The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 20
Examination of CHAP. XX.
Peace.
IN this paſſage (to my underſtanding) Maſter Cotton after much ſeeming conteſtation and diſagreement, yet in concluſion he ſhakes hands and agrees with the diſcuſſer in the maine point in queſtion.
Truth.
Your obſervation reacheth home; for let it be granted, that the Greek word foreign ſhould not ſignifie All weeds ſprung up with the wheat, but one kind of weed, and that in ſpecial which Maſter Cotton ſaith Dioſcorides deſcribeth: Let it be granted to be the ſame with Lolium, and that there is a great ſimilitude between the Tares and the Wheat, while they are in theOf the Tares. blade (ſome of which particulars are controverſial:) yet it no way oppoſeth that which the diſcuſſer maintaineth, to wit, the eaſineſs of diſcerning theſe tares to be tares, when they are grown up to blade and fruit. And therefore Maſter Cotton at the laſt, confeſſeth that even theſe tares (unknown hypocrites) (according to his own expoſition) ought to be ſuffered in the church of Chriſt to the harveſt or end of the world.
Peace.
I cannot but wonder how Maſter Cotton ſhould once imagine, that it might poſſibly ſtand with the order, piety, and ſafety of the profeſſion of Chriſt Jeſus, that ſuch a generation of known hypocrites ſhould be perpetually ſuffered.
Truth.
Doubtleſs the Lord Jeſus was not of Maſter Cottons minde, who ſo vehemently warned his followers to take heed of the leaven of hypocriſie. Beſide, if known hypocrites may be ſuffered and not caſt out, Why may not known hypocrites be taken in? And what is then become of the true matter of the church, to wit, true living ſtones of a ſpiritual life and nature, ſo far as outwardly can be diſcerned?
Peace.
This aſſertion hath ſo foule a repreſentation, that Maſter Cotton is forced to draw this vaile over, and therefore he adds, untill the fruits of hypocrites grow notoriouſly ſcandalous.
Truth.
I cannot fathom how theſe two agree: Firſt, known hypocrites may be tolerated untill the worlds end; 2. Tolerated no longer, then untill the fruits of the hypocriſie grow notoriouſly ſcandalous: For will not all reaſon and experience ask this queſtion: How comes it that this friend, ſubject, and Spouſe of Chriſt is now a known diſſembler, traitor, whore, unleſs by ſome ſcandalous fruits ſo declaring and uncaſing of them? If the ſhameful fruits of the unclean perſon, 1 Cor. 5. were ſufficient to denominate him a wicked perſon, why were they not ſufficient to warrant Paul to ſay, Put away therefore that wicked perſon from amongſt you?
Peace.
But let us mind the Scripture quoted: If (ſaith Maſter Cotton) fooliſh Virgins be caſt out of the church, the wiſe Virgins may be found ſometimes ſleeping as well as they.
Truth.
Neither good wheate, nor wiſe Virgins are to be caſt out of the church of Chriſt, while they appear to be ſo: yet ſinceOf the wiſe and fooliſh Virgius. Maſter Cotton elſewhere grants, that a child of God (good wheat, and a wiſe Virgin) may ſo ſtand out againſt the church of Chriſt (in ſome paſſion) that he may be caſt out. &c. How much more then ought the tares and fooliſh Virgins (while ſo appearing) be excluded?
2. If the wiſe Virgins be received into heaven, as the fooliſh ſhut out, will it not evidently follow (even the contrary to that for which Maſter Cotton alleadgeth this Scripture) to wit. That when hypocrites are diſcovered, they are to be kept out, and conſequently to be caſt out of the church of Chriſt? except Maſter Cotton will ſay, that the kingdome of Chriſt on earth, may receive and keep in her boſome ſuch ſtinking weedes, declared ſo to be, which the kingdome of Chriſt in heaven abhors.
Who queſtions, but while the hypocriſie of theſe fooliſh Virgins lay hid in their empty veſſels, that outwardly they appeared as wiſe as the wiſe Virgins? But when the fruits of their hypocriſie diſcovered them to be fools, how can Maſter Cotton (according to the truth as it is in Jeſus) affirme, that fooliſh Virgins (known hypocrites) are to be kept in and not caſt out of the church of Chriſt unto the end of the world?
Peace.
O how contrary is this to the very fundamentals, eſſence, nature and being of a church or Spouſe of Chriſt Jeſus, which is (by the confeſſion of Papiſts and Proteſtants) a ſociety of wiſe Virgins, viſibly Saints holy and faithful perſons, a ſociety of ſuch perſons as outwardly profeſs to love Chriſt Jeſus uprightly (Cant. 1.) and to be eſpouſed to him, 1 Cor. 11.
Truth.
Yea, and how contrary is this to the nature of Chriſt Ieſus, whoſe heart is all one fire towards the daughters of Ieruſalem (Cant. 4.) and how contrary to the charge, that great andNo true church of Chriſt conſiſting of viſible hypocrites. ſolemn charge of the Lord Ieſus to all his followers, to take heed of that leaven which is hypocriſie, which if ſuffered, will leaven the whole lumpe, and render the garden and ſpouſe of Chriſt a filthy dunghill and whore-houſe of rotten and ſtinking whores and hypocrites.