The power of true re

killing of

ance for persecuting and killing of him being expressed, pentance for there necessarily follows a withdrawing from the church, Christ. ministry, and worship of the false Christ, and submission unto the true: and this is the sum and substance of our controversy.

Mr. Cotton.

Concerning the confession of sins unto John, he grants the disciples of John confessed their sins, the publicans theirs, the soldiers theirs, the people theirs; but, saith he, "it appears not that they confessed their pharisaical pollution."

And concerning the confession Acts xix. 18, [19,] he saith, it is not expressed "that they confessed all their deeds."

Answer. If both these confessed their notorious sins, as Mr. Cotton expresseth, why not as well their notorious sins against God, their idolatries, superstitious worships, &c? Surely throughout the whole scripture, the matters of God and his worship are first and most tenderly handled; his people are ever described by the title of his worshippers, and his enemies by the title of worshippers of false gods, and worshipping the true after a false manner; and to prove this were to bring forth a candle to the bright shining of the sun at noon day.

CHAP. XIX.

Mr. Cotton. His third answer is; "But to satisfy you more fully, and the Lord make you willing in true meekness of spirit to receive satisfaction, the body of the members do in general profess, that the reason of their coming over to us was that they might be freed from the bondage of hun an inventions and ordinances, as their souls

groaned under, for which also they profess their hearty sorrow, so far as through ignorance or infirmity they have been defiled. Beside, in our daily meetings, and specially in the times of our solemn humiliations, we generally all of us bewail all our former pollutions wherewith we have defiled ourselves and the holy things of God, in our former administrations and communions; but we rather choose to do it than talk of it. And we can but wonder how you can so boldly and resolutely renounce all the churches of God, for neglect of that which you know not whether they have neglected or no, and before you have admonished us of our sinfulness in such neglect, if it be found amongst

us."

Answer. I answer, with humble desires to the Father of lights for the true meekness and wisdom of his Spirit, here is mention of human inventions and ordinances, and defiling themselves and holy things of God in former administrations and communions, and yet no mention what such inventions and ordinances, what such administrations and communions were. "We rather How can a choose to do it," saith he, "than to talk of it;" which oppose antimakes me call to mind an expression of an eminent and endures not worthy person amongst them in a solemn conference, viz., name What need we speak of antichrist, can we not enjoy our liberties without inveighing against antichrist? &c.

The truth is, I acknowledge their witness against ceremonies and bishops; but that yet they see not the evil of a national church, notwithstanding they constitute only particular and independent [congregations,] let their constant practice speak, in still joining with such churches and ministers in the ordinances of the word and prayer, and their persecuting of myself for my humble, and faithful, and constant admonishing of them, of unclean walking between a particular church, which

such

soul truly

christ, that

to have his

ques

Mr. Cotton witnessing

they against a

national

church, and

only profess to be Christ's, and a national [one], which yet holding Mr. Cotton professeth to separate from.9

fellowship with it.

But how could I possibly be ignorant, as he seemeth to charge me, of their state, when being from first to last in fellowship with them, an officer amongst them, had private Impossible and public agitations concerning their state and condition werer to be with all or most of their ministers, and at last suffered for ignorant of

for the ans

their church such admonitions to them, the misery of a winter's banish

estate, as

Mr. Cotton

pretendeth. ment amongst the barbarians? and yet, saith he, "You know not what we have done, neither have us of our sinfulness."

you admonished

Mr. Cotton.

CHAP. XX.

A third scripture which I produced was Haggai ii. 13, 14, 15, desiring that the place might be thoroughly weighed, and that the Lord might please to hold the scales himself, the prophet there telling the church of the Jews, that if a person unclean by a dead body touch holy things, those holy things become unclean unto them: and so, saith he, in this nation, and so is every work of their hands and that which they offer is unclean; whence I inferred, that even church covenants made, and ordinances practised, by persons polluted through spiritual deadness, and filthiness of communion, such covenants and ordinances become unclean unto them, and are profaned by them.

9 ["Our joining with the ministers of England in hearing of the word and prayer, doth not argue our church-communion with the parish churches in England, much less with the national church." Mr. Cotton

then proceeds to deny that Mr. Williams was persecuted, or that he admonished them humbly and faithfully. His banishment was no persecution; his statement of his opinions no admonition. Cotton's Answer, p, 101.]

Mr. Cotton. Mr. Cotton answers, "your purpose was to prove that churches cannot be constituted by such persons as are unclean by antichristian pollutions; or if they be so constituted they are not to be communicated with, but separated from. But the prophet acknowledgeth the whole church of the Jews to be unclean, and yet neither denies them to be a church truly constituted, nor stirs up himself or others to separate from them."

of the Jews

church truly

therefore not to be sepa

rated from.

Answer. I acknowledge the true constitution of the The church church of the Jews, and affirm that this their true consti- a national tution was the reason why they were not to be separated constituted, from: for being a national church, ceremonial and typical, their excommunication was either putting to death in, or captivity out of that ceremonial Canaan. Hence Shalmaneser's carrying the ten tribes captive out of this land, is said to be the casting of them out of God's sight, 2 Kings xvii. [18,] which was their excommunication.

captivity in

church,

spiritual death and

Accordingly in the particular Christian churches, Christ Death and Jesus cuts off by spiritual death, which is excommunica- the national tion: or for want of due execution of justice by that typed out ordinance in his kingdom, he sells the church into spiritual captivity in captivity, to confused, Babylonish lords and worships, and lar. so drives them out of his sight.

the particu

uncleanness

Now from the consequent of this place in Haggai mine argument stands good; and Mr. Cotton here acknowledgeth it, that holy things may be all unclean to God's people, when they lie in their uncleanness, as this people did. Those scriptures, Lev. xvi. and Num. xix., which Ceremonial discourse of typical and ceremonial uncleanness, he ac- in the naknowledgeth to type out in the gospel the moral unclean-church, ness either of dead works, Eph. v. 11, or dead persons, cleanness in 2 Cor. vi. 14, or dead world, Gal. vi. 14. And in this lar. place of Haggai, he acknowledgeth that God's people, prince and people, were defiled by worldliness, in which

E E

tional

typed out moral un

the particu

condition, saith he, their oblations, their bodily labours, were all unclean, and found neither acceptance nor blessing from the Lord.

Therefore saith he afterward: "In the church godly Christians themselves, while they attend to the world more than to the things of God, are unclean in the sight of God; therefore the church cannot be constituted of such; or if it be constitute of such, the people of God must separate from them." And, lastly, he saith, "the church of Christ and members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisy, and worldliness, else they and their duties will [still] be unclean in the sight of God, notwithstanding their church estate."

Answ. What have I more spoken than Mr. Cotton himself hath uttered in this his explication and application of this scripture? As,

First, that godly persons may become defiled and unclean by hypocrisy and worldliness.

Secondly, while they lie in such a condition of uncleanMr. Cotton s ness all their offerings, persons, labours, are unclean in fession con- the sight of God, and have neither acceptance nor blessing

own con

cerning

unclean wor

ships, even from him; but they and their duties are unclean in his sight, notwithstanding their church estate.

of godly per

sons.

Inferences from Master Cotton's grant.

Thirdly, the church of Christ cannot be constituted of such godly persons, when defiled with such worldliness.

Fourthly, the church consisting of such worldly persons, though otherwise godly and Christian, the people of God must separate from them.

These are Mr. Cotton's own express words which justify:1

1["Who seeth not, that in these words I express not mine own reasoning or meaning, but his; and that I expressly say, the true meaning of the text will nothing more reach to

his purpose; and so bring in his reason in form of an enthymeme, which he draws from it ?" Cotton's Answer, p. 105.]