The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 14 – Chapter 15
Examination of CHAP. XIV.
Peace.
IT is a falſhood (ſaith Maſter Cotton) that I call the ſlight liſtnings of Gods people to the checks of their conſciences, their ſinning againſt their conſcience: for I ſpeak not (ſaith he) of the ſinning of Gods people againſt conſcience, but of an heretick ſubverted, much leſs do I call their ſlight liſtening to conſcience an heretical ſinning againſt conſcience, leaſt of all do I ſay, that for ſlight liſtening to the checks of conſcience, he may lawfully be perſecuted as for ſinning againſt his conſcience. And he adds this gall to the former vinegar, Thus men that have time and leaſure at will, ſet up images of clouts▪ and then ſhoot at them.
Truth.
Maſter Cotton, elſewhere, granteth that Gods children may (through paſſion, &c.) be carried on to deſpiſe admonition, and may be excommunicated, and if ſo, how can they refuſing of Chriſts admonition in the church, be excuſed from ſinning againſt the ſelf-condemning of themſelves? For if a child of God may poſſibly be excommunicated for obſtinacy in ſome paſſion, temptations &c. then may he be this heretick or wilfull man in this Tit. 3.
Tis true, that in an houre of great temptations, Gods people may ſin againſt clear light of conviction, and ſentence of conſcience, as David and Peter, &c. But (as I conceive) the holy Spirit of God in this 3 of Titns intends not ſuch a clearneſs of ſelf-condemning, but either that the admonitions of the Lord are ſo evident and clear, that either if he in his own conſcience before God improved them ſeriouſly and duely, they would clear up the truth of God unto him: or elſe the checks of conſcience are ſuch as are recorded to have been (Cant. 5.) in the members of Chriſt, in the Church of the Jews; and Maſter Cotton cannot render a ſufficient reaſon, why they may not alſo be found in the members of the churches of the Chriſtians.
Peace.
I perceive indeed (dear truth) the wonderful effects of a ſtrange tongue, in the church of Chriſt: The noiſe and ſound of a Greek word heretick, in poor Engliſh …ares, hath begot a concluſion that a perſon refuſing once or twice admonition for ſomeA child of God may poſſibly be an Heretick. point of Doctrine, is ſuch an heretick or monſter, that he cannot poſſibly be a child of God; whereas Maſter Cotton granting that a child of God may poſſibly refuſe once and twice admonition, and ſo come to be excommunicated; What doth he then in plaine Engliſh, but ſay, that a child of God may be obſtinate to excommunication or rejection (that is in Greek) be an heretick? And what is this but contrary to his former Aſſertion, that a childe of God cannot be heretically obſtinate to rejection, &c.
Truth.
Queſtionleſs no child of God, but in temptation, may ſin heretically, that is, obſtinately upon once or twice admonition, againſt the checks and whiſperings of his own conſcience, and againſt that evidence of light, which (afterward) he wondreth how he could deſpiſe▪ and this rejecting or caſting forth of the viſible ſociety of Chriſt Jeſus and his ſervants, is not for deſtruction but humiliation and ſalvation, in the day of the Lord Jeſus.
Peace.
I judge, that no ſon of peace, in a ſober and peaceable minde, can judge, as Maſter Cotton here doth, this to be an image of clouts.
Truth.
Nor can I learn, that the diſcuſſer ſo abounded in time and leaſure, as to make ſuch images (as Maſter Cotton inſinuates.) It is not unknown to many witneſſes in Plymmouth, Salem, and Providence, that the diſcuſſers time hath not been ſpent (though as much as any others whoſoever) altogether in ſpiritual labours, and publike exerciſe of the word, but day and night▪ at home and abroad, on the land and water, at the How, at the Oare, for bread; yea and I can tell, that when theſe diſcuſſions were prepared for publike in London, his time was eaten up in attendance upon the ſervice of the Parliament and City, for the ſupply of the poor of the City with wood (during the ſtop of coale from Newcaſtle, and the mutinies of the poor for firing.) Tis true, he might have run the rode of preferment, as well in Old as New England, and have had the leaſure and time of ſuch who eat and drink with the drunken, For which ſervice through the hurry of the times, and the neceſſity of his departure, he loſt his recompence to this day. The ſtraights of the diſcuſſers time in compoſing of the Bloody Tenent.and ſmite with the fiſt of wickedneſs their fellow ſervants; But God is a moſt holy witneſs, that theſe meditations were fitted for publike view in change of roomes and corners, yea ſometimes (upon occaſion of travel in the country, concering that buſineſs of fuell) in variety of ſtrange houſes, ſometimes in the fields, in the midſt of travel; where he hath been forced to gather and ſcatter his looſe thoughts and papers.
Peace.
Well (notwithſtanding Maſter Cottons bitter cenſure) ſome perſons of no contemptible note nor intelligence, have by letters from England, informed the diſcuſſer, that theſe Images of clouts it hath pleaſed God to make uſe of to ſtop no ſmall leakes of perſecution, that lately began to flow in upon diſſenting conſciences, and (amongſt others) to Maſter Cottons own, and to the peace and quietneſs of the Independants, which they have ſo long, and ſo wonderfully enjoyed.
Truth.
I will end this Chapter, with that famous diſtinction of the Lord Jeſus; *I prejudice not the free and comfortable ſupplies of temporals, which the Saints ought to make ſo their Teachers in ſpirituals▪ only I affirme, that ſuch as will not teach will out money, they muſt and do beg or ſteal.Digging, Begging, Stealing, are the three wayes by the which all that pretend to be Chriſts Stewards are maintained. They that cannot digg can begg the glittering preferments of this preſent evil world, and the wages of Balaam. They that cannot dig, can ſteal, in the wayes of fraud oppreſſion, Chriſt Jeſus his distinction of Diggers, Beggers, Stealers.extortion, &c. But by the mercy of the moſt high, the diſcuſſer hath been inabled to get his bread by as hard digging, as moſt diggers in New or old England have been put to: and let all men judge, whether ſuch as can beg or ſteal and cannot dig; or ſuch as chuſe neither to beg nor ſteal, but dig, have moſt time and leaſure to make ſuch images of clouts, &c.
Examination of CHAP. XV.
Peace.
IN this paſſage (Dear Truth) we hear a ſound of Agreement; Maſter Cotton conſenteth, that this third of Titus evinceth no civil rejection, but excommunication out of the Church of Chriſt; and he ſaith, That no ſillable of his concluſion lookes at more.
And whereas it might be objected, That excommunication cannot fitly be called perſecution: he anſwers yes, and quotes Luk. 21. 12. John 16. 2.
Truth.
Were it not for the fierce hands of angry Eſaus, this ſhril ſweet voice might paſs for Jacobs. What ever Maſter Cottons ends and intentions were (of which I cannot but judge chatitably) the eye of God alone diſcerneth, but for Maſter Cottons words, ſillables and arguings, let all impartial readers and conſciences judge of theſe four conſiderations.
Firſt, Whether the word perſecution, do not in all proper and ordinary ſpeech ſignifie penal and corporal puniſhment and affliction.
2. Whether the point in queſtion agitated between the priſoner and Maſter Cotton throughout the book, concern not only penal Perſecution, not properly, no… uſually taken for any ſpiritual puniſhment.and corporal afliction: and whether it can be imagined, that the priſoner, or the diſcuſſer, or any that plead for the purity of Chriſts ordinances, could ever plead againſt excommunicating an heretick or wilful offendor out of the Church of Christ: And although the Scriptures by Maſter Cotton quoted, do mention excommunication, as an unjuſt oppreſſion; yet they ſpeak alſo o… corporal afflictions, impriſonments, bringing before judgementſeats, and killing alſo.
3. It could be told in what countrey, at a publike ſentence of baniſhment of a certaine perſon, a text of Scripture, Rom. 16. 17. (parrallel with this of Tit. 3.) was alleadged by the chief judge in court for a ground (not of ſpiritual excommunication, but) of civil, out of the Commonweal.
4. Were it not more for the name of God, for the honour of his truth, and the comfort of Maſter Cotton, plainely and ingenuouſly to acknowledge his miſapplying of this holy Scripture of Tit. 3. then to cover it by ſo thin and poor a plea, viz. that he intends by perſecution, excommunication out of the Church of Chriſt?