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

CHAP. 79. Touching the Modell of Church and civill Power, composed by Mr. Cotton and the Ministers of New-England, and sent to the Church of Salem &c. Examined (by the Discusser) and Answered.

THis Title or Inscription (which the Examiner setteth up of this Modell) holdeth forth to the world a double falshood.

1. That the Modell was composed by Mr. Cotton, and other Ministers of New-England.

This is one falshood. What other Ministers of New-England did in it, themselves know: But for Mr. Cotton, I know, that he was none of them that composed it.

2. That this Modell was sent to the Church of Salem, if he meane, sent by those Ministers (as the following words imply, for the confirmation of their Doctrine) that is another falshood. The Ministers themselves, that composed the Modell, doe deny it; Howsoever the Modell came to Salem, the Ministers say, it was not sent by them. But see, when men are left of God, openly, and boldly to write against the truth in matter of Doctrin, how readily and freely, they can write and speake falshood in matter of fact?

It is therefore lesse marvell, that in Answer to the preface of the Modell, he breaketh forth into such vast hyperboles, That the Modell awakeneth Meses from his unknowne Grave: and denyeth Jesus yet to have seen the earth. A speech as devoid of reason, as of truth. The observation of Moses Lawes doth not awaken Moses out of his grave, nor is there any reason it should. The validity of Lawes doth not (in reason) depend upon the life or resurrection of the Lawgiver: the Examiner himselfe (I suppose) would not doubt, but the Lawes of Moses were of force to the Israelites in the Land of Canaan, when yet Moses was dead and buried before their entrance into the Land. Neither did their observation of them awaken Moses out of his grave, but argued his Lawes to be in force as well after his death, as whilst he was yet living. If it be said, That Christ at his coming in the flesh when he was buried himselfe, buried also the Lawes of Moses with him in his grave.

Then the Examiner should not have said, that the Modell raised up Moses out of his grave, but that it raised up Christ out of his grave.

If it be said againe, the Examiner saith, It denyed Christ to have seen the earth, which was of as ill consequence. Be it so: but yet still, this maketh nothing to the rasing up of Moses out of his grave.

I Answer further, Neither doth it at all deny, Christ to have seen the earth. For Christ came not to destroy the Law of Moses, Mat. 5.17. Neither the Morall Law: for in the sequele of that Chapter, he doth at large expound it, and establish it:

No, nor did he come to destroy the judiciall Lawes, such of them as are of Morall equity. Or else, 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 action, if the Lawes of judgement in the Old-Testament were abrogated, and none extant in the New. As for the exception, which the Examiner taketh against the Preface. It is as easily avoided, as Objected.

If (saith he) the civill Magistrate (even the highest) being a Mem∣ber of the Church, be subject to Church-Censure, how can this stand with their common Tenent, that he must keepe the first Table, Reforme the

Church, be Judge and Governor in all causes, as well ecclesiasticall as Civill?

Secondly, how can a Magistrate both sit on the Bench, and stand at the Bar of Christ Jesus? Is it not as impossible, as to reconcile east and west together? Yea, is not the Text in Isa. 49, 23. Lamentably wrested to prove both these?

Reply.

One Answer may easily remove both Exceptions: And that one Text doth expresly hold forth both these Points, which the Exa∣miner conceiveth to be so irreconcilable.

For if Princes be nursing Fathers to the Church (as that Text speaketh) then they are to provide, that the children of the Church be not nursed with poison in stead of milke. And in so doing, they keepe the first Table. Reforme the Church, & judge in causes Ecclesiasticall,

Againe, If the the same Princes shall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth, and lick the dust of her feet (as the same Text expresseth) then they being members of the Church, shall be subject also to Church-Censure. In one word, Princes sit on the Bench over the Church in the offensive Go∣vernment of the Church: & yet may themselves (being members of the Church) be subject to Church-Censure in the offensive Government of themselves against the Rules of the Gospel.

The Examiner himselfe contesseth, that in severall respects, He that is a governor may be also a Subject.

Behold here are severall respects, to wit, severall objects of Judicature; In the Mal-Administration of the Church, the Ma∣gistrate sitteth as Judge, and Governor: in the Mal-Admini∣stration of a Church-Member-Magistrate contrary to the ex∣presse rules of the Gospel, he is subject to the power of Christ in the Church. If it be said, nay rather, The Church is subject to the Magistrate in civill causes: and the Magistrate is subject to the Church in spirituall causes:

I Answer, That easeth not the difficulty, no more then the other. For suppose the Magistrate (a Church member) live in Incest, breake forth into murder, and notorious oppression: these are all civill causes, belonging to the second Table. If the Magi∣strate sit as Judge and supreme Governor in this case, then must

the Church tolerate him herein, to the dishonour of the great Name of Christ, to the leavening of the Church, and to the per∣dition of his soule. If it be granted, that in such a case though civill, the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magistrate, and not to suffer sinne upon him: let the like power be granted to the Magistrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the no∣torious transgressions of the first Table, as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magistrate in the notorious transgressions of the second Table, and the controversie is ended.

If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Ma∣gistrate, the Supreme Judge and Governor in all causes, aswell Ecclesiasticall, as civill, I doe not understand, that the Ministers or Churches of Christ are called to acknowledge such a meaning. Sure I am, the Interpretation of that high stile, which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart, It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth. And the same Interpretation (if no more be intended by that stile) doth well stand with our defence.

But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harvest of my Bre∣thren? my Brethren, who penned that Modell, are richly fur∣nished by Christ with ability to defend it. I therefore leave it to them, whom it cheifly concerneth, to maintaine the Truth, which themselves have witnessed in that Modell.

And the Lord Jesus Christ himself (the God of Truth) who came into the world, that he might beare witnesse to the Truth, be pleased to beare witnesse from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl…… that peace (a fraudulent and false peace) which the Exami∣ner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falshood in Religion, to He∣resie in Doctrine, to Idolatry in worship, to blasphemy of the great Name of God, to Pollution, and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces.

Amen, Even So, Come Lord Jesus.