The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 4
SECT. 4. Of Cottons pretended former diſlike of the New-Engliſh way, and after cloſing with it.
In purſuing this pedegree and deſcent of New-Engliſh Diſcipline, the Diſſwader is pleaſed to preſent mee to the world, to be the firſt who appeared in diſpleaſure againſt it, though afterwards to have fallen into a liking of it.
But how doth he make it appear, that I did appear in diſpleaſure againſt it? His proof is from a private Letter of mine to Mr. Skelton, where I call it an error, (whether in Mr. Skelton, or ſome of his people) to conceive, that our Congregations in England are none of them particular Reformed Churches. Surely, if that be all the proof, I willingly acknowledge, I did appear againſt that Error. But neither was I the firſt that did appear againſt it, (but divers godly Engliſh Miniſters before me:) neither have I fallen to the liking of the contrary opinion ſince.
But the Diſſwader is much deceived, if he take that Error to be the judgment of the Churches of New-England, howſoever ſome particular perſons may lean that way.
Nor will it yeeld any better proof, that which he alledgeth out of my Preface to Mr. Hilderſons Sermon upon John. For that which I there wrote, concerneth the way of the Rigid Separation, which renounceth the Churches of England as Antichriſtian, and the godly members thereof, as no viſible Saints. Neither is my judgment altered at all in this Point to this day: which alſo I have lately maintained in my Reply unto Mr. Williams his Anſwer of my Letter, and in a Treatiſe concerning the Baptiſm of Children. And what I have written in this Point is ſuitable to the judgme… of the Body of the Churches and Elders in New-England, and not at all repugnant to the way wherein we walk.
But I marvail, what ſhould move the Diſſwader to report of me, That though in England I fell off from the practiſe of ſome Ceremonies, and but of ſome of them, and was diſtaſted with Epiſcopall Government: yet ſo long as I abode in England, I minded no more then the Old Non-conformity: For in this one ſentence he giveth a double miſreport of me.
Firſt, that in England I fell off but from ſome of the Ceremonies. For (by the grace of Chriſt) I forbore all the Ceremonies alike at once, many years before I left England. The firſt grounds which prevailed with me to forbear one Ceremony, would not allow me to practiſe any. The grounds I well remember were two: 1 The ſignificancy and efficacy put upon them in the Preface to the Book of Common-prayer: That they were neither dumb nor dark, but apt to ſtir up the dull minde of man to the remembrance of his duty to God, by ſome notable table and ſpeciall ſignification, whereby he may bee edified, or words to the like purpoſe.
The ſecond was the limitation of Church-power, (even of the higheſt Apoſtolicall Commiſſion) to the obſervation of the Commandements of Chriſt, Matth. 28.20. which made it appear to me utterly unlawfull, for any Church-power to enjoyn the obſervation of indifferent Ceremonies which Chriſt had not commanded. And all the Ceremonies were alike deſtitute of the commandement of Chriſt, though they had been indifferent otherwiſe, which indeed others have juſtly pleaded they were not.
What favor I was offered not onelyonly for connivence, but for preferment, if I would have conformed to any one of the Ceremonies, I forbear to mention. Yea, when I was ſuſpended upon ſpeciall complaint made againſt me to the King that then was, and all hope of reſtitution denyed to me, without yeelding to ſome conformity, at leaſt in one Ceremony at leaſt once; yet the good hand of the Lord ſo kept me, that I durſt not buy my Miniſtery ſo dear: And yet (I thank the Lord) my Miniſtery was dearer to me (to ſpeak the leaſt) then any preferment.
When the Biſhop of Lincoln-Dioceſſe (Dr. Mountaigne) offered me liberty upon once kneeling at Sacrament with him the next Lords-day after: or elſe to give ſome reaſon, why (in conſcience I could not) unto Dr. Davenant (then Biſhop-elect of Salisbury, who was at that time preſent with him at Weſtminſter) I durſt not accept his offer of liberty upon once kneeling; but I gave them this reaſon for my excuſe and defence,
Cultus non inſtitutus, non eſt acceptus:
Genuflexio in perceptione Euchariſtiae est cultus non inſtitutus;
Ergo, non eſt acceptus.
The ſecond miſreport which the Diſſwader maketh of me in his former ſentence, is, That howſoever when I was in England, I was then diſtaſted with Epiſcopall Government; yet ſo long as I abode in England, I minded no more then the Old Non-conformity.
I paſſe by his unſavory metaphor of my diſtaſte of Epiſcopall Government. Conſcientious judgment in matters of Religion is not led by taſte or diſtaſte: will he ſay, that both the Parliaments of England and Scotland have aboliſhed Epiſcopall Government upon a diſtaſte?
But when he ſaith, I minded no more then the Old Non-Conformity whilſt I abode in England, he muſt be more privie to my mind then any mortall man is, and then my ſelf too, to make it good. There were ſome ſcores of godly perſons in Boſton in Lincoln-ſhire, (whereof ſome are there ſtill, and ſome here, and ſome are fallen aſleep) who can witneſſe, that we entred into a Covenant with the Lord, and one with another, to follow after the Lord in the purity of his Worſhip; which though it was defective, yet it was more then the Old Non-conformity. Beſides, I had then learned of Mr. Parker, and Mr. Baynes, (and ſoon after of Dr. Ames) that the Miniſters of Chriſt, and the Keyes of the Government of his Church are given to each particular Congregationall Church reſpectively: And therefore neither Miniſters nor Congregations ſubject to the Eccleſiaſticall juriſdiction of Cathedrall Churches, no, nor of Claſſicall Aſſemblies neither, but by voluntary conſociation, and that in ſome caſes; and thoſe falling ſhort of that which is properly called ſubjection to their Juriſdiction. Which made mee then to mind not onelyonly a neglect of the cenſures of Commiſſary Courts, (which bred not a little offence to them, and diſturbance to my ſelf) but alſo to breath after greater lib…rty and purity not onelyonly of Gods Worſhip, but of Church eſtate. But ſuppoſe that I had then minded no more then the Old way of Non-conformity: yet the experience of the Godly will eaſily acknowledge, that the way of the Lord is light and ſtrength to the upright, and giveth more and more underſtanding and enlargement to them that walk in it.
Nay, the Diſſwaders own words might convince him, that I minded more then the Old Non-conformity, whilſt I abode in England. For if Mr. Cotton, and thoſe Brethren who went along with me, came over to New-England, to joyn our ſelves with thoſe American Churches, (as he ſaith) it argueth plainly we did not upon our coming hither, goe contrary to our former judgment, and fall into a liking of this way. For then we would never have taken ſo long and hazardous a voyage to joyn to Churches, whoſe way was contrary to our judgments all the while of our abode in England. Rationall charity would conceive, that Chriſtian men, who choſe rather to forfeit our Miniſtery, and maintenance, and all our dear relations in our native Countrey, then to ſubmit to a courſe contrary to our judgments, would never tranſport our ſelves to America, to run a contrary courſe to our judgments in a land of liberty. But thus in heat of purſuit of an adverſary (whether cauſe or perſon) men wil not ſtick to ſuffer their tongues and pens to run over, though for haſte one word interfere with another.