Mr. Cottons letter lately printed, examined and ansvvered: by Roger Williams of Providence in New·England.:

CHAP. XV.

Mr. Cotton. Ans. 3. To places of Scripture which you ob∣ject, Isa. 52. 11. 2 Cor. 6. 17. Revel. 18. 4. We answere, two of them makes nothing to your purpose: for that of Isaiah, and the other of the Revelation, speak of locall separation, which your selfe know we have made, and yet you say, you doe not apprehend that to be sufficient. As for that place of the Co∣rinths, it only requireth comming out from Idolaters in the Fellowship of their Idolatry. No mariages were they to make with them, no Feasts were they to hold with them in the Idolls Temple; no intimate familiaritie were they to main∣taine with them, nor any Fellowship were they to keep with them in the unfruitfull works of darknes, and this is all which that place requireth. But what makes all this to prove, that we may not receive such persons to Church fellowship, as your selfe confesse to be godly, and who doe professedly re∣nounce and bewail all known sin and would renounce m••••e if they knew more, although it may be they do not see the ut∣most skirts of all that pollution they have somtimes been de∣filed with; as the Patriarchs saw not the pollution of their Poligamie: But that you may plainly see this place is wrested beside the Apostles scope, when you argue from it, that such persons are not fit matter for Church fellowship, as are defiled with any remnants of Antichristian pollution, nor such Churches any more to be accounted Churches▪ as do receive such amongst them. Consider I pray you, were there not at that time in the Church of Corinth, such as partook with the

Idolaters in the Idolls temple? And was not this the touch∣ing of an uncleane thing? And did this sin reject these mem∣bers from Church fellowship before convicton? Or did it evacuate their Church estate for not casting out such mem∣bers?

Ans. The Scriptures or writings of truth are those heavenly righteous scales, wherin all our contraversies must be tried, and that blessed Starre that leads all those soules to Jesus that seek him. But saith Mr. Cotton two of those Scriptures alledg∣ged by me (Isa. 52. 11. Revel. 18. 4. which I brought to prove a necessitie of leaving the false, before a joyning to the true Church, they speake of locall separation, which (saith he) your selfe know we have made.

For that locall and typicall separation from Babylon,* 1.1 Isa. 52. I could not well have beleeved that Mr. Cotton or any would make that comming forth of Babel in the antitype, Rev. 18 4. to be locall and materiall also. What civill State, Nation or Countrey in the world, in the antitype must now be called Ba∣bel? certainly, if any, then Babel it selfe properly so called: but there we find (as before) at true Church of Jesus Christ, 1 Pet. 5.

Secondly,* 1.2 if Babel be locall now, whence Gods people are called, then must there be a locall Iudea, a Land of Canaan also, into which they are called; and where shall both that Babel and Canaan be found in all the commings forth that have been made from the Church of Rome in these last times? But Mr. Cotton having made a locall departure from Old England in Europe, to New England in America, can he satisfie his owne soule, or the soules of other men, that he hath obeyed that voice,* 1.3 come out of Babel my people, partake not of her sins, &c. Doth he count the very Land of England literally Babel, and so con∣sequently Aegypt and Sodome, Revel. 11. 8. and the Land of new England Judea, Canaan? &c.

The Lord Jesus (John 4.) clearly breaks down all difference of places, and Acts 10 all difference of persons; and for my selfe, I acknowledge the Land of England, the civill Laws, Govern∣ment and people of England,* 1.4 not to be inferiour to any under heaven. Only 2 things I shall humbly suggest unto my deare Countrymen (whether more high and honourable at the helme of Government, or more inferiour, who labour and saile in this famous Ship of Englands Common Wealth) as the greatest

causes,* 1.5 fourtaines and top roots of all the Indignation of the most High, against the State and Countrey: First that the whole Nation and Generations of Men have been forced (though unregenerate and unrepentant) to pretend and assume the name of Christ Jesus, which only belongs, according to the Institution of the Lord Jesus, to truely regenerate and re∣penting soules. Secondly, that all others dissenting from them, whether Jewes or Gentiles, their Countrymen especially (for strangers have a Libertie) have not been permitted civill coha∣bitation in this world with them, but have been distressea and persecuted by them.

But to returne, the summe of my Contraversie with Mr. Cotton is,* 1.6 Whether or no that false Worshipping of the true God, be not only a spirituall guilt liable to Gods sentence and plagues, but also an habit, frequently compared in the Pro∣phets, and Rev. 17. to a spirit and disposition of spiritual drun∣kennesse and whoredome, a soule sleep and a soule sicknesse: So that as by the change of a chaire, chamber or bed, a sick or sleepie man, whore or drunkard are not changed, but they remaine the same still, untill that disposition of sicknes, slee∣pinesse, drunkennes, whoredome be put off, and a new habit of spirituall health, watchfullnes, sobrietie, chastitie be put on.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mr. Cotton cannot make both comings forth of Ba∣bel both in the Type and an∣titype to bee locall.
• * 1.2

  If a locall Ba∣bel, then also now a locall Iudea and Temple, &c. Come out of Babel not materiall, but mysticall.
• * 1.3

  The Lord Ie∣sus hath bro∣ken down the difference of places and persons.
• * 1.4

  2 Chiefest causes of Gods indignation against Eng∣land.
• * 1.5

  These two particulars I should be humbly rea∣dy to make proof of.
• * 1.6

  The souls cap∣tivity to false worship is not locall, but a guilt, and not only so, but an habit or disposition of spiritual sleep, whoredome, drunkennesse, &c.