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. IV. CHAP. IV. Mr. Cotton. “Let not any prejudice against my person, I beseech you, forestal either your affection or judgment, as if I had hasted forward the sentence of your civil banishment; for what was done by the magistrates in that kind was neither done by my counsel nor consent.” Persecutors of men’s bodies seldom or never do those men’s souls good. An excellent observation of a worthy parliament man. Answ. Although I desire to hear the voice of God from a stranger, an equal, an inferior, yea, an enemy; yet I observe how this excellent man cannot but confess how hard it is for any man to do good, to speak effectually to the soul or conscience of any whose body he afflicts and persecutes, and that only for their soul and conscience’ sake. Hence, excellent was the observation of a worthy gentleman in the parliament against the bishops, viz., That the bishops were far from the practice of the Lord Jesus, who, together with his word preached to the souls of men, showed their bodies so much mercy and loving-kindness; whereas the bishops on the contrary persecute, &c. God’s children are not so free in persecuting God’s children, as persecutors whose professed nature and trade it is. Now to the ground from whence my prejudice might arise, he professeth my banishment proceeded not with his counsel or consent. I answer, I doubt not but that what Mr. Cotton and others did in procuring my sorrows, was not without some regret and reluctancy of conscience and affection—as like it is that David could not procure Uriah’s death, nor Asa imprison the prophet, with a quiet and free conscience. Yet to the particular, that Mr. Cotton consented not, what need he, being not one of the civil court? But that he counselled it, and so consented, beside what other proof I might produce, and what himself hereunder expresseth, I shall produce a double and unanswerable testimony. Mr. Cotton by teaching persecution cannot but consent to it, &c. First, he publicly taught, and teacheth, except lately Christ Jesus hath taught him better, that body-killing, soul-killing, and state-killing doctrine of not permitting but persecuting all other consciences and ways of worship but his own in the civil state, and so consequently in the whole world, if the power or empire thereof were in his hand. Mr. Cotton privately satisfied the consciences of some that questioned, whether persecution for conscience was lawful. Secondly, as at that sentence divers worthy gentlemen durst not concur with the rest in such a course, so some that did consent have solemnly testified, and with tears since to myself confessed, that they could not in their souls have been brought to have consented to the sentence, had not Mr. Cotton in private given them advice and counsel, proving it just and warrantable to their consciences. I desire to be as charitable as charity would have me, and therefore would hope that either his memory failed him, or that else he meant, that in the very time of sentence passing he neither counselled nor consented—as he hath since said, that he withdrew himself and went out from the rest—probably out of that reluctation which before I mentioned; and yet if so, I cannot reconcile his own expression: for thus he goes on:—