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.

TO CHAP. X.

THe residue of my Letter to M^r. Williams was taken up in re∣mooving two stumbling blocks out of his way, which turned him off from fellowship with us. The former was, the want of fit matter of our Churches. The latter, our disrespect to the separate Churches in England. Our want of fit matter he acknowledged stood, not in this, that we wanted godly persons to be the visible mem∣bers of our Churches, (for with joy, he acknowledgeth that:) but in this, that all godly persons are not matter fit to constitute a Church, no more then Trees, or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.

This exception of his seemed to me to imply a contradiction: for if the matter of our Churches were (such as himselfe acknowledged) godly persons, they were not then as Trees unfeld, nor as stones in the Quarry unhewen: for godlinesse cutteth men downe from their former roote, and heweth them out of the Pit of corrupt Nature, and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ, and with his People.

The summe of his Answer is (though delivered in other words obscurely and confusedly, yet in sence) thus much; That he ac∣counteth our members, as Trees or Quarries, not for that they are not yet cut our of the pit or roote of naturall corruption, but for that they are not yet removed and clensed from actuall and Anti∣christian

pollution. In which case, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sampson, Job, David, Peter, in their drunkennesse, lying, whoredomes, cursings, murders, Perjuries, though they were godly persons: yet not fit members for Church estate. And so our Church-members, howsoever godly otherwise, yet through ignorance, and negligence, lying under Antichristian polluti∣ons, ever since the Apostasie, are not fit members for Church-estate.

Reply. 1. I doe willingly allow him to be the Interpreter of his own meaning: and doe easily grant him, that with that distin∣ction, he salveth his contradiction. But yet let him remember, his words were very unproper, to account godly Persons fallen into any actuall Pollution, to be matter fitted for a Church, no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.

Wee are not wont, neither in common speech, nor in proper speech, to account such persons, as have been already cut off from the roote and pit of naturall corruption, to be no more then Trees and Quarries, though they have since fallen into actuall pollution; but we rather account them like Timber and Stones, cut out, and hewen, yet fallen into some mire by the breach of the Axeltree of their Carriage, and therefore fit to be washed before they be layed in the Building. But leave that, as it please him.

Reply. 2. He may doe well to consider, that the most of those Saints he nameth, were not as rude Trees and Quarries unpro∣portioned to the Building, but as Trees of Righteousnesse, and li∣ving Stones, layed by God himselfe in the Building of his Church. But I easily grant him, that according to the Discipline of the Churches of Christ in the dayes of the Gospel, it were meete that godly persons falling into any grosse, and scandalous, and notori∣ous pollution, they should first give satisfaction to the Church by profession of their Repentance, before they be received into holy fellowship with the Lord, and his People, in Church-communion. In which respect, if Christ be considered as head of the visible Church, he who is a member of the Church, (and so a member of Christ) may fall so foully into grosse sinne, and be so enthralled to it, as to be separate from the Church, yea and from Christ too, considered as the visible head of it. And therefore the Examiner mis∣took himselfe, and me too, when he writeth, that I affirmed, that godly per∣sons cannot be so enthralled to Antichrist, as to separate them from Christ. For I never denied, that godly persons may fall, as into other grosse

and notorious sinnes; so also into grosse and notorious Antichristian Pollutions, so as to separate them from Church-Communion, yea and from Christ himselfe, as he is the Head of the visible Church.

Reply. 3. But to cleare the point more fully and plainly; Put the case, that the Saints whom the Examiner setteth forth in their pol∣lutions, (as Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sampson, Job, David, Peter,) sup∣pose, I say, they had openly professed their Repentance for their o∣pen scandalls, of drunkennesse, lying, incest, murder, &c. and all their other knowne scandalls, but had neither discerned nor be∣wayled the sinne of Polygamy: yea, suppose the Church with which they might joyne, did neither discerne the necessitie, nor du∣tie of acknowledging that sinne, whether such Saints were to be re∣fused from Church-communion, (as rude Trees and Quarries?) or if they were received as members into the Church, whether was such a Church to be separated from? If yea, we must look for new Rules for it out of a new Gospel. If no, then will the Examiner want a Rule for his separation from all the Churches in New-England.

For this is the very state of the Question, as the Examiner him∣selfe rehearseth it, in this Chapter. For he having objected, that a necessitie lieth upon godly men, before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowship, to see, bewaile, repent, and come out of the false Churches, wor∣ship, Ministery, Government, (according to Scriptures, Isai. 62.11. 2 Cor. 6.17.) And this to be done, not by a locall remoovall, but by a deliverance of the soule, understanding, will, judgement and affection, &c.

He subjoyneth my Answer out of my Letter in these words;

1. We grant, that it is not locall remoovall from former pollution, nor contrary practise, that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ, and his Church: but that it is necessary also, that we doe repent of such former Pollutions, wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled.

2. We grant further, that it is necessary to Church-fellowship, that we shou'd see and discerne all such pollutions, as doe so farre enthrall us to Antichrist, as to separate us from Christ. But this we professe unto you, that wherein we have reformed our practise, therein we have endeavou∣red unfainedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking. If any through hypocrisie are wanting herein, the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie, and faithfulnesse of others, nor the Church∣estate of all.

This though the Examiner doe rehearse it here in this Chapter:

yet here he answereth nothing to it, though it be the very hinge of the Controversie. If we meet with any Answer to it in the se∣quele, we shall (God willing) consider of it in its place.

Onely let me adde this third thing to cleare the state of the con∣troversie more fully, That to this day we doe not see nor discerne, that it is any Antichristian pollution at all, for a member of any of our Churches, going over into England, to heare the word Preach∣ed by a well-gifted Minister in the Parish Assemblies.