The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 2 · Chapter 10
TO CHAP. X.
THe reſidue of my Letter to Mr. Williams was taken up in remooving two ſtumbling blocks out of his way, which turned him off from fellowſhip with us. The former was, the want of fit matter of our Churches. The latter, our diſreſpect to the ſeparate Churches in England. Our want of fit matter he acknowledged ſtood, not in this, that we wanted godly perſons to be the viſible members of our Churches, (for with joy, he acknowledgeth that:) but in this, that all godly perſons are not matter fit to conſtitute a Church, no more then Trees, or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.
This exception of his ſeemed to me to imply a contradiction: for if the matter of our Churches were (ſuch as himſelfe acknowledged) godly perſons, they were not then as Trees unfeld, nor as ſtones in the Quarry unhewen: for godlineſſe cutteth men downe from their former roote, and heweth them out of the Pit of corrupt Nature, and fitteth them for fellowſhip with Chriſt, and with his People.
The ſumme of his Anſwer is (though delivered in other words obſcurely and confuſedly, yet in ſence) thus much; That he accounteth our members, as Trees or Quarries, not for that they are not yet cut our of the pit or roote of naturall corruption, but for that they are not yet removed and clenſed from actuall and Antichriſtian pollution. In which caſe, Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sampſon, Job, David, Peter, in their drunkenneſſe, lying, whoredomes, curſings, murders, Perjuries, though they were godly perſons: yet not fit members for Church eſtate. And ſo our Church-members, howſoever godly otherwiſe, yet through ignorance, and negligence, lying under Antichriſtian pollutions, ever ſince the Apoſtaſie, are not fit members for Church-eſtate.
Reply. 1. I doe willingly allow him to be the Interpreter of his own meaning: and doe eaſily grant him, that with that diſtinction, he ſalveth his contradiction. But yet let him remember, his words were very unproper, to account godly Perſons fallen into any actuall Pollution, to be matter fitted for a Church, no more then Trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.
Wee are not wont, neither in common ſpeech, nor in proper ſpeech, to account ſuch perſons, as have been already cut off from the roote and pit of naturall corruption, to be no more then Trees and Quarries, though they have ſince fallen into actuall pollution; but we rather account them like Timber and Stones, cut out, and hewen, yet fallen into ſome mire by the breach of the Axeltree of their Carriage, and therefore fit to be waſhed before they be layed in the Building. But leave that, as it pleaſe him.
Reply. 2. He may doe well to conſider, that the moſt of thoſe Saints he nameth, were not as rude Trees and Quarries unproportioned to the Building, but as Trees of Righteouſneſſe, and living Stones, layed by God himſelfe in the Building of his Church. But I eaſily grant him, that according to the Diſcipline of the Churches of Chriſt in the dayes of the Goſpel, it were meete that godly perſons falling into any groſſe, and ſcandalous, and notorious pollution, they ſhould firſt give ſatisfaction to the Church by profeſſion of their Repentance, before they be received into holy fellowſhip with the Lord, and his People, in Church-communion. In which reſpect, if Chriſt be conſidered as head of the viſible Church, he who is a member of the Church, (and ſo a member of Chriſt) may fall ſo foully into groſſe ſinne, and be ſo enthralled to it, as to be ſeparate from the Church, yea and from Chriſt too, conſidered as the viſible head of it. And therefore the Examiner miſtook himſelfe, and me too, when he writeth, that I affirmed, that godly perſons cannot be ſo enthralled to Antichriſt, as to ſeparate them from Chriſt. For I never denied, that godly perſons may fall, as into other groſſe and notorious ſinnes; ſo alſo into groſſe and notorious Antichriſtian Pollutions, ſo as to ſeparate them from Church-Communion, yea and from Chriſt himſelfe, as he is the Head of the viſible Church.
Reply. 3. But to cleare the point more fully and plainly; Put the caſe, that the Saints whom the Examiner ſetteth forth in their pollutions, (as Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sampſon, Job, David, Peter,) ſuppoſe, I ſay, they had openly profeſſed their Repentance for their open ſcandalls, of drunkenneſſe, lying, inceſt, murder, &c. and all their other knowne ſcandalls, but had neither diſcerned nor bewayled the ſinne of Polygamy: yea, ſuppoſe the Church with which they might joyne, did neither diſcerne the neceſſitie, nor dutie of acknowledging that ſinne, whether ſuch Saints were to be refuſed from Church-communion, (as rude Trees and Quarries?) or if they were received as members into the Church, whether was ſuch a Church to be ſeparated from? If yea, we muſt look for new Rules for it out of a new Goſpel. If no, then will the Examiner want a Rule for his ſeparation from all the Churches in New-England.
For this is the very ſtate of the Queſtion, as the Examiner himſelfe rehearſeth it, in this Chapter. For he having objected, that a neceſſitie lieth upon godly men, before they can be fit matter for Church-fellowſhip, to ſee, bewaile, repent, and come out of the falſe Churches, worſhip, Miniſtery, Government, (according to Scriptures, Iſai. 62.11. 2 Cor. 6.17.) And this to be done, not by a locall remoovall, but by a deliverance of the ſoule, underſtanding, will, judgement and affection, &c.
He ſubjoyneth my Anſwer out of my Letter in theſe words;
1. We grant, that it is not locall remoovall from former pollution, nor contrary practiſe, that fitteth us for fellowſhip with Chriſt, and his Church: but that it is neceſſary alſo, that we doe repent of ſuch former Pollutions, wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled.
2. We grant further, that it is neceſſary to Church-fellowſhip, that we ſhou'd ſee and diſcerne all ſuch pollutions, as doe ſo farre enthrall us to Antichriſt, as to ſeparate us from Chriſt. But this we profeſſe unto you, that wherein we have reformed our practiſe, therein we have endeavoured unfainedly to humble our ſoules for our former contrary walking. If any through hypocriſie are wanting herein, the hidden hypocriſie of ſome will not prejudice the ſinceritie, and faithfulneſſe of others, nor the Churcheſtate of all.
This though the Examiner doe rehearſe it here in this Chapter: yet here he anſwereth nothing to it, though it be the very hinge of the Controverſie. If we meet with any Anſwer to it in the ſequele, we ſhall (God willing) conſider of it in its place.
OnelyOnly let me adde this third thing to cleare the ſtate of the controverſie more fully, That to this day we doe not ſee nor diſcerne, that it is any Antichriſtian pollution at all, for a member of any of our Churches, going over into England, to heare the word Preached by a well-gifted Miniſter in the Pariſh Aſſemblies.