A Conference in Boston with the Elders of New England, Dedication 2
To all the Churches of Ieſus the Chriſt, coming out of Myſticall Babylon, gathered, or ſcattered, that follow the Lambe, the Lord JESUS whereſoever he goeth.
BEloved in CHRIST, Diſdaine not to Read this Learned Treatiſe of Maſter John Cotton, of Boſton in New-England, out of any prejudice thou mayeſt take againſt the perſon, or publiſher of it. What if ſome judge him a Schiſmaticke? yet he regardeth not mans raſh cenſure: Seeing he can with holy Paul, that before his Converſion perſecuted the Church of God, ſafely Apologiſe for himſelfe; Acts 24. 14. That after the way that you call Hereſie, ſo worſhip I the God of my Fathers; beleeving all things that are written in the Law, and in the Prophets. Verſe 15. And have an hope toward God, which you your ſelves alſo allow, that there ſhall bee a reſurrection of the dead, both of the juſt, and unjuſt. Verſe 16. And herein doe I exerciſe my ſelfe, to have alwaies a Conſcience void of offence toward God & towardman. But yet this I confeſſe unto you, that I am leſſe then the leaſt of all the Meſſengers of Chriſt; for I am not worthy to bee called a Meſſenger, or Miniſter; for I perſecuted the Church of God, that profeſſed the Faith of Jeſus the Chriſt; that held foorth all his Royall Offices, King, Prophet, Prieſt, according to his outward adminiſtration, in admitting of Members into his Spiritual Kingdome: And ſided with the Antichriſtian Prelates, and Biſhops, that denyed, that Jeſus is the Chriſt, whom the Spirit of God calleth Lyars, and Antichriſtians, That denyeth the Father and the Sonne, 1 John 2. 22. For though I, with the Antichriſtian Biſhops, and Prieſts, did acknowledge Jeſus the Chriſt, our high Prieſt that ever liveth to reconcile us unto God; yet wee have perſecuted them that hold his Kingly and Propheticall Office to be eternall, aſwell as his Prieſthood, and the gathering of his Church according to his Royall Commiſsion, Matth. 28. 18, 19, 20. Hence it is, that Chriſt divided, becometh no Chriſt to the divider; this according to the Vulgar Latine, Solvere Jeſum, to diſſolue Jeſus, that is, to receive him onelyonly in part, and not in the whole, which is the ſpirit of Antichriſt. Now when the Lord opened the eyes of my underſtanding, and convicted me of all the abominations I had done in my ſpirituall Captivity under Antichriſt, eſpecially, that I had crucified Jeſus the Chriſt in his Members, being pricked in my heart, I trembling cryed, what ſhall I doe? The Spirit and the Bride, the Lambes wife, ſaid; Repent, and be Baptized in the name of Jeſus, &c. Then I gladly received the Word, was Baptized, and was added to the Church, Acts 2. 38, 39, 40, 41, 42. Yet, by the grace of God, now I am, what I am; And having from ſome Friends, received this Learned Conference, kept it by mee as a precious Diamond of great worth, from which my ſoule, through the great goodneſſe of God, did reape much ſpirituall comfort. And did wait, hoping that ſome learned and faithfull friends of his, would long agoe have Printed a larger, and an exacter Copy of it: But finding none, (I that am leſſe then the leaſt of all Saints) could not any longer conceale it, but thought with my ſelfe, I was bound in Conſcience to publiſh it, in this learned Age, wherein there is ſo much enquiry after truth, for the benefit of poore, hungry, empty, ſelfe-denying Spirits; rather then ſuch a Learned Tract of heavenly light, ſhould alwaies lye in the duſt, as unſeene, and forgotten. For this cauſe alone, I have attempted (Courteous Reader) to preſent …o thy view this Learned Treatiſe; Not …hat I have any relation to that Lear…ed man; nor any command from him …o doe it: But onelyonly in love, that this his Learned Diſputation might not bee …uried in ſilence. Read it therefore (Beloved in Chriſt) not for his ſake that publiſheth it; but for his ſake that was …he Author of it; or rather for the God …f Truths ſake. For whoſe cauſe the Learned Author contendeth for the Faith in theſe daies, wherein the Goſ…ell of Truth hath ſuffered ſo great Ec…lipſes, through the rage and tyranny of the Popiſh Antichriſtian Prelates and Prieſts.
Thine that earneſtly deſireth to exalt the Lord Jeſus the Chriſt, in all his royall Offices FRAN. CORNWELL.