not so inthrall'd to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ else they could not be godly persons I answere this comes not neare our Question which is not concerning personal godlines or grace of Christ but the godlines or Christianitie of Worship Hence the Scripture holds forth Christ Jesus first personally as that God Man that One Mediatour between God and man Christ considered two wayes first personally so Gods people can never bee separated from him the Man Christ Jesus whom all Gods people by Faith receive and in receiving become the Sons of God Iohn 1. 12. although they yet see not the particular wayes of his Worship Thus was it with the Centurion the Woman of Canaan Cornelius and most at their first conversion Secondly the Scripture holdeth forth Christ as Head of his Church Secondly as head of his Church and so he is often lost and absent from his Spouse formed into a Body of worshippers in which respect the Church is called Christ 1 Cor 12. 12. and the description of Christ is admirably set forth in 10 severall parts of a mans bodie fitting and suiting to the visible profession of Christ in the Church Cant. 5. Now in the former respect Antichrist can never so inthral Gods people as to separate them from Christ that is from the life and grace of Christ although he inthrall them into never so grosse Abominations concerning Worship for God will not loose His in Egypt Sodome Babel His Jewels are most precious to him though in a Babilonish dunghill and his Lillie sweet and lovely in the Wildernes commixt with Briars Gods people cannot serve a false Christ and the true together Yet in the second respect as Christ is taken for the church I conceive that Antichrist may separate Gods people from Christ that is from Christs true visible Church and Worship This Mr. Cotton himselfe will not deny if he remember how little a while it is since the falsehood of a National Provincial Diocesan and Parishionall Church c. and the truth of a particular Congregation consisting only of holy persons appeared unto him The Papists Question to the Protestant viz. The Church before Luther Where was your Church before Luther is thus well answered to wit That since the Apostacie Truth and the holy city according to the Prophecie Revel 11 13. have been troden under foot Revel 13. and the whole earth hath wondred after the Beast yet God hath stir'd up Witnesses to Prophecie in Sackcloth against the Beast during his 42 moneths reigne yet those Witnesses have in their Times more or lesse submitted to Antichrist and his Church Worship Ministrie c. and so consequently have been ignorant of the true Christ that is Christ taken for the Church in the true profession of that holy Way of Worship which he himselfe at first appointed CHAP. XIII Mr. Cotton Secondly we deny that it is necessary to Church fellowship that is so necessary that without it a Church cannot be that the Members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expresly bewaile all the Pollutions which they have been defiled with in the former Church-fellowship Ministry Worship Government c. if they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did inthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ and be readie in preparation of heart as they shall see more Light so to hate more and more every falfe way we conceive it is as much as is necessarily required to separate them from Antichrist and to fellowship with Christ and his Churches The Church of Christ admitted many thousand Jewes that beleeved on the name of Christ although they were still zealous of the Law and saw not the beggarly emptines of Moses his ceremonies Acts 21 20. and the Apostle Paul directeth the Romans to receive such unto them as are weake in the faith and see not their libertie from the servile difference of Meats and Dayes but still lie under the bondage of the Law yea he wisheth them to receive such upon this ground because Christ hath received them Rom. 14. to the sixt Say not there is not the like danger of lying under bondage to Moses as to Antichrist for even the bondage under Moses was such as if continued in after instruction and conviction would separate them from Christ Gal. 5. 2. and bondage under Antichrist could doe no more Ans Here I desire 3. things may be observed First Mr. Cottons own confession of that two-fold Church estate Mr. Cotton confessing the true and false constitution of the church worship c. the former false or else why to be so bewailed and forsaken the second true to be imbraced and submitted to Secondly his own confession of that which a little before he would make so odious in me to hold Mr. Cotton confessing to hold what hee censureth in the answerer viz. that Gods people may be so farre inthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ for saith he If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did inthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ Thirdly I observe how easilie a soule may wander in his generalls Fallacie in Mr. Cottons generals for thus he writes Though they see not all the pollutions wherewith they have been defiled in the former Church-fellowship Again if they see so much as did inthrall them to Antichrist A godly person remaining a member of a false Church is therein a member of a false Christ and separate them from Christ And yet he expresseth nothing of that all the pollutions nor what so much is as will separate them from Christ Hence upon that former distinction that Christ in visible Worship is Christ I demaund Whether if a godly person remaine a member of a falsly constituted Church and so consequently in that respect of a false Christ Separation from false Christ absolutely necessary before there can be union to the true whether in visible worship he be not separate from the true Christ Secondly I aske Whether it be not absolutely necessary to his uniting with the true Church that is with Christ in true Christian Worship that he see and bewaile and absolutely come out from that former false Church or Christ and his Ministrie Worship c. before he can be united to the true Israel A sequestration or separation of the soul from the world in the idolatrous and invented worships of it before it can be presented to Christ Iesus as a chast virgin into the chast bed of his owne most holy institutions must come forth of Egypt before they can sacrifice to God in the Wildernes The Jewes come out of Babel before they build the Temple in Ierusalem The husband of a woman die or she be legally divorced before she can lawfully be maried to another the graft cut off from one before it can be ingrafted into another stock The
shall perish in their way Ans However Mr. Cotton beleeves and writes of this point yet hath he not duly considered these following particulars First the faithfull labours of many Witnesses of Iesus Christ extant to the world abundantly proving that the Church of the Jews under the Old Testament in the type and the Church of the Christians under the New Testament in the Antitype were both separate from the world When Gods people neglect to maintain that hedge or wall God hath turned his garden into a wildernesse and that when they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of Separation between the Garden of the Church and the Wildernes of the world God hath ever broke down the wall it selfe removed the Candlestick c. and made his Garden a Wildernesse as at this day And that therfore if he will ever please to restore his Garden and Paradice again it must of necessitie be walled in peculiarly unto himselfe from the world and that all that shall be saved out of the world are to be transplanted out of the Wildernes of the world The Nonconformists grounds necessarily inforce a separation of the Church from the unclean in clean and holy things and added unto his Church or Garden Secondly that all the grounds and principles leading to oppose Bishops Ceremonies Common Prayer prostitution of the Ordinances of Christ to the ungodly and to the true practise of Christs own Ordinances doe necessarily as before I intimated and Mr. Caâ—â— hath fully proved conclude a separation of holy from unholy penitent from impenitent godly from ungodly c. and that to frame any other building upon such grounds and foundations is no other then to raise the form of a square house upon the Keele of a Ship which will never prove a soul saving true Arke or Church of Christ Jesus according to the Patterne Thirdly the multitudes of holy and faithfull men and women who since Q. Maries dayes have witnessed this truth by writing disputing and in suffring losse of goods and friends The great suffeâ—ing for this cause in impresonment banishments death c. I confesse the Nonconformists have suffred also but they that have suffred for this cause have farre exceeded in not only witnessing to those grounds of the Non-conformists but to those Truths also the unavoidable conclusions of the Non-conformists principles Fourthly what is that which Mr. Cotton and so many hundreths fearing God in New England walk in but a way of separation Mr. Cottonâ— and others zealous practice of separation in New England Of what matter doe they professe to constitute their Churches but of true godly persons In what form doe they cast this matter but by a voluntary uniting or adding of such godly persons whom they carefully examine and cause to make a publike confession of sinne and profession of their knowledge and grace in Christ Nay when other English have attempted to set up a Congregation after the Parishionall way have they not been supprest Yea have they not professedly and lately answered many worthy persons whom they account godly Ministers and people that they could not permit them to live in the same Common-wealth together with them if they set up any other Church and Worship then what themselvs practise Mr. Cotton allowing libertie to frequent those parishes in Old England which parishes be himselfe persecutes in New England Let their own soules and the soules of others seriously ponder in the feare of God what should be the Reason why themselves so practising should persecute others for not leaving open a gap of Liberty to escape persecution and the Crosse of Christ by frequenting the Parishes in Old England which Parishes themselves persecute in New England and will not permit them to breath in the common aire amongst them Fifthly in the Parishes which Mr. Cotton holds but inventions of men however they would have liberty to frequent the Worship of the Word A great mystery in the escaping of the crosse of Christ yet they separate from the Sacraments and yet according to Mr. Cottons own principles as before there is as true Communion in the Ministration of the word in a Church estate as in the seales What mystery should be in this but that here also the Crosse or Gibbet of Christ may be avoyded in a great measure if persons come to Church c Lastly however he saith he hath not found such presence of Christ and evidence of his Spirit in such Churches as in the Parishes What should be the reason of their great rejoycings and boastings of their own Separations in New England The New English Churches 〈…〉 by some to 〈◊〉 purer then the first establiâ—â—ed by the Apostles insomuch that some of the most eminent amongst them have affirmed That even the Apostles Churches were not so pure Surely if the same New English Churches were in Old England they could not meet without Persecution which therfore in Old England they avoid by frequenting the way of Church-worship which in New England they Persecute the Parishes Upon these considerations how can Mr. Cotton be offended that I should help as he calls them any zealous soules not against the mighty Ordinances of the Lord Jesus but to seek after the Lord Jesus without halting The reformation desired now had been accounted Heresie in Ed. â— his dayeâ— Yea why should Mr. Cotton or any desirous to practice Reformation kindle a fire of Persecution against such zealous soules especially considering that themselves had they so inveighed against Bishops Common Prayer c. in Edward the 6. his dayes had been accounted as great Hereticks in those Reforming times as any now can be in these yet would it have been then and since hath it been great oppression and Tyranny to persecute their consciences and still will it be for them to persecute the consciences of others in Old or New England How can I better end then Mr. Cotton doth by warning that all that will not kisse the Son that is heare and embrace the words of his mouth shall perish in their way 〈◊〉 unjust 〈◊〉 wheresoever Psal 2. 12. And I desire Mr. Cotton and every soule to whom these lines may come seriously to consider in this Contraversie if the Lord Jesus were himselfe in person in Old or New England what Church what Ministry what Worship what Government he would set up and what persecution he would practice toward them that would not receive Him FINIS
Calling and Commission I say Mr. Cotton doth not nor will he ever prove that these or any of these ought to be put to Death or Banishment in every Land or Countrey The selling or withholding of spirituall corne Spirituall offences are only liable to a spiritual censure are both of a spirituall nature and therfore must necessarily in a true parallell beare relation to a spiritual curse Paul wishing himselfe accursed from Christ for his Countrey mens sake Rom. 9. he spake not of any temporall death or banishment Yet neerer being fitly qualified and truly called by Christ to the Ministrie Paul not to be banished or kild by Nero for not preaching the Gospel he cries out 1 Cor. 9. Wee to me if I preach not the Gospel yet did not Paul intend that therfore the Roman Nero or any subordinate power under him in Corinth should have either banished or put Paul to death having committed nothing against the civill State worthy of such a civill punishment yea and Mr. Cotton himselfe seemeth to question the sandines of such a ground to warrant such proceedings for thus he goes on CHAP. VI. Mr. Cotton And yet it may be they passed that sentence against you not upon that ground but for ought I know for your other corrupt Doctrines which tend to the disturbance both of civill and holy peace as may appeare by that answere which was sent to the Brethren of the Church of Salem and your selfe M. Cotton himselfe ignorant of the cause of my sufferings I answere it is no wonder that so many having bin demanded the cause of my suffrings have answered that they could not tell for what since Mr. Cotton himselfe knows not distinctly what cause to assigne but saith it may be they passed not that sentence on that ground c. Oh where was the waking care of so excellent worthy a man to see his brother and beloved in Christ so afflicted he knows not distinctly for what He alleadgeth a Scripture to prove the Sentence righteous and yet concludeth it may be it was not for that but for other corrupt Doctrines which he nameth not nor any Scripture to prove them corrupt or the sentence righteous for that cause O that it may please the Father of lights to awaken both himself and other of my honoured Countreymen to see how though their hearts wake in respect of personall grace and life of Jesus yet they sleep insensible of much concerning the purity of the Lords worship or the sorrows of such whom they stile Brethren and beloved in Christ afflicted by them But though he name not these corrupt Doctrines a little before I have as they were publikely summed up and charged upon me and yet none of them tending to the breach of holy or civill peace Civill peace and civil Magistracie blessed ordinances of God of which I have ever desired to be unfainedly tender acknowledging the Ordinance of Magistracie to be properly and adequatly fitted by God to preserve the civill State in civill peace and order as he hath also appointed a spirituall Government and Governours in matters pertaining to his worship and the consciences of men both which Governments Governours Laws Offences Punishments are Essentially distinct and the confounding of them brings all the world into Combustion He addes CHAP. VII Mr. Cotton And to speak freely what I think were my soule in your soules stead I should think it a worke of mercy of God to Banish me from the civill societie of such a Common-weale where I could not enjoy holy fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sin What should the daughter of Sion do in Babel why should she not hasten to flee from thence Ans Love bids me hope that Mr. Cotton here intended me a Cordiall to revive me in my sorrows yet if the ingredients be examined there will appeare no lesse then Dishonour to the name of God Danger to every civill State a miserable Comfort to my selfe and contradiction within it selfe For the last first A land cannot be Babel and yet a Church of Christ If he call the Land Babel mystically which he must needs doe or els speak not to the point how can it be Babel and yet the Church of Christ also Secondly it is a dangerous Doctrine to affirme it a misery to live in that State where a Christian cannot enjoy the fellowship of the publike Churches of God without sinne Do we not know many famous states wherin is known no Church of Jesus Christ Famous civill States where yet no sound of Iesus Christ Did not God command his people to pray for the peace of the materiall Citie of Babel Jer. 27. and to seek the peace of it though no Church of God in Babel in the form and Order of it Or did Sodome Aegypt Babel signifie material Sodome Egypt Babel Rev. 11. 8. 18. 4 There was a true Church of Jesus Christ in materiall Babel 1 Pet. 5. 13. A true church of Iesus Christ in materiall Babylon Was it then a mercy for all the inhabitants of Babel to have been banished whom the Church of Jesus Christ durst not to have received to holy fellowship Or was it a mercy for any person to have been banished the City and driven to the miseries of a barbarous wildernes him and his if some barre had layn upon his conscience that he could not have enjoyed fellowship with the true Church of Christ Thirdly for my selfe I acknowledge it a blessed gift of God to be inabled to suffer The mercy of a civill State distinct from mercies of a spirituall nature and so to be banished for his Names sake and yet I doubt not to affirm that Mr. Cotton himselfe would have counted it a mercy if he might have practised in Old England what now he doth in New with the injoyment of the civill peace safetie and protection of the State Or should he dissent from the New English Churches and joyn in worship with some other as some few yeares since he was upon the point to doe in a separation from the Churches there as legall would he count it a mercy to be pluckt up by the roots Old and New England for the Countries and civill government incomparable him and his and to endure the losses distractions miseries that doe attend such a condition The truth is both the mother and the Daughter Old and New England for the Countries and Governments are Lands and Governments incomparable And might it please God to perswade the mother to permit the inhabitants of New England her daughter to enjoy their conscience to God after a particular Congregationall way and to perswade the daughter to permit the inhabitants of the mother Old England to walke there after their conscience of a Parishionall way which yet neither mother nor daughter is perswaded to permit I conceive Mr. Cotton himselfe were he seated in Old England againe would not count it a mercy to
be banished from the civil state And therfore lastly as he casts dishonour upon the name of God Mr. Cotton not having felt the miseries of others can bee no equall judge of them to make him the Author of such cruell mercy so had his soule been in my soules case exposed to the miseries poverties necessities wants debts hardships of Sea and Land in a banished condition he would I presume reach forth a more mercifull cordiall to the afflicted But he that is despised and afflicted is like a lamp despised in the eyes of him that is at ease Iob. CHAP. VIII Mr. Cotton Yea but he speaks not these things to adde affliction to the afflicted but if it were the holy will of God to move me to a serious sight of my sinne and of the justice of Gods hand against it Against your corrupt Doctrines it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against you with the sword of his mouth as himselfe speaketh Rev. 2. in the mouthes and testimonies of the Churches Brethren against whom when you overheat your selfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his truth it pleased him to stop your mouth by a sudden Disease and to threaten to take breath from you But you instead of recoiling as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case chose rather to persist in the way and protest against all the Churches and brethren that stood in your way and thus the good hand of Christ that should have humbled you to see and turn from the error of your way hath rather hardned you therin and quickned you only to see failings yea intollerable errors in all the Churches and brethren rather then in your selfe Answer In these lines an humble and discerning spirit may espie First a glorious justification and boasting of Himselfe and others concurring with him Secondly an unrighteous and uncharitable censure of the afflicted To the first I say no more The lanthorâ—e of Gods word must alone try who fights with the sword of Gods mouth the same word of God but let the light of the holy lanthorne of the word of God discover and try with whom the sword of Gods mouth that is the testimony of the holy Scripture for Christ against Antichrist abideth And whether my self and such poore Witnesses of Jesus Christ in Old and New England Low-Countries c. desiring in meeknes and patience to testifie the truth of Jesus against all false callings of Ministers Whether Mr. Cotton persecuting or the answerer persecuted bee likest to Balaam c. Or Mr. Cotton however in his person holy and beloved swimming with the stream of outward credit and profit and smiting with the fist and sword of persecution such as dare not joyn in worship with him I say whether of either be the Witnesses of Christ Jesus in whose mouth is the sword of his mouth the sword of the Spirit the holy word of God and whether is most like to Balaam To the secâ—nâ— his censure It is true it pleased God by excessivâ— labours on the Lords dayes The answerers profession concerning his sicknes which Mr. Cotton upbraids to him and thrice a week at Salem by labours day and night in my Field with my own hands for the maintenance of my charge by travells also by day and night to goe and return from their Court and not by over-heating in dispute divers of themselves confessing publikely my moderation it pleased God to bring me neare unto death in which time notwithstanding the mediating testimony of two skillfull in Physick I was unmercifully driven from my chamber to a Winters flight During my sicknes I humbly appeale unto the Father of Spirits for witnes of the upright and constant diligent search my spirit made after him in the examination of all passages both my private disquisitions with all the chief of their Ministers and publike agitations of points controverted and what gracious fruit I reaped from that sicknes I hope my soule shall never forget However I mind not to number up a catalogue of the many censures upon Gods servants in the time of Gods chastisements and visitations on them Scripture history experience can witnes the censures upon Gods servants in their afflictions both in Scripture History and experience Nor retort the many evills which it pleased God to bring upon some chief procurers of my sorrows nor upon the whole State immediatly after them which many of their own have observed and reported to me but I commit my cause to him that judgeth Righteously and yet resolve to pray against their Evils Psal 141. CHAP. IX Mr. Cotton In which course though you say you doe not remember an houre wherein the countenance of the Lord was darkned to you yet be not deceived it is no new thing with Sathan to transform himselfe into an Angel of light and to cheare the soule with false peace and with flashes of counterfeit consolation Sad and wofull is the memorie of Mr. Smiths strong consolation on his death-bed which is set as a seale to his grosse and damnable Arminianisme and Enthusiasme delivered in the confession of his Faith prefixed to the Storie of his life and death The countenance of God is upon his people when they feare him not when they presume of their own strength and his consolations are not found in the way of prefidence and error but in the wayes of humilitie and truth Ans To that part which concerns my self the speech hath reference either to the matter of justification or else matter of my affliction for Christ of both which I remember I have had discourse For the first I have exprest in some conference as Mr. Cotton himselfe hath also related concerning some A soule at peace with God may yet endure great combats concerning sanctification with whom I am not worthy to be named that after first manifestations of the countenance of God reconciled in the blood of his Son unto my soule my questions and trouble have not been concerning my reconciliation and peace with God but concerning sanctification and fellowship with the holines of God in which respect I desire to cry with Paul in the bitternes of my spirit O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Secondly it may have reference to some conference concerning affliction for his Names sake in which respect I desire to acknowledge the faithfullnes of his word and promise to be with his in 6 troubles and in 7 through fire and water making good 100 fold with persecution Affliction for Christ sweet to such of his servants as suffer ought for his names sake and I have said and must say and all Gods witnesses that have borne any paine or losse for Jesus must say that fellowship with the Lord Jesus in his sufferings is sweeter then all the fellowship with sinners in all the profits honours and pleasures of this present evill world And yet 2 things I desire
to speak to all men and my selfe Two cautions for any in persecution for conscience Let every man prove his worke Gal. 6. and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe and not in another Secondly if any man love God that soule knows God or rather is known of God 1 Cor. 8. Selfe-love may burn the bodie but happy only he whose love alone to Christ constrains him to be like unto him and suffer with him To that which concerneth Mr. Smith Mr. Smith godly and a light to Mr. Cotton and others though left to himself in some things although I knew him not and have heard of many points in which my conscience tells me it pleased the Lord to leave him to himselfe yet I have also heard by some whose testimonie Mr. Cotton will not easilie refuse that he was a man fearing God and I am sure Mr. Cotton hath made some use of those principles and arguments on which Mr. Smith and others went concerning the constitution of the Christian Church The infinite compassions of God Gods infinite compassions toward those whose hearts are upright with him which lay no sin to Davids charge but the sin of Vritah 1 King 15. have graciously comforted the soules of his on their death-bed accepting and crowning their uprightnes and faithfullnes and passing by what otherwise is grievous and offensive to him And indeed from the due consideration of that instance it appeares that no sin is comparably so grievous in Gods Davids The opinion of putting Vriâ—ah to death the vilest of all opinions as a treacherous slaughter of the faithfull whom we are forced to call beloved in Christ That opinion in Mr. Cotton or any is the most grievous to God or man and not comparable to any that ever Mr. Smith could be charged with It is true the countenance and consolations of God are found in the wayes of humilitie and truth As the weights of the sanctuary were double so must there bee double pondering in all the affairs of Gods worship and Sathan transformeth him like to an Angel of light in a counterfeit of both In which respect I desire to worke out salvation with feare and trembling and to doe nothing in the affaires of God and his Worship but like the weights of the Sanctuarie with double care diligence and consideration above all the affaires of this vanishing life And yet Christs consolations are so sweet that the soule that tasteth them in truth in suffering for any truth of his will not easily part with them though thousands are deceiv'd and deluded with counterfeits CHAP. X Mr. Cotton Two stumbling blocks I perceive have turned you off from Fellowship with us First the want of fit matter of our Church Secondly disrespect of the Separate Churches in England under affliction our selves practising Separation in peace For the first you acknowledge as you say with joy that godly persons are the visible members of these Churches but yet you see not that godly persons are matter fitted to constitute a Church no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to the building This exception seemeth to me to imply a contradiction to it selfe for if the matter of the Churches be as you say godly persons they are not then as Trees unfeld and Stones unhewen godlinesse cutteth men downe from the former root and heweth them out of the pit of corrupt nature and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ and with his people You object first a necessity lying upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of the false churches worship ministry government according to Scriptures Isa 62. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. and this is to be done not by a locall removall or contrary practise but by a deliverance of the soule understanding will judgement and affection Ans First we grant that it is not locall removall from former pollution nor contrary practise that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his Church but thas it is necessary also that we repent of such former pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and inthralled We grant further that it is likewise necessary to Church-fellowship we should see and discerne all such pollutions as do so farre inthrall us to Antichrist as to separate us from Christ But this we professe unto you that wherin we have reformed our practice therein have we endeavoured unfeignedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking if any through hypocrisie are wanting herein the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie and faithfullnesse of others nor the Church estate of all Answ That which requireth Answere in this passage is a charge of a seeming contradiction to wit That persons may be godly and yet not fitted for Church estate but remaine as Trees and Quarries unfeld c. Contrary to which it is affirmed that godly persons cannot be so inthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For the clearing of which let the word of Truth be rightly divided and a right distinction of things applyed there will appeare nothing contradictorie but cleare and satisfactorie to each mans conscience First then I distinguish of a godly person thus The state of godly persons in grosse sins In some acts of sin which a godly person may fall into during those acts although before the all searching and tender eye of God and also in the eyes of such as are godly such a person remaineth still godly yet to the eye of the world externally such a person seemeth ungodly and a sinner Thus Noah in his Drunkennesse thus Abraham Lot Samson Job David Peter in their lying whoredomes cursings Murther denying and forswearing of Christ Jesus although they lost not their inward sap and root of life Godly persons falling into grosse sins are to expresse repentance before they can bâ— admitted to the church yet suffred they a decay and fall of leafe and the shew of bad and evill Trees In such a case Mr. Cotton will not deny that a godly person falling into drunkennes wheredome deliberate murther denying and forswearing of Christ the Church of Christ cannot receive such persons into Church-fellowship before their sight of humble bewailing and confessing of such evills notwithstanding that love may conceive there is a root of godlines within Gods children long asleep in respect of Gods worship though alive in the grace of Christ Secondly Gods children Cant. 5. notwithstanding a principle of spiriuall life in their soules yet are lul'd into a long continued sleep in the matters of Gods worship I sleep though my heart waketh The heart is awake in spirituall life and grace as concerning personall union to the Lord Jesus and conscionable endeavours to please him in what the heart is convinced yet asleep in respect of abundant ignorance and negligence and consequently grosse abominations and pollutions of Worship in which the choisest servants of God and most
thing And did this sin reject these members from Church fellowship before convicton Or did it evacuate their Church estate for not casting out such members Ans The Scriptures or writings of truth are those heavenly righteous scales wherin all our contraversies must be tried and that blessed Starre that leads all those soules to Jesus that seek him But saith Mr. Cotton two of those Scriptures alledgged by me Isa 52. 11. Revel 18. 4. which I brought to prove a necessitie of leaving the false before a joyning to the true Church they speake of locall separation which saith he your selfe know we have made For that locall and typicall separation from Babylon Mr. Cotton cannot make both comings forth of Babel both in the Type and antitype to bee locall Isa 52. I could not well have beleeved that Mr. Cotton or any would make that comming forth of Babel in the antitype Rev. 18 4. to be locall and materiall also What civill State Nation or Countrey in the world in the antitype must now be called Babel certainly if any then Babel it selfe properly so called but there we find as before at true Church of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 5. Secondly If a locall Babel then also now a locall Iudea and Temple c. Come out of Babel not materiall but mysticall if Babel be locall now whence Gods people are called then must there be a locall Iudea a Land of Canaan also into which they are called and where shall both that Babel and Canaan be found in all the commings forth that have been made from the Church of Rome in these last times But Mr. Cotton having made a locall departure from Old England in Europe to New England in America can he satisfie his owne soule or the soules of other men that he hath obeyed that voice The Lord Iesus hath broken down the difference of places and persons come out of Babel my people partake not of her sins c. Doth he count the very Land of England literally Babel and so consequently Aegypt and Sodome Revel 11. 8. and the Land of new England Judea Canaan c. The Lord Jesus John 4. clearly breaks down all difference of places and Acts 10 all difference of persons and for my selfe I acknowledge the Land of England the civill Laws Government and people of England 2 Chiefest causes of Gods indignation against England not to be inferiour to any under heaven Only 2 things I shall humbly suggest unto my deare Countrymen whether more high and honourable at the helme of Government or more inferiour who labour and saile in this famous Ship of Englands Common Wealth as the greatest causes These two particulars I should be humbly ready to make proof of fourtaines and top roots of all the Indignation of the most High against the State and Countrey First that the whole Nation and Generations of Men have been forced though unregenerate and unrepentant to pretend and assume the name of Christ Jesus which only belongs according to the Institution of the Lord Jesus to truely regenerate and repenting soules Secondly that all others dissenting from them whether Jewes or Gentiles their Countrymen especially for strangers have a Libertie have not been permitted civill cohabitation in this world with them but have been distressea and persecuted by them But to returne the summe of my Contraversie with Mr. Cotton is The souls captivity to false worship is not locall but a guilt and not only so but an habit or disposition of spiritual sleep whoredome drunkennesse c. Whether or no that false Worshipping of the true God be not only a spirituall guilt liable to Gods sentence and plagues but also an habit frequently compared in the Prophets and Rev. 17. to a spirit and disposition of spiritual drunkennesse and whoredome a soule sleep and a soule sicknesse So that as by the change of a chaire chamber or bed a sick or sleepie man whore or drunkard are not changed but they remaine the same still untill that disposition of sicknes sleepinesse drunkennes whoredome be put off and a new habit of spirituall health watchfullnes sobrietie chastitie be put on CHAP. XVI Now concerning that Scripture 2 Cor. 6. Mr. Cotton here confesseth it holdeth forth 5. things That the repenting Corinthians were called out in from the unrepenting First in the Fellowship of their Idolatrie 2. From making Mariages with them 3. From Feasting in their Idols temples 4. From intimate Familiaritie with them 5. From all Fellowship in the unfruitfull works of darkâ—es The benefites of the repenting English their coming forth from the impenitent English in those former 5 particulars mentioned by Mr. Cotton Ans If regenerate and truely repenting English thus come forth from the unregenerate and unrepenting how would the name of the Lord Jesus be sanctified the jealousie of the Lord pacified their own soules cleansed judgements prevented yea and one good meanes practised toward the convincing and saving of the soules of such from whom in these particulars they depart and dare not have Fellowship with especially when in all civill things they walke unblameably in quiet and helpfull cohabitation righteous and faithfull dealing and chearfull submission to civill Lawes Orders Levies Customes c. Yea but Mr. Cotton demands What makes all this to prove that godly persons who professedly renounce all known sinne may not be received to Church fellowship although they see not the utmost skirts of their Pollution as the Patriarchs saw not the pollution of their Poligamie The sins of Gods peâ—ple are someâ—iâ—â—â— reputed to be of ignorance when they are of negligence and yet ignorance excuseth not wholly Ans I repeat the former distinction of godly persons who possibly may live in ungodly practices especially of false worship and then according to Mr. Cottons own interpretation of this place to the Corinthians they come not forth And I adde if there be any voice of Christ in the mouthes of his Witnesses against these sinnes they are not then of Ignorance but of Negligence and spirituall hardnes against the wayes of Gods feare against Isa 63. c. Moreover our question is not of the utmost skirts of Pollution but the substance of a true or false Bed of Worship Cant. 1. 16. in respect of comming out of the false before the entrance into the true And yet I beleeve that Mr. Cotton being to receive a person to Church fellowship A case put to Mr. Cotton who formerly hath been infamous for corporall Whoredome he would not give his consent to receive such an one No cause of more shame frr whoredome against an husbands bed then against the bed of Gods worship without sound Repentance for the filthines of her skirts Lament 1. not only in actuall whoredomes but also in whorish Speeches Gestures Appearances Provocation And why should there be a greater strictnes for the skirts of common whoredom then of spiritual soul Whoredome against the chastitie of