A80608:1604
The bloody tenet, washed, and made white in the blood of the LambThe bloudy tenent, washed, and made white in the bloud of the Lambe
The bloody tenet, washed, and made white in the blood of the Lamb: being discussed and discharged of blood-guiltiness by just defence. Wherein the great questions of this present time are handled, viz. how far liberty of conscience ought to be given to those that truly fear God? And how far restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons, that not only raze the foundation of godliness, but disturb the civill peace where they live? Also how far the magistrate may proceed in the duties of the first table? And that all magistrates ought to study the word and will of God, that they may frame their government according to it. Discussed. As they are alleged from divers Scriptures, out of the Old and New Testament. Wherein also the practise of princes is debated, together with the judgement of ancient and late writers of most precious esteem. Whereunto is added a reply to Mr. Williams answer, to Mr. Cottons letter. / By John Cotton Bachelor in Divinity, and teacher of the church of Christ at Boston in New England.The bloudy tenent, washed, and made white in the bloud of the Lambe: being discussed and discharged of bloud-guiltinesse by just defence. Wherein the great questions of this present time are handled, viz. how farre liberty of conscience ought to be given to those that truly feare God? And how farre restrained to turbulent and pestilent persons, that not onely raze the foundation of godlinesse, but disturb the civill peace where they live? Also how farre the magistrate may proceed in the duties of the first table? And that all magistrates ought to study the word and will of God, that they may frame their government according to it. Discussed. As they are alledged from divers Scriptures, out of the Old and New Testament. Wherein also the practise of princes is debated, together with the judgement of ancient and late writers of most precious esteeme. Whereunto is added a reply to Mr. Williams answer, to Mr. Cottons letter. / By John Cotton Batchelor in Divinity, and teacher of the church of Christ at Boston in New England.
London: printed by Matthew Symmons for Hannah Allen, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Reply. The Examiner is falsely, and foully mis-informed, when he saith, I was about to separate some few years since from the new English ⟨p. 50⟩Churches as Legal. For I never counted them as Legal Churches; nor was I ever about to separate from them as Legal, or otherwise so unclean, that a good conscience might not hold communion with them without sin.
Reply. The Examiner is falsly, and foully mis-informed, when he saith, I was about to separate some few yeares since from the new English ⟨p. 50⟩Churches as Legall. For I never counted them as Legall Churches; nor was I ever about to separate from them as Legall, or otherwise so uncleane, that a good conscience might not hold communion with them without sinne.
The truth is, There was a Generation of Familists in our own, and other Townes, who under pretence of holding forth, what I had taught, touching union with Christ, and evidencing of that union, did secretly vent sundry corrupt, and dangerous errors, and heresies, denying all inherent righteousness, and all evidencing of a good estate thereby in any sort, and some of them denying also the Immortality of the soul, and Resurrection of the body. When they were questioned by some Brethren about those things, they carried it as if they held forth nothing but what they had received from me. Whereof when I was advertised, to clear my self, I publicly Preached against these errors. Then said the Brethren to the erring party, See, your Teacher declares himself clearly to differ from you. No matter (say the other) what he saith in public, we understand him otherwise, and we know what he saith to us in private. Yea and I my self could not easily believe that those erring Brethren, and Sisters were so corrupt in their Judgements, as they were reported, they seeming to me forward Christians, and utterly denying unto me any such Tenets, or any thing else but what they received from my self. All which bred in sundry of the Country a jealousy that I was in secret a Fomenter of the Spirit of Familism, if not leavened my self that way. Which I discerning, it wrought in me thoughts, (as it did in many other sincerely godly Brethren of our Church) not of a Separation from the Churches, as Legal, (whom we truly embraced, and honoured in the Lord) but of a Removal to New Haven, as being better known to the Pastor, and some others there, then to such as were at that time jealous of me here. The true Ground whereof was, an inward loathness to be troublesome to godly minds, and a fear of the unprofitableness of my Ministry there, where my way was suspected to be doubtful, and dangerous. I chose therefore rather to meditate a silent departure in Peace, then by tarrying here to make way for the breaking forth of Temptations. But when at the Synod I had discovered the corruption of the Judgement of the erring Brethren, and saw their fraudulent pretence of