The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 21
Examination of CHAP. XXI.
Peace.
MAſter Cotton here endeavors to prove (as many have done before) that the Field which the Lord Ieſus interprets the world, was meant by him to be the Church, as he is ſaid to love the world, Iohn 3. to be propitiation for the ſins of the world, 1 Ioh. 2.
Truth.
In theſe and many other places of like nature, it pleaſeth the Spirit of God to ſet forth his love to mankinde, diſtinct from all other creatures: As alſo the impartiality of his love, calling his choſen out of all ſorts of ſinners, mankinde all the world over: and yet it cannot be denyed, but that the Scriptures ſpeak frequentlyThe field of the World. of the world and of the church in a far diſtinct and contrary acceptation. So, as when he nameth the church, it cannot ſignifie the world; and when the world, he cannot be ſaid to intend the church, the reaſons therefore on either ſide muſt be expended and weighed in the fear of God, why the Field here called by Chriſt the world, cannot be intended to be the church of Chriſt.
Peace.
Your right distinguiſhing, is a right dividing of the word of Truth; but (ſaith Maſter Cotton) it cannot be the world in proper ſignification; for which he aleadgeth three reaſons.
Firſt. Becauſe there had been (ſaith he) no place for the ſervants wonder at the appearing of the tares verſe 27. for what wonder that the world ſhould be ſo full of fornicators, &c? Was it ever otherwiſe?
Truth.
It is true, that the world lyeth in wickedneſs, and is full of fornicators, idolaters &c. and yet it was ſome thouſands of yeers when the world was not full of Chriſtian, that is, anointed, or holy fornicators, holy idolaters &c. That is indeed and truth Antichriſtian, and that alone is the point in queſtion, about which this anſwer of Maſter Cotton hovers, but comes not neer it. This is indeed a moſt dreadful and wonderful point of the wiſdome, juſtice, and patience of God, ſo to ſuffer ſo many millions ofThe myſtery of Antichristians or falſe Chriſtians. men and women, to arrogate to themſelves the name and profeſſion of the moſt holy living God, and his holy Son Chriſt Ieſus, to be called Chriſtians, anointed or holy, and yet upon the point to hate the holineſs, truth, and ſpirit of Chriſt Ieſus.
Truth.
This is doubtleſs to me (what ere Maſter Cotton imagines) a wonderful myſtery in all Ages ſince theſe tares were firſt ſown, to ſee, I ſay, ſo many millions of holy idolaters, holy murtherers, holy whoremongers, holy theeves &c.
The blaſphemy of this is ſo wonderful and dreadful, that I cannot ſufficiently wonder at him that wonders, not how this comes to paſs.
Truth.
The like I anſwer to his ſecond Reaſon, that it is true that we read not that ever any of the Miniſters or Prophets of Chriſt ever eſſayed to pluck up all ſuch vicious notorious perſons out of the world, as they demanded concerning the tares, for then indeed as the Spirit implies, 1 Cor. 5. the whole ſtate of the world would be overthrown; but yet this hinders not, but there may be a deſire in Gods ſervants to pluck up this or that ſect or ſort of people, Jews, Turks, or Antichriſtians.
Peace.
Dear Truth, you make me call to minde the deſire of Chriſts diſciples, that fire might deſcend from heaven, not to conſume all fornicators, idolaters, all cruel and unclean perſons out of the world, yet that particular, unmerciful, ſuperſtitions Town of the Samaritans, they deſired that fire might come from heaven and conſume them.
Truth.
Indeed this deſire of the diſciples is no ſtrange deſire, for what elſe do All they deſire, which permit not in the civil ſtate, Master Cotton knows not his own deſire.any Religion, worſhip or conſcience but their own? Nay far beyond that, were the whole worlds neck under their imperial yoake (the many millions of millions of blaſphemers, and idolaters of all ſorts) if they will not be convinced at their word, muſt be cut off from all natural and civil being in the world, by Fire and Sword.
Peace.
His third reaſon is, That the diſcuſſer reckoned up as paralel goats and ſheep, wheate and tares (as generally, ſaid he, others do) and he addeth, that in the pureſt church after the ruine of Antichriſt, there ſhall be goats and ſheep, wiſe and fooliſh Virgins, untill the coming of Chriſt to judgement, Mat. 25.
Truth.
Although the diſcuſſer ſpake of that eternal ſeparation between wheat and tares, ſheep and goats approaching; yet he never ſaid, that the tares and goats ſignified hypocrites in the Church, which is the point in queſtion: Nor dare I ſubſcribe to that opinion, that after the deſtruction of Antichriſt, when pureſt times of the church ſhall come, that there ſhall be ſuch a mixt eſtate in the church of Chriſt, untill the coming of Chriſt to judgement.
For firſt, Although goats were clean for food and ſacrifice, yet it is apparant, that as they are for the left hand, So they are viſibly known by every child, where goats and ſheep are kept. And to image that viſible hypocrites, ſuch as tares goats, unprofitable ſervants, fooliſh Virgins &c. ſhall in a mixt way make up Chriſts churoh, and that in the pureſt times of the church, of which there are ſo many and wonderful prophecies, is to me not onelyonly to frame a church eſtate point blank croſs to the purity of thoſe churches, but even to the firſt Apoſtolical churches, yea and againſt that frame of church eſtate in New England, where Maſter Cotton hath profeſſed (though now it is ſaid the door is wider) againſt▪ receiving in ſuch members as are viſibly fooliſh Virgins, goats &c.
Peace.
Maſter Cottons ſecond anſwer is, that if the Field be the world, as the tares Antichriſtians and falſe Christians, yet they were firſt ſown in the field of the church.
Truth.
Not ſo: for although there might be many infirmities and diſtempers, yea ſome great corruptions in the firſt Chriſtian body the church of Chriſt; notwithſtanding that Antichriſt is an Apoſtate, yet it will not follow, that the tares were firſt ſown inThe firſt riſe of Antichriſtians argued. the true church, becauſe Sathan might eaſily raiſe up ſome profeſſors of the name of Chriſt, which the true church would never admit. And as Sathan might raiſe up perſons, congregations, worſhips, which were not according to Chriſt; So might he eaſily raiſe up churches, congregations and ſocieties of ſuch tares with whom the churches of Chriſt might refuſe ſociety. So ſaith John, There are many Antichriſts, whom yet we cannot well imagine that they were in the churches of the Lord Jeſus.
There came falſe Apoſtles to the Church at Epheſus, but yet that church examined and found them lyars. And ſo long as the churches were watchful, thoſe tares kept in the world. But when the churches began to be ſleepy, the Tares might undiſcerned creep into the church
This may be as well, as when Apoſtates fall off from the church, go out from it, becauſe they were never of it: and alſo as well as that the church of Chriſt may drowzily neglect to purge out the old leaven of perſons and things, which may ſoon overſpread and over-run the whole lumpe and garden of the church of Chriſt, untill it be turned againe into one common field of the world together.
Peace.
Maſter Cottons third anſwer is, That Antichriſtians muſt not be tolerated unto the end of the world, becauſe God will put it into the heart of faithful princes to hate the whore; and after that, we read of a viſible ſtate of New Jeruſalem before the end of the world, Rev. 20. 21, 22.
Truth.
It is not ſaid, that thoſe princes that ſhall hate the whore ſhall be faithful princes: and ſince Maſter Cotton ſeems to hold that by way of ordinance (and ſo in obedience) the Kings of the earth ſhall with the ſword deſtroy Antichriſt, I deſire his proof for any ſuch prophecy. For,
1. It is not ſaid, that God will put it into their hearts, to hate the whore. And we finde that they ſhall hate the lambe, as well as hate the whore. For they ſhall make war with the lambe, and the lamb ſhall overcome them, as comes to paſs after the ruine of the who…e, Rev. 19.
2. Judgement may be executed upon the whore by way of mutual judgement each upon others, when in the midſt of their ſpiritual whoredoms, and drunkenneſs with the Saints blood, The judgement of the great whore.they ſhall fall out with the whore (as uſeth to be in whoredome) and turn their whoriſh loves into outragious fury; and the very deſcription of their fury looks this way, for it is not the property of ſober and faithful men (though repenting of their whoredoms) to make a woman naked (though a whore) and to eat her fleſh, as it is ſaid, thoſe ſhall do.
But grant (as we moſt hopefully do) the whores conſumption by the ten hornes of the Beaſt, and the flouriſhing of new Jeruſalem upon the earth (Rev. 20. 21, 22.) before the end of the world (all which are great diſputes among the people of God) yet I judge it neceſſary that two or three queries be ſatisfied for the further clearing of the holy minde of the Lord in this particular.
1. Whether (as ſome have and do argue) the end of the world in this Parable and other Scriptures do expreſly and undeniably ſignifie the end of the world and judgement-day literally, and not ſome other myſtical period of time, ſince the word foreign (uſually tranſlated world) is of various ſignification, and ſometimes ſignifies and Age.
2. Whether thoſe ten Kings which ſhall deſtroy the whore, ſhall be abſolutely Chriſtian, true Saints, followers of Jeſus they and their Armies, or elſe remaining Antichriſtian hornes of the Beaſt, ſhall yet execute the judgement of God upon the great whore: as Jehu remaining both hypocritical and idolatrous, yet daſhe out the braines of that great whore Iezabel, and executed judgement upon Baals Prieſts: yea and even as Henry the eighth tumbled the Pope out of his chaire in England, and thouſands of his Popelings with him, he ſuppreſt and threw the whore Iezabel the church of Rome out of Englands window, and yet continued to burn the Saints of Ieſus upon his ſix Popiſh and bloody Articles.
3. Whether that mighty Army of Gog and Magog, which is muſtered up after the thouſand yeers raigne of Chriſt, be not in part made up of the …en hornes, even after the whore of Romes conſumption (as before in Henry the eighth his caſe) which horns with their peoples Chriſt will have yet to be tolerated as Tares in the field of the world, though not in the Church of Chriſt.
Peace.
What think you of Maſter Cottons grant, that the firſt fruits of Antichriſtians may be tares ſown in the field of the church, which afterwards grow to be Briars and Thornes?
Truth.
I obſerve that to be tares, of Antichriſtian worſhippers, and briars and thornes (oppreſſers and perſecutors) are both of them of a falſe and Antichriſtian nature, which ought to be far from imitation of the Roſe of Sharon, or the Lily of the vallies.
But 2. Are there no tares, that is, hypocrites, but in the church; and muſt all the briars and thornes (oppreſſors and perſecutors, &c.) have no root from the wilde world, but from the garden of Chriſts church?
Peace.
Now whereas it was urged, that it ſtood not with the wiſdome and love of Chriſt, interpreting this parable, and opening what the field was, to call the field the world, when he meant the church: Maſter Cotton anſwers, that Paul by the ſame wiſdome uſeth the ſame word, 2 Cor. 5. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf.
Truth.
Paul in uſing that figure of the world for all ſorts of men in the world, doth not undertake to interpret a Parable, which before he had propoſed unto (and at the requeſt of) the Corinthians, as the Lord Ieſus doth at the requeſt of his diſciples.
And where Maſter Cotton ſaith, that it is no more an improper ſpeech to call the church the world, then to ſpeak of Chriſt as dying for the world, when he dyed for the church.
Truth.
I finde it not to be ſaid, that Chriſt died for the world, but grant that it hath pleaſed the Lord in his moſt infinite wiſdome, to cauſe the tearm of the world to be uſed in various ſignifications; yet let any inſtance be given of any Scripture, wherein the Lord oppoſing the church to the world, the wheat to tares, doth not diſtinguiſh between the church redeemed out of the world, and the world it ſelf, which is ſaid to lye in wickedneſs, and to be ſuch as for which Chriſt Jeſus would not pray, Iohn 17.