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A80608 The bloudy tenent, washed, and made white in the bloud of the Lambe: being discussed and discharged of bloud-guiltinesse by just defence. Wherein the great questions of this present time are handled, viz. how farre liberty of conscience ought to be given to those that truly feare God? And how farre restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons, that not onely raze the foundation of godlinesse, but disturb the civill peace where they live? Also how farre the magistrate may proceed in the duties of the first table? And that all magistrates ought to study the word and will of God, that they may frame their government according to it. Discussed. As they are alledged from divers Scriptures, out of the Old and New Testament. Wherein also the practise of princes is debated, together with the judgement of ancient and late writers of most precious esteeme. Whereunto is added a reply to Mr. Williams answer, to Mr. Cottons letter. / By John Cotton Batchelor in Divinity, and teacher of the church of Christ at Boston in New England. Cotton, John, 1584-1652. 1647 (1647) Wing C6409; Thomason E387_7; ESTC R836 257,083 342

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had been then but on his way to Ephesus which is a narrow point of time it is more then propable if Timothy had been then at Ephesus he would have said Tychicus have I sent to thee to Ephesus CHAP. 39. A Reply to his 39. Chap. Discusser BVt from this place in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.25 in particular I argue thus 1. If the Civill Magistrates be Christians or Members of the Church able to prophesie to the Church of Christ then they are bound by this command of Christ to suffer opposition to their Doctrine with meeknesse and gentlenesse waiting if God peradventure will give them Repentance So also it pleaseth the Answerer to acknowledge in these words It becometh not the spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith such as the Samaritans and unconverted persons whether in Ephesus or Creete with Fire and Sword Defender The Answerer is still of the same mind though he might strike in upon the advantage that if the Magistrate be also a Prophet he may doe some things as a Magistrate which he may not doe as a Prophet yet he willingly acknowledgeth that if a Magistrate be also a Prophet yea whether he be a Prophet or no he ought not to seeke to subdue and convert Aliens to the Faith by Fire and Sword Discusser Secondly if the Oppositions be within and the Church-members become scandalous in Doctrine I speake not of scandalls in the Civill State which the civill Magistrate ought to punish It is the Lord onely as the Scripture in Timothy implyeth who is able to give them Repentance and to recover them out of Satans snare c. It is true the civill Sword may make a whole Nation of Hypocrites as the Lord complaineth Isay 10. and as befell our Native Country in a few scores of yeares in the severall Reignes of Henry 7. Henry 8. King Edward Queen Mary Queene Elizabeth under whom our Nation was as ready to change the fashion of their Religions as of their Suits of Apparell which hath been their sinfull shame Defender If Opposition rise from within from the Members of the Church I doe not beleive it to be lawfull for the Magistrate to seeke to subdue and convert them to be of his mind by the civill Sword But rather to use all spirituall meanes for their conviction and conversion But if the Opposition still continue in Doctrine and Worship and that against the vitals and Fundamentalls of Religion whether by Heresie of Doctrine or Idolatry in Worship and shall proceed to seeke the Seduction of others I doe beleive the Magistrate is not to tolerate such opposion against the Truth in Church-members or in any Professours of the Truth after due conviction from the word of Truth Nor is it an Objection of any weight that neither the Magistrate nor his Sword can give Repentance unto such For neither can he give Repentance unto such persons as are scandalous to the civill State whom yet notwithstanding the Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth the civill Magistrate ought to punish Though the civill Sword should not make the opposers Hypocrites yet better tolerate Hypocrites and Tares then Bryars and Thornes In such cases the civill Sword doth not so much attend the conversion of wicked Seducers as the prevention of the seduction of honest minds by their meanes What the Kings and Queens of England have done in former or later times either by violent Persecution of the Truth or in preposterous maintenance of the Truth we have cause rather to bewaile it and so hath the Discusser too if he be an English man then to justifie it as also bewaile the like vanity justly complained of in sundry of our English Nation to be as ready to change the fashion of their Religion as of their Rayment And yet he cannot be ignorant that the Lord hath chosen to himselfe sundry faithfull witnesses out of that Nation who have continued stedfast unto the death in the Profession of the Truth and have not been carried away either with the feare of civill Sword or with the deceitfull insinuations of unstable but seducing Teachers to depart from the simplicity and Truth of the Gospel But howsoever wofull and wonderfull changes have been made of Religion in England in the Reigne of foure or five Princes yet it is no more then befell the Church of Judah in the dayes of Ahaz and Hezekiah Manasseh and Josiah yet the Prophets never upbraided them with the civill Magistrater Power in causes of Religion as the cause of it Better some vicissitudes in Religion then a constant continuance in Idolatry and Popery by Princes referring all causes of Religion to Church-men The Prophecie of Englands Revolt againe to Popery wanteth Scripture Light CHAP. 40. A Reply to his Chap. 40. Discusser BVt it hath been thought and said shall Oppositions against the Truth escape unpunished will they not prove mischievous I answer as before concerning the blind Guides their case being incurable is rather to be lamented since none but the right hand of the Lord in the meeke and gentle Dispensing of the word of Truth can release them c. Defender So it is with all scandalous offenders against the civil State none can give them healing Repentance but the right hand of the Lord Jesus in the dispensing of the word of Truth yet that doth not restraine Magistrates from executing just Judgement upon them So neither doth it restraine them from executing the like just Judgement against these though not to procure the Repentance of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Idolaters yet to prevent the seduction and subversion of others What though a dead soule though changed from one Worship to another like a dead man shifted into severall suites of Apparell cannot please God Heb. 11.6 And what though Faith be that gift which proceedeth alone from that Father of Lights Phil. 1.29 Yet better a dead soule be dead in body as well as in Spirit then to live and be lively in the flesh to murder many precious soules by the Magistrates Indulgence And better he die without Faith then to live to seduce many honest minds to depart from the Faith Discusser I adde a civill Sword hardneth the followers of false Teachers by the sufferings of their false and Antichristian Seducers And secondly it begetteth in them an Impression of the falshood of that Religion which cannot uphold it selfe but with such Instruments of violence and wanteth the soft and gentle commiseration of the blindnesse of others Defender A civill Magistrate ought not to draw out his civill Sword against any Seducers Whether Hereticks or Idolaters till he have used all good meanes for their conviction and thereby clearely manifested the bowels of tender commiseration and compassion towards them But if after their continuance in obstinate Rebellion against the Light he shall still walke towards them in soft and gentle commiseration his softnesse and gentlenesse is excessive large to Foxes and wolves But his bowels are miserably straitned and hardned
Request of the generall Councel of Nice Banished Arius with some of his fellowes Ecclesiast Histor l 1. Cap. 19.20 The same Constantine made a severe Law against the Donatists the like proceedings against them were used by Valentinian Gratian Theodosius as Augustine reporteth in Epist 166. onely Julian the Apostate graunted liberty to Hereticks as well as to Pagans that he might by Tolerating all weeds to grow choake the vitalls of Christianity Which was also the practise and sinne of Ualens the Arian Queene Elizabeth as famous for her government as most of the former It is well knowne what Lawes she made and executed against Papists Yea and King James one of your owne Witnesses though he was slow in proceeding against Papists as you say for Conscience sake yet you are not ignorant how sharply and severely he punished those whom the Malignant world calleth Puritans men of more Conscience better Faith then the Papists whom he Tolerated Discusser First for mine owne part I would not use an Argument from the number of Princes witnessing in profession or practise against persecution for cause of Conscience c. Truth and Faith must not be received with respect of persons pretious pearles are found in muddy shells The most High chooseth the poore of this world to be witnesses to his Truth and Buchanan dying was going thither whether few Kings were comming Defender This Chapter then might have been spared for it neither maintaineth his cause nor refuteth my answer to his friends Argument but yeeldeth up the invalidity of the Argument from such a Topick place As from the number and votes of Princes But by his leave the answer which I gave to his argument is not taken from the like number of Princes but from the greater piety and presence of God with those Princes who have professed and practised against Toleration It is truly said Suffragia non sunt numeranda sed ponderanda Heroicall wisdome magnanimity and zeale is not the lesse to be esteemed because it is found in the spirit and counsel and practise of Princes CHAP. 59. A Reply to his Chap. 62. Discusser Secondly I observe how inconsiderately I hope not willingly the Answerer passeth by the reasons and grounds urged by these three Princes In King James his speech he passeth by that golden Maxime that God never loved to plant his Church by bloud Defender The Discusser is mistaken when he saith I passed over their reasons and grounds inconsiderately though he hopeth not willingly for indeed I passed them over willingly but not inconsiderately For I well considered either the reasons wanted weight or else did not impugne the cause in hand For instance this speech of King James That God never loved to plant his Church by bloud though it be a Truth of weight yet it doth not touch this cause It is farre from us to defend the planting of Churches by bloud that is to compell men to yeeld themselves to the fellowship of the Church by bloudy Lawes or poenalties the Church of Christ admitteth no members but a willing people Psal 110.3 Neverthelesse that hindereth not but as the Church was purchased and planted by the bloud of Christ so he that shall goe about to supplant and destroy the Church of Christ his bloud may justly fall upon his owne head Discusser Secondly That civill obedience may be performed by Papists this was another reason of King James passed over by the Answerer Defender No marvell that I passed it over for I did not finde it in the Letter For though the King say as the Letter reporteth him I onely declared to be secured for civill obedience which for Conscience cause they were bound to performe yet the King doeth not say That civill obedience may be performed by Papists standing stedfast to the rules of their owne Religion For if the Bishop of Rome upon pretence of hereticall pravity shall excommunicate a Protestant Prince dissolve the Subjects Oath of Allegiance to him depose him dispose of his Kingdome In this case which often falleth out how can civill obedience be performed by the Papists Discusser Thirdly The Kings third ground is his observation in Revel 20. That persecution is a true certaine note of a false Church The wicked are Beseigers the faithfull Beseiged Defender I subscribe to the King that persecution properly so called that is the oppression of any for righteousnesse sake is a note of a false Church but nor a certaine note For againe I say that persecution properly so called may be sometime found in the true Church For which of all the Prophets did not the Church of the old Testament persecute Acts 7.52 And yet that persecution was not the true and certaine note of a false Church For then God had left no true Church upon the face of the earth But this I graunt That such persecution where ever it is found It is a degree of falshood and A postacy in that Church But what a vast distance is there between the just censure of Apostasticall and Hereticall seducers and disturbers of the Churches peace and truth and between persecution As for the other speech The wicked are beseigers the faithfull are beseiged It may well be said of the seige spoken of in that 20. of the Revelation But if it should be put for a universall Maxime Royall Authority cannot make it good Divinity When the ten Christian Kings shall hate the Whore of Rome and eate her flesh and burne her with fire Rev. 17.16 I suppose the Discusser will not say the wicked are Beseigers the faithfull are beseiged Discusser In King Stephens speech of Poland he passeth by the true difference between a civill and a spirituall Government I am said Stephen a civill Magistrate over the bodyes of men not a spirituall over their soules Defender King Stephens speech may well stand and the cause still untouched The Magistrate is a Ruler over the Bodies of men not over their soules He cannot command their soules nor binde their Consciences nor punish their spirits It is the Lord alone can reach them That which the King or Magistrate can doe or doeth in this case is to punish the bodyes of men for destroying or disturbing Religion Discusser To confound these is Babel and Jewish to seeke for Moses and bring him from his Grave c. Defender It is Babel indeed for civill Magistrates to make Lawes to binde Conscience and to excommunicate transgressors of those Lawes But to punish false Prophets and Seducers of Gods people to Idolatry was never the practise of Babel but it was and is their practise not onely to Tolerate them but to advance and encourage them If it were a Jewish seeking of Moses and a bringing him from his Grave to punish Seducers for Idolatry then after Moses was buried that Law Deut. 13. was abrogated But his buryall and Gods hiding of the place thereof was rather a confirmation and establishment of it then any Abrogation or Impeachment
too much wound his own Conscience with such a generall charge he acknowledgeth That we have borne witnesse against Bishops and Ceremonies and doe constitute onely particular and Independent Churches and have therefore so farre at least seene the evill of a Nationall Church But I dare say further that his own Conscience beareth him witnesse that we have witnessed also both in Profession and Practise against Prescript Liturgies and mixt Communions both in Church-fellowship and at the Lords Table What hath been then wanting to us That we doe not fully see the evill of a Nationall Church How doth he make it to appeare By two Instances By our constant Practise in still joyning with such Churches and Ministery in the Ordinances of the Word and Prayer and by our Persecuting of him for his humble faithfull and constant admonishing of us for such an uncleane walking between a particular Church and a Nationall Reply Our joyning with the Ministers of England in hearing of the Word and Prayer doth not argue our Church-Communion with the Parish-Churches in England much lesse with the Nationall Church as hath been shewed above in Chap. 14. Besides when Jeroboam heard the word from the young Prophet of Judah and joyned with him in Prayer I demand whether in so doing he joyned in Church-Communion with the Nationall Church of Judah If yea then was the Church of Judah pollutedly the uncleane Communion of Idolatrous Jeroboam If not then the Examiner may easily discerne how weake an Argument it is to argue our Communion with the Nationall Church of England from our members joyning in the Hearing of the Word and Prayer in the Parish-Churches of England His second Instance to make it appeare That we see not the evill of a Nationall Church from our Persecuting of him c. In this I choose rather to blame his memory then his conscience But the one of them is much to blame in that it maketh him so farre forget himselfe and the Truth as boldly to avouch a notorious falshood That we Persecuted him for his humble and faithfull and constant admonishing of us of such uncleane walking between a particular Church and a Nationall It is one notable falshood to say that he did constantly admonish either our Elders or Churches of such an offence much lesse humbly and faithfully If he did so admonish us where are his witnesses His Letters his Messengers sent to us Besides It is another falshood and no lesse palpable that we did persecute him for such admonishing of us It hath been declared above upon what grounds the sentence of his Banishment did Proceed whereof this Admonition which he pretendeth was none of them neither did they persecute him at all who did so proceed against him Now whereas in that Passage of the Letter even now recited I said He knew not what Professions we had made in our Churches of our Humiliations for former Pollutions nor had he admonished us of our defects therein He demandeth how be could possibly be ignorant of our estate who had been from first to last in fellowship with us an Officer amongst us had private and publique agitations concerning our estate and condition and at last suffered for such Admonition to us the misery of a Winters Banishment amongst the Barbarians Reply As if every man in fellowship with us an Officer amongst us one that had private and publique agitations with us must needs know what our members professed in their admissions to the Church or what our Elders confessed in their dayes of solemne Humiliation when himselfe was generally absent both on the Lords dayes and on the dayes of solemne fasting Or as if the private and publique agitations that he had with us were taken up about our Communion with a Nationall Church I am yet to learne what Arguments he did propound to us in that cause what convictions he left upon us When he is still so full of the miseries of his winters banishment amongst the Barbarians it maketh me call to minde a grave and godly speech of a blessed Saint now with God reverend Mr. Dod Where sinne lyeth heavy afflictions lyeth light where affliction lyeth heavy sinne lyeth light TO CHAP. XX. THe maine Objection which Mr. Williams made against the Estate of our Church-members was chiefly this That though he acknowledgeth them to be godly yet not sufficiently separate from Antichrist And that he endeavoured to prove 1. From the Texts that call for separation from Babylon Isa 52.2 Cor. 6. Rev. 18.2 From the confession of sinnes made by Johns Disciples Mat. 3. and the Proselyte Gentiles Acts 19. To both these we have returned Answer already His third Objection followeth from Haggai 2.13 14 15. where the Prophet telleth the Church of the Jewes That if a Person uncleane by a dead body doe touch holy things those holy things become uncleane to him And so saith he is this Nation and so is every worke of their hands and that which they offer here is uncleane And from hence he argueth That even Church-Covenants made and Ordinances practised by persons polluted through spirituall deadnesse and filthinesse of Communion they become uncleane to them and are prophaned by them which he solemnely desireth might be advisedly weighed Whereto my Answer was That if he had well weighed this place himselfe he would never have alledged it to his purpose His purpose was to prove that Churches cannot be constituted of such members as are uncleane by Antichristian pollutions or if they be so constituted they are not to be Communicated with but separated from To prove this you alledge said I this place where the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church to be uncleane and yet neither denieth them to be a Church truely constituted nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them If you say why but they were uncleane I answered Be it so But were they therefore no Church truely Constituted Or to be separated from Did not Haggai and Zachary themselves Communicate with them And did they not call others also to come out of Babel to Communicate with them even whilest Joshua the High Priest was still polluted with his uncleane Garments Zach. 2.6 7. with Chapt. 3.8 Whereupon I tooke occasion to cleare up to him the occasion and scope and true sence of the words at large as may appeare in the Letter which having gathered up I said That if he did apply it to the Point in hand it would reach nothing neere to his purpose Hypocrites in the Church yea and godly sincere Christians themselves whilest they attend to the world more then to the things of God as at that time the Jewes did both their persons and their labours and their Civill Oblations are uncleane in the sight of God Therefore the Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such or if it doe consist of such the People of God must separate from them You might well have gathered Therefore the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate
it a folly to make boasts in comparisons even of sufferings And therefore I choose to be sparing and briefe in this Argument wherein otherwise I could be copious there being another Volume of the Booke of Martyrs as I heare extant in the Countrey though not in print of the sufferings of the godly Ministers and people beginning where Mr. Fox left When he saith Their witnesses against Bishops and Ceremonies whom he calleth Puritans have seldome met in separate Assemblies from the common It seemeth he never read the story of the Classes in Northamptonshire Suffolk Essex London Cambridge discovered by a false brother to Doctor Bancroft Chaplain then to Lord Chancellor Hatton afterwards Bishop of London and after that Archbishop of Canterbury nor that he ever tooke notice of Doctor Bancrofts Booke against them entituled Dangerous Positions and practises against Religion and State neither doth it seeme that he doth acknowledge their frequent and continuall meetings to duties of humiliation as any separate meetings from the common But I doubt not the Lord tooke notice of both and hath now rewarded their sighes and groanes prayers and teares in private with an open recompence and deliverance in the view of all men Besides though he pleased to confine the witnesse of these he calleth Puritans unto Testimony against Bishops and Ceremonies yet I did not thinke he had been such a stranger in Israel if by his leave I may call it Israel as to be ignorant how farre both the Admonitions to the Parliament have reached to beare witnesse beyond Bishops and Ceremonies To say nothing of Mr. Deerings Sermon before the Queene or Mr. Chadertons at Pauls Crosse or Mr. Parkers Ecclesiastica Politica or Mr. Baines his Diocesans Tryall Though he say None of them suffered unto death onely Mr. Vdall was neere it Yet the truth is he dyed by the annoyance of the Prison which he might as well have acknowledged as he doth of some of the Separatists in this very Paragraph that they were choaked in Prison This I have understood by faithfull witnesses that when the Coroners Jury according to the Law of England came as the manner is in such cases to survey the dead body of Mr. Vdall in Prison he bled freshly though cold before as a testimony against the murderous illegall proceedings of the State against him for so the godly did apprehend it judicious Perkins acknowledgeth such a kinde of bleeding to be a part of the accomplishment of that Scripture in Heb. 11. That the bloud of Abel still speaketh In like sort for the same cause choaked in the prison suffered Mr. Randall Bates an heavenly Saint nor could he be released though Doctor Hering a learned and beloved Physician earnestly solicited Bishop Neale for his enlargement as he tendred his life but the suite of the Physician was repulsed with reproaches And the life of his patient spilt by that rigor He is therefore much mistaken when he saith None of them suffered unto death And it is alike mistake when he maketh Mr. Penry one of his witnesses unto the death for Separation I have received it from Mr. Hildersom a man of a thousand that Mr. Penry did ingenuously acknowledge before his death That though he had not deserved death for any dishonour put upon the Queene by that Booke which was found in his study and intended by himselfe to be presented to her own hand nor by the compiling of Martin Marprelate of both which he was falsly charged yet he confessed he deserved death at the Queenes hand for that he had seduced many of her loyall Subjects to a separation from hearing the Word of life in the Parish Churches Which though himselfe had learned to discerne the evill thereof yet he could never prevaile to recover divers of her Subjects whom he had seduced and therefore the bloud of their soules was now justly required at his hands Let the Examiner consider whether he will own this Mr. Penry for one of his faithfull witnesses hereafter If he doe let him endeavour to doe as he did seeke to reduce those soules whom he hath seduced from hearing the word of life or else let him confesse as Mr. Penry did the bloud of those soules may justly be required at his hands if Mr. Penries witnesse be of waight with him Touching his other witnesse to the death of Mr. Barrow this I can say from the testimony of holy and blessed Mr. Dod who speaking of this Mr. Barrow God is not wont saith he to make choice of men infamous for grosse vices before their calling to make them any notable instruments of Reformation after their Calling Mr. Barrow whilest he lived in Court was wont to be a great Gamster and Dicer and often getting much by play would boast Vivo de die in spem noctis nothing ashamed to boast of his hopes of his nights lodgings in the bosomes of his Courtizens As his spirit was high and rough before his reformation so was it after even to his death When he stood under the Gibbet he lift up his eyes and Lord saith he if I be deceived thou hast deceived me And so being stopt by the hand of God he was not able to proceed to speake any thing to purpose more either to the glory of God or to the edification of the people Mr. Greenwood the Examiners last witnesse unto death he indeed of all the rest was the more to be lamented as being of a more tender and conscientious spirit but this have I heard reported of him by the same credible hands That if he could have been sundred from Mr. Barrow he was tractable to have been gained to the truth But when the Examiner goeth on to make comparisons between the Sufferings of the Separatists and of those he styleth Puritans in his Margent and in his Booke No comparison will hold from the Separatists to them but a Minori What compulsory banishments have been put upon those blessed and glorious lights Mr. Cartwright Parker Ames To say nothing of those in Scotland or New-England When have the Prisons been vacant of some or other godly Ministers and Professors When will the Examiner shew forth alike company of his witnesses to those 300. Ministers whom Mr. Parker compareth to the 300. Souldiers of Gideon who in one storme of persecution were some suspended some excommunicated some imprisoned all of them deprived of their Ministery and of their maintenance And provision made that none might practise Phyficke or teach Schoole unlesse they would accept a Licence with subscription So that of necessicie had not the Lord been wiser and stronger then men they must in remedilesse misery they and theirs have either begged or starved But that with the Lord there be bowells of mercy and fatherly compassions and with him are plenteous redemptions and provisions and protections when men faile The Examiner proceedeth in his Answer to tell us further That he beleeveth there hath hardly ever been a Conscientious Separatist who was