TO CHAP. VII.: The bloody tenet, washed, and made white in the blood of… by John Cotton | AskReformation

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:1602p. 50–51

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 ⟨p. 51⟩holding forth no other, but what they received from me, (when as indeed they pleaded for gross errors, contrary to my judgement;) and thereupon bare witness against them;

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 righteousnesse, and all evidencing of a good estate thereby in any sort, and some of them denying also the Immortalitie of the soule, 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 cleare my selfe, I publickly Preached against these errors. Then said the Brethren to the erring party, See, your Teacher declares himselfe clearely to differ from you. No matter (say the other) what he saith in publick, we understand him otherwise, and we know what he saith to us in private. Yea and I my selfe could not easily beleeve 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 Tenents, or any thing else but what they received from my selfe. All which bred in sundry of the Countrey a jealousie that I was in secret a Fomenter of the Spirit of Familisme, if not leavened my selfe 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 Legall, (whom we truely embraced, and honoured in the Lord) but of a Remoovall to New Haven, as being better knowne 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 loathnesse to be troublesome to godly mindes, and a feare of the unprofitablenesse of my Ministery there, where my way was suspected to be doubtfull, 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 ⟨p. 51⟩holding forth no other, but what they received from me, (when as indeed they pleaded for grosse errors, contrary to my judgement;) and thereupon bare witnesse against them;

:1612p. 52

I desire the Lord might be pleased to open his eyes by such afflictions, wisely to consider whether he be not out of his way, when he meeteth with such miseries, poverties, debts, hardships? Surely when God hedgeth in the way of his people with thorns, he calleth them to return to their first husband, for then it was better with them, then now, Hos. 2.6. His banishment was doubtless no cause of such afflictions: Divers others have been cast out of the Country, as well as he, and yet God hath generally rescued them from affliction, & prospered their estates before his eyes. But when he chooseth rather to betake himself to merchandise by Land and Sea, (unto which he was never brought up) then to serve the Lord, and his People in dispensing spiritual food to them in a Churchway, no marvel if the Lord do not shine upon his way, but expose him to debts, necessities, poverties, miseries, hardships by Sea and Land. It is far off from me to despise his afflicted condition: but the truest merciful cordial to his afflicted estate, would be to persuade him that he is out of his way, and still blesseth himself (though God both cross his estate, and blast his spirit) in such a way.

I desire the Lord might be pleased to open his eyes by such afflictions, wisely to consider whether he be not out of his way, when he meeteth with such miseries, poverties, debts, hardships? Surely when God hedgeth in the way of his people with thornes, he calleth them to returne to their first husband, for then it was better with them, then now, Hos. 2.6. His banishment was doubtlesse no cause of such afflictions: Divers others have been cast out of the Countrey, as well as he, and yet God hath generally rescued them from affliction, & prospered their estates before his eyes. But when he chooseth rather to betake himselfe to merchandise by Land and Sea, (unto which he was never brought up) then to serve the Lord, and his People in dispensing spirituall food to them in a Churchway, no marvell if the Lord doe not shine upon his way, but expose him to debts, necessities, poverties, miseries, hardships by Sea and Land. It is farre off from me to despise his afflicted condition: but the truest mercifull cordiall to his afflicted estate, would be to perswade him that he is out of his way, and still blesseth himselfe (though God both crosse his estate, and blast his spirit) in such a way.