The four particular grounds of my sentence of banishment.
“Mr. Williams,” said he, “holds forth these four particulars;
“First, That we have not our land by patent from the king, but that the natives are the true owners of it, and that we ought to repent of such a receiving it by patent.
“Secondly, That it is not lawful to call a wicked person to swear, [or] to pray, as being actions of God’s worship.
“Thirdly, That it is not lawful to hear any of the ministers of the parish assemblies in England.
“Fourthly, that the civil magistrate’s power extends only to the bodies, and goods, and outward state of men,” &c.
I acknowledge the particulars were rightly summed up, and I also hope, that, as I then maintained the rocky strength of them to my own and other consciences’ satisfaction, so, through the Lord’s assistance, I shall be ready for the same grounds not only to be bound and banished, but to die also in New England, as for most holy truths of God in Christ Jesus.
Yea; but, saith he, upon those grounds you banished yourself from the society of the churches in these countries.
Christ Jesus speaketh and suffereth in his witnesses. The dragon’s language in a lamb’s lip. God’s children persecuted are charged by their enemies to be the authors of their own persecution.
I answer, if Mr. Cotton mean my own voluntary withdrawing from those churches resolved to continue in those evils, and persecuting the witnesses of the Lord presenting light unto them, I confess it was mine own voluntary act; yea, I hope the act of the Lord Jesus sounding forth in me, a poor despised ram’s horn, the blast which shall in his own holy season cast down the strength and confidence of those inventions of men in the worshipping of the true and living God:—And lastly, His act in enabling me to be faithful, in any measure, to suffer such great and mighty trials for his name’s sake. But if by banishing myself he intend the act of civil banishment from their common earth and air, I then observe with grief the language of the dragon in a lamb’s lip. Among other expressions of the dragon, are not these common to the witnesses of the Lord Jesus, rent and torn by his persecutions?—“Go now:—say, you are persecuted, you are persecuted for Christ, suffer for your conscience: no, it is your schism, heresy, obstinacy, the devil hath deceived thee, thou hast justly brought this upon thee, thou hast banished thyself,” &c. Instances are abundant in so many books of martyrs, and the experience of all men, and therefore I spare to recite in so short a treatise.