Prophets and seducing Teachers doe bring downe showers of Gods blessings upon the civill State 1 Kings 18.40 41. Fifthly it is an honour to Gods Justice that such Judgements are executed Rev. 16.5 6 7. Discusser But such Executions in Queen Elizabeths dayes had raysed almost all Europe in combustion the warres of 88. the Spanish Invasion had speciall respect to this And had not the Lord borne witnesse to his owne Law and to his people herein by defeating the Intendments of their Enemies it might have been the ruine both of England and the Netherlands which are the words of Mr. Cotton himselfe on the third Viall Defender The words Answer for themselves The Devill and his Instruments raged against such Lawes and such Executions but God bare witnesse to both by mightily defeating the Invasions and Conspiracies of Enemies Discusser It is no Argument that God bare witnesse to his people in such Deliverancies and Victories For 1. Events and Successes come alike to all and are no Arguments of Love or Hatred Defender Events and successes are indeed no Arguments of a mans spirituall Estate of the Love or hatred of God to a mans person in which sense Solomon speaketh Eccles 9.1 2. But otherwise they are ordinary witnesses good Events of a good cause if it be well handled ill events of an ill cause or at least of the ill handling of a good cause Psal 1.3 4. Jer. 22.15 16 17. Discusser Secondly Papists in their warres have ever yet had both in Peace and warre victory and Dominion And therefore if successe be the measure God hath borne witnesse to them as in the Warres between Charles the fift and some Germane Princes where the successe was various between Philip of Spaine and the Low-Countries the King of France and his Protestant Subjects sometimes winning sometimes loosing But most memorable is the History of the Waldenses who fought many Battles against three succeeding Popes with various successe But the finall successe and Victory fell to the Popedome and Romish Church in the utter extirpation of those Waldensian witnesses Defender Reply 1. I will not inquire of the meaning of the words how the Papists in their warres have had both in Peace and Warre Victory and Dominion But this I cannot excuse from contradiction that the Papists in their Warres ever had the Victory and yet have often fought with various successe sometime winning sometime loosing Nor can I tell how it standeth with Truth that Papists in their Warres ever had the Victory since Queen Elizabeth ever had the Victory over them Reply 2. Though Papists have fought with various Successe it is Gods manner to nurture his people with some crosses that they might at length learne to fight not in their owne strength but in the Lords Reply 3. The story is evident that the Waldenses never lost Battell but when they complyed with the Papists and trusted more in their false pretences then in the Lord. Neither is it true that the finall successe ef the Victory fell to the Romish Church to the utter extirpation of those Waldensian witnesses For it never came to an utter Extirpation of them but only to a dispersion into sundry Countries of Europe as Bishop Vsher sheweth in the last words of his Booke De successione Christianarum Ecclesiarum But dispersion is one thing utter exterpation is anoother Seed is dispersed and the more multiplyed but exterpation tendeth to withering and destruction Certaine it is the Waldenses long after those warres and that dispersion wrote Letters to Luther and Calvin which are extant to this day Discusser It is most true what Daniel in his 8.11 and 12. Chapters and John Rev. 11 12 and 13. Chapters write of the great successe of Antichrist against Christ Jesus for a time appointed Defender Not against Christ Jesus for who ever warred against him and prevailed Job 9.4 But true it is against his servants Antichrist prevailed for a time appointed but it was when either the Saints suffered for the Truth and then the Saints were the true Conquerours or else when they complyed with the corruptions of the times and then though their cause was good yet they handled it ill Discusser Gods servants are all Conquerours when they warre with Gods weapons in Gods cause and worship as in Rev. 2. and 3. Chapters and in Rev. 12. they overcome the Dragon in the Romane Emperours by three weapons the bloud of the Lamb the word of their Testimony and not loving their lives unto the death Defender It is true those are the weapons of the Ministers of the Gospel and those are also the weapons of private Christians but if the Magistrate be the Minister of God in bearing his sword then the Sword also is a weapon of God which when it is drawne out in Gods cause and worship according to God with confidence not in the arme of flesh but in the Lord of Hosts it goeth forth Conquering to conquer Rev. 17.14 with Rev. 19.14.19 20. Gideons Sword was the Sword of the Lord Judg. 7.20 CHAP. 65. A Reply to his Chap. 68. Discussing the Testimonies alledged from Ancient and later writers and first that of Hilary Discusser THe last Head of Arguments produced by the Author against persecution was from the Judgement of Antient and later Writers to some of which the Answerer pleaseth to answer Defender Some of which as if any of them were omitted or as if all of them were not answered compare the Prisoners Letter and my Answer together and see if I have balked any one of them Discusser If it be a marke of the Christian Church to be persecuted and of the Antichristian or false Church to persecute then the Churches cannot be truly Christian according to the first Institution which either actually themselves or by the civill Power of Kings and Princes given to them or procured by them to fight for them doe persecute such as discent from them or be opposite against them Defender I say againe if persecution be properly taken for the punishment of the Innocent for Truth or Righteousnesse sake it ought not to be found in a Christian Church but is usually found in a false and Antichristian Church but I cannot as the Discusser doth make it a marke of the Christian Church to be persecuted and a marke of a false Church to persecute For a Marke is such a signe as belongeth omni soli semper as a marke of the Church must agree to every Church and at all times to the Church and onely to the Church But to be persecuted is not found in every true Church at least not at all times For after the conversion of Paul unto the Faith of Christ the Churches had rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria Acts 9.31 shall we say they were then no true Christian Churches because they wanted this marke of the Church to be persecuted Againe wee read that after the destruction of Antichrist the Churches of the Saints shall have rest
and rule a thousand yeares Revel 20.4 Shall their freedome from persecution be a dissolution of the Church-Estate The like may be said of the New Jerusalem the Churches of the Jewes after the destruction of Gog and Magog when God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes and take away Death violent Death sorrow crying and paine Rev. 21.4 shall they then cease to be Churches when persecution ceaseth Beside to persecute is not alwayes a marke of a false Church for then it would be a marke of a false Member of a Church or a marke of a Member of a false Church but the contrary appeareth in the example of Asa who persecuted the Prophet of God for his holy Message sake 2 Chron. 16.10 And it hath been shewed above that Stephen complaineth of the persecution of all the Prophets Acts 7.51 And if they were persecuted it was by the Church of the Old Testament and if therefore the Church of the Old Testament was false God had then no Church extant upon the face of the Earth It is therefore a begging of the Question to affirme that those Churches cannot be truly Christian who by themselves or by the Civill power of Kings doe punish such as dissent from them or are opposite against them And indeed a double begging of the Question it is For 1. It beggeth that for the Question which is not the Question for it is no Question but out of Question that it is not lawfull for a Christian Church to punish men for dissenting from them or being opposite to them But the Question is whether Christian Magistrates may not punish Apostate Hereticks and Seducers not for dissenting from the Church but for seducing from Christ and blaspheming against his Name And if you will whether the Church may not stirre up the Christian Magistrate after all milder helps used without a vaile to doe his Duty in such a case 2. It is another begging of the Question to take that for granted which is not yet proved that it is a marke of no true Christian Church to procure the civill punishment of incurable obstinate Hereticks and Seducers Discusser When the Answerer saith that to Excommunicate an Heretick is not to persecute I answer If the Answerer were throughly awaked from the Spouses spirituall slumber Cant. 5. and had recovered from the Drunkennesse of the great Whore who intoxicateth the Nations Rev. 17. It is impossible that he should so answer For who questioneth whether to excommunicate an Heretick be to persecute Excommunication being of a spirituall nature a sentence denounced by the word of Christ Jesus the spirituall King of the Chureh and a spirituall killing by the two edged Sword of the Spirit in delivering up the person Excommunicate unto Satan Therefore who seeth not this Answer cometh not neere the Question Defender I must still professe my selfe to be one of them that see it not For first the Author of the Letter did no where expresse himselfe to put any difference neither between Church and Court in point of censure for cause of Conscience nor between causes of Religion whether true or false If it be unlawfull to banish any from the Common-wealth for cause of Conscience it is unlawfull to banish any from the Church for cause of Conscience The Church ought to be more tender of the Liberty of Conscience then the Court as being more acquainted with the tendernesse of Conscience Secondly if the censure of a man for cause of Conscience by the civill Sword be persecution it is a farre greater persecution to censure a man for cause of Conscience by the Spirituall Sword by how much the more sharp and keen the spirituall Sword is above the civill Sure I am Christ Jesus reckoneth Excommunication for persecution Luke 21.12 They shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into Prisons To deliver up into Synagogues is as much persecution as to deliver into Prisons And will the Discusser then say that if Christ had been awakened from his spirituall slumber and from the Drunkennesse of the great Whore it had been impossible he should have accounted Excommunication a persecution Me thinks if a soule were awakened unto spirituall sobriety he should judge it a sorer and a deeper affliction to be bound with spirituall chaines both in Earth and Heaven then to be bound in materiall chaines on Earth onely Discusser But Hilary his complaynt speaketh not to Excommunications but to civill censures Defender Therefore my Answer was to him partly by proportion partly by concession Hilary said the Christian Church did not persecute but is persecuted Whereto I Answered 1. That Excommunication of an Heretick is no persecution and therefore by proportion neither is the civill punishment of an Heretick persecution And the Reason in my words following reacheth both for to persecute is to punish an Innocent But an Heretick is not an Innocent but a culpable and damnable person 2. I answered by concession of Hilaryes words in Hilaries meaning it is true what Hilary saith neither did the Apostles nor may wee propogate Christian Religion by the Sword c. Discusser But a Christian Church doth no more persecute then a Lilly doth scratch thornes or a Lamb pursue and teare the Wolves or a Turtle Dove doth hunt the Hawkes or Eagles or a chast modest virgin fight and scratch like Whores and Harlots Defender If by persecution the Discusser meaneth as it seemeth he doth the infliction of the civill punishments his speech is true and the proportion holdeth civill punishments are as improper for Christian Churches to inflict as for Lillies to scratch Thornes or Lambes to teare Wolves c. But if the Lambes he speaketh of in his comparison were as reasonable as the Lambes of Christ be though they would not themselves pursue and teare the Wolves yet they would runne to their Shepheards and civill Magistrates are the shepheards of all their people to send out their dogs after the Wolves to pursue and teare them I see no reason why the chast and modest eye of a Christian Church should any more spare and pity a spirituall Adulterer that seeketh to withdraw her from her spouse to a false Christ then the eye of an Holy Israelite was to spare and pitie the like Tempters in dayes of old Deut. 13.8 CHAP. 66. A Reply to his Chap. 69. Discusser THe Answer by concession to Hilaryes words may surther be discussed It is true saith the Answerer as Hylary speaketh that neither the Apostles nor we may propagate Christian Religion by the Sword But if Pagans cannot be wonne by the word they are not to be compelled by the Sword Neverthelesse this hindreth not but if they or any other should blaspheme the true God and his true Religion they ought to be severely punished and no lesse doe they deserve who seduce from the Truth to damnable Heresie and Idolatrie In which Answer I observe First his Agreement with Hilary that Christian
Philistims and yet not disanull their Church-estate And by like proportion so may a Church of Christ take up some orders as the carting of some part of their worship upon a Book after the manner of Antichrist and yet not forthwith evacuate their Church-estate But this let me further adde that a godly person may have some kinde of communion so farre as hearing the word from a Minister well gifted by Christ to whose calling some corruption may cleave both in his Church-estate and in his Ordination And yet neverthelesse no Antichristian Pollution at all may cleave or redound to the hearer by his hearing of him And this being the Principall Exception which the Examiner taketh against some of the members of our churches against all the churches for their sakes we shall further God willing cleare when the Examiner putteth it upon us in the sequele Meane while we professe as we doe beleeve that such an action is not any Church-cōmunion with Antichrist nor doth so enthrall the People of God unto Antichrist as to separate them from Christ no not as he is Head of the visible Church The Answer which upon occasio of this Point the Examiner giveth to the Papists Question Where was your Church before Luther though it seeme to him well and good yet it gratifieth the Papists and straitneth the holy Counsell of God in Scripture The Question saith he is thus well answered to wit That since the Apostasie of Antichrist Truth and the holy Citie according to the Prophecy Rev. 11. 13. have been troden under-foot and the whole Earth hath wandered after the Beast yet God hath stirred up witnesses to Prophecy in sackcloth against the Beast during his 42 moneths Reigne Neverthelesse these witnesses have in their times more or lesse submitted to Antichrist and his Church Worship Ministery c. And so consequently have been ignorant of the true Church that is Christ taken for the Church in the true Profession of that holy way of worship which he himselfe at first appointed This Answer giveth away the cause to the Papists They demand Where was your Church before Luther This Answer giveth it for granted that since the Apostasie there was no particular church extant in the world This fully satisfieth their desire and expectation for if there were no Church of Christ in the world for so many Centuries of yeares till Luther then they readily conclude That their Church of Rome was before Luther the onely Church in the world For they urge it and I know not how we can fairely deny it that the Church of Christ even that Church to which the keys of the kingdome are committed which is the visible Church is that against which the Gates of Hell shall not be able to prevaile and so not all the Power of Antichrist If then the visible Church of Christ shall never cease and yet during all that time of the Apostasie of Antichrist no Church was extant in the world but the Church of Rome then during all that time which is not yet expired the Church of Rome is and hath been the onely Church of Christ these many ages Besides as this Answerer gratifieth the Papist and maketh the promise of Christ Mat. 16.18 19 of none effect so it straitneth the Counsell of God in the very Texts of Scripture alledged by himself For in that Text Rev. 11. where the outward Court is given to the Gentiles that is Ecclesiasticall Courts given to Antichrist his Clergy v. 2. There also a rod or reed is given by the Angel unto John to measure the Temple of God and the Altar and them that worship therein v. 1. Which evidently holdeth forth that even then there was somewhere extant the Temple that is the visible Church of Christ which had communion with Christ as Head of the Church there called The Altar and the Temple was furnished with true worshippers and all measured according to the Patterne of Apostolicall Rule What if Ecclesiasticall Stories be deficient in telling us the times and places of their Church-Assemblies Is therefore the Word of God deficient or the Church deficient because humane Stories are deficient Great hath been the industry and vigilancy of Satan and Antichrist to blot out as much as in them lay all Monuments and Records of such holy Assemblies but yet sometimes their own Inquisitors confesse that the Churches of the Waldenses or men of that way have been extant a tempore Apostolorum Furthermore evident it is that when the Dragon persecuted the woman that is the Church the Church fled into the Wildernes and was there nourished for a time and times and halfe a time Rev. 12.14 which is all the time wherein the Beast reigned Rev. 13.5 And wherein the Gentiles having obtained Rule in the Court trod downe the holy Citie under-foote Rev. 11.2 Moreover evident also it is that all the Angels or Ministers of Gods wrath that poured out their Vialls upon the Antichristian State did all of them issue forth out of the Temple and out of the Temple as then opened Rev. 15.5 6 Which argueth that the Temple or Church was not onely then visible but openly visible not visible onely to the secret Assembly of the true worshippers but openly conspicuous to them that had not seene it before Now how all those seven Angels should come out of the Temple and it openly visible and all of them poure out their Vialls upon the Antichristian State by seven Degrees to the utter desolation of it and yet no Church extant either before Luther or since Luther till the utter extirpation of Antichrist passeth all my comprehension TO CHAP. XIII HIs 13th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a second Answer which I gave to his Objection propounded above in Chap. 10. The Answer was this as he setteth it downe Secondly we deny that it is necessary to Church-fellowship that is so necessary that without it a Church cannot be That the members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expresly bewaile all the pollutions which they have been defiled with in their former Church-fellowship Ministery worship Government c. If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did enthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ and withall be ready in preparation of heart as they shall see more light so to hate more and more every false way This we conceive to be as much as is necessarily required to separate them from Antichrist unto fellowship with Christ and his Churches c. For Answer hereunto the Examiner desireth three things to be observed 1. Mr. Cottons own Confession of that two-fold Church-estate worship c. The former false or else why to be so bewailed and forsaken The second true to be embraced and submitted to Reply This observation is more then is intended or can justly be gathered from my words For even a true Estate of a Church Worship Ministery c. may be bewailed
though not in regard of the falshood of the estate yet in regard of the pollutions that cleaved to it which were as so many false wayes in the Administration of it 2. The second thing which he would have to be observed is my own confession of that which a little before I would make so odious in him to hold to wit That Gods People may be so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ For these were my words If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did enthrall them to Antichrist so as to separate them from Christ Reply 1. His expressions of himselfe in that Point were so incommodious as that a plaine Reader such as my selfe unwonted to heare such language in his sence could not easily conceive that he speaking of godly persons no lesse unfit for Church-fellowship then Trees and Quarries unfit for a Building I say I could not easily conceive that by Trees and Quarries should be meant any other persons then unregenerate and it seemed to me to imply a contradiction to call them ungodly who were unregenerate Reply 2. The Examiner wrongeth himselfe and me to say That I would have made it odious in him to say that godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to-separate them from Christ The odiousnesse he speaketh of is a contradiction And it was himselfe not I that forged that contradiction as hath been shewed above Reply 3. My words out of which he gathereth this observation are misreported and the contradiction ariseth from his misreport not from my words For Gods People and godly persons are not all one Any Church-members may be called Gods People as being in externall Covenant with him Psal 81.11 and yet they are not alwayes godly persons Gods People may be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them utterly from Christ both as Head of the visible and invisible Church also But godly persons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate them from Christ as the Head of the invisible Church though as I said before they may be separated from him as the Head of the visible Church 3. The third thing which the Examinen would have to be observed in my words is How easily a soule may wander in his generalls for thus I write though they see not all the pollutions wherewith they have been defiled in their former Church-fellowship Againe if they did see so much as did enthrall them to Antichrist and separate them from Christ And yet saith he he expresseth nothing of that all the pollutions nor what so much is as will separate them from Christ Reply 1. Though these words might seeme generall to a stranger who knew nothing of the occasion of them yet to the Examiner himselfe to whom in private I writ them it was easie and obvious to poynt with the finger at the particular I intended in these He knoweth the Question was Whether the hearing of the Ministers of the Parishes in England was such an Antichristian pollution as either to cut off such persons from Church-fellowship or the Churches themselves from Christ Our Answer was 1. That it was no Antichristian pollution at all 2. If it were it was more then either our members or our Churches yet saw or were convinced of and then generall confessions and generall repentance would serve for unknowne knowne sinnes To the same purpose is this generall Answer framed here which himselfe well knoweth upon what particular occasion it grew and to what particular case it had reference Reply 2. Besides why should we count the Answer as wandring in Generalities when it was fitted to his generall Objection His Objection was Chapt. 10. That a necessitie lay upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent come out of the false Churches Worship Ministery Government Now here are onely generall words no particular mention of the falshoods that lye in the Churches Worship Ministery Government Why should he blame wandring in Generalitie in the Answer when his own Objection wandereth in the like Generalities Reply 3. If he please to look back to the Reply given in his 12. Chapter he may finde me plaine and punctuall in Instancing in particulars But thus having passed over his Observations upon my former Answer he now cometh to returne Answer to me by demanding a Question or two to wit 1. Whether if a godly person remaine a member of a salsely constituted Church and so consequently in that respect of a false Christ whether in visible worship he be not separate from the true Christ Answ That I may not delude neither him nor my selfe by answering to obscure and ambiguous termes I would know by some that understand his speech what he meaneth by a falsely constituted Church or else give me leave to explaine the termes my selfe There be but two things intrinsecally necessary to the constitution of any thing so of a Church to wit a fit matter and a fit forme The matter of a Church are visible Saints Proâ—essors of the faith of Christ The forme is an holy Covenant or Agreement either explicite or implicite to joyne together in one Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the Administration of his holy Ordinances Now if in stead of visible Saints professing the Name of Christ there be a company of prophane persons Idolaters Hereticks that shall covenant or agree together to joyne in a Congregation to worship Idolls and to build up one another in Heresie and Apostasie This is Ecclesia Malignantium a false constituted Church And consequently the Head of this Church is a false Christ and every member of this Church who joyneth with them in this way is in visible worship separate from the true Christ In this sence I would answer to the Examiners first Question Affirmatively His second Question then is Whether it be not absolutely necessary to a godly persons uniting with the true Church that is with Christ in true Christian worship that he see and bewaile and absolutely come out from that former false Church or Christ and his Ministery Worship c. before he can be united to the true Israel Answ I would readily answer this Question Affirmatively also unlesse there be a fallacy in the latter absolutely For his Question is Whether it be not absolutely necessary unto uniting with a true Church to see and bewaile and come out absolutely from the false Church or Christ or Ministery or Worship c. This latter absolutely if it imply no more then coming out altogether from all that separateth from true Christ I grant it absolutely but if he meane coming out from every thing of theirs say from every good gift yea from every error amongst them which doth not separate from Christ and then I deny that it is absolutely necessary either to see or bewaile all or in that sence absolutely to come out of all His similitudes brought to
Truths be Besides there is no need either for the clearing of our members or of our Church-estate to plead for the capablenesse of godly persons of Church-estate notwithstanding their ignorance of the Truths of God whether more or lesse necessary For wee doe not look at it as any point of ignorance at all for our members to believe they may partake in the gifts of the godly Ministers in England in hearing the word of God from them I know the Examiner is vehement and peremptory in pleading for an absolute necessitie that godly persons before they doe joyne to a true Church and Ministery should see and bewaile so much as may amount to cut off the soule from a false Church whether Nationall Parishionall or any other falsly constituted Church Ministery Worship and Government of it But the voyce of God is not alwayes in every vehement and mightie winde that rendeth mountaines and breaketh rockes 1 Kings 19.11 The Examiner is not ignorant that we have seene and bewailed Nationall and Parishionall Church-estate and have cut off our selves by the Grace of Christ from any invented worship or government of it yea and from such entrance into the Ministery or Administration of it as was corrupt either by Nationall or Parishionall Relation But this is that which he requireth further He I say but not the Lord that wee should cut off our selves from hearing the Ministery of the Parishes in England as being the Ministery of a Nationall or Parishionall Church whereof both the Church-estate is falsly constituted and all the Ministery Worship and Government thereof false also But two things here may suffice to answer this clamour 1. Suppose all this were true that he clamoureth but prooveth not yet this would I faine learne wherein lieth the sinne of our members in hearing the godly Ministers in the Parishes Why saith he in that they doe not cut off themselves from a false Ministery Now by the Ministery may be meant either the office of the Ministery or the exercise of the office and gifts of the Ministery From the office and from the exercise of the office our members have cut off themselves partly by submitting themselves to a Ministery of their own Election in these Churches and partly by submitting themselves to no act of their Ministeriall office in England but what an Indian or any Pagan might partake in who yet is cut off farre enough from fellowship in their office Cutting off is an act of disunion and somewhat more violent and keene then it may be the Examiner requireth The sinne he chargeth upon our members in hearing such Ministers is union or communion with them And what shall wee say is there no Communion between our members and the Ministers in England whom they doe heare Yes doubtlesse For 1. There is a naturall communion between the speaker and the hearer the one giveth counsell or instruction or reproofe or comfort and the other receiveth it 2. There is a morall Communion between a Teacher and a learner and doubtlesse our hearers may learne many precious Truths from them 3. What shall I say further Is there not also a spirituall Communion between the Preacher and the Hearer when the Preacher communicateth many spirituall and heavenly Points and the Hearer receiveth them Answ 1. Some would say It is not necessary that this should breed a spirituall Communion between the Preacher and the Hearer No more then it maketh a Mathematicall Communion between a reader of the Mathematicks and the learner of some Principles or Conclusions from him But 2. I would rather answer otherwise For suppose a member of our Churches though a visible Saint here yet indeed an hypocrite should occasionally heare a Minister in England and by the Power of the Spirit of Grace breathing in his Ministery be effectually brought home to Christ and by lively faith united to him Here is a spirituall Relation and Communion wrought between them the one is a spirituall Father the other a naturall Sonne in the Faith Neverthelesse this I would say that this spirituall Communion is not between this Hearer and this Minister in respect of his Office but in respect of his Gifts and of the Power of the Spirit of Grace breathing in the dispensation of his Gifts In which respect this Communion doth not amount to Church-communion Any stranger might enjoy as much Any Pagan Corinthian might come in and heare in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 14.24 25. and reape a blessing thereby who yet had not Ecclesiasticall Communion with their Office Also the Prophet Jeremy heard the false Prophet Hanani yea and in some sence said Amen to his Prophecy yet had he no communion with his false Office Jer. 28.1 to 6. If he still urge that we have not yet cut off our selves from communion no not with the false office of the Ministery of England and with their false Church-estate in as much as we still retaine their Baptisme wherein we subjected our selves to their Office and to their Church-estate which are both false as well as their Worship and their Government Answ This is a further Objection then he held forth whilest he continued with us and therefore no marvell if my Letter spake nothing to it But therefore let me now propound another Point which may suffice both for an Answer to this Objection as also for a second Answer unto the former clamour and exception against hearing of the godly Ministers in England The Point is this That I doe not see how the Examiner can justifie his grievous charge that their Church is falsly constituted whether Nationall or Parishionall and accordingly that their Ministery Worship and Government are all of them false Foure things he chargeth to be false 1. Their Church constitution Parishionall and Nationall 2. Their Ministers 3. Their Worship 4. Their Government For the first touching the constitution of their Parishionall Churches let it be considered what I said before that where there be visible Saints there is the true matter of the Church and where there is a Covenant or Agreement whether explicite or implicite to assemble together in one Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the Ordinances of Christ there is for substance the true forme of a Church And where there is the true matter and true forme of a Church it cannot be truely said that such a Church is falsly constituted For there being but two causes of which a thing is constituted matter and forme whatsoever hath true matter and true forme is truly constituted Against this what he will accept I doe not know and therefore know not how to prevent him with a fit and just defence But by others two things are wont to be objected Object 1. From the matter of the Church Object 2. From the efficient cause of the Church From the matter of the Church it is objected that there be not onely visible Saints in the English Parishes but with them are mingled many
shape of an Answer but as little substance The greatest Question here saith he would be whether the Corinthians in their first Constitution were separate or no from such Idols Temples And this Mr. Cotton neither doth nor can deny A Church estate being a state of marriage unto Christ Jesus and so Paul professedly saith He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin unto Christ 2 Cor. 11. Reply 1. To put any substance into this Answer or any force pertinent to the cause in hand it must be no great Question but cleare out of Question that these Corinthians in their first constitution were cleane and absolutely separate from such Idolls Temples and that not onely locally but in their soule and iudgement minde and heart utterly cut off from such uncleane Touches so that they both undoubtedly saw the evill thereof and from their hearts abhorred it and forsooke it For all these Acts of coming off in a way of separation from the Churches of England he requireth from us as absolutely necessary to enter into a true Church-estate Now if he thinke that Mr. Cotton to use his words neither doth nor can deny that in their first constitution they were thus separate from Idolls Temples I must professe though not to him yet to all that love and seek the Truth without prejudice that I both can and doe deny it that in their first constitution they were locally separate from Idolls Temples it is likely enough or else I suppose the Apostlewould have admonished them thereof in their first Plantation But that in their minde and judgement they saw the evill thereof and did in heart and soule bewaile it and confesse it before the Apostle and their Brethren and so enter into solemne Covenant expresly against it this is altogether incredible to me For would not the Apostle then out of his faithfulnesse have reproved them as well for their Apostacy as for their Fellowship in Idolatry Would he not as well have rebuked the prevarication of their Covenant as their pollution of their communion with Pagans What though a Church-estate be a state of Marriage unto Jesus Christ May not a married Spouse of Christ be ignorant of some part of her marriage-dutie towards him And what though Paul professe He had espoused them as a chaste Virgin to Jesus Christ May not he call them a chaste Virgin who had seene and bewailed their former worship of Idolls though they neither bewailed nor saw the evill of feasting with their neighbours in Idolls Temples Reply 2. Though the Examiner make it a great Question whether a Church can be truely constituted that in her first constitution is not seperate from all uncleane Touches so as both to see them and come out of them howsoever they may fall into such sinnes afterwards yet I looke at it as an ungrounded distinction to require more purity to the being of a Church in her first constitution then is necessary to the being of it after it is constituted I should thinke the longer a Church hath enjoyed communion with the Lord Jesus Christ the more shee ought to grow both in knowledge and purity Where more hath been given the more will be required of the Lord. Yea I conceive it more agreeable to the word of Truth that God will sooner separate from a Church constituted for their whorish pollutions then deny them Church-estate for the like pollutions in their first constitution The people of Israel were not constituted a Nationall Church till the Lord gave them Nationall Ordinances and Nationall Officers and entered them together into a Nationall Covenant Exod. 19.5 6. Their Church-estate before was rather domesticall dispersed into severall Families When they were thus constituted a Nationall Church and afterwards fell into an Idolatrous crime the Lord directed Moses to breake the Tables of his Covenant between them and did also seperate his Tabernacle from them till upon their repentance he renewed communion with them Exod. 32.19 with Exod. 33.3 to 7. But yet the like Idolatry if not worse being found in the same People when they dwelt in Aegypt it did not hinder the Lord from accepting them unto a Nationall Constitution of a Church-estate To CHAP. XVII XVIII XIX HIs 17 18 19. Chapters are taken up in Examining and Answering my Answers to his second Objection which he made to prove a Necessitie lying upon Godly men before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship to see bewaile repent and come out of false Churches Ministery Worship and Government To prove which his first Objection or Argument was taken from Isaiah 52.11 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. Whereto we have returned a Reply in the former Chapters His second Objection was taken from the Confession made by Johns Disciples and the Proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church-fellowship Mat. 3.6 Act 19.18 Whence he gathered That Christian Churcher are constituted of such members as make open and plaine confession of their sinnes and if any sâ—â—â—es be to be confessed and lamented Jewish or Paganish then Antichristian drunkennesse and whoredome much more c. Yea every sipping of the Whâ—res Cup. To which Objection of his to passe by all verball velitations for I love not to take up time about words the substance of my Answer was two-fold 1. That it was not necessary to the Admission of members that they should see and bewaile the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores Cup as he called it though the Whores cup doe more intoxicate the minde then the drunkards Cup doth the Body because bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorious and grosse sinnes that no man having true Repentance in him cannot but be convinced of the sinfulnesse of them and of the necessitie of repentance of them in particular if he doe remember them But the whores Cup being a mystery of Iniquitie the sinfulnesse of every sipping of it is nothing so evident and notorious as that every repentant soule doth at first discerne it And therefore as the 3000. Converts Acts 2.37 to 47. were admitted into the first Christian Church upon the Profession of their repentance of the murther of Christ though they neither saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them so here c. Yea and the Disciples of John whom he instanceth in though they did confesse their sinnes the Publicans theirs the Souldiers theirs the People theirs to wit the notorious sinnes incident to their callings yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions And the Gentiles in Act. 19.18.19 Though they confessed their curious Arts and burnt their conjuring Bookes yet it doth not appeare that they confessed all their deeds Whereunto the Examiner returneth a two-fold Answer 1. That spirituall whoredome and drunkennesse is not indeed so easily discerned as corporall but yet not the lesse sinfull but infinitely transeendent as much as spirituall sobriety exceedeth corporall and the bed of the most High God exceedeth the beds of men who are but
not first a Puritan For as Mr. Can hath unanswerably proved the grounds and principles of the Puritans against Bishops and Ceremonies and prophanesse of people professing Christ and the necessitie of Christs flock and discipline must necessarily if truly followed lead on to and enforce a separation Reply 1. If there were hardly ever any conscientious Separatist who was not first a Puritan then it seemeth that if there be any Conscience in the Separatists it was first wrought in them by the Ministers of those whom he calleth Puritans 2. Say it were true that he pretendeth That the principles and grounds of Puritanisme did enforce Separation yet I doe not understand what it maketh to the point in hand 3. Neither doe I understand how it suiteth with the Examiners profession who is wont to renounce all communion with Antichristian inventions so frequently to take up into his mouth and pen the Nickname of Puritans which was at first devised by Sanders the Jesuite to cast a reproach upon the persons and way of reformers to render them suspicious and odious to the State The righteous hand of the Lord struck him with madnesse who invented the name nor doth he delight in them that delight to take up a reproach against the innocent 4. How unanswerably Mr. Can hath proved the necessity of Separation from their grounds and principles I will not judge because I have not seene his Booke But to separate from the Churches of England as no Churches or false Churches from their Ministery as a false Ministery from their Sermons as false worship from their professors as no visible Saints And to prove all this out of the Principles and grounds of those holy Saints of God whom he misnameth Puritans will require a strong efficacy of delusions to make it appeare probable to a sad and judicious spirit that is not sorestalled with prejudice or partialitie But the Examiner proceedeth in his Answer to enquire What should be the Reason why the Separatist who witnesseth against the Roote of the Constitution it selfe should finde more favour then the Puritan or Non-conformist And he telleth us Doubtlesse the reasons are evident 1. Because most of the Separatists have been poore and low and not such gainfull Customers to the Bishops their Courts and Officers Mr. Ainsworth himselfe though a worthy instrument of Gods praise lived upon nine pence in the weeke with roots boyled c. Reply In part I will not deny some truth and weight in this reason But take it for granted and it doth but confirme what I said that the Separatist found more favour then the Non-conformist whatsoever the reason was The second reason that he giveth is That it is a principle in nature to preferre a professed enemy before a pretended friend The Separatists have been looked at by the Bishops and their adherents as knowne and professed enemies whereas the Puritans have professed subjection and submitted to the Bishops their Courts their Officers their Common Prayer and worships And yet the Bishops have well knowne with no greater affection then the Israelites bore the Aegyptians cruell task-masters Reply 1. What the Non-conformists did beare it was no more then they thought they might beare with a good Conscience according to the light they had received If they did beare more then what in Conscience they judged lawfull to be borne they had no reason to beare with themselves in so doing But if the Bishops bore the lesse with them in such their subjection it was because they looked at them not as pretended friends but as more dangerous enemies as knowing both that the Lord was with them which made Saul the more afraid of David 1 Sam. 18.28 29. as also that the grounds which they gave of their judgement and practise were more agreeable to Scripture and to the judgement of all reformed Churches and therefore more likely in time to prevaile to the utter overthrow of their usurped Hierarchy But as for the Separatists the Bishops did not discerne either the Lord going forth in like sort with them or their grounds so likely to subvert their freehold Though the Separatists struck at the roote of the Constitutions of their Churches which was indeed a greater blow then to strike at the roote of Episcopacy yet because the Episcopacy saw that the Separatists struck at the things of Christ together with themselves they knew such stroakes would not much hurt their standing The next word which the Examiner answereth is unto that I said God hath not prospered the way of Separation neither with peace amongst themselves nor with growth of grace His answer is 1. That want of peace may befall the truest Churches of the Lord Jesus as them at Antioch Corinth Galatia Reply The distraction at Antioch was soone healed by the Counsell of the Synod at Hierusalem which is a way of peace which the Churches of the rigid Separation have not knowne nor will condescend unto which makes their dissentions destitute of hopes of reconciliation without separation one from another The like may be said of the Churches of Galatia and Corinth I doe not read their differences were healed by Separation but by listning to Apostolicall Counsell 2. His second Answer is that it is a common Character of a false Church maintained by the Smiths and Cutlers shop to enjoy peace none daring for feare of civill punishment to question or differ c. Reply Though it be a common Character of a false Church to enjoy a forced and violent peace yet it is a peculiar Character of a true Church to enjoy holy peace with God and one with another which where it is wanting there is something else wanting either in their Faith or Order 3. His third Answer is That Gods people in that way have sometimes long enjoyed sweet peace and soule contentment in England Holland New-England and other places c. Reply The Answer had been more cleare and evident if he had named those Churches who have long enjoyed such peace in that way in that way I say of rigid Separation separating from the Churches of England as altogether false in their Constitution Ministry worship and therefore refusing to heare the word in the best of the Parish Assemblies It is a wise Proverb of a wiser then Soloman The back slider in heart from any Truth or way of God shall be filled with his owne wayes They that separate from their brethren further then they have just cause shall at length find cause or at least thinke they have found cause just enough to separate one from another I never yet heard of any instance to the contrary either in England or Holland And for New-England there is no such Church of the Separation at al that I know of That separate Church if it may be called a Church which separated with Mr. Williams first broke into a division about a small occasion as I have heard and then broke forth into Anabaptisme and then into Antibaptisme and Familisme
yeild obedience to such Doctrines and worships as are by men Invented and Appointed As the three famous Jewes were cast into the fiery Furnace in a non-conformity to the whole conforming world before the Golden Image Dan. 3.21 c. Defender Thus a man may find a knot in a Bulrush yea thus a man that were disposed might find fault with the Comforts of God for not being full and Compleate with the Affirmative Comforts because they doe not expresse the Negative and with the Negative because they doe not expresse the Affirmative He that maketh it persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for professing such Doctrine which he beleiveth in Conscience to be the truth he maketh it a Pari Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for Renouncing such Doctrines which he beleiveth in Conscience to be Erroneous And he that maketh it Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for practising such a worke which he beleives in conscience to be a Religious duty He maketh it no lesse Persecution for cause of Conscience when a man is punished for not practising such a worke which he beleiveth in Conscience to be a sin CHAP. 4. A Reply to his fourth Chapter touching the distinction of Doctrines Some fundamentall others circumstantiall and lesse Principall IN points of Doctrine I said in my Answer to the Prisoners Letter some are Fundamentall without right beleife whereof a man cannot be saved others are circumstantiall and lesse Principall wherein one man may differ from another in judgement without prejudice of salvation on either part Discusser To this distinction He saith Truth dare not subscribe for then thousands ten thousands should everlastingly be condemned yea the whole Generation of the Righteous who since the falling away have and doe erre fundamently concerning the true matter Constitution Gathering Governing of the Church And yet farre be it from any pious Breast to Imagine that they are not saved c. Defender Fundamentall Doctrines are of two sorts Some hold forth the foundation of Christian Religion as the Doctrines of salvation by Christ and of faith in his Name Repentance from dead workes Resurrection from the dead and the like Others concerne the Foundation of the Church as the matter and forme of it and the proper Adjuncts accompaning the same The Apostle speaketh of both these sorts of Foundations together Heb. 6.1.2 I speake of the former sort of these onely namely the Foundation or fundamentall points of Christian Religion which who so subverteth and Renounceth he renounceth also his owne salvation The other sort I looke at as lesse principall in comparison of these though some of them have a fundamentall vse in Church order It was pertinent to the Question propounded in the Prisoners Letter to expresse how farre I allowed Toleration even in such fundamentall Errors as subverted the Foundation of Christian Religion And in other Errors lesse dangerous such as neither subverted Religion nor Salvation It would easily be conceived that Toleration might more easily be allowed How farre New English Churches partake with the Old English Parish Churches in any of the Ordinances of God and upon what ground hath been declared in the Reply to the Answer of the other Letter Where also it hath been cleared how farre off the Churches here have been from persecuting or oppressing any of their Brethren for presenting light to them about this point which may prevent and still the lamentation of peace in the beginning of this fith Chapter CHAP. 5. A Reply to his fifth Chapter Concerning a distinction of Points of Practise IN Answer to the Prisoners Letter I said in points of Practise some concerne the weightier Duties of the Law as what God we worship and with what kinde of Worship whether it be such as if it be right Fellowship with God is held If false Fellowship with God is lost Discusser It is worth the Inquiry what kinde of worship he intendeth whether in generall acceptation the Rightnesse or Corruptnesse of the Church or the Ministery of the Church or the Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. And because it pleaseth the Spirit of God to make the Ministery one of the foundations of Christian Religion Heb. 6.1.2 and also to make the Ministery of the Word and Prayer in the Church to be two speciall workes even of the Apostles themselves Acts 6.2 I shall desire it may well be considered in the feare of God 1. Concerning the Ministery of the Word If their new Ministery and ordination be true then the former was false And if false then will it not follow according to this distinction that fellowship with God was lost 2. Concerning Prayer the New English Ministers have disclaimed and written against that Worship of God by Common or set formes of Prayer which yet themselves practised in England And though they were faithfully admonished for vseing the Common Prayer yet at that time they satisfied their hearts with the practise of the Author of the Councell of Trent c. But now I aske whether or no fellowship with God in such Prayers was lost c. 3. Gods People may live and die in such kinde of worship notwithstanding light presented to them able to convince yet not reaching to a conviction and to forsakeing of such wayes which is Contrary to his Conclusion That Fundamentalls are so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience after once or twice Admonition And therefore such a person not being convinced he is condemned of himselfe and may be persecuted for sinning against his Conscience 4. I Observe here that Mr. Cotton herein measureth to others that which himselfe when he lived in such practises would not have had measured to himselfe As 1. That it might have been affirmed of him that in such practises he did sin against his Conscience having sufficient light shinning about him 2. That he should or might have been cut off by death or Banishment as an Hereticke sinning against his Conscience c. Defender 1. It needs no inquiry what worship I meanes whether Church and Minister or Ministrations of the Word Prayer Seales c. For I meane none of these as they are dispenced in the Churches of England Though there have been corruptions in the order and dispensations of these things amongst them especially in the times when we lived there yet neither their Churches nor Ministry nor Ministrations were such or so false that fellowship with God could not be held of them not onely inwardly and secretly but also outwardly and visibly not onely in inward conversion and conviction but also in outward and visible Reformation according to light received Take my words as I wrote them and as he relateth them and my meaning is plaine enough I speake of such worship which if false fellowship with God is lost which cannot truly be avouched of any part of the Worship of God in England It is not truly said
to be disturbed as wholely to breake up and to be dissolved No matter saith the Discusser though they doe wholly breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing For neverthelesse the Peace of the Citty is not thereby in the least measure impaired or disturbed because the Essence or being of the Citty is Essentially distinct from those particular Societyes c. The Citty was before them and standeth absolute and Entire when they are taken downe c. Reply If by Peace be meant as in Scripture Language it is all welfare It would argue a man that liveth in the world to be too much Ignorant of the state of the world to say that in the breaking up and dissolving of such perticular Societyes the Peace of the Citty or Countrey is not in the least measure impaired or disturbed For 1. Though such Societyes of Merchants and other Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they be of the integrety of the Citty And if the defect of one Tribe in Israel was a great trouble to all the Common-wealth of Israel Judges 21.2 3. then sure the breaking up and dissolving of so many particular usefull Societyes cannot but much impaire and disturbe the Peace and wellfare of the Citty and Countrie 2. Though these Societyes of Trades be not of the Essence of the Citty yet they are amongst the conservant causes of the Citty as without which the Citty cannot long flourish no nor well subsist Common sense will acknowledge so much Now then if all these particular Societyes and severall Companyes of Trades they and their peace and wellfare doe much concerne the wellfare and peace of the Citty and Countrey and therefore it behooveth the Civill Government to provide for their peace and wellfare I demand whether the Church also which is a particular Society of Christians whether I say the Peace and wellfare of it doe not concerne the Peace and wellfare of the Citty or Countrey where they live If it be denyed it is Easily proved First David saith they shall prosper that love the Peace of Jerusalem and seeke the good of it Psalm 122.6 c. And Solomon saith where the Righteous rejoyce there is great Glory Pro. 28.12 And 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 distracting and dissolving of the Church is the shame and Confusion of a Nation 2. Consider the Excellency and Preheminence of the Church above all other Societyes She is the fairest amongst women Cant. 1.8 and 6.1 She is the Citty and House of God Revel 21.2 Psal 48.1.1 Tim. 3.15 The world and all the Societyes of it are for the Church 1 Cor. 3.21 22. The world would not subsist but for the Church nor any Countrey in the world but for the service of the Church And can the Church then breake up into peices and dissolve into nothing and yet the Peace and wellfare of the Citty not in the least measure impaired or disturbed 3. It is a matter of just displeasure to God and sad greife of heart to the Church when Civill States looke at the estate of the Church as of little or no concernment to themselves Zach. 1.15 Lament 1.12 Object 1. Many glorious and flourishing Cittyes of the world maintaine their Civill Peace yea the very Americans and wildest Pagans keep the Peace of their Townes and Cittyes though neither in the one nor in the other can any man prove a true Church of God in these places Answ It is true where the Church is not Cittyes and Townes may enjoy some measure of Civill Peace yea and flourish in outward prosperity for a time through the Patience and Bounty and Long-sufferance of God The times of Jgnorance God winketh at Act. 17.30 But when the Church cometh to be Planted amongst them If then Civill States doe neglect them suffer the Churches to corrupt and annoy themselves by pollutions in Religion the the staffe of the Peace of the Common-wealth will soone be broken as the Purity of Religion is broken in the Churches The Common-wealth of Rome flourished five hundred yeares before the Kingdome of God in his Church came amongst them and the decayes of the Common-wealth occasioned by the persecutions of the Church were Repaired by the Publick establishment of the Churches peace in Christian Emperors But when the Churches begun to pollute themselves by the Idolatrous worship of Images and the Christian Emperors tooke no care to reforme this abuse in Churches the Lord sent in amongst other barberous nations the Turkes to punish not onely degenerate Churches but also the Civill State for this wickednesse And therefore the Holy Ghost upbraideth them for their continuance in Image worship though the Turke were let loose from the River Euphrates to scourge them for it Rev. 9.14.20 Goe now and say the estate of the Church whether true or false pure or corrupt doth not concerne the Civill Peace of the Sate Object 2. The Peace of the Church whether true or false is spirituall and so of an higher and farre different nature from the peace of the Countrey or People which is meerely and Essentially Civill and humane Ans 1. Though the inward peace of the Church be spirituall and heavenly yet there is an outward peace of the Church due to them even from Princes and Magistrates in a way of godlinesse and honesty 1. Tim. 2.1.2 But in a way of ungodlinesse and Idolatry it is an wholesome faithfulnesse to the Church if Princes trouble the outward peace of the Church that so the Church finding themselves wounded and pricked in the house of their friends they may repent and returne to their first Husband Zach. 13.6 Hosea 2.6.7 Ans 2. Though the peace of the Countrey or Common-wealth be Civill and humane yet it is distracted and cutt off by disturbing the spirituall purity and peace of the Church Jehu cutting short his Reformation God cutt short the coasts of the Civill State 2 King 10.31.32 Ans 3. Civill Peace to speake properly is not onely a peace in civill things for the Object but a peace of all the persons of the Citty for the Subject The Church is one Society in the Citty as well as is the Society of Merchants or Drapers Fishmongers and Haberdashers and if it be a part of Civill Justice out of regard to Civill Peace to protect all other Societyes in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of their Company is it not so much more to protect the Church-Society in peace according to the wholesome Ordinances of the Word of Christ CHAP. 7. A Reply to his seventh Chapter Discussing what it is to hold forth a Doctrine or Practise in an Arrogant and impetuous way tending of it selfe to the disturbance of the Civill Peace HERE 2. Things he complaineth of 1. That I have not declared what this Arrogant and impetuous way is 2. That he cannot but expresse his sad and sorrowfull
wit whilest they remaine bad yet it is their worke to seek the changing of the bad into good ground that so they may come to prosper and flourish For is it not the proper work of the Church to bring on their children to become the sincere People of God as well as to keep themselves in that estate Is it not a maine Branch of their Covenant with God that as God giveth himselfe to be a God to them and to their seed so they should give up themselves and their seed to be his People Besides hath not God given Pastours and Teachers as well for the gathering together of the Saints as for the edification of the body of Christ And hath he not given the Church and the Gospel Preached in the Church to lye like Leaven in three Pecks of Meale till all be Leavened Mat. 13.33 Answ 4. There is not such resemblance between High-way-side ground and good ground as is between Tares and Whea nor would the servants of the Husbandman ever wonder that weeds should grow in the high-way-side ground as they do at the growing of Tares in the Field Nor would they ever aske the Question whether they should pluck up weeds out of the High-way-side or stones out of the stony ground or pluck up Thornes out of the Thorney CHAP. 23. A Reply to his Chapt. 23. Still touching the Tares Discusser These Tares I shall evidently prove to be Idolaters and in particular properly Antichristians For first these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the Children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifest ver 38. Defender Answ 1. These Tares are not such sinners as are contrary to the children of the Kingdome for then none should be opposite to them but they For contraries are such quorum unum uni opponitur But evident it is there be more wicked ones opposite to the children of the Kingdome then Idolaters and Antichristians to wit those notoriously scandalous wicked ones whom the Discusser nameth in the next Chapter Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons Answ 2. It is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a begging of the Question to say that these Tares are such sinners as are opposite and contrary to the children of the Kingdome visibly so declared and manifested For the Tares were not discerned at first as hath been shewed above till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit Discusser These Tares are the Children of the wicked one which wicked one I take to be not the Devill for the Lord Jesus seemeth to make them distinct The Tares saith he are the Children of the wicked one or wickednesse the Enemy that sowed them is the Devill Defender Answ 1. The Devill and the wicked one may well meane one and the same Person For if the Devill sowed these Tares then these Tares were the seed and so the children of the Devill Why should they be called the seed of one and the children of another Answ 2. Suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated the children of the wicked one or wickednesse that style will agree to hypocrites as well as to other Persons Sure it is the Lord Jesus often calleth the Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites Mat. 23. and he calleth them also a wicked and adulterous Generation Mat. 16. And therefore still these Tares will not appeare to be others then Hypocrites CHAP. 24. A Reply to his 24. Chapter Still touching the Tares Discusser Though all Drunkards Thieves uncleane Persons c. be opposite to Gods Children yet the opposition of the Tares here against the Children of the Kingdome is such an opposition as fights against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ 2. It is manifest the Lord Jesus intendeth no other sort of sinners in this Parable then Antichristians unto whom here he saith let them alone in Church or State For then he should contradict other holy and blessed Ordinances for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State For 1. In the Civill State God hath armed Parents Masters Magistrates to punish evill doers Murderers Quarrellers uncleane Persons stealers extortioners such ought not to be let alone neither in lesser nor greater Families Townes Cities Kingdomes Rom. 13. but seasonably supprest c. 2. In the Kingdome of Christ whose Officers Lawes punishments weapons are all Spirituall and of a Soule-nature he will not have Antichristian Idolaters Extortioners Covetous c. to be let alone but the uncleane Lepers to be thrust forth c. Therefore if neither the Offenders against the Civill Lawes State and Peace ought to be let alone nor the Spirituall State the Church ought to beare with them that are evill Rom. 2. I Conclude that these Tares are sinners of another nature Idolaters false Worshippers Antichristians who without discouragement to true Christians must be let alone and permitted in the world to grow up untill the great Harvest Defender Answ 1. As all wicked Persons be opposite to Gods children for the children of the Kingdome of Light and the children of the Kingdome of darknesse cannot but be opposite so the opposition that is in all the wicked against the children of God doth fight against the religious state and Kingdome of the Lord Jesus For such as stand for the Kingdome of Satan as all wicked men doe they stand in opposition to the Kingdome of Christ No man can serve two Masters If he cleave to the one he standeth in enmitie to the other Mat. 6.24 Answ 2. It followeth not that because Christ biddeth his Ministers Let the wicked alone in Church or State That therefore he intendeth no other then Antichristian Idolaters Neither should Christ contradict any Ordinance of his own for the punishment of Offenders both in Christian and Civill State though he should command other offenders to be let alone besides Antichristians For no Ordinance or Law of God nor just Law of man commandeth the rooting out of hypocrites either by Civill or Church-censure though the Church be bound to endeavour as much as in them lyeth to heale their hypocrisie Answ 3. Neither is it true that Antichristians are to be let alone by the Ordinance of Christ till the end of the world For what if the members of a Christian Church shall some of them Apostate to Antichristian Superstition and Idolatry as often falleth out by the seduction of the Emissaries of Babel doth the Ordinance of Christ binde the hands of the Church of which they are Members to let them alone In chapter 19. The Discusser himself would not have the superstitious observation of Lent-Fasts to be let alone And surely Christ ordained by his blessed Apostle Paul that if any Brother proved an Idolater whether Pagan or Antichristian such an one should be cast out by excommunication 1 Cor. 5.11 Besides What if any Antichristian Persons out of zeale to the Catholick Cause and out of conscience to the command of their Superiours should seeke to destroy the King and Parliament
as hath more then once or twice been attempted should such an one by any ordinance of Christ be let alone in the Civill State Moreover if Popish Priests and Jesuites be rightly expounded to be the Rivers and Fountaines of water which drive the dead Sea of Antichristian pollution up and downe all Nations in Europe and if they by the Ordinance of Christ be in some cases to drinke bloud for they are worthy then they are not to be let alone but duely supprest and cut off from conveying up and downe their Idolatrous Hereticall and Seditious wickednesse Rev. 16.4 to 7. CHAP. 25. A Reply to his 25. Chapter Still discussing the meaning of the Tares THirdly The Tares cannot be hypocrites is as cleare as the Light because they when they are discovered and seene to be Tares are not to be let alone to the Angels in the end of the world but are to be purged out by the Governours of the Church with the whole Church Defender This objection hath been answered above and let it be againe denied till the Discusser prove the contrary which will never be That hypocrites when they appeare to be hypocrites and yet no worse then Tares are to be purged out by the Government of the Church It is true if Hypocrites having a forme of Godlinesse and yet denying the power thereof doe breake forth into such notorious scandalous Fruits of Hypocrisie as tend to the leavening of the whole lumpe they may then justly be proceeded against by the Government of the Church But otherwise if the Church proceed against an Hypocrite as such meerely for his hypocrisie for want of life and power of Godlinesse in his duties they may soone roote out sometime or other the best wheate in Gods Field and the sweetest Flowers in his Garden who sometimes loose their fatnesse and sweetnesse for a season Discusser Every Brother that walketh disorderly is to be with-drawen and separated from Defender True But who is a Brother that walketh disorderly Not every Hypocrite but onely such who either walke inordinately without a calling 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or idely and negligently in his calling For so the context carrieth it in the words alluded to 2 Thess 3.6 But that is not the case of every Hipocrite of whom their are many that follow their callings and are so farre from being burthensome to others by their idlenesse that they are even choaked with the cares and businesses of this world and yet are not behinde in liberall contributions to pious uses CHAP. 26. A Reply to his Chap. 26. Touching the danger of letting alone Anti Christians Discusser If any imagine that the Antichristians being let alone may doe a world of mischiefe before the worlds end by the infection of others I Answer 1. The Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword let Civill offences be punished and yet let their worship and Consciences be tolerated 2. The Church hath a thousand bucklers and weapons able to break downe the strongest hould 2 Cor. 10. and so to defend it selfe against the gates of earth or hell 3. The Lord knoweth who are his his chosen cannot finally be deceived Lastly the Lord Jesus himselfe in this Parable giveth 2. Reasons able to content and satisfie our hearts First least the good wheat be pluckt up out of the feild of the world Gods People the good wheat are generally pluckt and persecuted as well as the vilest Idolaters whether Jewes or Antichristians which the Lord Jesus seemeth here to foretell Second reason is when the world is ripe in sinne in the sinnes of Antichristianisme those mighty Angells of God will come with their sharpe sickles and downe with them and buildle them up for everlasting burnings then shall the man of sin be consumed by the breath of the mouth of the Lord Jesus c. Defender Reply 1. To his first Answer It is true the Civill State keepeth it selfe with a Civill sword if Civill offences be punished But when he would have their worship Consciences tolerated what if their worship and Consciences incite them to Civill offences How shall then the Civill State keepe it selfe safe with a Civill Sword As suppose a man that worshippeth the Beast and maketh Conscience of obeying his commandements shall thinke himselfe bound to subvert the Civill Prince or State who is excommunicated by the Beast If such a man must be tolerated in his worship and Conscience what sword can provide for the safety of such a Prince or State Reply 2. To his second Answer It is true the Church wanteth no Armories to defend it self and amongst others excommunication But if their members be leavened with Antichristian Idolatry and superstition and yet must be tolerated in their Idolatrous and superstious worship will not a little leaven so tolerated leaven the whole lumpe And how then is the safety of the Church guarded Reply 3. To his 3. Answ It is true the Lord knoweth who are his and none of his Elect shall perish But neverthelesse Is it not a tempting of God to presume upon Gods Election for our salvation and to neglect the meanes of our preservation In like case Paul knew by revelation that all his fellow passengers in the ship should be saved but yet he professed that if the Marriners went out of the ship they could not be saved Acts 27.24 with 31. So is it here The Elect of God shall be saved but yet if Idolaters and Seducers be tolerated as Jezabell was in Thyatira to seduce the servants of Christ to pollution and Apostacy the Church will stand guilty before God of the seduction and corruption of the people of God Reply 4. To his 4 Answer the 2. Reasons alledged by him out of the Text To the first There is no feare of plucking up the wheat by rooting out Idolaters and Seducers If any of Gods People should fall into Idolatry and Apostacy yea and should prove an instrument to seduce others also into the like wickednesse yet the censures inflicted on them would be blessed of God to their recovery healing yea and if they were cut off by the Civill sword yet the example and terrour of their punishment would be blessed of God to preserve their brethren who would all of them heare and feare and doe no more such wickednesse Neither is the just punishment of such any just pretence to punish the innocent lambs of Christ Reply To the Second Reason out of the Parable It may justly be Replyed that the charge given to the Angells to execute vengeance at the last day upon such Idolaters if that were sufficient to plead for the toleration of Idolaters It would as well plead for the toleration of Murtherers Robbers Adulterers Extortioners c. for all these will the holy and mighty Angells of God gather into bundles at the last day and cast them into everlasting burnings The place in 2 Thess 2. doth not say that the man of sin shall then be consumed with the breath
affaires thereof Ephes 4. 1 Cor. 12. The other a Civill Ministery or office meerely humane and Civill which men agree to constitute therefore called an humane Creation 1 Pet. and is as true and lawfull in those Countries that never heard of the true God and his holy Sonne Jesus as in any part of the world where the Name of Christ is not taken up Defender If Magistrates be the Ministers of God as Paul calleth them then their Ministery or office is not meerely humane but as the Apostle saith it is of God and ordained of God Rom. 13.1 And if it be of God it must also be for God or else he is a Minister and servant not of God but of the world It is true men agree to constitute it to wit this or that forme of it in respect of which influence of men it is called an humane Creation but the Truth is Government it selfe is of God and ordained by God and every lawfull forme of Government whether Monarchy Aristarchy or Democracy or some mixt of these according to the State of the People they are all of God and so acknowledged and authorized by God in his word and though they be as true and lawfull in those Nations that never heard of the true God or of his holy Sonne Jesus yet it was from the guidance and appointment of God in the very light of Nature that such Nations did erect such and such Governments and Governments for the good of humane society and that not onely in worldly matters But in matters also of Religion Whence it is that in all civill Nations whose Acts are recorded either in sacred or prophane Authors their Magistrates have had not onely a due care of Justice and honesty but a reverend care of Religion also Joseph in Egypt provided for the preservation of the Lands of the Priests without Impeachment and that not out of respect to their superstition which he could not but dislike but out of regard to the Aegyptian Lawes Customes to preserve their Religion and the maintenance thereof inviolate Gen. 47.22 In Babell Nebuchadnezzar being convinced of the soveraigne Divinity of the God of Israel made a capitall Law against the blasphemers of his Name Dan. 3.29 Darius of the Medes and Persians enacted a Royall Law to like purpose Dan. 6.26 The like did Artaxerxes Ezra 7.26 and Darius before him Ezra 6.11 In Athens they had a Law against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Irreligion upon which suffered three famous Philosophers Socrates Theodorus and Protagoras Socrates as Laertius reporteth in his Life was accused by Melitus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who commenced his Action against him in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodorus was firnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as Socrates was condemned to death by poyson so was this man also as Laertius reporteth out of Amphicrates in the life of Aristippus Protagoras as Tully reporteth of him de Natura Deorum Lib. 1. having thus expressed himselfe in the beginning of his Booke concerning the Gods I have not to say whether they be or whether they be not his Bookes were publickly burnt and himselfe banished out of City and Country How the Ephesians stood affected to the destroyers of their Religion appeareth by the excuse which the Towne-Clarke made for Paul and his Companions you have brought these men hither saith he which are neither robbers of Churches nor yet blasphemers of your Goddesse Acts 19.37 The Romans how zealous they were in defence of their Religion the slaughter of many thousand Christians will be a perpetuall Monument to all Ages All which things I recite not to justifie the misapplying of their zeale to the maintenance of false Gods but to make it appeare that as the Pagan Nations who never heard of the true God and of his Sonne Jesus did erect by instinct of Nature Governments and Magistrates so by the same instinct their Lawes and Magistrates tooke care of the maintenance of that Religion which they tooke to be of God What a shame were it that Pagan Magistrates should be more carefull and zealous of the honour of their Idols then Christians of the Honour of the knowne true God the Lord our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier CHAP. 52. A Reply to his Chap. 52. Discusser MAny object out of ver 4. of Rom. 13. that the Magistrate is to avenge evill and therefore Heresies false Christs c. But I answer First that the word is generally opposed to civill goodnesse or vertue in a Common-wealth and not to spirituall good Secondly I have proved here as not intended evill against the spirituall or Christian State handled in chapter 12. But evill against the Civill State handled in this 13. chapter Defender What is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill no man that I meet with Interpreteth more fully then Pareus There is saith he a foure-fold evill of which the Magistrate is the Avenger contrary to the foure-fold good whereof the Magistrate is the Preserver A naturall good a Morall good a Civill good a spirituall good A naturall good as Life and safety of our bodies A morall good as Temperance Chastity a Civill good as our goods and Lands and civill Liberties A spirituall good as the free passage of the Ordinances of God and pure Religion In opposition to these there is a foure-fold Evill Naturall as the killing and wounding and beating of our bodies morall as Drunkennesse and whoredome Civill as stealth and robbery and oppression Spirituall as Heresie Idolatry and disturbance of the free passage of Gods Ordinances As the Magistrate is bound by his office to preserve the good of the Subject in all these kinds so is he to avenge the evill done against the Subject in any of these What the Discusser hath proved to the contrary as he saith hath been Answered already in his place Discusser The Elders of New-England grant the Magistrate may not punish some evill as the secret sinnes of the Soule nor sinnes handled in the Church in a private way nor such sinnes as are private in Families As the complaints of Children against Parents Servants against Masters Wives against Husbands nor such sinnes as are between the Members and Churches themselves From whence I observe 1. That the Magistrate is not to punish all evill 2. I observe how they take away from the Magistrates that which is proper to his cognizance as the complaints of Children servants Wives against their Parents Masters Husbands c. Defender When wee say the Magistrate is an Avenger of evill we meane of all sorts or kindes of evill not every particular of each kinde secret evills in thought or affection yea in action too but neither confessed nor proved by due witnesses the Magistrate cannot punish Discusser The distinction of secret or private and publick evill will not here availe because such as urge the Terme evill viz. that the Magistrate is to punish evill they urge it strictly eo nomine because Heresie Blasphemy c.
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
the Colledge that he might be trained up to knowledge for the help of his Country-men But no violent course taken with them at all to constraine them to the Faith or Profession of Christianity The time is hastning we hope when all the vials of Gods wrath will be poured out on the Antichristian State and then we looke for the fulnesse of the Gentiles to come in and with the Jewes multitudes of Pagans But till the seven plagues of the seven Angels be fulfilled wee cannot easily hope for the entrance of 〈◊〉 New multitudes of men into the Church according to the word of the Lord Rev. 15.8 No man that is no man out of the Temple no Pagan was able to enter into the Temple till the seven plagues of the seven Angels were fulfilled But to returne to our Discusser he speaketh at randome when he intimateth that we walke not by Rule but partially as if we permitted not the like liberty of worship to our Country-men nor to the French Dutch Spanish Persians Turkes Jewes which wee doe to the Indians For we Neither constraine them to worship God with us nor restraine them from worshipping God in their owne way Persians Turkes and Jewes come not amongst us those of other Nations of Europe when they doe come amongst us their manner of Worship is not taken notice of amongst us Our Country-men worship God with us for the most part if some of them come not to our Assemblies by reason of the distance of their dwellings from us they have Liberty of publick prayer and preaching of the word a-amongst themselves by such as themselves choose without disturbance Discusser The Answerer addeth a further Answer to Tertullian for whereas Tertullian had said that one mans Religion doth neither hurt nor profit another the Answerer saith it must be understood of private Worship or of Religion professed in private Otherwise a false Religion professed in publick by the Members of the Church or by such as have given their Names to Christ will be the ruine and Desolation of the Churches Rev. 2. Whereto I Answer 1. Those that are Members of the Church and those that have given their names to Christ are all one the distinction therefore is unsound Defender The Discusser must excuse me though I doe not take them for all one For men of yeares must give up their names to Christ before they can be received Members into the Church as is evident Isaiah 56.6 7. Therefore they are not all one the one precedeth the other Discusser I answer secondly that Tertullian doth not there speake of private but of publick worship and Religion Defender Tertullians speech may possibly be meant of either publick or private But as I said to make the speech true it must either be understood of private or if of publick profession of Religion it must be understood not of Christian but of Pagan and of Pagan during the time of Gods Patience and their ignorance But after God revealed the Truth of the Gospel-Religion to them it was not safe to continue a publick Profession of Pagan-Religion for after the White-Horse hath revealed the Gospel a Red and Black and pale-horse follow to avenge the rejection of it upon the Romane-Pagan-Empire Revel 6.2 to 8. Discusser I answer thirdly although it be true in a Church of Christ that a false Religion or Worship permitted will doe hurt according to those Threats of Christ Rev. 2. yet in two cases I beleive a false Religion will not hurt which is most like to have been Tertullians meaning 1. A false Religion out of the Church will not hurt the Church no more then weeds in the Wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Gardens nor poyson hurt the body when it is not touched or taken yea and Antidotes are received against it 2. A false Religion and worship will not hurt a Civill State in case the worshippers breake no civill Law And the Answerer elsewhere acknowledgeth that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Lawes are not broken And this onely is the point in Question Defender If this onely be the point in Question where then lyeth the controversie for if I say as the Discusser saith I doe that the Civill Peace is not broken when the Civill Law is not broken and if a false Religion or worship doe not hurt the civill State unlesse the Worshippers breake some civill Law then where lyeth the pinch of the controversie But I would not have the Discusser mistake himselfe I doe not remember that I have any where said that the civill Peace is not broken where the civill Law is not broken He saith I say so elsewhere If he meane that I say so in the Modell drawn up by my Brethren the Elders of those Churches he wrongeth and polluteth himselfe much Crimine falsi when he saith that Mr. Cotton with the rest of the Ministers of New-England composed that Modell of Church and civill power It is no new thing with him to say I did that which I did not that Modell was drawen up by some other fellow-Brethren but not by me There is a Truth in the speech which they speak rightly understood but not as the Discusser here taketh it For first what if no civill Law be made for the establishment of Religion nor against the violation of the Fundamentalls of it this very defect of so needfull a Law may bring the wrath of God upon the civill State as did the defect of a King in Israel Judg. 21.25 Againe secondly there may be a Law made for the establishing of true Religion and it though it be violated yet the Discusser will say no civill Law is violated because no Law concerning the second Table is violated But that is his mistake to thinke the civill Lawes concerne onely the outward Estate of the People and not their Religion That is a civill Law whatsoever concerneth the good of the City and the propulsing of the contrary Now Religion is the best good of the City and therefore Lawes about Religion are truly called civill Lawes enacted by civill Authority about the best good of the City for the promoting and preserving of that good of the City But having thus spoken to his second case first wherein he saith a false Religion will not hurt a civill State I come now to his first which was that a false Religion will not hurt if it be out of the Church no more then weeds in the wildernesse will hurt the inclosed Garden But what if the Garden be inclosed in the midst of a wildernesse what if the weeds grow so neere the inclosure or hedge round about the Garden that they easily creep into the Garden what if every blast of wind blow the seeds of the weeds into the Garden which are ready to overspread the Garden and to choak the good herbes The Discusser will say they that keep and dresse the Garden should weed them out True so they ought to their best endeavour But
the contrary may perswade a selfe-pleasing fancy but will not convince nor satissie any solid Judgement Might not the Israelites that came out of Aegypt borrow Jewells of silver and gold from the Aegyptians yea and carry up also a mixed multitude of People and yet build a Tabernacle to the Lord in the Wildernesse Exod. 12.35 to 38. Might not the Jewes come out of Babel and accept from all the People where they had sojourned vessells of silver and gold with goods and beasts and other precious things and yet build a Temple at Hierusalem Ezra 1.4 5 6. May not a soule be married to Christ and yet his former husband his corrupt nature not be so absolutely dead as the husband of a wife must be before shee can be lawfully married to another The Graft cut off from one tree may be engrafted to another and yet carry forth his old leaves with him The kingdome of Christ that is cut off from the Romane Monarchy may yet for a time have some entercourse with the Romane Monarchy The Corinthians though united with Christ and washed from their former Idolatry as well as from other sinnes yet still were defiled with communion in Idols Temples and with Fornication The Thessalonians turned from their former Idolls to serve the living and true God yet they had some amongst them that walked inordinately after their entrance into Church-estate as well as before 2 Thes 3.6 Besides for a further answer to his similitudes the Examiner may remember that though Israel came out of Egypt locally before they could sacrifice to God in the Wildernes yet in their hearts and soules they were still for Aegypt Exod. 14.11 12. Yea and for Aegyptian Idolls Act. 7.39 Ezek. 20.7 8. which is more then we doe allow to our selves TO CHAP. XIV HIs 14th Chapter is spent in Examining and answering a Reason that I gave of my second Answer to his Objection which was propounded and cleared in the former Chapter The Reason was this The Church of Christ received many thousand Jewes who beleeved on the Name of Christ although they were still zealous of the Law and saw not the beggarly emptinesse of Moses his Ceremonies Act. 21.20 And the Apostle Paul directeth the Romans to receive such unto them as were weake in the faith and saw not their liberty from the servile difference of Meats and Dayes but still lay under the bondage of the Law Yea he wished them to receive such upon this ground because Christ had received them Rom. 14.1 to 6. And lest it should be objected there was not the like danger of lying under bondage to Moses as to Antichrist It was said that even the bondage under Moses was such as that if it were continued in after instruction and conviction it would separate them from Christ Gal. 5.2 and bondage under Antichrist could doe no more For Answer hereto the Examiner would have two things to be carefully minded 1. That the Ordinances of Moses were sometimes the Ordinances of God and when they were to vanish they were to be taken away with solemnity The Ordinances of Antichrist were the Inventions of Satan and from first to last never to be received nor submitted to no not for a moment 2. He would have the difference of times to be observed which saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth after instruction and conviction Moses Law was deadly and would separate from Christ Therefore there was a time when they were not deadly and did not separate from Christ to wit untill Moses was honorably fallen asleep c. To apply then Paul observed a vow and the Ceremonies of it Circumcised Timothy c. May therefore a Messenger of Christ now as Paul goe to Masse Pray to Saints performe Pennance keepe Christmasse and other Popish Feasts and Fasts c. Reply 1. I never heard or read till now that Paul ever went to Masse Prayed to Saints kept Christmasse or the like nor did I ever imagine that any ingenuous minde would thinke that ever it came into my heart to plead for such things now or for the retaining of any Popish Rite at all But the wit and lip of man being let loose and left to it selfe may inferre quodlibet ex quolibet If it be said his Parenthesis as Paul had reference onely to a Messenger of Christ as Paul not to any such like act of Paul then his Argument is no more conclusive then a Baculo ad Angulum What colour were there that any man now should plead Pauls example to doe that now which Paul never did nor any thing like it Reply 2. The Examiner requireth two things here to be carefully minded In answer whereto I desire but one thing to be carefully minded to wit to what end I alledged the ignorance of the Jewes in the Primitive times and the indulgence of the Christian Churches for receiving them into Church-fellowship notwithstanding such ignorance And then see if it doe not inferre that which I brought it for If in the Primitive times the ignorance of the Jewes in many waighty Points of Religion and some of them fundamentall did not hinder their receiving into Christian Church-fellowship nor disanull their Church-estate who so received them then it is not so necessary to Church-fellowship as that without it a Church cannot be that the Members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expresly bewaile all the pollutions wherewith they have been defiled in their former Church-fellowship Ministery Worship Government c. But the former is true as hath been opened from Acts 21.20 Rom. 14.1 to 6. Gal. 5.2 To which may be added Acts 15.5 with 24. Where it appeareth some of the members of the Church and of the Synod held forth such Doctrine and Worship touching the necessitie of Circumcision and observation of the Law as tended to the subversion of soules and yet neither their membership nor the Estate of the Church was thereby disanulled The Conclusion is evident from these Premises It is a vaine thing now to alledge that the Ordinances of Moses were sometimes the Ordinances of God but so the inventions of Antichrist never were and there is not the like honourable respect and tendernesse to be shewed to the inventions of Antichrist as to the vanishing Ordinances of God For though this were of weight in case I had pleaded for the practise of any Antichristian inventions which indeed was farre off both from my meaning and words yet in this case it is wholly impertinent For that which I pleaded for was the capablenesse of godly Persons of Church-estate notwithstanding their ignorance of some weighty and necessary truths and the soundnesse of their Church-estate notwithstanding their admission and toleration of such ignorant members unto which the difference of the severall objects of their ignorance maketh nothing at all For the ignorance of weighty Truths of one sort as well as another necessary to salvation is a sinne of like destructive nature of what kinde soever the
themselves from their hypocrisie and inordinate love of this world or else they and their duties will still be uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-Estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to dissipation and destruction of the Church and wresteth Bloud instead of Milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture This Text is so evident and pregnant and full against himselfe that I could not but marvell why he should alledge it and especially why he should desire it might be throughly weighed and the Lord to hold the scales himselfe How doe you then thinke that he will hence inferre his Conclusion That Godly persons if uncleane cannot constitute a true Church or if they doe they are to be separated from Surely not from the words of the Text nor from the sence which I make of it nor from any sence which himselfe can give of it How then Onely from his mistake of my words and that surely either through a drousie Oscitancy or a sleighty Precipitancy What saith he have I spoken more then Mr. Cotton himselfe hath uttered in his Explication and Application of this Scripture As 1. That Godly persons may become defiled and uncleane by hypocrisie and worldlinesse 2. While they lye in such a condition of uncleannesse all their offerings persons labours are uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate 3. The Church cannot be constituted of such worldly Persons though otherwise godly and Christian Or 4. If they doe the People of God must separate from them These be saith he Mr. Cottons own expresse words Reply He might as well say these be the expresse words of Christ Hang all the Law and the Prophets because Christ saith Mat. 19.40 upon these two Commandements Hang all the Law and the Prophets So these be my expresse words The true and genuine meaning of the place if you doe apply to the Point in hand it will reach nothing neere to your purpose Hypocrites in the Church and godly Christians themselves whilest they attend to the world more then to the things of God their persons their labours their Civill Oblations are all uncleane in the sight of God Ergo. The Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such or if it doe consist of such the People of God must separate from them Who seeth not that attendeth to what he seeth that in these words I expresse not mine own meaning or reasoning but his and that I expresly say The true meaning of the Text will nothing neere reach to his purpose and so bring in his reason in forme of an Enthymeme which he draws from it But if I had made that Enthymeme the expression of mine own meaning and of the meaning of the Text it had sully and closely reached his own purpose The next words following might also plainly have cleared my meaning to him when in stead of that false collection which he gathered I tell him you might well have gathered therefore the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisie and their inordinate love of this world Or else they and their duties will he still uncleane in the sight of God notwithstanding their Church-estate This Collection tendeth to edification the other to the dissipation and destruction of the Flock and wresteth bloud instead of milke from the Breasts of holy Scripture Doe I not here plainly expresse two severall and contrary Collections from the Text the one his the other mine own the one tending to edification the other to destruction And yet this false collection and misapplication of the Text which is his own and a manifest Perverting both of the Text and of my words he will needs force upon me contrary to my meaning and contrary also to my expresse words above in the entrance of mine Answer to this Text. Where I say Your purpose was to prove That Churches cannot be constituted by such persons 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 this place where the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church of the Jewes to be uncleane and yet neither denieth them to be a Church truely constituted nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them What by the way he discourseth of the Excommunication in the Nationall Church of the Jewes somewhat hath been spoken to it above When he saith That their Ceremoniall Excommunication was either putting to death in Canaan or Captivitie out of Canaan If he meane this was all their Excommunication I cannot assent to it King Vzziah was neither put to death in Canaan nor carried captive out of Canaan and yet he was Excommunicated both from Temple-worship Synagogue-worship and all familiar communion of the Saints Againe when he maketh it an Excommunication from God in case God sell his Church into spirituall Captivitie to confused Babylonish Lords and worship and that so he driveth them out of his sight He might remember that God sometime sold his people under the Bondage of Babylonish Lords even in the Land of Canaan Jer. 40.9 42.10 11 12. And yet he had not straight way driven them out of his sight TO CHAP. XXI IT was my serious and unfeigned endeavour in my Letter which the Examiner hath answered to have removed those two stumbling blocks out of his way which I perceived had turned him off from holding fellowship with these Churches The former was The want of fit matter of our Churches The latter Our dis-respect to the separate Churches in England under affliction when neverthelesse our selves practise separation in peace From the beginning of his tenth Chapter he hath endeavoured to fasten the former of these stumbling blocks that it may still lie in his way and stand as an everlasting wall of partition between us Which neverthelesse I have as you see through the helpe of Christ endeavoured to dig through the sandinesse thereof that if it were the holy will of God it might fall downe like the walles of Jericho before the Arke of the Lord and neither detaine him nor others from Communion with us The latter stumbling block he goeth about to re-establish in this and the following Chapters to the end of his Booke Come we therefore to consider whether there may be any hope of removing this stumbling block also and the establishment thereof by the same helpe The stumbling block lieth somewhat broader then at first was propounded The Examiner takes it as a great offence That we walke between Christ and Antichrist 1. In practising separation here and not repenting of our preaching and printing against it in our own Countrey 2. In reproaching himselfe at Salem and others for separation 3. In particular that my selfe have conceived and spoken That separation is a way which God hath not prospered as if saith he the truth of the Churches depended upon the countenance of men or upon outward peace and libertie To the
first of these I answered in my Letter That in stead of halting betwixt Christ and Antichrist the Lord hath guided us to walke with an even foote between two extreames so that we neither defile our selves with the remnants of pollution in other Churches nor doe we for the remnants of pollution renounce the Churches themselves nor the holy things of God amongst them which our selves have found powerfull to salvation This moderation so farre as we have kept it in preaching or printing we have seene no cause to repent of it But if any shall shew us cause why we should repent of it we shall desire to repent of it yea and to repent that we repented no sooner The Examiner here undertaketh to prove this middle walking to be no lesse then-halting of which we have cause to repent And this he endeavours to prove to me out of mine own Confessions First saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe confesseth that no Nationall Provinciall Diocesan or Parish Church wherein some truely godly are not are true Churches Secondly He practiseth no Church-estate but such as is constituted onely of godly persons nor admitteth any unregenerate or ungodly persons Thirdly He confesseth that a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such godly persons who are in bondage to the inordinate love of the world Fourthly That if a Church consist of such Gods people ought to separate from them Reply If these which he calleth confessions of Mr. Cotton have been stumblings to him I shall by the helpe of Christ soone remove them out of his way For I doe professe that I never made any such Confessions but looke at them all as contrary to my judgement both in former times and to this day For the first Though there were no truely godly persons in a Church yet if there be such as professe godlinesse such as they call visible Saints to meete together in a Congregation to worship the Lord and to edifie one another in the administration of his holy Ordinances I doe beleeve there is truth of Church-estate It is true I doe beleeve and confesse that God requireth more then profession of godlinesse even sinceritie of holinesse in Church-members and it is no small sinne in them if it be wanting But what if some if most if all beleeve not Shall their unbeliefe make the faith of God of none effect God forbid Rom. 3.3 4. If an hypocriticall Church were no Church then an hypocriâ—â—call Minister were no Minister and his administrations nullities Cultus institutus in the whole latitude of it as Churches Min isteries Seales Censures c. they are all ordained for the Elects sake And the Elect God would have them to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without carefull scruples and distractions If truth of Churches and Ministeries and Ordinances depended upon the personall sincerity of the godlinesse of the dispensers the Elect of God would ever be intangled with inextricable scruples touching their coÌ„munion here or there with this or that Church or the administrations of the Officers thereof But God hath called us in peace For the second part which he maketh of my Confessions he had said true if he had said I endeavour such a thing that our Church should be constitute of godly persons but I doe not say I have attained it for God seeth not as man seeth man looketh at the outward appearance but the Lord regardeth the heart 1 Sam. 16.7 And sure I am we looke at Infants as members of our Church as being foedurally holy but I am slow to beleeve that all of them are regenerate or truly godly As for the third and fourth point which he maketh of my Confession That a Church of Christ cannot be constituted of godly persons taken with the inordinate love of the world or that a Church consisting of such ought to be separated from These are onely his own palpable mistakes of those words of mine which I expressed as the summe of his words which he through hast conceived to be mine whereof we have spoken in the 20th Chapter Let him not say as he doth that when I would not have Parish Churches to be separated from for the remnants of pollutions I mean onely Ceremonies and Bishops neither let him say that I doe extenuate and mince the roote masse and substance of the matter of Nationall Churches though for the greater part unregenerate by naming onely a remnant of pollutions For he knoweth we wholly avoyde Nationall Provinciall and Diocesan Government of the Churches by Episcopall Authority He knoweth also we avoyde their prescript Liturgies and Communion with openly scandalous persons in any Church-order He knoweth likewise or at least may know that it is a continuall sorrow of heart and a mourning of our soules that there is yet so much of those notorious evills which he nameth still continuing in the Parishes worldlinesse ignorance superstition scoffing swearing cursing whoredome drunkennesse theft lying I may adde also murther and malignity against the godly suffered to thrust themselves into the fellowship of the Churches and to sit downe with the Saints at the Lords Table But yet I count all these but remnants of pollution when as the substance of the true estate of Churches abideth as I opened above in their Congregationall Assemblies And in so speaking I follow the holy patterne of the Prophet Isaiah who acknowledging a great forsaking or Apostacy in the midst of the Land yet resembleth the estate of the Church to an Oake whose substance is in it when the leaves fall off and maketh the holy seed to be that substance Isai 6.12 13. TO CHAP. XXII THe second offence which the Examiner tooke at our neglect of the Churches of the separation Was the reproach of himselfe and others at Salem for their separation To which I answered in my Letter That I knew no man who reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate Howsoever if any did reproach them for it I did thinke it a sinne meete to be Censured but not with so deepe a Censure as to excommunicate all the Churches or to separate from them before it doth appeare that they doe tolerate their members in such their causlesse reproachings The errors of men are to be contended against not with reproaches but with the sword of the Spirit But on the other side the failings of the Churches are not forthwith to be healed by separation It is not Chirurgery but Butchery to heale every sore in a member with no other but Abscission from the body Whereto the Examiner answereth That the Church of Salem was knowne to professe separation and publickly reproached yea he could mention a Case wherein shee was punished for it implicitely Reply This answer is so implicit that I cannot make an explicite answer to it That which I said was I knew no man that reproached Salem for their separation nor did I beleeve that they did separate His answer is That the Church of Salem was knowne
is Christs feeding of his flock Cant. 1.8 Christs kissing of his Spouse Cant. 1.2 Christs embracing of his Spouse in the marriage bed Cant. 1.16 Christs nursing of his Children at his wives breasts Cant. 4. And is there no communion between the Shepheard and his sheep the Husband and the wife in chaste kisses and embraces the Mother and the child at the breasts Answer 1. The dispensing of the word in a Church-State that is by Church-Officers to Church-members united together in Church-State it is indeed an expression of familiar and deare Communion between Christ and his Church as between the husband and his spouse between the nursing mother and the child and between the shepheard and his flock But suppose Pagans and Indians should ordinarily frequent our Church Assemblies as they are wont to doe in hearing the word doth he think I would maintaine that there is the like spirituall and familiar Communion between Christ and them as between Christ and his Church Answer 2. Besides the question is not what communion Christ may have with a stranger in the hearing of the word in the Assembly of his Church but what communion there is between the Officer of the Church who preacheth the word and the stranger Christ out of his soveraigne grace may dispense himselfe to the stranger in what relation he pleaseth hee may make the word both as spirituall seed and as food to him and so may declare himself both a father and a Pastor and husband and a mother to him and yet no such Church-relation passe between the Church-Officer and the stranger Aâ—swer 3. Suppose there did grow some spirituall relation between the Church-Officer and the stranger as God might so blesse his Ministery as to make him a spirituall Father and feeder to the stranger yet this Relation is not between the Preacher and the stranger in respect of his Office but in respect of his gif as I declared above The reason of the difference is evident 1. Church-relation between a Church-Officer and Church-member is constant and permanent and not to be dissolved but by consent of the Church but this relation between the Preacher and stranger is transient and the intercourse of the exercise of their relation easily changeable at the discretion of the stranger without the consent or cognizance of the Church 2. Church relation between an Officer and a member carrieth on the duties of Church-worke between them unto full accomplishment If any offence grow between an Officer and a member the one hath power to deale with the other in a Church-way unto a perfect healing but there is not the like power or liberty either in preacher or stranger so to proceed one with another in case of any such offence The Examiners second Argument is taken also from mine own confession as if there were no waighty Argument to be found in this case but what might be gathered up from the weaknesse or unwarinesse of my expressions But thankes be to God that hath so guided my words that no such advantage can justly be taken from them as to countenance so ungodly an error Mr. Cotton saith he confesseth that the fellowship in the Gospel Phil. 1.5 is a fellowship or Communion in the Apostles doctrine Community breaking of bread and prayer in which the first Church continued Acts 2.46 All which overthroweth the doctrine of lawfull participation of the word and prayer in a Church-state where it is not lawfull to communicate in the breaking of bread or seales Answ If this be all the Conclusion that he striveth for that participation of the word and prayer is not lawfull in a Church-estate where it is not lawfull to communicate in the seales I shall never contend with him about it I should never thinke it lawfull there to enter into a Church-estate where I thought it lawfull onely to partake in hearing and prayer and not in the seales also But this is that I deny A man to participate in a Church-estate where he partaketh onely in hearing and prayer before and after Sermon and joyneth not with them neither in their Covenant nor in the seales of the Covenant To CHAP. XXVII THe third part of the Examiners discourse touching English Preachers taketh up this 27. Chapter and it is concerning the calling and commission of the English Preachers Mr. Cotton himselfe saith he and others most eminent in New-England have freely confest First That notwithstanding their profession of Ministery in Old England yet in New-England till they received a Calling from a particular Church that they were but private Christians Secondly That Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as they practise in New England and therefore consequently that all other which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs As first a Calling and Commission from the Bishops Secondly From a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons Thirdly From some few godly persons yet remaining in Church-fellowship after the Parish way Fourthly That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting or preparing for a Call to an Office 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. All which premises duly considered he desireth that Mr. Cotton and all that feare God might try what will abide the fiery Triall in this particular when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire c. Reply It is a weake cause that is maintained onely by the testimonies of adversaries and them either mistaken or falsified It is in him either a mistake or a fraudulent expression of our mindes to say That notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet till we received a Calling from a particular Church we were but private Christians This speech may be so conceived as if notwithstanding our former profession of Ministery in Old England yet indeed we confest our Ministery there was no Ministery and this is a false expression of our mindes It may be also conceived that we confest we had no calling from a particular Church till we came to New-England And this is also a false expression of our mindes likewise Or it may be conceived that notwithstanding our former profession and exercise of Ministery in Old England yet being cast out from thence by the usurping power of the Prelacy and dismissed though against their wills by our Congregations save onely such as came along with us we looked at our selves as private members and not Officers to any Church here untill one or other Church might call us unto Office This sence of our profession is true but nothing availeable to the Examiners intendment Secondly It is in him another mistake or else a fraudulent expression of our mindes when he saith Wee hold and freely confesse that Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as we practise in New-England And that any other Calling to the Ministery which is not from a particular Congregation of godly persons is none of Christs Though we doe
that the Spirit of God maketh the Ministry one of the Foundations of Christian Religion Heb. 6.1.2 for it is onely a foundation of Church Order not of faith or Religion the Apostle puts an expresse difference between faith and Church Order Colos 2.5 Nor is it a true and safe speech to call the Fellowship or blessing of God vouchsafed to corrupt Churches or Ministers or Ministrations to call it I say unpromised or to be beyond a word or promise of God For it is a large and yet an expresse promise of the Covenant of Grace that God will be mercifull to our iniquities Ier. 31.34 That he will be mercifull to every one that prepareth his heart to seeke God though he be not cleansed according to the Purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30.18 19 20. with many more such like And therefore there wants not Promises of Grace and blessing to the People of God notwithstanding some defects and impurities found in their Administrations Neither will it follow that if our Ministery and Ordination here be true that then the former which we had in England was false especially so false as that according to visible Rule Fellowship with God was lost For the Rite of Ordination we doe not looke at it as any Essentiall Part of our vocation to the Ministry no more then Coronation is an Essentiall Part of the Office of the King And though we doe not justly sundry things found in our Ministry yet Jehoshuah the High Preist did not loose his Fellowship with God though he was cloathed with filthy Garments Zach. 3.3 4. 2. Concerning Prayer though the New English Ministers have witnessed against the Common set-Forme thereof which yet our selves in our ignorance have somtimes used and have therefore seen just cause to judge our selves since yet we did not thereby loose fellowship with God by such sinnnes of Ignorance no more then the People of God did in the dayes of Hezekiah by sacrificeing to God in the High places when yet they did it to the Lord their God onely 2 Chron. 33.17 I know no such faithfull Admonishers as presented to us in England Arguments against the Common Prayer which then seemed weake but now are acknowledged to be sound though such a thing possibly may be true howsoever forgotten But this I am perswaded to be utterly false that any of us satisfied our hearts with the Practise of the Author of the Councell of Trent who used to read some of the choysest select Prayers out of the Mass-Booke The Spirit of a childe of God though upon occasion he may receive such a Practise yet he can never satisfie himselfe with the Practise of any godly man for the warrant of his Imitation without some further light or at least apprehension of light from the word 3. It is readily graunted that which is observed in the third place That Gods people may live and die in such kindes of Worship though light from the Word whether publickly or privately hath been presented to them able to convince Neverthelesse that will not weaken the Conclusion formerly mentioned and afterwards further discussed That Fundamentalls are so cleare that a man cannot but be convinced in Conscience of the Truth of them after two or three Admonitions and that therefore such a Person as still continueth obstinate is condemned of himselfe and if he then be punished He is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his owne Conscience For both these may well stand together and are farre of from crossing or contrarying one another A set forme of Prayer though it be unlawfull yet it is not such a Fundamentall Error either in judgement or practise as cutteth off from fellowship with God That is onely a resolute Assertion of the Discusser but a vouched without all colour or pretence from the Scripture There is some resemblance and proportion betweene Praying and Prophesying Moses used an unwarranted way and Forme of Prophesying when God Commaunding him to speake to the Rock before the Congregation of Israel He spake not to the Rock but stroke it with his Rod for which he had no Commaundement and spake to the People and that in a Passion and and both without a Commaundament Numb 20.8.11 And yet this did not cutt off his Fellowship with God nor Gods gracious Presence with him in giving water to the People no not at that time God knoweth how to be present with his People in blessing their Administrations and forgiving their iniquities though he doe take vengeance of their Inventions Psal 99.8 4. Though I doe maintaine as the Apostle doth a Clearnesse of Fundamentall Points of Religion and Worship such Fundamentalls I say without which Fellowship with God cannot be had and though I graunt that in subserting such Fundamentall Points and persisting therein after once or twice Admonition a man sinneth against his owne Conscience and is therefore censurable by the Church yea and by the Civill Magistrate also if after Conviction he continue to seduce others unto his Damnable Heresie yet I doe not herein measure to others that which my self when I lived in such practises would not have measured to my selfe For I thank God God never left me to live in any such Practises as to fall into any Fundamentall Error much lesse to Persist therein after Conviction and Admonition and least of all to seduce others thereinto If God should leave me so farre as to fall so fearefully into this three-fold degree of Hereticall wickednesse what am I better then other men better my selfe cut off by death or Banishment then the Flock of Christ to be seduced and destroyed by my Hereticall wickednesse CHAP. 6. A Reply to his sixth Chapter Discussing Civill peace and the Disturbance of it IN this Chapter the Discusser undertaketh to declare what Civill peace is and to shew that the Toleration of different Religions is no Disturbance of Civill Peace First for Civill peace what is it saith he but Pax Civitatis whether English or Irish Spanish or Turkish City Reply Be it so and if the Civill State or Common-wealth containe many Citties or Townes and so become a whole Countrey or Common-wealth let Civill Peace be the peace of the Countrey or of the Common-wealth But what is then the peace of the Citty or Countrey Is it not Tranquillitas Ordinis the tranquility of order in every Society wherein the Publicke Weale of the Citty or Countrey is concerned And is it not the proper worke of the Civill Magistrate to preserve the Civill Peace and to prevent or reforme the disturbance of the Tranquility or Peace of any such Societyes in whose Peace the Peace or Weale of the Citty or Society is concerned Suppose a Society of Merchants or Cloathyers or Fishmongers or Drapers or the like If the Weale of the Citty or Countrey be concerned in these as it is much concerned in them all It is not for the safety of the Civill Sate to suffer any of these so
Truth CHAP. 19. A Reply to his nineteenth Chapter Discusser That the Lord intendeth not Doctrines or Practises in this Parable It is cleare For 1. The Lord Jesus expresly interpreteth the good seed to be Persons those the children of the Kingdome The Tares also to signify men and those the children of the wicked one ver 38. Defender If the Discusser had cast his eye a little lower he might have found that Christ interpreteth the Tares not onely to be Persons but things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things that offend as well as those that doe iniquity ver 41. But I shall not stick upon that at all let the Tares be Persons whether Hypocrites like unto true Christians or holders forth of scandalous and corrupt Doctrines and Practises like unto sound Discusser 2. Such corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated now as those Jewish observations were for a while Rom. 14. nor so long till the end of the world For can we think that though the Lord tendered the tender conscience of the Jews in the observation of the difference of meates and drinks which were sometimes his owne Ordinances that therefore Persons must be now tolerated in the Church for I speake not of the Civill State in superstitious forbearing and forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and superstitious Fridayes c. Defender Who can tell what this Discusser would have The Tares he would have to be Persons not corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet when he commeth to prove that corrupt Doctrines and Practises are not to be tolerated he proveth it from the unlawfulnesse of tolerating corrupt persons for can we thinke saith he that persons must be now tolerated in the Church in the superstitious forbearing or forbidding of flesh in Popish Lents and Fridayes Such is the inconstancy of the spirits of men whose hearts are not stayed and steered by the Spirit of Truth that sometimes Tares must not be corrupt Doctrines and Practises but persons because Tares and so persons must be tolerated till the Harvest not so corrupt Doctrines and Practises And yet all the reason given why corrupt Doctrines and Practises must not be tolerated is this because Persons that hold them forth must not be tolerated CHAP. 20. A Reply to his twentieth Chapter what is meant by Tares Discusser The Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying all those weeds which spring up with the Corne as cockle darnell Tares c. seemeth to imply such a kinde of people as are commonly and generally knowne to be manifestly differing from and opposite to the true Worshipers of God c. Defender 1. It is not true that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth all those weeds that grow up with the Corne. For they be a speciall weed growing up cheifely amongst the wheat but when it commeth to the earing it groweth more like to Barley yet having a narrower leafe fatter and rougher and a leaner seed in a prickly barke bearing a purple flower as Dioscorides testifyeth Now this is farre from a description of all sorts of weeds that grow up with Corne. 2. Neither is it true that Tares are commonly and generally known assoone as they appeare For Hierom who for a time lived in Jury testifyeth that Inter triticum et zizania quod nos appellamus lolium quamdiu herba est et nondum culmus venit ad spicam grandis similitudo est et in discernendo aut nulla aut perdifficilis distantia Comment Mat. Cap. 13. Yea the Text it selfe though the Discusser deny it holdeth forth as much For the servants of the Husbandman in whose Feild the Tares were sowen by the enemy did not discerne the tares from the wheat till the blade was sprung up and brought forth fruit for then it was and not till then that the Tares appeared to be Tares Mat. 13.26 what though the Text holdeth forth no such time wherein the servants doubted or suspected what they were It is like enough they did not suspect them at all by reason of the grandis similitudo the great likenesse that was between them whilest they were both in the blade Which still maketh good the Exposition that Tares are not bryars and thornes but so like to the wheat that till they come to earing the one cannot be discerned from the other Discusser The one appeared as soone as the other and when the wheat put forth its blade and fruite the Tares were as early they put forth themselves and appeared also 2. There is such a dissimilitude and unlikenesse between them that as soone as Tares and wheat sprung up to blade and fruite every husbandman could tell which is wheat and which is Tares Defender It s true the Tares put forth their blade assoone as did the wheat and appeared above ground one as early as the other but they were so like one to an other that the husbandmen could not tell which was wheat and which Tares till the blade was growen up and they both brought forth their fruite And though when they both brought forth their fruite there was no apparent dimissilitude yet still it is evident that at first the dimssilitude did not appeare The Tares may therefore still stand for Hypocrites who are so like at first unto good Christians that they cannot easily be discerned one from another till in processe of time the difference of the fruite discover them Discusser But when was it that the House-holder gave charge to let them alone was it not after they appeared and were knowne to be Tares which should imply by this interpretation of the Answerer that when men are discovered and knowne to be Hypocrites yet still such a generation of Hypocrites in the Church must be let alone and tolerated untill the Harvest or end of the world which is contrary to all Piety order and safety in the Church of the Lord Jesus as doubtlesse the Answerer will graunt Defender If the Answerer know his owne minde as well as the Discusser doubtlesse the Answerer will not graunt that it is contrary to all piety and order and safety that hypocrites knowne hypocrites be tolerated in the Church till the end of the world For though it be against the safety of the Church when the Officers or body of the Church prove hypocrites for that threatneth a dis-churching Rev. 2.5 yet till the fruits of hypocrisie grow notoriously scandalous and ripe for Church-Censure it is not contrary to all piety and order safety to suffer them but rather more safety to suffer them least some of Gods own Saints true wheat who for a time may degenerate and bring forth like fruit with the Tares be plucked up with them If foolish Virgins be cast out of the Church the wise Virgins may be sometime found sleeping as well as they Mat. 25.5 CHAP. 21. A Reply to his Chap. 21. VVhat is meant by the world and more of the Tares Discusser 2. The Tares cannot signifie hypocrites in the Church for
the field wherein they both grow is interpreted by Christ himselfe to be the world which lieth in wickednesse and is a wildernesse of wilde Beasts Fornicators Covetous Idolators c. In this world as soone as the Lord Jesus hath sowen the good seed the Children of the Kingdome true Christianitie or the true Church the enemy Satan presently in the night of Securitie Ignorance and Error soweth the Tares which are Antichristians or false Christians Those the Ministers and Prophets of God would straight runne to Heaven for fiery Judgements from thence to consume them But the Sonne of man commandeth a Permission of them till the end of the world when Goats and Sheep Tares and Wheate shall be eternally separated c. Defender Answ 1. It is true Christ expoundeth the Field to be the world ver 38. But he meant not the wide world but by an usuall Trope the Church scattered throughout the world as Christ is said to have loved the world Joh. 3.16 and to be the Propitiation of the sinnes of the world 1 Joh. 2.2 Reas 1. Else there had been no place for the servants wonder at the appearing of the Tares Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field from whence then hath it Tares ver 27. Did ever any of the servants of Christ wonder or saw any cause to wonder that the world should be full of Fornicators Idolaters Murderers Robbers c Was it ever otherwise since the world was replenished with Inhabitants Reas 2. What calling had the Ministers or Prophets of Christ to offer to pluck up all such notorious vicious persons out of the world Did ever any Ministers of Christ demand such a Question of Christ Wilt thou have us goe and gather up all notorious vicious Persons out of the world As they doe indeed demand the like concerning these Tares in Christs field ver 28. Reas 3. The Discusser himselfe reckoneth up Goats and Sheep as parallell with Wheat and Tares as generally Interpreters doe Now evident it is that Goats were cleane Beasts as well as Sheep cleane for food yea and cleane also for sacrifice and yet they were tolerated not onely to live in the same world but in the same Church For after the destruction of Antichrist when purest times of the Church shall come the Members of the Church shall all of them be Virgins none Idolaters though some wise and some foolish all of them servants though some thristie some unprofitable all of them cleane though some Goats some Sheep And therefore the Kingdome of Heaven that is the Church is at that time resembled to such a mixt state after the ruine of Antichrist and conversion of the Jewes untill the coming of Christ to Judgement Mat. 25.1 c. Answ 2. If the Field should be the world and the Tares Antichristians and false Christians it is true Satan sowed them in Gods Field but he sowed them in the Church The mystery of their Iniquitie did secretly work in the very bosome of the Church till in processe of time it grew so ranck and grosse as transformed the Churches that drunke it up into spirituall Babylon But if Antichrist be an Apostate and Antichristianitie Apostasie then it was first sowen in the field of the Church and not of the wide world Answ 3. It is not the will of Christ that Antichrist and Antichristians and Antichristianitie should be tolerated in the world untill the end of the world For God will put it into the hearts of faithfull Princes as they have given their Kingdomes to the Beast so in fulnesse of time to hate the whore to leave her desolate and naked and to burne her flesh with fire Rev. 17.16 17. And after this we reade of a visible state of a new Hierusalem which shall flourish many yeares upon Earth before the end of the world Revel Chap. 20. Chap. 21. Chap. 22. Neverthelesse I willingly grant that the first fruits of Antichristians and false Christians may be reckoned up amongst the Tares which Satan sowed in the field of the Church which afterwards grew to be Briars and Thornes and so destructive to the wheate that the wheat could not be suffered if discerned to live amongst them Discusser But Christ the wisdome of the Father would never in opening this Parable so farre obscure it or to call the Church the world Nor doth it agree with the nature of the Church or Garden of Christ to be styled the world Defender It is no impeachment to the wisdome of Christ to call his Elect Churches and Saints throughout the world by the Name of the world Else Paul spake not by the wisdome of Christ when he said God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 And though the Church within it selfe be a Garden and severed from the world yet all the Churches being scattered and dispersed throughout the world it is no more an improper speech to call the Church the world then to speake of Christ as dying for the world when he dyed for his Church CHAP. 22. A Reply to his 22. Chapter more of Tares Discusser In the former Parable the Lord Jesus compared the kingdome of Heaven to the sowing of seed The true Messengers of Christ are sowers who cast the seed of the word of the Kingdome upon 4. sorts of ground which 4. sorts of grounds or hearts of men cannot be supposed to be of the Church nor will it ever be proved that the Church consisteth of any more sorts or natures of ground properly but one to wit the honest and good ground And the proper work of the Church concerneth the prosperitie and flourishing of this sort of ground and not of the other three sorts In the field of the world then are all those sorts of grounds High-way-side stony thorney Hearers as well as the honest and good ground And I suppose it will not be said by the Answerer that these three sorts of bad grounds were Hypocrites or Tares in the Church Defender Answ 1. But what if the Answerer will say so It may be contrary to his supposall but not to the Truth For I demand did not Christ himselfe who was the chiefe Sower did not he Preach and sow the seed of the word to all those foure sorts of Hearers And yet he was the Minister of Circumcision Rom. 15.8 and Preached seldome to any but to Church-Members Members of the Church of Israel Answ 2. It 's an error to say The Church consisteth of no more sorts of Hearers but one the honest and good ground for if the children of Church-members be in the Church of the Church till they give occasion of rejection then they growing up to yeares become some of them like the High-way-side others like the stony others like the Thorney as well as others like the honest and good ground Answ 3. Though it be not the proper work of the Church to attend the prosperitie and flourishing of the three sorts of bad ground to
Jesus onely Defender Reply 1. But he that corrupteth a soule with a corrupt religion or worship layeth a spreading leaven which corrupteth the State The Idolatry began in the House of Micah corrupted Laish Judges chap. 17. and chap. 18. And that was the beginning of sinne to the Daughter of Zion Micah 1.13 And that Apostacy was the captivity of the Land As in the New-Testament the worship of Images was the advancement of the Turkes and the ruine of Christian States Rev. 9.14 to 21. When therefore the corruption or destruction of soules is a destruction also of lives liberties estates of men lex talionis calleth for not onely soule for soule but life for life Reply 2. False Prophets in the Old-Testament did but corrupt the soules of some and it may be did not corrupt them neither but attempted it onely And yet amongst Gods people where lex talionis was much attended the Law was Thine eye shall not spare him Deut. 13. The reason of which execution is not fetched from any typicall holinesse of the Land but from the dangerous wickednesse of the attempt to thrust away a soule from God which is a greater injury then to deprive a man of bodily life Discusser But dead men cannot die nor be infected Naturall men the civill State the world are dead in sinne c. Defender Reply 1. Dead men may be made worse by corrupt Teachers two-fold more the children of hell then before Matth. 23.15 And therefore such as so corrupt them are worthy in a way of due proceeding of a two-fold death Reply 2. Such as professe the truth of the Doctrine and Worship of Christ they live a kind of spirituall life though not such as accompanieth salvation Else how are false Teachers and such as are led by them said to be twice dead plucked up by the roots Jude ver 12. And therefore it is not true that such as being in a naturall state are dead in sinne annot be infected nor die againe Discusser As in the common infection of the plague so in the infection of heresie none can be strucke deadly but whom God hath thereunto ordained c. Defender Reply 1. No more can any man be murthered but whom God hath ordained thereunto But it is a prophane sacriledge to excuse or alleviate the punishment of sinne by Gods eternall predestination Was the sinne of Herod or the Jewes or of Pontius Pilate any whit the lesse because they did nothing against Christ but what the hand of God and his Counsell had fore-determined to be done Acts 4.29 Sure it is Christ aggravateth the sinne of Judas and of the High-Priests and Elders of the Jewes by this Argument that Pilate could doe nothing against him but as it was given him from above Therefore saith he he that delivered me to thee hath the greater sinne John 19.11 Reply 2. The Discusser himselfe acknowledgeth That though in a common plague or infection none are smitten or die but such as are ordained thereunto yet it is not onely every mans duty but the common duty of the Magistrates to prevent infection and to preserve the common health of the place by removing infectious persons into solitary tabernacles Discusser True but the meanes God hath appointed for preservation from spirituall infection and perdition are spirituall such as God directeth to Rev. 2. Tit. 3.10 11. Rom. 16.17 But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for either Antidote or Remedy as an addition to those Spirituals The Remedy which God preseribed to the Angell of the Church of Pergamus It were a Babylonish confusion to interpret it as sent to the Governour of the City of Pergamus Defender Subordinata and so Coordinata non pugnant It is true Christ hath appointed spirituall meanes for the avoiding and preventing the infection of heresies so hath he also for the preventing and avoiding all offences in Church-members But that hindreth not the lawfull and necessary use of a civill sword for the punishment of some such offences as are subject to Church-censure If indeed the Ordinances of Christ in the Church doe prevaile to the avoiding and healing of heresies there is no need of the civill sword for that end But it often falleth out otherwise as 1. That when the Church hath cast out an Heretick yet he still remaineth obstinate and proceedeth to seduce and destroy the faith of some it may be of many as did Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2.17 18. If the Magistrates sword doe here rust in the scabberd such leaven may leaven the whole Masse of a City or Countrey As by this meanes Arrianisme leavened the world by the indulgence of Constantius Ingemuit Orbis Christianus miratus est factum se esse Arrianum 2. It may be the Heretick was never any member of the Church and then though the Church may lay in some Antidotes and Purges to preserve or recover their Members yet how shall they succour such as are not subject to their censures Or how shall they prevent the spreading of this noisome leprofie in private Conventicles But the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for an Antidote or Remedy in such a case Answ It is evident the civill sword was appointed for a remedy in this case Deut. 13. And appointed it was by that Angell of Gods presence whom God promised to send with his people as being unwilling to goe along with them himselfe Exod. 33.2 3. And that Angell was Christ whom they tempted in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10.9 And therefore it cannot truely be said that the Lord Jesus never appointed the civill sword for a remedy in such a case For he did expressely appoint it in the Old-Testament nor did he ever abrogate it in the New The reason of the Law which is the life of the Law is of eternall force and equity in all Ages Thou shult surely kill him because be hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God Deut. 13.9 10. This reason is of morall that is of universall and perpetuall equity to put to death any Apostate seducing Idolater or Heretick who seeketh to thrust away the soules of Gods people from the Lord their God If Magistrates be the Ministers of God in the New-Testament as Paul calleth them Rom. 13.4 And Ministers of God to execute vengeance on him that doeth evill surely either this is no evill to seeke to thrust away Gods people from him or the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vaine to execute vengeance on such an evill doer Yea but such an evill is evill onely to the inner man not to the civill State Answ But if a man imagine evill against the Lord it is a destructive evill to a whole City yea to a Pagan City and God will visit such an evill with such an affliction as shall be no lesse then utter destruction to such a City It shall not rise up the second time Nahum 1.9.11 Discusser But the eivill Magistrate hath his charge of the bodies
to become Church-members yet Ahab though King over an Apostate Church having gotten Pagan Benhadad by conquest under his Dominion because he put him not to death for his blasphemy forfeited his owne life for his 1 Kings 20.23 with 42. CHAP. 36 A Reply to his Chapter 36. Discussing the Text in Luke 9.54 55. Discusser THe next Scripture brought by the Letter against such Persecution is Luke 9.54 55. where the Lord Jesus reproved his Disciples who would have fire come downe from Heaven to have devoured those Samaritans that would not receive him in these words You know not of what spirit you are the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them With this Scripture Mr. Cotton joyneth the next and answereth both in one which is this 2 Tim. 2.24 The servant of the Lord must not strive but must be gentle towards all men proving if at any time God will give them Repentance c. unto both these Scriptures he giveth this Answer Both these are directions to Ministers of the Gospel how to deale not with obstinate offenders in the Church but either with men without as the Samaritans were and many unconverted Christians in Creete whom Titus as an Evangelist was to seeke to convert Or at best with some Jewes or Gentiles in the Church who though carnall yet were not convinced of the Errours of their way And it is true it became not the Spirit of the Gospel to convert Aliens to the Faith Such as the Samaritans were by Fire and Brimstone nor to deale harshly in publick Ministry or private conference with all such severall-minded men as either had not yet entred into Church-fellowship or if they had did hitherto sinne of Ignorance not against Conscience But neither of both these Texts doe hinder a Minister of the Gospel to proceed in a Church way against Church-members when they become scandalous either in life or Doctrine much lesse doe they speake at all to the Civill Magistrate Defender The matter of this Answer it is likely enough was given by me for it suiteth with mine owne apprehensions both then and now But some expressions in laying it downe I doe not owne nor can I finde any Copie under my owne hand-writing that might testifie how I did expresse my selfe especially in a word or two wherein the Discusser observeth in chap. 38. some haste and light and sleepy attention But if the Discusser can shew the same under mine owne hand as it is not impossible I shall be willing by Gods help both to acknowledge it and my haste in it CHAP. 37. A Reply to his Chap. 37. Discusser THis perplexed and ravelled Answer wherein so many things and so doubtfull are wrapped up and entangled together I shall take in pieces 1. That the Lord Jesus in rebuking his Disciples rash and bloudy zeale against the Samaritans did not hereby hinder the Ministers of the Gospel to proceed in a Church-way against scandalous offenders is not here questioned Defender Well then this Point is none of those many doubtfull things here wrapped much lesse is it perplexed or ravelled but a plaine and confessed Truth But whether the Author of that Letter sent to me did take it for a certaine and unquestioned Truth I did not know nor doe I yet know unlesse the Discusser speake his mind herein as well as his owne Sure I am Prosecution in a Church-way if the cause be not just is as odious and dreadfull a Persecution as Prosecution in a Court of civill Justice as hath been proved above Discusser Secondly when the Answerer saith much lesse doth this Text speake at all to the civill Magistrate here I observe that he implyeth that beside the censure of the Lord Jesus in the hands of his spirituall Governours for any spirituall evill in Life or Doctrine the civill Magistrate is also to inflict corporall punishment Defender This observation I may truly say is ravelled out of my Answer and that so perplexedly that it cannot be wound up out of my Answer without breaking the threed both of my words and meaning It is a plaine and certaine Truth that as the Disciples were not civill Magistrates so neither doth Christ speake to them in this Reproofe as to such But it is farre from me to say that it is lawfull for civill Magistrates to inflict corporall punishment upon men contrary minded standing in the same state the Samaritans did No such thought arose in my heart nor fell from my pen either in my Answer to the Letter or in any writing of mine that it is lawfull for a Civill Magistrate though he had dominion over Pagans much lesse if he have none to inflict corporall punishments upon such as are contrary minded in matters of Religion No these are ravellings of a loose and ungirt disputer not the Inferences of a serious and solid Discusser And therefore the Reasons which he bringeth in the Sequele of this chapter that the Magistrates should not lay violent hands upon any such as the Samaritanes for not receiving of the Lord Jesus might well have been spared for they fight not against me but against a shadow of his owne fancy But when he maketh the Fire that fell downe from Heaven Rev. 13.13 to be the fiery Judgements and persecutions which the second Beast perswaded the civill Powers to destroy the Saints withall as if they were Gods just Judgements from Heaven upon Hereticks This is such an Interpretation as ravelleth the Text and will not stand with the Context For the Text speaketh of it as a great wonder that the Beast should make Fire to come downe from Heaven upon Earth in the sight of men ver 13. But this was no wonder to cause civill Powers to inflict fiery Judgements of Imprisonment Banishment Death upon Hereticks for Constantine had done as much before And the Arrian Bishops had caused Constantius to doe as much against the Orthodox Saints Besides in the Context ver 15. It is expressely there declared as a distinct matter from the former that he had Power to cause that as many as would not worship the Image of the Beast should he killed This is a different effect and recorded as different from the former of causing fire to come downe from Heaven and that not upon the Saints but upon Earth CHAP. 38. A Reply to his Chap. 38. Discussing the place in Timothy 2 Tim. 2.25 26. Discusser I Acknowledge this Instruction to be meeke and patient to all men c. is properly an Instruction to the Ministers of the Gospel Defender Then hitherto the Answer is not perplexed and ravelled Discusser Yet divers Arguments will from hence be truly and fairely collected to manifest and evince how farre the civill Magistrate ought to be from dealing with the civill Sword in spirituall cases But first by the way I desire to aske what the Answerer meaneth by his unconverted Christian in Creete An unconverted Christian is as much as an unconverted Convert untamed
under them But they all were strangers from the life of God yea most averse and opposite yea cruell and bloudy Persecutors of the Name and followers of Jesus and yet unto these is subjection commanded Now then I argue If Paul had commanded this subjection to Romane Magistrates in spirituall causes to defend the Truth to punish Hereticks neither of which they could discerne nor judge of but by Trust from others as Pilate condemned Jesus he must in the Judgement of all men have put out the eye of Faith and Reason and sense at once Defender Not in the Judgement of all men for besides Calvin and Beza whose Judgement you have heard all those Interpreters who expound this place in the Romans of the Magistrates power in punishing spirituall evill doers as well as corporall they none of them doe so judge that Paul in commanding the Churches to yeild subjection unto civill Magistrates in matters of Religion did put out the Eye of Faith and Reason and sense at once For first it is one thing to yeild subjection to the unrighteous Decrees of Ignorant and Pagan Magistrates another thing to obey their Ordinances in matters of Faith and worship and Government of the Church The former of these Christians did yeild unto the Romane Magistrates even subjection unto the Death the other they neither did nor ought to yeild as knowing God was to be obeyed rather then men Secondly though it be true whilst the Romane Emperours and Magistrates were Pagans and Persecutors they were incompetent Judges to discerne and give Sentence in the spirituall matters of Christian Religion yet the word of Christ who commandeth a Duty commandeth all the necessary meanes which tend to that Duty And therefore in giving them a Power and charge to execute vengeance on evill doers and that in matters of spirituall unrighteousnesse against the Church as in matters of Civill unrighteousnesse against the Common-wealth It behoved them to enquire and listen after true Religion to heare and trie all and upon serious deliberate and just scruting to hold fast that which is good and so prevent the disturbance thereof by the contrary It was no vaine charge of the Holy Ghost Psal 2 10 11 12. If Christ have an Iron Scepter in his hand to crush all States and Kingdomes Emperours and Princes as well as private persons Be wise now therefore ô yee Kings be instructed yee that are Judges of the Earth serve the Lord with feare rejoyce unto him with trembling Kisse the Sonne least he be angry and yee perish in the way Thirdly the cases of Religion wherein we allow Civill Magistrates to be Judges are so fundamentall and palpable that no Magistrate studious of Religion in the feare of God but if he have any spirituall discerning as all truly Christian Magistrates have and even Pagans have discerned between innocent Christians and turbulent Seducers he cannot but judge of such grosse corruptions as are unsufferable in Religion as hath been opened above Though we reserve to the Prophets and Churches Judicium Propheticum as hath been said above yet we allow Judicium Politicum to Civill Magistrates studious of Truth as all ought to be and the Judgement of Discretion unto all Christians But as for such Magigistrates as are meerely naturall and Pagan though Christians be bound to subject themselves unto them with patience yet such Magistrates ought to forbeare the exercise of their Power either in protecting or punishing matters of Religion till they have learned so much knowledge of the Truth as may enable them to discerne of things that differ But this forbearance of theirs is not for want of Authority in their callings nor for want of Duty in their Consciences but for want of evidence to them in the cause In which Case Magistrates are wont to forbeare their exercise of their Power and to respit Judgement even in Civill causes not for want of Authority or Duty to doe Justice But for want of ripe and full cognizance of the Cause CHAP. 49. A Reply to his Chap. 49. Discusser VVHy then did Paul himselfe appeale to Caesar Acts 25. unlesse that Caesar though he was not yet yet he ought to have been a fit Judge in such matters Answ Paul appealed to Caesar not to judge the cause of his Religion but to defend him from civill violence and slanderous accusations about sedition mutiny civill Disobedience c. From which Caesar as a supreme civill Magistrate ought to defend him Defender This appeale of Paul to Caesar doth evidently hold forth three things 1. That there is a lawfull and needfull use of civill Magistracy unto Christians 2. That Church Officers even of highest ranck the Apostles themselves and other Ministers are subject to civill Authority as well as private Christians 3. That Paul did submit to Caesars Judgement-seate the tryall of his innocency as well in matters of Religion as in civill conversation For he pleadeth his innocency that he was guilty in none of those things whereof they did accuse him and for tryall hereof he appealeth to Caesar ver 11. Now the things whereof they did accuse him were offences against the Law of the Jewes and against the Temple as well as against Caesar ver 8. And offences against the Law of the Jewes and against the Temple were matters of Religion And yet even in these Paul appealeth to Caesars Judgement-seat for tryall of his innocency Discusser But if Paul in this Appeale to Caesar had submitted his Religion which was the cause of Christ his Ministery and Ministration to the Romane Emperours Tribunall he had sinned First against the light of Reason Secondly against the cause of Religion Thirdly against the holy Calling of a Christian Fourthly against his owne calling of Apostleship Fifthly against the holy name of God c. Defender All these sinnes might with some colour have been charged upon Paul if he had appealed to Caesar to Judge whether his Religion or Ministery or Ministration were of God or no. But that was no point of his Appeale But whether his Religion or Ministery or Ministration were guilty of any capitall crime against the Law of the Jewes or against the Temple or against Caesar Now in this case Paul might safely appeale to Caesar and that to the Honour of God of his Apostolick and Christian Calling and to the glory of his Religion The Reasons against Pauls Appeale in this case are but bul-rushes CHAP. 50. A Reply to his Chap. 50. Discusser HAving dispatched two Arguments against the founding of the civill Magistrates power in spirituall causes in Rom. 13. First from the Testimony of Calvin and Beza the second from Caesars incompetency and insufficiency to Judge of spirituall matters I come now to the third Argument taken from the nature of the Magistrates weapons he hath a Sword and that Sword is a civill Sword a Sword of civill Justice which being of a materiall and civill nature serveth for the defence of Persons Estates Families Liberties of
is evill c. Defender But not simply because it is evill unlesse it be also notorious and evident and convicted by sufficient witnesses and held forth with publick offence and disturbance Neither doe the Elders take away from the Magistrates the cognizance of the complaints of Children Servants wives against Parents Masters Husbands Unlesse they be meerely private and easily healed in a private way by Domesticall Government what need houshold Government if every Family-offence should be brought to the cognizance of the publick Magistrate one Ordinance of God doth not swallow up another CHAP. 53. A Reply to his Chap. 53 54 and 55. Discusser THe Author of the Letter proceeded to a last Reason from Scripture to prove that the Disciples of Christ should be so farre from persecuting that they ought to blesse them that curse them and pray for them that persecute them and that because of the freenesse of Gods grace and deepnesse of his Counsels calling home them that be Enemies persecutors no people yea some at the last houre Vnto this Reason the Answerer is pleased thus to Reply First in generall we must not doe evill that good may come thereof Secondly in particular he affirmeth that it is evill to tolerate seditious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous livers and for proofe of this quoteth Christs Reproofe of the Angels of Pergamus and Thyatira for tolerating Balaam and Jezabel to teach and seduce Revel 2.14.20 Defender The Discusser forgetteth himselfe through Incogitancy if not through guile when he maketh this to have been my first Reply that we must not doe evill that good may come thereof For he is not ignorant that I gave two Answers or Replyes as he calleth them before in the same place First when Christ commandeth his Disciples to blesse them that curse them and persecute them he giveth not therein a Rule to publick Officers whether in Church or Common-wealth to suffer notorious sinners either in Life or Doctrine to passe away with a Blessing but to private Christians to suffer persecution patiently yea and to pray for their Persecutors Againe it is true Christ would have his Disciples to be farre from persecuting for persecution is a wicked oppression of men for Righteousnesse sake but that hindereth not but that he would have them execute upon all Disobedience the Judgement and vengeance required in the Word 2 Cor. 10.6 Rom. 13.4 Both these Answers the Discusser passeth over in silence For looke as Children where they cannot read thinke it best to skip over so men of riper yeares when they are loath to stoop to the Authority of the Truth they thinke it best to passe it over in silence But what is it the Discusser is pleased to answer to Discusser In this Proposition that it is evill to tolerate notorious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous livers I observe two evills First that this Proposition is too large and generall because the Rule admitteth of exception and that according to the will of God Defender And to prove that this generall Proposition admitteth some exception the Discusser spendeth the rest of this 53. chapter as also the 54 th chapter and 55 th But because I would not spend time nor weary the Reader with following the Discusser in impertinent and copious digressions I returne briefly this Reply First it is wholly impertinent whatsoever the Discusser is pleased to discourse of Gods permission or toleration of any evill For first God is his owne Rule and what he doth is good because he doth it Not his Act but his word is a Rule to us He may tolerate Cain a Murtherer to live but that is no precedent to a Civill Magistrate Secondly I willingly grant it may be lawfull for a Civill Magistrate to tolerate notorious evill doers in two cases under which all the Examples will fall which the Discusser alleadgeth in any word of Truth As first in regard of the efficient cause of punishing when the Magistrates hand is too weake and feeble and the offendors Adherents so great and strong that Justice cannot be done upon him without manifest perill to the whole State there the Magistrate may tolerate a notorious evill even murther it selfe as David upon this ground did tolerate in Joab and Abishai the murther of Abner 2 Sam. 3.39 And secondly in regard of the finall cause an evill may be tolerated to prevent other greater evills As Moses tolerated divorce of unpleasing Wives to prevent the murder or other hard and cruell usage of them In either of these cases I would not deny but a murderer may be tolerated if either the Magistrate want sufficient Power with safety of the State to cut him off or if a forraine State be so affected and addicted to the Murderer that in case the Magistrate here cut off him they will cut off sundry of our innocent and necessary members whom they have gotten into their custody in revenge of him And if either of these be the case I easily grant that it is not evill to tolerate a notorious seducing false Teacher or other scandalous liver But such an extraordinary doth not hinder the due largenesse and generality of the Proposition that it is evill to tolerate seditious evill doers seducing Teachers scandalous Livers As in a paralell case this Proposition is not too large nor too generall it is evill to tolerate a bloudy murderer notwithstanding in some cases such as have been named but those are extraordinary it may be lawfull to tolerate him Now that in ordinary cases it is not lawfull to tolerate a seducing false Teacher the Commandement of God is cleare and strong Deut. 13.8 9. Thine eye shall not pity him neither shalt thou spare him neither shalt thou conceale him but thou shalt surely kill him If the Discusser shall except that strict Commandement was in force in Israel because their Land was typically holy or their Magistrates were Types of Christ The Reply is plaine and just God himselfe alledgeth no such reason of his Law But another quite different but common with them to all Nations professing the worship of the true God Thou shalt put him to death because he sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God ver 10. Neither can any instance be given of any Capitall Law of Moses but is of Morall that is of generall and perpetuall Equity in all Nations in all Ages Capitalia Mosis Politica sunt aeterna CHAP. 54. A Reply to his Chap. 56. Discusser I Come now to the second Evill which I observe in the Answerers former Position that it would be evill to tolerate seducing Teachers scandalous Livers In two things I shall discover the great evill of this joyning and coupling seducing Teachers and scandalous Livers as the proper and adaequate object of the Magistrates care and worke to suppresse and punish Defender I no where make it the proper and adaequate object of the Magistrates care and worke to suppresse and punish seducing Teachers and scandalous livers For
knew it was out of Question all persecution was unlawfull whether by the Church or the Magistrate an unjust excommunication is as true persecution as an unjust Banishment But if persecution be taken more largely and loosely as it is by the Author of the Letter and by the Discusser for any affliction or persecution for cause of Conscience whether good Conscience or evill whether rightly informed or erroneous If that be the intent of the Letter as it seemed to me to beare witnesse against that then any testimony of Scripture that justifieth a lawfull censure of false and erroneous Teachers doth evince the scope of the Letter to be erroneous which is against all persecution for cause of Conscience Let therefore the Discusser admire at his owne admiration and be astonished at his owne astonishment that wondereth to see an universall negative argued against by a particular affirmative The Letter denyeth the lawfulnesse of all persecution in cause of Conscience that is in matter of Religion I seek to evince the falshood of it by an instance of lawfull Church-prosecution in case of false Teachers Discusser But if the Churches and Angels thereof had sufficient power to suppresse Balaam and Jezabel then all power of Magistrates and Governours in Pergamus and Thyatira though they had been Christian must needs fall to the ground as none of Christs appointment Defender The power of the Churches and Angels of Pergamus and Thyatyra were sufficient for those ends for which Christ ordained Church-power to wit for the healing of the soules of such seducers if they belonged to Christ as also for keeping those Churches pure from the fellowship of the guilt of their Act in teaching false Doctrines whom they had duly censured But the power of those Churches and Angels was not sufficient to prevent the further spreading of the Leaven of their false Doctrines both in such as were out of the Church and in private amongst the members of the Church who might adhere to them Much lesse was the putting forth of the Church-power against them sufficient to cleare the Magistrates of a Christian State from the guilt of Apostasie in suffering such Apostates amongst them who would be ready to solicite many simple soules either to with-hold and with-draw themselves from the Fellowship of the Churches or in the Churches to withdraw from the Lord Jesus Discusser Lastly from this perverse wresting of what is writ to the Church and the Officers thereof as if it were writ to the Civill Officers and State thereof all may see how since the Apostacie of Antichrist the Christian world so called hath swallowed up Christianity how the Church and Civill State that is the Church and the world are now become one flock of Jesus Christ c. Defender Here is no wresting much lesse perverse wresting of any Scripture at all from the Church to the Civill State I intended to apply the Scripture written to the Churches and to the Officers thereof no further then to other Churches and their Officers The Scriptures upon which we call in the Magistrate to the punishment of Seducers are such as are directed to civill States and Magstrates of which divers have been mentioned and applyed before CHAP. 56. A Reply to his Chap. 58 and 59. Discussing the Testimony of some Princes Discusser I Proceed to the second Head of Reasons against persecution for cause of Conscience taken from the profession of famous Princes King James Stephen of Poland King of Bonemia Vnto whom the Answerer returneth a treble Answer 1. Wee willingly acknowledge saith he that none is to be persecuted at all no more then any may be oppressed for righteousnesse sake Again we acknowledge that none is to be punished for his Conscience though misinformed unlesse his errour be fundamentall or seditiously and turbulently promoted and that after due conviction of his Conscience that it may appeare he is not punished for his Conscience but for sinning against his Conscience Furthermore we acknowledge none is to be constrained to believe or professe the true Religion till he be convinced in Judgement of the truth of it but yet restrayned he may be from blaspheming the Truth and from seducing any into pernicious errours This first Answer I believe I have sufficiently cleared the weaknesse of the Foundations thereof in the former discourse Defender And I doubt not but by the help of Christ I have formerly declared and convinced the feeblenesse of the opposition made against them and what firme foundations those Answers are built upon from the Scriptures of Truth Discusser His second Answer is this what Princes professe and practise is not a Rule of Conscience They many times tolerate that in State Policy which cannot justly be tolerated in point of true Christianity Againe Princes many times tolerate Offendors out of very necessity when the Offenders are too many or too mighty for them to punish In which respect David tolerated Joab and his murder but against his will It may be here observed how the Answerer dealeth with Princes one while they are nursing Fathers to the Church not onely to feed but also to correct and therefore consequently bound to judge what is true feeding and correcting and consequently all men are bound to submit to their feeding and correcting Defender The Discusser doth partly falsly and partly fraudulently fasten upon me this dealing with Princes That I make them nursing Fathers of the Church I therein follow the footsteps of the Holy Ghost before me teaching what Princes should be and foretelling what they shall be in the latter dayes Isaiah 49.23 In which place It was not the intent of the Holy Ghost nor mine to threaten the Church with a red of Correction But to comfort the Church with a double blessing First of the Fatherly provision and protection of Princes for the Church Secondly of their subjection to the Church in respect of their spirituall Estate What Princes may doe in case the Church should Apostate and become no Church or in case they should breake forth into Sedition and Rebellion against the Civill State It is another Question which I have not medled with in all this Discourse Neither have I spoken of Princes as bound to Judge what is true feeding or correcting least of all have I said that all men are bound especially in Conscience to their feeding and correcting These are calumnies devised by the Discusser All I have said to my remembrance this way is that Princes are bound to be wise and Learned with holy knowledge that they may kisse the Sonne and be subject to him Psal 2.10.11 And therefore able to discerne of such corrupt feeding as destroyeth the Foundation of Religion and the soules of Gods people that they may be able to restraine such and to preserve the Church from such ravenous Wolves and I deny not that their Subjects are to submit to them herein when they judge according to the Word or howsoever patiently to suffer for well-doing without resistance
of it For may it not justly be conceived That the Lord therefore hid the place of his buriall least the Children of Israel knowing it might goe a whoring after his Sepulchre and it may be offer sweet incense upon it and so such false worship against the law of Moses might come to be Tolerated for honor to the body of Moses But Christ hath abolished a Nationall State or Church which Moses set up in Canaan Though Christ abolished a Nationall Church-State and instead thereof set up a Congregationall Church yet Christ never abolished a Nationall Civill State nor the Judiciall Lawes of Moses which were of Morall equity but established them rather in their place and order He that shed his own bloud to plant his Church did never abolish that Law which enacted that his bloud should be upon him who should supplant his Church If Christs bloud goe to plant it let the false Christs bloud goe for supplanting it Discusser In the King of Bohemias speech the Answerer passeth by that Foundation in grace and Nature that Conscienee ought not to be violated and forced it is a spirituall Rape Defender This was not passed by but prevented in stating the Question where it was said it is not lawfull to censure any no not for error in Fundamentall points of Doctrine or Worship till the Conscience of the offendor be first convinced out of the word of God of the dangerous error of his way and then if he still persist It is not out of Conscience but against his Conscience as the Apostle saith Tit. 3.11 so he is not persecuted for cause of Conscience but punished for sinning against his Conscience Discusser The King observeth that most lamentably true experience of all ages That persecution for cause of Conscience hath ever proved pernicious c. Defender No experience in any age did ever prove it pernicious to punish seducing Apostates after due conviction of the error of their way Wherein did the burning of Servetus prove pernicious to Geneva or the just execution of many popish Preists to Queene Elizabeth or to the english State But the Kings speech may passe if it be meant of persecution properly so called to wit Oppression of the faithfull for the Truths sake yea if it be the punishment of any for error If not Fundamentally pernicious either to Religion or Church-order and that after conviction of Conscience persisted in with obstinacy Discusser Lastly the Kings observation of his owne time that Persecution for cause of Conscience was practised most in England and such places where Popery reigned Implying as I conceive such practises commonly proceed from the great Whore whose Daughters are like their Mother all of a bloudy nature as commonly all wolves be Defender It is no marvell if I passed by this observation in the Kings speech For there is no such observation there to be found If the Discusser had well observed it himselfe he would have found it was not the speech of the King but of the Prisoner And the persecution he speaketh of was not of Antichristians or Hereticks or Idolaters but onely of such as the world nick-named Puritans or the like and of them too without conviction of the error of their way But in that the Discusser maketh England a Daughter of the great Whore and of a bloudy nature like her Mother he speaketh as some other of the rigid Seperation have done before him But I could never yet see awarrant from the rule either of Truth or Love for such a speech Did ever the holy Scripture call any Church an whore that worshipped the true God onely in the Name of Jesus and depended on him alone for righteousnesse and salvation Is it not the part of a base childe or at least a base pare of a childe to call his Mother whore who bred him and bred him to know no other Father but her lawfull Husband the Lord Jesus Christ CHAP. 60. A Reply to his 63. Chap. Discusser NOw Thirdly In that the Answerer observeth that amongst the Romane Emperors they that did not persecute were Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian Whereas the good Emperors Constantine Gratian Valentian and Theodosius they did persecute the Arians and Donatists Let it be for an Answer It is no new thing for godly and eminently godly men to performe ungodly actions nor for ungodly persons for wicked ends to act what in it selfe is good and righteous c. Defender This may goe for a truth but not for an Answer The Letter would Justifie Toleration of Religion from the judgement and speeches of three Kings I Answered that was no Argument for I could bring him Kings more in number and greater in the sight of God and man who judged it meet not to tolerate Hereticks nor turbulent Schismaticks To this the Discusser Answereth sometimes the Godly doe that which is evill and the wicked that which is good This I say is a Truth but doth not take away my Answer but by a Petitio Principij a begging of the Question That Kings alledged by him did that which was good but the Kings alledged by me though better persons did that which was evill CHAP. 61. A Reply to his Chap. 64. Discusser THe unknowing zeale of Constantine and other Emperors did more hurt to Christ Jesus his Church and Kingdome then the raging fury of the most bloudy Neroes In the persecution of those wicked Emperors Christians were sweet and fragrant like spice pounded in Morters But those good Emperors persecuting some erroneous persons and advancing the Professors of some truthes and maintaining their Religion by the materiall Sword by this meanes Christianity was eclipsed The Professors of it fell asleepe Cant. 5. Babel was usher'd in and by degrees the Churches of the Saints were turned into the Wildernesse of whole Nations Rev. 12.13 untill the whole world became Christian or Christendome Those good Emperors intending to exalt Christ but not attending to the command of Christ Jesus to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world they made the Garden of the Church and Field of the world all one c. Defender If the unknowing zeale of Constantine other Christian Emperors did more hurâ— to the Church then the raging fury of bloudy Neroes It was not because the raging fury of those Persecutors was more accepted of God then this unknowing zeale of the good Emperors For though the unknowing zeale of the one was finfull yet it was the friut of humane frialty Error Amoris But the rage of the others was divelish fury Amor Erroris Besides the unknowing zeale of the good Emperors lay not in punishing notorious Hereticall Seducers nor will the Discusser be ever able to shew that the Church of Christ suffered any hurt at all by that meanes The contrary is evident Constantius and Valens by Tolerating and favoring the Arians the whole world became Arian Ingemuit orbis Christianus et miratus est factum se esse Arianum
Now whether be the greater mischeife the whole world to become Arian or to become Christian Let Christians judge The Discusser indeed speaketh of it as a soliscisme in Religion that the whole world should become Christian and quoteth for it Rev. 12. and 13. But Rev. 12. speaketh nothing to the purpose and Revel 13. speaketh of it as a marveilous evill that the whole world should wonder after the Beast ver 3. But their wondering after the Beast not a becoming Christian for they were that before nor did it spring onely from the unknowing zeale of Christian Emperors in persecuting Apostate Hereticks But rather from their sinful Indulgence in the Toleration of Hereticks in Doctrine and Idolaters in Worship For had they been zealous and watchfull against such how is it possible that ever Antichrist should have been hatched up to carry the world after him into such a notorious Apostacy It was not persecution that made the world Christian but Toleration that made the world Antichristian Furthermore the hurt of the unknowing zeale of good Emperors did to the Church came in also another way by advancing Church-Officers to Mountaines of high preferments and settled indowments Rev. 8.8 9. The Church never tooke hurt by the punishment of Hereticks Moreover when God advanced Constantine and other good Emperors to sit on the Throne It is true the Church soone became a wildernesse but that came not to passe because those Emperors forced Pagans into Church-Fellowship by the materiall Sword as the Discusser intimateth but untruly But because the common sort are willing to follow the example of great ones Regis ad exemplum totus componitur Orbis as also because of the sleepinesse of the watchmen the Elders of the Churches who should not have suffered such store of Tares to come into the communion of the Church Had the world renounced their Paganisme and professed Christ to be the Sonne of God but yet had been kept out of the Fellowship of the Church till they had approved their profession by a sincere Christian conversation It had been no soliscisme at all howsoever the Discusser judge of it though the whole world had been come Christian and stiled Christendome But it is too grosse and palpable a mistake to make this the cause why the Garden of the Church and the Field of the world became all one because the zeale of Christian Emperors intending to exalt Christ did not attend to the command of Christ to permit the Tares to grow in the Field of the world For they did permit them to live in the Field of the world they seldome or never put any to death for Hereticall pravity though it had bin better they had so done with some of them But onely exiled them from such Cities and Countryes as were most Populous where if they had continued they might have had too great an opportunity of spreading their leaven which as the Apostle speaketh fretteth like a Gangrene 1 Tim. 2.17 CHAP. 62. A Reply to his Chap. 65. Discusser I Desire you to glance your eye on this not unworthy observation how fully this Answere hath learned the Language of Lyon like Persecution c. for thus he writeth more and greater Princes then these you mention have not Tolerated Hereticks and Schismatiks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their Arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings T is true these termes Hereticks or wilfully obstinate and Schismaticks are used in holy writ t is true also that such pretend Conscience and Arrogate the Crowne of Martyrdome to their sufferings But this is the common clamour of Persecutors against the witnesses of Jesus in all ages you are Hereticks Schismaticks factious Seditious rebellious Defender If it be true that these be Scripture termes and by his owne acknowledgement truly applyable to Hereticks and Schismaticks then it seemeth the Discusser hath learned this Language of Ashdod that the Scripture it self and Truth it selfe speaketh the roaring Language of Lyon-like Persecution For he acknowledgeth the Scripture useth the same termes and Truth verefieth the same things In Summe It is as much to say as Paul had learned the roaring and railing Language of Lyon-like Pharoah Pharoah told the Children of Israel yee are idle yee are idle Exod. 5.17 And Paul had learned to say as much to the Cretians by his Letter to Titus The Cretians are alwayes liars evill beasts and flow bellyes Tit. 1.12 But is it so indeed may not the same reproofe unjustly cast upon Gods servants be justly applyed to Gods enemies wâ—en by the Discussers owne confessiâ—n it may be applyed truly If Persecutors misapply Scripture Termes rebukes to Christs Witnesses falsely may not a servant of God apply the same truly as the Scripture applyeth them but he shall be thought to learne to speake not the Language of Scripture but the Language of persecutors Discusser Ob it is hard for Gods Children to fall to Opinion and practise of Persecution without ready learning the Language thereof And doubtlesse that soule that can so readily learne Babels Language hath cause to feare that he hath not yet in Point of Worship left the gates or suburbs of it Defender If this Language used by me be the Termes of Scripture and by the acknowledgement of Truth rightly applyed then it is the Language of Canaan and not of Babel What Language they have learned who in point of Worship have left Zion but not the gates and Suburbs of Babel for they set up Bulwaâ—ks of Impunity to secure them Let themselves in the feare of God confider But what Language is it to speake of me as having learned the opinion practise of persecution I desiâ—e the God of Truth to teach him to know It is the Language of him that stood not in the Truth and of such also as call evill good and good evill Discusser Againe in blaming Julian the Apostate and Valens the Arian for Tolerating all weeds to grow he noteth their sinfull end that thereby they might choake the vitalls of Christianity and seemeth herein to consent on a speech of Jerome That the weeds of false Religions tolerated have a Power to kill true Christianity in the Church But when Christianity began to be choaked It was not when Christians lodged in cold Prisons but Downe-Beds of ease and Persecuted others Defender I noted indeed the sinfull end of Julian the Apostate in tolerating all Religions and Heresies to aime at the choaking of the vitalls of Christianity Of Valens I noted the like finfull practise of Tolerating all Religions but did not expresse his end But what I spake of the end concerned Julian and I spâ—ke of it not of mine owne imagination though he that shall read the stories of his Apostacy and malignity against the Name of Christ and Christians might easily beleive and speake it without rashnesse but I speake it out of a grave and judicious Authour who lived neere those times I meane Aligustine who in his 166
once and againe out of the Church of Alexandria once whist he was Deacon as Sozomene reporteth in Lib. 1. Ecclesiast Historia Chap. 14. And though afterwards he got into the Church againe yet he was againe excommunicated when he was Presbyter and cast out of his Presbytery as Socrates reporteth in his lib. 1. Ecclesiast Hastoria Cap. 6. of the Greek Edition Chap. 3. of the latine So that Hierome complaining of the great hurt which the sparke of Arius did because he was not timely put out he did not meane of putting out of the Church which was done timely enough and twice for failing but because he was not put out either out of the world or at least out of the Confines of Neighbour Churches Say not yet Paul doubtlesse spake of putting out of the Church For though that be true yet now the Question is not of Pauls judgement in this place but of Hieromes judgement which the Author of the Letter alledgeth as a witnesse for himselfe and the Discusser would maintaine it though Ieromes words will not beare it It argueth men are more led by will then judgement to uphold a cause when the witnesses which themselves produce beare witnesse against them Neither let any man say That this graunt of his That Heresie must be cut off with the Sword of the spirit doth imply an absolute sufficiency in the Sword of the Spirit to cut it downe according to 2 Cor 10.4 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 offender for the mortifying of his flesh for the saying of his soule and for the cleansing of the Church from the fellowship of that guilt yet if an Hereticke still continue obstinate and persist in seducing creepe into Houses lead captive silly 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 Discusser But the eye of this Answerer could never be so obscured as to run to a Smiths shop for a Sword of Iron and steele to help the Sword of the Spirit if the Sunne of righteousnesse had once been pleased to shew him That a Nationall Church which elswhere he professeth against a State-Church whether explicite as in Old England or implicite as in New is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus Christ The Nationall Typicall-State-Church of the Jewes necessarily called for such weapons But the particular Churches of Christ in all parts of the world consisting of Jewes and Gentiles is powerfully able to defend it selfe and offend men and Divells although the State and Kingdome wherein the Churches be had neither carnall Sword nor Speare as once it was in the Nationall Church in the Land of Canaan 1 Sam. 13. Defender I should think mine eye were very obscure indeed if I should run to a Smiths shop to fetch the Authority of the civill Magistrate from thence or if I should thinke his Authority could not be put forth against all evill doers and amongst others against Hereticks without a Sword of Iron or Steele If their be stones in the streets the Magistrate need not fetch a Sword from the Smiths shop nor an Halter from the Ropers to punish an Heretick A pleasant wit can play with a feather of every flying Fancy and yet which is to be lamented bring in such light conceits into grave Discourses and Disputes about the holy things of God But two things let the Discusser understand 1. That the Lord through his grace hath opened mine eye many a yeare agoe to discerne that a Nationall Church is not the Institution of the Lord Jesus And himselfe confesseth that elswhere I have profest against such a Church State nor will he ever be able to make it good that the Church in New-England is implicitely any Nationall or State-Church 2. Let him understand further that I should thinke mine eye not onely obscured but the sight of it utterly put out if I should conceive as he doth That the Nationall Church State of the Jewes did necessarily call for such weapons to punish Hereticks more then the Congregationall State of particular Churches doth call for the same now in the dayes of the New-Testament For was not the Nationall Church of the Iewes as compleately furnished with spirituall Armour to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells as the particular Churches of the New-Testament be Had they not power to convince false Prophets as Elijah did the Prophets of Baal Had they not power to seperate all evil doers from the fellowship of the Congregation what power have our particular Churches now which their Nationall Church wanted or what efficacy is their found in the exercise of our power which was wanting to them If it be said Their Nation was an holy Nation and an uncleane person might not live amongst them Ans It is true he might not enter into the Congregation with the rest of the Israelites to worship the Lord but he was permitted to live in the Common-wealth of Israel men uncercumcised both in heart and flesh It is therefore a Sophystical imagination of mans Braine to make a mans selfe or the world believe that the Nationall Church-State of the Iewes required a civill Sword whereas the particular Church-State of the Gospel needs no such help Why not I pray you Because particular Churches are powerfully able by the Sword of the Spirit to defend themselves and to offend men or Divells And was not the Nationall Church of Israel as powerfully able by the same Spirit to doe the same Surely it was both spoken and meant of the Nationall Church of the Iewes Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hostes Zach. 4.6 And doth not the Discusser himselfe observe that time was in the Nationall Church of the Land of Canaan when there was neither carnall Speare nor Sword to be found 1 Sam. 13. And was not then the Nationall Church powerfully able by the Spirit of God to defend it selfe and to offend men and Divells aswell as particular Churches now CHAP. 69. A Reply to his Chap. 72. discussing the Testimony of Brentius Discusser BRentius upon 1 Cor. 3. saith no man hath power to make or give Lawes to Christians whereby to binde their Consciences For willingly freely and uncompelled with a ready desire and chearfull minde must those that come run unto Christ To this the Answerer returneth Brentius saith he speaketh not to your cause Wee willingly graunt you that man hath no power to binde Conscience but this hindereth not that men may see the Lawes of God observed which doe binde Conscience But the graunting this That men have no power to make Lawes to binde Conscience overthroweth such his Tenent and practise as restraine men from their worship
to the soules and Consciences of men Secondly that the Church of Christ doth not use the Arme of secular power to compell men to the true profession of the Truth For this is to be done with spirituall weapons whereby Christians are to be exhorted and compelled But this saith he hindereth not That Christians sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience may justly be censured of the Church by Excommunication and of the civill Magistrate also in case they shall corrupt others to the perdition of their soules This Joynt-confession of the Answerer with Luther to wit that the Government of the civill Magistrate extendeth no further then over the bodyes and goods of their Subjects not over their soules who seeth not that hereby is given a cleare Testimony that either the spirituall and Church Estate the preaching of the word Baptisme Ministery Government thereof belongeth to the civill body of the Common-wealth that is to the bodies and goods of men which seemeth monstrous to Imagine or else that the civill Magistrate cannot without exceeding the bounds of his Office meddle with those spirituall Affaires Defender A man that is willing to open his eyes may easily see that though the Government of the civill Magistrate doe extend no further then over the bodies and goods of his Subjects yet he may and ought to improve that power over their bodies and goods to the good of their soules yea and by promoting the good of their soules he may much advance the good of their outward man also The bodies and goods and outward Estates of men may expect a blessing when their soules prosper Though God may keep his Saints low in outward Estate that grow fastest in Godlinesse yet sure Godlinesse hath the Promises of this life and of a better 1 Tim. 4.8 And such as first seeke the Kingdome of God may expect all these outward things to be cast in upon them If it seeme a monstrous thing in the eyes of the Discusser to imagine that the good Estate of the Church and the well-ordering of the Ordinances of God therein should concerne the civill good of the Common-wealth it may well seeme monstrous to him to imagine that the flourishing of Religion is the flourishing of the civill State and the decay of Religion is the decay and ruine of the civill State But such Virgine soules as follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Rev. 14.4 would be loath to goe to live in such a Common-wealth to whom it should seeme monstrous that the things of God should belong to them And therefore the Magistrate need not to feare that he should exceed the bounds of his Office if he should meddle with the spirituall affaires of the Church in Gods way It is true if he shall meddle with the execution of a Ministers Office as Vzziah did or if he shall set up humane Inventions in Doctrine Worship Government in stead of Christs Institutions as David brought the Arke of God upon Oxen instead of the shoulders of the Levites Or if he shall thrust in Jeroboams Priests upon the Church and cast out faithfull Ministers or if he shall make Lawes to bind Conscience in all these or any such Like he exceedeth the bounds of his Office But if he shall diligently seeke after the Lord and read in the word of the Lord all the dayes of his life Deut. 17.19 that he may both live as a Christian and rule as a Christian if he shall seeke to establish and advance the Kingdome of Christ more then his owne If he shall incourage the good in a Christian course and discourage such as have evill will to Sion and punish none for matter of Religion but such as subvert the Principles of saving Truth which no good Christian much lesse good Magistrate can be ignorant of or at least such as disturbe the Order of the Gospel in a turbulent way verily the Lord will build up and establish the House and Kingdome of such Princes as doe thus build up his Discusser Againe necessarily it must follow that these two are contradictory to themselves which yet both of them are Mr. Cottons Positions the Magistrates Power extends no further then to the bodyes and goods of the Subject and yet The Magistrate must punish Christians for sinning against the Light of Faith and Conscience and for corrupting the soules of men Defender If the Christian Faith and a good Conscience be a part and a great part a chiefe part of the good of Christians then these two are so farre from contradicting one another that they establish one another For if a Magistrates power extend to the preserving of the Goods of the Subject and to the punishment of the Impeachers or purloyners thereof then he falleth short of his duty if he suffer their Faith and good Conscience to be corrupted or dispoyled without revenge Againe this I say further which also will easily avoyde appearance of Contradiction suppose by Goods were meant onely outward Goods and that the Magistrates power extended no further then the bodies and goods of the Subjects yet though he have no power over Faith and Conscience he hath neverthelesse lawfull power to punish such evill doers in their Bodies and goods as doe seduce his people to make shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience For in seeking Gods Kingdome and Righteousnesse men prosper in their outward Estates Matth. 6.33 otherwayes they decay Besides I doe not remember that this Proposition is any of mine which yet the Discusser fastneth upon me that the Magistrates power extendeth no further then the bodies and Goods of his Subjects I doe not deny the Truth of it rightly understood but it seemeth to me somewhat too loose and confused for me to owne it as mine own For the Magistrates power may be said to extend no further then the bodyes and Goods of his Subjects either as the Subject of his power or as the end of his power If Goods be meant outward Goods and the Magistrates power be said to extend no further then to the body and Goods of his Subjects as to the Object of his power the Position is true But if it be meant of the end of his power as if a Magistrates power reached no further then to the preservation of their bodyes and outward Goods it is false For the Adequate end of the Magistrates power is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè administrare Rempublicam well to governe the Common-wealth Now can it be well with a Common-wealth that liveth in bodily health and worldly wealth but yet without Church without Christ without God in the world But though God for a time may preserve a civill State in health and wealth through his Patience and bounty especially till meanes of Grace be offered to them yet after meanes of Grace be offered they cannot long expect bodily health or wealth to be continued to them if they neglect or despise or depart from so great salvation Witnesse the Romane Empire which though it
abounded in worldly blessings till the Lord Jesus came riding forth amongst them upon a White Horse of the Gospel of his Grace yet after they neglected so great Salvation then followed a Red Horse of Warre and a black Horse of Famine and a Pale Horse of Pestilence and other Judgements which much impeached both the health and wealth of that State and would have ruined it had it not cast away her Idolls and advanced the Scepter of the Lord Jesus Now the God of all Grace be pleased at length to shake the heart of this Discusser that he may not thus delight to seduce himselfe and others against the Light of Grace and Conscience against Reason and Experience Discusser Againe in the Answerers Joynt-confession with Luther that the Church doth not use the secular power to compell men to the Faith and Profession of the Truth he condemneth as before I have observed 1. His former implication that they may be compelled when they are convinced of the Truth of it Defender This implication where it was formerly observed it hath been formerly cleared from implication of Contradiction I have never said that after men be convinced of the Truth they may be compelled to the Profession of it by any penalties but onely by withdrawing such favours as are not comely or safe for faithlesse persons Discusser 2. He condemneth their owne Practise who suffer no man of any different Conscience and worship to live in their Jurisdiction unlesse he depart from the Exercise of his owne Religion and worship differing from that allowed of in their civill Estate yea and also actually submit to come to their Church Defender This charge of the Discusser let him consider if it be not contradictory to his owne Relation chap. 60. where he saith wee permit and tolerate the Indians in their Paganish worship which wee might restraine Yet here he saith we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction Neither is it true that we suffer no man of any different Conscience or worship to live in our Jurisdiction For not to speake of Presbyterians who doe not onely live amongst us but exercise their publick Ministry without disturbance there be Anabaptists and Antinomians tolerated to live not onely in our Jurisdictions but even in some of our Churches Yea saith the Discusser but they must actually submit to come to our Church I cannot say nor doe I beleive that any man is compelled to come to our Church against his Conscience Nay we are so farre from that and that the Discusser is not ignorant of that our Churches doe not expostulate with our Members who heare in England no not then when there was more difference from us in manner of worship then through the mercy of God now there is The which the Discusser himselfe hath declared to have been no little Offence unto himselfe Which maketh me the more to marvell that he should now charge it upon us that we compell all to come to heare in our Churches against their Consciences when he is wont to be offended that we suffer them to heare in any true Church though polluted according to their Consciences Discusser Howsoever they cover the matter with this varnish that none are compelled further unto their Churches then unto the hearing of the word unto which all men are bound yet it will appeare that Teaching and being taught in a Church Estate is a Church-worship as true-and proper a Church-worship as is the Supper of the Lord Acts 2.46 I cannot call to mind that either upon that colour or any other any man in this Country was ever compelled to heare the word of God in any of our Churches in this Country But there is indeed some colour for the varnish he speaketh of but not that which he pretendeth our compulsion of any man for to heare but a controversie with himselfe upon another occasion as I remember The Discusser sometimes endeavoured to draw away the Church of Salem whereof he was sometime Teacher from holding Communion with all the Churches in the Bay because wee tolerated our Members to heare the word in the Parishes of England Wee to satisfie him in that held forth that which here he calleth a varnish that hearing was a common Duty lying upon all men where the word of God was truly taught He replyed as he doth now that Teaching and hearing in a Church-Estate is Church worship Acts 2.46 To which we gave Answer as now againe That though Teaching and being taught in a Church-Estate be Church-worship according to Acts 2.46 yet it is not a Church-worship but to such as are in a Church-Estate To all it is an holy Ordinance of Gods worship and a Christian Duty And though Teaching and hearing doth imply a Relation yet not a Church-relation There is a relation between a Teacher and a Learner in any Art or Knowledge and there may be a nearer relation between a Preacher and an Hearer in case the Hearer be begotten to God by such a Sermon even the same relation as is between a spirituall Father and Sonne but this doth not amount to Church-relation and Communion till there passe some mutuall profession of Covenant explicit or implicit between them A Pagan Infidell may come into a Christian Church-Assembly to heare the word and may be convinced and converted by it as suppose he in Corinth 1 Corinthians 14.24 25. yet is he not therefore joyned in Church-Estate and Fellowship with them without profession of acknowledgement and acceptance Discusser Secondly all persons Papist and Protestant that are Conscientious have alwayes suffered upon this ground especially that they have refused to come to each others Church or meeting Defender It is too large an Hyperbole to affirme that all persons that are Conscientious whether Papist or Protestant have alwayes suffered upon this ground Are no men conscientious but such as have suffered upon this ground are there not many that were never put upon this Tryall and are not many conscientious that never scrupled this point and are there not many conscientious that have suffered upon other points that never suffered upon this point Besides though many conscientious Protestants and Papists doe refuse to heare in each others Assembly or Church it is not because such hearing doth implant them into their Church-State but out of feare to be leavened with their corrupt Doctrine or polluted with some other part of false worship CHAP. 71. A Reply to his Chap. 74. Touching the Testimony of the Papists against Persecution Discusser AS for the Testimony of the Popish Booke saith the Answerer wee veigh it not as knowing what ever they speake for toleration of Religion where themselves are under Hatches yet when themselves come to sit at Sterne they Judge and practise quite contrary as both their writings and judiciall proceedings have testified to the world these many yeares But for Answer to him though both their writings and practises have been such yet the
Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes which vanished at the appearing of the Body and substance of the Sun of Righteousnesse who set up another Kingdome or Church Heb. 12. Ministery and Worship In which wee finde no such Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men for Religion sake Defender Whether these shafts be taken from the Quiver of the Ceremoniall and Typicall State of the Nationall Church of the Jewes or no Sure this Answer is taken from no Law of God nor any Scripture ground but from the Topicks of humane invention Did ever any Apostle or Evangilist make the judiciall Lawes of Moses concerning life and death Ceremoniall or Typicall Time was when humane inventions in Gods Worship were accounted Superstition but now humane inventions in Doctrine may passe for current Evangelicall Divinity It is true the Sunne of Righteousnesse hath set up another Church Ministery and Worship But did he ever set up another civill Righteousnesse or a M gistracy to walke by another rule of Righteousnesse then that which God gave by Moses If it be true that Christ gave no expresse Ordinance Precept or Precedent of killing men by materiall Swords for Religion sake It is as true that neither did he for any breach of civill Justice no not for murder nor adultry Which maketh it therefore evident that seeing he hath expresly authorized civill Magistracy in the New-Testament and hath given no expresse Lawes or Rules of Righteousnesse for them to walke by in Administration of civill Justice therefore either he leaveth them to act and rule without a Rule which derogateth from the perfection of Scripture or else they must fetch their rules of Righteousnesse from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets who have expounded him in the Old-Testament Discusser More particularly concerning Moses I Querie what Commandement or practise of Moses either Optatus or the Answerer here intendâ—th Probably that of Moses Deut. 13. If so I shall particularly Reply to that in Answer to the reasons here under mentioned Defender When Optatus speaketh that Macarius in putting Hereticks to death had done no more then Moses had done before him It appeareth he meant not that passage of Deut. 13. but of Exod. 32. where he put to death Idolaters and that of Levit. 24. where he put the Blasphemer to death For Optatus speaketh of what Moses had done not what Moses had commanded to be done But I shall God willing consider his Answer if it come in my way Discusser Concerning Phinehas his zealous Act. 1. His flaying the Jsraelitish man and woman of Midian was not for spirituall but corporall filthynesse Defender Was it for bodily or corporal filthinesse Surely for spiritual For the Israelites that committed whoredome with the daughters of the Land they were invited to the Sacrifices of their God And being invited they did eat and bowed downe to their Gods and so joyned themselves to Baal Peor this is plaine in the text Numb 25.1 2 3. Now I doe not know that corporall filthynesse betweene a young man and single woman was any Capitall Crime by the Law of Moses But the Discusser contenteth himself if any thing be said it may goe for an Answer Discusser 2. No man will produce this fact as Precedentiall to any Minister of the Gospel so to act in any Civill State c. Defender It is true it is no Precedent for Ministers but the fact so clearely acknowledged and approved and rewarded of God is doubtlesse an act of righteousnesse to have been done by some in their ordinary calling to wit by Moses and the Princes of Israel which Phinehas did by an extraordinary motion God is not wont to approve any act of holynesse or righteousnesse though never so extraordinary which doeth not fall under the ordinary Rule of holynesse and righteousnesse in the ordinary calling of some or other Function which himselfe hath ordained Therefore though Phinehas his fact be no Precedent for Ministers of the Gospel yet it is Precedentiall to such as beare not the Sword in vaine but for the punishment of evill doers Discusser Concerning Elijah There were two famous acts of Elijah of a killing nature 1. That of slaying 850. of Baals Prophets 1 Kings 18. 2. Of the two Captaines and their fiftyes by Fyre For the first It cannot figure or Type out any materiall slaughter of the many thousands of false Prophets in the world by any materiall Sword of Iron or steele for as that passage was miraculous so wee finde not any such Commission given by the Lord Jesus to the Ministers of the Gospel Defender It will doe the Discusser no hurt to take notice that he that is forward to take hold of any slip of Pen or memory is subject to the like slips himself The number of the false Prophets which he saith were slayne by Elijah exceedeth the Truth by halfe in halfe the Text numbreth them 450. and he numbreth them 850. Againe it is a vaine thing to inquire what this fact of Elijah should figure or Type out Acts of Morall Justice though they may sometimes be extraordinary yet they are never accounted Typicall or Figurative but by such as would transforme all the Scripture into an Allegory Besides why should he call the fact Miraculous Is it a miracle for Elijah with the aide of so many thousand people of Israel â—o put to death 450. men whose spirits were discouraged being convinced of their forgery and Idolatry Moreover Though Christ gave no such Commission to Ministers of the Gospel to put false Prophets to death as Elijah did yet the same Answer holdeth here which was given to the fact of Phinehas though the hand which executed Justice was extraordinary yet the act of Justice was an ordinary duty of Morall Righteousnesse belonging to such as beare the Sword Discusser Lastly such a slaughter must not onely extend to all the false Prophets in the world but according to the Answerers grounds to the many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world Defender Such a slaughter being onely made of the false Prophets in Israel a people in Covenant with the true and living God the example of it will onely extend to the like execution of all the false Prophets in the Church of God who have turned the hearts of the People of God from Jehovah to an Idol What hath any Officer in the Church or Magistrate in the Common-wealth to doe to censure or punish all the false Prophets in the world when many hundreds of them if not thousands are exempt from their jurisdiction muchlesse will this example extend to the floughter of many thousands of thousands of Idolaters and false worshippers in the Kingdomes and Nations of the world For 1. many thousand thousands of them are exempt from the civill Magistracy of Christians 2. They were never in Covenant with God to whom onely the Law of Moses concerning the punishment of Idolaters
the Church be not nursed with poison in stead of milke And in so doing they keepe the first Table Reforme the Church judge in causes Ecclesiasticall Againe If the the same Princes shall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth and lick the dust of her feet as the same Text expresseth then they being members of the Church shall be subject also to Church-Censure In one word Princes sit on the Bench over the Church in the offensive Government of the Church yet may themselves being members of the Church be subject to Church-Censure in the offensive Government of themselves against the Rules of the Gospel The Examiner himselfe contesseth that in severall respects He that is a governor may be also a Subject Behold here are severall respects to wit severall objects of Judicature In the Mal-Administration of the Church the Magistrate sitteth as Judge and Governor in the Mal-Administration of a Church-Member-Magistrate contrary to the expresse rules of the Gospel he is subject to the power of Christ in the Church If it be said nay rather The Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall causes I Answer That easeth not the difficulty no more then the other For suppose the Magistrate a Church member live in Incest breake forth into murder and notorious oppression these are all civill causes belonging to the second Table If the Magistrate sit as Judge and supreme Governor in this case then must the Church tolerate him herein to the dishonour of the great Name of Christ to the leavening of the Church and to the perdition of his soule If it be granted that in such a case though civill the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magistrate and not to suffer sinne upon him let the like power be granted to the Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious transgressions of the first Table as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious transgressions of the second Table and the controversie is ended If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Magistrate the Supreme Judge and Governor in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as civill I doe not understand that the Ministers or Churches of Christ are called to acknowledge such a meaning Sure I am the Interpretation of that high stile which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth And the same Interpretation if no more be intended by that stile doth well stand with our defence But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harvest of my Brethren my Brethren who penned that Modell are richly furnished by Christ with ability to defend it I therefore leave it to them whom it cheifly concerneth to maintaine the Truth which themselves have witnessed in that Modell And the Lord Jesus Christ himself the God of Truth who came into the world that he might beare witnesse to the Truth be pleased to beare witnesse from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl … that peace a fraudulent and false peace which the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falshood in Religion to Heresie in Doctrine to Idolatry in worship to blasphemy of the great Name of God to Pollution and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces Amen Even So Come Lord Jesus A REPLY TO Mr. VVILLIAMS his EXAMINATION And Answer of the Letters sent to him by JOHN COTTON SUch a Letter to such a purpose I doe remember I wrote unto Mr. Williams about halfe a score yeares agoe But whether this printed Letter be a true Copie thereof or no I doe not know for the Letter being sent so long since and no Copie of it that I can finde reserved by me I can own it no further then I finde the matter and style expressing the judgement which I then had of his cause of Separation and the affection I bare unto his person And for ought I see the Letter doth not unfitly expresse both But how it came to be put in print I cannot imagine Sure I am it was without my privitie and when I heard of it it was to me unwelcome Newes as knowing the truth and weight of Plinies speech Aliud est scribere uni aliud omnibus There be who thinke it was published by Mr. Williams himselfe or by some of his friends who had the Copie from him Which latter might be the more probable because himselfe denieth the publishing of it and it sticketh in my mind that I received many yeares agoe a refutation of it in a brotherly and ingenuous way from a stranger to me but one as I heare well affected to him Mr. Sabine Staresmore To whom I had long agoe returned an Answer but that he did not direct me where my Letter might find him But I doe not suspect Mr. Staresmore nor Mr. Williams himselfe to have published it but rather some other unadvised Christian who having gotten a copie of the Letter tooke more libertie then God alloweth to draw forth a private Admonition to publick notice in a disorderly way But howsoever it was upon the publishing of this Letter Mr. Williams hath taken occasion as is observed by some who are acquainted with the Spirit of the man first to rise up against me the meanest of many in the examining and resuting of that Letter And then as if one Mordecai were too small a morsell to stand forth against all the Churches and Elders in New-England in his Bloudy Tenent And then as if New-England were but an handfull from thence to rise up against the choisest Ornaments of two populous Nations England and Scotland the reverend Assembly of Divines together with the reverend Brethren of the Apology and above them all to addresse himselfe according to his high thoughts to propound Quaeries of high concernment as he calleth them to the High and Honourable Court of Parliament So a Bird of prey affecting to soare aloft getteth first upon the top of a molehill and from thence taketh his rise from Pale to Tree till he have surmounted the highest Mountaines In this apprehension of him they are the more confirmed as having discerned the like frame of Spirit in his former walking amongst us Time was when of all Christian Churches the Churches of New-England were accounted and professed by him to be the most pure and of all the Churches in New-England Salem where himselfe was Teacher to be the most pure But when the Churches of New-England tooke just offence at sundry of his proceedings he first renounced communion with them all and because the Church of Salem refused to joyne with him in such a groundlesse Censure he then renounced communion with Salem also And then fell off from his Ministery and then from all Church-fellowship and then from his Baptisme and was himselfe baptized againe and then from the Lords Supper and
against him was an act of Persecution 3. Nor did I ever see cause to doubt but that in some cases such as this of his was Banishment is a lawfull and just punishment if it be in proper speech a punishment at all in such a Countrey as this is where the Jurisdiction whence a man is banished is but small and the Countrey round about it large and fruitfull where a man may make his choice of variety of more pleasant and profitable seats then he leaveth behinde him In which respect Banishment in this Countrey is not counted so much a confinement as an enlargement where a man doth not so much loose civill comforts as change them And as for spirituall liberties liberty of Church Ordinances they were a burden and bondage to his spirit here And therefore he cast them off before they left him neither doth he to this day look at it as a way of God for any Christian man to look after the Ordinances of God in a Church-estate at all As conceiving that the Apostasie of Antichrist hath so farre corrupted all that there can be no recovery out of that Apostasie till Christ shall send forth new Apostles to plant Churches anew But as for the true cause why I medled not in his civill Censure it was chiefly because Civill Censures belong unto another Kingdome then that which we are called to administer Civill Censures are not the weapons of our warfare and partly also because I was carried as still I am with a compassion of his Person and likewise of his wife a woman as then of a meek and modest spirit who a long time suffered in spirit as I was informed for his offensive course which occasioned him for a season to withdraw communion in spirituall duties even from her also till at length he drew her to partake with him in the errour of his way But Mr. Williams affirmeth That in Letters past between him and me he proved and exprest that if he had perished in that sorrowfull winters flight onely the bloud of Christ could have washed me from the guilt of his Answ That he did expresse such a thing in some Letters to me as I doe not remember it so neither will I deny it but that he proved it I may as safely deny it as he boldly affirme it Could he then have given any such proofes doubtlesse he would not have concealed them now when he undertaketh to cleare to the world the pretended innocency of himselfe and the supposed iniquitie of his supposed Persecutors How precious the bloud of Christ is to me and how needfull I blesse the Lord my soule knoweth but that I needed it to wash away the guilt of any injurious proceedings against the bloud of Mr. Williams I speake it in holy confidence I never discerned it to this day The proofes which he alledgeth in the sequell for my hand in his Banishment I shall God willing cleare them anon in due place Meane while what answers I made to him concerning the same in other Letters he wisely concealeth but contenteth himselfe to tell us that my finall Answer was That had he perished in his flight his bloud had been upon his own head It was his sinne to procure it and his sorrow to suffer it If this was my finall Answer it seemeth I gave him other former Answers what they were I have now forgotten but I suppose had they been insufficient or impertinent I should have heard of them But what is amisse in this finall Answer The margent noteth it as an unmercifull speech of a mercifull man But when it shall please the Father of mercies of soften the heart of Mr. Williams and to give him an heart and eare to hearken unto the wholesome Counsell of his true friends he will at length see the speech was truly mercifull as well as the man that spake it When a Fountaine is opened to Hierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse the Prophets who have deceived the people shall at length see and acknowledge their errour and being demanded the cause of the wounds in their hands They shall answer each of them for himselfe thus was I wounded in the house of my Friends Zach. 13.1 with verses 4 5 6. An heart softened with the Bloud of Christ will judge the wounds of his friends faithfull Prov. 27.6 I meane such reproofes for sinne which though they may seeme to wound yet wound to heale David thought such smiting to be a kindnesse yea an excellent Oyle which doth not breake the head but heale the heart Psal 141.5 There is one thing more in his Epistle to the Reader which calleth for Answer It cannot now saith he be justly offensive that finding this Letter publick by whose procurement I know not I now present to publick view my formerly intended Answer Answ It had not been offensive to me that he did present his Answer to publick view if he found my Letter publick without his own or his friends procurement especially if his Answer had been returned in words of truth and faithfulnesse Which how farre they fall short of I hope by the help of Christ will appeare in the sequell Meane while I feare it is justly offensive to the Spirit of Grace and Love That whereas he judged me to allow my selfe and others to rest securely in the Doctrine and Practise of bloudy Persecution that all this while even for the space of nine or ten yeares he suffered me to sleep so long so quietly under the guilt of such a crying sinne Nay it may seeme by his own words if he had not found my Letter publick it may be doubted whether ever I should have heard any further word from him hereabouts at all If I had been esteemed as a Brother sinne should not have been suffered to lie so long upon a Brother Levit. 19.17 If an enemy yet the very Oxe or Asse of an enemy is not to be suffered to lye so long groveling under his burden Deut. 22.4 But when he addeth in the next sentence That he rejoyceth in the goodnesse and wisedome of him who is the Father of lights and mercies in ordering the season of his own present opportunitie of Answer I confesse we on the contrary have cause to admire and adore the wisdome and dreadfull Justice of God herein That seeing Mr. Williams hath been now as a branch cut off from the Church of Salem these many yeares he should bring forth no spirituall good fruits in due season and that which he bringeth forth now at the last is bitter and wild fruit and that in such a season when the Spirit of Error is let loose to deceive so many thousand soules of our English Nation So that now their hearts are become as Tinder ready to catch and kindle at every sparke of false light Even so O Father because thy good pleasure is such to let loose this Spirit of Error in the mouth of this Backslider in the very houre and power of darknesse
for these are the dayes of vengeance when the Antinomians deny the whole Law the Anti-Sabbatarians deny the Morality of the fourth Commandement the Papists deny the Negative part of the second Commandement It is a wofull opportunitie that God hath left Mr. Williams to now to step in and deny the Affirmative part of it also as the Papists doe the Negative and so He and the Papists to combine together to evacuate the whole second Commandement altogether For take away as Mr. Williams doth all Instituted worship of God as Churches Pastors Teachers Elders Deacons Members publick Ministery of the Word Covenant Seales of the Covenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper the Censures of the Church and the like what is then left of all the Institutions and Ordinances of God which the Lord established in the second Commandement against the Institutions Images and Inventions of men in his worship But it is an holy wisdome and righteousnesse of the Lord that he that refuseth the Communion with the Churches of the Saints should joyne in communion with the enemies of the Saints even Antichristians and that in such a worke as to blot out and extinguish that holy second Commandement of the Law The violating whereof kindleth the jealousie of the most High and the observation thereof would have opened a doore of mercy to a thousand Generations It is no vaine word of our Saviour He that shall breake one of the least Commandements and shall Teach men so to doe he shall be called the least in the kingdome of Heaven This advice would I shut up this Point withall if I had any hope of an open eare in him to heare it he that separateth from all Churches and all Ordinances let him at last separate also from himselfe and so he shall then be better able to discerne the way to returne againe unto holy Communion with the Lord and his people Let me conclude this Preface with this Advertisement to the Reader who may perhaps marvell that I now so much against my usuall custome should lay open the nakednesse of another to publick view I blesse the Lord I am not ignorant That love covereth a multitude of offences and that the Disciples of Christ when they are reviled are taught to Blesse And therefore were the case meerely mine own and all the reproaches and slanders cast upon my selfe had terminated in my selfe I should have been as a deafe man and as a dumb man that openeth not his lips But when through my sides not onely so many Elders and Churches in this Countrey who had as much or more influence into his sufferings as my selfe and yet none of us any further influence then by private and publick conviction of himselfe and of the demerit of his way yea when Courts of Justice suffer for Justice sake yea further when the Truth and Righteousnesse of God also suffer for inflicting just recompence of reward upon the disturbers of Civill and sacred Truth and Peace and under pretence of maintaining Liberty of Conscience Purity of Conscience is violated and destroyed In such a case as this just it is and equall rather that the name of an evill-worker should justly suffer then that the name of God called upon Judgement seats upon the Churches of Christ and upon the Ministers of the Gospel should unjustly suffer for his sake To his CHAP. I. MY Letter to Mr. Williams which he undertaketh to Examine and Answer began it seemeth with this Compellation of him Beloved in Christ For I considered he had been not onely a member but an Officer of the Church at Salem and though from thence he was then Excommunicate yet I took the Apostles Commandement for a Rule Account him not as an enemy but Admonish him as a Brother 2 Thes 3.14 If a Brother of the Church though cast out of the Church yet not cast out of Christ then in Christ at least in judgement of charity And if in Christ though but in judgement of charity yet in charity to be Beloved But saith Mr. Williams how can it be well-pleasing to Christ that one beloved in Christ should be so afflicted and persecuted by himselfe and others for such causes as to be denyed the common ayre 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 an howling Wildernesse Answ If Mr. Williams may be Judge in his own cause himselfe hath been persecuted without mercy and without humane compassion And which the more concerneth my selfe to enquire into he hath been so persecuted by me and some others but chiefly it should seeme by me for I onely am charged herewith by name and those others who ever they were are not so much as described much lesse expresly named But such Priests and Persons as be thus partiall in the Law the Holy Ghost threatneth to make them base and contemptible in the eyes of all the People Mal. 2.9 Which the Lord give him to foresee and feare that he may timely prevent such a Judgement But to weigh his words particularly Persecution is the affliction of another for Righteousnesse sake Now two things it will be requisite for Mr. Williams to prove to make good his charge 1. That the cause for which he suffered was a cause of Righteousnesse 2. That he suffered this Persecution which he complaineth of by me And to make this latter charge good in such manner as he layeth it upon me it were further requisite that he should prove two things more 1. That my selfe was the principall mover and actor in this his Persecution for I onely am singled out by name 2. That this hath been evidenced to him by two or three witnesses at least if he account me for an Elder of a Church 1 Tim. 5.19 But whether he account me for an Elder or no Elder I claime no priviledge of Office yet I require attendance to an eternall Law of morall Righteousnesse One witnesse shall not rise up against a man for any Iniquity or for any sinne at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall every word be established Deut. 15.15 But on the contrary if it doe appeare that the cause for which he suffered was not for Righteousnesse sake and that the affliction which he did suffer was not put upon him by me at all much lesse in any eminent and singular manner then it will behoove Mr. Williams in Conscience to understand that himselfe is the Persecutor as of other servants of God so of my selfe especially For it is a case judged by the Holy Ghost that he who mocketh or reproacheth any of the least of Christs little ones for walking in his way he is a Persecutor Gal. 4.29 It hath been the lot of the faithfull of old to be tryed by cruell mockings Heb. 11.36 If a man be publickly accused to the world as a Persecutor in case the accusation be proved true Persecution is a
is lovingly and respectively sent for and to convince them of the errour of their way before the Lord and to seek to bring them back againe to the Bishop and Shepheard of their soules Sure I am that in a case of greater defection of the Churches of Galatia then Mr. Williams imagined was found in the Church of Salem Paul did not reject them but professed I desire saith he to be present with you now and to change my voyce for I stand in doubt of you Gal. 4.20 Mr. Williams acknowledgeth in the next Paragraph That the Church of Colosse might say to Archippus Take heed to thy Ministery and that Archippus might negligently and proudly refuse to hearken to them but for his case his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to God and the soules of the people will witnesse for him when his soule shall come to Hezekiahs case on his death-bed and in the great day approaching I do not know but that Archippus might as justly refuse to hearken to the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams to the Church of Salem What though Colosse was more eminent in gifts then Salem yet the mutuall power and subjection of Pastor and people dependeth not upon eminency of gifts but upon the Institution of Christ and their mutuall Covenant and Relation If it had been a negligent and proud part in Archippus as Mr. Williams confesseth to refuse to hearken to the lawfull voyce of the Church of Colosse admonishing him of his slacknesse in his Ministery I know not but it might be such a like part in Mr. Williams to refuse to hearken to the voyce of the Church of Salem admonishing him to take heed of deserting his Ministery Whether is a greater sinne in a Minister not to fulfill his Ministery or to desert his Ministery Neither doe I know but that Archippus might have pretended the like evasions with Mr. Williams if not fairer For he might plead there were amongst them such as spoyled them through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the Traditions of men and Rudiments of the world and not after Christ Col. 2.8 that beguiled them also in a voluntary humilitie and worship of Angels not holding the Head ver 18 19. Yea so farre that themselves come to be dogmatized with the Traditions of men ver 20 21 22. And why might not then Archippus as justly refuse to heare the Church of Colosse as Mr. Williams refuse to heare the Church of Salem Let not Mr. Williams please himselfe in suiting his faithfulnesse and uprightnesse to Hezekiahs case Hezekiah faithfully and uprightly endeavoured and through grace procured the reformation of the Apostate Church of Hierusalem in the dayes of his Father Ahaz But Mr. Williams in stead of reforming one Church renounceth all For his neglect of hearkening to the second voyce the voyce and testimony of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches He saith because he truely esteemeth the Persons he will not answer the Argument of numbers and multitudes against one as our men are wont to answer the Popish universalitie that God stirreth up sometimes one Elijah against eight hundred of Baals Priests c. But this he saith that David himselfe and the Princes of Israel and 30000. of Israel carrying up the Arke were not to be hearkened unto in their holy intentions of rejoycings and triumphs when the due order of the Lord was wanting to them In which case one Scripture in the mouth of a Mechanick is to be preferred before a whole Councell Answ I will not here observe as Mr. Williams doth in a like case in Chap. 38. of his Bloudy Tenent his hast and light attention to the Scriptures which himselfe alledgeth The Text speaketh but of 450. of Baals Priests 1 Kings 18.19 Now for him to multiply them to 800 is to fetch in also the Prophets of the Groves the Prophets of Jeroboams Calves whom the Text expresly distinguisheth from the Prophets of Baal But to let that passe as not materiall to the Argument no more then the misquotation which he observeth of Titus for Timothy we will not reply as the Papists doe against single witnesses let him call for fire from Heaven as Eliah did and we will submit the testimonies of many to one single witnesse No we call not for Miracles at his hand but let him produce one testimony of holy Scripture rightly understood and applyed against the advice and voyce of those Elders and Brethren and then though he be but one yea though that one were but a Mechanick too we shall gratifie his demand and by the Grace of Christ be ready rather to hearken to him then require that he should hearken to us Meane while we answer him as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 14.36 What came the word of God out from you or came it unto you onely It is true David and the Princes and the 30000. of Israel were not to be hearkened unto nor followed in their disorderly carrying of the Arke because the word of the Lord had given expresse order to the contrary requiring that the Kohathites should beare the Arke upon their shoulders and not touch it least they dye Num. 4.15 Let him shew us the like order violated by us and we shall freely excuse him yea and justifie him in not hearkening to us nor following of us But suppose some one Prophet or Brother of Israel had discerned the disorder of David and of the whole Congregation of the 30000. of Israel and had therefore not onely refused to follow them but had proceeded further as many of Christs Disciples did with him Joh. 6.66 to goe back from them with an utter Apostasie and to walke no more with them no not though they were willing to reforme their disorder if any were made knowne to them Would Perez Vzzah have justified that Or did that disorder of David and of that Congregation of Israel dischurch them all from fellowship with God or discharge their Brethren from having any fellowship with them as with the Church of God TO CHAP. III. HIs third Chapter is taken up in answering to a Phrase in my Letter in which I had said I endeavoured to shew him the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he had banished himselfe from the fellowship of all the Churches in this Countrey The summe of his Answer is That his grounds were the firme rocke of the Truth of Jesus and that my endeavours to prove them sandy are but the weake and uncertain sand of mans Invention which shall therefore perish and burne like hay or stubble And the Rocky strength of his grounds shall appeare in the Lords season and that my selfe also may yet confesse so much as I have since I came to New-England confest the sandinesse of the grounds of many of my Practises in Old England and the rockinesse of their grounds that witnessed against me and them for Instance that himselfe had discovered to me and other servants of God his grounds against the use of the
fellowship of all the Churches in the Countrey Himselfe hath separated and so banished himselfe from the fellowship of all the Churches in the world and yet he hath not banished himselfe out of the world But though it be impertinent to my Letter to discusse the grounds of his Civill Banishment yet since he is pleased by hook or crook to draw it in I referre the Reader for Answer to a full Treatise of that Argument penned by a reverend faithfull Brother the Teacher of the Church at Rocksbury and withall as I have touched somewhat of it above in Answer to his Preface so I shall speak a word or two more unto it here Whom that eminent Magistrate was that so summed up the grounds of Mr. Williams his Banishment in those foure Particulars above mentioned Mr. Williams doth wisely conceale his name lest if he were named he should be occasioned to beare witnesse against such fraudulent expression of the Particulars whereof some were no causes of his Banishment at all and such as were causes were not delivered in such generall Tearmes For in universalibus latet Dolus It is evident the two latter causes which he giveth of his Banishment were no causes at all as he expresseth them There are many knowne to hold both these Opinions That it is not lawfull to heare any of the Ministers of the Parish-Assemblies in England and that the Civill Magistrates power extendeth onely to the bodies and goods and outward estates of men and yet they are tolerated not onely to live in the Common-wealth but also in the fellowship of the Churches The two former though they be not so much noysed yet there be many if not most that hold That we have not our Land meerly by right of Patent from the King but that the Natives are true owners of all that they possesse or improve Neither doe I know any amongst us that either then were or now are of another minde And as for the other Point That it is not lawfull to call a wicked Person to sweare or pray Though that be not commonly held yet it is knowne to be held of some who yet are tolerated to enjoy both Civill and Church-liberties amongst us To come therefore to Particulars Two things there were which to my best observation and remembrance caused the Sentence of his Banishment and two other fell in that hastened it 1. His violent and tumultuous carriage against the Patent By the Patent it is that we received allowance from the King to depart his Kingdome and to carry our goods with us without offence to his Officers and without paying custome to himselfe By the Patent certain select men as Magistrates and Freemen have power to make Lawes and the Magistrates to execute Justice and Judgement amongst the People according to such Lawes By the Patent we have Power to erect such a Government of the Church as is most agreeable to the Word to the estate of the People and to the gaining of Natives in Gods time first to Civility and then to Christianity To this Authority established by this Patent English-men doe readily submit themselves and foraine Plantations the French the Dutch and Swedish doe willingly transact their Negotiations with us as with a Colony established by the Royall Authority of the State of England This Patent Mr. Williams publickly and vehemently preached against as containing matter of falshood and injustice Falshood in making the King the first Christian Prince who had discovered these parts and injustice in giving the Countrey to his English Subjects which belonged to the Native Indians This therefore he pressed upon the Magistrates and People to be humbled for from time to time in dayes of solemne Humiliation and to returne the Patent back againe to the King It was answered to him first That it was neither the Kings intendment nor the English Planters to take possession of the Countrey by murther of the Natives or by robbery but either to take possession of the voyd places of the Countrey by the Law of Nature for Vacuum Domicilium cedit occupanti or if we tooke any Lands from the Natives it was by way of purchase and free consent A little before our coming God had by pestilence and other contagious diseases swept away many thousands of the Natives who had inhabited the Bay of Massachusets for which the Patent was granted Such few of them as survived were glad of the coming of the English who might preserve them from the oppression of the Nahargansets For it is the manner of the Natives the stronger Nations to oppresse the weaker This answer did not satisfie Mr. Williams who pleaded the Natives though they did not nor could subdue the Countrey but left it vacuum Domicilium yet they hunted all the Countrey over and for the expedition of their hunting voyages they burnt up all the underwoods in the Countrey once or twice a yeare and therefore as Noble men in England possessed great Parkes and the King great Forrests in England onely for their game and no man might lawfully invade their Propriety So might the Natives challenge the like Propriety of the Countrey here It was replyed unto him 1. That the King and Noble men in England as they possessed greater Territories then other men so they did greater service to Church and Common-wealth 2. That they employed their Parkes and Forrests not for hunting onely but for Timber and for the nourishment of tame beasts as well as wild and also for habitation to sundry Tenants 3. That our Townes here did not disturb the huntings of the Natives but did rather keepe their Game fitter for their taking for they take their Deere by Traps and not by Hounds 4. That if they complained of any straites wee put upon them wee gave satisfaction in some payments or other to their content 5. We did not conceive that it is a just Title to so vast a Continent to make no other improvement of millions of Acres in it but onely to burne it up for pastime But these Answers not satisfying him this was still pressed by him as a Nationall sinne to hold to the Patent yea and a Nationall duty to renounce the Patent which to have done had subverted the fundamentall State and Government of the Countrey 2. The second offence which procured his Banishment was occasioned as I touched before The Magistrates and other members of the Generall Court upon Intelligence of some Episcopall and malignant practises against the Countrey they made an order of Court to take tryall of the fidelitie of the People not by imposing upon them but by offering to them an Oath of Fidelitie that in case any should refuse to take it they might not betrust them with place of publick charge and Command This Oath when it came abroad he vehemently withstood it and disswaded sundry from it partly because it was as he said Christs Prerogative to have his Office established by Oath partly because an oath was a part of Gods
shall be put to death in Israel nor doe I say that he is to be put to death in any State of the world least of all doe I say that Pleading against a false Ministery is a capitall crime These are all but excursions and evaporations of the superfluity of wit But this I say and not I but Solomon He that withholdeth the Corne the people shall curse him Prov. 11.26 And cursing implyeth Separation He therefore that shall withdraw or separate the Corne from the people or the people from the Corne the people have just cause to separate either him from themselves or themselves from him And this proportion will hold as well in spirituall Corne as bodily the Argument still standeth unshaken What though we never read of Banishment in Israel we read of something proportionable what else meaneth that Decree Let Judgement be executed to death or to Banishment Ezra 7.27 And Ezra 10.8 Let all his substance be forfeited and himselfe separated from the Congregation of those that had been carried away And in Moses frequent mention is made of Cutting off from the people which though in Israel it may sometime signifie cutting off by Gods hand sometime by the sword of the Magistrate and sometime cutting off from the fellowship of Gods House yet in Abrahams Family The cutting off in Gen. 17.14 may very well reach cutting off from their civill Cohabitation as for a like offence Ishmael and his mother were cut off from cohabitation in the Tents of Abrahams people Gen. 21.9 to 14. Also he that had unawares slaine a man was banished though not out of all Israel yet from his own House and Towne and Tribe till the death of the High Priest and that was as much as Banishment out of any Society of Christs people now whether in Church or Civill Fellowship For though out of Israel there was no full Banishment legally enjoyned because there was then no other Church extant in the world and so to banish a man out of Israel was as much as to say Goe and serve other Gods 1 Sam. 26.19 yet now when Church-fellowship in the true Religion may be had in so many places to banish a man out of his Countrey is no more then it was then to banish an Israelite into a Citie of Refuge But though banishment be now a lawfull punishment in some case yet I goe not about to prove that every wilfull withholding of corne in every State is banishment much lesse death But he that shall withhold his own corne and goe about to perswade all others that have corne lying by them to shut up their sacks mouths and not to bring forth their corne for the nourishment of the people which is if we speake of spirituall corne the very case of the Examiner I doe not see but such an one may be justly accounted as Hostis Reipublicae a publick enemy of the Countrey and as such an one in due order to be cast out of it In due order I say for if such an one be detained from bringing forth his corne by some scruple of Conscience as suppose a man able to Preach Christ and so able to dispense spirituall corne yet doubting of the true way of the Ministery since the Apostasie of Antichrist dare not practise the Ministery Such an one should not be sodainly cast out of the Countrey till he be first convinced that the Apostasie of Antichrist did never so farre prevaile against the Church of Christ as to roote it out from off the face of the earth The woman which is the Church of Christ was still nourished in a Wildernesse even during all the Reigne of Antichrist Rev. 12.14 15 16. The Temple of God which is his Church together with the Altar and them that worship therein were still measured and that by John by Apostolick measure all the time when Antichrist trod downe the outward Court of the holy City Rev. 11.1 2. The Golden vessels of the Temple still continued in the middest of the Babylonish Captivitie And if spirituall Babylon have now so farre prevailed against the Church of Christ as that they have rooted it up from the face of the earth then what is become of the promise of Christ The gates of Hell shall never prevaile against it Mat. 16.18 Surely the Promise is given to a particular Congregationall Church that it shall never faile but shall alwayes be extant in some Countrey or other for he speaks of such a Church to whom the keyes of the Kingdome are committed ver 19. It will be vaine to look for new Apostles to replant Churches out of the ruines of the Antichristian Apostasie For the new Testament acknowledgeth Paul and Barnabas to be the last Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 If any Apostles rise up after them then Paul and Barnabas will not be the last And when the New Hierusalem comes downe from Heaven yet shee shall not be builded by any new Apostles but built upon that foundation which the Lambes twelve Apostles have already laid Rev. 21.14 As for those many excellent and worthy Gentlemen Lawyers Physicians and others whom the Examiner commendeth to be as well gifted in the knowledge of the Scripture and furnished with gifts of tongues and utterance as most that professe the Ministery and yet are not perswaded to sell spirituall Corne as questioning their true calling and Commission In such a case I would first seeke by the helpe of Christ to remove the scruples upon which they question their calling and Commission Secondly I would thinke it meet to put a difference between such as never received a lawfull calling and commission to the Ministery and them that have received it But if any of them have received a lawfull calling into the Ministery and yet will neither Preach themselves nor suffer them that would I suppose that both Church and Common-wealth may justly account them unworthy of any Christian society and as such unprofitable servants refuse to minister themselves or to suffer others to minister spirituall things so others should refuse to minister to them carnall things But saith he the selling or withholding of spirituall Corne are both of a spirituall nature and therefore must necessarily in a true Paralell beare Relation to a spirituall Curse Answ If they that minister spirituall good things may duely reape carnall good things 1 Cor. 9.11 then they that hinder the ministring of spirituall good things may justly reape the hinderance of enjoyment of carnall good things What if spirituall and carnall good things be not paralell Are there no Arguments but a Pari Is it not lawfull reasoning a majori ad minus If men hinder the enjoyment of spirituall good things may they not be hindred from the enjoyment of that which is lesse carnall good things It would weary a sober minde to pursue such windy fancies though I hope the Lord will helpe me not to count it wearisome either to satisfie a tender Conscience or to convince a Gainsayer TO CHAP.
VI. THough my Letter expresseth That it may be the Court passed that sentence against Mr. Williams not upon that ground from Prov. 11.26 but for ought I know for his other corrupt Doctrines suitable to his Practises tending to the disturbance of Civill and holy Peace Yet I doe not therefore question as he saith I seeme to doe the sandinesse of such a ground as that place of Seripture to warrant such proceedings nor doe I therein confsesse that my selfe had no distinct knowledge of the causes of his Banishment For I did not alledge that place of Scripture as a ground upon which the Court proceeded to his Banishment and therefore I said in my Letter it may be they passed Sentence not upon that ground But I alledged it as a reason which provoked the Lord to moove the Court to proceed against Mr. Williams for such other offensive and disturbant Doctrines and Practises against the Patent and against the oath of fidelitie and against the Magistrates delay of the Petition of Salem which he himselfe knoweth I had distinct knowledge of before which maketh me the more to marvell at his wonder Where was my waking care in his behalfe Whereas he knoweth I spent a great part of the Summer in seeking by word and writing to satisfie his scruples in the former particulars untill he rejected both our callings and our Churches And even then I ceased not to follow him still with such meanes of conviction and satisfaction in that Point also as God brought to my hand whereof this very Letter which he examineth and answereth is a pregnant and evident demonstration What though in this Letter I did not name his other corrupt Doctrines and Practises nor any Scriptures to prove them corrupt His heart knoweth full well both the Points and the Scriptures that were charged upon him all that Summer And to have rehearsed them againe in this Letter it had been but actum agere neither was it the worke in hand For having done it before wee looked for some satisfactory answer but in stead thereof wee received onely a rejection of our callings and Churches so that there was nothing now left but to endeavour to satisfie his Conscience in the sandinesse of those grounds upon which he rejected communion with us TO CHAP. VII IN the 7th Chapter Mr. Williams examineth those words of my Letter wherein I say that were my soule in his soules stead I should accept it as a mercy of God to banish me from the Civill Society of such a Common-wealth where I could not enjoy holy Fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sinne For what should the daughter of Zion doe in Babel Why should shee not hasten to flee from thence To this the Examiner answereth that though his love bids him to hope that Mr. Cotton herein intended him a Cordiall 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 him and a contradiction within it selfe Reply It is true what I wrote was in love to his soule but I intended not a cordiall of consolation to him for I did not conceive his Spirit at the present prepared for it but I intended onely a conviction to abate the rigour of his indignation against the dispensation of divine Justice And therefore presented before him the mercy of God in that Administration But he beginneth with the last first to shew me the evill of these Ingredients And first for the contradiction to my selfe in that I speake of the daughter of Zion in Babel If he call saith he the Land Babel how can it be Babel and the Church of Christ also As if Zion cannot be in Babel but it must be Babel or as if the Church cannot be in the world but it must be the world Or as if when I call the Land Babel I speake of it as it is in it selfe and not rather as it is in his apprehension the Churches in his imagination still holding communion with Antichristian Babylon Secondly He maketh it a dangerous Doctrine to affirme it a misery to live in that State where a Christian cannot enjoy the fellowship of the publick Churches of God without sinne Reply 1. Though I doe affirme it to be a mercy to be delivered out of such a State yet I doe not affirme it to be a misery to live in it It is a mercy to be translated not onely from misery to happinesse but from a lesse good to a greater It is a mercy to a faithfull soule to be translated from a Saint to a Minister and yet Saintship is no misery 2. It is some degree of misery and no small one to a spirituall minde for a Christian to live where he cannot enjoy the fellowship of Churches or else David complained without cause Woe is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshek Psal 120 5. 42.4 What if there be many famous States wherein no Church of Jesus Christ is knowne Is it not a mercy to be dismissed from such a State to a Land of more liberty and piety What if God commanded his people to Pray for the Peace of materiall Babel whilest they were forced to abide in it Was it not therefore a mercy from God for Cyrus to deliver them out of Babel What if Sodom Aegypt Babel be spiritually understood Rev. 11.8 14.8 Is it not therefore a mercy when God calleth his People out of such Dungeons and sinkes of abomination What if there were a true Church in materiall Babel 1 Pet. 5.13 Let him remember what he spake a little before That if I speake not of Babel mystically I speake not to the Point Let him apply it to himselfe Wherefore doth he tell us againe of his being driven into the miseries of an howling Wildernesse 1. It was no howling Wildernesse when he came to it as hath been said above 2. He might have gone to other English Plantations Eastward Pascatoque and Agaminticus 3. Solomon telleth us It is better to live in a Wildernesse then with a contentious and angry woman Prov. 21.19 And such he accounteth all our Churches and Courts to be Thirdly saith he Mr. Cotton himselfe would have counted it a mercy if he might have Practised in Old-England what he doth in New-England with the enjoyment of Civill Peace c. Reply True but what is that to the purpose The Question is if I could not enjoy the Fellowship of publick Churches without sinne as in those dayes I could not whether then I would account it a mercy to be removed Verily I doe so account it and blesse the Lord from my soule for his aboundant mercy in forcing me out thence in so fit a season But further saith he what if Mr. Cotton should dissent from the new English-Churches and joyne 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 rootes him and his and to endure the losses distractions miseries that doe attend such a condition Reply The Examiner is falsly and foully mis-informed when he saith I was about to separate some few yeares since from the new English Churches as Legall For I never counted them as Legall Churches nor was I ever about to separate from them as Legall or otherwise so uncleane that a good conscience might not hold communion with them without sinne The truth is There was a Generation of Familists in our own and other Townes who under pretence of holding forth what I had taught touching union with Christ and evidencing of that union did secretly vent sundry corrupt and dangerous errors and heresies denying all inherent righteousnesse and all evidencing of a good estate thereby in any sort and some of them denying also the Immortalitie of the soule and Resurrection of the body When they were questioned by some Brethren about those things they carried it as if they held forth nothing but what they had received from me Whereof when I was advertised to cleare my selfe I publickly Preached against these errors Then said the Brethren to the erring party See your Teacher declares himselfe clearely to differ from you No matter say the other what he saith in publick we understand him otherwise and we know what he saith to us in private Yea and I my selfe could not easily beleeve that those erring Brethren and Sisters were so corrupt in their Judgements as they were reported they seeming to me forward Christians and utterly denying unto me any such Tenents or any thing else but what they received from my selfe All which bred in sundry of the Countrey a jealousie that I was in secret a Fomenter of the Spirit of Familisme if not leavened my selfe that way Which I discerning it wrought in me thoughts as it did in many other sincerely godly Brethren of our Church not of a Separation from the Churches as Legall whom we truely embraced and honoured in the Lord but of a Remoovall to New Haven as being better knowne to the Pastor and some others there then to such as were at that time jealous of me here The true Ground whereof was an inward loathnesse to be troublesome to godly mindes and a feare of the unprofitablenesse of my Ministery there where my way was suspected to be doubtfull and dangerous I chose therefore rather to meditate a silent departure in Peace then by tarrying here to make way for the breaking forth of Temptations But when at the Synod I had discovered the corruption of the Judgement of the erring Brethren and saw their fraudulent pretence of holding forth no other but what they received from me when as indeed they pleaded for grosse errors contrary to my judgement and thereupon bare witnesse against them and when in a private conference with some chiefe Magistrates and Elders I perceived that my purpose of removall upon such differences was unwelcome to them and that such Points needed not to occasion any distance neither in place nor in heart amongst Brethren I then rested satisfied in my abode amongst them and so have continued by the Grace of Christ unto this day But now to returne to Mr. Williams his Question In the time of this Difference would I count it saith he a mercy to be pluckt up by the rovtes me and mine and to endure the losses distractions and miseries that doe attend such a condition Answ Yea truely if those jealousies and differences had still held I should have accounted it and then did account it a mercy to see a doore open for remoovall And therefore in my heart chose it and purposed it as a way of wisdome and mercy But whereas he talketh of plucking up by the rootes the Metaphor is too Catachresticall An old Tree pluckt up by the rootes is not like to grow againe but neither he nor I was exposed to such an Eradication we might have remooved with our selves whatsoever mooveables we had and what we could not remoove we might put it off sooner or later unto others for a valuable consideration So that though wee had been plucked up by the rootes our rootes had not been dried up but would have sprung forth againe to our comfortable supportance It is a question altogether impertinent which the Examiner putteth in the next place Whether if the Inhabitants in New-England were permitted to enjoy in Old-England their Congregationall way whether then Mr. Cotton himselfe if be were seated in Old England againe would count it a mercy to be banished from the Civill State For that is not at all the Question in hand but this whether if there were no Congregationall Churches in Old-England unto which we might joyne without sinne whether then it were a mercy to be thrust out And verily for my selfe and I doubt not for many a thousand more I should account is a mercy to be hastened out yea if I lingred to be thrust out in such a case If many thousand godly persons in this Countrey did not make the same account how came we to dwell here as we doe this day Neither yet doe I make God the Author of such cruell mercy in them that were the causes of our casting out as he calumniateth For the Instruments of any unjust dealing with the servants of God may be cruell when yet the hand of God in ordering such a worke may be most mercifull The hand of God was most mercifull to Joseph in casting him out of his Fathers house into Aegypt when yet the hand of his brethren was defiled with bloud-guiltie cruelty When the Examiner concludeth that if I had been exposed to the miseries poverties necessities wants debts hardships of Sea and Land in a banished Condition he presumeth I would reach forth a more mercifull Cordiall to the afflicted and therefore looketh at himselfe afflicted as a Lampe despised in the eyes of him that is at ease Job 12.5 I desire the Lord might be pleased to open his eyes by such afflictions wisely to consider whether he be not out of his way when he meeteth with such miseries poverties debts hardships Surely when God hedgeth in the way of his people with thornes he calleth them to returne to their first husband for then it was better with them then now Hos 2.6 His banishment was doubtlesse no cause of such afflictions Divers others have been cast out of the Countrey as well as he and yet God hath generally rescued them from affliction prospered their estates before his eyes But when he chooseth rather to betake himselfe to merchandise by Land and Sea unto which he was never brought up then to serve the Lord and his People in dispensing spirituall food to them in a Church-way no marvell if the Lord doe not shine upon his way but expose him to debts necessities poverties miseries hardships by Sea and Land It is farre off from
is not locall remoovall from former pollution nor contrary practise that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his Church but that it is necessary also that we doe repent of such former Pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled 2. We grant further that it is necessary to Church-fellowship that we shou'd see and discerne all such pollutions as doe so farre enthrall us to Antichrist as to separate us from Christ But this we professe unto you that wherein we have reformed our practise therein we have endeavoured unfainedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking If any through hypocrisie are wanting herein the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie and faithfulnesse of others nor the Church-estate of all This though the Examiner doe rehearse it here in this Chapter yet here he answereth nothing to it though it be the very hinge of the Controversie If we meet with any Answer to it in the sequele we shall God willing consider of it in its place Onely let me adde this third thing to cleare the state of the controversie more fully That to this day we doe not see nor discerne that it is any Antichristian pollution at all for a member of any of our Churches going over into England to heare the word Preached by a well-gifted Minister in the Parish Assemblies TO CHAP. XI IN this Chapter the Examiner propoundeth a second third fourth and fifth Reason to prove that which I deny not to wit That a necessitie lyeth upon godly men before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowship truely to see and humbly to bewaile their spirituall bondage under Antichristian pollution and withall to obtaine some power and strength from Jesus Christ to bring them out of it This I say I deny not nor ever did But this necessitie I conceive to be Necessitas praecepti as they call it or officii as that which is the commandement of God and the duty of godly men to doe But not Necessitas medij ad finem such a necessitie as without which a godly person cannot be a member of the Church unlesse the spirituall bondage under Antichristian pollution doe so farre enthrall him to Antichrist as to separate him from Christ as he is the Head of the visible Church Which what it is we shall have fitter occasion to speake of in the sequele To his second Argument I would therefore Answer that as an holy Altar and Temple to God could not have been built to God in the midst of Babylon but the Builders must come locally out of Babel to build it in Hierusalem So a Church of Christ cannot be built to God but by such Builders as spiritually come out of Antichristian pollutions and inventions at least out of such pollutions as keepe them still in Babel and detaine them under Antichrist and separate them from Christ To his third Argument I would grant all that he saith in it to be true But how he applieth it to inferre his conclusion he neither expresseth nor is it easie for me to gather If his meaning be that Luther and other godly persons might not be received into Church-fellowship in those dayes because they saw not the bottomlesse gulfe of all those Antichristian corruptions which the Lord hath since discovered It is a conclusion that I durst not inferre nor will he be ever able to make good It is not alwayes full Moone in respect of spirituall light with every Church of God in all ages alike To his fourth Argument taken from my own Practise In that I doe not receive all Persons eminent for Grace and godlinesse forthwith to the fellowship of the Lords Supper till upon their entrance into Covenant with a Confession of faith c. I would answer it is not because I thinke such persons are not fit matter for Church estate but because they yet want a fit Forme requisite to Church-estate His last Argument is taken from a famous Passage as he calls it of a solemne Question put to me and to the other New-English Elders unto which I with the rest did answer Negatively That if godly persons coming over hither did refuse to submit to our way of worship and Government that then they could not onely not enjoy Church-fellowship together but not be permitted to breath and live in the same common ayre and Common-wealth together To which I answer 1. That it is suitable to his wonted boldnesse to affirme that of me which is more then he knoweth and indeed more then is truth For though he say that Mr. Cotton and the New English Elders returned that Answer yet the answer to that Question and to all the other thirty-two Questions were drawne up by Mr. Mader and neither drawne up nor sent by me nor for ought I know by the other Elders here though published by one of our Elders there Howsoever the substance of that Answer not which Mr. Williams rehearseth but which Mr. Mader returned doth generally suite with all our mindes as I conceive 2. In particular The Answer which our reverend and beloved brother Mr. Mader did returne unto that Question I have read it and did readily approve it as I doe the substance of all his Answers to be judicious and solide But this I must needs professe that his Answer to this Question is notoriously slandered and abused by the Examiner For 1. There is no word at all in that Answer that denieth permission to such godly persons to live and breath in the same ayre of the Common-wealth Let the Answer be perused It is too long for me to transcribe the Book is publiquely extant and obvious and see if there be a syllable sounding that way 2. In that Answer he distinguisheth out of Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Parker touching matters of Church Discipline and maketh some to be the substantiall and immutable others of a more accidentall and circumstantiall nature In the former he doubteth not but that we and all the godly Ministers in England should accord if they were here as beleeving that either we should satisfie them in our way or they us in theirs so as there would never be Question whether we should embrace one another as Sister-Churches In the latter to wit in matters circumstantiall we are all taught of God Placide ferre aliud sentientes 3. When the Examiner maketh it his own case not to be permitted to live and breath in the same ayre and Common-wealth though Mr. Cotton and others most incensed gave him a testimony of godlinesse c. Let him be pleased to look back to what hath been formerly laid open and he will finde this Instance of himselfe wholly impertinent For the casting of him out of the Common-wealth sprung not from his difference in matters of Church Discipline It was well knowne that whilest he lived at Salem he neither admitted nor permitted any Church-members but such as rejected all Communion with the Parish Assemblies so much as in hearing of the Word
amongst them And this libertie he did use and might have used to this day without any disturbance to his Civill or Church-Peace save onely in a way of brotherly disquisition but it was his Doctrines and Practises which tended to the Civill disturbance of the Common-wealth together with his heady and busie pursuite of the same even to the rejection of all Churches here These they were that made him unfit for enjoying Communion either in the one state or in the other When he reckoneth me and me onely by name as one of the most incensed against him I reckon it as one of his usuall exorbitant Hyperboles unlesse by Incensed he meane one that with some others were most kindled and stirred up to endeavour his satisfaction And then his terme Incensed though it be not an Hyperbole yet it is an Acurology Neither doe I remember that he hath any cause to say that I gave him a Testimony of godlinesse For his godlinesse I leave it to him who is the searcher of hearts I neither attested it nor denied it Every brother in the Church though he may be called a brother in Christ as Christ is the Head of the visible Church and being cast out of the Church though he may be admonished as a Brother and so have some reference still to Christ yet godlinesse requiteth a Participation of the Divine Nature I speake in Peters sence 2 Pet. 1.4 by the power of the Spirit of Grace conforming us to fellowship with Christ and his Churches the which things have not so evidently appeared to me I speak it with griefe either in his spirit or in his way these many yeares And yet I deny not others may discerne more Power of Godlinesse in him then I doe and may speake of him accordingly But it was no uncharitable speech of Paul to tell the Galatians and that before all the Churches that he stood in feare of them Gal. 4.10 The life of faith from whence springeth both the truth and the Power of Godlinesse is very repugnant to Self-fulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith emptieth a man of self-confidence and maketh him apt to acknowledge with Agur Truely I am more foolish then any man Prov. 30.2 But the Lord help us to tremble before him If he leave us though but a while to our selves we can soone learne to reigne as Kings like the Corinthians without Church-Officers or the Ordinances of Christ 1 Cor. 4.8 TO CHAP. XII HIs 12th Chapter is taken up in Examining and Answering a speech of mine That godly persons are not so enthralled to Antichrist as to separate from Christ Else they could not be godly persons His Answer is That this cometh not neere the Question which is not concernign personall godlinesse or Grace in Christ but the godlinesse or Christianitie of worship Whereupon he distinguisheth of Christ as considered two waies 1. Personally as God-man c. 2. As Head of his Church In the former sence he acknowledgeth they cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ in the latter they may Reply This distinction of Christ is inconveniently expressed as was the like once before For the membra dividentia the parts of the division are coincident Christ as God-man is the Head of the visible Church But his meaning I apprehend and accept Christ God-man is Head both of the invisible Church and of the visible As he is Head of the invisible Church so he is received by faith As he is head of the visible so he is received by profession of the true faith both of the grace of faith and of the Doctrine of faith The proper fruit whereof is holy worship and professed subjection to the Rule of the Gospel Now for his application of his Distinction in the generall I doe approve it and doe willingly acknowledge that a godly person may be through ignorance or negligence so farre enthralled to Antichrist as to be separate from Christ taking Christ as Head of the visible Church For he may fall into such fundamentall Antichristian corruption in Doctrine or Worship or Government as either may justly prevent his admission into the Church or being in the Church and yet through pang of Temptation continuing obstinate in his corruption after conviction he may justly be excommunicate out of the Church But lest I may seeme to hover and so to vanish in Generalities whilest I onely speake of Antichristian corruptions in generall I shall willingly Instance in some Particulars which may give light to others of like nature It is an Antichristian corruption in Doctrine to accept any Propitiatory Sacrifices for our reconciliation but the death of Christ only It is a like corruption to look for Justification from sinne in the sight of God by our own works It is an Antichristian corruption in worship to worship Angels or Saints or Images It is an Antichristian corruption in Government to take the Pope to be the Head of the Church and such an Head as hath Power to make Laws to binde the Conscience to authorize Scripture to be Canonicall to adde other Books to Scripture with like Authoritie to be himselfe the onely Authenticall Interpreter of Scripture and Judge of Controversies These and the like corruptions are such as make Antichrist a Sonne of Perdition and them that are led by him to fall into like Perdition with him Of one of these Points Paul saith They that hold it hold not the Head Col. 2.18 19. Of another of these Paul saith They that hold it are abolished from Christ Gal. 5.4 The like wee may say of all the rest Yet in times of former darknesse some of the faithfull members of Christ might and were for a time entangled with a yoke of Bondage in some or most or all of these Particulars out of which the Lord at length rescued them by variety of Temptations and by some breaking forth of light in the mouths of some of his witnesses in every age But whilest any of them walked in these or like corruptions they might justly be debarred from admission into Church-fellowship or standing fast in them after conviction they might justly be cast forth out of Church-fellowship But there be other corruptions and Antichristian corruptions too which because they doe not subvert the Foundation neither of faith nor of Church-order I would not say that they separate from Christ no not as he is the Head of the visible Church For then if some whole Church were leavened with them they might soone cease to be a Church But we see the contrary in Scripture the High Places were tolerated in Judah and yet Judah ceased not to be a Church And by like proportion some more high and eminent Power may be given by some Churches to their Officers according to an Antichristian Patterne in some measure and yet they not cease to be a Church David and all the Congregation of Israel might bring up the Arke of God in a Cart after the manner of the
into the true Reply I said indeed that Godly Persons repenting of all knowne sinnes may be received to Church-fellowship although they doe not see the utmost skirts of all the pollution they have sometimes been defiled with But saith he the Question is not of utmost skirts but of the substance of a true and false Bed of worship What he meaneth by the Bed of worship I know not If he meane the Church to be the Bed of worship and the Churches of England to be false Churches that Point hath been cleared above that no voyce of Christ hath declared the Churches of England to be false Churches But yet further the Examiner answereth That if there were but filthinesse in the skirts of an Harlot he beleeveth Mr. Cotton would not receive an Harlot infamous for corporall whoredome without sound repentance not onely for her actuall whoredomes but also for her whorish speeches gestures appearances provocations And why should there be a greater strictnesse for the skirts of common whoredome then for spirituall and soule-whoredome against the chastitie of Gods worship Reply 1. There may be the greater strictnesse about the skirts of bodily whoredome not because it is a greater sinne but because it is more easily discernable and convinceable by ordinary light 2. Where any speeches gestures appearances provocations of spirituall whoredome shall discover themselves we beleeve there ought to be as great strictnesse about them as about the like whorish appearances of bodily whoredome But when will the Examiner discover to us what those spirituall whorish gestures or speeches be wherein we shew lesse strictnesse then the chastitie of Gods holy worship requireth Touching the Polygamy of the Fathers the Examiner answereth three wayes 1. By observing what great sinnes Godly Persons may be subject to notwithstanding Godlinesse in the Roote Wee consent to that especially in case of ignorance 2. He demandeth If any godly Persons should now beleeve and maintaine that he ought to have many wives and accordingly did so Practise whether Mr. Cotton would receive such a godly Person to Church-fellowship Yea whether the Church of the Jewes if they had seene the evill of it would ever have received such a Proselyte into fellowship with them The same Answers may serve to both the Demands 1. Neither would I receive them nor doe I thinke the Church of the Jewes would in case the sinne had appeared so plaine and palpable as by the light of the Gospel it hath been discovered 2. This is not the case in hand what my selfe or a Church ought to doe about receiving a member living in knowne sinne but when he that liveth in no knowne sinne none knowne either to himselfe or the Church whether the Church if they receive him doth thereby evacuate their Church-estate Or whether the Church and every member thereof be so farre bound to a distinct knowledge of all appearances of spirituall whoredome that if they be ignorant of any one or two of them they are utterly uncapable of Church-estate For a third Answer to the case of Polygamy the Examiner demandeth what was this personall sinne of Polygamy in the godly Patriarchs Was it any matter of Gods worship any joyning with a false Church Ministery Worship Government from whence they were to come before they could constitute his true Church and enjoy his Worship Ministery Government c. Reply 1. Polygamy if it had been knowne to be as great a sinne amongst the Israelites as it is now knowne to be by the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus it is of so hainous a nature now that every godly person guilty of it must come out of it before he could lawfully be received into a pure Church of Christ 2. If a Church were now ignorant of such a knowne case and should in their ignorance admit sundry members living in that sinne into fellowship with them though it would much defile them yet I doe not conceive it would evacuate their Church-estate 3. The Examiner will never proove that the estate of the Churches in England is false their Ministery false nor their worship false And as for their Episcopall Government he is not ignorant we have come out of it both in place and heart Neither will he ever be able to prove that any of our Churches partake in the communion of any such knowne sinne either in Church-estate Worship Ministery Government as Polygamy is But touching that place in 2 Cor. 6.14 15 16. urged by the Examiner that I might give a further Answer then before I adde further in my Letter That the place was wrested besides the Apostles scope when Mr. Williams argued from it That such Persons are not fit matter for Church-fellowship as are defiled with any remnants of Antichristian Pollution nor such Churches any more to be counted Churches as doe receive such amongst them For were there not at that time in the Church of Corinth such as partaked with Idolaters in their Idolls Temples And was not this the touching of an uncleane thing And did this sinne reject members from Church-fellowship before Conviction Or did it evacuate their Church-estate for not casting out such members To this Argument the Examiner giveth as he calleth it an Answer in foure Paragraphs whereof the three former hold not forth so much as the face or shape or colour of an Answer For in the first Paragraph saith he This was indeed an uncleane thing from which God calleth his People and Mr. Cotton confesseth that after conviction any member obstinate in these uncleane Touches ought to be rejected But what is this to the Argument Againe In the next Paragraph Vpon the same ground saith he that one obstinate Person ought to be rejected out of Church-estate upon the same ground if a greater company or a Church were obstinate in such uncleane touches ought every sound Christian Church to reject them and every sound member to withdraw from them But is this any more to the Argument In the third Paragraph Further saith he it is cleare that if such uncleane Touches obstinately maintained as Mr. Cotton professeth and practiseth be a ground of a rejection of a Person in a Church questionlesse it is a ground of rejection when such Persons are to joyne unto the Church And if obstinacy in the whole Church after Conviction be a ground for such a Churches rejection questionlesse such a Church or number of persons obstinate in such evills cannot congregate nor become a true constituted Church of Christ But still the Argument is where it was not onely unshaken but untoucht Neither is the Text in 2 Cor. 16. any whit at all cleared by these discourses to argue them to be no true constituted Churches who live in such uncleane touches without conviction without obstinacy For the Text speaketh nothing of obstinacy nor conviction but onely implieth that such uncleane Touches were found in the Church of Corinth and yet that did not evacuate their Church-estate His last Paragraph holdeth forth some more
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
to professe separation which crosseth not what I said for it might be so and yet I knew not of it unlesse the profession had been more publick Nor did I ever perceive that they refused communion with us when any of them came over to us If they were publickly reproached for separation it was more then I heard of till I read it in his Booke And for any publick punishment that Salem suffered for it I may well say it was implicitly if at all for surely there is no Law of the Countrey that punisheth such an offence it her explicitly or implicitly But since he is pleased to conceale it I see no cause of giving account of it Nextly He takes up from me a Confession of two things which he leaveth to me to reconcile 1. That I say if any reproach them for Seperation it is a sinne meete to be Censured 2. That Churches themselves may be separated from who tolerate their members in such causelesse reproachings Reply It is true that I doe not account reproaches which are a worke of the flesh a meete remedy to heale an error And therefore the reproacher meete to be delt withall either by private admonition if it were publick But the latter of the two things which he saith I confesse I am farre from either confessing it or beleeving it to wit That the Churches themselves may be separated from who tolerate their members in such causelesse reproachings I said indeed that a causelesse reproach is a sinne meete to be censured But I said withall it is not to be censured with so deepe a Censure as excommunication especially of all the Churches and that too before that it doe appeare that they doe tolerate their members in such their causelesse reproachings But it may be he will say doth it not imply that if it doth appeare that they doe tolerate their members in such causelesse reproaches that then I thinke they are to be separated from Answ No verily Put it in a like case Suppose a childe should miscall and revile his Mothers Sister I might say it is a fault meete to be corrected yet not with so deepe a correction as to be disinherited or that his Mother should be dispossessed of her inheritance before it doe appeare that she doe tolerate her childe in such revilings Would such a speech inferre that in case it did appeare his Mother did tolerate him that then his Mother were to be dispossessed of her inheritance The true meaning of my speech was to expresse that such a sinne as reproaching of a Church for a sin might deserve a Censure yet not forthwith excommunication much lesse the Church to be excommunicated whereof such an one is a member and least of all before it did appeare that the Church knew of it or did tolerate it The scope of my speech was not to hold forth the grievous desert of a reproach but the groundlesse proceeding unto separation for a reproach both against a member and against the Church that tolerated him without any further conviction or obstinacy which was the case in hand of Mr. Williams Some body he saith reproached the Church of Salem for separation some member of some Church But what member of what Church he saith not And yet this is one of the stumbling blocks that turned him out of the way of communion with all the Churches in the Countrey who for ought I know never heard of it unto this day Let him now say that mine owne confessions are sufficient Answers to my selfe as if I granted that in case the member had been knowne who so reproached Salem and the Church knowne whereof he was a member That then there were a lawfull separation from the Church that doth but tolerate her member in a causelesse reproach yea and from all other Churches too that hold Communion with that Church For he is not ignorant more goeth to a separation then so unlesse he hath forgotten the principles and rudiments of Church-Government He confesseth that to be true which I said That it is not Chirurgery but Butchery to heale every sore with no other medicine but with Abscission from the body But yet as if he could make mine own expressions confutations of my selfe he saith that I have confessed that which indeed is not my confession but my collection of his Argugument That Churches of godly persons must be separated from for inordinate worldlinesse If this be a Contradiction it is his and not mine as I shewed above neither doe I own any such confession as mine which he subjoyneth That Churches may be separated from when they tolerate their members in their causelesse reproaches It seemeth he thinketh I neither remember mine own words nor know any Church-Censure but Excommunication He proceedeth to tell us his judgement in so waighty a case as excommunication or separation is It is not saith he every sore of infirmitie or ignorance but an Vlcer or Gangreene of obstinacy for which I maintained that a person ought to be cut off or a Church separated from I know not how this judgement of his may satisfie his neighbours but a good Conscience willing to walke by rule would still inquire where it was meete First whether every obstinacy even before conviction and that in a sinne lesse hainous be such an ulcer or Gangrene for which either a person ought to be cut off or a Church separated from For there is an obstinacy against a good way as there is a scorning of a good way which is before conviction even of ignorance and to these Wisdome communicateth good Counsell Prov. 1.20.22 But there is a scorning and so an obstinacy after conviction and to such Wisdome refuseth to communicate any wholesome words Prov. 9.8 9. If he meane the former why did he refuse communion with us upon such an obstinacy of ignorance By what rule did he proceede If he meane the latter let him produce his cause and bring forth all his strong reasons whereby he did so much as offer to convince us of our obstinacy in any crime and we will acknowledge his separation to be just and our sinne to be great in not hearkening to him If he tell us againe as he doth in the next words as indeed the mouth is most full of the aboundance of the heart if he tell us againe of our guiltinesse of cruelty both against consciences and bodies in persecuting of them wee must needs tell him againe that neither himselfe nor any others that I can heare off did ever suffer any Censure which he calleth cruelty to consciences and bodies till after his separation from all the Churches in the Countrey And though he saith in the next words He separated Conscientiously and peaceably Yet did ever peaceable Conscience before him separate from Churches for an offence before it was committed If he tell us he separated for our communion with the Churches of England in hearing the word in the Parishes there let all that feare God whose
and now finally into no Church at all But whereas I said God had not prospered the way of the Separation as not with peace amongst themselves so neither with growth of Grace He answereth for growth of Grace though some false brethren have crept in yet Satan himselfe cannot but confesse that multitudes of Gods witnesses reproached with the names of Brownists and Anabaptists have kept themselves from the errours of the wicked and doe grow in Grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus c. Reply It is an unwelcome Subject to goe about to convince others of want of growth in Grace especially when wee speake of Churches and that before wee have in a more private manner dealt with them I looke at it as more seasonable to provoke our owne Churches to more growth of Grace at home For even true Churches as that of Ephesus Revel 2. may decay in their first love Onely thus much I would say the first Inventor of that way which is called Brownisme from whom the Sect tooke its name it is well knowne that he did not grow in Grace but fell back first from his owne way to take a Parsonage of a Parish-Church in England in Northamptonsheire called a Church God so in a strange yet wise providence ordering that he who had utterly renounced all the Churches in England as no Church should afterwards accept of one Parish-Church amongst them and it called a Church and from thence he fell to Organs in the Temple of his owne Church as I have been credibly informed and from thence to discord with his best hearers and bitter persecution of them at the last It is not Gods usuall manner of dealing to leave any of the first publishers or restorers of any Truth of his to such fearefull Apostacy from his Grace though I Judge not his finall Estate I will not rehearse what I read in printed Books of the unkind and ungracious and unbrotherly dealings of some of note in that way whilst they maintained the rigor of it That which the Examiner himselfe hath rehearsed in this very chapter may suffice to shew what growth of Godlinesse was found in that Church the Officer whereof himselfe styleth a worthy Instrument of Gods prayse and surely he was a man that deserved well of the Church for sundry of his Learned and painfull and profitable labours One would hope that where the Lord blesseth a people with growth of godlinesse the people would grow best under the best Ministers of that way Mr. Aynsworths name is of best esteeme without all exception in that way who refused Communion with hearing in England And if his people suffered him to live upon nine pence a week with roots boyled as the Examiner told us surely either the people were growne to a very extreme low Estate or else the growth of their godlinesse was growen to a very low ebb TO CHAP. XXIIII IN his 24. and 25. Chapters the Examiner giveth Answer to that speech in my Letter That such of the Separation as erring through simplicity and tendernesse have growne in Grace have growne also to discerne their lawfull Liberty for the hearing of the word from the English Preachers This I speake with respect to Mr. Robinson and to his Church who as he grew to many excellent gifts both of Grace and nature so he grew to acknowledge and in a Judicious and godly discourse to approve and defend the lawfull Liberty of hearing the word from the godly Preachers of the Parishes in England But in this 24. Chapter the Examiner answereth nothing against the truth of my speech Onely he telleth of foure sorts of Backsliders from sundry Truthes of God whom he hath observed to be left of God to sad and exemplary spirituall Judgements But because he speaketh of such as have decayed in grace and I speake of such as grow in grace his instances come not neere the point in hand I easily beleive that Hypocrites may grow from evill to worse deceiving and being deceived 2 Tim. 3.13 But a sincere humble Christian though he may start aside for a season yet Christ is not wont to leave him so but seeketh up every stray-sheep of his and bringeth them to heare and know his voyce in the mouthes of his Shepheards TO CHAP. XXV IN this 25. chapter because I had said as they have growne in Grace they have growne in discerning their lawfull Liberty to heare the word from the English Preachers He tels us he might here engage himselfe in a controversie with me but that neither the Treatise will permit nor is there need since it hath pleased the Father of Lights to stirre up the spirit of a faithfull witnesse of his Truth in this particular Mr. Canne to make a large and faithfull Reply to a Booke printed in Mr. Robinsons name tending to prove such a lawfull Liberty Reply Mr. Cann is unknowne unto me and his Booke also which I have not had the Liberty to get in these remote ends of the world I shall willingly bestow the reading of them if they come to my hands and God give opportunity especially if I see the spirit of a faithfull witnesse in them which the Examiner extolleth Onely I am apt to thinke as young men grow in yeares and gifts they will also grow up to the mellow-mildnesse and softnesse and moderation of riper age as Mr. Robinson in many things did Now from the name of English Preachers which I used in my speech the Examiner though he seeme to decline the engaging of himselfe in a controversie about hearing of them yet he taketh occasion to enter into a threefold discourse about them The first in this chapter concerning this title English Preachers Secondly concerning hearing them in chapter 26. Thirdly concerning their calling in chap. 27. The summe of his discourse about the title of these Preachers standeth in these particulars First that Mr. Cotton acknowledgeth the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel to Pastors Teachers Bishops Overseers Elders and that their proper worke is to feed and governe a truly converted holy and godly people gathered into a flock or Church-Estate And not properly Preachers to convert beget make Disciples which the Apostles and Evangelists properly were so that according to Mr. Cottons confessions English Preachers are not Pastors Teachers Bishops Elders but Preachers of glad newes Evangelists men sent to convert and gather Churches Apostles c. Secondly yet the Examiner confesseth that at the Pastors feeding his flock and at the Prophets prophecying in the Church an unbeleiver coming in may be convinced c. but this is accidentall c. Thirdly the Examiner acknowledgeth that it pleased God to worke personall Repentance in the hearts of thousands in Germany England Low-Countries France Scotland Ireland c. Yea and who knoweth but in Italy Spaine and Rome also c. but all this hath been under the notion of Ministers feeding their flocks not of Preachers sent to convert the unconverted and unbeleiving Reply 1. Though
beleeve and professe the calling which we have received to the Ministery in New-England to be of Christ yet 1. It is an insolent phrase that savoureth of more arrogancy then either we dare use or allow in our selves or others to seeme to make our calling to the Ministery in New-England a Rule and patterne and precedent to all the Churches of Christ throughout the world Did ever any man meete with such an expression in any of our writings That Christ Jesus hath appointed no other Calling to the Ministery but such as we practise in New-England Such language doth neither become the lips of Mr. Williams nor of any Minister in New-England 2. Though we beleeve our calling to be of God yet we doe neither beleeve nor professe that every difference from us which other Churches may use in the calling of their Ministers doth straight way make their callings no callings or no callings of Christ Though it be our manner and as wee beleeve according to the word that every Church chooseth and calleth their own Ministers and ordaineth them by the Presbytery of the same Church yet if the Presbytery of other Churches commend a Minister to a vacant Church and upon the acceptance of the Church if the presbyters of those Churches doe ordaine him with the consent of the Church we doe not professe that this is no calling of Christ or that these are no Ministers of Christ The fâ—ee choice of the Church is preserved for ought we know in their free acceptance of a Minister commended to them And whether the Minister be ordained by imposition of hands at all or no and if by imposition of hands by the hands of fellow-Elders of other Churches with the consent of the Church We neither put so much waight in such a Rite though Apostolicall nor doe we so farre restraine the libertie of communion of Churches that if they shall communicate such entercourse of Church-actions one to another then all their callings and administrations to be of none effect Wee are not so masterly and peremptory in our apprehensions And yet with submission we conceive the more plainly and exactly all Church-actions are carried on according to the letter of the rule the more glory wee shall give unto the Lord Jesus and procure the more peace to our Consciences and to our Churches and reserve more purity and power to all our Administrations 3. Though we doe beleeve and professe that a Church by rule ought to be a Congregation of godly persons or at least of such as professe godlinesse yet if through neglect of the power of doctrine few godly persons be left in a Congregation through neglect of discipline few of those who professe godlinesse be found so blamelesse as the purity of the Sanctuary requireth yet we doe not straight way professe that such Congregations are no Churches or that a Ministery chosen by such a Congregation are none of Christs It is true Gods chiefest regard is of his chosen Saints godly persons To them and for them he hath given Church-estate Church-Covenant and seales Church-Officers with all the power of the administrations of the holy things the ordinances of Christ Ephes 4.11 12 13. But yet that his holy Saints might be preserved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without scruples and distracting perplexities in their Church-Communion the Lord is pleased for their sakes to tolerate much hypocrisie and many aberrations in Church-matters before he reject Churches as no Churches Ministery as no Ministery of Christ callings as no callings To speake then a word to the inferences which the Examiner gathereth from the two former mistaken confessions of ours As 1. That a Calling or Commission received from the Bishops is none of Christs Reply 1. We doe not beleeve nor professe that the Ministers of England who received Ordination from the Bishops did receive their calling from the Bishops their Episcopall ordination is no part of their vocation to the Ministery Their vocation or calling is from Christ by the Election or at least acceptation of the Congregation The ordination is onely Adjunctum Consummans of the solemnity of their calling as hath been shewed above Reply 2. Episcopall ordination though it be an aberration from the institution yet we doe not conceive that it maketh an abrogation of the calling of a Minister Extrinsecall pollutions though they defile the calling yet they doe not destroy it His second inference is That a Calling from a Parish of naturall and unregenerate persons is none of Christs Reply 1. It is an hard saying to say that all of the Parish are naturall and unregenerate Persons Such as are swift to judge themselves are slow to judge others Reply 2. Suppose they were all naturall and unregenerate persons yet they professing Christianitie and meeting together every Lords day for the worship of the Lord Jesus and desiring to have a Minister to instruct them therein their calling is not a nullitie I cannot say that the worshippers of God at Philippi whereof Lydia was one who met together for prayer every Sabbath day were any of them better then unregenerate persons before Paul and Sylas came amongst them And yet if a man of Macedonia come and call Paul and Sylas to come and helpe them they assuredly gather that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel to them Acts 16.9 10. His third inferâ—nce is That a Calling from some few godly persons yet remaining in Church fellowship after the Parish way is not of Christ Reply Then it would follow that a remnant of godly persons is not sufficient to constitute and denominate a Church if the greater part be corrupt and uncleane But the Prophet Isaiah was of another minde and hath taught us by the Holy Ghost to judge otherwise Except saith he Isai 1.9 the Lord of Hosts had left us a very small Remnant wee should have been as Sodom wee should have been like unto Gomorrah In his judgement it is not a multitude of hypocrites and prophane persons that maketh a Church where a remnant of godly persons are found to become as Sodom or Gomorrah But it is a remnant a very small remnant that preserve the Church from becoming as Sodom or Gomorrah His fourth and last inference is That eminent gifts and abilities are but qualifications fitting and preparing for a Call or Office according to 1 Tim. 3. Tit. 1. Reply We readily acknowledge it but yet if a few godly persons shall call for the employment of these gifts to their spirituall edification The men who are qualified with these gifts are not onely fitted and prepared for a call or office but actually called unto office at least to preach the word unto them though not to administer the Covenant or seales of the Covenant but onely to them and their seed who yeeld professed subjection to the Gospel of Christ Jesus If any through ignorance or infirmitie proceed further in their administrations I doe beleeve the repentance of the Ministers for sinnes
the Ordinances is an humane corruption and so if he will an humane invention yet I doe not hold nor ever did that their Parishes were onely an humane invention For I beleeve the Lord Jesus hath the truth of his Churches and Ministery and worship in them notwithstanding the inventions of men superadded to them Reply 2. Though I doe beleeve there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word in a Church-estate to wit to such as are in Church-estate with the Minister of the Word as in the Seales Yet it is farre from me to hold and from any principle of mine to inferre that there is as true Communion in the ministration of the Word to every hearer as in the Seales for then we might as easily admit our Indians to the Seales as we doe admit them daily to the ministration of the Word Reply 3. It is a malignant and Satanicall misconstruction of the intentions of such godly persons who out of sincere affection to spirituall growth doe heare the Ministry of the Word from godly Preachers in England to accuse them before God and Angels and men that they doe it to avoyd the Crosse of Christ to wit persecution which may be avoyded in a great measure if persons come to Church It is well knowne that sundry of them are so sincere and constant in their profession that as they have suffered much for the cause of Christ against humane corruptions in Gods worship so they would be ready to suffer yet more for neglecting to come to Church if they suspected any humane corruption at all in it Againe It is well knowne that any stranger in London by removing now and then his lodging may escape not onely persecution but observation for a longer time then any of our hearers are ordinarily wont to sojourne there Besides in this time of universall freedome from all persecution during this long Parliament why doe not our members of these Churches forbeare to heare the Word in the Parishes now when there is no feare nor danger at all of persecution for not coming to Church His sixt and last particular consideration is That how ever Mr. Cotton saith He hath not found such presence of Christ and evidence of the Spirit in such separate Churches as in the Parishes What should be the reason of their great rejoycings and boastings of their own separations in New-England in so much that some of the most eminent amongst them have affirmed that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure Surely if the same new English Churches were in Old England they could not meete in Old England without persecution which therefore in Old England they avoyde by frequenting the way of Church-worship in the Parishes which in New-England they persecute Reply 1. The Examiner might easily have satisfied himselfe in this consideration if he had been willing to understand that which he knoweth to be our meaning He knoweth very well and hath often told us of it before that we our selves in our Churches doe practise some kinde of separation here to wit separation not from the Churches in Old England as no Churches but from some corruptions found in them In such Churches as so separate wee never speake of them that we had not found the presence of Christ or evidence of the Spirit in such Churches But I speake of such rigid Separatists Churches as renounce the Churches and Ministery and worship and Saints of England as if they were all false or none at all and therefore utterly doe refuse to heare the word in their Assemblies which is such a way of separation as I told him in my Letter the Lord Jesus never delivered nor any of his Apostles after him nor any of his Prophets before him Of which he taketh no notice nor giveth any ground either from Christ or his Apostles or Prophets for such practise but putteth us off that we practise separation our selves and rejoyce therein as if our separation and theirs were both of one nature and measure which indeed differ as much as I said before as Chirurgery and Butchery Reply 2. When he telleth us We boast of our separations in New-England yea so farre as that some of our most eminent have said that even the Apostles Churches were not so pure I must needs professe I never heard nor read of such a speech but onely in this Examiners Booke The speech it selfe savoureth I know not whether of more ignorance or arrogancy or blasphemy The broadest speech in this kinde that ever I heard to fall from the lips of any in this Countrey was that of Mr. Williams himselfe who whilest he lived at Salem as I am credibly informed would say That of all the Churches of Christ in the world the new English were the most pure and of all the new English the Church of Salem I am so well acquainted with the liberty and boldnesse of the Examiners tongue in calumniations that untill I know the name of that eminent person whom he reproacheth to have so spoken he must give me leave to feare either a mistake or that which is worse Reply 3. It is a double calumny but suitable to many other of the former that wee in New-England doe persecute the way of separation whether the one kinde of separation or the other It is true of neither for we practise the one and tolerate the other And againe that we frequent the Parish-Churches in Old England to avoyd persecution Unlesse mens tongues were their own I wonder how they can allow themselves to speake so excessively at random These his six Considerations having so little considerable truth or waight in them I justly said That he in withdrawing the people of God from hearing the voyce of Christ in so many Congregations both in New-England and in Old did not helpe Jehovah against the mighty but Satan against Jehovah and against the mighty Ordinances of his Word and Ministry But he answereth that he helpeth the zealous soules of the Separatiâ—n and he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting How he helpeth them I know not unlesse it be by depriving them of many precious meanes of grace which they might enjoy by hearing the Word in either England or unlesse by his own example he now helpe them Proficere in peius to separate further from all instituted worship of the Lord to cast off their own Churches Ministery Worship as they have cast off others before that so they might seeke for that which will never be found under the Sunne new Apostles to make all things new And as little doe I know how he helpeth us to seeke the Lord Jesus without halting unlesse it be to seeke him as he himselfe doth without Church-Ordinances For the Conclusion of his Booke he is willing to take up the conclusion of my Letter That whosoever will not kisse the Sonne that is will not heare and embrace the words of his mouth shall perish in their way Psal 2.12 This word is established in heaven and will take place in the earth throughout all generations But least this word might profit himselfe as selfe-love is apt to apply a word of threatening to any rather then to it selfe he applieth it to Mr. Cotton and to every soule to whom these lines of his may come seriously to consider in this Controversie if the Lord Jesus were himselfe in person in Old or New-England what Church what Ministery what Worship what Government he would set up and what persecution he would practise toward them that would not receive him For Answer let me say in a word this point hath been seriously considered already and let it be still considered and pondered in the Ballance of the Sanctuary and doubtlesse for the first of these points it will be found that if the Lord Jesus were here himselfe in person he would set up no other Church nor Ministery nor worship nor government then what himselfe hath appointed in his Word which though the Examiner and many others have sought and searched what enormities they might finde in it yet they have wearied themselves and found nothing So true is the faithfull promise of the Lord Jesus that he hath built his Church upon a Rock and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it nor against the Ordinances thereof And for the latter point What persecution the Lord Jesus if he were on earth would practise against those who would not receive him The Answer is neere at hand and is written for the warning of all gain-sayers Those mine enemies which would not that I should reigne over them bring them hither and slay them before my face Luk. 19.27 And yet I would not be so understood in alledging this Scripture as if Christ did allow his Vicegerents to practise all that himselfe would practise in his own person For not all the practises or acts of Christ as the Examiner seemeth to intimate but the Lawes of Christ are the Rules of mans Administrations But of that more distinctly in due time if the Lord shall give libertie to enquire further into the Examiners Bloudy Tenent To the Lord Jesus be the kingdome power and glory Amen FINIS
a City or civill State and for the suppressing of uncivill and injurious Persons or Actions by civill punishment And therefore this Sword cannot extend now as it did in Israel of old to spirituall and soule causes to spirituall and soule punishments Defender I easily hold with the Discusser that the civill Sword doth not extend to spirituall and soule punishments But if the civill Sword ought to extend to the defence of civill men in civill Liberties then why not also to the like defence of Churches and spirituall persons in their spirituall Liberties It is the Office of the civill Magistrate to governe his people in righteousnesse And if spirituall Liberties be in righteousnesse due to spirituall persons as well as civill Liberties to civill persons doubtlesse the Magistrate is defective in Rules of righteousnesse if he onely attend the defence of the civill people in their civill Rights and neglect to defend his spirituall people in their spirituall Rights What though the Sword be of a materiall and civill nature so it was in the Old Testament as well as in the new It can therefore reach no further either then or now then unto the punishment of men in bodily life or civill Liberties But it can reach to punish in these things not onely the offenders in bodily Life and civill Liberties but also the offendors against spirituall Life and soule Liberties What though it be called a civill Sword in common speech It is not a Scripture-phrase so to call it It may as fitly be called the Sword of God as well as the Sword of warre is so called Judges 7.20 which the Discusser guilefully or else unskilfully distinguisheth in this chapter from the civill Sword Now if the Sword of the Judge or Magistrate be the Sword of the Lord why may it not be drawne forth as well to defend his Subjects in true Religion as in civill Peace And as Magistrates are called in common speech civill Magistrates so are they called also in the Language of the Sanctuary Gods Psal 82.1.6 If civill Magistrates are to attend to civill matters are not Gods to attend to Gods matters It was wont to goe for a good Argument â conjugatis homo sum humani nihil â me alienum puto But now by the Discussers Doctrine the Magistrate may say Ego dignatione Divinâ Deus sum Psal 82. quatenus autem Deus sum Divina omnia â me aliena puto Now farre be all such reasonlesse and Paganish yea worse then Paganish Atheology from us Worse then Paganish I say for Pagan Princes accounted their Religion their chiefe care prima cura sacrorum And can a Christian forbid the care of Religion to Magistrates I say not without blushing but without trembling Object But Magistrates were called Gods in the Old Testament not so in the New Now under Christ all Nations are meerely Civill without any such Typicall holy respect upon them as was upon Israel a Nationall Church Ans It is written in the New Testament the Kingdomes of the world are become the Kingdomes of the Lord and of Christ Rev. 17.15 And if the Kingdomes be Gods Kingdomes and the Kingdomes of Christ then the Kings of those Kingdomes are Gods Kings and Christian Kings and what Title is there in all the New Testament that either derogateth from the Titles or Office of Kings Though the Nations now have not that Typicall holinesse which the Nation of Israel had yet all the Churches of the Saints have as much Truth and reality of holinesse as Israel had And therefore what holy care of Religion lay upon the Kings of Israel in the Old Testament the same lyeth now upon Christian Kings in the New Testament to protect the same in their Churches CHAP. 51. A Reply to his Chap. 51. Discusser A Fourth Argument from this Scripture Rom. 13. I take in ver 6. which is a meerely civill reward for the Magistrates worke Now as the wages be such is the worke but the wages are meerely Civill Custome Tribute not the contributions of the Saints or Churches of Christ c. Defender The Contributions of the Saints and Churches are truly called by the Apostle carnall things Romans 15.27 and againe 2 Cor. 9.11 But shall a man therefore thus reason as the wages be such is the worke But the wages are carnall things therefore such is the worke of the Ministers of the Gospel to whom such wages are paid It is true the contributions of the Saints may be called Holy because they are given to God and by his appointment to the maintenance of such as minister in his house about his holy things But these are mentall relations no reall differances in the thigns given to Magistrates and Ministers The wages given to them both are carnall things And consider them both in their proper ends as the rewards given to Ministers are given for their service about holy things so the rewards given to Magistrates are given for their service about righteous things Now if the Purity of Doctrine worship and Government be righteous priviledges of all the Churches in the Common-wealth surely Magistrates doe not well deserve all their wages that suffer the Churches to be bereaved and dispoyled of their spirituall priviledges which is the greatest and best part of their Birth-right Besides the Apostle commandeth the Churches and Saints not onely to pay to Magistrates Tribute and Custome which are civill things but also to poure out all manner of Prayers and Supplications Intercessions and given of thanks for them 1 Tim. 1.1 2. And surely these are spirituall dues and not Earthly And therefore Magistrates owe to the Churches and Saints some Spirituall recompences which the Apostle also there nameth that we may live a quiet and peaceable Life in all godlinesse and honesty ver 2. If therefore the Churches and Saints be not suffered to live a quiet and peaceable Life in Godlinesse and honesty or if they be suffered to live a quiet and peaceable life in ungodlinesse and dishonesty the Magistrates fall short of returning spirituall recompence for the spirituall Duties and services performed for them Discusser Lastly that the Spirit of God never intended to direct or warrant the Magistrate to use his power in spirituall affaires and Religions I argue from the Terme or Title given by God to such civill Officers to wit Gods Ministers ver 6. Defender One would thinke the Argument would rather evince the contrary For what is a Minister but a Servant and what is a servant but he that is at his Masters command for his efficient cause and for his Masters ends as his finall cause How shall then a Magistrate carrie himselfe as a Minister of God and yet fall short and intended so to doe both of Gods Commandements in his Lawes and of Gods worship and glory in the execution of them Discusser But at the very first blush any man will acknowledge a double Ministery the one appointed by Christ in his Church to order the
ignorant and scandalous persons drunkards whoremongers despisers and persecutors of them that are good Prophane swearers that have not so much as a forme of godlinesse but doe utterly deny and deride the power of it Answ This is indeed just matter of mourning and lamentation to all the Saints of Christ and may be also in due order just warrant of some degree of separation from them as from a corrupt Church It cannot but offend and deeply grieve the spirit of a Christian to sit downe at the Lords Table and drinke the bloud of the Lord with such who may be ready the next day to spill the bloud of sincere Communicants as Puritan Round-Heads But whilest the Saints of Christ continue amongst them the mixt fellowship of ignorant and prophane persons doth not evacuate or disanull their Church estate The store of malignant and noysome humours in the body yea the deadnesse and rottennesse of many members in the body though they may make the body an unsound and corrupt body yet they doe not make the body no body When the Prophet Isaiah complained that in the Church of Judah from the soale of the foote to the crowne of the head there was no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores yet whilest there was a Remnant amongst them of faithfull Saints they were not yet no Church they were not yet Sodome and Gomorrha though but for that Remnant they had been as Sodome and like unto Gomorrha Isa 1.6 with 9. Say not though Hierusalem and Judah were at that time degenerate yet they had been at first an holy Nation a faithfull Citie Isa 1.21 and so had a true constitution which the Churches of England never had For 1. I might answer That though in regard of some prime members Hierusalem was counted a faithfull Citie and the Nation Holy by Priviledge of their Covenant yet for the body of the people Hierusalem was alwayes a City of the provocation of Gods wrath from the day they built it Jer. 32.31 32. And for the body of the Nation Moses charged them Yee have alwayes been rebellious against the Lord since the day that I knew you Deut. 9.7.24 And Stephen protesteth against them They had alwayes wont to resist the Holy Ghost they and their fathers Act. 7.51 2. I doe not understand but that according to Scripture those corruptions which doe not destroy a Church constituted the same do not destroy the constitution of a Church The Church is constituted and continued by the same Grace 3. The estate of the Churches of England was not corrupt in their first constitution Baronius himselfe confesseth that England received the Gospel ten yeares before Rome and that from the Ministery of the Apostles and Apostolick men who doubtlesse constituted the English Churches not after the manner of Rome which was then Pagan but after the Apostolick Rules and Patternes This may suffice touching the matter of the English Churches Now touching the second thing objected which was from the efficient cause of their constitution It is said they were gathered not by the preaching of the Gospel by which Churches should be planted and constituted but by the Proclamation of Princes Answ 1. The efficient cause of a Church is a thing without the Church and so no essentiall cause of the Constitution of a Church The Proclamation of King Hezekiah and of the Princes drew on multitudes of Apostate Israelites to the Communion of the Church at Hierusalem and many of them in much pollution yet neither their own pollution nor the Proclamation of the King and Princes did evacuate their Church-estate but encourage them rather in their Church-worke 2 Chron. 30.5 to 9. and verses 11 12.17 18 19 20. It was no pollution to the second Temple at Hierusalem that it was built by the encouragement of the Proclamation of Cyrus Ezra 1. Answ 2. Wheresoever there be visible Saints gathered into a Church they were first gathered by the Ministery of the Gospel For Proclamations cannot make Saints but the word of the Gospel onely If any hypocrites or time-servers doe for feare joyne themselves with the Saints in such a worke though their fellowship may weaken and blemish the worke yet it doth not destroy it Thus much touching the constitution of their Parishionall Churches Now touching their Nationall Constitution it standeth partly in their Nationall Officers Archbishops Bishops and their Servitors partly in their Nationall Synods and convocations and partly also in their Nationall Ecclesiasticall Courts The Examiner is not ignorant that by the Grace of Christ we have withdrawen our selves and our Churches also from this Nationall Constitution and from all Communion with them If it be said But we still keepe Communion with the Parish-Churches in hearing the Word there who doe subject themselves to these Nationall Officers Convocations and Courts Answ 1. Though the Parish-Churches were lately subject to them it was a burden which as they did discerne the iniquitie thereof they groaned under and now by the mightie Power of the gracious Redemption of the Lord Jesus they have shaken off through the helpe of the Honorable and Religious Prudence and Piety of the Parliament 2. Though those Nationall Courts in their Officers did for many yeares tread downe the Parish-Churches yet they did not extinguish their Church-estate The Text is plaine The Gentiles that is men of Gentile-like prophanenesse and malignitie and iniquitie who had the keeping of the Church-Courts they did tread downe the Holy City Rev. 11.2 Tread downe I say but not destroy the Holy City Yea though the Translation reade it They did tread it downe or Tread it under-foote yet the Originall word may be rendred somewhat more mildly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may expresse their walking upon it or else the Peripateticks were a more violent sect then either their Principles or their Practise did declare them I come now to speake of the second Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English Churches which was the falsenesse of their Ministery which wherein it lyeth he should have done well to have told us for himselfe disliketh it in me to wander in Generalities But for our selves we are farre from that supercilious and Pharisaicall arrogancy as to condemne such for false Ministers in whom we finde Truth of Godlinesse Truth of Ministeriall Gifts Truth of Election and acceptance unto Office by true Churches of Christ Truth of sound wholesome and soule-saving Doctrine and Truth of holy and exemplary Conversation And such are all the Ministers whom either the members of our Churches affect to Heare or our Churches doe allow them ordinarily for to Heare And when I say Truth I speake it not in opposition to Eminency for sundry of them excell in Eminency of sundry of these things but in opposition to the falshood which the Examiner objecteth I know not what exception lyeth against their Ministery to argue it of falshood save what hath been excepted and answered already touching the constitution
of their Parishionall Churches but onely the falsenesse of the Power from whence their Ministery is derived to wit from Episcopall Ordination But the Examiner is much mistaken if he take us to conceive or if he himselfe conceive that the Power of the Ministeriall calling is derived from Ordination whether Episcopall or Presbyteriall or Congregationall The Power of the Ministeriall Calling is derived chiefly from Christ furnishing his servants with Gifts fit for the Calling and nextly from the Church or Congregation who observing such whom the Lord hath gifted doe elect and call them forth to come and helpe them For from that ground Paul and Silas to use the words of the Text assuredly gathered that the Lord had called them to preach the Gospel to the Macedonians Acts 16.9 10. to wit because a man of Macedonia in the name of the rest had called unto them to come into Macedonia and helpe them Pastor and flock are Relatives and Relatives doe consist ex mutuâ alterius affectione Their mutuall acceptance of one another is the essentiall cause of their Relation Ordination is but adjunctum consummans as Dr. Ames rightly observeth of the Ministers Calling the Relation between him and the people was truly wrought before As the Coronation of the Prince is not that which giveth the Essency of his Princely Calling but Election by the People where the Government is Elective so neither is Ordination that which giveth Essence to the Ministers Calling but the peoples choice Ordination by Imposition of Episcopall hands doth pollute an Adjunct of the Ministers calling to wit the solemnitie of it but doth not destroy the essence or nature of it much lesse derive a false power to it to evacuate the true The third Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English-Parish-Churches is the False worship And truly whatsoever hath been corrupt in their worship whether Prescript Liturgies or undue Honour put upon Saints or Angels in denominating Dayes or Temples after them and such times and places dedicated to God which he never required and what ever other Devices of like nature I had rather bewaile before the Lord then excuse or justifie before men And I should thinke it had been a better service to God and his Churches and a greater comfort to the soule of the Examiner to have expressed particularly what the false worship had been which he beareth witnesse against and to have cleared wherein their falshood lyeth rather then to have rested in condemning all false worships in overly Generalities and especially at such a time when through mercy the State is set upon Reformation and calleth for light He that shall cry out against all false wayes in Travels by Land and exclaime against all Rocks and Quick-sands by Sea and give no particular notice where they lye what helpe doth he afford to the carefull Passenger or Marriner either by Land or Sea When Trumpets give such an uncertain and obscure sound who shall prepare themselves to avoyd the danger on the one hand or on the other But for the present two things would I say touching the point in hand 1. It is not every corruption in worship that denominateth the worship to be false worship It was doubtlesse a corrupt worship to Sacrifice in the High Places yet God doth not call it a false worship but rather seemeth to accept it as done to himselfe 2 Kings 33.17 False worship to speake properly is as good as no worship nor is the God of Truth wont to accept that which is false But there may be many aberrations in the manner of worship when yet both the object of the worship is the true God and the substance of the worship is true worship and God may accept that which is Truth from an honest and true heart and passe by many aberrations as infirmities and not reject all as falsities The second thing I would say is That whatsoever we have discerned to be corrupt or irregular in the worship of God we have beleeved it to be our duty both to judge our selves for it before the Lord and to reforme it in our practise If any shall discover any further failings in our worship or in the worship of those Churches whom wee communicate with I hope the Lord will not shut our eyes against the light The fourth Falshood which the Examiner chargeth upon the English-Churches is false Government which if he meane the Government of the Parishes by the godly Ministers with whom our people communicate in hearing that Government is chiefly administred by the publick Preaching of the Gospel and by private admonition Which he that shall challenge it to be a false Government though it may be defective in some Directions verily the spirit of Truth and Grace in those who are governed and led by it from darknesse to light from the Power of Satan unto God from a state of Grace to assured hopes of eternall Glory in Christ Jesus will convince all such slanderous tongues of notorious falshood But if he speake of the Nationall-Church-Government we must confesse the Truth there indeed Truth is fallen and falshood hath prevailed much For whether we speake of the Hands by which that Government hath been administred or of the Ecclesiasticall Courts in which it is administred or of the Rule according to which it is administred or of the End for which it is administred All of them are forsaken of Truth and can challenge no warrant of Truth but falsly The Hands by which that Government hath been administred are the Prelacy and their Servitors who though they have of late challenged Institution by Divine Right yet the claime is utterly false The Divine Authoritie hath none to attend upon Rule and Government in the Church but such as are inferior to Pastors and Teachers in Congregations who labour in Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5.17 Diocesan Bishops in the dayes of the Gospel are like Kings in Israel in the dayes of the Judges both of them wanting Divine Institution What a pity is it that some men eminent for Piety and Preaching and others for learning and moderation should come to be as Jothams Parable speaketh advanced over their Brethren and so leave their fatnesse and sweetnesse and fruitfulnesse wherewith they had been wont to serve both God and man The Ecclesiasticall Courts in which that Government is administred are like the Courts of the High Priests and Pharisees which Solomon by a spirit of Prophecy styleth Dens of Lyons Mountaines of Leopards Cant. 4.8 And those who have had to doe with them have found them Markets of the sinnes of the People the Cages of uncleannesse the forgers of Extortion the Tabernacles of Bribery The Rule according to which the Government is administred is not the word of God which alone is able to make a Church-Governour perfect to every good worke 2 Tim. 1.17 but in stead thereof the Canon Law the Decretalls of Antichrist and most unworthily and falsly applyed to the Government of