Cotton will say that the kingdome of Christ on earth may receive and keep in her bosome such stinking weedes declared so to be which the kingdome of Christ in heaven abhors Who questions but while the hypocrisie of these foolish Virgins lay hid in their empty vessels that outwardly they appeared as wise as the wise Virgins But when the fruits of their hypocrisie discovered them to be fools how can Master Cotton according to the truth as it is in Jesus affirme that foolish Virgins known hypocrites are to be kept in and not cast out of the church of Christ unto the end of the world Peace O how contrary is this to the very fundamentals essence nature and being of a church or Spouse of Christ Jesus which is by the confession of Papists and Protestants a society of wise Virgins visibly Saints holy and faithful persons a society of such persons as outwardly profess to love Christ Jesus uprightly Cant. 1. and to be espoused to him 1 Cor. 11. Truth Yea and how contrary is this to the nature of Christ Iesus whose heart is all one fire towards the daughters of Ierusalem Cant. 4. and how contrary to the charge that great and solemn charge of the Lord Iesus to all his followers to take heed of that leaven which is hypocrisie which if suffered will leaven the whole lumpe and render the garden and spouse of Christ a filthy dunghill and whore-house of rotten and stinking whores and hypocrites Examination of CHAP. XXI Peace MAster Cotton here endeavors to prove as many have done before that the Field which the Lord Iesus interprets the world was meant by him to be the Church as he is said to love the world Iohn 3. to be propitiation for the sins of the world 1 Ioh. 2. Truth In these and many other places of like nature it pleaseth the Spirit of God to set forth his love to mankinde distinct from all other creatures As also the impartiality of his love calling his chosen out of all sorts of sinners mankinde all the world over and yet it cannot be denyed but that the Scriptures speak frequently of the world and of the church in a far distinct and contrary acceptation So as when he nameth the church it cannot signifie the world and when the world he cannot be said to intend the church the reasons therefore on either side must be expended and weighed in the fear of God why the Field here called by Christ the world cannot be intended to be the church of Christ Peace Your right distinguishing is a right dividing of the word of Truth but saith Master Cotton it cannot be the world in proper signification for which he aleadgeth three reasons First Because there had been saith he no place for the servants wonder at the appearing of the tares verse 27. for what wonder that the world should be so full of fornicators c Was it ever otherwise Truth It is true that the world lyeth in wickedness and is full of fornicators idolaters c. and yet it was some thousands of yeers when the world was not full of Christian that is anointed or holy fornicators holy idolaters c. That is indeed and truth Antichristian and that alone is the point in question about which this answer of Master Cotton hovers but comes not neer it This is indeed a most dreadful and wonderful point of the wisdome justice and patience of God so to suffer so many millions of men and women to arrogate to themselves the name and profession of the most holy living God and his holy Son Christ Iesus to be called Christians anointed or holy and yet upon the point to hate the holiness truth and spirit of Christ Iesus Truth This is doubtless to me what ere Master Cotton imagines a wonderful mystery in all Ages since these tares were first sown to see I say so many millions of holy idolaters holy murtherers holy whoremongers holy theeves c. The blasphemy of this is so wonderful and dreadful that I cannot sufficiently wonder at him that wonders not how this comes to pass Truth The like I answer to his second Reason that it is true that we read not that ever any of the Ministers or Prophets of Christ ever essayed to pluck up all such vicious notorious persons out of the world as they demanded concerning the tares for then indeed as the Spirit implies 1 Cor. 5. the whole state of the world would be overthrown but yet this hinders not but there may be a desire in Gods servants to pluck up this or that sect or sort of people Jews Turks or Antichristians Peace Dear Truth you make me call to minde the desire of Christs disciples that fire might descend from heaven not to consume all fornicators idolaters all cruel and unclean persons out of the world yet that particular unmerciful superstitions Town of the Samaritans they desired that fire might come from heaven and consume them Truth Indeed this desire of the disciples is no strange desire for what else do All they desire which permit not in the civil state any Religion worship or conscience but their own Nay far beyond that were the whole worlds neck under their imperial yoake the many millions of millions of blasphemers and idolaters of all sorts if they will not be convinced at their word must be cut off from all natural and civil being in the world by Fire and Sword Peace His third reason is That the discusser reckoned up as paralel goats and sheep wheate and tares as generally said he others do and he addeth that in the purest church after the ruine of Antichrist there shall be goats and sheep wise and foolish Virgins untill the coming of Christ to judgement Mat. 25. Truth Although the discusser spake of that eternal separation between wheat and tares sheep and goats approaching yet he never said that the tares and goats signified hypocrites in the Church which is the point in question Nor dare I subscribe to that opinion that after the destruction of Antichrist when purest times of the church shall come that there shall be such a mixt estate in the church of Christ untill the coming of Christ to judgement For first Although goats were clean for food and sacrifice yet it is apparant that as they are for the left hand So they are visibly known by every child where goats and sheep are kept And to image that visible hypocrites such as tares goats unprofitable servants foolish Virgins c. shall in a mixt way make up Christs churoh and that in the purest times of the church of which there are so many and wonderful prophecies is to me not onely to frame a church estate point blank cross to the purity of those churches but even to the first Apostolical churches yea and against that frame of church estate in New England where Master Cotton hath professed though now it is said the door is wider against receiving in
cutting off from Christ Jesus his holy land of life and peace his church kingdom Mr. Cotton retreats and confesseth Christs Kingdom is spiritual not national but congregational and that those Scriptures hold forth a Spiritual cutting off and he so produceth them to prove the heretick so to be cut off alledging that the question was put in general tearms that he knew not what Persecution should be intended and that an unjust excommunication is as sore a persecution as an unjust banishment When he is urged with the nature of the consciences even of all men to God or Gods in their worships he professeth that he is wronged that he doth not hold that any man should be persecuted for his conscience but for sinning against his conscience When al the consciences in the world cry out against him for setting up the civil power officers and Courts of civil Iustice to judg of the conviction of mens souls and consciences Mr. Cotton retreats to his last refuge and saith that although this be the duty of all the Magistrates in the world yet not any of them must meddle to punish in Religion untill they be informed which is upon the point untill he is sure they will draw their swords for his Conscience Church c. against all other as heretical blasphemous The monstrous Partiality of such suspending c. of hanging up all the Magistrates in the world except a few of his own perswasion and that from so principall and main a part of their Office and that so many thousands in the Nations of the world all the world over and that constantly and perpetually all their dayes If it please the most jealous and righteous God to hide it I say the monstrousnesse of such a Suspension from Mr. Cottons eyes yet thousand and ten thousands will behold and wonder at it But fearing to exceed in discourse at dore let every mercifull and compassionate Reader freely enter in and search the in most Rooms and Closets If thou truly love the Truth and Peace thou art too neer of kin to the Prince of Peace and Truth it self long to escape the Hunters If the fourty two moneths of the Beasts reign and the two hundred and threescore dayes of the prophesie of the Witnesses of Jesus in Sackcloth be expired yet I fear the three dayes and a halfe of the greatest slaughter of the Witnesses is not over Yet fear not what must be suffered although the Devill cast not onely some but all Christs Witnesses into Prison yea although he murther and fling out the Karkasses of the Saints to shame and injury yet the mighty Spirit of God will raise them on their feet again and into heavenly glory out of this shame shall they ascend in the sight of their bloody enemies How many and how various are the Disputings c. about what should be this three dayes and a halfes calamity How many hope this storm is over how many fear it is now a breeding Yet why should we fear so short a draught though of a bitter Cup when tempered by the gracious hand of an Heavenly Father begun by so dear an Elder Brother so sweet a Saviour The Revelations of John and the Revelations of Gods wonderfull Providences seem to proclaim wonderfull and dreadfull Discoveries of the Son of God approaching And it is as sure as that there is a Lord Jesus Christ that God will subdue all his enemies that he will shortly break and make all his followers tread on the proudest Necks born up this day in the world even the grandest Seigniories of the Turkish and Popish Empires the two so mighty opposers of the Son of God And it is not improbable both their ruines and downfall must be from some top and pinacle of glorious prosperity and furious outrage against their Antichristian and Christian enemies The chiefest European enemies of the All devouring Turk though all that bear the name of Christ are his enemies are more especially the Pope the Emperour the King of Spain and the Venetians by whom Christ Jesus probably will dash that mighty Empire into pieces as he seems to have prophesied of old by his servant Daniel yet probably as I said before this downfall must be from some more eminent height of Turkish bloody pride and glory which that blasphemous and bloody Monarchy shall immediatly before attain unto The sorest enemies of the Roman Popes are the witnesses of the Truths of Jesus whom he hath not left himself without during the 42 moneths of the reign of this mighty and dreadfull Beast Against these blessed followers of the Lamb must probably the rage of this bloody Beast rise high in that his great slaughter of them and triumph three days and an half over them Rev. 11. and this not long before his own eternall downfall Many have been the Interpretations of that prophesie and some late Applications of the witnesses and Time to particular persons and Times of late But with all due respect to the Apprehensions of any studious of the truth of Jesus I conceive the matter is of a more generall consideration For in all that world over that wondred after the Beast hath Christ Jesus raised up a Generation or kind of Witnesses bearing testimony against him This witnesse more or lesse to the severall Truths of Jesus he hath been pleased to maintain before and since Luthers time especially The finishing of the Testimony must probably be generall not only in England but in the rest of the Protestant Nations which finishing of the witnesse probably wil consist in the matters of the purity of his worship and the Government of the Lord Jesus in his own holy Appointments and Institutions The slaughter of these witnesses must also probably be generall and in the three dayes and half triumph over them generall upon which follows that most glorious and generall rising of the witnesses unto their glory promised Rev. 11. I confess in this plea for freedom to all Consciences in matters meerly of worship I have impartially pleaded for the freedom of the consciences of the Papists themselves the greatest enemies and persecutors in Europe of the Saints and Truths of Jesus Yet I have pleaded for no more then is their due and right and what ever else shall be the Consequent it shall stand for a monument and testimony against them and be an aggravation of their former present or future cruelties against Christ Jesus the Head and all that uprightly love him his true Disciples and Followers It is true I have not satisfaction in the clear discovery of those holy Prophesies Periods set down and prefixed by the holy Spirit in Daniel John c. concerning the Kingdom of Christ Jesus Yet two things I professe in the holy presence of God Angels and Men. First my humble Desires and Resolution the Lord assisting to contend for the true and visible worship of the true and living God according to the
c. and it is just to preserve the Society of the church as well as any other Society Truth When we speak of the balances of Justice we must distinguish between the Balances of the Sanctuary and the Balances of the World or civil States It is spiritual justice to preserve spiritual right and for that end the spiritual King thereof hath taken care It is civil Justice to preserve the civil rights and the Rights of a civil society ought justly to be preserved by a civil State and yet if a company of men combine themselves into a civil society by voluntary agreement and voluntarily dissolve it it is not justice to force them to continue together Peace The church can least of all be forced for as it is a spiritual society and not subject to any civil Judicature though some say that a church in New England was cited to appear before a civil Court so is the combination of it voluntary and the dissolution of it in part or whole is voluntary and endures no Civil violence but as a virgin in point of marriage nec cogit nec cogitur she forceth not nor can be forced by any civil power Truth But lastly if it be justice to preserve the Society of the church is it not partiality in a meer civil State to preserve one onely society and not the persons of other Religious societies and consciences also But the Truth is this mingling of the church and the world together and their orders and societies together doth plainly discover that such churches were never called out from the world and that this is only a secret policy of flesh and blood to get protection from the world and so to keep with some little stilling of conscience from the Cross or Gallowes of Jesus Christ Truth Yea but hear saith Master Cotton those excellent penmen of the Spirit both the Father and the Son David and Solomon First David Psalme 122 They shall prosper that love the peace of Jerusalem and Solomon Where the righteous rejoyce there is great glory Prov. 28. Now saith he what is the church but a congregation of righteous men If the rejoycing of the Church be the glory of a Nation surely the disturbing and destroying and dissolving the church is the shame and confusion of a Nation Truth The outward prosperity of a Nation was a typical figurative blessing of that national and figurative church of Israel in Canaan It is now made good spiritually to them that love the spiritual Jerusalem for though godliness hath a promise of things of this life convenient yet persecution is the common and ordinary portion of the Saints under the Gospel thoughâ— that cup be infinitely sweetned also to them that drink of it with Christ Jesus by the measure and increase of a hundred fold for one even with persecution in this life 2. It is true the rejoycing of a Church of Christ is the glory of any Nation and the contrary a shame yet this proveth not that God vouchsafeth to no state civil peace and temporal glory except it establish and keep up a Church of Christ by force of armes for the contrary we have mentioned and Master Cotton confesseth the flourishing of States ignorant of Christ from Age to Age yea and as I have mentioned even to two thousand yeers in Athens six generations before it heard of Christ and fourteen generations since with the sprinking for some time of the knowledge of Christ Jesus in it Peace 2. But consider saith Master Cotton the excellency and preheminence of the church that the world is for it and would not subsist but for it c. Truth T is true glorious things are spoken of the City of God c. yet for many Ages together Master Cotton confesseth the Nations of the world may subsist flourish without it and though it be the duty of the Nations of the world to countenance and cherish the church of Christ yet where is there any commission either in the New or Old Testament that the Nations of the world should be the judges governors and defenders of Christ Iesus his spiritual kingdome and so bound to take up Armes and smite with the civil sword among so many pretenders for that which they believe to be the church of Christ Peace 3. saith he It is matter of just displeasure to God and sad grief of heart to the church when civil states looke at the state of the church as of little or no concernment to themselves Zech. 1. 19. Lam. 1. 13. Truth Grant this and that the most jealous God will awake in his season for these sins and for the persecutions idolatries and blasphemies which the Nations live in yet what is this for warrant to the Nations as before to judge and rule the church of Christ yea and under the colour of defending Christs faith and preserving Christs church pure to tear Christ out of heaven by persecuting of his Saints on earth and to fire the world with devouring flames of bloody wars and this onely for the sweet sake of the prince of peace Peace Dear Truth we are now upon an high point and that which neerly concerns my self the peace of the world and the Nations of it Master Cotton saith further God winketh at the Nations in the time of their ignorance and suffers the Nation to flourish many hundred yeers together as did the Empire of Rome yet when the church of Christ comes to be planted amongst them then as he brought the Turkes upon the Romans for their persecuting the church and not preserving it in purity so consequently will he do unto the Nations of the world Truth I answer the most righteous Judge of the whole world hath plauged the Nations of the world both before Christs coming and since for their pride and cruelty against his people for their idolateries blasphemies c. Yet Master Cotton acknowledgeth that many states have flourished many hundred yeers together when no true church of Christ hath been found in them and Master Cotton will never prove that God ever commanded the Nations and governments of the world to gather or constitute his churches and to preserve them in purity For God gave his ordinances both before and since Christ to his people onely whom he chuseth and calleth out of the World and the Nations of it and he hath punished and dissolved them for their obstinate neglect thereof And for the Roman Empire and the Emperors thereof the Christian Religion and the purity thereof never lost so much as when the Emperors were perswaded of Master Cottons bloody Tenent as Master Cotton and all men seen in History and Christianity must confess Peace But further although saith Master Cotton the peace of the church be a spiritual inward peace yet there is an outward peace of the church due to them from Princes and Magistrates in a way of godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2. But in a way of ungodliness and
he meaneth such as manifestly openly visibly walk in the true profession of Christianity and such as openly and visibly walk in the lyes of false and Antichristian doctrine and worship That distinction of secret and open Hypocrisie is seasonable secret implies such a dissimulation as may lie hid under the true outward profession of Christ Jesus as in Judas Simon Magus Ananias and Sapphira c. Open hypocrisie implies the profession of the man of sin sitting in the Temple of God or over the Temple of God pretending the Name of Christ and yet apparantly and visibly false and counterfeit and but pretending when such pretences and shewes are brought to the Touchstone of true Christianity Peace Your observation is true as also a second That these hypocritical doctrines and practices are to be tollerated to the end of the world this he sets down in general not instancing in particular what doctrine and practises are to be tollerated and on the other hand the whole drift of his Booke maintaineth that such persons doctrines or practices that are idolatrous or blasphemous or infectious are not to be tollerated or permitted at all which passages to my understanding have not harmony among themselves For what is all the whole Religion of every Antichrist but a Mass or Chaos of Hypocrisie Idolatry Heresie Blasphemy Poysons c. Besides Master Cotton had dealt more plainly with this holy Scripture if he had explained what he meant by such doctrines and practises comming neer the truth and set down the bounds how neer as to make them Tares Truth Dear Peace Who knows not that the weeds of the wilderness come neer the flowers of the Garden the counterfeit may come neer the life and the false mettal the true gold And though it be true that some doctrines and practices be not so gross as other yet they differ but as the Scripture speaks as whores and whoremongers amongst themselves some are more proper and fine and young and painted some are old deformed c. And yet the finest weeds counterfeits and whores are unsufferable in the Garden in the Commonweale house and bed of Christ Though yet in the civil Commonweale the vilest spiritual strumpet may challenge a civil Being if in civil things unreproveable Examination of CHAP. XIX Peace BUt in this Chapter Master Cotton in the issue granteth that the Tares signifie persons by Christs own interpretation For them that do iniquity may seem to be an explanation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All scandals that is persons holding forth of scandalous and corrupt doctrines and practices like unto true and sound Truth Yet withall he chargeth the discusser with lightness and inconstancy for endeavouring to prove that corrupt doctrines and practices are not to be tollerated and yet saith he the discusser pleades that such persons ought to be tollerated Whereas the discusser twice in this Chapter expresly distinguisheth between toleration in the Church and tolleration in the world and affirmeth that although the Church of Christ Jesus cannot tollerate either persons or practices which are false and Antichristian yet the civil state the world ought to tolerate and permit both And therefore Master Cottons inconsiderate charge of contradiction will not stick because of those divers respects or States the spiritual and civil as it was no contradiction in Christ Iesus to affirme that Iohn Baptist was Elias when Iohn himself affirmeth that he was not Elias For in several respects the Negative of John and the Affirmative of Jesus were both true Examination of CHAP. XX. Peace IN this passage to my understanding Master Cotton after much seeming contestation and disagreement yet in conclusion he shakes hands and agrees with the discusser in the maine point in question Truth Your observation reacheth home for let it be granted that the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should not signifie All weeds sprung up with the wheat but one kind of weed and that in special which Master Cotton saith Dioscorides describeth Let it be granted to be the same with Lolium and that there is a great similitude between the Tares and the Wheat while they are in the blade some of which particulars are controversial yet it no way opposeth that which the discusser maintaineth to wit the easiness of discerning these tares to be tares when they are grown up to blade and fruit And therefore Master Cotton at the last confesseth that even these tares unknown hypocrites according to his own exposition ought to be suffered in the church of Christ to the harvest or end of the world Peace I cannot but wonder how Master Cotton should once imagine that it might possibly stand with the order piety and safety of the profession of Christ Jesus that such a generation of known hypocrites should be perpetually suffered Truth Doubtless the Lord Jesus was not of Master Cottons minde who so vehemently warned his followers to take heed of the leaven of hypocrisie Beside if known hypocrites may be suffered and not cast out Why may not known hypocrites be taken in And what is then become of the true matter of the church to wit true living stones of a spiritual life and nature so far as outwardly can be discerned Peace This assertion hath so foule a representation that Master Cotton is forced to draw this vaile over and therefore he adds untill the fruits of hypocrites grow notoriously scandalous Truth I cannot fathom how these two agree First known hypocrites may be tolerated untill the worlds end 2. Tolerated no longer then untill the fruits of the hypocrisie grow notoriously scandalous For will not all reason and experience ask this question How comes it that this friend subject and Spouse of Christ is now a known dissembler traitor whore unless by some scandalous fruits so declaring and uncasing of them If the shameful fruits of the unclean person 1 Cor. 5. were sufficient to denominate him a wicked person why were they not sufficient to warrant Paul to say Put away therefore that wicked person from amongst you Peace But let us mind the Scripture quoted If saith Master Cotton foolish Virgins be cast out of the church the wise Virgins may be found sometimes sleeping as well as they Truth Neither good wheate nor wise Virgins are to be cast out of the church of Christ while they appear to be so yet since Master Cotton elsewhere grants that a child of God good wheat and a wise Virgin may so stand out against the church of Christ in some passion that he may be cast out c. How much more then ought the tares and foolish Virgins while so appearing be excluded 2. If the wise Virgins be received into heaven as the foolish shut out will it not evidently follow even the contrary to that for which Master Cotton alleadgeth this Scripture to wit That when hypocrites are discovered they are to be kept out and consequently to be cast out of the church of Christ except Master
be found upon examination incomparably greater and wrought in the eighth part of the time that the changes of the church of Iudah were And yet this instance will not infringe that the civil sword of the Magistrate in a national way is ordinarily able to turn about a Nation to and againe to and from a truth of God in national hypocrisie and therefore most wisely hath the most holy and only wise by the most golrious brightness of his person and wisdom of the Father Christ Jesus abolished his own national and state church whether explicit or implicit that the two-edged sword of the word of the Lord in the mouths of his true messengers might alone be brandished and magnified Peace Master Cotton concludeth this Chapter with the observation that the revolt of England againe to Popery wanteth Scripture-light Truth He that loves Christ Iesus in sincerity cannot but long that Christ Iesus would speedily be pleased with the breath of his mouth to consume that man of sin But yet that worthy servant of God according to his conscience Master Archer doth not barely propose his opinion but also his Scripture-grounds which I believe compared with all former experiences will seem to be of great and weighty consideration and call all that wait for Christ Iesus to beg his Spirit deeply to weigh and ponder them Examination of CHAP. XL. Peace TO the several allegations concerning the woful slavery of all opposites of Christ Iesus and the mighty power of free grace only able to release them Master Cotton replies So is it with scandalous offenders against the Civil state and yet this doth not restraine Magistrates from executing just judgements upon them c. And he adds that better a dead soul in a dead body and that seducers die without faith then murther and seduce many precious souls from the faith Truth The Lord Iesus commanding to give God the things that be Gods and to Caesar the things that be Caesars gives all his followers a clear and glorious torch of light to distinguish between offenders against God in a spiritual way and offenders against Caesar his Lawes state and government in a civil way T is true slatterers and time-servers use to make Religion and justice the two pillars of a State and so indeed do all such states in the world as maintaine a state-Religion invented and maintained in civil policy to maintaine a civil state But all men that have tasted of history or travel are witnesses sufficient of these two particulars First concerning justice that if the sword and balances of justice in a sort or measure be not drawn and held forth against scandalous offenders against civil state that civil state must dissolve by little and little from civility to barbarisme which is a wilderness of life and manners Peace Yea the very barbarians and Pagans of the world themselves are forced for their holding and hanging together in barbarous compaines to use the ties and knots and bands of a kind of civil justice against scandalous offenders against their Commonweale and profit Truth But too many thousands of Cities and states in the world have and do flourish for many generations and ages of men wherein whatever Caesar gets God cannot get one penny of his due in any bare permission or toleration of his religion and worship Peace Dear Truth these two points being so constantly proved I can but wonder that Master Cotton or any servant of Christ Iesus should cry out to the Caesars of this world to help the eternal God to get his due because Christ Iesus grants them a civil sword in civil cases to preserve their civil states from barbarisme and confusion Truth That worthy Emperor Antoninus Pius in his letters for the Christians plainly tels the governors of his provinces that the gods were able to punish those that sinned against their worship evidently declaring by that light of conscience and knowledge which God had lighted up in his soul the vast difference between offenders in the civil state and offendors against the true and only religion and worship about which the whole world disagreeth and is hist together by this bloody tenent I say hist together by the ears and throat in blood and fire as the tide of times major vote armies and armes of flesh prevaile Peace Ah Dear truth is there is no Balme in Gâ—â—ead no balances no sword of spiritual justice in the City and kingdome of Christ Jesus but that the officers thereof must run to borrow Caesar Are the Armories of the true king Solomon Christ Jesus disarmed Are there no spiritual swords girt upon the thighs of those valiant ones that should guard his heavenly bed except the sword of steel be run for from the cutlers shop Is the Religion of Christ Jesus so poor and so weak and feeble grown so cowardly and base since Paul spake so gloriously of it and the weapons of it 2 Cor. 10. that neither the souldiers nor Commanders in Christs Army have any courage or skill to withstand sufficiently in all points a false teacher a false prophet a spiritual cheater or deceiver Truth This must all that follow Jesus bitterly lament that not a spiritual sword or spear is to be found in the spiritual Israel of God but that his poor Israelites are forced down to the Philistins of this worlds Smiths c. And that the princes of Zion are become feeble like harts without pasture as Jeremy complaineth in his Lamentations Peace Now whereas it was added that a civil sword hardens the followers of false teachers in the suffering of their leaders and begets an impression of the falshood of that religion which cannot uphold it self all the world over but with such instruments of violence c. Master Cotton replies that the Magistrate ought not to draw out his sword against seducers untill he hath used all good means for conviction c. and then saith he he should be cruel to Christs Lambs in sparing the Foxes c. Truth Who knows not this to be the plea and practise of all Popish persecutors in all ages to compass sea and land to reduce the heretick to the union and bosome of the church not only with promises threatnings c but oftimes with solemn disputations and sometimes writings and waitings before they come to the definitive sentence and deliver him to the secular power and so to the use of those desperate remedies of hanging burning c. How do the bloody Popes and the bloody Bonners in their hypocritical letters and bloody sentences profess their lamentable grief at errors and heresies their clemency and mercy and great pains taken to reduce that wandring to return the lost childe to heal the scabbed sheep yea and when they are forced as they say for the saving of the flock from infection to deliver such sheep to the secular power as their butchers and executioners yet beseech they that power and that
Peace Master Cottons second Answer is that the persecuting Emperors and governors of Provinces under them attended not to the conviction of christians nor did they endeavour to make it appear that the Christians sinned against the light of their consciences and therefore no marvel if it bred in the people a just opinion of the cruelty of persecutors and of the innocency of christians Truth Let it be granted that the Roman Emperors did not attend to nor endeavour this yet the Roman Popes and all the Antichrist governors of their mystical Provinces Bishops and Preists have professedly compassed Sea and Land to make a Proselyte Peace T is true the history of the death of the Saints slaughtered by such persecutors abundantly testifie this and yet their persecution will be found no other then cruelty and murther and the opinion of it will never be razed out of the heart of Gods people whatever the whole world which wonders after and worships the beast think to the contrary Truth And I add that herein Master Cottons former position to wit that hereticks must be punished by the civil sword for sinning against the light of their own conscience accords fully with the Popish clamors the hereticks mouths are stopped they are convinced they have not a word to say and yet they are obstinate away with them hang them burn them Peace Master Cotton saith It is an untrue intimation of the discusser that Antoninus forbod the persecuting of christians upon any such ground Truth That it may not rest upon the discussers credit or discredit I think it not unseasonable if I present to English eyes the English testimony of the diligent and praise worthy-Chronicler John Speede who also ingageth Eusebiâ—s his credit and thus relateth the effect of Antoninus his mind in these words The Emperor Caesar Marcus Auâ—â—lâ—us Antoninus c. Unto the Commons of Asia Sendeth Greeting I Doudt not but the Gods themselves have a care that wicked persons shall be brought to light for it doth much more appertaine to them then it doth to you to punish such as refuse to yeeld them worship but this course which you take doth confirme them whom you persecute in this their opinion of you That you are impious men and meer Atheists whereby it commeth to pass that they desire in the quarrel of their GOD rather to die then to yeeld to the will of such as you are and to embrace your form of Religion Let it not seem unseasonable to call to your remembrance the Earthquakes which lately have happsned and which are yet to your great terrour and grief because I understand that in such like Accidents you â—ast the Envy of such common misfortune upon their Shoulders whereby their confidence and trust in their GOD is much the more increased Whereas you being ignorant of the true causes of such things do both neglect the worship of the other Gods and also banish and persecute the servants of the immortal GOD whom the Christians do worship and you persecute to the death all the embracers of that profession In the behalf of these men many of the Provinces President have written before to my Father of famous memory to whom he answered That they should not be molested unless they were proved to have practised Treason against the Imperial State and concerning the same matter some have given notice to me to whom I answered with like moderation as my Father did before me And by our Edict do ordaine That if any hereafter be found thus busie in molesting these kind of men without any their offence We command that he that is accused upon this point be absolved albeit he be proved to be such an one as he is charged to be that is a Christian and he that is his accuser shall suffer the sanâ—e Punishment which he sought to procure unto the other In this passage the wise and experienced Emperor observeth many reasons for the toleration of Christians and insinuates that the persecuting of the Christians confirmed them in their opinion that their persecutors were not only cruel for that is the least that can be implied in persecution but also as the words run impious men and meer Atheists Peace Dear Truth your observation forceth from my peaceable mind this Testimony which oft to my grief and horror mine eares have heard many persons I hope in their persons chosen of the Lord having as they conceived suffered persecution from the hands and by the means of many worthy men both of Magistracy and Ministry of New England I say they have been by such persecution so far from being wrought on c. that they have been moulded into a strong apprehension that it was impossible that such their persecutors should be men of any fear of God but meer dissemblers time-servers Jehues reformers for their own ends of honor ease and liberty from the cross of Christ which apprehension although the discusser to my knowledge hath often labored to root out of many yet could he hardly prevaile to stir it so groslly odious unchristian or antichristian appears the ugly face of persecution c. Examination of CHAP. XLI Peace IN the discussing of the prophecy of Isaiah and Micah concerning the breaking of swords into plowshares and speares into pruning-hooks truely interpreted to foretell the meek temper of Christians in bringing others to Christ Jesus Master Cotton excepts against the discussers observation upon Master Cottons similitude from Wolves which he would have driven out from the sheepfold The observation was this or to this effect That if civil power might force the wolves out it might force the sheep in Truth The discusser denied not the use of Christs spiritual power for the life of his sheep and destruction of the Wolves but heaven and earth shall fall before this truth to wit That power that driveth Wolves out may drive sheep in If spiritual power drive out the wolfe spiritual also drives in the sheep but if civil power to wit by swords whips prisons burnings c. drives out the spiritual or mystical Wolfe the same undeniably must drive in the sheep Peace Yea but Master Cotton too too weakly would please himself upon the word same a father saith he with a staffe or sword may drive away dogs that might by the way worry or bite his children going to School may he therefore with a staffe or sword drive his children to School and are wolves to be driven away and sheep brought into the fold by the same instruments The dog that teares a wolfe if he tear the sheep also will finde an halter c. Truth Master Cotton hath had a name for a man of Moses spirit of a meek and gentle temper he cannot but know he hath lost that name with thousands â—earing God by not putting that difference between the Wolves and the sheep the Egyptians and the Israelites as Moses did Moses killed the Egyptian he reproves the Israelite All that
performed in the whole World and that Ex Officio to wit the Establishing Governing Reforming c. the Church the Spouse and Kingdome of Christ Jesus Peace 2. The Church and Servants of Christ had great hurt notwithstanding M r Cottons contrary beliefe by the Emperours persecuting of whom they judged hereticall partly in that the Arrians were hardned by their sufferings and Arrianisme increased by the sufferings of the professours of it as also that the Christians were more severely persecuted as hath often also come to passe in the Interchanges between the Papist and the Protestant when the Arrians came to weare the Sword and the Orthodox Christians were under Hatches Truth 3. But that the whole World that wonders after and worshippeth the Beast should yet possibly be of the small Number that follow the Lambe and stand opposite to the Beast on Mount Zion That the World upon whom the vialls of plagues and vengeance are to be powred according to the infallible Prophecies not to speak of the World from other Scriptures that this whole World I say should be brought into such an Onenes with Christ Jesus seemes so crosse to the fundamentall Enmitie between Christs Seede and the Serpents to the priviledges of the Saints to the puritie of Christ to the streame of Scripture and in particular to the sweete last Will and Testament of the Lord Jesus and the nature of his particular Flocks c. That I cannot wonder sufficiently how any man professing but a small Knowledge of the Mysteries and Kingdome of Christ Jesus should be so vailed so obscured so to write of the state of Christs Church and the World as M r Cotton doth Peace Christ Jesus Blessed Truth gave not thankes to his most holy most wise Father in vaine for hiding from Wise and Prudent and opening to Babes and Sucklings Truth 4. But further Such a Conversion of People from Idolatrie to Christianitie as fits them to be professours of the Sonne of God but yet not fits them for the Fellowship of Christians in Church State I finde not in the Testament of Christ Jesus Surely the Conversion of the Thessalonians was not such 2 Thess 1. Who turned not onely from Idolls but to serve the living and true God which service of God in Christ no Soule uprightly in love with Christ Jesus but in its measure longs after as vehemently and cordially as ever chast Spouse after her dearest earthly Husbands presence and Enjoyment Cant. 1. 3. 5. Peace Gods Spirit in John describes one Difference c. between the true Spirit and Professours and the fâ—â—se to wit that such as acknowledge that is truely as I conceive Christ Jesus to become in the flesh are borne of God Truth Yea therefore consequently such a Spirit cannot be of Jesus that makes such a profession of Christ Jesus as the Devills themselves may make and even for want of Regeneration and Personall Grace the professours are not fit for the Fellowship of the true Christian Worship and Worshippers 5. But lastly if M r Cotton or any of his bloudie Judgement woare the Imperiall Crowne of the Worlds Majestie what slaughters shall we imagine the World should heare and feele Whether would such fierie zeale transport Men Yea what an Earthly Dunghill Religion and Worship should the most High God be served with fit onely for the Dunghill Gods and Goddesses whom all Asiâ— as the Towne-clarke speakes and the World worshippeth Peace If the Report of M r Cottons interpreting that Scripture of Serving God with all our Might c. be true to wit of employing our Civill Armes and Forces to the utmost and that against other Peoples professing Idolatrie and Antichristianisme His Conscience as I conceive must needs force on and presse after an universall Conquest of all Consciences and under that like those bloudie Spaniards Turkes and Popes lay under that faire cloake the Rule and Dominion over all the Nations of the Earth Truth But may not M r Cotton better listen to the voyce of the Lord Jesus saying to him and such of his bloudie Tenent You know not of what Spirit you are of Were the Emperours too favourable as M r Cotton sayth in but Banishing How keene a Sword would M r Cotton draw against so many Millions of Gangreene Soules throughout the Turkish and the Popish World Peace Oh how farre different would M r Cottons Sword be from the Sword of the Spirit of God proceeding from the Mouth of Christ Jesus yet sharpe enough with two edges piercing between Soule and Spirit c. Truth Yea how farre different from the Meeke Spirit of the Lambe of God who came not to destroy Mens lives but to save them yea how different from the former make and noted gentle Temper of M r Cottons own Spirit now over-heat and enflamed by his unmercifull and bloudie Tenent Exam of Chap. 62. replying to Chap. 65. Peace VVHen M r Cotton was justly observed to use the Language of Lyon-like persecution in these words More and greater Princes then these you mention have not tollerated Hereticks and Schismaticks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their suffrings He defendeth such Language by the Scripture Freedome in such Tearmes against Sinners which sayth he the Discusser acknowledgeth Truth In holy Scripture are many Expressions full of Holinesse Gravitie Love Meeknesse c. which yet are wrested by us poore Men to unholy and unchristian Ends and purposes How many wofully pervert many grave and heavenly Passages and Expressions of holy Scripture to base and filthy Jeasting How many from some sharp Expressions of Christ Jesus and Paul in cases take licence to raile and call Men all to naught in Wrath Revenge and Passion And how many out of pride and false zeale trampling upon the Heads and Consciences of all Men are ready not in an holy Meeke and Christian way but in a Pharisaicall Bishop-like and Pope-like way to roare and thunder out against Gods meekest Servants the odious tearmes of Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers Seducers c. Which tearmes though used in holy Scripture yet never in such a way as commonly and constantly the bloudie and persecuting expresse themselves in Peace But what or whom meanes M r Cotton in this passage what Language have they learned who in point of worship have left Zion but not the Gates and Suburbes of Babylon for they set up Bull-warkes of Impunitie to secure them Truth Surely M r Cotton knowes that none that plead against the Civill Power and Weapons in Spirituall Matters but they also maintaine that there ought to be in vigorous use the Spirituall and two edged Sword that comes forth of Christs Mouth not for the Impunitie but for the Ruine and Destruction of all Babells â—raâ—s and Abominations Peace M r Cotton spends many lines and quotes Austin to prove that Julians End of tollerating Heresie to grow was to choake
Christ Jesus would not pray Iohn 17. Examination of CHAP. XXII Peace IN this Chapter was urged the scope of the Lord Jesus to wit to foretell the Antichristian state opposing the true Christian church and worship as also to comfort and strengthen the hearts of his followers against the grievances ariâ—ing therefrom and where it was urged that the church consisteth onely of good ground and that the three sorts of Bad ground visibly so declared are properly in the world and not in the church Master Cotton answers First Did not Christ preach to all these sorts of hearers in the church of the Jews Truth That national church of the Iews in its first visible constitution consisted onely of good ground Now that the other three sorts of hearers were in the church of the Iews it was an accident and corruption when they grew incurable and received not the admonitions of the Lord by the Lord Iesus and his servants preaching unto them the Lord cast them out of his sight destroyed that nationall church and established the Christian church Now what is this to the permitting of known hypocrites in the Christian church to the worlds end since that the proper seat of known hypocrisie and of all other wickedness is the world which indeed properly consisteth of the three sorts of Bad ground as the church and Garden of Christ of the honest and good ground Peace But further If saith Master Cotton the children of the church-members be in the church then they growing up to yeers become some of them like the high-way and some like the stony and some like the thorny ground Truth Admit the Christian church were constituted of the natural seed and off-spring which yet Master Cotton knows will never be granted to him and I believe will never be proved by him yet he knows that upon the discovery of any such portion of ground in the church the church is bound to admonish and upon impenitency after admonition to cast them into the world the proper place of such kind of hearers and professors Peace Master Cotton proceeds to a third answer to wit Though it be not the proper work of the church to bring up their own children to become the sincere people of God And Christ hath given his Church and his Gospel preached to it to lye like leaven in three pecks of meal till all be leavened Mat. 13. 31. And he hath given Pastors and Teachers as well for the gathering of the Saints as for the edification of the Body of Christ Truth I answer the proper work of the Pastors and Teachers is to feed the sheep and flock and not the Heards the wild Beasts in the world And although it is the duty of parents to bring up their children in the nurture and fear of the Lord yet what if those children refuse to frequent the Assemblies of the Church and what if those three sorts of bad ground or hearers will not come within the bounds of the Pastors and Teachers feeding hath not the Lord Iesus appointed other Officers in the same Ephes 4. for the gathering of the Saints that is sending out of the Church of Christ Apostles or Messengers to preach Christ Iesus to the three sorts of bad ground to labour to turn them into good ground But alas to salve up all this the civil sword is commonly run for to force all sorts of ground to come to church instead of the sending forth Rom. 10. the heavenly sowers according to the Ordinance of Christ Iesus Peace But what say you to his fourth answer viz. There is no such Resemblance between the high-way-ground and good ground as between the Tares and the wheate nor would the servants wonder at Tares in the high-way nor ask about their plucking up Truth I answer Let the high-way stony and thorny ground be considered in their several qualities of prophaneness stouiness and worldliness and all the sons of men throughout the whole world naturally are such and t is no wonder nor would the servants of Christ be so troubled as to desire their plucking up out of the world But yet againe consider all these sorts of men as professing the name and anointing of Christ Iesus in a false and counterfeit Antichristian way and then it may well be wondred whence such monstrous kind of Christians or anointed ones arose And Gods people may easily be tempted rather to desire their rooting out of the world then the rooting out of any such sorts of ground or men professing any other Religion Jewish Mahometan or Pagan Antichristian and false Christians being more opposite to the kingdome of Christ Jesus and more dangerous by how much more a counterfeit and Traytor is worse then a professed Fox an Antichristian whether Papist or Protestant worse then a Jew a Pagan Whether Indian Turke or Persian Examination of CHAP. XXIII Peace Still of the Tares THese tares saith Master Cotton are not such sinners as are opposite and contrary for then none should be opposite or contrary but they Truth I acknowledge as Master Cotton here observeth two sorts of persons opposite and contrary to Christ Jesus and his Kingdome First All sorts of sinners scandalous in their lives and courses 2. More especially opposite in point of Religion and worship as all idolaters and especially Antichristians Now every man by nature the best and wisest is opposite and contrary to Christ his word and kingdome but an idolater and Antichristian is more especially opposite to his glorious Name Truth and Ordinances And therein properly lyes the mystery of iniquity brought in by the man of sin that lawless person 2 Thess 2. most opposite or contrary to Christ Jesus the Son of God and Son of Righteousness Peace But this is a begging of the question saith Master Cotton for the question is about visible worshippers such as were discovered and declared to be what they were as well by their fruit as by their clads and therefore againe saith Master Cotton these tares were the seed and children of the Devil for why should they be called the seed of the One and the children of the Other Truth I answer the Lord Jesus distinguisheth thus He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man and the good seed are the children of the Kingdome he that soweth the tares is the devil and these tares are the children of the evil or evil one Hence by way of opposition these children of evil or evil ones being visibly such as are opposite to the children of the kingdome they cannot be hypocrites in the church untill they are discovered These children therefore of the evil one opposite to the visible kingdome and so to visible Christ Jesus in point of his kingdome church and worship though they be the children of the devil in a sence yet can they be no other but the children of the false Christ or Antichrist in the way of a false church and worship Peace Yea
or mystical Israel no spiritual Canaan but the letter ceremony and figure yet in force and Christ Jesus the mystical and spiritual King of Israel is not yet come in the flesh Truth Yea then not onely a few in a City or Kingdome suppose hundreths or thousands but millions of millions of blasphemers idolaters seducers throughout the whole wide world ought corporally to be put to death Peace Against this methinks Master Cotton should be and I am sure against this Christ Iesus was who professed in answer to the rash zeal of his disciples Luk. 9. That he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them but how relish you Master Cottons interpretation of Let them alone which he sees pleaseth some so well to wit Let them alone is no precept but permission Truth I answer If let them alone were onely by permission in way of providence Why is also a word of prohibition added to wit That such should not be medled with for these and these reasons whereas although God permitteth evil doers in spiritual and eivil state in the world yet there lies a word of ordinance to purge them out Here is no ordinance for their plucking up but for their letting alone and that in a merciful respect of sparing the good wheate who might be indangered to be pluckt up by the roots out of the world by such rash and furious zeale of plucking up the tares Examination of CHAP. XXIX Peace MAster Cotton referring the 28 Chapter to former agitations seems to invite us to pass on to Chapter 29. Truth Let the 28 Chapter recapitulating the former and the whole controversies be referred to the consciences of such to whom these passages by any providence of the most holy wise shall be presented and let it graciously please the Father of lights to help all his sons of light to be truely studious of his truth in the love of it to cast up all particulars aright in his fear by the onely Arithmetick of his own most holy and unerring spirit Peace In this Chapter first ariseth a question concerning the Apostles privacy Truth Master Cotton acknowledgeth them to be called to a publike Ministery let others judge then of their privacy Peace But they were not sent saith Master Cotton â—o the Scribes and Pharisees and so consequently were to let them alone Truth I answer Let it be considered how he that grants men are sent to the sheep can rightly say they have nothing to do with the Wolves and Foxes Peace In this controversie Master Cotton elsewhere will not onely have sheep sed but the Wolves driven from the sold their braines beaten out c. and that not onely by the Pastors or sheapherds spiritually but also by the civil Magistrate and to that end he is to be stirred up by the Shepherds and Ministers of Christ Truth Such exciting and stirring up of the civil Magistrate if it were Christs will how can the Apostles be excused or the Lord Jesus himself for not stirring up the Civil Magistrate to his duty against these Scribes and Pharisees the Wolves and Foxes as Master Cotton here cals them Peace Neither the doctrine nor their offence at it saith Master Cotton was fundamental nor had the civil Magistrate a law established about doctrine or offences of this nature Besides Christ gave his disciples a charge to be wise as Serpents and himself would not meddle with the Pharisees untill the last year of his Ministery lest their exasperation might have been some hinderance to his Minstery before his hour was come Truth I should desire Master Cotton againe to ponder whether the notorious hypocrisie of the Pharisees now brought into a Proverb and also whether the notorious transgressing and upon the point abolishing of the fifth commandment and so consequently of all civil obedience with the Papists under pretence of Gods service although indeed but their own superstition be not of a fundamental guilt both against spiritual and civil state Peace I remember Master Cotton argued against tolleration of the Papists because their conscience excites them against the civil powers Truth And whither tended these principles of the Pharisees but to overthrow all Family yea and if they be followed home all Towne or City and Kingdome-Government Peace Yea But the Romane Magistrate saith he had no established law about doctrines or offences of that Nature Truth Master Cotton in all this controversie pleades that they ought to have and though he saith that Magistrates may suspend their duty untill they be informed yet he never saith that the Ministers of Christ may suspend their duty of humble information and stirring up them up to so high a part of their Duty as concerns the souls of their subjects and the worship of God Peace I remember that Gardiner and Boner c. could not make the fire burn to consume the people of God and witnesses of Jesus untill Edwards laws were repealed and Maries bloody laws were established and so they were forced to suspend a while untill they had conjured up a Parliament to do both the one and the other as their slaves and drudges for them And t is true what the Spirit of God in David pronounceth Psal 82. that under the maske or colour of a law which carries with it the name and sound of reason and righteousness the wickedness of the world is established And hence the people and servants and Saints of the most high God feele the weight of the violence of the Nimrod persecutors or hunters But this I wonder at that Master Cotton subjoyneth that Christ Jesus himself and his disciples under the notion of not exasperating the Pharisees should not reprove the Scribes and Pharisees Truth It cannot sink with me That the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus himself and his messengers should so far differ from himself in all his former messengers and prophets who spared not to reprove the highest Priests Princes Kings and kingdoms nor doth the practice of the Lord Jesus in so many places of Matthew before his thunder bolts shot forth against them Mat. 23. give any countenance to so loose an opinion Peace Master Cotton who argues so much against the permitting of blasphemers to live in the world may here call to minde that if ever blasphemy were uttered against the Son of God it was uttered by the Pharisees in the 12 of Matthew when they imputed the casting out of the devils to the power of the devil in Christ Jesus and yet we finde not that Christ Jesus stirred up the civil Magistrates to any such duty of his to put the blasphemers to death nor the hereticks the Sadduces who denied that fundamental the resurrection Truth It is most true that the cause needeth no such weapons nor spared he the Pharisees for fear of their exasperations but poured forth on their faces and bosoms the sorest vials of the heaviest doom and censure that can be suffered by the children of men to
of a necessity of present punishing of false worshippers and idolaters least present wrath fall upon the King or his Son Peace Now whereas it was said an intollerable burthen laid upon the Magistrates back together with the care of the Commonweal to be charged also with the spiritual c. Master Cotton answers 1. That the Magistrate ought to seek out meaneâ— of grace for the people 2. To remove idolatry and idolatrous Teachers 3. It is commonly added that he ought to preserve the church pure by reformation Truth I reply This work charged upon the kings governors and Magistrates in the world makes the weight of their care and charge far greater then ever was the charge of the kings of Israel and Judah For their people were miraculously brought into covenant with God to their hands like a bridge or house or ship ready built and needed only keeping up in reparation yea an heavier yoak then either their or our fathers were able to bear considering all the several different consciences religions and worships of all mankind naturally and the many different opinions factions and sects which daily do arise and that conscientiously and zealously unto death All these must by Master Cottons doctrine lie before the bar beside all civil cases c. Peace T is memorable that Paul himself that had the care of all the churches would not be intangled with civil affaires further then his own necessities did call for and sometimes the necessities of his companions but this yoak put upon the necks of Magistrates is as full of temporal as spiritual care And as it is impossible for them to bear So the Lord in his holy season may please to teach them as he hath taught some already through his grace to lay that spiritual Burthen upon the shoulders of their only King of Saints Christ Jesus to whom the supream power and care of souls and churches doth alone belong Whereas it was further said that the Magistrate is to cherish and to cleave unto the Saints and to defend them from civil violence but the spiritual care of them belongs to spiritual officers appointed by Christ Jesus to that end Master Cotton replies this is but a pretence because the discusser acknowledgeth no churches extant c. Truth Although amongst so many pretending churches the discusser be not able to satisfie himself in the rightly gathering of the Churches according to the true order of Christ Jesus yet this is far from a pretence because the institution of any state government order c. is one thing and the administration and execution which may be interrupted and eclipsed is another Peace Indeed Ieremy could not rightly have been judged a pretender when he mourned for and lamented the desolations of the temple priests elders altar sacrifice c. and neither he nor Daniel nor any of Gods prophets or servants could during the time of the desolation and captivity acknowledge either temple or altar or sacrifice right extant upon the face of the earth Truth He that saith the Sun Christ Jesus is not to be seen in our Horizon or Hemisphere in his absence or when he suffers an Eclipse cannot be said to deny that the Lord Jesus his holy ordinances ought to be visible in the worship and service of God Although the discusser be not satisfied in the period of the times and the manner of his glorious appearing yet his soul uprightly desires to see and adore and to be thankful to Master Cotton yea to the least of the disciples of Christ Jesus for any coal or sparke of true light amongst so many false and pretended candles and candlesticks pretending the glorious name of the Lord Jesus Christ Peace Next Master Cotton demands what reason can be given why the Magistrate ought to break the teeth of lyons ought to suppress such as offer civil violence and not of the Wolves that make havock of their souls who are more mischievous then the lyon as the Pope of Rome then the Pagan Emperors He wonders the discusser should favor the Pope more then the Emperour except it be that he symbolizeth rather with Antichrist then with Caesar Truth It may here suffice to say two things not to repeat other passages First The civil state and Magistrate are meerly and essentially civil and therefore cannot reach without the transgressing the bounds of civility to judge in matters spiritual which are of another sphere and nature then civility is Now it is most just and proper that if any member of a civil body be opprest the body should relieve it As also it is just and proper that the spirituall state or body should relieve the soul of any in that spiritual combination oppressed Therefore Secondly for spiritual and religious oppressions the king of kings Christ Iesus hath sufficient providedly in his spiritual kingdome therefore Acts 20 Paul gives the charge against those spiritual Wolves to the elders of the church at Ephesus and not to civil Magistrates of the city which Paul should have done notwithstanding they were worshippers of Diana if it had been their duty to have broke the teeth of those spirituall Wolves c. Peace It is indeed one thing to prohibite the Pope the prelates the Presbyterians the Independents or any from forcing any in the matters of their respective consciences and accordingly to take the sword from such mens hands or as their executioners to refuse to use it for them It is another thing to leave them freely to their own consciences to defend themselves as well as they can by the two-edged sword of the spirit which is the word of God which all the several sorts of pretenders say they have received from Iesus Christ Truth The renowned Parliament of England hath justly deserved a crown of honour to all posterity for breaking the teeth of the oppressing Bishops and their courts but to wring the sword out of the hands of a few prelates and to suffer it willingly to be wrung out of their own hands by many thousand Presbyterians or Independants what is it but to change one wolfe or lyon for another or in stead of one to let loose the Dens of thousands Peace But why should Master Cotton insinuate the discusser to glance a more obsequious eye upon the Pope then upon the Emperor Truth I fear Master Cotton would create some evil opinion in the heart of the civil Magistrate that the discusser is as the bloody Iews told Pilate no friend to Caesar whereas upon a due search it will be sound clear as the light that it is impossible that any that subscribe ex animo to the bloody Tenent of persecution can ex animo be a friend to Magistracy The reason is all persecutors whether priests or people care onely for such Magistrates as suite the end the great bloody end of persecution of whom they either hope to borrow the sword or whom they hope to make their executioners Their very
their solemn civil general court at the banishment of one poor man amongst them hunted out as a wolf or heretick the governor who then was standing up alleadged for a ground of their duty to drive away such by banishment that famous charge of Christ Jesus to his Ministers and Church at Rome Rom. 16 Marke them that cause divisions contrary to the doctrine which you have received and avoid that is by banishment By all which and more it may be found how Sathan hath abused their godly minds and apprehensions in causing them so to abuse the holy writings of truth and Testament of Christ Jesus and that how ever they deny it in express tearms yet by most impregnable consequence and implication they make up a kind of national church and as the phrase is a Christian state and government of church and Commonweale that is of Christ and the world together Peace To proceed it being further inquired into whether in all the New Testament of Christ Jesus there be any such word of Christ either by way of command Promise or example countenancing the civil state to meddle with these mystical Wolves if in civil things peaceable and obedient Master Cotton replieth that this condition of peaceable and obedient implies a contradiction to the nature and practise of wolves How can saith he wolves be peaceable and obedient unless restrained Can there be peace Jehu so long as the whoredomes of Jezabel and her witchcrafts are so many And when it might be objected that spiritual whoredomes and witchcrafts might stand with civil peace He answers No verily for the whoredomes and witchcrafts of the Jezabel of Rome took away civil peace from the earth and brought the Turks to oppress both the peace of Christian churches and Commonweals Rev. 9. 15 21. Truth I wonder since Master Cotton in this very passage mentioneth the spiritual wolves whores and witches as well as natural and moral How he can imagine that a spiritual wolf or witch to wit so or so in matters of spiritual worship and religion might not possibly be peaceable and obedient in civil things Peace Yea but he alleadgeth the whoredomes of the Jezabel of Rome Truth Why was not the State of England the Kings and Queens and Parliaments thereof lawful as kings and states though overwhelmed and overspread universally with the Romish abominations If such wolves whores and witches could yeeld no civil obedience could they then exercise by the same argument any civil authority And shall we then conclude all the former Popish kings and Parliaments and consequently lawes unlawful because in spiritual things they were as Wolves c. tearing and burning the poor sheep of Christ will it not then be unlawful for any man that is perswaded the whole nation where he lives is idolatrous spiritually whorish c. I say unlawful for him to live in such a state although he might with freedome to his own conscience whither will such kind of arguing drive at last but to pluck up up the roots of all states and peoples in the world as not capable to yeeld civil obedience or exercise civil authority except such people Magistrates c. as are of Master Cottons church and religion Peace Methinks experience were there no Scripture nor reason might tell us how peaceable and just neighbors and dealers many thousands and millions of Jews Turks Antichristians and Pagans are to be found notwithstanding their spiritual whoredoms witchcrafts c. Truth Yea and why doth Master Cotton alleadge the Jezabel of Rome and the comming in of the Turks It is true God brought in the Armies of the Turkes upon the Eastern Empire which yet flourished many ages even in their apostacies before their destruction by the Turkes And how many ages and generations hath Iezabel of Rome sitten as a Queen in triumphant peace and glory even since the rising of the Turks and so shall sit probably in greater and greater untill the time of her appointed judgement and downfal If Christ Jesus were a true Prophet Iohn 16. outward peace prosperity riches honor is the portion of this world notwithanding their idolatries apostacies blasphemies But the portion of Christs followers like his own and both like a woman in travel paine and sorrow yea poverty and persecution untill the great day of refreshing neer approaching Peace Master Cotton againe sends us to Revelations the 16. 4 5 6 7. Truth And I must also send Master Cotton and the Reader to our disproving of that proof abovesaid Further whereas he calls Rom. 13. the great Charter for all Magistrates to deal in spiritual matters I have and shall manifest in the examinations upon that place how weak a warrant it is for the civil state and the officers thereof to conceive themselves spiritual Physitians by vertue of their office appointed by God in spiritual and soul-evils Peace Whereas it was urged that Magistrates beside their skil in civil laws and government must be able if Master Cottons bloody tenent be true as judges and heads to determine spiritual causes and controversies and that by the sight of his own eyes and not other mens Master Cotton replies that Magistrates ought to be skilled in the fundamentals of religion and that their ignorance excuseth not Truth In this passage Master Cotton waâ—eth that inference That then Magistrates must be heads and judges in spiritual causes That inference cannot possibly be avoided if we grant it their duty as Master Cotton seemes to do to pass sentence in the fundamentals of religion and in those points which have been and are so greatly controverted among all sorts of men that name the name of Christ 2. If Magistrates must thus judge reforme c. where hath been the care of Christ Iesus to appoint in all parts of the world such Magistrates as might take care of his religion and worship why hath he not furnished them with some capacity and ability to the work Peace It is lamentable to think that most of the Magistrates in the world beyond compare know not so much as whether there be a Christ or no. Truth If Christ Iesus had forgotten himself for three hundred yeers together furnishing his church with no other heads but of Wolves Bear Lyons and Tygers the Romane Emperors yet after a little refreshing by Constantine Theodosius c. why should he still forget himself even a thousand yeers together providing no other heads but bloody and Popish kings and Emperors Peace What think you dear truth of Master Cottons grant of Gallios not being bound to judge in matters of religion because he had no Law from Caesar whose deputy he was Truth I answer what if he had not a law from Caesar if yet he had a law from Christ Iesus as Master Cotton implies Or will Master Cotton suspend the execution of Christs will upon the kings states or peoples minds that choose such Magistrates to be their deputies in the Commonweale But the
some cases Peace Yea but saith he In ordinary cases it is not lawful to tolerate from Deut. 13. Truth I am of Master Cotton's minde It is not lawful for Israel that is the Church of God to tolerate and the reason it pleaseth the Lord to alleadge is eternal But what is this to the nations of the world the states cities and kingdoms thereof Let Master Cotton finde out any such land or state that is the Church and Israel of God Yea Master Cotton confesseth in a fore-going passage that the Church is the Israel of God Then must he with me acknowledge that this Deut. 13. only concerns the Israel or Church of God whom Christ Jesus furnished with spiritual weapons against such spiritual offenders Peace But I wonder that Master Cotton should say that Moses capitals are eternal Truth I wonder not because I have seen in print sixteen or seventeen capital evils a great part of them of a spiritual nature censured with death in New England And yet again me thinks it is wonderful since Master Cotton knows how many of Moses capitals were of a ceremonial nature The breach of the sabbath the not coming to keep the passeover for neglect whereof the Israelites were to be put to death how can Master Cotton make these eternal in all nations Peace How many millions of millions of Heads and not a few of the highest in our own and other Nations would soon feel the capital calamity of such a capital bloody Tenent if Master Cotton swayed the Scepter of some of the worlds former or present Caesars Truth And yet I readily affirm that spiritually and mystically in the Church and Kingdom of Christ such evils are to be spiritually and so eternally punished CHAP. LIV Replying to Chap. LVI Examined Peace IN this 56 Chap. were observed two evils in Mr. Cottons conjoyning of seducing teachers and scandalous livers as the proper and adequate object of the Magistrates care and work to suppress and punish Unto which Master Cotton replies First That he no where makes it the proper and adequate object of the Magistrates care and work to suppress seducing teachers and scandalous livers saying that it ought to be the care of the church to suppress and punish seducing teachers and scandalous livers in a church-way as well as the Magistrates in a civil way Truth By this Doctrine Master Cotton will seem to deny it to be the Magistrates proper and adequate object to punish scandalous livers because the church also saith he is to make it her work also It is true if a scandalous liver be of the church and fall into any scandal she by the ruls and power of Christ ought to recover him in the spirit of meekness but yet the punishing of him with temporal punishment who will deny it to be the proper work of the civil state But Secondly what if the seducing teacher or scandalous liver be neither of them members of the Church and the church hath nought to do to judge them without will not Master Cotton then affirm the seducing Teacher or scandalous liver to be the proper and adequate object of the Magistrates care and work Peace When it was excepted against that things of such a different nature and kind as seducing Teachers and scandalous livers should be coupled together at the civil Bar Master Cotton replies that both these agree in one common kind to wit they are evil and destructive to the common good of Gods people which ought to be preserved both in church and Commonweal If a man shall say saith he that the work of creation on the sixth day was either of man or of Beast is here any such commiâ—ture Truth Were Master Cotton the worlds Monarch what bloody reformations or destructions rather would he fill the world withal if he walk by such rules and principles for what religions or almost men all the world over would he finde not opposite and destructive to Gods people 2. But Secondly an historical narration of Gods works on man or Beast Birds Fishes and all creatures Coelestial and Terrestial is one thing But to mix them together in doings or sufferings inconsistent with and improper to their kinds is another thing far different and insufferable As for a man to affirme that a man and a beast â—in'd against their Maker and therefore were justly punished with spiritual blindness and hardness of heart loss of Gods Image c. The same difference and no less is between transgressors against the heavenly state and kingdome of Christ and the earthly state or Commonweal of Cities kingdomes c. Peace Master Cotton adds that it is more tolerable for seducing Teachers to seduce those who are in the same gall of bitterness as for Pagans to seduce Pagans c. Truth That is but in the degree and so according to his supposition must be punished gradually but what is this to prove seducing Teachers as well as scandalous livers the joynt object of the civil sword Peace Why doth Master say it is more tolerable for Pagans to seduce Pagans Antichristians Antichristians What Scripture doth he produce for this toleration this indulgence this partiality All that is here said is this We look at it as more tolerable Truth One thing is shroudly to be suspect in this matter and that is a most unchristian partiality in directing the sword of the Magistrate to fall heaviest on such seducers only as trouble his conscience his Doctrine Worship and Government suppose in some of the Cities of Holland Poland or Turkie where some freedome is that Jews Pagans Antichristians and Christians that is Christians of Master Cottons conscience together with Turkes were commingled in civil cohabitation and commerce together Why now shall that Turke that hath seduced one of Master Cottons conscience to Mahumetaniâ—me be more punished for that crime then for turning a Jew Pagan or Papist to his Relief and worship What warrant shall the Magistrate of such a city or place finde to their souls either for striking at all with the civil sword in such a case or else in dealing such partial blows among the people Peace I fear that Gods own people of this opinion see not the deceitfulness of their own heart crying up the Christian Magistrate the Christian Magistrate Nursing fathers Nursing mothers c. when all is but to escape the bitter sweeting of Christs cross so dashing in pieces the most wise councels of the father concerning his blessed Son and his followers to whom he hath ordinarily alotted in this world the portion of sorrow and suffering and of raigning and triumphing after the battel fought and victory obtained in the world approaching Peace But Master Cotton will say that in such fore-mentioned cases such Magistrates must suspend punishments for religion c. Truth I say consequently all or most of the Magistrates in the world must suspend and none but some few of his conscience by his doctrine shall
Christianitie Truth What ever were Julians End yet I deny that Tolleration of the weedes of Heresie and blasphemous Religion Paganish Turkish Jewish Popish in the field of the Civill State and World hath power to choake the vitalls of Christianitie in the Garden or Bodie the Church of Christ Jesus And concerning Infection It is to be observed that when the holy Scripture speakes by the Similitudes of Leaven Gangrene or Poysonfull weedes of Wolves or scabbed sheepe c. it is commonly with respect to such Evills got in among the Saints and Churches the Flocks and Gardens of Christ where such Leaven weedes c. tollerated may spread and infect But what is this to the Lyons Beares or Wolves not to be suffered in the Wildernesse or Swine or Dogs in the common high wayes or weedes in the Common or Forest which all may be and yet the Garden Body and Flock of Christ be pure and safe from such Infection Peace One passage more is very Considerable In former Discourse about the Tares M r Cotton was large in proving the permission of weedes even in the Church of Christ and that untill Christs Comming and that after they be discovered to be Hypocrites Truth O what a Distance is between that Doctrine and this here There the Tares must not be touched in the Garden of the Church here they must not be suffred abroad in the field of the World for feare of choaking the good plants in the Garden of Christ Who can finde out how these Doctrines suit with Godlinesse with Reason or Themselves Peace But now you speake of suiting It is sayth M r Cotton for a close a plaine Contradiction of the Discussers former Speech to say that persecuting of others was a meanes of choaking Christianitie whereas he had said that Constantines unknowing zeale did more hurt to Christs Kingdome then the raging furie of the most bloudie Neroes Truth Let the words be well weighed and no such Affirmation will be found The words are It was not when Christians lodged in cold Prisons but in Downâ— Beds of Ease and persecuted others The Discusser made not persecution to be a meanes of choaking Christianitie but attributes the Losse of Christians Life and Love to those Beds of their abused Sweete prosperitie 2. If he had made persecution a meanes to choake Christianitie it had been the persecution of Christians among Themselves and not the persecution of bloudie Neroes Which yet if it had been so it might yet be no Contradiction for Neroes persecution might doe hurt although Constantines unknowing zeale might doe much more Exam of Chap. 63. replying to Chap. 66. Peace MAster Cotton here being understood to smile on Q Elizabeth for persecuting the Papists and to â—â—â—wne on K James for persecuting the so named Puritans he denies neither but insists onely upon the Number that as many and as great Princes are against Tolleration as for it and in particular Q Elizabeth and K James Truth I say as before I should never use an Argument from the Number of Princes no more then from the Number of any other men for any truth of Christ Jesus Who as he was not pleased himselfe to be borne of the sons of Nobles so hath he not chosen many Nobles and Wise men of this World to be borne of him Yet 2. If that be his Argument he hath not satisfied in naming these two for more were named by the Prisoner and besides one of those Witnesses K James abundantly declared himselfe not onely against persecuting of Papists but against all persecution in generall what ever otherwise or afterwards his practices were against some Persons as M r Cotton too truely alledgeth Truth In the next Passage the Discusser having objected that both Q Elizabeth and K James did persecute according to their Consciences and arguing why should the one namely K James be more blamed for persecuting according to his Conscience then Q Elizabeth for persecuting according to hers M r Cotton distinguisheth of Consciences The Queenes sayth he was rightly informed but the Kings was not When it was replyed that either K James and such Princes whose Consciences according to M r Cottons Conscience are ill informed must act according to their Consciences or else they want the Qualification and Fitnes for such places M r Cotton answers two Things First that such Qualifications are not Essentiall but Integrall Secondly That such Princes must forbeare all Civill Censures in matters of Religion untill they be better informed Truth It is most true as M r Cotton sayth if we speake of the right of Succession a childe may be a Lawfull King as K. James himselfe was being but a yeare old But if we speake of the Qualifications of the minde by which a King is enabled to rule his State as is supposed Ecclesiasticall and Civill and to judge under Christ Jesus in all Causes Ecclesiasticall as well as Civill Surely he that knowes not which is the true Church true Ministrie true Ordinances yea and persecutes the true Church Ministrie and Worship what ever his Qualifications be for the Government of the Civill State yet can it never be made good that he is furnished with any Essentiall Qualification for the Spirituall Administration any more then He that undertakes to be a Guide and yet is blinde and never set foote in the way and knowes not the true from the false Or to be a Captaine Generall yea or but a Shepheard c. 2. Beside Christ Jesus never calld any person to any Employment of his to any Worke whom he inables not in a Measure proportionably c. Peace In such cases sayth M r Cotton Princes are called to suspend and forbeare all Execution of Civill Censures in the matters of Religion till they be better informed least they doe persecute the Son of God in stead of the Son of Perdition Truth I answer First Then M r Cotton hath cut off K James from acting though so long esteemed and sworne Supreame in all Causes Ecclesiasticall Secondly I aske how many shall forbeare and how long for evident then it is that most beyond all comparison of all the Princes and Magistrates in the World must not meddle with this pretended chiefe part of their Dutie and Office and that if they convert not for the whole Course and Race of their Life In particular that no Pagan Magistrate of all the ten thousands in the World no Persian Turkish Popish nor Protestant if Prelaticall or Presbyterian ought to exercise any of this High and Glorious Power but onely such Princes and Magistrates as are of M r Cottons Conscience for otherwise what Prince in the world more learned King in his time then King James yet was not he of M r Cottons Conscience Peace Deare Truth The fall of this partialitie is so apparant and withall so fowle that I thinke it impossible but ere long it must needs be condemned by Men on Earth as doubtless it
spake in another case that the New English Congregations and Churches would be as thin as the Presbyterians complained theirs to have been when the people once began to taste the Freedome and Libertie of their Consciences from the slaves whip c. Peace In the next Passage the Discusser having excepted against M r Cottons distinguishing betweene Members of the Church and such as have given their names to Christ M r Cotton replies they are not all one and quotes Esa 65. 5 6. Truth Let the place be viewed and that place will be found to speake of no such Difference It speaks of the Lords promise to Eunuches and Strangers laying hould on the Lords Covenant and joyning themselves to the Lord which I conceive M r Cotton will not deny to be in a Church way in which condition the Lord gives the Eunuches a name better then of Sonnes and Daughters Peace In the next Passage M r Cotton upon Tertullians speech affirmes that a false Religion will hurt because the Red Horse followes the White c. Truth I answer Gods Judgements by Warre Famine Pestilence plaguing false Religions in his time though after many hundreth yeares patience as hath form â—ly been opened is one thing and the present hurting or profiting of others is another Peace In the next place M r Cotton takes offence that the Discusser should insinuate M r Cotton to have a hand in the Modell of Church Government Truth I answer M r Cottons words in the End of his Answer to the Prisoner where he speakes of this Treatise or Modell sent to some of the Brethren of Salem seemed to hould out the probabilitie of it How ever M r Cotton subscribeth to the rest of the Elders as he here sayth their words being rightly understood Peace Further M r Cotton here affirmes that the want of a Law for Religion in any State provokes the Wrath of God as the want of a King in Israel Judg. 21. 25. Truth This Scripture proves no more but that the want of a King Magistrate Governour or Civill Officer of Justice provokes the Wrath of God and endangereth the people against which the Discusser never affirmed but against their Kingly or Civill Authoritie in spirituall cases since Christ Jesus abolished that Nationall Church Peace But sayth M r Cotton the best Good of a Citie is Religion and therefore there should be a Law for it Truth To this I have spoken largely in discussing of that Modell unto which I know not of any Reply yet made by Himselfe or any of those worthy men whom he makes the Authours of it Peace But further whereas the Discusser had said that the weedes of the Wildernesse will not hurt the Garden nor poyson the Body if not suffred to grow in the Garden nor taken into the Body M r Cotton grants that Christ hath ordained Gardiners for his Garden and Physick and Physicians for his Body Yet withall he makes the Civill Officers to be as Supervisors Superintendents and consequently Bishops Governours and Heads of the Church or Churches and over the spirituall Officers of Christ Jesus Truth What is this but to establish Henry the 8. a Spirituall Civill Magistrate and Head of the Church in the roome of the Pope Contrary to which I have discoursed in the discussing of the Modell in the bloudie Tenent Peace But what thinke you of M r Cottons interpretation of Tertullians minde to wit that Tertullian should meane that the Christian Religion would not hurt nor disturbe the Romane Civill State Truth I conceive it cannot stand for although it be true that the Christian Religion hurts no Civill State but infinitly the contrary yet M r Cotton will not deny that the Christian Religion not of it selfe but through the corruption of the Civill State may provoke a Civill State many wayes and therefore Tertullian must meane otherwayes to wit every Man must stand or fall in his owne Religion and the Religion of one man will neither hurt nor save another Therefore to end this Passage Tertullians words may not unfitly be thus applied The Religion of the Protestants if permitted by the Papists will neither hurt nor profit the Papists The Religion of the Independents will nether hurt nor profit the Presbyterians if they permitted it And the Religion and Worship of other Consciences in old or New England will neither hurt nor profit the Independents where the power of tollerating or not tollerating lies in the hands and power of the Independents Exam of Chap. 68. replying to Chap. 71. Peace HEre M r Cotton urgeth two mistakes First in the quoting of Jerome secondly in naming Tertullian for Jerome Truth Possible it is they are neither the mistakes of the Prisoner nor Discusser but either the Scribe or Printers may share with them or if they were their owne mistakes although the Prisoner wrote in close prison in Newgate and the Discusser in multitude of Distractions yet they are justly to be blamed for their least sleepines in the handling of the matters of the most High Peace But Jeromes words saith M r Cotton imply more then a spirituall cutting off for Jerome immediatly subjoyneth these words Arius was but a sparke but because he was not speedily supprest his Flame depopulated all the World which cannot be meant sayth he of cutting off by Excommunication which proceeded against him once and twice Truth I cannot be easily induced to believe that Jerome intended to complaine of Constantine who was not sparing at the first to put forth his temporall Arme and power against Arrius But this is certaine his words are these Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the Spirit and the Scriptures quoted by him 1 Cor. 5. Gal. 5. as M r Cotton yeeldeth prove onely a spirituall cutting off So that it seemes not rationall for Jerome to run from the Spirituall Sword about which he is now conversant to the carnall and temporall Sword of which those Scriptures as M r Cotton acknowledgeth discourse not Peace But let no man say sayth M r Cotton that this grant of his That Heresie must be cut off by the Sword of the Spirit doth imply an absolute sufficiencie in the Sword of the Spirit to cut it downe according to 2 Cor. 10. â—â— 5. For though spirituall Weapons be absolutely sufficient to the End for which God hath appointed them as hath been opened above to wit for the conviction and if he belong to God for the conversion of the offendour for the mortifying of his flesh and for the saving of his Soule and for the cleansing of the Church from the Fellowship of that Guilt Yet if an Heretick will still continue obstinate and persist in seducing creepe into Houses leade captive sillie Soules and destroy the Faith of some it may be of many such Gangrenes would be cut off by another Sword which in the hand of the Magistrate is not borne in vaine Truth This answer of M r Cotton lookes
too too like that Distinction of the bloudie Bishop against the poore Martyr or Witnes of Jesus which M r Fox mentioneth The Scripture is sufficient for Salvation but not for Instruction There is need of Tradition c. The Sword of the Spirit sayth M r Cotton is absolutely sufficient for these foure to wit the Conviction Conversion Mortification and Salvation of the offendour the Heretick yea and for a fifth for Expiation and cleansing of the Church from the Fellowship of that Guilt but there is a sixth to wit Infection and there the Sword of the Spirit is too weake and the Sword of the Magistrate must helpe Peace What sound and modest Reason can be almost pretended why the holy Ordinances Appointments and provisions of the Lord Jesus who is the Wisdome of the Father whose is all power in Heaven and in Earth and whose Heart is all on Fire with Love to his people should be so weake in suppressing the Enemies of his Kingdome that all the Counsell Order and Power he hath left in his Absence are not able to resist the Infection of false Doctrine without the helpe of the Powers of the World his professed Enemie unto whom who so is a Friend sayth John he cannot but be an Enemie unto God Oh what should be the mysterie that the two-edged Sword of Gods mighty Spirit is sufficient for Conviction for Conversion Mortification Expiation Salvation but yet not powerfull enough against Infection Truth There is written evidently on the Forehead of this plea as on the forehead of the great Whore Revel 17. Mysterie The Aegyptian Onions as I may so speake are full of Spirituall Infoldings or Mysteries One or two I shall briefly unfold or peele First the Clergie sacrilegiously so called in all Ages since the Apostasie have like some proud and daintie Servants disdain'd to serve a poore despised Christ a Carpenter one that came at last to the Gallowes c. And therefore have they ever framed to Themselves rich and Lordly pompous and Princely temporall and Worldly Christs in stead of the true Lord Jesus Christ the spirituall King of his Saints and people And however it suits well the common End to retaine the Name of Christ as the Lord Jesus prophesied many false Christs should arise and many should come in his Name c. yet most sure it will be found that a temporall Crowne and Dignitie Sword and Authoritie Wealth and Prosperitie is the White that most of those called Scholars Ministers Bishops aime and levell at How many thousand of them will readily subscribe to the pleas of the French Bishops against the Lord Peter disputing before Philip the French King for temporall Jurisdiction and Peters two Swords in the hands of Christs Ministers Peace M r Cotton is not far off for howsoever He and some will say with him one Sword is enough for a Presbyter or Elder enough for Conviction Conversion Mortification Expiation and Salvation yet one Sword is not enough against Infection and therefore it is needfull though we are not of the opinion of those French Prelates and others that challenged to themselves the Sword of temporall jurisdiction into their owne hands yet it is needfull that it be at our call in the hands of our Executioners the Civill Magistrates Truth It is impossible that temporal and worldly Christs should walke with the legs of a spirituall supportment but as in respect of outward Government they spring from the Earth and the World it is impossible I say but their Feeding and Aliment Defence and Protection should be of the nature of the Root and Eliment from whence they arise Peace It is objected was the Church of the Jewes temporall that was assisted and protected with a temporall Sword Truth The Spirit of God tels us Heb. 8 10. of a worldly Sanctuary of a weake and old vanishing Covenant to wit a Nationall Covenant and Ordinances of a Jewish Church Peace It is againe said how can the Discusser extoll the Sword of the Spirit only and acknowledge no Churches Truth Although the Discusser cannot to his Souls satisfaction conclude any of the various and severall sorts of Churches extant to be those pure golden Candlesticks framed after the first patterne Rev. 1. Yet doth he acknowledge golden Candlesticks of Christ Jesus extant those golden Olive trees and candlesticks his Martyrs or Witnesses standing before the Lord and testifying his holy Truth during all the Reign of the Beast Rev. 11. Hence although we have not satisfaction that Luther or Calvin or other precious Witnesses of Christ Jesus erected Churches or Ministeries after the first patterne as they conceived they did yet doth he affirm them to have been Prophets and witnesses against the Beast and furnished sufficiently with spirituall Fire in their mouthes mightily able to consume or humble their Enemies as Eliah did with the Captains sent out against him Peace I will object no more please you Dear Truth to passe on to the 2nd viz. the Ministry of the Spirits pretended insufficiency against Infection why should not the spiritual power of the Lord Jesus be powerful enough against creepers into Houses against such as lead captive silly souls against such as destroy the faith of some c. as well as in the first Churches and Assemblies professing his holy name and worship Truth Search his Will and Testament and we find no other but spiritual means prescribed and bequeathed by the Lord Jesus to Paul to Peter or any of the holy Apostles or Messengers Peace I must needs acknowledge that the poor servants of Christ for some hundereth of years after the departure of the Lord enjoyed no other power no other Sword nor Shield but spirituall until it pleased the Lord to try his children with Liberty and ease under Constantine a soarer Tryall then befell them in 300 years persecution under which temporall protection munificence and bounty of Constantine together with his temporall Sword drawne out against her spirituall enemies the Church of Christ soon surfeited of the too much honey of worldly ease authority profit pleasure c. Truth Deare Peace the second mistery is this In all ages the world hath been o'respread with the delusions and abominations of false worship invented by Sathan and his Instruments in opposition to the pure worship of the God of Heaven Against these the Lord Jesus hath not been wanting to stir up his witnesses servants and souldiers fighting for their Lord and Master spiritually c. These witnesses when Sathan hath not been able to vanquish and overcome them by disputing writing c. but hath ever lost that way he hath been forced to run to the fleshly Armories of temporall weapons and punishments and to fetch in the powers of the world So hoping to dash out the Candle of Truth and break the candlesticks thereof the witnesses of Christ Jesus This Sathan hath ever practised one of these two wayes sometimes
himselfe Heard he not that famous powerfull Sermon of Stephen Saw he not his glorious and most heavenly Death and having so much to doe with the Saints could he otherwise choose but heare and see many heavenly passages tending to his soules conviction Peace Yea why should M r Cotton pinch upon Apostates from the truth of Religion and Seducers he cannot choose but know how many thousands and millions of men and women in the world are Hereticall Blasphemers Seducers that never yet made profession of that which he accounteth True Religion True Yea and to plead thy case Deare Peace why should M r Cotton couple Murtherers and Adulterers with Apostates and Seducers Doth not even the naturall Conscience and Reason of all men put a Difference Doe not even the most bloudie Popes and Cardinalls Gardiners and Bonners put a difference between the crimes of Murther Treason Adulterie for which although the offendour repent c. yet he suffers punishment and the crimes of Heresie Blasphemie c. which upon Recantation and Confession are frequently remitted Peace I remember it was high Treason in H. 8. his dayes to deny the Kings spirituall Supremacie as well as to kill his person and yet upon Confession and Recantation we finde that the very Conscience of those bloudy men could distinguish between these Treasons Truth 'T is true this bloudie Tenent of persecution was lamentably drunke with bloud in the dayes of that Henry as well as afterwards in the dayes of his bloudie daughter Marie and yet in Henry his dayes we finde John Haywood recanting his so cald Treason against the Kings Supreamacie in spirituall things and is cleared When famous and faithfull Cromwell for words pretended to be spoken by him against the Kings person must pay his noble Head But to End this Chapter most true it is that multitudes of people in all parts of bloudie Christendome and not a few in England in Henry the 7. and Henry the 8. his dayes have escaped with a Recantation and Abjuration for spirituall Treasons when principles of Reason and Civill Government have taught men for their common safetie to thinke of other punishments for Murtherers Adulterers Traytours Exam of Chap. 73. replying to Chap. 76. Discussing the Testimonie of Optatus Peace MAster Cotton having alledged Optatus justifying Macarius his putting Hereticks to Death from the Example of Moses Phinehas and Elijah it was answered that these shafts were drawen not out of Christs but Moses Quiver M r Cotton replyes did ever any Apostle or Evangelist make the Judiciall Lawes of Moses concerning Life and Death ceremoniall and typicall Truth What ever the Apostles of Christ did in this matter yet sure it is Evident that M r Cotton himselfe makes some of Moses Lawes which he calls Judiciall to be but ceremoniall and typicall Peace Me thinks M r Cotton should never grant that who layes so much waight upon Moses practices and the morall and perpetuall ground of them Truth Well take for an Instance this very case of putting to Death Idolaters and false Prophets he grants this in this very Chapter to be typicall in the State of the Jewes for Israell sayth he being the Church of God and in Convenant with God their Example will onely extend to the like Execution of all the false Prophets in the Church of God Peace Such a Candle lighted up in the Conscience and Judgement and Confession of M r Cotton may if the Father of Lights so please light up many Candles more to M r Cottons owne and the eyes of others Truth Yea if the Father of Lights so please M r Cotton will looke back and see that if the Example of Israel extend no further then to the Church of God then those Lawes of Moses concerning Religion cannot but be typicall and ceremoniall for what is morall and perpetuall none can deny to concerne all Men in all Nations where no Church or House of God was ever erected 2. Peace If M r Cotton say it extends but to the Church of God what Church of God can M r Cotton meane but a particular Congregation for he professeth against Nationall Provinciall c. And yet how can he meane a particular Church since he grants the Church of Christ armed with no other weapons then spirituall like unto the Head and King thereof Christ Jesus 3. Truth If M r Cotton will grant the Church of Christ to have been extant upon Earth during the first three hundred yeares of her fiery tryalls he must grant that then the Church of Christ was furnished by Christ Jesus with no other weapons but spirituall for all the Civill powers of the World seemed to be against them All which time by M r Cottons Doctrine the Church of Christ his heavenly Garden must needs be over-growne with Hereticks Idolaters false Prophets for want of a Civill Sword c. Or if they were not as sure it is the Spouse and Garden of Christ was never fairer since As M r Cotton grants the Example typicall and extending onely to the Church of God so must he then also grant these false Prophets and Idolaters to be put to Death by the Churches power which is onely spirituall and Israels materiall Sword will then appeare to be a type of the two-edged sword of Christ Jesus in the Gospel Peace It is true sayth Master Cotton what the Discusser sayth that Christ Jesus gave no Ordinance Precept or President in the Gospel for killing men for Religion and no more sayth he for the breach of Civill Justice Civill Magistrates therefore must either walke without Rule or fetch their Rules of Righteousnesse from Moses and the Prophets who have expounded him in the Old Testament Truth If M r Cotton please more awfully to observe weigh the minde of Christ Jesus his New Testament in this point he will not onely heare himselfe subscribing to Caesars Right in Civill matters but also by his servant Peter establishing all other formes of Civill Government which the peoples or Nations of the World shall invent or create for their civill being Common-weale or wellfare Yea he may remember that Christ Jesus by his Servant Paul commandeth the Magistrate to punish Murther Theft Adulterie c. for he expresly nameth these Civill Transgressions together with the civill Sword the Avenger of them Rom. 13. Peace I cannot well conceive what M r Cotton meanes by saying that Moses and the Prophets expounded Christ Jesus in the Old Testament Truth Nor I They did speake or prophecie of Christ they did type or figure him to come with his sufferings and Glory but as John sayth Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ that is the fullfilling opening and expounding came by Jesus Christ Peace Hence indeed I remember that Christ Jesus Luc. 24. expounded to his Disciples out of Moses and the Prophets the things written of him But more particularly touching Moses Macarius did well sayth M r Cotton in putting Hereticks
rendring such Laicks and Seculars as they call them but slavish Executioners upon the point of their most imperious Synodicall Decrees and Sentences A Tenent that renders the highest civill Magistrates and Ministers of Justice the Fathers and Gods of their Countries either odious or lamentably grievous unto the very best Subjects by either elapping or keeping on the iron yoakes of cruellest oppression No yoake or bondage comparably so grievous as that upon the Soules necke of mens Religion and Consciences A Tenent all besprinckled with the bloudie murthers stobâ— poysonings pistollings powder-plots c. against many famous Kings Princes and States either actually performed or attempted in France England Scotland Low-Countries and other Nations A Tenent all red and bloudie with those most barbarous and Tyger like Massacres of so many thousand and ten thousands formerly in France and other parts and so lately and so horribly in Ireland of which what ever causes be assigned this chiefly will be found the true and while this continues to wit violence against Conscience this bloudie Issue sooner or later must breake forth againe except God wonderfully stop it in Ireland and other places too A Tenent that stunts the growth and flourishing of the most likely and hopefullest Common weales and Countries while Consciences the best and the best deserving Subjects are forct to flie by enforced or voluntary Banishment from their native Countries The lamentable proofe whereof England hath felt in the flight of so many worthy English into the Low Countries and New-England and from New-England into old againe and other forraigne parts A Tenent whose grosse partialitie denies the Principles of common Justice while Men waigh out to the Consciences of all others that which they judge not fit not right to be waighed out to their owne Since the persecutours Rule is to take and persecute all Consciences onely himselfe must not be touched A Tenent that is but Machevilisme and makes a Religion but a cloake oâ— stalking horse to policie and private Ends of Jeroboams Crowne and the Priests Benefice c. A Tenent that corrupts and spoiles the very Civill Honestie and Naturall Conscience of a Nation Since Conscience to God violated proves without Repentance ever after a very Jade a Drug loose and unconscionable in all converse with men Lastly a Tenent in England most unseasonable as powring Oyle upon those Flames which the high Wisedome of the Parliament by easing the yoakes on Mens Consciences had begun to quench In the sad Consideration of all which Deare Peace let Heaven and Earth judge of the washing and colour of this Tenent For thee sweete heavenly Guest goe lodge thee in the breasts of the peaceable and humble Witnesses of Jesus that love the Truth in peace Hide thee from the Worlds Tumults and Combustions in the breasts of thy truely noble children who professe and endeavour to breake the irony and insupportable yoakes upon the Soules and Consciences of any of the sonnes of Men. Peace Me-thinks Deare Truth if any of the least of these deepe charges be found against this Tenent you doe not wrong it when you stile it bloudie But since in the wofull proofe of all Ages past since Nimrod the Hunter or persecutour before the Lord these and more are lamentably evident and undeniable it gives me wonder that so many and so excellent eyes of Gods servants should not espie so fowle a monster especially considering the universall opposition this Tenent makes against Gods Glory and the Good of all mankinde Truth There have been many fowle opinions with which the old Serpent hath infected and bewitched the sonnes of men touching God Christ the Spirit the Church against Holines against Peace against civill Obedience against chastitie in so much that even Sodomie it selfe hath been a Tenent maintained in print by some of the very pillars of the Church of Rome But this Tenent is so universally opposite to God and man so pernicious and destructive to both as hath been declared that like the Powder-plot it threatens to blow up all Religion all civilitie all humanitie yea the very Being of the World and the Nations thereof at once Peace He that is the Father of Lies and a murtherer from the beginning he knowes this well and that this ugly Blackmore needs a maske or vizard Truth Yea the bloudines and inhumanitie of it is such that not onely M r Cottons more tender and holy Breast but even the most bloudie Bonners and Gardiners have been forced to arme themselves with the faire shewes and glorious pretences of the Glory of God and zeale for that Glory the Love of his Truth the Gospel of Christ Jesus love and pitie to mens soules the peace of the Church uniformitie Order the peace of the Common-weale the Wisedome of the State the Kings Queenes and Parliaments proceedings the odiousnesse of Sects Heresies Blasphemies Novelties Seducers and their Infections the obstinacie of Heretickâ— after all Meanes Disputations Examinations Synods yea and after Conviction in the poore Hereticks owne Conscience Add to these the flattring sound of those glosing Titles the Godly Magistrate the Christian Magistrate the Nurcing Fathers and Mothers of the Church Christian Kings and Queenes But all other Kings and Magistrates even all the Nations of the World over as M r Cotton pleads must suspend and hould their hands and not meddle in matters of Religion untill they be informed c. Peace The dreadfull righteous hand of God the Eternall and avenging God is pulling off these maskes and vizards that thousands and the World may see this bloudie Tenents Beautie Truth But see my heavenly Sister and true stranger in this Sea-like restles raging World see here what Fires and Swords are come to part us Well Our meetings in the Heavens shall not thus be interrupted our Kisses thus distracted and our eyes and cheekes thus weâ— unwiped For me though censured threatned persecuted I must professe while Heaven and Earth lasts that no one Tenent that either London England or the World doth harbour is so hereticall blasphemous seditious and dangerous to the corporall to the spirituall to the present to the Eternall Good of all Mâ—n as is the bloudie Tenent how ever wash't and whited I say as is the bloudie Tenent of persecution for cause of Conscience The Copie of a Letter of R. Williams of Providence in New England to Major Endicot Governour of the Massachusets upon occasion of the late persecution against M r Clarke and Obadiah Holmes and others at Boston the chiefe Towne of the Massachusets in New England SIR HAving done with our transitorie Earthly Affaires as touching the English and the Indians which in Comparison of heavenly and Eternall you will say are but as dung and drosse c. Let me now be humbly bold to remember that Humanitie and pietie which I and others have formerly observed in you and in that hopefull Remembrance to crave your gentle audience with patience and