The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience Discussed and Mr. Cotton's Letter Examined and Answered, by Roger Williams CHAP. CIII. Peace. Dear Truth, this pressing of men to the spiritual battles of Christ Jesus, is the cause why (as it is commonly with pressed soldiers) that so many thousands fly in the day of battle. But I present you with the ninth question, viz. What power the magistrate hath in providing of church officers? “First, say they, the election of church officers being the proper act of the church, therefore the magistrate hath no power, either as prince or patron, to assume such power unto himself. Whom Christ sends to preach by his supreme power, the magistrate may send forth by his power subordinate, to gather churches, and may force people to hear them, but not invest them with office amongst them. “Secondly, the maintenance of church-officers being to arise from all those who are ordinarily taught thereby, Gal. vi. 6, hence it is the duty of the civil magistrate to contend with the people, as Nehemiah did, chap. xiii. 10, 11, who do neglect and forsake the due maintenance of the church of God, and to command them to give such portion for the maintenance of church officers, as the gospel commandeth to be offered to them, freely and bountifully, 2 Cor. ix. 5, 6, 7. According as Hezekiah commanded the people to give to the priests and Levites the portions appointed by the law, that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord, 2 Chron. xxxi. 4. “Thirdly, the furnishing the church with set officers, depending much upon erecting and maintenance of schools, and good education of youth, and it lying chiefly in the hand of the magistrate to provide for the furthering thereof, they may therefore and should so far provide for the churches as to erect schools, take care for fit governors and tutors: and commend it to all the churches, if they see it meet, that in all the churches within the jurisdiction, once in a year, and if it may be, the sabbath before the general court of election, there be a free-will offering of all people for the maintenance of such schools: and the monies of every town so given, to be brought on the day of election to the treasury of the college, and the monies to be disposed by such who are so chosen for the disposing thereof.” Truth. In the choice of officers, it is very obscure what they mean by this supreme power of Christ Jesus sending to preach. We know the commission of the Lord Jesus to his first messengers to go into all nations to preach and gather churches, and they were immediately sent forth by him. But Mr. Cotton elsewhere holdeth, that there is now extant no immediate ministry from Christ, but mediate, that is, from the church. Let us first see how they agree with themselves, and secondly how they agree with the magistrate in this business. In the first pattern there is a converting ministry to gather the church or flock of Christ. First, if they hold a sending forth to preach by Christ’s supreme power, according to Matt. xxviii., Mark xvi., Rom. x., they must necessarily grant a time when the church is not, but is to be constituted out of the nations and peoples now converted by this preaching: whence, according to the course of scripture, the nature of the work, and their own grant in this place, it is apparent that there is a ministry before the church, gathering and espousing the church to Christ: and therefore their own tenent must needs be too light, viz. that there is no ministry but that which is mediate from the church. Peace. Blessed Truth, this doctrine of a ministry before the church, is harsh and deep, yet most true, most sweet. Yet you know their ground, that two or three godly persons may join themselves together, become a church, make officers, send them forth to preach, to convert, to baptize, and gather new churches. No precedent of any people in the gospel converting and gathering themselves without some messenger sent from the Lord to effect those ends. Truth. I answer, first, we find not in the first institution and pattern, that ever any such two, or three, or more, did gather and constitute themselves a church of Christ, without a ministry sent from God to invite and call them by the word, and to receive them unto fellowship with God upon the receiving of that word and message. And therefore it may very well be queried, how, without such a ministry, two or three become a church? and how the power of Christ is conveyed unto them? who espoused this people unto Jesus Christ, as the church at Corinth was espoused by Paul? 2 Cor. xi. 2. If it be said, themselves: or if it be said, the scriptures: let one instance be produced in the first patterns and practices of such a practice. It hath been generally confessed, that there is no coming to the marriage-feast without a messenger inviting, sent from God to the souls of men, Matt. xxii., Luke xiv., Rom. x. We find when the Thessalonians turned to God from their idols, to serve the living and true God, 1 Thess. i. 9, it pleased God to bring a word of power unto them by the mouth of Paul, in the same place. Peace. You know, dear Truth, it is a common plea, that God’s people now are converted already, and therefore may congregate themselves, &c. Truth. Two things must here be cleared. Professed public conversion is not only from sins against the second table in personal repentance, but from false worship also. First, doth their conversion amount to external turning from idols, 1 Thess. i. 9, beside their internal repentance, faith, love? &c. Secondly, who wrought this conversion, who begot these children? for though the Corinthians might have ten thousand teachers, yet Paul had begotten them by the word. It is true, as Mr. Cotton himself elsewhere acknowledgeth, God sendeth many preachers in the way of his providence, even in Babel mystical, though not according to his ordinance and institution. So even in the wilderness God provideth for the sustentation of the woman, Rev. xii.; by which provision, even in the most popish times and places, yea, and by most false and popish callings (now in this lightsome age confessed so to be), God hath done great things to the personal conversion, consolation, and salvation of his people. A true ministry necessary before conversion, and therefore before the church, in the first pattern. But as there seems yet to be desired such constitution of the Christian church, as the first institution and pattern calls for: so also such a calling and converting of God’s people from anti-christian idols to the Christian worship: and therefore such a ministry, according to the first pattern, sent from Christ Jesus to renew and restore the worship and ordinances of God in Christ. The true way of the ministry sent with that commission, Matt. xxviii. discussed. Lastly, if it should be granted that without a ministry sent from Christ to gather churches, that God’s people in this country may be called, converted from anti-christian idols, to the true worship of God in the true church estate and ordinances, will it not follow that in all other countries of the world God’s elect must or may be so converted from their several respective false worships and idolatries, and brought into the true Christian church estate without such a ministry sent unto them? Or are there two ways appointed by the Lord Jesus, one for this country, and another for the rest of the world? Or lastly, if two or three more, without a ministry, shall arise up, become a church, make ministers, &c., I ask, whether those two or three, or more, must not be accounted immediately and extraordinarily stirred up by God? and whether this be that supreme power of Christ Jesus, which they speak of, sending forth two or three private persons to make a church and ministers, without a true ministry of Christ Jesus first sent unto themselves? Is this that commission, which all ministers pretend unto, Matt. xxviii. 19, &c. first, in the hands of two or three private persons becoming a church, without a mediate call from which church, say they, there can be no true ministry, and yet also confess that Christ sendeth forth to preach by his supreme power, and the magistrate by his power subordinate to gather churches?