as many as received him even to them that believed on his Name Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved Secondly to affirm there must be Faith on mans part to receive Christ is not to undermine Christ but to exalt him according to these Scriptures Ioh. 3. 33. He that believeth hath put to his Seal that God is True and so honours Gods Truth which cannot undermine Christ Rom. 4. 20. But was strong in the Faith giving Glory to God c. Error 29. An Hypocrite may have these two witnesses 1 Ioh. 5. 5. that is to say the Water and Blood Confutation 29. No Hypocrite can have these two witnesses Water and Blood that is true Justification and Sanctification for then he should be saved according to these Scriptures Rom. 8. 30. 2 Thes. 2. 13. Acts 26 18. Error 30. If any thing may be concluded from the Water and Blood it is rather Damnation than Salvation Confutation 30. This is contrary to the Scripture last mentioned Error 31. Such as see any Grace of God in themselves before they have the assurance of Gods Love sealed to them are not to be received Members of Churches Confutation 31. This is contrary to Acts 8. 37 38. where the Eunuch saw his Faith only and yet was presently baptized and therefore by the same ground might be admitted Error 32. After the revelation of the Spirit neither Devil nor Sin can make the Soul to doubt Confutation 32. This position savours of Error else Asaph had not the revelation of the Spirit seeing he doubted Psal. 73. 13. whether he had not cleansed his heart in vain and that God had forgotten to be gracious then also Faith should be perfect which was never found no not in our Father Abraham Error 33. To act by vertue of or in obedience to a command is legal Confutation 33. So is it also Evangelical the Mystery of the Gospel is said to be revealed for the obedience of Faith Rom. 16. 25. Also the Lord Jesus is said to be the author of Salvation to all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. If we love Christ we are to keep his Commandments Joh. 14. 29. Error 34. We are not to Pray against all sin because the old Man is in us and must be And why should we Pray against that which cannot be avoided Confutation 34. This is contrary to 1 Thess. 5. 23. 1 Cor. 13. 7. Error 35. The efficacy of Christ's death is to kill all activity of Graces in his Members that he might act all in all Confutation 35. This is contrary to Rom. 6. 4. Our old man is crucified witâ—… him that the body of sin might be destroyed that we should not serve sin contrary also to Heb. 4. 14. That he might through death destroy him c. and 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Whence we infer that if Christ came to destroy the body of sin to destroy the Devil to dissolve the Works of the Devil then not to kill his own graces which are the works of his own Spirit Error 36. All the activity of a Believer is to act to sin Confutation 36. Contrary to Rom. 7. 15. as also to Gal. 5. 17. The Spirit lusteth against the Flesh. Error 37. We are compleatly united to Christ before or without any Faith wrought in us by the Spirit Confutation 37. The term united being understood of that spiritual relation of men unto Christ whereby they come to have life and right to all other blessings in Christ 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life And the term compleatly implying a presence of all those bands and ligaments and means as are required in the Word or are any ways necessary to the making up of the union we now conceive this assertion to be erroneous contrary to Scripture that either expresly mentioneth Faith when it speaketh of this union Ephes. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith Gal. 2. 20. Christ liveth in me by Faith or ever implyeth it in those phrases that do express union as coming to Christ Iohn 6. 35. and eating and drinking Christ vers 47. compared with v. 54. having the Son 1 Iohn 5. 12. and receiving Christ Iohn 1. 12. and Marriage unto Christ Ephes. 5. 32. if there be no dwelling of Christ in us no coming to him no receiving him no eating nor drinking him no being married to him before and without Faith but the former is true therefore also the latter Error 38. There can be no true closing with Christ in a promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Confutation 38. This opinion we conceive erroneous contrary to Esay 55 1 2. Ho! every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters Mat. 11. 28. Come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden John 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Revel 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come Mark 1. 15. Repent and believe the Gospel if the word indefinitely be sanctified for the begetting of Faith if the Gospel it self be laid down in a conditional promise if the Apostles and Prophets and Christ himself have laid hold upon such Promisea to help to Union and closing with himself then there may be a true closing with Christ in a Promise that hath a qualification or condition expressed Error 39. The due search and knowledge of the holy Scripture is not a safe and sure way of searching and finding Christ. Confutation 39. This is contrary to express words of Scripture Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me Act. 10 43. To him give all the Prophets witness Rom. 3. 21. The righteousness of God witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony Act. 17. 11. The Bereans were more noble in that they searched the Scriptures daily If the Prophets give witness to Christ if his righteousness be witnessed by Law and Prophets and that they be noble that daily search the Scriptures and that Christ so far alloweth their Testimony of him that the Scripture saith there is no light but in and according to them then the due searching and knowledge of Scriptures is a safe way to search Christ but the former is true and therefore also the latter Error 40. There is a testimony of the Spirit and voice unto the Soul meerly immediate without any respect unto or concurrence with the Word Confutation 40. This immediate revelation without concurrence with the word doth not onely countenance but confirm that opinion of Enthusiasme justly refused by all the Churches as being contrary to the perfection of the Scriptures and perfection of God's wisdom therein That which is not revealed in the Scripture which is objectum adaequatum fidei is not to be believed but that there is any such revelation without concurrence with the Word is no where revealed in the Scripture Ergo. 1 Cor. 4. 16. Presume not above that which is written Again if there be any immediate
Court answer'd that it was apparent he was the Instrument of our Troubles he must prove them to be by such accident and till then the Blame must rest upon himself for we know Christ would not own them being out of his way After these and many other speeches had passed the Court declaring him guilty for troubling the Civil Peace both for his seditious Sermon and for his corrupt and dangerous Opinions and for his contemptuous Behaviour in divers Courts formerly and now obstinately maintaining and justifying his said Errors and Offences and for that he refused to depart voluntarily from us which the Court had now offered him and in a manner perswaded him unto Seeing it was apparent unto him from that of our Saviour Matth. that we could not continue together without the ruine of the whole he was sentenced to be disfranchised and banished our Jurisdiction and to be put in safe custody except he should give sufficient Security to depart before the end of March upon this he appealed to the King's Majesty but the Court told him an Appeal did not lie in this case for the King having given us an Authority by his Grant under his Great Seal of England to hear and determine all causes without any Reservation we were not to admit of any such Appeals for any such subordinate State either in Ireland or Scotland or other places and if an Appeal should lie in one case it might be challenged in all and then there would be no use of Government among us neither did an Appeal lie from any Court in any County or Corporation in England but if a party will remove his cause to any of the King 's higher Courts he must bring the King 's Writ for it neither did he tender any Appeal nor call any Witnesses nor desired any Act to be entred of it then he was demanded if he would give Security for his quiet departure which he refusing to do he was committed to the custody of the Marshal The next morning he bethought himself better and offered to give security alledging that he did not conceive the day before that a Sentence of Banishment was pronounced against him he also suffered to relinquish his Appeal and said he would accept of a simple Banishment The Court answer'd him that for his Appeal he might do as he pleased and for his departure he should have the liberty the Court had offered him provided he should not preach in the mean time but that he would not yield unto so in the end the Court gave him leave to go home upon his promise that if he were not departed out of this Jurisdiction within fourteen days he would render himself at the house of Mr. Stanton one of the Magistrates there to abide as a Prisoner till the Court should dispose of him Mr. Cogshall THe next who was called was Mr. Iohn Cogshall one of the Deacons of Boston upon his appearance the Court declared that the cause why they had sent for him was partly by occasion of his Speeches and Behaviour in this Court the other day and partly for some light miscarriages at other times and that they did look at him as one that had a principal Hand in all our late Disturbances of our publick Peace The first things we do charge you with is your justifying a Writing called a Remonstrance or Petition but indeed a seditious Libel and that when Mr. Asp. was questioned by the Court about it you stood up uncalled and justified the same saying to this effect that if the Court meant to dismiss him for that it was best to make but one work of all for though your self had not your Hand to the Petition yet you did approve thereof and your Hand was to the Protestation which was to the same effect whereupon you being also dismissed used clamorous and unbeseeming Speeches to the Court at your departure whereby we take you to be of the same mind with those who made the Petition and therefore liable to the same punishment upon this the Petition was openly read and liberty was granted to him to answer for himself His first answer was that what he then spake he spake as a Member of the Court to which it was answer'd again that 1. He was no Member of the Court standing upon Tryal whether to be allowed or rejected at such a time as he uttered most of those speeches 2. Admit he were yet it is no priviledge of a Member to reproach or affront the whole Court it is Licentiousness and no Liberty when a man may speak what he list for he was reminded of some words he uttered at his going forth of the Court to this effect that we had censured the Truth of Christ and that it was the greatest stroak that ever was given to Free-Grace To which he answer'd That his words were mistaken for he said that he would pray that our Eyes might be opened to see what we did for he thought it the greatest stroak that ever was given to N. E. for he did believe that Mr. Wheelwright did hold forth the Truth He was further charged that at the Court after the day of Elections he complained of Injury that the Petition which was tendered was not presently read before they went to Election To which being answer'd That it was not then seasonable and against the Order of that day but the Court were then ready to hear it if it were tendered whereupon he turned his back upon the Court and used menacing speeches to this effect That since they could not be heard then they would take another course To which he answer'd confessing he spake over hastily at that time that his words were only these Then we must do what God shall direct us He was further charged that he should say that half the people that were in Church-Covenant in N. E. were under a Covenant of Works this he did not deny but said he proved it by the Parable of the ten Virgins Mat. 15. After these and many other Speeches had passed between the Court and himself by which it plainly appeared that he had been a very busie instrument in occasioning of our publick Disturbances and his justifying of Mr. Wheelwrights Sermon and the Petition or Remonstrance being seditious Writings a Motion was made for his Banishment but he pretended that there was nothing could be laid to his Charge but matter of different opinion and that he knew not one Example in Scripture that a man was banished for his Judgment It was answer'd that if he had kept his Judgment to himself so as the publick Peace had not been troubled or endangered by it we should have left him to himself for we do not challenge power over mens Consciences but when seditious Speeches and Practices discover such a corrupt Conscience it is our duty to use Authority to reform both But though a great part of the Court did encline to a motion for his Banishment yet because his Speech
and wilfulness of their Maintainer's laid stark naked 4. Then after this mean was tried and the Magistrates saw that neither our Preaching Conference nor yet our Assembly meeting did effect the cure but that still after conference had together the Leaders put such life into the rest that they all went on in their former course not only to disturb the Churches but miserably interrupt the Civil Peace and that they threw contempt both upon Courts and Churches and began now to raise Sedition amongst us to the indangering of the Common-wealth Hereupon for these grounds named and not for their Opinions as themselves falsely reported and as our godly Magistrates have been much traduced here in England for these reasons I say being civil disturbances the Magistrate convents them as it plainly appears pag. 28 29. of this Book and censures them some were disfranchised others fined the incurable amongst them banished This was another mean of their subduing some of the Leaders being down and othâ—…rs gone the rest were weakned but yet they for all this strongly held up their heads many a day after 5. Then God himself was pleased to step in with his casting voice and bring in his own vote and suffrage from Heaven by testifying his displeasure against their opinions and practices as clearly as if he had pointed with his finger in causing the two Fomenting Women in the time of the height of the opinions to produce out of their Wombs as before they had out of their brains such Monstrous births as no Chronicle I think hardly ever recorded the like Mistriss Dier brought forth her birth of a woman child a fish a beast and a fowl all woven together in one and without an head as pag. 44 describes to which I refer the Reader Mistriss Hutchison being big with Child and growing towards the time of her labour as other women do she brought forth not one as Mistris Dier did but which was more strange to amazement thirty monstrous births or thereabouts at once some of them bigger some lesser some of one shape some of another few of any perfect shape none at all of them as far as I could ever learn of humane shape These things are so strange that I am almost loth to be the reporter of them lest I should seem to feign a new story and not to relate an old one but I have learned otherwise blessed be his name than to delude the world with untruths And these things are so well known in New-England that they have been made use of in publick by the reverend Teacher of Boston and testified by so many Letters to Friends here that the things are past Question And see how the wisdom of God sitted this judgment to her sin every way for look as she had vented mishapen opinions so she must bring forth deformed Monsters and as about thirty opinions in number so many monsters and as those were publick and not in a corner mentioned so this is now come to be known and famous over all these Churches and a great part of the World And though he that runs may read their sin in these judgments yet behold the desperate and stupendious hardness of heart in these persons and their followers who were so far from seeing the finger of God in all these dreadful passages that they turned all from themselves upon the faithful servants of God that laboured to reclaim them saying This is for you ye legalists that your eyes might be farther blinded by God's hand upon us in your legal ways and stumble and fall and in the end break your necks into hell if ye imbrace not the Truth Now I am upon Mistris Hutchison's Story I will digress a little to give you a farther tast of her spirit viz. After she was gone from us to the Island the Church of Boston sent unto her four of their Members men of a lovely and winning spirit as most likely to prevail to see if they could convince and reduce her according to 2 Thess. 3. 13. When they came first unto her she asked from whom they came and what was their business They answered We are come in the name of the Lord Iesus from the Church of Christ at Boston to labour to convince you of c At that word she being filled with as much disdain in her countenance as bitterness in her spirit replied What from the Church at Boston I know no such Church neither will I own it call it the Whore and Strumpet of Boston no Church of Christ so they said no more seeing her so desperate but returned Behold the spirit of error to what a pass it drives a Man This loud-speaking Providence from heaven in the monsters did much awaken many of their followers especially the tenderer sort to attend God's meaning therein and made them at such a stand that they dared not slight so manifest a sign from heaven that from that time we found many of their ears boared as they had good cause to attend to Counsel but others yet followed them 6. The last stroke that slew the opinions was the falling away of their Leaders 1. Into more hideous and soul-destroying Delusions which rain indeed all Religion as that the Souls of men are mortal like the beasts That there is no such thing as inherent Righteousness That these Bodies of ours shall not rise again That their own revelations of particular Events were as infallible as the Scripture c. 2. They also grew many of them very loose and degenerate in their practices for these opinions will certainly produce a filthy life by degrees As no prayer in their Families no Sabbath insufferable pride frequâ—…nt and hideous lying divers of them being proved guilty some of five other of ten gross lies another falling into a lie God smote him in the very act that he sunk down into a deep swound and being by hot waters recover'd and coming to himself said Oh God thou mightst have struck me dead as Ananias and Saphira for I have maintained a lie Mistress Hutchison and others cast out of the Church for lying and some guilty of fouler sins than all these which I here name not These things exceedingly amazed their followers especially such as were led after them in the simplicity of their hearts as many were and now they began to see that they were deluded by them A great while they did not believe that Mistress Hutchison and some others did hold such things as they were taxed for but when themselves heard her defending her twenty nine cursed Opinions in Boston Church and there falling into fearful lying with an impudent fore-head in the open Assembly then they believed what before they could not and were ashamed before God and men that ever they were so led aside from the Lord and his Truth and the godly Counsel of their faithful Ministers by such an Impostor as she was Now no man could lay more upon them than they would upon themselves
the Word or Directions thereof are not the Rule whereunto Christians are bound to conform themselves to live thereafter Confutation 4 5. This is contrary to the Scriptures which direct us to the Law and to the Testimony Esa. 8. 20. which also speaks of Christians as not being without Law to God but under the Law to Christ 1 Cor. 9. 22. Error 6. The Example of Christ's Life is not a pattern according to ‑ which men ought to act Confutation 6. This position those actions of Christ excepted which he did as God or as a Mediator God and man or on special occasions which concern not us is unsound being contrary to the Scripture wherein the example of Christs life is propounded to Christians as a Pattern of Imitation both by Christ and his Apostles Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me for I am meek c. 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ Ephes. 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ hath loved us 1 Pet. 2. 21. Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps 1 Joh. 2. 26. He that saith he abideth in him ought so to walk even as he hath walked Error 7. The new Creature or the new Man mentioned in the Gospel is not meant of Grace but of Christ. Confutation 7. The false-hood of this Proposition appeareth from the Scriptures which first propound Christ and the new Creature as distinct one from another 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature Secondly The new Man is opposed to the old Man the old man is meant of Lusts and Vices and not of Adams person Ephes. 2. 22 24. Therefore the new Man is meant of graces and vertues and not of the person of Christ Col. 3. 9 10. Thirdly the new man is expresly said to consist in Righteousness and true Holiness Ephes. 4. 25. and to be renewed in Knowledge Col. 3. 10. which are Graces and not Christ. Error 8. By love 1 Corinth 13. 13. and by the armour mentioned Ephes. 6. are meant Christ. Confutation 8. This position is near of kin to the former but secondly the opposite 1 Cor. 13. meaneth that love which he exhorteth Christians to bear one towards another which if it were meant of Christ he might be said to exhort them to bear Christ one to another as well as to love one another 2. Faith and Hope there mentioned have Christ for their object and if by love be meant Christ he had put no more in the latter word than in the two former 3. And besides it may as well be said Faith in love as Faith in Christ and Hope in love as Hope in Christ if that were the meaning And by armour Ephes. 6. cannot be meant Christ. First Because two parts of that armour are Faith and Hope whereof the Scriptures make Christ the Object Col. 1. 5. Beholding the stedfastness of your Faith in Christ 1 Cor. 15. 19. If in this life only we had hope in Christ c. Now these Graces and the Object of them cannot be the same Secondly A person armed with that Armour may be said to be a sincere righteous patient Christian but if by the armour be meant Christ such predication should have been destroyed and you might more properly say a Christified Christian. Error 9. The whole letter of the Scripture holds for a Covenant of Works Confutation 9. This position is unsound and contrary to the constant tenor of the Gospel a main part of the Scriptures which in the letter thereof holds not forth a Covenant of works but of Grace as appeareth Ioh. 3. 16. 1. Tim. 1. 15. Mat. 11. 28. Heb. 8. 10 11. 12. Error 10. That God the Father Son and Holy Ghost may give themselves to the Soul and the Soul may have true Union with Christ true Remission of sins true Marriage and Fellowship true Sanctification from the Blood of Christ and yet be an Hypocrite Confutation 10. The word true being taken in the sense of the Scriptures this also crosseth the doctrine of Ephes. 4. 24. where Righteousness and true Holiness are made proper to him that hath heard and learned the truth as it is in Jesus Error 11. As Christ was once made flesh so he is now first made flesh in us ere we be carried to perfection Confutation 11. Christ was once made flesh Ioh. 1. 14. no other incarnation is recorded and therefore not to be believed Error 12. Now in the Covenant of Works a Legalist may attain the same Righteousness for truth which Adam had in Innocency before the Fall Confutation 12. He that can attain Adams Righteousness in sincerity hath his sin truly mortified but that no Legalist can have because true Mortification is wrought by the Covenant of Grace Rom. 6. 14. Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace Error 13. That there is a new birth under the Covenant of Works to such a kind of Righteousness as before is mentioned from which the Soul must be again converted before it can be made partaker of Gods Kingdom Confutation 13. This is contrary to Tit. 3. 4. where the new birth is made a fruit of Gods love towards man in Christ of any new birth besides this the Scripture speaketh not It is also contrary to 2 Cor. 3. where it is made the work of the Spirit that is the Gospel opposed to the letter that is to the Law to give life the new birth brings forth the new creature and the new creature argueth our being in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. It is true indeed Gods Children that are born again must be converted again as Mat. 18. 3. but that conversion is not from that grace which they have received but from the corruption that still remains Error 14. That Christ works in the regenerate as in those that are dead and not as in those that are alive or the regenerate after Conversion are altogether dead to spiritual Acts. Confutation 14. This is contrary to Rom. 6. 11. Ye are alive unto God in Jesus Christ Ephes. 2. 1 5. He hath quickned us 1 Pet. 2. 5. Living stones Gal. 2. 20. The life that I now live Error 15. There is no inherent Righteousness in the Saints or Grace and Graces are not in the Souls of Believers but in Christ only Confutation 15. This is contrary to 2 Tim. 1. 5. The unfeigned Faith that dwelt in thee and dwelt first in thy Grandmoother 2 Pet. 1. 4. Partakers of the Divine Nature which cannot be but by inherent Righteousness 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the Grace of God which is in thee Iohn 1. 16. Of his Fulness we all receive Grace for Grace but if there be no Grace in us we receive nothing from his Fulness 2 Cor. 4. 16. Our inward man is renewed day by day Rom. 12. 2. with Ephes. 4. 24. we are changed or renewed Error 16. There is no difference between
and Behaviour at present were more modest and submiss than formerly they had been and for that he excused his former Intemperances by his much employment and publick businesses it was thought fit to deliver him from that Temptation so he was only sentenced to be disfranchised with admonition no more to occasion any disturbance of the publick Peace either by speech or otherwise upon pain of Banishment and further censure Mr. Aspin THE next who was called was Mr. William Aspin to whom the Court said that his case was in a manner the same with Master Cogshals his Hand was to the Petition he had justified Master Wheelwright's Sermon and had condemned the Court and therefore what could he say why the Court should not proceed to Sentence For he had been present and heard what was said to Master Cogshall to have convinced him of his fault and therefore it would be needless to repeat any thing To this he answer'd and confessed the Petition and that his Heart was to it as well as his Hand and that that for which Mr. Wheelwright was censured was for nothing but the Truth of Christ and desired to know what we could lay to his Charge therein The Court told him that he being a Member of this Civil Body and going contrary to his Relation and Oath to stop the course of Justice in countenancing seditious Persons and Practices against the Face of Authority this made him to be a seditious Person He answered he did but prefer an Humble Petition which he could not do but he must intimate some cause why and that Mephibosheth in his Petition did imply as much of Davids unjust Sentence against him as was in this Petition The Court replyed that he was ill advised to bring that Example for his Justification which makes clearly against him for Mephibosheth doth not charge David with any injustice not so much as by Implication but excuseth himself and layeth all the blame upon his Servant Then he alledged the Petition of Esther to Abasuerus but neither would that serve his turn for she petitioned for her life c. without charging the King with Injustice He still fled to this Plea that it is lawful for Subjects to petition the Court answered that this was no Petition but a seditious Libel the mis-naming of a thing doth not alter the nature of it besides they called it in the first place a Remonstrance which implies that they pretended Interest and is in the nature of it a Plea which challengeth a right of a party besides they give peremptory Judgment in the cause and that directly opposite to the Judgment of the Court the Court declared Mr. Wheelwright guilty they proclaim him innocent the Court judged his Speech to be false and seditious they affirmed it to be the Truth of Christ and the very words of the Holy Ghost which is apparently untrue if not blasphemous Further in pretending their moderation they put Arguments in the peoples minds to invite them to violence by bringing the Example of Peter drawing his Sword wherein they blame not his Fact but his Rashness And that of the People rescuing Ionathan which to make the more effectual they say that it was not seditious Lastly It was great arrogance of any private man thus openly to advance his own Judgment of the Court therefore it will appear to their Posterity as a Brand of Infamy upon these erroneous Opinions that those who maintained them were not censured for their Judgment but for seditious Practices He further pleaded that no Petition can be made in such a case but something may be mistaken through misprision as trenching upon Authority the Court answer'd that if they had only petitioned the Court to remit this Censure or had desired respite for further considerations or leave to propound their doubts there could have been no danger of being mistaken Besides there was no need of such haste in petitioning seeing the Sentence was not given but deferring to the next Court Master VVheelwright â—â—jâ—…yned only to appear there The Court then being about to give Sâ—…ntence Mastâ—… Aspin desired the Court to shew a Rule in Scripture for Banishment the court answered as before that Hagar and Ishmael were banished for disturbance he replied that if a Father give a Châ—… a Portion and sent him forth it was not Bâ—…nishment but it was answered the Scripture calls it a casting out not a sending forth and one said further that he was a Child worthy of such a Portion Then the Sentence of the Court was for his dis-franchisemnnt and banishment and time given him to the last of March upon Security for his departure then which he presently tendered and so was dismissed The Court intended only to have dis-franchised him as they had done Mr. Cogshall but his Behaviour was so contemptuous and his Speeches so peremptory that occasioned a further aggravation and it appeared afterward to be by an over-ruling Hand of God for the next day it was discovered that he was the man that did frame the Petition and drew many to subscribe to it and some had their names put to it without their knowledge and in his first draught there were other passages so foul as he was forced to put them out and yet many had not subscribed but upon his promise that it should not be delivered without advice of Mr. Cotton which was never done VVilliam Baulston and Ed. Hutchison AFter these two of the Serjeants of Boston were called VVilliam Baulston and Ed Hutchison these both had their Hands to the Petition and justâ—…fied the same VVill. Baulston told the Court that he knew that if such a Petition had been made in any other place in the world there would have been no fault found with it The other told the Court turning himself in a scornful manner that if they took away his Estate they must keep his Wiâ—…e and Children for which he was presently committed to the Offiâ—…r The Court reasoned a good while with them both but they were peremptory and would acknowledge no failing and because of their contemptuous Spâ—…eches and for that they wâ—…re known to be very busie persons and such as had offered Contempt to the Magistrates for that they were not of their Opinion they were dis-franchised and fined VVill Baulston Twenty Pounds Ed. Hâ—…tchison Fourty Pounds The next morning Ed. Hutchison acknowledged his fault in his misbehaviour in the face of the Court and so was released of his Imprisonment but both were disabled from bearing any publick Office Tho. Marshal Dynely and Dier Rich. Gridly ANother day were called four more of the Principal stirring Men who had subscribed to the Petition Thomas Marshal the Ferry-man who justified the Petition so far that he would not acknowledge any fault yet he answered more modestly thâ—…n the former therefore he was not sined but dis-franchised and put out of his place Dynely and Dyer had little to say for themselves but persisting in their justification
will be ready to draw their Swords for him like Peter for furor arma ministrat like him who when he could not by any Sentence in the Bible confute an Heretick could make use of the whole book to break his head we might hold forth instances more than enough The Wars in Germany for these hundred years arose from dissentions in Religion and though in the beginning of the contention they drew out onely the Sword of the Spirit yet it was soon changed into a Sword of Steel So was it among the Consederate Cantons of Helvetia which were so many Towns as nearly combined together as ours here so was it also in the Netherlands between the Orthodox and the Arminians so hath it been between the Calvinists and Lutherans In every place we find that the contentions began first by disputations and Sermons and when the minds of the people were once set on fire by reproachful Terms of incendiary Spirits they soon set to blows and had always a tragical and bloody issue And to clear this objection Mr. Wheel professed before-hand what he looked for viz. that his Doctrine would cause combustions even in the Common-wealth as well as in the Churches which he could not have feared if he had supposed as in Charity he well might that those who were set over the People here in both States were indeed true Christians yea he not only confesseth his expectation but his earnest desire also of such combustions and disturbances when he saith that it is the Saints desire to have the fire kindled as if he were come among Turks or Papists and not among the Churches of Christ amongst whom Paul laboured to quench all fire of contention but with the Corinthians Romans and Galatians and wished that those were cut off who troubled them setting a mark upon such as made division and a note of a carnal mind therefore this objection will not save him his offence is yet without excuse he did intend to trouble our peace and he hath effected it therefore it was a contempt of that authority which required every Man to study Peace and Truth and therefore it was a seditious contempt in that he stirred up others to joyn in the disturbance of that Peace which he was bound by Solemn Oath to preserve But here he puts in a plea that he did take the onely right way for Peace by holding out the Lord Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Free Grace for without Christ there is no peace but get Christ and we have all To this we reply first We would demand of him what he accounts a holding forth a Covenant of Grace for saving that he saith this is a Covenant of Grace that is a Covenant of Works no Man can discern any such thing by his proofs for there is not any one argument in his Sermon to convince the judgment that so it is and if we search the Scripture we find in the Old Testament Ier. 31. the Covenant of Grace to be this I will write my Law in their hearts or I will be their God c. and in the new Testament we find He that believes in the Lord Iesus Christ shall be saved and that it is of Faith that it might be of Grace but other Covenant of Grace than these or to the same effect are not in our Bibles Again Tho' it be true that get Christ and we have all in some respect yet we must remember him of what he said with the same breath that Truth and external Peace cannot possibly stand together how then would he have us believe that such a holding forth Christ should bring the desired Peace This is some what like the Jewish Corban I will give to God and he shall help my Parents or as when a poor man stands in need of such relief as I might give him instead there of I pray to God to bless him and tell him that the blessing of God maketh rich or as I give a Lawyer a Fee to plead my cause and to procure me Justice and when the day of hearing comes he makes a long Speech in commending the justice of the King and perswading me to get his favour because he is the fountain of Justice This is to reprove the wisdom of God by looking that the supreme and first cause should produce all effects without the use of subordinate and nearer causes and means so a Man should live out his full time by God's decree onely without meat or medicine this plea therefore will not hold let us hear another It is objected that the Magistrates may not appoint a Messenger of God what he should teach admit so much yet he may limit him what he may not teach If he forbid him to teach Heresie or Sedition c. he incurs as well a contempt in teaching that which he was forbidden as sins in teaching that which is evil Besides every truth is not seasonable at all times Christ tells his Disciples That he had many things to teach them but they could not bear them then Joh. 16. 12. and God giveth his Prophets the Tongue of the Learned that they may know how to speak a word in season Isa. 50. 40. and if for every thing there be a season then for every Doctrine Eccles. 3. 1. The abolishing of the Ceremonial Law was a Truth which the Apostles were to teach yet there was a season when Paul did refrain it Acts 21. 24. and the same Paul would not circumcise Titus though he did Timothy so the difference of persons and places made a difference in the season of the Doctrine and if Mr. Wheelwright had looked upon the words which followed in the Text Matth. 9. 16 17. he might have learned that such a Sermon would as ill suit the season as old Bottles do new Wine and by that in Esay before-mentioned he might have had known the Spirit of God doth teach his Servants to discern of seasons as well as of truths for if there be such a point in wisdom as Men call discretion sure Religion which maketh truly wise doth not deprive the Servants of God of the right use thereof When Paul was to deal with the Sorcerer who did oppose his Doctrine Acts 13. he calls him the Child of the Devil c. but when he answered Festus who told him he was mad and rejected his Doctrine also he useth him gently and with terms of honourable respect Tho' Stephen calls the Jews stiff-necked and of uncircumcised hearts c as knowing them to be malitious and obstinate Enemies to Christ yet Paul directs Timothy being to deal with such as were not past hope tho' they did oppose his Doctrine for the present not to strive but to use all gentleness instructing them with meekness c. 2. Tim. 2. The Prophet Elisha when he speaks to Iehoram very roughly as one not worthy to be looked at yet he shews a different respect of Iehosaphat tho' he were then out of his way and