A Conference in Boston with the Elders of New England, Title page 1 – Dedication 1
A CONFERENCE Mr. John Cotton HELD AT BOSTON With the ELDERS of NEW-ENGLAND,
1. Concerning gracious conditions in the ſoule before faith.
2. Evidencing Juſtification by Sanctification.
3. Touching the active power of Faith.
Twelve Reaſons againſt ſtinted forms of prayer and praiſe.
Together with The Difference between the CHRISTIAN and Antichriſtian Church.
Written by FRANCIS CORNWELL, a Miniſter of Jeſus the Chriſt.
London, Printed by J. Dawſon, and are to be ſold Fr. Eglesfield, at the Signe of the Mary-gold in Pauls Church-yard. 1646.
TO THE HONOVRABLE AND True-hearted lover of his Countrey, Sir HENRY VANE Junior, Knight, ſometimes Governour of New-England; Treaſurer of the Navie Royall, and a Member of the Houſe of COMMONS.
Sir,
1 Cor. 14 27THe Churches of the Saints and the World, may not bee unfitly compared to the Pearle and the Pebble: though both of one naturall ſubſtance, earth; yet the one of rare price, whoſe beauty is the ſunbeames incloſed; the other wanting it, is caſt away as refuſe. What maketh the Saint more excellent then his neighbour, ſeeing both are borne of fleſh, both ſubject to the ſame corruptions, ſickneſſe, death, but this?Epheſ. 4. 24 The Saints excellency is nothing elſe but the Image of Jeſus Chriſt the Sunne of righteouſneſſe ſhining in him: For as the moone and ſtarres derive their light from the ſunne;1 Cor. 1. 30 ſo all the wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, holineſſe a Saint hath, hee deriveth from Chriſt. Hence David the King doth ſo prize their fellowſhip, All my delight is in thy Saints, Pſal. 16. 3.thine excellent ones that are in the earth, and them that excell in vertue. Yea, it is a ſure note of a Citizen of Sion, that hee honours them that feare the Lord: Pſal 15.Whereas worldly men without grace, are rendred in his eyes as vile. Hence the Spouſe acknowledgeth that all her excellency cometh from plantation; Let my Beloved come into his garden, Cant 4 16.and eat his pleaſant fruit. Yea, Chriſt declareth to Nicodemus that a beleevers holineſſe cometh from regeneration; Joh. 3. 5.that in Chriſt hee may onelyonly glory. How doth the Lord diſcover this his excellency to a beleever, by his calling, till that time hee lieth amongſt the refuſe of the world,Tit. 3. 3. as fooliſh, diſobedient, deceived, ſerving divers luſts and pleaſures, living in malice and envie, hatefull, and hating one another. But then the kindneſſe and love of God to man appeared,Col. 1. 13. by delivering him out of the kingdome of darkneſſe, and tranſlating him into the kingdome of his deare Sonne. By which it is manifeſt, that hee is one of the Choſen generation, the royal prieſthood, 1 Pet. 2. 9.the holy nation, the peculiar people, whom hee hath called out of darkneſſe into his marvellous light. But when doth the Lord diſcover the truth of his calling to his conſcience? Then when hee giveth him precious faith; for that onelyonly diſtinguiſheth him form the world that lieth in ſinne. Gal. 3. 22. The Scripture concludeth (father, mother, ſonne, daughter, nay the infant that is borne of the moſt holieſt parents) all under ſinne, that the promiſe by the faith of Jeſus Chriſt might bee given to them that beleeve. So that in that ſame houre the Lord giveth him faith, hee giveth him an evidence in himſelfe,Heb 15. 1. that hee loved him in Chriſt before he was borne,Rom 9 11. before hee had done good or evill,Act. 13. 39. that hee hath juſtified him from all thoſe things hee could not be juſtified by the Law,Heb. …. 14. that hee hath purged his conſcience from all dead works, that his perſon is accepted, his ſinne diſcharged,Act 26. 1…. and he hath a right to the purchaſed inheritance amongſt them which are ſanctified. Thus the love of Chriſt revealed to dye for him, to take away his iniquity, and reconcile him to God; the Spirit given to take away his heart of ſtone,Eccl. 36. 25. 26. giveth him an heart of fleſh, to cauſe to walke in his flatutes; yea, and draweth his heart to yeeld obedience to every commandement of Jeſus the Chriſt. The truth of this grace given, Right Worſhipfull, you can give a true teſtimoniall; for you were once in your naturall condition as well as others, till it pleaſed God who ſeparated you from the womb,Gal. …. 15, 1…. to call you by his grace, to reveale his Sonne in you; you conſulted not with fleſh and bloud, but left your native ſoyle,… (in the perſecuting times of the Prelates) chuſing rather to ſuffer affliction with the people of God (according to the light they had received) then to remaine in England and enjoy the pleaſures of ſin for a ſeaſon. Yet there the Lord exalted your Worſhip to bee the Governour: And in that dawning light, coming forth out of myſticall Babylon, the Lord diſcovered much ſpirituall knowledge, of the riches of his free-grace in Jeſus Chriſt, amongſt you; you being freed from the yoke of the TaskMaſters heere, the Biſhops, that kept you in bondage: you had liberty there to debate thoſe Queſtions; which the naming onelyonly of them heere, would have rendred a man odious. But Satan that envieth the peace of the Saints; ſtirred up a ſpirit of contention amongſt you; eſpecially when theſe Queries came to be debated.
1 Whether there are any gracious conditions, or qualifications wrought in the ſoule before faith?
2 Whether any man can gather his evidence of the aſſurance of his Juſtification from his Sanctification?
3 Whether there bee an active power of Faith, and other gifts of grace in a Chriſtian converſation?
The one ſide would not beleeve themſelves juſtified, no farther then they could ſee themſelves worke; making their Markes, Signes, and Qualifications, the cauſes of their Juſtification.
The other ſide, laid the Evidence of their Juſtification, onelyonly by Faith in the free Promiſe: for there are foure things that makes remiſſion of ſinnes perpetuall to a beleever.
Firſt, The cauſe of Remiſſion, the ſacrificed Body of Chriſt on the Croſſe, or accurſed Tree; Heb. 10. 4. By one offering, hee hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified.
Secondly, The ground is a free promiſe tendred to us from God; as to Adam, The Seed of the Woman ſhall breke the Serpents head, Gen. 3. 15. John. 3. 16. 1 John 4. 10.
Thirdly, The meane is, Faith apprehending it, Phil. 3. 9.
Fourthly, The Spirit of Chriſt ſealing of it, Epheſ. 1. 13.
This truth revealed for the comfort of poore drooping Saints found great oppoſition; But the good Lord, ſtirred up your gracious ſpirit, to countenance, and defend them in the midſt of ſtrong oppoſition; and though you were ſleighted, and ſet light by at the ende of your Government, as not worthy to be an aſſiſtant, with many other Inſtruments more; yet the good Lord ſtood by you, and ſtrengthned you, and delivered you from the hands of your oppoſers, perſerved you from the dangers of the Sea; and though at your returne to your Native Soyle, you lived like Joſeph, a while, in a deſpiſed condition, yet the Lord raiſed you up to ſit amongſt Princes. So that though you were willing to loſe life, friends, preferment, for Chriſt; found you not then, life, peace, joy, in the Lord Jeſus, which was better to you, then all worldly amity; according to his owne promiſe, In the World you found affliction, but in him you found peace: And when you were called to be a Member of the high Court of Parliament, in our diſtreſſed and diſtracted times; the Lord made you an …nſtrument to defect the Trecherous plot of thoſe two brethren in evill; Thomas Lord Strafford; and William Lord Archbiſhop of Canterbu…y, that contrived the deſtruction of our fundamentall Lawes, ratified by the Statute of Magna Charta, by …abouring to ſet up an Arbitrary Government, and keeping on foot a Po…iſh Army, conſiſting of Iriſh Re…els, and others, to compell the faith…ull, and true-hearted Nobility, and loyall Commons of England, …o ſubject themſelves to their illegal Taxations: hazarding the loſſe of he favours of the King, Nobi…ty, Parents, Friends, and Allyes, together with thoſe places of Ho…our and Maintenance, the King of lemency had freely beſtowed; ra…er then his Country ſhould be ru…ed, and enthralled, by ſuch accor… … a branch of that goodly Caedar, under whoſe ſhade, the Innocent and oppreſſed, tender Conſciences that ſtand for a through Reformation, agreeable to the Word o… God, find reſt) ever be forgotten, and left unrewarded; God forbid: I… is worthy to be written on a Pilla… of Marble; and recorded in the Chronicle: that after-ages may never forget to ſhew kindeneſſe, and mercy to your Noble Poſterity that did not thinke your life (together with your neereſt relations deare unto you, ſo as to part with them, that you might purchaſe you Countries Liberty; I cannot judge him Englands Friend, that enviet… your honour, and promotion; Se… ing you are (for the love you hau… ſhewed to Chriſt his Truth, and poore Members, together with you… Native Countrey) worthy of double honour. Now (worthy Sir) ſeeing all your excellency is nothing elſe, bu… the Image of Jeſus Chriſt, the Son of righteouſnes ſhining in you. Diſ…ain not to receive from the hand of a poore deſpiſed Inſtrument that preſents this Treatiſe, The Learned Conference of Maſter John Cotton, that he had with the Elders, at the Bay of Boſton in New England. Though I am the leaſt of all Saints, not worthy to be called a Saint; becauſe …n the time of the Prelats raigne; I …ided with them, in perſecuting the Faith of Jeſus Chriſt, and impriſoning of his Members; But did it …gnorantly, through unbeliefe, and when the Lord pierced my heart for it; I trembling, cryed, What ſhall I doe? The holy Spirit and the Bride ſaid, Repent, and bee baptized in the name of Jeſus, for the remiſsion of ſinnes, and I ſhould receive the gifts of the Spirit, &c. Then Noble Sir, though I procraſtinated it for a ſeaſon, at laſt, I was not diſobedient to the heavenly voice, but aroſe, and was Baptized; For this cauſe, have beene much oppoſed by my old Friends, and Countrey-men▪ But yet remaine a Loyall Cove…nanter, that ſtandeth for a Reformation in England, and Ireland, a…greeable to the Word of God, and the beſt Reformed Churches: Seeing it is not the voice of the Churches, but Chriſt in the Churches we Convenented to hearken unto as Maſter Caſe his Sermon yet teſtifieth.
Firſt, To extirpate Popery; (which I apprehended at the taking of the Nationall Covenant) was that Doctrine of Antichriſt, which doth univerſally oppoſe the doctrine of Jeſus the Chriſt. Affirming what Chriſt denieth; and denying what Chriſt affirmeth.
Secondly, Prelacy, viz. The Government of Arch-biſhops, and Biſhops, and all Eccleſiaſticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy, Roote and Branch: as a Plant the heavenly Father hath not planted.
Thirdly, Superſtition: viz. Whatſoever is ſupra Statutum, that hath not the word of God to warrant it.
Fourthly, Schiſme: Namely, from all thoſe that teach, and co…ſent not to the wholeſome words,even the words of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to the doctrine which is according to godlineſſe; from ſuch I muſt withdraw, 1 Tim. 6. 3, 5.
Fifthly, Hereſie: Even from all them that deny that Jeſus is the Chriſt; They are Antichriſt that deny the Father and the Sonne. Whoſoever denyeth the Sonne, the ſame hath not the Father, 1 Joh. 2. 22, 23.
Sixthly, That the Lord may be one: viz. Even the Lord Jeſus the Chriſt, whom God raiſed from the dead, and …et him at his owne right hand in the …eavenly places; Farre above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not onelyonly in this world, but that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church, Which is his body, the fulneſſe of him that filleth all in all, Epheſ. 1. 20, 21 22, 23.
Seventhly, And his Name to … one in the three Kingdomes: (that is, as I conceive it) his power, authority, and royall Commiſſion muſt be exalted in all his Offices, to be the eternall King, eternall Prophet, and eternall Prieſt, in all things appertaining to the conſcience: ſeeing the loyall Spouſe of Chriſt hath no Head, no Husband, no Lord, no Law-giver, but royall King Jeſus. That wee, and our poſterity after us, may live in faith, and love; and the Lord may delight to dwell amongst us.
For the keeping of which Covenant, I had rather chuſe to dye, then to deny the faith of Jeſus the Chriſt: Knowing, that he which confeſſeth him before men, him he will confeſſe before his Father. But hee which is aſhamed of Chriſt, …nd his words, in this ſinfull and adulterous generation, of him alſo ſhall the Sonne of man bee aſhamed, when hee cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy Angels, Mar. 8. 38. Thus I deſire, in the firſt place,Mat 22. 21 to give to God the things that are Gods; and, in the next place, render to the high and honourable Court of Parliament, whereof your Honour is a Member, and to your King, when the Lord ſhall put it into his heart to returne unto his Parliament, and to joyne with you, all your dues,Rome. 13. 7. tributes, cuſtomes, feare, honour; and ſubject my ſelfe to obey all your juſt, legall, and civill commandements: Knowing, that you ſet not up the Sword for nought;… Pet. 2. 14 but to be a terrour to them that doe evill, and a praiſe, a guard and defenſe, for them that doe well.
Your poore Oratour at the throne of grace, that earneſtly prayeth, that the Lord will give you, and the great Councell of the Kingdome, wiſdome and prudence, to beare with tender Conſciences, that deſire to exalt Jeſus the Chriſt in all his Royall Offices, FRAN. CORNWELL. Orpington, in Kent, the ninth Month, 1645.