The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 2 · Chapter 5 – Chapter 6
TO CHAP. V.
I ſee I have been ſo large in anſwering the former foure Chapters of this Examination of my Letter, that if I ſhould proceed in the like ſort in a particular ſearch of the other twenty-foure Chapters which remaine, I ſhould take up more time then were meet about the perſonall concernments of him, or my ſelfe. Who are wee, that we ſhould publickly invite the ſervants of Chriſt (who are employed in more weighty affaires of their Lord and ours) to attend unto perſonall Tranſactions between him, and me? Where any thing ſhall occurre tending to more publick edification, I ſhall inſiſt with more attention thereupon, and paſſe over other lighter Diſcourſes, with a lighter touch. Yet who ſo can ſpare ſo much time, and leiſure, as to compare each Chapter of his, with each Chapter of this Diſcourſe, he ſhall finde (if I be not miſtaken) no paſſage of weight paſſed over without returning due Anſwer to each particular. That Text in Prov. 11.26. (He that withholdeth the Corne, (which is the ſtaffe of life) from the people, the multitude ſhall curſe him:) I alledged to prove that the people had much more cauſe to ſeparate ſuch from amongst them, (whether by Civill, or Church-Cenſure, as doe withhold, or ſeparate them from the Ordinances, or the Ordinances from them, which are (in Chriſt) the bread of life. Let not the Reader be ſo farre miſ-led by the Examiner his miſ-information, as to thinke, that this Scripture was produced againſt him, to juſtifie either a falſe Miniſtery, or an unfit people to chooſe and enjoy a true Miniſtery. The Miniſtery, and people, are the Miniſtery and people of this Countrey: of which, the people he acknowledgeth to be Saints: and the Miniſters of the Churches (choſen by them) not to be deſtitute of ſuch qualifications, as Chriſt requireth, ſave onelyonly that we doe not forbid the people when they goe over into England, to heare the word of God preached by godly Miniſters in the Pariſh Churches. Now for this cauſe, becauſe we doe not ſeparate theſe Engliſh hearers from us, he ſeparated himſelfe, and withdre others from hearing the word in our Churches with us: which I accounted as great, and as unſufferable an injury to the ſoules of Gods people, as it would be to their bodies to withhold the Corne from them, or them from the Corne: and for that end I produced this Scripture.
That I produced this Scripture alone to juſtifie the Sentence of the Court, it was not for want of others, (if that had been the Queſtion;) but becauſe the ſcope of my Letter was, not to confirme the equitie of his Baniſhment, but to convince the iniquitie of his Separation. The mention of the cauſe of his civill Baniſhment fell in onelyonly upon the by, to remove an objection out of the way, that becauſe I denied the act of the Court to be done by my counſell, or conſent, therefore it might ſeeme I diſallowed the ſentence. To prevent that miſtake I acknowledged the righteouſneſſe of the Sentence, and for that end produced that Scripture, as that which might give both ſome juſt reaſon before God of his Civill Baniſhment: and alſo make way for the diſcovery of his ſinne of groundleſſe Separation. Let no man be ſo farre miſtaken, as to thinke, that his Separation from the Churches, was either the chiefe difference between the Court and him, (though it was the chiefe between him and me in my Letter;) or that it was the chiefeſt offence for which he ſuffered, though he ſo pretended.
What though neither corporall nor ſpirituall food may lawfully be ſold or bought, but with the good will, and conſent, and authoritie of the owner? &c.
Let him make it appeare, that Chriſt hath not committed the Miniſtery of the Goſpel to us; and wee ſhall give place to others whom Chriſt ſhall ſend: Meane while, if the budding, and bloſſoming, and fruit-bearing of Aarons rod was a witneſſe from Heaven, that the Lord approved his Miniſtery againſt all the murmurings of the Children of Iſrael, Num. 17.5. to 8. We muſt leave him, and others to their murmurings againſt us, and quiet our conſcices in an humble bleſſing of the Lord for his gracious bleſſing upon our weake labours in that holy Miniſtery wee have received from him.
What though the Apoſtles were to turne away, and to ſhake off the duſt of their feete, againſt ſcorners, contradictors, deſpiſers, perſecutors?
It was not till they had ſinned againſt the Holy Ghoſt, and ſcorned, and perſecuted the convincing light of the Goſpel, Acts 13.45. to 51.
Otherwiſe the Jewes were ſcorners, and perſecutors of Chriſt himſelfe, and of all that confeſſed his Name, Joh. 9.22. yet ſtill the Apoſtles ceaſed not to Preach to them, and pray with them, Acts 3.1. &c. to wit, whileſt their Perſecutors ſinned of ignorance, ver. 17.
What though the Apoſtles were forbidden to Preach to ſome places?
He wiſely quoteth no Text for it, leſt the quoting might be the confuting of himſelfe. He knoweth, it was but for a time that others (according to the good pleaſure of Chriſts will) might be ſerved before them.
What if Mr. Cotton ſaw juſt cauſe to refuſe to ſell ſpirituall Corne in a miſ-hallowed Surplice? Is it ſafe therefore for Mr. Williams to ſhut up his ſacks mouth, and to refuſe to ſell corne in his ordinary apparrell?
What if Mr. Cotton forbeare to adminiſter the Lords Supper to all beleevers, or Baptiſme unto their children, untill the beleevers profeſſe their Faith, and Repentance before the Church? Is it ſafe therefore for Mr. Williams to refuſe to Breake the Bread of Life unto the Church of Salem, whereunto their Election, and Ordination of him, and his own voluntary acceptance thereof, had engaged him unto ſtuwardly office?
What though in all Civill Tranſactions, and in all the preſent diſturbances of England, principall reſpect is had unto a right Commiſſion, and right Order? Let him ſhew wherein our Commiſſion, or Order is defective, and reaſon would we ſhould hearken to him.
But ſee the warineſſe, and ſlineſſe of the Examiner: I judge it not (ſaith he) ſeaſonable here, to entertaine the Diſpute of the true Power, and call of Chriſts Miniſtery. An handſome evaſion. Now when the grounds of his Separation are queſtioned, now when he ſtandeth upon his open juſtification, now in Print before the eyes of all men, now he thinketh it not ſeaſonable, to entertaine any diſpute of ſuch things at all. Thus Foelix would heare Paul when he had a more convenient time: and yet that was the very time and houre of his viſitation, Acts 24.25.
His evaſion of this Text in Prov. 11.26. (by comparing it with Deut. 17.12.) doth but adde a deluſion to an evaſion. [Deut. 17. I ſuppoſe he meaneth, though his printed copie ſay Deut. 15.] For it is a deluſion to make the capitall puniſhment preſcribed againſt the preſumptuous rejection of the Sentence of the chiefeſt Court in Iſrael, a figure of Excommunication in the Church of Chriſt.
For firſt, no Scripture of old or new Teſtament giveth any intimation of any ſuch figure in this Law. And to make a judiciall Law a figure without ſome light from ſome Scripture, is to make a mans ſelfe, wiſe above that which is written.
2. That law is of morall equitie, that is of univerſall and perpetuall equitie, in all Nations, in all Ages: He that ſhall preſumptuouſly appeale from, or riſe up againſt the ſentence of the chiefeſt and higheſt Court in a free State, is guilty Laeſae majeſtatis publicae, and therfore as a capitall offender to be cenſured in any free Common-wealth.
3. This Law in Deut. 17. provided an effectuall puniſhment againſt ſuch preſumptuous offenders, and an effectuall remedy againſt all ſuch like preſumption in others, that all Iſrael might heare, and feare, and doe no more preſumptuouſly, ver. 13. But ſo doth not Excommunication. For what if an Excommunicate perſon preſume againſt the ſentence of Chriſt in his Church, (as Mr. Williams doth againſt the Sentence of the Church of Salem?) doth the power of the Church provide, that all the Iſrael of God may heare, and feare, and doe no more preſumptuouſly? Is the figure become more powerfull, and effectuall, then the ſubſtance? the ſhadow, then the body? the type, then the Antitype?
From this miſtaken Figure, the Examiner would inferre, The withholding of the Corne preſumptuouſly to be death in Iſrael: but not ſo in every State of the world: much leſſe the pleading againſt a falſe Miniſtery to be a capitall crime: for as for Baniſhment never ſuch a courſe was heard of in Iſrael.
Anſw. That law in Deut. hath nothing to doe with the withholding of Corne preſumptuouſly, unleſſe there had firſt paſſed ſome ſentence of the Soveraigne Court againſt the withholding of Corne. But otherwiſe ordinary ſinnes of preſumption, doe fall under the Judicature of another Law, Num. 15.30, 31.
Neither hath this Text in Solomons Proverbs any thing to doe with that Law in Deut. 17. nor with capitall puniſhment. Solomon doth not ſay, that every man that withholdeth his corne, ſhall be put to death in Iſrael: nor doe I ſay that he is to be put to death in any State of the world: leaſt of all doe I ſay that Pleading againſt a falſe Miniſtery is a capitall crime: Theſe are all but excurſions, and evaporations of the ſuperfluity of wit. But this I ſay, (and not I but Solomon) He that withholdeth the Corne, the people ſhall curſe him, Prov. 11.26. And curſing implyeth Separation. He therefore that ſhall withdraw, or ſeparate, the Corne from the people, or the people from the Corne; the people have juſt cauſe to ſeparate either him from themſelves, or themſelves from him. And this proportion will hold as well in ſpirituall Corne as bodily: the Argument ſtill ſtandeth unſhaken.
What though we never read of Baniſhment in Iſrael? we read of ſomething proportionable: what elſe meaneth that Decree? Let Judgement be executed to death, or to Baniſhment, Ezra. 7.27. And Ezra. 10.8? Let all his ſubſtance be forfeited, and himſelfe ſeparated from the Congregation of thoſe that had been carried away. And in Moſes, frequent mention is made of, Cutting off from the people; which though in Iſrael, it may ſometime ſignifie, cutting off by Gods hand, ſometime by the ſword of the Magiſtrate, and ſometime cutting off from the fellowſhip of Gods Houſe: yet in Abrahams Family, The cutting off (in Gen. 17.14.) may very well reach, cutting off from their civill Cohabitation: as for a like offence Iſhmael, and his mother were cut off from cohabitation in the Tents of Abrahams people, Gen. 21.9. to 14.
Alſo he that had unawares ſlaine a man, was baniſhed, though not out of all Iſrael, yet from his own Houſe, and Towne, and Tribe, till the death of the High Prieſt, and that was as much as Baniſhment out of any Society of Chriſts people now, whether in Church, or Civill Fellowſhip. For though out of Iſrael, there was no full Baniſhment legally enjoyned, becauſe there was then no other Church extant in the world, (and ſo to baniſh a man out of Iſrael, was as much as to ſay, Goe, and ſerve other Gods, 1 Sam. 26.19) yet now when Church-fellowſhip in the true Religion may be had in ſo many places, to baniſh a man out of his Countrey, is no more then it was then to baniſh an Iſraelite into a Citie of Refuge. But though baniſhment be now a lawfull puniſhment in ſome caſe, yet I goe not about to prove that every wilfull withholding of corne, in every State is baniſhment, much leſſe death. But he that ſhall withhold his own corne, and goe about to perſwade all others that have corne lying by them, to ſhut up their ſacks mouths, and not to bring forth their corne for the nouriſhment of the people, (which is, if we ſpeake of ſpirituall corne, the very caſe of the Examiner) I doe not ſee but ſuch an one may be juſtly accounted as Hoſtis Reipublicae, a publick enemy of the Countrey, and, as ſuch an one, in due order, to be caſt out of it.
In due order I ſay; for if ſuch an one be detained from bringing forth his corne by ſome ſcruple of Conſcience, (as ſuppoſe a man able to Preach Chriſt, and ſo able to diſpenſe ſpirituall corne, yet doubting of the true way of the Miniſtery ſince the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt, dare not practiſe the Miniſtery.) Such an one ſhould not be ſodainly caſt out of the Countrey, till he be firſt convinced, that the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt, did never ſo farre prevaile againſt the Church of Chriſt, as to roote it out from off the face of the earth. The woman (which is the Church of Chriſt) was ſtill nouriſhed in a Wilderneſſe, even during all the Reigne of Antichriſt, Rev. 12.14, 15, 16. The Temple of God, (which is his Church) together with the Altar, and them that worſhip therein, were ſtill meaſured, and that by John (by Apoſtolick meaſure) all the time, when Antichriſt trod downe the outward Court of the holy City, Rev. 11.1, 2. The Golden veſſels of the Temple ſtill continued in the middeſt of the Babyloniſh Captivitie. And if ſpirituall Babylon have now ſo farre prevailed againſt the Church of Chriſt, as that they have rooted it up from the face of the earth, then what is become of the promiſe of Chriſt; The gates of Hell ſhall never prevaile againſt it? Mat. 16.18. Surely the Promiſe is given to a particular Congregationall Church, that it ſhall never faile, but ſhall alwayes be extant in ſome Countrey, or other; for he ſpeaks of ſuch a Church, to whom the keyes of the Kingdome are committed, ver. 19. It will be vaine to look for new Apoſtles to replant Churches out of the ruines of the Antichriſtian Apoſtaſie. For the new Teſtament acknowledgeth Paul and Barnabas to be the laſt Apoſtles, 1 Cor. 4.9. If any Apoſtles riſe up after them, then Paul and Barnabas will not be the laſt. And when the New Hieruſalem comes downe from Heaven, yet ſhee ſhall not be builded by any new Apoſtles, but built upon that foundation which the Lambes twelve Apoſtles have already laid, Rev. 21.14.
As for thoſe many excellent, and worthy Gentlemen, Lawyers, Phyſicians, and others, whom the Examiner commendeth to be as well gifted in the knowledge of the Scripture, and furniſhed with gifts, of tongues, and utterance, as moſt that profeſſe the Miniſtery, and yet are not perſwaded to ſell ſpirituall Corne, as queſtioning their true calling, and Commiſſion.
In ſuch a caſe I would firſt ſeeke (by the helpe of Chriſt) to remove the ſcruples upon which they queſtion their calling, and Commiſſion.
Secondly, I would thinke it meet, to put a difference between ſuch as never received a lawfull calling and commiſſion to the Miniſtery, and them that have received it. But if any of them have received a lawfull calling into the Miniſtery, and yet will neither Preach themſelves, nor ſuffer them that would, I ſuppoſe that both Church, and Common-wealth, may juſtly account them unworthy of any Chriſtian ſociety; and as ſuch unprofitable ſervants refuſe to miniſter themſelves, or to ſuffer others to miniſter ſpirituall things; ſo others ſhould refuſe to miniſter to them carnall things.
But (ſaith he) the ſelling, or withholding of ſpirituall Corne, are both of a ſpirituall nature: and therefore muſt neceſſarily in a true Paralell beare Relation to a ſpirituall Curſe.
Anſw. If they that miniſter ſpirituall good things may duely reape carnall good things, (1 Cor. 9.11.) then they that hinder the miniſtring of ſpirituall good things, may juſtly reape the hinderance of enjoyment of carnall good things. What if ſpirituall, and carnall good things be not paralell? Are there no Arguments but a Pari? Is it not lawfull reaſoning a majori ad minus? If men hinder the enjoyment of ſpirituall good things, may they not be hindred from the enjoyment of that which is leſſe, carnall good things? It would weary a ſober minde to purſue ſuch windy fancies: though I hope the Lord will helpe me not to count it weariſome, either to ſatisfie a tender Conſcience, or to convince a Gainſayer.
TO CHAP. VI.
THough my Letter expreſſeth, That it may be the Court paſſed that ſentence againſt Mr. Williams, not upon that ground, (from Prov. 11.26.) but for ought I know, for his other corrupt Doctrines (ſuitable to his Practiſes) tending to the diſturbance of Civill, and holy Peace: Yet I doe not therefore queſtion (as he ſaith I ſeeme to doe) the ſandineſſe of ſuch a ground (as that place of Seripture) to warrant ſuch proceedings; nor doe I therein confſeſſe that my ſelfe had no diſtinct knowledge of the cauſes of his Baniſhment.
For I did not alledge that place of Scripture, as a ground upon which the Court proceeded to his Baniſhment: and therefore I ſaid in my Letter, it may be they paſſed Sentence not upon that ground. But I alledged it as a reaſon, which provoked the Lord to moove the Court to proceed againſt Mr. Williams, for ſuch other offenſive, and diſturbant Doctrines, and Practiſes againſt the Patent, and againſt the oath of fidelitie, and againſt the Magiſtrates delay of the Petition of Salem, which he himſelfe knoweth, I had diſtinct knowledge of before, which maketh me the more to marvell at his wonder, Where was my waking care in his behalfe; Whereas he knoweth I ſpent a great part of the Summer in ſeeking by word and writing to ſatisfie his ſcruples in the former particulars: untill he rejected both our callings, and our Churches. And even then I ceaſed not to follow him ſtill, with ſuch meanes of conviction, and ſatisfaction in that Point alſo, as God brought to my hand: whereof this very Letter, (which he examineth, and anſwereth) is a pregnant, and evident demonſtration.
What though in this Letter I did not name his other corrupt Doctrines and Practiſes, nor any Scriptures to prove them corrupt? His heart knoweth full well both the Points, and the Scriptures, that were charged upon him all that Summer. And to have rehearſed them againe in this Letter, it had been but actum agere, neither was it the worke in hand. For having done it before, wee looked for ſome ſatisfactory anſwer: but in ſtead thereof wee received onelyonly a rejection of our callings, and Churches: ſo that there was nothing now left, but to endeavour to ſatisfie his Conſcience in the ſandineſſe of thoſe grounds, upon which he rejected communion with us.