The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 · Section 8
SECT. VIII. Of Cottons pretended raſhneſs in the change of his mind in latter and former times.
Mr. Baylie proceedeth, and telleth us, It had been happy for England, that Mr. Cotton had taken longer time for deliberation, before that change of his minde. He might have remembred his too precipitant raſhneſſe in former times, both to receive, and to ſend abroad to the world ſuch Tenents, whereof after he had cauſe to repent.
I ſhould think my ſelf a moſt unhappy man, if England ſhould be the leſſe happy for my ſake. Mr. Baylie doth either undervalue England, or overvalue me; if he think the happineſſe or unhappineſſe of England doth ſtand or fall upon any deliberate or precipitate act of mine.
But what think ye, was that raſh and precipitate act of mine, which hath impeached the happineſſe of England? It was, ſaith he, that change of my minde. What change was that? That which I mention in a Letter to ſome friends in Boſton, That if I were with them again, I durſt not take that liberty which ſomtimes I had done: I durſt not joyn in Book-prayers: I durſt not now partake in the Sacrament with you: to wit, in reſpect of thoſe ſcandalous perſons who communicate with you, and will ſettle upon their Lees with the more ſecurity by your fellowſhip with them.
I doe remember ſuch a Letter I wrote; whether to one or moe in Boſton, I remember not: Some ſay it is printed, but I know not, nor have I ſeen it: But I take the contents as Mr. Baylie reporteth them. And concerning them, I durſt appeal even to Mr. Baylie himſelf, (though a ſtranger to me, and profeſſing oppoſition) yet let him ſpeak in good earneſt, whether if I had taken longer time of deliberation even to this …ay, I ſhould not have found juſt cauſe to have changed my minde, as I then did? Did I change my minde then to any other judgment or practice, then what the Reverend Aſſembly of Divines, and the Honorable Houſes of Parliament have found (by the grace given to them) to be the Truth, and by Publick conſent approved, and by Publick authority eſtabliſhed? And doth he think, that it had been happy for England, if the Parliament and Aſſembly had neither of them changed their mindes, but ſtill retained Book-ſervice, and admitted ſcandalous perſons to the Lords Table? How ſhall a poor Chriſtian doe to ſatisfie his Brethren, that are not ſatisfied with their own judgment and wayes; if he be of the ſame judgment, or ſpeak the ſame thing with them? verily, it is not good in Gods ſight (but even an abomination to him) to keep a weight and a weight, a meaſure and a meaſure: to judge the ſame act in themſelves to be weighty, which in others they judge to be light and raſh. But the comfort is, the righteous God judgeth righteouſly, not according to acceptance of perſons, but according to Truth; and accepteth the work of his own Spirit of Truth and Grace whereſoever he findeth it.
As for my too precipita… raſhneſſe in former times, which he he is pleaſed to remember me of, let him be pleaſed to forbear his cenſure a while, till I may give account thereof to Reverend Doctor Twiſſe. In the mean time let him know, that thoſe Tenents which he ſaith I ſent abroad to the world, whereof I had cauſe after to repent, I neither ſent them abroad to the world, (but wrote them privately for the ſatisfaction of a neighbor Miniſter) nor do I yet know, whether I have cauſe to repent of them or no, it being neer thirty years ago ſince I wrote them, and many years ago ſince I read them.
But in the mean time, let Mr. Baylie be pleaſed to underſtand, that I came hither in September in the year 1633. and that letter of mine which I ſent to Boſton, was dated (as himſelf quoteth) in October, 1635. And ſurely to write my Opinion of ſuch a caſe, which I had conſidered of for the ſpace of two whole years, doth not ſeem to be a raſh and precipitate act: Nor can it be ſaid with truth, That I did incontinent perſwade to the New-Engliſh way, as ſoon as I had taſted of the New-Engliſh aire. Two whole years and more, giveth a man more then a taſte of New-Engliſh air; nor is that an act done incontinently, which is done upon two years deliberation.