A80608:1649
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.
TO CHAP. X.
The residue of my Letter to Mr. Williams was taken up in removing two stumbling blocks out of his way, which turned him off from fellowship with us. The former was, the want of fit matter of our Churches. The latter, our disrespect to the separate Churches in England. Our want of fit matter he acknowledged stood, not in this, that we wanted godly persons to be the visible members of our Churches, (for with joy, he acknowledgeth that:) but in this, that all godly persons are not matter fit to constitute a Church, no more then Trees, or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.
THe residue of my Letter to Mr. Williams was taken up in remooving two stumbling blocks out of his way, which turned him off from fellowship with us. The former was, the want of fit matter of our Churches. The latter, our disrespect to the separate Churches in England. Our want of fit matter he acknowledged stood, not in this, that we wanted godly persons to be the visible members of our Churches, (for with joy, he acknowledgeth that:) but in this, that all godly persons are not matter fit to constitute a Church, no more then Trees, or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to a Building.
This exception of his seemed to me to imply a contradiction: for if the matter of our Churches were (such as himself acknowledged) godly persons, they were not then as Trees unfelled, nor as stones in the Quarry unhewn: for godliness cutteth men down from their former root, and heweth them out of the Pit of corrupt Nature, and fitteth them for fellowship with Christ, and with his People.