The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 1 · Chapter 79
CHAP. 79. Touching the Modell of Church and civill Power, compoſed by Mr. Cotton and the Miniſters of New-England, and ſent to the Church of Salem &c. Examined (by the Diſcuſſer) and Anſwered.
THis Title or Inſcription (which the Examiner ſetteth up of this Modell) holdeth forth to the world a double falſhood.
1. That the Modell was compoſed by Mr. Cotton, and other Miniſters of New-England.
This is one falſhood. What other Miniſters of New-England did in it, themſelves know: But for Mr. Cotton, I know, that he was none of them that compoſed it.
2. That this Modell was ſent to the Church of Salem, if he meane, ſent by thoſe Miniſters (as the following words imply, for the confirmation of their Doctrine) that is another falſhood. The Miniſters themſelves, that compoſed the Modell, doe deny it; Howſoever the Modell came to Salem, the Miniſters ſay, it was not ſent by them. But ſee, when men are left of God, openly, and boldly to write againſt the truth in matter of Doctrin, how readily and freely, they can write and ſpeake falſhood in matter of fact?
It is therefore leſſe marvell, that in Anſwer to the preface of the Modell, he breaketh forth into ſuch vaſt hyperboles, That the Modell awakeneth Meſes from his unknowne Grave: and denyeth Jeſus yet to have ſeen the earth. A ſpeech as devoid of reaſon, as of truth. The obſervation of Moſes Lawes doth not awaken Moſes out of his grave, nor is there any reaſon it ſhould. The validity of Lawes doth not (in reaſon) depend upon the life or reſurrection of the Lawgiver: the Examiner himſelfe (I ſuppoſe) would not doubt, but the Lawes of Moſes were of force to the Iſraelites in the Land of Canaan, when yet Moſes was dead and buried before their entrance into the Land. Neither did their obſervation of them awaken Moſes out of his grave, but argued his Lawes to be in force as well after his death, as whilſt he was yet living. If it be ſaid, That Chriſt at his coming in the fleſh when he was buried himſelfe, buried alſo the Lawes of Moſes with him in his grave.
Then the Examiner ſhould not have ſaid, that the Modell raiſed up Moſes out of his grave, but that it raiſed up Chriſt out of his grave.
If it be ſaid againe, the Examiner ſaith, It denyed Chriſt to have ſeen the earth, which was of as ill conſequence. Be it ſo: but yet ſtill, this maketh nothing to the raſing up of Moſes out of his grave.
I Anſwer further, Neither doth it at all deny, Chriſt to have ſeen the earth. For Chriſt came not to deſtroy the Law of Moſes, Mat. 5.17. Neither the Morall Law: for in the ſequele of that Chapter, he doth at large expound it, and eſtabliſh it:
No, nor did he come to deſtroy the judiciall Lawes, ſuch of them as are of Morall equity. Or elſe, the Conſcience of the civill Magiſtrate could never doe any act of civill juſtice out of faith, becauſe he ſhould have no word of God to be the ground of his action, if the Lawes of judgement in the Old-Teſtament were abrogated, and none extant in the New. As for the exception, which the Examiner taketh againſt the Preface. It is as eaſily avoided, as Objected.
If (ſaith he) the civill Magiſtrate (even the higheſt) being a Member of the Church, be ſubject to Church-Cenſure, how can this ſtand with their common Tenent, that he muſt keepe the firſt Table, Reforme the Church, be Judge and Governor in all cauſes, as well eccleſiaſticall as Civill?
Secondly, how can a Magiſtrate both ſit on the Bench, and ſtand at the Bar of Chriſt Jeſus? Is it not as impoſſible, as to reconcile eaſt and weſt together? Yea, is not the Text in Iſa. 49, 23. Lamentably wreſted to prove both theſe?
Reply.
One Anſwer may eaſily remove both Exceptions: And that one Text doth expreſly hold forth both theſe Points, which the Examiner conceiveth to be ſo irreconcilable.
For if Princes be nurſing Fathers to the Church (as that Text ſpeaketh) then they are to provide, that the children of the Church be not nurſed with poiſon in ſtead of milke. And in ſo doing, they keepe the firſt Table. Reforme the Church, & judge in cauſes Eccleſiaſticall,
Againe, If the the ſame Princes ſhall bow down to the Church with their faces towards the earth, and lick the duſt of her feet (as the ſame Text expreſſeth) then they being members of the Church, ſhall be ſubject alſo to Church-Cenſure. In one word, Princes ſit on the Bench over the Church in the offenſive Government of the Church: & yet may themſelves (being members of the Church) be ſubject to Church-Cenſure in the offenſive Government of themſelves againſt the Rules of the Goſpel.
The Examiner himſelfe conteſſeth, that in ſeverall reſpects, He that is a governor may be alſo a Subject.
Behold here are ſeverall reſpects, to wit, ſeverall objects of Judicature; In the Mal-Adminiſtration of the Church, the Magiſtrate ſitteth as Judge, and Governor: in the Mal-Adminiſtration of a Church-Member-Magiſtrate contrary to the expreſſe rules of the Goſpel, he is ſubject to the power of Chriſt in the Church. If it be ſaid, nay rather, The Church is ſubject to the Magiſtrate in civill cauſes: and the Magiſtrate is ſubject to the Church in ſpirituall cauſes:
I Anſwer, That eaſeth not the difficulty, no more then the other. For ſuppoſe the Magiſtrate (a Church member) live in Inceſt, breake forth into murder, and notorious oppreſſion: theſe are all civill cauſes, belonging to the ſecond Table. If the Magiſtrate ſit as Judge and ſupreme Governor in this caſe, then muſt the Church tolerate him herein, to the diſhonour of the great Name of Chriſt, to the leavening of the Church, and to the perdition of his ſoule. If it be granted, that in ſuch a caſe though civill, the Church is bound to deale faithfully with the Magiſtrate, and not to ſuffer ſinne upon him: let the like power be granted to the Magiſtrate to deale faithfully with the Church in the notorious tranſgreſſions of the firſt Table, as is granted to the Church to deale with the Magiſtrate in the notorious tranſgreſſions of the ſecond Table, and the controverſie is ended.
If any further matter be claimed in making the Supreme Magiſtrate, the Supreme Judge and Governor in all cauſes, aſwell Eccleſiaſticall, as civill, I doe not underſtand, that the Miniſters or Churches of Chriſt are called to acknowledge ſuch a meaning. Sure I am, the Interpretation of that high ſtile, which godly learned Reynolds made of it in the 10. Chap. of his Conference with Hart, It was accepted of the State in the dayes of Queene Elizabeth. And the ſame Interpretation (if no more be intended by that ſtile) doth well ſtand with our defence.
But wherefore doe I put my Sicle into the Harveſt of my Brethren? my Brethren, who penned that Modell, are richly furniſhed by Chriſt with ability to defend it. I therefore leave it to them, whom it cheifly concerneth, to maintaine the Truth, which themſelves have witneſſed in that Modell.
And the Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf (the God of Truth) who came into the world, that he might beare witneſſe to the Truth, be pleaſed to beare witneſſe from Heaven to his owne Truth and bl… that peace (a fraudulent and falſe peace) which the Examiner proclaimeth to all the wayes of falſhood in Religion, to Hereſie in Doctrine, to Idolatry in worſhip, to blaſphemy of the great Name of God, to Pollution, and prophanation of all his holy Ordiannces.
Amen, Even So, Come Lord Jeſus.