for his name’s sake, in which respect I desire to acknowledge the
faithfulness of his word and promise, to be with his in six troubles
and in seven, through fire and water, making good a hundred-fold with
persecution to such of his servants as suffer aught for his names’-sake:
and I have said and must say, and all God’s witnesses that have borne
any pain or loss for Jesus must say, that fellowship with the Lord Jesus
in his sufferings is sweeter than all the fellowship with sinners in all
the profits, honours, and pleasures of this present evil world. And yet
two things I desire to speak to all men and myself, _Let every man prove
his work_, Gal. vi. 4., _and then shall he have rejoicing in himself, and
not in another._ Secondly, _if any man love God_, that soul knows God, or
rather is known of God, 1 Cor. viii. 3. Self-love may burn the body; but
happy only he whose love alone to Christ constrains him to be like unto
him, and suffer with him.
[Sidenote: Mr. Smith godly, and a light to Mr. Cotton and others, though
left to himself in some things. God’s infinite compassions toward those
whose hearts are upright with him. The opinion of putting Uriah to death,
the vilest of all opinions. As the weights of the sanctuary were double,
so must there be double pondering in all the affairs of God’s worship.]
To that which concerneth Mr. Smith, although I knew him not, and have
heard of many points in which my conscience tells me it pleased the Lord
to leave him to himself: yet I have also heard by some, whose testimony
Mr. Cotton will not easily refuse, that he was a man fearing God.[245]
And I am sure Mr. Cotton hath made some use of those principles and
arguments on which Mr. Smith and others went, concerning the constitution
of the Christian church.[246] The infinite compassions of God, which
lay no sin to David’s charge but the sin of Uriah, 1 Kings xv. 5, have
graciously comforted the souls of his on their death-bed, accepting
and crowning their uprightness and faithfulness, and passing by what
otherwise is grievous and offensive to him. And indeed from the due
consideration of that instance, it appears that no sin is comparably so
grievous in God’s David as a treacherous slaughter of the faithful, whom
we are forced to call beloved in Christ. That opinion in Mr. Cotton,
or any, is the most grievous to God or man, and not comparable to any
that ever Mr. Smith could be charged with. It is true, the countenance
and consolations of God are found in the ways of humility and truth,
and Satan transformeth him like to an angel of light in a counterfeit
of both: in which respect I desire to work out salvation with fear and
trembling, and to do nothing in the affairs of God and his worship but
(like the weights of the sanctuary) with double care, diligence, and
consideration, above all the affairs of this vanishing life. And yet
Christ’s consolations are so sweet, that the soul that tasteth them in
truth, in suffering for any truth of his, will not easily part with them,
though thousands are deceived and deluded with counterfeits.
CHAP. X.
_Mr. Cotton._ “Two stumbling blocks, I perceive, have turned you
off from fellowship with us. First, the want of fit matter of our
church. Secondly, disrespect of the separate churches in England under
affliction, ourselves practising separation in peace.”
“For the first, you acknowledge, as you say with joy, that godly persons
are the visible members of these churches; but yet you see not that godly
persons are matter fitted to constitute a church, no more than trees or
quarries are fit matter proportioned to the building. This exception
seemeth to me to imply a contradiction to itself, for if the matter of
the churches be as you say godly persons, they are not then as trees
unfelled, and stones unhewn: godliness cutteth men down from the former
root, and heweth them out of the pit of corrupt nature, and fitteth them
for fellowship with Christ and with his people.”
“You object, first, a necessity lying upon godly men before they can
be fit matter for church fellowship, to see, bewail, repent, and come
out of the false churches, worship, ministry, government, according to
scriptures, Isa. lxii. 11, 2 Cor. vi. 17; and this is to be done not by
a local removal or contrary practice, but by a deliverance of the soul,
understanding, will, judgment and affection.”
“_Answer._ First, we grant that it is not local removal from former
pollution, nor contrary practice, that fitteth us for fellowship with
Christ and his church; but that it is necessary also that we repent of
such former pollutions wherewith we have been defiled and enthralled.”
“We grant further, that it is likewise necessary to church fellowship we
should see and discern all such pollutions as do so far enthral us to
anti-christ as to separate us from Christ. But this we profess unto you,
that wherein we have reformed our practice, therein have we endeavoured
unfeignedly to humble our souls for our former contrary walking. If any
through hypocrisy are wanting herein, the hidden hypocrisy of some will
not prejudice the sincerity and faithfulness of others, nor the church
estate of all.”
_Answer._ That which requireth answer in this passage, is a charge of a
seeming contradiction, to wit, That persons may be godly, and yet not
fitted for church estate, but remain as trees and quarries, unfelled,
&c.: Contrary to which it is affirmed, that godly persons cannot be so
enthralled to anti-christ, as to separate them from Christ.
For the clearing of which let the word of truth be rightly divided,
and a right distinction of things applied, there will appear nothing
contradictory, but clear and satisfactory to each man’s conscience.
[Sidenote: The state of godly persons in gross sins. Godly persons
falling into gross sins, are to express repentance before they can be
admitted to the church.]
First, then, I distinguish of a godly person thus: In some acts of sin
which a godly person may fall into, during those acts, although before
the all-searching and tender eye of God, and also in the eyes of such
as are godly, such a person remaineth still godly, yet to the eye of
the world externally such a person seemeth ungodly, and a sinner. Thus
Noah in his drunkenness; thus Abraham, Lot, Samson, Job, David, Peter,
in their lying, whoredoms, cursings, murder, denying and foreswearing
of Christ Jesus, although they lost not their inward sap and root of
life, yet suffered they a decay and fall of leaf, and the show of bad
and evil trees. In such a case Mr. Cotton will not deny, that a godly
person falling into drunkenness, whoredom, deliberate murder, denying and
forswearing of Christ, the church of Christ cannot receive such persons
into church fellowship, before their sight of humble bewailing and
confessing of such evils, notwithstanding that love may conceive there is
a root of godliness within.
[Sidenote: God’s children long asleep in respect of God’s worship, though
alive in the grace of Christ.]
Secondly, God’s children, Cant. v. 2, notwithstanding a principle of
spiritual life in their souls, yet are lulled into a long continued sleep
in the matters of God’s worship: _I sleep, though my heart waketh._
The heart is awake in spiritual life and grace, as concerning personal
union to the Lord Jesus, and conscionable endeavours to please him in
what the heart is convinced: yet asleep in respect of abundant ignorance
and negligence, and consequently gross abominations and pollutions
of worship; in which the choicest servants of God, and most faithful
witnesses of many truths have lived in more or less, yea, in main and
fundamental points, ever since the apostacy.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton now professes to practise what thousands of God’s
people for many ages have not seen.]
Not to instance in all, but in some particulars which Mr. Cotton hath in
New England reformed: I earnestly beseech himself and all well to ponder
how far he himself now professeth to see and practise, that which so many
thousands of godly persons of high note, in all ages, since the apostacy,
saw not: as,
First, concerning the nature of a particular church, to consist only of
holy and godly persons.
Secondly, of a true ministry called by that church.
Thirdly, a true worship free from ceremonies, common-prayer, &c.
Fourthly, a true government in the hands only of such governors and
elders as are appointed by the Lord Jesus. Hence God’s people not seeing
their captivity in these points, must first necessarily be enlightened
and called out from such captivity before they can be nextly fitted and
prepared for the true church, worship, ministry, &c.
CHAP. XI.
[Sidenote: The Jews of old in the type could not build the altar and
temple in Babel, but first they must come forth and then build at
Jerusalem. God’s mystical Israel in the antitype must also come forth of
Babel before they can build the temple at Jerusalem.]
Secondly, this will be more clear, if we consider God’s people and church
of old, the Jews, captivated in material Babel, they could not possibly
build God’s altar and temple at Jerusalem, until the yoke and bonds of
their captivity were broken, and they set free to return with the vessels
of the Lord’s house, to set up his worship in Jerusalem: as we see in the
books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, Haggai, &c. Hence in the antitype, God’s
people, the spiritual and mystical Jews, cannot possibly erect the altar
of the Lord’s true worship, and build the temple of his true church,
without a true sight of their spiritual bondage in respect of God’s
worship, and a power and strength from Jesus Christ to bring them out,
and carry them through all difficulties in so mighty a work. And as the
being of God’s people in material Babel, and a necessity of their coming
forth before they could build the temple, did not in the least deny them
to be God’s people: no more now doth God’s people being in mystical
Babel, (Rev. xviii.) nor the necessity of their coming forth, hinder or
deny the godliness of their persons, or spiritual life within them.
[Sidenote: Luther and other famous witnesses very gross concerning God’s
worship, though eminent for personal grace.]
Thirdly, how many famous servants of God and witnesses of Jesus, lived
and died and were burnt for other truths of Jesus, not seeing the
evil of their anti-christian calling of bishops, &c.! How did famous
Luther himself continue a monk, set forth the German mass, acknowledge
the pope, and held other gross abominations concerning God’s worship,
notwithstanding the life of Christ Jesus in him, and wrought in thousands
by his means.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton refuseth godly persons except they be convinced of
their church covenant.]
Fourthly, Mr. Cotton must be requested to remember his own practice,
as before; how doth he refuse to receive persons eminent for personal
grace and godliness to the Lord’s supper, and other privileges of
Christians, according to the profession of their church estate, until
they be convinced of the necessity of making and entering into a church
covenant with them, with a confession of faith, &c.; and if any cannot
be persuaded of such a covenant and confession, notwithstanding their
godliness, yet are they not admitted.[247]
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton and the English elders refuse to permit
eminent ministers and people of Old England to live in New England
(notwithstanding he confessed their godliness above his own) if they
join not in his church fellowship. Godly persons living trees and living
stones, yet need much hewing and cutting to bring them from false to true
worship. The coming forth of false worship a second kind (as it were) of
regeneration to God’s people. Return from the land of the north.]
Lastly, how famous is that passage of that solemn question put to
Mr. Cotton and the rest of the New English elders, by divers of the
ministers of Old England, eminent for personal godliness, as Mr. Cotton
acknowledgeth, viz., whether they might be permitted in New England
to enjoy their consciences in a church estate different from the New
English; unto which Mr. Cotton and the New English elders return a plain
negative, in effect thus much, with the acknowledgment of their worth
and godliness above their own, and their hopes of agreement; yet in
conclusion, if they agree not, which they are not like to do, and submit
to that way of church-fellowship and worship which in New England is set
up, they cannot only not enjoy church-fellowship together, but not permit
them to live and breathe in the same air and commonweal together;[248]
which was my case, although it pleased Mr. Cotton and others most
incensed to give myself a testimony of godliness, &c.[249] And this is
the reason why, although I confess with joy the care of the New English
churches that no person be received to fellowship with them, in whom
they cannot first discern true regeneration and the life of Jesus, yet I
said, and still affirm, that godly and regenerate persons, according to
all the former instances and reasons, are not fitted to constitute the
true Christian church, until it hath pleased God to convince their souls
of the evil of the false church, ministry, worship, &c. And although I
confess that godly persons are not dead but living trees, not dead but
living stones, and need no new regeneration (and so in that respect need
no felling nor digging out), yet need they a mighty work of God’s Spirit
to humble and ashame them, and to cause them to loathe themselves for
their abominations or stinks in God’s nostrils, as it pleaseth God’s
Spirit to speak of false worships. Hence, Ezek. xliii. 11: God’s people
are not fit for God’s house until holy shame be wrought in them for what
they have done. Hence God promiseth to cause them to loathe themselves,
because they have broken him with their whorish hearts, Ezek. vi. 9. And
hence it is that I have known some precious godly hearts confess, that
the plucking of their souls out from the abominations of false worship,
hath been a second kind of regeneration. Hence was it, that it pleased
God to say concerning his people’s return from their material captivity,
a figure of our spiritual and mystical, that they should not say, Jehovah
liveth who brought them from the land of Egypt—a type of first conversion
as is conceived; but, Jehovah liveth who brings them from the land of the
north—a type of God’s people’s return from spiritual bondage to confused
and invented worships.
CHAP. XII.
Now whereas Mr. Cotton addeth, that godly persons are not so enthralled
to anti-christ as to separate them from Christ, else they could not be
godly persons:—
[Sidenote: Christ considered two ways, first, personally, and so God’s
people can never be separated from him.]
I answer, this comes not near our question, which is not concerning
personal godliness or grace of Christ, but the godliness or Christianity
of worship. Hence the scripture holds forth Christ Jesus first
personally, as that God-man, that one Mediator between God and man,
the man Christ Jesus, whom all God’s people by faith receive, and in
receiving become the sons of God, John i. 12, although they yet see not
the particular ways of his worship. Thus was it with the centurion, the
woman of Canaan, Cornelius, and most, at their first conversion.
[Sidenote: Secondly, as head of his church, and so he is often lost and
absent from his spouse.]
Secondly, the scripture holdeth forth Christ as head of his church,
formed into a body of worshippers, in which respect the church is called
Christ, 1 Cor. xii. 12: and the description of Christ is admirably set
forth in ten several parts of a man’s body, fitting and suiting to the
visible profession of Christ in the church, Cant. v.
[Sidenote: God’s people cannot serve a false Christ and the true
together.]
Now in the former respect, anti-christ can never so enthral God’s people
as to separate them from Christ, that is, from the life and grace of
Christ, although he enthral them into never so gross abominations
concerning worship: for God will not lose his in Egypt, Sodom, Babel.
His jewels are most precious to him though in a Babylonish dunghill, and
his lily sweet and lovely in the wilderness commixed with briars. Yet in
the second respect, as Christ is taken for the church, I conceive that
anti-christ may separate God’s people from Christ, that is, from Christ’s
true visible church and worship.[250] This Mr. Cotton himself will not
deny, if he remember how little a while it is since the falsehood of a
national, provincial, diocesan, and parishional church, &c., and the
truth of a particular congregation, consisting only of holy persons,
appeared unto him.
[Sidenote: The church before Luther. Rev. xiii.]
The papists’ question to the protestant, viz., where was your church
before Luther? is thus well answered, to wit, that since the apostacy,
truth and the holy city, according to the prophecy, Rev. xi. and xiii.,
have been trodden under foot, and the whole earth hath wondered after
the beast: yet God hath stirred up witnesses to prophesy in sackcloth
against the beast, during his forty-two months’ reign: yet those
witnesses have in their times, more or less submitted to anti-christ and
his church, worship, ministry, &c.,[251] and so consequently have been
ignorant of the true Christ, that is, Christ taken for the church in the
true profession of that holy way of worship, which he himself at first
appointed.
CHAP. XIII.
_Mr. Cotton._ “Secondly, we deny that it is necessary to church
fellowship, that is, so necessary that without it a church cannot be,
that the members admitted thereunto should all of them see and expressly
bewail all the pollutions which they have been defiled with in the
former church fellowship, ministry, worship, government, &c., if they
see and bewail so much of their former pollutions, as did enthral them
to anti-christ so as to separate them from Christ, and be ready in
preparation of heart, as they shall see more light, so to hate more
and more every false way; we conceive it is as much as is necessarily
required to separate them from anti-christ, and to fellowship with Christ
and his churches. The church of Christ admitted many thousand Jews that
believed on the name of Christ, although they were still zealous of the
law, and saw not the beggarly emptiness of Moses’s ceremonies, Acts xxi.
20; and the apostle Paul directeth the Romans to receive such unto them
as are weak in the faith, and see not their liberty from the servile
difference of meats and days, but still lie under the bondage of the law;
yea, he wisheth them to receive such upon this ground, because Christ
hath received them, Rom. xiv. 1 to the 6th.”
“Say not, there is not the like danger of lying under bondage to Moses
as to anti-christ: for even the bondage under Moses was such, as if
continued in after instruction and conviction, would separate them from
Christ, Gal. v. 2, and bondage under anti-christ could do no more.”
_Answ._ Here I desire three things may be observed:—
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton confessing the true and false constitution of the
church.]
First, Mr. Cotton’s own confession of that twofold church estate,
worship, &c., the former false, or else why to be so bewailed and
forsaken? the second true, to be embraced and submitted to.
[Sidenote: Mr. Cotton confessing to hold what he censureth in the
answerer.]
Secondly, his own confession of that which a little before he would make
so odious in me to hold, viz., that God’s people may be so far enthralled
to anti-christ, as to separate them from Christ: for, saith he, “If they
see and bewail so much of their former pollutions, as did enthral them to
anti-christ, so as to separate them from Christ.”[252]
[Sidenote: Fallacy in Mr. Cotton’s generals. A godly person remaining a
member of a false church, is therein a member of a false Christ.]
Thirdly, I observe how easily a soul may wander in his generals, for thus
he writes: “Though they see not all the pollutions wherewith they have
been defiled in the former church fellowship.” Again, “if they see so
much as did enthral them to anti-christ, and separate them from Christ.”
And yet he expresseth nothing of that, “all the pollutions,” nor what
so much is as will separate them from Christ. Hence upon that former
distinction that Christ in visible worship is Christ, I demand, whether
if a godly person remain a member of a falsely constituted church, and
so consequently, in that respect, of a false Christ, whether in visible
worship he be not separate from the true Christ?
[Sidenote: Separation from false Christ absolutely necessary before there
can be union to the true. A sequestration or separation of the soul from
the world in the idolatrous and invented worships of it, before it can be
presented to Christ Jesus, as a chaste virgin into the chaste bed of his
own most holy institutions.]
Secondly, I ask, whether it be not absolutely necessary to his uniting
with the true church, that is, with Christ in true Christian worship,
that he see and bewail, and absolutely come out from that former false
church or Christ, and his ministry, worship, &c., before he can be united
to the true Israel—must come forth of Egypt before they can sacrifice to
God in the wilderness. The Jews come out of Babel before they build the
temple in Jerusalem. The husband of a woman [must] die, or she be legally
divorced, before she can lawfully be married to another; the graft cut
off from one before it can be ingrafted into another stock. The kingdom
of Christ, that is, the kingdom of the saints, Dan. ii. and vii., is
cut out of the mountain of the Roman monarchy. Thus the Corinthians, 1
Cor. vi. 9-11, uniting with Christ Jesus, they were washed from their
idolatry, as well as other sins. Thus the Thessalonians turned from their
idols before they could serve the living and true God, 1 Thess. i. 9; and
as in paganism, so in anti-christianism, which separates as certainly,
though more subtilly, from Christ Jesu.
CHAP. XIV.
Yea; but it is said, that Jews, weak in Christian liberties, and zealous
for Moses’s law, they were to be received.
I answer, two things must here carefully be minded:—
[Sidenote: Difference between God’s own holy institutions to the Jews,
and Satan’s paganish, or anti-christian institution to the Gentiles, as
concerning the manner of coming forth of them.]
First, although bondage to Moses would separate from Christ, yet the
difference must be observed between those ordinances of Moses which it
pleased God himself to ordain and appoint, as his then only worship in
the world, though now in the coming of his Son he was pleased to take
away, yet with solemnity; and on the other side, the institutions and
ordinances of anti-christ, which the devil himself invented, were from
first to last never to be received and submitted to one moment, nor with
such solemnity to be laid down, but to be abhorred and abominated for
ever.
[Sidenote: A comparison between the Jewish and Christian ordinances.]
The national church of the Jews, with all the shadowish, typical
ordinances of kings, priests, prophets, temple, sacrifices, were as a
silver candlestick, on which the light of the knowledge of God and the
Lord Jesus, in the type and shadow, was set up and shined. That silver
candlestick it pleased the Most Holy and Only Wise to take away, and
instead thereof to set up the golden candlesticks of particular churches
(Rev. i.) by the hand of the Son of God himself. Now the first was
silver,—the pure will and mind of God, but intended only for a season;
the second of a more precious, lasting nature, a kingdom not to be
shaken, that is, abolished as the former, Heb. xii. 28.
[Sidenote: Moses’s ordinances at one time precious and holy, at another
time beggarly and deadly. The first Christians communicated in the Jewish
synagogues until the Jews contradicted and spoke evil, &c., then they
separated.]