Peter to put up his sword, he gives a threefold reason thereof.
1. (ver. 52,) From the event of it: _for all that take the sword shall
perish by it_.
2. The needlessness of it: for with a word to his Father, he could have
twelve legions of angels.
3. The counsel of God to be fulfilled in the scripture: thus it ought to
be.
_Peace._ It is much questioned by some, what should be the meaning of
Christ Jesus in that speech, _All that take the sword shall perish by the
sword._
[Sidenote: A threefold taking of the sword.]
_Truth._ There is a threefold taking of the sword: first, by murderous
cruelty, either of private persons; or secondly, public states or
societies, in wrath or revenge each against other.
Secondly, a just and righteous taking of the sword in punishing offenders
against the civil peace, either more personal, private, and ordinary; or
more public, oppressors, tyrants, ships, navies, &c. Neither of these can
it be imagined that Christ Jesus intended to Peter.
Thirdly, there is therefore a third taking of the sword, forbidden to
Peter, that is, for Christ and the gospel’s cause when Christ is in
danger: which made Peter strike, &c.
_Peace._ It seems to some most contrary to all true reason, that Christ
Jesus, innocency itself, should not be defended.
_Truth._ The foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of man.
It is not the purpose of God, that the spiritual battles of his Son shall
be fought by carnal weapons and persons.
It is not his pleasure that the world shall flame on fire with civil
combustions for his Son’s sake. It is directly contrary to the nature of
Christ Jesus, his saints and truths, that throats of men, which is the
highest contrariety to civil converse, should be torn out for his sake
who most delighted to converse with the greatest sinners.
It is the counsel of God, that his servants shall overcome by three
weapons of a spiritual nature, Rev. xii. 11; and that all that take the
sword of steel shall perish.
Lastly, it is the counsel of God, that Christ Jesus shall shortly appear
a most glorious judge and revenger against all his enemies, when the
heavens and the earth shall flee before his most glorious presence.
[Sidenote: Rev. xvii. 16, the kings’ hating of the whore, discussed.]
_Peace._ I shall propose the last scripture much insisted on by many for
carnal weapons in spiritual cases, Rev. xvii. 16, _The ten horns which
thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make
her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and shall burn her with
fire._
_Truth._ Not to controvert with some, whether or no the beast be yet
risen and extant:—
Nor secondly, whether either the beast, or the horns, or the whore, may
be taken literally for any corporal beast or whore:—
Or thirdly, whether these ten horns be punctually and exactly ten kings:—
Or fourthly, whether those ten horns signify those many kings, kingdoms,
and governments, who have bowed down to the pope’s yoke, and have
committed fornication with that great whore the church of Rome:—
Let this last be admitted, (which yet will cost some work to clear
against all opposites): yet,—
First, can the time be now clearly demonstrated to be come? &c.
Secondly, how will it be proved, that this hatred of this whore, shall
be a true, chaste, Christian hatred against anti-christian, whorish
practices? &c.
Thirdly, or rather that this hating, and desolating, and making naked,
and burning shall arise, not by way of an ordinance warranted by the
institution of Christ Jesus, but by way of providence, when, as it useth
to be with all whores and their lovers, the church of Rome and her great
lovers shall fall out, and by the righteous vengeance of God upon her,
drunk with the blood of saints or holy ones, these mighty fornicators
shall turn their love into hatred, which hatred shall make her a poor,
desolate, naked whore, torn and consumed, &c.
_Peace._ You know it is a great controversy, how the kings of the earth
shall thus deal with the whore in the seventeenth chapter, and yet so
bewail her in the eighteenth chapter.
_Truth._ If we take it that these kings of the earth shall first hate,
and plunder, and tear, and burn this whore, and yet afterward shall
relent and bewail their cruel dealing toward her: or else, that as some
kings deal so terribly with her, yet others of those kings shall bewail
her:—
If either of these two answers stand, or a better be given, yet none of
them can prove it lawful for people to give power to their kings and
magistrates thus to deal with them, their subjects, for their conscience;
nor for magistrates to assume a tittle more than the people betrust them
with; nor for one people out of conscience to God, and for Christ’s
sake, thus to kill and slaughter and burn each other. However, it may
please the righteous judge, according to the famous types of Gideon’s
and Jehoshaphat’s battles, to permit in justice, and to order in wisdom,
these mighty and mutual slaughters each of other.
_Peace._ We have now, dear Truth, through the gracious hand of God,
clambered up to the top of this our tedious discourse.
_Truth._ Oh! it is mercy inexpressible that either thou or I have had so
long a breathing time, and that together!
_Peace._ If English ground must yet be drunk with English blood, oh!
where shall Peace repose her wearied head and heavy heart?
_Truth._ Dear Peace, if thou find welcome, and the God of peace
miraculously please to quench these all-devouring flames, yet where shall
Truth find rest from cruel persecutions?
_Peace._ Oh! will not the authority of holy scriptures, the commands and
declarations of the Son of God, therein produced by thee, together with
all the lamentable experiences of former and present slaughters, prevail
with the sons of men, especially with the sons of peace, to depart from
the dens of lions, and mountains of leopards, and to put on the bowels,
if not of Christianity, yet of humanity each to other?
_Truth._ Dear Peace, Habakkuk’s fishes keep their constant bloody
game of persecutions in the world’s mighty ocean; the greater taking,
plundering, swallowing up the lesser. Oh! happy he whose portion is the
God of Jacob! who hath nothing to lose under the sun; but hath a state, a
house, an inheritance, a name, a crown, a life, past all the plunderers’,
ravishers’, murderers’ reach and fury!
_Peace._ But lo! Who’s there?
_Truth._ Our sister _Patience_, whose desired company is as needful as
delightful. It is like the wolf will send the scattered sheep in one:
the common pirate gather up the loose and scattered navy: the slaughter
of the witnesses by that bloody beast unite the independents and
presbyterians.
The God of peace, the God of truth, will shortly seal this truth, and
confirm this witness, and make it evident to the whole world,—
THAT THE DOCTRINE OF PERSECUTION FOR CAUSE OF CONSCIENCE, IS MOST
EVIDENTLY AND LAMENTABLY CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST JESUS, THE
PRINCE OF PEACE. AMEN.
FINIS.
MR. COTTON’S LETTER,
LATELY PRINTED,
EXAMINED AND ANSWERED.
BY
ROGER WILLIAMS,
OF PROVIDENCE, IN NEW ENGLAND.
LONDON:
IMPRINTED IN THE YEAR 1644.
TO THE IMPARTIAL READER.[229]
This Letter I acknowledge to have received from Mr. Cotton, whom for his
personal excellencies I truly honour and love: yet at such a time of my
distressed wanderings amongst the barbarians, that being destitute of
food, of clothes, of time, I reserved it, though hardly, amidst so many
barbarous distractions, and afterward prepared an answer to be returned.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton’s reluctancy in himself concerning the way of
persecution.]
In the interim, some friends being much grieved, that one, publicly
acknowledged to be godly, and dearly beloved, should yet be so exposed to
the mercy of a howling wilderness in frost and snow, &c.: Mr. Cotton, to
take off the edge of censure from himself, professed both in speech and
writing, that he was no procurer of my sorrows.
Some letters then passed between us, in which I proved and expressed,
that if I had perished in that sorrowful winter’s flight, only the blood
of Jesus Christ could have washed him from the guilt of mine.
[Sidenote: An unmerciful speech from a merciful man.]
His final answer was, “Had you perished, your blood had been on your own
head; it was your sin to procure it, and your sorrow to suffer it.”
Here I confess I stopped, and ever since suppressed mine answer; waiting,
if it might please the Father of mercies, more to mollify and soften,
and render more humane and merciful, the ear and heart of that otherwise
excellent and worthy man.
[Sidenote: God’s wisdom in the season of publishing this letter.]
It cannot now be justly offensive, that finding this letter public (by
whose procurement I know not) I also present to the same public view, my
formerly intended answer.
[Sidenote: Times of inquiry after Christ.]
I rejoice in the goodness and wisdom of him who is the Father of lights
and mercies, in ordering the season both of mine own present opportunity
of answer: as also and especially of such protestations and resolutions
of so many fearing God, to seek what worship and worshippers are
acceptable to him in Jesus Christ.
[Sidenote: A golden speech of a parliament man.]
Mine own ears were glad and late witnesses of a heavenly speech of one of
the most eminent of that high assembly of parliament; viz., “Why should
the labours of any be suppressed, if sober, though never so different? We
now profess to seek God, we desire to see light,” &c.
[Sidenote: Times when seeking of God comes too late.]
I know there is a time when God will not be found, though men seek him
early, Prov. i. [28.]
There is a time when prayer and fasting come too late, Jer. xiv. [10.]
There is a seeking of the God of Israel with a stumbling-block, according
to which God giveth his Israel an answer, Ezek. xiv. [4.]
Lastly, there is a proud refusal of the mind of God returned in answer by
the prophet, Jer. xlii. [13.]
[Sidenote: Wholehearted seekers the only seekers of Christ Jesus.]
Love bids me hope for better things. God’s promise assures us, that his
people returning from captivity, shall seek him, and pray, and find
him, when they seek him with their whole heart, Jer. xxix. [13.] And
God’s angel comforts those against all fears that seek Jesus that was
crucified, Mark xvi. [6].
[Sidenote: Christ Jesus, whom he saveth he teacheth.]
Thy soul so prosper, whoever thou art, worthy reader, as with thy
whole heart thou seekest that true Lord Jesus, who is holiness itself,
and requires a spiritual and holy bride like to himself, the pure and
spotless lamb. He alone, as he is able to save thee to the utmost from
thy sins and sorrows by his blood, so hath he brought his Father’s
counsel from his bosom, and every soul is bound, on pain of eternal
pains, to attend alone [to] his laws and ordinances, commands and
statutes, Heb. vii., Acts iii. [23].
[Sidenote: The true Lord Jesus studied humility and self-denial.]
That Lord Jesus, who purposely chose to descend of mean and inferior
parents, a carpenter, &c.:—
Who disdained not to enter this world in a stable, amongst beasts, as
unworthy the society of men: who passed through this world with the
esteem of a madman, a deceiver, a conjuror, a traitor against Cæsar, and
destitute of an house wherein to rest his head: who made choice of his
first and greatest ambassadors out of fishermen, tent-makers, &c.: and at
last chose to depart on the stage of a painful, shameful gibbet:—
[Sidenote: Seekers of Christ are sure of a gracious answer, 2 Thess. v.]
If Him thou seekest in these searching times, makest him alone thy white
[robe] and soul’s beloved, willing to follow, and be like him in doing
[and] in suffering; although thou findest him not in the restoration of
his ordinances, according to his first pattern:—
Yet shalt thou see him, reign with him, eternally admire him, and enjoy
him, when he shortly comes in flaming fire to burn up millions of
ignorant and disobedient.
Your most unworthy country-man,
ROGER WILLIAMS.
MR. COTTON’S LETTER EXAMINED AND ANSWERED.
CHAP. I.
_Mr. Cotton._ “Beloved in Christ.”
_Answer._ Though I humbly desire to acknowledge myself unworthy to be
beloved, and most of all unworthy of the name of Christ, and to be
beloved for his sake: yet since Mr. Cotton is pleased to use such an
affectionate compellation and testimonial expression, to one so afflicted
and persecuted by himself and others, whom for their personal worth and
godliness I also honour and love, I desire it may be seriously reviewed
by himself and them, and all men, whether the Lord Jesus be well pleased
that one, beloved in him, should, for no other cause than shall presently
appear, be denied the common air to breathe in, and a civil cohabitation
upon the same common earth; yea, and also without mercy and human
compassion, be exposed to winter miseries in a howling wilderness?[230]
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton expecting more light, must, according to his way of
persecution, persecute Christ Jesus if he bring it.]
And I ask further, Whether, since Mr. Cotton elsewhere professeth to
expect far greater light than yet shines, upon the same grounds and
practice, if Christ Jesus in any of his servants shall be pleased to hold
forth a further light, Christ Jesus himself shall find the mercy and
humanity of a civil and temporal life and being with them?
_Mr. Cotton._ “Though I have little hope, when I consider the
uncircumcision of mine own lips, that you will hearken to my voice,
who have not hearkened to the body of the whole church of Christ with
you, and the testimony and judgment of so many elders and brethren of
other churches: yet I trust my labour will be accepted of the Lord; and
who can tell but that he may bless it to you also, if, by his help, I
endeavour to show you the sandiness of those grounds, out of which you
have banished yourself from the fellowship of all the churches in these
countries?”
[Sidenote: Will-worship varnished over with the glittering show of
humility. Spiritual pride may swell, out of the sense of a man’s
humility. Humility most unseasonable in setting up will-worship, or
persecuting others.]
_Answer._ First, I acknowledge it a holy character of a heavenly spirit,
to make ingenuous true acknowledgment of an uncircumcised lip: yet
that discerning spirit, which God graciously vouchsafeth to them that
tremble at his word, shall not only find, that not only the will-worships
of men may be painted and varnished over with the glittering show of
humility, Col. ii., but also God’s dearest servants, eminent for humility
and meekness, may yet be troubled with a swelling of spiritual pride
out of the very sense of their humility. It pleased God to give Paul
himself preventing physic against this distemper, in the midst of God’s
gracious revelation to him. And what an humble argument doth David
use, when himself, advised by Nathan, went about an evil work out of a
holy intention, to wit, a work of will-worship, in building the temple
unbidden? _Behold, I dwell in a house of Cedar, but the ark of God in a
tent_, 2 Sam. vii. 2. Humility is never in season to set up superstition,
or to persecute God’s children.
CHAP. II.
Secondly, I observe his charge against me for not hearkening to a twofold
voice of Christ: first, of the whole church of Christ with me.[232]
[Sidenote: Public sins the cause of public calamities; must be faithfully
discovered by spiritual watchmen.]
Unto which I answer, according to my conscience and persuasion, I was
then charged by office with the feeding of that flock: and when in
the apprehension of some public evils, the whole country professed to
humble itself and seek God, I endeavoured, as a faithful watchman on the
walls, to sound the trumpet and give the alarm: and upon a fast day,
in faithfulness and uprightness, as then and still I am persuaded, I
discovered eleven public sins, for which I believed (and do) it pleased
God to inflict, and further to threaten public calamities. Most of
which eleven (in not all) that church then seemed to assent unto: until
afterward in my troubles the greater part of that church was swayed and
bowed, whether for fear of persecution or otherwise, to say and practise
what, to my knowledge, with sighs and groans, many of them mourned under.
[Sidenote: Col. iv. [16.] Faithfulness to God and man (though for present
censured) will give rejoicing in day of death and judgment.]
I know the church of Colosse must say to Archippus, _Take heed to thy
ministry_, &c., which he may negligently and proudly refuse to hearken
to; but let my case be considered, and the word of the Lord examined,
and the difference of my case will shine forth, and my faithfulness and
uprightness to God and the souls of that people will witness for me, when
my soul comes to Hezekiah’s case on his death-bed, and in that great day
approaching.
[Sidenote: The popish argument from multitudes. David and the princes
and thirty thousand of Israel, a type of God’s best servants reforming,
yet not after the due order. An excellent confession of the papists
concerning scripture.]
For my not hearkening to the second voice, the testimony of so many
elders and brethren of other churches: because I truly esteem and honour
the persons of which the New English churches are constituted, I will not
answer the argument of numbers and multitudes against one, as we use to
answer the popish universality, that God sometimes stirs up one Elijah
against eight hundred of Baal’s priests,[233] one Micaiah against four
hundred of Ahab’s prophets, one Athanasius against many hundreds of Arian
bishops, one John Huss against the whole council of Constance, Luther
and the two witnesses against many thousands, &c. Let this I may truly
say, that David himself, and the princes of Israel, and thirty thousand
Israel, carrying up the ark, were not to be hearkened to nor followed
in their (as I may say) holy rejoicings and triumphings, the due order
of the Lord yet being wanting to their holy intentions and affections,
and the Lord at last sending in a sad stop and breach of Uzzah amongst
them (Perez Uzzah), as he hath ever yet done, and will do in all the
reformations that have been hitherto made by his Davids which are not
after the due order. To which purpose, it is maintained by the papists
themselves, and by their councils, that scripture only must be heard:
yea, one scripture in the mouth of one simple mechanic before the whole
council. By that only do I desire to stand or fall in trial or judgment;
for all flesh is grass, and the beauty of flesh, the most wisest,
holiest, learnedest, is but the flower or beauty of grass: only the word
of Jehovah standeth fast for ever.
CHAP. III.
Thirdly, Mr. Cotton endeavoureth to discover the sandiness of those
grounds out of which, as he saith, I have banished myself, &c.
[Sidenote: Good intentions and affections in God’s people, accepted with
God, when their endeavours perish and burn like stubble, &c. Many grounds
seemed sandy to Mr. Cotton in Old England, which now he confesseth to be
rocky.]
I answer, I question not his holy and loving intentions and affections,
and that my grounds seem sandy to himself and others. Those intentions
and affections may be accepted, as his person, with the Lord, as David
of his desires to build the Lord a temple, though on sandy grounds. Yet
Mr. Cotton’s endeavours to prove the firm rock of the truth of Jesus to
be the weak and uncertain sand of man’s invention, those shall perish
and burn like hay or stubble. The rocky strength of those grounds shall
more appear in the Lord’s season, and himself may yet confess so much,
as since he came into New England he hath confessed the sandiness of the
grounds of many of his practices in which he walked in Old England, and
the rockiness of their grounds that witnessed against them and himself in
those practices, though for that time their grounds seemed sandy to him.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton formerly persuaded to practise Common Prayer; but
since hath written against it.]
When myself heretofore, through the mercy of the Most High, discovered to
himself and other eminent servants of God my grounds against their using
of the Common Prayer, my grounds seemed sandy to them, which since in New
England Mr. Cotton hath acknowledged rocky, and hath seen cause so to
publish to the world, in his discourse to Mr. Ball against set forms of
prayer.[234]
But because the reader may ask, both Mr. Cotton and me, what were the
grounds of such a sentence of banishment against me, which are here
called sandy, I shall relate in brief what those grounds were, some
whereof he is pleased to discuss in this letter, and others of them not
to mention.[235]
After my public trial and answers at the general court, one of the most
eminent magistrates, whose name and speech may by others be remembered,
stood up and spake:
[Sidenote: The four particular grounds of my sentence of banishment.]
“Mr. Williams,” said he, “holds forth these four particulars;
“First, That we have not our land by patent from the king, but that the
natives are the true owners of it, and that we ought to repent of such a
receiving it by patent.
“Secondly, That it is not lawful to call a wicked person to swear, [or]
to pray, as being actions of God’s worship.
“Thirdly, That it is not lawful to hear any of the ministers of the
parish assemblies in England.
“Fourthly, that the civil magistrate’s power extends only to the bodies,
and goods, and outward state of men,” &c.
I acknowledge the particulars were rightly summed up, and I also hope,
that, as I then maintained the rocky strength of them to my own and other
consciences’ satisfaction, so, through the Lord’s assistance, I shall be
ready for the same grounds not only to be bound and banished, but to die
also in New England, as for most holy truths of God in Christ Jesus.
Yea; but, saith he, upon those grounds you banished yourself from the
society of the churches in these countries.
[Sidenote: Christ Jesus speaketh and suffereth in his witnesses. The
dragon’s language in a lamb’s lip. God’s children persecuted are charged
by their enemies to be the authors of their own persecution.]
I answer, if Mr. Cotton mean my own voluntary withdrawing from those
churches resolved to continue in those evils, and persecuting the
witnesses of the Lord presenting light unto them, I confess it was mine
own voluntary act; yea, I hope the act of the Lord Jesus sounding forth
in me, a poor despised ram’s horn, the blast which shall in his own holy
season cast down the strength and confidence of those inventions of men
in the worshipping of the true and living God:—And lastly, His act in
enabling me to be faithful, in any measure, to suffer such great and
mighty trials for his name’s sake. But if by banishing myself he intend
the act of civil banishment from their common earth and air, I then
observe with grief the language of the dragon in a lamb’s lip. Among
other expressions of the dragon, are not these common to the witnesses of
the Lord Jesus, rent and torn by his persecutions?—“Go now:—say, you are
persecuted, you are persecuted for Christ, suffer for your conscience:
no, it is your schism, heresy, obstinacy, the devil hath deceived thee,
thou hast justly brought this upon thee, thou hast banished thyself,” &c.
Instances are abundant in so many books of martyrs, and the experience of
all men, and therefore I spare to recite in so short a treatise.
[Sidenote: A national church, the silent commonweal or world, silently
confessed by Mr. Cotton to be all one.]
Secondly, if he mean this civil act of banishing, why should he call a
civil sentence from the civil state, within a few weeks’ execution,
in so sharp a time of New England’s cold—Why should he call this a
banishment from the churches? except he silently confess, that the frame
or constitution of their churches is but implicitly national, which yet
they profess against: for otherwise why was I not yet permitted to live
in the world, or commonweal, except for this reason, that the commonweal
and church is yet but one, and he that is banished from the one must
necessarily be banished from the other also.
CHAP. IV.