Accordingly in the particular Christian churches, Christ Jesus cuts off by spiritual death, which is excommunication: or for want of due execution of justice by that ordinance in his kingdom, he sells the church into spiritual captivity, to confused, Babylonish lords and worships, and so drives them out of his sight.
Ceremonial uncleanness in the national church, typed out moral uncleanness in the particular.
Now from the consequent of this place in Haggai mine argument stands good; and Mr. Cotton here acknowledgeth it, that holy things may be all unclean to God’s people, when they lie in their uncleanness, as this people did. Those scriptures, Lev. xvi. and Num. xix., which discourse of typical and ceremonial uncleanness, he acknowledgeth to type out in the gospel the moral uncleanness either of dead works, Eph. v. 11, or dead persons, 2 Cor. vi. 14, or dead world, Gal. vi. 14. And in this place of Haggai, he acknowledgeth that God’s people, prince and people, were defiled by worldliness, in which condition, saith he, their oblations, their bodily labours, were all unclean, and found neither acceptance nor blessing from the Lord.
Therefore saith he afterward: “In the church godly Christians themselves, while they attend to the world more than to the things of God, are unclean in the sight of God; therefore the church cannot be constituted of such; or if it be constitute of such, the people of God must separate from them.” And, lastly, he saith, “the church of Christ and members thereof must separate themselves from their hypocrisy, and worldliness, else they and their duties will [still] be unclean in the sight of God, notwithstanding their church estate.”
Answ. What have I more spoken than Mr. Cotton himself hath uttered in this his explication and application of this scripture? As,
First, that godly persons may become defiled and unclean by hypocrisy and worldliness.
Mr. Cotton’s own confession concerning unclean worships, even of godly persons.
Secondly, while they lie in such a condition of uncleanness all their offerings, persons, labours, are unclean in the sight of God, and have neither acceptance nor blessing from him; but they and their duties are unclean in his sight, notwithstanding their church estate.
Thirdly, the church of Christ cannot be constituted of such godly persons, when defiled with such worldliness.
Fourthly, the church consisting of such worldly persons, though otherwise godly and Christian, the people of God must separate from them.