The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 22 – Chapter 23
Examination of CHAP. XXII.
Peace.
IN this Chapter was urged the ſcope of the Lord Jeſus, to wit, to foretell the Antichriſtian ſtate oppoſing the true Chriſtian Chriſts Church by … properly conſiſting of good ground.church and worſhip as alſo to comfort and ſtrengthen the hearts of his followers, againſt the grievances ari…ing therefrom; and where it was urged that the church conſiſteth onelyonly of good ground, and that the three ſorts of Bad ground viſibly ſo declared, are properly in the world, and not in the church, Maſter Cotton anſwers,
Firſt, Did not Chriſt preach to all theſe ſorts of hearers in the church of the Jews?
Truth.
That national church of the Iews, in its firſt viſible conſtitution, conſiſted onelyonly of good ground. Now that the otherThe …u…e of Jewiſh Church. three ſorts of hearers were in the church of the Iews, it was an accident and corruption: when they grew incurable, and received not the admonitions of the Lord, by the Lord Ieſus and his ſervants, preaching unto them, the Lord caſt them out of his ſight, deſtroyed that nationall church, and eſtabliſhed the Chriſtian church.
Now what is this to the permitting of known hypocrites in the Chriſtian church to the worlds end? ſince that the proper ſeat of known hypocriſie, and of all other wickedneſs, is the world, which indeed properly conſiſteth of the three ſorts of Bad ground, as the church and Garden of Chriſt, of the honeſt and good ground.
Peace.
But further, If (ſaith Maſter Cotton) the children of the church-members be in the church, then they growing up to yeers, become ſome of them like the high-way, and ſome like the ſtony, and ſome like the thorny ground.
Truth.
Admit the Chriſtian church were conſtituted of the natural ſeed and off-ſpring (which yet Maſter Cotton knows will never be granted to him, and I believe will never be proved by him:) yet he knows, that upon the diſcovery of any ſuch portion of ground in the church, the church is bound to admoniſh, and upon impenitency (after admonition) to caſt them into the world, the proper place of ſuch kind of hearers and profeſſors.
Peace.
Maſter Cotton proceeds to a third anſwer, to wit, Though it be not the proper work of the church to bring up their own children to become the ſincere people of God, And Chriſt hath given his Church and his Goſpel preached to it, to lye like leaven in three pecks of meal, till all be leavened, Mat. 13. 31. And he hath given Paſtors and Teachers, as well for the gathering of the Saints, as for the edification of the Body of Chriſt.
Truth.
I anſwer, the proper work of the Paſtors and Teachers, is to feed the ſheep and flock, and not the Heards, the wild Beaſts in the world. And although it is the duty of parents to bring up their children in the nurture and fear of the Lord; yet what ifThe nature of Chriſts true Apoſtles. thoſe children refuſe to frequent the Aſſemblies of the Church, and what if thoſe three ſorts of bad ground or hearers will not come within the bounds of the Paſtors and Teachers feeding; hath not the Lord Ieſus appointed other Officers (in the ſame Epheſ. 4.) for the gathering of the Saints, that is ſending out of the Church of Chriſt, Apoſtles, or Meſſengers, to preach Chriſt Ieſus to the three ſorts of bad ground, to labour to turn them into good ground?
But alas, to ſalve up all this, the civil ſword is commonly run for, to force all ſorts of ground to come to church, inſtead of the ſending forth (Rom. 10.) the heavenly ſowers, according to the Ordinance of Chriſt Ieſus.
Peace.
But what ſay you to his fourth anſwer, viz. There is no ſuch Reſemblance between the high-way-ground and good ground, as between the Tares and the wheate, nor would the ſervants wonder at Tares in the high-way, nor ask about their plucking up.
Truth.
I anſwer, Let the high-way, ſtony, and thorny ground be conſidered in their ſeveral qualities of prophaneneſs, ſtouineſs and worldlineſs, and all the ſons of men throughout the whole world naturally are ſuch; and tis no wonder, nor would the ſervants of Chriſt be ſo troubled, as to deſire their plucking up out of the world. But yet againe conſider all theſe ſorts of men as profeſſing the name and anointing of Chriſt Ieſus in a falſe and counterfeit Antichriſtian way, and then it may well be wondred, whence ſuch monſtrous kind of Chriſtians or anointed ones Antichriſtians monsters in rereligion.aroſe: And Gods people may eaſily be tempted rather to deſire their rooting out of the world, then the rooting out of any ſuch ſorts of ground or men profeſſing any other Religion, Jewiſh, Mahometan or Pagan, Antichriſtian and falſe Chriſtians being more oppoſite to the kingdome of Chriſt Jeſus, and more dangerous, by how much more a counterfeit and Traytor is worſe then a profeſſed Fox, an Antichriſtian (whether Papist or Proteſtant) worſe then a Jew, a Pagan, Whether Indian, Turke or Perſian.
Examination of CHAP. XXIII.
Peace.
Still of the Tares.
THeſe tares (ſaith Maſter Cotton) are not ſuch ſinners as are oppoſite and contrary, for then none ſhould be oppoſite or contrary but they.
Truth.
I acknowledge (as Maſter Cotton here obſerveth) two ſorts of perſons oppoſite and contrary to Chriſt Jeſus and his Kingdome.
Firſt, All ſorts of ſinners ſcandalous in their lives andTwo ſorts of ſinners. courſes.
2. More eſpecially oppoſite in point of Religion and worſhip, as all idolaters, and eſpecially Antichriſtians.
Now every man by nature, the beſt and wiſeſt, is oppoſite and contrary to Chriſt, his word and kingdome; but an idolater and Antichriſtian is more eſpecially oppoſite to his glorious Name, Truth, and Ordinances.
And therein properly lyes the myſtery of iniquity, brought in by the man of ſin, that lawleſs perſon, 2 Theſſ. 2. moſt oppoſite or contrary to Chriſt Jeſus the Son of God, and Son of Righteouſneſs.
Peace.
But this is a begging of the queſtion (ſaith Maſter Cotton) for the queſtion is about viſible worſhippers, ſuch as were diſcovered and declared to be what they were, as well by their fruit as by their clads, and therefore againe (ſaith Maſter Cotton) theſe tares were the ſeed and children of the Devil; for why ſhould they be called the ſeed of the One, and the children of the Other?
Truth.
I anſwer, the Lord Jeſus diſtinguiſheth, thus, He that ſoweth the good ſeed, is the Son of man; and the good ſeed are the children of the Kingdome: he that ſoweth the tares is the devil, and theſe tares are the children of the evil or evil one; Hence by way of oppoſition, theſe children of evil or evil ones being viſibly ſuch as are oppoſite to the children of the kingdome, they cannot be hypocrites in the church, untill they are diſcovered: Theſe children therefore of the evil one oppoſite to the viſible kingdome, and ſo to viſible Chriſt Jeſus in point of his kingdome, church, and worſhip (though they be the children of the devil in a ſence, yet) can they be no other, but the children of the falſe Chriſt or Antichriſt, in the way of a falſe church and worſhip.
Peace.
Yea but laſtly (ſaith Maſter Cotton) that word foreign tranſlated the children of the wicked one or wickedneſs, will agree to hypocrites.
Truth.
It will indeed, if we reſpect their inſide, which is only viſible to the inviſible King, as Judas in his profeſſion: but itTwo ſorts of hypocrites. cannot agree to ſuch hypocrites as are undiſcovered by their fruits in the church, but unto ſuch hypocrites as are diſcovered in their blades and fruit, and ſo conſequently are not fit to live with other ſinners in the world: I doubt not but Maſter Cotton will ſay, That although a member of a Church prove a theife, adulterer, murtherer, in the eyes of a Brother, that ſees and knows his ſecret wickedneſs, yet that brother is cenſurable as a ſlanderer, if he ſhould report theſe evils, though to the Church, untill according to viſible order he could produce good proof and evidence.