is pleased to discusse in this Letter and others of them not to mention After my publike triall and answers at the generall Court one of the most eminent Magistrates whose name and speech may by others be remembred stood up and spake Mr. Williams said he holds forth these 4. particulars The 4 particular Grounds of my Sentence of Banishment First That we have not our Land by Pattent from the King but that the Natives are the true owners of it and that we ought to repent of such a receiving it by Pattent Secondly That it is not lawfull to call a wicked person to Sweare to Pray as being actions of Gods Worship Thirdly That it is not lawfull to heare any of the Ministers of the Parish Assemblies in England Fourthly That the Civill Magistrates power extends only to the Bodies and Goods and outward state of men c. I acknowledge the particulars were rightly summ'd up and I also hope that as I then maintained the Rockie strength of them to my own other consciences satisfaction so through the Lords assistance I shall be ready for the same grounds not only to be bound and banished but to die also in New England as for most holy Truths of God in Christ Jesus Yea but saith hee upon those grounds you banished your selfe from the society of the Churches in these countries I answer if Mr. Cotton mean my owne voluntary withdrawing from those Churches resolved to continue in those evils and persecuting the witnesses of the Lord prefenting light unto them Christ Iesus speaketh and suffereth in his witnesses I confesse it was mine owne voluntary act yea I hope the act of the Lord Jesus sounding forth in me a poore despised Rams horn the blast which shall in his owne holy season cast down the strength and confidence of those inventions of men in the worshipping of the true and living God And lastly his act in inabling me to be faithfull in any measure to suffer such great and mighty trials for his names sake But if by banishing my selfe he intend the act of civill banishment from their common earth and aire The Dragons language in a Lambs lip I then observe with griefe the language of the Dragon in a lambs lip Among other expressions of the Dragon are not these common to the witnesses of the Lord Jesus reâ—t and torne by his persecutions Gods children persecuted are charged by their enemies to be the authors of their own persecution Goe now say you are persecuted you are persecuted for Christ suffer for your conscience No it is your schisme heresie obstinacie the Divill hath deceived thee thou hast justly brought this upon thee thou hast banished thy selfe c. Instances are abundant in so many bookes of Martyrs and the experience of all men and therefore I spare to recite in so short a treatise Secondly if he mean this civill act of banishing why should he call a civill sentence from the civill State within a few weeks execution in so sharp a time of New Englands cold A Nationall Church the silent Common weale or or world silently confest by Mr. Cotton to be all one Why should he call this a banishment from the Churches except he silently confesse that the frame or constitution of their Churches is but implicitly National which yet they professe against for otherwise why was I not yet permitted to live in the world or Common-weale except for this reason that the Common weale and Church is yet but one and hee that is banished from the one must necessarily bee banished from the other also CHAP. IV. Mr. Cotton Let not any prejudice against my person I beseech you forestall either your affection or judgement as if I had hasted forward the sentence of your civill banishment for what was done by the Magistrates in that kind was neither done by my counsell nor consent Answ Although I desire to heare the voyce of God from a stranger Persecuters of mens bodies seldome or never do thâ—se mens soules good an equall an inferiour yea an enemy yet I observe how this excellent man cannot but confesse how hard it is for any man to doe good to speak effectually to the soule or conscience of any whose body he afflicts and persecutes and that onely for their soule and conscience sake An excellent observation of a worthy Parliament man Hence excellent was the observation of a worthy Gentleman in the Parliament against the Bishops viz. That the Bishops were farre from the practice of the Lord Jesus who together with his word preached to the soules of men shewed their bodies so much mercie and loving kindnesse whereas the Bishops on the contrary persecute c. Now to the ground from whence my prejudice might arise he professeth my banishment proceeded not with his counsell or consent Gods children are not so free in persecuting Gods children as persecutors whose professed nature trade it is I answer I doubt not but that what Mr. Cotton and others did in procuring my sorrowes was not without some regret and reluctancie of conscience and affection as like it is that David could not procure Vriiahs death nor Asa imprison the Prophet with a quiet and free conscience Yet to the particular that Mr. Cotton consented not what need he being not one of the civill Court But that hee councelled it and so consented beside what other proofe I might produce and what himselfe here under expresseth I shall produce a double and unanswerable testimony First M. Cotton by teaching persecution cannot but consent to it c. hee publickly taught and teacheth except lately Christ Jesus hath taught him better that body-killing soule-killing and State-killing doctrine of not permitting but persecuting all other consciences and wayes of worship but his own in the civill State and so consequently in the whole world if the power or Empire thereof were in his hand Secondly Mr. Cotton privatly satisfied the consciences of some that questioned Whether persecution for conscience were lawfull as at that sentence divers worthy Gentlemen durst not concurre with the rest in such a course so some that did consent have solemnly testified and with teares since to my selfe confessed that they could not in their soules have been brought to have consented to the sentence had not Mr. Cotton in private given them advice and counsell proving it just and warrantable to their consciences I desire to bee as charitable as charity would have me and therfore would hope that either his memory faild him or that else he meant that in the very time of sentence passing he neither counselled nor consented as hee hath since said that he withdrew himselfe and went out from the rest probably out of that reluctation which before I mentioned and yet if so I cannot reconcile his owne expression for thus hee goes on CHAP. V. Mr. Cotton Although I dare not deny the sentence passed to be righteous in the eyes of
it a sin meet to be censured but not with so deep a censure as to Excommunicate all the Churches or to separate from them before it do appeare that they doe tollerate their members in such their causeles reproachings We confesse the errors of men are to be contended against not with reproaches but the Sword of the Spirit but on the other side the saylings of the Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation It is not chyrurgery but butcherie to heale every sore in a member with no other but abscision from the body Ans The Church of Salem was known to profes separation and was generally and publikely reproached and I could mencion a case wherin she was punished for it implicitly Mr. Cotton here confesseth these 2 things which I leave to himselfe to reconcile Mr. Cotton seemes to bee both for and yet against separation with his former profession here and elswhere against separation First saith he if any reproach them for separation it is a sin meet to be censured Secondly the Churches themselves may be separated from who tolerate their members in such causeles reproachings In these later passages he seems as in other his confessions and practises mentioned to be for it sensible of shame disgrace or reproach to be cast on it I grant with him the failings of Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation Mr. Cottons own confessions are sufficient answers to himselfe yet himself within a few lines confesseth there is a lawfull separation from Churches that doe but tollerate their members in causeles reproaches I confesse also that it is not chyrurgerie but butcherie to heale every sore with no other medicine but with abscision from the body yet himselfe confesseth before that even Churches of godly persons must be separated from for immoderate worldlines Not for a sore of infirmity but a leprosie or gangrene of obstinacie ought a person to be cat off And again here he confesseth they may be separated from when they tolerate their members in such their causeles reproachings Beside it is not every sore of infirmitie or ignorance but an Ulcer or Gangrene of Obstinacy for which I maintained that a person ought to be cut off or a Church separated from But if he call that butcherie conscienciously and peaceably to separate from a spirituall communion of a Church or societie Mr. Cotton deeply guilty of cruelty both against consciences and bodies in persecuting of them yet cryes out against the appearance of due severitie in the Church of Christ what shall it be called by the second Adam the Lord Jesus who gives names to all creatures and all actions to cut off persons them and theirs branch and root from any civill being in their territories and consequently from the whole world were their territories so large because their consciences dare not bow down to any worship but what they beleeve the Lord Jesus appointed and being also otherwise subject to the civill state and Laws therof CHAP. XXIII Thirdly wheras I urged a speech of his own viz. that God had not prospered the way of separation and conceives that I understood him of outward prosperitie He affirms the Puritans to have been worse used in England then the Separatist thus writes The meeting of the Separatists may be known to the Officers in Court and winked at when the Conventicles of the Puritans as they call them shall be hunted out with all diligence and pursued with more violence then any Law can justifie Ans Doubtles the contraversie of God hath bin great with this Land Gods controversie for persecution that either of both have been so violently pursued and persecuted I beleeve they are both the Witnesses of severall truths of Jesus Christ against an impenitent and unchristian profession of the name of the Lord Jesus Now for their suffrings The suffrings of the Separatists and Puritants in England compared As the Puritans have not comparably suffred as but seldome congregating in separate assemblies from the common so have not any of them suffred unto death for the way of Non-conformitie to Ceremonies c. Indeed the worthy witnes Mr. Vdall was neere unto death for his witnes against Bishops and Ceremonies Mr. Vdal but Mr. Penry Mr. Barrow Mr. Penry Mr Barrow Mr. Greenwood Mr. Greenwood followed the Lord Jesus with their Gibbets on their shoulders and were hanged with him and for him in the way of separation many more have been condemned to die banished and choaked in prisons I could produce upon occasion Again Few conscientious Separatists but first were Puritans I beleeve that there hardly hath ever been a conscientious Seperatist who was not first a Puritan for as Mr. Can hath unanâ—werably proved the grounds and principles of the Puritans against Bishops and Ceremonies and prophanes of people proâ—essing Christ The Non-conformists grounds inforce separation and the necessitie of Christs flock and discipline must necessarily if truely followed lead on to and inforce a separation from such wayes worships and Worshippers to seek out the true way of Gods worship according to Christ Jesus But what should be the reason since the separatist witnesseth against the root of the Church constitution it selfe that yet he should find as Mr. Cotton saith more favour then the Puritan or Non-conformist Doubtles the reasons are evident Most of the separation of the lower sort of people First most of Gods servants who out of sight of the ignorance unbeliefe and prophanes of the body of the Nationall Church have separated and durst not have longer fellowship with it I say most of them have been poore and low The poverty of Mr. Ainsworth and not such gainfull customers to the Bishops their Courts and Officers That worthy instrument of Christs praise Mr. Ainsworth during some time and some time of his great labours in Holland lived upon 9. d. per week with roots boiled The Nonconformists have been a faire booty for the Bishops c. Wheras on the other side such of Gods servants as have been Nonconformists have had faire estates been great persons have had rich livings and benefices of which the Bishops and theirs like greedie Wolves have made the more desirable prey The Separatists have been professed enemies but the Puritans in many things professed friends subjects to the Bishops Secondly it is a principle in nature to preferre a professed enemie before a pretended friend Such as have separated have been lookt at by the Bishops and theirs as known and professed enemies wheras the Puritans profest subjection and have submitted to the Bishops their Courts their Officers their Common Prayer and Worships and yet as the Bishops have well known with no greater affection then the Israelites bare their Egyptian cruel Taskmasters He saith Mr. Cotton God hath not prospered the way of Separation with peace amongst themselves and growth of Grace Ans The want of peace may
Mr. Cottons LETTER Lately Printed EXAMINED AND ANSVVERED By Roger Williams of Providence In NEW-ENGLAND LONDON Imprinted in the yeere 1644. To the Impartiall READER THis Letter I acknowledge to have received from Mr. Cotton whom for his personall excellencies I truly honour and love Yet at such a time of my distressed wandrings amongst the Barbarians that being destitute of food of cloths of time I reserved it though hardly amidst so many barbarous distractions and afterward prepared an Answer to be returned In the Interim Mr Cottons reluctancy in himselfe concerning the way of persecution some Friends being much grieved that one publikely acknowledged to be godly and dearely beloved should yet be so exposed to the mercy of an howling Wildernesse in Frost and Snow c. Mâ— Cotton to take off the edg of Censure from himself profest both in speech and writing that He was no procurer of my sorrows Some Letters then past between us in which I proved and exprest that if I had perished in that sorrowfull Winters flight An unmercifull speech from a mercifull man only the blood of Jesus Christ could have washed him from the guilt of mine His finall Answer was had you perished your blood had beene on your owne head it was your sinne to procure it and your sorrow to suffer it Here I confesse I stopt and ever since supprest mine Answer waiting if it might please the Father of mercies more to mollifie and soften and render more humane and mercifull the eare and heart of that otherwise excellent and worthy man It cannot now be justly offensive Gods wisedome in the season of publishing this letter that finding this Letter publike by whose procurement I know not I also present to the same publike view my formerly intended Answer I rejoice in the goodnesse and wisdome of him who is the Father of lights and mercies Times of enquirie after Christ in ordering the season both of mine owne present opportunity of Answer As also and especially of such Protestations and Resolutions of so many fearing God to seeke what Worship and Worshippers are acceptable to him in Iesus Christ Mire own eares were glad and late Witnesses of an heavenly Speech of one of the most eminent of that high Assembly of Parliament A golden speech of a Parliament man viz. why should the Labours of any bee supprest if sober though never so different We now professe to scek God we desire to see light c. I know there is a time when God will not be found Times when seeking of God comes tâ—o late though men seek him early Prov. 1. There is a time when Prayer and Fasting comes too late Jer. 14. There is a seeking of the God of Israel with a stumbling block according to which God giveth his Israel an answer Ezek. 13. Lastly there is a Proud refusall of the mind of God returned in Answer by the Prophet Jer. 42. Love bids me hope for bettes things Gods promise assures us that his people returning from Captivity Whole hearted seekers the only seekers of Christ Iesus shall seeke him and pray and find him when they seek him with their whole heart Jer. 27. And Gods Angel comforts those against all feares that seeke Iesus that was Crucified Mark 16. Thy soule so prosper who ever thou art Worthy Reader as with thy whole heart thou seekest that true Lord Iesus who is holynesse it selfe and requires a Spirituall and holy Bride like to himselfe the pure and spotlesse Lambe Christ Iesus whom he saveth he teacheth Hee alone as he is able to save thee to the utmost from thy sins and sorrowes by his Blood So hath hee brought his Fathers Councell from his Bosome and every soule is bound on paine of eternall Paines to attend alone his Lawes and Ordinances Commands and Statutes Heb. 7. Acts 3. That Lord Iesus The true Lord Iesus studied hnmility and selfe-deniall who purposely chose to descend of meane and inferiour Parents a Carpenter c. Who disdained not to enter this World in a Stable amongst Beasts as unworthy the society of Men Who past through this World with the esteeme of a Mad man a Deceiver a Conjurer a Traytor against Caesar and destitute of an house wherein to rest his head Who mad choice of his first and greatest Embassadours out of Fisher-men Tent-makers c. and at last chose to depart on the stage of a pianfull shamefull Gibbet If him thou seekest in these searching times mak'st him alone thy white and soules beloved Seekers ef Christ are sure of a gracious answere 2 Thess 1. willing to follow and be like him in doing in suffring although thou find'st him not in the restauration of his Ordinances according to his first Patterne Yet shalt thou see him raigne with him eternally admire him and enjoy him when he shortly comes in flaming fire to burne up millions of ignorant and disobedient Your most Vnworthy Countrey-man Roger Williams Mr. Cottons Letter Examined and Answered CHAP. I. Mr. Cotton BELOVED In Christ Answer Though I humbly desire to acknowledge my selfe unworthy to be beloved and most of all unworthy of the name of Christ A monstrous Paradox that Gods children should persecute Gods children and that they that hope to live eternally together with Christ Iesus in the heavens should not suffer each other to live in this common aire together c. I am informed it was the Speech of an honourable Knight of the Parliament What Christ persecute Christ in New England and to be beloved for his sake yet since Mr. Cotton is pleased to use such an affectionate compellation and testimoniall expression to one so afflicted and persecuted by Himselfe and others whom for their personall worth and godlinesse I also honour and love I desire it may be seriously reviewed by Himselfe and Them and all men whether the Lord Jesus be well pleased that one beloved in him should for no other cause then shall presently appeare be denyed the common aire to breath in and a civill cohabitation upon the same common earth yea and also without mercy and humane compassion be exposed to winter miseries in a howling Wildernes And I aske further Mr. Cotton expecting more Light must according to his way of persecution persecute Christ Iesus if he bring it Whether since Mr. Cotton elsewhere professeth to expect farre greater light then yet shines upon the same grounds and practise if Christ Jesus in any of his Servants shall be pleased to hold forth a further light Christ Jesus himselfe shall finde the Mercy and Humanity of a civill and temporall life and being with them Mr. Cotton Though I have little hope when I consider the uncircumcision of mine own lips that you will hearken to my voice who have not hearkned to the body of the whole Church of Christ with you and the testimony and judgement of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches Yet I trust my labour
Calling and Commission I say Mr. Cotton doth not nor will he ever prove that these or any of these ought to be put to Death or Banishment in every Land or Countrey The selling or withholding of spirituall corne Spirituall offences are only liable to a spiritual censure are both of a spirituall nature and therfore must necessarily in a true parallell beare relation to a spiritual curse Paul wishing himselfe accursed from Christ for his Countrey mens sake Rom. 9. he spake not of any temporall death or banishment Yet neerer being fitly qualified and truly called by Christ to the Ministrie Paul not to be banished or kild by Nero for not preaching the Gospel he cries out 1 Cor. 9. Wee to me if I preach not the Gospel yet did not Paul intend that therfore the Roman Nero or any subordinate power under him in Corinth should have either banished or put Paul to death having committed nothing against the civill State worthy of such a civill punishment yea and Mr. Cotton himselfe seemeth to question the sandines of such a ground to warrant such proceedings for thus he goes on CHAP. VI. Mr. Cotton And yet it may be they passed that sentence against you not upon that ground but for ought I know for your other corrupt Doctrines which tend to the disturbance both of civill and holy peace as may appeare by that answere which was sent to the Brethren of the Church of Salem and your selfe M. Cotton himselfe ignorant of the cause of my sufferings I answere it is no wonder that so many having bin demanded the cause of my suffrings have answered that they could not tell for what since Mr. Cotton himselfe knows not distinctly what cause to assigne but saith it may be they passed not that sentence on that ground c. Oh where was the waking care of so excellent worthy a man to see his brother and beloved in Christ so afflicted he knows not distinctly for what He alleadgeth a Scripture to prove the Sentence righteous and yet concludeth it may be it was not for that but for other corrupt Doctrines which he nameth not nor any Scripture to prove them corrupt or the sentence righteous for that cause O that it may please the Father of lights to awaken both himself and other of my honoured Countreymen to see how though their hearts wake in respect of personall grace and life of Jesus yet they sleep insensible of much concerning the purity of the Lords worship or the sorrows of such whom they stile Brethren and beloved in Christ afflicted by them But though he name not these corrupt Doctrines a little before I have as they were publikely summed up and charged upon me and yet none of them tending to the breach of holy or civill peace Civill peace and civil Magistracie blessed ordinances of God of which I have ever desired to be unfainedly tender acknowledging the Ordinance of Magistracie to be properly and adequatly fitted by God to preserve the civill State in civill peace and order as he hath also appointed a spirituall Government and Governours in matters pertaining to his worship and the consciences of men both which Governments Governours Laws Offences Punishments are Essentially distinct and the confounding of them brings all the world into Combustion He addes CHAP. VII Mr. Cotton And to speak freely what I think were my soule in your soules stead I should think it a worke of mercy of God to Banish me from the civill societie of such a Common-weale where I could not enjoy holy fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sin What should the daughter of Sion do in Babel why should she not hasten to flee from thence Ans Love bids me hope that Mr. Cotton here intended me a Cordiall to revive me in my sorrows yet if the ingredients be examined there will appeare no lesse then Dishonour to the name of God Danger to every civill State a miserable Comfort to my selfe and contradiction within it selfe For the last first A land cannot be Babel and yet a Church of Christ If he call the Land Babel mystically which he must needs doe or els speak not to the point how can it be Babel and yet the Church of Christ also Secondly it is a dangerous Doctrine to affirme it a misery to live in that State where a Christian cannot enjoy the fellowship of the publike Churches of God without sinne Do we not know many famous states wherin is known no Church of Jesus Christ Famous civill States where yet no sound of Iesus Christ Did not God command his people to pray for the peace of the materiall Citie of Babel Jer. 27. and to seek the peace of it though no Church of God in Babel in the form and Order of it Or did Sodome Aegypt Babel signifie material Sodome Egypt Babel Rev. 11. 8. 18. 4 There was a true Church of Jesus Christ in materiall Babel 1 Pet. 5. 13. A true church of Iesus Christ in materiall Babylon Was it then a mercy for all the inhabitants of Babel to have been banished whom the Church of Jesus Christ durst not to have received to holy fellowship Or was it a mercy for any person to have been banished the City and driven to the miseries of a barbarous wildernes him and his if some barre had layn upon his conscience that he could not have enjoyed fellowship with the true Church of Christ Thirdly for my selfe I acknowledge it a blessed gift of God to be inabled to suffer The mercy of a civill State distinct from mercies of a spirituall nature and so to be banished for his Names sake and yet I doubt not to affirm that Mr. Cotton himselfe would have counted it a mercy if he might have practised in Old England what now he doth in New with the injoyment of the civill peace safetie and protection of the State Or should he dissent from the New English Churches and joyn in worship with some other as some few yeares since he was upon the point to doe in a separation from the Churches there as legall would he count it a mercy to be pluckt up by the roots Old and New England for the Countries and civill government incomparable him and his and to endure the losses distractions miseries that doe attend such a condition The truth is both the mother and the Daughter Old and New England for the Countries and Governments are Lands and Governments incomparable And might it please God to perswade the mother to permit the inhabitants of New England her daughter to enjoy their conscience to God after a particular Congregationall way and to perswade the daughter to permit the inhabitants of the mother Old England to walke there after their conscience of a Parishionall way which yet neither mother nor daughter is perswaded to permit I conceive Mr. Cotton himselfe were he seated in Old England againe would not count it a mercy to