The lantern of God’s word must alone try who fights with the sword of God’s mouth, the same word of God. Whether Mr. Cotton persecuting, or the answerer persecuted, be likest to Balaam.
To the first I say no more, but let the light of the holy lantern of the word of God discover and try with whom the sword of God’s mouth, that is, the testimony of the holy scripture for Christ against anti-christ, abideth. And whether myself and such poor witnesses of Jesus Christ in Old and New England, Low Countries, &c., desiring in meekness and patience to testify the truth of Jesus against all false callings of ministers, &c., or Mr. Cotton, however in his person holy and beloved, swimming with the stream of outward credit and profit, and smiting with the fist and sword of persecution such as dare not join in worship with him:—I say, whether of either be the witnesses of Christ Jesus, in whose mouth is the sword of his mouth, the sword of the Spirit, the holy word of God, and whether is most like to Balaam?
The answerer’s profession concerning his sickness, which Mr. Cotton upbraids to him. Scripture, history, experience can witness the censures upon God’s servants in their afflictions.
To the second: his censure. It is true, it pleased God by excessive labours on the Lord’s days, and thrice a week at Salem: by labours day and night in my field with my own hands, for the maintenance of my charge: by travels also by day and night to go and return from their court, and not by overheating in dispute, divers of themselves confessing publicly my moderation, it pleased God to bring me near unto death; in which time, notwithstanding the mediating testimony of two skilful in physic, I was unmercifully driven from my chamber to a winter’s flight.[243] During my sickness, I humbly appeal unto the Father of spirits for witness of the upright and constant, diligent search my spirit made after him, in the examination of all passages, both my private disquisitions with all the chief of their ministers, and public agitations of points controverted; and what gracious fruit I reaped from that sickness, I hope my soul shall never forget. However, I mind not to number up a catalogue of the many censures upon God’s servants in the time of God’s chastisements and visitations on them, both in scripture, history, and experience. Nor retort the many evils which it pleased God to bring upon some chief procurers of my sorrows, nor upon the whole state immediately after them, which many of their own have observed and reported to me; but I commit my cause to him that judgeth righteously, and yet resolve to pray against their evils, Ps. cxli.
CHAP. IX.
Mr. Cotton. “In which course, though you say you do not remember an hour wherein the countenance of the Lord was darkened to you: yet be not deceived, it is no new thing with Satan to transform himself into an angel of light, and to cheer the soul with false peace, and with flashes of counterfeit consolation. Sad and woeful is the memory of Mr. Smith’s strong consolation on his death-bed, which is set as a seal to his gross and damnable Arminianism and enthusiasm delivered in the confession of his faith,[244] prefixed to the story of his life and death. The countenance of God is upon his people when they fear him, not when they presume of their own strength, and his consolations are not found in the way of precedence and error, but in the ways of humility and truth.”
Answer. To that part which concerns myself, the speech hath reference either to the matter of justification, or else matter of my affliction for Christ, of both which I remember I have had discourse.
A soul at peace with God may yet endure great combats concerning sanctification.
For the first, I have expressed in some conference, as Mr. Cotton himself hath also related concerning some with whom I am not worthy to be named, that after first manifestations of the countenance of God, reconciled in the blood of his Son unto my soul, my questions and trouble have not been concerning my reconciliation and peace with God, but concerning sanctification, and fellowship with the holiness of God, in which respect I desire to cry, with Paul, in the bitterness of my spirit, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death?