The Bloody Tenant Yet more Bloody, Chapter 5
Examination of CHAP. V.
Peace.
THe diſcourſe of this chapter is larger and more controverſial, and therefore (dear Truth) requires your moſt ſerious and deeper examination of it. Maſter Cotton here diſtinguiſheth worſhip into true and falſe, and infers, that if true worſhip, fellowſhip with God is held; but if falſe, fellowſhip with God is loſt. And whereas he was thereupon minded by the diſcuſſer to have lived in a falſe Miniſtery in England, and to have practiſed the falſe worſhip of the Common Prayer, he labours to clear both, and in particular he ſaith, It is not truly ſaid, that the Spirit of God maketh the Miniſtery one of the foundations of the Chriſtian religion, (Heb. 6.) For it is (ſaith he) only a foundation of Chriſtian order, not of faith or religion: and he adds, The Apoſtle puts an expreſs difference between faith and order, Col. 2. 5. What can be ſaid thereunto?
Truth.
1. Alas, what buildings can weak ſouls expect from ſuch Maſter-builders, when Maſter Cotton is ſo confounded about the very foundations? In the former Chapter, he diſtinguiſheth between foundations that concern ſalvation, and thoſe that concern the the Church and Chriſtian religion: here he diſtinguiſheth between thoſe of Chriſtian order, and thoſe of Faith, or Chriſtian religion. In the former, he oppoſeth faith againſt religion and order; here he oppoſeth faith and religion to order. Grant his memory (in ſo ſhort a turn) failed him, yet doubtleſs his miſtakes about the foundation of Chriſtian religion, are moſt groſs and inexcuſable.
Truth.
2. I finde no ſuch diſtinction in the Teſtament of Chriſt Jeſus, between the Chriſtian order, and the Chriſtian religion; as if the order of the Church of God (I might ſay, the Church it ſelf, and the Miniſtery of it) were no part of the Chriſtian religion.
It is true, Coloſſ. 2. ſpeaks of faith and order, but yet denies not the Chriſtian Church, and the order of it, to be any part of the Chriſtian religion. It is true, that ſometimes faith implies the particular grace of believing, and yet ſometimes it is put for the whole Chriſtian religion (as Jude 1. contend for the faith once delivered) ſo that if Maſter Cotton confeſſeth the Miniſtery of the Word (Heb. 6.) to be a foundation of Chriſtian or Church-order, he cannot deny it to be a foundation of the Chriſtian religion or worſhip reduced to thoſe two, of Faith and Order.
Peace.
What anſwer you to his ſaying, It is not a true and a ſafe ſpeech, to call the fellowſhip and bleſſing of God vouchſafed to corrupt Churches or Miniſters, or miniſtrations unpromiſed, or beyond a word of promiſe, of God? Againſt which he alleadgeth (Ier. 13.) That God will be merciful to his peoples iniquities, and 2 Chron. 30. Gods mercy to every one that prepareth his heart, &c. although he be not cleanſed after the preparation, &c.
Truth.
The promiſes hold forth no bleſſing or fellowſhip of God to falſe worſhips; againſt which all the holy Scripture denounceth curſings, both in the old and new Teſtament; nor in particular doth that of Ieremy promiſe any pardon of ſin, but to the repentant, though moſt true alſo is that diſtinction of particular repentance for known ſins, and general for ſins unknown. Such was the ſin (it may be) of the Iſraelites, 2 Chron. 30. in their want of ſuch their legal cleanſing.
But I add, how can that one act of covering or conniving at ceremoniall uncleanneſs (about a true worſhip) be brought to prove a promiſe of Gods bleſſing and fellowſhip, to a conſtant courſe of a falſe and invented way of prayer by the Latine or Engliſh Maſſe-book, as ſome have rightly called it?
Peace.
Concerning Ordination, Maſter Cotton ſaith, that it is no eſſential part of a call to the Miniſtery; no more then Coronation is eſſential to the Office of a King▪ And Jehoſhua the high prieſt did not loſe fellowſhip with God, though he was clothed with filthy garments, Zech. 3.
Truth.
I anſwer, Ordination or laying on of hands, comprizeth the whole Miniſtery, Heb. 6. wherein if Election or Ordination be falſe, I ſee not how the Miniſtery is true, any more then a marriage can be true, where either conſent o… ſolemnity by a true power is wanting: or a King rightly inſtituted in his Kingly office, when either election or coronation is given or made by a falſe power.
2. But further, Ordination is not well repreſented by a Kings Ordination of Chriſts Miniſtry undfily compared to the coronation of Kings.coronation (to ſay nothing of the ſtatclineſs of the ſimile) for a King may adminiſter by ſucceſſive election and conſent (in ſome States) before coronation, and coronation is but for publike ſtate and ceremony; but a Miniſter cannot adminiſter before ordination (no more then a husband enjoy his ſpouſe before marriage) which is the puting of him into, and the inveſting of him with his Authority, as we ſee both in the prieſts of the law, and the Miniſters of the Goſpel.
Concerning Jehoſhua his garments; This kind of confeſſion is not after the patterne of Ezra, Nehemiah, David, Daniel. &c. but with mincing and excuſing. Moreover, in this place of Zechary, God only comforts his people with the promiſe of better times, and more new and coſtly garments: for the High prieſt now returning from captivity, his garments were torne, foule and filthy.
Laſtly, Theſe were the garments of the Lords appointing, though in a poor and afflicted condition: what is this to a fools cap or coate (the cap or ſurplice) what is this to the office of Ieroboams prieſts, which never were of God, though happily ſome of them might ſtudiouſly give themſelves to attaine and teach the knowledge of God, and might (in a kind) ſeparate from the falſe, 2 Chron. 13. and ſome good thing might be found in ſome, as in Ieroboams child, and happily many others as in theſe our times?
Peace.
Concerning common prayer, he pleades the time of theirMaſter Cotton pleads for Common prayer. ignorance; as alſo that the high places were removed, 2 Chron. 14. and knows not of any ſuch faithful admonition as was mentioned.
Truth.
God winketh at ſome ignorance, but is not blind to paſs by all: The high places were an high ſin, and in Gods time diſcovered, repented of, and removed; but ever by God diſclaimed, &c. And although the diſcuſſer acknowledgeth himſelf unworthy to ſpeak for God to Maſter Cotton or any, yet poſſibly Maſter Cotton may call to minde, that the diſcuſſer (riding with himſelf and one other of precious memorie (Maſter Hooker) to and from Sempringham) preſented his Arguments from Scripture, why he durſt not joyn with them in their uſe of Common prayer; and all the Anſwer that yet can be remembred the diſcuſſer received from Maſter Cotton, was, that he ſelected the good and beſt prayers in his uſe of that Book, as the Author of the Councel of Trent was uſed to do, in his uſing of the Maſſe-book.
Peace.
Yea but further (ſaith Maſter Cotton) Numbers 20. Moſes uſed an unwarrantable way of propheſying, and yet God Examination of Num. 6. 20.gave water; therefore ſet formes of prayer may bring a bleſſing down.
Truth.
Moſes his calling was true in a true Church; his failing was in point of paſſion and unbeliefe. What is this to the Common prayer, where all were Idols, both the ſociety or communion; in which the prieſt himſelf, and the worſhip were but inventions? &c.
Peace.
But, ſaith he, Common prayer is not ſuch a fundamentall errour.
Truth.
The word and prayer are thoſe two great ſervices ofActs 6. God, which even the Apoſtles themſelves gave themſelves unto: And if Maſter Cotton intend not that his Argument ſhall ſtand good againſt Maſter Ball, to prove the falſeneſs of ſuch a maine worſhip of God, let him ſhew what that worſhip of God is, which he intendeth, when he ſo diſtinguiſheth of ſome falſe worſhip wherein fellowſhip with God is loſt.
Peace.
To end this Chapter, Maſter Cotton, to clear himſelf from partiality, and that he never uſeth to meaſure that to any, which he would not have meaſured to himſelf▪ He propoſeth a threefold wickedneſs, which he ſaith God never left him to fall into.
Firſt, Any fundamental errour. Secondly, perſiſting therein after admonition and conviction. Thirdly, ſeducing of others. And laſtly, he profeſſeth; that if he ſhould ſo fall, it were better for him to be cut off by death or baniſhment, then the flocke of Chriſt to be ſeduced by his heretical wickedneſs.
Truth.
I here firſt obſerve (as alſo in other places) Maſter Cottons acknowledgement and profeſſion of what a man may be puniſhedThree cauſes for which Maſter-Cotton maintaines perſecution. for: to wit, a fundamental errour, perſiſting in it, and ſeducing others; all which are ſpiritual matters, of religion and worſhip, for which he decrees from the Magiſtrate, death or baniſhment; and yet elſewhere in many other paſſages, he profeſſeth againſt all perſecution for conſcience.
Secondly, If Maſter Cotton ſhould ſo fall, and be ſo dealt withall by the civil ſtate.
Firſt, would not Maſter Cotton conſcientiouſly be perſwaded of the Truth of what he held, though accounted by others fundamental error, obſtinacy, hereſie? &c.
Secondly, Will Maſter Cotton think that death or baniſhment would be wholeſome and Chriſtian meanes and remedies to change and heal his conſcience?
Thirdly, He (to prevent the infection of others) granting the civil Magiſtrate muſt puniſh him with death or baniſhment, doth he not make the Magiſtrate, yea the Civil State (what State ſoever he live in) the Judge of his conſcience and errors?
Fourthly, Confeſſing it now, that to worſhip God with a Common prayer, was his ſin, and yet it was his conſcience, that he might ſo do: If the Magiſtrate had judged it to be a fundamental error, he grants he might then have put him to death or baniſhment, if perſiſting, &c. though yet he hath a proviſo, and a retreat againſt this aſſault, profeſſing, that if the Magiſtrate be not rightly informed, he muſt ſtay his proceedings: of which afterward.
Peace.
What is this, but, in plaine Engliſh, to profeſs that all the Magiſtrates and Civil powers, throughout the whole world, although they have command and power from Chriſt Jeſus, to judge in matters of conſcience, religion, and worſhip, and live in daily ſin, that they do not cut off the heretick, blaſphemer, ſeducer, &c. yet except they be of Maſter Cottons minde and conſcience, to account and judge to be, they muſt ſuſpend their duty and office in this caſe, until they be better informed, that is, untill they be of his mind?