THough I have little hope ( when I consider the uncircumcision of mine owne lips , Exod. 6.12 . ) that you will hearken to my voyce , who hath not hearkened to the body of the whole Church of Christ with you , and the testimony , and judgement of so many Elders and Brethren of other Churches , yet I trust my labour will be accepted of the Lord ; and who can tell but that he may blesse it to you also , if ( by his helpe ) I indevour to shew you the sandinesse of those grounds , out of which you have banished yours from the fellowship of all the Churches in these Countries ▪ Let not any pr●judice against my person ( I beseech you ) forestall either your affection or judgement , as if I had hastened forward the sentence of your civill banishment ; for what was done by the Magistrates , in that kinde , was neither done by my counsell nor consent , although I dare not deny the sentence passed to be righteous in the eyes of God , who hath said that he that with-holdeth the Corne ( which is the staffe of life ) from the people , the multitude shall curse him , Prov. 11.26 . how much more shall they separate such from them as doe with-hold and separate them from the Ordinances , or the Ordinances from them ( which are in Christ the bread of life . ) And yet it may be they passed that sentence against you not upon that ground , but for ought I know , upon your other corrupt doctrines , which tend to the disturbance both of civill and holy peace , as may appeare by that answer which was sent to the Brethren of the Church of Salem , and to your selfe . And to sp●ake freely what I thinke , were in soule in your soules stead , I should thinke it a worke of mercy of God to banish me from the civill society of such a Common wealth , when I could not injoy holy fellowship with any Church of God amongst them without sin . What should the Daughter of Zion doe in Babell ? why should she not hasten to flee from thence ? Zach. 2.6 , 7.

I speake not these things ( the God of Truth is my witnes ) to adde affliction to your affliction , but ( if it were the holy will of God ) to move you to a more serious sight of your sin , and of the justice of Gods hand against it . Against your corrupt Doctrines , it pleased the Lord Jesus to fight against you with the sword of his mouth ( as himselfe speaketh , Rev. 2.16 . ) in the mouthes and testimonies of the Churches and Brethren . Against whom , when you over-heated your selfe in reasoning and disputing against the light of his truth , it pleased him to stop your mouth by a suddaine disease , and to threaten to take your breath from you . But you in stead of recoyling ( as even Balaam offered to doe in the like case ) you chose rather to persist in your way , and to protest against all the Churches and Brethren that stood in your way : and thus the good hand of Christ that should have bumbled you , to see and turne from the errour of your way , hath rather hardned you therein , and quickned you onely to see failings ( yea intolerable errours ) in all the Churches and brethren , rather then in your selfe . In which course though you say you doe not remember an houre wherein the countenance of the Lord was darkned to you , yet be not deceived , it is no new thing with Satan to transforme himselfe into an Angell of light , and to cheare the soule with false peace , and with flashes of counterfeit consolation . Sad and wofull is the memory of Master Smiths strong consolations on his death-bed , which are set as a Seale to the grosse and damnable Arminianisme and Enthusiasmes delivered in the confession of his faith , prefixed to the story of his life and death . The countenance of God is upon his people when they feare him , not when they presume of their owne strength ; and his consolations are found not in the way of presidence in errour , but in the wayes of humility and truth .

Two stumbling blockes ( I perceive by your letter ) 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 afflictions , who doe ourselves practise separation in peace .

For the first , you acknowledge ( as you say ) with joy that godly persons are the visible matter of these Churches , but yet you see not that godly persons are matter fitted to constitute a Church , no more then trees or Quarries are fit matter proportioned to the building .

Answ. This exception seemeth to mee to imply a contradiction to it selfe , for if the matter of our Churches be as you say godly persons , they are not then as trees unfelled , or stones unhewen . Godlinesse cutteth men downe from the former roote , 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 , bewaile , repent , and come out of the false Churches ministry , worship and government , according to Scripturs Isa. 52.11 . 2 Cor. 6.17 . Revel. 18.4 . And those this to be done not by a locall remoovall or contrary practise , &c. but by a deliverance of the soule , understanding , minde , conscience , judgement , will and affections .

Answ. 1. We grant it is not locall remoovall from former pollutions , or contrary practise , that fitteth us for fellowship with Christ and his Church , but that it is necessary also that we doe repent of such former pollutions wherein we have beene defiled and inthralled .

Wee grant further that it is likewise necessary to Church-fellowship , we should see and discerne all such pollutions as doe so farre enthrall us to Antichrist , to separate us from Christ .

But this we professe unto you , that wherein we have reformed our practise , therein have we endeavoured unfainedly to humble our soules for our former contrary walking . If any through hypocrisie are wanting herein , the hidden hypocrisie of some will not prejudice the sinceritie and faithfulnesse of others , not the Church estate of all .

And that we doe ( by the grace of Christ ) see and discerne all such pollutions as doe so farre enthrall us to Antichrist as to separate us from Christ ; your selfe doth acknowledge in acknowledging the visible members of these Churches to be godly persons ; for godly persons are not so enthralled to Antichrist , as to separate them from Christ , else they could not be godly persons .

Answ. 2. We deny that it is necessary to Church-fellowship ( to wit , so necessary as that without it , a Church cannot be ) that the members admitted thereunto should all of them see , expressely bewaile all the pollutions which they have beene defiled with in the former Church-fellowship , ministery , worship , government . If they see and bewaile so much of their former pollutions as did enthrall them to Antichrist , 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 separation from Antichrist , and to fellowship with Christ and his Churches . The Churches of Iudea admitted many thousand Jewes that believed on the name of Christ , although they were still zealous of the Law , and saw not the beggetly emptinesse of Moses his ceremonies , Act. 21.20 . And the Apostle Paul directeth the Romans to receive such unto them as are weake in the faith , and see not their liberty from the servile difference of meats and dayes , 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. 14.1 . to 6.

Say not , there is not the like danger of lying under bondage to Moses as to Antichrist , for even the bondage under Moses was such , as if they continued in after instruction and conviction , would separate them from Christ , Gal. 5.2 . And bondage under Antichrist could doe no more .

Answ. 3. To the places of Scripture which you object , Isa. 52.11 . 2 Cor. 6.17 . Revel. 18.4 . we answer , two of them make nothing to your purpose , for that of Esay and the other of the Revelation , speake of locall separation , which your selfe knoweth we have made , and yet you say you doe not apprehend that to be sufficient . As for that place of the Corinths , it onely requireth comming out from Idolaters in the fellowship of their Idolatry . No marriages were they to make with them : no feasts were they to hold with them in the Idols Temple : no intimate familiaritie were they to maintaine with them : nor any fellowship were they to keepe with them in the unfruitfull workes of darkenesse ; and this is all which that place requireth . But what makes all this to prove that we may not receive such persons to Church-fellowship as our selves confesse to be godly , and who doe professedly renounce and bewaile all knowne sinne , and would renounce more if they knew more , although it may be they doe not yet see the utmost skirts of all that pollution they have sometimes beene defiled with ; as the Patriarchs saw not the pollution of their Polygamie ? But that you may plainely see this place is wrested besides the Apostles scope , when you argue from it that such persons are not fit matter of Church-fellowship , as are defiled with any remnants of Antichristian pollution ; nor such Churches any more to be accounted Churches , as doe receive such amongst them ; Consider I pray you , were there not at that time in the Church of Corinth such as partaked with Idolaters in their Idols Temples ? and was not this the touching of an uncleane thing ? and did this sinne reject these members from Church fellowship before conviction ? or did it evacuate their Church estate for not casting out of such members ?

2. Your second objection is taken from the confession of sinnes made by Johns Disciples , and the proselyte Gentiles before admission into Church-fellowship , Matth. 3.6 . Act. 19.18 . whence you gather that Christian Churches are constituted of such members as make open and plaine confession of their sinnes ; and if any sinnes be to be confessed and lamented , ( Jewish , or Paganish ) then Antichristian drunkennesse , and whoredome much more , of all such as have drunke of the whores cup , or but sipt of it . And therefore as persons , though godly , are not made fit for the Church , if open drunkennesse or whoredome lie upon them , yea or but one act of either , untill conviction , true repentance , confession , and renunciation of their wayes be discerned : so here .

And yet as if you had grasped more then you could hold , you let fall some part of what you had assumed , and doe grant , that

Such a confession and renunciation is not absolute necessary to the admission of members , ( though the want of it be a grievous offence ) if the substance of true repentance be discerned .

Answ. 1. If such a confession and renunciation be not of absolute necessity to the admission of members when the substance of true repentance is discerned , then such Congregations may be true Churches ( by your owne confession ) who doe admit for their members such godly persons as doe professe and hold forth the substance of true repentance ; for such persons professing their repentance for all their knowne and open sinnes , doe withall professe their readinesse to repent of and forsake whatsoever further sinnes shall be discovered to them .

Ans. 2. When you judge that godly persons are not matter fitted for the Church , untill first they be illuminated and convinced of the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the whores cup ; you take away with the one hand what you granted with the other , and withall you impose a burthen upon the Church of Christ , which Christ never required at their hands nor yours .

For we deny that it is necessary to the admission of members that every one should be convinced of the sinfulnesse of every sipping of the Whores cup , for every sipping of a drunkards cup is not sinfull ; and though the cup of the whore doe more intoxicate the mind then the drunkards cup doth the body , yet you know bodily drunkennesse and whoredome are such notorions and grosse sinnes that no man that hath any true repentance in him , cannot but bee convinced of the sinfulnesse of them , and of the necessity of repentance of them in particular . But the Whores cup being a mystery of iniquity , the sinfulnesse of it , is nothing so evident and notorious as that every true repentant soule doth at first discerne the filthinesse of it : and therefore as those three thousand Jewes and Proselytes were admitted into the fellowship of the first Christian Church , when they repented of their murther of Christ , although they never saw nor confessed all the superstitious leavenings wherewith the Pharisees had bewitched them , Act. 2. 37 to 47. so doubtlesse may such godly persons be admitted into the fellowship of our Churches , who doe truely repent and confesse their greatest and most notorious sins , although they be not yet convinced of every passage of Antichristian superstition , wherewith they have beene defiled in their former walkings .

The Disciples of John ( whom you instance in ) did indeed confesse their sinnes , the Publicans their sinnes , the Souldiers theirs , the People theirs , but yet it doth not appeare that they confessed their Pharisaicall pollutions , but rather the notorious sinnes , incident to their callings , as did also those Gentiles of whom you speake , Act. 19.18 , 19. Conjurers confessed their curious Arts , and others their deeds , but whether all their deeds , is not expressed .

Answ. 3. But to satisfie you more fully ( and the Lord make you willing in true meekenesse of Spirit to receive satisfaction ) the body of the members whom we receive , doe in generall professe , the reason of their comming over to us was , that they might be freed from the bondage of such humane inventions and ordinances as their soules groaned under , for which also they professe their hearty sorrow , so far as through ignorance or infirmity they have beene defiled . Besides , in our daily meetings , and especially in times of our solemne humiliations , we generally all of us bewaile all our former pollutions , wherewith we have defiled our selves , and the holy things of God , in our former Administrations and Communions , but wee rather choose to doe it , than to talke of it , and wee cannot but wonder how you can so boldly and resolutely renounce the Churches of Christ , for neglect of that , which you know not whether they have neglected or no , and before you have admonished us of our sinfulnesse in such neglect , if it be found amongst us .

Object . 3. Your third Objection is taken from Hag. 2.13 , 14 , 15. a place which you desire may be throughly weighed , and that the Lord would hold the scales himselfe . The Prophet there tels the Church of the Jewes , that if a person uncleane by a dead body , touch holy things , those holy things become uncleane unto him , and so , saith he , is this Nation , and so is every worke of their hands , and that which they offer there is uncleane . And this ( as you conceive ) argueth that even Church Covenants made , and Ordinances practised by persons polluted through spirituall deadnesse and filthinesse of Communion , they become uncleane unto them , and are prophaned by them .

Answ. Now surely if your selfe had hearkned to your owne desire , and had throughly weighed the Scripture , and had suffered the Lord to have held the scales himselfe , you would never have alledged this place to your purpose . Your purpose was to prove that Churches connot be constituted by such persons as are uncleane by antichristian pollutions , or if they be so constituted , they are not to be communicated with , but separated from : To prove this you alledge this place ; when the Prophet acknowledgeth the whole Church of the Jewes to be uncleane , and yet neither denyeth them to be a Church truely constituted , nor stirreth up himselfe or others to separate from them .

If you say , why but they were uncleane ? I Answer , be it so , but were they therefore no Church truely constituted , or to be separated from ? yea did not Haggai and Zachary themselves communicate with them , and call others also to come out of Babell to communicate with them , even whilest Joshua the High Priest was still polluted with his unclean garments Zac. 2.6 , 7. with 6.3.8.3 . But if indeed you desire to know , what upon due weighing of the place , I conceive to be the meaning of it , you shall finde it to be this ; The occasion of the words arise from a worldly distemper , which the time grew upon , all sorts of the members of that Church , who were so farre carryed away with care of their owne outward accommodations , that while every man looked to his owne house , and the seiling of it , the Temple of the Lord and the building thereof was generally neglected of them all , Prince , Priest , and People , whence it was that God neither delighted in their spirituall services , nor in their bodily labours , but left them without a blessing in both , Hagg. 1.6 . to 11. Now to cleare the justice of Gods proceeding against them in that case , he alledgeth a secondable law for it , out of Moses ; The former is written in Levit. 6.27 . where the Law saith , that a garment touching any holy flesh of the sin offering should be holy . But if the garment which toucheth holy flesh shall touch other things , as the person that weareth it , or any pottage , or Bread , or wine , or any touch of other common thing , the thing touched is not thereby hallowed by the touch of such a garment .

Againe , there was another Law , that whosoever touched any uncleane body , should be uncleane seven dayes , and if in that time hee touched the Tabernacle , or the holy things thereof , they shall be uncleane , Numb . 19.13 . Now ( to apply these Lawes to the scope of the Prophet ) the touch of a dead body did type out either fellowship with dead workes , as Ephes. 5.11 . or dead persons , 2 Cor. 6.14 , 15 , 16 , 17. or dead world , Gal. 6.14 . but of these three , it was the dead world wherewith Priest and Prince and all the people were at that time generally defiled , in that they tooke more care and paines for worldly conveniences , then for the Lords holy Ordinances . Whereupon according to the answer of the Priest , agreeable to the Law , the Prophet pronounceth them , in the sight of the Lord , all to be uncleane .

From both these Lawes , and the Interpretation of them by the Priest , and the application of them by the Prophet , it appeareth that there were two sorts of these people , and both uncleane . Some that did not touch the holy flesh , or offerings , but on the outside of their garments onely , to wit , in bodily presence ( and the body is but the garment of the Soule ) 1 Cor. 5.4 . and such were all the Hypocrites amongst them : Others were sincere , as worshipping God in firme Truth , as Zorobabell , Jehoshua , and many more , but yet now defiled with touching a dead body , that is , with laying hold on a dead world , their worldly accommodations , which made their hearts and hands slow or dead to set forward the Temple worke , and in this condition both sorts , their persons , their oblations , their bodily labours , were all uncleane , and found neither acceptance nor blessing from the Lord , till the Lord stirred up the Spirits of them all to addresse themselves more seriously to the Temple worke , Hag. 1.12 , 13 , 14.

This I take to be the true and genuine meaning of the place , which if you apply to the point in hand , will reach nothing neare to your purpose . Hypocrites in the Church , and godly Christians themselves , whilst they attend to the world more then to the things of God , their persons , their labours , their civill oblations are all uncleane in the sight of God ; therefore the Church of Christ cannot be constituted of such , or if it doe consist of such , the people of God must separate from them . You might well have gathered , therefore , the Church of Christ and the members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisie , and inordinate love of this world , or else they and their duties will still be uncleane in the sight of God , notwithstanding their Church estate . This collection tendeth to edification , the other to dissipation and destruction of the Church , and of them that wrest blood in stead of milke from the breasts of holy Scripture .

Answ. 1. In stead of halting betwixt Christ and Antichrist , wee conceive the Lord hath guided us to walke with an even foote betweene two extreames ; so that we neither defile our selves with the remnant of pollutions in other Churches , nor doe wee for the remnant of pollutions renounce the Churches themselves , nor the holy ordinances of God amongst them , which our selves have found powerfull to our salvation . This moderation , so farre as we have kept it in preaching or printing , wee see no cause to repent of , but if you shew us cause why we should repent of it , wee shall desire to repent that we repented no sooner .