The Bloody Tenant Washed and Made White in the Blood of the Lamb, Part 2 · Chapter 8
TO CHAP. VIII.
IN his 8th Chapter Mr. Williams rehearſeth, and examineth thoſe words of my Letter, wherein to helpe him to a ſerious ſight of his ſinne, I ſaid that it pleaſed the Lord Jeſus to fight againſt his corrupt wayes with the ſword of his mouth, in the mouths and teſtimonies of the Churches, and Brethren. Againſt whom, when Mr. Williams over-heated himſelfe in reaſoning, and diſputing againſt the light of his Truth, it pleaſed the Lord to ſtop his mouth, by a ſodaine diſeaſe, and to threaten to take his breath from him. But he in ſtead of recoyling (as even Balaam offered to doe in the like caſe) choſe rather to perſiſt in his way, and to proteſt againſt all the Churches, and Brethren that ſtood in his way, &c.
In theſe lines, the Examiner telleth us, an humble, and diſcerning Spirit may eſpie, firſt, a glorious juſtification, and boaſting of my ſelfe, and others concurring with me: ſecondly, an unrighteous, and uncharitable Cenſure of the afflicted.
Reply. Whether is it a more glorious boaſting, to challenge to a mans ſelfe, an humble, and diſcerning Spirit, (as the Examiner doth here, and elſewhere in this Treatiſe) or to aſcribe the glory to Chriſt in fighting with the ſword of his mouth, in the teſtimonies and labours of the Churches, and Brethren againſt his corrupt wayes?
Surely when our glorying is not in our ſelves, but in the Lord Jeſus, we are allowed ſo to doe by the Holy Ghoſt, Iſa. 45.25. In the Lord ſhall all the ſeed of Iſrael be juſtified, and ſhall glory.
Object. But is it not a glorious boaſting of our ſelves, when as wee make the ſword in our mouths, and teſtimonies, to be the ſword of the mouth of Chriſt; when as the holy Scripture putteth the ſword of Chriſt in the mouths of ſuch witneſſes, as himſelfe, and ſome others, who in meekneſſe, and patience, teſtifie the truth of Jeſus againſt Antichriſt, and againſt all falſe Callings of Miniſters? And whether is Mr. Cotton, ſwimming with the ſtreame of outward credit, and profit, and ſmiting with the fiſt, and ſword of Perſecution: or himſelfe, and ſuch other the witneſſes of Chriſt, moſt like unto Balaam?
Reply. 1. The quickneſſe of the Examiners wit over-runneth his judgement; for I did not compare him to Balaam as like, much leſſe as moſt like; but as unlike. For that which Balaam would have done, I ſaid, he would not doe.
2. Let the light of the holy word of God diſcover, and judge, whether the ſword of the mouth of the Lord Jeſus be found in his mouth, and his fellowes, or in the mouths of the Churches, and Brethren here: and let the tryall be upon this very Point, whether witneſſeth for Chriſt, or for Antichriſt?
1. We witneſſe that Chriſt was never ſo farre overthrowne, and overcome by Antichriſt, but that ſtill the Lord Jeſus hath preſerved a Congregationall Church, one or more, eſpecially ſince the Reformation of Religion, by the Miniſtery of Luther, and Calvin, and other Miniſters of Chriſt in the dayes of our Fathers.
The Examiner witneſſeth, that ſince the Apoſtaſie of Antichriſt, Antichriſt hath ſo farre prevailed againſt Chriſt, and his Kingdome, that he hath no Church, nor Church-Officers left upon the face of the earth to this day.
2. Wee witneſſe the godly perſons, viſible Saints, confeſſing their knowne ſinnes, and profeſſing their faith, are fit materialls for Church-fellowſhip.
The Examiner witneſſeth, that the Churches (which conſiſt of ſuch viſible Saints) are nullities, unleſſe they diſcerne every ſpot, and pollution of Antichriſt, and forſake it: (for Inſtance) unleſſe they ſee the Antichriſtian pollution of the Miniſtery in England, and doe refuſe to heare the word from it.
3. We witneſſe, that Perſons qualified with a convenient meaſure of ſpirituall gifts, fit to lead Gods people; and choſen, and elected by a Congregation of viſible Saints, and ordained, and ſet apart unto the worke of the Miniſtery, have received a lawfull calling from Chriſt to that office.
The Examiner witneſſeth againſt this as a falſe Calling, upon what pretence himſelfe better knowes then I.
4. We witneſſe, that it is lawfull for the King of England, to give a Patent to a certain number of his Subjects, to tranſplant themſelves out of England into America, and to poſſeſſe ſuch Lands as the Providence of God layeth open before them, between ſuch, and ſuch Degrees of the Horizon. Provided that his Subjects adventure not upon ſuch acts as the Patent never intended, as to murther the Natives, or to diſpoſſeſſe them by violence or fraud of their lawfull Poſſeſſions: but either to plant themſelves in a vacuum Domicilium, or if they ſit downe upon the Poſſeſſion of the Natives, to receive the ſame from them by a reaſonable Purchaſe, or free Aſſignement.
The Examiner witneſſeth againſt all ſuch Patents, and Preacheth it to be unlawfull for Magiſtrates to execute Juſtice upon the Engliſh by them, and that it is neceſſary to repent of receiving ſuch Patents, and to returne them back againe into the hands of thoſe Princes, or of their Succeſſors, from whom they received them.
5. We witneſſe, that it is lawfull for Magiſtrates (eſpecially in time of danger) to offer to the Subjects under them an Oath of Fidelity, whether they be regenerate, or unregenerate.
Mr. Williams witneſſeth it to be utterly unlawfull ſo to doe: an Oath for confirmation of Office being peculiar to Chriſt: and an Oath being a worſhip of God not meete for unregenerate Perſons to take into their mouths.
6. Wee witneſſe, that if a Church refuſe to hearken to the voyce of Magiſtrates in delaying the Election, or ordination of ſuch an one to Office, whom they finde to be troubleſome to the State, then it may be lawfull for Magiſtrates to delay the granting of the Petition of ſuch a Church for Lands that lie convenient for them.
Mr. Williams witneſſeth, that in ſuch a caſe the Church, whoſe Petition is ſo delayed, may write Letters of Admonition to all the Churches, whereof ſuch Magiſtrates are members, to require them to grant without delay ſuch Petitions, or elſe to Proceed againſt them in a Church-way.
Now let the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt, and all the Saints on earth judge, in whether ſort of theſe witneſſes, the word, and Spirit of Chriſt, or Antichriſt breatheth. As for the deciphering which the Examiner maketh of Mr Cotton, as ſwimming with the ſtreame of outward credit, and profit, and ſmiting with the fiſt, and ſword of Perſecution of ſuch as doe not joyne in worſhip with him. I cannot ſay that I have ſworn, but I thanke God I have waded through credit, and diſcredit, through evill report, and good report, as a deceiver, and yet true. And for profit, I have neither abounded in ſuperfluities, nor (through mercy) have been long deſtitute of neceſſaries: but whether this be a badge of Antichriſt, and not compatible to the witneſſes of Chriſt, I have not yet learned.
And for ſmiting with the fiſt, and ſword of Perſecution, if Perſecution be affliction for Righteouſneſſe ſake, I would willingly learne of the Examiner, whom of all the Righteous I have ſmitten with the fiſt, or wounded with the ſword? I ſpeake according to his own meaning, meaning (as I ſuppoſe himſelfe doth) neither bodily fiſt, nor materiall ſword; but let him then Inſtance in ſome one, or other, that hath felt the heavineſſe of my fiſt, or the keenneſſe of my ſword, or elſe let him remember what the Spirit of God hath ſaid (Pſal. 31.18.) concerning ſuch, as ſpeake bitter things proudly, and contemptuouſly, (and I alſo adde) injuriouſly, and falſely againſt thoſe whom himſelfe in the next line ſtyleth holy, and beloved.
To the ſecond, the Cenſure which he calleth unrighteous, and uncharitable; He confeſſeth, it pleaſed God to bring him neere unto death: But his Anſwer he returneth in two things. 1. By deriving the cauſe of his ſickneſſe, not from his exceſſive heate in diſputing againſt the teſtimonies, and writings of the Churches, and Elders, but from his exceſſive Labours on the Lords dayes, and thrice a weeke at Salem, by labours day and night in the field with his own hands, by travels day and night alſo to goe, and returne from the Court.
Reply. The Court being held within twelve or fourteene miles diſtance from Salem, travell to, and fro, was no likely cauſe of ſuch diſtemper. And whatſoever his Labours were in Towne or Field, on the Lords Dayes, or weeke dayes, (I detract not from them;) but this is all I would ſay, That that ſodaine diſtemper fell not upon him, neither in the field at his labour, nor on the weeke dayes, or Lords dayes in his Preaching: but in his vehement publick arguing againſt the writings, and teſtimonies of the Churches, and Brethren ſent to him, and to the Church of Salem, againſt his corrupt wayes. Wherein though I know, All things fall alike to all: yet if Moſes himſelfe (as well as Balaam) meet with a check in his journey from the hand of God, I beleeve it is a juſt call to conſider; Is there not a lye in my right hand? Or is there not an Idol in my heart? or doe I goe about the worke of God, in a way of God? Howſoever, it was farre from me to upbraide your ſickneſſe, (as your marginall note taxeth;) but rather to call you to conſider of your unprofitable, and perverſe uſe of it.
The ſecond part of his Anſwer is a Recrimination of the Officer of Juſtice, by whom in this time he was unmercifully driven from his Chamber to a winters flight.
Reply. When he ſaith, in this time; if he meane (as the words foregoing expreſſe) the time wherein he was neere unto death, it is a manifeſt untruth. James BonneFor the Officer of Juſtice (who then was) is a man fearing God, and of a tender Conſcience, and who dare not allow that liberty to his tongue, which the Examiner often uſeth in this Diſcourſe: He teſtifieth, he then ſpake with Mr. Williams, and that he diſcerned no ſigne of ſickneſſe upon him, much leſſe of neerneſſe unto death▪ He teſtifieth further, that upon the mourning complaint of ſome of Mr. Williams his neighbours, who did adhere to him, he left onelyonly the Warrant with him, but left him in his houſe to take the time for his departure limited in his warrant, which was not that night, though he doe not well remember how many dayes were ſet him. But this I have been given to underſtand, that the increaſe of concourſe of people to him on the Lords dayes in private, to the neglect or deſerting of publick Ordinances, and to the ſpreading of the Leaven of his corrupt imaginations, provoked the Magiſtrates rather then to breed a winters ſpirituall plague in the Countrey, to put upon him a winters journey out of the Countrey. Gangraenam amoveas, no pars ſincera trahatur.