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. XVII. XVIII. XIX.

HIs 17, 18, 19. Chapters are taken up, in Examining and An∣swering my Answers to his second Objection, which he made to prove, a Necessitie lying upon Godly men, before they can be fit matter for Church fellowship, to see, bewaile, repent, and come out of false Chur∣ches, Ministery, Worship, and Government. To prove which, his first Objection, or Argument was taken from Isaiah 52.11. 2 Cor. 6.14, 15, 16. Whereto we have returned a Reply in the former Chap∣ters. His second Objection was taken from the Confession made by Johns Disciples, and the Proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church∣fellowship, Mat. 3.6. Act 19.18. Whence he gathered, That Christian Churcher are constituted of such members, as make open and plaine con∣fession of their sinnes: and if any s••••••es be to be confessed and lamented (Jewish or Paganish) then Antichristian drunkennesse and whoredome much more, &c. Yea every sipping of the Wh••res Cup.

To which Objection of his, (to passe by all verball velitations, for I love not to take up time about words) the substance of my Answer was two-fold.

1. That it was not necessary to the Admission of members, that they should see, and bewaile the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores Cup, (as he called it) (though the Whores cup doe more intoxicate the minde, then the drunkards Cup doth the Body:) because bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorious and grosse sinnes, that no man having true Repentance in him, cannot but be convinced of the sinfulnesse of them, and of the necessitie of repentance of them in particular, if he doe remem∣ber them. But the whores Cup being a mystery of Iniquitie, the sinfulnesse of every sipping of it, is nothing so evident and notorious, as that every repentant soule doth at first discerne it. And therefore as the 3000. Con∣verts, Acts 2.37. to 47. were admitted into the first Christian Church, upon the Profession of their repentance of the murther of Christ, though they neither saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them: so here, &c. Yea and the Disciples of John (whom he instanceth in) though they did confesse their sinnes, (the Publicans theirs, the Souldiers theirs, the People theirs:) to wit, the notorious sinnes incident to their callings: yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions. And the Gentiles in Act. 19.18.19. Though they confessed their curious Arts, and burnt their conjuring Bookes, yet it doth not appeare, that they confessed all their deeds.

Whereunto the Examiner returneth a two-fold Answer.

1. That spirituall whoredome and drunkennesse is not indeed so easily discerned as corporall: but yet not the lesse sinfull, but infinitely transeen∣dent, as much as spirituall sobriety exceedeth corporall; and the bed of the most High God exceedeth the beds of men, who are but dust and ashes.

Reply. 1. It is an exorbitant Hyperbole to make every passage of spirituall whoredome, a sinne infinitely transcendent above bodily whoredome. For spirituall whoredome is not infinite in the act of it, but onely in respect of the object of it, to wit, in respect of the infinite God, against whom it is committed. And is not bodily whoredome infinite in that respect also? Can a man defile himselfe with bodily whoredome, and not sinne against the infinite God? What saith Joseph? Gen. 39.9.

2. What if spirituall whoredome (though lesse evident) be more sinfull then bodily? The nature of true Evangelicall Repentance standeth not in seeing and bewailing every sinne, no nor alwayes of the greatest, but of those which are most evident and notorious.

A Christian man may more safely omit repentance of greater sins, if unknowne, then of lesse sinnes knowne. I suppose the Israelites were guiltie of many Idolatries, and superstitions in the dayes of Samuel, yet their repentance was chiefly fastned upon their asking of a King, of which they were then principally convinced, 1 Sam. 12.19. And such Repentance was then accepted of the Lord, and of Samuel, ver. 22, 23.

The very truth is, the ground and roote of the Examiners Error in this case is, That he maketh Church-Covenant to be no better then a Covenant of workes: whereas indeed if Church-Covenant be not a branch of the Covenant of grace, the Churches of Christ are not built upon Christ. In a Covenant of workes, all sinnes must be avoyded: or if not avoyded, yet repented of expresly, and the greatest sinnes most. But in Evangelicall Repentance, God dealeth not with us after our sinnes, nor rewardeth us according to our Iniquities, Psal. 103.10. The Grace of Christ is not given either to his Church, or to any Christian, upon the perfection of our Re∣pentance, nor upon our Repentance of our greatest sinnes, in the greatest measure. But if the heart be truly humbled for any knowne sinne, as sinne, though the sinne knowne be often lesse hainous, then others unknowne, yet God accepteth his own worke, and putteth away all sinne in the acknowledgement of one. Yea in sinnes that be knowne, the compunction of the heart is sometimes more ex∣pressed for the occasions and inducements of the sinne, which are lesse hainous; then for the greater sinnes, which are more grievous and dangerous. Solomon in his solemne Repentance in the Booke of Ecclesiastes, doth more expresly bewaile his entanglement with lewd women, Eccles. 7.27, 28. then all his Idolatrous Temples and worship, which were erected, and maintained at his charge. By the Examiners Doctrine, Solomon had never been received, and resto∣red to the Church upon that Repentance.

His second Answer is, That though the converted Jewes did not see all the leavenings of the Pharisees, yet they mourned for killing of Christ, and embraced him in his Worship, Ministery, Government, &c. and thereupon necessarily followeth a withdrawing from the Church, Mini∣stery, and Worship of the false Christ, &c.

Reply. This answer doth not reach the defence of his cause, to wit, That it is absolutely necessary unto Church-fellowship, to see and be∣waile,

not onely actuall whoredomes, but also whorish speeches, gestures, appearances, provocations. Yet here he granteth, that the converted Jewes did not see all the leavenings of the Pharisees, which yet were such, as in the end of that Paragraph, he implyeth they had deteined them under a false Christ.

But whereas he saith, that they by embracing Christ, in his Worship and Ministery, there necessarily followed a withdrawing from the Church, Ministery, and worship of the false Christ.

It may truely be Replyed, 1. That he will not grant us that li∣berty, that upon our embracing of Christ in his worship & Ministe∣ry, there necessarily followeth our withdrawing from the Church, Ministery, and Worship, wherein we had been formerly polluted in any sort. Is not this to deteine the glorious Truth of our Lord Jesus with respect of Persons?

2. It is evident by the Story, that some of those members of the Church of Hierusalem, who had been leavened by the sect of the Pharisees, they did neither see nor bewaile, nor did come off from fellowship with the Pharisees in their Ministery, and false Doctrine, which taught the necessitie of Circumcision, and of the whole Law of Moses to justification and salvation, Acts 15.1.5.

As for the confession of sinne by the Disciples unto John Bap∣tist, (Mat. 3.) and by the Gentiles unto Paul, (Act. 19.) though it be not said, that the one sort confessed their Pharisaicall pollu∣tions, nor the other all their Deeds:

Yet (saith he) if both these confest their notorious sinnes, (as M^r. Cotton confesseth) why not as well their notorious sinnes against God, their Idolatries, superstitions, worships, &c? Surely throughout the whole Scripture, the matters of God, and his worship, are first and most tender∣ly handled, &c.

Answ. It is not true, that the matters of Gods worship and de∣fects there, are alwayes most tenderly acknowledged throughout the Confessions of the Saints in Scripture. Solomon in his Repen∣tance was most sparing of confession of his Idolatrous Temples and worships. And the People in Samuel did more repent of ask∣ing a King, then of all their other sinnes, and yet their Idolatries were then flagrant, 1 Sam. 12 9, 10, 11. Besides, wee never reade of such deepe Humiliation of David for carting the Arke after the manner of the Philistims, as of his bodily adultery with Bathshebah, and murder of Ʋriah.

The substance of my other Answer to his former Objection, which was to prove a necessitie lying upon godly men to see and bewaile their pollutions in a former Church-fellowship, before they can be fit matter for a new.

It was to this purpose, that we have not been wanting (through the guidance of the grace of Christ) to performe that which he pleadeth for, so farre as God hath called us to it: the which I ex∣pressed in my Letter in two particulars:

1. That the body of our members doe in generall Professe, that the rea∣son of their coming over to us, was that they might be freed from the bon∣dage of humane Inventions and Ordinances, under which as their soule groaned there, so they have professed their sorrow, so farre as through ig∣norance or infirmitie they have been defiled there.

2. That in our daily meetings, especially in the times of our solemne Humiliations, we doe generally all of us bewaile all our former Polluti∣ous, wherewith we have defiled our selves, and the holy things of God in our former Administrations, and Communions: the which we have ra∣ther chosen to doe, then to talke of, and therefore doe marvell, that he should so resolutely renounce us for that, which he knew not whether we had neglected or no, and before he had admonished us of our sinfulnesse in such neglect, if it had been found amongst us.

Whereto his Answer is; That we make no mention, what such Inven∣tions, and Ordinances, what such Administrations and Communions were, which we confessed and bewailed.

Reply. And yet lest he should too much wound his own Consci∣ence with such a generall charge, he acknowledgeth; That we have borne witnesse against Bishops, and Ceremonies, and doe constitute onely particular and Independent Churches, and have therefore so farre at least seene the evill of a Nationall Church. But I dare say further, that his own Conscience beareth him witnesse, that we have witnessed also both in Profession and Practise, against Prescript Liturgies and mixt Communions, both in Church-fellowship, and at the Lords Table.

What hath been then wanting to us? That we doe not fully see the evill of a Nationall Church; How doth he make it to appeare?

By two Instances.

By our constant Practise in still joyning with such Churches and Mini∣stery in the Ordinances of the Word and Prayer: and by our Persecuting

of him for his humble, faithfull, and constant admonishing of us for such an uncleane walking, between a particular Church, and a Nationall.

Reply. Our joyning with the Ministers of England in hearing of the Word and Prayer, doth not argue our Church-Communion with the Parish-Churches in England, much lesse with the Natio∣nall Church: as hath been shewed above in Chap. 14.

Besides, when Jeroboam heard the word from the young Pro∣phet of Judah, and joyned with him in Prayer, I demand whether in so doing, he joyned in Church-Communion with the Nationall Church of Judah? If yea, then was the Church of Judah polluted∣ly the uncleane Communion of Idolatrous Jeroboam: If not, then the Examiner may easily discerne, how weake an Argument it is to argue our Communion with the Nationall Church of England, from our members joyning in the Hearing of the Word, and Pray∣er in the Parish-Churches of England.

His second Instance to make it appeare, That we see not the evill of a Nationall Church, from our Persecuting of him, &c.

In this I choose rather to blame his memory then his conscience. But the one of them is much to blame, in that it maketh him so farre forget himselfe and the Truth, as boldly to avouch a notori∣ous falshood; That we Persecuted him for his humble, and faithfull, and constant admonishing of us of such uncleane walking, between a particu∣lar Church and a Nationall.

It is one notable falshood to say, that he did constantly admo∣nish, either our Elders or Churches of such an offence; much lesse, humbly, and faithfully. If he did so admonish us, where are his witnesses? His Letters? his Messengers sent to us?

Besides, It is another falshood, and no lesse palpable, that we did persecute him for such admonishing of us. It hath been declared above, upon what grounds the sentence of his Banishment did Proceed: whereof this Admonition (which he pretendeth) was none of them; neither did they persecute him at all, who did so proceed against him.

Now whereas in that Passage of the Letter even now recited I said, He knew not what Professions we had made in our Churches of our Humiliations for former Pollutions, nor had he admonished us of our de∣fects therein: He demandeth how be could possibly be ignorant of our estate, who had been from first to last in fellowship with us, an Officer

amongst us, had private and publique agitations concerning our estate and condition, and at last suffered for such Admonition to us, the misery of a Winters Banishment amongst the Barbarians?

Reply. As if every man in fellowship with us, an Officer amongst us, one that had private and publique agitations with us, must needs know what our members professed in their admissions to the Church, or what our Elders confessed in their dayes of solemne Humiliation, when himselfe was generally absent, both on the Lords dayes, and on the dayes of solemne fasting? Or as if the pri∣vate and publique agitations that he had with us, were taken up about our Communion with a Nationall Church? I am yet to learne, what Arguments he did propound to us in that cause: what convictions he left upon us. When he is still so full of the miseries of his winters banishment amongst the Barbarians, it ma∣keth me call to minde a grave and godly speech of a blessed Saint, now with God, (reverend M^r. Dod) Where sinne lyeth heavy, af∣flictions lyeth light: where affliction lyeth heavy, sinne lyeth light.