourseth of the Excommunication in the Nationall Church of the Jewes somewhat hath been spoken to it above When he saith That their Ceremoniall Excommunication was either putting to death in Canaan or Captivitie out of Canaan If he meane this was all their Excommunication I cannot assent to it King Vzziah was neither put to death in Canaan nor carried captive out of Canaan and yet he was Excommunicated both from Temple-worship Synagogue-worship and all familiar communion of the Saints Againe when he maketh it an Excommunication from God in case God sell his Church into spirituall Captivitie to confused Babylonish Lords and worship and that so he driveth them out of his sight He might remember that God sometime sold his people under the Bondage of Babylonish Lords even in the Land of Canaan Jer. 40.9 42.10 11 12. And yet he had not straight way driven them out of his sight TO CHAP. XXI IT was my serious and unfeigned endeavour in my Letter which the Examiner hath answered to have removed those two stumbling blocks out of his way which I perceived had turned him off from holding fellowship with these Churches The former was The want of fit matter of our Churches The latter Our dis-respect to the separate Churches in England under affliction when neverthelesse our selves practise separation in peace From the beginning of his tenth Chapter he hath endeavoured to fasten the former of these stumbling blocks that it may still lie in his way and stand as an everlasting wall of partition between us Which neverthelesse I have as you see through the helpe of Christ endeavoured to dig through the sandinesse thereof that if it were the holy will of God it might fall downe like the walles of Jericho before the Arke of the Lord and neither detaine him nor others from Communion with us The latter stumbling block he goeth about to re-establish in this and the following Chapters to the end of his Booke Come we therefore to consider whether there may be any hope of removing this stumbling block also and the establishment thereof by the same helpe The stumbling block lieth somewhat broader then at first was propounded The Examiner takes it as a great offence That we walke between Christ and Antichrist 1. In practising separation here and not repenting of our preaching and printing against it in our own Countrey 2. In reproaching himselfe at Salem and others for separation 3. In particular that my selfe have conceived and spoken That separation is a way which God hath not prospered as if saith he the truth of the Churches depended upon the countenance of men or upon outward peace and libertie To the
first of these I answered in my Letter That in stead of halting betwixt Christ and Antichrist the Lord hath guided us to walke with an even foote between two extreames so that we neither defile our selves with the remnants of pollution in other Churches nor doe we for the remnants of pollution renounce the Churches themselves nor the holy things of God amongst them which our selves have found powerfull to salvation This moderation so farre as we have kept it in preaching or printing we have seene no cause to repent of it But if any shall shew us cause why we should repent of it we shall desire to repent of it yea and to repent that we repented no sooner The Examiner here undertaketh to prove this middle walking to be no lesse then-halting of which we have cause to repent And this he endeavours to prove to me out of mine own Confessions First saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth that no Nationall Provinciall Diocesan or Parish Church wherein some truely godly are not are true Churches Secondly He practiseth no Church-estate but such as is constituted onely of godly persons nor admitteth any unregenerate or ungodly persons Thirdly He confesseth that a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such godly persons who are in bondage to the inordinate love of the world Fourthly That if a Church consist of such Gods people ought to separate from them Reply If these which he calleth confessions of Mr. Cotton have been stumblings to him I shall by the helpe of Christ soone remove them out of his way For I doe professe that I never made any such Confessions but looke at them all as contrary to my judgement both in former times and to this day For the first Though there were no truely godly persons in a Church yet if there be such as professe godlinesse such as they call visible Saints to meete together in a Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the administration of his holy Ordinances I doe beleeve there is truth of Church-estate It is true I doe beleeve and confesse that God requireth more then profession of godlinesse even sinceritie of holinesse in Church-members and it is no small sinne in them if it be wanting But what if some if most if all beleeve not Shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Rom. 3.3 4. If an hypocriticall Church were no Church then an hypocriâ—â—call Minister were no Minister and his administrations nullities Cultus institutus in the whole latitude of it as Churches Min isteries Seales Censures c. they are all ordained for the Elects sake And the Elect God would have them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without carefull scruples and distractions If truth of Churches and Ministeries and Ordinances depended upon the personall sincerity of the godlinesse of the dispensers the Elect of God would ever be intangled with inextricable scruples touching their coÌ„munion here or there with this or that Church or the administrations of the Officers thereof But God hath called us in peace For the second part which he maketh of my Confessions he had said true if he had said I endeavour such a thing that our Church should be constitute of godly persons but I doe not say I have attained it for God seeth not as man seeth man looketh at the outward appearance but the Lord regardeth the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 And sure I am we looke at Infants as members of our Church as being foedurally holy but I am slow to beleeve that all of them are regenerate or truly godly As for the third and fourth point which he maketh of my Confession That a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of godly persons taken with the inordinate love of the world or that a Church consisting of such ought to be separated from These are onely his own palpable mistakes of those words of mine which I expressed as the summe of his words which he through hast conceived to be mine whereof we have spoken in the 20th Chapter Let him not say as he doth that when I would not have Parish Churches to be separated from for the remnants of pollutions I mean onely Ceremonies and Bishops neither let him say that I doe extenuate and mince the roote masse and substance of the matter of Nationall Churches though for the greater part unregenerate by naming onely a remnant of pollutions For he knoweth we wholly avoyde Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Government of the Churches by Episcopall Authority He knoweth also we avoyde their prescript Liturgies and Communion with openly scandalous persons in any Church-order He knoweth likewise or at least may know that it is a continuall sorrow of heart and a mourning of our soules that there is yet so much of those notorious evills which he nameth still continuing in the Parishes worldlinesse ignorance superstition scoffing swearing cursing whoredome drunkennesse theft lying I may adde also murther and malignity against the godly suffered to thrust themselves into the fellowship of the Churches and to sit downe with the Saints at the Lords Table But yet I count all these but remnants of pollution when as the substance of the true estate of Churches abideth as I opened above in their Congregationall Assemblies And in so speaking I follow the holy patterne of the Prophet Isaiah who acknowledging a great forsaking or Apostacy in the midst of the Land yet resembleth the estate of the Church to an Oake whose substance is in it when the leaves fall off and maketh the holy seed to be that substance Isai 6.12 13. TO CHAP. XXII THe second offence which the Examiner tooke at our neglect of the Churches of the separation Was the reproach of himselfe and others at Salem for their separation To which I answered in my Letter That I knew no man who reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate Howsoever if any did reproach them for it I did thinke it a sinne meete to be Censured but not with so deepe a Censure as to excommunicate all the Churches or to separate from them before it doth appeare that they doe tolerate their members in such their causlesse reproachings The errors of men are to be contended against not with reproaches but with the sword of the Spirit But on the other side the failings of the Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation It is not Chirurgery but Butchery to heale every sore in a member with no other but Abscission from the body Whereto the Examiner answereth That the Church of Salem was knowne to professe separation and publickly reproached yea he could mention a Case wherein shee was punished for it implicitely Reply This answer is so implicit that I cannot make an explicite answer to it That which I said was I knew no man that reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate His answer is That the Church of Salem was knowne