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

CHAP. XVII.

Mr. Cotton proceeds to answer some other allegations which

I produced from the confession of sinne made by Iohns Dis∣ciples, and the Proselite Gentiles before they were admitted into Church fellowship, Mat. 3. 6. Acts 19. 18. Unto which he returneth a 3 fold answere: The first is grounded upon his apparent mistake of my words in a grant of mine, viz. Such a confession and renunciation is not absolutely necessary, if the substance of true repentance be discerned. Whence (saith he) according to your own confession, such persons as have the substance of true Repentance may be a true Church.

I answere, it is cleare in the progresse of the whole contra∣versie,* 1.1 that I ever intend by the substance of true Repentance, not that generall grace of Repentance, which all Gods people have (as Luther a Monk, and going to, yea publishing the Ger∣man Masse, and those famous Bishops burnt for Christ in Qu. Maries dayes) but that substance of Repentance for those false wayes of Worship, Church, Ministry, &c. in which Gods peo∣ple have lived, although the confessing and renouncing of them be not so particularly exprest, and with such godly sor∣row and indignation as some expresse, and may well become: And indeed the whole scope of that caution was for Christian moderation,* 1.2 and gentlenes toward the severall sorts of Gods people, professing particular repentance for their spirituall captivity and bondage, during which captivitie also I readily acknowledge the substance of repentance, and of all the graces of Christ in generall.

In his second Answere Mr. Cotton saith,* 1.3 I grant with the one hand, and take away with the other, for he denies it necessary to the admission of members, that every one should be con∣vinced of the sinfullnes of every sipping of the Whores, cup, for (saith he) every sipping of a drunkards cup is not sinfull.* 1.4

Ans. First he doth not rightly aledge my words, for a little before he confesseth, my words to be that Antichristian drun∣kennesse and whoredome is to be confest of all such as have drunk of the Whores cup, or but sipt of it. In which words I plainly distinguish between such as have drunk deeper of her cup, as Papists, Popish Priests, &c. and such as in comparison have but sipt, as Gods own people, who yet by such sipping have been so intoxicated, as to practise spirituall whoredome against Christ in submitting to false Churches, Ministrie, Worship, &c.

Secondly, whereas he saith every sipping of a drunkards cup is not sinfull.

I answere: neither the least sipping, nor constant drinking out of the cup which a drunkard useth to drinke in, is sinfull: but every drunken sip (which is our question) is questionlesse sinfull, and so consequently to be avoyded by the sober, whe∣ther the cup of corporall or spirituall drunkennes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The substance of true gene∣rall repen∣tance in all Gods chil∣dren, though living in ma∣ny grosse abo∣minations of false worship, Ministry, &c.
• * 1.2

  Not the same measure and degrees of re∣pentance in all.
• * 1.3

  Mr. Cotton.
• * 1.4

  Some have drunk deep of the Whores cup; and some but sipt, yet intoxicated.