Answer. That which requireth answer in this passage, is a charge of a seeming contradiction, to wit, That persons may be godly, and yet not fitted for church estate, but remain as trees and quarries, unfelled, &c.: Contrary to which it is affirmed, that godly persons cannot be so enthralled to anti-christ, as to separate them from Christ.
For the clearing of which let the word of truth be rightly divided, and a right distinction of things applied, there will appear nothing contradictory, but clear and satisfactory to each man’s conscience.
The state of godly persons in gross sins. Godly persons falling into gross sins, are to express repentance before they can be admitted to the church.
First, then, I distinguish of a godly person thus: In some acts of sin which a godly person may fall into, during those acts, although before the all-searching and tender eye of God, and also in the eyes of such as are godly, such a person remaineth still godly, yet to the eye of the world externally such a person seemeth ungodly, and a sinner. Thus Noah in his drunkenness; thus Abraham, Lot, Samson, Job, David, Peter, in their lying, whoredoms, cursings, murder, denying and foreswearing of Christ Jesus, although they lost not their inward sap and root of life, yet suffered they a decay and fall of leaf, and the show of bad and evil trees. In such a case Mr. Cotton will not deny, that a godly person falling into drunkenness, whoredom, deliberate murder, denying and forswearing of Christ, the church of Christ cannot receive such persons into church fellowship, before their sight of humble bewailing and confessing of such evils, notwithstanding that love may conceive there is a root of godliness within.
God’s children long asleep in respect of God’s worship, though alive in the grace of Christ.
Secondly, God’s children, Cant. v. 2, notwithstanding a principle of spiritual life in their souls, yet are lulled into a long continued sleep in the matters of God’s worship: I sleep, though my heart waketh. The heart is awake in spiritual life and grace, as concerning personal union to the Lord Jesus, and conscionable endeavours to please him in what the heart is convinced: yet asleep in respect of abundant ignorance and negligence, and consequently gross abominations and pollutions of worship; in which the choicest servants of God, and most faithful witnesses of many truths have lived in more or less, yea, in main and fundamental points, ever since the apostacy.
Mr. Cotton now professes to practise what thousands of God’s people for many ages have not seen.
Not to instance in all, but in some particulars which Mr. Cotton hath in New England reformed: I earnestly beseech himself and all well to ponder how far he himself now professeth to see and practise, that which so many thousands of godly persons of high note, in all ages, since the apostacy, saw not: as,
First, concerning the nature of a particular church, to consist only of holy and godly persons.
Secondly, of a true ministry called by that church.