but general conclusions and notwithstanding that in the course of his Book he maintaines such and such persecution yet he layes this down as his first conclusion It is not lawful to persecute a conscience rightly informed that is Christ Iesus in his Truths and Servants and that I say never persecutor professed to do without a Maske or covering Peace What of that saith Master Cotton for although they do not persecute Christ as Christ yet they do it and it is no matter of wonder to tell them as Christ tells Paul It is not lawful for them so to do Truth Doubtless whatever persecutors profess and what Apologies soever they make in all the particular cases for which Gods servants are persecuted yet the Saints of God have dealt faithfully to tell Persecuters that they persecute Christ himself and to breath out the fire of Gods judgements against them even out of their own mouth But what is this to a conclusion laid down for so Christ laid not down his expostulation with Paul as a conclusion as Master Cotton doth by way of teaching but as a conviction by way of reproofe Peace Yet persecutors saith he have persecuted Christ as Christ for the Scribes and Pharises said This is the heir come let us kill him and Iulian persecuted Iesus as Iesus And if a Christian in Turkie shall seek to gaine a Turke to Christianity they will persecute such a Christian and in him Iesus as Iesus Truth It is said Acts 3. that the Iews persecuted Christ out of ignorance for though they had sufficient knowledge to convince them yet did they not persecute Christ out of a clearely convinced conscience for then it could not be out of ignorance And yet it was sufficient that so great a power of Gods Spirit appeared in the evidence of Christs works as to make their sin to be against the Spirit of God yet had they their mask and covering as is evident For this is not the true Christ or Messiah say they but a deceiver a witch working by the power of the devil a blasphemer a seducer a Traitor c. Againe although wretched Iulian persecuted the very name of Christ and Iesus whom formerly he had acknowledged and professed Yet was it still under a mask or covering to wit that he was not the true Son of God nor his worship the Truth but his Roman gods were true c. And the same say the Turkes in persecuting Christians and in them Christ Iesus as aâ— Prophet inferiour to their onely great and true Prophet Mahomet And lastly neither Scribes nor Pharisees nor Iulian nor Turkes did or do persecute Christ Iesus otherwise then as they were and are bound so to do by Master Cottons doctrine as shall further appear notwithstanding his plea that such Magistrates must forbeare to punish untill they be better informed Peace But let tyrants and persecutors profess what they will saith Master Cotton yet this varieth not the truth nor impeacheth the wisdome of the conclusion Truth Sweet peace how can I here chuse but in the first place observe that great mystery of the waking sleep of the most precious servants of the most high God in the affaires of his worship and the Kingdome of his dear Son Awake for what fiery censures justly poureth forth this our excellent Adversarie against the oppressours of conscience entituling them with the names of tyrants and persecutors notwithstanding their vaine professions pretences apologies and pleas for their tyranny and Bloodshed Againe how fast asleep in his so zealous pleading for the greatest tyranny in the world throughout his whole book though painted and washed over with faire pretences c 2. He granteth upon the point the truth which was affirmed and he denyed to wit that no persecutor of Christ ever persecuted him as the Son of God as Iesus but under some mask or covering as thousands of black and bloody clouds of persecuting witnesses in this case most lamentably make it evident and apparent Peace Master Cottons next charge is very heavy against the discusser for exalting himself above God in the discerning of Master Cottons fellowship with persecutors notwithstanding his profession against such persecution Truth The Lord Jesus saw in the Iews such a contrariety between their professions and practises even in this case of persecution Mat. 23. 2. Himself in effect but even now said the same of all persecutors What ever pretences they make saith he and they will pretend great things of love to Christ and kiss him ten thousand times when treasons and slaughters are is in their courses And will Master Cotton say that Christ Iesus exalted himself above God inspying out so great a mystery It is no new thing that Master Cotton should be apt to say with David That man that hath done this thing shall die not duely considering and pondering that our selves are sons of blood and children of death condemned by our own mouth if the righteous Iudge of the whole world should deal severely with us Peace But Master Cotton for a close of this Chapter complaines of his own suffering of bitter persecution and the Lord Iesus in him being unjustly slandered except the discusser can prove that any doctrine of his tendeth to persecute any of the servants of Christ Truth Let a mans doctrine and practise be his witnesses and let every soul judge in the fear of God whether the doctrine of this Book maintaining such and such a persecution to be an holy truth wash'd white in the blood of the Lamb agree not lamentably with all their imprisonings banishings c. inflicted upon so many several sorts of their own countrimen friends and brethren in the wilderness for matter of Religion and conscience amongst which the Lord Jesus will be heard at last to have said Why persecutest thou me why banishest and whippest thou me c 2. Will not all persecuting prelates Popes c. take heart from hence according to their several religions and consciences to persecute the heretick blasphemer seducer c. although they all will say with Master Cotton It is not lawful to persecute a conscience rightly informed that is Christ Jesus in his truths or servants Peace But the discusser saith Master Cotton is a bitter persecutor in slandering him and Christ Jesus in him for a persecutor Truth I see not but Master Cotton though of Davids spirit may be guilty of Sauls lamentable complaint that David persecuted him and that he could finde none to pity him Who knows not that all and our own Popish Bishops in Queen Maries yea and of late times our Protestant Bishops against the non-conformists have been wont to cry out what bitter persecution themselves have suffered from the slanderous censures and reproaches of the servants of Christ Jesus against them Who yet have shot no other arrowes at them but the faithful declarations and discoveries of Gods holy truth and the evil of the opposing and persecuting of it and
own 7 hils haue flown fild all Protestant and Popish ears and hearts and tongues with either admiration exulting or furious rage and indignation Yet what avails these glorious flames and furious whirling of your zealous Chariots if yet they are but Jehu's If Sathan the God of this world possesse the Throne of Pride and Ostentation in your bosoms Come see my zeal which I have for the God of Israel yea though you should go on where Jehu left and shoot home where he fell short yet what avails it that the God of Israel be in Iehu's mouth when God-selfe God-honour c. fill his breast heart What gains he by the slaughter of Princes Priests and Gods when Israel it self is but an Apostate state from the true worship of the God of Israel and Iehu himself according to the purity of Gods word and ordinances at Ierusalem reformed not so much as his own privâ—t heart censcience Alas what solid joy most zealous Worthies shall a Crown of leaves a temporal reward Iehu's wages bring to your Noble Heads Breasts if you heare not at last that saving Call to all humble and selfe-denying Followers of Jesus Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Your admired publick patience so wonderfully assaulted so wonderfully loaden with such mightie Trials from Mans from Gods hand with such mighty Losses mighty Defeats mighty Labours Hazards mighty Reproaches c. I say your unwearied Patience hath stood like some mighty Rock or Anvill invincible Yet who can stile this Patince or State-policie if your private Howses and Breasts swell and swarm with rebellious Passions Impatiences Revenges If in the furnaces of your own private afflictions and in the powrings out and changes of the most High upon you your Drosse and Lees of unmortified unsanctified Spirits remain uncleansed if you most humbly kisse not the Rods of the most High chastising you by sicknesses by lesses and other trialls humbly thankfull and longing to declare the Spirits of true Children truly desiring more and more to partake of his Divine Nature and Holinesse Yea what avails the Crown of your enduring Constancy that have rid out so long a storm held out so long a siege not fainted in such tedious Travels Labours Oppositions Treacheries Discouragements but gloriously cast Anchor in the Port of Patience if yet your personall Righteousness passe away as the morning dew melted with the warme beams of victorious and prosperous Success If your own professions of Christ Jesus prove but a fading colour and not died in the right Grain of the pretious blood of the Son of God Your Honours well remember that the main point of Luthers Reformation and before him of the Hussites in Germany and Bohemia and before them of the Wicklevists in England and before them of the Waldenses in France consisted chiefly about Repentance and Faith in the blood of Christ That the main Contentions of Calvin and since him of the most Reformers have turn'd upon the hinge of the Form of the Church and the Administrations thereof the lamentable though pretious Fuell of those fires of strife among the wisest holiest and learnedst of the Followers of Christ Jesus in these times You know the Lord Jesus prophesied That many false Christs should arise and the Scriptures more then once give the title of Christ to the Ghurch whence it is evident That every severall Modell Platform and profession of a Church is the profession of a various and different Christ Your Honours also know he spake most true being Truth it Selfe that said That which is most highly esteemed amongst men is abomination in the sight of God Luke 16. Hence such may the glorious profession of Christs or Churches be as may ravish the eyes and hearts of men and from which the jealous eys of the true Lord Jesus turn away as from the false and counterfeit with indignation Beside the Counterfeit in holy Scripture how famous was the Pageant of that counterfeit King of England which so haunted with long vexations one of the wisest of Englands Kings Henry the seventh How wonderfully even to astonishment did the imposture of Richard Duke of York proclaiming Henry an usurper and â—alse I say how wonderfully did that monstrous imposture take that not onely Foraigners where that Counterfeit most kept the Arch-Duke the King of France the King of Scots the King of Romanes the Irish Nation c. were deceived with that feigned King but also so many gallant men of our own Nation even to the wisest and highest as that famous Stanley Lord Chamberlain the Preserver and Râ—iser of King Henry himselfe lamentably lost their Heads and Lives about that pretended King Now counterfeit Spirituall delusions of false and counterfeit Christs as they are deeper and stronger so they find more easie possession of the Ears and Souls of men so wofully prepared by naturall self-deceivings On six principall Pillars or Foundations saith the holy Spirit Heb. 6. 6. is built the fabrick of of true Christianity On Repentance on Faith on Baptismes on laying on of Hands on the Resurrection and the Eternall Judgement Concerning the two middle ones of these there are and have been mighty and lamentable differences among the Scholars of Jesus who yet agree in the other foure of Repentance and Faith the Resurrection and Eternall Judgement Whatsoever your Honours apprehensions are of the foure last I beseech you as you love your lives to Eternity make sure of the two first and ply with Sails and Oars day and nights and give not rest to your souls till you have anchored in some blessed assurance that although you find not satisfaction in the many frames of Churches pretending yet that you have saved as once you know a wise and honorable personage said the Bird in your Bosome and that those your very eyes which have seen so much of Christ Jesus and so many wonderfull changes and have been rotten awhile in their holes in Death shall joyfully possesse and fill their holes again and be gloriously blessed with the sight of a Redeemer when these Heavens and this Earth shal passe away For which humbly and uncessantly prayes Your Honours most unworthy yet unfainedly devoted Roger Williams Your Honours wanting time to read much may please to view in a few minutes the Portraicture and Map of the whole Bloody Tenent in the latter end of the last Chapt. Chap. 79. To the several Respective General Courts especially that of the Massachusets in N. ENGLAND Honored and beloved Friends and Countreymen WHile You sit drie on your safe American Shoars by Gods most gracious Providence and have beheld the dolefull tossings of so many of Europs Nations yea of our dearest Mother aged England in a Sea of Tears and Bloud I am humbly bold to present your Eyes and Hearts with this not unseasonable discourse of Bloud of the
Hall not being satisfied he sends them unto the discusser who never saw the said Hall nor those Arguments in writing though he well remember that he saw them in print some yeers since and apprehending no other but that Master Cottons Answer was as publike as Master Cottons profession and practice of the same Tenent was and is what breach of rule can Master Cotton say it was to answer that in the streets which Master Cotton proclaimeth on the House top Peace But grant it had been a private letter and the discourse and the opinion private yet why doth he charge the discusser with breach of rule in not using orderly wayes of Admonition and telling the Church when Master Cotton himself in this Book blames the discusser for disclaiming Communion with their Church and they also after he was driven by banishment from civil habitation amongst them had sent forth a bull of excommunication against him in his absence Such practise the Lord Jesus and his first Apostles or Messengers never taught nor any that are truely their successors ever will But to end this Chapter in the last place why doth Master Cotton complaine of the loss of the liberty of his conscience and of the punishing of his conscience by the publishing of his letter aggravating it because the discusser pleads for liberty of conscience Is he indeed on the Lord Jesus mind for the sparing mens bodies and present life for their souls and eternal lives sake Doth he indeed plead for liberty of conscience Let the following discourse and this present passage manifest how tender he is of his own conscience and of the liberty of it But how censorious and senseless of the pangs and agonies of other mens conscience and spirits and sorrows As if his alone were the Apple of his eye but Theirs like the brawny hoofs of the roaring Bulls of Bashan Peace Complaines Master Cotton of persecution for such dealing against him I never heard that disputing discoursing and examining mens Tenents or Doctrines by the word of God was in proper English acceptation of the word persecution for conscience well had it been for New England that no servant of God nor witness of Christ Jesus could justly take up no other complaint against New England for other kinds of persecution surely the voice of Christ Jesus to Paul Saul Saul why persecutest thou me was for another kind of persecution Truth Deare Peace if the Bishops of Old England or new had never stirred up the Civil Magistrate to any other suppressing of mens consciences nor no other persecuting then discussing disputing c. they should never have needed to have been charged so publikely in the face of the world with the bloody Tenent of persecution for cause of conscience Examination of CHAP. II. Peace IN this Chapter Master Cotton much complaines that he is charged in the Title to maintaine persecution for cause of conscience and professeth That he would have none be punished for conscience unless his errour be fundamental or seditiously or turbulenly promoted and that after due conviction of conscience and that it may appear he is not punished for his conscience but for sinning against his conscience Truth Persecution for conscience is in plaine English hunting for conscience and Master Cotton being a son of wine as the Jews speak in their Proverb is loth to be counted a son of vinegar and therefore would avoid the word persecuting or hunting as something too wilde and fierce an expression more sutable to the bloody sons of vinegar and gall the Roman Emperors Popes and Bishops and he much desires to have the word persecuting changed for the word punishing a tearm more proper to true Justice But is not this the guise and profession of all that ever persecuted or hunted men for their Religion and conscience are not all histories and experiences full of the pathetical speeches of persecutors to this purpose You will say you are persecuted for your conscience you plead conscience Thou art a heretick the devil hath deceived thee thy conscience is deluded c. And 2. Whether such punishing as Master Cotton assigneth to that threefold degree of heretical wickedness chap. 5. to wit To hold a fundamental error To persist therein after conviction and lastly To seduce others thereunto Or these five summed up page 186 of his book subverters of the Christian Faith persisters therein after conviction blasphemers idolaters seducers I say such a punishing which he affirmes to be death and killing will not amount to make up a persecution for cause of conscience let the Spanish Inquisitions be an instance who when they torture and rack and kill and burn for such crimes yet varnish they and guild all over with the painted Title of Gods Glory holy zeal just punishment of hereticks blasphemers c. Peace But Master Cotton blameth that he should be charged with the Doctrine of persecution by consequence Truth Let his whole book and the prosecuting of this controversie be judge whether it be only drawn from consequences and not express Tearms And for the washing of this bloody Tenent in the blood of the Lambe Time hath and will discover that such a Blackamore cannot be washed in the blood of Christ himself without Repentance for they that washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb Revelations the 7. were true penitents untill therefore that persecutors repent of this bloody Doctrine and practice they must hear as the men of Judah did the prophet Isaiahs thunder Isa 1. Your hands are defiled with blood wash you make you clean c. Examination of CHAP. III. Peace BUt what knot in a Bulrush is that which Master Cotton observes the discusser findes in his first distinction of persecution for cause of conscience Truth For the matter upon the point they both agree as Master Cotton hath penned himself that persecution for cause of conscience is not onely when a man is punished for professing such Doctrines and Worships as he believes to be of God but also when he is punished for renouncing such Doctrine and not practising such Worships which he believes are not of God c. All the difference is this that the discusser saith This should have been expressed in the distinction Master Cotton saith it was implied and therefore the observing of the not expressing of it was but a knot in a Bulrush Peace T is wofully true that the peace of the Saints and the peace of the world hath been lamentably broake and distracted in punishing or persecuting of men but especially the Saints upon both these grounds but yet the records of time and experience will tell us that since the Apostasie from the truth of Jesus the rising of Antichrist and the setting up of many State Religions the forest and frequentest punishing or hunting of the children of God hath been as in the case of Nebuchadnezzars Image for not bowing down to the State-Images for not coming
of Gods servants have fed and himself not a little to the Lords praise and his own in former times Peace Whereas you argued it to be light alone that was able to dispell and scatter the mists and fogs of darkness in the souls and consciences of men Master Cotton answers The judgements of God are as light that goeth forth Hos 6. 3. Isa 26. 9. and the false Prophet repenting will acknowledge this Zech. 13. 6. Thus was I wounded in the house of my friends Truth But doth Master Cotton indeed believe that not only publike Magistrates but also each private father and mother as that place of Zechary literately taken carries it must now in the dayes of the Gospel wound and pierce yea run through and kill their Son the false Prophet would he justifie a parent so practising though it were in the neglect of the publike Magistrate who happily may be of the same Religion with the false prophet Will not this doctrine reach extend to the pulling down deposing and killing of all such governors and governments which God in his gracious providence hath set up amongst all peoples in all parts and dominions of the world yea and harden the heart of Pharoah the very Pope himself in his King-killing and State-killing doctrine Peace If ever Master Cotton wake in this point he will tell all the world that it is more Gospel-like that Parents Brethren Fathers Friends impartially fulfill this of Zechary 13. and Deut. 13. spiritually in the friendly wounding yea and zealous slaying by the two-edged sword of the Spirit of God which is the word of God comming forth of the mouth of Christ Jesus Ephes 5. Revel 1. Truth And it is most true as Master Cotton saith that the judgements of God legally executed or more terribly poured forth in the vials of sword plague and famine they are as heavenly lights shining out from the Father of lights teaching the inhabitants of the world righteousness Yea the creation it self or each creature are as candles and glasses to light and shew us the invisible God and creator but yet these are not the ordinances of Christ Jesus given to his church These are not the Preachings of the word and the opening of the mysteries of salvation which give light and understanding to the simple and convert the soul These are nor that marvailous light unto which the call of Christ Jesus in the preaching of the word had brought the Saints unto whom Peter writes The weapons of Pauls fighting whereby to batter down the high thoughts and imaginations of the sons of men against the sons of God were of another nature 3 Cor. 10. and his directions to Timothy and Titus how to deal with Hereticks and Gainsayers were never heard of to be such till the son of man and son of perdition brought forth such bloody weapons and bloody doctrines in the affaires of Christ Jesus Examination of CHAP. X. Peace IN this passage Master Cotton will subscribe to the whole matter saying This Chapter may stand for us without impeachment and yet in this Chapter is reported the persecution which both rightly informed and erroneous consciences suffer and the blind estate of such blinde guides and blinded consciences who so preach and practice Truth These first words We approve no persecution for conscience fight against his whole endeavour in this book which is to set up the civil throne and judgement-seat over the consciences and soules of men under the pretence of preserving the church of Christ pure and punishing the evil of heresie blasphemy c. 2. They fight against their fellows which follow thus unless the conscience be convinced of the error and perniciousness thereof which is all one as to say We hold no man is to be persecuted for his conscience unless it be for a conscience which we judge dangerous to our Religion No man is to be persecuted for his conscience unless we judge that we have convinced or conquered his conscience T is true all errour is perniciots many wayes to Gods glory to a mans owne soul to other mens souls and consciences yet I understand Master Cotton to say Except we judge the error to be so and so mischievous T is true there is a self-conviction which some consciences smite and wound themselves with But to submit these consciences to the tribunal of the civil Magistrate and Powers of the World how can Master Cotton do this and yet say no man is to be persecuted for his conscience Peace Alas how many thousands and millions of consciences have been persecuted in all Ages and Times iâ— a judicial war and how have their Judges pretended victory and triumph crying out We have convinced or conquered them and yet are they obstinate Truth Hence came that hellish Proverb That nothing was more obstinate then a Christian under which cloud of reproach hath been overwhelmed the most faithful zealous and constant witnesses of Jesus Christ Peace But saith Master Cotton Some blinded consciences are so judicially punished by God as his in Irelond that burnt his child in imitation of Abraham Truth In such cases it may be truly said the Magistrate beares not the sword in vaine either for the punishing or preventing of such sins whether uncleanness theft cruelty or persecution And therefore such consciences as are so hardned by Gods judgement as to smite their fellow-servants under the pretence of zeale and conscience as in the instance of Saul his zeal for the children of Israel against the Gibeonites they ought to be supprest and punished to be restrained and prevented And hence is seasonable the saying of King Iames that he desired to be secured of the Papists concerning civil obedience which security by wholesome Lawes and other wayes according to the wisdome of each state each state is to provide for it self even against the delusions of hardned consciences in any attempt which meerly concernes the civil state and Common-weale Examination of CHAP. XI Peace IN this Chapter Master Cotton takes himself wronged that he should be thought to lay this down as a conclusion viz. that it is not lawful to persecute Iesus Christ Truth What difference is there in saying It is not lawful to persecute a conscience rightly informed and to say It is not lawful to persecute Christ Iesus was it not all one in effect for Christ to say Take up thy bed and walk as to say Thy sins are forgiven thee Peace He adds It is no matter of wonder to lay down the principles of Religion for a proof as Gamaliel did Truth Who sees not a vast difference between Master Cottons and Gamaliels speech Gamaliel speaks of that particular controversie concerning Christs person and profession which the Iews so gainsayed and persecuted Gamaliel fitly aggravateth their opposition by the danger of their course if possibly it might prove to be the Truth which they persecuted Master Cotton is to lay down not a particular answer
the wife or the wife to the husband Yea whether they spake any thing though never so little out of any line of holy Scriptures or any of Wickliffes books or any good English writings By which abhorred practices the fathers caught in this bloody Bishops oath vehemently forced upon all suspected the fathers I say were forced to accuse and betray their children the children their fathers husbands their wives wives their husbands for fear of horrible death on the one side or else of running upon the rocks of Perjury on the other side Peace Hold dear truth and stop my spirit is wounded with such relations Truth O how were the Saints and Christ Jesus in them wounded with such tenents and practices Peace Master Cotton will salve this up with what he elsewhere saith thus Longlands and the Papists religion and the religion of England was then false in that kings time Truth What then No pious and sober man can hold all mâ—n devoid of conscience to God except himself In all religions sects and consciences the sons of men are more or less zealous and precise though it be in falshood 2. But let it be granted that the religion persecuted is false and that a false religion like leaven will spread as did this idolatry of Michal Jeroboam and others and grant that this idolatry will bring judgements from heaven in the end yet I desire Master Cotton or any knowing man to answer to these two questions 1. Where finde we since the comming of Christ Jesus a land like Canaan a state-religion a City or Town-religion wherein the Townes or Cities or kingdomes apostacie may be feared as Master Cotton here writes of Lâ—â—sh and consequently the Townes or Cities captivity for that sin 2. Where read we of the destruction of a land for idolatry or images without a ripeness in other sins and especially of violence and oppression of which persecution is the greatest And therefore to follow Master Cottons instance of the Turks beside idolatry which saith Master Cotton brought the plague of the Turks Rev. 9. read we not also in that Scripture and in all histories of their detestable and wonderful whoredomes witchcrafts thefts slaughters and murthers amongst which this bloody Tenent of persecution was ever in most high esteem c. Peace Indeed Bâ—â—â—â— hath been filled with blood of all sorts Râ—â—â—lations the 18. but in especial manner hath the whâ—re been drunk with the blood of the Saints and witnesses of Jesus Revel 17. Truth Hence then not idolatry onely but that bloody doctrine of persecution the great fire-brand and incendiary of all Nations and Commonweals brought in the bloody Turkes to revenge Gods truth and witnesses slaine by the idolatrous and bloody Antichristians Peace I something question that it can be proved that the most righteous Judge of the whole world ever destroyed state or nation for idolatry but where this bloody doctrine of persecution was joyned with it that is until he had graciously sent witnesses against such idolatries and till such witnesses were despised and persecuted and therefore here comes in seasonably the sad exprobration of the Lord Jesus against Jerusalem threatning the ruine and desolation of it Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them which were sent unto thee c Truth I add lastly Let it be granted that a soul is corrupted with a false religion and that that false Religion like a leaven in time hath corrupted the state Yet first that state or land is none else but a part of the world and if so since every part more or less in degree follows the nature of the whole it is but natural and so lieth as the whole world doth in wickedness and so as a state or part of the world cannot but alter from one false way or path to another upon this supposition as before that no whole state kingdome City or Town is Christian in the new Testament Secondly Grant this state to be so corrupted or altered from one corrupt religion to another yet that state may many ages enjoy civil peace and worldly prosperity as all histories and experience testifies Thirdly That idolatry may be rooted out and another idolatrous religion of the conquerer as in the Roâ—aâ—e and other conquests brought in or the religion may be changed something to the better by the coming of new Princes to the crown as we see in Henry the eighth King Edward and Queen Elizabeth in our own Nation and of late times Lastly A soul oâ— souls thus leavened may be reduced by repentance as often it pleaseth God so to work why then should there as Master Cotton intimates such a peremptory bloody sentence be thundred out as life for life c. Peace But saith Master Cotton false prophets in the old Testament were to die but for attempting and the reason was not from any typical holiness of the land but from the dangerous wickedness of the attempting to thrust away a soul from God which is a greater injury then to deprive a man of bodily life Truth The reason to me appears plainly typical with respect to that holy nation and the seducers seeking to turn the soul away from the Lord their God who had brought them forth from the land of Egypt by such signes miracles c. Let Master Cotton now produce any such nation in the whole world whom God in the New Testament hath literally and miraculously brought forth of Egypt or from one land into another to the truth and purity of his worship c. then far be it but I should acknowledge that the seducer is fit to be put to death But draw away the curtaine of the shadow and let the substance appear not a whole Nation City c. but the Christian church brought by spiritual signes and wonders from the Egypt of this world in all nations of the world where the Gospel comes Justly therefore he that seduceth a soul from his God in Christ and so endangereth to leaven that only true Christian state or kingdome the church of Christ he ought to die upon his obstinacy without mercy as well under Christ as under Moses Yea he is worthy of a sorer punishment as saith the Spirit of God who trampleth under feet the blood of Christ such a deceiver or seducer except he repent is to be cut from the presence of the Lord and to lose an eternal life He that is cut off from material Israel might yet repent and live eternally but he that is cut off from mystical Israel under the Gospel that is for obstinacy in sin the proper hereticke he is cut off to all eternity which punishment as it is infinitely transcendent and more dreadful in the nature and kind of it so answereth it fully and infinitely that clause of Master Cotton to wit To thrust a soul from God is a greater injury then to deprive a man of his bodily life Peace Now whereas the discusser added
of a necessity of present punishing of false worshippers and idolaters least present wrath fall upon the King or his Son Peace Now whereas it was said an intollerable burthen laid upon the Magistrates back together with the care of the Commonweal to be charged also with the spiritual c. Master Cotton answers 1. That the Magistrate ought to seek out meaneâ— of grace for the people 2. To remove idolatry and idolatrous Teachers 3. It is commonly added that he ought to preserve the church pure by reformation Truth I reply This work charged upon the kings governors and Magistrates in the world makes the weight of their care and charge far greater then ever was the charge of the kings of Israel and Judah For their people were miraculously brought into covenant with God to their hands like a bridge or house or ship ready built and needed only keeping up in reparation yea an heavier yoak then either their or our fathers were able to bear considering all the several different consciences religions and worships of all mankind naturally and the many different opinions factions and sects which daily do arise and that conscientiously and zealously unto death All these must by Master Cottons doctrine lie before the bar beside all civil cases c. Peace T is memorable that Paul himself that had the care of all the churches would not be intangled with civil affaires further then his own necessities did call for and sometimes the necessities of his companions but this yoak put upon the necks of Magistrates is as full of temporal as spiritual care And as it is impossible for them to bear So the Lord in his holy season may please to teach them as he hath taught some already through his grace to lay that spiritual Burthen upon the shoulders of their only King of Saints Christ Jesus to whom the supream power and care of souls and churches doth alone belong Whereas it was further said that the Magistrate is to cherish and to cleave unto the Saints and to defend them from civil violence but the spiritual care of them belongs to spiritual officers appointed by Christ Jesus to that end Master Cotton replies this is but a pretence because the discusser acknowledgeth no churches extant c. Truth Although amongst so many pretending churches the discusser be not able to satisfie himself in the rightly gathering of the Churches according to the true order of Christ Jesus yet this is far from a pretence because the institution of any state government order c. is one thing and the administration and execution which may be interrupted and eclipsed is another Peace Indeed Ieremy could not rightly have been judged a pretender when he mourned for and lamented the desolations of the temple priests elders altar sacrifice c. and neither he nor Daniel nor any of Gods prophets or servants could during the time of the desolation and captivity acknowledge either temple or altar or sacrifice right extant upon the face of the earth Truth He that saith the Sun Christ Jesus is not to be seen in our Horizon or Hemisphere in his absence or when he suffers an Eclipse cannot be said to deny that the Lord Jesus his holy ordinances ought to be visible in the worship and service of God Although the discusser be not satisfied in the period of the times and the manner of his glorious appearing yet his soul uprightly desires to see and adore and to be thankful to Master Cotton yea to the least of the disciples of Christ Jesus for any coal or sparke of true light amongst so many false and pretended candles and candlesticks pretending the glorious name of the Lord Jesus Christ Peace Next Master Cotton demands what reason can be given why the Magistrate ought to break the teeth of lyons ought to suppress such as offer civil violence and not of the Wolves that make havock of their souls who are more mischievous then the lyon as the Pope of Rome then the Pagan Emperors He wonders the discusser should favor the Pope more then the Emperour except it be that he symbolizeth rather with Antichrist then with Caesar Truth It may here suffice to say two things not to repeat other passages First The civil state and Magistrate are meerly and essentially civil and therefore cannot reach without the transgressing the bounds of civility to judge in matters spiritual which are of another sphere and nature then civility is Now it is most just and proper that if any member of a civil body be opprest the body should relieve it As also it is just and proper that the spirituall state or body should relieve the soul of any in that spiritual combination oppressed Therefore Secondly for spiritual and religious oppressions the king of kings Christ Iesus hath sufficient providedly in his spiritual kingdome therefore Acts 20 Paul gives the charge against those spiritual Wolves to the elders of the church at Ephesus and not to civil Magistrates of the city which Paul should have done notwithstanding they were worshippers of Diana if it had been their duty to have broke the teeth of those spirituall Wolves c. Peace It is indeed one thing to prohibite the Pope the prelates the Presbyterians the Independents or any from forcing any in the matters of their respective consciences and accordingly to take the sword from such mens hands or as their executioners to refuse to use it for them It is another thing to leave them freely to their own consciences to defend themselves as well as they can by the two-edged sword of the spirit which is the word of God which all the several sorts of pretenders say they have received from Iesus Christ Truth The renowned Parliament of England hath justly deserved a crown of honour to all posterity for breaking the teeth of the oppressing Bishops and their courts but to wring the sword out of the hands of a few prelates and to suffer it willingly to be wrung out of their own hands by many thousand Presbyterians or Independants what is it but to change one wolfe or lyon for another or in stead of one to let loose the Dens of thousands Peace But why should Master Cotton insinuate the discusser to glance a more obsequious eye upon the Pope then upon the Emperor Truth I fear Master Cotton would create some evil opinion in the heart of the civil Magistrate that the discusser is as the bloody Iews told Pilate no friend to Caesar whereas upon a due search it will be sound clear as the light that it is impossible that any that subscribe ex animo to the bloody Tenent of persecution can ex animo be a friend to Magistracy The reason is all persecutors whether priests or people care onely for such Magistrates as suite the end the great bloody end of persecution of whom they either hope to borrow the sword or whom they hope to make their executioners Their very
truth is concerning Gallio whatever he was in his person and however he did evil in suffering the peace to be broken yet will Master Cotton never prove that he had calling from either God or man to go beyond his civil Magistracy and office to intermeddle with matters of a spiritual nature and that Gallio knew well enough and other Magistrates of the world shall know in the Lords most gracious appointed season Peace The discusser ending this Chapter with the infallible safety of Gods chosen notwithstanding all ravenous wolves c. Master Cotton replies from Deut. 13. that God was able to keep his sheep in Israel yet they that seduced them were to be put to death Truth That argument was not alleadged with the derogation to any of Gods holy ordinances which concern the calling or preserving of such whom God hath chosen to salvation but only to discover the over-busie fear of Gods loosing any of his chosen to salvation by the jaws of spiritual wolves c. For Deut. 13. Let Master Cotton produce such a miraculous nation or people as I may call it so brought out of the land of Egypt into covenant with God c. and I shall readily grant that seducers of such a people from such a God are worthy to die a thousand deaths But if Master Cotton will now tell me that the Christian congregational church is the Israel of God and the coming forth of Egypt is now mystical and spiritual why will he not content himself with a mystical and spiritual death to be inflicted upon him that shall seduce an Israelite from the Lord his God Examination of CHAP. XLIII Peace UPon the fifth query to wit whether the elders of the church at Ephesus were not sufficiently furnished by the Lord Jesus to drive away these spiritual and mystical wolves Master Cotton replies by granting that they were furnished with sufficient power to cast them out of the church but being cast out they had not sufficient power to drive them away from conferring and corrupting the members of the church or other godly ones out of the church and he adds that it is no dishonour to Christ nor impeachment to the sufficiency of his ordinances left by Christ that in such a case the minister of justice in the civil state should assist the Ministers of the Gospel in the church state Truth This grant and this addition do as ill agree as light and darkeness Christ and Belial together For is the church or kingdome of Christ Jesus sufficiently furnished that is in it self without the help of the civil Magistrate to excommunicate to cast these wolves out of the Fold Oh let M. Cotton then and all that love Christ Jesus in truth observe what evidently follows then is this church of Christ sufficiently furnished to receive such persons in againe upon repentance then sufficiently furnished at first to be congregated together by Christs means to ordaine their officers to judge of doctrines and persons and all this necessarily upon Master Cottons grant without the help of the civil Magistrates Peace Yea and it seemes to me incredible and unreasonable that Christ Jesus should have left power and authority sufficient to take and bind a rebel against his kingdome to arraigne him and pass sentence upon him yea and execute him in the cutting off such an offendor from the land of the living delivering him over into the power of that roaring Lyon the devil And yet that Christ Iesus should not have left power sufficient in such publick high and solmne actions of his kingdome to declare sufficient cause of such proceedings by which all men may see the goings of the Son of God in his church and kingdome or if willfully blind may justly be further hardned Truth The place from Titus alleadged unto which many other Scriptures testifie I say that place doth evidently shew that the power of Christ Iesus left in the hand of his churches and elders was not only sufficient to cast out such wolves but even to stop or muzzle their mouthes whatever their gainsaying be whether by conferring preaching printing c. which takes off the plea of the great need of the civil sword to correct the conference of such persons c. when by the words of Paul it is here plaine that they can perform such conferences no otherwise but with a stopt or muzled mouth Let it be produced where Christ Iesus in such cases writes to the Magistrates either of Crete or Ephesus or any other civil jurisdiction where the churches were resident to help the Ministers and churches with their civil powers after they had cast forth any person obstinate Doubtless Christ Iesus in Paul and other of his servants would have written to some or such Magistrates in some place or others having occasion to write to so many churches about such cases Peace It will possibly be said it had been in vaine for they were idolaters and persecutors Truth The Lord is pleased throughout the whole Scripture in the mouths of his servants and prophets to call for duties at the hands of all men notwithstanding their natural hardness and inability that so he might drive them to see their duty and misery and remedy alone in God by Christ Jesus Peace I see now that this hindring of conference c. by the civil sword is nothing else but a conformity with the Pope in defending his Canons and with the Turk in guarding his Alcoran by fire and sword with whom and their ways Christ Jesus hath no conformity nor communion nor with their carnal sword his two-edged sword that proceedeth out of his mouth Rev. 1. Beside Christ Jesus hath not onely furnished his church with power sufficient to excommunicate but every one of his followers with a compleat armour from head to foot helmet breast-plate sword and Target and and spiritual shoes Ephes 6. in which respect the least of Christs servants are inabled to stop the mouth of Papists Pope Turks and devils Peace Yea all experience shews how Christ Jesus little David in the least of his servants hath been able with those plaine smooth stones out of the brook of holy Scripture to lay groveling in their spiritual gore the stoutest Champions Popes Cardinals Bishops Doctors of the Antichristian Philistins Truth I add if the elders and churches and ordinances of Christ have such need of the civil sword for their maintenance and protection I mean in spiritual things sure the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be excused for not being careful either to express this great ordinance in his will and Testament or else to have furnished the civil state and officers thereof with ability and hearts for this their great duty and employment to which he hath called them the contrary whereof in all Ages in all nations and in all experience hath ever been most lamentably true Peace I am not clear dear truth in the distinction Master Cotton makes of
Christs Ministers in the Gospel and Christs Ministers in the civil state Truth There is a mistake in it for although Christ hath all power delivered to him in heave and earth yet as touching his spiritual church or kingdome he disclaimes it to be of the world or worldly Hence cannot the civil state or officers thereof be called Christs as if they were of Christs institution and appointment himself being their spiritual head And therefore it is that the Spirit of God cals him the head of the body which is the church and the Ministers and officers of this his kingdome and body Christs Ministers or servants Beside Master Cotton will not say that the kingdomes of the world are yet become the Lord Christs In what manner also those kingdomes shall become his we have need of the holy Spirit to evidence and demonstrate to us Peace To the fifth query whether as men deal with wolves these wolves at Ephesus were intended by Paul to be killed their braines dasht out with stones staves halberts guns c. in the hands of the elders of Ephesus Master Cotton replies Elders must keep within the bounds of their calling But such courses were commanded the people of God by order from the Judges Deut. 13. And where it was added that comparing Things spiritual with spiritual spiritual and mystical wolves should be spiritually and mystically slaine Master Cotton replies True but in destroying religion they also disturbe the civil state and accordingly are to be dealt withal by civil Justice as Achan was for troubling Israel Iosh 7. 25. Truth This acknowledgement of Master Cotton that these wolves must spiritually be killed their braines dasht out by the elders and Saints might if the Lord should graciously so please easily satisfie himself and all men that the type of Israel stoning and killing corporally is here fulfilled in all dreadful abundance spiritually Peace Yea but saith Master Cotton they disturbe the civil state as Achan did Truth I answer Achan troubling of Israel the people of the Lord must figure out any such like troubling Gods Israel the church of Christ for which he is accordingly to be spiritually stoned or executed For as touching the civil state of the nations of the world who can prove and Master Cotton will not affirme that they are as the national church of the Iews was but being meerly civil are armed with civil power and weapons for their civil defence against all disturbers of their civil state as also Master Cotton confesseth the spiritual state is furnished with spiritual power against all the disturbers of its spiritual peace and safety Peace Now whereas it was further added that under pretence of driving away the wolves and preserving the sheep that streams of the blood of Saints have been spilt c. Master Cotton replies belike it is a milky and peaceable and Gospel-like Doctrine that the wolves hereticks are to be tolerated not an haire strook from their heads but for the poor sheep for whom Christ died let them perish unless Christ mean to preserve them alone with his immediate hand and no care of them belongs to the civil Magistrate Truth I have here in this discourse shewed with what honorable and tender respect every civil Magistrate is bound to honor and tender Christ Iesus in his christian sheep and shepherds but withall that it is against christianity for the civil Magistrate or civil state to imagine that all a whole nation was or ever will be called to the union of Gods Spirit in communion with God in Christ Also that it is against civil justice for the civil state or officers thereof to deal so partially in matters of God as to permit to some the freedome of their consciences and worships but to curbe and suppress the consciences and souls of all others of their free-born people c. Peace To end this Chapter whereas it was said is not this to take Christ and to make him a temporal king by force Is not this to make his kingdom of this world and to set up a civil and temporal Israel To bound out a new holy land of Canaan yea and to set up a Spanish inquisition in all parts of the world to the speedy destruction of millions of souls and to the frustrating of the sweet end of the coming of the Lord Iesus which was to save mens souls and to that end not to destroy mens bodies by his own blood To this Master Cotton replies when the kingdomes of the earth shall become the kingdomes of the Lord Rev. 11. it is not by making Christ a temporal king but by making temporal kings nursing fathers to the Church Truth If the Scripture At the sound of the seventh trumpet which is the last of the great woes when the time of Gods wrath shall be come be to be understood of the removing of the kingdomes of the world unto Christ Master Cotton cannot excuse Christ Iesus from being a temporal king and the kings of the earth to be but as inferior and subordinate officers For if they administer Christs kingdome temporally as deputies officers or Ministers temporally he is much more then himself a temporal king and Monarch Peace Methinks also if that committing of all judgement to the Son Iohn 5. be meant of Temporal judgement in spiritual things then can he not be said not to be a temporal king then can he not be said when those words were spoken and ever since not to have exercised a temporal government The contrary whereof is most true both at his first coming and ever since in all generations it having been his portion and the portion of his followers to be judged by this world although himself and his judge the world spiritually and will shortly pass an eternal sentence upon all the children of men Peace Master Cotton addeth this will not set up a civil or temporal Israel unless all the members of the Commonwealth be compelled to be members of the church Truth If that will do it then Christ must be a temporal king I say then when the kingdomes of the earth shall become the kingdoms of the Lord for shall not the kings of the earth compel all Christs sheep to submit unto Christ Iesus their heavenly shepherd Peace Yea secondly will it not prove that all those common-weals where men are compelled explicitly or implicitly to be members of the church are holy lands of Canaan and if so Oh that Master Cotton and other worthy servants of God may timely consider whether an explicit forcing of all men to come to church because men cannot be denied to be members at least by implication with such members and congregations with whom they do ordinarily assemble and congregate although they be injuriously indeed but injuriously kept off from communion and participation of all ordinances which is indeed their right and due if they be though but implicitly constrained and forced to partake of any Againe
saith Master Cotton it is no Spanish inquisition to preserve the sheep of Christ from the ravening of the wolves but this rather which is the practice of the discusser to promote the principal end of the Spanish inquisition to advance the Romish tyranny idolatry and apostacie by proclaiming impunity to their whorish and wolvish emissaries Truth If the Nations of the world must judge as they must by Master Cottons doctrine who are Christs sheep and who are wolves which is a whore spiritually and which the true Spouse of Christ and accordingly persecute the whores and wolves this then they must do according to their conscience or else as Master Cotton elsewhere they must suspend What is this but either to set up a Spanish inquisition in all territories or else to hang up all matters of religion by this suspension he speakes of untill the civil states of the world become christian and godly and able to judge c. and what is this in effect but to practise the very thing which he chargeth on the discusser to wit a proclaimning an impunity all the world over except only in some very few and rare places where some few godly Magistrates may be found rightly informed that is according to his own conscience and religion Peace Yea further which I cannot without great horror observe what is this but to give a woful occasion at least to all Magistrates in the world who will not suspend their bloody hands from persecuting until Master Cotton shall absolve them from their suspension and declare them godly and informed and fit to draw their swords in matters of religion I say occasion at least to all the civil powers in the world to persecute as most commonly they have ever done and do Christ himself the Son of God in his poor Saints and servants Truth Yea if Master Cotton and his friends of his conscience should be cast by Gods providence whose wheels turn about continually in the depth of his councels wonderfully I say should they be cast under the reach of opposite swords will they not produce Master Cottons own bloody tenent and doctrine to warrant them according to their consciences to deal with him as a wolfe an idolater an heretick and as dangerous an emissary and seducer as any whom Master Cotton so accounteth But lastly Master Cotton hath no reason to charge the discusser with an indulgence or partiality toward Romish and wolvish emissaries his judgement and practise is known so far different that for departing too far from them as is pretended he suffers the brands and bears the marks of one of Christs poor persecuted hereticks to this day All that he pleaded for is an impartial liberty to their consciences in worshiping God as well as to the consciences and worships of other their fellow-subjects Peace When Mathias the second king of Hungary Bohemia c. afterward Emperor granted to his Protestant subjects the liberty of their consciences doubtless it had been neither prudence nor justice to have denyed equal liberty to all of them impartially But to finish this Chapter Master Cotton lastly affirmeth that it is not frustrating of the sweet end of Christs coming which was to save souls but rather a direct advancing of it to destroy if need be the bodies of those wolves who seek to destroy the souls of those for whom Christ died and whom he bought with his own blood Truth The place referred to was Luk. 9. where the Lord Jesus professeth unto the rash zeal of his Disciples desiring that fire might come down from heaven upon the refusers of Christ that he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them from whence it appears that Christ Jesus had no such intent as Master Cotton seems to make him to have had to wit to save souls by destroying of bodies but to save soul and body and that for soul sake for religion sake for his sake the bodies of none should be destroyed but permitted to enjoy a temporal being which also might prove a means of their eternal life and salvation as it may be was the very case of some of those Samaritans Examination of CHAP. XLIV Peace THe next Scripture produced by the prisoner against persecution for cause of conscience was 2 Cor. 10. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God c. unto which Master Cotton answers that he speaks not there of civil Magistrates It was replied True for in spiritual things the civil weapons were improper though in civil things most proper and suitable Master Cotton now replying grants that it is indeed improper for a Magistrate to draw his sword in matters spiritual yet saith he about matters spiritual they may as to protect in peace and to stave of disturbers and destroyers of them And he adds if it were unfitting for carpenters to bring axes and hammers to build up the spiritual kingdome of the church of Christ yet their tooles are fit to build Scaffolds for hearing Truth It is strange and in my understanding suits not with the rest of Master Cottons discurse to wit that which Master Cotton here acknowledgeth that a Magistrate is not to draw his sword in spiritual things but only about them when throughout the discourse he maintaines that the Magistrate must suppress the heretick blasphemer idolater seducer that he must reforme the church punish the apostate and keep the church in her purity which whether they be spiritual matters or no let such as be spiritual judge Peace He is saith Master Cotton to draw his sword about spiritual matters to protect in peace as a carpenter may build Scaffolds c. Truth If Master Cotton mean civil peace he knows we agree for all the officers of peace and justice ought to attend that work But if he mean spiritual to wit that by his sword he is to provide that no man dispute against his religion that no man preach nor write against it let it be well weighed whether the sword be not now used in spiritual matters As also whether in such cases and others before mentioned the civil Magistrate be not bound by Master Cottons doctrine to interpose as Judge in these controversies to pass sentence and to punish whom he judgeth delinquent notwithstanding that both parties and both religions are right and righteous and holy in their own perswasions and consciences Peace Beside I know you deny not civil conveniences in Gods worship and therefore when there is need upon occasion the help of a carpenter to build Scaffolds Truth True but since Master Cotton compares the work of the Magistrate to the building of a carpenters Scaffold let us in the fear of God consider if this similitude like some Scaffolds be not all too weak whereon to hazard so mighty a weight and burthen For what should we think of such a carpenter that after he hath built his Scaffold for people more conveniently to hear the
also called by the Prophets Ichovah's Land Emanuels land which names and titles I think Master Cotton will not say are competent and appliable to any other Lands or Countries under the Gospel but onely to the Spiritual Canaan or Israel the Church and people of God the true and onely Christendome Peace But Fourthly saith he they are called Gods and shall they not attend Gods work Truth In the state of Israel they were Gods deputies to attend the causes of Israel the then onely Church of God But Master Cotton can produce no parallel to that but the Christian Churches and people of God not national but Congregational c. 2. Grant the Magistrates to be as Gods or strong ones in a Resemblance to God in all Nations of the world yet that is still within the compass of their calling which being confessed to be essentially civil the civil work of these servants of the Common-weal is Gods work as well as Paul calls in a sence the work of the servants of the Family Gods work for which he pays the wages Eph. 5. Lastly for spiritual causes we know the Lord Iesus is call'd God Psal 45. Heb. 1. whose Scepter and Kingdome being essentially spiritual the administrations which he hath appointed are also spiritual and of an heavenly and soul Nature Peace Master Cotton Fifthly adds Revel 17. The Kingdoms of the World are become the Kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ Truth How the Kingdomes of the World shall become the Kingdomes of Christ is no smal mystery and controversie but grant it to be true that either Christ Iesus personally or by his Deputies the Saints shall rule all the Nations of the world in hearing and determining all civil Controversies Yet why doth Master Cotton draw an Argument from this Prophecie of what shall be in one Age or Time of the World and to come to prove an Vniversal power and Exercise of such power in all Ages and times since Christ Iesus his first comming to this day Peace Me thinks Master Cotton may as well argue that because it was prophesied that a Virgin should conceive and bring forth a child in Gods appointed season that therefore all Virgins must so conceive and so being in forth all ages of the world But Lastly saith Master Cotton although the nations have not that typical holiness which the nation of Israel had Yet all the Churches of the Saints have as much truth and realty of holiness 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 Truth Oh how neer the precious Iewels and Bargains of Truth come sometimes Gods Saints and yet miss of the finding and going through with it The chucrhes of the New Testament Master Cotton grants succeed the Church of Israel The Kings and Governours therefore of the churches of Christ must succeed those Kings What King and Governours of Israel are now to be found in the Gospel but Christ Iesus and his Servants deputed in his absence which are all of a spiritual consideration What is this to the Nations Kings and Governours of the world where few Kings few Nobles few Wise are cald to profess Christ Is not Christ Iesus the onely King of Israel and are not all his holy ones made Kings and Priests unto God And unto his Saints and his spiritual officers Administration in the midst of them is his Kingdomes power committed in his absence This spiritual power however the Pope and prelates Kings and Princes Parliaments and General Courts and their respective Officers of Justice to be honoured and obeyed in civil things I say however they have challenged and assumed this Kingly Power of the Son of God yet the King of Kings Christ Jesus hath begun to discover and will never leave until he hath made it clear as the Sun Beames that he is robd of his crown and will shake and break all the nations and Powers of the world until his Heavenly crown be again restored Examination of CHAP. LI. Peace TO the fourth Argument Rom. 13. from the civil rewards due to Magistrates to wit custom Tribute c. Master Cotton replies That even the contributions of the Saints are called carnal things shall therefore their work be called carnal It is true saith he the contributions of the Saints are called holy because they are given to God for his service about holy things So the reward given to Magistrates is for their service about Righteous things And it is righteous saith he to preserve the purity of Doctrine VVorship and Government which if Magistrates do not they do not deserve all their wages Truth It is true that money or monies-worth is the same for value in the contribution of the Saints and in that of custome tribute and yet Master Cotton grants a Holiness of the Saints contribution which he doth not affirme of custome tribute c. There is also a two fold way disputed of preserving of the purity of Doctrine worship c. First That which I plead for by spiritual weapons appointed by Christ Iesus Secondly that of Civil weapons Force of Armes c. which Master Cotton affirmes and I deny to be ever appointed by Christ Iesus or able to accomplish a spiritual end but the Contrary Peace Me thinks Master Cottons addition not a little concernes my self in the peace of all Citties and Kingdomes for if as Master Cotton saith Magistrates shall not deserve all their wages except they preserve the purity of Doctrine worship c. which upon the point is that Doctrine Worship and Government Master Cotton approves of what is this in effect but to deny tribute custome subsidies c. to Caesar the Kings and Governours of the Earth if they prove Hereticks Idolaters c. I cannot see but this in plaine English tendeth to little less then the Popish bloudy Doctrine of deposing heretical Kings c. But Master Cotton further adds that spiritual wages are to be paid to Magistrates 1 Tim. 2. to wit Prayers Intercessions c. If therefore saith he the Magistrates suffer their Subjects to live a quiet life in ungodliness and Dishanesty the Magistrate fals short of returning spiritual recompence for the spiritual Duties and services performed for them Truth Those prayers are not the proper wages paid to Magistrates for their work for then should they not be paid as the Spirit of God there exhorteth to all men whether Magistrates or not Peace And I may add nor paid to those Magistrates that are Idolatrous Blasphemous Persecutors But those prayers were to be poured forth for such Magistrates such as most of the Magistrates in the world then were and are Those prayers then were a general Duty to be paid to all men and especially to the chiefe and principal Kings and all that are in Authority Truth Now further wherein it
the Sunne of Righteousnesse in the free Conferrings Disputings and Preachings of the Gospel of Truth be more hopefully like to expell those Mists and Fogs out of the minds of Men and that Papists Jewes Turkes Pagans be brought home not onely into the common roade and way of Protestanisme but to the grace of true Repentance and Life in Christ I say why not this more likely by farre then that the mists and fogs of Poperie should over cloud and conquer that most glorious Light Peace 'T is true the holy Historie tells us of one Sampson laying heapes upon heapes of the proudest Philistims of one David and of his Worthies encountring with and slaying their stoutest Gyantâ— and Champions yet it is feared such is the depraved nature of all mankinde and not of the English onely that like a corrupted full Body it sooner sucks in a poysoned breath of Infection then the purest Ayre of Truth c. Truth Grant this I answer therefore thirdly If any of many conscientiously turne Papists I alledge the Experience of a holy wise and learned man experienced in our owne and other States affaires who affirmes that he knew but few Papists increase where much Libertie to Papists was granted yea fewer then where they were restrained Yet further that in his Conscience and Judgement he believed and observed that such Persons as conscientiously turned Papists as believing Poperie the truer way to Heaven and Salvation I say such Persons were ordinarily more conscionable loving and peaceable in their dealings and neerer to Heaven then thousands that follow a bare common trade and roade and name of Protestant Religion and yet live without all Life of Conscience and Devotion to God and consequently with as little love and faithfulnesse unto Men. Peace But now to proceed a third Speech of King James was Persecution is the note of a false Church the wicked are Besiegers the Faithfull are besieged upon Revel 20. M r Cotton here grants that it is indeed a Note of a false Church but not a certaine One for sayth he which of all the Prophets did not the Church of the Old Testament persecute Truth M r Cotton granting persecution to be a degree of Falsehood and Apostacie as he doth in his following words he must also grant that where such a Doctrine and practice prevailes and the Church growes obstinate after all the Lords meanes used to reclaime such a Church will proceede to further degrees untill the whole be leavened with Falshood and Apostacie and the Lord divorceth her and casts her out of his Heart and Sight as he dealt with Israel and Judah And it will be found no false but a dutifull part of a faithfull childe to abhorre the whoredomes of such an one though his own Mother who for her obstinacie in whoredomes is justly put away by his heavenly Father but of that the Lord assisting more in its place Peace Further Whereas it was said that M r Cotton had passed by King Stephen of Poland his Speech to wit the true Difference between the Civill and Spirituall Government M r Cotton answers that it is true that the Magistrate cannot command their Soules nor binde their Consciences nor punish their Spirits All that he can doe is to punish the Bodies of Men for destroying or disturbing Religion Truth It is true the Lord alone reacheth the Soules or Spirits of Men but he doth it two wayes First Immediately stirring up the Spirits of the Prophets by Visions Dreames c. Secondly By instituted Meanes and Ordinances of which is the Question Now Stephen King of Poland professed that he was King of bodies and not of Consciences It being most true that the Lord Jesus hath appointed spirituall Rulers and Governours to binde and loose Soules and Consciences to wound and kill Comfort and save alive the Spirits and Consciences of Men. This power Christ Jesus committed to his true Messengers but oh how many are there that pretend to this Apostleship or Ministrie who yet have sold away this spirituall Power to the Earthly or worldly powers upon an implyed secret Condition or Proviso to receive a broken Reed an Arme of Flesh in stead of the Everlasting Armes of Mercy to protect them Peace With your leave Deare Truth let me adde a second If the Magistrate as M r Cotton sayth punish the body for a spirituall offence why doth he not punish by a spirituall power as a spirituall Officer with a spirituall Censure and punishment Truth M r Cotton will tell us that the bodies of the Israelites were punished for spirituall offences And we may againe truely affirme that the very cutting off by the materiall Sword out of the typicall Land of Canaan was in the type a spirituall punishment Peace M r Cotton is not ignorant of this and hath often taught of these Types from Passages on Genesis and other bookes of Moses c. Truth The Father of Lights graciously be pleased to set home the light he hath vouchsafed him fix and imprint the beames thereof in his heart and affections also Peace This Argument of punishing the body for the soules good I remember was feelingly resented by an honourable Gentleman in the parliament against the Bishops urging how contrary unto Christ Jesus those Prelates were for Christ Jesus did make way for his working upon Mens soules by shewing kindnesse to their bodies c. but Prelates contrarily c. Truth All the Angells ' of God will one day witnesse that Christ Jesus was never Captain to Pope nor Prelate Presbyter no nor Independent Emperour nor King Parliament nor Generall Court who punish and afflict persecute and torture the bodies of Men under pretence of a spirituall and religious medicine Peace Yea but sayth M r Cotton Religion is disturbed and destroyed what shall be done Truth Religion is disturbed and destroyed two wayes First When the Professors or Assemblies thereof are persecuted that is hunted and driven up and downe out of the world Against such Destroyers or Disturbers being Tyrants and Oppressours the Civill Sword ought to be drawen Peace The drawing of the Sword of Justice against such Tyrants I believe hath prevailed in Heaven for the Parliaments successes and prosperitie The turning from the violence that was in the hands of those Men of Bloud the Bishops as in the Men of Ninivies case hath laid the long and violent storme of Fire and Bloud c. Truth Yea let the most renowned Parliament of England and all England know that when they cease to listen to Daniells counsell to Belshazzar to wit to shew Mercy to the poore even the poorest and most afflicted in the World the Consciences of Men then is their Parliamentarie Glory and Tranquillitie ecclipsed Till then I confidently believe their Government which hath now so many yeares with so many Wonders continued shall not be numbred nor another fatall change surprize them But now 2 the Disturbance or Destruction
performed in the whole World and that Ex Officio to wit the Establishing Governing Reforming c. the Church the Spouse and Kingdome of Christ Jesus Peace 2. The Church and Servants of Christ had great hurt notwithstanding M r Cottons contrary beliefe by the Emperours persecuting of whom they judged hereticall partly in that the Arrians were hardned by their sufferings and Arrianisme increased by the sufferings of the professours of it as also that the Christians were more severely persecuted as hath often also come to passe in the Interchanges between the Papist and the Protestant when the Arrians came to weare the Sword and the Orthodox Christians were under Hatches Truth 3. But that the whole World that wonders after and worshippeth the Beast should yet possibly be of the small Number that follow the Lambe and stand opposite to the Beast on Mount Zion That the World upon whom the vialls of plagues and vengeance are to be powred according to the infallible Prophecies not to speak of the World from other Scriptures that this whole World I say should be brought into such an Onenes with Christ Jesus seemes so crosse to the fundamentall Enmitie between Christs Seede and the Serpents to the priviledges of the Saints to the puritie of Christ to the streame of Scripture and in particular to the sweete last Will and Testament of the Lord Jesus and the nature of his particular Flocks c. That I cannot wonder sufficiently how any man professing but a small Knowledge of the Mysteries and Kingdome of Christ Jesus should be so vailed so obscured so to write of the state of Christs Church and the World as M r Cotton doth Peace Christ Jesus Blessed Truth gave not thankes to his most holy most wise Father in vaine for hiding from Wise and Prudent and opening to Babes and Sucklings Truth 4. But further Such a Conversion of People from Idolatrie to Christianitie as fits them to be professours of the Sonne of God but yet not fits them for the Fellowship of Christians in Church State I finde not in the Testament of Christ Jesus Surely the Conversion of the Thessalonians was not such 2 Thess 1. Who turned not onely from Idolls but to serve the living and true God which service of God in Christ no Soule uprightly in love with Christ Jesus but in its measure longs after as vehemently and cordially as ever chast Spouse after her dearest earthly Husbands presence and Enjoyment Cant. 1. 3. 5. Peace Gods Spirit in John describes one Difference c. between the true Spirit and Professours and the fâ—â—se to wit that such as acknowledge that is truely as I conceive Christ Jesus to become in the flesh are borne of God Truth Yea therefore consequently such a Spirit cannot be of Jesus that makes such a profession of Christ Jesus as the Devills themselves may make and even for want of Regeneration and Personall Grace the professours are not fit for the Fellowship of the true Christian Worship and Worshippers 5. But lastly if M r Cotton or any of his bloudie Judgement woare the Imperiall Crowne of the Worlds Majestie what slaughters shall we imagine the World should heare and feele Whether would such fierie zeale transport Men Yea what an Earthly Dunghill Religion and Worship should the most High God be served with fit onely for the Dunghill Gods and Goddesses whom all Asiâ— as the Towne-clarke speakes and the World worshippeth Peace If the Report of M r Cottons interpreting that Scripture of Serving God with all our Might c. be true to wit of employing our Civill Armes and Forces to the utmost and that against other Peoples professing Idolatrie and Antichristianisme His Conscience as I conceive must needs force on and presse after an universall Conquest of all Consciences and under that like those bloudie Spaniards Turkes and Popes lay under that faire cloake the Rule and Dominion over all the Nations of the Earth Truth But may not M r Cotton better listen to the voyce of the Lord Jesus saying to him and such of his bloudie Tenent You know not of what Spirit you are of Were the Emperours too favourable as M r Cotton sayth in but Banishing How keene a Sword would M r Cotton draw against so many Millions of Gangreene Soules throughout the Turkish and the Popish World Peace Oh how farre different would M r Cottons Sword be from the Sword of the Spirit of God proceeding from the Mouth of Christ Jesus yet sharpe enough with two edges piercing between Soule and Spirit c. Truth Yea how farre different from the Meeke Spirit of the Lambe of God who came not to destroy Mens lives but to save them yea how different from the former make and noted gentle Temper of M r Cottons own Spirit now over-heat and enflamed by his unmercifull and bloudie Tenent Exam of Chap. 62. replying to Chap. 65. Peace VVHen M r Cotton was justly observed to use the Language of Lyon-like persecution in these words More and greater Princes then these you mention have not tollerated Hereticks and Schismaticks notwithstanding their pretence of Conscience and their arrogating the Crowne of Martyrdome to their suffrings He defendeth such Language by the Scripture Freedome in such Tearmes against Sinners which sayth he the Discusser acknowledgeth Truth In holy Scripture are many Expressions full of Holinesse Gravitie Love Meeknesse c. which yet are wrested by us poore Men to unholy and unchristian Ends and purposes How many wofully pervert many grave and heavenly Passages and Expressions of holy Scripture to base and filthy Jeasting How many from some sharp Expressions of Christ Jesus and Paul in cases take licence to raile and call Men all to naught in Wrath Revenge and Passion And how many out of pride and false zeale trampling upon the Heads and Consciences of all Men are ready not in an holy Meeke and Christian way but in a Pharisaicall Bishop-like and Pope-like way to roare and thunder out against Gods meekest Servants the odious tearmes of Hereticks Schismaticks Blasphemers Seducers c. Which tearmes though used in holy Scripture yet never in such a way as commonly and constantly the bloudie and persecuting expresse themselves in Peace But what or whom meanes M r Cotton in this passage what Language have they learned who in point of worship have left Zion but not the Gates and Suburbes of Babylon for they set up Bull-warkes of Impunitie to secure them Truth Surely M r Cotton knowes that none that plead against the Civill Power and Weapons in Spirituall Matters but they also maintaine that there ought to be in vigorous use the Spirituall and two edged Sword that comes forth of Christs Mouth not for the Impunitie but for the Ruine and Destruction of all Babells â—raâ—s and Abominations Peace M r Cotton spends many lines and quotes Austin to prove that Julians End of tollerating Heresie to grow was to choake
an Evasion for who denies Power to Christs Church to Excommunicate or who understands by Excommunication persecution for Conscience M r Cotton answers the Prisoner did nōt expresse himselfe what persecution he meant and also since false Excommunication is a great persecution and so Christ Jesus himselfe esteemes of it Luk. 21. 22. Truth I have formerly and must againe appeale to the nature of the word commonly used and taken and aske if persecution properly so taken be not a corporeall violence or hunting for Religion and Conscience sake And then halfe an eye will see through this poore and thin excuse and covering notwithstanding that false excommunication be a spirituall persecution and the abuse of the spirituall Sword be also deeper and fouler then the abuse of the civill and materiall Peace To this upon the Point M r Cotton consented to wit that Hilarius complaint speaketh not to Excommunication but civill censures and therefore answers first by proportion that excommunication of an Heretick is no persecution and therefore by proportion neither is the civill punishment of an Heretick persecution By concession of Hilaries words that the Apostles did not and we may not propagate Religion by the Sword Truth The Question with Hilarie was not whether a true Church did persecute an Heretick Idolater Blasphemer c. but whether a true Church persecuted at all by civill censures Now there being two States the Civill or Corporeall and the Ecclesiasticall or spirituall There are conseqnently two sorts of Lawes two sorts of Transgressions two sorts of punishments to wit Civill and Spirituall and there must of necessitie be two sorts of false or corrupt punishments which are not just punishments but oppressions persecutions or huntings to wit the Civill persecution and the spirituall Now M r Cotton confounding Heaven and Earth together deceives himselfe and others by a notion of spirituall persecution to wit by Excommunication contrary to Hilaries scope and the scope of this whole Dispute and Controversie I may illustrate it thus Some Tutours of Kings Children not being authorized to correct the Bodies of such young Princes are said sometimes not without some desert to correct the Bodies of Inferiours the young Princes Favourites by which the minds of such young Princes smarted sufficiently if not exceedingly I parallell not the similitude in all respects but to illustrate the difference and distinction between a spirituall punishment of the minde and spirit soule and affections with which Christ Jesus hath furnished his Churches and that Civill or corporall punishment which he never gave them power to inflict unlesse in miraculous dispensation over the Bodies of any directly or indirectly by Themselves or others Peace It is an everlasting Truth Rightly distinguish rightly Teach but let us view M r Cottons Second Answer He grante that the Christian Religion was not nor is not to be propagated by the Sword Truth Then let Heaven and Earth judge if M r Cotton may not in this case out of his owne mouth be judged since in this whole Discourse he sets the visible Headship of Christ Jesus that golden Head Cant. 5. over the Church and all her Officers Doctrines and Practices in the power of Correcting Reforming c. on the shoulders of the Civill State the Ministers and Officers thereof provided that they execute not this Headship or Government except they be able to judge that is in English provided they be of his Conscience and Judgement and so consequently will judge and execute according to the Clergies though implicite decree and sentence Peace It is not much unlike that M r Cotton affirmeth in the words following for although he confesseth it is not proper for Christian Churches to inflict Civill punishments by Themselves yet makes he as all Popes and Popish persecutours have done the Magistrates and Civill powers their servants and slaves for execution c. Truth This M r Cotton covers over with this Similitude saying that although it is not proper for Lambes to teare Wolves yet if they were reasonable they would run to their Shepheards to send out their Dogs after them Now under this fine Paint and vizard of Lambe like dispositions of Shepheards the Bishops Presbyterians and Independents may render the Civill Magistrate not as Shepheards but no other upon the point and in plaine English then their servants and Executioners to punish such on whom the Clergie first have past their Sentence The bloudie Papists have commonly used to persecute Christ Jesus formally and judicially delivering over Christ Jesus in his Servants orderly to Pontius Pilate the Secular Power The Protestant persecutors use a finer vaile every ugly vizard will not so deceive for though they practice not so above boord in respect of a formall and judiciall delivering of Christ the Heretick unto their Shepheard Pontius Pilate the Secular power yet they doe it and doe it as substantially and fully by preaching and chalking out to then servants the Magistrates their task I say as fully as ever the bloudie Popes the Bishops or their Chancellours did Peace But why sayth M r Cotton should a Christian Church spare an Idolater tempting of her now any more then the eye of an holy Israelite was to spare the like Tempters in the dayes of old Deut. 13. 3 Truth M r Cotton cannot get over this block though it be but a shadow yea the shadow of a shadow abolished by Christ Jesus M r Cotton a little before grants that the power of spirituall chaines far exceeds the power of materiall and if so how cleere is it that the spirituall impartialitie and severitie of a Virgin Israelite now is incomparablie sharper and more dreadfull by putting spiritually to Death such as Tempt them from the Lord their God who hath brought them forth of Aegypt into spirituall Canaan then the impartialitie and severitie of any literall Israelite against such as tempted them from the Lord who in a Type had brought them forth of materiall Aegypt into materiall Canaan I adde sweete Peace to end this Chapter If the Father of Lights graciously please to open a crevis of Light to that otherwise excellent and piercing eye of M r Cotton in this Controversie he will confesse concerning this cutting off in Israel these two things First that the cutting off in materiall Israel was by Swords Stones c. a cutting off from the holy Land and a casting out of Gods sight which cutting off God executed either by legall Judgement and Sentence among Themselves or by furious hand of persecutours and oppressours slaughtering or captivating that People Secondly That there is no other cutting off in the Gospel but by the spirituall Sword of the Word Ordinances of Christ or the violent hand of Oppressours Antichristians c. carrying Gods Israel captive into mysticall Babylon or Aegypt of false Worship or worldly corruption which is ten thousand-fold more terrible and dreadfull then the literall and materiall Captivitie of Israel Exam of
too too like that Distinction of the bloudie Bishop against the poore Martyr or Witnes of Jesus which M r Fox mentioneth The Scripture is sufficient for Salvation but not for Instruction There is need of Tradition c. The Sword of the Spirit sayth M r Cotton is absolutely sufficient for these foure to wit the Conviction Conversion Mortification and Salvation of the offendour the Heretick yea and for a fifth for Expiation and cleansing of the Church from the Fellowship of that Guilt but there is a sixth to wit Infection and there the Sword of the Spirit is too weake and the Sword of the Magistrate must helpe Peace What sound and modest Reason can be almost pretended why the holy Ordinances Appointments and provisions of the Lord Jesus who is the Wisdome of the Father whose is all power in Heaven and in Earth and whose Heart is all on Fire with Love to his people should be so weake in suppressing the Enemies of his Kingdome that all the Counsell Order and Power he hath left in his Absence are not able to resist the Infection of false Doctrine without the helpe of the Powers of the World his professed Enemie unto whom who so is a Friend sayth John he cannot but be an Enemie unto God Oh what should be the mysterie that the two-edged Sword of Gods mighty Spirit is sufficient for Conviction for Conversion Mortification Expiation Salvation but yet not powerfull enough against Infection Truth There is written evidently on the Forehead of this plea as on the forehead of the great Whore Revel 17. Mysterie The Aegyptian Onions as I may so speake are full of Spirituall Infoldings or Mysteries One or two I shall briefly unfold or peele First the Clergie sacrilegiously so called in all Ages since the Apostasie have like some proud and daintie Servants disdain'd to serve a poore despised Christ a Carpenter one that came at last to the Gallowes c. And therefore have they ever framed to Themselves rich and Lordly pompous and Princely temporall and Worldly Christs in stead of the true Lord Jesus Christ the spirituall King of his Saints and people And however it suits well the common End to retaine the Name of Christ as the Lord Jesus prophesied many false Christs should arise and many should come in his Name c. yet most sure it will be found that a temporall Crowne and Dignitie Sword and Authoritie Wealth and Prosperitie is the White that most of those called Scholars Ministers Bishops aime and levell at How many thousand of them will readily subscribe to the pleas of the French Bishops against the Lord Peter disputing before Philip the French King for temporall Jurisdiction and Peters two Swords in the hands of Christs Ministers Peace M r Cotton is not far off for howsoever He and some will say with him one Sword is enough for a Presbyter or Elder enough for Conviction Conversion Mortification Expiation and Salvation yet one Sword is not enough against Infection and therefore it is needfull though we are not of the opinion of those French Prelates and others that challenged to themselves the Sword of temporall jurisdiction into their owne hands yet it is needfull that it be at our call in the hands of our Executioners the Civill Magistrates Truth It is impossible that temporal and worldly Christs should walke with the legs of a spirituall supportment but as in respect of outward Government they spring from the Earth and the World it is impossible I say but their Feeding and Aliment Defence and Protection should be of the nature of the Root and Eliment from whence they arise Peace It is objected was the Church of the Jewes temporall that was assisted and protected with a temporall Sword Truth The Spirit of God tels us Heb. 8 10. of a worldly Sanctuary of a weake and old vanishing Covenant to wit a Nationall Covenant and Ordinances of a Jewish Church Peace It is againe said how can the Discusser extoll the Sword of the Spirit only and acknowledge no Churches Truth Although the Discusser cannot to his Souls satisfaction conclude any of the various and severall sorts of Churches extant to be those pure golden Candlesticks framed after the first patterne Rev. 1. Yet doth he acknowledge golden Candlesticks of Christ Jesus extant those golden Olive trees and candlesticks his Martyrs or Witnesses standing before the Lord and testifying his holy Truth during all the Reign of the Beast Rev. 11. Hence although we have not satisfaction that Luther or Calvin or other precious Witnesses of Christ Jesus erected Churches or Ministeries after the first patterne as they conceived they did yet doth he affirm them to have been Prophets and witnesses against the Beast and furnished sufficiently with spirituall Fire in their mouthes mightily able to consume or humble their Enemies as Eliah did with the Captains sent out against him Peace I will object no more please you Dear Truth to passe on to the 2nd viz. the Ministry of the Spirits pretended insufficiency against Infection why should not the spiritual power of the Lord Jesus be powerful enough against creepers into Houses against such as lead captive silly souls against such as destroy the faith of some c. as well as in the first Churches and Assemblies professing his holy name and worship Truth Search his Will and Testament and we find no other but spiritual means prescribed and bequeathed by the Lord Jesus to Paul to Peter or any of the holy Apostles or Messengers Peace I must needs acknowledge that the poor servants of Christ for some hundereth of years after the departure of the Lord enjoyed no other power no other Sword nor Shield but spirituall until it pleased the Lord to try his children with Liberty and ease under Constantine a soarer Tryall then befell them in 300 years persecution under which temporall protection munificence and bounty of Constantine together with his temporall Sword drawne out against her spirituall enemies the Church of Christ soon surfeited of the too much honey of worldly ease authority profit pleasure c. Truth Deare Peace the second mistery is this In all ages the world hath been o'respread with the delusions and abominations of false worship invented by Sathan and his Instruments in opposition to the pure worship of the God of Heaven Against these the Lord Jesus hath not been wanting to stir up his witnesses servants and souldiers fighting for their Lord and Master spiritually c. These witnesses when Sathan hath not been able to vanquish and overcome them by disputing writing c. but hath ever lost that way he hath been forced to run to the fleshly Armories of temporall weapons and punishments and to fetch in the powers of the world So hoping to dash out the Candle of Truth and break the candlesticks thereof the witnesses of Christ Jesus This Sathan hath ever practised one of these two wayes sometimes
that is in the common field of the world together Secondly Not onely Antichrist may oppose some Antichristians but the Israel of God may oppose Israel Ephraim may be against Manasseh and Manasseh against Ephraim and both against Judah in severall respects Have not the Presbyterians been against the Independents and the Independents against the Presbyterians and both against such aâ— seperate from the uncleannesses of them both No wonder then when one Antichristian Faction prevailes to crush another and therein wraps up Christ Jesus himselfe as an Antichristian that Christ Jesus should finde some Friends and Votes against the Oppressing Faction though the number of the oppressours doe farre exceede and cast the cause most commonly against Christ Jesus as a Male factor a Drunkard a Glutton a Deceiver a mad-man possest with a Devill a Seducer a Blasphemer c. Peace But to the second let us Examine the Reasons against Austins Argument with M r Cottons defence of them The first answer was that soule-killing was of a large extent in Scripture which may reach to many sins that are not capitall M r Cotton replyes the Answer reacheth not the point for as every killing of the Body is not a capitall crime so neither is every killing of the soule but such as is more voluntary and presumptuous and joyned with some grosse and murtherous intent Truth Austin and M r Cotton spake in generall without distinction of soule-murther and killing the Title and sound of soule-murther and soule-killing should not be cast abroad like Thunder and Lightning with a late excuse that we intend not every soule-murther and killing Peace Your second Argument was from the Dissimilitude of bodily and spirituall Death Body-killing is but once and for ever but a soule killed may recover c. M r Cotton replyes that the very attempt of soule-killing is capitall Deut. 13. 10. Truth First then the Dissimilitude or Difference remaines good between the murthering of the body and the killing of the soule or inner man contrary to his Answer foregoing Secondly Concerning this attempting I have spoken elsewhere and proved that spiritually it may be made good against a Christian Israelite falling away from Christ and seducing others but literally against such attempting against any mans present Religion or Worship in any Civill State all the World over it cannot be taken because the whole world the Nations and peoples of it cannot parallell this State of Israel whence this plea is taken Peace I presume Deare Truth you would not excuse and extenuate the punishment of a Soule-Traitour and seducer now under the Gospel Truth No I aggravate the least attempt of soule-murther and the least prejudice or hindrance to Eternall Life infinitly above what is temporall and corporall murther when either Husband or Wife Brother or Sister King or Queene Synod or Parliament shall lay a stumbling block in the heavenly way or grieve or offend the least of the littles ones of Christ Jesus and such dreadfull punishment shall all even the highest and greatest finde who now seeme to forget the Millstone Peace The third argument was from the different punishment which Christ Jesus hath appointed for Soul-killing to wit by the two edged sword which comes out of Christs mouth which is able to cut downe Heresie and to slay the soul of Hereticks everlastingly Master Cotton replies this answer hath been removed above Church censures are sufficient to heal the Heretick if he belong to God and to remove the guilt of his wickednesse from the Church but not to prevent spreading c. nor to cleâ—se the Common-wealth from such rebellion as hath been taught by him against the Lord. Truth Above hath also been shewen the soveraigne excellency and power of Christs spirituall meanes against spirituall infection Above hath also been shewen the two-fold Common-wealth First the Civil and natural Secondly the spiritual religious and Christian Rebellion also against the Lord hath been proved two-fold First spirituall against himselfe in point of his more immediate worship and service for which he hath provided not onely the vengeance of eternall fire approaching according to the degrees and hainousnesse of such rebellion but also present spirituall punishment far exceeding all corporall punishment and torment in the world 2 Rebellion against God is temporall and more mediate as it is a resistance opposition or violation of any Civil state or order appointed by God or Men. Now to confound these together and to hover in generall tearms of Rebellion against the Lord is to blow out the Candle or Light and to make a noise in the dark with a sound and cry of a guilty Land a guilty State soul-murtherers soul-killers hereticks blasphemers seducers rebels against the Lord kill them kill them c. Suppose these soul-murthering Hereticks Seducers c. be as full of vexation and mischief as the Musketoes or Wolves in New England or other Countries It were to be wished but never can be hoped in this world that every Civil state City and Towne in the world were free from such mysticall and soul-vermin The poor Planter and Farmer is glad if his house and chamber if his yard and field his family and cattel may be tolerably clear from such annoyances however the Woods and Wildernes abound with them They that are of such fierie pragmaticall restles spirits that they content not themselves to keep the Farme and House of the Church of Christ free from such Infection annoyance but rage that such vermin are suffered in the worlds Wood c. It is pity but they had their ful employment and taske to catch and kill even all the swarmes and Heards of all the Muskeetoes and Wolves which either the Wildernes of America or the whole World can afford them 4. Peace Accordingly the Fourth Argument was from Christs tolerating of soule-killers to live in the field of the World though not in the Garden of the Church M r Cotton replyes this hath been largely and fully refeld above Truth It is true the Discusser alledged and M r Cotton refuted the Exposition of this Parable but whether of them according to the minde of Christ Jesus let every reader uprightly judge with feare and trembling at the word of the Lord. Peace The Fifth Argument was from the Impossibilitie of killing and soule by a Heretick M r Cotton answers this is against Paul himselfe 1 Cor. 8. 11. Truth As I spake unto the Argument of the Impossibilitie of the perishing of any of Gods Elect so here the using of such an Argument is far from undervaluing or neglecting of any of the meanes or Ordinances naturall or spirituall which God hath graciously appointed but to condemne the over-wise and over-busie Heads and Hands of Men adding their Inventions to Gods Appointments as if weake and insufficient whereas Gods number of living and dead are certaine and though the meanes which he hath appointed for life should faile
desolation and partakes of any of them Revel 18. to wit Her worldly pompe and pleasure Her spirituall Whoredomes and invented Worships and her crueltie and bloudshed more especially against the Consciences of the Saints or holy ones of Jesus Exam of Chap. 79. Touching the Modell of Church and Civill power Examined in the first part of the bloudie Tenent but not defended by M r Cotton or any that the Discusser knowes of Peace I Had hoped Deare Truth that we had gained a peaceable and quiet harbour after all our tempestuous Tossings in the boysterous Seas of this bloudie Tenent yet now behold a sharpe and cutting winde of M r Cottons continuall Censures For I was not sayth M r Cotton of those that composed the Modell and secondly the Ministers say it was not sent by them to Salem and therefore the Discusser is left of God to a double falshood Truth Sweete Peace till sweete Death in and often for Christ close up the Eyes of his servants they must not expect to rest fully from their Labours and expect their workes to follow them Once againe therefore let us heare the Discussers plea for himselfe against this blustering charge of double falshood Master Cottons owne words in the End of his Answer to the Prisoners Letter are these I forbeare adding Reasons to justifie the Truth because you may finde that done to your hand in a Treatise sent to some of the Brethren late of Salem who doubted as you doe Truth To my knowledge it was reported according to this hint of M r Cottons that from the Ministers of the Churches pretended such a Modell composed by them was sent to Salem Hereupon it was that the Discusser wrote on purpose to his worthy friend M r Sharpe Elder of the Church of Salem so called for the sight of it who accordingly sent it to him Peace If this Modell of such consequence were so composed and so sent to Salem if M r Cotton directs others thither to repaire to make use of it if he thus approve and promote it I see not why it might not probably be collected that M r Cotton not the last in such great and publike matters was amongst if not chiefe amongst the composers of it and that he and they were not ignorant of the conveyance of it to Salem Truth But grant M r Cotton should have been imagined to have been left out in this so great and publike a service and that all the former probabilities faile yet doubtles M r Cotton will be cast at the barre of Christian Love and Moderation for so bitter a charge upon the poore Discusser for so easie and harmles Mistakes Peace Such fierce flashes might well issue from the bloudie French Cardinalls against the poore Hugenots from the English bloudie Bishops against the poore Lollards from the bloudie Popes against the Hereticks and Lutherans but a gentler Breath and stile might well beseeme a Protestant to a Protestant engaged in common principles and Testimonies and sufferings of Jesus against those bloudie Tyrants But to the Modell M r Cotton seemes highly offended that the Discusser should say that the Modell awaketh Moses from his unknowne Grave and denies Jesus yet to have seene the Earth For Moses his Lawes were of force sayth he to the Israelites in the Land of Canaan when Moses was dead and againe Christ came not to destroy the Law of Moses not the Morall Law nor the Judicialls such as are of common Equitie Or els sayth he the Conscience of the Civill Magistrate could never doe any act of civill Justice out of Faith because he should have no word of God to be the Ground of his Act if the Lawes of Judgement were abrogated and none extant in the New Truth I answer that speech of the Discusser was neither unreasonable nor untrue as M r Cotton alledgeth for grant Christ came not to destroy the Morall Law of the ten Commands for the Substance of it for all materiall circumstances therein M r Cotton will not urge nor practice Nor secondly the Judicialls of Morall Equitie that is such as in deed concerne Life and Manners according to the Nature and Constitution of the severall Nations and Peoples of the World Peace Pardon me Deare Truth before you proceede a word of Explication your Addition according to the Nature and Constitution of the Peoples and Nations of the World will not he allowed of Truth Without this I cannot allow of Moses his Judicialls to binde all Nations of the World then before or since Christ Jesus my reason is That people of Israel to which those Judiciall Lawes and punishments were prescribed was as I may say a miraculous people or Nation miraculously brought from one Nation the Land of Aegypt into another the Land of Canaan both types a people furnished with miraculous food and cloathing during their fortie yeares Travell through the Wildernes The seaven Nations of Canaan wondrously and miraculously destroyed before them Their Lawes and Institutions miraculously delivered to them c. Beside not to wade deeper into this Controversie as in the Examination of the Modell I have done their Land was typically holy and that people the Church of God the onely Church of God in the World And therefore being a people of such miraculous considerations Meanes and Obligations the breach even of Morall Lawes concerning Life and Manners and civill Estate might be more transcendently hainous and odious in them then in the other severall Nations and peoples of the World many thousands and millions whereof never so much as heard of the Name of the God of Israel Peace If men see cause to ordaine a Court of Chancerie and erect a Mercy-seate to moderate the rigour of Lawes which cannot be justly executed without the moderate and equall consideration of persons and other circumstances Me-thinks the Father of Mercies though he be Justice it selfe yet cannot be justly imagined to carrie all Judiciall or Civill Lawes or Sentences by one universall strictnes through all the Nations of the Earth Truth The Lord Jesus tells us of a more tollerable Sentence even for the Sodomites in the day of Judgement then for the Jewes who were the people and Church of God and Paul his servant layes heavier load Rom. 2. upon such Adulterers Thieves as professe to be Teachers unto others c. of the contrary Graces and Vertues Peace Deare Truth the Scriptures are full and many Arguments might be drawne out this way but please you to pitch upon an Instance whereby we may the sooner finish this Digression Truth Take that great case of the punishment of Adulterie and I confidently affirme that the Conscience of the Magistrate may out of Faith execute other punishments beside stoning to Death which was the punishment of that sinne in Israell For although as M r Cotton sayth That was the Law of Judgement in the Old Testament and there is no other particularly exprest in the New yet
the Conscience of the Magistrate may know First That the carriage of the Lord Jesus about this case when the Question was precisely put to him was extraordinary and strange For although unto other Questions even of the Pharisees Herodians Sadduces the High Priest and Pilate he gave more or lesse first or last punctuall Resolutions yet here he condemnes the sinne yet he neither confirmes nor disanulls this punishment but leaves the Question in all probabilitie and leaves the severall Nations of the World to their owne severall Lawes and Agreements as is most probable according to their severall Natures Dispositions and Constitutions and their common peace and wellfare Secondly The Lord Jesus 1 Pet. 2. approveth of the severall humane Ordinances or Creations which the severall peoples and Nations of the World shall agree upon for their common peace and subsistence Hence are the severall sorts of Governments in the Nations of the World which are not framed after Israels Patterne And hence consequently the Lawes Rewards and Punishments of severall Nations vastly differ from those of Israell which doubtles were unlawfull for Gods people to submit unto except Christ Jesus had at least in generall approved such humane Ordinances and Creations of Men for their common peace and wellfare Peace Me-thinks M r Cotton and such as literally stick to the punishment of Adultery Witchcraft c. by Death must either deny the severall Governments of the World to be lawfull according to that of Peter and that the Nature and Constitutions of peoples and Nations are not to be respected but all promiscuously forced to one common Law or els they must see cause to moderate this their Tenent which else proves as bloudie a Tenent in civill affaires as persecution in affaires religious Truth Yea of what wofull consequence must this prove to the state of Holland and Low-Countries to the State of Venice to the Cantons of Switzerland to our owne deare State of England and others who have no King as Israells last established Government had especially no King immediately designed as Israells in the Roote was Yea what becomes of all Christianitie and of Christs Church and Kingdome in the World for ever if it want the Government of a King for sayth Bishop Hall in his Contemplation on Michaes Idolatrie in plaine and expresse words No King therefore no Church Peace To end this passage upon the former grounds methinks the Conscience of a New English Magistrate being calld to be a Magistrate in Old England may in Faith execute any other punishment according to Law established beside Death upon Adulterers And the New English Colonies may be exhorted to rectifie their wayes and to moderate such their Lawes which cannot possibly put on the face of morall Equitie from Moses c. Truth Your Satisfaction Deare Peace now praesupposed I proceed and grant with that Limitation forementioned that Christ Jesus neither abrogated Moses Moralls nor Judicialls yet who will deny that Moses established beside the two former a third to wit Lawes meerly figurative typicall and ceremoniall proper and peculiar to that Land and people of Israel Those Lawes necessarily wrapt up that Nation and people in a mixt constitution of Spirituall and Temporall Religious and Civill so that their Governours of Civill State were Governours of the Church and the very Land and People were by such Governours to be compelled to observe a ceremoniall puritie and Holines But Christ Jesus erected another Common-weale the Common-weale of Israel the Christian Common-weale or Church to wit not whole Nations but in every Nation where he pleaseth his Christian Congregation c. Peace Deare Truth I cannot count him a peaceable childe of mine that rests not herewith satisfied M r Cottons next Exception is against your excepting against a Magistrates Membership in a Church-estate joyned with an Head-ship over it to establish reforme c. as being impossible that a Magistrate should sit Head and Supreame on the spirituall Bench yet stand as a delinquent at the spirituall Barre of Christ Jesus M r Cotton answers that in severall respects a Magistrate may be a nursing Father and Judge in causes Ecclesiastiall and yet be subject to Christs censure in the offensive Government of himselfe against the Rules of the Gospel And where it might be said that the Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall cases M r Cotton answers this easeth not the Difficultie for suppose sayth he the Magistrate fall into Murther Adulterie c. which are civill Abuses shall the Church tollerate him herein And he concludes Let the like Power be granted to the civill Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious Transgression of the first Table as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious Transgression of the second Table and the Controversie is ended Truth This Answer and instance of M r Cotton carries a seeming Beautie with it but bring it to the Triall of the Testament of Christ Jesus and it will appeare to be but a vanishing Colour For there is a vast Difference The sins of each Church-member whether against the first or second Table are proper to the Cognizance and Judgement of the Church as the sinne of the Incestuous person was punished by Christs Ordinances in the Church at Corinth as well as the Abuse of the Lords Supper But it is not so with the civill Magistrate whose Office is essentially civill one and the same all the world over among all Nations and people For having no spirituall power as the Authours of the Modell afterwards acknowledge he cannot possibly act as a Civill Magistrate in spirituall matters though as a Church-member he may in Church-estate as also may the rest of the Members of that spirituall Body Peace Me-thinks it it cleare as the Light that if that incestuous person in the Church of Corinth had beene a Magistrate of the Citie of Corinth the Church might justly have proceeded against him because all sinne is directly opposite to the holy Kingdome of Christ But in that abuse of the Lords Supper which was meerly unchristian neither that Magistrate nor all the Magistrates of Corinth or the World to helpe him could justly punish the Church because that Supper in the Institution and Spirituall use of it was not onely of the Nature of the Suppers of the meates and drinks of the Citie of Corinth but also of a divine and spirituall Institution of a heavenly and mysticall Nature and Observation But to Conclude this piece and the whole M r Cotton corrects himselfe for putting in his Sickle into the Harvest of his Brethren unto whom he refers the defence of their Modell and for himselfe ends with desires that Christ Jesus would blast that peace which he sayth the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of false Religion to Heresie in Doctrine c. Truth If
Christ Jesus shall please for the further manifestation of his holy Truth and Glory to permit those able and worthy men to proceed to fortifie and defend their Modell I hope he will also please to assist the Discusser or some other of his poore servants to batter downe with the Spirituall Artillerie of his Word and Testament such weake and loose and unchristian Fortifications Peace But with what a deepe and unrighteous charge doth M r Cotton end against the poore Discusser as a Proclaimer of peace to all the wayes of false Religion to Heresie in Doctrine c. Truth Grant M r Cotton in many excellent Truths of Jesus a sweet sounding Silver Trumpet Grant the Discusser as base a Rams-horne harsh and contemptible Grant that for the peace of the Civill State the being of the Nations and the World the safetie of the good Wheate the Righteous and the calling home of the Elect to God Jewes and Gentiles the Discusser proclaimes a civill being and civill peace to Erroneous Consciences not sinning against humane and civill Principles Yet what Peace hath this Rams-horne proclaimed as M r Cotton insinuates when throughout this whole Booke from first to last the Proclamation soundeth ouâ— open warre against all false Worshippers Peace I am a joyfull witnes of warre proclaimed from the God of Truth from the Sun of Righteousnesse from the Spirit of Holines from the flames of Fire those mighty Angells from all the Saints and Witnesses of Jesus from all his holy Truths and Ordinances Warre to their Consciences Preachings Writings Disputations a warre present a warre perpetuall and without Repentance a warre eternall and everlasting Truth Deare Peace our goulden sand is out we now must part with an holy Kisse of heavenly Peace and Love M r Cotton speakes and writes his Conscience Yet the Father of Lights may please to shew him that what he highly esteemes as a Tenent washt white in the Lambes bloud is yet more black and abominable in the most pure and jealous eye of God Peace The Blackmores Darknes differs not in the darke from the fayrest white Truth Christ Jesus the Sun of Righteousnesse hath broke forth and dayly will to a brighter and brighter Discoverie of this deformed Ethiopian And for my selfe I must proclaime before the most holy God Angells and Men that what ever other white and heavenly Tenents M r Cotton houlds yet this is a fowle a black and a bloudie Tenent A Tenent of high Blasphemie against the God of Peace the God of Order who hath of one Bloud made all Mankinde to dwell upon the face of the Earth now all confounded and destroyed in their Civill Beings and Subsistences by mutuall flames oâ— warre from their severall respective Religions and Consciences A Tenent warring against the Prince of Peace Christ Jesus denying his Appearance and Comming in the Flesh to put an end to and abolish the shadowes of that ceremoniall and typicall Land of Canaan A Tenent fighting against the sweete end of his comming which was not to destroy mens Lives for their Religions out to save them by the meeke and peaceable Invitations and perswasions of his peaceable Wisdomes Maideâ—â— A Tenent fowly charging his Wisedome Faithfullnes and Love in so poorly providing such Magistrates and Civill Powers all the World over as might effect so great a charge pretended to be committed to them A Tenent lamentably guilty of his most precious bloud shed in the bloud of so many hundreth thousand of his poore servants by the civill powers of the World pretending to suppresse Blasphemies Heresies Idolatries Superstition c. A Tenent fighting with the Spirit of Love Holines and Meeknes by kindling fiery Spirits of false zeale and Furie when yet such Spirits know not of what Spirit they are A Tenent fighting with those mighty Angels who stand up for the peace of the Saints against Persia Grecia c. and so consequently all other Nations who fighting for their severall Religions and against the Truth leave no Roome for such as feare and love the Lord on the Earth A Tenent against which the blessed Soules under the Altar cry loud for vengeance this Tenent having cut their Throats torne out their Hearts and powred forth their Bloud in all Ages as the onely Heretickes and Blasphemers in the World A Tenent which no Vncleannes no Adulterie Incest Sodomie or Beastialitie can equall this ravishing and forcing explicitly or implicitly the very Soules and Consciences of all the Nations and Inhabitants of the World A Tenent that puts out the very eye of all true Faith which cannot but be as free and voluntarie as any Virgin in the World in refusing or embracing any spirituall offer or object A Tenent loathsome and ugly in the eyes of the God of Heaven and serious sonnes of men I say loathsome with the palpable filihs of grosse dissimulation and bypocrisie Thousands of Peoples and whole Nations compelled by this Tenent to put on the fowle vizard of Religious bypocrisie for feare of Lawes losses and punishments and for the keeping and hoping for of favour libertie worldly commoditie c. A Tenent wofully guiltie of hardning all false and deluded Consciences of whatsoever Sect Faction Heresie or Idolatrie though never so horrid and blasphemous by cruelties and violences practiced against them all false Teachers and their Followers ordinarily contracting a Brawnie and steelie hardnesse from their sufferings for their Consciences A Tenent that shuts and bars out the gracious prophesies and promises and discoveries of the most glorious Sun of Righteousues Christ Jesus that burnes up the holy Scriptures and forbids them upon the point to be read in English or that any tryall or search or truly free disquisition be made by them when the most able diligent and conscionable Readers must pluck forth their owne eyes and be forced to reade by the which soever praedominant Cleargies Spectacles A Tenent that seales up the spirituall graves of all men Jewes and Gentiles and consequently stands guiltie of the damnation of all men since no Preachers nor Trumpets of Christ himselfe may call them out but such as the severall and respective Nations of the World themselves allow of A Tenent that fights against the common principles of all Civilitie and the very civill being and combinations of men in Nations Cities c. by commixing explicitly or implicitly a spirituall and civill State together and so confounding and overthrowing the puritie and strength of both A Tenent that kindles the devouring flames of combustions and warres in most Nations of the World and if God were not infinitly gracious had almost ruind the English French the Scotch and Irish and many other Nations Germane Polonian Hungarian Bohemian c. A Tenent that bowes downe the backs and necks of all civill States and Magistrates Kings and Emperours under the proud feete of that man and monster of sinne and pride the Pope and all Popish and proud Cleargie-men